News

By WKAR

LANSING, MI – The Clinton LumberKings ended the four-game winning streak of the Lansing Lugnuts with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park. The Lugnuts and LumberKings play the rubber match of their three-game series tonight at Oldsmobile Park.

By AP

ARLINGTON, TX – Curtis Granderson led off the game with a home run and connected again in the second inning, and Justin Verlander equaled a career high by striking out 13 as the Detroit
Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 13-5 Wednesday night.

The Tigers scored in each of the first seven innings and matched a season high with 19 hits.

Miguel Cabrera, who had four hits and four RBIs, and Marcus Thames also homered for Detroit. Andruw Jones homered twice for Texas.

By AP

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – A state Senate leader is developing a plan to prevent Michigan's wetlands protection program from being axed to save money.

Republican Sen. Patricia Birkholz, who chairs the Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee, told The Associated Press on Wednesday she'll introduce a bill this fall.

It's still on the drawing board. But the plan would use money from a clean water bond fund to keep the program going for three more years. An advisory council would develop a long-term funding source.

By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – Members of an East Lansing Catholic parish have filed an appeal with the Vatican. They're asking the Vatican to overturn a decree by the Bishop of Lansing to merge their parish with another.

By Gretchen Millich

Lansing, MI – Members of an East Lansing Catholic parish have filed an appeal with the Vatican. They're asking the Vatican to overturn a decree by the Bishop of Lansing to merge their parish with another.

By AP

LANSING, MI – A Michigan lawmaker says the state could avoid some budget cuts by simply making sure the government is reimbursed for medical bills that should have been paid by private health insurers.

Rep. John Walsh cites the state auditor's finding that Michigan isn't effectively recovering Medicaid costs from insurance companies.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – Governor Granholm will meet again Thursday morning with legislative leaders to try to come to an agreement on cuts and spending in the budget for the coming fiscal year.

AUDIO:
The governor and the Legislature have two months to finalize a plan that bridges a $1.8 billion spending gap. That's almost 10% of this year's budget.

By AP

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – The annual Traverse City Film Festival is under way.

And the state of the festival is good.

Founder Michael Moore says 25 percent more tickets have been sold than last year at this time, and there's been a 37 percent increase in sponsors.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports the opening night film, "Troubled Water," screened Tuesday at the City Opera House.

By AP

NEW YORK – Delphi heads to bankruptcy court today seeking a judge's approval of a deal that could hand control of the auto supplier to its lenders and end its four-year stay in Chapter 11.

But standing in the way are more than 2,000 objections - many filed by Delphi workers and retirees worried about the future of their pensions. That could mean a lengthy day in court for all sides, including U.S. Judge Robert Drain who is overseeing the case.

By AP

LANSING, MI – Three hunters will get a rare opportunity to pursue four species of game animal next year under a new program called the Pure Michigan Hunt.

The winners will be allowed to hunt elk, bear, spring and fall wild turkeys and antlerless deer. They'll get their choice of hunting sites at managed waterfowl areas.

Hunters can apply as many times as they like. Each application costs $4 and can be purchased at license retailers through December. Winners will be selected during a random computer drawing in January.

By WKAR

LANSING, MI – The Lansing Lugnuts had a season-high fourth straight victory, 3-2 over the Clinton LumberKings last night at Oldsmobile Park. The Lugnuts and LumberKings play the second game of their three-game series at 12:05 this afternoon.

By AP

ARLINGTON, TX – Ian Kinsler drove in three runs, rookie Elvis Andrus homered and had three hits, and the Texas Rangers beat the Detroit Tigers 7-3 on Tuesday night.

Kinsler, who was in a huge funk at the plate that shrunk his batting average from .272 to .242., highlighted a four-run second with a two-run triple.

The Rangers have taken two straight from the Tigers after dropping the previous seven meetings and have won eight of nine overall.

By AP

DETROIT, MI – A person briefed on the decision says this week's Buick Open golf tournament will be the last because General Motors Co. will end its sponsorship after more than a half-century.

The person said GM and tour officials will announce after the tournament that GM is pulling out. The person did not want to be identified because the announcement has not been made.

The troubled automaker has been cutting back on professional sports sponsorships for the past year as it tries to focus more marketing dollars on its cars and trucks.

By AP

LANSING, MI – A new report says Michigan's rough economy drove more of the state's children into poverty.

The annual Kids Count state-by-state survey by the Annie E.Casey Foundation said Tuesday that 19 percent of Michigan children lived in poverty in 2007. That's up from 14 percent in 2000.

The national average was 18% in 2007 and 17% in 2000.

Michigan ranked 34th among the states in the poverty measure in
2007.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – Speaker of the House Andy Dillon says his plan for a statewide insurance pool for all public employees would create benefits so affordable private sector employees would want to buy in.

AUDIO:
Dillon says his plan could save the state nearly a billion dollars. He says opening the pool to the private sector would boost savings, and make benefits more affordable for everyone who joins.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – A state House committee has voted to require Michigan's economic development agency to provide more information on how it uses job-creation tax credits. It's a step toward authorizing more of the tax breaks.

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority has almost reached its limit for the year, and wants the Legislature to approve a new round of credits. But a key Republican lawmaker says she wants more proof the program is working.

By Scott Pohl, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – The Lansing Police Department is getting a grant of more than $867,000 from the federal stimulus plan.

AUDIO:
In all, a billion dollars in grants to police departments across the country were announced by Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder. Michigan agencies get $34-million to hire and rehire 160 officers. Lansing's grant will pay for four officers.

By AP

DETROIT – DETROIT (AP) - A person briefed on the decision says this week's Buick Open golf tournament will be the last because General Motors Co. will end its sponsorship after more than a half-century.

The person said GM and tour officials will announce after the tournament that GM is pulling out. The person did not want to be identified because the announcement has not been made.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

Camp Grayling, MI – U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan train for a range of tasks. They hunt for suspected terrorists and hidden weapons, evacuate the wounded and provide security during elections.

This week, soldiers with the Michigan Army National Guard are playing war games at Camp Grayling. They're testing out a GPS system that records everything that happens on the battlefield. WKAR's Kevin Lavery reports on how troops are using digital clarity to penetrate the fog of war.

By AP

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says the WNBA serves as an inspiration for his two young daughters.

Obama on Monday said his daughters, Sasha and Malia, have never known a time when women did not play professional basketball in the United States. He says his girls watch the female players on television.