The Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A newspaper investigation finds the state of Michigan spends at least $40 million a year for employees' travel but there are inconsistencies in reporting and no high-level oversight.

The Lansing State Journal reported Sunday that nobody in state government is responsible for analyzing actual costs incurred by departments for employees' work-related travel expenses. The State Budget Office says it doesn't keep some of the out-of-state travel reports it's required to receive.

IONIA, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan judge whose smartphone disrupted a hearing in his own courtroom has held himself in contempt and paid $25 for the infraction.

The Sentinel-Standard of Ionia and MLive.com report Judge Raymond Voet has a posted policy at Ionia County 64A District Court. It states that electronic devices causing a disturbance during court sessions will result in the owner being cited with contempt.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - People convicted of animal abuse would be required to register with local law enforcement and prohibited from adopting animals under legislation recently introduced in the Michigan House.

Republican Rep. Paul Muxlow of Brown City and Democratic Rep. Harvey Santana of Detroit introduced legislation last week that would require people convicted of animal abuse to submit their address, photograph and social security number to local law enforcement.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - About 200 people have turned out at the Michigan Capitol for a rally in favor of putting more restrictions on gun ownership.

They shared the grounds Saturday with dozens of other people who are opposed to new restrictions.

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero told the crowd that "sensible gun laws," not more guns, will make communities safer. The rally included the five Michigan chapters of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Survivors of gun violence also attended.

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) - The owner of Michigan's most famous summer hotel has died. R.D. "Dan" Musser Jr. was 80.

Musser owned the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. In a statement, the hotel says he died Saturday of congestive health failure at a Lansing hospital.

Musser started working at the hotel when he was in college in 1951. It was owned at the time by his uncle, W. Stewart Woodfill. Musser became president in 1960 and purchased the hotel, with wife Amelia, in 1979.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is leading a delegation of state and local officials, business people and economic development experts on a six-day investment trip to the Netherlands.

The group leaves today and returns next Friday. Other participants include Michigan House Speaker House Jase Bolger, state Sen. Arlan Meekhof and Michigan agriculture Director Jamie Clover Adams.

The lieutenant governor says Michigan's long-standing ties with Dutch companies have brought jobs to the state.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan lawmakers are seeking to change the state's high school graduation requirements to make it easier for students to pursue career and technical education programs.

The bills introduced in the House last month would allow students to substitute algebra II with statistics, technical math or another math relevant to their career and technical education. It would also remove the foreign language requirement.

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (AP) - The state-appointed emergency manager for Highland Park's public schools has revoked diplomas awarded last year to 18 students.

MLive reported Friday that a review of transcripts determined the students were given credit for failed classes or didn't have enough credit hours to graduate.

Emergency manager Donald Weatherspoon says the students in the academically and financially struggling Detroit area district were "misled" by school officials.

Weatherspoon also is manager of Muskegon Heights Public Schools in West Michigan.

Update 5:26 p.m.

Flint needed the state's permission to join the water pipeline project because the city is run by an emergency manager. Supporters say the new pipeline will save Flint money.

Bill Johnson, spokesman for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, said the state previously told Detroit water officials they would have more time to reach a new agreement with Flint. He says the Detroit water system stands to lose big if Flint starts getting its water from Lake Huron.

"Detroit will lose 6 to 7 percent of its total revenue base, amounting to something like $22 million. That cost would have to be absorbed by the remaining 3 million Detroit Water and Sewerage Department customers."

Detroit has until Monday afternoon to make one final offer to the city of Flint to keep its water business. Flint’s emergency manager has said he wants to see Detroit’s offer.

12:39 p.m.

FLINT, Mich. (AP) - The state of Michigan has approved Flint's plans to get its water by participating in a pipeline project that would tap Lake Huron.

The Flint Journal reports the approval is subject to review of a final offer from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department by Monday. State Treasurer Andy Dillon told Flint's state-appointed emergency manager Ed Kurtz of the decision.

Under the proposal, Flint would get 16 million gallons of water per day from Lake Huron, pipe it to Flint for treatment and then sell it to city customers. Another 2 million gallons per day would come from the Flint River and would be treated in Flint.

The Karegnondi Water Authority project could serve Flint and Lapeer as well as residents elsewhere in Genesee, Lapeer and Sanilac counties.

DETROIT (AP) - A state prison on Detroit's east side will be reopened as a temporary detention center for anyone arrested in the city.

Mayor Dave Bing's office says the summer opening of the Mound Correctional Facility will free up about 40 police officers for street patrols. It was closed by the state in January 2012.

Officers currently are assigned to five police lockup facilities and a holding unit at Detroit Receiving Hospital where people who are arrested are held until their arraignments. Prisoners then are released to the Wayne County sheriff's office.

Bing's office says the five police lockups will be closed and that the Mound facility will hold up to 200 people.

The city launched an initiative last month that focuses on crime hot spots, drug arrests and enforcing traffic laws.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The head of Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency is defending his agency's decision to not attend some insurance fraud hearings in light of staffing cuts.

Steve Arwood was called to testify in front of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Thursday.

Arwood was asked to address a report in the Detroit Free Press on Sunday that said the agency instructed officials to only show up at administrative fraud hearings if the amount is at least $15,000.

Arwood says last October the agency was forced to cut staff from 1,200 to 800 employees, including 20 people whose primary responsibility was to attend hearings.

In 2011, lawmakers passed legislation to reduce the threshold for a felony charge for unemployment insurance fraud from $25,000 to $3,500.

FLINT, Mich. (AP) - An insurance company says more than a dozen people operated an arson-for-profit ring in Flint that collected more than $2 million over two decades.

The Flint Journal reports State Farm Insurance says in a lawsuit in Detroit federal court that fires purposely were started at homes owned or rented by members of the group. The insurer says insurance claims were filed to receive thousands of dollars in insurance payouts.

No criminal charges have been filed against any of those named the case.

The case has sparked counter lawsuits by some of the defendants. Six of those named in the State Farm lawsuit have settled, including Flint-based public adjustment company Allied and Associates and Gary Lappin, its president. He calls the case "witch hunt."

State Farm isn't discussing the case.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Members of Michigan's insurance and medical industries as well as some rider groups are calling on lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder to reinstate the state's mandatory motorcycle helmet law.

The group met at the Capitol Wednesday. They say modifying the law to allow people over the age of 21 to ride helmetless is costing the state lives.

A recent study by a University of Michigan researcher says 26 fewer people would have died last year if all riders wore helmets.