News

By Rick Pluta, MPRN

LANSING, MI – Governor Granholm will announce the next step her administration is taking to build a high-speed rail line that will connect metro Detroit with Chicago and the rest of the Midwest. The governor will make the announcement today at train stations in Dearborn and Jackson.

Michigan is part of a consortium of eight states seeking a share of $8,000,000,000 in federal stimulus money set aside to build rail lines for trains that will travel as fast as 110 miles per hour.

By AP

CINCINNATI – Kroger is recalling a store-brand bread that could contain ingredients not listed on the label. The ingredients could cause reactions in people allergic to milk. The recall affects stores in Michigan and a dozen other states.

By AP

MORGANTOWN, WV – The Dean of Michigan State University's college of Agriculture and Natural Resources is a finalist for a job in West Virginia. Jeffrey Armstrong is among a group of three finalists to become Provost of the West Virginia University in Morgantown.

The university is looking to fill the vacancy created when former Provost Gerald Lang resigned in the wake of a scandal involving a master's degree that was improperly awarded to the daughter of the state's Governor.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – The Michigan Supreme court has decided to reconsider a court ruling that prevented car accident victims for suing for pain and suffering.

The court ruling known as Kreiner essentially kept anything short of death or paralysis caused by car accidents out of court. David Christiansen is with the Michigan Association for Justice.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says Michigan once again has the nation's highest jobless rate. Michigan's jobless rate has led all other states for most of the past two years.

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – General Motors highest-ranking local executive is retiring. In a message on his Facebook page, Lansing Regional Plant Manager Randy Thayer says he looks forward to "new opportunities" after 36 years with the automaker. The on-line message did not say when he would leave GM.

Thayer currently heads operations at both of the company's Lansing plants. He is a Lansing native and serves on the boards of a number of community organizations.

By WKAR

FORT WAYNE, IN – Fresh off their only off-day in August, the well-rested Lansing Lugnuts scored eight runs in the first inning en route to a 15-7 thrashing of the first place Fort Wayne TinCaps in the opener of a four-game series last night at Parkview Field. The two teams play the second game of the series tonight at 7:05.

By AP

EAST LANSING, MI – Big Ten member Michigan State plans to play games at each of the Mid-American Conference's in-state programs.

The rare football road trips to Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan are part of a 12-game "Celebrate the State" series covering the 2011-2020 seasons announced Thursday.

The Spartans will play four games each against the MAC programs from Michigan. Most of the games will be in East Lansing but each MAC team will host the Spartans once.

By AP

DETROIT – Clete Thomas' two-out, RBI single capped a two-run rally in the ninth inning and lifted the Detroit Tigers to a 7-6 win Thursday over the Seattle Mariners.

The AL Central-leading Tigers trailed 6-2 before scoring three times in the sixth and two more in the final inning, setting off a celebration around Thomas at first base.

Bobby Seay (4-2) earned the win for pitching a scoreless inning, getting Jarrod Washburn off the hook after a poor performance against his former team.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – A state House committee took testimony Thursday on whether drivers with unpaid parking should be allowed to renew their licenses.

AUDIO:
The bill would prevent scofflaws from renewing their licenses if they have three unpaid parking tickets. Current law revokes the ability to renew after six unpaid tickets. Those who support the bill say it would create incentives to pay down tickets and allow local governments to collect lost revenue.

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – About 70 Michigan Army National Guard soldiers are leaving home for what will be a 10-month deployment to Iraq. Members of the 238th Aviation Battalion based in Grand Ledge held a deployment ceremony Thursday in Lansing.

The unit's mission is to transport wounded troops to medical installations. Major General Jerry Cannon commands the unit's headquarters. He says resources in Iraq to support the troops continue to improve.

By AP

ANN ARBOR, MI – More than 900 current or former female inmates have filed claims for a piece of a $100 million settlement with the state resolving claims that prisoners were sexually
assaulted by male corrections staff.

A judge on Thursday gave final approval to the settlement in Ann Arbor after preliminarily signing off last month.

It was previously thought up to 500 women could qualify for the settlement. But an attorney told the judge that more women came forward when the class-action settlement was announced.

By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News

Lansing, MI – What's it like to be convicted of a felony at age 16 and spend the next nine years in an adult prison? Dwayne Betts tells his story in a new book called "A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival and Coming of Age in Prison".

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

EAST LANSING, MI – There are more than a million people who are unemployed or underemployed in Michigan.

By Melissa Ingells, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – In our monthly "Under the Radar" segment, Lev Raphael talks with Melissa Ingells about The Jerusalem Files. It's a thriller by Joel Stone that's set in Jerusalem.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox says more needs to be done to protect children from sexual predators who use Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites to meet their victims.

Using a computer to solicit a child to have sex is already a crime. But Attorney General Mike Cox says the 1994 statute does not reflect how child molesters have turned to social networking sites to make contact and gather information about prospective victims.

By AP

DETROIT – Ichiro Suzuki homered to back Ian Snell's best start with Seattle in the Mariners' 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

Snell (1-1) held Detroit to just one run and four hits in 5 2-3 innings. He entered the game with an 8.48 ERA in three starts since being acquired from Pittsburgh on July 29.

Three Mariners relievers finished, with David Aardsma pitching the ninth for his 28th save in 31 tries.

By AP

JACKSON, MI – A Jackson County commissioner who held up a sign with a crossed-out swastika last week at a health care protest outside Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer's office says the sign misrepresented his views.

Phil Duckham said at a board of commissioners meeting Tuesday night the sign did not convey his message properly.

But he told the Jackson Citizen Patriot that he stands by his comparisons between Nazi politics and President Barack Obama's plans for restructuring America.

By AP

LANSING, MI – The tiny community of Standish is suddenly becoming an important stop for Republican gubernatorial candidates campaigning against bringing Guantanamo detainees from Cuba to the state prison.

The Obama administration has sent officials to look over the maximum security prison. It's also considering moving the detainees to a federal military prison in Leavenworth, Kan.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – The state Legislature is trying to solve problems with high school math requirements. Both the House and Senate would like to see more options created for students struggling with the algebra-two graduation requirement. Lawmakers say some vocational training should be offered in place of the course.