State Roundup

Saginaw Feds seek psych exam for doctor in drug cases SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) -- Federal prosecutors are requesting a psychiatric exam for a Saginaw doctor facing drug charges in two cases. The U.S. attorney's office in Bay City wants an expert to determine if Dr. Ruth Ann Buck was insane over a three-year period in which she's accused of illegally distributing prescription painkillers. In a separate case, Buck is charged with certifying people for medical marijuana without conducting thorough exams. She was ordered to jail without bond after the latest charges were filed in April. Buck's attorney has also raised concerns about her mental health but has not joined the government's specific request for an exam. Howard City Family hopes shooting brings attention to stress HOWARD CITY, Mich. (AP) -- Relatives of a Howard City man shot to death after pointing a gun at police say they hope the tragedy draws attention to the effects of combat-related stress. Matthew Speese, a 47-year-old ex-Marine, died Wednesday after confronting officers who had been called to his home to check on his well-being. They spoke with Speese for about two hours before he left his house and walked down his driveway with a long gun. "This is really bigger than Matt because there are so many people out there like him," Mark Speese, one of the victim's five siblings, told The Grand Rapids Press for a story published Saturday. "These veterans come home from war and the impact is still there. It doesn't just go away, and maybe this sheds some light on those troubles." Matthew Speese returned home withdrawn from the last of several tours of duty in the first Gulf War after watching a helicopter crash claim the lives of many in his platoon, said another brother, Dave Speese. He sought treatment at the Fort Custer medical center in Calhoun County and trained to counsel others who suffered stress disorders. "It's opened our eyes to how damaged people come back," Dave Speese said. "They're returning with myriad issues. They've made a sacrifice few understand." Howard City is about 30 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. Lansing Mich. welfare agency told to study privatization LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A newspaper says Michigan lawmakers have dropped plans to privatize some work at the state's welfare agency but want the department to at least study it. The Lansing State Journal says a plan to give Medicaid and day-care applications to a private contractor was dropped from the recently approved budget for next year. Senate Republicans had included it in an earlier version. More than 3,000 people do the work at the Department of Human Services. United Auto Workers Local 6000 feared layoffs. Union official Ray Holman says his members can do a better job than a private contractor. The issue isn't dead. The State Journal says lawmakers have told the department to determine how much could be saved by having a contractor handle Medicaid applications. Midland Dow Chemical, EPA agree on interim river cleanup MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) -- Dow Chemical and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have signed an agreement requiring the company to perform an interim dioxin cleanup plan along the Tittabawassee River. The Saginaw News reported Saturday the agreement requires Dow to place ground cover over flood plain soil and move or raise gardens and recreation areas. The EPA will oversee the work, which is aimed at high-use areas that have dioxins and other toxic materials in the soil. Dow has acknowledged releasing the materials into the Tittabawassee River from the 1930s to the 1970s. The interim plan will limit people's contact with the toxic materials while the agency and company work out a long-term cleanup plan for the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers. Published: Tue, Jun 7, 2011