Michigan's Rachel Sheffer (44) blocks a first-half shot by Nebraska forward Emily Cady during the Wolverines' 63-52 win Thursday in Lincoln, Neb.

AP Photo

They were calling this “Wolverine Week” in Lincoln, Neb.

The Michigan women’s basketball team gave that tagline a whole new meaning when it completed a Wolverines sweep by upsetting No. 13-ranked Nebraska, 63-52, Thursday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Continue reading Michigan women's basketball team caps 'Wolverine Week' in Nebraska with upset of No. 13 Cornhuskers...

Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

I grew up in New York City, so bagels were — of course! — an essential part of my diet.  Bagels, thin-crust pizza perfectly suited to folding, black-and-white cookies, matzah ball soup ... these are just a few of the basic food groups in my world.  I could go on and on, but we'd all just get hungry and wish we were schlepping around in my hometown, eating our way from deli to pizza parlor to food cart.

According to America's Great Delis: Recipes and Traditions from Coast to Coast by Sheryll Bellman: "The modern bagel arrived in America in the early 1880s with a wave of Eastern European Jewish immigrants.  Not long after that, cream cheese was developed and lox met its mate....  The genius that married the bagel with cream cheese and lox is a mystery, but we do know that it occurred sometime early in the twentieth century."  This is one of those innovations, like duct tape, that warrants a prize of some sort!

I don't normally eat much bread or many foods made with refined carbohydrates (my sweet tooth causing me to make an exception to the rule occasionally, I must admit).  But today is a special day requiring some deviation from my usual preferences.  So bring on the bagels!

And no bagel is complete, of course, without a schmear of cream cheese and some gorgeous lox.

In today's "recipe" (what, a bagel an' a schmear requires instructions?) I advocate for chopping the lox and the scallions and mixing them into the cream cheese, rather than serving the bagel with a slab of fish or a slice of onion.  This allows for the flavors to blend together in each bite, rather than any one ingredient overpowering the others.

But however you slice it (ha!), just be sure you don't miss out on this fabulous food holiday!

Continue reading National Bagels and Lox Day - schmear and celebrate...

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Continue reading Ypsilanti charter school's contract won't be renewed...

Crews respond to a hazardous materials investigation at the Circle K gas station near Stadium and Packard Thursday evening.

Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com

Crews from the Washtenaw County Hazardous Materials Response Team are at the Circle K gas station at the intersection of Stadium Boulevard and Packard Road and have closed down the area.

Continue reading Hazmat crews investigate situation at Circle K station on Stadium Boulevard...

Continue reading Hoekstra takes down controversial Chinese-themed website...

An Ann Arbor fire truck shuts down Liberty Street after a gas leak.

Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com

A gas leak on East Liberty Street has caused Ann Arbor firefighters to close down the area near the Google building, according to police.

Continue reading Gas leak shuts down East Liberty and South Division streets in Ann Arbor...

I know, I'm excited, too.

But there's plenty of basketball to be played, plenty of position-jockeying to be had, RPIs to boost and a league championship to declare.

So, as we head down the stretch drive, here's my take on four burning Big Ten questions.

Continue reading Answers to 4 Big Ten hoops questions as the season hits the stretch drive...

The Detroit Red Wings visited Ann Arbor on Thursday as the NHL officially announced Michigan Stadium as the venue for the 2013 Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Continue reading Red Wings players excited to play Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium...

Now, it appears newly minted Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has adopted something similar.

Meyer calls Michigan "that team up north" on Ohio State's football facility schedule, and also omitted the block "M" where other logos are pictured.

Thursday, Meyer took it a step further during an interview with WKRK-FM (92.3) in Cleveland by saying "we don't use their name" at all.

Continue reading Ohio State's Urban Meyer says he won't use Michigan's name, calls recruiting comments 'slander'...

Alabama running back Trent Richardson holds up the championship trophy.

Associated Press

LSU fans had all but disappeared into the New Orleans night by the final minutes of last month's dreary BCS title game, leaving en masse when they figured out a team that couldn't get past the 50-yard-line wasn't going to magically find a way to cross the goal line. They weren't alone, with people across the nation abandoning their TVs in hope of finding something even remotely more interesting.

The cartel that runs the BCS got what it deserved in a rematch no one outside of Alabama wanted. A lopsided game with horrible television ratings seemed an appropriate way to cap an awful bowl season that generated less buzz than rapper M.I.A.'s extended middle finger at the Super Bowl.

How bad was it? So bad that it woke up some people who matter.

Continue reading Big Ten's pitch for 4-team playoff is a real step toward college football reform...

Join the "Cherry Lover's Wine Weekend Event" at Cherry Republic on Friday and Saturday. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sample from their cherry wine collection and hundreds of cherry treats. All samples are complimentary. While your there, get your Valentine's Day shopping done. Free. Cherry Republic is at 223 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-585-5231.

Continue reading Best Bets: What's going on this weekend in the Ann Arbor area...

Charles Earl Chism, 34, was arraigned Wednesday at the Washtenaw County Jail on charges of third-degree child abuse and fourth-degree child abuse.

Continue reading Ypsilanti man faces child abuse charges...

Sure, it’s delightful to give and get gifts or small tokens of appreciation. But for many, it’s about that special place that really brings the time spent together on that day (or any day) really meaningful.

Since the setting is such a key element in celebrating the day, and your loved one, we’re interested in hearing about those places in Washtenaw County that you find romantic.

Continue reading Where are the most romantic places in Washtenaw County? Tell us!...

Washtenaw County school district leaders saw a number of positive aspects in Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposal Thursday.

But some school officials said the second-year governor has a long way to go to make up for what many say was the worst year for K-12 education in Michigan’s history.

Continue reading Ann Arbor area K-12 leaders welcome proposed funding boost but question 'best practices' structure...