Events from the year 1982 in Michigan. The Associated Press (AP) selected the state's top news stories as follows: 1. * The election of James Blanchard as Governor, the first Democrat elected to the office in 20 years; 2. * Unemployment in Michigan with 732,000 Michiganders out of work and a record unemployment rate of 17.2%; 3. * Mass homicides, including the February 16 murder of seven members of the George Post family on their hog farm near Farwell, the murder of a five members of the Paulson family near Allendale on March 13, and the murder of Bette Giuliani and her four adopted daughters in St. Clair County on April 7; 4. * Four rounds of cuts in the state budget totaling $778 million and resulting from the state's economic tailspin; 5. * New contracts between the United Aut