Urban Neighborhood Initiatives is giving its annual Hero of the Neighborhood awards this week.

Simone Sagovac, director of the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition, is being recognized for her work with Trucks Off Our Streets. 

The impact of truck traffic

She says the work began a few years ago to get protections to prevent truck routes from going through neighborhoods. 

“On some of the streets, there were ranging between 500 and even up to 1,200 semi trucks, and we’re talking heavy-duty semi trucks that are part of our global economy here, and they were cutting through our neighborhood streets,” she says.

Sagovac says the trucks cause damage, emit emissions, and cause health impacts. 

“There’s just a whole array of issues on top of the safety issues of living with trucks and people not being able to have kids play in the yards… we knew that it needed a larger strategy, so we formed the Trucks Off Our Streets Coalition that has representation from across all of the city districts,” she explains.

She says the organizations are rooted in the community that works with residents directly on issues related to trucks in the industry, air pollution and health.  

Study underscores the issue

The work resulted in the Southwest Detroit Truck Route Implementation Study, a pilot program to create the first designated truck route network by placing signs in the city. It was developed by the Southwest Detroit Truck Network Implementation Study in 2024 to manage truck activity and reduce traffic impacts in Southwest Detroit. 

Sagovac says Detroit communities are dealing with high environmental impacts, resulting in high rates of asthma and hospitalizations. 

“From our data, children under 18 living next to a truck route have 68% higher asthma rates, so it is really significant, and it’s something that is within local control to address by having more sensible, healthier truck routes, and there are other strategies too,” she expresses.

Her response to the recognition

Sagovac says she’s grateful for receiving an award, but she says it’s a community effort.

“First, it’s very surprising to be recognized, but it’s not surprising for all of the work that so many in the community have done over these years,” she shares.

Although Sagovac is not Latina, she says receiving an award feels validating that her work is making a difference. 

“It’s an incredible honor, probably the biggest honor to be recognized by people in the community. I feel like it validates something that’s really important to me, which is trust,” she says.

She says she’s happy to be a part of moving the work forward.

Detroit Council Member Mary Waters has launched a write-in campaign for Michigan’s 13th congressional district.

Waters said in a statement that the people of Michigan deserve a representative who understands that public service is about delivering results, not chasing headlines. Her campaign focuses on lowering the cost of living, protecting seniors, and bringing critical federal resources back. 

She originally launched a campaign last month but was disqualified for a lack of signatures.  

Additional headlines for Thursday, June 18, 2026

Overdose rates decline

Michigan overdose death rate has declined by 47% since 2021 according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. Preliminary data suggests overdose deaths have continued to decline for the fourth year in a row. 

The department attributes the decline to strategic investments largely funded by opioid settlements prioritizing prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. The efforts include expanding harm reduction sites from 5 to 115 in 2025, and distributing over 1.8 million free naloxone kits, which resulted in nearly 34,000 reported overdose reversals.  

Summer learning program enrollment closes soon

Enrollment for Summer Discovery, a no cost summer learning program, is closing soon. Put on by United Way of Southeastern Michigan and the Ballmer group, Summer Discovery connects students entering kindergarten through 10^th grade with learning and enrichment opportunities. Spots are still available at Detroit Public Schools Community District sites, Detroit Police Athletic league, Brilliant Detroit and more.

The program is open to all students across Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties. To apply visit summerdiscoverymi.org. 

Recall on Orb Funkee squeeze toys

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is urging is families to check their children’s toy boxes for Orb Funkee Monkee squeeze toys. The toy has been recalled because they may be filled with sand contaminated by asbestos.

The recall is for toys purchased from Walmart or Ollie’s Bargain Outlet stores between February 2025 and April 2026. Asbestos comes from minerals that create thin fibers when they crystallize and pose a human health risk when they enter the air. 

As of June 18, the state health department had not received any reports of illness or injuries tied to these toys. 

Metroparks survey

Huron-Clinton Metroparks is asking community members to fill out a survey to provide feedback about some of their parks. That includes the Lake St. Clair, Stoney Creek and Wolcott Mill Metroparks. It’s part of an effort to update their Park Master Plans to guide future projects, investments and facilities improvements. 

The surveys are open until Wednesday, July 15.    

This year’s Sounds Like Detroit Showcase is set for August 13, at Batch Brewing, and it will be my third year as your humble emcee. Now, we still need your help to lock in the line-up, so be sure to follow the link at the end of this article to vote for your favorite from our Top 10 Contenders, selected from recent submissions to the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. That being said, tonight was a fun episode, because I welcomed dynamo soul/R&B singer/performer Drey Skonie into the studio, who, with the Clouds Band, headlined my first year as the SLD host. 

Drey Skonie was already on the rise when he received the most votes during the 2024 Sounds Like Detroit, and he and the Clouds Band have only gotten busier and better over the time since–including selling out Cliff Belll’s multiple times, and famously improvising an entire song on the spot at a recent Arts Beats & Eats performance where they were briefly interrupted by a passing train (the stage was set up right next to the railroad crossing), and that track became “Ride Me Like a Train,” which we sampled tonight. 

While he hung out, Drey also shared his thoughts on the importance of supporting local music through programs like SLD, along with other programs like Motown’s Amplify series, which also honored Drey in the past; we also chatted about Drey’s memories and experience at the 2024 SLD concert, and what that meant to him and his band. We closed with “Rippin’ & Runnin'” the song that wound up getting Drey to the SLD stage in the first place. 

Also on tonight’s show, organizers from the annual PUG Fest joined us to talk about that upcoming mega-music festival happening this weekend, featuring lots of intense rock music, from heavy indie, to midwest emo, to metal-hybrids and pop-punk powerhouses. This is an all-ages independent DIY music festival organized in partnership between The Crofoot and The Pleasant Underground. The upcoming event splits its schedule across Ferndale and Pontiac, with multi-stage spaces, giving fans a stacked marathon weekend of music.

Organizers Ian Cruz and Kyle Minch joined me in studio to talk about the line-up which includes local artists like Former Critics, Riot Course, FrostIsRad, and many more, including high profile artists who are touring in from other scenes! We also heard an exclusive premiere from the band Feast FOUR The Crows, who have a new album coming out soon.
PUG Fest splits up the week with a lineup at the Pike Room (part of the Crofoot complex) in Pontiac on Thursday, followed by a Friday night lineup at the Orchid Theatre in Ferndale, then back to The Crofoot in Pontiac on Saturday. Find more info here.

We also heard premieres, this week, from 800cc, Spa Day, and The Telephone Poles! All that and so much more! Make sure, btw, that you vote for our Sounds Like Detroit Showcase, HERE.

Sit back, move, celebrate or any combination of the three—we’ve got you covered in this week’s events guide. With metro Detroit as a backdrop, enter the enchanting setting of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with some 90s tunes, groove into a new mode of yoga, and cheer on international soccer teams in the heart of downtown.

And, in a uniquely-Michigan event, honor 160 years of Vernor’s ginger ale in the Eastern Market.

Upcoming events (June 12-15)

World Soccer Celebration Watch Parties

Campus Martius

June 12, 19

Free

Join Detroit City FC at Campus Martius Park to root on Team USA as they face Paraguay in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. and the match begins at 9 p.m. Food and beverage will be available for purchase on site. This event is free for all ages and registration is required.  Another watch party will be held on June 19 at 3 p.m. as USA takes on Australia. For more information and to register for entry, visit the Detroit City FC website.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Midland Center for the Arts

June 12, 14

$22.50+

This is the final weekend for the Midland Center for the Arts’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Based on Shakespeare’s work of the same name, the performance will include ’90s music and “moonlit mischief.” The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission starts at $22.50.

Greenfield Village Block Party

Greenfield Village

June 12-14

Free with admission ($37-39)

Welcome the newest historic structure to the Greenfield Village. The Jackson Home was brought in from Selma, Alabama and will showcase the courageous family and community that came together during the Civil Rights Movement. The home hosted Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders as they strategized how to win over the rights owed to them. At this opening event, there will be a Black-owned business market to browse, 40+ double dutch, Southern cuisine, live music, panels, demonstrations and more. Reservations are required if you hope to tour the inside of the home. This event is free for members and included in admission price.

Pawfest

MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption & Education Center

June 13

$5, kids under 12 get in free

Support the care and rescue work of Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit at this bustling, tail-wagging event! From noon to 8 p.m., bring your family, friends, and furry companions by for shopping, adopting and plenty of activities. Fun events throughout the day include bingo, raffles, a cornhole tournament, and more. Plus, there’s a Kid Zone for young ones to run and play too. If you want to adopt one of the pets available on site, adoption fees are waived for the day.

Vernor’s 160th Anniversary Celebration

Riopelle Street in Eastern Market

June 14

Free

Vernor’s is celebrating 160 years with a daylong celebration on Riopelle Street in Eastern Market. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. with a full brunch menu from Marrow in the Market featuring Vernor’s specials. The event will also feature live music, games, and a street-wide toast made at 3:30 p.m. to celebrate Vernor’s 160th anniversary. This event is free to the public.

City Glow Yoga

Campus Martius

June 15

$10

Silent-disco meets zen movement in this signature event. Exercise to the beat and release some stress while meeting new people in downtown Detroit. Headphones for the guided session are provided, but don’t forget to bring your own water and yoga mat. There’s a meet and greet at 7 p.m., with the session itself running from 7:30-9 p.m.

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority abruptly canceled festivities planned for the Gordie Howe Bridge ribbon cutting tomorrow.

Windsor Detroit Bridge officials said that the US and Canada have agreed to push back the opening of the span in order to take, “the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues”. The statement did not say what those issues are.

President Trump has planned to block the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge saying that he wants the bridge crossing to be a better deal for the US. Bridge officials haven’t clarified whether the construction of the span is complete.  

Additional headlines for Thursday, June 11, 2026

Charity car show

Local nonprofit Healing Choices is hosting a charity event on Sunday June 14 to support domestic violence survivors. It’s the Healing Choices Charity Car Show at Metro Beach featuring classic cars, hotrods, muscle cars and more.

The Detroit Police Department will be at the event to showcase some of their vehicles. And The organization will also provide resources to survivors.  

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10 per ticket and can be purchased at the park entrance.  

Sports updates

FIFA 
Detroit City FC AND the El Paso Locomotive FC tied yesterday 1-1. Before the game the rain was non stop at the Keyworth Stadium but they were still able to have their match. Their next game is Saturday June 13 at 7 p.m. 

Also the Fifa World Cup starts today with co-host Mexico playing the opener in Mexico City against South Africa.

The United States plays their first game against Paraguay tomorrow at 9 p.m. EST at the Los Angeles stadium in Inglewood. 

MLB 
The Tigers lost against the Minnesota Twins yesterday 6-4. We’ll have the results of today’s tie breaker game of this three game series on tomorrow’s DER. 
 
NBA  
Last night, NBA history was made. The New Knicks had the largest finals comeback in history after erasing a 29 point deficit yesterday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Final score was 107-106.  

Henry Ford exhibits to recognize 250 years of the US

And last but not least, to celebrate America’s 250^th year the Henry Ford Museum is showcasing 250 acres of special programming, new exhibitions, exciting events and more to highlight the history of American innovation. 
 
Some of the exhibits will be: 

• Handmade: The Crafting of America  -This exhibit explores how fabrics helped shape American history.
• Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation – This exhibit looks at the important key documents of this nation. The Henry Ford is one of eight institutions across the U.S. where nine original founding-era documents and it will be on display.
• Artemis Adventure with LEGO® Bricks – This exhibit looks at American space exploration to the wonder of legos.  

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Longtime chef Tyrrell Hutchins curates meals with a dual purpose: connect ancestral traditions with contemporary technique. He demonstrates this through his Happy Sunday pop-up events. It’s an immersive multi-course dining experience that takes place every other month.

On June 14, the menu will feature Black American cuisine in anticipation of the Juneteenth holiday.

Hutchins joined The Metro to explain what inspired this month’s  menu and the Happy Sunday format. Additionally, Hutchins discussed why it’s important to connect and work with local farmers.

“I feel like it’s very vital to capitalize on the things around us,” Hutchings said. “Our urban farmers are using a lot of ingenuity to create and produce and I want to highlight what they’re doing at the highest level.” 

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Detroit and Windsor sit across a narrow river from each other, close enough to see the lights on the other side. For decades, they existed like one town in two countries. Auto parts crossed the water again and again before a single car was finished. Families, music, and Saturday nights moved back and forth with a constant rhythm.

Then, after 9/11, crossing got harder with longer waits and tougher searches.

Soon, the two cities will cut the ribbon on something new between them: the Gordie Howe International Bridge. That ribbon cutting, scheduled for June 12, has been postponed, and officials aren’t saying exactly why. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the bridge a symbol, but also a fact of cooperation. Yet it comes at a tense moment. President Donald Trump has threatened to block it, wrongly claiming the U.S. would get nothing from a bridge that Michigan actually co-owns.

So what does this bridge, the first publicly-owned one at this border, do for Windsor and Detroit — and for the people who have spent their lives crossing between them? 

On The Metro, host Robyn Vincent spoke with Lee Rodney, a border-culture scholar at the University of Windsor and creator of the Border Bookmobile, about what a new bridge actually does for a region the border has divided.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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The Gordie Howe International Bridge is widely interpreted as strengthening the connection between Canada and the United States, making travel easier and cheaper. It’s seen as a win-win project that Canada paid for and jointly owns with the Michigan.

But President Donald Trump has tried to block the bridge’s opening until Canada meets certain trade-related demands with the U.S. and compensates America for it, even though Canada already paid for the bridge. 

The upcoming opening of the bridge has now been delayed. In an email statement Thursday morning, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said, “Although we would all like the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open, Canada need not fall on bent knee to make it happen.”

Producer Sam Corey spoke with Dilkens yesterday before the ribbon cutting was canceled. He says the bridge is “the ultimate symbol of connection” and friendship.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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This week on The Shake Out, rare Detroit soul from Tommy Neal, Edwin Starr, Rose Battiste, Andre Williams, the Capitols and more. Plus Michigan rock’n’roll from the Shondells, the Misty Wizards, Jason Merrick and the Finders, and more.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above. 

The Shake Out playlist for June 9, 2026

• “Shake” – Shadows of Knight
• “Goin’ to a Happening” – Tommy Neal
• “Way Over There” – Edwin Starr
• “I Can’t Leave You” – Rose Battiste
• “Tee Ta” – Tommy Neal
• “Cool Pearl” – The Capitols
• “Pearl Time” – Andre Williams
• “Hard Hustling” – Andre Williams
• “The Gorilla Walk” – Plookie McCline
• “The Dog” – Junior and the Classics
• “Can Your Monkey Do the Dog” – Rufus Thomas
• “Sack O Woe” – The Mar-Keys
• “Hanky Panky” – The Shondells
• “You Shouldn’t Say You Love Me” – Larry Coverdale and the Horsemen
• “Pygmy Pt 1” – The Delegates
• “It’s Love” – The Misty Wizards
• “No Love at All” – Jason Merrick and the Finders
• “The Sneak” – Georgie Young and the Rockin’ Bocs
• “Friday’s Child” – Billie Dearborn
• “Feel Right Saturday Night” – The Velvetiers
• “Sunny” – Les McCann Ltd.
• “Sunny Sunday” – Bunny Sigler
• “Who Loves the Sun” – The Velvet Underground
• “Ain’t That Peculiar” – George Benson Quartet
• “Summertime” – George Benson Quartet
• “When That Evening Sun Goes Down” – Van Morrison
• “Soul Limbo” – Booker T and the MGs

Listen to The Shake Out with host Dave Lawson on Tuesdays from 8-9 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand. Catch re-airs Friday at midnight.

Affordability is the buzzword of the moment — you can watch it climb in how often people google the word itself. But the harder measure is what it actually costs to live: the prices we’re all paying for gas and groceries.

Nearly half of Americans — 49% — don’t have the resources to cover their essential expenses, according to the Urban Institute, and gas prices alone are up about $1 per gallon since late February. More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic. And in Detroit, where many residents were already struggling with food insecurity, that squeeze lands even harder.

“When the economy catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia,” said Cass Tretyak, an outreach navigator at Community and Home Supports in Detroit.

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to unpack how economic instability keeps failing people living in poverty — and to describe the daily reality of helping her clients find food, shelter, and benefits, at a moment when new federal rules are making public assistance harder to get.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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When people don’t feel welcomed in a space, they create their own. In 1984, a third space came to life on 7 Mile and Woodward, that was Club Heaven. Decades later, the legacy of the community continues to thrive.

This month, in celebration of Pride, The Love Building is hosting a LOVE@Nite session called “A Place Called Heaven.” 

The gathering will center Black queer life through storytelling, music, and community connections, and a look back at more than 30 years of history.

The Metro spoke with Chris “Inpaq” Sutton, director of the film “Heaven In Detroit” and broadcast studio manager for LGBT Detroit, alongside Kwaku Osei-Bonsu, project manager at the LOVE Building. 

They talked about the impact of Detroit’s Black queer community, explored the need for safe physical spaces, and how their partnerships honors those who live their truths.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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This week, Detroit-based singer/songwriter Chloe Drallos joined me in the studio to discuss her new album “The Cave,” which comes out this Friday on LifeLike Records.

Drallos has been performing and releasing music for seven years now, primarily under the moniker Zilched.

While Chloe’s previous work, as Zilched, leaned into what she called “doom-pop,” or a beautifully brooding blend of distortion-laden post-punk, dark dreamy shoegaze, and a bit of post-grunge grit. But as it started to grow, more of her long held influences came to the surface, drawing on iconic storytelling songwriters with strong voices; you started to hear even more poise coming to the fore with the way she paired her potent voice with powerful guitar chords. And that’s true, again, on “The Cave.”

Two years ago, after releasing a full-length with as Zilched titled “Earthly Delights,” Chloe started moving toward a proper solo project under her own name. “The Cave” is her formal debut as a solo artist, following a recent EP (“Three Seasons”).

You can catch the release show for The Cave this Saturday at The Field Office, with openers The Hand.

Stream the show above to hear our interview about the songwriting process and recording of “The Cave,” and hear some songs from it as well—including a live performance by Chloe in-studio.

A look back at Sounds Like Detroit 2025

My other guest for this week’s show is Tariq Gardner, a stellar and accomplished jazz composer, drummer, and bandleader who notably won the most votes last year in 2025’s Sounds Like Detroit (SLD) Showcase.

For four decades, Detroit has had the same law on the books: a landlord can’t rent you a home until the city has inspected it and proven it is safe to live in. But almost nobody follows it. Today, roughly one in seven rentals actually meets that bar. The city rewrote the law in 2017 and again in 2024 to raise that number, yet it has barely moved.

Detroit is a sharp version of a problem you will find in many cities built on old, cheap housing. The law says, fix the place up, but the math says, don’t even bother. In other words, it can cost more to bring an old house up to code than the rent will ever pay back. 

Here’s what that looks like in one house, near the Bagley neighborhood: Windows nailed shut, no heat on the second floor, sewage backing up into the basement. 

Senior reporter Aaron Mondry at Outlier Media has uncovered these findings and reported on that family in the Bagley neighborhood. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how the law is failing renters and landlords.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Iron Chef Detroit is an annual fundraiser that supports Cass Community Social Services. It returns for a third year at Eastern Market in Shed 5 There will be a contest where two Detroit chefs, Chef John Vermiglio and Chef Andy Hollyday, race against time for their dish to win the favor of the follow judges:

– Mamba Hamissi (Baobab Fare Chef)
– Anthony Lombardo (SheWolf and Medusa Chef)
– Jessica Care Moore (Detroit Poet Laureate, Author, Director, and Activist)

Carlos Parisi is the owner of Aunt Nee’s, an editorial contributor to Hour Detroit, as well as a TV and podcast host.

He will be hosting the event beside Jon Kung, a Chinese American chef, podcast host, content creator, and author of “Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third Culture Kitchen.”

They joined The Metro to talk about their love for food  and the importance of culinary arts leading up to the event.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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For about three years, Detroit’s Right to Counsel program has given free legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction. The share of tenants who walk in with a lawyer has gone from almost none to nearly all. Research credits the program with keeping families housed and saving the city money.

But this program is running low on money, and its future depends on the state, the federal government, or philanthropy to step in. What happens to tenants — and to the court itself — if it disappears? And how has it changed what justice actually looks like in that courtroom?

William McConico is the Chief Judge of Detroit’s 36th District Court. He spoke about why he’s hoping to keep the program with The Metro’s Robyn Vincent.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand.

Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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