Downey on the upswing

Indio, Calif. Â Robert Downey Jr. is making progress since being placed on probation for drug offenses, a judge said during a court hearing.

Judge Randall White determined on Tuesday that the actor was staying clean and urged him to continue treatment.

Downey did not speak to reporters, but he agreed to sign autographs for fans outside the courthouse.

While his attorney has said Downey eventually will return to work, the actor has said his primary concerns are staying sober and spending time with his son and family.

Something to walk about

Los Angeles  Grammy-winner Bonnie Raitt gave her fans something to talk about as she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Raitt’s father, veteran Broadway singer John Raitt, was on hand Tuesday to perform “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and ended the song with the words, “Everything is going Bonnie’s way.”

Raitt’s star is in front of her record label, Capitol.

Several hundred fans celebrated with the 52-year-old singer-guitarist, whose music runs the gamut of blues, country, pop and rock. Raitt’s most popular songs include “Something to Talk About” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

You’re gonna make it …

Minneapolis  Mary Tyler Moore will be on hand in May to unveil a bronze statue that captures a key moment from the opening of her popular 1970s sitcom, when her character threw her cap skyward.

The statue will be presented May 8 at the corner of Seventh Street and the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, the spot where fans of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” still search for Mary’s tossed-up tam.

“It’s the seminal moment of the show,” the 64-year-old actress said. “It not only speaks to Mary Richards’ feelings, but to my feelings as well. The show represented my hopes and dreams, and I wondered if my abilities were honed enough to carry my own show.”

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” ran from 1970-77.

Battle to preserve history

Franklin, Tenn. Â A Tennessee Civil War battlefield will get some of Ben Stein’s money.

Stein, host of Comedy Central’s “Win Ben Stein’s Money” and a longtime Civil War buff, announced on Monday that he would donate $2,000 for preservation of the Franklin Battlefield, named one of the top 10 endangered Civil War battlefields earlier this month by the Civil War Preservation Trust.

Franklin, 15 miles south of Nashville, was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Federal forces lost 2,500 soldiers; Confederate forces, 7,000.