Never ran

Loren Krieger, of Grand Rapids, watches television screens simulcasting horse races on at Sports Creek Raceway in Swartz Creek. "All the tracks that have Racinos are doing excellent and we need that in Michigan," Krieger said, who has been involved with horse racing for 40 years. Krieger drives from Grand Rapids to the raceway since the track he went to in Muskegon had closed.

Down and out

Le'Vaughn Johnson, 23, of Flint, is reflected on a photo of her son Quale' Jelani Johnson while holding his bear-shaped urn. Authorities originally concluded Quale' died of the mysterious phenomenon Sudden Infant Death Syndrome while at a daycare in Georgia. “I’m not giving up. I’m not going to stop until there is a law that prevents this from happening to other children,” said Johnson, who still doesn’t believe she has the answers to why she lost her son.
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies is telling Quale’s story on Capitol Hill as it lobbies for legislation that would require fingerprint, child abuse and sex offender registry checks.

In Memory

Shelia Brown (center), 44, of Flint, watches as balloons are launched by family and friends in memory of her son Lafayette "Guy" Foxx, 23, who was shot and killed in front of a corner store at the corner of Alexander Street and E. Gillespie Avenue in Flint last year while talking to some girls in a car. "I'll be back here next year," Brown said. "I want to keep coming up here every year if that's what it takes. Maybe next time a homicide goes down maybe the next person will try to do something instead of nobody saying nothing,"

Sweater fashion

Sam Prezzato, of, Mayville, shines his chrome 2005 Heritage Classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle while parked on Saginaw Street in downtown Flint as part of the 2009 Bikes on the Bricks festival.

Ron Fouss (left) and his mother Geraldine (passenger seat) wait for the procession to start outside of Nelson-House Funeral Home in Owosso following the funeral of his brother Michael L. Fouss, who was shot and killed in his office at Fuoss Gravel Company last week a short while after an anti-abortion activist was gunned down while protesting across the street from Owosso High School.

Just like dad

Danny

Cooling out

Red Hot day

Seniors display fashion creations such as a ball gown, bloomers, house coat, straw hat and g-string that were shown during the opening ceremony for the 4th annual Flushing Red Hat Day at the Flushing Senior Center.

Cool down

R.I.P.

Rednecks wed

Peggy Craine, 71, of Flint, sits under an umbrella while watching firefighters work on a fire that destroyed a trailer across the street from her at American Estates mobile home park in Flint. The fire was the third trailer to burn in the past two months. "I'm not moving. It gets exciting here," said Craine about the park. "My families probably really getting nervous now and will move me out of here. It might be a good idea. That's getting pretty close." Three mobile homes have now caught fire almost circling Craine.

Dylan Wood (center), 16, of Burton, is helped by Breanna Owen, 22, (right) and friends while pushing his car out of a flooded James Street in Burton due to heavy rainfall that has continued throughout the day. "I was supposed to go to work and we come out and we found all of this," said Owen, whose 2009 Grand Am was also stuck in the street.

Down but not out

Heidi Fletcher of Linden holds her son, Spencer Frechette, 13, as his father, Greg Frechette, of Burton kisses him after Spencer lost his battle with juvenile onset Tay-Sachs disease in Fletcher's Linden home. Fletcher lost her daughter, Mackenzie, from the same disease nine months ago. 'It just looked like we were going to have another crappy day ... that he wasn't going to feel good,' said Fletcher, who spent the last two days in bed ill with her son who was also feeling bad. 'It went downhill from there quickly just like Mackenzie did. It's just kind of sinking in that he's gone. I'm glad I spent the last two and a half days in bed with him hugging and kissing and singing all the lullabies I would sing to him.'

Janie Gall, 49, of Burton, holds the hand of her mother Patsy Pollock, 79, as Gall's dog Coco rests on her bed. Gall was told her mother, who has alzheimer's, would not live past December 2008 but has beat the odds since being under the care of her daughter at her home. Coco spends the majority of his day keeping Patsy company on her bed.

Jerry Warley, of Attica, sits on a fence at the edge of his property that he is "giving away" through an essay contest that has a $750 fee to enter and win the mortgage free home with two barns, garages and other building on the five acres of land. Warley says only 1,000 entrants will be taken and at least 600 will be the minimum.

Leeroy White, of Flint, mows the lawns of two vacant houses next door to his apartment on Bangs St. in Flint.
"It's alright to me as long as there ain't nobody in these raggedy ass places," said White about the possible danger of having vacant homes next to him. White's neighborhood was listed as one of the 25 emptiest neighborhoods in the U.S. according to a report by the Associated Press.

Linden Charter Academy dean Kevelin Jones (right) lays on the floor while cooling down from wearing a large mask while playing the role of "The Beast" as parapro Amber Wogaman looks on after taking off her mask while playing "Dopey" during a short break between visiting students throughout the school. The administration dressed as different Disney characters as a reward after students surpassed their goal during reading month.