News

By AP

KALAMAZOO, MI – Michigan teenagers who have jobs might see a pay raise this week.

Michigan's subminimum wage, a wage paid to employees younger than 18, will jump from $6.55 to $7.25 when the federal minimum wage rises to that rate on Friday.

Administrator Jack Finn of Michigan's Wage & Hour Division says the federal wage increase will not affect Michigan's minimum wage of $7.40 per hour.

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – A challenge for mid-Michigan's livestock producers is controlling erosion and runoff into streams and waterways. Presenters at this week's MSU Ag Expo will share methods that address the issue. Matt Hahn is a pasture and dairy specialist who works at the MSU Biological Station. He says cattle crossings can limit erosion:

By AP

SACRAMENTO, CA – Taj McWilliams had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and a clutch basket in the fourth quarter to help the Detroit Shock beat the Sacramento Monarchs 69-65 on Sunday night.

Deanna Nolan and Shavonte Zellous each added 11 points for the Shock (5-8), who have won three of their last four games.

By WKAR

LANSING, MI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers beat the Lansing Lugnuts on Sunday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park. It was the first loss of the season for the Lugnuts against the Timber Rattlers after four consecutive wins to open the season series. There were five different lead changes in the game, the last seeing Lansing blow a 7-5 lead in the 8th inning. The Lugnuts and Rattlers play the finale of their three-game series tonight at 7:05 p. m.

By AP

NEW YORK – Joba Chamberlain won for the first time in almost a month and the New York Yankees got home runs from Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez in a 2-1 victory over the Detroit
Tigers on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep of the AL Central leaders.

The Yankees celebrated Old-Timers' Day with an excellent pitching performance by one of their youngsters. Chamberlain rebounded from two ineffective starts and New York edged punchless Detroit 2-1 for the second consecutive day.

By Rick Pluta

Lansing, MI – In her weekly radio address, Governor Granholm vows to protect the Michigan Promise scholarship from the budget axe. The governor is engaged in budget talks with the Legislature's Democratic and Republican leaders.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – LANSING, MI (WKAR) - The Michigan Civil Rights Commission is starting a statewide tour of several rural communities to hear the concerns of migrant and seasonal farm workers.

AUDIO:

By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – Ingham County commissioners have approved a .65 mill proposal to fund the sheriff's department. Supporters of the measure want to avoid budget cuts that would reduce the number of deputies who patrol roads in rural townships.

Commissioner Randy Schafer says the entire county would benefit from the millage, including those cities and townships that have their own police protection.

By WKAR

LANSING, MI – The Cedar Rapids Kernels scored 11 unanswered runs to break open a tight game, trouncing the Lansing Lugnuts 13-6 before a crowd of 7,700 last night in Lansing. The rubber match in the three-game series will be played tonight at 7:05 at Oldsmobile Park.

By AP

LANSING, MI – Michigan wildlife officials will operate fewer check stations to monitor deer hunting this fall.

It's another sign of state government's budget problems. The Department of Natural Resources said Thursday it doesn't have the money to run as many check stations as it has in the past.

The department plans to close more than half of its 125 check stations and operate the remaining stations only during the Nov. 15-30 firearms season. A final list of open stations and hours will be established in the coming months.

By AP

LANSING, MI – Michigan is getting nearly $2 million from the federal stimulus package to support wind energy projects.

Three projects across the state were awarded grants this week
from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Michigan Aerospace Corp. in Ann Arbor will receive $748,000 for a study related to wind turbine reliability and efficiency. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor will get about $413,500 to study techniques for voltage control and stability.

By AP

HOUGHTON, MI – It will cost a Michigan resident freshman 5.45% more to attend Michigan Technological University starting this fall.

The Upper Peninsula university's Board of Control on Thursday increased in-state freshman tuition and fees to $11,347 for the 2009-2010 academic year, an increase of 5.45%.

Both out-of-state undergrad tuition and graduate tuition will increase 5% next year.

The board approved a $155 million budget for fiscal year 2010, including an 8% increase in financial aid.

By AP

MT. PLEASANT, MI – Most undergraduates at Central Michigan University will see a 4.8% tuition hike starting this fall.

The university announced Thursday its Board of Trustees decided to increase tuition to $339 per credit hour for the 2009-2010 school year. That's up from $324 per credit hour last year.

But the Mount Pleasant school says 48.7% of returning undergraduates will see no tuition increase thanks to the CMU Promise program, which was offered from fall 2005 until summer 2008 and locked in tuition rates for participating students.

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – Members of the Ingham County Commission plan to propose a countywide millage today that could prevent significant cuts in county Sheriff's deputies. Supporters of the plan will announce details at a 5:15 news conference in Lansing.

Ingham County is looking at projected budget deficits of $5.5 million in both 2010 and 2011. Commissioners have already discussed a plan to reduce Sherriff's deputies from 31 to as few as 8. That plan would curtail police patrols in 13 rural townships.

By AP

LANSING, MI – Michigan wildlife officials will operate fewer check stations to monitor deer hunting this fall.

It's another sign of state government's budget problems. The Department of Natural Resources said Thursday it doesn't have the money to run as many check stations as it has in the past.

The department plans to close more than half of its 125 check stations and operate the remaining stations only during the Nov. 15-30 firearms season. A final list of open stations and hours will be established in the coming months.

By AP

DETROIT – A Detroit political consultant is going to federal court for his first appearance on corruption charges.

Sam Riddle is charged in two indictments with receiving and delivering bribes. Authorities say he conspired with a now-former Detroit City Council member, Monica Conyers, to shake down businesses in exchange for favors.

Riddle is due in federal court in Detroit at 1 p.m. Thursday. On Twitter.com, he says it's a "start of a legal battle" to affirm his innocence.

By Melissa Ingells, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – WKAR's Under the Radar segment this month is REALLY under the radar. It's a book from a German author who was well-known about 70 years ago during World War II. Lev Raphael reviews Hans Fallada's "Every Man Dies Alone."

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – Governor Granholm spent much of Thursday huddled behind closed doors with her budget team and legislative leaders. They're trying to decide how much to cut, and how much federal stimulus funding they'll use to balance the budget.

The budget for the coming fiscal year has a deficit officially pegged at $1.8 billion. In reality, tax collections are flagging, so the deficit's probably even bigger.

By Laura Weber

Michigan Public Radio Network – The Michigan Legislature is taking another break after returning this week from a two week summer recess. The state House held a procedural roll call Thursday, but regular session was canceled for both the House and the Senate.

AUDIO: In the empty House chamber there was just one name flagged "present" on the attendance board of more than a hundred state representatives.

By WKAR

LANSING, MI – The Lansing Lugnuts beat the Cedar Rapids Kernels 11-7 in the opener of a three-game series last night at Oldsmobile Park. The two teams play again tonight.