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.



Blueprints for 3D Printed Guns Made Available Again After Settlement Between State Department and Defense Distributed

Earlier this week, Defense Distributed and the company’s owner, Cody Wilson, got the go-ahead to continue publishing “designs and other technical files” for 3D printed guns after the U.S. Department of State agreed to “waive its prior restraint order against Wilson and Defense Distributed.” The decision also brings an end to a lawsuit that Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed in 2015 over the restraint order.


Hormel Food Corp. Recalls More Than 228,614 Pounds of Canned Pork and Chicken Products

If you’re a fan of spam, listen up. Hormel Food Corp., based in Fremont, NE, just issued a recall of “approximately 228,614 pounds of canned pork and chicken products” over concerns that the products may be contaminated with chunks of metal and other foreign matter. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the issue was discovered after the company “received four consumer complaints stating that metal objects were found in the canned products.” FSIS was later notified of the issue on May 25, 2018.


Trial Begins Over Case Involving Infant Killed at a Eudora Daycare

For many parents, daycare is a trusted place that they rely on to care for their children while away at work. While there, there’s an expectation that their children will be looked after so no harm comes to them. Unfortunately for one Eudora family, an employee at their son’s daycare had other plans that resulted in the death of 8-year-old Oliver Ortiz back on September 29, 2016. Carrody M. Buchhorn, 44, of Eudora is the woman accused of causing the infant’s death and is currently sitting through her murder trial.


Patient Death Results in Hefty Fine for Visalia Nursing Home

The California Department of Public Health recently announced the Redwood Springs Healthcare Center will have to pay a hefty fine “after a family of a patient said staff caused the death of their loved one.” Redwood Springs Healthcare Center is a nursing home facility in Visalia and was ordered to pay the $100,000 fine after being given a “Class AA citation, the most severe penalty under state law.”


McDonald’s Removes Salads As Intestinal Parasite Outbreak Continues in Midwest

Are you a fan of McDonald’s salads? Well, you may want to find an alternative lunch choice for the time being. According to the company, the popular fast food chain recently pulled salads from “3,000 restaurants in the Midwest after health experts announced that more than 100 people had been infected by an intestinal parasite in recent weeks.” The intestinal parasite wreaking havoc throughout Illinois, Iowa, and other states is cyclosporiasis. So far there have been confirmed reports of “15 infections in Iowa and 90 others in Illinois.” According to health officials, “everyone who became ill in Iowa and about a quarter of those who became sick in Illinois said they had eaten McDonald’s salads in the days before symptoms appeared.”


Jessica Biel Closes West Hollywood Eatery After Employee Lawsuit is Dismissed

Not everyone is cut out for the restaurant industry, something actress Jessica Biel recently discovered after she decided to close down her relatively new restaurant, Au Fudge. The decision to close the West Hollywood eatery came after it was hit with a lawsuit in 2017 by disgruntled employees who accused “Biel, 36, and her business partners of stealing $430,100 in tips.”


Baylor University Settles Title IX Lawsuit With Former Volleyball Player

Earlier today, Baylor University agreed to settle a federal Title IX lawsuit filed by a former volleyball player after she was allegedly “drugged and gang-raped by at least four football players in 2012.” At the moment, terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, though it’s now the “fifth Title IX lawsuit the university has settled,” and it likely won’t be the last. As it stands right now, there are 15 “former students who say they were sexually assaulted still have ongoing litigation with the nation’s largest Baptist school.”


Recall Issued for Allura Children’s Pajamas Due to Risk of Fire Injuries

Yesterday, Allura issued a recall for some of its children’s pajamas after it was discovered the clothing items failed to “meet the flammability standard for children’s sleepwear, posing a risk of burn injuries to children.” As a result, the company is urging consumers to stop using the sleepwear immediately and to contact it for a full refund.


Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed by Family of Amy Huffman Settles for $90,000

A wrongful death lawsuit was recently settled between the family of Amy Huffman and Ryan M. Tolone in connection to the fatal accident that claimed Huffman’s life back on January 28, 2015. According to the suit, Huffman was walking along state Rought 193 in Liberty Township when she was struck by Tolone’s vehicle. She died soon after arriving at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, but now with the recent lawsuit settlement of $90,000, her surviving family members may be able to find some peace in moving on.