Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.


Possible Contamination Prompts Bob Evans Sausage Recall

If you enjoy the occasional side of breakfast sausage with your eggs and toast, you may be interested in one of the latest recalls. Earlier this week, Bob Evans Farms issued a recall of 46,734 pounds of sausage links over concerns they may contain “extraneous materials, including hard plastic,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).


Lawsuit Between Rape Victim and Los Vaqueros Trail Riders Reaches $575K Settlement

A lawsuit stemming from a 2012 incident settled earlier this week for $575,000. It was filed on behalf of a woman, Brie Ana Williams, and claimed she was raped at a Los Vaqueros Trail Ride event at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Williams filed her lawsuit against rodeo after she said “someone raped her during an event associated with the trail riders in Dayton in 2012.” Though a settlement was finally agreed to, the complaints against the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo were dismissed.


Judge Dismisses Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

Earlier this week a judge dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of an Ohio State student who was killed by Brian Golsby in February 2017. The student was Reagan Tokes. She was kidnapped, raped, and then fatally shot by Golsby, a convicted sex offender. Since the incident, Golsby has been convicted and will serve life in prison for the murder. Prior to the incident, he had been released from prison for three months and “was wearing a GPS ankle monitor while under the watch of the state’s Adult Parole Authority.”


Lawsuit Accusing President Trump of ‘Inciting to Riot’ is Dismissed

Earlier this week, a lawsuit against President Trump was dismissed. The suit was filed by three protesters who accused the president of ‘inciting to riot’ after “they were roughed up at a March 2016 campaign rally in Louisville, Kentucky during Trump’s White House run.” The decision to dismiss the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said they “did not state a valid claim under Kentucky law against Trump or his campaign, and Trump’s speech was protected by the First Amendment because he did not specifically advocate violence.” The suit was dismissed on a 3-0 vote.



Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Fatal Black Road Crash

In 2016, a car accident happened along “Joliet’s stretch of Black Road near the bridge traveling over Interstate 55.” Earlier this month, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed at the Will County Courthouse in connection with the accident that claimed one of the passenger’s life, Joylene Bournas.


Former Piggly Wiggly Employees Set to Split $8.7M, Thanks to Recent Settlement

Earlier this month, a judge ruled in favor of nearly 6,600 former Piggly Wiggly employees who sued the now collapsed Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. over lost retirement benefits and approved an $8.7 million settlement to be split between the former employees. According to the agreement, about a third of the money will be spent to pay for attorney fees, meaning the average payout per employee will be less than $1,000.


Bahama Breeze in Ohio Hit with Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Bahama Breeze in Orange Village, Ohio is under fire in a new lawsuit alleging racial discrimination. According to the suit, a group of African-American customers was discriminated against when “two white managers filed a false police report and acted with hostility toward” them. The suit itself was filed in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common


Did Dignity Health Deny Overtime Pay for Nurses? One Lawsuit Says Yes.

Earlier this week a lawsuit was filed against Dignity Health that claims nearly 1,200 nurses in the Sacramento area “worked as many as 50 minutes per 12-hour shift of unpaid overtime, three times a week, and that Dignity’s restrictive timekeeping software was part of the reason those hours couldn’t be logged properly.” Specifically, the class action suit alleges the nurses were paid for “exactly 12 hours of work per shift at hospitals in the greater Sacramento area, regardless of when they actually clocked in or out,” according to attorney Bryan Lazarski.


Are Michigan Auto Insurance Companies Charging Women and Widows Higher Rates?

How much do you pay for your car insurance each month? Do you think you’re rate is fair? If you’re a woman, do you pay the same as your male counterparts? If you’re a Michigan driver, chances are you’re not. In fact, according to an investigation launched by Scripps station WXYZ in Detroit, auto insurance companies in Michigan regularly discriminate against drivers based on their gender or relationship status. You’re probably wondering how this practice is legal, right? After all, there are laws in place to prevent this type of discrimination.