As the Royal Oak Leprechauns fight for a playoff spot, a collective of former Catholic League stars have played integral roles in the team’s success this summer.

Some, like Aidan Schuck, a Detroit Catholic Central grad who just finished his freshman year at Oakland University, are done for the summer — in his case, his last game with the Leprechauns came last weekend — but have left their mark.

Schuck batted .337 this summer for the team, with 23 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. But he hit his stride as his time with the team wore on, and began to put together a hitting streak that eventually reached double-digits.

“I didn’t even have an idea the streak was going on until I think it was the 15th game,” Schuck said. “I was told by one of our interns who does the stats and he said you’re two away from the franchise record.”

It ended up as a 19-game hitting streak before it was snapped, and at one point included a span of five games where he had 13 base knocks. “You can tell when you’re doing well, seeing it well, but yeah, I had no idea there was a streak going on. It’s kinda harder once you know about it, because then self-consciously you’re trying to continue it.”

In his first year as a Golden Grizzly, Shamrock batted .279 with 10 RBIs in 18 games, but he believes he’ll be returning to OU as a better player after this summer. “I’d say I had a good year, but there were times where I struggled seeing spin,” he said. “I feel like this summer, I made a big jump and I was able to hit off-speed pitches and drive them the other way. Obviously, this was my freshman season of college and I saw new to seeing a lot of the pitching, but playing (as many games as I did this summer) against college pitching, , that’s the best way to get better, seeing arms like that every day. Overall, I developed as a hitter.”

From Brother Rice, Tristan Crane (Eastern Michigan) played 39 games for the team, batting .305 with a .378 on-base percentage and drove in 29 runs. Fellow Warrior Owen Turner (Yale) drove in 21 runs while stealing eight bags in 40 appearances.

The Leprechauns’ all-star representative this season, infielder Ryan Tyranski (Cincinnati), another one-time staple in the Brother Rice lineup, has been a fine example of the difference a year makes. He played 31 games in Royal Oak in 2024 and batted .262 with 12 RBIs and six stolen bases in 31 games. This summer, he’s hitting at a .296 clip in 54 games, has hit a pair of home runs (along with four triples), driven in 33 runs and swiped 19 bags.

On the mound, another Warriors’ alum, Wyatt Ruppenthal (Kalamazoo College), has been one of the Leprechauns’ best arms. In 14 appearances, the 6-foot-2 righty has sported a 3.58 ERA over 27 2/3 innings, striking out 29 with a solid 1.30 WHIP.

For some, it’s a chance to thrive while getting to know ex-rivals even better, and also forge new bonds.

“It’s awesome playing with all the Catholic League guys the whole summer,” Schuck said. “There’s time we’ve had debates in the dugout about who was better in high school. It’s fun getting to know those guys you somewhat knew (when) playing against them, but were never on the same team. Then they’ve got new guys who’ve come in towards the second half of the season, guys like Danny Cook from Pepperdine, a couple guys from Colorado, and it’s good getting to know those guys from all across the country as well as ones we already know.”

With just single-digit games remaining, the Leprechauns have a string of games at home coming up that includes Military Appreciation Night Sunday afternoon against the Kenosha Kingfish and Fan Appreciation Night on Tuesday evening against the Kalamazoo Growlers.

Two stepbrothers, both 13 years old, were shot in Detroit Friday night. One of them was killed and the other was hospitalized, police said.

The shooting happened just after 9 p.m. in the area of E. Lantz and Mitchell streets.

Watch Detroit Police Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes provide details about the shooting below: Police provide details after two 13-year-olds shot, 1 of them fatally in Detroit

Police said three teens were walking when a dark colored vehicle pulled up by them and rolled the window down. Words were exchanged and shots were fired from the vehicle.

"This is not OK. This is not acceptable. We will not tolerate it," Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes told reporters at the scene.

One teen was fatally shot and another suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being wounded in the arm. Police confirmed the two teens shot were stepbrothers.

"This family will never be the same," Hayes said. "Certainly, our hearts go out to them the Detroit Police Department, our city, our hearts go out to this family. We need someone to help us. Please call in, please let us know anything that you have. We're gonna find these people that were responsible for this thing."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call DPD's homicide unit at 313-596-2260 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

"The Detroit Police Department has been activated. Our homicide task force, every bit of technology that we have we are scurrying and looking through it in this area, querying it just to make sure that we do every single thing we can to find the people responsible for hurting our children here in this community," Hayes said.

Several minors have died or been injured to gun violence this summer. Earlier in the day, a rally was held at the Spirit of Detroit downtown with community leaders demanding an end to violence against children.

Earlier this week, Detroit City Council voted to amend an ordinance that regulates curfew violations. Under the updated ordinance, parental fines increased, however, theyve been decriminalized.

CANTON, Ohio — Not many things went according to plan for the Detroit Lions in a preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, but their concerted effort to put the ball in the hands of their rookie receivers did.

Heading into the Hall of Fame Game, the Lions wanted to give Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett ample amounts of opportunity. Neither receiver, drafted in the third and seventh rounds, respectively, lit the field on fire at Tom Benson Stadium, but they combined to account for more than 70% of the team’s receiving yards, and they were the only Lions with multiple targets; Lovett had nine, and TeSlaa had three.

TeSlaa, specifically, was impressive. He recorded back-to-back explosive plays on Detroit’s third drive, hauling in receptions of 24 and 22 yards. Exactly half of TeSlaa’s 46 yards came after the catch, as the physically gifted receiver caught both of his balls on the move. He appeared natural as a ball carrier, and he finished his first catch by attempting to run through a defensive back on his way out of bounds.

“It kind of felt good to drop my shoulder a bit on that DB,” TeSlaa said. “Definitely got hyped up about that one.”

TeSlaa, who played about 40% of Detroit’s offensive snaps, was wide open on both of his receptions. The Arkansas and Hillsdale product benefited from the off-ball coverage on each rep, but he was able to shake the cornerback off-balance on his second catch, aggressively attacking the defender on his vertical stem and faintly faking to the outside before he broke inside on an over route.

It was encouraging to see TeSlaa create separation. It hasn’t been a notable issue through the first couple of weeks of training camp, but most of his standout plays in practice were courtesy of his contested-catch ability. He didn’t need to use that against the Chargers.

“TeSlaa made some plays. … We wanted to get TeSlaa and Lovett the ball,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “We wanted to get these receivers some throws. I wish we could’ve gotten all those guys some throws. But it was good to see. I did think those two guys showed up.”

TeSlaa admitted to having some pent-up emotion escape out of him after his first catch, but he tried to reel himself back in as the game wore on. “Football’s an emotional game,” he explained. “But you’ve gotta be able to tame those emotions.” To settle himself down, TeSlaa remembered this is the same sport he’s been playing since he was in the third grade.

“I typically don’t get too nervous,” TeSlaa said. “Obviously, this was definitely a big game for a lot of us, especially us rookies. It’s our first NFL action, so it was more of like nervous anticipation, I would say, than like jitters or anything. But it was good to get out there. Once I got out there and got in the flow of things, I definitely felt good.”

Nothing about TeSlaa’s unofficial NFL debut surprised him, but now he knows what it’s like to go up against professionals. That experience should help him continue his development, ahead of his first season on the team he grew up rooting for.

“When you get to this level, everyone’s gonna be bigger, faster and stronger. … Now that I’ve seen firsthand what it’s like, I’ll just continue to grow every single day,” TeSlaa said.

President Donald Trump unveiled new tariff rates for dozens of countries after a flurry of negotiations ahead of the self-imposed Aug. 1 deadline.

The administration set rates for dozens of countries starting Aug. 7th, ranging from 10% to 41%. President Trump indicated he was open to conversations still, but did not guarantee new deals while leaving the White House Friday afternoon.

For many of the nation's top trading partners, preliminary steps had already been announced in the lead-up to Thursdays executive order, though the full text of some agreements has yet to be made public.

President Donald Trump previously announced a 20% tariff rate for Vietnam, 15% for the European Union and South Korea, and 10% for the United Kingdom. The rate for Taiwan was set at 20%, down from the original Liberation Day rate of 32%.

China was not affected, as discussions continue amid a pause on higher rates. Following a conversation with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day delay while talks move forward.

President Trump previously announced a rate of 25% for India.

I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard. I don't know if that's right or not, but that's a good step. We'll see what happens, Trump said Friday.

However, Canadas tariff rate increased by 10 points to 35% for goods not covered by existing trade agreements. The change, effective immediately, was tied to the flow of drugs across the northern border and came after President Donald Trump criticized Canadas recognition of a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by saying, Canada accounts for only 1% of U.S. fentanyl imports and has been working intensively to further reduce these volumes.

Something that is critically important about what's going on with these tariffs and Canada and Mexico is that everything that is currently protected under the North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is exempted from the tariffs, which represents about 85% of all imports coming from Canada and Mexico. And so this is important when we want to start talking about things like impacts and what consumers are likely to feel versus what they might not feel, said Abby Hall, associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa.

The administration already announced action to increase Brazils rates as high as 50% in total, citing political factors.

He can talk to me any time he wants, Trump said of Brazils leader.

Switzerland saw a rate of 39%, up from its original reciprocal rate, while Syria and South Africa maintained among the higher rates.

We have a $40 billion deficit with Switzerland, and I spoke yesterday to Switzerland, but we have a $40 billion deficit with Switzerland, Trump said.

I think what I see from these announcements is it's really a starting point for further negotiations, for continued conversations about what are the tariffs that are at issue on the EU side. What are the non-tariff barriers? How will it be implementing these commitments? For many countries, even something that seems simple, like changing a tariff rate, reducing tariffs in U.S. products that may take a legislative process, it may be a regulatory process, Greta Peisch, partner at Wiley Rein and former general counsel at USTR under the Biden administration, said of the announcements unveiled ahead of Thursdays executive order.

Still, President Trump remained open to conversations with countries during the seven days before rates take effect, according to a senior administration official.

The official also noted the administration is fine where everything is, pointing to a significant amount of revenue.

While the administration has pointed to tariffs as a way to generate revenue and balance trade, others contend that tariffs will increase costs for families.

A Wyandotte police officer went above and beyond the call of duty when he saw an elderly resident struggling to mow her lawn, returning after his shift to completely transform her yard.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: 'In awe': Woman praises Wyandotte officer for mowing her lawn, showing kindness

Officer Jonathan Cox was on patrol when he spotted Dory Oliver attempting to push a lawn mower with one hand while balancing on her walker with the other.

"She looked like she needed help that day and when I stopped to ask her, she allowed me to help her," Cox said.

Oliver, who has mobility issues, explained that yard work has become extremely difficult for her.

"You know, when you've worked all your life and suddenly you can't, it's not a good feeling," Oliver said.

The Wyandotte resident shared that she had reached out to several companies for assistance, but no one followed through.

"Three different times somebody said, 'yeah, I'll be there,' and no one ever came," Oliver said.

When Cox saw her struggling, he immediately told her to stop and offered his help. After completing his 12-hour shift, he returned to Oliver's home and spent two days cutting the grass, clearing gutters and improving her yard.

"It was overgrown. Unfortunately, there was a storm that took a bunch of branches down and it needed to be cleaned up," Cox said.

Oliver was so moved by the officer's kindness that she called the Wyandotte Police Department to express her gratitude.

"I'm just still in awe of what he did for me. He doesn't even know me. He just took care of what was impossible for me because I can't walk without the walker. I just have to commend him, and I just thank him so much," Oliver said in her voicemail to the police chief.

Cox, who has served the department for eight years, remains humble about his actions, seeing it as part of his commitment to the community.

"I'm very blessed in the position where I'm at, whether it's personally or professionally to help others," Cox said.

For Oliver, the officer's kindness has created a lasting bond.

"I have no words. I didn't know this man at the time and now, he's my adopted grandson," Oliver said.

Cox plans to continue helping Oliver with her yard maintenance and remains dedicated to both protecting and supporting his community.

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.

Police are looking for a stolen vehicle that they say is tied to a drive-by shooing that left two young children injured on Detroits east side.

The shooting happened Thursday around 6:20 a.m. on Arcola Avenue near Eldon Street, which is near Lynch Road and Van Dyke Avenue.

Investigators said two people got out of two stolen vehicles, fired shots into a home and injured a 7-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy who were asleep. Their injuries were not life threatening.

Detroit police released video and a photo of a stolen truck wanted in connection to the shooting. Its a black 2021 Ram.

Watch video police shared below: Video: Detroit police searching for stolen vehicle connected to shooting that hurt 2 kids

A second truck tied to the shooting, a grey 2022 Ram TRX, has been recovered, police said.

Police are searching for two suspects.

"Just really, really tragic, senseless act happened in this block," Detroit Police Assistance Chief Eric Ewing said Thursday. "We need to come together in this city... any time any child or any person gets shot in the city of Detroit, it's one too many individuals."

Watch our coverage from the day of the shooting below: 'Just really, really tragic.' 2 kids injured in drive-by shooting on Detroit's east side

Anyone with information is asked to call the 11th Precinct at 313-596-1100 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP if you would like to remain anonymous.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that helps the case.

The pilots of a U.S. Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over Washington in January would've had difficulty spotting the plane while wearing night vision goggles, experts told the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday.

The Army goggles would have made it difficult to see the plane's colored lights, which might have helped the Black Hawk determine the plane's direction. The goggles also limited the pilots' peripheral vision as they flew near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The challenges posed by night-vision goggles were among the topics discussed at the NTSB's third and final day of public testimony over the fatal midair crash, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircrafts.

Experts said another challenge that evening was distinguishing the plane from lights on the ground while the two aircraft were on a collision course. Plus, the helicopter pilots may not have known where to look for a plane that was landing on a secondary runway that most planes didn't use.

"Knowing where to look. That's key," said Stephen Casner, an expert in human factors who used to work at NASA.

RELATED STORY | NTSB holds hearings on January's deadly mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport

Two previous days of testimony underscored a number of factors that likely contributed to the collision, sparking Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to urge the Federal Aviation Administration to "do better" as she pointed to warnings the agency had ignored years earlier.

Some of the major issues that have emerged so far include the Black Hawk helicopter flying above prescribed levels near the airport as well as the warnings to FAA officials for years about the hazards related to the heavy chopper traffic there.

It's too early for the board to identify what exactly caused the crash. A final report from the board won't come until next year.

But it became clear this week how small a margin of error there was for helicopters flying the route the Black Hawk took the night of the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001.

The American Airlines jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.

The collision was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation.

'Significant frustration'

NTSB members scolded FAA officials during Friday's hearing, accusing them of saying the right things about safety in public while failing to cooperate in private. They said the FAA has repeatedly refused to provide information requested by investigators.

Board member Todd Inman said there was "significant frustration between what's actually occurring" and "what's being said for public consumption."

Frank McIntosh, the head of the FAA's air traffic control organization, said he would start working immediately to remove those barriers. McIntosh also acknowledged problems with the culture in the tower at Reagan National, despite past efforts to improve compliance with safety standards.

"I think there were some things that we missed, to be quite honest with you, not intentionally, but I was talking about how certain facilities can drift," McIntosh said.

Questions over lack of alcohol testing

Tim Lilley, an aviation expert whose son Sam was a pilot on the passenger jet, said he's optimistic the tragic accident will ultimately lead to some positive changes.

"But we've got a long way to go," he told The Associated Press.

Lilley said he was particularly struck by the FAA's lack of alcohol testing for air traffic controllers after the crash.

"And they made a bunch of excuses why they didn't do it," Lilley said. "None of them were valid. It goes back to a whole system that was complacent and was normalizing deviation."

Homendy said during Thursday's hearings that alcohol testing is most effective within two hours of a crash and can be administered within eight hours.

Nick Fuller, the FAA's acting deputy chief operating officer of operations, testified that the controllers weren't tested because the agency did not immediately believe the crash was fatal. The FAA then decided to forgo it because the optimum two-hour window had passed.

Controller didn't warn the jet

FAA officials testified this week that an air traffic controller should have warned the passenger jet of the Army helicopter's presence.

The controller had asked the Black Hawk pilots to confirm they had the airplane in sight because an alarm sounded in the tower about their proximity. The controller could see from a window that the helicopter was too close, but the controller did not alert the jetliner.

In a transcript released this week, the unidentified controller said in a post-crash interview they weren't sure that would have changed the outcome.

Additionally, the pilots of the helicopter did not fully hear the controller's instructions before the collision. When the controller told the helicopter's pilots to "pass behind" the jet, the crew didn't hear it because the Black Hawk's microphone key was pressed at that moment.

'Layer after layer of deficiencies'

Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA crash investigator, told the AP that a combination of factors produced this tragedy, like "holes that line up in the Swiss cheese."

Any number of things, had they been different, could have prevented the collision, he said. They include the Black Hawks having more accurate altimeters, as well as a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned on or working. In turn, air traffic control could have seen the problem earlier.

Just a few feet could have made a difference, Guzzetti said.

"It just goes to show you that an accident isn't caused by one single thing," Guzzetti said. "It isn't caused by 'pilot error' or 'controller staffing.' This accident was caused by layer after layer of deficiencies that piled up at just the right moment."

Ex-official: FAA and Army share blame

Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General, told the AP that both the Army and the FAA appear to share significant blame.

The Black Hawks' altimeters could be off by as much as 100 feet and were still considered acceptable, she said. The crew was flying an outdated model that struggled to maintain altitude, while the helicopter pilots' flying was "loose" and under "loose" supervision.

"It's on the individuals, God rest their souls, but it's also on the military," Schiavo said. "I mean, they just seem to have no urgency of anything."

Schiavo was also struck by the air traffic controllers' lack of maps of the military helicopter routes on their display screens, which forced them to look out the window.

"And so everything about the military helicopter operation was not up to the standards of commercial aviation ... it's a shocking lack of attention to precision all the way around," she said.

Schiavo also faulted the FAA for not coming off as terribly responsive to problems.

"I called the Federal Aviation Administration, the Tombstone Agency, because they would only make change after people die," Schiavo said. "And sadly, 30 years later, that seems to still be the case."

Jeannie Seely, the soulful country music singer behind such standards like "Don't Touch Me," has died. She was 85.

Her publicist, Don Murry Grubbs, said she died Friday after succumbing to complications from an intestinal infection.

Known as "Miss Country Soul" for her unique vocal style, Seely was a trailblazer for women in country music, celebrated for her spirited nonconformity and for a string of undeniable hits in the '60s and '70s.

Her second husband, Gene Ward, died in December. In May, Seely revealed that she was in recovery after undergoing multiple back surgeries, two emergency procedures and spending 11 days in the ICU. She also suffered a bout of pneumonia.

"Rehab is pretty tough, but each day is looking brighter and last night, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. And it was neon, so I knew it was mine!" she said in a statement at the time. "The unsinkable Seely is working her way back."

Seely was born in July 1940, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, about two hours north of Pittsburgh and raised in nearby Townville. Her love of country music was instant; her mother sang, and her father played the banjo. When she was a child, she sang on local radio programs and performed on local television. In her early 20s, she moved to Los Angeles to kick-start a career, taking a job at Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood.

She kept writing and recording. Nashville was next: She sang on Porter Wagoner's show; she got a deal with Monument Records. Her greatest hit would arrive soon afterward: "Don't Touch Me," the crossover ballad written by Hank Cochran. The song earned Seely her first and only Grammy Award, for best country & western vocal performance in the female category.

Cochran and Seely were married in 1969 and divorced in 1979.

Seely broke boundaries in her career at a time when country music expected a kind of subservience from its women performers, Seely was a bit of a rebel, known for wearing a miniskirt on the Grand Ole Opry stage when it was still taboo.

And she had a number of country hits in the '60s and '70s, including three Top 10 hits on what is now known as Billboard's hot country songs chart: "Don't Touch Me," 1967's "I'll Love You More (Than You Need)" and 1973's "Can I Sleep In Your Arms?", adapted from the folk song "Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister?"

In the years since, Seely continued to release albums, perform, and host, regularly appearing on country music programming. Her songs are considered classics, and have been recorded by everyone from Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Connie Smith to Ernest Tubb, Grandpa Jones, and Little Jimmy Dickens.

And Seely never stopped working in country music. Since 2018, she's hosted the weekly "Sunday's with Seely" on Willie Nelson's Willie's Roadhouse SiriusXM channel. That same year, she was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame.

She appeared nearly 5,400 times at the Grand Ole Opry, which she has been a member of since 1967. Grubbs said Saturday's Grand Ole Opry show would be dedicated to Seely.

She released her latest song in July 2024, a cover of Dottie West's "Suffertime," recorded at the world-renowned RCA Studio B. She performed it at the Opry the year before.

A Hazel Park man has been charged in connection with a quadruple shooting in Detroit in which two people died.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged Jaylen Lee Robinson, 30, in the fatal shootings of Martin Clay, 32, of Davison, and Maria Jenkins, 34, of Highland Park, and the nonfatal shootings of two Detroit women, ages 28 and 39.

Worthy said in a release that Detroit police officers were dispatched to a gas station in the 3300 block of Puritan Street, east of Dexter Avenue, for a reported shooting at about 4 a.m. Monday, July 28.

Officers observed Clay on the floor of the gas station with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso and buttocks area. Jenkins and the two other women had gunshot wounds to the torso.

Clay was dead at the scene. Jenkins died a short time later at a hospital.

A verbal altercation between Robinson and Clay escalated to a physical fight, and Robinson fired a handgun multiple times, the release said.

Robinson is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder, four counts of felony firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

At his arraignment Friday in 36th District Court in Detroit, he was remanded to the Wayne County Jail.

He faces a probable cause conference Aug. 12 and a preliminary exam Aug. 19 before Judge Shawn Jacque.

Maintenance worker killed in Royal Oak shooting not involved in dispute, police say

Police allege high-end merchandise at Oak Park stores is counterfeit

Michigan State Police detectives seized high-end merchandise from at least six Oak Park stores, alleging the items are counterfeit.

MSP said in a release that its detectives recently executed a search warrant on the stores in the Greenfield Plaza, 21700 Greenfield Road, between Eight Mile and Nine Mile roads.

MSP alleged the sellers knew the name-brand items were fake. An investigation is continuing.

The release said MSP received a tip about the allegedly counterfeit items.

“Undercover detectives were able to identify and purchase the counterfeit items,” the release said.

“Often, these counterfeit items contain harmful chemicals that can endanger (your) health,” said First Lt. Mike Shaw. “The saying of (if) it seems too good to be true normally is true. Make sure the items you purchase are legit; your health may depend on it.”

Not all businesses in the Greenfield Plaza are impacted, the release said.

Maintenance worker killed in Royal Oak shooting not involved in dispute, police say

Woodward Dream Cruise revs up with activities in Oakland County

 

 

 

A death that was reported to police as a suicide in Wayne County in late June is now being investigated as a murder.

Sumpter township police said David McPherson called 911 on June 29 reporting his girlfriend, Haleigh Pace, shot herself in the head and was dying in their bedroom. But now, McPherson is facing charges.

Watch the video report below: Man charged with murder in what was a reported suicide

"This was really out of character. Anybody who knows her knows she wouldn't have done this to herself," Paces brother Evan said.

Haleigh Paces brothers Evan and Peyton told me she also wouldn't do that to her son.

"My nephew Damien is, was her entire world and she worked two jobs busting her butt to try to support him, to try to make a better life for herself," Evan Pace said.

Family says 3-year-old Damien doesnt understand that his mother isnt coming home.

They say Haleigh Pace graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2023 with a degree in fashion and marketing.

Despite the positives, they say her relationship with McPherson was toxic. Some details hadn't come to light until it was too late.

"From the start, there was a big red flag. Not just because of the age gap so my sister was just freshly 18 and he was 33 years old. And not even just that, it was the way that she was always more of the provider," Evan Pace said.

"I know in the past, she did want to leave him. He threatened taken away the baby. He threatened hurting us. So, it really was a tough situation my sister was in."

In the days following her death, McPherson posted quotes about grief.

"To me, it kind of makes me feel sick to like just know that while he was at her funeral and stood up and spoke for her and would post all these things after the fact, just the fact that he would do such a thing," Peyton Pace said.

However, police weren't convinced she died by suicide.

Investigators honed in on McPherson, and while they haven't shared what convinced them he pulled the trigger, McPherson was charged and arraigned for Haliegh Pace's murder on Thursday.

Her family created the hashtag #justiceforhaliegh. They've also created a GoFundMe page to support young Damien.

"I want my sister to be remembered by the way she made people feel, by the memories people had with her, not just about what happened to her," Evan Pace said.

McPherson is being held on a million-dollar bond. His next court date Aug. 13.

A maintenance worker killed in a shooting at the Devon Park Apartments in Royal Oak was not involved in a dispute between two tenants that led to shots being fired, police said.

Officers responded to the complex on Crooks Road between 13 Mile and Normandy roads at about noon Thursday, July 31, on a report of shots fired in the parking lot.

Officers and firefighters performed life-saving measures on the maintenance worker, Police Chief Michael Moore said in a briefing with the news media Thursday. The maintenance worker died a short time later. Police did not release his name.

Police apprehended a suspect at the scene, Moore said.

He said the suspect, who lives at Devon Park, and another tenant were involved in a dispute before the suspect produced a pistol and fired several shots.

“I do believe there was a history there,” Moore said. He did not release details on the nature of the dispute.

Lt. Rich Millard confirmed Friday that the maintenance worker was not involved in the dispute.

Millard said the suspect, who remains in custody, will likely be arraigned over the weekend.

Royal Oak police investigating fatal shooting

 

Woodward Dream Cruise revs up with activities in Oakland County

The demolition of the Phoenix Center Amphitheater is reshaping downtown Pontiac, giving local businesses a clear view of the city's future for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Watch Carli Petrus's video report: Phoenix Center demolition progress brings new hope to downtown Pontiac businesses

Crews are making steady progress on the demolition project, which will ultimately reconnect downtown Pontiac.

"It is mostly down, and they have continued to clear away very efficiently," said Pontiac City Council President Mike McGuinness.

The project is moving faster than expected, with completion potentially coming before the original December target date.

"The original schedule was for them to be done by December, and the way it's looking, they are very much ahead of projections. Just have to see if we can keep that positive pace," McGuinness said.

For local businesses anchored on Saginaw Street, the transformation is already making an impact. For the first time in nearly 40 years, there's a clear line of sight through downtown.

"It is crazy," said Shannon Woolman, manager of Fillmore 13 Brewery. "I can't even explain driving home, and you can see at night and see all the way through - down Auburn. We've been holding on for eight years, and I really think that this is going to push it that much further."

The revitalization project promises a central park and a new parking garage, bringing renewed energy to the area.

Shelby Berger, owner of Main Street Pawn Shop, says they're already seeing more foot traffic since the project began this spring.

"A lot more people seeing what's going down, down here, and it's definitely creating a positive vibe," Berger said.

The demolition is part of a larger plan to bring hundreds of Oakland County employees back to Pontiac.

"It's a big deal that Oakland County is recommitting to Pontiac, which has been the county seat for centuries," McGuinness said.

McGuinness says the entire project is set to be complete by 2027.

"Pontiac is safe, fun, welcoming, and is open for business, and that's the truth, and we just need to keep building more support and progress in that direction," he said.

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

Many business owners said new tariffs revealed by the Trump administration will force them to raise prices.

The White House announced new tariffs against more than 60 countries set to go into effect Aug. 7, with rates ranging from 10% to 41%.

President Donald Trump has said tariffs will force U.S. companies to reshore supply chains and increase domestic manufacturing. Many economists and supply chain experts have said that it could take years and cause prices to go up in the meantime.

Consumers likely to see higher prices

The new tariffs will be paid by importers, but economists said many businesses will pass those prices onto consumers.

"If they are going into effect, then I'll have to raise my prices within the next 90 days, because that will affect my next order," said Katrina Golden, founder and CEO of Lil Mamas Sweets and Treats, a coffee and dessert shop in Augusta, Georgia.

Doug Scheffel is the owner of ETM Manufacturing in Littleton, Massachusetts, and said new tariffs could hit his business even sooner within 30 to 60 days in some cases.

New federal data released this week appears to show that previously announced tariffs are already impacting consumers.

Prices rose 2.6% in June compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Uncertainty is causing chaos

A panel of small business owners who spoke with Scripps News about the tariffs said the uncertainty was the most challenging factor.

President Trump initially announced tariffs on dozens of countries in April, but since then, country-specific tariffs have been delayed and changed multiple times.

RELATED STORY | Trump extends Mexico trade deal deadline by 90 days

"My message to President Trump would be just make a decision," Scheffel said. Stop waffling. ... Continuing to be uncertain and not clear is causing chaos.

Not knowing what the exact tariff rates against countries would be and when they would take effect made it difficult to rethink supply chains, according to Ron Kurnik, the CEO of Superior Coffee Roasting Company in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan.

"If we just knew what the hell was going on here, we could maybe shift our supply chain from Colombia or Brazil to Honduras or Nicaragua or something that would work a little bit better for us going forward."

Companies differ on passing on costs

Procter & Gamble announced this week that it will raise prices on some goods in part due to tariffs. Company leadership said price increases will be in the mid-single digit percentages.

Other companies like General Motors have acknowledged tariffs are taking a bite out of their bottom line, but the carmaker has insisted it wont pass those costs onto consumers shopping for a new car.

RELATED STORY | Procter & Gamble projects $1 billion hit from Trump's tariffs

That strategy will only work for so long, according to Sina Golara, an assistant professor of supply chain management at Georgia State University.

"They can eat the prices to some extent just to do good with their market, but your financial resources and inventory cushion, they all run out over time, and you'd have to think about passing that on, he said.

Golden, whose coffee shop is located inside of a hospital, worries that if tariffs go up more, she might need to go out of business.

She says shes done everything she can to not pass higher costs onto customers, including shrinking her margins, but she says she still needs to make a living.

"We're going to do the best we can to keep our prices where they are, she said. However, if prices go up, then we also have to raise our prices accordingly in order to make money. We're in this to make some money, to make a living, to support our families. ... So, we have to do what we have to do."

By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The National Science Foundation can continue to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars from researchers in several states until litigation aimed at restoring it plays out, a federal court ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge John Cronan in New York declined to force the NSF to restart payments immediately, while the case is still being decided, as requested by the sixteen Democrat-led states who brought the suit, including New York, Hawaii, California, Colorado and Connecticut.

In his ruling, Cronan said he would not grant the preliminary injunction in part because it may be that another court, the Court of Federal Claims, has jurisdiction over what is essentially a case about money. He also said the states failed to show that NSF’s actions were counter to the agency’s mandate.

The lawsuit filed in May alleges that the National Science Foundation’s new grant-funding priorities as well as a cap on what’s known as indirect research expenses “violate the law and jeopardize America’s longstanding global leadership in STEM.”

Another district court had already blocked the the cap on indirect costs — administrative expenses that allow research to get done like paying support staff and maintaining equipment. This injunction had been requested to restore funding to the grants that were cut.

In April, the NSF announced a new set of priorities and began axing hundreds of grants for research focused on things like misinformation and diversity, equity and inclusion. Researchers who lost funding also were studying artificial intelligence, post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, STEM education for K-12 students and more.

Researchers were not given a specific explanation for why their grants were canceled, attorney Colleen Faherty, representing the state of New York, said during last month’s hearing. Instead, they received boilerplate language stating that their work “no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”

NSF has long been directed by Congress to encourage underrepresented groups like women and people with disabilities to participate in STEM. According to the lawsuit, the science foundation’s funding cuts already halted efforts to train the next generation of scientists in fields like computer science, math and environmental science.

A lawyer for the NSF said at the hearing that the agency has the authority to fund whatever research it deems necessary — and has since its inception in 1950. In the court filing, the government also argued that its current priorities were to “create opportunities for all Americans everywhere” and “not preference some groups at the expense of others, or directly/indirectly exclude individuals or groups.”

The plaintiff states are trying to “substitute their own judgement for the judgement of the agency,” Adam Gitlin, an attorney for the NSF, said during the hearing.

The science foundation is still funding some projects related to expanding representation in STEM, Cronan wrote in his ruling. Per the lawsuit filed in May, for example, the University of Northern Colorado lost funding for only one of its nine programs focused on increasing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.

The states are reviewing the decision, according to spokespeople from the New York and Hawaii attorney general offices. The National Science Foundation declined to comment.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Interest on federal student loans is beginning to accrue again this month, creating additional financial strain for millions of borrowers still navigating repayment challenges.

Watch Meghan Daniels' video report: Student loan interest returns, adding pressure to borrowers

Over 7 million borrowers had their student loan interest paused in 2024 due to the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. While monthly payments remain paused until December of this year, interest will begin collecting again starting this month.

"The added stress of loan repayment will definitely have a huge impact on students, on families just being able to exist," Kevin Towns, Director of Financial Aid at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, said.

The SAVE Plan was designed to make monthly student loan payments more affordable based on income and family size, but the return of interest complicates the path to loan forgiveness.

One borrower, who requested anonymity due to concerns about employment repercussions, expressed frustration with the timing of interest resumption amid rising living costs.

"It's just this is just, it's not equity. It is not equality. It is, I know I keep saying predatory, but it just," they said. "I got that it's a loan. But why is the government making money off of it?"

Towns warns that adding interest to already substantial student loan balances could push financially vulnerable borrowers into deeper trouble.

"The immediate thing I think about is the fact that if students aren't able to pay on their student loans, how they could experience garnish, wage garnishments, they could see impacts to their credit, which then will impact their ability to purchase homes, purchase vehicles, it could impact small things like car insurance," Towns said.

Despite these challenges, Towns recommends several strategies for borrowers facing the return of interest.

"First thing, contact your servicer, understand what your current loan debt is, what your options are, what are the current, because there's been changes to repayment plans," Towns said.

He also encourages borrowers to utilize resources available through their universities.

"There's a lot of colleges that are also invested in making sure that students have the resources they need in order to make informed decisions about loan repayment," Towns said.

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

The Detroit City Clerk’s Office violated a law intended to protect election transparency by processing and tabulating absentee ballots early without alerting the public or taking other required steps, a Highland Park activist alleges in a lawsuit to be filed in federal court Monday. Robert Davis, a citizen watchdog of election practices, says the city began processing and tabulating absentee ballots on Thursday without taking the legal steps required to do so.

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge agreed on Friday to temporarily block the Trump administration’s efforts to expand fast-track deportations of immigrants who legally entered the U.S. under a process known as humanitarian parole — a ruling that could benefit hundreds of thousands of people.

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Department of Homeland Security exceeded its statutory authority in its effort to expand “expedited removal” for many immigrants. The judge said those immigrants are facing perils that outweigh any harm from “pressing pause” on the administration’s plans.

The case “presents a question of fair play” for people fleeing oppression and violence in their home countries, Cobb said in her 84-page order.

“In a world of bad options, they played by the rules,” she wrote. “Now, the Government has not only closed off those pathways for new arrivals but changed the game for parolees already here, restricting their ability to seek immigration relief and subjecting them to summary removal despite statutory law prohibiting the Executive Branch from doing so.”

Fast-track deportations allow immigration officers to remove somebody from the U.S. without seeing a judge first. In immigration cases, parole allows somebody applying for admission to the U.S. to enter the country without being held in detention.

Immigrants’ advocacy groups sued Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to challenge three recent DHS agency actions that expanded expedited removal. A surge of arrests at immigration courts highlights the lawsuit’s high stakes.

The judge’s ruling applies to any non-citizen who has entered the U.S. through the parole process at a port of entry. She suspended the challenged DHS actions until the case’s conclusion.

Cobb said the case’s “underlying question” is whether people who escaped oppression will have the chance to “plead their case within a system of rules.”

“Or, alternatively, will they be summarily removed from a country that — as they are swept up at checkpoints and outside courtrooms, often by plainclothes officers without explanation or charges — may look to them more and more like the countries from which they tried to escape?” she added.

A plaintiffs’ attorney, Justice Action Center legal director Esther Sung, described the ruling as a “huge win” for hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their families. Sung said many people are afraid to attend routine immigration hearings out of fear of getting arrested.

“Hopefully this decision will alleviate that fear,” Sung said.

Since May, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have positioned themselves in hallways to arrest people after judges accept government requests to dismiss deportation cases. After being arrested, the government renews deportation proceedings but under fast-track authority.

President Donald Trump sharply expanded fast-track authority in January, allowing immigration officers to deport someone without first seeing a judge. Although fast-track deportations can be put on hold by filing an asylum claim, people may be unaware of that right and, even if they are, can be swiftly removed if they fail an initial screening.

“Expedited removal” was created under a 1996 law and has been used widely for people stopped at the border since 2004. Trump attempted to expand those powers nationwide to anyone in the country less than two years in 2019 but was held up in court. His latest efforts amount to a second try.

ICE exercised its expanded authority sparingly at first during Trump’s second term but has since relied on it for aggressive enforcement in immigration courts and in “workplace raids,” according to plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Spagat reported from San Diego.

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