By Associated Press

By AP

DETROIT, MI – General Motors Corp. says its Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car should get 230 miles per gallon of gasoline in city driving.

The Volt is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with a 40-mile range. After that, a small gasoline engine kicks in to generate electricity. It's due in showrooms in November of 2010.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – A new study shows Michigan could begin to lose revenue from cigarette sales if the state increases the tax by 25 cents per pack.

The study was conducted by economists with Western Michigan University. They say if the state keeps raising the tobacco tax it will reach a tipping point where people will cross state lines to buy cheaper cigarettes.

By Scott Pohl, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – The East Lansing city council tonight is expected to become the first local government to approve the creation of an authority to oversee improvements to Michigan Avenue.

AUDIO: Last year, East Lansing joined the city of Lansing and Lansing Township in exploring the creation of the Michigan Avenue Corridor Improvement Authority. If approved by all three, the authority could pay for improvements to Michigan Avenue with tax increment financing or other methods of funding.

By AP

DETROIT – Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and schools emergency financial manager Robert Bobb have scheduled a press conference Wednesday.

Bobb has conducted a number of audits into the district's muddled finances, spending, benefits eligibility and public safety department since being appointed earlier this year by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Audits released last week revealed the district has been paying $2.1 million per year in health coverage for ineligible dependents, boxes of unused BlackBerry phones and 11 motorcycles.

By AP

WASHINGTON – A study by the University of Michigan finds that the fuel economy of new cars and light trucks sold in July noticeably jumped, thanks to the "cash for clunkers" program.

The average mileage for new vehicles went from 21.4 miles per gallon in June to 22.1 in July. That's best one-month mileage improvement university researchers have seen since the Environmental Protection Agency reconfigured mileage estimates in
October 2007.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – Public employees and union lobbyists are speaking out against House Speaker Andy Dillon's proposal for a statewide insurance pool.

AUDIO:

A dozen people - from firefighters to nurses to teachers - lined the steps of the state Capitol building to speak against the plan as representatives of hundreds of thousands of public employees.

Mark Gaffney is with the Michigan AFL-CIO lobby.

By WKAR

EAST LANSING, MI – The 2009 college football season is less then a month away, and for fans of Michigan State there is a sense of excitment that has not been around this program for quite a while.

By Rob South, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has picked up the endorsement of former mayoral candidate Charles Ford.

By Rob South, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – The Lansing City Council Monday night heard testimony from about 60 people on an ordinance supporters say would make the city more pedestrian- and biker-friendly.

The Complete Streets ordinance would require the city to develop a plan to increase the number of paths for non-motorized travel. The ordinance was brought to the council through a petition drive. But Councilmember Carol Wood says it's an idea that the council has been working on since 2005.