David Foster acknowledges he and Chris Botti were “kind of stressed” about their first show together, which took place in February 2024 in Florida and also included Foster’s wife and “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee.
“We loved doing it,” Foster, 75, recalls via Zoom, with trumpeter Botti alongside him, “but we were like, ‘How does this mix together, all our different genres of music — Kat with her Broadway, me with my pop, Chris with his contemporary jazz?` And it just worked out great, and the audience seemed to be with us every step of the way.
“And we thought this is something we can work on a bigger scale, so here we are.”
The three have embarked on a 12-city tour that, as Foster indicates, covers a diverse range of material. He’s won 16 Grammy Awards as a performer, producer, arranger and songwriter for the likes of Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Dionne Warwick, Paul McCartney, Michael Buble, Rod Stewart and many others. Foster also produced Botti’s latest album, “Vol. 1,” and composed music for the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical “Boop!”
Chris Botti (Photo courtesy of Blue Note Records)
David Foster (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Katharine McPhee (Photo by Tom Cooper/Getty Images for 37th Annual Carousel Ball)
Botti, 62 — a Grammy winner whose myriad credits include Sting, James Taylor, Barbra Streisand, John Mayer and others, in addition to 11 of his own albums — has worked in the studio with Foster since 2001 and says the two are kindred spirits. “I paramountly love melody, and so does (Foster),” Botti explains. “David’s hooked me up with some great people like Josh Groban or Bocelli, of course. And to do that crossover takes a certain sensibility. I consider myself a trumpeter first, not, like, a ‘jazz musician.'”
Foster says he was “determined not to make another record,” but relented in 2023 when Botti asked him to helm “Vol. 1,” asking Foster to “just sit in the chair for six days. That’s all I need you for.” “True to his word,” Foster notes, “It was six days. I didn’t do much — just every once in a while maybe like, ‘Don’t play so much there’ or ‘You should fill that hole.’ Very, very light, breezy stuff.
“So, I don’t know, maybe there’s another six days like that in our life again. We’ll see.”
David Foster and Chris Botti, with Katharine McPhee, perform up 8 p.m. Saturday, June 21 at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St., Detroit. 313-237-7464 or detroitopera.org.
But one small slice of the transit puzzle is in place — the QLINE streetcars running along Detroit’s Woodard Avenue.
Former Washington, D.C.-based attorney Jared Fleisher was there at the advent of the QLINE.He’s now the vice president of government affairs for Rock, billionaire Dan Gilbert’s family of companies.
In the interview below, Fleisher told WDET the QLINE is a marker for what Detroit could do with transit and how the region could roll into the future.
The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Jared Fleisher: What we did with the QLINE had never been done before. Most major public infrastructure projects are led by public agencies like a transportation agency. Take yourself back to 2009, and in this case it was a ragtag nonprofit group saying, “Detroit is really struggling, economically and from a transit perspective. We want to do something to create a spark. And we, this ragtag nonprofit, wants to tear up Woodward Avenue and put in a streetcar — tear up the main avenue in a major American city.” As you can imagine, the U.S. Department of Transportation had never encountered this circumstance before. Washington had watched metro Detroit, going back to the Carter administration, never really be able to get its act together around transit. And therefore they did not take us very seriously or send money our way. They said, “You don’t even have a regional transit authority (RTA) in Metro Detroit. If you want us to approve the QLINE, which you’re saying is going to be the spark for a regional system, let’s actually create a RTA that could administer it.”
So in 2012, before the QLINE broke ground, we worked together with the governor — and the Feds were big champions of this — to create the RTA. There were literally dozens and dozens of failed attempts over decades to create a regional authority, because of divisions between the different jurisdictions. Fast forward to 2016, and the backers of the QLINE led an effort, with community input, to develop a regional transit plan that would finally fund a regional system. It would have had rapid transit to Pontiac, rapid transit on Michigan Avenue out to Detroit Metro Airport. With support from the Kresge Foundation, Roger Penske, Dan Gilbert and others, it went on the ballot in 2016 and it lost by half-a-percent. And here we are, nine years later, and we still have not solved the issue of regional rapid transit.
Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: What is the reason these ballot proposals failed? Why has there been opposition to it?
JF: I’ll be very candid with you. One of the realities of our region is that it’s diverse. The closer you are to the urban core, the more supportive of transit you are. But as you get into more rural areas, north Oakland County, north Macomb County, northwest Wayne County, they’re less oriented to transit. When Donald Trump won the election in 2016, he won by turning out a lot of the voters in those communities. And on the Democratic side, Hillary underperformed in the more urbanized areas. So the God’s honest true story about what happened in 2016 is that it was less about transit specifically and more about how the top of the ticket influenced everything on the ballot, including the transit referendum. And when there were attempts to go through the legislature to get it on the ballot in a different form, a narrower, more Coalition of the Willing kind of thing, the legislative majority at that time didn’t want to stick their necks out.
QK: You mentioned the diversity of the region. I’ve heard people bring up racism as an issue in transit. Do you think racism plays any part in all of this?
JF: I don’t think that is the fundamental issue. For example, all of Macomb County votes for SMART, the suburban bus system. And that runs lines in and out of Detroit through Macomb. One of the biggest recent wins for transit, in 2022, was when Oakland County got rid of this “Swiss cheese” thing they had forever, where some communities were part of SMART and others said no to transit. Oakland County voted overwhelmingly for the whole county to be part of SMART. So I don’t think, if you’re trying to look at it analytically, they would say, “We don’t want those people coming here,” as what’s going on. I think the issue with regional transit is whether certain rural voters feel it’s worth it. Do I support investing my tax dollars in this? By the way, for the record, a lot of specialized transit has been developed over the last eight years to meet the needs of rural communities in a more tailored way.
QK: So here we are now, in 2025. What’s your view of where regional transit is in the metro Detroit area? And where do you see the likelihood of it going in the future?
JF: Recently, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said he was going to try to end the Swiss cheese there, where certain communities opted-out and busses aren’t allowed to travel. They don’t participate in funding the Wayne County part of the network. Warren Evans has said they’re going to go to the ballot, in hopes that Wayne County voters pass it just like Oakland County voters did. So that’s progress. But what it’s not is the kind of modern rapid transit you see in your dynamic cities, your big cities, your great cities.
So, what’s the next step? Should we work together to really focus on one major rapid transit investment? For example, doing rapid transit up Woodward all the way to Pontiac, where Oakland County is investing so much into a new county campus and there’s other investment happening. Should we do one thing that is really, really significant? That comes full circle, right back to the QLINE. It’s successful, exceeding expectations as it carries one million or more people a year. It did its part. And now the question is, if resources become available, do we try to do a newer version of this movie, where we make a significant regional investment with the strategy that we can then use that to try to catalyze something even broader.
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Note: Events are subject to change; check with venues for updates. Tickets on sale at 313Presents.com, LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com or the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena.
Beats
• Outlaw Music Festival: 4 p.m. June 20, Pine Knob Music Theatre, Independence Twp., with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Trampled by Turtles and Myron Elkins, lineup subject to change, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• Sunflower Bean: 8 p.m. June 20, Third Man Records, 441 W Canfield St, Detroit, https://thirdmanrecords.com/pages/events, $21.33.
• Cris Jacobs: 8 p.m. June 20, The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, with Lost Mary, https://theark.org, doors at 7:30 p.m., $29-$40+.
• Toby Keith and Chris Stapleton tribute bands: 7-10 p.m. June 20, Wildwood Amphitheater, 2700 Joslyn Ct., Orion Twp., orion.events, bring lawn chairs or blankets for general admission, $20+.
• jae skeese: 7 p.m. June 20, El Club Detroit, 4114 W. Vernor Hwy., https://elclubdetroit.com, $33.99.
• Barnaby Bright: 8 p.m. June 20, at 20 Front Street, Lake Orion, with his Virginia Choir and Nate Currin, 248-783-7105, www.20frontstreet.com, doors at 7:30 p.m., $24.79.
• The Pretenders Tribute: 8 p.m. June 20, The Roxy, 401 Walnut Blvd., Rochester, 248-453-5285, doors at 7 p.m., ages 21+, www.theroxyrochester.com, $25+.
• Maddie & Tae: June 20, District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte, with Audrey Ray, doors at 7 p.m., ages 21+, district142live.com, $46.79 – $67.39+.
• Flock of Seagulls: June 21, The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Detroit, www.thearetha.com, ticket prices vary.
• Simple Minds: 7 p.m. June 21, Pine Knob Music Theatre, Independence Twp., with Soft Cell and Modern English, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras: June 21, District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte, with Tom Schwartz, doors at 7 p.m., ages 21+, district142live.com, $33.40-$84.90+.
• The Ban-Joes of Michigan: June 21, at SALT Church, 5475 Livernois, Troy, as part of a fundraiser for Isaac Williams, who serves as a self-funded missionary in the Czech Republic. The event starts at noon with snacks, fellowship, and a video from Isaac, a performance from 12:30-1:30 p.m., free admission, free will offering, call 248-879-6400 to reserve seats.
• City Lights Chorus Concert: 7 p.m. June 21, at Hilltop Church, 21260 Haggerty Road, Northville, www.citylightschorus.com, $20+.
• Miles & Mafale Acoustic Duo: 8 p.m. June 21, Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile, Livonia, www.trinityhousetheatre.org.
• Major Dudes, Steely Dan tribute: 8 p.m. June 21, Younger’s Showroom, 120 S. Main, Romeo, doors at 7 p.m., ages 21+, www.youngersromeo.com, $30+.
• Keith Urban: June 22, Pine Knob Music Theatre, Independence Twp.with Chase Matthew, Alana Springsteen and Karley Scott Collins, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• Lil Baby: 7 p.m. June 22, LCA With Rob49, Loe Shimmy and Pluto,, lineup is subject to change,
• Less Than Jake: June 22, Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. 4th St. Royal Oak, with the Suicide Machines, www.royaloakmusictheatre.com, 248-399-3065, ticket prices vary.
• Lauren Sanderson, Emeryld: June 22, The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-820-5596, thelovingtouchferndale.com, all ages, doors at 7 p.m., $29.58+.
Concerts in the Park
• Summer Concerts in the Park: 6-9 p.m. Thursdays June 5-June 26, Hess-Hathaway Park, 825 S. Williams Lake Road, Waterford Twp., bring lawn chairs or blankets, food vendors, activities, https://waterfordchamber.org, free admission.
• Music in The Park: 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays June 19-July 31, Rochester Municipal Park, 400 6th St., Rochester, www.facebook.com/musicintheparkdowntownrochester, free admission, bring a blanket or lawn chairs, food truck vendor.
• Oxford Summer Concert Series: downtown Oxford Concerts in the Park: 6:30-8 p.m. Thursdays June 19-Aug. 14, (no concert on July 3), Centennial Park on Lapeer Road, downtown Oxford, https://downtownoxford.info/events/oxfords-summer-concert-series.
• Music Series in Dinan Park: Thursdays, June 5-Aug. 28, (no concert July 17 during Farmington Founders Festival) Dinan Park, downtown Farmington, www.downtownfarmington.org.
• Rhythms in Riley Park: 7-9 p.m. Fridays June 13-Aug. 29 (no concert July 18), Riley Park, downtown Farmington, www.downtownfarmington.org.
• Concerts in the Park: 6-9 p.m. Fridays, June 20 to July 18, (no concert on July 4), Depot Park, 375 Depot Road, Clarkston, concessions, https://clarkston.org/events/concerts-in-the-park.
• Royal Oak Live: 1:30-8 p.m. June 21-22, Smooth Grooves, lineup of several musicians, both days, Centennial Commons Park, 204 S. Troy St. Royal Oak, bring lawn chairs or blankets, food trucks, royaloakchamber.com/royal-oak-live, free admission.
• Summer Concert Series: 6:30-9 p.m. Sundays May 25-Sept. 1, Lake St. Clair Metropark, Thomas Welsh Activity Center, Harrison Twp. Metroparks vehicle pass required to enter.
• Concerts in the Park: 7 p.m. June 24 at Burton Park; July 4 and Tuesdays, July 8-29, at Scotia Park, Huntington Woods, www.facebook.com/HWPR1.
Festivals
• Ann Arbor Summer Festival: June 13-29, at University of Michigan’s campus, 915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor, www.a2sf.org. Squonk-Brouhaha opera is 5:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. June 20-21 and 4:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. June 22. Matt Sandbank ”Still Life” nonverbal shadow puppetry stories, is 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. June 27-June 29, free event.
• Bay-Rama Fishfly Festival: June 18-22, downtown New Baltimore, www.bay-rama.com, fireworks at dusk, June 19, Walter & Mary Burke Park, parade at 1 p.m. June 22.
• Lions Club Jubilee: June 19-22, carnival, Lions Club Beer Tent with live music is 6 p.m.-midnight, June 20 and June 21, the corner of Flint and Broadway, 37 E Flint St. Lake Orion, https://skerbeck.com/events/219.
• Novi Fine Art Fair: June 20-22, outdoor juried event, music, children’s activities, food trucks, at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk, admission to the art fair is $5 for adults, free for ages 12 and under, www.NoviFineArtFair.com, parking is free.
• Summer Solstice Celebration: 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 21, Farmington Hills Nature Center in Heritage Park, hayrides, campfire, games and crafts, $8 each.
• Summer Solstice Celebration: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 21, Cranbrook Art Museum & Cranbrook Institute of Science, https://cranbrookartmuseum.org/events/summer-solstice-celebration-2025. Tickets in advance are $12 for general admission and $10 for members, with on-site tickets available for $15.
• Downtown Rochester Makers’ Market: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 21, at W. Fourth Street in downtown Rochester. Artisan vendors, makers, and handmade crafters, downtownrochestermi.com.
• Strawberry Festival: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. June 21-22, Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill, 17985 Armada Center Road, Armada, 586-784-5343, https://blakefarms.com. fresh U-pick strawberries, live entertainment, strawberry-themed food and drinks, and special seasonal offerings. On Saturday, line dancing, and then a fireworks show at dusk. Admission is free.
• Detroit Fireworks: June 23, over the Detroit River at 9:56pm Hart Plaza, Detroit, https://theparade.org.
• Festival of the Hills: June 25, Borden Park, 1400 E. Hamlin Road, Rochester Hills. Entertainment starts at 6 p.m., fireworks at 10:05 p.m., no alcohol, no pets, no other fireworks, (rainout date is July 9), https://rochesterhills.org/foth.
• Lite the Night Fireworks: 6-10 p.m. June 26, Sibley Square Park, 48900 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, live music, beer and wine tent, food trucks, children’s activities, fireworks at 10 p.m. www.wixomgov.org.
• Taylor Summer Festival: June 26-29, Heritage Park, 12111 Pardee Road, Taylor, live music, carnival rides and fireworks, Hinder and Sebastian Bach take the stage June 27, at the Sheridan Center Open Air Pavilion, ticket prices vary, fireworks display at dusk June 28, taylorfestival.com.
• Salute to America: 5-10 p.m. July 2-5, Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, performance by Detroit Symphony Orchestra at 8:30 p.m., military fife and drum parade, food, craft beer, performance of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” with cannon fire, fireworks, www.thehenryford.org, ticket prices vary. Greenfield Village will close at 3 p.m. for general admission during Salute to America event days.
Juneteenth celebrations
• Juneteenth Concert-Da’Ja: 7 p.m. June 19, at The Hawk Theatre Mainstage, 29995 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, tickets are free and must be reserved in advance at TheHawkTheatre.com.
• Juneteenth celebration: June 19, Greenfield Village, Dearborn, watch cooking demonstrations from African American cookbooks, visit A Taste of History restaurant, live music, activities, Black-Owned Business Day in Detroit Central Market, www.thehenryford.org, ticket prices vary.
• Free admission to Cranbrook Art Museum: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. June 19, Juneteenth Day, at Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, free for all on Juneteenth as a part of Free Thursdays. Visit the lower level for FIKA Café and drop-in artmaking activities for all ages, https://cranbrookartmuseum.org/events/juneteenth-free-gallery-admission-2025, 248-645-3323. Cranbrook on the Green Mini Golf will be regular price.
• Juneteenth at the Detroit Historical Museum: June 19, The Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit, will be open for personal exploration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and “The Moral and Social Scope of Juneteenth,” educational program is noon-1 p.m., participation is free with registration, detroithistorical.org.
• “Liberation Link Up”: June 20, live music and grant competition where attendees vote to award $6,000 to local Black-owned businesses and nonprofits, cigar lounge, appetizer stations, hosted by Black Leaders Detroit, www.blackleadersdetroit.org, $28.52+.
• Juneteenth Jubilee Detroit: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 21, at Valade Park, 2670 Atwater St., Detroit, with a Liberation Run, community fair, health screenings, yoga, music, and a battle of the bands, hosted by Black Leaders Detroit, www.blackleadersdetroit.org, free admission.
• Juneteenth Open Mic Event: 1-4 p.m. June 21 at the Southfield Library outside on the Front Lawn (or inside the Meeting Room in case of inclement weather). The community will be invited to present original spoken word done solo, in duets or trios, food, vendors, preregistration on the Library website is recommended to perform, and walk-in performances will be welcome if time permits. Content should be PG-13. Register at https://southfieldlibrary.org/calendar-of-events/#/events/QIY5wJfdKi/instances/3IHfEAGdn2.
Theater
• Summer Theatre Arts Camp: Session 1 is 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 16-20 and Session 2 is June 23-27, at The Studios, 11 Washington St., Monroe, for young performers who’ve completed 1st grade+, River Raisin Centre for the Arts, register at 734-242-RRCA, www.riverraisincentre.org.
• “Shear Madness”: Through June 22, Meadow Brook Theatre, on the campus of Oakland University, 248-377-3300, www.mbtheatre.com, ticket prices vary.
• “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”: Through June 22, Baldwin Theatre, 415 South Lafayette, Royal Oak, presented by stagecrafterstickets are $35 plus $3 fee (Fri., Sat,. Sun.); $25 plus $3 fee (Thurs.) www.stagecrafters.org, 248-541-6430.
• “Jorge Luis Borges Gives a Lecture on Anatomy”: A play with music is through June 29, Theatre NOVA, 410 W Huron St, Ann Arbor, www.theatrenova.org, general admission-$30, students-$15.
Art
• Farmington Hills Seeks Artist Submissions: The City of Farmington Hills Cultural Arts Division seeks artists for the 2025-2027 Public Art Program to showcase their work at two locations: The Hawk, the City’s recreation and arts venue, and Farmington Hills City Hall. Applications can be submitted at tinyurl.com/FHPublicArt25. Artists are not required to live in Farmington Hills.
• Drop-in Workshop: Watercolor Postcards is 6-8:30 p.m. June 20, noon-4 p.m. June 21-22, Detroit Institute of Arts, Art-Making Studio, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, www.dia.org.
Eventually Everything Connects: Mid-Century Modern Design in the US exhibit through Sept. 21, Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://cranbrookartmuseum.org. Book launch and panel discussion is 6 p.m. June 26, celebrating the launch of “Eventually Everything Connects-Mid-Century Modern Design in the US,” the exhibition catalog published by Phaidon to accompany the landmark exhibition of the same name. The book signing is at 6 p.m., and the panel discussion will begin at 6:30 p.m., free event.
• Mini-Golf at Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://cranbrookartmuseum.org/events/mini-golf-fathers-day-2025-copy, 248-645-3323, to receive a complimentary ticket, purchase all tickets together, includes admission to the art museum.
• Inside|Out Art: Detroit Institute of Arts docent will give a talk, 6:30 p.m. June 25, Springfield Township Library, 12000 Davisburg Road, Davisburg, register at www.springfield.michlibrary.org, 248-846-6550. Ten installations of DIA reproduction artwork have been placed around the township.
• Magical Mural Tour: Call for artists to create art for pop-up murals on display Sept. 1-30, downtown Rochester, Entries open through July 7, at www.downtownrochestermi.com/magical-mural-tour.
• Call for Youth Artists: Grades K-8 or ages 5-13 for Orchard Lake Fine Art Show by Hot Works in West Bloomfield Twp. (Show is July 26-27). Deadline to apply is July 10, https://hotworks.org/kids.
• Orchard Lake Fine Art Show: July 26-27 West Bloomfield Twp. Those interested in being part of the show, should contact Patty Narozny at 248-762-2462 or patty@hotworks.org, https://hotworks.org.
• “The Sea and the Sky”: The Sea and the Sky, and You and I” exhibit through Aug. 30, the Shepherd, 1265 Parkview St., Detroit, lscgallery.com, open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.
• Floral Whispers: Through September, Strand Art Gallery, Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac, www.flagstarstrand.com. Hours are noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Guests of Honor: “Armor as Fashion” is through April 26, 2026, Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, https://dia.org.
• University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 South State St., Ann Arbor, 734-764-0395, umma.umich.edu, ticket prices vary.
Beats, continued
• Betty Who: 7 p.m. June 23, Saint Andrews Hall, 431 E Congress St., Detroit, www.saintandrewsdetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• Ryan Adams: 7 p.m. June 24, The Fillmore Detroit, www.thefillmoredetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• Kennebec Avenue: 7-11 p.m. June 25, Stray Cat Lounge, 40813 Garfield Road, Clinton Twp., https://kennebecjazz.com.
• Dispatch: 6 p.m. June 26, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Rochester Hills, with John Butler, G. Love & Special Sauce, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Illiterate Light, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: 8 p.m. June 26, Fox Theatre, Detroit, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
• 2025 Michigan Notable Books Author Tour: Through June at Michigan libraries, michigan.gov/notablebooks.
Classical/Orchestra
• Symphony by the Shores: 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays, June 24 (Brass Quintet) through July 29, at Lake St. Clair Metropark, Thomas Welsh Activity Center, Harrison Twp. Bring blanket or chairs, concessions will be open during the concerts. If the event is canceled due to inclement weather, it will be posted on social media and the website. Metroparks pass is required.
• Michigan Philharmonic: “An American Salute” is 7 p.m. June 28, Kellogg Park, Plymouth, free concert. Raffle fundraiser tickets for a river cruise in France, winner to be announced at the concert, www.michiganphil.org.
• Chris Thile with the DSO: June 26, mandolinist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dso.org, $39+.
• Music in the Park: 10:30 a.m. June 20, June 27, July 11, July 18, and July 25, Spotlight Park, 5945 Linwood, Detroit. Workshop series featuring Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians, geared for students 10 and under and their families. Families must register at nwgoldbergcares.com/mitp.
Comedy
• Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle: Chris Porter-June 19-21; Natalie Cuomo and Dan Lamorte-June 22; Michael Longfellow-June 26-28; at 310 S. Troy St., Royal Oak, www.comedycastle.com, 248-542-9900, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.
• One Night Stans: Steve Lind-June 19-21; Rocky LaPorte-June 26-28; at 4761 Highland Road, Waterford Twp., www.onenightstans.club, 248-249-1321, ages 18+, ticket prices vary.
• Ahmed Albasheer: 8 p.m. June 27, The Fillmore Detroit, www.thefillmoredetroit.com, ticket prices vary.
• Fred Armisen: June 28, Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. 4th St. Royal Oak, www.royaloakmusictheatre.com, 248-399-3065, ticket prices vary.
Film
• Smurfs meet and greet: In honor of the new film, “Smurfs”, Smurfette and No Name will be meeting and greeting fans, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 24 at Emagine Novi; 6-8 p.m. June 24 at Campus Martius Park in Detroit, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 25 at Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak and 4-8 p.m. June 25 at MJR Marketplace in Sterling Heights, Papa Smurf is also set to appear at the Campus Martius Park and the Detroit Zoo events.
• Popcorn and Pistons: Family Movie Night featuring “Smokey and the Bandit” is 7-10 p.m. June 27, and “My Cousin Vinny” is 7-10 p.m. July 25, at Pontiac Transportation Museum, 250 W Pike St., Pontiac, pontiactransportationmuseum.org, www.facebook.com/pontiactransportationmuseum, 248 977 4410, free to members, non-members-$10+ general admission.
• AMC Theatres: AMC Forum Sterling Heights, 586-254-1381; AMC Star Gratiot Clinton Township, 586-791-2095; AMC Star Great Lakes Auburn Hills, 248-454-0314; AMC Star John R Madison Heights, 248-585-4477, amctheatres.com.
• Cinemark Southland Center, Taylor, 734-287-0629, www.cinemark.com/theatres.
• Detroit Film Theatre at Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, dia.org, ticket prices vary.
• Emagine Theatres: Birmingham 8, 248-723-6230; Emagine Palladium in Birmingham, 248-385-0500; Canton, 734-787-3002; The Riviera in Farmington Hills, 248-788-6572; Hartland, 810-207-5757; Macomb, 586-372-3456; Novi, 248-468-2990; Rochester Hills, 248-378-2991; Royal Oak, 248-414-1000, emagine-entertainment.com. Open caption showtimes are Sunday and Wednesday afternoons throughout April at select Emagine Theatres, ticket prices vary. $3 Animated Adventures during summer kids’ movie series all summer, featuring a different animated film each week, tickets are $3 each
• Farmington Civic Theater: 33332 Grand River Ave., Farmington, www.theFCT.com.
• Food Truck Mondays: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Mondays, May -August, Beverly Park, 18801 Beverly Road, Beverly Hills, www.villagebeverlyhills.com/department/beverly_park_events.php.
• Food Truck Wednesdays: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays June 18-Aug. 20, BCTV Studio Parking Lot, 4190 Dublin Drive, Bloomfield Twp., www.bloomfieldtwp.org/foodtruck.
• Downtown Street Eats: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, through Oct. 10, bringing more than 80 of Metro Detroit’s best food trucks and restaurants to Cadillac Square and the Woodward Esplanade, DowntownDetroit.org/events.
Fundraisers
• 90th Anniversary Celebration: June 22, anniversary celebration for Council Re|Sale Store, fashion show and fundraiser for National Council of Jewish Women, at 2.30 p.m. June 22, at Temple Emanu-El (14450 W. 10 Mile Road, Oak Park, tickets are $18 at ncjwmi.org.
• Shimmer on the River fundraiser: June 26 at Valade Park, 2670 Atwater St. along the East Riverfront in downtown Detroit. live music, food trucks, kids dance party, Riverfront Boardwalk, Adventure Park, presented by The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, tickets are $150 each and include access to the main event from 6 to 9 p.m., a strolling dinner and refreshments, live entertainment, prizes, games and free admission for up to two children 12 and under, detroitriverfront.org/Shimmer.
• The Furniture Bank of Metro Detroit is hosting “Furniture Flip Challenge,” calling all do-it-yourselfers, to stop by its Pontiac warehouse, 333 North Perry St., through July 31, to select an old table or other home furnishing, and transform it. The contest will culminate at “Furniture Flip Bash” fundraiser Sept. 4 at The Village Club in Bloomfield Hills featuring Hilary Farr, international interior designer and popular star of HGTV’s “Love It or List It.” The upcycled furniture pieces will be auctioned to raise funds for the The Furniture Bank nonprofit, www.furniture-bank.org.
Misc.
• MotorCity Cage Night XXI- MMA: 7 p.m. June 21, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, Detroit, 313presents.com, ticket prices vary.
Museums
• Hammond Planetarium at Henry Ford College, in the Science Building, www.hfcc.edu/campus-life/planetarium.
• Ford Piquette Plant Museum: 461 Piquette Ave, Detroit. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10-$18. Optional guided tours take place daily at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., www.fordpiquetteplant.org, 313-872-8759. Cars & Coffee events are 8:30 to 10 a.m. second Saturdays in June, July and August. Antique and classic vehicles are welcome in the museum’s parking lot, coffee and donuts while supplies last. Trailer parking is available with an RSVP to info@fordpiquetteplant.org.
• Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci): 5020 John R St., Detroit, 313-577-8400, www.mi-sci.org. Regular museum gen. adm. is $17+. Standard Mi-Sci films are available as a $6 add-on to general admission tickets. Mi-Sci is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday and until 8 p.m. the first Friday of each month. Kids Town exhibit provides a tinkering space for children 5 and under to explore creativity as part of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) concepts – while under the supervision of parents and caregivers. Michigan Science Center’s (Mi-Sci) summer Spark! Camps for students entering K-5th grade are open for registration. The science camps run from June 23 – Aug. 15, register at www.mi-sci.org/learn/families/camps.
• Cranbrook Institute of Science, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, https://science.cranbrook.edu. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, and noon-4 p.m. Sunday.$14-general admission, $10.50-ages 2-12 and ages 65+, free for ages under 2 and members.
• Troy Historic Village: 60 W. Wattles Road, Troy. Register online to reserve a timeslot at www.TroyHistoricVillage.org. Walk-ins are also welcome. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free to members, $7/Adult, $5/Senior, $5/Youth 6-17 for non-members, free for ages under 6.
• Meadow Brook Hall: Guided House Tours and Self-Guided Tours, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester. Visit meadowbrookhall.org/tours for tour times and ticket prices.
• The Rochester Hills Museum: Open for drop-in hours, Fridays and Saturdays, from noon-3 p.m. with guided tours of the Van Hoosen Farmhouse and Red House, starting at 1 p.m., 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills, www.rochesterhills.org/musprograms.
• Detroit Arsenal of Democracy Museum: Seeks volunteer groups from veteran and military groups to assist with restoration. The museum is also seeking building materials and equipment to support the ongoing restoration of its vintage industrial space at 19144 Glendale Ave., Detroit, including floor grinders, clear epoxy and Thinset products for floor repairs, www.detroitarsenalofdemocracy.org.
• Detroit Historical Museum: 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, detroithistorical.org. Permanent exhibits include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of Culture, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,” the Gallery of Innovation, Frontiers to Factories, America’s Motor City and The Glancy Trains, regular museum general admission is $10. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. “Detroit Lions: Gridiron Heroes,” exhibition featuring the history of the Detroit Lions, detroithistorical.org.
• Heroes vs. Villains: Detroit’s Comic Book Story exhibit through May 2026, Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, detroithistorical.org.
• A River’s Rejuvenation: The Fish Story of Detroit is through mid-summer, at Dossin Great Lakes Museum, 100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle, Detroit. Designed as a traveling installation, it will also be displayed at the Belle Isle Nature Center and the Belle Isle Aquarium throughout the summer, detroithistorical.org.
• Ford House: Historic home of Eleanor and Edsel Ford, 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, www.fordhouse.org, 313-884-4222, www.fordhouse.org/events.
• Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society: Open 1st/2nd/4th/5th Sundays of the month and 3rd Fridays, 1-4 pm, (holidays excluded) with exhibits including “Four Communities” exhibit at The Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road, Orchard Lake. Admission is free, donations welcome, www.gwbhs.org, 248-757-2451.
• The Henry Ford Museum: The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, Ford Rouge Factory Tours Monday-Saturday, purchase tickets online, prices vary, thehenryford.org.
• Monroe County Museum: 126 S Monroe St., Monroe, monroemi.gov, facebook.com/MonroeMuseums. Museum admission and activities are free and open to the public.
• Motown Museum: 2648 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, motownmuseum.org, 313-875-2264. “Henry ‘Hank’ Cosby: An Original Funk Brother” is a newly opened exhibit. Museum is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Sun., gen. admission-$20, ages 4 and under admitted free. Mile, Pushin’ Culture Forward, outdoor exhibit shows the enduring intergenerational influence of Motown on music and society. The installation’s eight panels can be viewed while walking down the Riverwalk and runs through Nov. 14.
• Pontiac Transportation Museum: 250 W. Pike St., Pontiac. Admission to the museum is $15, $12 for seniors and veterans, $8 for children ages 6-12, free for children ages 5 and younger, 50% off for Pontiac residents with ID. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, www.pontiactransportationmuseum.org. First Thursday Lecture Series is 7-8:30 p.m., first Thursday of the month, free.
• Royal Oak Historical Society Museum: Hours are 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 1411 W. Webster Road, Royal Oak, royaloakhistoricalsociety.com, 248-439-1501, $10+ suggested donation. The Underground Railroad in Oakland County traveling exhibit. Royal Oak Historical Society Speaker Series by local historian and Executive Director of Selfridge Military Air Museum, Steve Mrozek.
• Westin Book Cadillac at 100 Exhibition: Westin Book Cadillac, 1114 Washington Blvd., Detroit, presented with Detroit Historical Society, exhibit explores the 100-year history of the Book Cadillac hotel, https://detroithistorical.org.
• The Wright: The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit, 313-494-5800, open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and open until 7 p.m. on Thursday, closed on Mondays, reserve timed tickets at thewright.org, $30+ gen adm., $20 for seniors 62+, $15 for youth, ages 5-17, free for under 5. Bank of America and The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History are partnering to provide free admission to all museum visitors on the second Sunday of the month.
• The Zekelman Holocaust Center: 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, $10 per person or free with membership, www.holocaustcenter.org, 248-553-2400.
To submit an event, email to kblake@medianewsgroup.com. Allow two weeks’ notice for scheduled events.
Downtown Rochester Makers’ Market is June 21. (Photo courtesy of Rochester Downtown Development Authority)
Happy Juneteenth! This week, we’ve got even more ways to celebrate in Detroit, from parades and parties to genealogy workshops.
Plus, outdoor activities for the official start of summer, and a “y’all-inclusive” hoedown. Read on to learn more.
Juneteenth celebrations
The 15th Annual Juneteenth Community Festival in Detroit is on Thursday, June 19. The celebration starts with sunrise yoga at 6 a.m., followed by a community 5k at 9 a.m., a parade and car show down Woodward at 11 a.m., and a family festival in Avalon Village from 3–8 p.m. The festival will feature live entertainment, keynote speakers, a hair show and fun for all ages. For more information, visit juneteenthindetroit.com.
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is also celebrating Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19 with a wide range of activities. There will be a Juneteenth treasure hunt throughout the museum, art healing and unity workshops, a screening of “Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship,” cooking demonstrations, live music and dancing, and more. Festivities go from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and registration is required for some activities. To see the full lineup of events and learn more, visit thewright.org.
The Detroit Historical Museum is celebrating Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19 with a special educational program called, “The Moral and Social Scope of Juneteenth.” Starting at noon, this presentation features original poems, music and essays written by Detroit students, offering personal insights into the significance of Juneteenth. The museum will also be open for personal exploration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. so visitors can engage with the rich stories that shape our city’s past and present. Admission is free with registration. For more information, visit detroithistorical.org.
Detroit house DJs Father Dukes and Kindle are celebrating Juneteenth at UFO Bar on Thursday, June 19. “Who All Gone Be There” features DJ sets by André Moore b2b John Adams, Chuk Ezeanya, Sawn, Kesswa, Gulley, Ameera, John FM and Father Dukes b2b Kindle. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the event goes until 2 a.m. This event is 21+. For more information, visit ra.co.
On Wednesday, June 25, Wayne State University is hosting a Juneteenth genealogy discovery event called “Building Forward with Wisdom.” Led by historian, professional genealogist and Detroit native Carolyn Carter, Ph.D., participants will use digital tools and access historical records to explore their family roots and uncover the stories that shaped their lineage. The workshop takes place at Bernath Auditorium from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Admission is free with registration. For more information, visit events.wayne.edu.
On Saturday, June 21, head to the Old Miami for “Howdy Fest 4.” This “y’all-inclusive” event features queer line dancing led by Stud Country, live country music, a mechanical bull, BBQ and drag performances. The event goes from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and is 21+. Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door. For more information, visit their Eventbrite.
Outdoor activities
On Saturday, June 21, the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership is hosting its first-ever Summer Wine Stroll, a celebration of local food, wine and community. Guests will stroll through Greektown, enjoying curated wine samples and small bites from nearly a dozen participating restaurants and bars. Check-in starts at 11:30 p.m. and the event goes until 4 p.m. This event is 21+ and tickets are $39. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.
Also on Saturday, June 21, the Farmington Hills Nature Center is hosting a family-friendly Summer Solstice Celebration with hayrides, a campfire, and seasonal games and crafts in Heritage Park. The event runs from 6:30–8:30 p.m. and admission is $8. For more information, visit their website.
The annual Ford Fireworks return to Detroit on Monday, June 23. The show will take place over the Detroit River beginning at 10 p.m. Tickets for the Parade Company’s official Rooftop Party are sold out, but the show will be visible from plenty of other vantage points along the riverfront. For more information, visit theparade.org.
WDET’s second “What’s So Funny About Detroit?” comedy showcase of the summer is on Thursday, June 26. Hosted by In The Groove’s Ryan Patrick Hooper in the beautiful backyard of The Old Miami, this month’s comedians are Melanie Hearn, Tanya Vora, Andy Peters, Joey Aasim and Lee Ledbetter. There will be music by DJ Thornstryker in between sets and food and drinks will be available for purchase. Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and the event is 21+. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For more information, visit our events page.
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Today is Thursday, June 19, the 170th day of 2025. There are 195 days left in the year. This is Juneteenth.
Today in history:
On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over and that all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free — an event now celebrated nationwide as Juneteenth.
Also on this date:
In 1910, the first-ever Father’s Day in the United States was celebrated in Spokane, Washington. (President Richard Nixon would make Father’s Day a federally recognized annual observation through a proclamation in 1972.)
In 1953, Julius Rosenberg, 35, and his wife, Ethel, 37, convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York; they were the first American civilians to be executed for espionage.
In 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova completed her historic flight as the first woman in space, landing safely by parachute to conclude the Vostok 6 mission.
In 1964, the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved by the U.S. Senate, 73-27, after surviving a lengthy filibuster.
In 1975, former Chicago organized crime boss Sam Giancana was shot to death in the basement of his home in Oak Park, Illinois; the killing has never been solved.
In 1986, University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias, the first draft pick of the Boston Celtics two days earlier, suffered a fatal cocaine-induced seizure.
In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case Edwards v. Aguillard, struck down a Louisiana law requiring any public school teaching the theory of evolution to teach creation science as well.
Today’s Birthdays:
Hall of Fame auto racer Shirley Muldowney is 85.
Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is 80.
Author Tobias Wolff is 80.
Author Salman Rushdie is 78.
Actor Phylicia Rashad is 77.
Rock singer Ann Wilson (Heart) is 75.
Actor Kathleen Turner is 71.
Singer-choreographer-TV personality Paula Abdul is 63.
TV host Lara Spencer is 56.
Actor Jean Dujardin is 53.
Actor Robin Tunney is 53.
Basketball Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki is 47.
Actor Zoe Saldaña is 47.
Rapper Macklemore is 42.
Actor Paul Dano is 41.
This June 17, 2020, photo, shows a statue depicting a man holding the state law that made Juneteenth a state holiday in Galveston, Texas. The inscription on the statue reads “On June 19, 1865, at the close of the Civil War, U.S. Army General Gordon Granger issued an order in Galveston stating that the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was in effect. That event, later known as “Juneteenth,” marked the end of slavery in Texas. Celebrated as a day of freedom since then, Juneteenth grew into an international commemoration and in 1979 became an official Texas holiday through the efforts of State Representative Albert (AL) Edwards of Houston.” (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
South Lyon may have come up short to Saline in the Division 1 softball championship game last weekend, but fans in East Lansing witnessed all the same reasons first-year head coach Jerry Shippe has to be excited about his team next spring and beyond.
“Strong, strong,” Shippe responded when asked about the future of his team. “We’re going to be back again. We’ve got a lot of kids in our JV program, a lot of kids coming in, and the tradition’s just going to continue. I’m very excited about the future.”
Yes, three of the Lions’ handful of seniors were starters, but that leaves a number of key cogs who will keep the gears churning.
Included is the entirety of South Lyon’s pitching staff. Along with sophomore Emma Meyn and freshman Madison Rushlow, junior Havanna Bissett will be back to anchor the rotation after doing a more-than-admirable job of filling the shoes of Ava Bradshaw.
Bissett, who fanned 114 batters in her 104 frames of regular season work, only got better when the postseason hit. In 47 innings of playoff ball, she sported a 1.72 ERA and struck out 37 batters.
Shippe credited her for battling through some injuries, too, and expects her to be even better in her final season as a Lion.
“(Havanna’s) the MVP of this team,” Shippe said following the state final. “We gave her the ball from day one and said, ‘This is your circle, you go out there and take care of it.’ And she has. And she’s a competitor, too. She’s got an edge to her out there in the circle that you’re looking for as a coach.
“She’s kept us in and won more games for us than we probably even expected going into the season. I’m excited to see her in her senior year to see what she can do.”
Otherwise, first baseman Rylee Miller provided the most firepower for South Lyon in the title game, smashing three hits from the leadoff spot.
Oh, and she was just a freshman.
“I’ve known what she can do,” Shippe said of Miller, who is an outfielder first. “Once she got the opportunity and she was comfortable at first, we knew this was where we were going to go with it because we knew what kind of bat she had and what kind of athlete she is as a freshman. She’s resilient. Nothing phases that kid, which is unbelievable as a ninth-grader, and that’s what’s going to make her successful here for the next three years.”
South Lyon junior catcher Mady Furstenau gloves a ball behind the plate in the D1 title game against Saline on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Secchia Stadium. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)
Including the game against Saline, Miller batted .500 in 28 at-bats in South Lyon’s playoff run.
Asked what allowed her to perform on the state’s biggest stage, Miller replied, “I just think I’ve led off like my whole life with travel ball, so it’s just nothing new to me. I just wanted to make a statement because I didn’t really play much early in the season, so to leadoff in the more important games, it meant a lot to me and I just wanted to make a mark.”
Wherever she plays for South Lyon next year, she’ll be joined by several other hitters in the heart of the order, including Ella Glowacki, who will be a senior, and Isabella Bracali, another infielder, who has two years remaining.
Bracali and others also spoke about the importance of Shippe, promoted from his position as an assistant, and how the team’s familiarity with him helped the Lions return to Michigan State for another year.
“It was super important,” South Lyon senior Izzy Nooe said of the continuity it provided. “We knew the year was going to be a little bit different, but it wasn’t just going to be a ‘have fun’ year, and we meant business. I think we showed that by going even further than we did last year, and we had a coach that believed in us and all the girls. We rallied around him, and (the coaches) lifted us up.”
Added Bracali, “(It) was very important. He was a very big aspect of how we got as far as we did. He’s just been there for us all season and been our biggest supporter throughout everything, the wins and the losses.”
Nooe echoed Shippe’s excitement about the talent that will remain after she and her classmates have graduated.
“I think this program is going to be great for a while, and there’s no stopping these girls,” Nooe said. “The energy, the passion that they have and the practice that they put into it, you can really see it, and I’m so excited to see them keeping the program alive.”
South Lyon's Rylee Miller slaps a ball down the line during a 5-2 loss to Saline in the Division 1 final Saturday, June 14, 2025 in East Lansing. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)
The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in Fraser during the first batch of storms Wednesday, causing significant damage to homes and power lines.
The bulk of the damage occurred in the area of 14 Mile Road and Garfield, where mangled trampolines, power lines and tree branches littered yards, and shingles were ripped off homes.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below National Weather Service confirms tornado touched down in Fraser Watch Ryan Marshall's video reports on the clean-up below Clean-up underway after severe storms, tornado in Fraser Storm clean up after tornado touches down in Fraser
Multiple videos captured the tornado as it moved through the area, sending debris flying through the air and forcing residents to take shelter.
"A carport for a house went up in the air and it was flying through the air and I could see it and was like uh oh, time to go in the basement," Cody Potyczka said.
Potyczka is one of many residents in the neighborhood who saw the tornado approach and sought safety in their basements.
"My girlfriend came in and said 'hey, we have to go downstairs' and I said 'why' and she said 'we're having a tornado,'" Gaetano Rizzo said.
Rizzo's home suffered significant damage when a tree completely crushed the sun room at the back of his house. Repairs have been delayed due to safety concerns.
"We have a power line that's on the tree, so we haven't been able to touch it," Rizzo said.
Watch video from Devon Shelton in Fraser. Warning: Graphic language
Multiple DTE Energy crews have been working throughout the neighborhood to repair downed power lines damaged during the storm.
"There's trampolines in power lines, multiple trampolines just in the air stuck on something," Jacob Bondarek said.
Many neighbors came outside to assess the damage after the storm passed, with homes throughout the area left without power.
Watch video taken by a viewer in Macomb County below: WATCH: Viewer video taken during severe storms in Macomb County
For some residents like David Selbmann, the damage requires personal repairs before power can be restored.
"If I don't have this put back up and repaired, I won't have power until it's done," Selbmann said.
Despite the damage to his own property, Selbmann acknowledged others faced worse situations.
"We're lucky as you can see from over there they're not so lucky," he said.
Across the street, one home had approximately a quarter of its roof torn off. Multiple homes with damaged roofs were already being repaired by the afternoon.
"We redecked it, tarped everything," David Hall of Premier Roofing and Renovations said.
Hall and other workers rushed to patch up homes ahead of more rain expected overnight. The afternoon storms had already flooded roadways in nearby Clinton Township, requiring emergency services to perform a water rescue.
"It's my understanding there was a car off to the side of the road in a ditch and the occupant was unable to exit the vehicle and they had to get the fire department out to do a water rescue," Macomb County Emergency Manager Brandon Lewis said.
Despite the destruction, cleanup efforts in Fraser have been swift, with neighbors helping each other recover.
"It's just heartbreaking. I took a walk to see if anyone needed help, but it seems like most people got things under control at this point," Bondarek said.
The National Weather Service will continue surveying the damage and is expected to provide more specific details about the tornado by Thursday morning.
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.
Emergency workers pulled more bodies Wednesday from the rubble of a nine-story Kyiv apartment building demolished by a Russian missile, raising the death toll from the latest attack on the Ukrainian capital to 28.
The building in Kyivs Solomianskyi district took a direct hit and collapsed during the deadliest Russian attack on Kyiv this year. Authorities said that 23 of those killed were inside the building. The remaining five died elsewhere in the city.
Workers used cranes, excavators and their hands to clear more debris from the site, while sniffer dogs searched for buried victims. The blast blew out windows and doors in neighboring buildings in a wide radius of damage.
The attack overnight on Monday into Tuesday was part of a sweeping barrage as Russia once again sought to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. Russia fired more than 440 drones and 32 missiles in what Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was one of the biggest bombardments of the war, now in its fourth year.
At the same time, U.S.-led peace efforts have failed to grain traction. Also, Middle East tensions and U.S. trade tariffs have drawn world attention away from Ukraines pleas for more diplomatic and economic pressure to be placed on Russia.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said the attack clashed with the attempts by the administration of President Donald Trump to reach a settlement that will stop the fighting.
This senseless attack runs counter to President Trumps call to stop the killing and end the war, the embassy posted on social platform X.
Kyiv authorities declared Wednesday an official day of mourning. Mourners laid flowers on swings and slides at a playground across the street from the collapsed building. On Tuesday, a man had waited hours there for his 31-year-old sons body to be pulled from the rubble.
Psychologists from Ukraines emergency services provided counseling to survivors of the attack and to family members of those who died.
Some people are simply in a stupor, they simply cant move, Karyna Dovhal, one of the psychologists, told AP. People are waiting for their sons, brothers, uncles ... Everyone is waiting.
Valentin Hrynkov, a 64-year-old handyman in a local school who lived on the seventh floor of a connected building that did not collapse, said he and his wife woke up to the sound of explosions followed by a pause, and then another blast that rattled their own building.
He said his wife had shrapnel injuries in her back and his legs and feet were cut by broken glass. The damage trapped them in their apartment for around 30 minutes before rescue workers could free them, he said.
He felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and primal fear during the attack, he told The Associated Press.
I was especially scared to sleep last night, Hrynkov said. A car drives by and I cover my head. Its scary.
By dawn on Tuesday, residents of buildings in the densely populated neighborhood could be seen huddled in ground-floor entryways to seek shelter from the ongoing drone assault.
Drones were striking every few minutes within hundreds of meters of the building hit by the missile. The continuing attack forced firefighters and rescue teams to delay the rescue operation.
Relatives and friends of the destroyed buildings residents later gathered outside in shock, many crying and calling out names, hoping survivors might still be found beneath the rubble.
Michigan State Police are looking for who is responsible for shooting up at least four homes in Augusta Township Tuesday night. Some homes were shot nearly a dozen times.
MSP says this happened on Tuttle Hill Road in August Township and there are no injuries reported.
However, this happened between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., when families were winding down for the night and children were getting ready for bed.
I mean honestly, one of the bullets that went through the front window was like 2 inches to the left of where I normally sit when we watch TV," Amy Chmielewski, who was home when her home was shot up, said.
Chmielewski and her partner, Haze Blackburn, decided to take a break from their normal nightly routine of watching TV Tuesday evening and decided to put a puzzle together instead. It's a decision that may have saved their lives.
"Had we not been putting together the puzzle, it couldve been a totally different story," Chmielewski said.
At this time, MSP says they do not have anyone in custody and need the communitys help.
Despite the multiple bullet holes outside and inside Chmielewski and Blackburn's home, they are just glad everyone, including all their animals, are OK.
Their next door neighbor, Robin Kind, his wife and his three children were all unharmed as well.
Thank God that nobody got hurt," Kind said.
Despite the fact that everyone is safe, this community says they wont be sleeping as comfortably knowing the person or people that did this are still out there.
I just spoke to a neighbor who stopped by and she said shes putting her kids in the basement tonight," Chmielewski said.
If you have any information or video that could help in this investigation, be sure to reach out to the MSP Brighton Post by calling 810-227-1051.
A Detroit man shot and killed himself after shooting and killing his girlfriend, according to police.
It happened late Tuesdat night in the 1800 block of Shaftesbury Avenue.
That's on the city's west side. The incident is being called "unexpected."
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Detroit police investigating murder-suicide
"It doesn't sound like there was any type of argument at all between the two, according to the family. They have not been arguing. There's hasn't been a history of domestic violence between the two," Cmdr. Rebecca McKay told reporters.
Detroit police said the couple, both in their 30s, lived in her mother's home on Shaftesbury.
Five people were home at the time, including the victim's mother and two of her three children.
The shooting happened in an upstairs bedroom.
"Sometimes, unfortunately, the first act of violence is the last act of violence," Jeni Hooper, interim director of First Steptold, told 7 News Detroit.
She said oftentimes, her organization will hear that no one saw a violent episode coming.
"And that might be because the survivor, and unfortunately in this case, the victim may not have shared any information with anybody or reached out or felt safe enough to," Hooper explained.
She said victims will often look for reasons why the abuser is doing what they're doing.
"We don't want to believe that the person that we love or has expressed that they love us would be willing to cause harm," Hooper said.
Investigators said the suspect in this case suffered from an undisclosed mental illness, which may or may not have been a factor.
"When someone is navigating some mental illness, there can be that overlap where there's some struggles, however, it's not what is causing the domestic violence," Hooper said.
Regardless of one's mental state, she said domestic violence is a choice. Another domestic violence incident in Detroit on Tuesday led a special response team to converge on a home on the east side. But police say that suspect is still on the run.
Watch our report about the special response team incident below: Officers searching for suspect in 'heinous acts' after hourslong standoff in Detroit
McKay said, "A lot of times, domestic violence that just starts with simple assault and battery leads to violence much worse that can ultimately lead to death if you don't seek help."
The commander urges survivors to call police.
"If you are a family member and you are aware of a loved one who's suffering from domestic violence, the worse thing you can do is turn your back on them. You have to stay vigilant and be there for them when they need you. It can be very frustrating at times, but you have to stay in their lives because when you turn your back, that's when the assailant wins," McKay said.
CHARLEVOIX – Lorenzo Pinili of Rochester Hills appears to have made Michigan Amateur Championship history at the place where much of the tournament’s history has been made, although a weather-suspended round must be completed before it becomes official.
The 20-year-old Michigan State University golfer and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice grad shot a course and tournament record 7-under-par 63 for a two-round tournament-record 130 total and has likely earned medalist honors in the stroke play portion of the 114th state championship presented by Carl’s Golfland Wednesday at Belvedere Golf Club.
Pinili played in the morning, however, before heavy rain and lightning forced a delay of just over two hours and finally a suspension of the round at 7 p.m. The round is scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
If Pinili remains in front through the completion of the round, he would be the No. 1 seed heading into the match play later Thursday. The medalist has their name added to the prestigious Chuck Kocsis Medalist Trophy.
A lot is yet to be determined, however. The 36-hole cut to the low 64 golfers must be decided before match play begins. Match play will continue through Saturday to determine the champion.
“It’s definitely a nice feeling to say I have a record and that I might be the medalist, just because I know this tournament is really prestigious in Michigan,” he said. “I still have my goal this week, though, to win the championship, and I know to do that in match play you have to take it one hole at a time, one shot at a time.”
PJ Maybank of Cheboygan at the University of Oklahoma, the co-leader with Pinili after the first round, shot 65 for 132 to stand second before the suspension of play. Defending champion McCoy Biagioli of White Lake and Michigan State shot 66 for 134.
Bryce Wheeler of Augusta and Grand Valley State was 2-under total through 14 holes of his round when play was suspended. He was the only other golfer under par besides Pinili, Maybank and Biagioli.
Pinili’s place in Michigan Amateur history should break down like this:
• The 63 is the lowest round in stroke play qualifying in history. It equals a 63 medalist Andrew Chapman of Traverse City shot in 2014 at Belvedere, but the course was played at a significantly reduced yardage and par due to flooding. The non-asterisk record for 18 holes during stroke play in the GAM records was 64 shot by Andy Ruthkoski of Muskegon in 2003, who was medalist that year.
• The 130 stroke play total is the best by one shot in tournament history eclipsing the 131 that Andrew Walker of Battle Creek shot at Country Club of Detroit in 2018.
Pinili’s place in Belvedere history, which includes 40 previous Michigan Amateur Championships, should break down like this:
• The 63 tops the course record 64 that Michigan golf legend Chuck Kocsis shot in 1962 during an October round at the club, and which was equaled by Ruthkoski in 2003 during the stroke play rounds of the Michigan Amateur.
• Emmett French in Aug. of 1929 first set the course record at Belvedere when he shot a 68 in the Great Lakes Open, a professional event created with star touring golfers by golf course architect and first professional William Watson.
• The very next year, in the Great Lakes Open once again, golf legend Walter Hagen shot 65 to set the new mark, which stood in place for 32 years before Kocsis’ 64.
Pinili’s round featured seven birdies and an eagle-3 (Belvedere’s No. 10 hole) against two bogeys. He was low amateur in last week’s Hall Financial Michigan Open at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire, and he admitted it has been a while since he consistently shot scores in red numbers.
“The last time I had a run like this was in high school,” he said. “I think a lot of it is momentum and confidence and just knowing I can pull off shots because I have been doing it the last couple of months. I’m trusting in myself and my swing.”
Pinili said solid decisions are leading to his good scores.
“I’m not allowing myself to make big numbers out there, which I think is key,” he said. “That doesn’t matter as much in match play, but I like match play a lot. It gives the underdog a chance to win a match that maybe they are not supposed to win. I just have to prepare to play against myself, and not as much against the other person so that I don’t get out of my game. I’ve played well enough to shoot 10-under so I think if I keep a level head, and just trust my game plan, I’ll have a good chance.”
Maybank made five consecutive birdies in his round of 65 and said he feels ready for match play, too.
“I had it going for a while and my game feels good,” he said. “Lorenzo shot a great round. We’ve been playing against each other for a long time. I feel great for him. It would have been nice to be No. 1 seed, but I’m playing well and now it’s match play. It should be fun.”
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice grad Lorenzo Pinili shot a course- and tournament-record 7-under-par 63 for a two-round tournament-record 130 total at the 114th Michigan Amateur tournament on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, but the record is not official until the round — which was suspended by rain — is completed. (Photo courtesy Golf Association of Michigan)
Tensions are escalating on the global stage as President Donald Trump has called for an "unconditional surrender" by Iran. This demand was swiftly rejected by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
During his campaign, President Trump promised to end conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and to avoid entering any new foreign wars. However, his rhetoric regarding the war with Iran and Israel has left Americans questioning the possibility of U.S. involvement.
Now in the sixth day of the conflict, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that U.S. involvement would lead to an all-out war, saying "America would suffer more than Iran possibly could."
President Trump stood firm on Wednesday, telling reporters on the South White House lawn, "Two very simple words, very simple, 'unconditional surrender.'"
Experts, however, say an unconditional surrender is highly unlikely.
"The Iranian political elite was forged in the experience of the revolution of 1979 and the brutal eight-year Iran-Iraq war against Saddam Hussein. Iran did not quit during that war, and the political elite are quite aware that they can withstand a lot more pressure than what they have seen so far," said Dr. Ariel Ahram a professor at Virginia Tech and editor of the Middle East Journal.
Sina Azodi, an assistant professor of Middle East politics at George Washington University, said the only time Iran signed an agreement of that kind was in August of 1945. Adding that negotiations are also unlikely while hostilities in the region continue.
The division is not only apparent on the global stage, but also within the Republican party. Azodi explained that there are two camps of Republicans - those who support Israel's government and those who don't want tax dollars spent on foreign wars.
"The Americans who voted for him did so because he twice ran on the campaign of first ending wars, ending perpetual wars in the Middle East, and also not starting any wars. He called himself the president of peace. The president of peace cannot start a war," said Azodi.
Republican leaders like Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott expressed support for ending Iran's nuclear program. As lawmakers signal support, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson blasted Sen. Ted Cruz on the issue, questioning his knowledge of the country he want to "topple."
Trump has remained vague on his intentions, but he wouldn't necessarily need congressional approval to engage the U.S. military.
"The War Powers Act grants the president a lot of latitude in making these types of military decisions. It would really be up to Congress to try and stop the president from doing these actions. Congress has the ability to do that, but so far there hasn't been much appetite for stopping Trump," said Ahram.
Ahram added that if congress were to act, they would have to act before Trump does. The scale of the conflict would become nearly impossible to rollback once the statutory limitations were reached.
"I think there are probably lots of Democrats who are in favor of the U.S. getting involved in this conflict as well," said Ahram.
"There's enormous risk this war can get larger, I think that there is a lot of chances of miscalculation, of mis-signals that could lead to escalations inadvertently," said Ahram.
The costs are already adding up. As Israel and Iran trade strikes, the death tolls are rising. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group claims more than 585 people have been killed in Iran, including 239 civilians.
Iran has fired 400 missiles and hundreds of drones killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds.
"Pregnant women have been killed, children have been killed, I personally know people who have been killed, their homes have been destroyed. So I think it must be mentioned that the toll on the civilian population has been high," said Azodi.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration has asked a federal judge to strike down a Kentucky regulation that it says unlawfully gives undocumented immigrants access to in-state college tuition.
The U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit says the regulation violates federal immigration law by enabling undocumented students to qualify for the lower tuition rate at Kentucky’s public colleges and universities, while American citizens from other states pay higher tuition to attend the same schools.
“Federal law prohibits aliens not lawfully present in the United States from getting in-state tuition benefits that are denied to out-of-state U.S. citizens. There are no exceptions,” the suit said.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a federal court in Kentucky, follows a similar action by Trump’s administration in another red state as part of its efforts to crack down on immigration.
A federal judge blocked a Texas law that had given college students without legal residency access to reduced in-state tuition. That order only applied to Texas but was seen as an opening for conservatives to challenge similar laws in two dozen states. Such laws were intended to help “Dreamers,” or young adults without legal status, to be eligible for in-state tuition if they meet certain residency criteria.
“The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to fighting in Kentucky to protect the rights of American citizens,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
The lawsuits in both states follow recent executive orders signed by Trump designed to stop any state or local laws or regulations the administration feels discriminate against legal residents.
The Texas suit listed the State of Texas as the defendant but did not name the state’s Republican governor as a defendant. The suit in Kentucky names Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear as one of the defendants.
The Kentucky regulation in question appears to have been issued by the state’s Council on Postsecondary Education before 2010, Beshear’s office said Wednesday in a statement that attempted to separate the governor from the legal fight.
Beshear — who was first elected governor in 2019 and is now in his second and last term due to term limits — is widely seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
Beshear spokeswoman Crystal Staley said the governor has no authority to alter the regulations of the education council, or CPE, and should not be a party to the lawsuit.
“Under Kentucky law, CPE is independent, has sole authority to determine student residency requirements for the purposes of in-state tuition and controls its own regulations,” Staley said in the statement.
Beshear in the past has denounced Trump’s anti-immigrant language as dangerous and dehumanizing and has called for a balanced approach on immigration: one that protects the nation’s borders but recognizes the role legal immigration plays in meeting business employment needs. Beshear has said he believes that “Dreamers” should be able to get full American citizenship.
A spokeswoman for CPE, another defendant in the Kentucky case, said Wednesday that its general counsel was reviewing the lawsuit and regulation but had no additional comments.
Kentucky’s Republican attorney general, Russell Coleman, said he has “serious concerns” that CPE’s policy violates federal law and said his office supports the Trump administration’s efforts.
A handful of Republican lawmakers in Kentucky tried to bring up the issue during this year’s legislative session but their bill made no headway in the GOP-supermajority legislature. The measure would have blocked immigrants in the state illegally from claiming Kentucky residency for the purpose of paying in-state tuition at a state college or university.
The Justice Department suit says the regulation is in “direct conflict” with federal law by allowing an undocumented student to qualify for reduced in-state tuition based on residence within the Bluegrass State, while denying that benefit to U.S. citizens who don’t meet Kentucky’s residency requirements.
Students from other states generally pay higher tuition rates than in-state students to attend Kentucky public colleges, the suit says. Exceptions exist when a reciprocity agreement with another state allows for reduced tuition rates for qualifying students from that other state, it said.
The regulation recognizes undocumented immigrants who graduated from Kentucky high schools as Kentucky residents in conflict with federal law, the suit says.
“It directly conflicts with federal immigration law’s prohibition on providing postsecondary education benefits — such as lower tuition rates — based on residency to aliens not lawfully present in the United States that are not available to all U.S. citizens regardless of residency,” the suit says.
FILE – The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a press conference with Attorney General Pam Bondi, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Justice Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, file)
DETROIT (AP) — The scheduled game between the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night was postponed due to the forecast for inclement weather.
Heavy rain hit the Detroit area early Wednesday afternoon, and with heavy storms expected during the evening, the game was called off about two hours before the scheduled first pitch.
The game will be played as a part of a split doubleheader on Thursday, with the first game scheduled for 1:10 p.m. and the second at 5:40 p.m.
Two of baseball’s top starting pitchers — Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes — are scheduled to pitch on Thursday, but will not face each other.
Skubal (7-2, 1.99 ERA) will face Pittsburgh left-hander Andrew Heaney (3-5, 3.33) in the first game. Skenes (4-6, 1.78) will go against a Tigers opener in the nightcap.
— By DAVE HOGG, The Associated Press
A tarp covers the Comerica Park field before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Mets, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Detroit. (CARLOS OSORIO — AP Photo, file)
The state of Michigan understands many businesses are facing uncertainty right now, so they're looking to the future by helping businesses get the support and funding they need.
I was at New Center Stamping in Detroit on Wednesday learning about a new program.
Watch the video report below: Boosting manufacturing in Michigan
It may have been around for a long time, but the New Center Stamping plant in Detroit helps make the parts on all your favorite cars. And today, its the staging ground for the official launch of MI Hub for Manufacturers, which connects businesses looking for help with providers and state resources.
Theres a lot of pressure on the automotive companies right now, both with tariffs and then also international competition. So, companies might also be considering, can I diversify? Aerospace, space, defense, those are all aspects of manufacturing that are growing exponentially, said Ingrid Tighe, the president of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center.
She told me the MI Hub for Manufacturers streamlines the process.
What we need to do is identify whos out there, whos doing well, who might need some assistance and how do we help those companies come along and either stay where they are or diversify or jump into new sectors, Tighe said.
Bobbie and Dominick Squires are the marketing director and the chief operating officer at Petronus Industries. They came to the launch event from Wixom.
We are a family business, a small manufacturer of prototypes, tooling, fixtures, a lot of customized precision work, Bobbie Squires said.
The program is also providing businesses with an opportunity to pivot to think about how they might want to change the nature of their business. Its something the Squires are thinking about.
I think we have to. And working within industries that we traditionally havent, whether thats more medical, EV. Defense is a huge area of opportunity for us, Bobbie Squires said. So to have free resources like this, its pretty significant for us, especially with the variety of options from succession planning to financing, to all the things as a small business we really need today.
Tom Aepelbacher, the president of New Center Stamping, told me he was happy to host the MI Hub for Manufacturers and hes glad to see the new innovations.
Momentum is now building again like it used to in the 80s where made in America is a big deal. And just to have it here at New Center Stamping and downtown Detroit, 106-year-old plant, I think it epitomizes what were trying to do for the state of Michigan and for Detroit, Aepelbacher said.
And does Michigan have an advantage?
Oh, for sure. Our resources are unbelievable here. We have more engineers coming out of school, we have more AI technology coming out right now, Aepelbacher said.
He sees the world is changing, but that doesnt change the pride he feels for Detroit.
We can reinvent ourselves. Right now, I make body sides, I make a bunch of panels, I make a bunch of automotive parts, Aepelbacher said. Somebody just approached me a little bit ago about making solar panel housings.
He says it seems like Michigan is moving toward aerospace.
We have the infrastructure, we have the people making automotive parts to standards that we have to have and aerospace parts that they have to have, pretty much the same.
The Oakland County road commission will decide on Monday whether to build a new $45 million administration building after months of delays and pressure from the county commission — or to renovate a 58-year-old building on the county’s campus for $55 million.
Last week, commissioners Eric McPherson and Jim Esshaki learned what it would take to renovate the county’s executive building and whether it could house Beverly Hills-based road commission employees close to those on the county campus in Waterford Township.
Architect Jane Graham of the engineering firm Hubbell Roth & Clark told commissioners that a renovation would neither accomplish goals of housing all staff in one place. She toured the building and was able to get some plans from previous renovations for her recommendations.
She said the 58-year-old executive building was last renovated in 2006 and was evaluated in 2022 by a county contractor.
While much of the executive building is in very nice condition, she said, its electrical and mechanical systems are old. Some wiring is nearly 60 years old while heating and cooling systems are close to 20 years old.
Contractors did “a heck of a job” replacing executive building equipment in 2006, she said, “but these things will wear out over time.”
The biggest obstacle to renovating the executive building are the elevators, which cannot be used to move large-format printers needed by the road commission.
Road Commission for Oakland County's Waterford Township offices in 2025. (Peg McNichol/MediaNews Group)
Renovating the executive building at 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township also won’t accomplish the road commission’s goals for increased space or to bring employees together in one place, she said.
The cost to renovate would be close to $55 million, she said, more than the cost for a new building.
And dropping the existing plan for a new building would incur substantial costs as well, she said, adding to the price tag for renovating the executive building.
Graham’s report shows the road commission has already spent more than $3.5 million for engineering, site preparation and other work at 2420 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township. There is also nearly $4.3 million more in expenses that have not yet been billed, and $2 million for a four-month construction delay.
The road commission could also be on the hook for millions more, should the contractor, Frank Rewold & Sons, or subcontractors sue for breach of contract.
McPherson and Esshaki asked few questions before agreeing to schedule a special meeting to decide which option to pursue before the deadline for a second delay expires on the same day.
Construction for the new building was put on hold in February at the request of County Commission Chairman Dave Woodward. He asked road commissioners to consider renovating the executive building because it will be vacant in two years when county officials move to Pontiac.
Proposed site for Road Commission for Oakland County's Waterford Township new administration office in 2025, near the existing office. The new building is meant for employees now working in Beverly Hills. (Peg McNichol/MediaNews Group)
Woodward suggested then that the executive building could also be used by county sheriff’s deputies, dispatchers and homeland security as an emergency response center.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard said past discussions fizzled about renovating an existing building or constructing a new one so dispatchers, deputies, the road commission’s traffic center and the county’s homeland security could share offices.
“Our current dispatch center and emergency operations center don’t meet any federal guidelines,” he said. “Quite frankly, they’re in a terrible building. It was built in the 1940s and has been retrofitted so many times you can’t count and literally has rats the size of small dogs.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency sets standards for emergency operations centers. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/frameworks/response
He said road commission officials were open to creating a shared space, but FEMA’s standards are very expensive to meet.
“It doesn’t make sense, in my opinion, for three different county entities to each build their own. So I offered to have (an emergency operations center) for all three together. The technology we have is state-of-the-art but the building it’s in is not and it doesn’t meet any standards for an emergency operations center,” Bouchard said, adding that the current location wouldn’t survive a major disaster, something that is essential for deputies, dispatchers and homeland security officials during a crisis.
A proper emergency center, Bouchard said, could withstand any extreme weather, including a tornado, so personnel can coordinate disaster response efforts throughout the county.
No part of the county’s executive building, including the basement meets disaster-resistant standards, Bouchard said,
Bouchard said he didn’t think plans for either the road commission’s proposed administration building or the water resources commission’s proposed $63 building met FEMA standards.
“I would love to talk to anyone about co-locating and sharing the costs and planning,” he said.
The road commission’s new building plan doesn’t include a FEMA-level emergency operations space, according to spokesman Craig Bryson.
The road commission’s special meeting is 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 23, at 31001 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills.
People who can’t attend in person but want to listen to the discussion can call (810) 337-8118 and use the meeting ID: 618 693 917#. People with hearing or speech disabilities who want to join the meeting should call 711. Road commission officials as attendees who wish to speak during public comment to fill out an online form at http://rcocweb.org/AgendaCenter.
Road construction near Road Commission for Oakland County's Waterford Township offices in 2025. (Peg McNichol/MediaNews Group)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The American flag has long flown from a pole on the White House roof, but that’s always been too small for President Donald Trump, who wants everything to be bigger and more beautiful.
On Wednesday, massive new flagpoles were erected on the North and South Lawns of the White House.
“It’s such a beautiful pole,” Trump said as workers used a crane to install the latest addition to the South Lawn. He returned to the same spot later in the day, saluting as the stars and stripes were hoisted for the first time.
The second pole, on the North Lawn, is close to Pennsylvania Avenue. The two poles are the most notable exterior modification to the White House since Trump returned to the presidency with grand ideas for remaking the building.
A newly installed flag pole stands on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump salutes as a flag is raised on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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A newly installed flag pole stands on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
He’s already updated the Oval Office, adding gold accents, more portraits and a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Workers have begun paving over the grass in the Rose Garden, and there are plans to construct a new ballroom somewhere on the White House grounds. The changes bring the iconic building more in line with Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida.
The president made time to watch one of the flagpole installations despite the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, plus questions of whether the U.S. would become directly involved.
“I love construction,” said Trump, who made his mark as a New York real estate developer. “I know it better than anybody.”
He talked about how the pole went down nine feet deep for stability, and the rope would be contained inside the cylinder, unlike the one at Mar-a-Lago. When the wind blows, “you hear that rope, banging.”
“This is the real deal,” he said. “This is the best you can get. There’s nothing like this.”
President Donald Trump speaks as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Smears of crusted goo plastered the grip tape Tim Harrison pulled off a tree in southern Monroe County.
They aren’t patches of mud. The streaks were the leftovers of egg masses left behind by spotted lanternflies, invasive insects working their way through lower Michigan and the Midwest.
This early into the summer, the hatchlings from these egg masses are small nymphs, black with white spots. They will soon grow larger, a centimeter in diameter, and turn bright red. They will eventually transform into large, showy insects with striking gray and red coloring.
And eventually, the bugs that are limited to a few sites in southeast Michigan will make their way throughout the Lower Peninsula.
“It’s just a matter of time,” said Harrison, a Michigan State University graduate student studying entomology.
The Lower Peninsula — particularly cities such as Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids — is a ripe breeding ground for spotted lanternflies, Harrison said. The places are littered with the bugs’ preferred food, an invasive, fast-growing and common tree called the tree of heaven.
Spotted lanternflies have become a sensational nuisance on the East Coast, where they were discovered in the Philadelphia area in 2014. They are prolific breeders and voracious. They suck the sap from trees and other woody plants, leaving behind a sweet, sticky excrement called honeydew that attracts insects, and can build up and mold.
Cities pursued public awareness campaigns encouraging people who encounter a lanternfly to “squish it.”
Spotted lanternflies are in 18 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They were first identified in Michigan in 2022 at a site in Pontiac. Since then, they have been seen in Monroe, Oakland, Wayne, Lenawee and Macomb counties.
Although annoying in high numbers, “they aren’t the end of the world,” Harrison said.
Unlike emerald ash borer and hemlock woolly adelgid, two other invasive insects in Michigan, spotted lanternflies don’t majorly affect the state’s forests or other ecosystems. They can damage vineyards and disturb outdoor gatherings, but they don’t threaten entire species.
“It’s a nuisance that we’re going to have to get used to because no matter what we do, they’re going to spread throughout lower Michigan,” he said.
‘Stinkweed,’ lanternflies’ favorite food
Spotted lanternflies’ spread through the United States depends on two things, Harrison said.
First is shipping. The bugs appear to have arrived on imported material from their native Asia. From there, they spread long distances along highways and railways radiating out from the Philadelphia area.
A spotted laternfly nymph, which is a sexually immature insect, climbs through the Whiteford Union Cemetery in Monroe County. The invasive insect appears to breed more successfully when it lays eggs on the invasive trees known as the trees of heaven compared with others. (Andy Morrison, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS)
Second is the tree of heaven, an invasive tree that was introduced to the U.S. by European colonists in the 1700s and then by immigrants on the West Coast more than a century later. It has since spread widely.
“You’ll never stop seeing it once you know what it looks like,” Harrison said. “Lansing’s loaded with it, Detroit’s loaded with it. Ann Arbor, especially, is particularly bad.”
Spotted lanternflies love the tree of heaven and appear to breed more successfully when they lay eggs on the invasive trees compared with others. Cities that have lots of it “can expect very heavy infestations if treatments aren’t done,” Harrison said.
Removing the tree of heaven is one of the key strategies cities and landowners can use to avoid the incoming deluge of spotted lanternfly, Harrison said.
It won’t be easy, said Deb McCullough, an MSU forest entomology professor. The trees are incredible breeders. She said a single tree of heaven can produce 300,000 seeds, which blow around, float down rivers and plant themselves. The trees also release new shoots when their trunks are cut, making them hard to kill.
“Removing it is a lot of work,” McCullough said. “Somebody has to be motivated.”
Spotted lanternfly larvae are surveyed in Monroe County. The insects love vineyards, but vineyard owners shouldn’t panic when they are spotted there, experts said. The lanternflies can be managed. (Andy Morrison, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS)
Tree of heaven is also challenging to identify, said Fai Foen, green infrastructure director for the nonprofit Greening of Detroit. It looks similar to a black walnut tree or sumac, but its leaves smell like rancid peanut butter when crushed, she said — that’s why some people refer to it as “stinkweed.”
The tree is common in unkempt areas, such as railway corridors.
Foen said the communities first hit by a pest or disease can offer advice to others. Detroit found itself in a similar position with the emerald ash borer, the sparkling green beetles that decimated ash trees in southeast Michigan before spreading throughout the country.
Eastern communities are now in the position to advise Michigan on how to deal with spotted lanternfly. Foen said communities should convene to share education about the pest and to coordinate their response efforts.
“We’re in a position where it’s already here,” Foen said. “We should have that discussion.”
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development this summer is monitoring sites for spotted lanternfly. The department’s monitoring efforts last year yielded new small populations throughout southeast Michigan. The department asks people to report sightings of the bug to Michigan.gov/eyesinthefield.
Unlike states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey and others, Michigan has not imposed a quarantine to help slow spotted lanternflies’ spread.
“As we’ve seen in other states, stopping the movement of spotted lanternfly is extremely challenging,” MDARD spokesperson Lynsey Mukomel said over email. “Our current focus is on raising public awareness. By teaching people how to identify spotted lanternfly and avoid unintentional spread, we can help slow its movement and reduce its impact.”
Quarantines do not stop the bugs from spreading, but they do slow their spread, said Matt Helmus, a Temple University professor who tracks spotted lanternfly movements. Other states’ quarantines typically require commercial shipping companies and landscape industry businesses to inspect vehicles and wares for spotted lanternfly or the egg masses they lay in the fall.
Michigan State University undergraduate technician Madisyn Holman looks for spotted lanternflies on the underside of a tree of heaven, which is the insect’s favorite breeding spot. (Andy Morrison, The Detroit News/The Detroit News/TNS)
“But when you have some type of quarantine and inspection, coupled with public informational campaigns, you definitely see that spread slowing,” Helmus said.
Harrison and MSU undergraduate field technician Madisyn Holman are studying the effectiveness of “lantern traps” for preventing lanternflies from flourishing. The traps are made with grip tape or roofing material, inexpensive supplies that can be purchased at a hardware store. By wrapping one piece of material on a tree and another domed top like a lampshade, they can make an environment female lanternflies find ideal for laying eggs.
The traps appear to lure a lot of egg-laying lanternflies, Harrison said, making them a cheap and effective way to reduce lanternfly breeding. He recommended people install traps in infested trees and squash the egg masses laid there.
Spotted lanternfly researchers have had to race to understand the bugs as they spread through the United States, said Brian Walsh, a Penn State University Extension educator and spotted lanternfly researcher.
Beyond recognizing the bugs’ taste for the tree of heaven, they’ve made some discoveries: The bugs can fly longer distances than people first expected, and they are somehow able to detect their favorite foods, such as grapes. Their populations follow a boom-and-bust cycle, sometimes so abundant they seem to fill the sky, then almost unnoticeable.
Vineyards brace for infestation
But even when they are in the “bust” cycle, spotted lanternflies consistently flock to vineyards, Walsh said.
“Growers shouldn’t panic, but they also need to have a game plan in place for how to deal with it,” he said. “Information is the key. Don’t panic, but being well-informed will help them make decisions that are going to benefit them in the long run.
“We don’t want people thinking this is going to end their vineyards or end their farms. It can be managed.”
Spotted lanternflies will reach Michigan’s vineyards eventually, Helmus said.
“It’s in Detroit, and now it’s in Chicago,” he said. “Think about all the people from Chicago that go up the west side of Michigan on vacation. It will probably spread into western Michigan. Relatively quickly is my guess.
“Once it starts to get into the vineyards, there’s going to be a lot more outcry.”
The first spotted lanternfly Anthony Vietri encountered was sitting alone on the ground near his vineyard in southeast Pennsylvania. It was “bizarre and gorgeous and frightening,” the Pennsylvania vineyard owner said.
By the next year, Vietri would be driving his tractor into clouds of spotted lanternflies, knocking dozens from the top of his fedora as he wound through the vineyard, wearing a cloth over his face to keep them from leaping into his mouth. They would drop from the trees like snow.
He’s learned to manage them at the vineyard, Va La Vineyards. When he prunes his vines, he scrapes off each egg mass he sees. The strategy significantly reduces the number that breed on his farm, which means he mostly just deals with the adults that fly in from elsewhere.
“Then it’s a matter of looking at them and saying ‘Hey, this is not as bad of an infestation as it could have been, and we’ll just ride this out,’” Vietri said.
Spotted lanternflies have not wiped out the Pennsylvania grape industry, he said, but they have taken a toll on certain vineyards that rely on expensive insecticides or host a lot of outdoor events.
“Weddings, outdoor events, they feel completely invited to,” Vietri said. “Unfortunately, the folks that are hosting that event or paying for it are not at all pleased about it, but there’s nothing really that the vineyard can do.”
Grape growers in northwest Michigan are concerned about what spotted lanternflies will do to their vineyards, said Nikki Rothwell, coordinator of Michigan State University Extension’s Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center. Growers have seen warnings from Pennsylvania about the bugs’ behavior and potential to swarm outdoor spaces like cities and wineries.
Michigan State Extension workers are experimenting with pesticides to control spotted lanternflies, but the number of bugs that can appear on a farm makes pesticide control difficult, Rothwell said.
“There’s not much you can do about them other than kill them,” she said. “They’re going to get here. I don’t really know why they wouldn’t come this far north.”
Spotted lanternflies grow to be a centimeter in diameter and turn bright red. On the East Coast, where they have caused incredible damage to native plants and crops, authorities have urged people who see one to "squash it." (Kenneth Nelson/Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development)
As Congress navigates a significant tax and spending bill, many families are left wondering how it will affect their finances. The impact of the legislation will vary based on individual income, age, and participation in government programs.
The measure, often referred to as President Trump's "one big beautiful bill," is actually composed of two separate proposals: the House version, which has already been passed, and a new Senate version that is expected to go to vote soon.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune commented on the ongoing process, stating, "I'm looking forward to taking up these provisions in the near future as part of our final legislation."
Here are some key differences between the House and Senate versions:
Big Difference #1: Child Tax Credit
The House version increases the child tax credit from $2,000 to $2,500 per year, while the Senate version proposes a smaller increase to $2,200.
Big Difference #2: Tax Deductions for Seniors
The House version introduces a new deduction allowing seniors to claim $4,000 more than younger Americans. Conversely, the Senate version allows for a $6,000 deduction.
Big Difference #3: Medicaid Changes
While both versions share similarities, the Senate is incorporating a cap on taxes that states can impose while also expanding work requirements for some Medicaid recipients. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Senate's approach: "You couldn't think the Senate could do worse than the House when it came to Medicaid but they sure did."
Nonpartisan analysis on the Senate version is anticipated soon, while insights regarding the House version are available. A recent letter from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office states, "if the legislation was enacted, U.S. households, on average, would see an increase in the resources available to them."
The report estimates that resources would decrease for households at the lower end of the income distribution but increase for households in the middle and upper classes.
This story was initially 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.
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Chris Botti (Photo courtesy of Blue Note Records)
