Detroit Sees Lower Rate of Population Loss in 2012

(DETROIT) -- Of the 25 most populous cities in the United States, Detroit was the only one that saw its population decrease in 2012, but that population loss occurred at a lower rate than the year before.

According to the Detroit News, 0.7 percent of the Detroit population, just under 5,000 residents, left the city in the last year, leaving the remaining population just above 700,000. In 2011, the population fell by an estimated 7,500 residents.

Despite the population drop in the city, a number of Detroit suburbs saw growth. Shelby Township, Macomb Township and Novi each saw a population increase of more than one percent, reports the News.

Some experts believe that the population of Detroit will continue to decrease, perhaps as low as 600,000. However, the city has added nearly 10,000 jobs, which will likely be a good thing for the city's future.

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Former Detroit Library Official Charged with Accepting Bribes

(DETROIT) -- The former Chief Administrative and Technology Officer of the Detroit Public Library was charged with taking over $1 million in bribes.

Timothy Cromer, who worked for the library from 2006 until earlier this year, is accused of helping a pair of contractors set up businesses and win contracts with the library worth over $4 million, according to the Detroit Free Press. Cromer allegedly received kickbacks of approximately $1.4 million.

Cromer faces 21 charges, each with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Free Press reports that the Detroit Public Library closed two of its branches and terminated nearly 20 percent of their employees in the past two years due to a massive budget deficit in 2011.

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Invasive Insect Pest Threatens Michigan Hemlock Trees

(LANSING, Mich.) -- The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development warns Michigan residents to watch out for a tiny invasive insect that can decimate hemlock tree populations.

The hemlock woolly adelgid, or HWA, is described as a “tiny, aphid-like insect.” HWA are not usually found in Michigan, though it has been spotted in the past, each time doing serious damage to hemlock trees.

“[HWA] damages hemlock trees by inserting its mouthparts into the base of the needles and removing plant fluids," explained Gina Alessandri, director of MDARD's Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division in a statement. "This feeding activity results in needle loss, reduced twig growth, dieback and death.  HWA can kill an entire tree in as few as three years."

In the past when the pest has been found in Michigan, the department has had to remove and destroy infected tress, treat nearby trees and conduct thorough surveys afterwards to ensure that the destructive bug is gone.

The HWA, first discovered in Virginia in 1951, makes its way to the state mainly through imported hemlocks in the landscape trade.

The department notes that HWA are most easily found in spring, and advises anyone with hemlocks on their property to examine them for the presence of white cottony masses on the underside of the outermost branch tips where the needles attach.  

The department asks anyone who spots HWA to immediately call MDARD's Customer Service Center at (800) 292-3939 or via email at MDA-Info@michigahn.gov and report it.

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Former Department of Human Services Staffer Pleads Guilty to Welfare Fraud

(LANSING, Mich.) -- A former worker at the Department of Human Services pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two felonies for her role in welfare fraud, according to a Monday News release.

The worker, 46-year-old Dawn Simmons of Belleville, Mich., processed false claims for assistance in her brother’s name while she was working as an eligibility specialist at the DHS from September 2009 through February 2012. She used her coworkers’ computers to file the claims. Simmons claimed he lived at her address and collected $19,832.74 in fraudulently obtained benefits over the years.

The Special Investigations Unit of the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Human Services investigated and caught Simmons, and turned the information over to the attorney general’s for criminal prosecution. Simmons placed on unpaid leave in December, 2012 after criminal charges were filed.

Simmons pleaded guilty to one count of false pretenses and one count of fraudulent access to a computer, both felonies that could earn her five years in prison. She also must pay back the $19,832.74 she fraudulently obtained.

"Any public servants who abuse the public trust to defraud the Michigan taxpayers will be held accountable,” said Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Simmons is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26.

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Pet Store Owner Faces Second Animal Cruelty Charge

(WARREN, Mich.) -- Approximately 100 animals were taken from a Warren, Mich., pet shop Wednesday and now the store owner faces his second animal cruelty charge in under a year.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the conditions in the store were terrible, with at least one animal dead. When enforcement officers arrived at the store on Wednesday, the store owner, Dennis Jones, allegedly sent a dog to attack them.

The animals, including roosters, birds, iguanas, a python, a puppy and two kittens, were living without food. Also, the store's power and water had been turned off due to failure to pay, says the Free Press.

Jones is being held at Macomb County Jail on $10,000 bond.

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