Michigan
State officials in Michigan scratched from lawsuit over lead in Benton Harbor’s water
A judge has dismissed state officials from a lawsuit related to past lead contamination in a small southwestern Michigan city’s drinking water
ByThe Associated Press
September 28, 2023, 3:49 PM
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed state officials from a lawsuit related to past lead contamination in a small southwestern Michigan city’s drinking water but said the case could proceed against city officials, including the mayor.
Lawyers for residents compared Benton Harbor to Flint where lead contaminated the city’s water system in 2014-15. But U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou said there were significant differences.
The state had a hands-on role in switching Flint’s water source to the Flint River and then failing to order treatment to reduce corrosion from old pipes. But such a role wasn’t present in Benton Harbor.
State regulators “did not create the city’s water problem,” Jarbou said.
Jarbou said the lawsuit, which claims violations of federal rights, can proceed at this early stage against Mayor Marcus Muhammad, the city and former water plant director Michael O’Malley. They deny misleading the public about water quality.
For three straight years, tests of Benton Harbor’s water system revealed lead levels in water that were too high. Lead can be especially harmful to young children, stunting their development and lowering IQ scores.
Experts said an aging water system, fewer users and other issues caused lead to leach from pipes in Benton Harbor, a majority-Black community of just under 10,000 people. Water flows from Lake Michigan to a treatment plant.
Virtually “all lead service lines have been replaced under state oversight, and the state continues to engage residents on the quality of their water,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
Michigan
Fact-checking the Michigan economy: Prices up. So are wages. What’s true?
The 72-year-old from Lansing is on a fixed income and has reduced her spending, eating out less and buying fewer Happy Meals for her grandchildren at McDonald’s and shopping around on car insurance.
“I never used to play that game,” she said. “But now $100 means something.”
In most elections, the economy is a huge issue. It could be a defining one this November in Michigan, which has ridden an economic roller-coaster for decades because of its manufacturing-reliant economy, pollster Richard Czuba told Bridge Michigan.
“But (now) in virtually every election we poll, the economy dominates the concerns,” he said.
Jobs, the economy and inflation, combined, were the top issues for 32% of residents in August, he said.
Abortion and women’s rights was No. 2 at 12.5%.
Unlike other elections dominated by angst over slowdowns, traditional economists say this economy is actually robust.
The state’s workforce, which has swelled in recent months, is at its largest since 2001 and still enjoying a relatively low jobless rate. Homeowners with mortgages locked in before 2022 have avoided the rising interest rates.
Michigan
Search underway for missing person in Lake Michigan
CHICAGO – Chicago police, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, are conducting a search for a missing person who went underwater in Lake Michigan on Sunday.
The incident occurred in the afternoon near the Chicago Yacht Club.
Emergency personnel responded in large numbers to the situation. The Chicago Police Department released a short statement, saying in part, “The marine unit responded to a person in the water that has yet to resurface.”
The Coast Guard has yet to respond to a request for details. The search remains ongoing.
Michigan
Crews searching for swimmer who went missing in Lake Michigan at DuSable Harbor
Sunday, October 6, 2024 7:51PM
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CHICAGO (WLS) — Crews are searching for a missing swimmer in Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago on Sunday afternoon.
The Chicago Fire Department responded to DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Randolph Street in the Loop around 12:45 p.m. for a report of a swimmer who went missing.
CFD searched the water near DuSable Harbor with divers and a helicopter.
The search has been turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard and Chicago police. It is now a recovery mission, officials said.
Authorities did not immediately provide further information.
This is a developing story. Check back with ABC7 for updates.
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