Best of January on Michigan Patch: Idle Your Car - Or Not; Eminem and Community Rally Around Dying Teen; Pythons and Mountain Lions; and Surprise, You're a Dad

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich posted this photo of water from Flint on her public Facebook page. She says she’ll come to Flint to help residents get answers to their questions about the safety of water if necessary. (Photo via Facebook)

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One of January’s top national news stories had its roots in Michigan. The Supreme Court said on Jan. 16 that it would decide whether same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in all 50 states, likely resolving key legal questions surrounding the most contentious civil rights issue of recent times.

The announcement came on the heels of a ruling by a federal judge requiring the state of Michigan to recognize 300 same-sex marriages performed in the 24-hour period same-sex marriage was legal in the state last spring. Gov. Rick Snyder had said after Judge Bernard Friedman’s landmark ruling striking down Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage that the state wouldn’t recognize them. Earlier this month, Snyder said Michigan wouldn’t appeal the ruling and would recognize the marriages.

• U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide Gay Marriage for All 50 States
• Judge Rules on Same-Sex Marriages in Michigan

All debates Patch readers engaged in during January weren’t that thorny.

You shouldn’t let your car idle in the mornings. Yes, you should, C. Mannino, an authentic Motor City car guy from Shelby Township, wrote in a letter to the editor that tens of thousands of Americans read. Bottom line? Your guess is as good as ours.

• Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Idle Your Car on Cold Mornings
• Back the Car Up: Why You SHOULD Warm It Up on Cold Mornings

In other vehicle news:

• Unbelievable Video of Massive I-94 Pileup

Uhm, it’s not a kitten:

• Pet That Scares Most People to Death Curls Around Toddler: Watch

But speaking of cats:

• Kid Rock Kills Mountain Lion and Ted Nugent Cackles with Joy

While the rockers were hunting, rapper Eminem did a very nice thing:

• Teen Who Met Eminem Loses Cancer Battle

But it was the community of Rochester Hills that wrapped the teen in a cocoon love:

• Eminem Visit One Thing, Community Support for Dying Teen ‘The’ Thing

An enduring love story:

• Married 60 Years, Couple Die Within 60 Hours

At 81, this guy may have passed out cigars:

• Man, 71, Who Always Wanted to Be Dad Gets Surprise of His Life

And in other parenting news:

• Prosecutor: Mom ‘Can’t Recall’ Where She Left Baby

Some people in his situation may not have done this:

• 4 Years After Getting It by Mistake, Homeless Man Still Looking for Diamond Owner

Say it isn’t so:

• 10 Words and Phrases that Should be Banned in 2015

Say this isn’t so, too – once all but eradicated, measles is back:

• Health Officials Confirm Measles Case in Oakland County

Don’t pay the ransom:

• Terrifying phone scam reaches Michigan

Was this water shipped in especially for Erin Brockovich?

• Erin Brockovich Keeping an Eye on Flint’s ‘Poop’ Water

She couldn’t unsee this:

• Hundreds of Nude Photos Bomb Teen’s New Smartphone

That moment when unexpected guests crash your party:

• Noise Leads Michigan Woman to Unbelievable Find in Driveway

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