Rabid bats have health officials on high alert   Bats get a bad rap. These nocturnal bloodsuckers flying mammals are great for insect control and some species are prolific pollinators. But bats can carry rabies, and there's just no positive spin on that. The good news is that only about five percent of bats tested for rabies have the disease. The bad news is that 90 percent of human human rabies cases in the U.S. -  one to two per year - come from contact with rabid bats. So far this year in Michigan, confirmed rabid bat cases are showing a spike, as 22 bats in the state have tested positive for rabies. Last year at this time, nine bats were found to have the disease. MORE ► Rabies treatment is expensive, but without it people die

Enjoy the long days of summer while they last   Not to add to any post-July 4th blues, but these lovely long summer days in Michigan are numbered. Dark times are coming, people! On the other side of the summer solstice, we lose a little bit of daylight each day from the day before. It's like a slow and steady drip, drip, dripping away of sunlight in the face of the oncoming winter doom. (That might paint too dark a figurative picture. But, literally, the darkness is heading our way.) Our friends at the National Weather Service break down just how much sunlight we lose each month as we spin and rotate our way toward the winter solstice. MORE ► Updated July forecast shows you'll need your air conditioner

Rebuilding Red Wings are not getting any younger   The Detroit Red Wings have missed the playoffs the past two seasons. The franchise is in the midst of a rebuild, and is coming off what most NHL experts have called an excellent draft. Yet, after filling out the roster with a pair of free agent signings, the Red Wings are projected to enter the season with one of the oldest rosters in the league. This seems like a strange way to go about rebuilding. But, well, general manager Ken Holland says he has a vision. We - somewhat reluctantly - are willing to see how this all plays out. MORE ► Maple Leafs are early Stanley Cup favorites