The Monroe Evening News

A small Ernie toy is tested for lead, chlorine and other toxins. by State Rep. Deb Kennedy, D-Brownstown Twp., in conjunction with the Ecology Center, which tests a variety of toys and other children’s products at its Ann Arbor-based facility. Full Story »

A man and woman with Monroe ties were killed when their car slammed into a moving train in Taylor this weekend. Taylor police identified the victims as the driver, David Obsorne, 29, of Lincoln Park and his passenger, Tara Druyor, 21, of Monroe. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Full Story »

At the urging of the moment’s moderator, the young man struggled to his feet to stand before the multitude. Once there he never wavered but stood humbly as the gathering gave him a thunderous ovation. Full Story »

The Monroe County Fair should urge the governor and state lawmakers to restore funding to county fairs that help educate 4-H and FFA youths and teach them valuable life lessons, said one longtime fair superintendent. Full Story »

— Evening News photos by KIM BRENT Dawn Dickerson of Monroe gives her name as she gets her turn at an autograph and photograph with American Idol 2003 winner Ruben Studdard at the Blue Water Spa & Salon in Monroe Saturday afternoon. Full Story »

About this time each year, thousands of snowbirds migrate south along I-75 in search of warmer climes and, this year, enterprising area businesses might have a better chance to bag some of their business. Full Story »

The United Way of Monroe County’s annual fundraising campaign winds down this week and if history is any predictor, the agency will fall well short of its $1.2 million goal for 2009. Full Story »

The Monroe Goodfellows raised more than $8,200 from their annual Goodfellow Newspaper Sale Dec. 5. Volunteers for both the Monroe Exchange Club and Monroe Council 1266, Knights of Columbus, braved the cold conditions to hold the three-hour sale. Full Story »

Dennis Goldsmith is the newest member of the Monroe County Fair Board of Directors, although the Ida Township resident is no stranger to the body. Mr. Goldsmith was among a dozen directors, including 11 incumbents, elected to three-year terms on the board at the annual meeting Thursday night. Full Story »

The daily life of a Flat Rock girl battling a rare rapid-aging disease will be documented in a TV special to air Sunday night on TLC. Lindsay Ratcliffe, 5, was diagnosed with progeria when she was 4 months old. Progeria is a rare, genetic disease that produces rapid aging. Full Story »

DTE Energy said a drill held Wednesday to test the ability of the Fermi 2 nuclear plant’s security team to repel intruders was “an outstanding success.” Full Story »

H1N1 vaccination clinics are now open to the public. The free clinics will be open from 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 19 at Monroe Bank & Trust EXPO building, 3775 S. Custer Rd., at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. Full Story »

— Evening News photo by BRYAN BOSCH Jeff Rupp sits for a portrait at Rupp Funeral Home, 2345 S. Custer Rd.. The economy is impacting the funeral business as more families are having tougher times paying funeral expenses. Full Story »

Only five Consumers Energy customers in the south Monroe area remained without power this morning from high winds that had knocked out electricity to more than 3,000 homes and businesses Wednesday. Full Story »

— Courtesy photo U.S. Fleet Forces Command Fleet Master Chief Tom Howard greets Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley Leslie while in an Afghan airport. While talking, the two discovered they both were from Newport. Full Story »

Funding for four major road improvement projects in Monroe County has vanished from the state’s long-range transportation plan. The Michigan Department of Transportation says hundreds of road and bridge projects scheduled to be done between 2010 and 2014 across the state have been delayed. Full Story »

The Monroe County Fair had another exceptional year financially in 2009 despite a horrible local economy and zero state aid. Full Story »

— Evening News photo by BRYAN BOSCH Todd Mitchell of Dovetail Solar & Wind (left) and subcontractor Mark Reutter check some of the wiring as they install solar panels on the roof of Bill Decker’s horse barn on Erie Rd. in Temperance. Full Story »

Howdy Holmes, the oldest of five children, is happy to be a fourth-generation owner of Chelsea Milling Co., producer of 23 Jiffy mix products and the market-share leader in the retail prepared baking mix business. Full Story »

Police are close to completing a months-long investigation into allegations that a former Airport Community Schools employee stole as much as $75,000 from the district and two Boy Scout troops. Full Story »

Monroe County is taking steps to make lower-cost federally subsidized financing available for certain commercial, industrial and governmental projects. Full Story »

Nearly 2,900 homes and businesses in the Monroe County region were still without power this morning due mostly to high winds as bitter cold and snow squalls continued today. Full Story »

— Evening News photo by KIM BRENT Ignazio Cuccia holds the door for Sara Waldecker as they carry out donations of baby items that members of the Kiwanis Club gathered at their meeting Wednesday for a “world’s largest baby shower” to benefit Heartbeat of Monroe. Full Story »

Strong winds this afternoon are creating scattered power outages across Monroe County. A high-wind advisory remains in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday across much of southeastern Michigan. Full Story »

The northbound lane of US-23 was closed earlier today due to a car accident. According to the Monroe County Sheriff's office, a car crash took place just north of the Ohio-Michigan state line. Full Story »