A number of local roads in Ypsilanti and Lima townships will see construction this year after the Washtenaw County Road Commission approved work agreements Tuesday.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission paints lines on a new road. Ypsilanti and Lima townships have committed to help fund a number of local road projects that the Road Commission will complete this year.

AnnArbor.com file photo

Ypsilanti Township will be paying $261,000 for the milling and paving of the following roads in the Nancy Park Subdivision:

• Mollie Street between South Grove and Dorothy streets
• Dorothy Street between South Grove and Harry streets
• Lynn Avenue between McCarthy and Harry streets
• Heatherridge Street, between McCarthy Street and Andrea Avenue

The project, which totals nearly one mile of local roadwork, also includes the installation of sidewalk ramps that are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

Other upcoming Ypsilanti Township road improvement projects this year include the $660,000 in repairs to roads and in the replacement of water lines in a neighborhood off South Grove Road, as well as the replacement of the Ford Boulevard Bridge.

In Lima Township in western Washtenaw County, several gravel roads will get upgrades. The township has committed to pay $69,558 of the $96,990 construction cost.

The Road Commission will be contributing $14,687 of its money to the agreement, as well as $12,745 of its drainage project funds.

The contribution from the township is bigger this year than it has been before, said Doug Fuller, chairman of the Road Commission.

“Lima Township has stepped up their participation, and it’s noted and appreciated,” Fuller said.

The Road Commission will be placing six inches of limestone gravel on Fletcher Road between Old U.S.-12 and Trinkle Road as a part of the agreement. The total amount of gravel is about 3,000 tons, and work is expected to cost about $42,100.

The agreement also covers the township’s dust control program by providing $15,900 to the application of Kaiser Well brine on all of the township’s gravel and limestone roads, except for Klinger Road and Liberty Road between Guenther and Dancer roads.

Also funded by the agreement with the Road Commission is Lima Township’s limestone, gravel and ditching programs. Specific projects will be determined by the township supervisor.

View Ypsilanti Township mill and resurfacing summer 2013 in a larger map

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

A Huron High School senior was named a finalist for a good-through-graduation college scholarship funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Every year, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program presents 1,000 outstanding minority students nationwide with a full-ride scholarship that continues until they obtain their college degrees or decide to drop out.

Huron Rising Scholars adviser Brandon Jackson, right, with his student Abraham "Ayo" Fasina. Fasina is a finalist to receive a good-to-graduation college scholarship funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

From AAPS News

Ann Arbor's Abraham "Ayo" Fasina was nominated for the scholarship by his Huron High School Rising Scholars adviser, Brandon Jackson, and counselor, Denise Eaddy-Richardson.

Fasina has been part of the Rising Scholars program since he was a freshman and is a true success story of the program, Jackson said, adding Fasina had to complete and submit about eight essays after his nomination.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program will announce its 1,000 award recipients in mid-April, according to its website.

Fasina's parents immigrated to the United States from Nigeria. Jackson said many probably would consider Fasina just your average student, but Jackson said the 17-year-old works "incredibly hard" and is driven to continuously improve.

"Math and science … were not coming to him, but he has been spending a lot of time working at it and working at it," Jackson said. "But as hard as he works, he is still very humble about the things that come to him, and when he gets good grades, he thinks he needs to work harder still and could do better."

Ann Arbor's Rising Scholars program strives to provide support for students who may not believe college is a realistic option for them by creating an environment that encourages them to take challenging courses, improve their grades and apply and get accepted to quality institutions and universities.

"Our goal is making sure our students, who are non-traditional, underserved and underrepresented, are applying for those schools and see themselves in a position of attainment," Jackson said.

Fasina has been accepted to a few colleges already, Jackson said. But the senior's goal right now is to get in to the University of Michigan, where Fasina would like to study computer science and computer engineering.

The Gates Millennium Program provides a full-ride scholarship to its winners for whichever college or university they would like to attend. The program continues to pay for the winners' schooling as long and as far as they would like to take it.

The award recipients could go on to attend a trade school, graduate school, law school or medical school on the program's dime.

The Gates Millennium Program is more than a scholarship, however. According to its website, it offers award recipients "academic empowerment" services for both academic and personal development, as well as access to an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program was established in 1999 and was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to its website. The United Negro College Fund administers the scholarships. Since the program's inception, it has distributed more than $614 million in scholarships.

Students must be high school seniors or graduate with a minimum grade point average of a 3.3 and be of African American, American Indian, Alaskan, Asian or Hispanic decent to be eligible for one of the 1,000 scholarships.

According to the program's website, the average first-year undergraduate student retention rate is 96 percent among Gates scholars and the average second-year retention rate is 97 percent. The five-year graduation rate for these students is 78.9 percent and the six-year graduation rate is more than 90 percent, the website says.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

• Update: It's official: Jacob Trouba leaving Michigan for NHL's Winnipeg Jets

Michigan freshman defenseman Jacob Trouba will not be returning to the Michigan hockey team for his sophomore season, according to a report from the Winnipeg News.

Citing two "NHL sources," the Winnipeg News report said Trouba could be joining the Winnipeg Jets immediately if a contract can be agreed upon. Trouba was the first round draft pick of the Jets in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, ninth overall.

Michigan defenseman Jacob Trouba will reportedly leave the Wolverines for the NHL after just one season in Ann Arbor.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file photo

Trouba told reporters last week that he was undecided on whether or not to turn pro or stay in school. As of Tuesday night, Trouba had yet to inform the team of his decision according to an official Michigan spokesperson.

Trouba finished the season with 12 goals and 17 assists for Michigan, one goal shy of the record for a Wolverines freshman defenseman. He was named the CCHA’s Best Offensive Defenseman, was named All-CCHA first team and was a finalist for Rookie of the Year.

Last week, Michigan coach Red Berenson said he "couldn't deny him if he wanted to go (to the NHL)." Berenson said he's not an advocate of players leaving school for the minor leagues, but if the NHL comes calling, he's all for it.

"I've told kids in the past if they're ready to play in the NHL, I'll drive 'em to the airport," Berenson said.

Trouba would be the second defenseman to leave the Wolverines in a week. Junior Jon Merrill signed an Amateur Try Out contract to play with the Albany Devils -- the New Jersey Devils' American Hockey League affiliate -- last week. He's registered three points in three games played so far.

• Read the entire Winnipeg News report.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

Jacob Trouba has officially left Michigan and will join the NHL's Winnipeg Jets after just one season in Ann Arbor.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Better start warming up the car, Red.

Michigan freshman defenseman Jacob Trouba has reached a deal with the Winnipeg Jets the team announced on Tuesday.

Trouba was the Jets' first round draft pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, selected ninth overall. He finished the season with 12 goals and 17 assists for Michigan, one goal shy of the record for a Wolverines freshman defenseman. He was named the CCHA’s Best Offensive Defenseman, was named All-CCHA first team and was a finalist for Rookie of the Year.

Trouba told reporters last week that he had not made a decision yet and a spokesperson for the Michigan hockey said the team had not been informed otherwise as of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

But Trouba took to social media to say his thanks to Michigan and express excitement in joining the Jets.

I'm proud to be signing with the @nhljets. Looking forward to starting my career with a great organization. #gojetsgo

— Jacob Trouba (@JacobTrouba) April 3, 2013

Thank you to @umichhockey, my coaches, and my teammates for a great year. It has been a blast. Forever a Wolverine. #goblue

— Jacob Trouba (@JacobTrouba) April 3, 2013

Trouba is the second defenseman to leave the Wolverines in a week. Junior Jon Merrill signed an Amateur Try Out contract to play with the Albany Devils -- the New Jersey Devils' American Hockey League affiliate -- last week with the expectation he'll sign a three-year entry level NHL deal after this season. Merrill has registered five points in three games played so far with Albany.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

One person died in this accident near Milan Wednesday morning.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

One person died after an accident on northbound U.S. 23 near the Carpenter Road exit just outside of Milan Wednesday morning, a Huron Valley Ambulance spokeswoman said.

“The person was under the car,” said Joyce Williams, a spokeswoman for Huron Valley Ambulance.

Emergency responders were called to the expressway at 10:07 a.m. Wednesday. Southbound U.S. 23 was closed near the crash site, a dispatcher with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office said.

Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police said the vehicle was headed north when the driver lost control and ended up in the southbound lane. Police characterized it as a rollover accident.

At 12:10 p.m., both the northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. 23 were closed as investigators took measurements.

Both north and southbound lanes on U.S. 23 were reopened around 12:30 p.m., according to Washtenaw County dispatch.

It was the second fatal accident of the morning in Washtenaw County. A 38-year-old man died in a crash on Whittaker in Ypsilanti Township a few hours earlier.

View Larger Map

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

The Annual Ann Arbor "Dance for Mother Earth" Powwow at the Crisler Center is a wonderful event that celebrates a proud tradition—prouder even than U-M sports. The powwow has been an integral part of ushering in spring, and a beautiful reminder of history and culture.

A thief took everything someone would need for a relaxing evening except an easy chair from a home in Ypsilanti, police reported Wednesday.

Officers were called to a home in the 10 block of West Ainsworth Street Tuesday after receiving a report of a stolen 26-inch flat screen television, an Altec surround sound system and a mini-fridge, according to a release from Ypsilanti police.

The victim told police the theft occurred between Sunday and Monday. The release stated entry was gained into the residence through an unlocked door.

Police continue to investigate.

View Larger Map

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

University of Michigan is considered a top 'dream school' by the Princeton Review.

The Princeton Review asked nearly 10,000 college applicants, spread throughout all 50 states, what dream college they'd attend if cost didn't matter and acceptance was guaranteed.

U-M is on the minds of many of those surveyed.

The college is the ninth-most referenced dream school among students. Of the nearly 4,200 parents surveyed, U-M is the No. 10 dream school.

Stanford University and Harvard University were ranked first and second, respectively, by both applicants and parents. Other public universities considered among the top 10 dream schools by students are the University of California's Berkley and Los Angeles campuses.

Seventy percent of students surveyed by the Princeton Review said they were highly stressed by the college application process, 81 percent said the economy was affecting where they applied to school and 89 percent said scholarships and financial aid is very necessary for their families to pay for college.

The survey results were released in late March.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

The event, sponsored by Nicola's Books, will include readings from the new work, "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"; a Q-and-A session with the audience; and a book signing. A hardcopy cover of the new book is included in the ticket prices, which are $30, $45 and $60.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, April 5. They will be available in person at Nicola's Books (in the Westgate shopping center at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Maple Road); or online via Ticketmaster.com. The $60 tickets include prime seating and "front of the line" book-signing access. The $45 seats are regular main-floor seats; $30 seats are in the balcony.

Gaiman wrote "The Sandman" comic-book series as well as a number of well-received (and award-winning) novels including "Coraline," "Stardust," and "American Gods," as well as the children's novel "The Graveyard Book." "The Ocean at the End of the Lane," set for release June 18, will be his first book for adults in 8 years.

Gaiman has said this will be his last book-signing tour. The event at the Michigan Theater—at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 7—is one of just three dates in the Midwest; the others are in Chicago and Bloomington, Minn.

Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.

The Skyline High School boys lacrosse team (in blue jerseys) in a game against Lincoln High School from 2010.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

Don't let that discourage you from voting. The Eagles lead is far from insurmountable.

Skyline had 76 of the 226 votes cast (33.6 percent) as of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Next up is the Saline High School baseball team (52 votes, 23 percent), followed by Huron High School girls track (42 votes, 18.6 percent), Dexter girls soccer (31 votes, 13.7 percent) and Chelsea High School sofball (25 votes, 11.1 percent).

A quick look at the demographics of the votes cast reveals that 100 percent of the non-North American votes were for Skyline and all came from Germany, confirming what's long been suspected: Germans love Skyline lacrosse.

The winner of the poll, much like “Game of the Week” during the football, and boys and girls basketball seasons, will receive the bulk of our coverage during the following week, including multiple stories and multimedia elements such as video and photo galleries as well.

That isn't to say we'll ignore the other teams, we'll just be giving some extra special coverage to our "Team of the Week."

The poll is open until Friday afternoon. So vote early, vote often and tell your friends.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

A man accused of working with a woman to break into homes across southeast Michigan faces eight home invasion charges and 10 total criminal charges, records show.

Lorin Harshman

Courtesy of the state of Michigan

Lorin Harshman, 43, of Novi, is accused of working with Wendy Neyhart, 36, of Ypsilanti, to break into homes in an area extending from Adrian to Birmingham. The pair are accused of several home invasions in Ann Arbor and Northfield Township.

Harshman, also known as Paul Miracle, has been held in the Michigan State Prison in Jackson since his arrest, Ann Arbor police Detective Dan Iverson said. Harshman was on parole for second-degree home invasion and breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime when he and Neyhart were arrested on Oct. 9.

“He was originally arrested on Oct. 9 and he was on parole at the time,” Iverson said. “(The state) has been detaining him on parole violation since then.”

Harshman faces eight charges of second-degree home invasion, one charge of breaking and entering a building with intent to commit a crime and breaking and entering a coin operated device, records show. He was arraigned Tuesday and was given a $10,000 bond. His preliminary exam is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. April 11 at the 14A-1 District Court in Pittsfield Township.

Harshman’s warrant was not approved until after Neyhart’s court case wrapped up, Iverson said.

Wendy Neyhart

Courtesy of Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office

Court officials said Neyhart pleaded guilty to seven counts of second-degree home invasion on March 7. Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David Swartz will sentence her at 1:30 p.m. June 6.

Neyhart and Harshman are accused of breaking into homes around the area, including many in Ann Arbor. The break in the case came on Sept. 19, when a older white Jeep Cherokee with two people inside was spotted after a break-in at a home in the 1900 block of Ivywood in Ann Arbor.

On Sept. 25, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office deputies stopped a similar vehicle and the two people inside — who deputies identified as Neyhart and Harshman — had stolen items in their possession.

Among Ann Arbor home invasions the couple is accused of being involved in are incidents in the 1500 block of King George, the 1500 block of Normandy, the 2500 block of Oakhills, the 1500 block of Newport, the 2500 block of Page, the 1900 block of Ivywood, the 400 block of Sumark Way, the 1400 block of Bardstown and the 1500 block of Bardstown.

A search warrant served on their Ypsilanti Township apartment revealed more than $30,000 of stolen property, police said.

State records show Harshman was on parole for a 2008 charge of breaking and entering a building with intent to commit a crime and a 2009 charge of second-degree home invasion. He has previously been convicted of and served prison time for second-degree home invasion on a 1996 charge and breaking and entering a building with intent to commit a crime on a 2007 charge.

View 1500 King George Blvd in a larger map

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Note: This article was corrected to reflect that AstraZeneca is based in Delaware, not Chicago.

The biologics division of Delaware-based multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca purchased Ann Arbor-based biotechnology company AlphaCore early Wednesday according to a press release from the company.

AlphaCore is developing a drug designed for the treatment of atherosclerosis, commonly referred to as a “hardening” of the arteries. The disease is believed to be caused by the accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries and can be a contributing cause to heart disease.

"Cardiovascular disease is projected to remain the single leading cause of death worldwide over the next decade and beyond. Through novel approaches like LCAT, we hope to shift the treatment paradigms in this area to help prevent and treat these conditions."

LCAT is an enzyme in the bloodstream that AlphaCore hopes to harness to help manage cholesterol levels in patients.

MedImmune, the division of AstraZeneca that completed the purchase, is a major research and development arm of the corporation that has over 2,500 employees worldwide.

The price of the deal has not been disclosed, and AlphaCore could not be immediately reached for comment.

AlphaCore's’s president, William Brinkerhoff, was previously chief operating officer at Cerenis Theraputics when the company secured $51.7 million in venture capital in 2010. He also is a past vice president at Esperion Theraputics, which was acquired by Pfizer in 2004 for $1.3 billion.

AlphaCore has seven team members listed on its website. It is unclear whether that team will remain in Ann Arbor following the acquisition.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2

Michigan fan "True Blue" Tom Malden, of Canton, smiles as he attempts to get the crowd excited at a home game in February.

Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com

By this time of year the attention of many Wolverine fans usually has shifted from U-M Basketball over to counting down the minutes until football season begins in September. But after Trey Burke's iconic shot, March Madness will live on a little longer than usual.

Students cheer on Michigan Basketball against Purdue.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

On Saturday April 6 at 8:49 p.m. Michigan Basketball will tip-off against the Syracuse Orange in their first Final Four appearance since 1993.

"Go Blue" has long been the chant of Michigan athletics, but in recent years maize has become the dominate color of fan apparel. So to celebrate U-M's trip to Atlanta with the fan's color of choice, we're compiling a "Maize Out" gallery of photos from our readers. We're looking for as much yellow as we can find — ranging from photos you've snapped at games earlier this year to your pet watching this year's tournament in a block-M jumper.

To be included in the gallery submit your photo by noon on April 6 using one of these methods:

• Submit the photo using the form below
• Use the hashtag #a2goblue on Instagram
• Tweet the photo to: @annarborcom

Editor's note: The graphic's cutline has been corrected.

Washtenaw County has the second-highest percentage of registered organ and tissue donors in Southeast Michigan, according to media reports.

Washtenaw County has the second-highest percentage of organ donors in Southeast Michigan.

Courtesy of Gift of Life Michigan

The county falls in second place to Lenawee County, WEMU reported. In Lenawee County 56 percent of the residents are registered donors,

Statewide, Washtenaw County does not rank as highly when compared to the registration rates of other counties.

The Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds Office has added a page to its website explaining organ donation and linking to the Gift of Life Michigan homepage where people can register to become donors.

• Read the full report on WEMU

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

An 18-year-old Ann Arbor man faces vandalism charges for allegedly spray-painting in the Library Lane underground parking garage in December.

Tayo Norton

Courtesy of WCSO

Tayo Norton was arraigned at the Washtenaw County Jail Wednesday afternoon on one felony count of malicious destruction of property between $1,000 and $20,000. Ann Arbor police Sgt. Paul Curtis said Norton was caught at 12:52 a.m. Dec. 27 spray-painting and using paint markers in the parking garage.

“It looks like he did quite a bit of damage to one spot,” Curtis said.

Norton is not believed to be any of the serial taggers whose work can be seen around Ann Arbor, Curtis said. No handle was spotted in the parking garage and the police report from the Ann Arbor incident wasn’t clear on if he was related to other incidents.

Detective Robin Larson was the lead investigator on Norton’s case. A message seeking comment was left with Larson Wednesday afternoon.

Magistrate Colleen Currie arraigned Norton Tuesday afternoon. He was given a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, meaning he will be allowed to leave jail on a promise to return for court hearings.

His preliminary exam is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. April 11.

Norton will be represented by the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Andrew Shirvell, the assistant state attorney general fired for blog posts against a gay University of Michigan student body president, is standing behind embattled Republican Dave Agema.

Andrew Shirvell

Marissa McClain | The Michigan Daily

In an interview with MLive, Shirvell lauded Agema's stand "against the radical homosexual agenda."

"I'm proud to support Dave Agema, and I think that attacking him is completely ridiculous and wrong," Shirvell told MLive, adding Agema is "experiencing everything I've experienced over the last two years," including "absolutely uncontrolled hatred and death threats."

Shirvell was fired by the state in 2010 after it was determined he used computers in the attorney general's office to wage an aggressive anti-gay campaign against Chris Armstrong, then the openly gay U-M student body president.

Shirvell's campaign against Armstrong and his firing garnered national attention. Last August, a jury ruled Shirvell owed Armstrong $4.5 million as part of a federal defamation lawsuit.

On Wednesday, Shirvell told MLive he is in the midst of appealing that "outrageous ruling" and still is fighting to get his job back.

• Read the story on MLive.

Agema has attracted widespread attention since posting an article on Facebook titled "Everyone Should Know These Statistics on Homosexuals."

Purportedly written by "Frank Joseph, M.D.," it contains a number claims about the "filthy" homosexual lifestyle, including a statement that "39-59% of homosexuals are infected with intestinal parasites."

Despite calls for his resignation, Agema has remained unapologetic.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

An independently owned phone repair shop opened on East Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor last month, Concentrate Media reports.

Phone Home Repair opened last month at 406 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor.

Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com

Shop owners Kort Linden and Katrina Chizek said their shop — which offers repairs, customization and accessories — makes quick repairs and has lower-priced retail items than its competitors.

• Read the full Concentrate Media report.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

The two suspects in Sunday’s homicide in Ypsilanti remained in the Washtenaw County Jail Wednesday without being arraigned on charges as the investigation into the case continued.

The two suspects in the homicide at Peninsular Place Sunday remain in jail Wednesday and have not been arraigned.

File photo

The 20-year-old man and 20-year-old woman arrested after the death of John Lawrence, 46, Sunday night at the Peninsular Place apartments were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon, according to jail records. Magistrate Colleen Currie arraigned several people accused of crimes Wednesday afternoon, but the two 20-year-old suspects were not among them.

Washtenaw County Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Steven Hiller said Wednesday the case was still under investigation.

“No one will be arraigned today on charges arising out of this incident,” Hiller said in an email.

The man and woman were both arrested Sunday night after police responded to the Peninsular Place apartments. Raven Lawrence, the victim’s daughter, told AnnArbor.com she was in an argument with the woman because her boyfriend was living at the apartment without a lease. She called her father to come help her because she did not feel safe.

John Lawrence gave his daughter his handgun and told her to take it to his car. By the time she returned to the apartment, the door was locked, Raven Lawrence said. When she entered the apartment with police, her father was dead.

Police believe the two 20-year-olds killed John Lawrence during the argument. It’s been confirmed that John Lawrence was hit in the head with a frying pan, but Detective Joe Yuhas said Tuesday blunt force trauma might not be the cause of death.

The final autopsy and toxicology reports won’t be ready for a few weeks, and police would not speak more about the potential cause of death Tuesday. Yuhas did not return a message left by AnnArbor.com on Wednesday.

Typically, a suspect arrested without a warrant is arraigned within 48 hours. However, Michigan law only states that “every person charged with a felony shall, without unnecessary delay after his arrest, be taken before a magistrate or other judicial officer.”

Yuhas told AnnArbor.com Tuesday the case would be turned over to Washtenaw County prosecutors on Wednesday morning for potential charges. No warrant was filed for the man and woman in the Washtenaw County Trial Court early Wednesday afternoon.

AnnArbor.com is not identifying the two suspects until they are formally arraigned on charges.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

A legal dispute involving former Willow Run Superintendent Doris Hope-Jackson has been going on since June 2010.

Previous coverage:

• Hearing in terminated Willow Run superintendent's lawsuit rescheduled for January
• Ex-superintendent's lawsuit prompts arbitrator to call 2-year dispute in Willow Run 'a sad indictment'

A legal battle between former Superintendent Doris Hope-Jackson, the Willow Run Board of Education and former board President Sheri Washington is coming to a close.

On March 14, Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Donald E. Shelton issued a ruling on the most recent lawsuit of the ongoing saga.

Hope-Jackson filed a lawsuit on Oct. 22, 2012, asking the court to vacate an arbitration award made in favor of the Willow Run school district and to reopen her original lawsuit, which was filed in June 2010 but dismissed in March 2011 in order for Hope-Jackson to pursue her claims in arbitration.

The claims included allegations of breach of employee contract, verbal assault, retaliation, misconduct, misappropriation of funds, a spurned lesbian advance, harassment and more.

Arbitration is a private dispute resolution mechanism, in which an arbitrator hears the evidence of the claims and makes a binding decision. The arbitrator's job is to apply a standard of review to the facts of the case.

Shelton upheld the majority of the arbitrator's rulings. However, he vacated one decision pertaining to a claim of defamation of character that Hope-Jackson was not allowed to add against Washington during the original arbitration proceedings.

Shelton ordered the defamation claim be remanded to arbitrator Fred M. Mester for a ruling. Mester will hear arguments on the claim from both sides and make a decision based on the merits of the claim.

A screenshot of the website WillowRunWatchdogs.org from April 24, 2010. The website's ramblings on ex-Superintendnet Doris Hope-Jackson are the subject of a defamatory claim headed back to arbitration in the ongoing lawsuit.

From screenshots.com

No times or dates have been set yet for the continued arbitration.

During the original arbitration, Mester ruled Hope-Jackson did not file the defamation claim against Washington on time and therefore dismissed the claim. The claim was regarding posts published about Hope-Jackson on the website WillowRunWatchdogs.org.

This website frequently posted entries bashing Hope-Jackson under the anonymous pen names of "Administrator" and "Staff Writer." It came out during the arbitration proceedings that Washington was the administrator of that site. The site has since been shut down.

Washington first lied under oath about her affiliation with the blog during the arbitration, for which she was held in contempt of order on April 20, 2012, and was ordered to pay Hope-Jackson $12,500 in sanctions, as well as the former superintendent's reasonable attorney fees and arbitration fees.

Despite ruling that Washington lied under oath, the arbitrator also ruled Hope-Jackson should have "somehow have filed a claim against Washington at the time, even though nobody knew who the administrator of the website was" until later, Segars said Tuesday.

In his Oct. 1 arbitration award, Mester did not agree with the majority of the school board's reasons for firing Hope-Jackson, court documents show, but ruled in favor of the district in the end. He found the board's decision to terminate Hope-Jackson was not retaliatory in nature and was not arbitrary and capricious.

Segar argued that typically in employment disputes, the standard of review that is used is the "just cause" standard, also known as the "good cause" standard. He said in a previous interview with AnnArbor.com, he has never seen the "arbitrary and capricious" standard applied to an employment dispute.

Shelton upheld the arbitrator's arbitrary and capricious ruling with his March 14 court order.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

The man who was dropped off at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital after being shot Tuesday afternoon was in stable condition Wednesday but investigators still don’t have much information on the case.

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Geoffrey Fox said the investigation into the shooting continued Wednesday, but there was no new information to release. Deputies were notified at 12:48 p.m. Tuesday that a man was dropped off with a gunshot wound at the orthopedics building at the hospital in Superior Township.

Huron Valley Ambulance crews took the man to the emergency room in critical condition. Fox said Tuesday the man refused to speak to deputies before going into surgery.

“We have made some progress in the investigation but have to confirm some information before we can release anything,” Fox said.

The man was out of surgery and stable as of Wednesday afternoon.

To this point, it’s unknown where the man was before he was shot or who might have shot him. Deputies have not released any information about the man, such as his age or where he is from.

The sheriff's office took the initial lead on the investigation. However, the investigating agency may change if it turns out the man was shot in a different agency's jurisdiction.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.