In brief: McCotter makes candidacy official

Whitmore Lake, Mich. – Michigan congressman Thaddeus McCotter has officially announced he will seek the Republican Party’s nomination for president.

The 45-year-old, elected to his fifth consecutive term in Congress in November, delivered the news Saturday during a festival in Whitmore Lake.

He told the crowd Washington needs “someone who knows the future is not big government – it is self-government.”

After announcing his candidacy, McCotter grabbed his guitar and performed with his band.

Baboon’s flight comes to an end

Howell Township, N.J. – A wayward baboon that apparently escaped from an amusement park and became a mini-celebrity – appearing at a golf course and being followed on Twitter – was captured Saturday after spending three days on the lam.

The animal appeared to be unharmed when it was found and tranquilized at a farm in Howell Township, in southern New Jersey. The farm isn’t far from Six Flags Great Adventure’s Monkey Jungle in Jackson Township, which has about 150 baboons that are part of a drive-thru safari.

Park officials said they believed the animal was theirs. But they won’t know for sure until they can see if it has a microchip that’s embedded in all their baboons.