■UNITED STATES
Filmmakers in hot water
Detroit police have twice mistaken film crews shooting scenes involving weapons with criminals in recent months. The Detroit News reported on Saturday that in both cases the moviemakers hadn’t obtained the proper permits from the city. Four crewmembers from Detroit-based B.U.P. Films were in court on Thursday after receiving tickets for possession and brandishing facsimile weapons during filming Nov. 5. A hearing was set for Feb. 18. B.U.P. Films production assistant DeAndre King says the crew didn’t think it needed a permit to film at a private home.
■UNITED STATES
Creater of 50-star flag dies
Robert Heft, who is credited with designing and sewing the first 50-star American flag, has died at age 67. Wakeman Funeral Home in Saginaw, Michegan, says Heft died Saturday. A cause of death wasn’t immediately available. Heft made the flag in 1958 as part of a high school history project. He spent more than 12 hours sewing the design on his mother’s Singer sewing machine. Former president Dwight Eisenhower chose Heft’s design to replace the 48-star flag.
■UNITED STATES
Writer arrested at border
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Canadian science fiction writer after he became aggressive and refused to comply during an inspection, a government official said on Saturday. Peter Watts of Toronto was detained Tuesday in Port Huron, Michigan, as he was trying to cross into Canada, Customs spokesman Ron Smith said. Watts’ vehicle was selected for inspection. Smith said Watts got out of the vehicle and became “noncompliant” and “aggressive,” so officers detained him. On Watts’ blog, comments attributed to him on Friday denied he had been aggressive and said he had been punched in the face during the arrest. The US attorney’s office declined to prosecute and that the case was turned over to city police in Port Huron, where Watts was charged with assaulting, obstructing and resisting a police officer.
■UNITED STATES
Houston elects gay mayor
Houston became the largest US metropolis on Saturday to elect an openly gay mayor as city controller Annise Parker claimed a solid victory over her rival. Election data showed that Democrat Parker, 53, had 53 percent of the vote and opponent Gene Locke, also a Democrat, had 47 percent. Parker and Locke competed in the runoff after winning more votes than two other candidates in the Nov. 3 election. Several smaller cities have openly gay mayors, including Portland, Oregon; Providence, Rhode Island; and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Parker has worked in the Houston city administration for the last 11 years — first on the city council, and for the last five years as city controller.
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