Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • A4

4A WWW.FREEP.COM SATURDAY, METRO GEOGRAPHY WHIZZES: Peter Deegan-Krause, a student at Ferndale Middle School, won top honors at the 2017 Michigan Geographic Bee on Friday at Western Michigan University. More than 100 students in grades 4-8 participated. move on to a national competition May 14-17 in Washington. Ajay Sumanth of Avondale Middle School placed second, and Brady Noble of Greenhills School in Ann Arbor took third. Lori Higgins High school students might be able to take different classes such as computer coding instead of English and statistics rather than algebra II to help them graduate under a package of bills passed by the Michigan House on Thursday.

The bills would change requirements in foreign language, mathematics, health and English. Currently, Michigan high school students are required to complete the Merit Standard Curriculum to graduate that requires a specific number of credits in English, science, mathematics and other classes. Under the new package of bills, the English credits would be replaced with 21st-Century skills with a combination of different classes students could take like computer coding or science classes. Additionally, another bill would allow for 30 hours of safety training by the Occupational Safety and Health Administra- tion to replace the requirement for a health education requirement. Rep.

Gary Howell, R-North Branch, sponsored a bill that would let students take algebra II or statistics to fulfill part of the math requirement. a pretty straightforward bill. What it did is allow a student going forward to make achoice. Right now, algebra II is mandatory. Under my bill, they would have a choice of statistics if they would find that more useful for their future Howell said.

State Rep. Curt Vander- Wall, R-Ludington, said it is important to him to make sure kids and families make the best decisions they can career- wise. opens up the opportunity for the young people to do career tech and really learn where they want to go for their VanderWall said. is not for everybody. We encourage everybody that goes, but you know who knows better but the parent, the school the counselors and the VanderWall also said that he met with superintendents from his district, and the response to the legislation has State House passes changes to graduation requirements Students could pick career technologies By Chris Ehrmann Associated Press See BILLS, Page5A being injured in a car wreck.

On the day Mickey Hughes died, two police officers had been called to the home in response to a domestic quarrel complaint. Deputies testified that Hughes told his wife was all over for because she called the police, was verbally abusing her, made numerous threats that he would kill her and threatened deputies, as well. That day, Francine said, he beat her For more than 12 years, Francine Hughes endured physical abuse at the hands of her husband, James (Mickey) Hughes. On March 9, 1977, Hughes walked into the Ingham County Jail in Mason and confessed that, fearing for her life, she had set fire to her home in Dansville, where Mickey Hughes, by that time her ex-husband, was sleeping. On March 22, Francine Wilson she had remarried and taken the last name of her second husband, Robert Wilson died after a bout with pneumonia in Leighton, Ala.

She was 69. Ajury of 10 women and two men found her not guilty by reason of insanity of murder. The case would became a turning point in the growing movement against domestic violence. It inspired the best- selling book Burning the TV movie of the same name starring Farrah Fawcett and Paul Lemat, a folk song and ahit for country star Martina McBride had this upbeat demeanor and was just so caring and loving and said Molly Wilson, Francine granddaughter. lived with her my entire life and find out about what happened until I was 10 or 11 years old.

feel like it was something to be proud of. She never felt justified. She never felt free. I think kind of why she kept it low key because I think she was ashamed and haunted by Francine divorced Mickey Hughes in 1971, but he moved back in with her after viciously and forbade her from going back to school. Molly Wilson said Robert Wilson helped Francine to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse and that she graduated as the valedictorian of her class.

She was an LPN and worked at several nursing homes. After she retired, she would sit with elderly people. She also taught a nursing class. FRANCINE HUGHES DIES AT 69 NOVEMBER 1977 PHOTO FROM LANSING STATE JOURNAL VIA AP Francine Hughes and her attorney, Arjen Greydanus, talk during a news conference in Lansing. Her Michigan spousal abuse case was the subject of a 1984 television movie called Burning starring Farrah Fawcett and Paul Lemat.

Abused Michigan wife inspired Case was a domestic violence turning point By Vickki Dozier Lansing State Journal NOVEMBER 1997 PHOTO FROM LANSING STATE JOURNAL Hughes and Greydanus enter the courtroom before the verdict. A jury of 10 women and two men found her not guilty by reason of insanity of Mickey murder. See HUGHES, Page5A Orlando Ramos, the man who was a finalist for the Detroit job before he dropped out of contention a week ago, has now dropped out of the running in St. Paul, after a newspaper there reported earlier this week he had a past bankruptcy filing. Ramos, 51, a regional superintendent in Milwaukee Public Schools, failed to disclose the bankruptcy filing from about eight years ago, according to a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune this week.

Ramos emerged March 16 as a finalist for the Detroit job. But he withdrew after he became a finalist in St. Paul and interviews there were scheduled for the same day he was scheduled to interview in Detroit. The Detroit board of education has moved ahead with two other finalists: Derrick R. Coleman, superintendent of the River Rouge Public Schools and Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Fla.

Vitti interviewed in Detroit on Wednesday. Coleman is expected to interview on Monday. The Minneapolis newspaper reported that Ramos withdrew there a few hours after a story about his bankruptcy filing was posted online. apologize for the distrac- tion that this issue has the newspaper reported Ramos saying in a statement. wish the St.

Paul community the best as district leaders work to find the best candidate to lead St. Paul Public Ramos has previously been afinalist in Allentown, Pa. The Star-Tribune reported he has also been a finalist in Cincinnati. The superintendent searches in Detroit, St. Paul, Allentown and Cincinnati are all being handled by Iowa-based Ray and Associates.

Ex-superintendent finalist Ramos had filed for bankruptcy He failed to disclose filing during process Detroit Free Press Orlando Ramos An Oakland County judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit from demolition consultant Barry Ellentuck that accused several local and state officials of perjury, malicious prosecution and other misdeeds. Ellentuck filed the lawsuit in September after a jury acquitted him of a felony charge that he overbilled the Detroit Land Bank Authority by about $6,300. Ellentuck alleged the criminal charge was brought after the officials named in the suit agreed to prevent him from cooperating with an ongoing federal investigation in the demolition program. But Judge Denise Langford Morris ruled that Ellentuck had not shown the officials acted maliciously, which is a requirement for such lawsuits against government officials to proceed. has not identified any ill will or animus on the part of defendants that is separate and distinct from the fact that they were witnesses in his criminal Langford Morris wrote in her ruling.

Ellentuck plans to appeal the ruling, his attorney, Paul Sugameli, said in a statement because the ruling effectively that no governmental official may be held liable for malicious The nine defendants named included Mayor Mike chief of staff, Alexis Wiley; Detroit Land Bank Authority Executive Director Carrie Lewand-Monroe; Brian Far- kas, director of special projects for the Detroit Building Authority, and John Buck, a special agent in Attorney General Bill office, which filed the charge against Ellentuck in December 2015. The top lawyer for the City of Detroit, Melvin ButchHol- lowell, said in a statement he is pleased with the decision. the mer- itless allegations, the court found that all officials named in this case acted in good faith and within the scope of their Hollowell said. Sugameli had a different interpretation of the ruling. note that nothing in the decision exonerates any of the parties or condones their behavior but instead merely excuses it due to it arising in the highest level of government, which should require greater scrutiny rather than a free Sugameli said in his statement.

Ellentuck intends to appeal this decision and continue his battle to seek justice for the wrongs that have been committed against Contact Joe Guillen: 313-222-6678 or Follow him on Twitter Judge dismisses Detroit demolition lawsuit Ellentuck accused officials of misdeeds By Joe Guillen Detroit Free Press REGINA H. FREE PRESS Demolition consultant Barry Ellentuck plans to appeal the ruling, his attorney said..