The Benzie County Sheriff's Department won't have to rehire a corrections officer fired nearly two years ago for fraternizing with a female inmate, an arbitrator ruled.

Investigators are working to identify those responsible for illegally dumping thousands of gallons of brine water in Kalkaska County.

A new rearing facility for lake sturgeon will be built on the Black River in Cheboygan County in an effort to grow the threatened fish's population.

Police arrested a Mesick man who allegedly tried to set his house on fire while his family was inside.

Free parking will not be offered at the Larry C. Hardy Parking Deck in July and August.

The Sara Hardy Farmers Market will move away from downtown during the National Cherry Festival.

Area environmentalists will accept small, hard-to-recycle electronics during the National Cherry Festival and give away T-shirts and posters featuring Walt Disney's Wall-E the recycling robot.

A reduction in state aid going to Michigan's public universities has helped spark skyrocketing tuition and threatens to undermine the state's efforts to dramatically boost its number of college graduates.

A man upset about a property transaction shot a real estate agent in the head, mortally wounding him Tuesday morning in the victim's office, authorities said.

Humorous or ironic? Which is the better description of President Bush's nuclear-weapons deal with North Korea as the 46th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis draws near? Guess there's nothing funny about nuclear annihilation.

At $4 a gallon, the high price of gas is hurting American families and putting a stranglehold on the nation's economy. President Bush and other political leaders are right to weigh all options as potential solutions to what is clearly an energy crisis.

Waste of money; State is bad for business

The Stanley Cup will be making a stop in Traverse City. Local resident and Detroit Red Wings forward Dallas Drake said he will be getting the Cup for two days, taking it to his native British Columbia and bringing it to Traverse City.

Traverse City opened an important three-game series with division-leading Kalamazoo Tuesday with a victory in 10 innings.

Rounders and dreamers, stars and unknowns -- they're all converging on Las Vegas this week to try to turn a chunk of cash into a huge windfall. This year, Traverse City residents Mike Banducci and John Von will be two of thousands expected to vie for millions of dollars and a gold bracelet.

The name of the business is Nawbin Beads, but it could just as easily be called Nawbin Just-About-Everything. Of course, owners Tom and Julie Bielman carry Swarovski crystal beads in a rainbow of colors.

Some retail stores in Michigan expect an uptick in sales over the summer months, according to the retail sales index generated by the Michigan Association of Retailers.

Farmers in nine northern Michigan counties are eligible for emergency disaster loans through the federal Farm Services Agency for crop damage from severe weather this month.

Nearly all the major automakers reported steep sales declines for June, but for General Motors at least there was consolation: Toyota, its leading international competition, had it worse.

Shares of General Motors Corp. rebounded Tuesday after the automaker released better-than-expected June sales figures to retain its No. 1 U.S. sales spot, while Ford Motor Co.'s shares tumbled after it announced a steep drop in vehicle demand.

Giddiness reigns among members of the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve council, volunteers and supporters. As of June 6, the proposed preserve is officially the 12th Bottomlands Underwater Preserve. The area covers both arms of the Grand Traverse Bay on a line extending from Northport to Norwood, sweeping south to Traverse City.

Kaity Gardiner will have to be on her toes this summer. The 14-year-old Traverse City resident is among 100 young dancers to participate in the BalletMet Dance Academy Summer Intensive Program in Columbus, Ohio this month.