Gov. Snyder pardoned or commuted the sentence for these 61 people   In his last days in office, Governor Rick Snyder pardoned 35 people with criminal convictions and reduced the prison sentences of 26 others. A pardon erases a criminal conviction, while a commutation reduces a sentence but doesn't get rid of the conviction. The pardons included five Iraqis in metro Detroit and a Polish doctor in Kalamazoo, all who were threatened with deportation because of their criminal record. MORE  ►Snyder signs $1.3B in funding for roads, toxic clean up, schools and more

December snow in state mostly was a no show   Parts of Michigan experienced near record-breaking snow totals in November. Apparently, there wasn't enough of the fluffy white stuff left over for December. As MLive chief meteorologist Mark Torregrossa explains, much of Michigan was a veritable snow desert this month. However, December isn't done. Today's New Year's Eve forecast calls for precipitation across the state.     MORE ►Travel could be sloppy today

Unsatisfying football seasons end for Lions, Wolverines  hat And that, as they say, is that. The Detroit Lions  and the Michigan Wolverines  are done playing football - and putting their fans through emotional distress - for another season. U-M had us believing after a 10-game winning streak had them on the cusp of a playoff berth. But two blowout losses  to end the season leaves a sour taste. Detroit, for its part, didn't really offer us much hope outside of a nice three-wins-in-four-games stretch early on. Of course, the Lions did the most Lions thing ever Sunday: Win in impressive fashion  to ensure a worse draft pick while hinting at more false hope in 2019. MORE ►Lions grades: High marks for beatdown of Packers ►Harbaugh on 2019: 'Reload, tighten up'