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Lindsey Smith

  • In Flint, Mich., lead levels are spiking in children's blood. A new drinking water source is being blamed. Researchers say the new cases of lead poisoning were preventable.
  • A popular summer spot is closed indefinitely because of mysterious holes — one of which temporarily buried a boy — that open and close in less than a day. Scientists have no idea why.
  • More than 16 million American's fought in World War II. There's only about a million of them who are still alive and they're all older than 80. Hundreds are dying each day. A non-profit group has made it their mission to honor these remaining veterans by flying them to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II memorial. The trip isn't something many veterans at this age can do — or afford — on their own. Since the first "Honor Flight" in 2005, groups in almost every state have followed suit and more than 100,000 vets have taken the journey.
  • Michigan is expected to bring in a record-setting apple crop this year. So how do you sort and package 2,000 Galas in a minute? Farmers have turned to the Rolls Royce of fruit processing: a robot that uses computer vision to weed out the bad apples.
  • The emergency manager in Muskegon Heights, Mich., announced on Monday that he's turning over the entire school district to a for-profit charter operator. Like many struggling districts in the state, Muskegon Heights is low-performing and deeply in debt. Unlike the others, though, the elected school board voted for the emergency manager. Now, will they and the public support privatizing the public schools?
  • The Whirlpool Corp., the largest home appliance maker in the world, wants to improve its hometown of Benton Harbor, Mich. Executives are leveraging a PGA-approved golf course to try to turn the city into a tourist destination. But many residents aren't convinced becoming a tourist town is the best way to create jobs.
  • Ford Motor Company is making tens of thousands of white-collar retirees decide whether they want to keep getting their pension in monthly installments, or get a lump sum payout. Ford sees the unprecedented move as a way to reduce the company's liabilities.
  • The Palisades Power Plant, one of Van Buren County's biggest employers, has one of the worst safety records in the country. After five unplanned shutdowns in 2011, the plant is now trying to prove to federal regulators that it's up to their standards.

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