State Roundup

Marshall Enbridge: Michigan spill cost it $550M in 2010 MARSHALL, Mich. (AP) -- Enbridge Inc. says the spill of at least 800,000 of oil into the Kalamazoo River system near Marshall cost the pipeline company $550 million in 2010. The Kalamazoo Gazette says the figure comes from an annual report by Enbridge. It says the figure excludes insurance recoveries, fines and penalties. The pipeline stretches from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario. A portion of the pipeline ruptured last July near Marshall in southwestern Michigan, contaminating about 25 miles of Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. Public officials say they don't know when the Kalamazoo River will reopen for public use as the cleanup continues. Oil flow through the 286-mile-long pipeline resumed in September. Detroit Store, 3 people charged in food-stamp case DETROIT (AP) -- A Detroit market and three people have been charged in a scheme to milk the food-stamp program. Attorney General Bill Schuette says informants were sent into Randy's Market after authorities noticed unusually high food-stamp redemptions. The store is accused of giving cash to people in exchange for more valuable swipes of their electronic card. Schuette says fraud exceeded $100,000 over a one-year period. A man who answered the phone Tuesday at Randy's Market said he didn't know anything about the case. The attorney general's office says monthly food-stamp redemptions at Randy's were more than 300 percent higher than similar stores in the area. Grand Rapids In prison for seeking wife's murder, man tries again GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -- A man in prison for trying to have his wife killed has been caught again trying to arrange her murder. The 54-year-old Michigan inmate is serving nine to 30 years on a 2009 conviction for trying to solicit the murder of his wife the previous year. He pleaded no contest to that charge. David Albers of Roseville was in an Ionia prison when he says a friend offered to find someone to kill Albers' wife Andrea. The hit man turned out to be an undercover state trooper, who visited Albers twice and agreed to a $2,500 fee. Albers pleaded guilty to soliciting murder Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. It was handled as a federal case because Albers used the mail to contact his friend in Kentucky, The Grand Rapids Press reported. "In effect, you tried to do the same thing a second time?" U.S. District Magistrate Judge Hugh Brenneman asked him. "Yes," Albers said. Albers told the judge he thought the undercover officer was a construction worker sent by his friend. "He said he could get rid of her," Albers said. When asked what that meant, Albers said: "murder." The solicitation attempts happened in 2009 and 2010. Albers was indicted last year. The federal charge carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison and could be served concurrently. Though not expected to lengthen Albers sentence, it could impact on his chances for parole, said his lawyer, Michael Dunn. Traverse City Kirk, Levin to lead Senate Great Lakes task force TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan and Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois will serve as co-chairmen of the U.S. Senate's Great Lakes Task Force for the next two years. Levin has represented his party on the task force since 1999, while Kirk is taking over for fellow Republican Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, who retired in January. The bipartisan group deals with Great Lakes issues that involve the federal government. It has supported an interstate compact to protect water supplies and funding for programs such as invasive species control and cleanup of contaminated sediments. Kirk said Tuesday he hoped the panel also would develop legislation to crack down on dumping raw sewage into the lakes. Lansing Michigan's Weiser gets national GOP finance post LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Former Michigan Republican Party chairman Ron Weiser has been appointed to a key fundraising position with the Republican National Committee. Weiser was appointed as national finance chairman Tuesday by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. Weiser will play a major role in the national party's fundraising efforts tied to the 2012 election. Weiser was the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party in 2009 and 2010. He didn't seek another term in the state-level job and was replaced this year by Bobby Schostak. Weiser is a former ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Ann Arbor Big House's new videoboards 4,000 square feet each ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- The Big House is getting bigger TVs. The University of Michigan announced Tuesday that TS Sports/Lighthouse will install a pair of LED video displays -- measuring about 4,000 square feet each -- in its football stadium by August. The Texas-based company will also put center-hung videoboards in Crisler and Yost Arena for the basketball and hockey programs. Michigan Stadium's videoboards will be 47 feet high and 85 feet wide, making them about 40 percent larger than the previous ones installed in 1998. The athletic department has budgeted $20 million for the videoboards in the three venues and the conversion of its production studio. Published: Thu, Apr 7, 2011