Ricin Scare Empties Hastings Apartments

All 145 tenants of Tyden Lofts in Hastings were evacuated Thursday after presumptive tests indicated ricin in the building, the Barry-Eaton District Health Department said.

Health officials were alerted after a person arrived at Corewell Health Pennock Hospital with a substance they reported making in their apartment. That person was isolated and remains hospitalized.

Ricin is a poison derived from castor beans. It doesn’t spread through casual contact, and officials said the affected areas have been contained with no threat to the public.

The Red Cross opened a shelter at the Commission on Aging on Woodlawn Avenue for residents of the 61 evacuated units. Barry County is investigating alongside state police and the FBI.

Court Rejects Order Keeping Coal Plant Open

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Energy Department overstepped its emergency powers when it forced Consumers Energy’s J.H. Campbell plant in Ottawa County to keep running past its retirement date.

Consumers announced the plant’s closure in 2021 and set a date of May 31, 2025. The Energy Department stepped in days beforehand, citing a national energy emergency, and has extended the order six times since. Attorney General Dana Nessel challenged each one, calling them “an unlawful political stunt.”

Judge Cornelia Pillard wrote that states have decided which power plants operate within their borders for nearly a century, and that the department’s reading of its authority would let it override that judgment in any state it chose.

The ruling applies only to the first order, and the plant is still running under an August extension that lasts through Nov. 14. The department can ask the full court to rehear the case or appeal to the Supreme Court.

Jackson Lands World Ballooning Championship

Jackson will host the FAI Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championship next July, the first time the event has come to the United States in its history.

The championship was originally awarded to AlUla, Saudi Arabia. When the host withdrew earlier this year, Jackson and its Hot Air Jubilee organizers stepped forward and took it on a compressed timeline.

“When we first pursued this championship, we knew Jackson was ready to take this next step,” said Hot Air Jubilee Chair Angela Madden. The city had bid and lost once already before the opportunity came back around.

Top women pilots from around the world will compete July 10-17, 2027, flying tasks across Jackson County that test navigation, strategy, and precision. It’ll be the sixth edition of the championship, which began in 2014.

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➤ Statewide: Republican John James released an ad claiming his opponent in the governor’s race, Democrat Jocelyn Benson, “stands with a radical left that says America deserved 9/11.” Benson called that reprehensible; James told her to prove him wrong. (See Details)

➤ Corunna: Beau Parmenter, the Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor, pleaded not guilty to felony larceny by conversion over a disputed $2,500 event-venue deposit in Shiawassee County. He posted a $10,000 bond. (More)

➤ Montcalm County: A 68-year-old Stanton man died Thursday after the Subaru he was driving crossed the centerline on M-66 in Sidney Township and struck two southbound vehicles. (More)

➤ Detroit: Homeowners with storm damage may qualify for free emergency repairs through the city’s critical home repair program. Applications are open through 5 p.m. Sept. 22, and the city says it will prioritize the most urgent cases. (See Details)

➤ Delta Township: LG Energy Solution says it has now invested more than $2 billion in its Delta Township battery plant since 2022, positioning the region as a hub for EV and grid storage production. (See Details)

➤ Ann Arbor: City Council voted to demolish the West Park Bandshell, ending a nearly 90-year run for the outdoor venue. (More)

➤ Michigan hosts No. 11 Oklahoma at noon on FOX, looking to move past last week’s disputed 13-12 win over Western Michigan that knocked the Wolverines out of the AP poll. Michigan State welcomes Eastern Michigan, while Central Michigan and Western Michigan host Colgate and Monmouth, respectively. (See Schedule)

➤ Dylan Larkin lost the Red Wings captaincy Friday after requesting a trade this year, though the Waterford native says he’ll be at training camp next week. Detroit starts the season without a captain. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Lions named seven captains ahead of Sunday’s opener against New Orleans, including three first-timers: Alim McNeill, Jack Campbell, and punter Jack Fox. (See List)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: US Open | MLB | NCAAF | Soccer

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Up, Up, and A-Way to Get in On This Boom

Flying car company stocks are soaring on Wall Street. Archer went public at $1.7 billion.  EHang IPO’d at $662 million. And Joby raised a whopping $1.6 billion when they went public.

Luckily, 15k+ investors have found an early-stage opportunity to capture this boom: a private-stage company named Doroni. 

They’re pioneering the $100B personal aircraft segment with their H1-X, the aircraft FOX Business called “the ‘flying car’ set to revolutionize personal air travel.” 

And with Morgan Stanley projecting that the flying car industry will reach $9 trillion by 2050, the timing couldn’t be better.

Now, with 600+ preorders, they’re targeting commercial deliveries for 2028. And earlier this year, they reserved the Nasdaq ticker $DRNI. Invest in Doroni today and get up to 20% bonus shares.

➤ An Ingham County woman will collect $100,000 a year for life after matching all five white balls in the Michigan Lottery’s Millionaire For Life drawing. She passed on a $2.2 million lump sum. (Read Story)

➤ Stevie Wonder plays Detroit’s Fox Theatre Dec. 8 and 9, performing Songs in the Key of Life in full for its 50th anniversary. It’s the tour’s only two-night stop. Tickets go on sale Tuesday. (See Details)

➤ The Barry County Sheriff’s Office is mourning K-9 Grizzly, remembered by handler Deputy Travis Moore as a tireless worker and a fantastic tracker— “and, most importantly, my friend.” (See Post)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ Physical therapists say six simple moves may protect the strength and balance that age quietly erodes. (See Exercises)

➤ One surrogate’s refusal to end a pregnancy has escalated into a custody fight now before the U.S. Supreme Court. (Hear Story)

➤ Popular weight loss drugs have been linked to a rare brain disorder that can turn deadly without quick treatment. (Podcast Available)

Which Motown act would you most want to see live today?

1. The Temptations
2. The Supremes
3. Stevie Wonder
4. Smokey Robinson
5. Marvin Gaye
6. Other (Reply to tell us!)

Yesterday’s Results:

Which cereal with Battle Creek roots is your breakfast favorite?

1. Frosted Flakes: 34%
2. Grape-Nuts: 22%
3. Corn Flakes: 14%
4. Other: 13%
5. Rice Krispies: 12%
6. Froot Loops: 5%

Detroit’s Belle Isle, the beloved island park in the Detroit River, was laid out in the 1880s by the same landscape architect who designed New York’s Central Park. Who was he?

Show me the answer