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GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Making a shopping list chock full of toys? Better check it twice to be sure none are filled with toxins or have other hidden dangers.

Yep, parents might want to think twice before tucking Disney's Hannah Montana two-heart necklace into their daughter's Christmas stocking this year.

The imported toy necklace is loaded with lead, earning it the top spot on the "worst toys" list from the Ecology Center's 2008 Healthy Toys guide, which publicly unveils its latest findings today at www.healthytoys.org.

GRAND BLANC, Michigan -- A number of car dealerships in Genesee County will likely close under a General Motors plan to rid itself of 1,750 dealers within the next four years.

GM's announcement Tuesday that it will focus on just four brands -- Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac -- creates an uncertain fate for dealers who sell the company's other brands including Pontiac, Hummer, Saab and Saturn.

Local auto dealer Joe Serra says GM's plan to cut more than one-quarter of its dealerships likely spells trouble for some of the county's 40-odd dealerships.

CLIO, Michigan -- It could be as simple as a coat of paint, or as dramatic as a new brick front, lighting or signage -- all to spruce up downtown Clio's image.

At the helm is the Downtown Development Authority, who wants to transform a hodge podge of buildings, including some empty storefronts, into a thriving entertainment district that could be tied together by an historic theme.

It's all a part of a proposed facade project for Clio.

"The problem is we have so many different styles, there's no continuity," said Paul Lee, who owns Clio Computers and sits on the DDA board. "We're not trying to become a bunch of cookie cutter buildings, we just want to make it look more inviting. We're seeking grant dollars to do that."

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Local UAW leaders are expected to get word Wednesday on what the union may have to do to help convince Congress that General Motors deserves a $12-billion loan from the government.

The UAW briefing at a Detroit-area hotel comes a day after GM announced plans to close nine plants and shed upwards of 31,000 jobs by 2012 in an attempt to become more competitive with Toyota.

But swaying lawmakers to OK the loan could take more concessions from unions.

A Bloomberg report Tuesday said union officials will likely be asked to reopen the 2007 labor agreement -- a contract that was viewed as favorable to the Flint area because it secured work here and gave Flint a new engine plant.

Industry observers say the UAW might have to give up the "jobs bank," a feature of the UAW contract with GM that has already drawn fire from senators who question why the automaker is paying workers who no longer have a job.

John W. Adkisson | The Flint JournalNeil Frye (back) comforts Von Royce Hardy (front) as Terry Wright (right) watches during the funeral of Flint rapper Eric "MC" Breed Tuesday at House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church in Flint. Breed died Nov. 22 of kidney failure. He was 37.

This is an updated version of this post.

FLINT, Michigan -- For MC Breed, every verse brought him one step closer to putting Flint on the Hip Hop map. With 13 albums under his belt and No. 14 on the way, Breed had grown closer to realizing that dream.

"Breed had an impact on people across the globe. He was a brilliant MC," said fan Omari Jones, 32, of Detroit.

A Flint native, Eric "MC" Breed, 37, died of kidney failure Nov. 22 in Ypsilanti. He has been recognized as the first commercially successful rapper to emerge from Flint and the Midwest in the early 1990s.

Wearing leather jackets with his image or T-shirts bearing his name and saying "The Legacy Lives On ... Swagg Heavy," more than 200 friends and family remembered and paid tribute to MC Breed at his funeral Tuesday.

The funeral was attended by a who's who of past and current Flint rappers, singers and producers including The D.O.C., Night and Day including Gasner Hughes, Bernard Terry and Melvin Riley from Ready for the World. Atlanta-based producer Jazzy Pha was also in attendance.

FLINT, Michigan -- The details aren't clear, but one thing is certain: Sometime before this school year ends, more Flint schools will be marked for closure.

"I'm as certain as I am that today is Tuesday," Superintendent Linda Thompson said yesterday. "It's a definite."

Flint school closures historically have been wildly unpopular with the public, but school leaders say they're faced with a grim reality -- the district has way too much space and not enough money and is bleeding enrollment year after year.

Without even including all the empty space in already closed schools, the district has room for more than 30,000 students -- yet they don't have half that many. About 13,800 students were enrolled this fall.

Flint Journal file photoTropical Smoothie Cafe in Flint Township has seen increased sales of 10 percent from January to September of this year.

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- The cash registers at tropical smoothie in Grand Blanc Township and Flint Township have been ringing up a storm.

Sales at the Flint Township location increased 10 percent between January and September of this year, compared to the same time last year -- making it the third highest in volume nationwide. At the Grand Blanc Township store, sales increased 22.5 percent and it's ranked 19th.

"It says a lot, especially in these economically tough times," said Craig LeMieux, area developer for Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Michigan. "We're thrilled to have this kind of success."

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- County government employees could be asked to give up their 2009 raises or take at least eight unpaid days off to make up for what's now believed to be a $1.7-million budget deficit.

Those ideas are among a handful being considered by a county Board of Commissioners subcommittee, which was told Tuesday the depth of the budget shortfall.

Courtesy photoFormer WEYI weather forecaster Derek Van Dam works for an international news channel in South Africa.

Celebrity treatment, dreamy-eyed girls, blogs about his reporting style -- it's not the life Derek Van Dam had in mid-Michigan.

But the former WEYI (Channel 25) weather forecaster is dealing with the instant fame that comes from being one of the head guys at an international news channel in South Africa.

Seven months ago, Van Dam made what seemed like a drastic life change: He decided to pick up and move to Cape Town to become chief meteorologist at eTV News -- South Africa's first 24-hour news channel. It has more than 15 million viewers.

DETROIT -- Two years ago, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger offered a grim prognosis for the auto industry to union members at the group's convention in Las Vegas.

"This isn't a cyclical downturn," Gettelfinger told the silent crowd. "The kinds of challenges we face aren't the kind that can be ridden out. They're structural challenges, and they require new and farsighted solutions."

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DETROIT -- For the Detroit Three automakers to win over Washington lawmakers in their bid for federal aid, they will have to address this key question in the business plans they present Congress:

Just how serious are they about shrinking their vast lineups of brands and models to match the current harsh reality of the market?

Continue reading the rest of the story

Editors Note: This is an updated version of a previous story.

IMLAY CITY, Michigan — One of Mike Canjar's most cherished middle school memories was the day a popular student named Frank Palermo invited him to sit with his friends at lunch.

"I was always kind of a quiet kid and at first sat alone at the lunch table," said Canjar, 19, in an e-mail. "(Frank) boosted my confidence and allowed me to be self-assured and in turn made my junior high years ... my favorite."

That's just the way Palermo was, said people close to him, adding that his life, filled with good times and great friends, was cut short all too soon.

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Flint Township psychotherapist Dianne Dailey doesn't need an economic expert to tell her what will happen if Congress doesn't approve a $25-billion loan to Detroit automakers.

All she has to do is listen to her clients.

Stuart Bauer | The Flint JournalAdam Kunkel of Lake City places Christmas trees in stands at a parking lot off Pierson Road in Flushing Township on Monday.

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Wet snowflakes stuck on Cheryl McCollum's eyelashes as she searched for a Christmas tree.

The snow didn't seem to bother the grandmother, though, as she walked through the lot looking for a specific type of tree.