Detroit Free Press

DETROIT -- The Pistons likely will use the No. 8 pick in the draft on a very tall man you have never seen. This is, of course, much better than if they chose a very short armadillo you have never seen. But I suspect most fans are wary.

Many fans see the names Enes, Jonas, Bismack, Jan and Donatas, and they think "Darko" Never mind that Bismack, like Darko, is an awesome name, especially for a superhero. This is a different era. The world has changed since the Pistons blew the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft on Darko Milicic. They will make a much more informed decision this time.

They still could blow it, but the chances of the Pistons blowing their pick by taking a foreign player are about the same as their chances of making a mistake on an American college player.

LANSING, Mich. -- The luck of Leroy Fick, Michigan's 59-year-old "Food Stamp Millionaire" -- a lottery winner on government food assistance -- appeared to be running out this week as state officials worked to get him off the dole.

Representatives of the Michigan Department of Human Services and members of the Legislature said they were moving quickly to revise rules that made it possible for Fick to keep collecting food stamps after he won $2 million in the lottery's televised "Make Me Rich" game in July.

DHS officials confirmed that Fick had contacted them about his winnings and was notified that he could continue to receive aid because he had taken the winnings in a lump sum and still met the income threshold for food assistance.

When you start seeing an abundance of asparagus at a decent price in stores, it's a good bet that spring is here. Thick spears from California are common in stores now, and Michigan-grown asparagus will soon follow.

Choose spears that are brilliant green with closed tips that have a purplish tinge. Asparagus is a good source of folic acid, fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants. If you're counting calories, the bonus is that five spears (about 3 1/2 ounces) have 25 calories, no fat and 2 grams of fiber.

Asparagus is usually sold banded together.

DETROIT -- The Department of Homeland Security has launched an investigation into whether Muslims are harassed, body searched, and detained by federal agents at the Detroit-Windsor border because of their appearance or religious background.

In a letter sent this week to a local Muslim group, the department's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties said it has received information "concerning repeated handcuffing, brandishing of weapons, prolonged detentions, invasive and humiliating body searches at the border, and inappropriate questioning that pertains to religion and religious practices by" federal agents at the border with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

DETROIT -- The flip side to the Red Wings' talk of being more disciplined in their second-round series is making the Sharks pay when they're not.

The Wings have one power-play goal after two games, scored late in Sunday's 2-1 loss. They finished the game 1-for-6 with the man advantage and are 1-for-8 for the series, which they trail, 2-0. The most egregious waste of a power-play situation came 6 minutes into Game 2. Trailing, 1-0, the Wings had the extra skater for 4 minutes but barely even got set up but once.

DETROIT -- Twelve people were charged Thursday in two separate drug smuggling schemes involving baggage handlers at Detroit Metro Airport who allegedly helped sneak in suitcases filled with marijuana and cocaine from Jamaica and Houston.

DETROIT -- Pavel Datsyuk sees a change in Red Wings teammate Henrik Zetterberg, one he isn't sure he's keen on.

"I don't know if he completely back, because he too much shooting," Datsyuk said, smiling. "I don't know why. Usually he doesn't too much shoot. Now he too much shoots."