Michigan candidate for governor, John James, says Canadian wildfire smoke needs to be better controlled, as part of a deal to open the Gordie Howe Bridge. James made the comments on a video on Facebook earlier this month.
“You look at wildfire smoke every summer. They’re throwing off 500 million vehicles’ worth of carbon emissions into our air each and every year and doing very little to nothing about it. That’s got to change right now,” said James. “As a part of any deal we do with Gordie Howe Bridge, we have to work in close cooperation with Ottawa to make sure they’re also managing their business, so we can keep our people healthy and we can keep our relationship strong.”
Last summer, James wrote a letter to Canadian officials asking them for action to keep wildfire smoke from drifting into Michigan.
President Donald Trump endorsed James on Monday to become Michigan’s next governor. Other elected officials around the country quickly followed suit. James will face businessman Perry Johnson, and former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox in the Aug. 4 Republican primary.
Additional headlines for Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Detroit police pick up 180 curfew violators during fireworks
The Detroit Police Department is reporting that it detained 180 juveniles on Monday night for curfew violations before the annual Ford fireworks show over the Detroit River. A news release says 171 of those detained were city residents. Nine live elsewhere.
A special curfew was approved for fireworks night. It required everyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. The police department says 19 adults were arrested for a variety of infractions, including carrying concealed weapons, aggravated assault, and disorderly conduct.
One 18-year-old was shot by a police officer after a short chase, several hours before the fireworks began.
Dearborn schools seek new bond approval
Dearborn residents will see a new millage proposal on their November general election ballot. The city’s Board of Education will ask voters to approve a $1.5 billion bond measure. If passed, the money will fund the construction of six new schools.
The district says the bond would also be used to remodel every remaining school building over the next 20 years. The board approved ballot language for the proposal at Monday’s meeting.
New apartment complex opens on west side
A west-side Detroit neighborhood is getting a new apartment building. The city opened the OSI Art Apartments Tuesday afternoon. The newly constructed four-story complex provides 30 residential units. About half qualify as “affordable housing”.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield says the project will make a difference along the Grand River corridor. “It is an honor as mayor to welcome this project to our city. A project that combines housing, culture, arts – and to breathe this vibrancy back into our community, which is so needed in our city. So I thank you all so much for investing in Detroit.”
The development, which also includes 5,000 square feet of retail space, will be the gateway to the West End Gallery District. The building located on Grand River near Selden is named for Nigerian-American artist Osi Audu.
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Many residents in metro Detroit — home to the nation’s largest Lebanese community — are mourning as the war between Israel and Hezbollah brings devastation to Lebanon.
Since March, relentless fighting has left southern towns and villages in ruins. By May, at least 62,000 buildings were destroyed, more than 1 million people were displaced, and over 4,000 have been killed.
In Israel, four civilians have died and 32 soldiers have been killed in the conflict.
There’s a shaky ceasefire now, but it’s only days old, and Israeli forces still occupy parts of southern Lebanon.
For many in metro Detroit, the pain is personal.
What does it look like to be forced from home, only to return to rubble? How does all the violence and instability ricochet among friends and loved ones here in metro Detroit, where many have family and community ties to Lebanon?
Mirvet Makki is the owner of Divine Dine Detroit, a catering business in Dearborn. She immigrated to Michigan from Lebanon in 1990, and she’s been using earnings from her business to make donations to folks in Lebanon. She says she’s constantly reflecting on the devastation in the country where she was born.
“Seeing the rubble on the side of the road, I was thinking to myself, ‘whose son was lost here, whose father was here, whose child died on this road?’” she says.
Makki joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to reflect on the heartbreak unfolding in Lebanon and how it reverberates through metro Detroit’s Lebanese community.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
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Have you ever wondered which communities in Metro Detroit are part of the Downriver area, and how it got that name?
Listener Scott Troia of Ann Arbor wonders.
“I was curious about where the term ‘Downriver’ originated from: Who, when, why they started using it. Is it a geographic boundary, or is it cultural? Who identifies as being from Downriver?”
WDET’s Pat Batcheller does. He was born and raised in Trenton and has lived in Southgate with his wife Amy since 1999. Pat’s happy to answer Scott’s question.
What does “Downriver” mean?
Elizabeth Park sits along the Detroit River in Trenton, Michigan.
As the name suggests, Downriver refers to those communities on the Detroit River as it flows down into Lake Erie. Humans have lived in the area for thousands of years. The term Downriver is more recent. It appears as two words in a 1917 magazine published by the city of Wyandotte. In 1963, Thomas J. Anderson wrote a book called “The History of Southgate and Downriver”—one word. Today, the term covers a lot more territory than just the riverfront.
Which communities make up Downriver?
That depends on who you ask. Lisa Wayne is the CEO of the Downriver Community Conference. The nonprofit helps people find jobs through the Michigan Works program. It also coordinates grants for its 20 member communities.
“We serve Allen Park, Brownstown, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, Huron Township, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte,” Wayne says.
The DCC started with 11 communities and includes Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. Many consider those cities to be outside of the traditional definition of Downriver. Ron Hinrichs grew up in Dearborn but didn’t consider himself a Downriver resident.
“I remember someone asking me once, ‘where are you from?'” Hinrichs recalls. “And I said, ‘I’m from Dearborn.’ And they said, ‘oh, so you’re—you’re from Downriver.’ And I said, ‘I’m not from Downriver, I’m from Dearborn.'”
Hinrichs leads the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber, which promotes the Downriver area. He says if you ask ten people where Downriver is, you’ll get ten different answers.
Where does Downriver end?
Downriver does not have defined borders, but most descriptions stop at the Huron River separating Wayne and Monroe counties. That would make Rockwood part of Downriver, but not its next-door neighbor, South Rockwood, a village in Monroe County’s Berlin Township. Stephanie Hawkins is the president of the Berlin Charter Township Historical Society. She says if you ask South Rockwood residents, they’ll say they feel closer to Downriver than Monroe.
“They mentioned that when they want to do something like go shopping, they go north because it is closer than driving all the way down to Monroe,” Hawkins says. “So, I think that’s why you’ll find that the folks who live in the village itself do identify with being Downriver.”
So do people in Taylor, which is not on the Detroit River. Karl Ziomek is Taylor’s communications director and a former journalist at the area’s paper of record, the News-Herald. He recalls newsroom arguments about how far west Downriver reaches.
“And there are a lot of people I think to this day who would believe that Taylor is even stretching it,” Ziomek says. “Certainly, Romulus does. It goes on the other side of Metro Airport, then people start going, ‘well wait a minute, is this really Downriver?”
Pearl Varner laughs at the suggestion that Romulus is part of Downriver because of its distance from the Detroit River. Her family has lived in Romulus for over a century. She runs the city’s historical museum. But Varner says if it brings more visitors to the museum and the downtown area, she’s fine with being considered Downriver.
“You want people to come and see what you’re doing, what your museum is like, what your city is like, what your people are like,” Varner says.
What are people like Downriver?
Ted Butkin is a lifelong Wyandotte resident.
Each community is unique, but they all share common roots. Many are descendants of European immigrants who worked in factories or started their own businesses. Some settled in Wyandotte, where Ted Butkin has lived his whole life.
“We had a German festival, a Polish festival, a Mexican festival and there was one other that were just huge because everyone was represented in this melting pot of Wyandotte,” Butkin says.
Wyandotte is the second oldest incorporated city in Wayne County, after Detroit. Joe Gruber is the city’s economic development director. He says its vibrant downtown attracts people from Downriver and beyond.
Joe Gruber is Wyandotte’s economic and downtown development director.
“All of the small business owners and entrepreneurs in our community are really, really engaged and hard working,” Gruber says. “We try to offer a lot of fun quality-of-life events and opportunities for families to come, especially those events that are free.”
Anthony Beitel moved to Wyandotte a couple of years ago. Before that, he had lived in Detroit and the northern suburbs. Beitel says he didn’t know much about Downriver before relocating with his partner, who is from the area. He says he loves how people support the local economy.
“They have this whole ‘Shop The Dotte’ initiative, which is all about promoting small businesses,” Beitel says. “And it’s just really great to see that sense of community and everybody kind of supporting each other and lifting each other up.”
Industry drove Downriver for decades, for better or worse
Small businesses have always been a vital part of the Downriver economy, but through much of the 20th century, heavy industry was the main source of jobs and tax revenue. It was also a major source of pollution, such as coal dust. Lisa Donovan lives in Brownstown Township but grew up in Wyandotte. She says sometimes when the wind blew, it turned houses black with ash.
“And they would have piles of coal next to the park in Wyandotte that’s on the waterfront, and you’d come home with ash on you.”
Because of that, Donovan says some people—mainly outsiders—saw Downriver as a dirty place to live. That reputation lingered long after downturns in the automotive and steel industries forced many factories to close. Business and civic leaders suggested dumping Downriver in favor of something they thought sounded more attractive—Metro Shores. But, unlike coal dust, that name didn’t stick.
People have pride in Downriver, even those who are new to the area
Michael Echols moved from Detroit to Ecorse a couple of years ago. Ecorse started as one of Wayne County’s original townships in 1827. Today, the cities of Ecorse, Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Southgate, and Wyandotte comprise what used to be Ecorse Township.
Echols says Ecorse is a peaceful place.
“It’s a different variety of people down here, but it’s everybody getting on, and that’s the most beautiful part,” he says.
The river itself defines the region
John Hartig managed the Detroit International Wildlife Refuge for 14 years and has written several books about the Great Lakes.
Just a few hundred feet offshore from Ecorse is Mud Island, part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. John Hartig once managed the refuge, which includes Grosse Ile and the entire Michigan shore of Lake Erie. He says it took decades to repair the industrial damage to the environment and restore the river’s natural habitat.
“We’ve seen some dramatic improvements in water quality,” he says. “Bald eagles are back, and peregrine falcons, osprey, lake whitefish, lake sturgeon, river otter and beaver are back.”
Downriver has its own culture
Hartig says the river’s revival is changing perceptions of Downriver, its people, and its culture. Linda Francetich is trying to do the same. 15 years ago, she started a website called Discover Downriver to promote the area’s cultural activities, such as festivals and concerts. Francetich says the area might not have the vibe of Royal Oak or Birmingham, but that’s OK.
“Everyone has their own regional culture,” she says. “But I think Downriver has a very unique culture because of how close everybody is and how supportive everybody is.”
Francetich says Downriver has a lot of musical talent, including bands such as 50 Amp Fuse and the Transit Brothers. Chris French plays trumpet for the Transit Brothers and the Downriver Community Band. He also owns a family law firm and organizes yearly concerts to benefit Downriver veterans. French says the region has a lot to offer, including a variety of real estate.
“You want a farm, we have farms,” he says. “We’ve got water everywhere, so you can buy a house on the water.”
Some of the most impressive homes on the water are on Grosse Ile, which sits in the middle of the Detroit River. Tony Krukowski is the vice president of the Grosse Ile Historical Museum. He says the island’s scenery is a big draw.
“People just love to drive around the island, especially around East River Road and West River Road to take in the natural scene,” he says.
Two bridges connect Grosse Ile to the rest of Downriver. Listener Scott Troia, who asked the question, says he understands the area better now that we’ve connected the dots for him.
“What are the boundaries of it and do people from different communities actually self-identify with being part of Downriver that might be on some of those fringe cities? You very much covered those topics, really.”
Thanks, Scott. It’s why we’re here.
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A Dearborn park will be the home of a new visual art project depicting the children of Gaza. The City of Dearborn, Jewish Voice for Peace-Detroit, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, and ACCESS present this “Wall of Tears” artwork to the community.
Artist Phil Buehler created the 100 foot long, 7.5 ft tall outdoor mural that includes the names, ages and stories of over 18,000 children who were killed in Gaza since October 2023. An opening night event will be held for the exhibition on Thursday, June 11 at the Dearborn PEACE Park East from 5-7 p.m.
The Wall of Tears has previously been displayed in cities around the world, including New York and San Francisco. New murals will also be built in Mexico City, Dallas and Portland.
Another installation called “Gaza City” will be displayed at the Henry Ford Centennial Library on Saturday, June 13 at 2 p.m. That installation will also be presented by Jewish Voice for Peace-Detroit and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.
The event will feature a screening of “The Voice of Hind Rajab ” and speakers including Huwaida Arraf, a civil rights lawyer who recently joined the Freedom Flotilla. This installation is a collaboration between Phil Buehler and Palestinian photojournalist Shroug Alaiya.
Additional headlines for Monday, June 8, 2026
State lawmakers vote to reinstate reading requirement
The Michigan House voted last week to revive the requirement that kids learn to read within one grade level by third grade or risk repeating a year in school.
Republican supporters argue its necessary to address the state’s lagging reading scores. Many educators counter that holding kids back a grade does nothing to improve their reading.
Democratic Representative John Fitzgerald says teachers need more resources to improve literacy. “We want to give educators and those around kids the tools that they need to give students the best opportunity for success, and just telling kids you have to read at third grade reading is not going to do it. It’s the resources and we want the result of that policy.”
State lawmakers repealed Michigan’s third-grade reading law a couple of years ago when Democrats controlled the Legislature.
The state corrections department says an inmate at the Huron Valley women’s prison died Saturday morning. The Detroit Free Press reports that Ashley Hoath fell ill and was taken to an emergency room, where her condition worsened, and life-saving measures failed. Hoath was serving time for killing her boyfriend in 2017.
She’s the third Huron Valley inmate to die in less than a month. The state is investigating the other two deaths.
The City of Hamtramck is hosting a town hall meeting today. The meeting is to help residents understand their water bill structure. City representatives will discuss changes that are taking place. Arabic and Bangla translators will be available.
The town hall is scheduled for June 8 at 7 p.m. People can also watch the meeting at the City of Hamtramck YouTube page.
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The United Auto Workers has endorsed Jocelyn Benson for governor and Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate in Michigan’s 2026 elections.
In a statement, the UAW said it supports El-Sayed because it wants “a fighter” in Washington, D.C. During an interview with ABC News Live this week, El-Sayed discussed the importance of unions like the UAW.
“The best way to protect people’s wages is to allow them to form unions. I want to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the PRO Act to make sure you have the voting rights and that you can form a union anywhere and in any sector in American life.” The UAW also said the 2026 gubernatorial race is critical and that Benson has demonstrated she would stand with working-class Michiganders.
The endorsements come after former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan entered the governor’s race as an independent candidate and following last week’s Mackinac Policy Conference, where El-Sayed and fellow Democratic Senate candidates Mallory McMorrow and Haley Stevens participated in a debate.
Additional headlines for June 5, 2026
Dearborn opens third PEACE Park in Southend
Dearborn has opened its third PEACE Park in the city’s Southend neighborhood.
PEACE stands for Park Equity and Access for Civic Engagement. The parks are part of the PEACE Project, a nearly $30 million grant-funded effort to invest in the city’s green infrastructure.
PEACE Park South includes a community basketball court, two pickleball courts, a garden walk and other amenities. During a town hall meeting in April, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud discussed additional efforts to expand green space throughout the city.
“Every year, we choose six to nine schools where we’re planting rain gardens and trees in various schools.”
The new park is now open for residents to enjoy.
Tigers host Mariners in weekend series
The Detroit Tigers host the Seattle Mariners this weekend for a three-game series at Comerica Park.
Detroit enters the series looking to gain ground in the American League Central amid trade speculation ahead of the deadline. First pitch for Friday’s game is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
Detroit City FC takes on Lexington SC in USL Jägermeister Cup
Detroit City FC will face Lexington SC in Group D action of the USL Jägermeister Cup on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck.
Michigan State researcher helps prepare World Cup playing surfaces
Michigan State University professor Trey Rogers is helping prepare playing surfaces for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rogers helped pioneer indoor natural grass systems for the 1994 World Cup. For next year’s tournament, he and his team are developing methods to ensure the safe transportation and installation of turf at host stadiums.
According to Bridge Michigan, Michigan State and the University of Tennessee are also supplying turfgrass through a FIFA-funded project.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11 and concludes July 19.
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A judge has dismissed a lawsuit targeting a millage proposal on the August primary ballot that would prevent Wayne County communities from opting out of the SMART bus system.
The group Not SMART Wayne filed the suit, claiming the Wayne County Transit Authority did not follow disclosure and notice requirements before placing the millage on the ballot. The judge dismissed the case for insufficient evidence.
Matthew Wilk is an organizer of Not SMART Wayne. He says the battle is not over. “So we are going to fight this at the ballot box. We’re going to make sure everybody knows exactly what they’re doing. I think it is wholly inappropriate to have a tax, a special double tax on Detroiters. It’s 650,000 Detroiters and we’re going to let the world know about it.”
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans applauded the judge’s decision. Evans says expanding the SMART bus system will provide an affordable alternative, especially when Detroiters are dealing with high gas prices. Voters will see the millage proposal on the August 4 ballot.
The city of Dearborn has launched a new unit to stop aggressive driving. The city says the unit will watch for driving behaviors that may cause accidents and threaten the public’s safety.
The Dearborn police department has acquired three Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles for the special unit. Those cars will be able to more easily blend in with normal traffic.
The city says police officers issued more than 33,000 traffic citations last year.
Gas prices fall
Metro Detroit gas prices are trending downward despite continued hostilities in the Middle East.
The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular in the area is now $4.28. That’s down 29 cents per gallon from last week at this time.
Analysts say talk of a possible peace deal has helped push prices lower. But the U.S. and Iran have both launched strikes in recent days – and there’s no clear word on when the situation might be resolved.
The vital Strait of Hormuz remains closed to commercial ship traffic. Twenty percent of the world’s crude oil typically passes through that waterway.
DPSCD to demolish Cooley High School
The Detroit Public Schools Community District will demolish Cooley High School this summer. That’s according to reporting by Bridge Detroit and Historic Detroit. The high school was originally built in 1928 and closed in 2010.
There were efforts to save the building. The non-profit Life Remodeled had offered in 2023 to purchase the site from the district, but that offer was rejected.
Teacher of the Year nominations open
And the Michigan Department of Education is looking to recognize teachers for their hard work.
The Teacher of the Year program was created to acknowledge the achievements of educators in the state. Anyone can nominate a teacher using the form on the state Department of Education website until September 23.
The winner of the award will be announced in the spring.
-Reporting by Helena Najar
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Hamtramck is hosting an Eid gathering next weekend for Eid Al-Adha. There will be rides, food and shopping vendors. Organized by community leaders. The festival will take place from May 28-31 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Keyworth Stadium.
Additional headlines for Monday, May 18
Skilled trades meeting
The City of Detroit is hosting a Skilled Trades Task Force meeting. The meeting is for those who are interested in building in Detroit. People can also learn more about how to apply for tuition free apprenticeship programs. The meeting will be held on May 20 from 4-6 p.m. at the Farwell Recreation Center. That’s located at 2711 Outer Drive E, Detroit, MI 48234.
D’Artillery fashion show
The Hamtramck based studio D’Artillery is hosting a fashion show. The Behind the Seams showcase is a celebration of Immigrant Heritage Month. The women-only event features clothes and accessories made by women in the sewing training program.
The fashion showcase will be Saturday June 13 from 5-8 p.m. at 9528 Joseph Campau, in Hamtramck.
Dearborn spring cleaning
The City of Dearborn is launching its Spring Sweep. This is a joint effort by the city and residents to clean their properties. The city will be doing inspections on tall grass and overgrowth, trash and unauthorized storage or placement of items on lawns. Residents are asked to clean their properties from leaf accumulation or debris.
The city says violations are not tickets, but residents must inform the city when corrections have been made. The city’s code enforcement is refining its process. For more information visit Dearborn.gov/Property.
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Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit has renamed its June 13 animal and music festival after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Coachella’s lawyers, but the legal threat has prompted a wave of support for the Dearborn shelter.
The man accused of setting a fire inside Huntington Place has been charged. Deshawn Victor Harrison was arrested on Friday, May 8 and has been charged with two counts of arson.
Harrison is accused of walking into Huntington Place on April 26 and using water bottles filled with gasoline to douse the carpet before setting it on fire.
Huntington Place released a statement saying: “there was no impact to guests… staff or scheduled events.”
Harrison is in the Wayne County Jail with a $100,000 bond and is due back in court on May 18.
-Reporting by Jonathan Roden
Additional headlines for Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Michigan ranks low on disability employment
Michigan ranks 44th in the nation for disability-inclusive employment according to a ranking created by EVERWAY, a company that provides solutions for Neurodivergent and autistic individuals.
The ranking measures employment rates across states using data from disability statistics dot org which found in 2024 only 42.4 % of the people in the State of Michigan with a disability were employed.
-Reporting by Jonathan Roden
Metroparks teach swimming, water safety for all
The Huron-Clinton Metroparks hopes to teach 5100 people to swim this year. Its Everyone in the Pool initiative has worked to increase water safety and swim skills for children and adults – especially in communities of color where people are less likely to learn to swim.
They point to data that suggests Black children between 5 and 19 are 5 times more likely to drown than white children the same age, and their own study which found 70% of children in Detroit have little or no swim experience. Huron Metroparks is offering free swim lessons in partnership with the YMCA.
The Yunion has opened registration for two summer youth programs. Level Up Workforce & Leadership Development Camp will allow rising 9th and 10th graders to focus on both academic and work skills during its free 6-week program.
And the Keys 2 Life Performing Arts Program will give kids between 11 and 13 a chance to focus on music, dance, theater or digital media with some academic re-enforcement thrown in.
Registration for both programs is open until June 5. For more information visit the theyunion.org/camps.
Vintage Fest this weekend
Camp Dearborn is hosting Vintage Fest this weekend with three events happening at the same time.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Classic Car Show will showcase restored and preserve classic autos, The Friends of Camp Dearborn Flea Market will offer one-of-a-kind homemade arts and crafts. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual Tin Can Tourists’ Open House will give visitors a gander at more than 100 vintage trailers and coaches from as early as the 1930s between noon and 3 p.m.
Camp Dearborn is a 626 acre park located in Milford but owned by the City of Dearborn.
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A Dearborn animal shelter raising money for homeless dogs and cats has been forced to rename its upcoming “Pawchella” fundraiser after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the company behind Coachella, one of the world’s most famous music festivals.
Hockeytown is getting a new team. Officials from Ilitch Sports and Entertainment announced today that Detroit is getting a Professional Women’s Hockey League expansion team.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and others attended a news conference Wednesday just outside of Little Caesars Arena. Sheffield says the new team means something special to her as Detroit’s first woman mayor. “This moment is especially meaningful to me. It represents the progress we are making as a city to ensure that women and girls are seen, supported, and given the opportunity to shine at the highest level.”
Detroit’s new team, which doesn’t have a name yet, will start play in the fall. The league will hold its national draft in Detroit in mid-June.
Additional headlines from Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Dearborn chooses superintendent
Dearborn has selected a new school superintendent. The district has offered the top job to Mike Esseily. He currently serves as the district’s Director of Special Populations. That means he oversees special education, English language learner programs and mental health initiatives. He’s worked in different positions in the Dearborn school system since 2007.
The school board and Esseily are in the midst of contract negotiations. The district says he’s expected to start in July.
WXYZ TV-7 returns to Xfinity
Metro Detroiters who have Xfinity for their cable service will be able to watch a local television channel once again. A contract dispute between the cable provider and E.W. Scripps kept subscribers from watching WXYZ-TV 7 for several weeks. That meant no access to the Southfield station’s national or local news or entertainment programming, including one of the Pistons’ nationally-televised playoff games.
Customers were told at the beginning of the contract dispute that they could get an over-the-air TV antenna to watch Channel 7 at an additional cost, or watch on certain streaming services.
Gas prices update
Metro Detroit gas prices average $4.80 per gallon today. That’s up 55 cents from just a week ago. Crude oil prices remain at more than $100 per barrel, keeping fuel costs high.
Negotiations reportedly are underway to end hostilities with Iran, but the Strait of Hormuz remains closed at this point, meaning oil tankers are not traveling the waterway as normal yet.
Pistons win opening game of round two
Pistons fans in Detroit are celebrating today. The team won its first game in the second round of the NBA playoffs Tuesday night, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 111 – 101 at Little Caesars Arena.
Cade Cunningham scored 23 points in the victory. The Pistons built up a double-digit lead early, but let it slip away during the course of the game.
The score at one point in the fourth quarter was tied at 93, but Detroit pulled away to secure the victory. Game two in the best-of-seven series takes place Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.
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In the United States, the response has been quiet.
Khadega Mohammed has spent much of her life trying to say something about that silence — through poetry, community organizing, and her work at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, where she is the only Sudanese person and the only Black person on staff.
Born in Sudan, raised in Saudi Arabia, and resettled in the United States with her family in 2007, Mohammed is a spoken word artist whose signature poem, “Between,” opens the PBS AfroPoP documentary “Revolution from Afar.”
She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to talk about the Sudan she remembers, the America she lives in, and the in-between where her poetry was born.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
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The U.S. Justice Department wants Wayne County to hand over ballots from the 2024 election. Justice officials claim the county surrounding Detroit has a “history of fraud convictions and other allegations.”
Michigan officials say the few examples of fraud cited by the Justice Department out of millions of votes cast were not connected to the 2024 election. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson—who is running for governor as a Democrat—says she believes President Trump is trying to manufacture fear among voters.
Michigan’s Republican-controlled state senate also found no evidence of widespread or systemic fraud in the 2020 election.
Detroit representatives co-sponsor water access, affordability bills
Detroit-area representatives are among those co-sponsoring water access and affordability bills in the U.S. House. If passed, he bills would create an Environmental Protection Agency program that provides access to clean water for low-income households.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell is one of the sponsors of the legislation. She says clean, accessible, affordable drinking water is a basic human right. The bills would also prohibit water shutoffs and give equal protection for renters and homeowners.
These bills are similar to ones Dingell and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib got passed in 2021, though funding was allowed to run out in the Republican-controlled House.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud says the city and its private sector partners are investing $180 million in a wide variety of developments, including new housing. Hammoud says the city has already reviewed and approved some concept plans and is speeding up the permitting process.
Volunteers needed for Cinco De Mayo Fiesta
Raíces Detroit is looking for volunteers for its Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and Parade. Volunteers will serve in a variety of roles, including event set-up and breakdown, assistance with parade staging, vendor support and more.
The Fiesta will be Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. The parade will be held on Sunday.
To volunteer, contact Raíces Detroit at 313-404-0850.
Interfaith Odysseys explores Islam
The Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit invites the community to explore Islam as a part of its Interfaith Odysseys program in May. Attendees will visit the Islamic Center of America – the largest mosque in the United States. The event includes a tour of the mosque, an introduction to Islam and a warm meal.
Guests will also view the “Art, Faith and Sacred Space” exhibit of work by Lebanese-born artist Haroutioun Isack Bastajian. Interfaith Odysseys are designed for all members of the family.
Joyce Foundation seeks to fund artists
The Joyce Foundation is offering artists across the Great Lakes a chance at a hundred thousand dollars in unrestricted funds for community-focused projects.
Artists in Michigan can nominate themselves through May 4. The Joyce Awards artists in the visual, performing, film, literary and media arts exploring issues of racial equity and engaging communities through collaboration.
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