PONTIAC – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s got seven stellar innings out of its starter on Saturday afternoon, and a few good at-bats, too.

Junior Luke Crighton pitched a complete game shutout and was also responsible for two of his team’s runs as the Eaglets defeated Notre Dame Prep 3-0 for a D2 district title.

“He’s the definition of a complete player,” Eaglets head coach Nick Di Ponio said. We needed him to step up in that game and he did so. That’s a really, really good team that we played, and especially in that last inning, we didn’t want to get back to the top of their lineup. Those guys can swing it. We know them well, they did a great job, and it was a really good game all-around.”

Crighton and St. Mary’s (23-12) cruised through the seventh other than a leadoff single to Jack Fallon, but it was the sixth that looked like the one where the Irish might finally chase the Indiana commit.

Notre Dame Prep led off that inning with back-to-back singles by juniors Tomassino Offer and Derek Roa, then had the bases loaded with one out when Owen Fulsher walked. But Crighton induced a grounder to third for a force out at home, then a strikeout swinging to keep the shutout intact.

“About the fifth inning I said to our pitching coach that this was his game,” Di Ponio said. “He was around the zone with all his pitches and give us the best chance, and with that team, we wanted him out there as long as we could have him. He did a really good job being efficient.”

The final line for Crighton included six hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. “My fastball, I was throwing it whatever I wanted; inside-out, I like to do that a lot,” he said. “Then I was just working the curveball and slider off of that.”

There were several other frames where the Irish, who came into the final having won 21 of their last 22 had runners in scoring position — seniors Michael Wiebelhaus and Ethan Janssen each had doubles — but the clutch hits never materialized.

“Going into it, we legitimately knew we had to score three or four runs to win the game,” Irish head coach Jason Gendreau said. “That was the talk before the game.”

He continued, “There were three goals, and the first, the only one we didn’t meet, was that we had to figure out how to get to (that many) runs. The second goal was to not let (Andrew) Tribul or (Hudson) Brzustewicz beat us, and we didn’t allow that to happen. And the last goal was, could we be within three runs in the seventh if we don’t have the lead? They did that. We had some opportunities offensively, but when you’re facing a kid that’s throwing 89, 90 (mph), a Division 1 athlete, it’s going to be hard at times, and you really have to buckle down and execute in those situations. Credit Orchard Lake for cashing in on their opportunities a little bit more than we did.”

St. Mary’s broke the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the third when Crighton’s ball hit to left field scored Preston Duff. Crighton doubled off the fence in deep center to score Anthony Elezaj in the fifth, making it 2-0, then Nate Bauman followed it up with a knock into right that fell just fair of the first-base line and scored Crighton.

Junior Henry Ewles pitched well enough to give the Irish a chance, going all six innings of the defeat. ND Prep also had it working on the mound in its district semifinal earlier in the day, an 8-1 victory over Lamphere. Fulsher threw six innings of four-hit ball — two of those hits were by Aidan Grzeskowski — then Roa came in to seal the deal.

Janssen had three hits in the win over the Rams, while Offer went 4-for-4 and scored three times.

“Fulsher did what he’s been doing all year,” Gendreau said. “He finished 8-0 on the season. Henry ends up finishing 7-4, but he also threw against the majority of the big dogs. I have a lot of respect for both of the young men. They had outstanding years. And give a lot of credit to Owen (today) for throwing almost 80 pitches, then going back and catching a great game.”

Photos from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in a D2 baseball district final

The 29 wins this season marked a program-best for Notre Dame Prep.

"It beat the 2018 team's record, and we just came up one short of 30," Gendreau said.

Cade Wilhelmi and Kyler Marvin both drove in a pair of runs for Country Day in the other semifinal, but the Yellowjackets' sixth inning in which they scored all their runs was sandwiched by a pair of four-run frames at the plate by the Eaglets, who beat Country Day 12-5.

Gendreau's aforementioned goal of slowing two of St. Mary's top hitters was something Country Day couldn't hold to. Tribul had a pair of doubles and drove in two runs, while Brzustewicz hit a grand slam in the seventh that effectively sealed the Eaglets' place in the final.

The championship marked just another victory over a top program by the Eaglets this season. They came in ranked sixth in D2, two spots ahead of ND Prep, and started the year 10-8, but had a pair of wins each against Rochester Adams (No. 3 in D1) and Brother Rice (ranked 10th in D1) in the month of May.

"Within our league, we know we're going to see top-level competition every single time," Di Ponio. "There was a point in early April (against De La Salle), I think an umpire looked and me and said it kind of felt like a playoff game. So our team has been accustomed to these situations all year and knew that this was going to be another one. We feel like we're prepared for anything."

The Eaglets will now prepare for Dearborn Divine Child, ranked No. 11 in D2, in a regional semifinal that will also be played at Notre Dame Prep.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s defeated Notre Dame Prep 3-0 for a Division 2 baseball district championship Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Pontiac. The Eaglets will remain at ND Prep to play Dearborn Divine Child in the regional semifinals on June 4.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Wacha said he had plenty left if needed.

Wacha had the fourth-longest no-hit bid of his career Saturday before yielding a one-out hit to Colt Keith in the seventh inning of the Kansas City Royals’ 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Wacha did not factor in the decision, but he had his best outing of his two seasons with the Royals.

When asked if he would have given Wacha a chance to complete the game if the no-hitter was intact, Quatraro said, “I was hoping he would do it. He had six days off between his last outing and this one. He’s got some extra rest before the next one, if everything stays the way it is. So I was hoping we’d get to go for it.”

Before Keith’s hit, Wacha allowed only one baserunner on a fourth-inning walk to Gleyber Torres. He did not allow a runner to reach second base in seven innings.

“Obviously, I knew what was going on,” Wacha said of his no-hit bid. “I was just continuing to try to keep taking it to another level and keep making my pitches, and keep executing like I had been pretty much all day. I was just try to push it to the back of my mind and keep making quality pitches.”

Quatraro said he allowed himself to enjoy the effort of both pitchers, in spite of the scoreless game.

“You can appreciate the game, right?” he said. “I mean, you’ve got two really good pitchers out there, two good teams, and that’s a fun game. Sure, I would have rather been up 7-0 and not had to worry about it, but I did appreciate what was going on.”

Vinnie Pasquantino’s eighth-inning single drove in Nick Loftin from second for the game’s only run, as Wacha and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal both spun gems.

Loftin one-hopped the wall with what he originally thought was a homer.

“I just probably one of my better balls that I’ve hit here,” said Loftin, who had two of Kansas City’s four hits. “Quite frankly, I didn’t realize how big that ballpark was.”

Wacha has never thrown a no-hitter in his professional career, but he was ready to give it a try if he still had a chance.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I would not want to leave a game like that for sure. But unfortunately, I gave up a hit. That made it a little easier for Q.”

— By DAVID SMALE, Associated Press

COMMERCE TWP. — Like the prep softball version of the Hatfields and McCoys, the rivals from the Battle of Bogie Lake Road, Lakeland and Walled Lake Northern, have ‘gotten’ each other so many times over the years, that’s hard to determine what exactly you might be getting ‘revenge’ for.

So neither coach really wanted to bring up what had happened last year, when Lakeland took out Northern, en route to a quarterfinal appearance.

The junior pitcher had a home run — her third on the day — and an RBI double, and struck out 10, as the Knights beat Lakeland, 6-3, to claim a Division 1 district title on their home field Saturday, their seventh since the 2015-16 season.

“We kind of put it in the past, and we just said ‘New game.’ We beat them in preseason and in the LVC, and we just tried to not let it affect us really, even though we beat them,” Turmell said. “But we just wanted to come out new game, 0-0.”

The Knights (30-6) — who will advance to regionals at Grand Blanc next weekend, facing Lake Orion — did beat Lakeland (25-11) twice back in mid-April, in a high-scoring doubleheader where the two teams accounted for 41 runs.

“It’s always hard to beat a team, a good team, especially a good team like Lakeland, three times,” Northern coach Kristen Woodard admitted. “But no, I didn’t really want to put that (last year’s loss) in their heads at all. I just knew we’d have to come and bring our best, because I know Lakeland would — they always do.”

In the last decade, the two programs have met in the postseason six of the nine times it was held (no season in 2020), with one team or the other winning a district title every single time. In 2017, they both won a district, and met for the regional title.

“They’re a good team. They force you to do things like that (make mistakes) sometimes. And you know, our team, we played really well. I mean, earlier in the year, they beat us up pretty good,” said Lakeland coach Mike Cleary, noting that his team never talked about those April losses again after they happened. “And to go into this game tied in the (sixth) we were in pretty good shape, I thought. But you know what? You know, we did this to them last year. They do it to us this year. It’s tough when both of us are in the same district, because we always have good teams, and it’s seems one of us has to get (knocked) out early, which is, unfortunately, this year it’s us.”

The Eagles were in good shape early, jumping out to a first-inning lead with a solo home run by Brynn Taliercio. But Turmell answered in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot of her own to tie it up at 1-1.

Turmell’s RBI double to the right-center gap in the fourth put the Knights ahead, and they’d add a second run on an error to lead 3-1.

Both teams would pitch around the other’s No. 3 hitter the rest of the way, and that benefitted the Eagles in the sixth, when an unintentional-intentional walk to Taliercio put the tying run on, and Emily Searle’s two-run double tied it at 3-3.

“We just talked about, you know, what we get behind, and we’ve come back with other teams. We were down big against Hartland in the tournament. We came back and beat them, then other teams, we were down, and we battled back,” Cleary said. “So I said, you know, if they get ahead of us, we’re not out of it. And, you know, we came back, we’re down and came back and tied it up again. So that was kind of the team. They didn’t give up.”

Woodard made a trip to the circle to calm Turmell down during the rally, calming her down, making her laugh.

“Sometimes, I do lighten the mood, but there I just wanted her to get dialed in and just, you know, give her a little extra confidence,” Woodard said. “I just wanted to make sure that she wasdoing all right, because she was getting a little wild there. …And just remind her that they have to hit her best pitch, and just to pitch with that in mind.”

“She told me that, basically, to just throw my game and they have to be scared to hit off of me. And same with hitting too. So they had to throw to me and I had to throw to them,” Turmell said.

Makenna Kresbaugh led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run to put the Knights back up, 4-3, then after they loaded the bases, tacked on two more runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Olivia Frelick and Kendall Morris to make it 6-3.

It wouldn’t be a Lakeland-Northern matchup without a little controversy, and that came at the end of that inning, when Northern’s ninth hitter to come to the plate was initially called safe, then was called out when the home plate umpire overruled the initial decision.

The was more in the top of the seventh, as the Eagles — down to their final strike — had their own runner called safe on a bang-bang play, but Turmell got the next batter to line out to close it out.

Photo gallery from the D1 softball district final between Lakeland and WL Northern

Walled Lake Northern 8, Walled Lake Central 2

The second semifinal of the morning was another close one initially for the Knights, tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth, when the Knights put a pair of runs on the board, then added four more in the sixth.

Sam Gillick was 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs scored, while Turmell — who struck out 14 in the circle — homered twice and drove in three runs. Makenna Kresbaugh said a pair of doubles and drove in four runs.

Lakeland 17, West Bloomfield 2 (3 innings)

The Eagles made short work of the Lakers in the first semifinal of the morning, as four batters — Piper Huff, Aubrey VanGoethem, Emilee Dostal and Zoie Gagnon — drove in multiple runs. Gagnon homered and drove in three total.

Melina Wing got the win in the circle scattering six hits and striking out four.

An 11-win team heading into Saturday, the Eisenhower Eagles had to go through 23-win Romeo and 21-win Stoney Creek to win a district championship.

They did.

With a 9-3 victory in the semifinals over the Bulldogs, Ike went on to score five runs in the first two innings of their eventual 5-1 victory over the Cougars to win their first district title in eight years, and just the second in program history.

That last district crown came during Bob Hall’s first stint with Ike. After a hiatus, he’s back with the Eagles, but hasn’t coached for most of the year after a birth defect in his heart caused a stroke.

But he was there on Saturday, and acting head coach Karlene Kilburn – also on the 2017 staff – couldn’t help but hold back tears.

“Eisenhower only has one other district title in school history, and it’s a little emotional because the last time it was coach Bob and I together,” Kilburn said. “So it’s nice that he’s able to come back and we could finish what we wanted to start.”

The Eagles struck first when Addison Viviano cracked a single to score Rease Buza, who walked, in the first inning.

Vivano was given another chance in the second, and again, she didn’t disappoint – with the bases loaded and two outs, the freshman scorched a line drive into center field that got past a diving D Bryant, clearing the bases.

She came around to score herself on a Liz Petrella double right after.

“We feel so excited,” Viviano said. “We’ve been working for this all season, practicing hard every practice. I mean, it feels great.”

Viviano is just one of several young contributors for the Eagles. Their starting pitcher, Anna Bellomo, is just a sophomore – the only run she allowed in the complete game was an unearned one, and she also struck out six Cougars with three hits allowed. She walked four. Rease Buza, who pitched in the win over Romeo, is also a sophomore.

“Both her (Bellomo) and Rease as pitchers bring a leadership that is really helpful in our defense,” Kilburn said. “And so having that pairing has been phenomenal; that when one is down, the other one is pitching well.

“And Anna is a competitor, and she likes a little bit of pressure, and putting her in that situation just makes her throw better. Today was probably the best I’ve seen her pitch all year.”

Out of all five teams in the district – including Rochester, Romeo, Rochester Adams and Stoney Creek – Eisenhower had the fewest wins and worst regular season win percentage going in.

That was then.

“I told them all that, if they put into games what we do in practice, if they just execute that, there’s not a team out there that can beat us,” Kilburn said.

Stoney Creek struggled to find their groove early after winning an 11-10 marathon over Rochester Adams in the game before. Ella Fugate allowed four baserunners while getting just two outs, and Sara Kruczek was tagged for three runs in 0.2 innings.

It wasn’t until Allie Ray finally settled in that they were able to stabilize, but strong pitching by Bellomo and solid defense behind her made it difficult for Stoney Creek to overcome the early deficit.

“The culture of this team has been for the last four years, and as you’ve seen with the first game against Adams, is we never give up,” said Stoney Creek head coach Rick Troy. “It’s a ‘never give up’ attitude. It’s a culture. It’s just how this team has been built and continues to be built. There’s no excuse for the loss, but there is a reality that we’re a very young team.”

The Cougars graduate senior Kate Stephens, a Maryland softball commit, whom Troy dubbed as the best player to ever come out of Stoney Creek.

Photos from Eisenhower’s 5-1 district title win over Stoney Creek on Saturday

“We’ve been blessed to have her leadership and her gamesmanship, her skill sets,” Troy said. “She’s the entire package, and that’s why she’s going DI.”

Stoney Creek finishes the year 21-14.

Eisenhower has earned themselves another week, with their next game set to be against Port Huron Northern, who beat Dakota in eight innings on Friday to win their district. Start time is 10 a.m. from Royal Oak High School, with the winner playing either Ford or Royal Oak.

The Eagles are a-ok with having more time to practice, having had one as recently as the night before their 10 a.m. start time against Romeo.

“This feels amazing,” Viviano said. “It’s my freshman year. I can’t wait for the next three years.”

ROCHESTER HILLS – The Utica Eisenhower Eagles claimed their first district title since 2017 with a 3-1 win over the defending Division 1 champion Rochester Adams Highlanders on Saturday afternoon.

“It feels really, really good. We’ve been working very hard all season to win the district, and it means a lot to us because this is our first time, at least for the freshmen class that came in with me,” captain Sonja Peterson said. “So we’re really looking forward to hopefully making an even deeper run in the state.”

Eisenhower dominated the first half, creating most of the best chances even as it battled into the wind. The Eagles got on the board first when Lily Pantaleo scored on a breakaway with 28:21 still to play before intermission.

Later in the half, it was Pantaleo’s turn to play the through ball. Gabby Riggio ran onto the slotted ball and used the outside of her foot to flick a ball inside the near post, doubling the Eagles’ advantage. Eisenhower had a couple of chances to stretch the lead even further, but Adams senior goalie Brooklyn Harding came up with some key saves to keep the Highlanders hanging around.

The Highlanders fought to try and shave the deficit. Adams was especially dangerous after halftime and created a handful of high quality chances, but struggled to finish any of them off. The Highlanders did hit the crossbar twice – once in the final minute of the first half and again early in the second half – and had the ball bouncing around the Eisenhower penalty area on a few different occasions, but the Eagles always seemed to win those battles and eventually cleared the ball or pressured Adams into missing the net.

When Devyn Raymond blasted a ball that went in off the post with 4:26 remaining to make it 3-0 Eagles, any drama left in the game was put to rest. Still, Adams kept in it to the end and spoiled the shoutout with 24 seconds remaining when Riley Walsh set up Sadie Rogers for a 20-yard rip that capped the scoring at 3-1 Eisenhower.

“The story of it is they finished and we didn’t,” Adams head coach Josh Hickey said.. “But I’m proud of the girls for the way they played. They gave a good effort, but that’s a good team, so you can’t make mistakes against those types of teams.”

The win is the first district title for Eisenhower in eight years as they have consistently been drawn into one of the tougher districts in the state.

It was also Eisenhower head coach Merhdad Nekoogar’s 300th career win with the Eagles.

“Honestly, I never thought about. I really didn’t. I’m just happy that I was able to stay with a very, very good school, a school that I’m so proud of. I’m proud to be part of this program, and I’m just happy that I was able to help a little,” he said.

Photo gallery of Rochester Adams vs. Utica Eisenhower in a D1 girls soccer district championship

Eisenhower now advances to the regional semifinals on Tuesday when it will face Troy Athens, who defeated rival Troy for its district title.

“I’m just so happy for them. They worked very hard,” Nekoogar said. “This is the toughest district. Now after districts, Athens another very, very good team, but we will take one at a time. We’re just happy that we accomplished this part of it."

Added Peterson, “I think it’s definitely just the team’s chemistry this year. It’s been unmatched with years before when I’ve been on the team. Everyone cares about each other so, so very much, and we just connect really well. We also have a very talented group of players all working together, and I think all of us together wanting to win and wanting to go as far as possible is what is going to keep us going and what has kept us going."

Rochester Adams finishes the year 13-5-1. The Highlanders will graduate eight seniors from this year’s team.

“We’re happy. I thought we had one of the toughest schedules in the state, bar none, and it definitely got us ready for this. But having 13 wins against that type of schedule is always big,” Hickey said. “I love the seniors. We had girls come for the first time and be able to play high school, which is cool to see. Then I had a few four-year players. Those players are always special to us. And we’re going to miss them.”

Utica Eisenhower scored twice before halftime, then added another goal unanswered after intermission to defeat Rochester Adams 3-1 for a D1 district championship Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Rochester Hills.

No. 6-ranked Walled Lake Northern beat Bogie Lake Road rival Lakeland, 6-3, in a Division 1 district final at Northern on Saturday, May 31, 2025, as the Knights won their seventh district title in the last decade.

A Detroit native is living his dream racing in the Detroit Grand Prix as the event celebrates its third year downtown and 35th year overall.

The Detroit Grand Prix features three series: IMSA, IndyCar, and Indy NXT, with local driver Nolan Allaer competing in the latter category.

Allaer, who drives the No. 11 Indy NXT car for HMD Motorsports, says the 1.7-mile Downtown Detroit Street Circuit presents unique challenges.

"This track is very, very difficult, especially on a cold morning like this. It's about 50 degrees. It means the track temps down, the tire temps don't really come up. The engines make a lot of power, so you have extra power, not as much grip, a bit of a tricky situation," Allaer said.

The 23-year-old Detroit native has been racing for five years and feels he has the home advantage on this track.

"I think that happened the moment I was born here, but I never really imagined I'd be a racing driver. It's not something that I had on the cards, but pretty amazing. I never really think I thought I'd take part in a Detroit Grand Prix, so to be doing my second one now as a veteran in the series, I mean it's, it just means the world to me. It's a dream come true," Allaer said.

Preparing for races like the Detroit Grand Prix requires significant preparation, especially since this particular track presents unique challenges.

"Detroit is a unique one, and it's not on a simulator. You can't find it, so you can't really practice on a SIM, but you can watch video. You can talk about your data from past years to your engineers, so you can do a lot of research beforehand, and then it's, you know, like I said, you can control your fitness. You're doing a lot of training, you know, a lot of neck workouts, core workouts, and cardio. Make sure you can last the whole stint," Allaer said.

Racing runs in Allaer's family. His father, grandfather, and uncle were all racing drivers themselves, with his father Rob Allaer having won two championships and his uncle claiming one in Formula Ford.

"Honestly, it's like my family, my dad, my grandpa, my uncle, they're all racing drivers themselves. My dad has 2 championships. My uncle has one in form of the Ford, so I kind of grew up watching them race and perform, and they're now here supporting me through all of this. So it's kind of trying to carry on the legacy a bit," Allaer said.

Rob Allaer, Nolan's father and biggest mentor, still sees his son as the adventurous child he once was.

"He's still that little, little kid that used to run around and climb everything and get into trouble. He's always been adventurous. he's been tough to follow around. he's still that little boy and you know I think anybody with a child watching them grow up and seeing him do anything, I think you always see them as that little boy," Rob said.

Rob believes his son's greatest strength is his constant improvement.

"He constantly gets better. He's always getting better. we have this little saying in our house, always get better at getting better, and that is a thing that we all talk about. You just, if you have a bad session, just make sure the next session is better. if you have a bad test, make sure your next test is better," Rob said.

When not racing, Nolan studies mechanical engineering and proudly supports all Detroit sports teams. He has developed special relationships with several local teams.

"The Lions have just been so good to me. They were supporting me during my first Detroit Grand Prix. I got to wear the special edition helmet with the 3rd jersey, the black and the really, really stark blue is just gorgeous helmet. I also got the incredible honor to throw the first pitch at the Tigers game, which again not something I ever thought was going to be able to do. It wasn't a strike. It was close, but we decided since we have these connections to all these organizations, why don't we do something to actually represent all four," Allaer said.

The Detroit Grand Prix wraps up on Sunday with numerous fan activities available across downtown Detroit.

A Milwaukee Public Schools teacher's aide has just four days to leave the country after being told by the Department of Homeland Security that she must return to El Salvador, despite having applied for a visa designed to protect trafficking victims.

Yessenia Ruano, who has lived in the United States for 14 years, was notified Friday that she must leave the country she now calls home.

"I'm not asking anything more than time," Ruano said. "That is the hard part for me. I'm trying the best I can to do it the legal way, and now they are closing the doors."

At the beginning of the year, Homeland Security officials instructed Ruano, who was living without legal status, to return to El Salvador. She said she fled the country due to poverty, trafficking and fears for her personal safety.

Watch: Milwaukee teacher's aide has four days to leave country despite trafficking victim visa application

In February, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) granted Ruano additional time to apply for a T-visa, which is specifically designed for victims of severe human trafficking.

Ruano spent nearly $14,000 and several weeks completing the application process. Despite having a receipt confirming her application was submitted, the agency informed her she cannot remain in the country.

"My daughters don't know about this bad news and I hope there is a way we can slow it by asking for more time," Ruano said.

Marc Christopher, Ruano's immigration attorney, argues that the T-Visa was created to protect victims like his client from being forced back into dangerous situations.

"If we're not going to take into consideration the fact that these visas are taking three to four years, if we're not going to take into consideration the fact that she is here with her family contributing to society, what good is it to have these laws?" Christopher said.

"All we're asking is allow her to be here, to be protected, to be safe until that determination can be made," he added.

Despite receiving what she describes as shocking news, and being surrounded by tearful supporters, Ruano maintains her optimism.

"Even with the bad news my faith is inside of me, God is with me," Ruano said.

This article was written by Mariam Mackar for the Scripps News Group in Milwaukee.

When Yuvi Agarwal began playing keyboard for a room full of dogs at the Denver Animal Shelter on Thursday, the music was hard to distinguish between the barks and yelps of his audience.

But as the seconds turned into minutes and the 12-year-old from Houston continued to play, the canine cacophony began to calm as the dogs settled down.

“It’s very satisfying when the dogs calm down, and it is also really heartwarming,” Yuvi said, grinning.

It’s been more than two years since Yuvi started the nonprofit Wild Tunes to connect volunteer musicians and animal shelters. After establishing programs at seven shelters in Texas and one in New Jersey, Yuvi and his mom, executive director Priyanka Agarwal, are celebrating the launch of a new program starting in Denver in June.

Yuvi came up with the idea in December 2022 when he participated in a program to read books to animals, and he thought about how his golden doodle, Bozo, would lay down and listen whenever Yuvi started playing music at home.

“I realized that music would have a much stronger effect on the shelter animals than reading,” he said.

His realization was confirmed by studies that show classical music reduces stress in shelter dogs, and Yuvi thinks it also helps them rebuild bridges with humans and get adopted faster, he said.

The idea to bring Wild Tunes to Denver began when one of the group’s Houston volunteers moved to the city and wanted to continue playing music for pups. The group reached out to Denver Animal Shelter staff with an introduction from the director of the Houston Animal Shelter, and it was a clear fit.

“We thought it was such a fun and different way to engage our community and a great opportunity for people and animals,” said Lauren Rolfe, volunteer program administrator at the shelter. “It just gives you chills and brings a smile to your face.”

The first time shelter staff sent out a teaser about the new program, they heard from 65 people who wanted to get involved, Rolfe said. Volunteers will be playing music for the shelter’s dogs and cats seven days a week.

It’s not clear where Yuvi’s deep love for animals came from, Priyanka Agarwal said. The family liked animals before Yuvi was born, but it grew exponentially as their son rescued baby birds and refused to let them use pest control on uninvited animal guests.

“He’s really a change maker,” she said. “He’s always teaching people how to be kind, how to be compassionate, and it’s an overwhelming feeling to be his mom.”

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Runner Stephanie Case completed the 100-kilometer (62 miles) Ultra-Trail Snowdonia ultramarathon in 16 hours and 53 minutes, winning a race that also involves over 21,000 feet of climbing.

Adding to her impressive feat was the fact that she stopped at aid stations along the way to breastfeed her 6-month-old daughter, Pepper. Case said she breastfed three times during the race.

Because she had taken some time away from running, she was not among the "elite" runners who were able to start ahead of her. This meant that when she crossed the finish line, Case had no clue that she had won.

"I have gained way more joy and strength from this sport as a mom than I ever did before. While it broke my heart to leave little Pepper at the aid stations, I wanted to show herboth of ushow amazing mom runners can be," Case said in an Instagram post.

While Case acknowledges that not all new moms can go out and run an ultramarathon, she believes they should not be afraid of setting big goals.

"Whether you are thinking of being a mom, are pregnant, or are a new mom yourself, dont be afraid to keep setting big goals for yourself. Everyone has an opinion about what new moms should or shouldnt be doing, and that doesnt open up a lot of space for 'out there' ideas like running an ultra," she said. "Should I spend this much time away from my baby? Is it harmful to my body? What about my milk supply? My coach helped me navigate these questions and the social pressures that come with being a new mom runner, but we need to work together to remove the pressure in the first place and provide more support."

Race officials called her an "inspiration."

"Thanks to her openness about the highs, lows, and everything in between, shes a real inspirationmotivating new moms everywhere to carve their own paths and do what feels right for them," Ultra-Trail Snowdonia said on social media.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says President Donald Trump would be going back on his word to her if he pardoned two men who are serving prison sentences for leading a 2020 plot to kidnap her.

Whitmer, a Democrat, told Michigan Public Radio on Thursday that Trump asked her about a month ago how she would feel if he pardoned the two men.

I said, I think it would be the wrong decision, Whitmer recounted. I would oppose it and he said, OK, Ill drop it.

Whitmer, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, recounted the conversation one day after Trump said he was considering a pardon for the men, saying, I will take a look at it. It's been brought to my attention.

The Republican president said he followed the men's trial and it looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job. He said the men were drinking and I think they said stupid things.

RELATED STORY | Trump considers pardons for men convicted in plot to kidnap, kill Whitmer

The U.S. Justice Departments new pardon attorney also said this month he would take a hard look at pardoning Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox.

Croft, 49, and Fox, 42, were portrayed as leaders of the kidnapping scheme. They were convicted of conspiracy in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2022. Croft, a trucker from Delaware, was also found guilty of a weapons charge.

Croft was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison, while Fox, a Grand Rapids man, got a 16-year term. They are being held at a prison in Colorado the most secure in the federal system.

Whitmer later told an audience following a speech at the Detroit Regional Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference that she plans to talk to Trump again about the pardoning matter.

We have an ongoing dialogue now ... very different from the first term, she said about Trump and turned to smile at the audience.

A spokesperson said the White House cannot confirm nor deny any upcoming actions.

The White House does not comment on the Presidents private meetings, and any speculation about future pardons is just thatspeculation," principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement.

Whitmer and Trump clashed publicly during his first term, with Trump referring to her as that woman from Michigan. She has blamed Trump for the political anger that motivated the plot to kidnap her right before the 2020 presidential election.

RELATED STORY | Trump offers rare praise of Michigan Gov. Whitmer during White House visit

Whitmer also hinted Thursday at anger over the possibility of pardons, saying she was disappointed to hear the news he was considering it.

No one should hesitate to condemn political violence, she said, noting the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiros residence and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last year.

Whitmer has faced scrutiny from some Democrats for taking a more collaborative approach to the Trump administration in his second term.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who has criticized Whitmer for working with and appearing with Trump, said releasing the convicted men is no laughing matter.

The reward you get for cozying up to Trump is him threatening to pardon the terrorists who plotted to kidnap and murder you, she said on social media.

Whitmer's collaboration with Trump has come with several awkward moments for her this year, including when she was unexpectedly in the Oval Office during a press conference as Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate two former members of his previous administration who had publicly criticized him.

RELATED STORY | Gov. Gretchen Whitmer risks backlash from Democrats as she hugs Trump in Michigan

Their new dynamic also led to some wins for her administration, including securing new jets at a military air base in Michigan and a commitment from Trump to fund a project to protect Lake Michigan from invasive carp.

In a stunning announcement Wednesday, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission issued a public complainant detailing 10 counts of infractions against Taylor Judge Joseph Slaven of the 23rd District Court.

Slaven has been on the bench since Jan. 1, 2015.

The counts are:

• False statement regarding recorded conversations

• Use of judicial position to help a candidate

• Inappropriate demeanor and disrespect

• Disrespectful emails

• Disregard of the law with respect to wearing a rob

• Concealing face of Zoom

• Disrespectful behavior regarding security camera

• Interference with Zoom staff

• Knowing driving with expired and obliterated license plate

• False statements to the commission

The following is a brief synopsis of some of the individual counts.

False statements

Slaven had numerous conversations in 2021 and early 2022 with the new chief Judge Victoria Shackelford after she was appointed to the bench. When they met, the complaint said Slaven did not tell her that he was recording their conversation.

When she directly asked if she was being recorded, he told her no — knowing the statement was false, the complaint said.

Helping a candidate

According to the complaint, in 2022 Slaven used his judicial position on numerous occasions to promote Michael Tinney, a candidate for 23rd District Court judge.

During a Law Day celebration at the courthouse, Slaven displayed a vertical sign that spelled Tinney in an acrostic-style display.

The following year when Tinney was considering another run at the seat, during a livestreamed Zoom court session Slaven took the opportunity to talk about his friend, calling him a “really good guy” and thanking him for his outlook on the law and saying he looks forward to doing more community service with him and community activism.

On a separate occasion, Slaven is accused of using courthouse resources to print 160 copies of a document called, “Mike Tinney is a Man of the People” to assist his campaign.

Disrespect

Slaven posted on his Facebook page about a Law Day event in 2022 in which supporters of Shackelford attended. He addressed the event in part by posting, “they are simple minded buffoons!! BC, MG, DW, MF, RH, GT…..smh and shame on them.”

He allegedly said the people with those initials “Iie and twist things.”

The initials were those of all Shackelford’s supporters in attendance at Law Day.

On another occasion during a livestream Zoom hearing, Slaven discovered some show cause hearings had been added to his docket without his permission.

He then stated that the court administrator “thinks she can make my docket better than I can. Good luck with that. She can’t even do her ***damn job.”

On Nov. 20, 2023, during a livestream Zoom hearing, Slaven, referring to Chief Judge Shackelford, reportedly said: “I’m sorry that you can’t handle your docket. I’m sorry you don’t know the law. I’m sorry the court rules seem to be somewhat of a foreign language. The public needs to know that people who are in certain positions are not competent.”

Disrespectful on camera

In April 2024 new security cameras were placed throughout the courthouse. Shortly thereafter, on nine occasions, Slaven allegedly raised his middle finger to make an obscene gesture toward the camera as he walked by it or sometimes used his middle finger to ostentatiously push up his glasses as he walked by the camera.

In a January 16, 2024 Zoom hearing, Slaven said the following in reference to Shackelford during a live Zoom feed between hearings: “We’re going to have a bonfire and taking everything with her name on it and she’s —-ing voted out, gone…I will bring burn barrels.”

Wearing a rob

It is required that a judge wear a black robe when acting in an official capacity in the courtroom.

Slaven was reminded numerous times of the requirement, but continuously did otherwise.

On dates in 2022 that included April 27 and Sept. 12 and 13, Slaven wore a polo shirt with no visible robe during court proceedings on Zoom, the commission alleges.

Juan Manuel Correa is an Ecuadorian American racing driver. At age 14, he moved to Europe to chase the dream of reaching Formula One, considered by many to be the most prestigious form of global motorsport.

At one point, he was the closest American to reaching F1. That all changed in 2019 during an F2 race in Belgium — Correa was involved in a crash that left him severally injured. Another driver died.

Listen: Juan Manuel Correa discusses his road back to racing

Correa’s legs were shattered and he spent weeks in a coma, having lung complications along the way. He says the lengthy rehab time after the accident effectively ended his chance of racing in F1.

“The path to F1,” says Correa, “it’s a train that goes by once and if you miss it, it’s very difficult that it’ll come by again.”

Correa resumed his racing career once he felt healthy enough to do so. But even after returning, he says it wasn’t until late 2023 that he started to feel like himself again behind the wheel.

Now he’s racing in America, competing in the Indy NXT Series for HMD Motorsports at this weekend’s Detroit Grand Prix. Correa says he’d be happy racing in anything, whether it’s in open-wheel or sportscar, but wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to progress into IndyCar if given the chance.

“I’d like to be getting paid to drive a racecar,” says Correa, “and I’m very lucky to be so close to being in that position.”

The Detroit event marks Correa’s second race weekend in Indy NXT. He says his immediate goal is to continue learning the cars and how racing works in America, having been in Europe for most of his career.

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Finally, some good news from Newark Liberty International Airport: A major runway will reopen June 213 days ahead of schedule.

The runway, stretching 11,000 feet long, was upgraded to meet FAA safety standards at a cost of $121 million.

The runway should help alleviate some of the delays and cancellations caused by challenges with Newark's air traffic control technology.

Officials say runways typically need repaving every 10 years. The last repaving of the runway occurred in 2014.

RELATED STORY | FAA to extend flight limits at Newark airport past Memorial Day weekend

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the new runway features updated lighting, improved airfield signs with LED lighting, new underground electrical infrastructure, and drainage improvements.

Newark's other main runway was last repaved in 2021.

I commend the crews who have worked tirelessly to get this critical project done ahead of schedule, said Governor Phil Murphy. Im grateful for New Jerseys partnership with the Port Authority and the FAA as we work to return to full capacity at Newark Airport. New Jersey will do all we can to support plans from the USDOT to invest in modernizing our air traffic control system and fully staffing our air traffic controllers.

RELATED STORY | Air traffic control shortage forces United to cut flights from its service

Government officials worked to expedite the repairs amid Newark's ongoing challenges.

Those challenges have forced airlines, such as United, to reduce service from the airport.

The Detroit Police Department is seeking information from the community regarding shots fired near a school.

On Thursday, May 29, 2025, at approximately 8:26 p.m., in the 3200 block of E. Lafayette, unknown suspect(s) fired shots in the parking lot of Martin Luther King High School. At the time of the incident, several teenagers were present. No injuries were reported.

Detectives want to speak to a person-of-interest who was in the area at the time of the incident. If anyone recognizes thes person-of interest, or has any information pertaining to this crime, please call the Detroit Police Departments 7th Precinct at 313-596-5740, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up, or DetroitRewards.tv

VegMichigan is hosting its 24th annual Spring VegFest on Sunday, June 1, 10am-4pm.

The free event provides individuals with an exciting opportunity to taste the best plant-based food that Michigan has to offer. The family-friendly event will be overflowing with food trucks, restaurants, and specialty food items. Free cooking demonstrations and presentations on a wide variety of topics in the field of plant-based living will kick off at 10:30 a.m. and continue throughout the day.

Attendees can also enjoy free food samples, complimentary massages from Irenes Myomassology Institute, eco-friendly shopping, and a chance to learn about local nonprofits that are making a positive difference in the community. There will also be engaging activities for kids, low-cost face painting, and a free coloring book to take home. With delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere, everyone is sure to have a wonderful time. Whether someone is completely new to plant-based eating or a longtime vegan, they will have a wide variety of dishes from which to choose.

Eastern Market is located at 2934 Russell St. VegFest takes place in Sheds 5 and 6, right next to Eastern Markets Sunday Street Market. Parking is free. For more details, visit vegmichigan.org.

Ferndale Pride will kick off Pride Month on Saturday, May 31. The annual family-friendly street fair runs from 12:30 to 10 p.m. and draws thousands of members of the LGBTQIA community to celebrate diversity and unity.

More than 200 vendors, as well as bands, disc jockeys and other performers, will converge on downtown Ferndale for this free event. This years festival footprint includes West Nine Mile Road between Woodward and Livernois avenues and portions of Planavon and Allen streets near West Nine Mile. Among this year's highlights include a Childrens Area, a Baby Feeding Area and a Sensory Zone.

Proceeds from Ferndale Pride benefit Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), Ferndale Community Foundation, Gender-identity Network Alliance, Matrix Human Services MAC Health, TGDetroit and Transgender Michigan.

For a complete listing of events, visit www.ferndalepride.com.