TROY, Mich. Michigan Medicine is expanding its presence in Troy with a new cardiovascular and advanced imaging center that leaders say will bring specialty care closer to patients across Metro Detroit.

The new facility, expected to open in late 2027 or early 2028, will be built next to the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Troy Center for Specialty Care, a four-story outpatient center currently under construction and slated to open in spring 2027.

Watch Jolie Sherman's report in the video player below: Michigan Medicine expands Troy footprint with new cardiovascular, imaging center planned for 2027

Were building much more than bricks and steel, said Ganesh Palapattu, CEO of Michigan Medicine. Its about what well make possible for patients and families.

The new building will house the Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center and the Sidney and Madeline Forbes Advanced Imaging Center, offering expanded access to heart care and advanced diagnostic services.

We have about 200,000 patients that travel to Ann Arbor every year for care, said Julie Ishak, president of U-M Health Academic Medical Center. What were really excited about is not only will you be able to get your cardiovascular care here, youll be able to get the most advanced imaging.

The cardiovascular center will provide services including stress testing, heart rhythm management and cardiac rehabilitation. The imaging center will offer advanced imaging technology and access to expert radiology care.

The project marks another major addition to Michigan Medicines growing presence in Oakland County.

For so many years, Michigan Medicine really didnt extend east of I-275 in Oakland County, said Nate Forbes, managing partner of The Forbes Company, which owns Somerset Collection. This is about extending care closer to the patient base.

Forbes said the project is especially meaningful for his family, which has partnered with Michigan Medicine. The advanced imaging center is named in honor of his parents, Sidney and Madeline Forbes.

Community leaders, project partners and residents gathered Wednesday to celebrate a construction milestone, signing the final steel beam that will become part of the buildings frame.

"It's just exciting," said Troy Mayor Ethan Baker. "We've seen this construction project move fast; we've seen it move in a very beautiful and efficient way, and knowing that they continue to grow and expand on this is wonderful."

Nearby residents said they welcome the investment and the transformation of a site that sat vacant for years.

If it will be close by, then it will be nice, said Sarah Sundareson, a Troy resident of 50 years.

My health is very good, so Im all set, added resident Robert Charters. But if I need services, then theyre right up the street.

The medical facilities are also expected to serve as part of a broader redevelopment effort in the area. City officials say future discussions will include plans for housing, retail and restaurant development surrounding the site.

TROY, Mich. - A teenager injured in an e-bike crash in Troy last summer is suing both the driver involved and General Motors, alleging they bear responsibility for the collision that left him seriously hurt.

The lawsuit stems from a crash captured on a dash camera by an off-duty Troy firefighter. The video shows then-14-year-old Johnathan Do riding his e-bike on the sidewalk along John R Road and crossing Square Lake Road when he was struck by a white GMC Canyon and pinned beneath the vehicle.

Watch Jolie Sherman's report in the video player below: Troy teen injured in e-bike crash sues GM; automaker withdraws countersuit

The pickup was a GM-owned company vehicle, according to the family's attorney.

The case took another turn this month when General Motors filed a countersuit against the teen's parents. However, the automaker withdrew that countersuit Tuesday afternoon.

"I thought was already dead at that point," Do said. "Even under the car I felt like I was already gone, and I couldn't really do anything about it. I was just lying there, accepting it."

The crash left the teen with multiple injuries, including six broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung and a bruised liver.

More than a year later, his mother, Bich Nguyen, said the moment she learned about the crash remains vivid.

"All in my mind is praying he's still alive; that's all my emotion. Even now, you're still able to feel it," Nguyen said.

The family recently watched the crash video together for the first time.

"I can't describe the feeling to see actually what happened to my kid," Nguyen said.

Earlier this year, the family filed a lawsuit against both the driver and General Motors. Attorney Lawrence Kajy, who represents the family, said they are seeking damages for pain and suffering.

"This car was actually owned by GM and was driven by an employee who GM gave that car to as an employee perk, if you will," Kajy said.

He argues the crash had a lasting impact on the teen's life.

"Because GM owned the car, there is an owners liability statute in Michigan, also negligent entrustment action for GM for giving a car to someone who was negligent and caused the accident," Kajy said.

"This is essentially how your life changed after the accident, and in this case, the teen was stuck under a car for 15 minutes until a firefighter had to hijack the car to get him out," he added.

General Motors originally pushed back against the family's claims, arguing the teen was riding an e-moto rather than an e-bike.

The distinction is significant because GM contends an e-moto requires registration and licensing and cannot legally be operated by someone under 18.

In a statement, GM said:

We are grateful that everyone involved is safe and send our well wishes to the entire family. We believe it is important to continue conversations about how children and teens can stay safe when riding e-bikes and similar motorized vehicles, and will respect the legal process as this matter proceeds through the court."

Kajy disputes GM's characterization, saying the vehicle was a Class 3 e-bike with a motor under 750 watts.

According to Troy police, Class 3 e-bikes are treated similarly to bicycles and are permitted on sidewalks. Riders must be at least 14 years old and wear a helmet.

Police did not cite the teen, although he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

Kajy said the teen entered the crosswalk with the walk signal. The driver, meanwhile, was cited for careless driving.

The driver's attorney declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

As the legal battle continues, Nguyen said she hopes others will take the story as a reminder to stay alert and speak up when something isn't right.

"I want to send a message to everybody out there: just be careful, and at the same time, have a voice," she said.

The City of Troy is changing how it rewards its volunteer firefighters, replacing a system that provided incentive payments every five years with annual payouts beginning Jan. 1.

The change affects members of Troy's volunteer fire department, which city officials say is the largest volunteer fire department in Michigan. The department consists of 13 full-time staff members and more than 100 volunteers.

WATCH: Troy changes firefighter incentive program, moving volunteer payouts to annual schedule

Troy changes firefighter incentive program, moving volunteer payouts to annual schedule

Among them is Paul Chambers, a businessman who has served as a volunteer firefighter since 2016.

"I joined because I thought it would be an interesting experience and a phenomenal way to give back to the community," Chambers said.

Although Troy's volunteer firefighters are not full-time city employees, they undergo the same training requirements and receive incentive payments tied to their service. City leaders recently updated that program after hearing feedback from firefighters.

"We learned after these 31/2 years or so that our firefighters were looking for some changes," Troy Mayor Ethan Baker said.

According to Baker, the city worked with its incentive committee, which includes representatives from each fire station, to develop a revised plan.

Under the previous incentive structure, firefighters were required to serve 10 years before becoming eligible for a lump-sum payment of approximately $80,000, followed by smaller payouts every five years. Officials said many volunteers wanted payments distributed more frequently.

"They were looking for more frequent payouts as opposed to the five-year lump-sum payouts," Baker said.

Starting Jan. 1, firefighters will receive annual incentive payments. According to the city, those payments will average roughly $8,300 per year, depending on a firefighter's tier and role. New firefighters will become eligible after three years of service.

"They're not compensation," Baker said. "They're incentivizing service and encouraging people to join in the first place and encouraging people to stick around when they've been doing it for a number of years."

The city is also recognizing some of its longest-serving firefighters. Volunteers who had at least 25 years of continuous service as of May 1, 2025, and remain active through at least Jan. 1, 2027, will receive special recognition.

"When we changed the plan back in 2023, there was a cap at 30 years of service for any kind of incentive payments," Baker said. "Administration and city council made special arrangements for these long-serving firefighters."

Troy resident Susan Grabowski said the changes appropriately acknowledge the commitment volunteer firefighters make to the community.

"I think it's great that they're getting recognition for the hours that they put in for volunteering," Grabowski said. "Hopefully it incentivizes more people to join the volunteer firefighters."

For Chambers, the incentive payments are not the reason he continues to serve. He responds to roughly 120 to 150 calls each year, often leaving from his home or office to assist.

"We're over 140 firefighters," Chambers said. "We never need to call neighboring departments for support. We respond as a team and as a force."

City leaders hope the revised incentive program will help recruit and retain volunteers while continuing a model that has helped support Troy's fire service for decades.

Couples planning weddings are facing higher costs than ever, with experts saying tariffs are contributing to price increases for everything from flowers to wedding gowns.

According to wedding planning platform Zola, the average U.S. wedding cost $36,000 in 2025, up $3,000 from the previous year. A June 2026 Bank of America report also found wedding spending increased 8.5% year over year.

For bride-to-be Camille Nimmons, those numbers have become reality.

Nimmons got engaged last year after completing the Detroit Free Press Marathon and is now preparing for her May 2027 wedding. While she expected wedding planning to be expensive, she said the price tags have still been overwhelming.

We even had a wedding planner tell us that we're not going to be able to have a wedding that's no less than $50,000, Nimmons said.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: As Wedding Costs Climb, Tariffs Add Another Expense for Metro Detroit Couples

When she heard the estimate, her reaction was immediate.

I was like oh, we gotta end this phone call, she said with a laugh.

Experts say the rising costs are driven by a combination of factors, including labor, venue expenses and inflation. But tariffs remain part of the equation, particularly for imported goods commonly used in weddings.

Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, said tariffs on flowers imported from Colombia and Ecuador remain around 10%, while Canadian flowers now face a significantly higher tariff rate.

Believe it or not, there will be higher tariffs on Canadian flowers, Miller said. When you think about flowers, they're fresh. It's expensive to ship them far, so those Canadian flowers are disproportionately going to come to the state of Michigan, and so that's going to drive up the cost.

Flowers are not the only wedding item affected by tariffs.

Lyanna Harris, owner and designer of Always Couture Bridal in West Bloomfield, said many of the fabrics used in her custom gowns are imported from countries including Vietnam, China and Turkey. Those materials have become more expensive as tariffs have increased.

There are days when I'm just daunted by the prospect of ordering the fabrics that I really want to order, Harris said. I only order high-quality fabrics.

Still, Harris said custom gowns can sometimes save brides money compared with purchasing a dress off the rack and paying for extensive alterations later.

What people fail to realize is when you buy a dress off the rack, you're going to have to have it altered, Harris said. And that can sometimes cost as much or more than the price of the gown itself.

As for Nimmons, she's doing her best to navigate the rising costs while keeping her focus on the wedding itself.

Just trying my best, she said. Trying to balance everything.

7 News Detroit posted in a group on Facebook, called Michigan Weddings - Bride to Bride, asking them what they've seen first hand. We heard back from vendors, make up artists and designers who say prices are exploding.

"Everything, we've discussed, the DJ, the video, photographer, I mean that's just $10,000 alone," 2027 bridge Kaitlin Aubrey of Sterling Heights said.

"Every little decision quite literally has a price tag added to it. It's fun experience, but it's definitely experience very, very dragged out because I've been scared to talk to these vendors," Aubrey said. "scared to hear what they're going to quote me."

Wedding industry experts recommend couples get at least two quotes for major expenses such as flowers, catering and attire before making a final decision. While shopping around can help identify savings, experts say seeking more than three quotes often provides diminishing returns for the time invested.