Dad charged with drunken driving in crash that killed son

A New York father is facing a felony criminal charge in a drunken driving crash that killed his 7-year-old son in Macomb County, authorities said.

Arturo Molina Mendez is charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death, a 15-year felony, early Sunday in Clinton Township, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.

Mendez, 32, of Sodus, New York, was to be arraigned Monday from his hospital bed, authorities said. He suffered multiple injuries, Clinton Township Police said.

Authorities said that just after midnight, Mendez was speeding in a 2015 Kia Optima on eastbound Hall Road in Clinton Township.

They said the father went through the intersection with Heydenreich Road, hit the curb on the southeast corner, and became slightly airborne.

His vehicle then collided with a utility pole, police said.

Mendez admitted to consuming alcohol at a friend’s prior to the crash, according to the prosecutor’s office release.

Michigan dad gets year in jail for teen’s fatal overdose

PAW PAW – A southwestern Michigan man was sentenced Monday to a year in jail for his 16-year-old son’s fatal drug overdose.

Prosecutors accused Gary Birkhead of knowingly allowing his son to use illicit drugs over two years. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November.

WOOD-TV reports that Birkhead, 49, of Bangor has been in the Van Buren County jail for months and will have roughly 100 days left on the sentence.

Cole Birkhead died in 2017 at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo.

As part of a plea deal, a child abuse charge was dropped.

Intense weekend search but no sign of missing woman

HONOR – A Detroit-area woman remains missing after a weekend search with police, dogs and volunteers in the northern Lower Peninsula.

Trail dogs picked up the scent of Adrienne Quintal, but cadaver dogs did not, said a sister, Jenny Bryson.

Quintal, 47, was reported missing in October from a family cabin near Honor, about 20 miles southwest of Traverse City, in Benzie County.

Application period open for 2020 Kresge artist fellowships

DETROIT – Applications are being accepted from Detroit-area artists for $25,000 fellowships from the Kresge Foundation.

Nine fellowships in live arts and nine more in film and music will be awarded to artists living and working in Wayne, Oakland or Macomb counties. The fellowships include professional development support.

Two $5,000 Gilda Awards also will be awarded solely to emerging artists who apply for Kresge Artist Fellowships.

Online applications must be submitted before Jan. 17.

Compiled from staff and Associated Press reports.