WASHINGTON, June 12 -- The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts issued the following news: Chief Pretrial Services Officer Patricia Trevino, of the Eastern District of Michigan, thought she was prepared for the worst as the COVID-19 health crisis made its way to Detroit. But nothing prepared her for the emotional challenges ahead when several court employees tested positive for the virus or lost loved ones and needed to self-quarantine. "I never imagined that Michigan would be one of the l  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, June 13 -- The U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center issued the following news: The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is awarding a contract in July that will expand capture zones to better control migration of Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to Clark's Marsh and two existing plumes under treatment near Oscoda, Michigan. "The Air Force has heard the community's concerns," said Stephen TerMaath, Chief of the Air Force's Bas  more

WASHINGTON, June 11 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the following news release: The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its State partners have successfully completed actions to eliminate Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 from U.S. greenhouses. This announcement comes just two months after the pathogen was first detected in a Michigan greenhouse in April. In total, the re  more

DETROIT, Michigan, June 13 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the following news release: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces that Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie set new monthly mean water level records for May 2020. These water level records were previously set in 1986 on Lakes Michigan and Huron and just last year in 2019 on Lakes St. Clair and Erie. As we enter the summer months, all of the lakes are either in their period of seasonal rise or are   more

DETROIT, Michigan, June 13 -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the following news release: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces that Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie set new monthly mean water level records for May 2020. These water level records were previously set in 1986 on Lakes Michigan and Huron and just last year in 2019 on Lakes St. Clair and Erie. As we enter the summer months, all of the lakes are either in their period of seasonal rise or are reac  more

WASHINGTON, June 13 -- The U.S. Department of Education issued the following Education Review newsletter: On May 29, Secretary DeVos announced the approval of nine additional career and technical education (CTE) state plans under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), which was signed into law by President Trump in 2018. Perkins V encourages states to expand opportunities for every student to access coursework that will put them on the path to suc  more

BATTLE CREEK, Michigan, June 8 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency issued the following news: State Agencies for Surplus Property constitute a significant portion of the Defense Logistics Agency's excess property customers. The nation's post-WWII divvying up of excess war materials initially saw equipment offered to veterans for starting farms and small businesses and donations to various states education departments. As clear inequities in the amount of taxpayer-purch  more

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, June 11 -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following news release: U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Ludington of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan again upheld the back wage computations resulting from a U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation and ordered Timberline South LLC, and its manager Jim Payne, to pay $878,874 in back wages and liquidated damages to 50 employees for violations of the overtime and r  more

HIGHLAND PARK, Michigan, June 13 -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following news release: After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the City of Highland Park, Michigan, has paid $49,181 in back wages to four current employees for violations of the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). WHD also assessed the city $1,368 in penalties because of the repeat nature of the violations. WHD investigators determined the city   more

DETROIT, Michigan, June 12 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Matthew Schneider, issued the following news release on June 11: An indictment was unsealed today charging nineteen individuals with conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today. U.S. Attorney Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division; Special Agent in   more

EAST LANSING, Michigan, June 12 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Great Lakes Regional Field Office issued the following news release: Michigan tart cherry production for 2020 is forecast at 123.0 million pounds, 28 percent lower than the 2019 production, according to the USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office. In Michigan, the largest tart cherry producing State, an early- May frost damaged the crop throughout the State, most significantly in s  more

EAST LANSING, Michigan, June 12 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Great Lakes Regional Field Office issued the following news release: Michigan maple syrup production was estimated at 170,000 gallons for the 2020 season, according to Marlo Johnson, Director of the USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office. The 2020 production was down 25,000 gallons from the previous year. The season lasted 29 days, compared to 25 days in 2019, and 41 days in 2018.   more

EAST LANSING, Michigan, June 12 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service - Great Lakes Regional Field Office issued the following news release: Michigan wheat growers expect better yields than they did a month ago, according to Marlo Johnson, Director of the USDA NASS, Great Lakes Regional Office. Michigan wheat production is expected to total 37.3 million bushels, up 9 percent from 2019. The yield forecast of 81 bushels is up 2 bushels from last month an  more

MUNISING, Michigan, June 11 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release: Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is reopening drive-in campsites and backcountry camping. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19  more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, June 13 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following story: In May 2020, Sam Lovall, of Friends of the Detroit River, was honored with a National Wetlands Award. He was recognized in the Local Stewardship category for his efforts to restore river habitats in southeast Michigan. Sam has been a long-standing NOAA partner on Detroit River habitat restoration efforts. Sam serves as a Project Manager for the Friends of the Detroit River. He h  more

MUNISING, Michigan, June 13 -- The National Park Service's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore issued the following news release: Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is reopening drive-in campsites and backcountry camping. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-  more

DETROIT, Michigan, June 12 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Matthew Schneider, issued the following statement regarding calls to 'Defund the Police': "All across America, people have rightfully expressed outrage over the senseless murder of George Floyd by marching in protests and demanding change. Some are calling for defunding our police departments. Change is needed, but completely dismantling our law enforcement and criminal justice system will not solve the proble  more

DETROIT, Michigan, June 13 -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following news release: After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), two Michigan-based contractors - Resurrection Carpentry LLC and The Drywall King LLC - working on a federally funded project in Detroit, Michigan, will pay 36 current and former employees a total of $101,711, for failing to pay the required prevailing wages and fringe benefits to construction employees. The contract  more