State Roundup

Harrison Twp. Sgt. raised in metro Detroit dies in Afghanistan HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- A 35-year-old soldier who grew up in Detroit's northern suburbs and who was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan was killed in an insurgent attack that also claimed the lives of five of his comrades from Fort Campbell, Ky. Staff Sgt. Ergin V. Osman was one of six soldiers from the Army's 101st Airborne Ranger Pathfinders based at Fort Campbell who died when an improvised explosive device hit their unit Thursday in Kandahar province, the Pentagon announced. Also killed in the attack were 1st Lt. John M. Runkle, 27, of West Salem, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Edward D. Mills Jr., 29, of New Castle, Pa.; Sgt. Thomas A. Bohall, 25, of Bel Aire, Kan.; Spc. Adam J. Patton, 21, of Port Orchard, Wash.; and Sgt. Louie A. Ramos Velazquez, 39, of Camuy, Puerto Rico. Osman grew up in Macomb County's Harrison Township, then moved to Sterling Heights at age 16, The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens reported Monday. His ex-wife, Mouna Osman, and their sons -- Aidan, 9, and Zeren, 5, live in St. Clair Shores. Osman joined the Marines, then switched to the Army in 2007. "He died doing what he loved to do," Mouna Osman said. "He loved the military and everything it stood for." Aidan Osman remembered good times with his father and told WDIV he wants to follow in his footsteps. "We went down to Fort Campbell and shot targets with a BB gun," Aidan said. Aidan and Zeren displayed U.S. flags on the front lawn of their family's home along with a poster that has the message "Miss You Daddy" with a hand-drawn image of their father. "My youngest, Zeren, was upset," their mother said. "He said, 'My dad isn't going to see my ball games or see my kindergarten graduation,' but I told him, 'Now your dad can see everything you do all the time.'" Osman also is survived by his wife, Pfc. Kristin Osman of Hopkinsville, Ky. His mother, Sarah Osman, lives in Harrison Township. Saginaw State officials watching as cities fight blight SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) -- Lansing, Saginaw and Flint are among the top communities efficiently using federal stimulus money to fight blight, state officials said. Only Lansing outranks Saginaw both in spending and production, The Saginaw News reported Monday. State housing agents are keeping a close eye on the 12 communities using money through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Martha Baumgart, a planner with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, told the newspaper she expects all 12 communities to spend the allotted amounts on time. If some fall short of spending their share, she said it's possible officials could reallocate funds. "We plan to pull out all the stops so we can make sure we don't get in that situation," she said. Lansing, Saginaw and Flint sit at the top of the efficiency list right now, Baumgart said, but she declined to release the rest of the rankings for fear of pitting communities against each other. Other Michigan communities benefiting from the HUD funds include Detroit, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Kalamazoo, Pontiac and Wyandotte. Saginaw and the Saginaw County Land Bank Authority received $17.4 million in HUD money in January 2010 to demolish abandoned homes and rehabilitate other residences. As of May, Saginaw had spent about $3.5 million, or 20 percent of its total, Baumgart said. Last year, Saginaw officials focused on identifying and buying foreclosed homes and demolishing houses beyond redemption. Crews tore down a record 538 structures in 2010, passing 2009's record of 265 demolitions. Saginaw officials say the most expensive part of the blight fight will ramp up this year as they work to strip nearly-uninhabitable homes, renovate them and then sell them. Last year, the city revamped five homes and sold them for between $34,000 and $50,000 each. Planners expect to remodel 60 to 80 houses by 2013. John Stemple, the city's chief inspector, said crews are currently renovating 10 homes and stripping down another 15 houses to prepare for renovations. "I was worried we would have these houses sitting there with no buyers," Stemple said. "That hasn't been the case." Marvin D. Hare, the Saginaw County treasurer and the Land Bank chairman, said he sees a light at the end of the tunnel with the stimulus money. "It's discouraging when you see how much blight we have in the city, but encouraging when you see what we've done (with the stimulus) so far," Hare said. "We want to get these houses back on the tax rolls and improve these neighborhoods. Hopefully, these (renovated) houses will be contagious and other people will want to fix their houses up." Detroit Key ruling due in spat over politics, horse racing DETROIT (AP) -- A judge soon will decide whether to order a trial in the case of four Michigan racing stewards who claim they lost jobs or had hours cut because they supported a Republican for governor in 2006. The four say their First Amendment right was violated. They're suing Christine White, who was racing commissioner under Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat. White now is a Michigan-based official at the U.S. Agriculture Department. The lawsuit in federal court in Detroit says the stewards suffered because they favored Republican Dick DeVos over Granholm in the 2006 election. But the state says the stewards were victims of a tight budget, not partisan politics. The attorney general's office is asking Judge Nancy Edmunds to dismiss the case. Edmunds says she could make a decision this week. Published: Wed, Jun 1, 2011