Midland's Alyvia Jones wins two more national tennis titles, bringing her total to seven

Eleven-year-old Alyvia Jones of Midland swept both the singles and doubles titles at the USTA Girls' 12 Nationals in Grand Rapids, bringing her career total to seven national titles. Seven national titles is the most ever for a Midland Community Tennis Center player, according to MCTC Executive Director Mike Woody. In all, 17 national titles have been won by MCTC players since 2008. Jones won the singles title, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, over Elysia Bolton of Lake Forest, Ill. She then partnered with Bolton to win the doubles title, 8-1, over Amber O'Dell of Chesterfield, Mich. and Emily Thomas of Cincinnati.

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Dow Chemical Co. responds to WikiLeaks spying allegations

The Dow Chemical Co. today isn't confirming or denying claims it paid a U.S.-based global intelligence company to collect information on the Yes Men, a group of grassroots activists. "Major companies are often required to take appropriate action to protect their people and safeguard their facilities around the world from those who would threaten, disrupt and misrepresent the company and its employees," the company said in a release. "Dow takes the obligations to ensure the safety of its people and facilities seriously and will continue to do so within the bounds of the law."

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Dow, MDEQ hold property purchase plan information meeting Thursday in Midland

Thursday night is your opportunity to ask questions about Dow Chemical Co.'s property purchase plan. Dow and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials will present information about the plan and offer a question-and-answer session at 6:30 p.m. at Midland's Central Middle School auditorium, 305 E. Reardon. Dow will offer to purchase 50 homes near its Midland plant affected by dioxin contamination. From the late 1800s to the 1970s, Dow has acknowledged the company leaked various amounts of dioxins and chemicals into the river and to nearby properties through air emissions. The toxic chemical byproduct of fire and chlorine manufacturing can cause health problems.

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Midland's 'Always ... Patsy Cline' sheds light on a legend

Sally Goggin knows the routine. Joanie Stanley as Patsy Cline in the Midland Center Stage Theatre production “Always … Patsy Cline” will open the show singing a few of the songs that have made the late country singer a legend to this day. It’s enough to make you cry, promised director Susie Polito, who said this is the voice that brought her to tears with “Crazy.” “Then I’ll step up and start talking,” said Goggin, who as Louise Seger tells the story of the singer she came to know through letters and phone calls. “People in the audience, angry that the music stopped, will cross their arms and close their eyes until I’m done.”

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Ann Romney campaigns on behalf of husband, encourages community to vote in primary

Ann Romney spoke about her ties to Michigan, her health battles and her faith that her husband, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, could make a financial turnaround for the country Sunday at The H Hotel. "It's so good to be in Michigan," she said. "Michigan is in my soul." Romney talked about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998 and how supportive her family was throughout her battle. She also mentioned her battle with breast cancer. She said her husband had a lot to do with her "miraculous recovery." "Mitt will be the Republican nominee," she said and those in attendance cheered. "I said four years ago we wouldn't do this again, but we need a turnaround and that's what this guy does."

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Chemical Bank employees wear red for heart disease awareness

On Feb. 3, more than 400 employees from 50 Chemical Bank offices in the Great Lakes Bay Region wore red in support of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign. The bank, a corporate sponsor of the Go Red for Women conference held Feb. 10 in Midland, also has been selling “red hearts” to raise money for the American Heart Association.

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Dave Camp says Asian carp must be stopped now

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, this week told the Obama Administration that something must be done now to stop the threat of Asian carp. In response to the most recent update on the strategy for preventing the invasive species from entering the Great Lakes, Camp said he's glad to see the new plan will increase monitoring but that plan isn't good enough. “I am glad this administration’s revision to the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework will increase monitoring and implement new measures to prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes," Camp said in a release. "However, hydrological separation is the only permanent solution to protect the $7 billion Great Lakes economy and the 800,000 jobs it supports." The federal government this week announced plans to spend $51.5 million in 2012 on the fight against Asian carp.

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