Associated Press

Southwestern Michigan authorities say a man accused of killing his girlfriend is back behind bars after escaping from jail. Kalamazoo County sheriff's officials say the inmate had been in the county jail's recreation area on Wednesday when he climbed fences and escaped. He ditched his jail-issued orange jumpsuit after getting free, but was found by authorities about a half-hour later in the city wearing underwear and tennis shoes. He's expected to be charged Thursday in the escape. Jail officials are inspecting the fencing for any weak spots.

The 10th international ArtPrize competition is kicking off its run in West Michigan. The event starts Wednesday and goes through Oct. 7. It features the work of more than 1,400 artists at more than 160 venues vying for $500,000 in cash prizes. ArtPrize officially opens with the midday "ArtPrize 10 Opening Whistle" event in Grand Rapids where a steam-powered train whistle sounds. Winners are announced Oct. 5 after public voting. 

Democrat Jocelyn Benson says she will make it easier for military and overseas voters to cast ballots if she is elected Michigan's next secretary of state.

Benson on Tuesday called for online voter registration and counting military ballots as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. She also wants to let service members in "hostile zones" return ballots through a secured website or fax, followed by a paper mailed ballot.

Benson says her husband tried to vote in 2012 when he was serving in Afghanistan, only to have his ballot returned as undeliverable.

Gov. Rick Snyder's administration is being accused of withholding records about abuse allegations at a Detroit home for boys.
 
     Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, known as MPAS, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Department of Health and Human Services. The independent group is empowered under state and federal law to protect the rights of the developmentally disabled.
 

Michigan officials are sounding the alarm about an exotic insect and a flower that would pose risks to agriculture and the environment if they reach the state. The Department of Natural Resources has added the spotted lanternfly and the Japanese chaff flower to the invasive species watch list. The lanternfly is native to China and has been spotted in Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Health officials say a resident of West Michigan has been infected with Eastern equine encephalitis . The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Allegan County Health Department announced Monday that the person was hospitalized in late August.

A township in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is suing to stop the closing of a prison.
 
     Marenisco Township in Gogebic County says the state didn't do an economic-impact study as required by law. The Corrections Department in August announced plans to close the Ojibway prison in the months ahead.
 
     The prison has 203 employees, including some who live in Wisconsin. Local officials say closing the prison would greatly harm the economy.
 

A new report warns that warmer and wetter climate in the Midwest could lead to the displacement of some cold water fish species in southern Lake Michigan and trigger die-offs in smaller inland lakes. The  Purdue University research published last week says the Great Lakes are warming along with the atmosphere due to the proliferation of greenhouse gases.

Former U.S. Rep. John Dingell is in a Detroit-area hospital after a heart attack.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell says her husband is "alert and in good spirits, cracking jokes as usual." She says the 92-year-old had a heart attack early Monday.

Debbie Dingell says: "We'll know more later."

John Dingell, a Democrat, was in office for nearly 60 years and still remains the longest-serving member of the House or Senate in U.S. history. He didn't run for re-election in 2014, the same year that his wife was elected to his 12th District seat in southeastern Michigan.

Michigan's governor says he's promoting the state's leadership in mobility and autonomous vehicle technology development as part of his trade trip to China.

The office of Gov. Rick Snyder says he signed a memorandum of understanding Monday with China's Ministry of Science and Technology that seeks to "further advance innovation and cooperation within the automotive and technology sectors, including new energy and autonomous vehicle technologies."