SW Michigan

Detroit retirees voted to accept pension cuts and allow the Detroit Institute of Arts to spin off as an independent institution, reflecting a critical endorsement of the city's restructuring blueprint to resolve the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

LANSING -- Michigan is improving slightly for major factors in child well-being, but still lags far behind the majority of states, according to the 25th annual "Kids Count" report. The report, produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, revealed that while preschool attendance rates, teen birth rates and child poverty all improved from last year's report, the state remains mired behind its neighbors.

Matt Crawford's alleged scheme, which spanned more than three years, began in 2009 when he purchased a new vehicle for the village and, during the transaction, traded in a personal vehicle and rolled $4,000 he owed on the car into the purchase,

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is suspending water shut-offs for 15 days starting Monday. The department is facing criticism worldwide for mass shutoffs that have turned off water to 15,200 customers since March, but department spokesman Bill Johnson said the move is not a concession in the high-profile political fight.