By AP

DETROIT – Placido Polanco hit a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Zach Miner (7-5) and three other relievers kept the Royals scoreless for five innings to help the Tigers stay 4 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth to earn his 33rd save in 34 chances.

Adam Everett drove in a pair of runs against Royals starter Lenny DiNardo (0-1), including a tying single that chased him in the sixth.

By WKAR

EAST LANSING, MI – Welcome sports fans to the third installment of Predictions of Earle. Sports Talk AM 870 host Earle Robinson gives his predictions on the Michigan State Notre Dame match up as well as the "Who is the Man" contest.

By AP

LANSING, MI – A state lawmaker wants to make sure 96,000 Michigan college students eventually get the state scholarship money they were expecting even if the program is cut during budget negotiations.

The bill announced Wednesday by Republican Rep. Ken Horn of Frankenmuth would create an income tax credit to reimburse students if they don't get as much money as expected through the Michigan Promise scholarship program.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – There were 736,000 people without jobs and looking for work in Michigan last month as the ranks of the unemployed grew by 6,000. Michigan's unemployment rate bumped up very slightly in August to 15.2%. The July rate was 15%.

Bruce Weaver is with the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth. He says the state is not seeing enough new jobs created in other sectors to make up for the loss of factory and construction jobs.

By AP

LANSING, MI – Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and Democratic House Speaker Andy Dillon have signed an agreement to cut $1.2 billion in spending to resolve a deficit in the budget year starting Oct. 1.

Bishop says the deal requires no new tax increases.

Lawmakers will be given budget targets and it will left for them to try and come up with plans that could pass both the Democratic-led House and the Republican-led Senate.

By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News

OWOSSO, MI – A memorial service was held Wednesday in Owosso for anti-abortion activist James Pouillon. Pouillon was shot to death last Friday across the street from Owosso High School.

By Rob South, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – The Lansing Board of Water and Light on Wednesday dedicated its new chilled water facility in downtown Lansing. The plant will provide air conditioning for many downtown office buildings. BWL general Manager Peter Lark says the new facility will save its customers money.

"The plant is 60% more efficient than the old one, which keeps steam costs low for customers and translates into drmatic reductions in greenhouse gases," he said.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – Democratic state House Speaker Andy Dillon and Republican Senator Mike Bishop may have reached a budget deal for the coming fiscal year. It's believed Governor Granholm was not included in their decision.

By AP

DETROIT – Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard says he will seek the Republican nomination for governor with Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land as his running mate.

Bouchard made the announcement Wednesday in downtown Detroit. Land, who's from the Grand Rapids area, had been considering her own run for governor but said no in June, the same month Bouchard jumped in.

Bouchard says Land's experience means she can step in on the first day and "begin to move the ship."

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – The state Senate on Wednesday voted to change the Legislature's rules to speed up the budget process. Senate lawmakers say a new rule should require the House and the Senate to adopt budget plans by June 1.

State Senator Alan Cropsey says budget negotiations should not have gone down to the wire in two of the last three years.