Nexteer layoffs are permanent and more are expected hat  Recent layoffs at Saginaw County's largest employer are now permanent. The news affects 150 former Nexteer workers who won't be asked to come back. Another 200 to 300 additional job reductions are expected to take place by April. Nexteer has about 13,000 employees worldwide, including about 5,000 in Saginaw.  MORE ►Flint-based Diplomat Pharmacy to be sold for $303M ►Grand Rapids puts hold on report for publicly-financed convention center

  

State trooper donates part of liver to fellow trooper   "It's kind of the mentality that all of us have. If someone is in need, we're going to step up to the plate." Those are the words of Michigan State Police Trooper David Burr, who went above and beyond in helping out a fellow trooper in need. Burr, of Grand Rapids, donated half of his liver to Trooper Christopher Boven, of North Muskegon, earlier this year. Both are back on the road. MORE ►State police investigate 11-acre warehouse fire in Greenville ►Police dog for nabbing suspected car thief

F Big Ten bowl lineup includes nine games hat  The Big Ten placed nine of its 14 team in bowls this season, including Ohio State in the playoff and Penn State and Wisconsin landing spots in marquee New Year's Six bowls. That's pretty impressive. But of the matchups, few are going to be easy. For instance, Michigan and Michigan State both face tricky matchups against Alabama and Wake Forest, respectively. Here's the lineup and early betting line for each B1G bowl game. MORE ►All 3 Michigan MAC teams open as underdogs

  

Black Santa visits children: "Representation is important"     A certain image comes to the mind of most of us when we think of Santa. More than likely, it's of a portly white man with a long white beard dressed in a red suit. But, really, Santas come in all shapes, sizes and skin tones. From a deaf Santa delivering toys in Grand Rapids to a black Santa in Kalamazoo to, well, hundreds of running Santas in Flint. MORE ►Grinches steal large Santa decoration