News

By AP

ST. LOUIS – Albert Pujols hit his fifth home run in five games, and Adam Wainwright worked seven strong innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals rout the Detroit Tigers and ace Justin
Verlander 11-2 last night.

Pujols's 23rd homer went an estimated 446 feet over the left field wall off Ryan Perry to start the sixth. Chris Duncan followed with a 418-foot shot that gave the light-hitting Cardinals back-to-back homers for the first time all season.

By AP

CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, MI – Farmers Group Inc. says it will expand its Grand Rapids-area campus, creating 1,600 jobs.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm joined representatives of the Los Angeles-based insurer Tuesday to announce the project.

The announcement was made moments after state officials granted $62 million in tax incentives for the project over 18 years.

By Jerome Vaughn, Michigan Public Radio Network

DETROIT, MI – General Motors has reached a tentative deal to sell its Saab division.

GM has signed a memorandum of understanding with Koenigsegg Automotive for the purchase of Saab. The purchase price has not been released.

Koenigsegg is a small maker of expensive sports cars in Sweden. The company has just 45 employees. It will take over Saab, which has about 3,400 employees.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – State Senate Republicans are expected to approve bigger cuts to the Medicaid health care program for poor families. The Senate Appropriations Committee is poised to vote for a 4% cut in the coming fiscal year to doctors, hospitals, and other Medicaid providers. That's on top of cuts already ordered this year.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – The chair of a special legislative subcommittee says he wants to reform Michigan's system for appointing public defenders before the end of the summer.

State Representative Bob Constan wants to create an independent agency to defend people who are accused of crimes, but cannot afford an attorney. Right now, each county runs its own system, and, in many cases, the fees they pay are some of the lowest in the country.

By AP

LANSING, MI – A Michigan Senate subcommittee has voted to eliminate a scholarship that gives thousands of state students up to $4,000 to help pay college bills.

The elimination of the Michigan Promise Grant would save the state up to $140 million a year. But Gov. Jennifer Granholm's administration likely will resist the move started by Tuesday's Senate subcommittee vote.

Lawmakers and Granholm are scrambling to eliminate a projected general fund budget shortfall of at least $1.8 billion for the fiscal year that starts in October.

By AP

LANSING, MI – The state's plan to move the Michigan State Police into a new downtown Lansing headquarters again is drawing criticism.

The agency is scheduled to move into the new $40 million building early next year. The move has drawn criticism since it was approved in 2007.

By AP

OAKFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI – A nest of bald eagles in one southwestern Michigan community is attracting so much attention from bird watchers that officials plan to ban roadside gawkers from
the area.

The bald eagles nesting in Kent County's Oakfield Township about 20 miles northeast of Grand Rapids have been attracting crowds with binoculars and cameras to a 5-foot-wide shoulder of the road.

By Scott Pohl, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – The Lansing Fire Marshal has declared the fire at Buy-Rite Furniture last month to be a case of arson.

AUDIO: The May 3 fire destroyed the South Washington Avenue furniture store. After six weeks of investigation, Fire Marshal Phil Sabon now says arson was the cause.

"Today, we're reporting that the fire was intentionally set, and continually will be under investigation at this time," Sabon says.

By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – A state House subcommittee will begin work today on a plan to ensure that criminal defendants who can't pay for an attorney are still well-represented in court. A report released a year ago says Michigan has one of the worst public defender systems in the nation.

Laura Sager is with the Michigan Campaign for Justice. She says the public is losing confidence in the fairness of the criminal justice system, and the Legislature needs to act.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – A state House committee will continue hearings this week on how to change Michigan's tax structure.

Republicans and Democrats throughout Lansing agree state taxes need to be updated to help fix Michigan's budget deficit and mend its economy. But ideas of how to tweak the sales tax, the business tax or the income tax are as varied as the economists and lobbyists testifying at the Capitol.

By AP

NEW YORK – Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals is the most-watched NHL game in 36 years.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' championship-clinching 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on NBC on Friday night averaged 8 million viewers. The network says that's the most since Game 6 of the 1973 Stanley Cup finals between Montreal and Chicago.

Game 7 earned a 4.3 rating and 8 share. It was the highest rating for a series-ending game since Game 7 of the 2003 Anaheim-New Jersey series.

By AP

AUBURN HILLS, MI – Bill Laimbeer is stepping down as head coach of the Detroit Shock, leaving the defending WNBA champions only three games into the season.

The team says assistant coach Rick Mahorn will take over as head coach, and assistant coach Cheryl Reeve will keep her title and also become the team's new general manager.

Laimbeer took over the Shock in 2002 and led them to six playoff appearances and three WNBA championships.

A team statement did not give a reason for Laimbeer's departure.

By Melissa Ingells, WKAR News

DAYTON, OH – A night after getting routed 13-0, the Lansing Lugnuts had their best win of the year, beating the Dayton Dragons 11-2 last night at Fifth Third Field. Tonight at 7 p.m., Lansing and Dayton play the third game in their four-game series.

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – Lansing Community College President Brent Knight says the economy is forcing the school to consider the termination of three long-time counselors at the school. Unionized faculty and staff say the school should tap its general fund to keep the counselors. But Knight says he's reluctant to do that: "Most people think the college should have more money in reserves. And those who would spent that money---I would like to ask them---do you think that the next 24 months in Michigan are going to be better or worse?"

By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – State Representative Bill Rogers says he would support a proposed elevated rail system between Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing, if private investors finance the project.

Rogers heads a legislative task force looking into a Magnetic Levitation rail line that would run above existing highways. One Michigan company, Interstate Traveler, says there's enough money now to build a prototype of the MagLev.

By Mark Bashore, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – Unionized employees at Lansing Community College are urging the administration not to dismiss three school counselors. Administrators are considering the cuts to address a $3.2 million budget deficit.

Opponents say the counselors perform a critical service at the school. Michigan Association of Higher Education spokeswoman Sally Pierce says LCC should take a closer look at its spending priorities.

By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network

LANSING, MI – A state House committee will continue hearings this week on how to change Michigan's tax structure.

Republicans and Democrats throughout Lansing agree state taxes need to be updated to help fix Michigan's budget deficit and mend its economy. But ideas of how to tweak the sales tax, the business tax or the income tax are as varied as the economists and lobbyists testifying at the Capitol.

By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – Rep. Bill Rogers (R-Brighton) says he would recommend building a hydrogen-powered rail line in Michigan, if the project does not require any public funding.

Rogers heads a task force exploring the feasibility of the MagLev train.

AUDIO:

By AP

DEARBORN, MI – AAA Michigan says gasoline prices are down 10 cents per gallon over the past week to a statewide average of $2.83.

The auto club said Monday the statewide average is $1.29 per gallon lower than last year at this time.

Of the cities it surveys, AAA Michigan says the cheapest price for self-serve regular fuel is in the Benton Harbor area, where it's $2.77 a gallon. The highest average can be found in the Marquette area at $2.90.

The statewide average for biodiesel is $2.62 and $2.48 for ethanol.