A regional deer cull is moving forward in Oakland County as cities work to address the growing deer population, but some residents are organizing to advocate for alternative solutions.

Watch Christiana Ford's video report: Controversy growing as more communities consider deer culls

Farmington Hills started working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in 2015 when they suggested collecting data and researching the issue. Ten years later, they're implementing what they learned.

"As we did that, we saw an incline in that data with deer vehicle collisions, we had more and more residents calling about concerns about deer," said Bryan Farmer, Department of Special Services for Farmington Hills.

Deer-car collisions have been on the rise in Oakland County, with more than 2,000 in 2023. Now, the city of Farmington Hills is putting that research into action, moving forward with plans to use trained USDA sharpshooters in 2026 and public safety archery hunters in 2027 in an annual urban deer cull.

"Based on our research across the country, they're not successful using nonlethal measures. When you look at overpopulation, the only way to control the population is through lethal means; if you use nonlethal measures, the only one that is actually permitted would be sterilization." Farmer said."Each deer in 2016 was $1500 to sterilize each deer in Ann Arbor, and when you multiply that on the number of deer that we would need to sterilize, that's pretty costly, and on top of that, that doesn't address the overpopulation issue."

Farmington Hills is one of three cities within the larger Southeast Michigan Urban Deer Coalition that joined together on a coordinated cull to control the urban deer population.

"Looking at Farmington Hills, Farmington, and Southfield in that regional effort, we're all neighbors, and the deer do not know the borders. So it helps that we're all doing that, and we also have other interested communities like Livonia, Birmingham, so there's several other communities that, as we move forward, as they start to make decisions, it'll help with the overpopulation of deer across the whole region," Farmer said.

But it's a push some residents in nearby communities are actively organizing to try to stop from growing.

"I was appalled, and I decided we need to get a group of people together and stop this from happening," said Inez Garfield, an Oak Park resident.

Garfield, with the Advocates for Michigan Wildlife, lives in Oakland County and is helping coordinate a public meeting to push for support for non-lethal measures.

"I'm a regular community member. I've never had to do this before, but I just think it's getting out of control," Garfield said. "It's never too late."

One idea the group researched and hopes sticks is sterilization.

"If you add the cost of doing culls year after year after year for 25 years in perpetuity forever - it ends up costing a lot more than if you were just to sterilize the original 50 deer," said Michelle Dimaria, a West Bloomfield resident who has done a lot of the group's research.

As the deer culls come to more cities, Chad Steward with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says their role will continue to be a source of education.

FULL INTERVIEW: Chad Stewart with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources talks about deer culls FULL INTERVIEW: Chad Stewart with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources talks about deer culls

"We present them with several different options, both lethal and non-lethal, for them to consider and what the likely efficacy might be for those things, and they take that information to heart, evaluate it, and ultimately make the decision what they feel is best for their community," Steward said.

A meeting is set for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Bloomfield Township Library on ways to advocate for alternative solutions.

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A specialized veterans treatment court in Dearborn is helping justice-involved veterans address underlying issues like PTSD and substance abuse instead of sending them through traditional criminal proceedings.

Watch the video report below: Veterans treatment courts across Michigan helping to change lives

Eighty-eight percent of Veterans who entered the Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court graduated very few committing offenses once they left, according to the court's stats.

For Kevin Belisle, a former Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant known as "Gunny," admitting he needed help was the hardest part.

"That was the hardest thing, is like admitting that," Belisle said.

Belisle had been silently battling using alcohol to cope after his military service.

"With me coming out of the Marine Corps, I think ... it was one of the things that I kind of migrated to as a coping mechanism," Belisle said.

It wasn't until his second DUI citation that Belisle decided to apply to the Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court.

"A lot of times what happens is we have no fear, and then you start getting some alcohol in you and it's like no fear on steroids, and you get the ego and you know I can drive and all that stuff and got pulled over and ... I got a DUI so ... I told myself that I'm gonna make a right out of a wrong and I got through the program," Belisle said.

The pride that comes with being a Marine was one of the biggest hurdles for Belisle to overcome. It's the kind of emotional challenge that Veteran-Chief Judge and former Marine Eugene Hunt understood when he started the program.

"They're pretty significant, you know, there are alcohol and drug problems that get picked up when they're in the service and they're overseas, there's post traumatic stress which is, I mean there are a lot of different things that people come out, once they go into the military, they come back different," Hunt said.

The 12- to 18-month program addresses underlying issues like PTSD and mental health challenges that have contributed to legal trouble. It's one of 27 veteran treatment courts in Michigan.

Since 2019, Hunt has had 45 graduates complete the program.

"We're trying to get more of them in here," Hunt said.

According to nonprofit All Rise, 181,000 veterans are incarcerated in U.S. jails or prisons. Additionally, one in five veterans has symptoms of a mental health disorder or cognitive impairment.

For Belisle, the court has been a place where he felt like much more than just a file.

"With the veterans treatment court, you are more," Belisle said.

The program has transformed his life and his relationship with alcohol.

"It taught me how to cope without having to have any kind of alcohol, and I haven't drank in 19 months and just being around veterans, you know, and, and the fact that they want to help you and be uh be there for you," Belisle said.

"It really opened my eyes ... and taught me how to cope better than just drinking a few beers and, and, uh, you know, using that as a coping mechanism. Now there's so many tools that they've gave me that, you know, I'll never drink again because it just ain't worth it," Belisle said.

Belisle graduated from the program in January, marking his exit from the system. Now, he only returns as a mentor to others going through the same journey.

"It's just, basically, I've been through the program. You'll get through it," Belisle said.

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A massive campaign is underway to help a local high school radio program in the Plymouth-Canton area that has been broadcasting to the community for 53 years.

The campaign aims to raise over $500,000 for 88.1 The Park, with the Rotary Club of Plymouth committing a $200,000 grant to transform the station's space.

Inside Salem High School, students are producing award-winning broadcasts but are quickly outgrowing their current facilities.

"These studios are, I mean, they're great studios for what we can do, but it'll be so nice to have more opportunities to do more interviews to host more in-person interviews," said Sydney Capen, a senior at Canton High School.

Capen grew up listening to the station and says she values her time there.

"I do community focus, and I like to bring people into the community," said Capen.

The current space limitations are affecting their ability to accommodate all interested students.

"We try to squeeze in as many kids as we can," said Bill Keith, who has been the station manager for 34-35 years. "We try to find a way, but there's just logistical things."

The cramped conditions make interviews particularly challenging.

"I bring them in and they're sitting there and I'm like standing right behind them because that's the only place I can do it," said senior Leo Popp, who helps lead the women's sports spotlight, where they interview female athletes across the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park high schools.

The expansion project will convert a classroom into multiple new spaces with editing, recording, and interview studios, a staff room, and storage. It will also include upgrading dated equipment.

"It would open up more opportunities to expand our 5:30 newscast to add more local stories to it, cover more stories over a year," said Keith.

The project will allow twice the number of students to get involved, supporting the three high schools on one campus.

Full Interview: Sydney Capen and Leo Popp talk 88.1 The Park expansion: Full Interview: Sydney Capen and Leo Popp talk 88.1 The Park expansion

Keith says the expansion would also help address the coverage gap in a community seeing less investment in local news.

"Plymouth used to have 2 or 3 newspapers, Plymouth Canton area used to have 2 or 3 newspapers, and over the years, that's just declined," said Keith.

The "Amplification Campaign" is about a year in progress with just under $100,000 left to raise.

"We're excited that it's well within view," said Keith.

"I would not want to trade this experience. This is such an amazing place," said Capen.

The capital campaign budget includes architecture fees, construction costs, HVAC considerations, sound attenuation measures, enhanced lighting, security considerations, ADA accessibility, video capabilities, and significant equipment purchases and upgrades resulting in four additional studios and a student staff room.

You can find out more information here.

Their next fundraising event is an auction on Saturday, May 17.

This story was 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.

A nurse practitioner at Corewell Health Children's Hospital in Royal Oak helped a patient navigate cervical cancer treatment while preserving her ability to have another child.

Watch Christiana Ford's video report:

National Nurses Day: Cancer survivor welcomes 'miracle baby' with nurse's help

Malaika Samuel couldn't be happier holding her 1-year-old daughter Journi.

"She is my miracle baby," Samuel said.

As a mother of four already, Samuel always wanted a large family.

"I always wanted a super big family," Samuel said.

Web extra: Malaika on how her nurse advocated for her

But the path to her fifth child presented unexpected challenges when she received devastating news during in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.

"That's why I named my baby Journi, because this has definitely been a journey and an experience that I never thought I would have to go through," Samuel said.

Samuel was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 35 years old.

"I was shocked, I was 35 and I was like this can't be me," Samuel said.

"Didn't have any health issues, never had any problems, and you're saying now I have cervical cancer," Samuel said.

The diagnosis raised serious questions about her ability to become pregnant again, especially since treatment typically involves removing the cervix.

"I thought my chances of trying was over," Samuel said.

That's when nurse practitioner Kristen Davis from Corewell Health Children's stepped in, becoming what was like a guiding light for Samuel during a confusing and frightening time.

"She reassured me that if I wanted to push through and try to conceive again, that I would be able to," Samuel said.

Davis provided both medical expertise and emotional support throughout the process.

"She understood the cervical cancer aspect of it, but she also was there to hear the emotional part like how I was feeling like I'm sad, I'm depressed, this is, I don't know what's my next steps and I don't know what the outcome looks like, and she was there for it all," Samuel said.

Davis helped Samuel understand a non-traditional surgical approach that could preserve her fertility.

"We were able to remove just the tumor, the cervix, and then connected the organs back so she can have a safe pregnancy, get pregnant, and then have a safe pregnancy and delivery after that," Davis said.

Samuel believes Davis went above and beyond by advocating for her as a patient.

"I think just being a woman myself and wanting children in the future, um trying to put myself in her shoes, you know, not many years between us, so trying to picture what I would want for myself and what I would want my provider to say to me and to ask me and to advocate for me, I think that really helped me connect with her," Davis said.

The care continued well beyond the initial treatment.

"Not just I need to see if the cancer is back or how this week- she checked on me," Samuel said.

Dr. Zaid Al-Wahab, who performed Samuel's surgery, says Davis represents the often-unrecognized contributions of nurses.

"They provide the support when the physician is not available and even when the physician is available," Al-Wahab said.

For Davis, this level of care is simply part of her daily commitment to patients.

"I wouldn't say a hero. I mean, this is what I do every day, and I enjoy doing it. It's just what I think is right," Davis said.

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Northville's Social District has returned for the season, partially closing off two downtown streets to drivers and opening the space for pedestrians.

The closure, which began as a pandemic measure, has evolved into a seasonal tradition that divides the community.

Watch Christiana Ford's report below: Northville's social district returns for the season as businesses and residents remain divided

Retractable bollards now block portions of Center and Main streets in downtown Northville and will remain in place until Nov. 1.

As spring arrives, downtown Northville is transforming its streets into pedestrian spaces.

"This is a pergola. It's going to be part of our bar that we are doing outside in the summer time," said Phil Zacharias, co-owner of Center Street Grill.

For Zacharias, the social district's street closures coincide with their busiest season.

"People in the summer time, they want to do whatever they can to be outside. So for us, this is like a game changer," Zacharias said.

The six-month closure was initially created to keep downtown Northville vibrant during the pandemic but has evolved into an annual seasonal closure the community has grown to expect.

"Being able to listen to live music, walk around with drinks, you just always run into people that you know. It's awesome," Northville resident Craig Conrad said.

"I enjoy it. It can be an inconvenience when you want to go to Plymouth or something, but it's only for a short time, so it's not bad," said Jenny Mortenson, Northville resident.

But not everyone supports the street closures.

Prudence Kauffman, owner of Dear Prudence and Blackbird, says the lack of traffic is diminishing sales.

"When we signed our leases, we pay rates based on 36,000 cars a week passing by our doors and when the streets are closed, we have zero," Kauffman said. "When you take volume down by that amount, it really does hurt your bottom line."

Watch our extended interview with Prudence Kauffman below: Extended interview: 'People kind of forget that we're here.' Prudence Kauffman talks more about street closures

Kauffman is considering relocating to another city because of the impact.

"I mean, we don't get a discount from our landlord. We're paying the same high rent," she said.

Frustrations over the closure and questions about its legality sparked a lawsuit against the city in 2023 by group Let's Open Northville.

While the city won't comment on ongoing legal matters, Mayor Brian Turnbull says he's listening to concerns.

"The opportunity is traffic. We're looking at that. We're trying to be flexible. We put bollards in last year so maybe sometime, we'll open up one street or we'll go on weekends," Turnbull said.

Hear more from Turnbull in the video below: Full interview: Northville mayor talks about activities in city as social district reopens

He says the bollards allows them to be more flexible.

"We're looking at what it is, monitoring what the businesses want, what our citizens and the whole community. It's pretty important. If you don't have a strong downtown business sector, you won't have a strong community. So we're looking at all the data. We do a lot of surveys. We're doing that right now," Turnbull said.

Kauffman is hoping for compromise.

"We're looking forward to just some resolution because I feel like it's just been really unhealthy for the town as a whole to have so many people on one side or the other, and it's just caused a lot of animosity. So I think I'll just be glad to have some kind of a decision," she said.

Frank Gonda, who lives at the intersection, has seen how heated the topic has become in the community.

"The way things are right now, problems are being made problems when they aren't really. It's just a simple matter of perspective. If you're looking at it a certain way and you're not open to anything else, that's going to be a problem for ya," Gonda said.

A trial on the future of the bollards is set for June.

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One in four Americans are planning to stay home rather than travel this summer, according to a new survey by Bank Rate. Of the more than 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed, 65% said they do not plan to travel in the coming months.

Travel experts say economic uncertainty is causing some potential travelers to delay making vacation plans, even as airfare costs have dropped since February 2020 and are down from last year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Because of tariffs in the economy, people are kind of sitting on the sidelines a little bit and keeping an eye on things because they want to know what they can afford and what they can budget for," said David Fishman, president of the Cadillac Travel Group in Royal Oak.

Fishman noted that while he doesn't believe the actual reduction in travel isn't as steep as the survey suggests, there has been a noticeable decline in bookings.

"The key right now is consumer anxiety," Fishman said. "The pricing is going up more in the daily things than necessarily travel rates right now so you're not seeing that yet in the travel rates so ironically the thing you should be buying now is travel and not eggs."

This hesitation from travelers is creating opportunities for deals, according to Fishman.

"The vendors are gonna want to get them back out to the airlines, the cruise lines, the hoteliers. They want to get them out, so there's going to be deals that are going to coming up. There has been a reduction even on some of the flights with the airlines," Fishman said.

Some travelers remain undeterred by economic concerns.

Randi Sade (jean jacket) has trips planned to Georgia and Texas for summer vacations with her children, while Paris Nettles (black jacket), a real estate professional, says business gains have justified her travel decisions.

"You want to get out travel, see the world and if you wait you might miss your mark. That's what I say," Nettles said.

Others acknowledge the financial considerations but are determined to travel anyway.

"It's definitely something you have to think about. I have to think about do I have enough money to do this what is the future going to hold things like that," said Colleen, who is planning to travel this summer.

For families still hoping to vacation this summer, Fishman offers several practical tips:

Be flexible with dates and destinations Consider locations that are less popular during summer months Book now rather than waiting Consider road trips to destinations like Chicago, Cedar Point, or various halls of fame

Fishman also recommends working with a travel agent to navigate the current landscape.

"There's two places in life you need an advocate, hospitals and travel because there's constant changes, constant cancellations, weather, you know, any number of different things can affect you," Fishman said.

This story was 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.