Rina Miller

Michigan students who default on their college loans are more likely to be sued in federal court.

That's according to a Syracuse University study, which shows the eastern half Michigan has the second highest rate per-capita of suits against students who don't pay their loans.

Dorothy Barrick is with GreenPath Debt Solutions of Farmington Hills.  She says ignoring the debt just makes things worse.

"It's usually the collectors that the debt falls to, and they can be pretty mean," Barrick says. "And once it's with the collection agency, I can understand why they're afraid to call."

Barrick says students who are unemployed or underemployed need to call their lender and ask for a hardship forbearance.

Michigan lawmakers are making another attempt to outlaw sales of over-the-counter synthetic marijuana.

The drug is sometimes labeled as incense or potpourri  and is sold under a variety of names at convenience stores and other small shops.

The distributors often change the chemical contents or packaging to skirt current laws.

A sweeping Senate bill targets the artificial pot  and a host of other possible additives, including opiates and amphetamines.

Dr. Norb Kaminski is a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.

He doesn't think there's enough manpower to monitor the content of the products.

A proposed law in the Michigan Senate would impose tougher penalties on habitual criminals. 

A three-time felon who commits a fourth serious offense in Michigan would get a mandatory 25-year sentence under the proposal.

The bill has the backing of State Attorney General Bill Schuette, as well as law enforcement groups.

Robert Stevenson is Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. He says police get frustrated when criminals they put behind bars are back on the street again.

Parts of a state-owned recreation area in Livingston County could be tapped for gas and oil.

About 100 parcels of land along the Lakelands Trail and in the Brighton Recreation Area could be leased at a Department of Natural Resources auction next month.

Tom Wellman directs the DNR's mineral management section. He says although the mineral rights could be leased, no actual drilling would be allowed to take place on the land -- only on adjoining or adjacent property.

"They're allowed to use those minerals as part of a larger drilling unit, or perhaps directionally drill beneath it, and produce it, but the operations themselves have to take place off  that land," Wellman says.

The state Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether police officers in Michigan must end the conversation once a suspect asserts the right to remain silent.

Kadeem Dennis White was brought in for questioning after a man was gunned down in what appeared to be a robbery attempt. White said he wanted to remain silent and the detective stopped asking questions -- but he did not stop talking to White.

Eventually, White responded to the detective's statements, saying he didn't mean to do it and it was an accident. White was charged with first-degree murder.

The defense wants those statements thrown out, arguing the conversation was effectively a continuation of the interrogation, after White asserted his Fifth Amendment rights.

More than 200 American Red Cross workers in Michigan went on strike this morning.

Staff members represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 459 and Teamsters Local 580 walked out because of a dispute over health care benefits.

The strike affects blood collection centers in Kalamazoo, Jackson, Lansing, Flint and parts of northern Michigan.

Monica Stoneking is communications manager for the Great Lakes Region of the American Red Cross.

She says the strike will impact an already-low blood supply.

"That's about 700 units of blood every day that the Great Lakes region needs to collect," Stoneking says. "And if our staff members are on strike, we are limited as to the  number of blood drives we are able to hold."

Stoneking says blood donations are also lower because fewer people donated during Michigan's recent nice weather, because students have been been on spring break.

A New York-based insurance company that allowed unlicensed agents to sell health plans in Michigan has been suspended.

American Medical and Life Insurance Company marketed the limited health plans to customers with specific illnesses, such as cancer. About 2,500 policies were sold in Michigan.

"They're not typically required to provide the same level of coverage, so they cover fewer types of medical expenses than a comprehensive policy," says Michigan’s Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation spokesman Jason Moon.

"They will also most likely have higher deductibles and other co-payments than a typical comprehensive plan."

Things looked bleak in Michigan in January 2009, when the state’s economic activity index fell to 60 points.

But in January of this year it was up to 98 points.

The index looks at payrolls, exports, sales tax revenues, unemployment claims and other factors.

"We're starting to see some sustainable progress in coming out of the depths of the recession, says Robert Dye, chief economist with Comerica Bank. "And in January, we really see evidence of this resurgence of the auto industry permeating into other parts of the economy."

Dye believes Michigan’s private sector will be strong enough to overcome  higher gas prices and expected cutbacks in federal spending.

Consumers Energy is offering a reward to help catch thieves who’ve been stealing copper from the utility’s substations.

Copper is expensive right now, and that’s driving thieves to strip wire from abandoned homes and buildings.

Thieves have also struck 20 Consumers Energy substations since January.

Dan Bishop is the utility’s spokesman. He says the utility is fighting back.

"It's a very serious issue. It's a safety issue," Bishop says."As a consequence, Consumers is offering a $10,000 rewrd to people who can offer information leading to the arrest and conviction of these thieves."

Doctors’ offices in Michigan are filled with people suffering from acute allergies, thanks to the early bloom of trees and shrubs.

Some types of pollen are three to four times higher than normal for this time of year.

Mark Zacharek  is an associate professor of otolaryngology -- ear, nose and throat disorders -- at University of Michigan Hospital.

He says tree pollen and outdoor mold counts are making people miserable.  For people who already have respiratory problems, that can be dangerous.

"If asthma is not under control and the pollen count is high, this can make asthma worse. So those are folks who really need to be watching things closely with regard to their breathing."