Spring is finally here and it’s time to get your garden ready for the season.  Ray Wiegand’s Nursery in Macomb Township has everything you need to get your garden growing! 

Click on the link below for your chance to win a $25 Ray Wiegand’s Nursery gift card to get you started off right!

Click here for your chance to win!

Ray Wiegand’s Nursery
47747 Romeo Plank Road
Macomb Twp, MI 48044
586-286-3655

Contest dates: May 28, 2012, 12:00a.m. - June 3, 2012, 11:59 p.m.
Prize details: 5 – $25 Ray Wiegand’s Nursery gift cards
Winners must be at least 18 years old

Waters aural and visual masterpiece of alienation and transformation will be performed in its entirety featuring a full band and state-of-the-art production and WWJ Newsradio 950 has your tickets to the concert.  Click on the link below for your chance to win!

Click here to enter!

Contest dates: May 28, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. - June 3, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.
Winners must 18 years of age.
Five winners will recieve a pair of tickets to the concert.

Are you feeling a little better about your Tigers now that they swept their three game weekend series against the Minnesota Twins?  Granted, the Twins are a pretty lousy team this season. But these are the same Twins who beat the Tigers two straight at Comerica Park last week.  And before the doomsayers and negative Nellies convince you the season is over,  remember where the Tigers were one year ago at this time. They fell seven and a half games behind first place Cleveland after the Indians swept them last year.  Now, the Tigers are climbing back, and are only three games behind the Indians as they open a big four game series against the Boston Red Sox.  Interestingly, both the Sox and Tigers have identical records of 23 and 24. The Tigers can get back into the race if they do well against the Red Sox and Yankees.

This is not to say that the Tigers don’t have major problems and they have been a big disappointment to fans.  After all the excitement and hype over Prince Fielder’s signing,  fans were expecting the Tigers to run away with the American League Central Division race.  That hasn’t happened because a number of Tigers have underperformed.  Namely, Alex Avila, Jhonny Peralta, and Delmon Young have not contributed, although Avilla is showing signs of finding his stroke again.  But Peralta and Young are still struggling.  And as for second base,  the Tigers have gotten nothing out of Ryan Rayburn, Ramon Santiago, and Danny Worth.

That brings me to three of life’s great unsolved mysteries, for me at least: 1)  Why are the Kardashians still on television? 2) Who goes to see those awful Adam Sandler movies like Jack and Jill?  and 3)  Why is Ryan Rayburn still starting almost every game for the Tigers, even though he is barely hitting above .100?   Please let me know if you have the answers.

While some fans have been disappointed in the power numbers for the Tiger sluggers Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, they have been big run-producers, especially this weekend.  Fielder was 9 for 12 over three games.  Cabrera went four for four Sunday and had the big game-winning home in the 9th inning.   But they’re not getting a lot of help from the rest of the lineup.

One bright spot has been the pickup of rookie Centerfielder Quintin Berry, who has done a terrific job filling in for the injured Austin Jackson.  He’s just what the Tigers needed:  A real spark.  He’s got speed; he’s stealing bases; and he’s playing great defense.  The Tigers need to keep him in the lineup when Jackson returns.  Maybe put him in right and move Boesch to DH.

As heard on 97.1 The Ticket- the Tigers finished a three-game sweep of the Twins in style after leaving 10 men on base earlier in the game.

Cabrera’s ninth home run this season came on a 0-2 pitch from Matt Capps (0-3), who took his first blown save in 10 chances.

Rookie Quintin Berry started the inning with a single, and Cabrera crushed one to straightaway center field.

Jose Valverde followed for his ninth save in 11 attempts. Denard Span led off with a single.

After Ben Revere popped his bunt up for the first out, Joe Mauer hit a hard line out to left. Then after Span stole second, Josh Willingham walked. But Justin Morneau flied out to right.

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(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The zoo is announcing that its Summer Safari camps will begin June 25th and run through August 17th.

It’s for kids ages 4 to 15 … and offers hands-on activities, games and crafts.

Parents can choose from half-day, single-day, weeklong and overnight sessions geared toward specific age groups.

You can find more information about the camps at the Detroit Zoo and a complete schedule (.pdf) here.

Police say the body is that of an 18-year-old from Bloomfield Township.

The man was found by someone who was fishing on Wing Lake.

No foul play is suspected at this time.

Police say Andrew Knott fired from a car at the 7-Mile/Ferguson Marathon gas station off the Southfield Freeway on Thursday. The area is known for narcotics trafficking.

The officer was not injured.

Knott is being held on a $1 million dollar bond. If convicted of the attempted murder and firearm charges, he could spend life in prison.

He was supposed to show up at a cafe in Ann Arbor to work on a project with some college classmates, but he never made it.

His mother, who called WWJ Sunday to tell us her son was back home, did not disclose where he had been.

CATCH UP ON THE STORY HERE.

“In 2006 we got to 92 (degrees) on Memorial Day, most times we’re in the 70s and even low 80s is not a stretch for this time of year, and today we’ll approach the record of 91 set back in 1911,” says Devore.

“Feels like we’ve flipped ahead a holiday, feels more like a 4th (of July) than a Memorial Day … 93 is the record temp on Monday, we’ll be approaching that, also set in 1911,” said Devore.

Devore says the metro Detroit area may also see some showers or thunderstorms, so keep those umbrellas within arm’s reach.

For the lastest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 for Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Sign up for Weather Alerts by Texting FORECAST to 95001 and recieve a once daily weather report.

Southfield Police say gunfire rang out during a large party, where people attending the event were robbed of money and valuables. One man was shot and killed.

Two women and another man were shot and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Anyone with information is asked to call Southfield Police.

According to FOX10TV.com, Fairley was arrested shortly after 1:00 a.m. Sunday on I-10 near the intersection of Highway 90 in Tillman’s Corner by Alabama State Troopers.

He was charged with DUI and attempting to elude police.

It is reported that Fairley was released Sunday morning after posting bond.

This is Fairley’s second arrest in less than two months. He was arrested on April 3 for marijuana possession while speeding through a residential neighborhood.

Listen for more at WWJ Newsradio 950  and 97.1 The Ticket and check out CBSSports.com

Get the latest scores for Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons scores delivered daily to you from 97.1 for FREE. Simply text the keyword to the number and you’re all set! Text SCORE to 97136. To unsubscribe anytime, reply STOP. Standard message charges apply.

Events kicked off at noon with a 5K run and walk, following by a parade at 1:00, which kicks off at the intersection of Harper and Little Mack avenues.

Speaking live on WWJ Newsradio 950, Parade Committee chairman Robert Montgomery says 30 different military units will be participating.

“We’ve also brought over the U.S. Navy Band from Great Lakes, Illinois … that’s like our premiere muscial unit for today,” said Montgomery.

“It’s a great little bedroom community, they just understand the people who have given the ultimate price for their freedom, and they’ve never lost sight of that,” added Montgomery.

Montgomery’s advice is to get there early to try and beat the crowds.

Complete details on Memorial Day activities HERE.

The Celtics will open the third round of the NBA playoffs in Miami against the Heat on Monday night.
Rondo scored nine straight Boston points, helping the Celtics turn a three-point edge into a double-digit lead after Paul Pierce fouled out with 4:16 left in the game.

Andre Iguodala scored 18 points, and Elton Brand and Jrue Holiday had 15 apiece for the 76ers, who eliminated the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round but couldn’t do the same with the Celtics.
Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Ray Allen hit a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers after missing his first five attempts. Pierce had 15 points and nine rebounds before fouling out.

That’s when Rondo took over.

The point guard, rebounding from his worst performance of the playoffs in Game 6, scored on a baseline drive and followed it up with a long 2-pointer (originally scored a 3) with 2:47 left. Then he made a 3-pointer with a little more than 2 minutes left to make it a 10-pont game and, after Brand scored on a tip-in, Rondo went to the line as the crowd chanted “M-V-P! M-V-P!” and hit a pair of free throws to
leave Boston with an 80-70 lead with 1:44 left.

The Celtics will now face the actual NBA MVP — LeBron James — along with Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Heat. Miami advanced to the conference finals by eliminating the Indiana Pacers in six games.

Miami beat Boston in five games in the conference semifinals last year. In 2010, the Celtics eliminated the Heat in the first round and then knocked James and the Cavaliers out in the second — his final game with Cleveland before defecting to Miami.

Philadelphia had one last chance to cut the deficit with 100 seconds to play after Holiday made a 3-pointer to cut it to seven points. Pierce was left with nothing to do but cheerlead, waving his arms to encourage the crowd as Garnett went to the line with just under a minute left.

He made one of two, but Holiday lost the ball on the way to the basket and Rondo made a pair of free throws with 54 seconds left and then Allen, who had just three points to that point after missing his first 5 attempts from 3-point range, made a pair as the crowd chanted “Beat the Heat!”

Jodie Meeks’ 3-pointer rimmed out, the ball bounced to the floor and Rondo got his hands on it for his 10th rebound. He chucked it over his head into the frontcourt, where the Celtics dribbled down the 24-second clock.

Pierce picked up two fouls seven seconds apart with about 8 minutes to play, then his fifth with 5:16 left. Coach Doc Rivers left him in, and Pierce picked up No. 6 a minute later — a charging call against Thaddeus Young out by the free throw line;.

Boston got off to a fast start, taking a 10-2 lead thanks to four assists and two rebounds from Rondo in the first 3 minutes. The Sixers tied it before the end of the quarter, but the Celtics again pulled ahead and took a 41-33 lead into the half.

The lead grew to 11 before the Sixers scored seven straight points and then, trailing 53-45, they scored another seven in a row to cut the deficit to a point. Garnett made a high floater at the buzzer to give Boston a 55-52 lead at the end of three quarters.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Wind gusts were predicted at 15 mph and high temperatures were in the 60s in a dry, remote part of the state where access has been tricky because there are few roads. Tahquamenon Falls State Park, a popular destination for campers seven miles from the fire, was closed.

The fire, known as the Duck Lake Fire, was 20 percent contained in Luce County, about 75 miles northeast of the Mackinac Bridge, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said. The fire was described as long and narrow, stretching 11 miles north to Lake Superior.

Fewer than 100 people have been evacuated, said Dean Wilson, a spokesman for the fire management team.

More than 40 structures have been threatened and at least six are lost. It’s not clear whether they were homes or outbuildings. Wilson said he didn’t have an update Saturday.

“Structure protection is high priority and is being closely monitored from the air. … Potential for blow-up conditions” continues, the Department of Natural Resources said in a statement.

The Rainbow Lodge, which includes a campground, motel and cabins near Lake Superior, was closed. A recorded message by co-owner Kathy Robinson said she had been evacuated and that the property may have been damaged by fire.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Some people more than 100 miles away in the northern Lower Peninsula reported smelling smoke. The Michigan National Guard dispatched four aircraft and 40 people to the Duck Lake fire and another in Schoolcraft County.

“The Blackhawks typically hoist 900-gallon buckets to unload water on fires. This method has proven very successful in wildfires in other regions,” said a spokesman, Capt. Aaron Jenkins.

Wilson said curious people on all-terrain vehicles must stay away.

“It’s not a big problem but it does exist. If the wind picks up, the ignition of dry fuel is almost instantaneous,” he said.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

It happened early Saturday morning just after the two returned from a movie and the woman dropped the man off at the home of his new girlfriend.

That’s when police say the woman was blindfolded; duct tape was placed over her mouth and around her hands and feet. The victim was driven to another location and she was set on fire and shot.

The woman remains hospitalized. Her identity has not been released. Police say her unborn baby appears healthy.

Ever so slowly, they’re starting to show glimpses of the team that started the season with World Series aspirations.

Scherzer struck out nine in a rain-shortened outing and Prince Fielder had his first four-hit game with the Tigers, leading Detroit to a 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

Scherzer (4-3) gave up three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings before leaving due to a rain delay and Andy Dirks had two doubles and two RBI for the Tigers. Miguel Cabrera added two hits and two RBI and Jose Valverde picked up his eighth save in 10 chances.

The Tigers, who were the heavy favorites to win the AL Central when the season began, dropped to 20-24 following a three-game sweep at Cleveland earlier this week. Now they’ve won two in a row for the first time since April 18.

“Hopefully we’re relaxing a little bit and doing what we can do pretty good,” manager Jim Leyland said. “We’re supposed to hit pretty good and we can hit pretty good. I’m not going to get carried away with two games, but it’s a pretty good sign.”

Carl Pavano (2-4) allowed six runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings for the Twins, who have lost four straight. Justin Morneau and Denard Span homered for Minnesota, but the Twins struck out 16 times.

Slumping Twins slugger Josh Willingham struck out four times and the bottom four hitters in the lineup — Brian Dozier, Alexi Casilla, Drew Butera and Jamey Carroll — went 1 for 14 with 10 strikeouts.

Most of those strikeouts came courtesy of Scherzer, who is looking more and more like the capable sidekick to Justin Verlander he was last year. He fanned four in a row and five of six at one point in the outing, and set down 13 straight after giving up a solo homer to Morneau in the second inning.

The right-hander gave up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in his first start of the season and has been trying to dig out of that hole ever since. He was tagged for five runs in a win over the White Sox on May 15, but has chewed up two struggling offenses in his last two starts.

Scherzer struck out 15 in a win over the Pirates last week, the most by a Tigers pitcher since Mickey Lolich in 1972. He fanned nine more on Saturday, getting Dozier and Butera twice each before a couple of hits, and a lot of rain, brought an end to his day in the sixth inning.

“I’m really pitching well with three pitches: fastball, slider, change,” Scherzer said. “I just keep making a couple mistakes every game leaving a pitch in the middle of the plate where they’ve been able to do damage with it. That’s a good problem and a bad problem at the same time because obviously you’re making mistakes and you feel you can make a batter pitch when those happen.”

The game started 20 minutes behind schedule because of weather, and was delayed another 42 minutes in the sixth inning when a heavy downpour pelted Target Field.

Octavio Dotel took the mound after the delay and wiggled out of a runners-on-the-corners, one-out jam by striking out Willingham and getting Morneau to pop out to third base. Dotel then struck out the side in the seventh before handing the ball to Joaquin Benoit.

“A good game and everything but to me the hero of the game was Octavio Dotel,” Leyland said.

The Tigers jumped on Pavano in the first, getting an RBI double from Cabrera and an RBI single from Fielder to take a quick 2-0 lead. The veteran right-hander, who has been pitching through some soreness in his shoulder, seemed to steady himself in the next three innings, allowing only one hit.

But the powerful Tigers put together six straight hits during their four-run fifth, with Dirks delivering a two-run double and Cabrera an RBI single to make it 6-2.

Span homered in the sixth, and the Twins had the tying runner at the plate with one out in the eighth. But Benoit struck out Joe Mauer and Willingham to keep the Tigers comfortably in front.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

Southfield resident and Vietnam Army Veteran Ken Richardson wants us all to remember this Memorial Day that freedom is not free.

“I was with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, we were in the central part of Vietnam – part of our security area was Saigon, we were very involved saving Saigon, during the Tet Offensive in 1968,” said Richardson.

Richardson took part in a couple of local Memorial Day services this weekend.

We have a full list of Memorial Day events HERE.

Roughly 500 certificates so far have been granted to businesses seeking to sell fireworks that had been prohibited for years, the state Bureau of Fire Services reports. Bottle rockets, aerial cakes, Roman candles, firecrackers – all can be sold and enjoyed legally after lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder erased the ban.

It means no more clandestine trips to Ohio and Indiana for fiery summer fixings. Michigan residents were returning home with illegal fireworks but enforcement wasn’t strict.

“It’s about time. Now we can sell stuff people were smuggling across the border,” said Steve LaFleur, co-owner of Southgate Fireworks in Southgate, south of Detroit.

Sean Conn, a vice president at Lansing-based Big Fireworks, said: “This is gigantic.”

A lawmaker who led the effort, Rep. Harold Haugh, D-Roseville, predicts it could add $8 million to $10 million to the state treasury. Permits range from $1,000 for a permanent retail location to $600 for a temporary spot, such as a tent. Fireworks carry a 6 percent sales tax as well as a 6 percent fee that will go to a firefighter safety fund.

Sellers must be inspected, undergo a background check and show proof of $10 million in liability insurance. A lawsuit challenging the high level of insurance is pending in federal court in Bay City.

“That’s in there to keep the bad players off the streets,” Haugh said.

Southgate Fireworks has embraced the law, stocking shelves with new fireworks that shoot in the air. There’s even a $66 box of fireworks named for President Barack Obama. They fly high and produce fountains of light. “A must for any left-handed person?” says a sign.

“The important thing to note is all this stuff is federally approved. It’s considered safe,” LaFleur said. “Michigan finally got on the bandwagon and realized they were losing a lot of tax money to other states.”

Big Fireworks is a subsidiary of American Eagle Superstore Inc. in Lansing, which supplies fireworks to retailers across the country. Until the law changed, the company couldn’t sell in Michigan what it was providing to people in other states, Conn said.

“It was all ground effects and sparklers before. Now you can get a cake aerial that can go 150 to 300 feet in the air. It impresses everyone,” he said.

In Brimley, in the Upper Peninsula, Jim Miller has been running Mel’s Fireworks for more than 20 years. Because his store was on an Indian reservation, he could get around the state ban on most major fireworks. But now that the law has changed, he’s moving off the reservation so he can get more visibility.

“There’s going to be a lot of competition. I had exclusive territory for 250 miles,” said Miller, who advertises on TV.

Michael Fales of Gladwin, former president of the Michigan Pyrotechnics Arts Guild, puts on big fireworks shows for cities. He said he’s excited about being able to go into a store and buy a big bang for his own use.

“Fireworks create a sense of awe or beauty,” he said. “There’s an adrenalin rush from the sky filling up with color.”

Haugh, the man in the Legislature credited with changing the law, is pleased with the reaction, but don’t expect him to light a fuse on July 4.

“I don’t like fireworks much, going back to my childhood,” Haugh said. “I come from a family of seven boys. One of my brothers got burned.”

© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ford Designer Melvin Betencourt has put together a one-of-a kind Shelby GT500 to autction off for the Edith and Benson Ford Heart and Vascular Institute at Henry Ford Hospital. It’s personal to him, because he survived a serious cardiac scare.

The car will be auctioned off at an event called “Get Your Heart Racing,” on Saturday, Sept. 22, which includes some time on the Ford test track.

Get details at www.getyourheartracing.org.

At issue is concern about the Islamic Republic’s ability to enrich uranium, a key step toward the ability to build atomic weapons; something Michigan Senator Carl Levin believes Iran is poised to do.

“Iran, in my judgement, is determined to have the capability to move to nuclear weapons. Whether they’ve made the decision to actually build nuclear weapons is in dispute, our intelligence community says they’ve not made the decision to actually build the weapons yet,” said Levin.

“They have a record of supporting terrorism and if they handed a nuclear material to terrorists groups, those groups could use that material and would use it against any county they decided they could use it against,” said Levin.

Levin stressed that the international community has to keep together so that there are no holes in the curtains we are throwing around Iran.

Follow the continuing story at CBSNews.com

Over 100,000 people are expected attend the music event.

Festival spokesman James Canning tells WWJ’s Beth Fisher that “Techno” started in Detroit.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for our city to really show the world our music, but then our city as a whole,” said Canning. “We are encouraging people to really get out even beyond the plaza and experience Detroit.”

Ausowin King, originally from Scotland, came from Canada with his brother.

“I like all sorts of music, I listen to all sorts – I prefer genre music … I just like it … since I was a wee boy,” said King.

He said he was looking forward to seeing Public Enemy, Jeff Mills and Josh Wink.

Electronic Music Festival (WWJ: Beth Fisher)

Although rain may have kept some music fans away early; the five stages, including one underground soon became more lively.

There is a ‘Movement Technology’ center with all of the latest techno gadgets and that’s where WWJ found Augustus Williams of Detroit who is a DJ and producer.

“It’s music, it’s people, it’s toys, it’s just like I’m growing so it’s like I’m being a kid again,” said Williams.

Williams along with many others come every year from all over the world to the original Electronic Music Festival.
Some of the featured acts for the three-day festival include… Juan Atkins, Rick Wilhite and Public Enemy.

Find out more information and ticket prices by clicking on here and check out Facebook.

State officials describe it as long and narrow, stretching 11 miles north to Lake Superior.

Ed Golder of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources spoke live with WWJ about the continuing blaze. The fire, located in Luce County, north of Newberry in the U.P., started last Wednesday as the result of a lightning strike.

More than 100 emergency responders from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota continue to work to contain the blaze.

Listen to the  interview  by clicking on below:

CATCH UP ON THE STORY HERE.

Access has been tricky because there are few roads. The fire began Wednesday after a lightning strike. More than 40 structures have been threatened and six are lost. It’s not clear whether they were homes or outbuildings.

As heard on 97.1 The Ticket – Max Scherzer contributed nine K’s, along with Octavio Dotel’s four, Joaquin Benoit’s two, and  Jose Valverde struck out one, to help wrap up the second win in a row for the Tigers.

Two rain delays led to a rain-shortened outing and Prince Fielder had his first four-hit game with the Tigers.

Scherzer (4-3) gave up three runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings before leaving due to a rain delay and Andy Dirks had two doubles and two RBIs for the Tigers.

Miguel Cabrera added two hits and two RBIs and Jose Valverde picked up his eighth save in 10 chances.

Carl Pavano (2-4) allowed six runs on 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings for the Twins, who have lost four straight.

Justin Morneau and Denard Span homered for Minnesota, but the Twins struck out 16 times.

Get the latest scores for Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons scores delivered daily to you from 97.1 for FREE. Simply text the keyword to the number and you’re all set! Text SCORE to 97136. To unsubscribe anytime, reply STOP. Standard message charges apply.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

And with a “bang” -  thousands of Race for The Cure participants, many wearing pink, began their walk or run.

Della Kemp of Plymouth Twp. is a nine-year survivor of cancer.

“I had stage one, my mom helped me though it, she is now deceased so I’m walking in honor of her also … it’s been an experience and I’m just glad to be a survivor,” said Kemp.

With all of the support and love Kemp says it’s encouraging and very emotional.

Angela Brown of Belleville is a three-month survivor… and Saturday’s event was her first walk.

Brown’s sister, Renee Williams, is a three-year survivor. 

“I lost my mom in ’85 to breast cancer so I’m sure it’s going to start pouring out, but right now I’m just taking it all in. Like my sister said, ‘all the pink in one day’ and just being down here and basking in the moment – is just great,” said Williams.

Williams says it is vital to raise money for research and treatment program for breast cancer.

Money raised will also go toward early screening, patient and treatment programs for those that might not have access to those services.

In 2012, it is estimated that there will be 226,000 new cases of breast cancer among women in the U.S. including nearly 40,000 deaths.

The Tigers stopped their slide Friday night beating the Minnesota Twins 10-6, after losing three straight to the Cleveland Indians.

The Minnesota Twins have started to swing the bats pretty well the last few weeks, their offense shrugging off the early season struggles to live up to the potential they envisioned when they broke spring training.

The rut has been far harder to shake for the starting pitchers, and until that happens, the Twins figure to be stuck at the bottom of the division.

Anthony Swarzak delivered another disappointing performance for a Twins starter, giving up six runs on nine hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 10-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Swarzak (0-4) battled flulike symptoms and struck out three and walked one in his first start since April 19, moving from the bullpen to the rotation for the injured Nick Blackburn.

Denard Span had three hits for the Twins, who have lost three in a row after showing signs of life in the previous 10 days.

Prince Fielder had three hits and two RBIs, Alex Avila had two doubles and three RBIs and Drew Smyly (2-1) gave up four runs – three earned – on six hits in five innings for the win.

“Another night where we actually beat the ball around pretty good,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We scored some runs, but unfortunately we couldn’t stop them.”

One of the busiest men on the field was first base umpire Alan Porter, who had several bang-bang plays at the bag throughout the game.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland and Gardenhire both argued with him early in the game, and Porter tossed Twins third baseman Jamey Carroll in the eighth after calling him out on a close play. Gardenhire came out to defend Carroll and got ejected himself, and the manager tossed his hat as he left the field.

Carroll said he told Porter that “I thought the tie goes to the runner,” but Porter told him he heard something different.

“I’ve said, in my 10 years, a lot worse things before,” Carroll said. “I didn’t cuss, I didn’t say anything that I thought warranted that. But obviously he has his opinion.”

It was the culmination of a frustrating night for Gardenhire and the Twins, who have been buried in the AL Central basement practically since Day One in large part because of poor starting pitching.

“He didn’t deserve to get thrown out of the ballgame,” Gardenhire said. “I did. I earned mine, so I’ll take it. But I was pretty upset.”

Swarzak was moved from the bullpen to the rotation for this start while Ron Gardenhire juggles his rotation to make up for the loss of Blackburn, who is on the disabled list with an injured quadriceps muscle.

Swarzak has been effective this year as a long reliever, with a 3.06 ERA in 17 2-3 innings. But he’s looked like a different pitcher when starting the game, getting hammered for an 8.34 ERA in 18 1-3 innings during his four starts.

“He was battling the flu bug out there and really didn’t have his mojo going, as they say,” Gardenhire said.
Gardenhire simply doesn’t have many options right now. Scott Baker is out for the season after having Tommy John surgery, Francisco Liriano was demoted to the bullpen earlier this month after posting a 9.45 ERA in his first six starts, Jason Marquis was designated for assignment with an 8.47 ERA in seven starts, and Liam Hendriks was sent back down to Triple-A Rochester after getting shelled in three of his four starts.

The Twins have started nine different pitchers in the first two months of the season, and they have routinely frustrated Gardenhire with their inability to hold leads.

The Twins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Brian Dozier doubled with the bases loaded, but Swarzak gave it all back and then some in the top of the second.

Fielder and Delmon Young led off the second with singles and Brennan Boesch and Alex Avila delivered RBI doubles in Detroit’s four-run second inning.

The Twins closed the gap to 7-5 with a sacrifice fly from Alexi Casilla and an RBI-single from Carroll in the sixth, but once again couldn’t keep the momentum on their side.

The Tigers scored three more runs in the seventh, including one when Dozier lost track of a fly ball in shallow left field. Fielder added an RBI-single and Young had an RBI double in the inning, padding the Tigers’ lead to 10-5.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Jonathon Mullins -missing Dexter man.

Jonathon Mullins of Dexter was supposed to show up for a get together with some of his classmates at Washtenaw County Community College  to work on a project but never made it.

Melissa Mullins said her son is insulin dependent and concerned about his well-being.

“We’ve called all the hospitals and the police said they have called and asked for all the ‘John Doe’s’ , and nobody has shown up there, so nobody knows where he is at, nobody has talked to him, none of his friends have seen or heard from him since Thursday evening,” stressed his mom.

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve been unsuccessful at tracking down Jonathon’s car.

If anyone has information or has seen Jonathan Mullins – you are asked to call Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers were called to a residence in the 600 block of High Point Circle — near Rochester and Avon Roads — and performed CPR on the baby girl, who was transported to Crittenton Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police and the medical examiner continue to investigate the cause of the young girl’s death.

Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 for more on this developing story.

Police say they received a 9-1-1 call around 6:30 p.m. of Tuesday reporting a “persons with weapons” a home located in the 17500 block of Stoepel.

Officers responded and gained entry into the dwelling, where they found and confiscated the five illegal weapons, including a 12 gauge street sweep shotgun with live rounds, AK-47 with live rounds in the magazine, 22 caliber rifle, Glock 40 caliber with live rounds, and a Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum with live rounds.

Police also found a small quantity of suspected marijuana and over $600 in U.S. currency. Police say 29-year-old Anthony Ward and 30-year-old James Davis were arrested at the scene without incident.

Davis was arraigned on an outstanding felony warrant and Ward was arraigned on felony charges for Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Felony Firearm, Firearm in Possession and Violation of Controlled Substance Act.

“This was just a great example of teamwork, stated Chief of Police Ralph L. Godbee, Jr. “Thanks to a citizen who called in this information, Detroit Police has taken illegal guns off the streets of Detroit, and two felons are now facing justice.”

Police say Sedeuqa Graham was last seen on May 21 around 6:45 a.m. in the 1900 block of Hazel.

She is 5′-4″ and weighs 240 lbs with a dark complexion, brown eyes and multi-colored hair. She has good mental and good physical condition.

If anyone should have information on Graham’s whereabouts, contact Detroit Police’s Central District at 313-596-1300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The memory of missing the playoffs for first time since 1996 and the ghost of an 18-year-old wound were wiped out with a sweep of rookie Adam Henrique’s stick.

The New Jersey Devils are going back to the Stanley Cup finals, thanks to Henrique, a 40-year-old goaltender and a coach who’d never been to the postseason in the NHL.

How’s that for a turnaround?

Henrique scored off a wild scramble in front at 1:03 into overtime and the Devils defeated the rival New York Rangers, 3-2, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first Stanley Cup finals since 2003.

“It means a lot,” Devils leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk said minutes after reaching the Cup finals for the first time. “It’s a great feeling. Last year was a tough one, but this year was totally different. We played well all year. The first round of the playoffs was a little tough but after that, I think we figured out our game and what it takes to win.”

After beating Florida, Philadelphia and their biggest rivals, the Rangers, only the Los Angeles Kings stand in the way of a fourth Cup for New Jersey.

The title round begins here Wednesday.

This series win came against the Devils’ most intense rival, and it was that much sweeter.

“That one was like Christmas,” said Henrique, who also scored the series winner in overtime as Devils’ first-round, Game 7 win over the Panthers.

It also was needed. The Devils blew a 2-0 first-period lead and didn’t want to head back to New York for a Game 7 on Sunday.

“It didn’t matter how it got to overtime, we were in a good position,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. “We were at home. We just needed one shot.”

Actually, the Devils needed four shots to win the game.

Henrique’s winner came after Henrik Lundqvist stopped Kovalchuk twice and Alexei Ponikarovsky. The last shot lay in the crease and Henrique tapped it home.

“We caught them on a line change and their defensemen were tired,” said Devils coach Peter DeBoer, who was fired by Florida after missing the playoffs in his three seasons. “We found a way to jam one in. That’s the only way you’re going to score on Lundqvist. You’re not going to get a clean one. You’re going to have to work for it around the net.

“And that’s what we did.”

Ryan Carter and Kovalchuk also scored for the Devils, whose biggest move this year was hiring DeBoer. He has more than proved his coaching ability.

Ruslan Fedotenko and Ryan Callahan tallied for top-seeded New York, which had a good flurry just before New Jersey scored to end it.

Henrique, who is nominated for the Calder Trophy — given to the NHL’s top rookie — skated away from the crease and jumped against the end boards in the corner as his teammates hopped off the bench and mobbed him.

The six Rangers on the ice just stayed down in disbelief and frustration. This was very much like Game 5, which the Devils won 5-3. New York carried the play after the first period and had a 35-29 edge in shots.

But when it came time for a game-deciding play to be made, it was a Devil who made it.

“When they scored, it was such an empty feeling,” said Lundqvist, who said the puck took a weird bounce on the final play. “It is shocking.”

Henrique overcame injury to score this one. He seemed to take a stick from Brian Boyle in the groin area late in the third and had to leave the ice.

He felt no pain after the game winner.

All the Rangers could do was bow their heads and then line up for the traditional handshake after losing to their cross-rival rivals in a series that was close.

“That’s playoff hockey, and that’s usually where you get an overtime goal,” Rangers veteran Brandon Prust said. “Just whacking away in front of the net, getting rebounds.”

Martin Brodeur, 40, kept the Devils alive in the third. He stopped a power-play shot by Brad Richards, made a save on Artem Anisimov between the circles and used his stick to deflect a pass from the boards by Carl Hagelin in the final minute just before it got to Marian Gaborik on the edge of the crease.

“You could tell he was in the zone. He led us,” Parise said. “He made some big saves tonight.”

Lundqvist’s best stop in the third was on Dainius Zubrus on a shot from behind the circles.

Facing elimination and down 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Rangers found their game in the second period and tied the game at 2-all on goals by Fedotenko and Callahan in a roughly four-minute span.

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who assisted on both goals, made the big play to get New York back in the game. He collected the puck above the left circle, skated around the net and tried a wrap around. The shot didn’t go on goal but it turned out to be a perfect pass to Fedotenko who a tap-in into an open net at 9:47.

Callahan, who had a New York goal go off his leg in the Devils’ 5-3 win on Wednesday, tied the game at 13:41 when Dan Girardi’s shot from the right point deflected off his leg into the open lower corner of the net. Callahan’s sixth of the postseason was set up when Brandon Dubinsky won a faceoff in the left circle.

Carter, who scored the game winner in New York on Wednesday night after the Devils blew a 3-0 lead, put New Jersey ahead again at 10:05 of the opening period.

The play started with a bad pinch at the point by Rangers defenseman Marc Staal. Steve Bernier led a 3-on-1 and found Stephen Gionta coming down the middle for a solo chance against Lundqvist. The Rangers goaltender stopped the shot, but Carter swatted the rebound home for his fourth of the playoffs.

Kovalchuk’s seventh goal of the postseason and fifth on the power play was a thing of beauty. All five Devils skaters touched the puck with tape-to-tape passes with Zubrus finding Kovalchuk alone low in the left circle for a shot that Lundqvist had little chance to stop.

The Devils — as is the tradition for many Cup finalists — did not touch the Prince of Wales Trophy that was presented at center ice. As the team skated off to their locker room, “Glory Days,” the 1984 hit from New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen serenaded them.

The game was played on the 18-year anniversary of the Rangers’ dramatic, 4-2, Game 6 victory over New Jersey at the Meadowlands, a victory that pushed that classic Eastern Conference final series to a Game 7 and eventually led New York to its first Stanley Cup in 54 years. That game, of course, was preceded by a guarantee from Rangers captain Mark Messier, who delivered three goals en route to the victory.

This time, though, there will be no Game 7.

NOTES: The Empire State Building’s tower lights were lit in red and blue on Friday to cheer on the Rangers. … Mogul and TV personality Donald Trump was at the game. … Devils C Travis Zajac left the ice briefly in the second after being slashed on the left hand by Prust. No penalty was called. … New Jersey is 4-1 in overtime in the postseason. New York finished 2-3 after regulation.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

State police say seat belt use in Michigan dropped to 94.5 percent last year, down from a high of 97.9 percent in 2009.

Anne Readett, of the State Office of Highway Safety Planning, said 200 people who weren’t wearing their seat belts were killed in Michigan last year.

“About half the people who died in vehicle crashes last year were unbuckled, so … we still have a long ways to go and we know we have a significant number of people who would be alive today if they’d buckled up,” she said.

Seat belt use is lowest among pickup truck drivers and their front seat passengers at 89 percent.

Law enforcement officers from 160 agencies in 26 counties across the state will have additional officers conducting safety belt enforcement zones as well as evening traffic patrols through the Memorial Day weekend and onto June 3.

Last year, nine people died over the Memorial Day holiday period, including three not wearing a seat belt. Last year’s statewide seat belt enforcement campaign that included the Memorial Day holiday resulted in more than 9,000 tickets.  The total was about 500 less than in a similar period in 2010. The effort also caught about 100 suspected drunken drivers and led to 48 drug arrests.

Get enforcement zone details and more information here.

TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It’s called the ”Butterfly Bash” because victims of lupus typically have a rash in the shape of the butterfly, and this Sunday women battling lupus and other diseases will be celebrated.

Sandra Epps, Executive Director of SHE’S Empowered, is a victim of lupus and describes what it can do to the body.

“It attacked my central nervous system, my kidneys and my heart and I was confined to a wheelchair twice. I had to learn how to walk, talk and eat all over again. So, I wanted to get the word out about Lupus and that was the two things that I wanted to do, inspire women to believe in their dreams no matter what they were going through or growing through, and to get the word out about lupus,” said Epps.

Epps established SHE’S Empowered (Sisters Helping Encourage Sisters) based on her past struggles with lupus and the negative impact it had on her self-esteem.

The goal of Butterfly Bash is to provide women with inspiration and knowledge from survivors and professionals, in addition, to create lupus awareness.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a long-term autoimmune disorder that may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain and other organs. The underlying cause of the disease is not fully known.

Epps said the butterfly symbolizes the rash that appears on the face of a lupus patient during a “flare up,” but it also represents freedom, hope, prosperity and transformation.

Lupus is much more common in women than men. It may occur at any age, but appears most often in people between the ages of 10 and 50. African Americans and Asians are affected more often than people from other races.

There is no cure for lupus. The goal of treatment is to control symptoms.

The event takes place at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit on May 27 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $35.

For more information, visit butterflybash3.eventbrite.com.

In its third year, the Blue Star Museum program is available to active duty military and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members), which includes active duty Reserve and active duty National Guard. More than 1,500 museums across the country are taking part.

The offer is good from Memorial Day, May 28, through Labor Day, September 3, 2012.

In addition to the Detroit Institute of Arts, several other cultural cornerstones in Metro Detroit are participating partners with Blue Star Museums. Military personnel can also gain free admittance to:

• Detroit Historical Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
• Cranbrook Art Museum (Saarinen House)
• Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
• Flint Institute of Arts
• Grosse Pointe Art Center
• Longway Planetarium
• Museum of Cultural and Natural History
• Pine Grove Historical Museum
• Plymouth Historical Museum
• Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm
• University of Michigan Museum of Art
• Walter P. Chrysler Museum
• Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways

For a complete list of participating museums and more information about the program, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Gregory Jaczko toured the plant on the Lake Michigan shore near South Haven in Van Buren County’s Covert Township. The plant has been under increasing scrutiny because of a series of performance and equipment failures, and has been classified by the NRC as one of the four worst performers of the 100 nuclear plants it regulates.

New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., which owns Palisades, has said the plant’s safety culture has improved. Jaczko said he agrees that efforts are being made but major inspections within the next year will confirm if the plant has been successful.

“At this point, they have a recognition that there are areas they need to improve,” he said. “We’ll wait for inspection results to say if they are working or not.”

Jaczko said the 41-year-old plant needs to make improvements in many areas, but it comes down to “the basics of managing and running a nuclear facility.”

The commission has said that, in one case, an electrical fault caused by plant workers made the reactor and half of the control room indicators shut down and triggered safety systems that actual plant conditions did not justify. In another instance, a water pump that cools safety equipment failed, the result of a crack in one of the couplings that hold together rods in the cooling system. The same failure happened in 2009, and the commission said an inspection showed the plant had not done enough to prevent a recurrence.

In a phone conference Thursday, activists said the plant has many flaws, including a brittle reactor pressure vessel and aging steam generators. Beyond Nuclear, an activist group, said the commission should shut down Palisades.

Jaczko announced his resignation on Monday after a tumultuous three-year tenure in which he pushed for sweeping safety reforms but came under fire for an unyielding management style that fellow commissioners and agency employees described as bullying. On Thursday, President Barack Obama nominated Allison Macfarlane, who served on a presidential commission that studied new strategies to manage nuclear waste.

© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources have closed sections of Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the Upper Peninsula. The park’s Lower Falls campground and Upper Falls viewing area are off-limits and visitors are being evacuated.

Photo Gallery: Wildfires Wreak Havoc In Upper Peninsula

Park staffers have notified more than 100 campers. Some have canceled their reservations. Others have relocated from the Lower Falls campground to the Rivermouth campground or to Muskallonge Lake State Park.

Officials urged visitors to avoid the Tahquamenon Falls area during the Memorial Day weekend.

The Duck Lake Fire has burned at least 20,000 acres in Luce County.

MORE: Gov. Declares ‘State Of Disaster’ In 2 Upper Peninsula Counties

20,000 Acres Consumed As Wild Fire Burns In Upper Peninsula

Fast-Moving Wildfires In Mich. Consume Thousands Of Acres

TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Livonia Republican is running for re-election in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District.

McCotter announced on May 15 that he had filed the 2,000 nominating signatures required to seek election.

But on Friday, he released a statement saying his campaign “will thoroughly review” its “petition signatures for their sufficiency or insufficiency.”

McCotter says an announcement on the findings of the review “will be made public on Tuesday.”

McCotter told The Detroit News that his campaign used the same volunteers to get signatures for the election. A review by the secretary of state’s office found that McCotter doesn’t have 1,000 names.

Spokeswoman Gisgie Gendreau says the petitions had duplicate signatures. In that case, both names are thrown out.

McCotter is a conservative who first was elected to Congress in 2002. He ran for president last year, but his bid gained little traction after entering the contest in July.

McCotter could appeal to the State Board of Canvassers, which approves the petitions. Oakland County Republican chairman Jim Thienel says the blunder is “unbelievable.”

TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

That’s  why the Michigan Humane Society is urging pet owners to take precautions to protect their pets from  heat-related dangers that can result in heatstroke, or worse.

Rule No. 1 says that while dogs are great companions and, as we all know, love riding in the car – it’s a better idea to leave them at home on hot days. The Humane Society says on an 85-degree day, a car parked in the shade with the windows cracked could reach an internal temperature of 102 degrees in just 10 minutes.

“Pet owners bringing their dogs along on errands may have the best intentions and not think twice about dashing into a store for just a couple minutes,” said Debby MacDonald, MHS Chief Cruelty Investigator. “But not only can that cause immediate discomfort and stress for the fur-coated passenger, when it takes longer than expected due to a hard-to-find item, a line, or running into a neighbor, it could put the pet at serious risk of heatstroke.”

In warm weather, the overheated air in a parked car interferes with a pet’s normal cooling process because, unlike humans, dogs and cats do not perspire to cool their bodies down – they pant. When the air they breathe is overheated, the evaporation that usually occurs during panting is insufficient to allow proper cooling. A pet, like a child, can only withstand a higher body temperature for a very short time before suffering irreparable brain damage – or even death.

If you see an animal in immediate distress in a parked car, ask the store to make an announcement or, if necessary, contact local animal control or police. In Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park, call the Michigan Humane Society’s Cruelty Hotline at 313-872-3401. Also contact these agencies if you notice a dog kept outside without adequate food, water or shelter.

Here are some additional warm weather pet safety tips from the Michigan Humane Society:

• MHS strongly recommends that pets live indoors with the rest of the family, year-round. In the summer this will also help prevent heat-related illness and reduce exposure to mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and internal parasites.

• Bring animals inside during hot or humid weather. Pets should not be left outside in very warm, humid conditions for extended periods, even in the shade.

• Ensure that pets have access to plenty of fresh, cool water at all times – indoors and out. Hydration is critical to help your pet regulate his body temperature.

• Avoid chaining or tethering a dog outside. He may get twisted and become unable to reach shade or water, or his water dish may get knocked over.

• In homes without air conditioning, use fans to keep air circulating or keep your pet in a cooler area of the house, such as the basement, during the hottest part of the day.

• Avoid vigorously exercising pets during the heat of the day. Instead, take walks in the early morning or evening hours. Avoid hot concrete or asphalt surfaces as they may cause damage or discomfort to the animal’s paw pads.

• Keep in mind that old, young and short-nosed animals such as bulldogs, pugs and Himalayan or Persian cats are especially susceptible to heatstroke. However, it is a concern for all pets during hot weather.

• If you open windows in your home, be sure the screens are secure to prevent cats or other pets from falling out.

• Never leave pets unattended around swimming pools, to help prevent accidents.

If your pet is overcome by heat, you can give immediate first aid by immersing him in cool water. If you are unable to immerse him, lay him on cool, shaded grass, pour cold water over him and call your pet’s veterinarian immediately.

The announcement was made Friday.

The IndyCar Series will run at Belle Isle Park early next month, marking the first open-wheel championship race in the city since 2008.

Suh will give the famous racing command, “Drivers, start your engines,” before the green flag waves to start the June 3 race. He’ll also ride in an official Chevy Camaro SS convertible pace car.

In a statement, Suh says he “can’t wait” to take on his grand marshal duties.

“This is such a positive event for Detroit and I love racing so this is really going to be a special weekend. I can’t wait,” he said.

The action-packed weekend will feature four premiere racing series competing on the 2.1-mile road course at Belle Isle. The cars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series and the Firestone Indy Lights Series will all race at the Grand Prix to wave the green flag on summertime in Detroit.

Tickets for the three-day event can be purchased by calling 1-866-464-7749, by visiting the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix office (located in suite 2311, above the Wintergarden in the GM Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit) or online.

For more information, visit www.detroitgp.com.

TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.