A petition to dissolve the Village of Lake Orion was signed by 15% of residents and approved by both the village and the township but it will not appear on the November ballot.

Village Council President Pro Tem Stan Ford says he is not in favor of dissolving the village, but when a citizen's petition was brought forward, the council unanimously voted to push it through to the township, which approved it. The proposal then went to the Oakland County Elections Committee.

"It was to be reviewed by the elections committee, and then they had to determine whether it was going to be put on the ballot," Ford said.

Village Council member Michael Lamb who had not responded to a request for comment and Robert Reighard, who started the petitioning process, personally sued the Oakland County Election Commission in an attempt to ensure the proposal would appear on the ballot.

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"It muddied the waters. It made things confusing for sure," Ford said.

Joseph Rozell, director of Oakland County Elections and a named defendant in that lawsuit, says the litigation came before the commission had even met to discuss the proposal. A judge later ruled the proposal was ineligible to appear on the ballot.

Village Council member George Dandalides voted to push the dissolution proposal through but argued it was being presented too hastily and that the village needed time to meet with the township to discuss how a handoff would work.

"The path that we went down was a totally emotional path, a totally subjective path," Dandalides said. "By it not being on the ballot, maybe that gives us time to take a more strategic and objective look at it."

Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett calls village residents his residents and says the township has helped the village in the past and will continue to do so. Barnett says if the township and village do become one, he will work to ensure the downtown area keeps its character.

Lloyd Coe co-owns Ed's Broadway Gift and Costume in downtown Lake Orion and says his water and sewer bills have skyrocketed.

"Practically doubled," Coe said. "I mean it's really been crazy."

The rate increases are something some residents believe might be relieved if the village dissolves. Dandalides attributes the rate hikes to aging infrastructure that previous village administrations did not prepare funds for.

Coe says if the village dissolves, he wants to understand what it means for him including how the township plans to handle village services like public works and policing before he votes. He says that information was not available this time around.

"I want to see what are saving's are too," Coe said. "Are we going to save one thousand dollars, or are we going to save 50 dollars?"

If the village moves forward with dissolution proceedings, Ford says adjustments to the current village charter would be required something he believes may be preventing the possibility from moving forward altogether.

"If it is to go forward, the best way would be for the village to change their charter," Ford said.

The proposal will not be on the November ballot, but could return in the future. Dandalides says for now he plans to focus on problems the village currently faces.

This story was reported on-air 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.

Grosse Ile police are using an artificial intelligence-generated image to help identify a man whose body was recovered from the Detroit River on Sept. 8.

Instead of releasing photos taken the day of the recovery, the Grosse Ile Police Department used AI to render a lifelike composite image of the man with his eyes open in hopes of identifying him respectfully.

Police Chief Todd Brozek says the man's body did not show signs of decomposition and AI was used simply to create an image with his eyes open. Police describe the man as approximately 50 years old, between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with short, dark graying hair and tattoos on his back, shoulders and chest.

Hengguang Li, director of AI and Data Science and a professor at Wayne State University, says he believes AI has the capacity to help policing in a variety of ways.

"AI has a lot of potential in many ways," Li said.

WATCH JEFFREY'S VIDEO REPORT:

Grosse Ile police use AI image to ID man found in Detroit River

Li says AI could also assist police in other types of investigations using bodily biometrics to help reconstruct a crime scene or generate an image of what someone may have looked like when identifying factors are not present.

"Whether it is images of the body, dental records or DNA," Li said. "AI can definitely generate different images, leads, that can help identify that person."

He says the technology is capable of connecting dots in ways that may not be as easily perceptible to people.

"It seems AI is capable of discovering hidden factors, hidden relationships," Li said.

Li cautions, however, that artificial intelligence should always be used responsibly and that both police and the public would be wise to treat AI-generated evidence as leads rather than definitive conclusions.

"We expect better results with more detailed input," Li said.

If you have any information about the man Grosse Ile police are hoping to identify, they are encouraging you to reach out to them by contacting them at (734) 676-7100.

This story was reported on-air 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.

Ford Field is rolling out several new features for the upcoming Detroit Lions season, including premium seating, interactive experiences, new merchandise options and a virtual reality ride.

Kara Agby, director of partnership marketing and naming rights, led a tour of the new additions and said the upgrades are built around one priority.

"Everything we do is for the fans," Agby said.

Watch 7 Action News reporter Jeffrey Lindblom break down all the new features in the video below:

Ford Field debuts new fan experiences ahead of Lions season openerI

Among the new features are 100 elevated seats positioned next to a new game entertainment stage where a DJ will help energize the crowd before and during games. The new 1934 Club offers a premium experience for ticket holders, including comfortable seating, access to the pre-game radio show live and additional entertainment options. A limited number of memberships remain available.

Agby said the stadium's renovations, including some of the newest additions, have been years in the making.

"We want the city to feel like this stadium is for them and so everything we do is centered around that," Agby said.

One of the more unique new additions is a Raptor VR experience. After completing the virtual reality ride, fans receive a complimentary hat either a ball cap or a trucker cap.

Ford Field is also debuting its first-ever gate name change. The newly named Bernie Advantage Gate will offer a gift a hat good for an upcoming game to fans who exit through it during the fourth quarter.

On the merchandise side, the new Fan Cave gives fans a place to pick out jerseys and other gear. A Lions statue is also on hand for photos, lit up in the team's signature color.

"What's our color? Honolulu blue," Agby said.

Fans can also stop by End Zone Ink to get face or body paint before the game. Lions fans at Ford Field said they are ready for the season.

"It's the Motor City Grit," Drew Titkemeier said.

Titkemeier, who picked up one of the new hats, said he is optimistic heading into the year.

"History of having a hard time but always fighting. Super Bowl or bust," Titkemeier said. "We're not going to let anybody push us around."

Agby echoed the sentiment shared by fans throughout the tour.

"We would be nothing without our fans," Agby said.

This story was reported on-air 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.

Detroit has a new high-tech entertainment venue. Cosm, known for its massive LED dome experiences, has opened its doors in the city, offering immersive sports watch parties, concerts and cinematic experiences.

The company, which has privately funded locations in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas, is bringing its technology to Detroit with a wraparound 5,000-square-foot LED display running in 8K with nearly 30 million pixels.

Cosm CEO Jeb Terry said the goal is to deliver entertainment in a way fans have never experienced before.

Get a look at the new venue in the video player below Cosm brings its immersive LED dome experience to Detroit

"Our promise is we're going to give you it in the coolest way possible," Terry said.

The venue grew out of the technology behind planetariums and has evolved into a business model built around sports, live performances and cinematic experiences. Terry said the live element is central to what Cosm offers.

"It's in jeopardy. It's the game. It's live. Our goal is to make sure we have multiple releases every single year," Terry said.

For sports fans, Cosm has lined up 8 NFL games during opening week. The company employs anywhere between 4 and 10 cameras to produce each live game, offering courtside, sideline or top-down views.

"So when they want that immersive look we can do that," Terry said.

Prices vary by activity. Seating inside the dome for a Detroit Lions game can cost hundreds of dollars, but general admission spaces in the hall area offer a more affordable option. The venue also features locally sourced food and drinks, with menus curated to match the game or cinematic experience being shown.

Beyond sports, Cosm is working with Warner Bros. and offers horror, action and family-friendly film showings, as well as Cirque du Soleil productions and concert experiences. The Detroit location employs a team of more than 300.

Detroiters who attended the opening said the experience delivered.

"They bring you right into the action," Shawn Ross said.

"Something new for the city. Something we've never seen before," Ross said.

"Detroit is a huge sports town," Brendan Ackerman said.

"I think this is an awesome experience," Ackerman said.

Terry said the company is committed to staying ahead of the technology curve.

"Invest and innovate to make sure this isn't just cool now but it's cool 20 years from now," Terry said.

Tickets are available online.

This story was reported on-air 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.