Around the Mitten: April Showers, Unknown Ashes Among Flowers, Orange Barrels Return

to be cremated human remains in a flowerbed at his home recently, said. The tag found with the ashes pointed investigators to a crematorium in Georgia, and the facility said the remains belonged to a widow. But that Georgia woman says she already has her husband’s remains at her home. Just whose remains were found at the Grosse Pointe home and why they were spread among his flowers is still a mystery.

Construction Season is Back

From I-94 in to M-39 in , everyone's favorite time of year is here: road work season. Read the links above and be prepared for stop and go.

More School Budget Cuts, Teacher Layoffs, Including 269 in Plymouth-Canton

board voted Tuesday to lay off 269 teachers – more than three times what was intially proposed at earlier budget meetings. And teachers for the 2011-2012 school year.  Meanwhile, in learned Tuesday that outsourcing janitorial and transportation services could save the district about $5 million annually. will save the district another $9 million. In March, the Board of Education there approved $7.8 million in cost reductions from the 2011-2012 school year.

Riot Police Respond, Men Arrested in Anti-Terry Jones Protest

At least two people were arrested Friday evening in Dearborn. Jones, of Florida, was arrested in Dearborn the week before after a court told him he could not protest in front of the nation's largest mosque and he refused to pay the $1 peace bond.

Man Steals Thousands from Wyandotte Church on Easter Sunday

Police continue to hunt for a man who stole thousands of dollars from a Wyandotte Catholic church on Easter Sunday. Officials believe it's the same man who has targeted other Detroit-area parishes over the last couple weeks.

April Showers Bring Unhappy Athletes

The big news in sports was there was no sports. Teams around the region had practices and games canceled due to rainy and windy weather. “It has been a nightmare,”

Kroger Considers Downtown Royal Oak Location

The Kroger grocery store chain is expected to ask  the Royal Oak planning commission in June to bring a new store to Main Street. According to city officials, Kroger is looking at the old Fresard building on Main Street, just north of the Main Art Theatre.

Officer Headed for Trial in Ticket-Fixing Case

Jeffrey Pindzia, a 17-year veteran of the West Bloomfield Police Department who resigned April 1, is alleged to have told officer Marcus Kang that he intended to . Oakland County Judge Leo Bowman will hear Pindzia's arraignment May 3 at 8:30 a.m.

No Medical Pot in Macomb Township

by enacting a temporary ordinance to impose a moratorium on the issue of licenses, permits and approvals for the sale or dispensation of medical marijuana within township limits.

'Bye Bye Birdie' Nests in Brighton

Brighton High School's spring musical production of Bye Bye Birdie runs through May 8 at the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts.

Church Apologizes for Problems During Easter Egg Drop

Cornerstone Church of Highland apologized after crowds for a helicopter Easter egg drop exceeded 10,000 — far more than they expected. The huge throngs led to parent complaints about children not getting eggs and accusations that other parents scooped eggs up for a chance at prizes that included a free iPad.

A Royal Luncheon in New Baltimore

Local women gathered Friday at the North Shore Community Cafe in New Baltimore to celebrate England's royal wedding, while in Plymouth there was a tea party at the  and in Grosse Pointe, residents said "I do" to .

Man with ALS Gets Masters from UM-Dearborn

Despite battling ALS for the last 18 years, UM-Dearborn's Jeff Lester is graduating this Sunday with a dual Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in finance.

Racist Acts Spark Talks at Seaholm

recent acts of racism at the school. Two weeks ago, a racial slur was found in an African American teacher's mailbox, while a few days earlier, racist graffiti targeting African American students was found on the wall of a boys bathroom at Seaholm.

Boston Marathoner credits Rochester trails 

, who recently posted by a female American runner i n the Boston Marathon, credits trails around Rochester and at  , as well as the Rochester Hills-based Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, for helping her finish second in the race. This week, we caught up with Desiree in Rochester and , where she threw out the first pitch.