BEVERLY HILLS – Two state championship contenders did battle on the tennis courts at Detroit Country Day Friday afternoon.

Defending Division 3 champion Detroit Country Day came out with some fire and handled a Pontiac Notre Dame Prep team ranked second in Division 4 by a score of 7-1.

“It was good to see everyone come out with energy and be committed to cheering each other on. That was very nice to see,” said Country Day head coach Nick Fiaschetti. “I noticed we did a good job of dealing with adversity, because there were some moments that things could have gone really bad today.”

Karishma Vakhariya got a 6-2, 6-0 win in No. 3 singles, beating Ava Jarvis. Fiaschetti spoke about her performance as one that stood out to him on this day.

“She had a bit of a slow start and then just cruised after that,” Fiaschetti said. “She has had matches this year where it’s the complete opposite where she comes out hot and goes into a bit of a lull. Today she could have gotten herself into a scary situation, but she was smooth sailing.”

Elsewhere in the singles lineup, Country Day got a 6-0, 6-0 win from No. 2 singles Chloe Conniff, who beat Francheska Daugary. No. 4 singles Helen Benjamin got a good win over Lucy Silver as well, winning sets by scores of 6-3 and 6-1.

In No. 1 singles, Country Day senior Sophia Grzesiak, the defending state champ in D3 at that flight, beat Irish freshman Marissa Bitoni 6-3, 6-1.

Notre Dame Prep head coach Brandon Clayton complimented his top player, saying, “Marissa has been so good for us, and is just learning how small touch-ups make a big difference. She played a great opponent today, and that age difference can be tough to deal with.”

Clayton also talked about his No. 1 doubles team of Sophia Gust and Sara Okka that he felt put on an impressive display even in a loss.

“Our one doubles have really stepped up,” Clayton said. “Sophia and Sara have done a great job exceeding expectations. They were competitive for more than a set today. Those two have played Country Day before at lower positions and lost a lot worse than today. That shows their improvement.”

Country Day’s No. 1 doubles tandem is a state title contender and Quinn Norlander and Katie Han showed that with a 6-2, 6-1 win. Individually, Norlander made the finals last year in No. 2 singles and Han was the winner in the No. 4 singles flight.

Notre Dame Prep got its lone win of the day in No. 4 doubles as freshman pair Elena VanDieren and Vanessa Artinian came away with a strong 6-2, 7-5 victory over Katherine Chen and Grace Kalkanis.

“That is a team that does so well together. One can be a beast at the net, and one is so dangerous from the baseline. That is such a great combination especially at that spot in the lineup. If they can beat that team today, they’re capable of beating anyone in our division. Obviously we have a ton of good competition there, but they can do it.”

Country Day got good contributions from the rest of the bottom of their lineup. No. 5 doubles pair Zoe Bergg and Krya Zacharias beat Anna Kafarski and Tina Yeras 6-1, 6-1. Noor Mahmoud and Addie Grebinski got a 6-1, 6-3 win over Gemma Hofley and Regina Carpenese at No. 2 doubles, and at No. 3 doubles, Zoe Grebinski and Margaux Kohn won 6-3, 6-1 over Erin Delaney and Adriana Johnson.

Fiaschetti feels he has the right pieces throughout the doubles lineup, but the right combination may still be out there. “We know where we are right now, and we know where we are going to be,” he said. “We have maybe one question mark at the end of the lineup, but we have confidence in ourselves. The key is to continue working hard every day in practice, and we will be all set.”

Clayton praised his players for the rise of his program, which produced a runner-up finish at last year’s state tournament.

“Year-by-year, we keep getting better,” Clayton said. “The future’s so bright. We have never been competitive with a team like Country Day before, and now we are out there giving them tough matches around the lineup. As a coach I feel good about us being a school that good teams look at and want to play, and beat.”

Photos of Detroit Country Day vs. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in girls tennis action

He added what facing a defending state champ in a higher division can do for his group.

“This is definitely one of the toughest challenges for us," Clayton said. "This is one of the best teams in the state, no matter what division. Playing them here is obviously less of an advantage for us, but I like the challenge. I love it for our girls. Today gave us so much to work on heading into our regional. I don't look at the final score on a day like today, us coaches will look at what we did to compete at this level and we’re learning that little things make a huge difference against elite competition.”

Country Day has a short turnaround for a highly competitive quad Saturday morning. The opposition includes last year's D1 runner-up Utica Eisenhower and three-time defending D4 champion Ann Arbor Greenhills. Fiaschetti broke down the day ahead.

“We are going to need our lower doubles to compete," Fiaschetti said. "We have big matches at our singles spots too, but we need to not overlook anything tomorrow. Maybe we can steal a few matches from Greenhills, Ike is one of the strongest teams in the state from top to bottom. So it will be tough.”

Detroit Country Day defeated Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 7-1 in the match played on Friday, May 2, 2025 at Country Day.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Zach Neto poked the bear.

A confrontation between the Angels’ talented and feisty shortstop and Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal ratcheted up the intensity in this series tenfold Friday night.

And the drama culminated in some extreme Tiger thunder in the ninth inning. They blew up a 1-1 game scoring eight times to beat the Angels 9-1 at Angels Stadium. And most of the damage came against decorated veteran reliever Kenley Jensen.

Riley Greene homered twice in the inning, a solo shot leading off against Jansen and a three-run homer to cap the inning against lefty Jake Eder. Greene, with eight homers, is the first Tiger to hit multiple homers in the same inning since Magglio Ordonez in 2007.

Colt Keith went back-to-back with Greene to start the inning, his second homer in three games. And Javier Baez homered for the third straight game. Quite the offensive explosion.

It was a different type of fireworks early.

Neto ambushed Skubal’s first pitch, launching a 98-mph four-seamer 429 feet over wall in left-center field.

Neto stood at home plate and admired his work a bit too long, which grated on the Tigers’ dugout and on Skubal.

Skubal started unleashing high-octane sinkers and four-seamers, hitting 100 mph and in one stretch pumping four straight 99-mph heaters.

Neto came up for the second time with a runner at third and one out in the third inning. Skubal blew him away with an elevated 99-mph four-seamer and then yelled something at Neto.

Something to the effect of, “Sit the bleep down.”

Neto stared back at Skubal for a couple of seconds before saying something back. At one point, Skubal waved Neto out to the mound, as if saying, “Let’s go.”

The Angels dugout emptied first and the Tigers immediately after. Nothing came of it and both teams were separated quickly and the bullpen pitchers were sent back before they even got to the infield.

Skubal was unfazed by the ruckus. He went right back to work, piling up strikeouts and quick outs, turning the Angels’ aggressive approach into quick innings.

After a six-pitch fourth, he was at 48 pitches.

The Angels got three first-pitch hits, including Neto’s homer. But Skubal also got four first-pitch outs. He was at an economical 64 pitches after punching out the last three hitters in the Angels lineup in the fifth.

The economy of his work is what made it a bit odd that manager AJ Hinch removed him after six innings and 73 pitches. He finished his night with six straight outs, four of them strikeouts.

He had eight strikeouts and no walks in his outing.

And he left the game tied 1-1.

The Tigers couldn’t solve Angels starter Jose Soriano. With his 96 and 97 mph four-seamers and sinkers complemented by power knuckle-curves and splitters, he blanked them on six hits in six innings.

Shortstop Trey Sweeney tied the game in the top of the seventh, hooking a 3-2 off-speed pitch into the short corner in right field, just inside the foul pole against right-handed reliever Ryan Johnson.

It was Sweeney’s second homer of the season.

Relievers Chase Lee and Tyler Holton combined for six straight outs to get the game to the ninth.

LAKE ORION – Five unanswered goals in the second half allowed Lake Orion to beat Rochester Adams 16-8 Friday night in a contest that earlier on was more competitive than the final tally would indicate.

Previously unbeaten, the Highlanders kept it to within two goals deep into the first half before the Dragons gradually pulled away and sealed the deal with those handful of goals without reply.

“I knew going into this it was going to be a challenging game for our girls,” Adams head coach Aly Hext said. “Unfortunately, it fell right after prom as well, and I have 16 seniors (laughs), so they were a little tired today. But I think they went out there and gave it their all. It was a tough game.”

Sophomore Brooke Bronczyk got the Dragons (7-2) on the board just 37 seconds in, then junior Lydia Shifferd scored and classmate Brielle Coventry put in two that gave the hosts a four-goal advantage within five minutes.

“From the start, we talk about playing Dragon lacrosse,” Lake Orion head coach Jason McElroy said. “We set a standard where we want to play a certain style no matter who we’re playing against. Adams is a big rival for us so we wanted to come out fast, put the pressure on, and our mids — Brielle, Amelia Guccione and Brooke — have been special all year.”

Following several Orion fouls up the field, senior attacker Lucy Lagman got the visitors their first goal with 2:38 left in the opening quarter, and despite a response by Guccione, junior Raegan Jerrell added two more for Adams just 43 seconds apart to make it 5-3 with the first 12 minutes in the books.

When Lagman scored inside the first minute of the second quarter, the Highlanders, down just one at that point, elected to slow the tempo and hold the ball for an extended period that turned out to be the longest stretch of the evening without scoring.

“One of the big things I tell the girls all the time is that we just need to play our game, which is to control the ball, have clear, open passes, smart passes,” Hext said. “I like them to slow it down and visualize their teammates working the field, so that’s just kind of how we play the game in general, slow it and set up something nice, don’t force anything, because that’s when we make turnovers or mistakes on the field.”

Orion ended the scoring reprieve with just under four minutes to go in the half with a flurry that included two more goals by Coventry, though Molly Snook’s buzzer-beater got the Highlanders to within four at halftime.

Following a goal by Jerrell with 7:25 left in the third quarter, Adams hit a scoring drought and wouldn’t beat Lake Orion goalkeeper Emelia Fiore again until Snook fired one in with 2:36 remaining.

Jerrell led the Highlanders (10-1), who came into the night as one of the final few teams left undefeated in Division 2, with four goals.

“Raegan’s been a great asset over the last three years, and I’m glad she’s just a junior,” Hext said.

Both she and Lagman continue to climb the ranks of the record books. Following two goals on Friday, Lagman is just two more away from 250 career goals, while Jerrell broke the 200-goal barrier in an 18-6 win over Clarkston on April 23.

Coventry finished with a team-high five goals for the Dragons. Shifferd, Bronczyk and Guccione all scored three times and Abby Lee added two in Lake Orion’s win.

Of the Dragons’ two losses this year, one was a 15-8 defeat on April 16 at South Lyon (13-0), the only other team with a higher MPR (Michigan Power Rating) in Division 1.

“I think we’re really coming together,” McElroy said. “We’ve played some really tough opponents, but it’s made us stronger, forged us as a team. I think this group’s got a bright future. They’re a really fun group of kids to coach.”

Photo gallery of Lake Orion vs. Rochester Adams in girls lacrosse action

The Dragons and the rest of the field will learn more about their playoff paths when regional brackets are revealed on Sunday.

"We have a shot at picking up a 1 or 2-seed in the region," McElroy said. "It's all up to the math, but (the girls have) earned the ranking they have. They're a tough team and played a lot of tough opponents -- kind of the Tom Izzo style. That's what we wanted to do."

Adams has a quick turnaround in a make-up date with Troy on Saturday morning, while Lake Orion remains at home as it returns to the field against Lakeland on Monday.

Leading just 7-5 late in the opening half, Lake Orion hit for five unanswered goals to pull away in the fourth quarter and defeated Rochester Adams 16-8 Friday, May 2, 2025 in Lake Orion.

The parents of Kevin Graves say they are still determined to find answers as to how their son died, even after the Oceania County medical examiner ruled his death as "undetermined after investigation and anthropology studies" last month.

Watch Ruta Ulcinate's report below: Parents of Kevin Graves, who died at Electric Forest, frustrated after his death ruling

In 2018, 28-year-old Kevin Graves went missing while attending his very first Electric Forest music festival. After searching for years, putting up billboards and spreading the word, his family received the devastating news last December that his remains had been found near festival grounds.

When we did get the message, it was like a smack right between the eyes," Graves' father Gary said.

Watch our January 2025 report when we spoke with Kevin Graves' parents after his remains were found below: Parents of Electric Forest festivalgoer speak on the discovery of his remains

As devastated as they were, they hoped that now that his remains were found, they would have the complete picture of what happened to their son.

However in April, the medical examiner's office ruled Kevin Graves' death as "undetermined" after their monthslong investigation. Their office told 7 News Detroit that because they were working with only skeletal remains, it complicated just how much they could learn.

I still dont know why they couldnt have found something. There were remains. I'm not an anthropologist, but youd think they wouldve found something," Kevin Graves' mother Kathy said. "It just leaves more unanswered questions.

The family says someone somewhere knows what happened that night and say their only hope now is that they speak up.

Were not done. We really think theres more out there to be found out," Kathy Graves said.

Previous report: 5 years since man vanished at Electric Forest festival, parents aren't giving up 5 years after man vanished at Electric Forest festival, parents aren't giving up

Michigan State Police say the case is still open and they are currently looking over additional reports. They add that there is no indication of foul play.

Neighbors in Center Line are shocked after the FBI raided the home of a Customs and Border Protection officer who is accused of possessing over 4,000 images of child pornography.

Fifty-seven-year-old Border Protection Officer Scott Rocky has lived in a neighborhood off McKinley in Center Line for decades. The home is about 20 feet away from a school.

Watch Meghan Daniels' report below: Border protection officer charged for alleged possession of thousands of child porn images

"I thought he was my friend, and that is so disgusting what he did," neighbor John Kanan said.

Residents described their disbelief when federal agents descended on their street.

Watch video shared of the FBI at Scott Rocky's home below: Video: FBI raids home of Border Protection officer charged in child porn case

"It was really a shock to see that there was FBI across the street from our house," Kanan said.

Witnesses reported seeing agents removing evidence from Rocky's home.

"We're not exactly sure what they had, but they had a big red box and they were bringing out bags of stuff," neighbor Linda Lintz said.

Lintz and Kanan recall providing positive character references when Rocky was being hired by Border Protection.

"We gave him a good recommendation. We didn't have any idea that this was ever going on," Kanan said. "Our hearts are broken, and we're sad and sickened."

Rocky is accused of possessing thousands of images of children between the ages of 4 and 10.

I reached out to Customs and Border Protection, which provided a statement:

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, Scott Rocky was arrested on charges of activities relating to materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors (18 USC 2252), Thursday, as a result of an investigation by the FBI in coordination with CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility. CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe. CBP will cooperate fully with all criminal or administrative investigations of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, whether it occurs on or off duty."

Rocky has been placed on administrative leave without pay.

The post MichMash: Sen. Nesbitt on why he’s running for governor; Trump marks his 100th day in Michigan appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

President Donald Trump announced late on Thursday he would rename Veterans Day to Victory Day for World War I, to commemorate the Nov. 11 date that officially ended the conflict in 1918.

May 8, he said, would also be recognized in the U.S. as Victory Day for World War II. The date is already frequently observed in European countries as Victory in Europe Day, marking the official end of World War II against Nazi Germany, but it is not a U.S. federal holiday.

In a late-night social media post, President Trump suggested the dates were not sufficiently recognized in the U.S.

"I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I. We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything Thats because we dont have leaders anymore, that know how to do so!" the president wrote.

RELATED STORY | Army plans for a potential parade on Trump's birthday call for 6,600 soldiers, AP learns

Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day when it was established in 1919. The U.S. changed the holiday's local name to All Veterans Day in 1954 and later shortened it to Veterans Day. In 1968 it was recognized as a federal holiday honoring all American veterans.

Maritsa Georgiou, who hosts the podcast "Grounded" with former Sen. Jon Tester, beaks down the week's top political headlines with Scripps News.

This week, President Donald Trump announced that Mike Waltz will leave his job as national security adviser and be nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Only months into the job, Waltz sparked controversy by creating a Signal group chat to discuss sensitive plans for strikes on the Houthis in Yemen and mistakenly adding The Atlantics editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the conversation.

Georgiou says the controversy has brought new scrutiny on Walz from those within Trump's circle.

"I really think the question around this won't really be about Mike Waltz or Pete Hegseth," Georgiou said. "I think the name that we should be talking about is Laura Loomer, because she called for this last week in a conversation with Tara Palmeri on her podcast and Substack. And she basically was asked directly, 'Who would you fire or advise the president fire next?' She was a little bit coy at first and then said, 'Well, I think that [Waltz] is not loyal to President Trump.' And she brought up a video that he recorded in 2016. Mike Waltz going after President Trump, then candidate Trump, over his comments about John McCain and other veterans. So I think this goes deeper than just Signal-gate."

RELATED STORY | White House orders halt on federal funding for NPR and PBS

The White House announced late Thursday that it is instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, claiming the CPB subsidizes "biased media."

President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing CPB from funding NPR and PBS, as well as organizations that utilize NPR and PBS programming.

"I think in short we're going to see this end up in court," Georgiou said. "The PBS president has already called this blatantly unlawful. NPR said that they vowed to fight this. You're really seeing a lot of PBS and NPR stations saying, 'well, what does this mean for us, exactly?' I have a lot of friends who work in public broadcasting and they're very concerned specifically about the smaller more rural stations across the country where they might not have any other source for news. And let's not forget emergency information like storm warnings, tornado warnings, that kind of thing. NPR and PBS hit, they estimate, about 99% of the country. So I think that we are not going to see the end of this fight just yet."

Watch the full interview with Georgiou in the video above.

Dakota’s Angelo Plouffe and Brother Rice’s Bob Riker love to see the other man on the opposing dugout.

Because they know that, when their East Lansing-hopeful team is going against the other man’s, they’re going to be better off for it – and they know that neither of them is going to back down from the fight, either.

“We play everybody that we play every year, you know, whether we’re old or young, and they do the same thing to us too,” Riker said. “They come in and, you know, I think he’s (Dakota’s) got 14 or 15 seniors, but next year, he’ll be young like I am this year, and he’ll still come out and play us. And that’s why I love playing Angelo and those guys.”

Plouffe’s Cougars, ranked No. 4 in Division 1 by the MHSBCA, took down Riker’s No. 9 Warriors, 8-4, on Friday, May 2 at Warrior Park in Troy.

“We try to schedule the best teams around, so when a tournament comes, (we’re) ready to play,” Plouffe said. “So that’s why we’re here. That’s why we play these guys. That’s why, every year, we come here. Coach Riker does a great job with this program. (We) love coming here, and there’s a reason why.”

Brother Rice got on the board first when Tristan Turner doubled in Maks Neshov, but Dakota starting pitcher James Nuechterlein – traditionally a reliever – didn’t allow another runner to reach scoring position until the fifth inning.

Plouffe didn’t have to go to his bullpen a single time in the Cougars’ midweek series in which they run-ruled 10th-ranked Stevenson thrice, allowing him to reward Nuechterlein, who has been one of his best relief arms, with a start.

“Hey, go out there and throw 70 pitches because you’re in the right to, because you’ve been great all year,” Plouffe said of Nuechterlein. “You get to see him throw, and you get to see (Jacob) Gjonaj and (Jadon) Ford and guys who don’t get to throw much at all for us. They’re great arms. But we have a bunch of great arms, so that’s fun.”

Dakota got the one run back immediately in the top of the second inning when Gjonaj singled in Ford, but their best inning was the third: with one out, Evan Morrison was hit by a pitch. Singles by Evan Kavalick and Luke DeMasse eventually brought him in, then a walk to Ford loaded the bases for Gjonaj (1-run single) and Peyton Leon (2-run double) to clear them. Luke Kavalick’s RBI single capped the six-run frame.

And though they only added one more insurance run, it didn’t mean they were making good contact – Brother Rice’s defense made plays.

It continued a trend that the Cougars started in their first win over Stevenson and poured over into Friday: the bats are hot, with run totals of 10, 14, 14 and eight this week in their four top-10 victories in a five-day span.

“We swung it all week,” Plouffe said. “We even swung it today, I thought. It was right at people. It’s fun when you’re swinging it. It helps your arms, helps your pitching staff, helps your defense. Everybody can calm down for a second, but we were swinging it really well.”

Most Cougars saw a different pitcher each time up – Brother Rice deployed six arms, starting with Manny Simms into Grady Preston, then Ben Junga, Gavin McClelland, Freddie Beyer and finally Michael Stanton.

Stanton punched out all three batters he saw and McClelland had two scoreless frames.

Riker said that he had to be careful with how he used his pitchers on Friday due to a looming Saturday Catholic League doubleheader against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.

The Warriors return just seven players from last year’s team that lost by one run in the state championship game. It’s why games like Friday’s against Dakota are so valuable.

“I just want our guys to compete, and they’ve done that,” Riker said. “They have a chemistry with the older guys, and the team’s kind of really coming together. I know the record doesn’t necessarily indicate that, but I’m very happy with where we’re at right now.

“The unique thing about our sport is everybody makes the playoffs, so it’s getting hot at the right time. It’s gelling at the right time, having health at the right time.”

Dakota’s Gjonaj threw 1.2 scoreless innings with four hits allowed. Ford allowed two runs in the seventh inning, including a two-run double by Neshov, but finished the win.

Photos from No. 4 Dakota’s 8-4 win over No. 9 Brother Rice on Friday

Neshov, a freshman, went 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Dakota’s Gjonaj went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three stolen bases. Evan Kavalick had three hits and drove in one.

Dakota will be busy in the coming weeks as they continue to prepare for a potential East Lansing trip – they’ll play 18 games between May 3 and May 27.

“I told our guys (to) be ready to go, because when it’s nice out, we’re playing usually,” Plouffe said. “You have 38 games … we’re going to try to play them all here so we can be ready for the tournament.”

Northville's Social District has returned for the season, partially closing off two downtown streets to drivers and opening the space for pedestrians.

The closure, which began as a pandemic measure, has evolved into a seasonal tradition that divides the community.

Watch Christiana Ford's report below: Northville's social district returns for the season as businesses and residents remain divided

Retractable bollards now block portions of Center and Main streets in downtown Northville and will remain in place until Nov. 1.

As spring arrives, downtown Northville is transforming its streets into pedestrian spaces.

"This is a pergola. It's going to be part of our bar that we are doing outside in the summer time," said Phil Zacharias, co-owner of Center Street Grill.

For Zacharias, the social district's street closures coincide with their busiest season.

"People in the summer time, they want to do whatever they can to be outside. So for us, this is like a game changer," Zacharias said.

The six-month closure was initially created to keep downtown Northville vibrant during the pandemic but has evolved into an annual seasonal closure the community has grown to expect.

"Being able to listen to live music, walk around with drinks, you just always run into people that you know. It's awesome," Northville resident Craig Conrad said.

"I enjoy it. It can be an inconvenience when you want to go to Plymouth or something, but it's only for a short time, so it's not bad," said Jenny Mortenson, Northville resident.

But not everyone supports the street closures.

Prudence Kauffman, owner of Dear Prudence and Blackbird, says the lack of traffic is diminishing sales.

"When we signed our leases, we pay rates based on 36,000 cars a week passing by our doors and when the streets are closed, we have zero," Kauffman said. "When you take volume down by that amount, it really does hurt your bottom line."

Watch our extended interview with Prudence Kauffman below: Extended interview: 'People kind of forget that we're here.' Prudence Kauffman talks more about street closures

Kauffman is considering relocating to another city because of the impact.

"I mean, we don't get a discount from our landlord. We're paying the same high rent," she said.

Frustrations over the closure and questions about its legality sparked a lawsuit against the city in 2023 by group Let's Open Northville.

While the city won't comment on ongoing legal matters, Mayor Brian Turnbull says he's listening to concerns.

"The opportunity is traffic. We're looking at that. We're trying to be flexible. We put bollards in last year so maybe sometime, we'll open up one street or we'll go on weekends," Turnbull said.

Hear more from Turnbull in the video below: Full interview: Northville mayor talks about activities in city as social district reopens

He says the bollards allows them to be more flexible.

"We're looking at what it is, monitoring what the businesses want, what our citizens and the whole community. It's pretty important. If you don't have a strong downtown business sector, you won't have a strong community. So we're looking at all the data. We do a lot of surveys. We're doing that right now," Turnbull said.

Kauffman is hoping for compromise.

"We're looking forward to just some resolution because I feel like it's just been really unhealthy for the town as a whole to have so many people on one side or the other, and it's just caused a lot of animosity. So I think I'll just be glad to have some kind of a decision," she said.

Frank Gonda, who lives at the intersection, has seen how heated the topic has become in the community.

"The way things are right now, problems are being made problems when they aren't really. It's just a simple matter of perspective. If you're looking at it a certain way and you're not open to anything else, that's going to be a problem for ya," Gonda said.

A trial on the future of the bollards is set for June.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The Gun Violence Memorial Project, created by popular New York-based conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, officially opens Friday night at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and will remain on display through Aug. 10.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report: Gun violence memorial project opens at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

The traveling memorial features four houses made of glass bricks, with each house containing 700 bricks, representing the number of people lost to gun violence weekly in the United States when the project began in 2019.

"If it began today, it would be 820," said Jova Lynne, co-director and artistic director of MOCAD.

Community members have contributed personal items representing friends and family members killed by gun violence, which are displayed inside the glass bricks alongside names, ages, and photos of the victims.

VIDEO: Take a tour of 'House 1' in the Gun Violence Memorial Project Take a tour of 'House 1' in the Gun Violence Memorial Project

Lakela Brown, who lost her brother Nate in 2017 when he was 39 years old, contributed his military dog tags to the memorial.

"I think it's really nice for all the families who have experienced this traumatic thing to have a place to honor and remember their loved ones," Brown said. "It's making something beautiful out of something really tragic."

The items displayed range from baby shoes to hats, each representing someone's personal story and memory of a life cut short.

Lynne hopes the memorial can eventually become a permanent monument that helps people heal and inspires change.

"I do want to thank every family member that has contributed to this project so far. The trust and care folks have for their loved ones is palpable, and so we're just so honored to have this project here," Lynne said.

The museum is collecting objects on Saturday, June 21, for those who wish to honor loved ones affected by gun violence.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Sean Combs will enter a Manhattan federal courtroom Monday as jury selection begins in his criminal trial.

The five count indictment overlaps with some of the dozens of accusations and lawsuits alleging Combs raped, abused, drugged and violently assaulted both men and women, as well as children as young as 10 years old, over the course of decades. Those civil lawsuits have not been litigated yet.

There very well may be spillover, and a lot of it, but there'll be separate proceedings, explained New York Criminal Defense attorney Jeremy Saland. What you say in one is going to be admissible in another, and that story is going to be out.

The Combs indictment was unsealed September 17th of last year on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Its being heard in a federal court rather than a state court at least in part because some of the allegations take place across state lines.

The original 14-page indictment paints a dramatic picture of Combs "striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking" women. Prosecutors allege he drugged women, kept explicit videos of them, and threatened them. The government says he even monitored victims' medical records, controlled what they wore and where they lived. They allege his "abuse was, at times, verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual," including manipulating women to participate in highly orchestrated sex performances with male sex workers.

Prosecutors have amended the case multiple times, first in January without adding new charges but included new details alleging he transported two more female victims across state and international lines and that he dangled someone over an apartment balcony.

Then on March 6th, prosecutors filed a second superseding indictment without new charges to include allegations of forced labor. Prosecutors say Combs forced his employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who didn't help him.

You're allowing potentially for new people in a new time frame, so that's bringing in more evidence that could be used, and it what it'll do for the prosecution, potentially, is bolster or lift up that the charges, Saland explained.

Finally, prosecutors added charges in early April alleging more sex trafficking and transportation across state lines to engage in prostitution.

RELATED STORY | Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleads not guilty ahead of May sex trafficking trial

At an April pre-trial hearing, Combs lead attorney Marc Agnifilo suggested he may argue Combs was engaged in a swinger sexual siutation with the women. Agnifilo suggested the common sexual behavior was consenual.

The severity of these allegations will undoubtedly make jury selection complex.

"One of the issues they're going to deal with is not just his celebrity and not just everything that's surrounding it, but here, the other component is going to be that sexual abuse and people's personal experiences with that, that's something that is going to be very important, said Saland.

Judge Arun Subramanian said Thursday counsel will be working privately in some capacity with potential jurors because of the highly personal nature of this case. Potential jurors will be questioned both privately about whether they have a specific connection to sexual abuse and publicly as selection typically goes.

While the witness list is still not public, the now infamous hotel footage with Cassie Ventura may be used in the trial, and Ventura could be called to the stand. here are also a handful of celebrities who could be called as well.

Combs rejected a plea deal in the same hearing and has pled not guilty to all five criminal charges. He has been denied bail on multiple occasions.

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army on Friday confirmed there will be a military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June, as part of the celebration around the service’s 250th birthday.

Plans for the parade, as first detailed by The Associated Press on Thursday, call for about 6,600 soldiers to march from Arlington, Virginia, to the National Mall along with 150 vehicles and 50 helicopters. Until recently, the Army’s birthday festival plans did not include a massive parade, which officials say will cost tens of millions of dollars.

But Trump has long wanted a military parade, and discussions with the Pentagon about having one in conjunction with the birthday festival began less than two months ago.

The Army’s 250th birthday happens to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday on June 14.

In a statement Friday, Army spokesman Steve Warren said the Army’s birthday celebration will include “a spectacular fireworks display, a parade, and a daylong festival on the National Mall.”

The case of Christopher Schurr entered day five of testimony with the former Grand Rapids police officer taking the stand in his own defense.

Schurr is on trial for shooting and killing Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop. A jury must decide if the shooting was justified.

This is the first time Schurr has spoken publicly about the April 2022 incident.

Schurr's defense attorney asked him, "Do you understand you have a right not to testify?"

"I do," Schurr replied.

His attorney then asked, "Why are you testifying?"

Schurr explained, "I feel like it's important to get my side of the story out."

The former officer relived April 4, 2022. He said he stopped Lyoya because Lyoya's license plate didn't match the vehicle.

Officer-worn body camera and other video from that day played in court.

Schurr said after commanding Lyoya to get back in his vehicle four or five times, Lyoya tried to get away and then a three-minute scuffle ensued.

The former officer said he pulled out his taser because kneeing Lyoya several times wasn't doing anything. When Lyoya grabbed his taser, Schurr said he feared for his life. Schurr's defense attorney referenced Schurr's formal training in which he said he was taught that "action beats reaction."

The defense asked, "What does that mean here in that scenario for you?"

Schurr replied, "If I had waited for him to point it at me, it would have been too late."

His attorney then asked, "What were you fearful of?"

Schurr said, "That he was going to use it on me, and I was going to die."

His attorney said, "Under your training, Chris, are you required to wait to be seriously injured or killed before you can resort to deadly force?

"No," Schurr replied.

His attorney followed up with, "So what did you do next?"

"I shot him," Schurr recalled.

The defense asked, "Why?"

Schurr explained, "I believe that if I had not done it at that time, I wasn't going to go home."

However, during cross-examination, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker suggested Lyoya was simply trying to get away and that nothing indicated Lyoya wanted to hurt Schurr.

Prosecutor Becker said, "He never said he was going to kill you, right?"

Schurr replied, "No."

Becker said, "Never said he was going to hit you."

Schurr replied, "No."

Becker said, "Never said he was going to kick your butt or do anything bad to you."

Schurr said, "Not that I recall. No."

The prosecutor then said, "This entire incident he was trying to get away from you."

Schurr said, "Up until the end."

Becker replied, "When you were on top of him, right?"

Schurr said, "I was on top of him. Yeah."

Becker said, "And he was trying to push himself up."

Schurr replied, "Yes."

The prosecutor said, "And you thought he was going to turn the taser on you."

Schurr said, "That's what I believed. Yes."

Becker asked, "That's what you believed?"

"Yes," Schurr replied.

The defense then called two law enforcement experts to the stand to testify on decision-making and reaction time. Both suggested a lot is at play in the heat of the moment. Testimony resumes Monday.

Also on Friday, Attorney Benjamin Crump held a press conference with the Lyoya family. He said a traffic stop doesn't warrant a death sentence.

By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked a White House executive order targeting an elite law firm, dealing a setback to President Donald Trump’s campaign of retribution against the legal profession.

U.S. District Beryl Howell said the executive order against the firm of Perkins Coie amounted to “unconstitutional retaliation” as she ordered that it be immediately nullified and that the Trump administration halt any enforcement of it.

“No American President,” Howell wrote in her 102-page order, “has ever before issued executive orders like the one at issue in this lawsuit targeting a prominent law firm with adverse actions to be executed by all Executive branch agencies but, in purpose and effect, this action draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare, who penned the phrase: ‘The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.’”

The ruling was most definitive rejection to date of Trump’s spate of similarly worded executive orders against some of the country’s most elite law firms, part of a broader effort by the president to reshape American civil society by targeting perceived adversaries in hopes of extracting concessions from them and bending them to his will. Several of the firms singled out for sanction have either done legal work that Trump has opposed, or currently have or previously had associations with prosecutors who at one point investigated the president.

The edicts have ordered that the security clearances of attorneys at the targeted firms be suspended, that federal contracts be terminated and that their employees be barred from federal buildings. The punished law firms have called the executive orders an affront to the legal system at odds with the foundational principle that lawyers should be free to represent whomever they’d like.

In the case of Perkins Coie, the White House cited its representation of Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 presidential race. Trump has also railed against one of the firm’s former lawyers, Marc Elias, who engaged the services of an opposition research firm that in turn hired a former British spy who produced files of research examining potential ties between Trump and Russia. Elias left the firm 2021.

In her opinion, Howell wrote that Perkins Coie was targeted because the firm “expressed support for employment policies the President does not like, represented clients the President does not like, represented clients seeking litigation results the President does not like, and represented clients challenging some of the President’s actions, which he also does not like.”

“That,” she wrote, “is unconstitutional retaliation and viewpoint discrimination, plain and simple.”

The decision was not surprising given that Howell had earlier temporarily blocked multiple provisions of the order and had expressed deep misgivings about the edict at a more recent hearing, when she grilled a Justice Department lawyer who was tasked with justifying it.

The other law firms that have challenged orders against them —WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Susman Godfrey — have succeeded in at least temporarily blocking the orders. But other major firms have sought to avert orders by preemptively reaching settlements that require them, among other things, to dedicate tens of millions of dollars in free legal services in support of causes the Trump administration says it supports.

The Berkley Days festival will not return this summer, and the future of the long-running community event remains uncertain.

Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report: Resident, business owner react to cancellation of Berkley Days

The Berkley Days Association announced Thursday they "made the decision not to hold Berkley Days this year, but is planning for an exciting centennial celebration in 2026! Berkley Days has been run by a dedicated group of volunteers for nearly 100 years."

"I'm kind of disappointed, I thought that was a great tradition for kids," said Jim Sinclair.

Sinclair, who grew up attending Berkley Days, hopes to see the festival return.

"There's a lot of youngsters that are missing out, that was a great memory for me from elementary all the way up to junior high and high school, too," said Sinclair.

I reached out to the association for more information about why this year's festival was canceled, but did not receive a response.

Over the past few years, fights between minors have broken out at the festival, causing it to close early.

2024 Report: Fighting teens causing chaos have Berkley Days organizers evaluating its future Fighting teens causing chaos have Berkley Days organizers evaluating its future

Local business owners expressed concern about the cancellation's impact on downtown foot traffic.

"We're sad to see how everything has transpired over the last couple of years," said Janine Braun, owner of the Artsy Umbrella in downtown Berkley.

She remains optimistic about collaboration between local organizations.

"We're confident too that the chamber of commerce and our DDA, along with our city planners and stuff... they involved the businesses, the businesses here are a very tight-knit kind of community," said Braun.

While Berkley Days won't happen this summer, Sterling Fest, an art and music fair in Sterling Heights, will take place during the last week of July with enhanced security measures.

David Allen, Acting Deputy Chief with the Sterling Heights Police Department, explained their approach to event safety.

"Last year was very, very successful. We implemented fencing around the carnival area, then we did a few other things with curfews for minors," said Allen.

The Sterling Heights event will also utilize AI-equipped cameras throughout the fairgrounds.

"Which is very beneficial not only if someone is causing a problem to identify that person in the crowd, but also for children who may get lost," said Allen.

Berkley residents are now looking ahead to what might replace their traditional community celebration.

"It should be I feel more focused on family and community," said Braun.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. Where Your Voice Matters

A Michigan man has been waiting almost three years for the headstone he ordered for his late wife's grave after the business owner was jailed on drunk driving charges.

Watch Carly Petrus's video report: Husband fights for late wife's headstone after business owner jailed for drunk driving

John Schaldenbrand ordered a custom headstone from Clinton Grove Granite Works in Clinton Township shortly after his wife, Marlene, died in a snowmobile crash in December 2022.

"It's life-shattering," Schaldenbrand said.

After 30 years of marriage, Schaldenbrand is still trying to properly honor his wife with the headstone he paid for but never received.

"We're going on three years since she has passed, and I got nothing but a foundation sitting in a cemetery, it hurts," Schaldenbrand said.

According to the company's website, Jacob Katsock is the sole operator of Clinton Grove Granite Works. After Schaldenbrand placed his order and sent the final payment, communication stopped.

"He had to put in the names, the dates, do his side of finishing the headstone, carving it and then after that I mailed in the final payment and everything went dark," Schaldenbrand said.

The reason for the silence became clear when I discovered Katsock was arrested on January 29, 2025, and convicted of his third OWI (operating while intoxicated) offense, according to the Macomb County Jail website.

"Extremely scary and did not know what to do and when I say scared, again, just because I'm lost, I've never been down this road, I've never worn these shoes, I don't know how to do that and it was angry and it was frustrating," Schaldenbrand said.

Web extra: Man speaks about problems getting his wife's headstone Web extra: Man speaks about problems getting his wife's headstone

When I visited Clinton Grove Granite Works, a sign hung on the door, and no one answered the doorbell. I reached out to Katsock's grandfather, who may be managing the business during Katsock's incarceration, but have not yet received a response.

Katsock's attorney confirmed by phone that several customers have contacted her office with similar situations to Schaldenbrand's.

Katie Grevious with the Better Business Bureau recommends that consumers in similar situations report their experiences to both the BBB and the attorney general's office.

"You know, unfortunately, things like this do happen, and there's really no way to know until it happens. It's very unfortunate, but it's real," Grevious said. "So that we're alerted to these types of issues and we can try to help navigate them and take care of the situation so that not only no other people lose money but if other people are in that same boat, they know to come forward faster and we can try to resolve these issues as best as we can."

Meanwhile, Schaldenbrand remains determined to fulfill his promise to his late wife.

"It is real simple, I want my wife's headstone on her grave, which would mean I need access to that building. I need to get it done or undone. I just want the stone back," Schaldenbrand said. "I owe it to her, I owe it to my boys, I owe it to her mother, to her brothers, to her sisters, I owe it to everybody that loved her in order to be able to have this headstone."

I have also contacted Katsock at the Macomb County Jail and will provide updates as this story develops.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.