The Mining Journal 5A
Thursday, April 1, 2010
State
State briefing Hospital burn death probe ongoing
This courtroom drawing shows David Brian Stone Sr., 44, of Clayton, Mich,, center; and, counterclockwise from foreground left, Michael David Meeks, 40, of Manchester, Mich.; Kristopher T. Sickles, 27, of Sandusky, Ohio; Tina Mae Stone; David Brian Stone Jr. of Adrian, Mich,; Jacob Ward, 33, of Huron, Ohio; Joshua John Clough, 28, of Blissfield, Mich.; and Joshua Matthew Stone appearing before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald A. Scheer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Waterstreet in Detroit, Wednesday. (AP photo)
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Police say a 92year-old suburban Detroit man died from burns suffered when he tried to stomp out a burning absorbent medical pad with his foot. Farmington Hills Police Chief Charles Nebus said neither Walter Gajewski Sr. nor Botsford staff members were the cause of the fatal Jan. 7 fire at the hospital located in Farmington Hills, about 15 miles northwest of Detroit Gajewski of Dearborn Heights was at the hospital for a routine adjustment of his dementia medicine when a nurse found his pajama bottoms on fire. He later died from thermal burns. Investigators have ruled out accidental causes. The Wayne County medical examiner’s office previously ruled the case a homicide. An investigation is ongoing.
UAW health trust gets $1.78B DETROIT (AP) — A union trust fund that pays the health care bills for retired Ford factory workers raised $1.78 billion by selling warrants to buy the automaker’s stock. The United Auto Workers trust auctioned warrants to buy 362 million shares on Tuesday for $5 each. They can be exercised any time between now and the end of 2012. More than 200,000 retirees and their spouses are covered by the trust, which started paying their health care costs in January after Ford began transferring to the fund cash and other assets, including the warrants, valued at $14.8 billion. The trust was established in 2007 as part of negotiations between Ford and the UAW. It allowed Ford to remove billions of liabilities from its books and gave the union control of health care coverage at a time when Ford was struggling. After watching Ford’s share price climb to five-year high recently, the UAW-run trust saw an opportunity to cash in rather than wait. The auction conducted by Deutsche Bank diversifies the trust fund’s investments, but some analysts say that even with the extra billions, the trust is in danger of running out of cash. Buyers of the warrants are gambling that Ford stock will go MULALLY, Ford CEO up in the future and make those securities more valuable. But the initial market reaction was negative; Ford shares fell 62 cents, or nearly 5 percent, to $12.66 in afternoon trading Wednesday.
Data: Half in state have living wills (AP) — According to data compiled by the Michigan Public Health Institute’s Cancer Program for the Michigan Department of Community Health, about half of Michigan residents surveyed in 2008 said they had prepared living wills, also known as advanced directives. The percentage was about 57 percent in 2001-02, when pathologist Jack Kevorkian was still actively helping people die through assisted suicide. It dropped to about 47 percent in 2004 and stayed there through 2006. By 2008, it had risen to about 49 percent. Of those who were 75 or older in 2008, about four out of five said they had an advanced directive. About half aged 55-64 did, while fewer than a third of those aged 35-44 did. About four out of 10 men had an advanced directive, while 55 percent of women did. Only a third of blacks had advanced directives, while more than half of whites did.
Land chides lawmakers for inaction LANSING (AP) — Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land is urging lawmakers to pass bills that would clarify rules for a possible constitutional convention. Michigan voters will decide in November if a constitutional convention should be held to revise or replace the state’s 1963 constitution. Land said the bills would require convention delegates to be U.S. citizens, set dates to elect the delegates and apply campaign finance and lobbying laws to them. The measures also would set July 12, 2011 as the starting date for the possible convention. The Republican secretary of state said failing to pass the bills soon ‘‘will throw the process into chaos.’’ Lawmakers are on a two-week break and will return to Lansing on April 13.
Suspect denies plot involvement By COREY WILLIAMS and JEFF KAROUB Associated Press Writers DETROIT — A Michigan man authorities accuse of being a ‘‘heavy gunner’’ for a Midwest Christian militia denies involvement in any plot to overthrow the government, his attorney said, and she plans to present evidence to prove he’s different from his fellow defendants. Michael David Meeks, 40, of Manchester, faces a federal detention hearing today in Detroit, where defense attorney Lisa Kirsch Satawa said evidence would be presented to distinguish Meeks from eight other suspected mem-
Borders Group 4Q profit doubles ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Book seller Borders Group Inc.’s fourth-quarter profit rose sharply as it cut costs and enjoyed a tax benefit, even though its sales plunged. Shares of the nation’s second-largest traditional book seller soared in after-hours trading Wednesday after it posted the earnings and said it has repaid a $42.5 million loan from activist investor William Ackman’s investment firm Pershing Square, the company’s largest investor. The deadline to repay the loan would have been today. The due date had been extended three times already, and it was not possible to extend it again. Last week, an analyst expressed concern over the company’s future. With the looming deadline met and the company’s first quarterly profit in four quarters, Borders’ shares rose 53 cents, or 30.8 percent, to $2.25 after hours. The stock had closed down 4 cents at $1.72. For the three months ended Jan. 30, the company earned $59.9 million, or 91 cents per share, more than double the $29.6 million, or 49 cents per share, it earned a year earlier.
bers of Hutaree charged with seditious conspiracy, or plotting to levy war against the U.S. Laying out the Hutaree hierarchy during a Wednesday hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Waterstreet told a magistrate that accused ringleader David Brian Stone had designated Meeks and 46-year-old Thomas W. Piatek of Indiana ‘‘heavy gunners’’ in charge of ‘‘laying down heavy fire’’ in encounters with the enemy. Stone, Meeks, Piatek and six other suspected Hutaree members — self-proclaimed ‘‘Christian warriors’’ who
trained themselves in paramilitary techniques in preparation for a battle against the Antichrist — were arrested after a series of weekend raids across the Midwest. Prosecutors say an undercover FBI agent who infiltrated the group and a cooperating witness aided an investigation into members’ alleged plans to make a false 911 call, kill responding police officers, then set off a bomb at the funeral to kill many more. An indictment said that after the attacks, the group planned to retreat to ‘‘rally points’’ protected by trip-
wired explosives for a violent standoff with law enforcement. ‘‘This is not Michael’s profile. He is a damned good Marine,’’ his father, Eugene Meeks, said in a telephone interview Wednesday. ‘‘But Michael could have changed over the years.’’ Meeks’ family and others listened Wednesday as Waterstreet presented parts of the government’s case in hopes of persuading U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald A. Scheer to deny bond, including details of a speech Stone apparently planned to give during a rally in Kentucky.
Nissan to sell $25K electric car By DAN STRUMPF and TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writers NEW YORK — Nissan’s new electric car will cost just over $25,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S. in December, aiming to bring gasoline-free technology within reach of mainstream drivers. The Leaf, a four-door hatchback, will have a base price of $32,780, but it’s eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles. That will make it cheaper to buy than electric vehicles coming from rivals and may force competitors to cut prices. But the Leaf’s limited range of just 100 miles per charge for its lithium-ion battery could be a dealbreaker for some motorists. ‘‘We want to make sure the car is affordable, ready
Your “Hot Rod” is waiting for you in The Mining Journal’s Sunday Auto Section!
Nissan Motor Co. Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga poses with the automaker's "Leaf" zero-emission electric vehicle in Yokohama, Japan, Tuesday. (AP photo) for the mass market and has mass appeal,’’ Mark Perry, director of product planning and advanced technology at Nissan North America Inc., said in an interview. Customers can start re-
serving a Leaf in the U.S. on April 20 and Nissan is aiming for 25,000 orders by December. It hopes to build and sell 50,000 of the cars around the world during the first model year.