By AP

LANSING, MI – A legislative panel has approved bills that supporters say would protect farm animals from being mistreated in Michigan.

Critics testified against the legislation before Thursday's vote by the House Agriculture Committee. The committee chairman stresses the measure is a work in progress.

The proposed law would have farms follow the ag industry guidelines for animal's health and welfare. Opponents says those standards are too weak and would harm animals.

By Rob South, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – WKAR's City Hall reporter Rob South talks with Melissa Ingells about the primary election in Lansing next week, specifically the race for the city's 4th Ward.

By Rob South, WKAR News

LANSING, MI – WKAR's City Hall reporter Rob South talks with Melissa Ingells about the primary election in Lansing next week, specifically the race for the city's 4th Ward.

By AP

GRAND BLANC, MI – Rock star Bob Seger has played in front of thousands of people over his career but he was awfully nervous on Wednesday.

Seger was paired up with Tiger Woods in the pro-am at the Buick Open, not far from Flint, Michigan. Seger grew up in Ann Arbor and thousands of fans came out to cheer him.

Seger thrilled the crowed with a long birdie putt on the fourth hole. It helped make up for an ugly drive off the first tee. He also got help from a tree on 13, as his errant approach rebounded back into the fairway.

By WKAR

LANSING, MI – The Clinton LumberKings ended the four-game winning streak of the Lansing Lugnuts with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park. The Lugnuts and LumberKings play the rubber match of their three-game series tonight at Oldsmobile Park.

By AP

ARLINGTON, TX – Curtis Granderson led off the game with a home run and connected again in the second inning, and Justin Verlander equaled a career high by striking out 13 as the Detroit
Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 13-5 Wednesday night.

The Tigers scored in each of the first seven innings and matched a season high with 19 hits.

Miguel Cabrera, who had four hits and four RBIs, and Marcus Thames also homered for Detroit. Andruw Jones homered twice for Texas.

By AP

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – A state Senate leader is developing a plan to prevent Michigan's wetlands protection program from being axed to save money.

Republican Sen. Patricia Birkholz, who chairs the Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee, told The Associated Press on Wednesday she'll introduce a bill this fall.

It's still on the drawing board. But the plan would use money from a clean water bond fund to keep the program going for three more years. An advisory council would develop a long-term funding source.

By Gretchen Millich, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – Members of an East Lansing Catholic parish have filed an appeal with the Vatican. They're asking the Vatican to overturn a decree by the Bishop of Lansing to merge their parish with another.

By Gretchen Millich

Lansing, MI – Members of an East Lansing Catholic parish have filed an appeal with the Vatican. They're asking the Vatican to overturn a decree by the Bishop of Lansing to merge their parish with another.

By AP

LANSING, MI – A Michigan lawmaker says the state could avoid some budget cuts by simply making sure the government is reimbursed for medical bills that should have been paid by private health insurers.

Rep. John Walsh cites the state auditor's finding that Michigan isn't effectively recovering Medicaid costs from insurance companies.