By AP

BROOKLYN, MI – Brian Vickers outlasted Jimmie Johnson in yet another fuel-mileage duel at Michigan International Speedway, taking the lead with two laps to go after Johnson ran out of gas and holding on to win his first Sprint Cup race of the season Sunday.

It was the second time in two races at Michigan this season that Johnson's crew gambled on gas and lost. Johnson also was in the lead when he ran out of fuel back in June, handing a win to Mark Martin.

By AP

DETROIT – Detroit's mayor and the emergency financial manager of the city's public school district plan to hear from experts, residents and parents about school safety and security.

A roundtable discussion with Mayor Dave Bing and Robert Bobb is planned for Monday afternoon at Cass Technical High School. They're seeking suggestions about safety and security policy in the district.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – Michigan's state workforce has been cut by more than 11 thousand people since 2001. The economist who came up with the numbers for a new study comparing public and private sector jobs says that number is alarming.

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – The outlook for a financially strapped St. Johns mint farm appears bleak after an important deadline to redeem the property passed on Friday. Linette and Jim Crosby were hoping to hear from their lender---Greenstone Farm Credit Services---about requests to workout new terms for a $330,000 loan.

By AP

ALLEN PARK, MI – Ground will be broken later this month on a 104-acre movie production complex in the Detroit suburb of Allen Park.

An Aug. 27 groundbreaking event is scheduled for the Unity Studios Inc. facility.

The TV, film and media production studio should open in October and its first project will begin filming in November. Details of the project were not immediately released.

Allen Park Mayor Gary Burtka said Friday in a release that the project will "create jobs in a region in desperate economic need."

By AP

LANSING, MI – Entertainment and sports organizations are on guard in case a proposal to put a 6% sales tax on tickets is revived during Michigan's budget talks.

A proposal to tax entertainment tickets was pitched in 2007 but never happened after a coalition of fans and owners of sports and entertainment complexes lobbied against the idea. A spokesman said Friday the coalition would be revived if the plan resurfaces.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

AUBURN HILLS, MI – A panel of law professionals met Friday in Auburn Hills to discuss how and why Michigan's public defender system is inadequate.

Michigan's system is run by counties. And the panel members agreed a statewide system would help insure defendants in all areas receive the same legal counsel opportunities. The panel compared the state's current system with that of Montana, which changed from a county to state system three years ago.

By WKAR

SOUTH BEND, IN – The South Bend Silver Hawks took a 5-4 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts last night at Coveleski Stadium. The two teams play the finale of their four-game series tonight.

By AP

ATLANTA – Iziane Castro Marques scored 16 points and Erika DeSouza had 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Atlanta Dream to a 80-75 win over the Detroit Shock on Thursday night.

The Dream (12-11) beat Detroit for the third time this season, ending the Shock's two-game winning streak.

Chamique Holdslaw had 14 points for Atlanta, while Sancho Lyttle added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

By AP

BOSTON – Justin Verlander allowed four hits in eight innings, and Ryan Raburn homered for Detroit on Thursday to lead the Tigers to a 2-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox and avert a four-game sweep.

Verlander (13-6) struck out eight and walked one, retiring 16 of the last 19 batters he faced. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 24th save.