A lightning strike may have started a fire which destroyed a Crockery Township home early Saturday afternoon. Firefighters from several departments responded to a rural home at 9878 Taft Street just before 2 p.m. when neighbors saw smoke in the area after a storm passed through. "It wouldn't be surprising if it was lightning because we heard a lot of really loud ones (booms),' said neighbor Desiree Whipple. Nobody was home at the time, but a passer-by, who noticed the fire, did save the family cat, Whipple said.

C2C Gallery will continue its "Artist at Work Series' with Shaun William, a soft pastel artist, with a demonstration from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26. A reception for Williams will take place from 7-9 p.m. at the gallery in downtown Grand Haven's Harbourfront Place, 41 Washington Ave. The Ypsilanti resident will have completed work available for sale throughout the event. C2C will be providing free refreshments in the evening.

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin is meeting with constituents at a union hall to talk about job training. Rep. Gary Peters is focusing on regional transit discussions in his district, while Rep. Candice Miller is touring a wind farm in Michigan's Thumb. But few of the state's 17 U.S. Senate and House members besides Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga are holding town hall meetings open to all constituents, despite the recent fight over the debt ceiling, growing fears about the strength of the economy and voter displeasure with Washington.

Today: A 50-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8 am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Northwest wind at 5 to 8 mph. Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. North-northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Sunday: A 30-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind between 5 and 13 mph.

Authorities tentatively have identified the remains of a woman found stuffed in a suitcase and floating in a creek as a 32-year-old southeast Michigan woman. WDIV-TV reported Friday that Pam Prpich had been missing since last week and lived in a condominium near the creek where the suitcase was found. Police said Prpich's brother had been looking for her and was alerted to the suitcase by people boating on the creek, about 20 miles southwest of Detroit. He opened the suitcase Thursday night.