Ezra Parker Chapter, the Royal Oak chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), presented the 2026 DAR Good Citizen award to Shrine High School senior Natalie Lanfear. Natalie is the daughter of David and Sara Lanfear of Birmingham.
The DAR Good Citizen Award is presented to a high school senior who best exemplifies dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.
Natalie received a $200 award from the Ezra Parker Chapter and she was also named as a state finalist of the DAR Good Citizen Award, one of five in Michigan. The state awards conference is in April and then the state winner will advance to the division level.
The DAR is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to historic preservation, education, and patriotism, with 55 chapters in Michigan. For more information, visit www.dar.org.
— Submitted by Diane Mazurek, Ezra Parker Chapter NSDAR
The Ezra Parker chapter NSDAR presented Shrine High School senior Natalie Lanfear with the 2026 DAR Good Citizen award. From left: Chapter Regent Ginny Abramson, Sara Lanfear, Natalie Lanfear, David Lanfear, and DAR Good Citizens Chapter Chair Diane Mazurek. (photo courtesy of Ezra Parker Chapter, NSDAR)
KENNEBUNK, Maine (AP) — It just wouldn’t feel like the Super Bowl for them if they weren’t all there. And this might be the last time they all do it.
That’s what three old friends were coming to grips with just before this year’s Super Bowl. The trio of octogenarians are the only fans left in the exclusive “never missed a Super Bowl” club.
Don Crisman of Maine, Gregory Eaton of Michigan and Tom Henschel of Florida were back for another big game this year. But two of them are grappling with the fact that advancing years and decreasing mobility mean this is probably the last time.
This year’s game pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday. Crisman, a Patriots fan since the franchise started, was excited to see his team in the game for a record-setting 12th time.
“This will definitely be the final one,” said Crisman, who made the trip with his daughter, Susan Metevier. “We made it to 60.”
Getting older, scaling back
Crisman, who first met Henschel at the 1983 Super Bowl, turns 90 this year. Meanwhile, Henschel, 84, has been slowed by a stroke. Both said this is the last time they’ll make the increasingly expensive trip to the game, although members of the group have said that before. For his part, Eaton, 86, plans to keep going as long as he’s still physically able.
Eaton, who runs a ground transportation company in Detroit, is the only member of the group not retired. And he’d still like to finally see his beloved Detroit Lions make it to a Super Bowl.
Even so, all three said they’ve scaled back the time they dedicate each year to the trip. Crisman used to spend a week in the host city, soaking in the pomp and pageantry. These days, it’s just about the game, not the hype.
“We don’t go for a week anymore, we go for three or four days,” Crisman said.
Eaton, too, admits the price and hype of the big game have gotten to be a lot.
“I think all of them are big, they’re all fun. It’s just gotten so commercial. It’s a $10,000 trip now,” he said.
Friendly rivalries over the years
Henschel said this year’s Super Bowl would be the most challenging for him because of his stroke, but he was excited to see Eaton and Crisman one more time.
Eaton met Crisman and Henschel in the mid-2010s after years of attending the Super Bowl separately. And Henschel and Crisman have a long-running rivalry: Their respective favorite teams — the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots — are AFC rivals.
The fans have attended every game since the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, as the first two Super Bowls were known at the time, in 1967. They have sometimes sat together in the past, but logistics make it impossible some years.
But this year it was just about being able to go to the game at all, Henschel said.
“I don’t talk or walk good,” he said.
An ever-shrinking club
The club of people who have never missed a Super Bowl once included other fans, executives, media members and even groundskeepers, but as time has passed, the group has shrunk. Photographer John Biever, who has shot every Super Bowl, also plans to let his streak end at 60.
The three fans spin tales of past games that often focus less on the action on the field than on the different world where old Super Bowls took place. Henschel scored a $12 ticket for the 1969 Super Bowl the day of the game. Crisman endured a 24-hour train ride to Miami for the 1968 Super Bowl. Eaton, who is Black, remembers the many years before Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1988.
Metevier, Crisman’s daughter, was born the year of the first Super Bowl and grew up with her dad’s streak as a fixture in her life. She’s looking forward to going to one last game with him.
“It’s kind of bittersweet. It’s about the memories,” Metevier said. “It’s not just about the football, it’s something more.”
Crisman’s son, Don Crisman Jr., said he’s on board with his dad making the trip for as long as he’s still able, too.
“You know, he’s a little long in the tooth, but the way I put it, if it was me and I was mobile and I could go, I would damn sure go,” he said.
FILE — Members of the Never Miss a Super Bowl Club, from the left, Tom Henschel, Gregory Eaton, and Don Crisman pose for a group photograph during a welcome luncheon, in Atlanta, Feb. 1, 2019. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)
The long-term cold spell that has settled over Michigan has quickly expanded the ice cover on the Great Lakes and other waterways, forcing vessels to adapt, creating fears of ice jams and providing leisure activities for those wanting to take advantage of the thick ice.
On Friday, a Canadian ice breaker helped to lead a group of tankers through the ice on the Detroit River. The U.S. Coast Guard only has one heavy icebreaker to cover the entire Great Lakes region, so Canadian vessels sometimes help out.
During the weekend, along the St. Clair River in St. Clair County, sheets of ice dominated the river around Marine City and created the threat of ice jams for homeowners along the river, especially those with docks.
Sheets of ice dominate the St. Clair River near downtown Marine City on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The ice has become concentrated enough in places to jam up against docks, threatening to create damage for businesses and homeowners along the river. (Richard Burr, TNS)
Others took to the lakes for activities like ice fishing. At Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown, dozens of ice-fishing tents were visible on the frozen lake. The park is located a short drive south of Detroit and has acres of trails and a golf course. But this time of year, the thick ice near the shores of Lake Erie is a major draw.
Mike Shankelton, 68, of Monroe was fishing out on the ice at the Metropark on Saturday with two friends, Tom Clark of Temperance and Dave Wagenknecht of Ida, both also in their 60s. Shankelton said, “it hasn’t frozen that good for years.”
He added, “The ice is solid in a lot of areas, but you’ve still got to be cautious.”
The ice coverage of the Great Lakes has expanded in January as temperatures have occasionally hit subzero levels in recent weeks.
Mike Shankelton of Monroe, 68, hauls his fishing gear onto the surface of Lake Erie before ice fishing with two friends on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown Township. (Katy Kildee, TNS)
The total ice cover across the five lakes reached 51% on Saturday, up from 5.5% on Jan. 14, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor.
Shankelton’s strategy for staying safe out on the ice is to watch where other people are already walking. When there’s no one else around, he uses a drill to see how deep the ice really is.
Shankelton was looking for perch, but he said, “of course if a walleye wants to bite it, that’s OK too.” He said he preferred to deep fry what he caught to eat.
All of Lake St. Clair is frozen over at this point, according to research lab data, while 95% of Lake Erie is covered with ice and 68% of Lake Huron is covered with ice. The largest Great Lake, Superior, has nearly 40% ice coverage despite being farther north, while Lake Michigan is at 37% and Lake Ontario is at 34%.
While St. Clair is not one of the five official Great Lakes, it is often considered part of the same lake system.
Dozens of people ice fish on the surface of Lake Erie on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown Township. (Katy Kildee, TNS)
In just the last week, ice coverage in Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Superior has doubled. Across all the lakes, ice coverage has expanded beyond what is typical for this time of the year, and above long-term January averages.
The culprit is what meteorologists call an “Arctic air mass,” which has hovered over much of the eastern United States in recent weeks. That weather pattern is responsible for the below-average temperatures across Michigan through the end of January, according to the National Weather Service.
Typically, ice coverage in the lower lakes peaks in mid-to-late February, while the upper lakes reach maximum coverage between late February and early March.
When Great Lakes ice coverage is higher than normal, it can impact weather patterns across the region: there’s often less lake-effect snow and it takes longer to warm up in the spring, according to the NOAA. This happens because the ice cover prevents water from evaporating, leading to drier conditions. And the ice reflects sunlight, meaning the water underneath remains colder for longer.
The tankers Algoberta, Algocanada and Algoterra follow the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Vincent Massey through the ice on the Detroit River near Grosse Ile, Fri., Jan. 30, 2026. The three ships battled their way through the Lake Erie ice with the Algoterra and Algocanada headed to Sarnia while the Algoberta is headed to Milwaukee according to the ship tracking website Marinetraffic.com. (Andy Morrison, TNS)
The Milford Independent Cinema will no longer be closing its doors, its Board of Directors announced Saturday.
On what was slated to be the one-screen cinema’s final day, the theater’s board said the theater can remain sustainable “in the near term,” according to a press release. The news comes following a successful crowdfunding effort that was “nothing short of remarkable,” the cinema’s operators said in a statement.
“We are truly blown away by the support, passion, and resilience of this community,” said the Milford Independent Cinema Board of Directors. “This theater exists because of the people who believe in it, show up for it, and see its value far beyond the screen.”
The theater announced in mid-January that it would be closing its doors at the end of the month, due to “significant and ongoing changes within the film exhibition industry.”
But then the community spoke up, and on Jan. 24, operators shared a message on social media saying that donations were pouring in and that they may be able to stave off closing. “There is hope!” they said at the time.
In recent years, Metro Detroit has seen the closure of several movie theaters and multiplexes, including the AMC Star Southfield, AMC Fairlane 21, Main Art Theatre, Maple Theater, Cinema Detroit and Regal Cinemas UA Commerce Township.
The Milford theater has been open since 1972 and has operated as a non-profit since reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saturday’s announcement didn’t come with a timeline attached, but operators said the theater will expand its offerings going forward with live events, “new and fun” film series, and new members will be added to its board. There will also be increased volunteer efforts and a new membership program for the theater.
The theater will take a short hiatus, and operators plan to reopen its doors on Feb. 11.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you,” the Board said in its statement. “Because of you, we are here— and we will continue to show up for this community just as you have shown up for us.”
When Kate Brouner decided to put her six-bedroom, three-bath 3,590-square-foot Howell house on the market, she called the previous owner: Novi-based Realtor Jenn Anderson.
Anderson lived in the home for 11 years before selling to Brouner.
“We call it ‘our house’ and we wanted to make sure to find the right buyer,” Anderson said.
Winter tends to be a slower time for agents but it allows real-estate agents to size up last year’s marketplace and forecast the year ahead. But houses are still being bought and sold.
Steve Stockton has a national and local perspective of the housing market. He’s a board member for RealComp, Michigan’s largest multiple-listing service; the North Oakland County Board of Realtors; and the National Real Estate Review Board.
“This is the longest time period we’ve had growth: 29 months in a row of increased value nationally,” he said. “I don’t remember a month since COVID where we haven’t gone up month over month.”
Regionally, sales rose month-over-month in the Northeast and South, were unchanged in the West, and declined in the Midwest. Demand in Michigan remains steady, Stockton said.
Nationally, home sales rose in December, up by a half percent from November, according to the National Association of Realtors. But compared to December 2024, sales were down by 1%.
The typical homebuyer is 60 years old and the median age for a new-home buyer is at an all-time high: 40, up from 33 in 2021 and 29 in 1991.
“The hardest issue is finding starter homes that younger people can buy. To finally hit 40 as the average first-time buyer’s age is just crazy,” he said.
Market shift
Stockton said the current market is transitioning from one that favored sellers to a balanced market favoring neither buyers nor sellers, aided in part by lower interest rates.
As of late Thursday, a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage loan was around 6.2% and the 15-year rate was around 5.6%. Few expect interest to drop below 6% this year, despite pressure on the Federal Bank by the Trump administration, he said.
Karen Kage, Realcomp’s CEO and a real estate agent for more than 40 years, said buyers are finding 10% more homes for sale in southeast Michigan this year compared to last year while Oakland County has 15% more.
Oakland County’s hottest markets include Novi, Northville and South Lyon, where builders are busy. Existing homes are selling in Milford, Highland and White Lake townships, Stockton said.
Areas like Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills remain popular and lakeside homes are always in high demand.
Home prices
Southeast Michigan’s median price for existing homes was $270,000 in December, up 5.9% over December 2024. Oakland County’s median home price increased by less than 1%, to $360,000..
“The buyers have a little more to chase,” Stockton said, noting that less than five years ago, buyers were skipping home inspections and warranties to compete with a slew of other buyers.
These days, he said, softer markets in Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Florida are inspiring older homeowners who are weighing getting a good price for their Michigan home and taking advantage of better prices in what Stockon called “the sunshine states.”
In southeast Michigan, the number of homes on the market represent about three to four months of inventory, up from 2015, when the inventory was a scant six weeks. A truly balanced market requires a five-to-seven-month supply of homes, Stockton said.
More homes for sale means sellers are now waiting on home inspection results, offering home warranties again and bargaining on prices more than in recent years.
But in some areas, buyers are writing love letters about the home they want to persuade a seller to pick their offer.
What’s selling
A refreshed kitchen remains a selling point, as does a newer roof.
“The homes selling quickly now are updated and sharp,” Stockton said. “If you have a house that’s a little tired and dated, it’s going to sit on the market for a while.”
But a motivated seller like Brouner will adjust the home price to attract buyers.
Brouner, a healthcare analyst and mother of five, wanted a new home after her divorce was finalized but didn’t have the time for significant updates.
Anderson said it’s important for sellers to be realistic about their home’s value and the marketplace. Brouner had been watching the real estate market for 18 months before deciding to list her home. She and Anderson agreed to list the house for $449,900.
Less than a week after the listing went online, offers poured in.
“I was pretty confident my house would sell but Jenn really helped me make the most money possible,” she said. “Selling is not as scary as everyone thinks. Find the right agent and they will guide you.”
Brouner will start shopping for a new home with Anderson soon. She hopes to find a house with more land, room for her family and a price under $400,000 and she’s being pragmatic about her options.
“I don’t mind buying a fixer upper,” she said.
The 2026 outlook
“I hate making predictions,” Kage said. “Everything could change tomorrow … Who could have predicted some of the things we’ve been through in the last 40 years?”
She prefers to watch monthly home-sales figures and said two months of numbers gives a short-term peek into the future. The final months of winter can suggest how a season will progress. The second-quarter market is a better indicator, she said.
The solid sellers’ market pressed buyers into bidding wars, which Kage said raised prices to a point that challenges younger buyers.
She believes more sellers are confident of getting a good price for their home and being able to find an affordable next home,” she said.
A rise in the number of homes available has increased the average time on the market by two days, to 43 days, which has alarmed sellers and it shouldn’t because buyers who have more choices are more confident in their offers, Kage said.
Kage encourages buyers and sellers to work with a licensed real estate agent. They can help sellers find the optimum price for marketing a home and typically learn about new listings before they are published.
“People say, ‘Oh, I’ll just check Zillow’ but where do you think Zillow gets the information? They get it from us,” she said.
A Macomb County youngster drowned Friday night at an indoor swimming pool at a facility in northern Oakland County, police said.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the 5-year-old girl from Sterling Heights died about 7:30 p.m. at the Deer Lake Athletic Club on the 600 block of White Lake Road in Independence Township.
The sheriff’s office said detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Authorities did not release the child’s name.
Sheriff’s officials said additional information will be released as the investigation proceeds.
A Waterford Township man is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly robbing two stores at knifepoint at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets on Tuesday, allegedly threatening police officers when they confronted him and then fleeing in his car.
Ryan David Kissel, 29, is charged with two counts of armed robbery, felonious assault, fleeing/eluding police-third degree, and two counts of assaulting/resisting/obstructing police in connection with the Jan. 27 incident.
Ryan Kissel booking photo
According to the Auburn Hills Police Department, officers responded to the mall, located at 4000 Baldwin Road, at around 7:30 p.m. on Jan, 27 after receiving 911 calls about a man armed with a knife who had robbed two stores. Kissel reportedly threatened officers who approached him the parking lot, then got into his car and drove away.
As stated in a news release from the police department, “Officers pursued the suspect until it was deemed too dangerous to continue, and the pursuit was terminated.” A “Be On the Lookout” alert was sent out to area police agencies as an investigation continued, police said.
No injuries were reported in the alleged robberies, police said.
At approximately 9:30 p.m., on Jan. 27, Kissel was taken into custody at his home in Waterford. Charges were issued the next day. At Kissel’s arraignment on Jan. 29 in 52-3 District Court, Magistrate Marie Soma set bond at $250,000 with no 10% provision. If he posts bond, and is released from the Oakland County Jail, Kissel is to be monitored by electronic tether and prohibited from returning to Great Lakes Crossing Outlets.
Kissel’s next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 12 for a probable cause conference followed by a preliminary exam a week later. Armed robbery is punishable by up to life in prison.
In the news release, the Auburn Hills Police Department acknowledged assistance from the mall’s security staff and the Waterford Police Department for “outstanding cooperation and professionalism.”
“Their timely communication, coordinated response and investigative assistance were instrumental in the safe identification and apprehension of the suspect. This incident highlights the importance of strong partnerships between private security and law enforcement agencies in protecting our community,” the news release stated..
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has additional information about it is asked to call the Auburn Hills Police Department at 248-370-9460.
A Walled Lake marijuana producer is under state investigation.
Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency filed a formal complaint against Prism Triangle at 850 Ladd Road in Walled Lake.
The complaint lists two counts of not employing a lab manager, one count of not using state-approved testing methods and one count of not meeting state standards for sampling and testing marijuana and marijuana products.
State officials who inspected the company in 2025 found evidence that the company did not meet standards for testing recreational marijuana for pesticides and did not have a lab manager with an advanced degree in medical or laboratory science.
In August, 2025, state officials were alerted to the fact that the company was not using approved testing methods to detect a mold called aspergillus, which may cause people to develop a fungal lung infection.
Investigators found that the company improperly recorded test results and used equipment that was not property calibrated.
The state has the right to impose fines or sanction a license by suspending, restricting, revoking or refusing to renew it. The company has 21 days to respond to the complaint and request a formal hearing.
Prism Triangle officials did not respond to requests for comment from The Oakland Press.
Southeast and central Michigan continue to feel the freezer burn on Friday morning.
Dangerously frigid temperatures prompted the National Weather Service to issue a cold weather advisory, and dozens of schools canceled classes.
The advisory is in effect until 10 a.m. for areas north of Interstate 96, including Michigan’s Thumb and the Bay City-Midland-Saginaw area, the weather service said.
NWS warns temperatures across the region will start at between 5 and 20 degrees below zero. Detroit had reached 3 by about 8 a.m. Friday and was expected to reach a high of 14. The city’s normal high temperature in January is 32.3.
Wind chills are expected to drop to 20 below zero north of I-96 and 15 below zero near Flint and the M-59 corridor, according to the forecast.
NWS also said the coldest conditions are expected by mid-Friday morning.
Some areas of the region may also see some snow on Friday. The eastern part of Michigan’s Thumb could get 1 to 3 inches of snow from Friday night through Saturday morning, thanks to lake effect snow showers from Lake Huron.
Light snow and flurries are possible for the rest of the region, with a dusting to a tenth or two of an inch possible, the NWS said.
Meanwhile, among the districts closed amid the extreme cold is Dearborn Public Schools.
“All Dearborn Public Schools will be closed on Friday 1/30/26. Wind chill temps for Friday A.M. forecasted between -15 to -20 depending on conditions. District uses -20 as a threshold for closing. Temps expected to rise throughout the day but out of an abundance of caution for students in the A.M. schools will be closed,” officials said in a statement on the district’s website.
The Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights followed suit.
“All Crestwood School District school buildings and offices will be closed on Friday, January 30, 2026 to address building needs due to the recent extreme cold conditions,” it said.
Detroit Public Schools Community District remained open on Friday. Earlier this week, district officials said the school system had used its sixth and final ‘forgiveness’ day for weather, but planned to petition the state for more.
The cold will stick around over the weekend. On Saturday, Detroit’s high should climb to 19, according to the weather service. The city is also looking at isolated snow showers between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.
NWS also predicts wind chills will range between 10 below zero and minus 15 for parts of southeast Michigan, the weather service said. Wind chill values in Detroit could fall as low as minus-5.
On Thursday, Detroit officials said they were keeping the city’s overnight stand-by shelters and respite locations open for an additional day due to the continued cold.
Shelters provided by the city with Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries at 13130 Woodward Ave., the Pope Francis Center at 2915 Hancock, and the Neighborhood Service Organization at 882 Oakman Blvd. will remain open until Monday. Earlier this week, officials announced the shelters would be extended through Sunday.
“Our priority is keeping every Detroiter safe and warm,” Mayor Mary Sheffield said in a statement. “During these bitterly cold conditions, the City of Detroit is making sure every resident has access to a safe and warm place.
“If you need shelter, call our Housing HelpLine at 866-313-2520, visit any police precinct, or go directly to a stand-by shelter. No one should have to face this extreme cold alone.”
NWS meteorologists predict that sunshine on Sunday will push temperatures into the lower 20s, and highs in the 20s will linger over the next week.
In Detroit, the mercury could reach 22 on Sunday. The city’s average high temperature in February, which begins Sunday, is 35.2.
As the deep freeze continues across the region, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on Friday reminded the public to be careful when venturing out onto lakes, ponds, and rivers.
The office said fluctuating temperatures and underwater currents can create dangerous, unstable ice conditions often invisible from the surface. Officials also said there is no such thing as ice that’s 100% safe.
“We want everyone to enjoy the winter season, but safety must be the priority,” Sheriff Troy Goodnough said in a statement. “Ice conditions can change rapidly. Just because the ice was safe yesterday, or appears safe from the shore, does not mean it is safe today. We urge everyone to check the ice thickness prior to venturing onto it.”
The freighter Algoma Niagara navigates open water as cold weather continues to freeze the Detroit River near Grosse Ile, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Andy Morrison, The Detroit News)
Oakland County’s community mental health agency and a nonprofit that provides mental health services in the county are accusing each other of acting in bad faith as the county absorbed part of the nonprofit’s services Thursday.
Crisis care nonprofit Common Ground announced in a statement Thursday afternoon that it was ending its adult crisis services at its Pontiac location because the Oakland Community Health Network “failed to issue multiple monthly payments” to the nonprofit.
Adult services at Common Ground include a crisis helpline, walk-in assessments and a sober support unit for adults experiencing mental health crisis or substance abuse. Common Ground CEO Heather Rae said 8,000-9,000 people use the nonprofit’s adult crisis services annually.
In its own statement following Common Ground’s, OCHN announced it was immediately assuming responsibility for the services. OCHN is contracted through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to lead the county’s provider service network.
“That the attempts to cause panic among the Oakland County residents and the citizens of the county are very shocking and disappointing, because you’re talking about people whose lives have been put at risk when they believe help is no longer available for them at their most vulnerable,” said OCHN CEO Dana Lasenby.
Common Ground members have attended county meetings since November opposing OCHN absorbing its services.
“Transition meetings between the organizations were initially productive and focused on program continuity and collaboration. However, discussions ultimately stalled as Common Ground shifted its focus toward financial demands rather than operational coordination for the people served,” OCHN’s statement reads.
Rae contends OCHN hasn’t paid the nonprofit since November for its crisis residential unit or sober support unit and hasn’t paid for its main contract since December. In its statement, Common Ground claims OCHN told them Tuesday they didn’t plan to make these payments, citing “outstanding cost settlement reviews.”
Rae said the cost settlement — more than $1 million — is usually worked out in late spring or summer. OCHN claims those funds that Common Ground owes the network were an overpayment.
“It is premature for them to have a number because it is not as simple as that. We go through an audited process, an in-depth review of payments made, expenditures, and we arrive together at a number, and we work that for as long as it takes,” Rae told The Detroit News on Thursday. “Usually, it takes a month or two to arrive at what is the reality of who owes who and how much.”
Rae also claimed Common Ground’s amount would be much smaller if the amounts OCHN hasn’t paid them were factored in.
Lasenby called Rae’s claims about the $1 million and monthly payments “inaccurate.” She said they have tried to work out the overpayment amount with Common Ground “for quite a bit of time now.”
Lasenby also said the last payment they made to Common Ground was in December.
“January payment was not made because of a contractual breach of the provider,” Lasenby said.
In addition to the money claims, Rae said Common Ground issued 155 layoff notices in December for Feb. 13, when OCHN was originally supposed to absorb the services. OCHN claimed in its statement that it has transitioned more than 55 employees from Common Ground “to support the continuation of crisis services” and expects that number to grow as employees transition from the nonprofit.
Common Ground's crisis helpline center in Pontiac. (MNG file photo)
The University of Michigan will partly finance faculty research projects amid cuts to federal research funding, the university said.
The research funding program will begin this month and support projects across all three UM campuses — Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint, according to the announcement Friday in the University Record, a university-run faculty-staff news source. The program is meant to provide short-term support to help maintain research continuity, support research staff and remain competitive for future outside funding, UM said in the article.
A similar but separate program will be run through the university’s medical school.
“This program is not intended to replace federal funding or create a long-term safety net,” said Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation in the article. “It is a targeted, one-time investment to help outstanding U-M researchers transition in a time of change and continue to do important work that serves the people of Michigan and the world.”
Researchers in charge of projects, known as principal investigators, can request up to one year of partial support under the program, the university said. Researchers can apply for up to 35% of the average annual direct cost that was originally requested in the researcher’s federal proposal, with a maximum of $150,000 per year. Central university support will cover up to half of the research cost, with the rest covered by the researcher’s school, college or unit.
All money must be spent at UM, the university said.
UM is among the nation’s top public universities in research spending. In 2024, UM’s annual research expenditures reached a record $2.04 billion — of that amount, federal funding accounted for $1.17 billion, for over half of the university’s total.
UM anticipates receiving $163 million less from the federal government through fiscal year 2026, budget projections approved by the Board of Regents in June show.
Michigan State University announced a similar funding program last April, called the Jenison Fund. The fund would provide strategic, targeted, time-limited assistance to graduate students who have lost funding and to faculty members experiencing disruptions in research funding, according to MSU.
Michigan State President Kevin Guskiewicz said a total of up to $5 million annually for the next three years would be allocated to the fund.
To date, the fund has awarded resources to 35 projects, MSU spokesperson Amber McCann said.
In October, Guskiewicz announced that 74 federally funded projects at MSU were ended by the federal government, with a multiyear impact estimated at $104 million. At the time, 86 projects were paused or affected by stop-work orders.
A flag blows in the wind atop the Michigan Union on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Emily Elconin)
Waterford Township’s Police Chief said it’s not known if alcohol or drug use was a factor when the driver of a Pontiac G6 crashed into a Rochester Community Schools bus carrying children on Saturday morning and then died.
Police Chief Scott Underwood declined to release the name of the driver, a 38-year-old White Lake Township man. He was killed when he crossed the center lane of Huron Road near Josephine Street in Waterford Township — just west of Telegraph Road — and collided head-on with the school bus shortly before 8 a.m., Underwood said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
None of the children were seriously injured, but a teacher who was on the bus was transported to McLaren Oakland Hospital for treatment of injuries that weren’t life threatening, Underwood said.
The Oakland Press has reached out to Rochester Community Schools for more information but hasn’t heard back yet.
If they came through town, Ken Settle photographed them.
The Rolling Stones, Soundgarden, U2, Guns N’ Roses, David Bowie, Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughn, B.B. King, Kiss, Metallica, the list goes on. And that’s to say nothing of homegrown superstars like Alice Cooper, Madonna and Bob Seger.
For more than 40 years, Ken Settle was a fixture at local concert venues of every size, from small clubs to supersize stadiums. The acclaimed rock photographer died Monday, according to a post on his Facebook page. He was 66.
Settle, known for his poof of blond hair parted in the middle, was born in Trenton and grew up in Westland. He shot Bob Seger when he was just 11 years old, when the longhaired rocker was playing a softball game against the staffers from WRIF-FM (101.1). He asked Seger if he could take his picture and Seger agreed.
A few months later, Settle borrowed his father’s camera and popped off some shots of Creedence Clearwater Revival at Cobo Hall, and it was there that he was bitten by the rock photographer bug.
“I remember walking down the aisle on the main floor of Cobo to get a bit closer to the stage, and I took a handful of fairly blurry, not-so-good photos,” Settle told WCSX-FM (94.7) in 2023. “But the energy and excitement of live music at Cobo Arena was electric and it was such a thrill to try to capture that — even in my little kid’s way of doing so.”
From there, he shot a ton of early Seger shows, when Seger and his band were working their way up the local ladder, and Settle in turn became a staple in photo pits at local concerts from artists of all ranks. His work appeared in Rolling Stone, Creem, Playboy, People, Guitar Player and other publications across the globe, as well as locally in MediaNews Group’s Michigan publications, including The Oakland Press and the Macomb Daily.
Ken Settle, left, shoots Raul Malo from The Mavericks at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in April 2018. (Photo courtesy of Diane Dawson Wilks)
“Ken was one of the best shooters ever,” says Scott Legato, a fellow rock photographer who shared photo pits with Settle over the last 20 years. “He was just a great guy. He had a big heart, and he loved his cats.”
In addition to his cats — he had several, and was known for taking in strays — Settle also had an extensive collection of guitars and amplifiers.
“Ken was awesome. Nice guy, always helpful, always great to be around,” says Chris Schwegler, a fellow photographer who shot concerts with Settle for years and considered him a good friend. He says he would talk to Settle two to three times a week and was just texting with him the other day, helping him out with a computer problem.
As a photographer, “Ken knew what looked good for a photo, no matter who the artist was,” says Schwegler. “He knew the shot he wanted to get, and he knew how to get it.”
Settle’s photo archives are vast, culled from thousands of shows, from Nirvana to Nicki Minaj, from Janet Jackson to John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen to Lil Wayne. His photos have been hung in Hard Rock Cafes around the world, and his shots were used in episodes of VH1’s “Behind the Music.”
He captured artists on stage from the 1970s through the 2010s, as photography went from film to digital, as artist rules went from shoot-the-whole-show to just the first three songs. His images are a history of live music in Detroit.
Settle came up shooting film and was a holdout on switching to digital for a long time, and that discipline made him a better photographer, says Legato.
“He had a good eye. He could anticipate the shot and get the shot,” he says. Legato helped convince him to go to digital, he says, but Settle “still had the mindset that he was shooting film.”
Friends say Settle had complained of experiencing shooting pain in recent weeks, but he was hesitant to go to the doctor.
He had slowed down from shooting rock concerts after COVID-19, but was still active on social media, and tributes poured into Settle’s Facebook page following news of his death.
Steve Galli, a fellow rock photographer who had known Settle since the late 1970s, said Settle was one of the best shooters in the business.
“He was known all over. When I started traveling out of state to cover music fests, other photographers would say to me, ‘You’re from Detroit, you must know Ken Settle,'” says Galli. “Photographers from all over the country associated Detroit with Ken Settle.”
When other photographers were gathered front and center in front of the stage at a concert, “he’d be way over on the side, getting an angle no other photographer was getting,” Galli says.
Galli says he remembers being in photo pits waiting for Settle to show up, wondering if he was going to miss the show, only to see him emerge from the backstage area, where he had been shooting portraits of the artists before the concert began.
“We were thinking he missed out, when it was us missing out,” he says.
Settle was always helpful to newcomers, Galli says, and would freely share information and tips of the trade with others.
“He was such a nice person, a really bighearted guy,” says Galli. “Ken was a legend.”
A police investigation continues into a Jan. 23 traffic crash on I-75 in Bloomfield Township that resulted in the death of one man and serious injuries to his son.
According to the Bloomfield Township Police Department, Paul Locklear, 45, of Davison died Friday at Trinity Health Oakland Hospital, where he had been transported with serious injuries from the single-vehicle rollover crash, which happened shortly before 10 a.m. near South Boulevard. The driver of the vehicle, the man’s 18-year-old son, was also transported to Trinity Health Oakland Hospital with serious injuries and is expected to survive.
The vehicle involved was a 1999 Ford F350, police said.
Bloomfield Township Police Sgt. Nick Soley said multiple witnesses have come forward as requested by police. While drugs and/or alcohol use don’t appear to be a contributing factor, toxicology is pending from a blood draw on the driver which was performed with his consent, Soley said.
A Troy man who police described as a squatter was in Oakland County Circuit Court via Zoom on Monday where he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge involving drugs.
Devin Bushue, 35, faces up to a year in jail for one count of using a controlled substance. Prosecutors dismissed a charge of possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine/ecstasy — which carries a stiffer penalty.
Bushue was arrested Jan. 4 after police reportedly found him and a Shelby Township woman, Miranda Laight, 37, asleep in the basement of an apartment building in the 100 block of South Lovington Drive in Troy. Officers discovered the two while responding to a trespassing complaint, and after waking them up spotted suspected methamphetamine and a used syringe near where they had been sleeping, police said.
Miranda Laight booking photo (Troy Police Dept.)
After Bushue and Laight were arrested, officers searched their belongings and allegedly found a small Ziploc baggie containing methamphetamine in Bushue’s bag and a syringe containing heroin in Laight’s bag.
Bushue is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2 by Judge David Cohen.
The case against Laight is still at the district court level. A preliminary exam is scheduled for Jan. 29.
Bushue and Laight are held in the Oakland County Jail with bond set at $7,500 for Bushue and $5,000 for Laight. The bonds have a 10% provision, meaning Bushue can be released from custody if he posts $750, and Laight can be released from custody if she posts $500.
A Pontiac teen is facing charges of second-degree murder and other felonies in connection with the fatal shooting of a Warren teen earlier this month.
Kqualin Isaac Douglas, 19, turned himself in to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office on Monday and then arraigned in Pontiac’s 50th District Court on the murder charge as well as tampering with evidence, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and using a gun in the commission of a felony — also known as felony firearm. Shot dead was 19-year-old Cornelius Traves Murphy Jr., whose body was discovered on Jan. 8 near a home in the 100 block of North Jessie Street; a caller had reported seeing a man lying in a field and not breathing, the sheriff’s office said.
Kqualin Douglas booking photo
Investigators said the shooting happened Jan. 7.
Murphy suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, the sheriff’s office said.
“I am proud of our team that began an investigation with nothing and through their diligence and professionalism were able to not only identify a suspect, but gather enough evidence that charges could be brought,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard stated in a news release. “We look forward to the justice system moving forward on this case on behalf of the victim, his family and the community.”
Douglas is held in the Oakland County Jail with bond set at $300,000.
The Bloomfield Township Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying the thieves who recently stole eight tires from a business on Telegraph Road.
Police said the theft happened on Jan. 17 at around 6:45 a.m. at Detail Express, located at 1751 S. Telegraph Rd. Video surveillance shows two sets of tires, listed for sale, were stolen from the back of the property by two people who loaded them into the cab of a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that had driven through a gate onto the property, police said.
Police said the theft occurred at Detail Express on Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township (Image from surveillance video shared by Bloomfield Township Police Dept.)
The truck left the property approximately three minutes after arriving, police said.
As an investigation continues, anyone who can identify the suspects or the truck’s owner, or has additional information on the incident, is asked to call the Bloomfield Township’s investigation unit at 248-433-7762.
Police say this truck was driven onto the property and the tires were loaded into the cab (Image from surveillance video shared by Bloomfield Township Police Dept.)
New legionella test results from county buildings show at least one has signs of the bacteria. But county officials note it is two fewer than the previous round of tests.
Results from 23 samples collected Jan. 13 and 14 at the county’s circuit courthouse, 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac, found traces of legionella in a men’s room in the clerk’s vital records office.
Legionella is a bacteria found in the ground and in some water systems. The bacteria can cause a type of pneumonia called Legionnaire’s disease or a less-severe lung infection called Pontiac fever. County health officials have emphasized that such infections are rare.
The county has been testing water systems since November after a custodian’s Legionnaire’s disease was traced to the sheriff’s administration building on the county’s Pontiac campus.
In April 2025 a man diagnosed with Legionnaire’s listed the county’s circuit courthouse among the places he visited. That man later died, according to Lisa Brown, county clerk and register of deeds. The man has not been identified by name; the county custodian’s condition has not been shared with the media.
In addition to follow-up testing, the county is following what county spokesman William Mullan called “rigorous preventive measures,” including regular flushing, water temperature monitoring and temperature adjustments.
The county installed 300 filters and reinstalled three that malfunctioned, he said. Earlier this month, Brown told the county commission’s health and safety committee that at least one of the malfunctioning filters sprayed a man using a sink.
County tests will continue through May in areas where legionella was initially detected.
Last week the county started its routine-testing program to meet standards set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These tests are at buildings where legionella has not been detected.
Routine tests in the east and west wings of the courthouse and the medical examiner’s office on the county’s Pontiac campus showed no signs of legionella in the Jan. 23 results. Twelve samples were collected in the courthouse and five were collected in the medical examiner’s office. Buildings with clean-water results do not have to be immediately retested, under CDC guidelines.
Routine tests at the county jail will start Tuesday, Jan. 27.
This 1978 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Legionella pneumophila bacteria which are responsible for causing the pneumonic disease Legionnaires' disease. (Francis Chandler/CDC via AP)
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