The University of Michigan-Flint has been around for 70 years. But before it turns 75, university officials hope to have an active athletic department.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is giving the university $5 million to establish an athletic department and renovate facilities on campus. 

“Athletic departments are often referred to as the front porch of the university,” University Chancellor Laurance Alexander told university officials Friday. “The benefits include thriving and robust campus activities and events.”

But Alexander admits this is going to be a multi-year process, with several hurdles still to overcome.

A significant portion of the project will focus on renovating the university’s existing recreation center so it can accommodate intercollegiate athletics, as well as continuing to serve the needs of the broader university community. The proposed $34 million renovation still needs the approval by the University of Michigan Board of Regents. If approved, the project is expected to take 18 months to complete.

Alexander hopes U of M-Flint will join eight other Michigan colleges and universities competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in the fall of 2028.

“Athletics brings more than games,” said Alexander, “It brings pride, connection, and an occasional upset victory that makes the headlines.”

A potentially deadly case of a mosquito-borne illness has turned up in Michigan.

A Roscommon County resident has tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis. It’s the first human case of EEE in Michigan since 2021.

The virus is spread to people when they're bitten by an infected mosquito. Only a few human cases are reported each year in the United States, but the cases can be serious. EEE has a 30% fatality rate for infected humans, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

People who become ill with EEE may experience fever, headache, chills and nausea. In some cases, symptoms may progress to inflammation of the brain, signaled by disorientation, seizures, and coma.

To avoid EEE and other mosquito-borne illnesses, state health officials are offering a number of tips:

• Use insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol and 2-undecanone.
  
• Do not use insect repellent on children under 2 months old. Instead, dress the child in clothing that covers arms and legs. Also, cover cribs, strollers, and baby carriers with mosquito netting.
  
• Wear shoes and socks, light-colored long pants, and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors.
  
• Make sure screens on doors and windows are tight-fitting. Repair or replace damaged screens.
  
• Once a week eliminate standing water that can support mosquito breeding near your home, including water in bird baths, abandoned swimming pools, wading pools, and old tires.

Multiple state departments and local health departments already monitor for signs of EEE in humans, mosquitos, domestic animals, and wildlife. However, MDHHS reports additional mosquito trapping and testing is being done in Roscommon County to establish the level of risk in that area.

On Monday, the Saginaw city council will consider an ordinance to crack down on large unruly gatherings.  

However, some city residents and civil libertarians think the ordinance goes too far.

Like other cities, Saginaw has struggled to respond to large pop-up street parties that sometimes end in violence.

The city council is expected to vote on an ordinance Monday that would give police more authority to break up large gatherings. Police officers could act if they determine the gathering is causing excessive noise, blocking traffic or property damage.

Individuals found violating the "nuisance gatherings" ordinance could face misdemeanor charges carrying fines up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.

The council voted 7 to 1 to advance the proposed ordinance back in July.

But critics are concerned the ordinance could be invoked to stop peaceful protests, picket lines or even large family gatherings.
The ACLU of Michigan is urging the Saginaw city council to reject the ordinance.

“If adopted, the sweeping ordinance would violate the constitutional rights of the citizens of Saginaw and simply cannot be tolerated,” said Marc Allen, Senior Staff Attorney with the ACLU of Michigan, in a written statement.

Michiganders who rely on social security are expressing concern as the program turned 91 years old Friday.

President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law on August 14, 1935. The program provides retirement, survivor, and disability benefits to more than 70 million Americans.

But the social security trust fund is expected to be exhausted by 2034, as the last of the baby boomers start tapping the program. Analysts say that could prompt significant cuts in benefits.

At a forum in Saginaw, U.S. Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) said Washington should not put off addressing the problem.

“I think that we’re in a political age of getting the unlikely done,” McDonald Rivet told reporters after the forum. “If you look at what’s happening across the country, people are demanding change. You don’t want the status quo of political bickering while people suffer.”

Potential changes include raising taxes and adjusting the retirement age.

“Social Security is a commitment to today’s retirees and future generations that Congress must not break. It is the foundation of retirement security, lifting tens of millions of older Americans out of poverty,” said AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan in a written statement. “Congress must act by 2032 to strengthen Social Security.”

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected in downtown Flint later this week for a classic car show, just as the city’s police department is responding to a surge in gun violence.

Since Saturday, three people have died and others have been injured in shootings around the city. On Saturday night, one person was killed in the heart of Flint’s downtown an hour after a music festival ended.

Flint Police Chief Terence Green told reporters on Wednesday that security will be stepped up before the annual Back to the Bricks car show this week. Green said there will be local, state and federal law enforcement officers there to ensure public safety.

“Downtown is safe. We’ve had some incidents, but those things we deal with as they come,” Green told reporters. “I’m confident to say that Back to the Bricks will be a very safe environment. People can relax, have a good time and enjoy the event.”

August is a busy time in downtown Flint with several events planned, including the annual Crim Festival of Races, which brings thousands of runners to the Vehicle City.

Since the start of 2026, 25 people have died violently in Flint.

Chief Green said the recent surge in deadly violence in the city has been “targeted,” happening after fights between individuals escalated. He insisted these have not been “random” incidents.

An arrest has been made in Saturday’s deadly shooting downtown. The investigation into the shooting deaths of two teenagers Monday evening continues.

Despite the recent uptick, Flint’s homicide rate this year is still slightly behind last year’s pace.

Congressman John James picked up roughly half the votes in Tuesday’s Republican primary for governor.

He’ll face off against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who won the Democratic primary, in November’s general election.

Speaking to supporters in Sterling Heights, James slammed Benson for her role in state government during the past eight years.

“Jocelyn Benson promises a new direction, but she’s been a part of the leadership that got us lost in the first place,” James told attendees at his victory party.

John James acknowledged President Donald Trump in his speech. The president’s endorsement gave the James campaign a significant boost, even convincing two other candidates to withdraw from the race.

But before he turns his attention fully on the November election, James must now rally support among Republicans who didn’t vote for him.

Businessman Perry Johnson picked up about a third of the GOP vote in the primary. For months, Johnson’s campaign repeatedly attacked James, calling him a “Lying Liberal Loser.”

After James declared victory, Johnson released a written statement that does not appear to be a political olive branch: “The career politicians and special interests may win tonight, but they will not win the future. We will make Michigan great again!”

The winner of November’s general election will succeed Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited.

Plans for a federal immigration detention center in Romulus appear to be dead.

The Department of Homeland Security planned to house up to 500 detainees at a warehouse. But local residents and immigrants’ rights groups opposed those plans.

The New York Times is reporting the Romulus location is one of seven nationwide ICE is looking to sell. The agency spent more than $700 million buying warehouses to house detainees rounded up as part of a nationwide crackdown on undocumented individuals.

Back in March, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed suit to block the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

“Together we showed the federal government that they cannot come into Michigan, break our laws, disrupt our communities and expect us to sit on our hands,” Nessel said in a video statement on Thursday.

ICE’s decision to scrap its plans for a Romulus detention center is being greeted warmly by local officials.

“We want to thank DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin for listening to us and taking into consideration the issues that would have made this the wrong location for a detention facility,” said Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight in a press release.

“The City’s position should not be confused with opposition to responsible enforcement of our country’s laws. Instead, the facility’s proximity to residential neighborhoods, schools, and wetlands made it the wrong location. Locating a facility like this in our community would have been an incredible burden on our already limited public safety resources and a violation of our zoning ordinance,” McCraight said.

Nessel said the AG’s office will keep the lawsuit against ICE active until the paperwork for the sale of the property is complete and it’s official that DHS and ICE will not use the property for a detention center.

In Michigan, there are four county jails that hold federal detainees and one large privately owned facility.

State Representative Dylan Wegela represents Romulus. He says this is a win for are residents, but the fight isn’t over.

“We are still seeing increased funding. We are still seeing ICE operate in ways that we do not want to see. They’re taking illegal actions, repeatedly losing in court, and we got to keep fighting back,” he said in an interview with WDET on Thursday evening.

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