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When Magic Johnson tweets, people pay attention. Even if it's to laugh at the sometimes bizarrely vanilla way it comes out — you know, as if a paid staffer is regurgitating what he says out loud, word for word.
This brings us to Tuesday morning, where the "magic man" on his Twitter account repped the home team from his home state: The Detroit Lions.
Johnson's tweet, seen below, congratulates the Lions and specifically points out his support for receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and return specialist Kalif Raymond.
"I’m so happy for everybody in my home state Michigan! The @Lions are on a 3 game win streak, won 6 out of the last 7 games, & are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NFL! I love the WR core especially my man @amonra_stbrown & @bigsgjamo . Plus Kalif Raymond has been 🔥!"
The love from the former Michigan State basketball standout and Los Angeles Lakers legend comes on the heels of the Lions' clutch 20-17 victory at the New York Jets on Sunday, keeping them alive in the NFC playoff hunt. They are a half-game behind Washington for the seventh and final playoff spot, but are slight favorites to grab it at 40%, compared to competitors Washington (35%) and Seattle (30%), according to FiveThirthyEight.com.
STOCK WATCH:Trio of feel-good stories stand out in Lions win vs. Jets
Johnson followed that up with an insightful remark on parity in America's two biggest professional sports leagues.
The Lions are perhaps the best story in the NFL right now, becoming a popular topic on sports talk shows, after winning six of seven games to climb to 7-7 on the season, after a dreadful 1-6 start. They might even be a top-10 team. So it's no surprise the ever-positive Johnson is on board.
The franchise's last playoff appearance came in 2016, a putrid 26-6 loss in Seattle.
The franchise's last postseason victory came Jan. 5, 1992 at the Pontiac Silverdome (you can read our oral history from that raucous game here). It is the NFL's longest drought, after Cincinnati last season snapped its 31-year drought without a postseason victory. So, maybe Detroit can follow suit this season? And just like the Bengals, the Lions would have to win on the road, after Minnesota wrapped up the NFC North division last week.
Johnson, from Lansing, was in Detroit in November hosting a food drive. He owns a conglomerate of businesses, notably a minority stake in the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers, winning a World Series in 2020, and also owns the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and the MLS team Los Angeles Football Club.
He spent two years as the Lakers' president of basketball operations, before stepping down abruptly near the end of the 2018-19 season. The Lakers won the NBA championship the next season in the Orlando Bubble.
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2022-12-20T20:09:16Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Lions get support from Magic Johnson in tweet
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/20/detroit-lions-nfl-magic-johnson-tweet/69744372007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/20/detroit-lions-nfl-magic-johnson-tweet/69744372007/
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Local public health officials have spent much of this year trying to return to normalcy after the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are looking forward to mending relationships with schools and businesses that were stressed by the pandemic. They also face other statewide challenges in 2023.
Some of next year’s issues include expected discussions about the state’s public health code, its food code and a sanitary code, as well as rebuilding local public health workforces that have experienced turnover the last several years, leaders with the Michigan Association for Local Public Health officials said Tuesday.
Executive Director Norm Hess said this year started out in the throes of managing the pandemic. While things have settled down, association officials said, as more people are vaccinated and home tests and antiviral treatments are more widespread, Hess was clear: the pandemic “is definitely not over” and the virus is “always full of surprises.”
50,000-foot review of pandemic actions
Hess said the triple threat of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, remains, though he said RSV rates seem to be plateauing. He said health officials are seeing difficulties with hospitals being able to serve people who are ill and need to be admitted. Staffing and other issues have caused people to spend extended times in emergency rooms, he said.
The association is conducting an after-action review of the pandemic, including talking with emergency preparedness coordinators, health officers and other stakeholders, such as schools, businesses, health systems and the public — “a wide, 50,000-foot view of what happened” and to see what can be done to prepare for emerging threats, Hess said. A final report is expected in early spring.
He said many local public health departments are looking forward to re-engaging with community partners, especially those with which relationships were tense and strained during the pandemic, such as schools and restaurants, which were affected by unpopular mitigation measures, such as masking requirements and indoor dining closures.
Jimena Loveluck, the association’s new president who is the Washtenaw County health officer, agreed that rebuilding relationships will be a focus next year. That includes rebuilding trust in local government and public health during what officials called the politicization of COVID-19 and public health, which was working with limited resources.
Hess said he’s hopeful the world is at a point “where that politicization is not as fervent.” adding that better communication and trusted messengers will be helpful going forward.
Leaders tackle concerns beyond illnesses
Local public health is broad-ranging, across issues such as clean water quality to restaurant inspections to immunizations to infectious disease control.
Hess said a bright spot this year was the Legislature appropriating $35 million to establish a low-interest, low-cost loan fund for Michiganders having difficulties with their home septic systems.
Program details are being worked out, he said, but this is a concern as there are about 1.3 million people in the state with home septic systems, many of them in danger of failing. A system can cost $10,000 to $15,000 to replace, he said, with most residents not having money in the bank for that expense.
Hess said he anticipates next year’s issues also to include more policy efforts on behalf of public health, including local public health funding.
He said the public health code, dating to 1978, mandates eight core services toward which the state is to contribute 50% “but that has not been the case.” Hess said his last analysis has the state contributing up to 44.9%, and he anticipates discussions about trying to get that up to a 50-50 contribution. He said entities such as county commissions and local municipalities have had to put in an increased share to make basic services available.
More:Some metro Detroit hospitals losing millions amid high workforce costs, lower patient volumes
Also, Hess said he anticipates three major issues to be discussed by legislators, with local public health officials wanting to be a part of those conversations. They are:
The public health code, as powers and duties of health officers have been under scrutiny in the recent past, and clarifying language in the code.
The food code, a discussion that may be raised by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development but also affects public health as those officials handle inspections.
A statewide sanitary code. Hess said to his knowledge Michigan is the only state without one. Sanitary codes can cover everything from swimming pools and food at events to bathroom facilities, required utilities for residential housing and more.
Hess said the local public health workforce also is in the process of rebuilding, as it has lost about 15 local public health officers in the last three years — about a third of its 43 health officers in 45 health departments statewide.
Some were planned retirements, some departures were related to the stress and commotion caused by the pandemic, and some left for other opportunities, Hess said, adding that has been a lot of institutional knowledge and experience lost.
More:As monkeypox cases dip, Michigan's top doctor urges ongoing caution
The association is working with new leaders as health departments also report up to half of their workforces are new in the last three to four years, which is not typical but requires training and retention efforts. Local public health officials also are caring for existing employees who worked through the pandemic.
The association also is working to talk with institutions of higher learning, such as community colleges, to get students interested in future public health careers.
Hess said nurses and sanitarians are needed. Becoming a sanitarian, he said, has a long, on-the-job onboarding process. Loveluck said it’s hard to compete to find nurses, particularly in a county where they are competing with salaries at large health systems.
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2022-12-20T21:09:57Z
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www.freep.com
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Michigan public health officials look to 2023
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/20/michigan-public-health-2023-outlook-covid-rsv/69742263007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/20/michigan-public-health-2023-outlook-covid-rsv/69742263007/
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Winter is coming. Well, at least the astronomical winter is coming.
Wednesday, Dec. 21, marks this year's winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the start of the astronomical winter season. While we usually think of winter solstice as an entire day, it actually refers to the moment when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted at its maximum point away from the sun. This year, the winter solstice is at 4:48 p.m.
Michiganders have probably begrudgingly accepted that winter is upon us, and has been for weeks; they're not wrong. The meteorological season, which is based on annual temperature cycles, started at the beginning of the month. Astronomical seasons, on the other hand, are based on the Earth's position as it rotates around the sun.
The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of daylight in the whole year, which is why it's typically referred to as the shortest day of the year. The word "solstice" comes from Latin sol, "sun," and sistere, "to stand still," translating loosely to "sun stand still" because on the days preceding and following the solstice the sun's path across the sky seems still, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun's path is at its most southern point in the sky on this day, so the sun's path is as low in the sky as it can get. This also means your shadow will be the longest it has been all year on Wednesday.
After Wednesday's solstice, the sun's path begins to move northward — and the days thankfully get longer — until it reaches its most northern point at the summer solstice.
How to protect your mental health
For a lot of us, winter also marks the roughest time of the year emotionally. And don't be fooled by the cutesy nickname; the winter blues pack a mean punch.
The winter months leave many feeling low due to a combination of decreased sunlight and social isolation because of the cold, leading to insufficient vitamin D, serotonin and melatonin levels. These insuffiencies can then further exacerbate depression and other mood disorders, including seasonal affective disorder, according to Psychology Today.
To help you soften the emotional and mental lows, here are some tips from Psychology Today:
Increase your vitamin D levels — Take vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids. Get outside every day, even if the temperatures are cold.
Exercise — Increasing your heart rate for 20 minutes three times per week can boost endorphins and combat low mood.
Access social support — Make plans and maintain a social schedule to make sure you are receiving emotional and relational support and connection, and simply having fun.
Create a structure for your day — Have a morning routine. Take breaks for self-care and social support.
And while braving the cold requires a Herculean effort, better — sunnier — days are ahead; every day from the winter solstice until June gets a little bit longer.
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2022-12-20T22:02:42Z
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www.freep.com
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Winter solstice: What it means, how to fight the winter blues
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https://www.freep.com/story/weather/2022/12/20/winter-solstice-2022-shortest-day-of-the-year/69745037007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/weather/2022/12/20/winter-solstice-2022-shortest-day-of-the-year/69745037007/
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To continue to help with the high cost of groceries, all Michigan families eligible for food assistance again can expect extra help this month ahead of the holidays.
Michigan families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, will receive at least $95 more in December, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Tuesday.
More:SNAP recipients can get free grocery delivery through Meijer
Additional food assistance for eligible families will help more than 1.3 million Michiganders in more than 700,000 households, MDHHS said in a news release.
“This extra $95 will help Michiganders feed their families during the holiday season,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in the release. “I will continue to work with our partners at the federal and state levels so that residents can keep their hard-earned dollars to pay for other critical household expenses.”
As with previously extended benefits, the additional amount will automatically be loaded onto Bridge Cards. Benefits will be added through Dec. 24 and show as a separate payment from benefits already loaded on cards earlier this month. There is no need to reapply for the additional benefits, MDHHS says.
In October, those receiving food assistance benefits also received a cost of living increase.
Food inflation has run at double digits since this time last year. Consumers have been paying more for grocery items such as staples like eggs and dairy.
In November, grocery costs rose 12% over the last 12 months according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monthly Consumer Price Index report released last Tuesday. The cost for cereals, bakery products, dairy and related dairy products are up more than 16% year-over-year. Eggs cost nearly 50% more than this time last year.
More:Detroit business thriving thanks to candle-making classes, vegan soaps
In addition to the additional benefits, Meijer is offering discounts to SNAP customers on SNAP-qualifying produce items. To make the discount possible, which is 10% off fresh fruit and vegetables purchased in stores, Meijer received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The discount will be offered to SNAP customers through Dec. 31.
The federal government is providing additional funding to those receiving SNAP benefits in response to COVID-19 under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Households, even if they are receiving the maximum payment or are close to, will receive the additional benefit, according to MDHHS.
People can check their Bridge Card balance online at michigan.gov/MIBridges or call 888-678-8914. The customer service line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Spanish and Arabic services are available. For those that are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing or speech-impaired can call the Michigan Relay Center at 711. For questions about the additional benefits, call or email your caseworker.
Here are the maximum benefits recipients will receive:
Two people: $516
Three people: $740
Four people: $939
Five people: $1,116
Six people: $1,339
Seven people: $1,480
Eight people: $1,691
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2022-12-20T23:55:44Z
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www.freep.com
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Eligible Michigan families to receive $95 more in SNAP
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/20/snap-food-assistance-michigan-bridge-card/69745702007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/20/snap-food-assistance-michigan-bridge-card/69745702007/
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Gift card scams: Act quickly to get money back if balance is zero
Would you ever dream of buying a beautiful gift, maybe a cashmere sweater or a diamond necklace, and have it gift wrapped at the store, only to watch your special someone open the box and discover it was empty?
Unfortunately, that's what's happening too often during the holidays and other times of the year for those who hand over gift cards. It's another way that criminals who run elaborate fraud rings to steal dollars from consumers.
How one gift card saw $199 vanish
The next day, she decided to go online to review any rules or restrictions. She couldn't believe it when she spotted the balance on one card. She was so stunned that she woke up her son who was still sleeping to ask him if he had already spent the money on that Visa card. He had not.
The online information for viewing transactions on the Vanilla brand Visa card showed that one purchase was made at an OfficeMax store, she recalled, or some store with a similar name. "It had been done in the wee early hours of the morning." The store wasn't in Michigan, she recalled.
Oddly, the $200 card on the second gift card was fine. And so were two other gift cards her brother had bought for another family member.
Losing $199 all of a sudden was mindboggling. Her brother bought the cards one day in late June, gave them to his nephew the next and she discovered that the money was gone the day after that on July 1.
She isn't sure what motivated her to go online. "I don't know what prompted me to do it so quickly, call it the angel on my shoulder," Pfeiffer said.
Gift cards still a go-to item
Other top gifts bought then: Clothing and accessories (bought by 50%); toys (31%); books, video games and other media (24%); food and candy (23%), and electronics (23%).
About 60% of gift shoppers plan to buy to buy a gift card, according to data from Numerator, a market research company. Amazon is the most popular gift card, followed by Target, gift cards for a variety of restaurants, Walmart, and then credit-card-style gift cards, like those with Visa and Mastercard brand logos.
Recognize that crooks are out there
When Pfeiffer spotted the problem, she called the customer service number listed on the card itself immediately. She explained the situation. She had a receipt. She noted that she lives in Michigan and the purchase was made out of state. Eventually, she did get the money reimbursed and she was extremely impressed to see it.
How to get money back on a gift card
Will you get your money back? It's a good question. Maybe, yes. And maybe, no.
An increasing shift from physical to digital gift cards will further reduce the risk of third party gift fraud, Alcuri said.
When there is fraud consumers should contact the customer service number, he said, usually on the back of the card. A customer service representative may initiate a claim and an investigation. In some cases, he said, money can be put back on the card if the cardholder previously registered the card upon activation.
More:Holiday shopping ahead: What can trip you up in 2022
Kroger, which has various promotions during the year for building fuel points when you buy gift cards, said customers should first contact the issuer of a third party card if value is lost. If you bought a Starbucks card at Kroger, you'd go contact Starbucks. The third party issuer typically decides how you might be reimbursed.
Look at the package before buying
The bad actors are able to use technology to monitor when compromised cards are activated. Soon after money is loaded onto the card, the scammers will the use the activation code.
Ayoub visited a local store in suburban Detroit where he lives and noticed that some gift cards on the rack are being packaged more carefully. "It's not like the card is hanging from a little piece of rubbery glue like it used to," he said.
He's not a fan of just grabbing a gift card off a huge rack at the store. He'd suggest buying them online from the retailer or restaurant who is issuing the card and emailing that e-card to the person. If you want a plastic or paper card, you can buy that online, too. Amazon even sells their own gift cards online in an attractive holiday box.
Another key tip: Do not go online just anywhere to try to find out the value of your card, Ayoub said. Con artists can create third party sites to capture your information. If you are going online to check a gift card's balance, make sure you're at a retailer or banking site that’s listed on the gift card itself, not something you find online.
Other gift card tips:
Gift cards are typically not easily exchanged, if the person you give it to really cannot use it. "Card not redeemable for cash and cannot be used at ATM's," states the back of one $25 Mastercard gift card, which has a $3.95 activation fee.
I once ran into a problem when we bought gift cards -- which were not compromised -- and a clerk at the store had some trouble running the card. She said the card wasn't activated when it was. A store manager resolved the issue.
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2022-12-21T13:56:14Z
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www.freep.com
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Gift card scams: How to avoid them, get money back if balance is zero
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2022/12/21/gift-card-scams-money-back-balance/69691838007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2022/12/21/gift-card-scams-money-back-balance/69691838007/
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At home for abused, neglected boys in Detroit, Christmas wish lists are fulfilled
It starts in September — sometimes even August. Mary Barr, facilities manager at Christ Child House, starts asking the boys who live there what they’d like for Christmas.
These children, who arrive dragging suitcases or even a trash bag or two of their clothes and possessions, are not the Christmas monsters who send their parents elbowing through toy stores to buy the latest kid gadgets. They are living at Christ Child House because through abuse, neglect or abandonment, they don’t have anywhere else to go. This is one of the few child-caring institutions in the state of Michigan that takes in boys under the age of 10.
So, through a massive, monthslong effort, staff at the home scheme and scurry in the lead-up to Christmas to make sure they know what every boy is wishing for. And then they make it happen. Pretty much no matter what.
At Christmas, the sky is the limit
A nice keyboard for the kid who dreams of being a musician? Done. A Minecraft Lego set for the boy who already has over a thousand blocks in his collection? Absolutely.
“Whatever their wish is,” said Barr, “that’s what we get.”
This year, as usual, some boys’ lists reflect their obsessions. R.B., whom the Free Press is identifying by his initials to protect his privacy, wants “The Flash” DVDs, even though he knows he can watch it on Netflix.
B.S. wants Hot Wheels cars and an mp3 player. He says he’s pretty confident Santa will deliver.
That’s because Santa always does, even though it takes a whole host of staff, donors and community members to make it happen.
Some wishes are fulfilled by Operation Good Cheer, a 51-year-old volunteer organization that provides thousands of Michigan children in foster care with gifts each holiday season. Barr sends them her list after her intelligence-gathering missions are complete. A network of private drivers, truckers and even pilots crisscross the state to deliver the presents to group homes and residential facilities.
More:When giving up a child is the only way to get needed help
More:Michigan children without homes rarely enrolled in early learning programs
Generosity from schools, churches, individuals
The families of children attending St. Lawrence Catholic School in Utica buy presents for the boys at Christ Child House through their annual “giving tree,” and the students themselves load up all the toys to send over.
Other gifts come in from Michiganders who’d like to make one child’s wish come true — or maybe lots. One man who’d been in a facility like Christ Child House when he was small remembered how he felt as a kid: unimportant, unseen. Unworthy of celebration. He sent money and asked staff to take the boys on a trip to the mall. Another woman got every child a bathrobe.
This year, the congregation of St. Paul AME Church in Detroit donated a bike for every boy at the home.
“We have donors who say, you know what? The sky is the limit,” said Barr.
B.S. has no idea yet, but he’s right — he will get that mp3 player he’s been wishing for this year. Tucked inside a candy-stuffed stocking, a shiny new one is waiting for him, and for the 13 other boys he lives with. It will be delivered by Pam Harris, who has dressed up as Mrs. Claus to bring treats and presents to the boys at Christ Child House since around 2007.
“It makes you feel good in the heart, and this is something I love to do,” Harris said. “I love to give back and to give back to children is so awesome.”
Harris knows what it’s like to have a Christmas that doesn’t glow merry and bright. She also came up through the child welfare system. “I had to be 10 years old when I found out what Christmas was,” she said. “In one home that I lived in, the tree was there, but we weren’t allowed into the living room. We had nothing under the tree.”
Now she works as a cage manager at Motor City Casino. At the holidays, she visits nursing homes and other institutions as Mrs. Claus to bring good cheer and gifts wherever she can. But there’s a special place in her heart for the boys at Christ Child House. She knows from experience how important Christmas is for a child.
More:Michigan has nowhere to send vulnerable kids as placement crisis builds
“When you don’t have Christmas as a kid, other kids will rub it in your face,” Harris said. “’cause you ain't got nothing to show for what you got for Christmas, you ain't got nothing to tell what you got for Christmas.”
Christmas isn’t just about presents, of course. But for children who haven’t experienced much doting in their lives, receiving gifts can send a strong message. That their happiness matters. That they are cared for and included.
“It’s teaching them how to give back and how to love,” Harris said, “because, you know, they have not been loved.”
What I really want for Christmas is my family
E.W., who just turned 14, wants a new portable DVD player to replace the one that was broken, a Black Panther teddy bear, and some World Wrestling Entertainment action figures so he can stage battles. Last year, he remembers, he got a remote control car. And he got to see his family.
Families who are able and authorized can visit with their child in the living room area of Christ Child House. Other kids get phone calls. Some have no contact.
The boys had dinner with Santa a couple of weeks ago. They were clamoring to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. The puzzles, the stuffed animals, the Nikes and the Air Jordan sneakers. They peppered Old St. Nick with questions. “Where are the reindeer?” they demanded. But then the conversation turned serious.
“They told Santa Claus what they wanted most was their family,” said Barr. “They said, ‘That’s what I really want for Christmas is my family.’”
More:Grandparents raising grandkids find support, fitness classes with new program
E.W. is excited about this year’s plan: He’ll be spending Christmas Eve with family and sleeping over, returning on Christmas morning to have a nice, festive breakfast in his pajamas and open presents, eat candy and act out fights with those new wrestling toys he hopes will be his.
“It’s really magical here on Christmas morning, just to see their faces light up,” said Nekia Wade, a coordinator at Christ Child House who has experienced 10 Christmases at the facility. “They make sure the kids get anything they ask for, so they don’t feel like they went without anything.”
Even if the new shoes and DVDs, the bikes and ukuleles don’t quite make up for not being part of a loving family, getting the presents they asked for lets each boy know he’s been heard. Someone was listening. Someone cared.
“We try to honor their requests,” said Wade. “We always try to make sure they feel loved on Christmas morning.”
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2022-12-21T13:56:26Z
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www.freep.com
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Christmas wish list fulfilled for neglected boys at Christ Child House
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/2022/12/21/christ-child-house-detroit-christmas-wish-list/69742519007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/2022/12/21/christ-child-house-detroit-christmas-wish-list/69742519007/
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Detroit Pistons (8-25) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (17-12)
Where: Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Radio: WWJ/WDZH (Pistons radio affiliates).
Betting line: 76ers by 11½ (odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook).
Game notes: This looks like a tough matchup for the Pistons, who are coming off another blowout loss less than 24 hours ago, losing 126-111 at home to Utah. At least Jaden Ivey found his scoring touch after a rough month of play, collecting 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting. The Pistons have lost three straight and the 76ers own the rest advantage, having last played Monday, clipping Toronto in overtime, 104-101.
The Sixers have surged after a poor start, surviving injuries to Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. They've won five straight, all at home, with the partnership of Embiid, Harden and Tobias Harris lifting the offense, while the defense has morphed into a top-5 unit in the NBA. The 76ers are fifth in the Eastern Conference, while the bumbling Pistons sit last in the entire league. Embiid, the MVP runner-up the past two seasons and league's leading scorer last season (30.6), is having another ridiculous year. He's again leading the league in scoring, this time averaging 33 points per game and collecting a career-high 4.6 assists. He'll provide a stiff test for the Pistons' impressive 19-year-old rookie center Jalen Duren in the first meeting between the teams this season. It will also be interesting to watch Isaiah Stewart defensively in ball-screen action against Harden; Stewart was part of the reason why the Pistons dominated the fourth quarter in the previous meeting March 31 in Detroit, leading to a 102-94 comeback win. But there is no Cade Cunningham to rescue the Pistons this time; he's out for the season after undergoing shin surgery last week.
Follow live updates below, and check out our latest episode of "The Pistons Pulse" podcast, which just dropped Tuesday morning. Listen on the web or wherever you listen to podcasts.
READ MORE:The one bright spot for Detroit Pistons: They may have the NBA's best bench
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2022-12-21T17:34:07Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Pistons game score vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Time, TV channel
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/21/detroit-pistons-game-score-live-updates-philadelphia-76ers-tv-channel/69747198007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/21/detroit-pistons-game-score-live-updates-philadelphia-76ers-tv-channel/69747198007/
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Magic Johnson on Twitter also praised Raymond, writing "Kalif Raymond has been 🔥!"
Raymond is the second Lion to win NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in December. Kicker Michael Badgley earned the award after he made four field goals in a Week 13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Lions lost a quarterback off their practice squad for the second time in three weeks, as Josh Dobbs signed with the Tennessee Titans, his agent Mike McCartney announced on Twitter. In November, Tim Boyle left the Lions' practice squad to sign with the Chicago Bears active roster.
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2022-12-21T17:34:13Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Lions' Kalif Raymond is Player of the Week for punt return TD
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/21/detroit-lions-kalif-raymond-player-of-the-week-punt-return/69746984007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/21/detroit-lions-kalif-raymond-player-of-the-week-punt-return/69746984007/
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An Oakland County woman is glad her husband asked her to go to the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving because she picked something up besides a turkey — and it will probably change her life.
The woman, 49, also purchased a VIP Millions instant Michigan Lottery ticket for $30 at the Kroger located at 1237 North Coolidge Highway in Troy and won $4 million, according to the Michigan Lottery.
"It was the day before Thanksgiving, and my husband asked if I could run to the store and buy a turkey since he didn’t have time to,” the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Michigan Lottery. “After going back and forth about who was going to go to the store since we were both busy, I agreed to. I purchased the turkey and then stopped and bought a VIP Millions ticket on my way out.
The woman recently claimed her prize and opted to receive a one-time lump sum payment of about $2.7 million instead of 30 annuity payments for the full amount.
She plans to use the money to pay bills, complete home renovations and save for retirement.
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2022-12-21T20:23:32Z
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Michigan Lottery: Oakland Co. woman wins $4M on VIP Millions ticket
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/12/21/michigan-lottery-vip-millions-winning-instant-ticket/69748182007/
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Marlowe Alter Omari Sankofa II
The Detroit Pistons signed general manager Troy Weaver to a contract extension over the summer, a source told the Free Press.
News of the agreement became public Wednesday. The source requested anonymity because they were unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter. The length of the extension is unknown.
Weaver became the franchise's GM in June, 2020, signing a four-year contract.
The move signals a vote of confidence from ownership, which is led by Tom Gores.
Weaver has stockpiled young talent and swung aggressive trades in his quest to "restore" the Pistons, who haven't won a playoff game since 2008, and currently own the NBA record for most postseason losses in a row at 14. They last made the playoffs in 2019 under Stan Van Gundy.
Weaver has selected six players in the first round in his three drafts, making aggressive moves to grab extra picks and retool the bloated roster he inherited.
2020: Guard Killian Hayes (No. 7 overall), power forward/center Isaiah Stewart (No. 16 overall), forward Saddiq Bey (No. 19 overall).
2021: Guard Cade Cunningham (No. 1 overall).
2022: Guard Jaden Ivey (No. 5 overall), center Jalen Duren (No. 13 overall).
The Pistons (8-25) entered Wednesday night's game in Philadelphia owners of the NBA's worst record, despite Weaver exclaiming before the season his rebuild was entering the "competing stage", after finishing last season third-worst in the league at 23-59. But the Pistons immediately started slow this season at 3-9, before Cunningham was sidelined with a shin injury that had been bothering him for a while. He eventually underwent surgery last week.
"I like the complement of players we have," Weaver said at media day in late September. "A lot of young guys. We’ve got a lot of good veterans that will solidify things for us and keep us level. You go from the red to the black, and the only way to do that is to get level. I feel like we’re at level ground now. I’m calling it ground zero. Hopefully we can take a step forward."
The team is set up with roster flexibility and cap space this summer, but has few enticing draft pick assets to deal due to the first-round pick protections on the Stewart trade at the 2020 draft. And the free agent crop has dried up with many top players signing extensions before the season.
The Pistons went 20-52 in Weaver's first season, when COVID-19 canceled the Pistons' final 10 games, and are on pace to win just 20 games this season. Finishing in the bottom three would have a great benefit though: The Pistons would tie for the best odds (14%) to win the 2023 draft lottery this spring.
The Free Press' "The Pistons Pulse" podcast, hosted by Omari Sankofa II and Bryce Simon, last week debated the team's future, with Sankofa believing Weaver is targeting the summer to make a leap towards playoff contention. (You can listen to the podcast below or wherever you listen to podcasts.) But that will also be determined by where the Pistons end up in the lottery, with the stakes extremely high thanks to a generational prospect in French center Victor Wembanyama, as well as ubertalented guard Scoot Henderson.
The Athletic's Shams Charania was first to report Wednesday's news.
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2022-12-21T20:23:39Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Pistons signed GM Troy Weaver to contract extension in summer
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Former Michigan basketball coach John Beilein is among a trio of men’s coaches on the list of first-time nominees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to a list released by the Hall on Wednesday.
Other first-time nominees include Michigan State alumnus Greg Kelser (as a choice for the veterans’ committee) and NBA All-Stars Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade. Former Piston (and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach) Chauncey Billups is a nominee for the sixth time. Former Detroit Shock player Jennifer Azzi, who starred at Stanford before being selected No. 5 in the 1999 WNBA draft, is a nominee on the women’s side.
Finalists for the men’s and women’s selections will be announced on Feb. 17 in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of the NBA’s All-Star weekend. The entire 2023 class, including those elected by the vet committee such as Kelser, will be announced on April 1 as past of Final Four weekend in Houston.
IN THE PROS:Pistons hire ex-Michigan coach John Beilein as senior advisor/player development
A MICHIGAN LEGEND:John Beilein evolved, but the puzzle never ends
Beilein won 278 of 438 games (.650) during his 12 seasons (2007-19) with the Wolverines, part of a lengthy coaching career that included 27 seasons in Division I, plus 10 more in Divisions II/III. He led the Wolverines to nine NCAA tournaments, including appearances in the national title game in 2013 and 2018. Michigan won two regular-season Big Ten titles (2011-12, 2013-14) and two conference tournament titles (2017, 2018) under Beilein, who departed Ann Arbor in 2019 to take over the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
That stint didn’t last long, with Beilein resigning after 54 games of the 2019-20 season, with a 14-40 record. In all, Beilein finished his college career — with stops at Nazareth, Le Moyne, Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia and Michigan — with a 754-425 (.640) record. In addition to the Wolverines, he took Canisius, Richmond and West Virginia to the NCAA tournament. Beilein has been a senior advisor to the Pistons since June 2021, with a focus on developing players' shooting skills.
Beilein was picked for the College Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2022 and inducted in November. He was also inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in September.
The other first-time coaching nominees on the men’s side: Jim Larranaga, the longtime Bowling Green, George Mason and Miami (Florida) coach who won his 700th college game earlier this season, and Gregg Popovich, the NBA’s winningest coach at 1,354 victories (all with the San Antonio Spurs). Popovich is one of just two coaches in the top 10 on the NBA’s career victories list not already inducted into the Hall. (Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers, at No. 9 with 1.060 wins entering Wednesday’s game against the Pistons, is the other.)
The list of nominees includes three other notable former Big Ten coaches, all of whom have been nominated before: Lou Henson (Illinois), Gene Keady (Purdue) and Bo Ryan (Wisconsin).
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2022-12-21T22:55:57Z
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www.freep.com
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Michigan basketball: John Beilein nominated for Basketball Hall of Fame
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/21/michigan-basketball-john-beilein-basketball-hall-of-fame-nominee/69749191007/
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Judge's decision clears way for Detroit to issue recreational marijuana licenses
Detroit cleared a significant hurdle Wednesday in its yearslong effort to award licenses for recreational marijuana dispensaries, consumption lounges and microbusinesses when a federal judge denied a request in a lawsuit that would have halted the city's licensing process.
U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman, the same judge who called Detroit's first attempt at a recreational marijuana ordinance "likely unconstitutional," denied the plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in a lawsuit against the city's ordinance filed in September in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
"When I looked at the first ordinance, the Lowe case, it didn't take much to look at it and it just screamed 'constitutional violation,' " Friedman said at the motion hearing Wednesday in Detroit. "There's no question about it. When I looked at this (ordinance), it didn't."
The plaintiffs include a prospective Detroit marijuana business owner and two cannabis companies with operations in Detroit. They sued because they said they are unlikely to get a license in the city because the ordinance favors longtime Detroiters.
The decision clears the way for Detroit to begin issuing the limited recreational marijuana licenses. John Roach, a spokesperson for the city, said Detroit's office of marijuana ventures and entrepreneurship would provide additional information Thursday.
The city revised the first ordinance after Friedman called it "likely unconstitutional" in June 2021. Months later, in February, Detroit City Council President Pro Tempore James Tate unveiled the revised ordinance, which he said stayed "true to the spirit" of the original but had some significant changes.
The prior ordinance set aside at least half of the limited licenses for "legacy Detroiters."
Detroit faced multiple legal challenges over its revised ordinance. After two lawsuits challenging it in Wayne County Circuit Court were dismissed in August, the city began taking applications for the limited licenses on Sept 1. Detroit received 90 applications for the 60 recreational marijuana licenses available in the first round. The city will issue a total of 160 licenses in three phases.
Christine Constantino, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said the city of Detroit has "artfully disguised its preference (for longtime Detroiters to be awarded the licenses) now in equity."
Friedman, though, said there's nothing wrong with workarounds. "This one does not yell at me, 'Hey, there's a constitutional violation or anything of that nature.' "
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2022-12-21T23:34:58Z
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Detroit to issue cannabis licenses after judge's decision clears way
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/marijuana/2022/12/21/detroit-recreational-marijuana-cannabis-licenses/69748676007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/marijuana/2022/12/21/detroit-recreational-marijuana-cannabis-licenses/69748676007/
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Savers could be looking at interest rates on a one-year certificate of deposit that could be as high as 5.5% in 2023, a rate that has been unimaginable for more than 15 years.
Amazingly, it isn't hard now — if you shop around a bit — to find a one-year CD with rates in the 4% to 4.5% range. And at those kind of rates, even twentysomethings wonder if they should park some of their savings on the sidelines to make a little extra cash.
After all, it wasn't all that easy to make big money in 2022, and watching the chaotic collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX could make a dull CD at 4% now look pretty good.
How much money can savers earn based on higher rates?
When's the last time you heard anyone get excited about a CD? If you're in your 20s or 30s, maybe never. Who would be bragging about maybe making $12 a year in interest in recent years by setting aside $5,000 for one year or more?
But a chance to make $200 a year in interest — taking on little to zero risk — on $5,000 in savings in a CD? Now you're talking.
"CDs have been off the radar for so long," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com, which lists rates on various products, including CDs.
Savers lost out for years as the Federal Reserve drove to push short-term rates to low levels to boost economic growth.
The Fed made two historically bold moves by pushing short-term rates as far down as 0% twice — first in December 2008 to deal with the Great Recession and then again in March 2020 to deal with the economic collapse at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interest rates had been relatively low for a good chunk of the past 20 years. Rates, for example, fell during the eight-month recession that ran from March 2001 through November 2001 and kept falling. Rates picked up a good deal in late 2005 through 2006.
Now, we're dealing with significantly higher interest rates as the Fed tries to cool down inflation.
More:Double-digit inflation hits US grocery stores
How much higher can the Fed raise rates?
After a string of seven rapid rate hikes in 2022, savers could benefit from higher rates in early 2023 if they shop around and lock up favorable rates on CDs.
At its December meeting, the Fed raised rates by half a percentage point — driving the federal funds rate to a targeted range that runs between 4.25% and 4.5%.
"The Fed has more rate hikes to come," McBride said.
Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi is forecasting a 0.25 percentage point hike after the Fed's two-day meeting scheduled for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Then, he is anticipating another 0.25 percentage point hike after the next two day meeting on March 21-22. If so, the short-term federal funds rate would end up between 4.75% to 5%.
Zandi expects that the Fed might pause at that point, reviewing whether inflation has cooled down enough so rate hikes can stop sometime in 2023. He anticipates that inflation will be close to the Fed’s target by the spring and summer of 2024.
Other analysts say the Fed even might raise rates by up to 0.75 percentage point through two or three rate hikes in 2023. Then, the short-term federal funds rate would be in a targeted range of 5% to 5.5%.
More:I Bonds dip in November: What new 6.89% rate means for buyers
The last time the short-term federal funds rate was at 5% was in mid-2006, and the last time it was 5.5% was in early 2001.
McBride said savers are likely to see rates on one-year CDs edge upward in early 2023, possibly hitting a 5% to 5.5% range. Savers, he said, have a few months to lock in those higher rates on one year CDs.
The average one-year CD yield is 1.36% currently, according to Bankrate.com, with the best rates being offered ending up with a yield of around 4.75%.
The average yield on CDs being issued now is nearly 10 times greater than what savers got in late 2021.
Just a year ago, savers who put money in a one-year CD were looking at average yields of 0.14% -- and the top yields that included promotional rates were just 0.67%, according to Bankrate.com data.
More:Buy now, pay later: How to overspend in the holiday moment
What are some CD deals out there now?
Now, it's not all that uncommon to drive around town and see CDs advertised on a window or electronic sign at a branch.
A week before Christmas, the sign at Genisys Credit Union branch on Main Street in Royal Oak highlighted a 13-month certificate special with a yield of 4.32%. The credit union notes online that "certificate specials are for a limited time and the credit union may end it at anytime without notice." The minimum certificate opening balance is $500.
Huntington Bank has newspaper ads for a 14-month CD with a 4.08% annual percentage yield. The minimum opening balance is $1,000.
Auburn Hills-based Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union — which started in 1951 by serving Chrysler Corp. auto workers — ran an ad in early December that proclaimed "Move Your Money" and listed a 17-month CD with an annual percentage yield of 4.32%. But the offer does not apply to money already on deposit at the credit union. Minimum deposit: $1,000. The credit union serves residents in all of Michigan plus several counties in northwest Ohio.
East Lansing-based MSU Federal Credit Union listed a yield of 4.6% on certificates that can range in terms from 13 months to 23 months; the minimum balance is $500. The offer is valid through Dec 23, according to the credit union's website.
The MSU credit union also has a one-year add-on certificate that has an opening deposit of only $50 and offers a 4.6% APY. The add-on option can work for those who might not have much money to invest initially, said Deidre Davis, chief marketing officer for MSUFCU.
"It allows members to deposit up to an additional $10,000 over the term of the certificate, making it a great option for those who are just starting to invest," she said. "They can set up an automatic transfer on a recurring basis."
MSU Federal Credit Union also has a "jumbo" product for similar terms — with a minimum investment of $100,000 — that has an APY of 4.86%.
What's the outlook for interest rates in 2023?
Just how high savings and CD rates go in 2023, though, is questionable. Much could depend on how soon the Fed stops raising rates — and what the Fed could do if the U.S. economy goes into a recession.
"They've always rushed in to cut when the economy takes a dive," said Ken Tumin, who founded DepositAccounts in 2009, which is now part of LendingTree. The site tracks and compares bank rates.
If the Fed starts cutting rates in 2024 or possibly even in late 2023 to shore up the economy, savings rates would fall, too.
Some of the higher rates are currently being offered by online banks, credit unions and others looking to grow deposits. Rates of 4% or more on CDs aren't available everywhere now.
"Many banks are still flush with deposits that they acquired during the pandemic," Tumin said. "That surplus of deposits has started to change, but not all banks are in need of deposits."
How online banks grab deposits — and attention
More competitive CD rates offered at online banks, he said, generally follow the federal funds rate. "So if the target federal funds rate reaches a peak of 5% to 5.25%, the top one-year CD yields are likely to be in the range of 5% and 5.50%," Tumin said.
As of a Dec. 1 survey, Tumin said, the online average one-year CD had a 4.15% APY and the online average five-year CD had a 4% APY.
Citizens Access, the online division of Citizens Bank, has an online one-year CD with a 3.25% annual percentage yield currently and a 3.45% yield on a five-year CD. The minimum deposit is $5,000. The early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest for the 12-month CD and 180 days of interest for all other term CDs. Citizens Access also has an online savings account at 3.75%.
Ally Bank has a 12-month CD with a 4.15% yield online and an 18-month CD with a 4.25% yield as of Dec. 19. No minimum deposit is required to open.
Savers who want to lock in rates for five years, though, could need to act more quickly, as some yields on five-year CDs have pulled back lately, Tumin said.
The average five-year CD yield is 1.16% and climbs up to around 4.6% for the top yielding CDs, according to the Bankrate.com survey.
Again, that's up significantly from a year ago when the five-year CD average was 0.26% and the top yielding CDs were around 1.21%.
Rates on shorter term CDs could peak later in 2023, McBride said, so savers would have a bit more time to move.
While the Fed will raise rates in 2023, many anticipate that it will ease up next year and could be nearing the end of its rate hike binge. At some point, the expectation is that interest rates won't keep climbing and it could be a good time to lock in a higher rate for a five-year period.
Should you cash out of an old CD early?
For some savers with old CDs, it could be worth it to even take a penalty and cash in a CD early. It's not something you'd typically consider doing. But Tumin said it can be worthwhile if you find a much higher rate of 4% or 5%.
Say you're only getting 0.25% for a CD that won't mature for another year or two. You might only lose about $3 in interest, for example, on a $5,000 CD if the annual yield is 0.25% and your penalty for early withdrawal is three months of interest. You'd have to run your own numbers and see what makes sense for you.
Tumin said that it's a pretty easy bet to make such a move if someone has an old CD rate as low as 0.25% "But even with higher rates on old CDs, it can still be a win," he said.
He has a 5-year CD that was opened a bit less than three years ago. Closing it early would result in a penalty where he'd lose five months of interest. But that CD only has a 2.15% APY and he can find a new CD with an APY of 4.25%. He's figuring he can make an extra $393 in interest on $10,000 in savings — even after a penalty — by closing out the CD and opening a new one at a much higher rate.
DepositAccounts.com has a calculator to help figure out if it is worth paying an early withdrawal penalty to break a CD.
Many times, banks and credit unions are only offering those higher rates to new customers. Before you act on a promotion, find out if you'll need to withdraw money from one bank and move it to another to lock in a higher rate.
Review any terms carefully. Not all penalties for an early withdrawal are the same. The penalty is likely to be bigger if you take out a five-year CD instead of a one-year CD. And yes, brokers are offering CD rates too for bank-issued CDs. But Tumin warns that you want to make sure that the CD isn't "callable" — meaning that you'd risk the bank forcing you to redeem the CD earlier than the maturity date if interest rates fall.
Remember, rates don't always go up — and keep going up.
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2022-12-22T11:59:22Z
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Savers look for signs of higher interest rates on CDs in 2023
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The first major winter storm of the season is barreling across the United States and expected to hit southeast Michigan tonight, with a winter storm warning beginning at 7 p.m. and lasting until 4 a.m. Saturday.
Southeast Michigan is projected to get 3-7 inches of snowfall, the National Weather Service said. Northwest of Howell to Sandusky is expected to get the highest amount of snowfall with 5-8 inches.
Elsewhere, large swaths of west Michigan and the northern Lower Peninsula are under a blizzard warning, from 7 tonight until 7 p.m. Saturday. That includes Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ludington, Manistee, Traverse City, Gaylord, Alpena, Mackinaw City and the eastern Upper Peninsula.
Here's the latest timeline and what to expect for southeast Michigan, including metro Detroit.
Expect a possible mix of rain and snow in parts of metro Detroit before 11 a.m., with rain likely later in the day. The high is 40 degrees.
Rain is expected to last into the night but, as temperatures rapidly drop, it'll turn into snow around 1 or 2 a.m. Friday. The low will be around 15 degrees, with southeast winds of 8-17 miles per hour that could gust at 30 mph at times. Expect about an inch of snow overnight.
The snow begins around 2 a.m. Friday and will turn into widespread and blowing snow as the morning progresses, potentially up to two inches, which will reduce visibility for morning and evening commutes. Temperatures will fall to around 10 degrees by the early afternoon.
Winds will pick up to around 22-28 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph later Friday. The strong winds and an arctic air mass could result in wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero.
This could result in power outages and difficulties in traveling. DTE plans to have 700 workers in the field working on downed power lines. With 1,000 workers assisting customers. Consumers Energy is also expected to provide service to customers with power outages. Detroit has a few warming centers for homeless people seeking shelter.
Friday's low is around 8 degrees, with snow lasting through the night, potentially another inch. Winds may sustain around 18-23 mph, with gusts near 50 mph at times.
The winter storm warning in southeast Michigan is slated to lift at 4 a.m. Saturday, though there is still a 30% chance of snow. Cloudy skies and a high of 18 are projected, with southwest winds around 18-21 mph and potential gusts of 38 mph.
Expect mostly cloudy skies Saturday night, with a low around 12 degrees.
Stay prepared
Winter storms in Michigan are no joke. We help get you protected by offering this tip sheet of steps to prepare, including:
What you should have in your vehicle winter safety kit
What to do before a winter storm arrives
How to protect your home, including preventing freezing pipes
How to remove snow, including shoveling tips
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2022-12-22T14:35:59Z
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www.freep.com
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Metro Detroit winter storm: The latest timeline of events
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/22/detroit-michigan-winter-storm-forecast/69750224007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/22/detroit-michigan-winter-storm-forecast/69750224007/
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Samuel Deiu Lewis wants people to know that his daughter's mother was generous. She was intelligent. She was compassionate. When they had nothing and were on the streets, she would give her last $5 dollars to someone who truly needed it.
"She gave her heart," Lewis, 53, said.
Alanna Wilkins was one among 31 people honored at a memorial service commemorating those known to have died while experiencing homelessness in Detroit this year. Many were regular guests of the Pope Francis Center, which organized the service Wednesday evening. They were known and loved. They were someone's child.
"I was hoping and praying that she would have been doing this for me and not me doing this for her," Lewis said. Wilkins, 25, died in September, he said. They have a five-year-old daughter.
A black and white picture of Wilkins, smiling wide, sat on a table alongside the names and faces of others who died as well. There was Danny Ruffin. Ace. Dana Moore. Richard Nelson. Mark "Danger" LeGree.
"Each one of these 31 people who have died in the streets this year had mothers and fathers, who were somebody's baby, somebody's child," said Father Tim McCabe, executive director of the Pope Francis Center, at the funeral liturgy. He prayed for them and called on the more than 40 attendees to do the same.
The service was a part of the national Homeless Persons' Memorial Day which typically takes place on Dec. 21 — the longest night of the year. Down the aisle at Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church, pallbearers wheeled in an empty casket, shrouded in a funeral pall. As each name was read, a bell tolled and staff and volunteers carried a lit candle, representing each person, and placed it on the tables. Organizers of the service said it was likely one of the longest list of names of homeless people who had died since the center started holding the ceremony in 2015.
"We must work towards a day where we don't have to gather in this church," McCabe said.
Opinion:As temperatures plunge, make Detroit's homeless a priority
This year, there were more than 1,600 people facing homelessness in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park — an 18% increase from prior years, according to the Homeless Action Network of Detroit's "point-in-time" count, which offers a snapshot of one night in late January. Among those counted, there were roughly 200 people who were unsheltered on the streets.
"They had lives and stories and struggles. They had trauma," McCabe said.
"Everybody does it a little bit differently," McCabe said. "I like to do it as a prayerful way of remembering them and honoring them and not to lose sight of the fact that we have to ask, why are people dying homeless on our streets."
The Pope Francis Center runs a day shelter and serves nearly 200 people a day, offering meals, showers, laundry, medical care and legal clinics. McCabe previously told the Free Press that's 50% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, but below the need the center saw when the health crisis first started.
"This is probably the largest number of names we've had for a memorial but it's also the largest number of folks we're seeing every day and we don't necessarily see signs of that slowing down," said Chris Harthen, director of housing advocacy at the Pope Francis Center.
A winter storm is expected to hit southeast Michigan Thursday. The City of Detroit is operating two city-run recreation centers and three warming centers are available to people who need to stay warm.
Farwell Recreation Center: 2711 E. Outer Drive; 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23 through 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26
Patton Recreation Center: 2301 Woodmere; 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23 through 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26
Veterans who need shelter can go to the second floor of the John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s red tower located at 4646 John R St., Detroit, MI 48201. The hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
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2022-12-22T19:01:41Z
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www.freep.com
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Memorial honors 31 Detroiters who died while homeless
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/22/memorial-honors-31-detroiters-who-died-while-homeless/69744497007/
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More:How a stack of $100s helped turn rough start into Lions' playoff berth 39 years ago
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for southeast Michigan that begins at 7 p.m. Thursday evening and runs through 4 a.m. Saturday, ahead of a potential blizzard that's expected to hit much of the Midwest.
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2022-12-22T19:01:53Z
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Detroit Lions alter travel plans because of pending blizzard
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/22/detroit-lions-travel-plans-charlotte-pending-blizzard-carolina-panthers/69751158007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/22/detroit-lions-travel-plans-charlotte-pending-blizzard-carolina-panthers/69751158007/
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Kristi Tanner
The number of people living in Michigan slipped for the second consecutive year, according to new census data released Thursday.
The state lost 3,391 residents, or 0.03%, from a year earlier to 10,034,113 on July 1, 2022. Michigan was one of 18 states that saw population decline. In total, Michigan has roughly 40,000 fewer residents since the decennial census in 2020 when the population reached 10.077 million.
Population growth has been slowing for years in the U.S., markedly since the mid-2010s. Fewer people are having babies, an aging population means more people are dying and international migration has been declining. More recently, the trend has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Population estimates are based on several factors, including births, deaths and migration patterns. Michiganders are dying at higher rates and having fewer babies — leading to a natural decrease in population for the second straight year. Michigan is one of two dozen states, including Pennsylvania and Ohio, that had more deaths than births, according to the latest data.
In addition, more people left the state than moved in, a net loss of 8,482 residents.
Net international migration, the number of people moving in and out of the country, added approximately 18,812 new residents to Michigan, mirroring a national trend. That helped to offset losses from people leaving the state domestically and the natural change in population.
Nationwide, the population increased by 0.4% to roughly 333.3 million residents, an indication of early recovery from the record-low population growth the country faced the year prior (0.1%).
States that grew the fastest were Florida, Idaho and South Carolina.
“While Florida has often been among the largest-gaining states,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer at the Census Bureau, said in a release, “this was the first time since 1957 that Florida has been the state with the largest percent increase in population.”
Contact Kristi Tanner: ktanner@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @midatalove.
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2022-12-22T19:36:24Z
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www.freep.com
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Census: Michigan's population drops again for 2nd consecutive year
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/22/census-michigan-population-drops/69744139007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/22/census-michigan-population-drops/69744139007/
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Chronic City, Gage 313 and West Coast Meds were among the 33 businesses that received a retail recreational marijuana license from the city of Detroit on Thursday, marking the end of a years-long effort by the city to award these coveted licenses.
Sixty licenses were available in the first round but only 33 applicants met the qualifications for a recreational dispensary, the city said. Several also applied for a license to open a microbusiness or consumption lounge but none of those licenses were awarded in the first round.
"We make sure we do the right thing," said Detroit City Council President Pro Tempore James Tate, who spearheaded the ordinance, at a press conference Thursday morning. 'I've always said — and I've been told — if you do the right thing, everything will work out. It may not happen exactly when you want it to or not always how you want it to, but eventually, it'll work out."
The city cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when a federal judge denied a request in a lawsuit against Detroit's ordinance that would have halted the city's licensing process.
Businesses that received a license include:
"The recreational marijuana industry has tremendous potential to generate wealth in income for our city, as well as personal and generational wealth for those who participate," said Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison.
The ordinance sets aside half of all the limited licenses for "equity applicants." Equity applicants include people who live in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and those with certified Detroit Legacy status currently living in Detroit or another disproportionately impacted community.
Detroit started awarding the unlimited licenses — such as for growing or processing cannabis — in April.
In all, the city received 90 applications for the 60 limited recreational marijuana licenses available in the first round.
The second application round could open up as soon as the end of January, pending City Council approval, said Anthony Zander, director of the city's department of civil rights, inclusion and opportunity. The city will award up to 30 retail licenses, 20 microbusiness licenses and 20 consumption lounge licenses.
Kim James, director of Detroit's office of marijuana ventures and entrepreneurship, said the scored application results are available to view on HomegrownDetroit.org and in January, she said the office will be open to personal meetings with every applicant to discuss their score. The office will also be holding Zoom informational sessions before the next round of applications opens up.
Detroit had to go back to the drawing board and revise its first ordinance after U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman called it "likely unconstitutional" in June 2021. In February, Tate unveiled the revised ordinance, which he said stayed "true to the spirit" of the original but had some significant changes.
Detroit faced multiple legal challenges over its revised ordinance. After two lawsuits challenging it in Wayne County Circuit Court were dismissed in August, the city began taking applications for the limited licenses on Sept 1.
Still, even after Judge Friedman's decision to not halt the licensing process, Tate said the city needs to be prepared for more lawsuits.
"By no means is the so-called battle over," he said. "We've already been told that we're going to get sued again. We know that's the nature of this game."
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2022-12-22T19:36:26Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit awards first recreational pot retail licenses
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/marijuana/2022/12/22/detroit-recreational-pot-retail-licenses/69750640007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/marijuana/2022/12/22/detroit-recreational-pot-retail-licenses/69750640007/
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Peeler's charges were dismissed in October, alongside Lyon's and others', but a three-judge Court of Appeals panel said prosecutors could argue their appeal to dismissing Peeler's case, writing "this Court is not persuaded at this time that the circuit court’s interpretation of the Supreme Court’s opinion presents no issues appropriate for appellate review."
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2022-12-22T21:03:48Z
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www.freep.com
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Flint water prosecutors to appeal Lyon case to Michigan Supreme Court
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/22/flint-water-prosecutors-to-appeal-lyon-case-to-michigan-supreme-court/69751703007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/22/flint-water-prosecutors-to-appeal-lyon-case-to-michigan-supreme-court/69751703007/
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The first major storm of the winter season arrives in Michigan today.
In the southeast part of the state, a winter storm warning begins at 7 p.m. in every area county, including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and will last until 4 a.m. Saturday. Forecasters expect roughly 3-7 inches of snow, with some areas to the north, along the Howell and Sandusky line, to get 5-8 inches.
In the west and northern parts of the state, a blizzard warning takes effect at 7 tonight and runs until 7 p.m. Saturday. Some cities, including Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City and Gaylord, could see more than a foot of snow.
West winds of 50 mph or greater will develop Friday, potentially reducing visibility for the morning and afternoon commutes. We could see wind chills 10 to 20 degrees below zero Friday and Saturday, the NWS says.
Snowfall predictions:See how much your area will get during winter storm
Refresh this page every several minutes to see the latest radar. Can't see the radar below? Tap here.
Can't see the updates above? Tap here.
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2022-12-22T22:57:00Z
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www.freep.com
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/22/winter-storm-michigan-radar-traffic/69750175007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/22/winter-storm-michigan-radar-traffic/69750175007/
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Winter storm enters Michigan: Live weather radar, traffic updates
Husband’s double life erases wife
I’ve caught him in several lies. He says he’s lying to protect me. I’m excluded from everything. I’ve never seen any of his extended family members.
You state that your husband’s daughter is “the problem.” I disagree. He is the problem, and you are the problem.
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2022-12-23T07:30:36Z
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www.freep.com
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Husband’s double life erases wife
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https://www.freep.com/story/life/advice/2022/12/23/husbands-double-life-erases-wife/69745915007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/life/advice/2022/12/23/husbands-double-life-erases-wife/69745915007/
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Detroit Pistons vs. Atlanta Hawks: Time, TV channel, game info
Detroit Pistons (8-25) vs. Atlanta Hawks (16-25)
Where: State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Radio: 950 WWJ (Pistons radio affiliates).
Betting line: Hawks by 9.
Game notes: Before the Pistons head home to the ice palace that is Detroit, they make a stop in Atlanta to have a Hawks team that has won two out of their last three games, but all may not be well in "The A". If things don't get any better, Hawks star Trae Young may be headed out the door according to league executives. As for things on the court, the Pistons would like to shake their losing ways, having lose four-straight dating back to Dec. 16 vs. the Sacramento Kings.
Last time out, the Pistons fell by 20 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Jaden Ivey continued his stellar play, leading the Pistons in scoring for a second straight night with 18 points. A Pistons victory vs. the Hawks would give Detroit their first win over Atlanta this season in three tries. The Pistons last beat the Hawks on March 23, 2022.
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2022-12-23T12:57:26Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Pistons vs. Atlanta Hawks: Time, TV channel, game info
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/23/detroit-pistons-vs-atlanta-hawks-time-tv-channel-game-info/69752405007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/23/detroit-pistons-vs-atlanta-hawks-time-tv-channel-game-info/69752405007/
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Bronner's closes Friday, Saturday for severe winter weather in Michigan
The severe winter weather that moved into Michigan overnight has forced an iconic Michigan store to close early for the Christmas holiday.
Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth will be closed Friday and Saturday. The store is always closed on Christmas.
The store, which prides itself on being open 361 days a year — only closing on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter, is scheduled to reopen for normal business at 9 a.m. Monday.
Irene Bronner, who helped build the iconic store died Oct. 16 at the age of 95. Born in Hemlock, Michigan, Bronner was married for more than 55 years to Wallace “Wally” Bronner, who died in 2008 at 81.
She helped her husband develop the sprawling, year-round, Yuletide-themed store in the Saginaw County, known as “Michigan’s Little Bavaria.” She served on the board of directors and in many other roles at the company touted as the largest Christmas-themed store in the world.
Bronner's, which sits on 45 acres in Frankenmuth, boasts 350 Christmas trees decorated in religious, traditional and toyland themes, with more than 6,000 types of ornaments, according to the Bronner's website. There are more than 500 different nativities and 50,000 trims and gifts displayed at the store, and many items are exclusive Bronner designs.
Staff writer Brendel Patterson contributed to this story.
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2022-12-23T15:16:29Z
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www.freep.com
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Bronner's closes Friday, Saturday for severe winter weather in Michigan
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/23/bronners-frankenmuth-closed-winter-storm/69753215007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/23/bronners-frankenmuth-closed-winter-storm/69753215007/
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Four-alarm fire breaks out at vacant storage facility near downtown
A four-alarm fire is burning at a vacant storage facility at the intersection of Canton Street and East Lafayette just east of downtown Detroit.
Detroit Fire Department Chief James C. Harris said that the fire began around 5 a.m. Friday morning. The cause is unknown. Firefighters are attempting to get the fire under control but it has not damaged any nearby buildings.
No one has been reported injured but nearby residents are experiencing power outages.
"We just want the public to stay away from the area," Harris said. "The wind direction can change, you don't want anybody to get injured or hurt and it's a little icy around."
Firefighters are battling through high winds between 50 to 55 mph and wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero. High winds can push the fire in different directions and increase the risk of it spreading to other nearby areas.
Harris said his crews are prepared, though.
"Were built for this," he said. " We trained for this, we trained for these conditions. We train if it's 100 degrees out so we'll go for anything, we're ready."
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2022-12-23T15:16:32Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit battling four-alarm fire in vacant storage facility
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/23/detroit-fire-belle-isle/69753241007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/23/detroit-fire-belle-isle/69753241007/
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Peter Bhatia, the top editor of the Detroit Free Press, told staff Friday that he will depart the company early next year in the hope of saving jobs from looming companywide layoffs.
Bhatia, 69, who started at the Free Press in September 2017 and is also a regional editor in the USA TODAY Network for nearly 30 properties in Ohio and Michigan, said in a late morning staff meeting that he decided to leave the company so that the newspaper's owner, Gannett, could use the financial savings of his departure to reduce the number of layoffs at the Free Press that are set to occur in January.
The precise impact of Bhatia's resignation on the number of layoffs has yet to be determined. Prior to his decision to leave, as many as 14 voluntary and involuntary layoffs were planned, including five reporters.
“We’re in a difficult period economically," Bhatia said in an interview. "The company is going through a layoff process and I essentially made the decision to lay myself off in the interest of saving other jobs.”
Bhatia said his last day at the Free Press − and Gannett − is Jan. 18.
“I do have other opportunities that will probably come to work out at some point," he said, "but if by getting my salary out of the budget it saves some jobs of people on the staff, I think that’s the right thing for the Free Press.”
At the time he announced the staff layoffs last week, Bhatia said the downsizing would be an unfortunate step back in the Free Press' efforts to diversify its hiring. The Free Press employs a total of 110 people.
In his own career, Bhatia was the first journalist of South Asian descent to lead a major U.S. daily newspaper, which he did at The Oregonian in Portland, Oregon, from 2010 to 2014.
Bhatia was the 2020 recipient of the Ben Bradlee editor of the year award from the National Press Foundation. Earlier this month, Gannett named him its 2022 top employee.
"Since the beginning of 2020, we have made 30 hires," he wrote in a staff email. "Of those 30, 27 are people of color or women. This staff reduction will cut into what the diversity and skills gains achieved during that time."
Gannett has done layoffs and other cost-cutting measures at its news properties in the wake of big back-to-back quarterly losses, including a $54 million net loss in the three months ending Sept. 30.
To generate money, the company recently did a sale-leaseback deal for the printing press site in Sterling Heights that prints the Free Press and the Detroit News.
Some of Gannett's financial challenges relate to debt from its 2019 merger with rival newspaper chain GateHouse Media.
During Bhatia's time in Detroit, the Free Press rolled out in summer 2020 an online paywall for some stories after years of all-free reporting on its website. The move was aimed at bringing more financial sustainability for the organization, and the Free Press has since exceeded company expectations in gaining paid digital subscribers.
“We’ve had a really good run here. The staff has done an amazing job, and our success in digital (subscriptions) and in journalism in general has been fantastic. I am really going to miss that," he said.
Asked about the reaction at the corporate level to his decision to leave Gannett and the Free Press, Bhatia said, "I think it’s safe to say that my bosses didn’t want me to leave."
"I didn’t want to leave − I love Detroit," said Bhatia, who lives in the city. "I love the Free Press, but I think it’s in everybody’s best interest that I do so."
A replacement has not been named.
In 2018, Bhatia won the Robert G. McGruder Distinguished Award for his commitment to media diversity. The award is bestowed by Kent State University and honors the late Bob McGruder, who was the first Black executive editor of the Free Press and a longtime champion of newsroom diversity.
Bhatia has decades of experience in the news business. He arrived in Detroit from Ohio, where he had been editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer since 2015. Before that he was at The Oregonian for more than 20 years and an editor there.
The deadline for Free Press staffers to volunteer for layoffs is next week. The staff layoffs are tentatively set to take effect Jan. 18.
Bhatia and his wife, Liz Dahl, have two grown children. He received a bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1975 with a double major in history and communication.
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2022-12-23T20:56:01Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Free Press Editor Peter Bhatia stepping down
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2022/12/23/detroit-free-press-editor-peter-bhatia-leaving-save-staff-jobs/69753969007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2022/12/23/detroit-free-press-editor-peter-bhatia-leaving-save-staff-jobs/69753969007/
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Like a scene from a holiday Disney movie, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team freed a swan trapped in the ice on Voorheis Lake in Orion Township.
Residents living near the picturesque private lake reported seeing the bird in distress Wednesday and called for help when it was still there Thursday, apparently unable to free itself, the sheriff's department said in a news release.
The swan had been on the lake for more than 24 hours, according to the release.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement: “Our team always rises to the occasion to rescue anyone or anything in distress. I am proud of their efforts and optimistic that an animal rehabilitator will be able to nurse this swan back to full health to be released.“
The Search and Rescue Team arrived around 10 a.m. Thursday, using a Hovercraft to break the ice around the swan in hopes of opening a path in the lake that would allow the swan to swim free.
"When it became clear the swan was unable to help itself, the team used a blanket to cover the swan’s head, and carefully removed it from the lake," the release said.
Video taken by Chris Miller, president of the homeowners association, and provided to the Detroit Free Press by the sheriff's office, shows three uniformed officers in the watercraft and two uniformed officers meeting them on land.
The swan was docile when greeted by rescuers. One officer said, "His back leg ... looks busted."
Sgt. Brian Burwell said the swan did have a leg injury and was turned over to Oakland County Animal Control, which sought medical care for the bird’s injuries, the release said.
The swan is now in the care of an animal rescue group for rehabilitation, the Free Press confirmed Friday.
Bouchard said in a statement to the Free Press Friday, “It is a reminder of how dangerous the winter conditions can be even to wildlife that live in it year-round. Watch out for your neighbors and pets as well.”
More:Bronner's closes Friday, Saturday for severe winter weather in Michigan
More:Wyandotte firefighter rescues dog on Detroit river
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2022-12-23T20:56:07Z
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www.freep.com
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Swan rescued from frozen Voorheis Lake in Orion Township
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/12/23/swan-rescue-voorheis-lake-orion-township/69753587007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/12/23/swan-rescue-voorheis-lake-orion-township/69753587007/
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Left-hander Zach Logue wasn't sharp as a rookie for the Oakland Athletics last season, but in two starts against the Detroit Tigers, the 26-year-old dominated MLB's worst offense.
Those two matchups consisted of seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts May 11 at Comerica Park and six innings of three-run (one unearned) ball with four strikeouts July 21 at Oakland Coliseum; in all, he had a 1.38 ERA with 10 strikeouts and one walk over 13 innings against the Tigers.
On Friday, the Tigers claimed Logue — a 2017 ninth-round draft pick from Kentucky — off waivers from the Athletics. In a corresponding move, right-handed reliever Ángel De Jesus was designated for assignment.
Logue was called up for his MLB debut in April 2022 and pitched 14 games (10 starts) for the Athletics, producing a 6.79 ERA with 20 walks and 42 strikeouts in 57 innings. He had a 6.20 ERA in 49⅓ innings as a starter and a 10.57 ERA in 7⅔ innings as a reliever.
He also pitched for Triple-A Las Vegas last season, registering an 8.12 ERA with 38 walks and 59 strikeouts in 78⅔ innings across 17 starts.
Logue threw four pitches in the majors last season: a four-seam fastball (49.2% of the time), a cutter (21.4%), a curveball (15.8%) and a changeup (13.6%). His fastball averaged 90.1 mph and was crushed by most opponents.
"We didn't respond well to his (arm) angle," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said May 11, after Logue twirled his gem at Comerica Park. "We didn't have multiple at-bats in a row that were productive. It looked like we could get a few things going, and then he was in complete control. He did a good job of pitching with the lead by continuing to throw strikes."
That 9-0 loss was the Tigers' 15th in 18 games at the time, dropping them to 9-22 overall. They ended the season with a 66-96 record for fourth place in the American League Central.
"We should be better, and we will be better," Hinch said May 11. "It feels like it's never going to end because of how long this has lasted. These guys have a track record. I know it's the same questions every night. It's the same curiosities. We have not found solutions. Rather than talk about problems, we got to try to find some solutions. The energy was good to start the game, and then you could feel a little bit of frustration sink in as we fell behind, and then this kid was having his way with us."
Logue began his professional career with the Toronto Blue Jays.
He was traded to the Athletics in March 2022 with Gunnar Hoglund, Kevin Smith and Kirby Snead in exchange for three-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman Matt Chapman.
The Athletics designated Logue for assignment Wednesday upon signing right-hander Drew Rucinski — who spent the past four seasons as one of the best starters in the Korea Baseball Organization — to a one-year, $3 million contract.
The Tigers claimed catcher Mario Feliciano off waivers Wednesday from the Milwaukee Brewers. Infielder Andy Ibáñez, another member of the Tigers' roster, was claimed off waivers in mid-November from the Texas Rangers.
The 40-man roster is full.
The Tigers' roster
Here's an updated look at the 40-man roster:
Left-handed pitchers (7): Tyler Alexander, Matthew Boyd, Zach Logue, Eduardo Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal, Gregory Soto, Joey Wentz.
Right-handed pitchers (15): Beau Brieske, José Cisnero, Mason Englert, Alex Faedo, Jason Foley, Rony García, Garrett Hill, Alex Lange, Michael Lorenzen, Matt Manning, Casey Mize, Reese Olson, Spencer Turnbull, Will Vest, Brendan White.
Catchers (3): Mario Feliciano, Eric Haase, Jake Rogers.
Outfielders (5): Akil Baddoo, Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Austin Meadows, Parker Meadows.
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2022-12-23T20:56:21Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Tigers claim LHP Zach Logue from Oakland Athletics
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2022/12/23/detroit-tigers-claim-lhp-zach-logue-from-oakland-athletics/69754318007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2022/12/23/detroit-tigers-claim-lhp-zach-logue-from-oakland-athletics/69754318007/
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ATLANTA — It has been a bad week for the Detroit Pistons.
After falling to the Utah Jazz by 15 points on Tuesday and the Philadelphia 76ers by 20 on Wednesday, they were unable to get on the right track before Christmas. The Pistons were outscored, 70-42, in the second half by the Atlanta Hawks on Friday en route to a 130-105 blowout. It was the fifth straight loss for Detroit (8-27). The Pistons have two days to recuperate before hosting the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 23 points, Killian Hayes scored 10 points and dished out five assists, Jaden Ivey tallied 15 points and Jalen Duren had 13 points and eight rebounds. The Hawks' All-Star backcourt of Trae Young (26 points, 13 assists) and Dejounte Murray (26 points) gave Detroit issues throughout the night.
HALL CALL?Pistons advisor John Beilein 1 of 3 1st-time Basketball Hall of Fame coaching nominees
OMARI SANKOFA II:Pistons show they believe in GM Troy Weaver's vision with contract extension
Pistons collapse in second half (again)
Head coach Dwane Casey has already expressed his discontent over Detroit’s poor third quarters this season. the past week has been especially brutal. The Sacramento Kings won the third quarter by a 38-23 margin last Friday. Then the Brooklyn Nets outscored them by 19 in the third on Sunday. And the Jazz outscored the Pistons by nine in Tuesday's third quarter.
Add the Hawks to that list, as they took control in the third quarter by outscoring Detroit, 35-18. That included a 13-0 run in which a bad cross-court pass from Hayes led to a transition 3-pointer by De’Andre Hunter that gave the Hawks a 75-66 lead with 8:41 remaining in the quarter.
The Pistons shot 5-for-20 overall in the third quarter and turned the ball over five times while allowing the Hawks to shoot 14-for-22. Their lack of offensive execution was bested only by their confusion on defense. Players missed rotations, failed to close out in timely fashion and struggled in transition, as the Hawks scored 10 fastbreak points in the third. They continued to pile on in the fourth, opening the final period with a 12-0 run.
LEARNING ON THE JOB:Pistons' Jaden Ivey didn't sweat hitting rookie wall. He's starting to show us why
Disasterous second half preceded by encouraging first half
It’s tough to explain the difference in effort and execution during the Pistons’ two halves on Friday. Their first half appeared to put them on track to snap a four-game losing streak, making up for one of their worst efforts of the season Wednesday.
Detroit shot 51.1% during the first half and led the Hawks, 63-60, at halftime. Following a perhaps-needed day off, the Pistons looked reinvigorated. Hayes and Ivey hit back-to-back 3’s midway through the first quarter to extend their lead to eight points. The Hawks came back, though, using an 8-0 run in the second quarter to take a four-point lead.
Instead of unraveling, the Pistons got the last punch. Bogdanovic, who led Detroit with nine points in the second quarter, finished a 3-point play with 1:29 to play to give Detroit a 56-55 lead. Clint Capela committed a flagrant foul on the play by hitting him in the face, and Bogdanovic capitalized by making a layup on the following possession to give them the lead.
In the final 30 seconds, Duren finished a dunk off a dump-off pass from Ivey, and Hayes knocked down a midrange shot with 1.6 seconds left to give the Pistons a 3-point lead at the buzzer. None of that momentum carried over to the second half, giving the Pistons their third straight defeat by at least 15 points.
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2022-12-24T05:07:40Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Pistons freeze up after half, fall to Atlanta Hawks, 130-105
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/24/detroit-pistons-score-atlanta-hawks/69754834007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/24/detroit-pistons-score-atlanta-hawks/69754834007/
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Mega Millions jackpot increases to $565 million: How to play
You might want to consider buying a Mega Millions ticket as a Christmas gift this year. The jackpot is estimated at $565 million after no tickets matched all six numbers Friday. The cash option is $293.6 million.
It would be the sixth largest Mega Millions prize in the game's history. The jackpot was last won Oct. 14.
The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday, Dec. 27. Drawings are held at 11 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.
► Stay connected and stay informed. Subscribe to the Detr
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2022-12-24T13:41:30Z
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www.freep.com
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Mega Millions jackpot hits $565 million: How to play next drawing
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/24/mega-millions-jackpot-drawing-december-27/69755042007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/24/mega-millions-jackpot-drawing-december-27/69755042007/
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Michigan State football is getting another major piece back for 2023.
Jacoby Windmon announced via Twitter on Saturday his plans to return to the Spartans for his fifth season of eligibility.
“Although this year did not end how we wanted it to, I do believe it is a part of building a program,” Windmon wrote in his announcement. “Trust the process and everything else will work itself out. Before moving on to the next chapter of my life, there is some unfinished business. I believe my story in East Lansing is not over. Continuing my path to greatness as a Spartan Dawg for another year while getting my degree is important to me. Let's end this chapter on the right now alongside with my Spartan Dawg family.”
Windmon, a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season, started the first eight games between defensive end and linebacker before being suspended for the final four games for his role in an incident in the Michigan Stadium tunnel on Oct. 29.
He led the nation with six forced fumbles and a team-high 5.5 sacks among his 49 tackles at the time of his suspension. Windmon also had an interception and a fumble recovery.
MORE MSU NEWS:Khary Crump takes plea deal in Michigan Stadium tunnel fight
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound New Orleans native was a second-team midseason All-American edge defender according to Pro Football Focus but did not receive postseason Big Ten honors.
Windmon played three seasons at UNLV, twice earning All-Mountain West honors, before transferring to MSU in January. His return gives the Spartans a boost at linebacker, along with second-team All-Big Ten selection Cal Haladay.
"Football has and will always be important to me," Windmon wrote. “My passion for the game is something I carry in my heart. This is such a great sport to play, because it teaches you the lessons of life. It shows you how to control what you can control and focus on the opportunities in front of you. Never think too far ahead or even in the past, but to always stay neutral through the good and bad.
“I am a firm believer in overcoming adversity, because it does shape you into a better person. This is nothing new to me. Adversity will always be something I embrace and overcome. Adversity is something special, as everyone will face adversity in one point in life. It is all about how you respond when your back is against the wall.”
Windmon was reinstated to MSU’s program after the season. He was charged with one count of misdemeanor assault and battery by Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit on Nov. 23. He does not face additional punishment from the Big Ten.
“Jacoby has been 100% cooperative since Day 1,” his attorney Jamie White told the Free Press on Nov. 29. “We have cooperated with authorities the entire way. When you look at Jacoby’s involvement, on scale of 1-100, I would say it is 0.01.”
Windmon joins offensive linemen J.D. Duplain and Nick Samac, along with defensive end Khris Bogle, as veterans who are expected to return to the Spartans in 2023.
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2022-12-24T23:37:29Z
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www.freep.com
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Michigan State football's Jacoby Windmon returning for 2023 season
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2022/12/24/michigan-state-football-jacoby-windmon-returning-2023-season/69755534007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2022/12/24/michigan-state-football-jacoby-windmon-returning-2023-season/69755534007/
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Going for walks, baking cinnamon rolls, ice fishing and watching movies, these are a few of the Detroit Red Wings’ favorite things to do during their holiday break.
Their Christmas vacation was extended by a day when Friday’s game game Ottawa was postponed because of the winter weather. They next gather Tuesday for a practice, ahead of playing Wednesday on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Wings are 14-11-7 as they creep closer to the season’s midpoint. They managed to snap a six-game skid before going on the three-day NHL-wide break, celebrating a confidence-inducing, 7-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, one of league’s elite teams.
HO, HO HOLIDAYS:Wings go into early Christmas break with high spirits, and a few laughs
Even as games ended in losses, coach Derek Lalonde largely was positive about performances.
“We went through a stretch where we were probably undermanned,” he said. “Maybe we weren’t even fielding a roster technically good enough to win. The are times we had holes in our game that were self-inflicted, and there are times we’ve had complete games.
“One thing I will say about this group, they’ve worked. They’ve had good will. They haven’t stepped off at all. For the most part, that’s the most enthusiastic, high-morale 0-4-2 stretch team I’ve ever experienced, and I think that’s a credit to the guys.”
With a nod to the holiday season, players shared why this is such a special time of year for them.
For Moritz Seider, Christmas Eve evokes memories of family time back in his native Germany.
“We all would go for a walk on the 24th at night, and then when we come back, Santa would be there with all the gifts under the Christmas tree,” he said. “We would go before dinner, after coffee. We’d have a big walk together and come back and the tree was really precious and stunning.”
Oskar Sundqvist also has warm memories of growing up in northern Sweden.
“At my grandparents cabin, about an hour north of the Arctic circle, we would take the snowmobiles out and have a Swedish fika out on the lake,” he said. “That was always fun. We’d have coffee and Cinnabons. Sometimes we dug a hole and did some ice fishing, too. It was a full day out on the lake."
Cozy inside
What does Seider watch when he’s at home for Christmas now? “'Home Alone,' that’s one of the good ones,” he said. “That never gets old for me.”
Alex Nedeljkovic turns to a Dr. Seuss holiday classic. "Maybe my favorite Christmas movie is the Grinch," he said. "The Jim Carrey one, because he is the man."
Jonatan Berggren is grateful he can stream a Swedish comedy for comfort and joy.
“It’s called 'Svensson Svensson,'” he said. “It’s really good. It’s a comedy. Every Christmas at 10 p.m. I watch it, and I will continue to do that this year, too.”
Whereas Mickey Mouse is the king of Disney in the U.S., in Sweden, it's Donald Duck — or as he's known there, Kalle Anka.
"In Sweden we always watch Donald Duck before Christmas dinner," Elmer Söderblom said. "You watch it with family and friends and it’s just a chance to be close to the ones you love and have a great time."
MERRY MAN:How Jonatan Berggren has made good on Wings' decision to draft him
Jake Walman took a chance on a romantic comedy from 2006. “I watched 'The Holiday' this year,” he said. “That was pretty good. I think I will start watching that. And make Cinnabons.”
Walman explained how he celebrates this time of year.
“My mom grew up Christian, Catholic, and my dad’s side of the family grew up Jewish. I consider myself Jewish, but our Christmas tree is like a leaf-less birch tree with lights, so it’s pretty cool. Then we have eight days of Hanukkah, and you are supposed to open up a present every day. We light one candle every night, so that’s pretty much what we do with the family.”
Eat, drink & be merry
Dylan Larkin enjoys being off this time of year because it means he can partake in family tradition.
"We always do the same thing — we go to church and then to dinner Christmas Eve," he said. "On Christmas Day, we have a big family party with extended friends. It’s kind of changed now that everyone is able to enjoy the day, can legally have a couple drinks. There are some fun games we play. It’s a fun day."
Larkin has the good fortune to be from the metro area, putting him within easy reach of his family. Pius Suter's family is in his native Switzerland — so for him, this time of year is more about the memory of his father's cooking.
"We would always have Fondue Chinoise," he said. "That’s our Christmas dinner."
A savory dinner tradition is also what makes Ville Husso sentimental.
"In Finland we had Christmas ham, but here in the U.S., you can’t really get it, so we just do like a turkey or something like that, he said. "But that ham, that is what I miss the most. It’s a traditional Finnish dish — it’s in the oven for a long time, then you put a little mustard on top. It’s a Finnish Christmas food and I’ve always liked it."
More:Steve Yzerman, Derek Lalonde constantly talk about Jakub Vrana's return to Detroit Red Wings
For Jakub Vrana, who recently rejoined his hockey family after spending two months in the players assistance program, his immediate family is back in his native Czech Republic, so phone calls and video calls were on the menu over the weekend. So was walking around Campus Martius Park with his girlfriend and drinking hot chocolate.
"What I like about Christmas is, it brings people together.," Vrana said. "That’s why they say it is the best time of the year. Family being with each other, that is the most important thing. It's nice."
Next up: Penguins
Matchup: Red Wings (14-11-7) at Pittsburgh (19-9-5).
Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh.
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2022-12-25T13:11:58Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Red Wings reveal Christmas, Hanukkah memories past and present
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2022/12/25/detroit-red-wings-christmas-hanukkah-memories-past-and-present/69755278007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2022/12/25/detroit-red-wings-christmas-hanukkah-memories-past-and-present/69755278007/
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This year, express gratitude through generosity
Imagination Library: Since its founding in Tennessee by Dolly Parton in 1995, the Imagination Library has grown into an international literacy movement. From birth to kindergarten, registered children are sent a book each month, and families are encouraged to read together. Imaginationlibrary.com (not rated by Charity Navigator).
UNICEF: UNICEF was founded in the aftermath of WWII through the United Nations to serve children displaced by conflict. UNICEF works in 190 countries, and is on the ground in Ukraine.
Water Mission: This is a Christian-based charity founded in South Carolina by Molly and George Greene, who were inspired to use their particular skill (building water treatment systems) to benefit those in dire need. Now operating in 57 countries, the group builds water plants and trains local people to operate and maintain them – bringing safe drinking water to an estimated 7 million people. Watermission.org.
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2022-12-26T07:10:32Z
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www.freep.com
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This year, express gratitude through generosity
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https://www.freep.com/story/life/advice/2022/12/26/this-year-express-gratitude-through-generosity/69745923007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/life/advice/2022/12/26/this-year-express-gratitude-through-generosity/69745923007/
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Over the past three years, Michigan businesses have navigated a global pandemic that brought life to a standstill, state-mandated closures and uncertainty with new COVID-19 variants.
This year, while the world seemingly returned to normal, businesses grappled with rising prices, a tight labor market that led some to raise wages, and often strong demand for goods and services.
More than half of small business owners say their profitability has not met expectations even while 79% of them have increased prices compared to last year, according to a recent Goldman Sachs poll of more than 300 small business owners in the U.S.
"This year was by far the worst year that I've ever experienced in business," said Jennifer Stockwell-Colombo, owner of Just Delicious Scones in St. Clair Shores, The Pink House Tea Room in New Baltimore and The Royal Treat and Tea Room in Roseville, and a participant in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Voices program.
Stockwell-Colombo started Just Delicious Scones 27 years ago and made it through the pandemic. This year, she expanded to meet increased demand for her scones and raised wages for her employees.
"The change in inflation hit us like a train," she said.
In the span of a week over the summer, an order for five dozen eggs went from $18 to $85. Stockwell-Colombo said she couldn't call the 60 grocery stores she sells wholesale to the day she got that bill and say she's increasing her prices.
Over the course of a month, she lost $20,000 on her wholesale business.
"All of a sudden it's like, 'Oh my God, what am I going to do?' " she said.
Stockwell-Colombo is one of many business owners who have been forced to make tough choices this past year. Liz Blondy, the owner of Canine to Five dog daycare centers in Commerce, Detroit and Ferndale, realized that in order to cover increased costs on pet and janitorial supplies, which have gone up 15% and 9% in the past year, respectively, and wages, she had to increase prices for customers.
"Let's face it, dog daycare is a luxury," Blondy said. "When you keep reading in the news about this economic recession, 'It's going to happen, it's going to happen,' I think to myself, 'Am I insane to raise prices on dog daycare right when we're about to experience this economic downturn?' "
Blondy, though, realized that raising prices was the only option that made sense for her to cover these increased costs. So she sent out an email to customers in mid-December that said starting Jan. 23, Canine To Five's group play daycare prices will be $38 for a full day, an increase from $35 a day.
"This rate change will allow us to increase wages for our hourly staff, help with staff retention and help attract new, quality candidates to join our team," the email said.
Blondy said her No. 1 challenge as a business is recruiting and retention. She has 107 employees and 12 open positions. Wages for new hires and employees have gone up 16% since January.
Even with wage increases, hiring is likely to remain challenging for Blondy and other business owners in Michigan. That's because Michigan has had a low labor force participation rate, a measure of people working or actively looking for work, even before the pandemic, said Brian Calley, president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan.
That means businesses are realizing that to get the best talent, "they really do have to pay up," Calley said.
"Businesses are giving up, in some cases, on hiring anybody that they can find, and instead saying, 'I'm going to look for fewer people but I'm going to pay up,' " he said. "I'm going to try to get highly productive people at a higher rate."
Steven Goldberg, president of Stage Deli in West Bloomfield, raised his wages by 20% earlier this year. When he did that, the starting wage put him "way above market wages, and I got some good people. So people are out there if you're willing to pay."
Sam Clark, president of Lansing-based Clark Construction, said in the hiring process he promotes the company's unlimited paid time off policy, maternity leave policy and culture, among other benefits, because contracts with customers were sometimes put in place years ago and may not take into account inflation and what wages construction should be paid accordingly.
"From a financial standpoint, it's difficult when you have a contract and then the market conditions change and you have to adjust to it," Clark said.
More:Citizens Financial CEO: Michigan economy has new resilience heading into uncertain period
More:Michigan employers are looking to hire despite inflation and economic uncertainty
Optimistic about 2023
While Calley said he believes inflation will ease in 2023, he worries about a recession. "I think we are in store for economic times that are a little tougher in the next year," he said.
Still, business owners like Blondy say they're optimistic about the future. She said she doesn't see a scenario when people will stop spending on their pets. Blondy is also encouraged by the positive responses she got from longtime customers when she sent out the email detailing the cost increases.
Stockwell-Colombo, meanwhile, is still dealing with increased food costs and higher wages. She stopped producing in the fall for three weeks.
"I had to stop the bleeding and figure out what to do," she said.
She realized she couldn't afford the costs that go into delivering scones, which include buying delivery trucks, employing drivers and paying for gas. So, she sold her delivery trucks and switched to shipping her products.
At a recent Small Business Saturday event, nearly 200 community members joined for a champagne toast.
"It was a very exciting thing to see with your eyes all those people standing there and being with the mayor and looking at the businesses and knowing what we've lost, but we still see a future that I think is very promising," Stockwell-Colombo said.
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2022-12-26T12:41:42Z
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www.freep.com
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How Michigan businesses are navigating inflation, wage increases
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2022/12/26/business-inflation-wage-increases-prices-michigan/69745344007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2022/12/26/business-inflation-wage-increases-prices-michigan/69745344007/
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Detroit Pistons (8-27) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (19-15)
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1; Pistons radio affiliates).
Game notes: The Pistons are back home after a few more dispiriting blowout losses, and now own a two-game "lead" for the worst record in the NBA. They have lost five straight and continue to embarrass themselves in the third quarters of games. Coach Dwane Casey said he might try to change that Monday with a lineup tweak, after watching his team get butchered, 70-42, in the second half in Atlanta. ... The Pistons lost at the Clippers, 96-91, in mid-November. LA's Kawhi Leonard is starting to resemble his pre-injury self, averaging 20.3 points in December, while his running mate, Paul George, averages 23.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, five assists and 1.4 steals per game. ... The Pistons host surging Orlando on Wednesday, then hit the road for five games as the calendar flips to 2023.
READ MORE:Here's what Dwane Casey might do to solve Detroit Pistons' third-quarter embarrassments
ANALYSIS:Detroit Pistons show they believe in GM Troy Weaver's vision with contract extension
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2022-12-26T13:29:10Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Pistons game vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Time, TV channel
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/26/detroit-pistons-game-score-live-updates-la-clippers/69755181007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/26/detroit-pistons-game-score-live-updates-la-clippers/69755181007/
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A 19-year-old Michigan woman, Emma L. Smith of Webberville, was among four people killed in a 46-car pileup in Ohio on Friday.
The crash occurred during the weekend snowstorm, just after 12:30 p.m. on the Ohio Turnpike, eastbound Interstate 80, between State Routes 53 and 4 in Gorton Township — taking the lives of four people and injuring many others, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Ryan Purpura.
Authorities identified Smith, along with two other victims Saturday night — Bernard M. Bloniarz, 59, of Napoleon and Julie E. Roth, 37, of Toledo. The name of the fourth person is being withheld until the family has been notified.
Smith's father, Matthew Smith, shared photos of his daughter on Facebook on Monday, stating, "It is hard for me to find the words to say that our sweet daughter, Emma Smith left this world on Friday December 23."
More: Michigan businesses have had to make tough choices
More: Week ahead: Temps climb to 50s after frigid, white Christmas
Troopers from the area, turnpike personnel and first responders from various agencies reported to the scene. Buses were utilized to take those involved in the accident from their vehicles to a local facility to stay warm.
"Weather is considered to be a factor in the crash," stated the news release. "The crash remains under investigation at this time."
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2022-12-26T21:45:27Z
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www.freep.com
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Michigan woman, 19, killed in 46-car pile-up on Ohio Turnpike
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/26/michigan-woman-killed-pileup-ohio-turnpike/69757083007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/26/michigan-woman-killed-pileup-ohio-turnpike/69757083007/
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Kervin Castro appeared ready for the big leagues in 2021.
He came out of the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants that September and tossed 13⅓ scoreless innings (one unearned run) to finish the regular season. The right-hander limited walks and capitalized on strikeout opportunities.
The Detroit Tigers recently signed Castro, who turns 24 in February, to a minor-league contract. He is considered minor-league depth but has enough upside to return to the majors.
Castro, a member of the San Francisco's 2021 National League Division Series roster, took a step backward in 2022. (Scott Harris, the Tigers' president of baseball operations, worked for the Giants from 2020-22.)
He pitched two games for the Giants in late April and was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. In August, the Chicago Cubs claimed Castro off waivers and used him in eight outings. He posted a 10.22 ERA with seven walks and 11 strikeouts in 12⅓ innings across 10 games.
In November, Castro elected minor-league free agency.
His fastball averaged 92.7 mph in 2022 but is enhanced by top-tier extension and a high spin rate. He also throws a curveball — which generated a 33.3% swing-and-miss rate — and rarely mixes in a cutter.
NEW STARTER:Why Tigers see Michael Lorenzen as a starting pitcher with untapped potential
Castro competed for Triple-A Sacramento (Giants) and Triple-A Iowa (Cubs) last season, logging a 4.30 ERA with 31 walks and 50 strikeouts in 46 innings over 37 relief appearances.
This offseason, Castro pitched in 10 games for Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League. He had a 9.82 ERA with 10 walks and eight strikeouts across 7⅓ innings.
He seems likely to begin the 2023 season in Triple-A Toledo.
Another pitcher
The Tigers also signed Brenan Hanifee, a 6-foot-5 right-handed starter, to a minor-league contract earlier this month. The former prospect underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021.
Hanifee, 24, joined the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth round of the 2016 draft and became a free agent in November.
He started 13 games between three affiliates: Florida Complex League (two starts), High-A Aberdeen (one start) and Double-A Bowie (10 starts). He registered a 3.92 ERA with 15 walks and 40 strikeouts in 43⅔ innings.
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2022-12-26T21:45:33Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Tigers sign reliever Kervin Castro to minor-league contract
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2022/12/26/detroit-tigers-sign-former-giants-reliever-kervin-castro-minor-league-contract/69757120007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2022/12/26/detroit-tigers-sign-former-giants-reliever-kervin-castro-minor-league-contract/69757120007/
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The Detroit Pistons have reportedly done a little maintenance to the back end of their roster.
According to Shams Charania of the Athletic, the Pistons have waived two-way forward Braxton Key and signed guard Jared Rhoden to a two-way deal.
Key, a 6-foot-8 forward in his fourth NBA season out of Virginia, played in three games for the Pistons this season, averaging 1.3 points and 0.3 rebounds in just nine total minutes. In 25 games with the Motor City Cruise in the G League, the 25-year-old Key averaged 17.2 points and 8.3 rebounds, shooting 43.9% from the field.
Rhoden, a rookie after playing four seasons at Seton Hall, is with his third NBA organization since August after signing and eventually getting waived by both the Trail Blazers and Hawks. In 18 games in the G League, the 6-6 Rhoden is averaging 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds, shooting 54.7% from the field and 51.4% from the 3-point line on 2.2 attempts per game.
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2022-12-26T21:45:39Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Pistons waive Braxton Key, sign Jared Rhoden to two-way deal
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/26/detroit-pistons-waive-braxton-key-sign-jared-rhoden-two-way-deal/69757181007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/26/detroit-pistons-waive-braxton-key-sign-jared-rhoden-two-way-deal/69757181007/
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Residents of a Midtown Detroit apartment building spent much of their Christmas weekend without working heat or running water, bringing some to wear winter coats to bed and others to use their kitchen oven like a space heater.
Residents said the heat and water went out at about noon Saturday at the 91-unit Sheridan Court Apartments, 4417 Second Ave., near Wayne State University, as outdoor temperatures were in the single digits.
Two residents also told the Free Press that heat in the building briefly came back on about 5 p.m. Monday, although it later turned off again in at least some of the apartments. The water was still not working in the building.
The building's office was closed Monday and the Free Press could not reach the building's management company, Essential Property Management, at the phone number provided to residents.
More:Last working elevator in 22-story Leland Hotel repaired after 8 days
Residents received emails from the management firm saying the building had experienced multiple pipe leaks and that the holidays were making it difficult to obtain parts for repairs. "A plumbing company is onsite currently and is diligently working on the fix," stated a Monday email reviewed by the Free Press.
One resident, London Logan, 27, said she had planned to remain in her apartment all weekend, but ended up staying with relatives about an hour's drive away because the cold was so intense.
"It felt like an abandoned building," she said. "It felt like you were basically outside."
Logan said one of her neighbors used his kitchen's oven to heat his apartment, while others in the building who had space heaters were using them.
Several residents said asking rents in the building for new tenants can reach $1,300 to $1,400 for a one-bedroom unit.
Anna Pery, 34, said there has been serious leaking in her third-floor apartment since Sunday, even as water service throughout the building remains out. She was catching the ceiling leaks with two garbage bins but said she is worried about water overflowing the bins once she has to leave for work Tuesday.
In the meantime, she has been visiting a friend's house to use the bathroom.
"I pay $1,000 for a 320-square-foot apartment," she said. “I pay a lot of money for this apartment to not have water. There is no way you don’t have the money to fix this."
The Detroit Metro Times reported in 2017 that under a previous owner, the apartment building had racked up numerous city code violations and experienced a fire in March of that year on the fourth floor.
Land records show the building last sold for nearly $9.4 million in October 2018. The current owner is listed as a limited liability company — Sheridan Propco LLC — with few other details available.
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2022-12-27T02:02:14Z
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www.freep.com
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Residents of Midtown Detroit apartments without heat, water
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/27/midtown-sheridan-court-apartments-without-heat-water/69757398007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/27/midtown-sheridan-court-apartments-without-heat-water/69757398007/
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Michigan football speaks at Fiesta Bowl, College Football Playoff semifinal: Live updates
The Michigan Wolverines have landed in the desert, let bowl week begin.
Before the reigning and defending Big Ten champs make their second-straight College Football Playoff appearance in the Fiesta Bowl vs. TCU on New Year's Eve (4 p.m., ESPN), selected players and coaches will meet with the media over the next few days.
SEE A NEED, FILL A NEED:Kalel Mullings' journey from reserve linebacker to key running back
The Wolverines face a TCU squad that went undefeated in the regular season with a "comeback kids" style of play that captured the attention of the college football world. The Horned Frogs are led by first-year head coach Sonny Dykes and QB Max Duggan, who was a Heisman candidate this past season.
Hear what the Wolverines (and Horned Frogs) have to say in the days leading up to Saturday's CFP semifinal.
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2022-12-27T13:51:53Z
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www.freep.com
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Michigan football speaks at Fiesta Bowl, College Football Playoff semifinal
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/27/michigan-football-speaks-fiesta-bowl-college-football-playoff-semifinal/69757493007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/27/michigan-football-speaks-fiesta-bowl-college-football-playoff-semifinal/69757493007/
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A former standout high school and college football quarterback was booked in the Oakland County jail on Christmas Day after live-streaming a tense skirmish with police on social media.
In the first of two short videos, Jayru Campbell, who turned 26 on Tuesday, is shirtless and holding a young girl — who appears to be his daughter — in his arms. Campbell is confronted by four armed police officers, one of whom is holding what appears to be a ballistic shield that says "Police AHPD."
The faceoff, according to news reports, was in a psychiatric facility in Auburn Hills. His arraignment is pending.
It's difficult to understand exactly what the confrontation was about and what Campbell was upset about from the videos. He says, among other things, "Let's do it," and later, "Y'all let me down enough" and "I'm doing it today for everything, bro."
One of the uniformed and armed officers replies: "We don't want you to kill anybody, man."
Campbell shouts back, "You've got the gun in your hand," and flashes a pair of blue-handled scissors. He threatens to harm the officers, saying, "Trust me, trust me!" Later he says he's "pissed off" about the "system," and tells them to "drop your gun."
Campbell and one of the officers exchange words with the video ending with Campbell telling the officers that "you're talking about a father and his daughter" attempting to talk about a system that has been "haunting me for a week, listen."
In a second, somewhat longer video, Campbell is still holding the girl, says there's "no telling" when the next Christmas is coming and mentions that he's "going crazy." He says he doesn't "trust white people." Off camera, a voice adds that "we don't want you to stab one of us" and "we don't want you to harm her."
More:Southwest Airlines cancellations piling up at Detroit Metro Airport
Campbell says he wishes his father held him like this, and then points to the officers and threatens them. "Let's do it" he keeps saying, noting on the video that he's in Havenwyck Hospital, adding, as if he is daring the officers, "Come on, come on!"
Campbell's football career is marked with athletic prowess and disappointment.
As a freshman quarterback at Detroit Cass Tech, Campbell helped lead the Technicians to the 2011 Division I state championship. He committed to play college football at Michigan State, but a pair of assault charges while in high school derailed those plans.
Campbell also reached stardom in college football, first in community college and later at Ferris State in 2018, where he won the Harlon Hill Award as the best player in all of Division II. He also helped the Bulldogs reach the national title game.
He returned to Ferris in 2019, but an ankle injury ended his college career a few games early.
Campbell's NFL prospects were limited during the 2020 draft when teams did not give him any serious looks.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. Sports Editor Kirkland Crawford contributed to this report.
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2022-12-27T18:04:30Z
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Jayru Campbell, ex-standout football QB, arrested after police faceoff
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2022/12/27/jayru-campbell-ex-standout-football-qb-arrested-after-police-faceoff/69758801007/
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He's still on supervised release -- a condition he is now asking a judge to end -- and he owes $1.5 million in restitution, a debt that he says has been fulfilled.
In a court filing Tuesday, Kilpatrick's lawyer addressed both issues in asking U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds to terminate the ex-mayor's term of supervised release and grant him permission to travel. Attorney Brandon Byrd also argued that Kilpatrick's $1.5 million restitution tab, the residue from crooked contracts he oversaw while mayor, has been satisfied given the liquidation of assets tied to his co-defendant, Bobby Ferguson.
Kilpatrick, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2013 for numerous public corruption crimes, was granted clemency by Trump in 2021 and resentenced to time served and three years of supervised release. Under the terms of his supervised release, he is not allowed to travel - in this case, leave the state of Georgia where he resides - without permission of the court or his probation officer.
Reached for comment Tuesday afternoon, Byrd declined to elaborate where it is that Kilpatrick wants to travel, but said he would confer with his client and respond later.
Kilpatrick served nearly eight years of his sentence and has been on supervised release for almost two years now. though he he wants it to end, arguing he has "done everything in his power to rehabilitate himself."
"While incarcerated and on supervision, Mr. Kilpatrick demonstrated that he hasmatured and learned from his mistakes," Byrd writes in the filing. " Mr. Kilpatrick worked hard to become a responsible, law-abiding, and productive citizen."
According to the filing, Kilpatrick helped many prison inmates while incarcerated, worked for six years in the prison chapel, where he was the worship leader for half that time, and took part in many prison programs, including "Authentic Manhood, Bible courses."
"There is no excuse for Mr. Kilpatrick’s past actions," his lawyer writes. "Today he understands andhas made a conscious decision to prove to this honorable court and all affected by his actions that he has taken the necessary steps to rehabilitation. "
As for the extortion, bribery and fraud crimes Kilpatrick was convicted of at trial, his lawyer, Byrd, wrote:
Kilpatrick's downfall started in 2008 after the Free Press published text messages that revealed he lied during a whistleblower trial about an affair with his chief of staff and his firing of a deputy police chief. State criminal charges followed, along with his resignation, and Kilpatrick eventually pleading guilty to obstruction of justice as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Five years after his resignation, Kilpatrick was indicted federally and went to trial on numerous public corruption charges. The six-month long trial ended with with a jury convicting him on 24 corruption counts, including racketeering, bribery, extortion and fraud. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Contact Tresa Baldas at tbaldas@freepress.com.
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2022-12-27T21:07:30Z
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Kwame Kilpatrick asks court to let him travel, clear his debt
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/27/kwame-kilpatrick-asks-court-to-let-him-travel-clear-his-debt/69759282007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/27/kwame-kilpatrick-asks-court-to-let-him-travel-clear-his-debt/69759282007/
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Michigan football will play on the final day of the calendar year with a shot at a berth in the national championship game.
Its offensive line won the Joe Moore Award for the second straight season as the top unit in the nation. The Wolverines have a first-year starting quarterback, a bruising running game that sets the tone and a defense that suffocates opponents and has a habit for timely plays.
It might be hard to tell if it that describes the 2021 group or 2022 group, because, it describes both.
But according to players and coaches alike, that's about where the similarities end, especially when it comes to handling the stage they're currently at — the No. 2 Wolverines (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) will take on No. 3 TCU (12-1, 9-0 Big 12) in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, at 4 p.m. Saturday.
"This is the standard and this is the goal," wide receiver Ronnie Bell said Tuesday morning. "Being here and trying to win a national championship."
HERE FOR THE BIG GAMES:Michigan arrives in Phoenix for College Football Playoff
WHATEVER IT TAKES:Michigan's Kalel Mullings' journey from reserve linebacker to key running back
It was all new for the Wolverines last time around. The first win against Ohio State in a decade. The first Big Ten title in 17 years. The program's first 12-win season since its national championship in 1997.
And it all came on the heels of a 2-4 season in 2020 that had many questioning if coach Jim Harbaugh's tenure had run its course in Ann Arbor. It was shiny, it was exciting and perhaps too overwhelming.
"We've been here before, so we know there's a lot of things that could distract us from the task at hand," said quarterback J.J. McCarthy on what he's learned in his second CFP experience. "This kind of week to prepare, we're taking it much more as a business trip than a vacation feel how it was in Miami last year."
It was those darned Miami beaches, McCarthy quipped, that partially distracted U-M from its main objective. This time, Harbaugh has the travel guys focused on "ball" while the non-travel guys moved around more to participate in some of the team activities.
But the plan for how to approach this week didn't begin after the Big Ten championship victory over Purdue. Or the Big Ten East clinching win against Ohio State.
It was born approximately 350 days ago, in early January, not long after McCarthy and others stayed on the field at the Orange Bowl following Michigan's 34-11 loss and watched Georgia players do "confetti angels" on their way to a national championship.
That's when the team got back in the gym and focused on getting back to where they were Tuesday morning, fielding questions from reporters as they prepared for the biggest game of the year — so far.
"This is what’s been on our minds really all season," Bell said. "Yeah, Ohio State was a huge part of that I guess, because last year it was the high of the highs but this year when we won nobody was really head over heels freaking out like last year.
"That’s how different this team is than last year — where our head's at, what the mentality is and what the goals really are. Last year (beating OSU) was the high of the high, this year it was part of still climbing the ladder."
Bell now gets to be a part of that climb, after missing out in 2021 with a torn ACL. He said he was nearly moved to tears thinking bout it on the sideline at Lucas Oil Stadium in the league championship game against Purdue and he's far from the only key Wolverine in an elevated role compared to last season.
McCarthy took over at quarterback for Cade McNamara, though he did get his feet wet in this spot a season ago. He played the majority of the second half against Georgia after McNamara threw two early interceptions; McCarthy finished 7-for-17 for 131 yards and a touchdown pass.
Donovan Edwards, who rushed for 401 yards and three touchdowns across the last two games, is now the lead running back after Blake Corum suffered a torn meniscus against Illinois. Last year, Hassan Haskins was the focal point, but was bottled up for 39 yards on nine carries against the Bulldogs.
Edwards actually led all Wolverines in scrimmage yards (65) against Georgia, running four times for 16 yards and catching three passes for 49 yards.
Luke Schoonmaker, quiet in recent weeks as he's battled through injury, has stepped in for former captain Erick All as a key cog in the passing game. Olusegun Oluwatimi, the Rimington and Outland Trophy winner as the best center and interior lineman in the country, wasn't even on the team.
But left tackle Ryan Hayes felt like his offensive line let the team down against Georgia.
He still remembers the offense's goal as the final minutes ticked off the clock.
"We just wanted to score a touchdown, we didn't want to get shut out," he said. "That game the clock hit zero and we were like, what just happened? We got beat every which way we could get beat.
"I think the lights might have been a little too bright that game for us. We didn't really know what to expect and I think having that experience this year is invaluable for us."
That's reflected in the expectations for the game as well. Against Georgia, U-M was a touchdown underdog. Now, it is favored by just more than a touchdown against TCU.
But for McCarthy, none of that matters. It hasn't all season, when Michigan's goal of going 1-0 each week has worked all 13 times. Even on the biggest of stages, the Wolverines are taking the same approach.
Only this time they know they have the goods to get it done.
"I don't think the mentality changes as favorite, non-favorite, it's just how are we going to perform in those 60 minutes," McCarthy said. "Nameless, faceless opponent. It doesn't matter who lines up across from us, it's just going to be what we've done all year which is smashing people and executing at a high level."
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2022-12-27T21:07:36Z
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www.freep.com
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Michigan football College Football Playoff prep goes back a year
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/27/michigan-football-college-football-playoff-preparation-a-year-tcu-fiesta-bowl/69759139007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/27/michigan-football-college-football-playoff-preparation-a-year-tcu-fiesta-bowl/69759139007/
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Detroit’s Local 4 News on WDIV-TV (Channel 4) has two additions to its weathercasting team.
Ashlee Baracy and Ron Hilliard are the newest members of 4Warn Weather, the new name for the station’s weather team.
The news was posted on the station's website Monday. They'll be joining current WDIV meteorologists Kim Adams, Brandon Roux, Paul Gross, Brent Collier and Brian Schuerman.
Related:Jason Carr firing from WDIV came after admonishments, livestream rant
Baracy, who grew up in Westland, is a former traffic reporter for Detroit’s NBC affiliate. Along with studying at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, she earned a meteorology degree from Mississippi State University and joined WBNS in Columbus, Ohio seven years ago, where she became that station’s first woman chief meteorologist.
Baracy also won the Miss Michigan title in 2008 and competed in the Miss America pageant.
Hilliard, who grew up in Detroit, is coming home to the Motor City from the Flint and Saginaw regions, where he was a weather and news reporter for WEYI and WSMH. A graduate of Michigan State University and Specs Howard School of Media Arts, he is currently doing post-graduate work in meteorology at Mississippi State University.
Baracy and Hilliard’s specific assignments will be announced in January, the station announced. WDIV provides weather coverage on its TV station, website, 4Warn Weather app and Local 4+ streaming channel.
Their hiring is the latest change in the shifting weather team at WDIV. Chief meteorologist Ben Bailey left Channel 4 in August 2021 after seven years with the station.
Meteorologist Andrew Humphrey, a 20-year veteran of the station, left in July. In November, he became the new chief meteorologist of Memphis's Fox 13 station.
Adams returned to weather reporting on WDIV in August after a 13-year absence.
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2022-12-28T00:19:00Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit's WDIV local news team is growing by two weathercasters
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https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2022/12/27/detroits-wdiv-local-news-team-weathercasters/69759786007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2022/12/27/detroits-wdiv-local-news-team-weathercasters/69759786007/
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LANSING — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday named a bank executive to fill a vacancy on the MSU Board of Trustees.
Sandy Pierce will fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Pat O'Keefe, Whitmer announced in a news release. Pierce's term begins immediately and expires Jan. 1, 2029.
Pierce, of Detroit, is the senior executive vice president of Huntington National Bank. Previously, she was named vice chairman of FirstMerit Corporation and has held senior roles at RBS Citizens and JPMorgan Chase.
“The students, staff, faculty, and alumni of Michigan State University deserve leadership who will put them first and do the right thing no matter what,” Whitmer said. “Sandy is the right person for the job because she leads with her values and has decades of experience to back it up. She is a trusted professional and a tested, proven leader."
More:MSU completes 95 mandated actions stemming from federal Nassar review
Whitmer said she met with students, alumni, and faculty from MSU prior to making the appointment. The university in East Lansing is still recovering from the shock and pain of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the students, staff, and alumni at MSU and am eager to work with my partners on the Board of Trustees,” Pierce said in the news release.
“I’ve dedicated my career to economic development in the state of Michigan and its world class institutions. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to continue to help advance the school’s mission and provide relevant guidance on its strategic goals and objectives. Access to a good education is the bedrock of our success and is a part of securing the future for this great state. I know Gov. Whitmer shares my passion around this, and I am honored to work together to further the vision for this wonderful institution.”
Pierce has not been a major political donor but has supported Democrats, including Whitmer, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, and former Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano.
O'Keefe, who resigned in November, was a Republican.
Pierce, who is chair of the Detroit Economic Club board, has held many board roles, including chair of the Henry Ford Health System Board. She has been recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business, the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion, and Harvard Business School. In 2018, she was awarded Michigan State University’s Honorary Alumni Award. Pierce earned her bachelor's and Master of Business Administration degrees at Wayne State University.
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2022-12-28T00:19:12Z
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Whitmer names bank executive Sandy Pierce to MSU Board of Trustees
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/12/27/whitmer-sandy-pierce-msu-board-of-trustees/69760045007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/12/27/whitmer-sandy-pierce-msu-board-of-trustees/69760045007/
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A licensed gun dealer in Macomb County has been indicted on federal charges of illegally importing from Russia machine gun parts to fire multiple rounds at once — a scheme he allegedly pulled off using a fake name and PayPal.
"Farmer attempted to hide his purchase from authorities — including by making the orders under an alias and falsifying the details in his PayPal payments to Russia," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement, "but ATF agents were able to detect the purchases and recover evidence of Farmer’s crimes."
Farmer's lawyer, however, argues there were no crimes, and that the government "is overreaching."
"It's our position that there were no violations of the law at all," attorney Jim Makowski said in a phone interview with the Free Press.
According to Makowski, the Glock conversion parts cited in the indictment are merely parts — nothing more. He said the government is stretching the law in trying to assert that the parts are actually machine guns, when, he alleges, they are not.
"These parts did not require any special licensing because they themselves were not a machine gun. You couldn't take these parts and stick it in a gun and make it work," Makowski said, adding his client was "engaged in a lawful business of manufacturing machine guns" and was licensed to do so.
"Machine guns are legal to own under certain circumstances, and it’s our position that he complied with the law," Makowski said of his client. "The ATF is greatly expanding the definition of machine gun to come up with these charges."
Farmer, who lives in St. Clair Shores, is charged with illegally importing a firearm, possessing an unregistered machine gun, illegally transferring a machine gun and failing to keep proper records.
He was released on a $10,000 bond Tuesday. His lawyer said his case will go to trial, and that there is no plea deal on the table.
If convicted, Farmer could face up to 10 years in prison.
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2022-12-28T00:19:18Z
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www.freep.com
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Feds: Clinton Twp. man used PayPal to buy machine gun parts from Russia
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/27/feds-clinton-twp-man-paypal-machine-gun-parts-from-russia/69759987007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/27/feds-clinton-twp-man-paypal-machine-gun-parts-from-russia/69759987007/
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Three first-period goals by Ferris State proved to be the difference in the Bulldogs' 4-2 win over Michigan State in the first round of the Great Lakes Invitational on Tuesday in Grand Rapids.
Ferris State (9-8-2) will take on Western Michigan (11-9-1) in the GLI championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Tyler Schleppe (4:50), Connor McGrath (18:37) and Mitch Deelstra (19:45) helped make it 3-0 Ferris at the first intermission.,
Cole Krygier scored twice in the second period for MSU (12-8-1), including a shorthanded goal at 13:35, to cut the Spartans' deficit to 3-2. But about midway through the third, Erik Middendorf was whistled for hooking. Just 11 seconds later, Jason Brancheau scored to reclaim a two-goal lead.
Noah Giesbrecht had 45 saves and helped keep MSU 0-for-5 on the power play. Dylan St. Cyr had 18 saves for MSU, ranked 11th in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
The GLI, a longtime fixture of the holiday season in Detroit, is being played at Van Andel Arena for the first time ever after a two-year hiatus.
Jason Polin's hat trick led WMU to an 8-1 win over Michigan Tech in the first of two GLI games on Tuesday.
The No. 19 Broncos scored six times in the second period before a decidedly home crowd.
Cole Gallant scored twice in that second period, while five players had two assists each.
Polin's first goal came just 6:49 into the game, on assists from Ryan McAllister and Daniel Hilsendager, but in the second period, WMU (11-9-1) scored three times in a 2:41 span to turn the game into a route.
Kash Rasmussen scored for MTU (11-6-3).
The Huskies and Spartans will play in the consolation game at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Van Andel Arena.
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2022-12-28T03:56:39Z
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Great Lakes Invitational: Ferris State, Western Michigan in final
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2022/12/28/great-lakes-invitational-western-michigan-cruises-past-michigan-tech-into-final/69760427007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2022/12/28/great-lakes-invitational-western-michigan-cruises-past-michigan-tech-into-final/69760427007/
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On a frigid December afternoon, Stephanie Taylor and Charquiathia Rogers stop at the Rosa Parks Transit Center to hand out gloves, hats, snacks and information cards about their organization’s 24-hour crisis center.
They urge people to spread the word about emergency shelter services available for young people and ask whether anyone needs a ride to a warming center nearby.
The pair do street outreach for Covenant House Michigan, a Detroit- and Grand Rapid-based nonprofit, providing services to youths ages 18 to 24. Taylor and Rogers end up transporting two people — including a man in his 50s — to a warming center in Detroit, but not before being turned away at another shelter because it was scheduled to open later that evening.
“They always make space, even if it's a chair,” Taylor, an outreach manager, says about the center offered through Cass Community Social Services.
On that Friday, Covenant House Michigan’s 45-bed shelter in Detroit was nearly full, aside from one spot. Taylor says her phone is always on. Her team gets more than 10 calls a day from people who need help. But shelters are so full that she has to ask callers whether family or friends can provide them with a safe place to stay until a spot opens up.
Organizations like Covenant House Michigan serve an undercounted and often invisible part of the city’s homeless population — young people. There are limited shelter beds and housing options for unhoused youths. A handful of groups in metro Detroit provide services specifically geared toward youths, but organizers say more resources are needed.
“Every day, somebody's becoming homeless and the atrocity of that is that there's not enough (places) to put people when they become homeless, especially when shelters are full,” said Cynthia Adams, associate executive director of Covenant House Michigan.
Last year, unaccompanied youths under 25 made up 9% — or roughly 500 — of the more than 5,600 individuals in Detroit on the streets or in shelters. There were another 316 young parents and their children who experienced homelessness, according to the Homeless Action Network of Detroit (HAND), which includes Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.
Providers caution that the numbers don’t necessarily reflect the reality of youth homelessness in Detroit and that the actual number is likely higher. Some may be "couch surfing," bouncing from place to place, and unstably housed, but who don’t identify themselves as homeless or make contact with the system.
“When we talk about homelessness, many people have this visual of what homelessness looks like, and for a young person, they just want to blend right in, they want a degree of normalcy,” said Courtney Smith, CEO of the Detroit Phoenix Center, which provides support services to young people experiencing homelessness. “So, you can walk right past the young person that's experiencing housing insecurity and not know it because they're hidden in plain sight … it's certainly an invisible crisis that we see that comes with so many different implications.”
“Even though I was young and I was homeless, I still didn't want that to be known,” Ashley, 24, said.
He met Smith of the Detroit Phoenix Center at a Starbucks a few years ago, where she was doing outreach. He felt hope, he said. The organization helped him secure housing, he said, including his first month’s rent and hotel stays when he needed to keep out of the cold. Ashley is now a leader of the nonprofit's youth action board and helps with drop-in services.
"Homelessness can look different for different people," said Meagan Dunn, executive director of Covenant House Michigan.
Young people may enter homelessness as they age out of the foster care system or leave the juvenile justice system, Adams said. Their entire family might be unhoused, she said, or a grandparent may no longer be able to care for them. Others may struggle with mental health issues. HAND reports that in 2020, one in three homeless youths who agencies served in Detroit had a diagnosed mental health condition. LGBTQ youth, who are more likely to experience homelessness, may deal with family rejection and further stigma and abuse as they search for their own safe space.
“Youth experience homelessness differently than older adults do,” said Kaitie Giza, HAND engagement manager. “They have different needs and the ways that our system is currently responding to the general population aren't working for youth and so youth are falling through the cracks. They're staying homeless.”
The organization, which has been around since 1999, recently opened up its Clairmount Center in Detroit, offering 43 units of supportive housing, a health and wellness center — including gender affirming care — and community spaces to tackle the unique challenges LGBTQ youths face. The building was fully occupied as of early December.
“They've experienced rejection, they're out on the street, they're experiencing homelessness. They may be engaged in survival sex work and human trafficking to literally survive to put a roof over their head,” said Mark Erwin, executive director of the Ruth Ellis Center, which serves between 700 and 1,000 LGBTQ+ young people in a given year.
Erwin said a third of his organization's operating budget — or about $2 million every year — relies on donations and as the center adds more programs, the need will increase.
“I love the fact that we're at capacity at Clairmount Center, but that also means that the next young person who comes seeking housing resources, there's not an apartment to be able to offer them,” Erwin said.
“Since I was 16, I've literally been house hopping from ex to aunties to cousins, to my mom's friends,” said Tony, 24, who asked the Free Press to use only his first name to protect his family's privacy.
“Humans go through things and sometimes they never had that love, so in adulthood, they don't know what to do, because they were not guided correctly or loved properly,” he said.
While not an emergency shelter, the Detroit Phoenix Center offers homeless youths crucial services.
This year, the Detroit-based social services nonprofit worked with 280 families across its housing programs, and of those families, 60% were youths under 18 years old.
Taylor, of Covenant House Michigan, has seen more families who are homeless because of evictions. There's a need, she said, for more space to accommodate them in one place. There might be an 18-year-old who Taylor's organization can house but that teen may not want to leave her mom and sibling.
Mount Clemens-based Family Youth Interventions, the only youth-specific shelter in Macomb County, works with runaway homeless and at-risk youths. It has three programs for people ages 12 to 24, ranging from shorter term stays to rental assistance. The programs are free and include family counseling, case management, life skill training and goal setting.
The nonprofit's rapid rehousing program, which offers rent help for up to year, is always at capacity and has a two-year waitlist of about 15 people, said Lindsey Keesling, the group's housing and outreach coordinator. High rent prices and a lack of affordable options limit how many youths the organization can help, she said.
“Programs like this help ensure that people across the economic spectrum, and — especially in this case children across the economic spectrum — facing all kinds of challenges … are given a fair chance and that we don't lose sight of their needs, and then, unfortunately, later end up having to address those needs through adult programming,” said Lighthouse CEO Ryan Hertz.
HAND, which is overseeing the project, held listening sessions with service providers and youths who have faced homelessness, and several themes emerged. Among them, the need for mentorship and making systems more accessible by not requiring youths to be in “active crisis” to get help. Shared living, host homes and direct cash transfers were some other resources, outside of limited government funding, that people said would be helpful.
CAM: People seeking shelter services or warming center placement should call the Coordinated Assessment Model (CAM) — the main entry point for people facing homelessness in the city to get shelter. They can call CAM at 313-305-0311. The hours of operation are: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Outside of those hours, people can go to one of three warming center locations available through March 31. For more information, go to: https://bit.ly/3V43H7e.
Covenant House Michigan:https://covenanthousemi.org; call 313-463-2500 for shelter or 313-463-2022 for outreach services.
Ruth Ellis Center:https://www.ruthelliscenter.org
Detroit Phoenix Center:https://www.detroitphoenixcenter.org
Alternatives for Girls: https://alternativesforgirls.org
COTS:https://cotsdetroit.org
Family Youth Interventions:https://www.familyyouth.com
Common Ground:https://commongroundhelps.org
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2022-12-28T12:30:20Z
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www.freep.com
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Shelter beds, housing lacking for homeless metro Detroit youths
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/28/homeless-youth-metro-detroit-shelter-housing/69715004007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/28/homeless-youth-metro-detroit-shelter-housing/69715004007/
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Detroit Pistons (8-28) vs. Orlando Magic (13-21)
Radio: WWJ 950 AM(Pistons radio affiliates).
Betting line: No line.
Game notes: Following Monday night's 4th quarter meltdown vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, the Pistons are back on the court, but this time on the road against the Orlando Magic. A lot has changed since the two teams first met in the season-opening tilt at Little Caesars Arena. While the Pistons are firmly in line for another trip to the NBA lottery, the Magic are 8-2 in their last 10 ballgames. Magic rookie Paolo Banchero averages 21.7 points per game along with five assists.
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2022-12-28T12:30:44Z
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Detroit Pistons game vs. Orlando Magic: Time, TV channel, game info
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/28/detroit-pistons-game-vs-orlando-magic-time-tv-channel-game-info/69760215007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/28/detroit-pistons-game-vs-orlando-magic-time-tv-channel-game-info/69760215007/
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Game notes: The Red Wings return to the ice following the NHL's Christmas break. They face a Pittsburgh Penguins squad that may have one eye focused on the upcoming 2023 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 2nd. A common theme of Wings-Pens matchups for nearly over 15 seasons has been stopping forward Sidney Crosby. Entering Wednesday's matchup, Crosby leads the Pens in points with 43 and has scored five points in his last five games.
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2022-12-28T12:30:54Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Red Wings game vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: Time, TV, game info
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2022/12/28/detroit-red-wings-game-vs-pittsburgh-penguins-time-tv-channel-game-info/69759992007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2022/12/28/detroit-red-wings-game-vs-pittsburgh-penguins-time-tv-channel-game-info/69759992007/
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Two companies are offering impaired drivers a safer option to get home this New Year’s Eve.
The Mike Morse Law firm plans to give away 1,000 $20 Uber vouchers to metro Detroiters in its New Year’s Eve “Safe Ride Home” rides. The American Auto Association (AAA) has its Tow To Go program for impaired drivers.
How to get vouchers
To use the voucher, you have to claim it online in advance.
Once you claim the voucher, it is added to your Uber account and will go towards a payment method on New Year’s Eve.
Metro Detroit residents can use the voucher between 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 10 a.m. Jan. 1.
“New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights of the year for drivers. We’ve seen firsthand how devastating drunk driving accidents can be for victims and their families,” said attorney and founder Mike Morse in a written statement. “We’re committed to the community we serve, and the Safe Ride Home program is just one of the many ways we’re giving back. Hopefully, this program will help people stay safe and celebrate responsibly as they ring in 2023.”
AAA is offering its Tow To Go program for New Year’s Eve, as well.
This program offers a free ride to impaired drivers and their vehicles. It will drop the individual and their vehicle off at their designated location that’s within 10 miles.
It’s free for AAA members and non-members.
This year, it began on Christmas Eve and ends at 6 a.m. Jan. 2.
Rides cannot be scheduled in advance. If AAA has to, they will provide the impaired driver with another alternative for getting home.
More:Gilbert tax break, police surveillance among big takeaways from Detroit City Council in 2022
Tow To Go may not be available in rural areas or in severe weather conditions.
The toll-free number to call for the service is: 855-2-TOW-2-GO or 855-286-9246
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2022-12-28T18:27:24Z
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www.freep.com
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New Year's Eve rides home: Uber vouchers, AAA free rides
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/28/new-years-eve-rides-home-uber-vouchers-aaa-free-rides/69761429007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/28/new-years-eve-rides-home-uber-vouchers-aaa-free-rides/69761429007/
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Paul Whelan has been detained in Russia for 4 years. What the US just said
More:Who is Paul Whelan, the Michigan man held in Russia?
Whelan, a former Marine who lived in Novi, was the head of global security for BorgWarner when he was arrested Dec. 28, 2018.
He is jailed in Russia on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. U.S. officials said Russia refused to consider including Whelan in the Griner deal, calling it a “one or none” decision.
His brother, David Whelan, said when the swap was announced, "I think we all realize that the math is not going to work out for Paul to come home anytime soon, unless the U.S. government is able to find concessions."Paul Whelan, 52, was sentenced in 2020.
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2022-12-28T18:27:30Z
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Paul Whelan has been detained in Russia for 4 years. What US just said
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/28/paul-whelan-russian-detained-anniversary/69761768007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/28/paul-whelan-russian-detained-anniversary/69761768007/
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LANSING — Colleen House, a former state representative and the first wife of former Michigan Gov. John Engler who became a force in national Republican politics, has died. She was 70.
House was only 22 when first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1974 and actually ran for governor four years before Engler did. She lost the 1986 Republican primary to Bill Lucas, but Lucas selected her as his running mate. The Lucas-Engler ticket lost that year to incumbent Democrat Gov. Jim Blanchard and Lt. Gov. Martha Griffiths.
John Engler had also been elected to the House at age 22 and the 1975 marriage of the two state representatives was seen as a match of political wunderkinds as they formed Michigan's first husband and wife lawmaking team. The couple's plans to divorce were announced soon after the 1986 election. They had no children together.
House died Christmas Eve at her home in Washington, D.C., from complications arising from a two-year battle with dementia, according to an obituary released by the Ingham County Republican Party. At her side was her husband John Gizzi, senior White House correspondent for Newsmax, who married House in 2002.
“Colleen left my life as she entered it — with a warm smile, dancing eyes, and unconditional love,” Gizzi said in the obituary.
House, who initially represented Bay City, lost her bid for re-election in 1976 but was elected twice more to the state House, in 1982 and 1984, representing Mt. Pleasant, after John Engler moved from the House to the Senate.
In between, she helped run the 1980 Michigan GOP primary campaign of George H. W. Bush, who won Michigan and went on to become running mate and vice president to Ronald Reagan before becoming president himself.
More:Why a move by John Engler 4 years ago has ripple effect in current MSU leadership struggle
In 1989, House went to Washington, D.C. to join the Bush administration, serving as director of intergovernmental affairs in the U.S. Department of Commerce and also working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In 1993, she joined the International Republican Institute, a Reagan-inspired non-profit organization with a stated goal of promoting self-determination in Republican countries. House worked there nearly 25 years and served as an international political liaison.
"Colleen oversaw much of our effort to secure Americans to train their counterparts in electoral politics and competing at the polling place,” the late Lorne Craner, who served two stints as president of IRI, once said of House. “She was inarguably a figure of consequence in the history of IRI.”
House's funeral is to be held at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington D.C. on Feb. 18, with a reception to follow at the Army-Navy Club.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the Fraternal Order of St. Peter, or the American Hospice Association.
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2022-12-28T18:27:36Z
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www.freep.com
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Colleen House, GOP activist and first wife of John Engler, dies at 70
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/obituary/2022/12/28/colleen-house-dies-gop-john-engler-wife/69761662007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/obituary/2022/12/28/colleen-house-dies-gop-john-engler-wife/69761662007/
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Michigan football defensive lineman Mazi Smith sat at the podium inside the Arizona Ballroom at the JW Marriott in Paradise Valley with more than two dozen reporters with cameras, phones and recorders formed around him in a semicircle.
For seven consecutive minutes, U-M's senior captain answered 21 straight questions about his arrest the morning of Oct. 7. Smith was pulled over while speeding in a residential neighborhood by Ann Arbor police around 9:35 a.m. and found to be illegally carrying a firearm and driving without a license.
Earlier this month he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge after originally being charged with a felony. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday.
On Wednesday, just three days before No. 2 Michigan (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) takes on No. 3 TCU (12-1, 9-0 Big 12) in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl, Smith spoke for the first time publicly about the situation.
WE'RE NOT IN THE BIG TEN ANYMORE:How Michigan plans to attack TCU's 'completely different' 3-3-5 defense
"I’m a big compartmentalizer," Smith said when asked about how he handled the past three months. "Everything ain't always going to go your way. Sometimes, you know, I’m a young kid, I make mistakes. But at the same time I still had a job to do. Coach Harbaugh still trusted in me to be a leader on this team and a captain which I much appreciated because he didn’t have to.
"That’s what I came here for. I didn’t come here to play for somebody who didn’t look out for me, take care of me or somebody who didn’t l love me and know who I am."
Smith was arrested and then later released on Oct. 7, the day the team traveled to Indiana for a road game. He saw Harbaugh later that day, when he said he told his coach "everything."
Smith wasn't charged in Washtenaw County court until Dec. 1 and the senior defensive lineman was not suspended after the arrest or the charges.
"He just wanted all the facts, all the facts, he didn’t want no surprises," Smith said. "He just wanted me to be forthcoming and honest and that’s what I was ... I told Coach everything from the get go. Just like I told the police officer the truth from the get go.
"Honesty is the best policy and so that’s what I was."
Teammates and coaches have stood by Smith since the arrest became public, a few days before the Big Ten championship game. Harbaugh said the day after the conference title game that he, athletic director Warde Manuel and president Santa Ono all discussed the incident together and decided Smith's actions did not warrant a suspension.
Smith told reporters Wednesday he had already received his certificate for completing an online firearms course when the incident occurred and had intended to submit it the week prior when scheduling conflicts got in the way.
"It’s funny because I had my certificate and I meant to turn it in a couple days before I got pulled over," he said. "But I had to reschedule for Wednesday of the week after, so I was like four days away from that."
Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year Mike Morris said he thoroughly backs his teammate.
"I think people are really taking it out of proportion," Morris said. "Mazi has been with this team and shown his leadership and reliability for four years without anything squeaky or being a distraction to the team.
"I want him to know I'm here for him, I don't care what he's going through, I don't care what the media has to saw about him, I'm here 10 toes down."
Smith said he learned many valuable lessons — accountability and decision making among them — but also a lesson in humanity. He'd been revered earlier this season as one of the best linemen in the Big Ten.
From the time he was voted the No. 1 athletic freak in the offseason, to the first six weeks of the season as he anchored the Wolverines' defensive line, Smith earned himself some good will. But as quickly as it came, it went away.
"You just, people get a story and they take it and run with it and make it seem like something it’s not," he said. "I think that it just shows how quick the tables can turn on you. You know everybody goes from thinking this of you and then you have a misunderstanding and they start thinking something completely different.
"But that’s life, it’s a life lesson."
The East Kentwood native said this situation won't make him cynical; this is far from the first time people who don't know him personally have assumed the worst. It also happened in high school, he said, when peers assumed he was failing his classes and that he didn't do his work.
MITCH LABOM:Mazi Smith case a sudden pothole in Michigan football’s ride to perfection
"I was actually ahead a semester and graduated ahead of everybody who thought that," he laughed. "And was getting better grades than everybody who thought that. Misconceptions happen, it’s a part of life."
Smith said he spoke to teammates individually, but never addressed the incident in a public setting. Morris said he didn't owe anybody any explanations.
"The way I got to being a captain wasn’t by getting in front of the team and talking," Smith said. "I just hit people, hit people the right way, play the right way and try to lead in the right way and just be strong."
The 6-foot-3, 340-pound defensive tackle will be in uniform for the Wolverines on Saturday, as he has been for every game this season. He finished the year with 46 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks and was named first-team All-Big Ten.
Smith said he believes he didn't deserve to be suspended; he was honest the whole time and "would never put anybody in harms way."
Furthermore, he's glad he wasn't because there was only one thing that got him through this time: football.
"Just like my mom tells me and coaches tell me, you’ve got to stay the course good or bad, no matter the outcome," he said. "I kind of just leaned on football, you know what I’m saying?
"Kept playing, just thankful to still be still playing ball."
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2022-12-28T19:19:37Z
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Michigan football's Mazi Smith reflects on arrest, weapon charge
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/28/michigan-football-mazi-smith-arrest-weapon-charge-college-football-playoff/69761864007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/28/michigan-football-mazi-smith-arrest-weapon-charge-college-football-playoff/69761864007/
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Cephus finishes the 2022 season with two receptions (on three targets) for 15 yards in four games. He has played 22 games in his NFL career, posting 37 catches for 568 yards and four touchdowns.
Running back Jamaal Williams, who leads the Lions with 14 rushing touchdowns, practiced Wednesday. He suffered an apparent leg injury in the third quarter of Saturday's loss to the Carolina Panthers before returning late in the fourth quarter.
Williams rushed seven times for 11 yards against the Panthers.
More on the Lions' running game
In Saturday's blowout loss, the Lions ran 17 times for 45 yards. They produced a season-worst 2.6 yards per carry, and in the past eight games, they have averaged 3.7 yards per carry. (The Lions averaged 5.2 yards per carry through their first seven games.)
Therefore, boosting the efficiency of the running game has been, and will continue to be, a key topic this week ahead of Sunday's must-win matchup against the Chicago Bears. Tight ends coach Tanner Engstrand reflected on the role his position group has played in the lackluster results on the ground.
"There's been some inconsistencies in the tight end room," Engstrand said Wednesday. "We have to do our part. It's really focusing on the technique and fundamentals of what we're trying to do and seeing the big picture. What's the defense doing?"
He wants the tight ends to play faster while avoiding fundamental mistakes.
"We're all on the same page as an offense, as an (offensive line), as a running back room, tight end room, receivers, even the run game," Engstrand said. "As long as we all do our job on every single play, we're going to be just fine. We'll get this thing going."
Run defense is one of the Bears' weak spots, giving the Lions a chance to capitalize.
Dan Campbell's mindset vs. Bears
The Bears travel to Ford Field riding an eight-game losing streak. They have played a handful of close games along the way, including a 31-30 loss to the Lions on Nov. 13 at Soldier Field.
Campbell, in his second season with the Lions, compared the 2022 Bears to the 2021 Lions.
"Look, this team is very much like we were last year in this time of year," Campbell said, "and when you turn on the tape and watch them, they're playing now, and they play hard. They're giving themselves a chance. They are getting takeaways on defense. They have a legitimate threat at the quarterback position as a runner. We know that. We understand that. And this opponent is going to be ready to go."
To secure a wild card berth, the Lions — with a 24% chance to make the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.com — must take down the Bears on Sunday and the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 to end the regular season. Even if that happens, the Lions still need help from other teams.
Right now, the Lions are focused on the Bears.
"You have to treat this no different than anybody else," Campbell said. "This is the Buffalo Bills as far as we're concerned. It's going to come down to the wire. It could come down to the very end, the last two minutes of the game, so I think we just got to play clean football. We got to play hard. We got to play smart."
The biggest threat is Bears quarterback Justin Fields. He ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions in Week 10, along with completing 12 of 20 passes for 167 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Fields leads all NFL quarterbacks with 1,011 rushing yards this season.
"If they're going to do anything over there, particularly offensively, they're going to have to earn it," Campbell said. "They gotta go all the way down the field. No explosives. You do that, then you find a way to get a takeaway, which we've kind of done over the last few weeks, and we get back to what we do."
The New York Giants signed linebacker Jarrad Davis off the Lions practice squad on Wednesday.
In his second stint with the Lions, Davis, the 2017 first-round draft pick, re-signed with the team this offseason but did not make the roster out of training camp. He was later brought back to the practice squad and has played in two games this season.
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2022-12-28T20:59:49Z
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Detroit Lions WR Quintez Cephus out for season on injured reserve
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/28/detroit-lions-quintez-cephus-out-for-season-injured-reserve/69761995007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2022/12/28/detroit-lions-quintez-cephus-out-for-season-injured-reserve/69761995007/
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Detroit Free Press Marathon announces new anti-doping policy
The Detroit Free Press Marathon is implementing a new anti-doping policy as it prepares to open registration for the 2023 marathon. The change establishes a structure to prevent substance abuse among participants at the annual race.
The policy helps organizers uphold the event's key values, said Aaron Velthoven, vice president and executive producer of the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
“This was a priority for us in our off-season — to ensure fairness and integrity at the top of our race," Velthoven said. "This is a great step in ensuring our elite athletes feel confident they’re competing on a level playing field.”
Contestants must meet a number of requirements to be eligible under the policy. This includes:
Not be currently on a suspension for use of a prohibited substance by the USADA and/or WADA (the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency).
Not have ever been suspended for use of a prohibited substance by the USADA and/or WADA
Not be represented by a third party, including, but not limited to coaches and/or agents, who have had two (2) or more athletes that have received such suspensions in the previous four (4) years (from the date of the current race) by the USADA and/or WADA
Provide proper documentation proving they are eligible for prize money (e.g. Forms W-9, W-8ECI, or W-8BEN)
Consent to random drug testing according to the standards and procedures of USATF, USADA, and WADA
All registrants will be asked to acknowledge the policy during registration. Additional vetting of potential prize winners will take place during the race weekend.
Concerns from previous years and growing demand for anti-doping policies in the industry motivated this move, Velthoven said. Officials developed the policy in collaboration with the marathon's legal department, considering policies of similar races.
"We've certainly felt that there were too many questions for some previous prize winners with our race and we're a very large race and we offer quite a bit of prize money, which is attractive, and without a proper anti-doping policy in place, that can attract the wrong type of athlete," Velthoven said.
Organizers expect an increase in participants for the upcoming race as COVID-19 restrictions for the event ease.
"We think we're very well positioned to again showcase the city of Detroit and of Windsor to a host of great participants from not only across the state, but from across the world," Velthoven said.
The 46th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon will be held on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Registration opens at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1. The complete anti-doping policy can be found on the Detroit Free Press Marathon website.
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2022-12-28T23:19:04Z
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Detroit Free Press Marathon announces new anti-doping policy
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/28/detroit-free-press-marathon-anti-doping-policy/69762462007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2022/12/28/detroit-free-press-marathon-anti-doping-policy/69762462007/
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — For Michigan football defensive lineman Mike Morris, there was never a doubt.
Morris, a senior, had never beaten Ohio State in Columbus. In fact, he'd never even played in "The Horseshoe" prior to last month. So in his mind, it didn't matter what his health status was — he was suiting up.
"I’m not missing this game to save my life," Morris said Wednesday of his effort to play in Columbus. "I don’t care what my body is going through, I’m not missing this game. If I can only take 10 snaps, five snaps I’m going to take them because I couldn’t let my team go out there and fight our biggest rivals in the biggest rivalry in football history and not try to play."
Morris aggravated his ankle injury following the OSU game, keeping him out of the Big Ten title game the following week. It was another tough pill to swallow, essentially missing most of the Wolverines' two biggest games so far this season.
"Heartbroken. Emotional, just pain," he said Wednesday. "But again, I couldn’t let that show, I had to be there in my team in another aspect which is being their cheerleader. I’ll cheer them on until I lose my voice."
He'll have a much more active role Saturday when the Wolverines face No. 3 TCU in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Fiesta Bowl, however.
"I’m probably 95-100 percent right now," he said. "So I’m feeling great. For a while I haven’t been able to play a lot, I hurt my ankle, so my shoulders have been healed, my hips feel great, my body feels good, it’s just now it’s my ankle.
"But I feel fine and feel my ankle can handle 70-80 snaps."
FAITH AND FAMILY:Faith and family: At long last, Michigan's Mike Morris is realizing his football dreams
'A LIFE LESSON':Michigan football's Mazi Smith reflects on arrest, weapon charge
Morris suffered a high ankle sprain late in the fourth quarter against Nebraska on Nov. 12.
He didn't play the following week against Illinois but assisted on one tackle against the Buckeyes on Nov. 26 as he gutted through 11 snaps in Columbus.
The Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year didn't question the path in front of him.
This is the same player who had three hip surgeries while biding his time behind teammates Kwity Paye, Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Now, as he recovers from the most recent setback, he's looking at the recent month with a glass-half-full mentality, saying in some ways his body is as healthy as it's been all season.
Over the past month, he has just been working to get back on the field. Week 1 was starting to jog. Week 2 was jogging and a soft run. Week 3 was running at full speed, so he was cleared for practice.
"Now this week has been 'push it, push it, push it,' " he said. "And I’ve done that and I feel great."
For most of the season, Morris was the main name on Michigan's 'no-name' defense. The Belle Glade, Florida, native had the best year of his career recording 21 tackles, 10½ tackles for loss, seven sacks and a forced fumble over 10 games.
His honor as the conference's top d-lineman was a fulfilling moment for the one-time Florida State commit.
"It meant everything, I’ve been praying for this moment," he said. "All the seniors like Mazi (Smith), DJ (Turner), Mike (Sainristil), we’ve been saying since we were in high school in 2018, watching the 2018 team go to Ohio State and lose, that we weren’t going to be that team,. We’re going to be different, we’re going to be better, we’re going to be stronger and we’ve proven that.
"Being named Defensive Lineman of the Year (on top of that) just shows the hard work I’ve put in this offseason. I’ve put my body through hell just to get to where I am."
Minter making magic
Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said he knows it sounds surprising, but his decision to leave Vanderbilt (which went 2-10 in 2021) for the same position at Michigan coming off a Big Ten championship and a College Football Playoff appearance wasn't as easy of a decision as seemed.
“People probably won’t believe me, but it was hard to leave there just because of relationships,” he said. “You dive in, especially on the ground floor of trying to turn something around, you dive in with the coaches and the players there, but then Jim Harbaugh calls.
“I knew it was a great opportunity.”
Of course, as he joked Wednesday, that was until he realized he wouldn't have more than half the starters, three of whom — Hutchinson, Ojabo and defensive back Dax Hill — had first-round NFL draft grades. Minter said for every unit he coaches every season, he has high expectations.
It didn't take long into spring practice for him to realize the Wolverines had the talent to replace those key players.
"You look around and you’re like, 'OK, this O-line won the Joe Moore Award last year and just added the best center in college football to it," he said. "Then, you’ve got all these skill players with Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, we’ve got two quarterbacks in the spring that were capable of leading this team to a championship.
"As we were defending them and going through that process, my expectations kept rising and I was like ‘OK, we got a chance here.’ "
The Wolverines capitalized on that chance. The defense ranks No. 3 in the country in total defense (277.1 yards per game), No. 3 against the run (85.2 yards per game) and is tied for fourth in scoring defense (13.4 points per game).
Furthermore, it took on an identity as a second=half team. Minter's unit allowed just 29 points after halftime of its final eight games; That included five field goals (three by Purdue, one by Ohio State, one by Penn State) and two touchdowns (both by Illinois) and four shutouts.
Much of of the credit has gone to strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, but Minter's philosophy has been key as well. He has developed depth along the trenches, as the Wolverines can go nearly 10 deep along the line and keep rested bodies cycling in.
"It's why you're good in the second half, because guys are fresh," Minter said. "We play so many guys, guys stay fresh. Braiden McGregor is a fresh rusher in the fourth quarter of a game when he may have played 10 or 15 snaps up to that point. Where as a lot of teams, that's the 50th or 60th snap for that guy, and the game is on the line and they're not rushing the way they're capable of.
"You earn playing time at Michigan so if you're ready to play, you earn playing time and get a chance to play. It helps with morale and helps with the whole mentality of the group."
It's reflected in the stats. The Wolverines have one player — Junior Colson — with 95 tackles, four others with at least 50 tackles and 10 with 15-45 tackles. A year after the Wolverines had two players with double-digit sacks, only Morris has more than four, while 11 others have between at least two.
That depth has been key to the Wolverines' defensive success. It's something Minter saw many months ago and it has played out through 13 games.
"The program has been built along the line of scrimmage, so you’ve got people up front capable of putting together a stout run defense," Minter said. "With the coaches in place like coach Clink (Steve Clinkscale), coach (George) Helow, coach (Mike) Elston, Jay Harbaugh moving to the defense, I knew we had the right ingredients."
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2022-12-28T23:19:10Z
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Michigan football's Mike Morris ready to play vs. TCU at '95-100%'
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/28/michigan-football-mike-morris-ready-to-play-tcu-college-football-playoff/69762084007/
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Alec Burks scored a season-high 32 points, Saddiq Bey added 28 and the Detroit Pistons overcame the ejection of two players after a scuffle to beat the Orlando Magic, 121-101, on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena and snap a six-game losing streak.
Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr, Gary Harris and Mo Bamba were among the Orlando players who left the bench area during the confrontation at the end of the first half.
The Pistons led, 66-47, at halftime, thanks to the contributions of the reserves, and Orlando was never able to get the lead back to single figures.
Burks started the second half with Hayes having been ejected, leaving Detroit’s second unit without two of its three top scorers. He was called for a flagrant 1 foul for an unsuccessful attempt to stop Mo Bamba from dunking late in the third quarter, leading to a five-point Magic possession.
Matchup: Pistons (9-28) at Chicago (14-19).
Tipoff: 8 p.m. Friday; United Center, Chicago.
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2022-12-29T03:31:30Z
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Alec Burks' perfect night carries Detroit Pistons past Orlando Magic
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/29/detroit-pistons-game-recap-orlando-magic-alec-burks-mo-wagner-killian-hayes/69763188007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/29/detroit-pistons-game-recap-orlando-magic-alec-burks-mo-wagner-killian-hayes/69763188007/
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If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. At least, it works if you’re the Detroit Red Wings, who blistered Pittsburgh goalie Casey DeSmith with 46 shots — their sixth game with at least 40 shots this season — and rallied from an early four-goal deficit to force overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins padded their lead with a power play goal — the 11th time in 12 games they’ve scored with the extra man — 10:15 into the first as Jeff Carter took the puck from a scrum in front of Husso and wristed it in on the right side from a couple feet outside the crease. Carter’s goal was the ninth of his 18-year career against the Wings, who are one of just seven teams to hold him to single digits in goals. (The others: the Los Angeles Kings, with four; the New York Rangers, with nine; the Philadelphia Flyers, with three; the Seattle Kraken, with two; the St. Louis Blues, with nine; and the Vegas Golden Knights, with eight.)
Game on in Buffalo
After several days of doubt as Buffalo dug out from a winter storm over the weekend, with a driving ban in place through Wednesday, it appears the Wings will be able to take on the Sabres after all on Thursday night.
The Buffalo News reported Wednesday the impending lifting of the driving ban at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, with Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams scheduled to address the media at 10 a.m. ahead of the team’s morning skate. The Sabres haven’t been able to practice as a team since the end of the NHL’s holiday break; their road game Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets was postponed, and only the players who live near downtown’s KeyBank Center have been able to walk to the arena. Other Sabres who live in the suburbs, according to the paper, have skated in Amherst, New York — about 10 minutes from the arena.
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2022-12-29T03:31:36Z
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www.freep.com
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Detroit Red Wings fight back from 4-goals down, beat Penguins, 5-4(OT)
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2022/12/29/detroit-red-wings-score-pittsburgh-penguins/69763177007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2022/12/29/detroit-red-wings-score-pittsburgh-penguins/69763177007/
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The Detroit Youth Choir hasn’t stopped singing since its second-place 2019 finish on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” In the three years since then, it has recorded several songs that speak to important national issues, released a couple of albums and filmed an upcoming Disney+ reality series.
What’s next on the choral group’s packed agenda? Trying to turn that silver into gold by winning “America’s Got Talent: All Stars,” which debuts Jan. 2.
This spinoff of the regular reality competition will feature 60 former acts that stood out either by winning the top prize or stealing the hearts of viewers. Each week, 10 acts will perform, but only two of them will advance to the finals: one through the show’s golden buzzer (the seal of approval wielded by judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel and host Terry Crews), and one through fan votes.
The Detroit Youth Choir will be up against some of the most popular contestants of the past 16 years, including ventriloquist and 2007 winner Terry Fator, the 2022 winner of “Britain’s Got Talent,” comedian Axel Blake, and the winner in 2019, Kodi Lee, an autistic and blind singer-songwriter.
More:'Bloody fantastic': Detroit Youth Choir wows again on 'AGT'
Related:Detroit Youth Choir docuseries finds home at Disney+ streaming site: What to expect
About 37 members of the Detroit Youth Choir traveled to the Los Angeles area in October to tape the series, according to DYC artistic director Anthony White. He says it was a great — and new — experience for the kids, most of whom didn't participate in the 2019 "AGT" performances.
White predicts that “AGT: All-Stars” might be more appealing than even the DYC’s original season. “I think this time around it’s a little more exciting, a little better, if you ask me,” he says.
Although he is sworn to secrecy about the details of what happens, he does hint, “Detroit has a big surprise coming with our performance.” Hmm, could it be a win? A cameo appearance by Diana Ross? Football practice with former Lion and current L.A. Ram Matt Stafford? You’ll have to watch to find out.
For White and the nonprofit choir (which won’t appear in the first episode), "AGT: All-Stars” is more than another chance to be seen by 6 million or so viewers. It signals the group's determination to keep pursuing new opportunities.
“That’s basically my biggest call to the city. It’s never forget the Detroit Youth Choir. We’re always doing things. We’re always traveling. We’re always putting out music,” says White.
And always evolving, too. Since its “AGT” days, the choir has continued to perform as a large ensemble of more than 100 singers ages 8 to 18. But now there are smaller choirs within the main one, an idea that helped accommodate COVID-19 safety measures and is useful for handling the rising number of members and invitations to perform.
Three mini-choirs named Limelight, Center Stage and Primetime operate as sort of freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams in terms of the singers’ abilities and experience level. The Primetime choir is the one that appears on “AGT: All-Stars.”
At a 2019 celebration for DYC held at Detroit's Campus Martius Park, the group received a $1 million endowment created by several local foundations. Since the funding translates to small contributions every year, White stresses that the choir still needs donations and grants to cover things like a college readiness program and the lease for its space on the old Marygrove College campus.
When the pandemic arrived in 2020, White says he was adamant about not shutting down the choir, so he turned temporarily to virtual options.
“I’m the type of director that never stops and I won’t stop for our young people," White says. "I’m constantly on the phone, every day, talking about our young people in our choir, because they’re the reason why I get up every morning.”
Indeed, there has been no slowing down for the last two years. In 2020, in the aftermath of the police murder of George Floyd, the young singers recorded the Oscar-winning song "Glory" (from 2014's "Selma) as a call for racial justice. Their version earned praise from one of the song's co-writers, John Legend, who tweeted, "Beautiful. Powerful. Thank you.”
Also in 2020, DYC was asked by famed producer Jermaine Dupri to be on the recording of his song “Change,” which also included big names like Common, Kirk Franklin and Anthony Hamilton. Dupri’s powerful anthem was about the need to represent the change you seek.
Two years later, DYC spoke out again musically. In 2022, it addressed the need to protect schools and communities from the tragedy of gun violence with its version of “Sweet Child o’ Mine," the chart-topping hit by Guns N' Roses.
The recording and accompanying video came in the wake of mass shootings in Highland Park, Illinois on July 4; Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, on May 24; and Oxford, Michigan, Nov. 30
White says such projects mean a lot to choir members.
“Our kids are like, ‘Wow, we’re talking about social injustice. We’re talking about things that affect us in everyday life, through music.' Before we even went to ‘America’s Got Talent,’ I said if we’re able to change people’s lives through music, let’s do it then. Instead of talking about it, let’s do it.”
Last year, DYC marked its 25th anniversary with a gala at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. This year, the choral group released its second album “Rockspell,” which followed a 2020 holiday album.
And “All-Stars” isn't the only television exposure on the way. Disney+ announced in early 2021 that it would be the home of “Choir,” an unscripted series about DYC with an uplifting theme. The project has finished production and should air sometime in mid-2023, according to White.
It’s more proof that DYC would rather ride the wave of its momentum than stand still. Says White, “The first wave was 2019. So the second wave is 2023. I can’t wait for that!”
The Detroit Youth Choir will hold auditions from noon to 5 p.m., Jan. 7 at the Marygrove College Conservancy for youths 8 to 18. Those interested must send a pre-audition tape to dycauditions@yahoo.com by Jan. 4. More details at detroityouthchoir.org/events.
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2022-12-29T12:40:25Z
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Detroit Youth Choir competing on 'America's Got Talent All-Stars'
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https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2022/12/29/detroit-youth-choir-americas-got-talent-all-stars/69760603007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2022/12/29/detroit-youth-choir-americas-got-talent-all-stars/69760603007/
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The former firebrand of the Michigan Senate and the lead deputy attorney general who helped ensure Michiganders had the right to an abortion after the reversal of Roe v. Wade are joining Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive team.
Curtis Hertel, Jr. is Whitmer's new director of legislative affairs while Christina Grossi is her new chief general counsel, according to a news release issued Wednesday.
“Our new team members bring years of experience to their roles," Whitmer said. “I look forward to working with them to get things done that make a real difference in people’s lives. Let’s take advantage of our economic momentum to lower costs for working families and move Michigan forward.”
The director of legislative affairs coordinates lobbying on the governor's behalf at the statehouse. The chief general counsel serves as the governor's lead lawyer.
The governor also announced additional legislative liaisons and new budget office staffers, moves that come as Whitmer prepares to start her second term as governor, this time with Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.
More:Michigan judge issues indefinite ban on criminalizing abortions in key Michigan counties
More:Whitmer announces departure of several cabinet members to begin 2nd term: Who's leaving
Grossi led abortion legal fight
Grossi spent a dozen years working for the Office of the Michigan Attorney General after graduating from Western Michigan University's Cooley Law School. Most recently she served as chief deputy attorney general, a post that put her in the national spotlight earlier this year.
After Whitmer filed a lawsuit to block enforcement of a 1931 law that criminalized most abortions in the event Roe was overturned at the U.S. Supreme Court, it fell to Grossi and others to publicly defend that suit. Grossi played a key role in ensuring an Oakland County judge issued an injunction that prevented enforcing the ban, delivering at times impassioned and pointed statements during legal proceedings in the late summer.
"Women are upset because our bodies are regulated, and they are politicized in ways that men's bodies are never politicized or regulated. And women are upset and angry because some people suggest that our rights are subject to popular vote while a man's rights are bestowed upon him at birth," Grossi said during closing arguments.
While serving under Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette she was a key figure in the state's work investigating Michigan State University and its handling of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. More recently, she wrote one of two legal memos outlining alleged criminal activity by then-Republican attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno and others related to their efforts to undermine the 2020 election results. DePerno has denied wrongdoing.
She replaces Nick Bagley as chief legal counsel. Appointed earlier this year, Bagley is returning to his role as a professor at the University of Michigan law school.
Hertel a familiar name in Lansing
Hertel, D-East Lansing, recently completed two terms as a state senator. He was known both for his work behind the scenes to push for Democratic issues but also for his zealous public rebukes of Republican ideas he found repugnant.
"Proud to share that as of January 1st I will serve as legislative director for Governor Gretchen Whitmer. I Look forward to continuing in public service and being part of a great team!" Hertel tweeted Wednesday.
Hertel is a household name in Michigan politics. Curtis Hertel, Sr. served in the state Legislature for years, including as speaker of the House in 1997 and 1998. Hertel, Jr.'s brother, Kevin, was just elected to represent parts of Macomb, St. Clair and Wayne counties in the state Senate. Hertel, Jr.'s wife, Elizabeth, is the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The couple has four children.
Whitmer's news release notes Hertel "will work with members, several of whom he has served with, to deliver on the kitchen-table issues." There are very few "revolving door" prohibitions in Michigan on lawmakers leaving office to become lobbyists, either for public or private entities.
Other additions to the governor's staff include:
Kristi James, as the new deputy director of legislative affairs for the state Senate. She previously worked in a comparable role with the House.
Ryan Bardoni, as the new deputy director of legislative affairs for the state House. He previously served as deputy chief of staff for departing House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Township.
Jada Weatherspoon, as associate liaison for the House. She previously served as a House staff member.
Korey Hall, as Detroit regional director. He previously served as Whitmer's director of community affairs.
Whitmer also announced two additions to the state Budget Office:
Kyle Guerrant, as the new deputy budget director. He recently served as deputy superintendent of finance and operations at the Michigan Department of Education.
Libby McGaughey as director of external and legislative affairs. She last served as Lasinski's chief of staff.
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2022-12-29T17:10:08Z
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www.freep.com
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Whitmer adds veteran Democratic lawmaker, former deputy AG to staff
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/29/whitmer-adds-veteran-democratic-lawmaker-former-deputy-ag-to-staff/69763545007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/29/whitmer-adds-veteran-democratic-lawmaker-former-deputy-ag-to-staff/69763545007/
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He tried to return in the second half, but after two rushes netted just 6 yards, he remained on the sideline. His usual backup, Donovan Edwards, was out that day with a hand injury and the available running backs struggled. CJ Stokes and Isaiah Gash combined to run 18 times for 44 yards; the Wolverines squeaked out a 19-17 win but not without great concern about the status of the backfield moving forward.
'GLAD I MADE THE SWITCH':How Michigan football co-captain Mike Sainristil 'put the hammer down' in Year 1 as CB
ALMOST GAME TIME:Michigan football's Mike Morris ready to play vs. TCU, at '95-100%' for CFP semifinal
"I mean, everybody already knew what I’ve been capable of doing since I came in here," Edwards said with a laugh at Fiesta Bowl media day Thursday, just more than 48 hours before No. 2 Michigan (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and No. 3 TCU (12-1, 9-0 Big 12) were set for kickoff. "Nobody is surprised at what I’m able to do.
"We lost a lot with Blake Corum," coach Jim Harbaugh told the Free Press on Thursday. "There was a whole one-two punch that we had with Blake, but I think Blake is so great that when Donovan was out, Blake took it all on his shoulders. With Blake out, Donovan has been able to take two games pretty much all on his shoulders.
It's a lesson U-M wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy learned long ago.
Bellamy was Edwards' head coach at West Bloomfield High School. Prior to that, he had Edwards as a third-grade quarterback for the West Bloomfield Panthers.
That didn't always come in the form of back pats and compliments. On more than one occasion, Bellamy would get after Edwards. Most often it was football-related, but sometimes it was just life.
He expressed similar sentiments about his father. He believes there aren't many men in his father's generation who would step up to the plate and raise two boys on their own and for that, "I respect my dad with everything in me."
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2022-12-29T23:50:42Z
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Michigan's Jim Harbaugh explains how Donovan Edwards 'saved our team'
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/29/michigan-football-jim-harbaugh-donovan-edwards-saved-our-team/69765084007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2022/12/29/michigan-football-jim-harbaugh-donovan-edwards-saved-our-team/69765084007/
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It was her oldest son’s heroin use that led Lisa Bofka to become an angel, one in a network of volunteers for Hope Not Handcuffs that helps people get into addiction treatment. She sits with them while they wait for a car to shuttle them to rehab, offering water and maybe a snack and, always, a shoulder on which to lean.
“I try to be a little mom to everybody,” she said
Bofka, who is 59 and lives in the northern Macomb County community of Richmond, has been at it since 2017, the year she walked in on her son who was nearly dead from an overdose. He got sober. And she decided if there was anything she could do to do help others living in addiction, she would.
How many people has Bofka helped get into treatment? She isn't sure. Maybe 500? There's a young woman who went to rehab multiple times before finding sobriety. There's a young man she chased down the street after he decided to forgo rehab at the last minute; he ended up going the following day. There are just so many.
There is also someone she hasn't been able to help: her middle son. He has been struggling with addiction to methamphetamine and alcohol. He has been in and out of treatment probably 30 times over the last two years, Bofka said. And maybe that's part of the reason she's an angel, too. Seeing others get sober gives her hope that maybe, someday, her middle son will do the same; before Thanksgiving, he had almost 30 days clean.
There aren't enough people like Bofka, people willing to do what she does. Hope Not Handcuffs is in the midst of a recruiting drive. It is in dire need of angels. "We're starting over at zero," Bofka said.
Pandemic changed everything
Hope Not Handcuffs is a program run by Families Against Narcotics, a community group, with chapters throughout the state, that seeks to help and support the loved ones of people living in addiction as well as the addicts themselves.
When Hope Not Handcuffs began in 2017, it worked like this: People could show up at a participating police department — there are about 125 of them — that agreed not to arrest them on drug or paraphernalia charges and ask officers to call Hope Not Handcuffs on their behalf. An angel would meet them and stay with them until they got into treatment — or at least stay in touch with them if they there were no openings for treatment that day.
All that changed during the pandemic. Police agencies closed their lobbies. People in need of help began calling Hope Not Handcuffs themselves. And now that's how most people connect — with no in-person meeting with an angel, no police department visit.
Now that pandemic rules have relaxed, Kim Baffo, who is the program manager for Hope Not Handcuffs, wants to get back to angels meeting people at police departments. "Our program was designed being a face-to-face support," she said. “We know that human to human compassion, connection instill more hope to the individuals."
Adds Bofka: "Sometimes, we're the only warm hand people have felt in a long time."
But the number of volunteer angels has fallen off, going from about 300 statewide pre-pandemic to about 100 now and even then, only about 30 of those angels travel for face-to-face meetings. The staff shortages that plague businesses also impact the volunteer ranks.
Angel training takes about 90 minutes and includes instruction on rehabilitation terminology, tips on providing hope to the person seeking help — be a good listener, don't be judgmental — and the ins and outs of the Hope Not Handcuffs program. Angels also need to pass a background check.
"We couldn't hire enough people to do the work of an angel," said Baffo. “Our angels are the root of all of our programs."
'Save one life a day'
Within a year of becoming a volunteer angel, Bofka had a full-time job at Hope Not Handcuffs. She still goes out on angel runs. She also supervises Hope Not Handcuffs' new call center in Clinton Township, which has a staff of five and receives about 800 calls a month, compared with about 600 before the pandemic.
She works with 28-year-old Anthony Elia, of Warren, who committed his life to helping others with addiction after he kicked his own addiction to methamphetamine and heroin. He started as an angel.
And she works with Emily Taube, who is 23, lives in New Baltimore, and went through Hope Not Handcuffs several times before finally getting sober from heroin two years ago. “When I went through Hope Not Handcuffs, immediately I was treated with such patience, such kindness. .... I remember tearing up."
Among the angels who helped her: Bofka.
"I love what I do. I absolutely love what I do,'' Bofka said. "I keep my phone on all night, all day because if someone I know and ... they're reaching out for help, we're going to work on it right now. And I do. ... I'll probably be doing this until the day I'm dying.
"My motto is save one life a day."
And there's something else: Bofka wants to erase: the stigma associated with addiction. She wants parents to know they aren't responsible for the actions of their children. "We automatically try to fix them. We blame ourselves. That's how it was with me, at least." But "it's nobody's fault. ... You shouldn't be ashamed of it. It's nothing we did. It's hard. Somedays, it really takes a toll on me emotionally.
"Hopefully, one day, all this will end."
For everyone, including her son.
He called Bofka on Dec. 1 and said he was staying in a shelter — he's not allowed at her house until he has had six months clean.
He also told her he was using again.
To contact Hope Not Handcuffs or for more information: 833-202-4673 or hnh@familiesagainstnarcotics.org or familiesagainstnarcotics.org
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2022-12-30T11:57:47Z
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Hope Not Handcuffs program helps addicts — but volunteers are needed
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/30/hope-not-handcuffs-addiction-treatment-rehab-volunteers/69686931007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/30/hope-not-handcuffs-addiction-treatment-rehab-volunteers/69686931007/
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Detroit Pistons (9-28) vs. Chicago Bulls (15-19)
Where: United Center, Chicago.
Game notes from The Associated Press: DeMar DeRozan scored 42 points in the Bulls’ 119-113 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. On the same night, the Pistons snapped a six-game losing streak with a 121-101 victory over the Magic. However, that game featured an altercation that included Killian Hayes throwing a punch. The Pistons are 0-5 against opponents from the Central Division. Bojan Bogdanovic is scoring 20.7 points per game and averaging 3.6 rebounds for the Pistons. Alec Burks is averaging 13.6 points and 3.0 rebounds over the last 10 games for Detroit.
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2022-12-30T11:58:52Z
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Detroit Pistons game score vs. Chicago Bulls: Time, TV, etc.
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/30/detroit-pistons-game-score-vs-chicago-bulls-time-tv-etc/69765709007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/30/detroit-pistons-game-score-vs-chicago-bulls-time-tv-etc/69765709007/
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It's no secret that Detroit-style pizza has gained popularity over the last few years. And now Detroit's iconic Buddy's Pizza is getting worldwide attention and a ranking. Buddy's was named one of the 50 best pizzas in the world. The iconic pizza that got its start more than 75 years ago ranked No. 25 on the Big Seven Travel's list of best pizzas in the world.
Buddy's is known for its pizzas baked in dark, deep pans once used for automotive parts. Its pizza edges are lacey with a crispy, caramelized cheese crust and the sauce is on top. Of Buddy's pizza, Big Seven Travel said "if you prefer your pizzas square with a crisp and chewy crust, get yourself to Buddy’s Pizza — they invented the square pizza in 1946. The travel trend site also noted that Buddy's has 16 locations "so you’re never far out of reach from an ooey-gooey slice of heaven." Big Seven Travel recommended ordering the Detroiter with its tomato-basil sauce and topped with parmesan, spices and pepperoni.
No surprise that the No. 1 pizza hailed from Naples, Italy, from a place called 10 Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria. Big Seven Travel called the pizzeria's Margherita and Marinara pizzas "superb" and that no pizza on the menu costs more than 10 Euro or about $10.66 in U.S. dollars. Others on the list from the U.S. include those in Chicago, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Portland, New York, and San Francisco.
More:One of the last independently owned Sanders stores closes
More:Enjoy a luxurious New Year's Eve dinner at one of these metro Detroit restaurants
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2022-12-30T17:07:13Z
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www.freep.com
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Buddy's Pizza Detroit-style pizza named one of best in world
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https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/12/30/buddys-pizza-detroit-style-pizza-big-seven-travel-list/69766605007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/12/30/buddys-pizza-detroit-style-pizza-big-seven-travel-list/69766605007/
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Above-normal temperatures hit southeast Michigan after winter storm
It might as well be summer in southeast Michigan this week with temperatures climbing to the mid-50s, just days after a winter storm brought single-digit temperatures and several inches of snow.
Friday saw a high of 54 degrees in Detroit, about 15-20 degrees above the normal temperatures for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service. Typically, the end of December brings temperatures in the mid-30s.
"These are pretty warm temperatures for this time of year but not something that we haven't seen before," said Megan Varcie, a National Weather Service meteorologist based at its White Lake station. "It's not breaking records or anything. We're just on the warmer side of these weather systems and that's giving us rain and warm temperatures."
The highest temperature recorded in southeast Michigan on Dec. 30 was 65 degrees in 1889, Varcie said.
More:A taste of Detroit in the desert: Michigan coneys travel to Arizona
In terms of precipitation, rain is in Friday's forecast, a welcomed change of pace for Michigan drivers who had to brave icy slippery roads last week. This rain is due to moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico, Varcie said, and this humidity and warmth are helping us get rain instead of snow.
Snowfall thus far is about 3 inches below normal for southeast Michigan. Since July 1, we have seen 7.5 inches of snow compared to our normal snowfall of 10.1 inches at this point in the winter.
Temperatures are expected to dip slightly over the weekend but the New Year will be welcomed with surprising warmth. This weekend will reach the mid-40s and climb to the low 60s Tuesday, but temperatures are expected to dip again later next week into the mid-30s.
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2022-12-30T17:07:25Z
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www.freep.com
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Warm temperatures hit southeast Michigan after winter storm
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https://www.freep.com/story/weather/2022/12/30/detroit-weather-foreceast-warm-temperatures/69766704007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/weather/2022/12/30/detroit-weather-foreceast-warm-temperatures/69766704007/
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GM's Barra nears to top of Forbes' most powerful list
Oprah Winfrey, Nancy Pelosi and Melinda French Gates pale in power compared with General Motors CEO Mary Barra, according to The World's 100 Most Powerful Women of 2022 list.
The list showcases innovators who lead on the world stage to "redefine traditional power structures and forge lasting impact in every sphere of influence," according to an article by Moira Forbes about the list, released earlier this month. These are female leaders who use their political and economic power to transform industries and solve society's problems, Forbes said.
"Since the inception of this list, we've seen women's ability to create influence and power evolve - and that is especially true this year," Forbes wrote.
So where did Barra land on this list? At power position No. 4 right behind the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris.
No. 1 on the list was Ursula von der Leyen. She was appointed president of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, in July 2019. She is the first woman to serve in the role. No. 2 is Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, again the first woman to have the role, which she got in 2019.
Also on the list were Winfrey (#24), Pelosi (#25) and Gates (#6) and pop stars Taylor Swift (#79), Rihanna (#73) and Beyonce (#80). Reese Witherspoon came in at #86 and Dolly Parton at #96.
Forbes said Barra was selected because of her aggressive push to make an all-zero emissions vehicle lineup by 2035. Also noted is Barra's target to sell more electric vehicles in the United States than current global EV leader Tesla by 2025.
Barra, 61, has been GM's CEO since 2014. She is the first woman − and remains the only woman − to lead an automaker. She sat down with the Free Press earlier this year to talk about her job, her personal life, how she handles pressure and even being considered somewhat of a style icon who created the power leather jacket, which Fortune wrote about in 2019.
Forbes said under Barra GM has consistently scored high in gender equity reports. In 2018, GM was one of only two global businesses that have no gender pay gap, Forbes said.
At No. 100 on the list is a posthumous honor to Jina Mahsa Amini. Amini died Sept. 16 after being taken into custody by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly. Family and media reports said she was severely beaten while in custody, fell into a coma and died. Forbes said she is a representative of the thousands of Iranian women who are protesting for their rights.
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2022-12-30T18:25:16Z
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GM's Mary Barra close to top of Forbes' most powerful women list
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2022/12/30/gms-mary-barra-close-to-top-of-forbes-most-powerful-women-list/69766946007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2022/12/30/gms-mary-barra-close-to-top-of-forbes-most-powerful-women-list/69766946007/
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A response center supervisor became the first City of Dearborn employee to take a paid maternity leave.
The city introduced the benefit for the first time this year, according to a news release. The supervisor, Kelsey Smith Medlen, recently welcomed a baby boy. She is an integral part of the Department of Community Relations and helps build connections between residents and their government, the release said.
Upon taking office in January, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud "made it a top priority to bring this benefit to the city," said Director of Communications Bilal Baydoun in an email to the Free Press. "The city is offering paid paternity leave as well."
More: How to watch, attend Gov. Whitmer's 2nd inauguration
More: These metro Detroit restaurants are offering New Year's Eve packages
Both Medlen and Hammoud highlighted the importance of this benefit to employees, their newborns and the organization itself.
"We are proud to be able to offer paid maternity leave to our employees, and we are especially proud to see this benefit utilized for the first time," Mayor Hammoud stated in the release. "This is a significant step forward for the city."
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2022-12-31T01:31:55Z
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Dearborn employee takes city's first paid maternity leave
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2022/12/31/dearborn-employee-takes-citys-first-paid-maternity-leave/69767997007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2022/12/31/dearborn-employee-takes-citys-first-paid-maternity-leave/69767997007/
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CHICAGO — Zach LaVine scored a season-high 43 points, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away in the closing minutes to beat the Detroit Pistons, 132-118, on Friday night.
LaVine had the crowd roaring when he capped an 18-point first quarter with a thunderous alley-oop from Coby White just before the buzzer and let out a primal scream. He was also on target from the outside, making five of nine 3-pointers and 15 of 20 shots in the game.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT:Alec Burks' near-perfect night carries Pistons past Magic; game marred by incident
THE RESULT:Pistons' Killian Hayes suspended three games for punching Moritz Wagner after shove
Bulls: PG Lonzo Ball has been making some progress lately as he recovers from his latest surgery on his left knee. Coach Billy Donovan said he has been shooting, jumping and doing some light jogging. “It is progressing. It’s just really slow,” he said. “There has definitely been some improvement.” Ball has been sidelined all season following surgery in September – his second on the knee in less than a year and third since he entered the NBA with the Lakers in 2017. … F Derrick Jones Jr. (sprained left ankle) missed his fifth consecutive game.
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2022-12-31T05:05:12Z
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Detroit Pistons gored by Chicago Bulls, 132-118, on late 17-3 run
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/31/detroit-pistons-score-chicago-bulls/69768203007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/31/detroit-pistons-score-chicago-bulls/69768203007/
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Detroit Pistons game score vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: TV channel, time, radio info
Detroit Pistons (9-29) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-20)
Where: Target Center in Minneapolis.
Radio: WWJ-AM (950), WCZH-FM (98.7) (Pistons radio affiliates).
Betting line: N/A.
Game notes: Both teams are playing the second night of a back-to-back with the Pistons losing to the Chicago Bulls on Friday at United Center and the Wolves losing to the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. The Wolves have hit a bit of a skid of late, losing five straight after rattling off three consecutive wins. In just his third season, Anthony Edwards looks like a superstar, averaging 23.5 points per game on 46.5% from the field and 36.7% from 3-point range. D'Angelo Russell has stepped up in the absence of Karl Anthony-Towns, who will miss a month-plus with a calf injury. He's averaging 21 ppg this month, his most in a full slate of action since February. His 46% shooting from the field would be his best season-long mark yet.
The Pistons will be short-handed after a skirmish earlier this week vs. the Orlando Magic, but Bojan Bogdanovic should be out there. He's leading the team at 20.7 ppg and is shooting a blistering 40.4% from 3-point range. Up next for the Pistons is another road game Monday vs. the Portland Trail Blazers. The Wolves stay home Monday for the Denver Nuggets.
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2022-12-31T10:53:22Z
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Detroit Pistons game score vs. Timberwolves: TV, time, radio
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/31/detroit-pistons-game-score-minnesota-timberwolves-updates/69766650007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/12/31/detroit-pistons-game-score-minnesota-timberwolves-updates/69766650007/
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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona − When the football program has a historic year, the admissions office has a frenzied one. Or in the case of the University of Michigan, make that extra-frenzied.
U-M already turns away 76% of prospective freshmen, and with its unbeaten team playing Saturday in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, the number will be going up. But university president Santa Ono, 2½ months into the job, will tell you that's a good thing.
He can also tell you how it feels to be passed to the top of a stadium, what he particularly admires about quarterback J.J. McCarthy, where he perfected cold-calling alumni for donations, and why he hasn't learned to hate Ohio State University since he's been in Ann Arbor.
Oh, heck, let's end the suspense and start with OSU. Ono, 59, served as president of the University of Cincinnati from 2012-16, "and I've always despised Ohio State," he said Friday. "I didn't have to learn."
As for the admissions scramble, he said, "It's pretty well documented that there's a big spike in applications for an institution" when it's, say, butting heads with Texas Christian for the right to play for the national championship in Los Angeles Jan. 9.
True, he conceded, that's not the best news for applicants. But anyone sharp enough to have a realistic shot at Michigan will probably wind up with multiple good options, and it's a wolverine-eat-wolverine world.
"We exist in a competitive environment," Ono said, "and we do want to have the best and the brightest." Or, if you want to sing it out, the leaders and best.
Ono was taking a brief break in a restaurant at the sold-out Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, the official lodging of the alumni association tour group. With a donor lunch approaching, he was ignoring most of a sparse plate from the breakfast buffet.
His schedule for the day also included an event for prospective students who'd come from "all over the world to watch the game," a pep rally, and dinner with some people in position to be kind to the university.
He was having a grand time, and had been since he flew in with his family Thursday from a California vacation.
"There's a place at the mall across the street that makes liquid nitrogen ice cream. You should try it," he said.
A sea of maize and blue
Ono was wearing a navy suit with an open-collared shirt. The dress code for most everyone else included at least one Block M.
Sweaters, sweatpants, sweatshirts, golf shirts, T-shirts, socks, all in maize or blue. One pair of gaudy shorts, checked in both. At least one onesie.
Amid elevated glass cases in the lobby holding Gila monsters and a Western diamondback rattlesnake, Fran Goran, of Bloomfield Hills, was wearing a blue alumni fleece over a blue mail-order T-shirt from Michigan's appearance in the 2021 Orange Bowl. Her husband, Michael, had gone with a blue tee and a maize hoodie.
They met on a classic blind date when she was a freshman in 1968: "The Sand Pebbles" at the State Theatre, then Drake's for cinnamon buns.
Awash in fellow alumni, dazzled by Ono and alumni association CEO Corie Pauling, "I can't sleep," said Fran, 73. "It's overwhelming."
Tell me about it, Jean Suzuki said. She's a 44-year-old consultant from Chicago on vacation with her husband and two kids — and she went to Illinois.
"It's hard to watch," she said.
Hands on the president
Ono, conversely, was soaking everything in.
He's considerably more outgoing and hands-on than his predecessor, Mark Schlissel, which sometimes means hands on him.
At Cincinnati and at his last post, the University of British Columbia, he agreed to let students pass him overhead at a football game. The kids at Cincinnati pitted him against their costumed Bearcat mascot, who won.
"It's an experience," he said. "All these hands on your backside. My shirt wasn't torn, but it was untucked."
His experience with McCarthy was more orderly.
As noted in a terrific Free Press profile this week, McCarthy has been beyond generous with teammates and charities. Only a sophomore, he has established a foundation to funnel money to children's hospitals.
The day after Michigan pummeled Ohio State in November, Ono was eating a burrito at the Briarwood Mall Chipotle. McCarthy walked past with his girlfriend, incognito, in a plain white hoodie drawn tight.
"I heard her say, 'You should say hi,' " Ono said, and almost apologetically, McCarthy did.
"He embodies humility," Ono said. "He makes me incredibly proud."
And, realistically, he makes the university money.
As an undergrad at the University of Chicago, Ono worked in a campus phone room dialing for donations. Ignoring the preset script, he once winnowed 2,000 early-1980s dollars from someone who had never given before.
"If there's positive news from the university," he determined, "people will give more often, and they'll give more."
A 13-0 football season has been as positive as it gets. Donations are up, Ono said, and applications will be, and even before the first whistle blows Saturday, that's a win-win.
Neal Rubin is a devoted alumnus of the University of Northern Colorado, and is always polite to the students in the phone room even when he's not feeling generous. Reach him at @NARubin@freepress.com, or via Twitter at @nealrubin_fp.
To subscribe to the Free Press and keep him from cold-calling you, click here.
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2022-12-31T13:13:03Z
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U-M president Ono: A winning football team lifts donations, applicants
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/neal-rubin/2022/12/31/u-m-president-santa-ono-a-winning-football-team-lifts-donations-applicants/69767741007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/neal-rubin/2022/12/31/u-m-president-santa-ono-a-winning-football-team-lifts-donations-applicants/69767741007/
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What we're watching in 2023: A Q&A with the Free Press
What stories and trends will Free Press reporters and editors be watching for in 2023?
For the final episode of the year of the Free Press' weekly news podcast "On The Line," podcast producer Darcie Moran and host Cary Junior II talked with several Free Press writers and an editor to see what they expect.
They spoke about a new District Detroit development plan, the future of the anti-abortion movement, and circumstances surrounding Russian prisoner and Michigan native Paul Whelan, among other things.
What follows is a condensed version of Junior's conversations with Kristen Jordan Shamus, health and gender reporter; Dana Afana, city hall reporter; Duante Beddingfield, arts and entertainment reporter; J.C. Reindl, business reporter; Clara Hendrickson, Report for America Corps member who focuses on Michigan politics; Lyndsay Green, restaurant and dining critic, and Brian Dickerson, editorial page editor and columnist.
Kristen Jordan Shamus: One of the stories that's top of mind in the year ahead is the story of Paul Whelan. He is the Novi businessman who was arrested while he was traveling in Russia four years ago. He was there for what he says was a wedding of a friend. And he says he was set up by the Russian military, you know, secret service agency. He was arrested in his hotel room. He was charged with espionage and sentenced to 16 years of hard labor. The U.S. government is saying that he's wrongfully detained in Russia and they're working to try to release him.
Junior: Are you expecting any movement on that come next year?
Shamus: His family is definitely hopeful and they've been working really hard. It's hard to say.
After Junior spoke with Shamus in the newsroom, some news broke. Brittney Griner was released from Russia on Dec. 8. And so he caught up with her again to see how that impacts Whelan.
Shamus: President Joe Biden announced that he had brokered a deal to trade WNBA superstar Brittney Griner for a man named Viktor Bout, who the U.S. had been holding since 2011. Now, Griner was arrested because officials said they had found a vape cartridge containing cannabis oil. She was sentenced to nine years in the gulag. Bout is a pretty notorious Russian arms dealer. He was found to be conspiring to kill American citizens, and he had tried to sell anti-aircraft weapons to drug enforcement informants. He was known as the Merchant of Death. They absolutely were asking for both Whelan and Griner, pretty much all the way through this year. And then it came to a point where, you know, the U.S. secretary of state said the Russians made it very clear either we take this deal for Griner, or we make no deal at all. And there have been some media reports that the Russian government has asked to swap Whelan for a man who's being held in Germany right now. He was a colonel who served in Russia's domestic spy organization. But we're not really sure what it's going to take to release Whelan and to get his freedom from Russia.
Brian Dickerson: Well, for the last 30 years, one of the most effective grassroots lobbying groups in Michigan has been the pro-life movement generally and Right To Life of Michigan specifically. Nobody was more effective in electing sympathetic lawmakers and crafting legislation to achieve their objectives; every year they made abortion a little bit harder. Proposal 3 came along, and in a single election, everything they've accomplished was swept away. So, I'm really curious about where that energy is going. They're not about to abandon it and then say, "Well, been there, done that; I guess we'll move on to something else."
Junior: You know, you talk about where all that energy is going to go next year. I remember we had conversations with Dave Boucher (politics reporter) and Clara Hendrickson about this and how, you know, although Proposal 3 was adopted, there's still going to be an ongoing fight in the Legislature. There's levels to what this means going on. To that point it'll be interesting to see at what level the energy for the anti-abortion movement goes and how long this fight will go, which I imagine will go forever.
Dickerson: But at some point, some young person is going to decide they don't need a parent's permission or a court's permission to have an abortion, which is what the law in Michigan currently requires. And they're going to say that that requirement is no longer constitutional under Proposal 3. And, you know, that will be litigated probably up to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Dana Afana: I'm keeping my eyes on a couple of different things. So, one of them is a paratransit contract. That was something that got voted down this year where the city would have voted on a nearly $50 million contract to provide for paratransit services, which is for those with disabilities. Those in the community who use paratransit services said, you know, these were subpar services. They're either waiting over an hour to get picked up; they're getting dropped off at the wrong location; they're dealing with unprofessional drivers, drivers not knowing how to hook up their wheelchairs into the vans. Now, voting that down poses a problem. Recently, the Federal Transit Administration said that the city is violating federal law by not providing those services. And so, the mayor is now flexing his emergency powers. He put a contract in place that would provide these services to avoid any litigation. Council members have to put out a new proposal for a new contract. And that process could take 3 to 6 months at least.
Junior: Just to get an idea of paratransit services, does it take people from door to door?
Afana: Yeah, that's correct. So there's the DDOT fixed route, which is, you know, the traditional bus that you see everywhere. And then there's paratransit, which is more of a shuttle that comes to your home.
Duante Beddingfield: The National Endowment for the Arts every year selects three people that they classify as jazz masters, and all three of 2023’s NEA Jazz Masters class, they're all Detroiters. Saxophonist Kenny Garrett, drummer Louis Hayes, and violinist Regina Carter. It's a big, big deal. These people are legends. And on April 1 at the Kennedy Center in D.C., there's going to be a big celebration and honoring of those three. Louis Hayes, he's one of the most revered drummers in jazz history. He's been playing since the ’50s. Louis Hayes played with John Coltrane, Horace Silver, which is probably his best-known work. Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Peterson, a lot of major, major jazz musicians. Regina Carter is one of the youngest who's ever received this honor; she's 55. She came up in the ’70s and ’80s. And Kenny Garrett, he's been playing since the ’60s or the ’70s. A Detroit artist that I'm really excited about watching in 2023 is Paul Verdell. He is a painter who, just a few weeks ago, got back from one of the most prestigious art residencies in the world. It's Kehinde Wiley’s Black Rock. Kehinde Wiley is a painter. He's best known, probably, for the portrait he painted of President Obama. I've known artists before who have gone to Black Rock and have gone on to really major things after that.
JC Reindl: Well, a big one is this massive collab between the Ilitch organization and billionaire Stephen Ross' organization, the Related Companies, and they have put forth this $1.5 billion plan to build out the District Detroit Entertainment and Commercial District around Little Caesars Arena. Two brand new hotels. We also would have about a million square feet of office space. We would have a lot of new apartments and also some redeveloped apartment buildings, along with a lot of ground floor retail. 1.0, you could say, of District Detroit was unveiled back in 2014, and the Ilitch organization, just on their own back then, did encounter some criticism where, lo and behold, a lot of that was not built. Some was, but the majority of it wasn't. And people are relatively hopeful because Stephen Ross is the chairman of the Related Companies and they're a very big developer in New York. And Stephen Ross is a Detroit native, comes back here fairly often. They think the chances of this happening this time are higher.
Moran: What, specifically, are we expecting to see come to fruition in 2023?
Reindl: There will be the first new office building, you know, of this Detroit 2.0 collab. That is going to break ground and that is going to be near Comerica along Woodward. There may be some more breaking ground. We've yet to see the total request that the Ilitches and Stephen Ross' company want in terms of public subsidies. So we're waiting to see what they approve.
Another big story that's going to be in our midst is auto insurance. There is going to be a big Michigan Supreme Court case on whether some of the cost controls in that big overhaul that the governor signed in 2019, whether that, you know, can be retroactive and apply to catastrophically injured people who are injured before this is upended care for those catastrophically injured individuals.
Clara Hendrickson: Gosh, I feel like I'm still recovering from the midterm election in some ways. But the big thing that I'll be really interested to watch play out is Democratic control of the state Legislature now for the first time since the 1980s. It's a huge power shift that's coming to Lansing, and it's going to mean a whole new set of legislative priorities are in play.
Junior: Now I want to bring up one thing that your editor, Emily Lawler, brought up to us about Michigan potentially moving up in the schedule in the primaries. Can you just talk a little bit about that and what could go on there?
Hendrickson: Yeah, sure. So, Michigan Democrats have been fighting to be among the early slate of states that weigh in in the Democratic presidential primary. And it's something that President Joe Biden wants to see as well. He recently recommended the DNC adopt new rules to move Michigan up further in the calendar. It wouldn't be first, but it would be among the, I guess it's technically five, states that would have primaries at the beginning of the Democratic presidential primary calendar. One thing Michigan Democrats who've advocated for this shift have said is that Michigan is kind of a microcosm of the entire nation. It's a pretty diverse state. And so that would give Black voters, Muslim voters, Hispanic voters potentially more voting power here. You typically have states that are pretty white early on in the calendar — New Hampshire, Iowa. One thing to note here, so in Michigan election law, it does say that the presidential primary is the second Tuesday in March. So moving Michigan earlier in the process would require a change to the law. The Senate recently passed a bill to do that, but the House hasn't voted on it yet.
Lyndsay Green: I am keeping my eye on popups. I think popups had a real moment in 2022. Is that what year we’re in? Yeah, 2022. And I'm interested in seeing how they kind of evolve as we get farther away from the height of the pandemic. I want to see if they really start to ramp up even more as restaurant owners and chefs start to just think whether it's maybe just more sustainable to think about, you know, sticking with popups as opposed to brick-and-mortar restaurants or if they'll start to kind of ease back into the traditional sense of a restaurant.
Junior: Now, when I think of popups, I think of people who own my clothing brand showing up at events or a space. Is that essentially kind of the same thought of what a popup is for a restaurant? What does that entail?
Green: Similar. A popup is basically just an opportunity for a chef to sort of showcase their skills and get their cuisine out there without the confines of a brick and mortar. There's a lot that it takes to open a restaurant. There's overhead that you have to consider. There's staffing. And we've seen there's a huge labor shortage over this past year. You know, there's just a lot of challenges that come with it. So maybe it's at a restaurant or if a bar has a commercial kitchen that they can use, they might do it there. In the summertime, you'll see them outside. You'll see them maybe popping up. And Detroit has a few of those alleyways and you'll see pop ups there.
You can find On The Line and all of our podcasts at freep.com/podcasts and anywhere you listen to your favorite shows.
Cary Junior II is the host of On The Line. Contactcmjunior@freepress.com and follow him on Twitter at@Cee_jae2.
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2022-12-31T13:13:09Z
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What we're watching in 2023: A Q&A with the Free Press
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/31/2023-top-stories/69744425007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/31/2023-top-stories/69744425007/
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The first Mega Millions drawing of 2023 will be a big one. The jackpot increased to an estimated $785 million after no one matched the winning numbers drawn Friday, Dec. 30 — 1, 3, 6, 44 and 51, Mega Ball 7. The cash option is $395 million.
It someone wins the jackpot Tuesday, it would be the fourth largest ever won, according to the Mega Millions website.
The jackpot was last won Oct. 14.
The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday, Jan. 3. Drawings are held at 11 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.
More:Macomb County man wins $4 million on Michigan Lottery instant ticket
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2022-12-31T13:13:19Z
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Mega Millions jackpot hits $785M after no one matches winning numbers
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/31/mega-millions-drawing-tuesday-january-3-jackpot/69768473007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/31/mega-millions-drawing-tuesday-january-3-jackpot/69768473007/
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A 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman, Miss America 1970, an astronaut from the Apollo 9 mission, groundbreaking LGBTQ activists, the man who created the Farmer Jack grocery chain and other founders of iconic businesses in the Detroit area, Mackinac Island and Frankenmuth were among those Michigan said goodbye to this year.
Here are some of the most notable Michigan figures who died in 2022:
Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson
Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, World War II prisoner of war and lifelong Detroiter, died June 22 at 100 years old.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the nation's first African American military pilots, and Jefferson was among the first to escort bombers in WWII.
He served in World War II as a P-51 fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group-301st Fighter Squadron in Ramitelli, Italy, later called the "Red Tails." Jefferson flew 18 missions before being shot down and held as a prisoner in Poland for eight months in 1944-45.
He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1947 and retired from the reserves in 1969 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After the war, Jefferson was a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, then became a Detroit public schools science teacher. He retired as an assistant principal in 1979.
In retirement, Jefferson spent time inspiring youth and sharing stories about the Tuskegee Airmen.
The Congressional Gold Medal was presented to Jefferson and the Tuskegee Airmen in 2007 by President George W. Bush.
Mamie King-Chalmers, a longtime Detroiter and steadfast civil rights advocate, died Nov. 29 at 81. She is one of three people captured in a famous Life magazine photo getting blasted by a firehose in Birmingham in 1963, a snapshot of her life's legacy.
King-Chalmers caught the attention of Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor, a strict segregationist who served as Birmingham's commissioner of public safety, due to her last name making him suspect that she was related to Martin Luther King, which she was not.
On that fateful day on May 17, 1963, King-Chalmers was protesting at a park with her siblings and friends, prompting police intervention. When Connor spotted her, he sent dogs to chase her and she ran for cover in front of a locked doctor's office where Connor ordered the fire department to blast water at her.
Eugene Driker, a prominent attorney known for dedicating time and financial support to cultural organizations, serving as a civic leader who helped mediate Detroit's bankruptcy and being a proud and impactful alum of Wayne State University, died Sept. 29 at 85 years old.
Driker was selected as one of the mediators in the city's 2013 bankruptcy case. That mediation team successfully negotiated the resolution of the largest municipal bankruptcy in history. Driker played a key role in what became known as the "Grand Bargain," a deal that prevented the Detroit Institute of Arts collection from being sold off and mitigated cuts to city pensions by gathering $816 million in state and foundation funding.
Gilbert Hudson, former CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation, died Feb. 24 at 87 years old.
Known to many as Gil, Hudson descended from a line of philanthropists. His grandfather's brother was J.L. Hudson, the self-made founder of the J.L. Hudson Company, who started many Detroit-based initiatives and donated substantial funds to different causes.
In 1973, Hudson led three family foundations, which merged in 1984 to become the Hudson-Webber Foundation, a private, independent grantmaking organization created to support organizations and institutions that help move the city of Detroit forward. Hudson led the foundation until his retirement in 1999 and continued his service as chair of the board until 2005, and as a trustee until his death.
Adam Shakoor
Judge Adam Shakoor, former Detroit deputy mayor, civil rights advocate and attorney who represented Rosa Parks, died March 20 at the age of 74.
Civil rights groups say Shakoor was the nation's first-ever Muslim judge.
He became an attorney and was appointed judge of the Common Pleas Court for Wayne County by the late Gov. William Milliken in 1981.
Shakoor retired from the bench in 1989 to take on duties as the deputy mayor of Detroit under Mayor Coleman A. Young. He served in that position until 1993. He served as the personal attorney of civil rights icon Rosa Parks from 1995 until her passing in 2005.
Anne Parsons, who led the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for more than 17 years, expanding its reach and championing programs that focused on local students and neighborhoods, died March 28 at 64 years old.
Before retiring, Parsons was the longest-serving executive leader in the DSO's modern era, and prior to coming to Detroit was general manager of the New York City Ballet.
From late 2018 until she retired in December 2021, Parsons led the DSO as president and CEO while undergoing treatment for lung cancer. She helped guide the DSO to fiscal stability, along with global acclaim for a series of pioneering digital initiatives after taking the reins in 2004.
During Parsons' tenure, the DSO reached Detroiters and DSO fans across the region with chamber music programs, senior engagement concerts, music therapy partnerships, in-school appearances and full orchestra performances through the DTE Energy Foundation Community Concerts and the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series.
William Lucas
William Lucas — an FBI agent, Wayne County sheriff, the first Wayne County Executive and a former Democrat who became a Republican Party nominee for Michigan's governor — died May 30. He was 94.
After working as a teacher and welfare case worker in New York City, he joined the New York Police Department, where he worked for nine years, often undercover, later meeting Robert Kennedy, then U.S. attorney general, who offered him a job in the Justice Department. Lucas became a civil rights division investigator — and then joined the FBI, which sent him to Cincinnati and then Detroit.
In Detroit, he joined the Wayne County Sheriff's Office as undersheriff, and two years later was appointed Wayne County sheriff. In 1970, he was elected Wayne County sheriff, and reelected twice more. In 1982, he was elected to the newly created office of Wayne County executive.
Three years later, he switched his party affiliation, which made national news, and in 1986, won Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary. He beat millionaire businessman Dick Chrysler, the front-runner until the closing days of the campaign.
James McDivitt
James A. McDivitt, who commanded the Apollo 9 mission testing the first complete set of equipment to go to the moon, died Oct. 13. He was 93.
McDivitt was also commander of 1965's Gemini 4 mission, where his best friend and colleague Ed White made the first U.S. spacewalk. His photographs of White during the spacewalk became iconic images.
McDivitt grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He worked for a year before going to junior college. When he joined the Air Force at 20, soon after the Korean War broke out. He had never been on an airplane. He was accepted for pilot training before he had ever been off the ground.
He flew 145 combat missions in Korea and came back to Michigan where he graduated from the University of Michigan with an aeronautical engineering degree. He later was one of the elite test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base and became the first student in the Air Force's Aerospace Research Pilot School.
In 1962, NASA chose McDivitt to be part of its second class of astronauts, often called the "New Nine," joining Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and others.
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller, a longtime co-owner of Dearborn's iconic Miller's Bar, beloved by burger fans in metro Detroit and beyond, died Nov. 10 at 74.
In business since 1941, Miller's is known for its famous no-frills signature juicy ground round burgers have received accolades locally and nationally. Miller’s uncle first opened the bar in 1941. His dad, Russell Miller, "made it what it is," Miller said in 2008.
Miller started working there doing "porter work — janitorial stuff — in the ninth grade and was bartending in 12th grade," he told the Free Press. He and his brother then took over running the family burger bar, a well-known spot for Ford workers and families with their kids.
Rosetta Hines-Loving
Beloved Detroit radio personality Rosetta Hines-Loving, who brought jazz to the region for decades, died Feb. 14 at 82.
Hines, who once told the Free Press, “I hate the term ‘disc jockey’” and preferred to be called a “music communicator,” was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but graduated from Detroit's Eastern High School and started out in radio as an engineer at WGPR (107.5 FM).
The first Black woman in Michigan to earn a broadcast engineering degree, Hines-Loving had jazz shows on WDET (101.9 FM) and WJLB (97.9 FM) in the 1980s but was most closely associated with her work at WJZZ (105.9 FM), where she had a long-running program in the 1970s and served as music director in the 1990s.
Charles Alexander
Charles Robert Alexander, a revered artist, community activist and longtime columnist for LGBT publications Pride Source and Between the Lines, died at 86 on Dec. 10 after a bout with pneumonia.
Born in raised in Detroit, Alexander was a 1956 graduate of Cass Technical High School, where he majored in commercial arts. He went on to graduate from Wayne University with a bachelor’s degree. He came out as gay in 1959, rare at the time, and spent 28 years working as an instructor and administrator for Detroit Public Schools.
He would become renowned for his mixed media artwork and exhibited his work in Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco, and also worked as an artist instructor at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
John Eddings
John Eddings, who served as ombudsman for the city of Detroit, known for his listening ear and trying to find solutions for people who had been treated unfairly, died April 8 at 79 in Las Vegas.
Eddings worked in various executive positions before serving a 10-year appointment as Detroit ombudsman under three mayors: Coleman A. Young, Dennis Archer and Kwame Kilpatrick. After retiring from Detroit, Eddings became Macomb County's first ombudsman and worked there for about a year. He was the first Black president of the United States Ombudsman Association.
Irene Bronner
Irene Bronner, who helped build one of Michigan's most iconic retail attractions, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, died Oct. 16. She was 95.
Born in Hemlock, Michigan, Bronner was married for more than 55 years to Wallace “Wally” Bronner, who died in 2008 at 81.
Irene Bronner helped her husband develop the sprawling, year-round, Yuletide-themed store in the Saginaw County city of Frankenmuth, known as “Michigan’s Little Bavaria.” She served on the board of directors and in many other roles at the company touted as the largest Christmas-themed store in the world.
Judy Zehnder
Judy Zehnder Keller, a prominent Frankenmuth businesswoman who founded the Bavarian Inn Lodge, died Oct. 19. She was 77.
A Frankenmuth native, Zehnder Keller started working at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant in 1960 with her parents. She founded and built the Bavarian Inn Lodge resort in 1986, leading it through six expansions. The resort is known as a destination for lodging, dining, shopping, events, a conference center and its indoor waterpark.
She also owned the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus, which expanded in 2018 to a new location on Main Street. Over her career, Zehnder Keller helped develop and manage several family businesses in the community, including the Schnitzelbank Shop, Covered Bridge Shop, Frank's Muth and retail stores within Frankenmuth River Place Shops.
Victor Callewaert
Victor Andre Callewaert Jr., owner and iconic figure of several Mackinac Island family businesses, died May 8 at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores. He was 85.
In 1960, Callewaert and Harry Ryba, Callewaert's father-in-law who owned a doughnut shop when he was younger, opened their first fudge operation in a storefront on Mackinac Island. Several years later, in 1965, the pair bought the Lake View Hotel.
The Callewaert family's Mackinac Island businesses have grown since that first fudge shop opened. More than a half-dozen businesses are operated by the Callewaerts, including the historic Island House Hotel, 1852 Grill Room, Ice House BBQ, Ryba’s Fudge Shops, Mary’s Bistro Draught House, Pancake House, Pine Cottage Bed & Breakfast, Seabiscuit Café and a Starbucks.
Charles Alexander Forbes, a driving force for protecting and preserving Detroit’s unique architectural profile, died Sept. 29. He was 92.
Forbes was born to Scottish immigrants in Highland Park and attended Detroit Public Schools. He graduated as class president in 1948 from Henry Ford Trade School and, after two years of military service, attended Wayne State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business while working at Ford Motor Co.
The Bloomfield Hills resident, known as Chuck to many, retired from the company at age 51 to continue his work in partnership syndications and to launch a third career devoted to preserving Detroit’s historic theater district. He was president of Forbes Management. The entrepreneur and developer assembled more than 40 properties for renovation and saw placement of seven facilities on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Fox, State and Gem theaters are among the architectural treasures Forbes helped save. When the site of the Gem, the Century Club building and Elwood restaurant was slated for stadium development, Forbes dedicated his efforts and resources to save these historic structures through relocation rather than demolition.
Paul Borman, former president and chairman of Farmer Jack supermarkets, died in Boca Raton, Florida on May 3. He was 89.
A native Detroiter, Borman graduated from Michigan State University in 1953 and served in the U.S. Army until 1956. After that, he worked with his father at Borman Foods, becoming president of the company in 1962, giving the Borman food markets a new name — Farmer Jack. The brand grew exponentially under his leadership to become one of the largest food suppliers in the state.
The company had more than 100 stores and 7,500 employees by 1980. The company was sold to The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, known as A&P in 1989. Borman retired, and Farmer Jack supermarkets slowly dwindled, until the last one closed its doors in 2007.
Specs Howard, the radio DJ who founded the Specs Howard School of Media Arts in metro Detroit more than 50 years ago, died Sept. 3 at 96.
The school was a starting point for numerous radio and TV careers in the Motor City marketplace and across the country.
Among the many Specs Howard alums who went on to become Detroit media stars are local TV news anchors Glenda Lewis (WXYZ-TV, 7 Action News) and Amy Andrews (WJBK-TV, Fox 2 Detroit) and Detroit radio icons like Ken Calvert and Doug Podell.
Pamela Ann Eldred
Pamela Anne Eldred-Robbins, who grew up in northwest Detroit and West Bloomfield, who was crowned Miss America in 1970, died July 12 at 74.
Eldred-Robbins, was the third Miss Michigan to win the title of Miss America since the pageant’s creation in 1921.
During her reign, Eldred-Robbins twice visited U.S. troops in Vietnam on USO tours and was awarded citations for courage when enemy fire disrupted a show. She was known for breakthrough advocacy for people with developmental disabilities, in recognition of a younger sister’s lifelong struggle.
Eldred-Robbins became a national spokesperson for the March of Dimes. After her sister died in 2008, Eldred-Robbins and her family funded through the Miss Michigan Organization an annual $2,000 scholarship to a pageant contestant pursuing a career that impacts the disabled community.
Joe Messina, a jazz guitarist whose work with the Funk Brothers helped build the bedrock of the Motown sound, died April 4 in Northville. He was 93.
With the Funk Brothers from the late ’50s through the early ‘70s, Messina played on a staggering array of hits, part of a guitar attack alongside regulars Robert White and Eddie Willis inside Motown’s Studio A.
Typically using a Fender Telecaster with a modified neck, Messina lent a brightness to the guitar-stamped backbeat of the iconic Motown sound — a skilled sight reader with a lithe, funky touch. His performances with the Funk Brothers graced hits by the Supremes, Four Tops, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and myriad others.
Detroit native Lamont Dozier, part of Motown's mighty Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting-production team, died Aug. 8 at 81.
Though he spent most of his career behind the scenes, Dozier was showered in industry accolades, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dozier was a melody man and song polisher, working with Brian Holland on the music and production side as Eddie Holland finessed the lyrics. He regarded himself as the bridge between music and words, and he credited that division of labor as the key to the threesome's hit formula.
Al Porada
Al Porada, founder of Donutville USA, a Dearborn mainstay for doughnuts, coffee and a range of beverages for more than 40 years, died Dec. 8 age 91.
Porada began building the Donutville USA empire with its first location on Ford Road in 1966. Having served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War, the doughnut shop’s Independence Day opening was a nod to Porada’s patriotism.
Over the decades, Donutville USA expanded, with two additional locations in metro Detroit. The chain became a go-to destination for glazed bowties and cinnamon rolls, Bavarian cream doughnuts and, during one of the most exciting times of year for a bakery — paczki.
Lena Meijer
Lena Meijer, philanthropist and wife of the late grocery chain co-founder Frederik Meijer, died Jan. 15. She was 102.
The daughter of German immigrants, Lena Meijer was born in 1919 and raised on her family's farm near Lakeview, Michigan.
When she moved to Greenville, Michigan, in 1940, she was hired as a cashier at the original Meijer supermarket, where she met Frederik Meijer. The two married and moved to Grand Rapids, where she supported the growth of her husband's grocery business.
Marshall Lackowski
The iconic “La Dee Da” polka musician Marshall Lackowski, better known by his stage name Big Daddy, died April 9. He was 85.
Before the name Big Daddy was the name for polka music in Michigan and beyond, Lackowski of Parisville in Huron County began his music career in the 1950s with his brothers William and Clarence in the Lackowski Brothers Orchestra playing gigs in the Thumb region.
The trio eventually disbanded, but Big Daddy kept going, forming the La Dee Das and passing the musical calling on to his sons. Across the decades, three things never changed for Big Daddy: His accordion stayed against his chest, his love for polka music never strayed and family remained at the core.
Robert Louis Gordy
Recording artist, songwriter and music executive Robert Louis Gordy Sr., the youngest brother of Motown founder Berry Gordy, died Oct. 21 at his home in Marina del Rey, California. He was 91.
He started his music career under the pseudonym Bob Kayli, releasing a song in 1958 called "Everyone Was There," written with Berry Gordy.
He contributed to various hits while at Motown, landed his first acting role as a drug pusher for the movie "Lady Sings The Blues" in 1972, and eventually took over Jobete Music Publishing, the release stated.
U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn, an icon in the Detroit federal courthouse, who, as a young lawyer, represented looters in the 1967 uprising for free, dreamed for years of becoming a federal judge and went on to fulfill that goal with passion, compassion, integrity and grit, died Feb. 4. He was 97.
He was a Detroit native who served on the federal bench for 40 years and oversaw cases until he was 95.
After a decades-long career practicing administrative law and working as a cooperating attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, Cohn was nominated to the federal bench in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter. Cohn was the oldest serving judge in Michigan at the time of his retirement in 2019.
Jim Toy
Jim Toy, a famed LGBTQ activist thought to be the first openly gay man in Michigan, died Jan. 1 at age 91.
The longtime Ann Arbor man rose to recognition after publicly coming out at an anti-Vietnam War rally in 1970.
Toy then took his activism to a new level. He co-founded the University of Michigan’s Human Sexuality Office, which has since become the Spectrum Center. It was the first-ever staffed office at a university dedicated to sexual orientation. He also lobbied the university to include sexual orientation in its bylaws on non-discrimination.
Ann Arbor previously has proclaimed April 29 as Jim Toy Day and the Jim Toy Community Center, a resource center for the LGBTQ community in Washtenaw County, is named after him.
Moeller, the former Michigan football coach who later served as interim coach with the Detroit Lions, died July 11 at the age of 81.
Moeller was a longtime assistant coach under Bo Schembechler and replaced the legendary coach in 1990 upon Schembechler's retirement.
In five seasons at U-M, Moeller was 44-13-3 and won three Big Ten championship and the 1993 Rose Bowl over Washington. Moeller's teams finished in the top 20 in the national polls each of his five seasons.
John Szeles
John Szeles, known in the entertainment world as The Amazing Johnathan, a Las Vegas-based comic-magician with metro Detroit roots, died Feb. 22 at 63 years old.
Born John Edward Szeles in Detroit, Johnathan grew up in Fraser before eventually ending up in Las Vegas.
A well-known prankster and a skilled illusionist, Szeles was briefly suspected of faking his terminal illness, as documented in the 2019 film "The Amazing Johnathan Documentary." In 2014, Szeles revealed at a show in Las Vegas that he had been diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy and that he had one year to live. Many in the audience thought it was a joke.
The film documented his return to the stage after surviving longer than doctors expected. It became clear during the course of filming that he was indeed severely ill.
Chris Jaszczak
Chris Jaszczak, a music, art and theater promoter who was long involved in Detroit's arts scene, died March 29 after a battle with cancer. He was 74.
After serving two tours of duty in Vietnam, Jaszczak attended Wayne State University and later partnered with friends to open Eastown Theatre on Harper Avenue. He then partnered with members of an architectural group to buy 1515 Broadway in downtown Detroit. The venue offered plays and included a café.
Pinky Deras
Art "Pinky" Deras, an iconic Little League pitcher who took Hamtramck to the Little League World Series championship in 1959 died June 5 at 75 years old. The Little League World Series championship was the state's only championship win until Taylor North won in 2021.
Deras was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and played in the minor leagues. After that, he joined the National Guard. When he came home, he lived in Sterling Heights and worked for the Warren Police Department for 29 years.
Deras was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Janice Longone
Janice Bluestein Longone, who is credited with collecting thousands of items chronicling the culinary history of the United States, including cookbooks, menus, advertisements and diaries, died Aug. 3 at age 89.
Longone's collection formed the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where her husband, Daniel T. Longone, was a chemistry professor.
Longone said she believed the collection showed how American agriculture and culinary practices defined regional customs and traditions. In 2018, Longone was honored for her lifelong commitment to culinary history by the Association of Food Journalists.
WWJ overnight anchor Jim Matthews died Sept. 23. He was 57.
Joe Nicolai, Matthew’s brother, said his brother had a passion for radio and was smooth, professional, never missed a beat and knew how to make calls and write stories efficiently. He said Matthews loved radio and listened to WWJ while growing up. When Matthews worked at WWJ, “he kind of was living his dream,” Nicolai said.
Matthew grew up on Detroit’s east side and went to Lutheran High School East in Harper Woods.
Tom Weiskopf, golf major champion and architect of one of Michigan's most revered golf courses, died Aug. 20 at 79.
Weiskopf won 16 PGA Tour titles, including the 1973 British Open at Royal Troon.
He experienced all corners of the game, from his time as a PGA Tour player to broadcast work as a golf commentator to his status as an accomplished course designer. Weiskopf created courses all over the world, and was named Golf Course Architect of the Year in 1996.
Former Detroit Tigers utility infielder Tom Matchick, a member of the 1968 World Series championship team, died Jan. 4. He was 78.
Matchick played three seasons with the Tigers, making his major league debut in 1967 and staying with the team through the 1969 season. He also played with the Red Sox, Royals, Brewers and Orioles through 1972, playing in the minor leagues the following four seasons.
U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow, a Detroit native and onetime preeminent criminal appellate lawyer who was appointed to the federal bench in 1998, died Jan. 21. He was 79.
He graduated from Mumford High School in 1959, then enrolled at the University of Michigan, returning home a year later to attend Wayne State University. There, he earned his bachelor's degree in 1963 and went on to earn his law degree with honors in 1965. In 1970, Tarnow became the first full-time director of the newly created State Appellate Defender’s Office.
President Bill Clinton nominated Tarnow to the federal bench in Detroit, where he would oversee numerous high-profile cases.
Tyrone Winfrey Sr.
Tyrone Winfrey Sr., described by colleagues as a lifelong advocate, leader, and liaison for Detroit's children, died Nov. 5 after battling cancer. He was 63.
Winfrey served as executive director of community outreach for the district. Before that, Winfrey held the roles of president and vice president of the Detroit Public School Board from 2006 to 2011 and held various roles at the state-run Education Achievement Authority of Michigan from 2011 to 2017.
He also worked for years in admissions and outreach at both the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, helping many Detroit students get into college. In 2017, Winfrey launched Le TourDetroit, a local bus tour company that exposed many to city landmarks and historical sites
Gael Greene
Gael Greene, an illustrious restaurant critic, best-selling author and philanthropist recognized for her humanitarian efforts, died Nov. 1 at 88 years old.
Greene earned her stardom as New York Magazine's first restaurant critic, a position she held for more than 30 years.
Born in Detroit, Greene was educated in the Detroit Public Schools system and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan. Greene’s earliest work was published in Michigan, including articles for the Detroit Free Press.
Debra Walker
Debra Trenace Walker, 69, a community organizer, activist and longtime Corktown resident, died Nov. 23.
Tim Idzikowski
Tim Idzikowski, 36, owner and co-founder of Ferndale-based Detroit BBQ Company, died April 14.
Idzikowski was known for his skill and craft as an expert in barbecuing. His food truck was popular at events like the annual Ferndale Pig & Whiskey festival.
Originally from Fair Haven, Michigan, Idzikowski honed his barbecue and meat-smoking skills on his own. According to the Detroit BBQ Company website, Idzikowski started out with his brother Zac and another friend selling ribs and chicken in 2009 at the Grosse Pointe farmers market, mostly to earn beer money. Things went well and the owners expanded their barbecue knowledge, learning to make pulled pork and other barbecue items. Together they built a catering business and bought a food truck.
Peter Henning
Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor and legal scholar who made a name for himself as a white-collar crime expert who locked up criminals, educated and inspired young lawyers, explained complex legal issues for the media and fought for tougher ethics in his beloved profession, died. Jan. 16. He was 65.
Henning was a professor for 28 years at Wayne State University Law School, where he shared knowledge, wit and passion for justice with all.
Trudy Haynes
Trudy Haynes was Detroit’s first Black weather reporter for WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) in 1963. She made history two years later by becoming the first Black TV news reporter in Philadelphia for KYW-TV, which now goes by CBS-3.
Haynes, 95, died on June 7 at her Philadelphia home.
Her career in broadcast journalism started in 1956, when she was hired at a Black-owned radio station WCHB-FM in Inkster, which is now WMKM. Originally, she was hired to be a receptionist, but after asking the owners, who were her college classmate’s parents, they allowed her to be on a show. She eventually had her own 90-minute segment called, “Women’s Editor,” where she discussed topics geared toward women.
Haynes retired in 1999, but continued throughout the years to freelance for different stations and also create her own show called the Trudy Haynes Show; episodes can be found on YouTube.
Lansing lobbyist and former journalist Kenneth Cole died Jan. 23 at the age of 55. He had been ill for several months.
Among his many accomplishments was serving as a longtime lobbyist for the City of Detroit.
Cole spent seven years with the Detroit News’ Lansing and Washington bureaus before joining Governmental Consultants Services Inc. in 1999. Prior to his illness, he served as a senior vice president for the company.
Fred Hickman, a sports broadcaster who was a staple on the air for more than four decades, died Nov. 9 at 66.
Hickman was perhaps best known for co-anchoring "Sports Tonight" with Nick Charles on CNN, beginning that stint in 1980. From 1984-86, Hickman was a sports anchor/report on WDIV in Detroit.
Edward John Basar II
Edward Basar, a retired Detroit physical education teacher and beloved Boy Scout leader, inspired generations of boys — and more recently, girls — to reach scouting's highest rank, Eagle Scout, firing them up with his catchphrase, "You gotta believe!"
Basar died Nov. 7 at 82 years old.
To help Scouts who might not have enough support from their troop, he created an intense, one-week summer camp at D-Bar-A ranch in Lapeer County, calling it Trail to Eagle. For 25 years, scouts from all over Michigan would sign up for the program.
Bob Loken
Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy Bob Loken, a master trainer for the K-9 unit, died Jan 8. He was 51.
"Deputy Loken was well recognized and highly respected as a master K-9 trainer throughout the law-enforcement community," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "He was a friend to all who knew him and his legacy will continue on through this agency for decades to come,”
Maria Ewing, a soprano and mezzo-soprano noted for intense performances who became the wife of theater director Peter Hall and the mother of actor-director Rebecca Hall, died Jan. 9 at age 71.
Born in Detroit, Ewing made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1976 in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)" and starred as Blanche de la Force in a new John Dexter production of Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmélites" in 1977. She sang 96 Met performances until her finale as Marie in Berg's "Wozzeck" in 1997, a span that included a six-year interruption triggered by a spat with Met artistic director James Levine.
Former Detroit Lions safety William White died July 28 after a six-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
White, 56, played six seasons in Detroit after being drafted in the fourth round of the 1988 NFL draft out of Ohio State. White also spent three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and two with the Atlanta Falcons
NFL Hall of Famer Hugh McElhenny, an elusive running back from the 1950s died June 17. He was 93.
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970, McElhenny’s thrilling runs and all-around skills as a runner, receiver and kick returner made him one of the NFL’s top players of the 1950s. He was the league’s Rookie of the Year in 1952 (before the award became official) and made two All-Pro teams, six Pro Bowls and the NFL’s All-Decade squad of the 1950s. McElhinney ended his NFL career with eight games with the Detroit Lions in 1964, in which he rushed 22 times for 48 yards.
Al Glick
Al Glick, who started a small business and became one of the biggest donors for University of Michigan athletics, died Feb. 8 at the age of 95.
Glick, the chairman and CEO of Alro Steel, based in Jackson, has his name on the Michigan football indoor practice facility. The Al Glick Field House opened in 2009 thanks to a $8.7 million donation from the businessman.
Glick also donated $3 million in 2011 for renovations to Schembechler Hall, the football team's office building. The Ann Arbor campus also has the Glick Family Performance Center. Glick also donated the money to name a section of Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor the Coach Carr Pediatric Cancer Unit in 2011.
Roy Levy Williams
Roy Levy Williams, a prominent figure in Detroit and Michigan government who also served as an auto executive and as president of the Detroit Urban League, died Feb 11. He was 83.
Williams worked for three governors — William Milliken, James Blanchard and John Engler. In state government, he served as a director of urban affairs and also handled many education-related issues.
Yolanda Nichelle Curry
Yolanda Nichelle Curry, a Detroit artist known for her Olde English D signature earrings, died Nov. 1 at 45 years old after fighting cancer twice.
MyMichigan Health President and CEO Diane Postler-Slattery and her husband, Donald Slattery, died in a fatal plane crash in northwest Florida on March 8.
Postler-Slattery first came to Michigan in January 2013, when she became president and CEO of MyMichigan Health. Before that, she was president and chief operating officer of Aspirus Wausau Hospital and senior vice president of quality and extended services for the Aspirus system.
Raymond Wong, an immigrant from Hong Kong, changed palates on both sides of the Detroit River when he opened his restaurant in the late 1970s. He brought new spices, he brought dim sum, and he brought a breeze and swagger that made the proprietor as well-known as the cuisine. He died Aug. 22 at 73 years old.
His first enterprise was a tiny shop called Asian Gift Store that evolved into more of a Chinese grocery. He and a partner opened a restaurant called Yummy House, and then he launched Wong's Eatery in Windsor. As the restaurant expanded, so did his ambitions, opening several more business, often with partners.
Living simply in his last decade, he shared a townhouse near Wayne State University with his longtime beloved, Eileen Bobrycki, a chef herself who had sparked his interest with a spinach feta pizza.
George Cvetanovski
George Cvetanovski, owner of Hamtramck's 7 Brothers Bar, died Feb. 2 at 90.
The bar on Jos. Campau — named for him and his six brothers — was a special site for a generation or so of Planet Ant and Second City Detroit troupe members, along with performers from theater groups all over the city and suburbs.
With walls covered by headshots of actors, posters for shows and theater programs, it was a neighborhood bar that morphed into a theatrical watering hole.
J.J. Barnes
J.J. Barnes, a Detroit native R&B singer who scored a hit single in 1967 with “Baby Please Come Back Home,” died Dec. 10. He was 79.
Born James Jay Barnes in Detroit, he signed with Detroit-based Ric-Tic Records. Later in his career, he signed with Motown Records as a songwriter, but not as a recording artist.
Chris Kucharski
Christina "Chris" Kucharski, a Cass Technical High School graduate who worked in the Detroit Free Press newsroom for more than 30 years as a researcher, writer and news archivist, died July 2 in Rochester Hills. She was 71.
Gene Guidi
Gene Guidi who spent 3½ decades providing sports coverage for the Detroit Free Press and helped readers solve problems through the ground-breaking Action Line column in the 1970s, died at 79 on Sept. 3
Glenna "Nickie" McWhirter
Longtime columnist Nickie McWhirter, 92, described as a "Swiss Army knife" to the Free Press, as she worked at the city desk, in the lifestyle section, covered advertisements in the business department and more, died May 16 at Sunrise Assisted Living in Troy.
Brendel Hightower is an assistant editor at the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com.
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2022-12-31T13:13:25Z
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www.freep.com
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Michigan lost these notable figures in 2022
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/31/michigan-lost-these-notable-figures-in-2022/69712261007/
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https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/12/31/michigan-lost-these-notable-figures-in-2022/69712261007/
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What to know about Mexican Fiesta, Milwaukee's celebration of Mexican food and culture returning Aug. 26-28
Get ready to enjoy food, music and culture at one of the largest Mexican festivals in the Midwest, Milwaukee's Mexican Fiesta, which returns to the Summerfest grounds for its 48th year Aug. 26-28.
Enjoy freshly baked bread Pan de Feria and classic favorites like tacos, carnitas, tostadas and margaritas. Purchase art and handcrafted products from over 150 vendors at the festival's Cultural Pavilion.
You can experience mariachi music, folkloric dance performances, a jalapeño-eating contest and more.
Proceeds from the festival benefit the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, Inc. WHSF provides scholarships to Hispanic students enrolled in Wisconsin colleges and universities who provided volunteer service for WHSF events, including Mexican Fiesta.
Since its founding in 1987, WHSF has provided over $1.8 million in scholarships to Hispanic Wisconsin residents.
When is Mexican Fiesta?
Mexican Fiesta takes places Friday, Aug. 26 through Sunday, Aug. 28. The festival runs from noon until midnight all three days.
Where is Mexican Fiesta located?
Mexican Fiesta is located at Maier Festival Park — otherwise known as the Summerfest grounds, at 200 N. Harbor Drive in Milwaukee.
General admission pre-sale tickets are available online at mexicanfiesta.org for $18 each.
Tickets can also be purchased at the gate for $22 each.
Tickets for children under age 8 are free with the purchase of an adult ticket.
How can I get free or discounted admission?
Friday only, admission is free for the general public from noon until 3 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, admission is free from noon until 1 p.m. for senior citizens age 65 and older, people with disabilities, active duty military and veterans with current identification.
Sunday from noon until 2 p.m. only, general admission tickets can be purchased at the gate for a reduced price of $14.
You can also purchase the Mexican Fiesta Package online or at the box office. For $60, this promotional ticket package includes four tickets.
Mexican Fiesta features an extensive lineup of live contemporary, traditional and mariachi music throughout the weekend.
Highlights include a performances by "Híbrido" singer Virlán García, pop duo Jesse & Joy and salsa artist Jerry Rivera on Friday, singer-songwriter Lila Downs on Saturday and a variety of local groups each day.
A complete list of performers can be found on mexicanfiesta.org.
According to the festival website, vendors from many local restaurants and food stands will sell food and beverages throughout the festival grounds.
Tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, gorditas, carnitas, pinchos, burritos, pizza, corn in the cup and a large selection of desserts will be some of the foods available for purchase at the festival.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages must be purchased with a beverage ticket, which will be available at the ticket booths on the festival grounds.
A large lineup of vintage and custom vehicles, including low riders, will be on display on the festival grounds Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
The popular car and motorcycle show is open to all festival-goers.
Fiesta Run & Walk
The Fiesta Run & Walk for Diabetes and Obesity Awareness takes place Sunday morning at the South Gate of the Summerfest grounds. The gates open at 7 a.m.
It costs $12 to participate or $40 for a team of four. Children under 8 can register for free. Participants can register online on the festival website.
Celebrate Mass
Catholic Mass will be celebrated Sunday morning at the South Gate by Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez with music from Mariachi Jalisco es México. The gates will be open for Mass from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
A lakefront procession honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe will take place following Mass at 12:30 p.m.
The Summerfest general parking lot is available on a first-come-first-served basis.
According to the festival website, parking prices have been determined by Summerfest, not Mexican Fiesta.
Get more details online at mexicanfiesta.org or by calling the Mexican Fiesta office at (414) 383-7066.
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2022-08-16T14:47:22Z
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www.jsonline.com
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What to know about Milwaukee's Mexican Fiesta
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/08/16/what-know-milwaukees-mexican-fiesta/10328113002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/08/16/what-know-milwaukees-mexican-fiesta/10328113002/
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'Bay City deserves it': Restoration project paves way for Wisconsin village to regain access to Lake Pepin
BAY CITY - Some stars have finally aligned for the residents of Bay City.
Over the past few decades, they've watched their vibrant waterfront — connecting to Lake Pepin, the largest lake on the Mississippi River — become nearly unusable.
People had once come from all over to the village, about 90 minutes upriver from La Crosse, to swim, boat and fish. But over time, sediment pouring in from the river has filled in their harbor, making it too shallow during parts of the year to do much of anything.
That could all change starting next year. A multimillion-dollar Army Corps of Engineers habitat restoration project will also dredge a channel from Bay City's harbor deep enough for boats to pass into the lake.
The will of the community, the work of a local advocacy organization and a special pot of funding — which went to only nine other projects across the nation — made it happen.
RELATED: A federal funding program with bipartisan support helped clean up the Great Lakes. Could it work for the Mississippi River, too?
RELATED: High water and prolonged flooding are changing the ecosystem of the Upper Mississippi River, a new report finds
The main thrust of the Corps project is building islands in the upper part of the lake, using material they've dredged from the lower part of the lake, to reduce wave action and produce calmer habitats where fish and wildlife can thrive.
For Rylee Hince, executive director of the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance, it was clear that it was time to seize the moment for Bay City — "a rural, small-town river community that will maybe never see an opportunity like this again, to have federal funding come in and actually provide an economic benefit."
The Corps expects to award a contract in the fall and is aiming to start the project next spring. Residents are eagerly awaiting it.
That includes Frank and Cathy Dosdall, born and raised in Bay City. They say that it's been so difficult over the years to get the harbor the dredging it needs, they've had to convince some people that the project is happening at all.
Why is it really happening this time? Maybe, they think, the project just finally found the right backing. Along with federal and state funding, towns from up and down this stretch of river are pitching in.
"Bay City deserves it," Frank said.
Dredged material put to use for fish, plant and wildlife habitat
The Army Corps of Engineers routinely dredges sand, silt and gravel from the river to clear the way for barges to pass through its shipping channels. Over the years, that's led to piles of the material so large they're running out of places to put it.
Following a 2017 feasibility study, funding for the Lake Pepin project emerged from a portion of the Water Resources and Development Act of 1992, which allows the Corps to cost-share on projects that use dredged material for environmental benefits.
A separate portion of the act asked the Corps to find 10 pilot projects for beneficial use of dredged material. It will pay specifically for the transportation of the material, using barges and bulldozers.
Of 95 submitted proposals, the Lake Pepin project was the only one chosen on the Mississippi River.
"I must say, it was a surprise," said Tom Novak, a Corps project manager overseeing the Lake Pepin initiative. "You have all these submittals in your own division ... maybe they know a good project when they see one."
The Corps will start with two islands, building their base with dredged material that currently sits in a pile at the lower end of the lake and covering it with fine topsoil that comes from nearby so that they can plant trees and shrubs.
The islands — and the vegetation that eventually grows — will help block wave action when wind blows across Lake Pepin, creating a calm area behind the island where aquatic plants can grow and wildlife can settle.
The dredging done to produce the topsoil, which will also create the access channel between Bay City's harbor and the lake, will produce six to eight-foot deep waters that can also provide habitat to help bass and bluegill survive the winter.
They'll also construct a dike to help Pierce County and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources manage water levels in the backwaters, eventually creating a better habitat for waterfowl.
Finally, they'll put a rock deflector into a channel where most of the upstream sediment pours into Bay City's harbor, called Catherine's Pass. When water hits the deflector, it'll start to move faster and wash sediment further down the river rather than allowing it to slowly fill in near Bay City.
Aside from checking occasionally on whether the river — which Novak called "the final contractor" — has started to erode the islands or if the trees planted on them have started to be eaten by deer, the project requires little maintenance, he said.
And eventually, it should produce a visible impact for people who boat and fish there.
Communities come together to make project a reality
After previous island-building projects, mostly done further down the river, Novak said the Corps relies on local officials and residents to tell them how well it's working. For example, local fishers will keep an eye on water quality and people who frequent the river will watch for more bird activity.
On Lake Pepin, Novak said a key indicator could be whether more ice fishing occurs in Catherine's Pass — which would mean the deeper pools for overwintering fish are working as they should.
From the beginning, though, he said the public has always been interested in the project. During a early planning meeting in Red Wing, Minn., across the river from Bay City, more than 100 people attended and were anxious to see things get started, he recalled.
But the project may not have even been a reality if it weren't for the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance, Novak said. For years, he said, Hince was showing up at other Corps meetings and asking if anything could be done at the upper part of Lake Pepin.
"She pushed, and she pushed, and she pushed," he said.
Today, the project's price tag sits at about $23 million. In addition to the federal and state funding and funds from the village of Bay City itself, surrounding communities have pitched in, including Red Wing, Pepin County and the village of Stockholm, about 20 minutes south of Bay City.
"This isn’t just the Corps' project. This is everybody’s project," Novak said.
In the four to five years it could take for the entire project to be completed, Bay City residents will make some sacrifices: lots of trucks moving through the village, for example, and potentially some changes to public access to the waterfront where the Corps' staging area will be.
Still, Village Clerk Kim Lunda said, residents are "very upbeat" about the possibilities of the project for better wildlife habitat and improved recreation for boaters and fishers.
Frank Dosdall said he's spoken with village staff about road repair in case the trucks that move through are too heavy, but that those considerations pale in comparison to the good he thinks the project will do.
"You've got to give a little to get some," he said. "They're going to make it right."
When it's complete, he pictures a return to the fun he and his friends and family had in Bay City decades ago, when the water was still high: boating, swimming and fishing all summer long.
Maybe, he brainstormed, the once-iconic fishing economy could rebound. They could open a bait shop. Perhaps he and Cathy would even move back down to their lake house by the water.
"Bay City's gonna come back, especially with this project," he said. "It'll bring more people in here."
Madeline Heim is a Report for America corps reporter who writes about environmental challenges in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com.
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2022-08-16T14:47:39Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Army Corps habitat project to help Bay City access to Lake Pepin
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/army-corps-habitat-project-help-bay-city-access-lake-pepin/10125681002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/army-corps-habitat-project-help-bay-city-access-lake-pepin/10125681002/
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The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission alleging the Racine City Clerk violated state election laws through the use of mobile voting sites.
The complaint by the conservative law firm — filed on behalf of Racine County GOP Chairman Ken Brown — takes aim at the Racine voting van that travels throughout the city to meet voters in their neighborhoods and collect early ballots. The complaint claims the van is disproportionately deployed in heavily Democratic voting wards.
The election statute in question states "a municipality may elect to designate a site other than the office of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners as the location from which electors of the municipality may request and vote absentee ballots and to which voted absentee ballots shall be returned by electors for any election."
The same law says "no site may be designated that affords an advantage to any political party," and states absentee ballot collection sites must be located as near as possible to a clerk's office.
Racine city clerk Tara McMenamin disputed accusations that the van was selectively dispatched to blue-voting areas, and said any perception of bias stems from a poor understanding of the city's wards, which traditionally lean Democratic.
"You can see our polling locations are all over the city — north, south, east, west, and we try to spread them out appropriately," McMenamin said. "All of our wards...all lean Democratic, so it would be extremely hard to say 'yes, no, this ward or that ward.' We try to spread it out evenly throughout the entire city."
The voting van is a relatively new election apparatus in Racine and was employed during the Aug. 9 primary and this year's February elections after being purchased by the city through a Center for Tech and Civic Life grant.
Critics of the van suggested it operated as an absentee drop box in the primary election — a charge that has yet to be proven and would violate state statutes after drop boxes were outlawed by the state Supreme Court last month.
The van's proponents say it is fully staffed, strictly utilized for in-person early voting and is only deployed two weeks before elections in accordance with state law, meaning it is not akin to a mobile drop box.
"There's no latch on mobile van that allows people to put in their ballot when we're not open," McMenamin said "The only time people are allowed to bring ballots there was exactly the same as it was at City Hall in room 207. It's always staffed, and it's only open when it's staffed."
In a statement issued by WILL, the organization's Deputy Counsel Anthony LoCoco called on WEC to take action against the city of Racine.
“Racine’s use of mobile voting sites violates clear directives in state law on the collection of absentee ballots at alternative sites," LoCoco said. "WEC must make clear that Racine is violating the law and ensure that clerks across the state understand what is, and is not permitted in Wisconsin law.”
The allegations against Racine were filed as a 506 complaint, and categorized as an "Election Official Abuse or Violation," of state voting laws. Should the WEC rule in favor of WILL, Racine may be ordered to eliminate the voting van from its electoral procedures.
Until there is a ruling from WEC, Racine plans to continue using the voting van and will operate under the assumption the practice is not a violation of state election laws, McMenamin said.
"Until we hear an order from a judge or there's a change in the law, we're going to use it how we have been," McMenamin said. "We're going to keep noticing it in our Type B Notice, we're not going to have it open other than any other days and times that our notice is there for in-person voting, and certainly people can still come while we're open, during those days and times."
The WEC said the commission traditionally weighs in on complaints in the order in which they are received, but declined to comment on upcoming rulings or provide an indicator of its leaning on the legality of the Racine voting van.
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2022-08-16T14:47:51Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Racine's mobile voting site draws complaint by conservative legal firm
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/racine-mobile-voting-site-draws-complaint-conservative-wisconsin-institute-for-law-liberty/10313221002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/racine-mobile-voting-site-draws-complaint-conservative-wisconsin-institute-for-law-liberty/10313221002/
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Like many of my fellow Americans, I’ve been glued to the TV for each new episode of the Jan. 6 hearings, a skillfully executed drama in which the investigators piece by piece disassemble a “big lie” about a fanciful stolen election and a nearly successful coup. But as I watch, I can’t help but thinking of another time when a big lie was tearing our nation apart.
Not long before my tour of duty in Vietnam ended, The New York Times published The Pentagon Papers, a carefully researched, methodical takedown of the distortions, misrepresentations and downright fabrications that were killing a thousand U. S. soldiers a month. It turned out many in leadership knew from the beginning that our Vietnam adventure was doomed. Still, despite all the coffins and stretchers, most in government did not want Vietnam’s big lie exposed. Too many were invested in a false narrative, and it took a decision from the Supreme Court to allow the truth to be told.
I was thrilled by the news and naively believed that the Papers’ release would result in outrage and accountability. A National Day of Honesty that would end the war and our country’s nightmare. To my frustration, the story sparked a debate about freedom of the press rather than focus on the mountains of lies we’d told our soldiers, the men and women who risked, and lost, the most. And it didn’t take long for the country to move back to its respective political corners. Meanwhile, the war continued, and another 15,000 lives would be lost.
More:Pressure campaigns, predictable violence: What we learned from all eight Jan. 6 hearings
More:Will Trump or his allies face charges over Jan. 6? Legal experts explain hurdles DOJ faces
One of my last assignments as a soldier/journalist before leaving Vietnam in 1971 was to “sanitize” a story I’d written about newly minted South Vietnamese Army novices recruited as part of President Richard Nixon’s plan to turn the ground war over to our allies in order to secure “peace with honor.” The U.S. command heralded them as South Vietnam’s best and brightest, even though many of them had to be bribed to enlist.
I sensed almost immediately that these new recruits would fold when they met the better-trained and more committed North Vietnamese troops. And no sooner than you could say “Ho Chi Minh,” a large number of them had gone AWOL or deserted. Of course, only the “sanitized” version of the story about the new recruits was published. Officially, there was still light at the end of the tunnel. To say otherwise would hurt the morale of the soldiers and those that still believed in the war back home.
But lies often come back to haunt. The abject failure of this scheme helped set the stage for our humiliating departure from Vietnam in 1975, the U.S. embassy overrun as burdened helicopters strained to take off.
Flash forward almost 50 years and I watched another group of touted recruits, new Afghani soldiers, suffer a similar collapse. But the media coverage focused on the initial days of chaos at the airport before our soldiers took control, not the decades of lies and corruption that surrounded our doomed war in Afghanistan. A new war and the same old lies, its own Pentagon Papers ignored.
Because of television, social media, and first-rate choreography, the Jan. 6 hearings have captured more public interest than the Pentagon Papers. But it remains uncertain whether the committee will convince the American electorate, and many of its politicians, that whatever our political differences, we must accept a common rule book and code of conduct. That we must be worthy of the best of our traditions that so many, among them my Vietnam comrades, have fought and died for.
I still feel guilty about my role as part of the Army’s propaganda machine and have spent much of my life since trying to tell the truth about Vietnam. But anger has replaced guilt. I took an oath to support and defend our government and its Constitution, and it is maddening to see so many of our nation’s leaders shirk their duty and hide behind a wall of lies, rather than tell the truth to their constituents. In the military, they would face a court martial.
In the end, it is up to us whether the Jan. 6 Committee becomes the needed wake-up call that keeps our country free of tyranny. In another half century, will historians look back on this moment, asking why we couldn’t face the truth, even when our democracy was in peril? Maybe if Vietnam teaches us about the dangers of believing in a lie, even a seemingly comforting one, then the Vietnam War might still do some good.
U. S. Army veteran Doug Bradley spent 365 days in Vietnam in 1970-71 and is the author of three books grounded in his Vietnam experience. Bruce Meredith, who witnessed and wrote about his own lies and deception working in military intelligence during his Vietnam tour, helped him frame this piece.
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2022-08-16T14:48:03Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Lies exposed by Jan. 6 hearings recall Pentagon Papers and Vietnam War
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/08/16/lies-exposed-jan-6-hearings-recall-pentagon-papers-and-vietnam-war/10309945002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/2022/08/16/lies-exposed-jan-6-hearings-recall-pentagon-papers-and-vietnam-war/10309945002/
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Greenfield boy finally returns home after three months in hospital following serious injuries from hit-and-run accident
After nearly three months in the hospital following a hit-and run-accident, 17-year-old Trevor Le-Morrison came home Aug. 11.
Walter Grebe, of Muskego, stands accused of hitting Le-Morrison with his car on May 21 and is charged with felony hit and run. Grebe is scheduled to be in court for a plea hearing Oct. 27.
The time has not been easy, and Le-Morrison even spent his birthday in the hospital room as he recovered from two broken femurs, a broken collarbone, fractured vertebrae and brain bleeding, among other injuries. Le-Morrison plans to spend his senior year in high school as captain of Greenfield’s soccer team.
“Home wasn't home without Trevor, without his smile, his laugh,” mom Oanh Le said. “Trevor was very helpful around the house.”
Le-Morrison said he planned on attending half days at the high school and cheering on the soccer team from the sidelines.
“They're gonna give my brain time to heal,” Le-Morrison said. He added that the best part about coming home was sleeping in his own bed.
Le said friends and community members have been supportive of her son’s recovery, from hosting fundraiser events to donating money for medical bills. Trevor’s soccer coach, Peter Knebel, posted a GoFundMe fundraiser, which has received more than $40,000.
Le said her son still has a lot of recovery and physical therapy ahead of him, but she is much more at peace.
“I’m a little bit more at ease, knowing that he's home with us now, knowing that we can care for him at home but it’s still a long road to recovery,” Le said.
Grebe, of Milwaukee, could face up to 15 years in prison and up to $50,000 in fines if convicted in the crash.
Grebe also has an open 2019 case in Waukesha County. In that case, prosecutors charged him with three misdemeanors and a felony drug possession charge.
More:A Milwaukee man has pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run charge in a West Allis crash that killed a Milwaukee woman
More:'This is like an early Christmas': Milwaukee community leader Andre Lee Ellis gives away hundreds of bikes for his birthday
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2022-08-16T19:07:26Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Greenfield boy injured in hit-and-run crash finally returns home
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/08/16/greenfield-boy-trevor-le-morrison-injured-hit-and-run-crash-finally-returns-home/10337340002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/08/16/greenfield-boy-trevor-le-morrison-injured-hit-and-run-crash-finally-returns-home/10337340002/
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Rock musician Jack White, scheduled to play a show Tuesday night at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, could be spotted in multiple places around Milwaukee on Monday, including in the stands at American Family Field during the Brewers' 4-0 loss to the Dodgers.
White, a big baseball fan, often takes in MLB games — in 2019, he famously started his night at a Nationals-Brewers game, left to play a show and came back to watch the finish of the 15-14 marathon.
More:Kendrick Lamar, Nelly, Keith Urban and more: 15 top Milwaukee concerts in August
More:Jack White tried to skip 'Seven Nation Army.' His Milwaukee fans wouldn't let him
It's not the only place you might have seen White in Milwaukee on Monday. He stopped by Burnhearts bar in Bay View and sausage aficionado Vanguard — which, by the way, is offering a "Jack, White and Blue Dog" with blue hue as an homage to White's current hair color. White indeed got to try the delicacy he inspired yesterday.
White's stop in Milwaukee for "The Supply Chain Issues Tour" begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
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2022-08-16T19:07:32Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Rocker Jack White visited Milwaukee Brewers, Bay View hot spots Monday
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/08/16/rocker-jack-white-visited-milwaukee-brewers-bay-view-hot-spots-monday/10338437002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/2022/08/16/rocker-jack-white-visited-milwaukee-brewers-bay-view-hot-spots-monday/10338437002/
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MADISON - About 30% of Wisconsin's monkeypox vaccine has been administered by providers as the number of cases in the state are slowly rising.
To date, 980 doses of the 3,286 vials of the Jynneos vaccine have been given to patients, said Jennifer Miller, Department of Health Services spokeswoman.
As of Monday, 42 cases of orthopoxvirus, presumed to be monkeypox, were confirmed in Wisconsin. As of Aug.12, there were 11,177 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States.
DHS has identified three priority groups for vaccination: those who have had sexual relations in the last two weeks with someone diagnosed with monkeypox, people who have attended an event or venue with known monkeypox exposure and, notably, gay and bisexual men, trans men and women, gender nonconforming people and any man who has had sex with men in the last 14 days.
Wisconsin's Democratic congressional leaders including U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, and U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore, Mark Pocan and Ron Kind have asked the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide the state with additional resources and to work with members of the LGBTQ+ community to reduce stigmatization and misinformation.
More:Wisconsin health officials plan to stretch the monkeypox vaccine supply with smaller doses
“Although the risk of widespread transmission remains low, it is essential that we have supplies on hand to both prevent new cases and provide care for those who contract this virus,” said the members of Congress. “Unfortunately, nationwide, access to testing remains a challenge, which has prevented us from having a full understanding of the reach and spread of this virus. This is unacceptable. It is imperative that the Administration act without delay to remove barriers to testing to help us better understand how monkeypox is spreading nationally.”
The Biden administration announced it would make up to 442,000 doses of the vaccine available for states and jurisdictions Monday, but Miller said Wisconsin has not yet been able to order the vaccine.
"DHS will order more vaccine as soon as they are able," Miller said. "DHS will be able to order all vaccine allocated to (Wisconsin) during phase 3 for a total of 2,700 doses."
Last week, Ryan Westergaard, DHS' chief medical officer, said Wisconsin has received about 54% of the total allocation of the monkeypox vaccine the state requested.
The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization last week for the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine so it can be available for adults as a so-called intradermal injection, which penetrates only the top layer of skin.
Westergaard said doses could go five times further if providers used the alternate method of giving the shots under the skin vs. in the muscle. But it is unclear if providers are comfortable using that method.
The Jynneos vaccine requires two doses given 28 days apart.
Miller said DHS is working with "approved and interested" vaccinators to determine their ability to administer Jynneos intradermally.
"Multiple vaccinators who are already administering vaccine have expressed interest in switching to intradermal vaccination or have already started," Miller said. "Not every vaccinator will immediately be able to administer Jynneos intradermally, but this option still greatly increases the number of vaccines available to Wisconsin residents."
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2022-08-16T19:07:56Z
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www.jsonline.com
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About 30% of Wisconsin's monkeypox vaccine has been distributed
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/30-wisconsins-monkeypox-vaccine-has-been-distributed/10327393002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/30-wisconsins-monkeypox-vaccine-has-been-distributed/10327393002/
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The recently concluded Wisconsin State Fair attracted 1,003,450 fairgoers, a 19% increase over 2021 attendance, the fair reported Tuesday.
In 2021, with attendance depressed by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fair drew 841,074 visitors. Because of the pandemic, there was no 2020 fair. Prior to that, State Fair had attracted more than a million visitors for seven consecutive years, with a modern-day attendance record of more than 1.1 million fairgoers in 2019.
This year's State Fair took place Aug. 4-14. Other entertaining numbers from its statistical wrapup:
Wisconsin Bakers Association served 320,000 cream puffs.
The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction raised $321,950. The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Meat Products Auction raised more than $100,000; the Blue Ribbon Dairy Products Auction raised $45,565. A portion of proceeds from each auction goes to Wisconsin youth agriculture programs and scholarships.
More than 100,000 ears of corn were served.
Gertrude’s Pretzels served nearly 13,000 Peño Pretzel Popper Brats, the first-place Sporkies winner at this year's fair.
The 2023 State Fair will take place Aug. 3-13.
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2022-08-16T22:53:20Z
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www.jsonline.com
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State Fair 2022 attendance topped 1 million, a big jump from last year
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/08/16/state-fair-2022-attendance-topped-1-million-big-jump-last-year/10342779002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/state-fair/2022/08/16/state-fair-2022-attendance-topped-1-million-big-jump-last-year/10342779002/
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To Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, the Racine County man who fraudulently sought d absentee ballots to prove voter fraud exists, shouldn't be prosecuted.
Instead, Johnson said Harry Wait should be called a "white hat hacker" for "trying to show a vulnerability" in the system overseen by the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
"There was no malign intent to what he did," Johnson told reporters Tuesday, at an event in Milwaukee focused on border security.
Asked if Wait should face felony charges, Johnson said "I certainly wouldn't prosecute whatever he did. I appreciate what he did. I think he did the public a service showing a vulnerability that obviously WEC isn't concerned about."
Johnson said Wait's actions should have led WEC officials to shut down that function on the online system.
Wolfe said, in part, "Intentionally using someone else’s identity to subvert the system does not demonstrate a flaw with MyVote, but rather a flaw with that person’s conduct."
A spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Justice said the investigation is "ongoing."
Wait said in a telephone interview he submitted data to the Attorney General's office.
"I guess I’m waiting to see what the response is going to be," he said.
Wait said Johnson's comments "sound pretty complimentary considering you have to break a law to get attention from WEC."
In July, Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling revealed he was aware of Wait's plot, but blamed state elections officials for not having a secure absentee ballot system.
The Schmaling's office later released a statement saying he requested an investigation by the Attorney General since the matter was "a state-wide problem with state-wide implications."
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2022-08-16T22:53:38Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Ron Johnson praises 'white hat hacker' who sought to prove voter fraud
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/ron-johnson-praises-white-hat-hacker-who-sought-prove-voter-fraud/10341551002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/ron-johnson-praises-white-hat-hacker-who-sought-prove-voter-fraud/10341551002/
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MADISON - A $10 million grant program announced Tuesday will help more than 1,000 Wisconsin households with contaminated wells pay the price of a replacement.
Gov. Tony Evers and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole announced the funding, which will serve as an expansion to the existing Well Compensation Program, Tuesday morning in Oconto.
The funding is aimed at expanding access to clean water in Wisconsin, and in particular, the nearly 1 million people in the state who rely on private wells instead of public water systems. The investment is expected to help address contamination in 1,036 wells across the state.
“Whether it’s our kids in our schools, families cooking dinner, or our farmers who depend on conservation, every Wisconsinite deserves access to clean, safe water,” said Evers in a press release. “Unfortunately, too many families across our state know firsthand how it feels to turn on the tap and not be able to trust what comes out, and many have had to rely on plastic water bottles for drinking water."
The program will make funding more widely available for situations involving nitrate contamination, which has become a problem particularly in rural areas of Wisconsin near large factory farms or those near farms that routinely fertilize crops. It eliminates a previous requirement that only would allow funding to be accessed if the well was used as a water supply of livestock.
MORE: Study of water in 3 southwestern Wisconsin counties points to solutions for protecting private wells
The thresholds for nitrate-contaminated wells will also be dropped from 40 parts per million, to 10 parts per million, in order to comply with the recommended health standards of the state.
Nitrate is the state’s most widespread contaminant of groundwater. According to the agency about 10%, or 80,000, of the state’s private wells fail to meet the state drinking water standard of 10 parts per million.
The contaminant mostly comes from manure or fertilizer but can also originate from septic systems and other sources, as well.
Studies suggest that drinking water with elevated levels of nitrate over a sustained period can cause birth defects, thyroid problems and colon cancer. Pregnant women and babies are the most vulnerable. The contaminant has been associated with a condition called blue baby syndrome, which reduces the amount of oxygen in a baby’s blood.
MORE:Wisconsin voters care about clean water. Why aren't lawmakers paying closer attention?
In addition to addressing nitrate, the funding will also:
Allow well replacement if any source of bacterial contamination is found that presents a risk to human health
Increase individual grant funding from $65,000 to $100,000
Eliminate a requirement for reduction of a grant amount if a claimant's income is over $45,000, and
Expand eligibility to non-community wells, including churches, daycare centers, rural restaurants and other small businesses.
The program will also address arsenic contamination, by reducing the standard from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion. Arsenic, which is a naturally occurring contaminant, impacts the northeastern and southeastern parts of the state. Exposure to arsenic over time can cause skin damage, problems with the nervous system and an increased risk of cancer, according to the press release.
The funding is meant to fill a gap left when the Republican-controlled Legislature last year declined to include updates to the well compensation program in the biennial budget that had been recommended by Evers.
MORE: Email reveals DNR has abandoned groundwater rulemaking for nitrates, citing strict timeline and difficult process set by Legislature
“Too many people have been searching for solutions to help them address their well contamination issues and coming up empty due to the unnecessarily prohibitive requirements of our state’s existing grant program," said Rep. Katrina Shankland, D- Stevens Point, in a release. "Our new program will have a transformational impact for communities like mine across Wisconsin, and it shows our governor’s and my understanding of the gravity and urgency of the problem and our willingness to address the issue when others in the Capitol would not.”
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2022-08-16T22:53:45Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Wisconsin expands well replacement program ensuring clean water access
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/wisconsin-expands-well-replacement-program-ensuring-clean-water-access/10339189002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/16/wisconsin-expands-well-replacement-program-ensuring-clean-water-access/10339189002/
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Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Tuesday that what he has seen at the nation's southern border is "profoundly disturbing," as he accused the Biden administration of creating an "open borders" policy.
"We had the border largely under control," Johnson said, a reference to actions taken while former President Donald Trump was in office.
"Now it's completely out of control or darn close to completely out of control," he added during a roundtable discussion on the border at the Federal Building in Milwaukee.
Johnson is running for a third term this fall and has sought to make border security a focus in the campaign.
The event took place as new numbers from the southern border were released this week. Border Patrol agents have made around 1.82 million arrests during the current fiscal year that runs from October to Sept. 30.
At the current rate, more than 2 million immigration arrests at the border are expected for the full fiscal year for the first time.
One factor that may be contributing to the surge is Title 42, a pandemic-related health order allowing border agents to expel migrants. The migrants may then be attempting to cross repeatedly. A federal court has blocked the Biden administration from scrapping the policy.
"People are coming here and completely taking advantage of our broken system," Johnson said.
A Biden administration official noted that "for the second month in a row, the number of total encounters at the southwest border is down. While numbers fluctuate month-to-month, this is the first two-month drop since October 2021."
The Biden administration official said steps taken to secure the border include "launching an aggressive campaign to combat the multi-billion dollar human smuggling industry," increased funding for the Department of Homeland Security and cutting "asylum processing times from years to months by putting in place dedicated immigration judges."
Johnson's event focused on a surge of migration and problems with human trafficking and illicit drugs. Johnson spoke of his own experiences touring the border, including meeting two little girls who were unaccompanied as they crossed into the United States.
Responding to the event, Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the immigration rights group Voces de la Frontera accused Johnson of attempting "to align with Trump and the far right to try to peddle hate-mongering and division."
"We had a working asylum system," she said. "What the Trump era did was create this humanitarian crisis where people have been denied this right."
Johnson's panel focused on securing the border.
"Why are we not screaming as a nation?" said Mark Morgan, who served during the Trump administration as commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and harshly criticized the Biden administration as he called for the impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Homeland Security secretary.
"It's not a right or left issue. It's an American issue. We have to secure our borders," Morgan said.
"What we’re doing today is not humane," said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council. The union that represents around 18,000 Border Patrol agents endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020.
After the event, the union announced it was endorsing Johnson in his reelection campaign against his Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
During the presentation, Johnson was also joined by three Wisconsin sheriffs and Lauri Badura, founder of Saving Others for Archie, named after her son who died of an accidental overdose.
"I feel like fentanyl is in everything," she said.
Law enforcement has accused Mexican cartels of manufacturing fentanyl and moving it illegally across the border to the United States.
"It is a crisis that affects us right here in northeast Wisconsin," said Ryan Waldschmidt, Fond du Lac County sheriff.
Waldschmidt said recent drug cases in his county have been traced back to Mexico. He said the problems at the border "are affecting everybody, all ages, all sexes, all Americans, all political affiliations."
Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podell said he has been in the profession for 40 years and recalled decades ago when migrants would come to the area and leave after the harvest.
"Wisconsin is a border state," he said. "We're getting everything that comes through that open border."
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2022-08-16T22:53:51Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Ron Johnson rips Joe Biden border policies
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/16/ron-johnson-rips-joe-biden-border-policies/10330681002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/16/ron-johnson-rips-joe-biden-border-policies/10330681002/
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State funding boosted for Milwaukee County-run youth facility to help close Lincoln Hills
MADISON - In another key step toward closing Lincoln Hills youth prison north of Wausau, a state committee on Tuesday boosted funding for future county-run secure facilities in Milwaukee and Racine counties.
The state Legislature's Joint Finance Committee provided $13.1 million to Milwaukee County on top of the $15.2 million that had been previously allocated to a secure residential care center.
The $28.3 million will be used to renovate and expand the Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center in Wauwatosa to include 32 beds for youths. Four of those beds will be for girls.
The county two years ago deferred acceptance of the original $15.2 million grant, which was about $8.4 million less than the county had sought.
The additional funding puts the project on track to move forward.
Milwaukee County Health and Human Services Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the committee meeting that the funding for the county-run facility and the first crucial moves last week on building a state-run facility in Milwaukee marked progress toward bringing Milwaukee County kids to their community.
"It's an opportunity for us to serve the youth, to bring them closer to home and to give them the things that they need so they don't reoffend and end up in the deeper end (of the justice system) later on in life," she said.
State legislation enacted in early 2018 as part of the effort to close the troubled Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls mandated the creation of smaller facilities that would keep youths closer to their communities. New state-run facilities would be responsible for the most serious juvenile offenders, with county-run facilities for youths who committed lower-level offenses.
But those plans were long delayed until recent weeks.
The legislation approved Tuesday redirected about $21.1 million from secure residential care centers that had been proposed in Dane and Brown counties to Milwaukee and Racine counties. Racine county's grant was increased by about $8 million, to $48 million.
State Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, told the Journal Sentinel that Dane County had asked to no longer participate and Brown County is not currently seeking a facility.
Born and his Joint Finance Committee co-chair state Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, in a statement called the secure residential care centers "an important component of the future of our juvenile corrections system, which provides essential rehabilitation services while protecting public safety."
"Our JFC action today is one more important step toward fulfilling our promise to close Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake," they said. "The updated plan we approved, created in collaboration with the counties where the (county-run facilities) will be located, will redistribute funding so these projects are able to move forward and bring those at Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake closer to their support systems."
State Rep. Michael Schraa, R-Oshkosh, one of the main architects of the 2018 legislation to close Lincoln Hills, said in a statement that the new state and county juvenile facilities would make it possible to finally make that closure a reality.
In a statement, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said changes to the Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center would allow the county to provide its youths with services and programming they need to get back on track at home.
"Ultimately, the goal is to get our youth out of detention centers and back into the community leading full and successful lives," he said. "Today’s vote helps us do just that while reducing barriers to accessing needed services or programming and promoting race and health equity."
The committee's approval came a week after Gov. Tony Evers announced plans to build a new 32-bed, state-run youth prison on Milwaukee's northwest side and days after the Milwaukee Common Council on an 11-1 vote backed legislation expressing the city's support for the proposed site.
The location needed the city's support to move forward under a state law that approved $42 million for the new state-run juvenile facility.
The site was praised by local advocates and officials while neighbors, who did not have a chance to weigh in before the council vote, had mixed reactions to the location on a former vehicle emissions inspection center at 7930 W. Clinton Ave.
Additional steps in that process are anticipated, and elected officials have said neighbors will be able to provide their input.
Still, neither of the new facilities in Milwaukee will be open immediately, even as Milwaukee County's juvenile justice system has been strained by rising costs of sending youth to Lincoln Hills and by overcrowding in its detention facility.
LaGrant-McClain said she did not expect the new county-run facility to be operational for at least 18 months.
A report from state Department of Administration Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld to Born and Marklein anticipated that construction of the state-run facility would start in 2024, with completion coming 18 months to two years later. That site was chosen for reasons including its proximity to community services, regular bus service and its lack of known environmental issues, she wrote.
Before those facilities are built, LaGrant-McClain said the county would lean on funding allocated to build out mental health, education and recreation services to divert kids from the juvenile system in addition to directing resources to the Milwaukee County Accountability Program for serious offenders and a mentoring program for at-risk youths called Credible Messengers.
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2022-08-16T22:53:57Z
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www.jsonline.com
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State funding boosted for Milwaukee County-run youth facility
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/16/state-funding-boosted-milwaukee-county-run-youth-facility/10309376002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/16/state-funding-boosted-milwaukee-county-run-youth-facility/10309376002/
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Two new local restaurants have been proposed to become a part of the 84South project in Greenfield
A pair of restaurants, each with its own vibe and separated by a common outdoor event space, are being proposed for a key location in Greenfield.
Cobalt Partners is teaming with The Lowlands Group on The Lokal, a project which would bring a Café Hollander and The Feisty Loon to the northwest corner of West Layton Avenue and South 84th Street as part of the 84South development.
The Greenfield Plan Commission reviewed a conceptual plan for the development Aug. 9. Because planning is in the early stages, no vote was taken, but commissioners' feedback was positive.
"From the inception of 84South, we have always intended for this corner to be the "crowning jewel" of the development," Cobalt Partners president/CEO Scott Yauch said in an email. "Despite regular inquiries from national chain restaurants, we have held out for the right "local" concept, and this is as good as it gets in terms of brand, design, and operations."
A previous plan for a coffee shop and brewery at the location fell through
A 2021 plan that would have brought a brewery and a coffee shop to the same location did not materialize because suitable tenants weren't found.
With the current proposal, that hurdle has already been cleared.
The Lowlands Group operates numerous restaurants in the Milwaukee area. If the city signs off on the plan, the Greenfield Café Hollander would be the company's sixth Café Hollander.
The Café Hollander would be the eastern-most building on the parcel, on the corner of 84th and Layton, and would have an "Amsterdam" or "canal house" feel, Matt Frydach of The Kubala Washatko Architects told the plan commission.
The Feisty Loon to be a 'younger, more fun cousin' of Buckatabon
The building to the west would be The Feisty Loon, a new concept Lowlands is developing, Lowlands owner and CEO Eric Wagner said Aug. 9.
"It's sort of a younger, more fun cousin of Buckatabon, which is our supper club concept in Wauwatosa," Wagner said.
Wagner said the Feisty Loon building, which would have a mid-century modern look, is being designed to take advantage of light at different times of the day.
"We're trying to get a lot of natural light in there during the day and in the morning, and that's why we're not doing a Buckatabon, because we want this to be a big brunch spot, a big lunch spot," he said. "And then when the sun ends up in the west ... that part of the building is a lot more quiet from a window perspective. So we want that real cozy feeling that happens at night."
Plans call for the central outdoor event space to include a patio, outdoor seating for each of the restaurants, outdoor stage, water feature and a bar.
Activities there are expected to include live music, bean bag toss, croquet and other seasonal programming, Yauck said.
Café Hollander menu would be consistent with current Hollander menus
Wagner said the Hollander menu would be consistent with the Hollander's existing menus.
The Feisty Loon will have some supper club aspects, he said, but also will incorporate other elements.
"I mean, we're going to do prime rib, we're going to do some of those more high-end things, but we also want it to be a place where people are comfortable coming in in jeans and a T-shirt and ordering a burger and coming more than for special occasions," Wagner said.
Yack said they're hoping to have the Café Hollander open by December 2023, The Feisty Loon by February or March 2024, and the beer garden by May 2024.
Yauck said he thinks they've hit on a winning concept.
"We couldn’t be more excited about how the combined buildings and outdoor green (space) will function as an asset to not only 84South, but to the city and surrounding southwestern communities as well," he said.
Cobalt is working on putting together plans for an official plan commission review, which would likely happen in October or November, Greenfield Community Development Manager Kristi Porter said.
After that, the proposal would go before the common council for final approval.
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2022-08-17T13:59:00Z
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www.jsonline.com
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2 new Lowlands Group restaurants proposed for the Lokal in Greenfield
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/08/17/2-new-lowlands-group-restaurants-proposed-lokal-greenfield/10333180002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/08/17/2-new-lowlands-group-restaurants-proposed-lokal-greenfield/10333180002/
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1. Milwaukee Irish Fest
Milwaukee's Irish Fest is back to a four-day schedule, running Aug. 18 through Aug. 21 at Maier Festival Park. The lineup includes more than 100 acts appearing on 16 stages, an array of Irish food and options (including at the Callen Celtic Kitchen and the Jameson whiskey bar), Irish culture (including the Literary Corner) and more. Irish Fest runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Aug. 18, 4 p.m. to midnight Aug. 19, noon to midnight Aug. 20 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 21. Admission is $5 Aug. 18, $17 Aug. 19, and $23 Aug. 20 and 21; $17 for seniors 60 and older; and free for kids 12 and younger. Info: irishfest.com.
RELATED:What to know about Irish Fest, from hours and dates to food and entertainment
2. Milwaukee a la Carte at the Zoo
At least 20 local food purveyors will be on hand for this year's Milwaukee a la Carte at the Zoo Aug. 18 through Aug. 21 at the Milwaukee County Zoo. In addition to the zoo's regular residents, there'll be bands playing on five stages, with the main stage headliners including the Spin Doctors (7 p.m. Aug. 19) and the Plain White T's (7 p.m. Aug. 20). Hours for Milwaukee a la Carte are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 18, 19 and 20, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 21. Admission, as has been at the zoo since April, is flex pricing, changing based on demand (advance tickets online are $16); see the website for details. (Also Note that food and beverage sales are cashless.) Info: milwaukeezoo.org/events/alacarte.
3. Bloody Mary Festival in the Deer District
The Deer District again plays host to the touring Bloody Mary Festival, with 17 Milwaukee-area spots serving up their Bloodys during two sessions Aug. 20, with attendees picking the winners. General-admission sessions, from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:45 to 6 p.m., cost $49.50; VIP sessions, which start 45 minutes earlier, are $64.50. Info: thebloodymaryfest.com.
4. J.R.R. Tolkien exhibit at Marquette's Haggerty Museum
"J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript," displaying original manuscripts by the author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," opens Aug. 19 at Marquette University's Haggerty Museum of Art, 1234 W. Tory Hill Road. Timed tickets, available through EventBrite, are $10 and $8 for seniors and active military members (not including fees), and free for kids 17 and younger, teachers with I.D., and members of the Marquette community. The exhibit runs through Dec. 23. Info: marquette.edu/haggerty-museum/tolkien.php.
6. 'Shakespeare in the State Parks' at Havenwoods and Kettle Moraine State Forest
The Summit Players' traveling outdoor production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" makes its final visits to Wisconsin state parks this weekend. Performances are in Kettle Moraine State Forest's Pike Lake Unit in Hartford at 7 p.m. Aug. 19 and Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee at 7 p.m. Aug. 20. Workshops, recommended for kids 8 and older, start at 5:30 p.m. on both days. The performances are free, with seating first-come, first-served; admission to state parks requires a separate fee (see dnr.wisconsin.gov for details). Info: summitplayerstheatre.com.
7. Wisconsin IPA Fest at Third Space Brewing
More than four dozen state craft brewers will be pouring at this year's Wisconsin IPA Fest, from 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 20 at Third Space Brewing, 1505 W. St. Paul Ave. Admission gives you "all the IPA you can reasonably sample," Third Space says. General admission is $65 plus taxes and fees; VIP admission, which gets you in an hour earlier and a collaboration brew 4-pack, is $99 plus fees. Info: thirdspacebrewing.com.
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2022-08-17T13:59:12Z
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www.jsonline.com
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7 things to do in Milwaukee this weekend, including Irish Fest
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/events/2022/08/17/7-things-do-milwaukee-weekend-including-irish-fest/10265281002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/events/2022/08/17/7-things-do-milwaukee-weekend-including-irish-fest/10265281002/
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Former Marquette star Justin Lewis out indefinitely for Chicago Bulls after knee injury
Former Marquette star Justin Lewis has been dealt a serious blow to the start of his professional basketball career.
The Chicago Bulls announced on Tuesday that Lewis, who signed a two-way contract with the team after going undrafted in June, suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is out indefinitely after surgery.
According to NBC Sports reporter K.C. Johnson, Lewis was injured in a workout away from the team.
It hasn't been a smooth transition since Lewis announced on June 1 that he was staying in the NBA draft after two seasons at MU. The 6-foot-7 forward was expected to be an early second-round pick after a breakout season in which he averaged 16.8 points and 7.9 rebounds while being named to the all-Big East first team.
But surprisingly Lewis didn't hear his name called during the draft on June 23 and later that night he agreed to a deal with the Bulls. Chicago saw potential with Lewis' 7-foot-2 wingspan and rapidly improving shooting ability.
Lewis had a solid showing at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas in July, averaging 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks over 22.5 minutes in five games.
With his two-way contract, Lewis was expected to log significant time in the G League next season. But now he will likely spend most of the next year rehabbing from the knee injury.
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2022-08-17T13:59:48Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Chicago Bulls rookie Justin Lewis from Marquette suffers ACL injury
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2022/08/17/chicago-bulls-rookie-justin-lewis-marquette-suffers-acl-injury/10343132002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2022/08/17/chicago-bulls-rookie-justin-lewis-marquette-suffers-acl-injury/10343132002/
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A new Bartolotta restaurant is opening at the former Seven Seas location in Delafield
A Bartolotta restaurant is coming to the city of Delafield.
The Milwaukee-based restaurateurs, in partnership with David Herro and Jay Franke of the HF Hospitality Group, plan to open its latest addition, The Commodore, in September 2023 at the former Seven Seas, 1807 Nagawicka Road, on Lake Nagawicka, according to The Bartolotta Restaurants owner and co-founder Paul Bartolotta.
"We've been so engaged in the Milwaukee community, and now, we want to be engaged with the Lake Country community," Bartolotta told the Journal Sentinel. "When Seven Seas closed, so many people were sad to see it go. Now that we have found this beautiful location and this attraction on a lake like this, we plan to make this a wonderful addition to our collection of restaurants and the community."
Bartolotta added that when initially approached about the property as it was going up for sale, he wasn't sure whether they had the resources or whether the project was even plausible coming out of the hardest parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. But after meeting with Herro and Franke and seeing what they had done with The George, a wedding venue they own in Milwaukee, Bartolotta jumped on board.
"It took one meeting, and I saw that these are not only the right partners that share our values of family, heritage and history, but also an artistic vision for excellence and attention to details that is so much part of who we are," he said. "I want to grow this company, and this was an incredible opportunity to continue to do big and important projects that have an effect on the community."
Renovations have started at the new Bartolotta restaurant
Restoration and remodeling has already begun. Plans are to completely gut and redo the interior of the structure, being conscious of the materials that relate to the past and retaining the building's history, Bartolotta said.
When it's finished, the building will have a 1920s yacht club-style main dining room on the ground floor and a larger gathering space on the upper level overlooking the lake. Bartolotta said they plan to host weddings and other gatherings at the location.
"The whole point is not to just make it new and modern but to respect the heritage and move it forward into the future," he added. "It's funny, every time I'm out there, people driving by are so curious, and when we start talking, everyone has a story about that place or getting married there. Some are even calling and saying that if you open, we want to book a fourth-generation wedding there. It's spectacular."
The building has a long history
The building first opened in 1905 as Hasslinger's Pleasant View Hotel & Resort. It has had many lives since then, as a girl's camp, discotheque, school and most recently the Seven Seas restaurant, which closed in December 2020 after nearly four decades.
Since the restaurant closed, the property has garnered a few suitors. Initially, a senior-living group was proposed, but the city denied plans by Castle Senior Living, which led to a lawsuit brought against the city.
Herro and Franke purchased the property in 2021. Initial reports had Saz's Hospitality Group interested in partnering to open a restaurant there.
This is the first restaurant that Bartolotta Restaurants has opened in Waukesha County since opening Mr. B's - A Bartolotta Steakhouse in Brookfield in 1999.
Bartolotta said additional details on The Commodore's menu and theme will be released later.
"We're committed to bringing this incredible, historic and iconic location back to life and back to its grandeur to deliver a Bartolotta standard of excellence and our care for our community and integrate that with the history of Lake Country," Bartolotta said.
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2022-08-17T17:11:35Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Bartolotta restaurant to open at former Seven Seas in Delafield
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/delafield/2022/08/17/bartolotta-restaurant-the-commodore-open-former-seven-seas-delafield-waukesha-county/10347303002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/news/delafield/2022/08/17/bartolotta-restaurant-the-commodore-open-former-seven-seas-delafield-waukesha-county/10347303002/
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Nilsa Arce-Masso loves balloons.
She keeps balloons at her home in South Milwaukee for months until they are fully deflated. “I am legitimately obsessed with balloons,” she said. “Just give me all the balloons.”
Arce-Masso said she’d done some balloon design for her four-year-old daughter and nephews on birthdays for about six or seven years.
“It was very much more simple decoration,” she said.
It was her brother who showed her she could turn her passion into a business when he exposed her to the broader balloon decorating community.
“It was my little heaven,” Arce-Masso said.
Scouring social media, she found many unique displays made only of balloons of various colors, sizes, shapes and quantities. Arce-Masso also took a few classes to help with her projects which she described as motivational trial and error.
“I honestly love it, it pushes me to keep going,” she said.
In April 2022 Masso Balloons Décor was born — and the business had to grow up fast.
That month her brother asked her to do a baby shower and “go big.” Soon after, once word got around about the business, Arce-Masso began getting calls for graduations and birthday arrangements.
“It’s been pretty busy,” she said. “I thought I would have more time to see where this goes but then within two weeks I’m booking. It was definitely a faster pace than I was expecting.”
Arce-Masso joked her fiancée and kids are “sick and tired of my balloons.”
“I make things and pop them if they aren’t how I want them to be,” she said, laughing.
Arce-Masso often takes inspiration from Pinterest
Inspiration for Arce-Masso comes from what the customer wants which often starts with ideas off Pinterest. She won’t replicate another person’s work but gives a concept her “own spin and own style.”
She makes mock-ups with an app and once it’s confirmed by the client she gets to work. Displays can be set up quickly or, say if she's designing pieces for seven rooms of a house, it can take over 18 hours.
Using various colors and styles of balloons, Arce-Masso has created everything from classic wedding arches to a tree made of 300 balloons of five different types that took over three hours to build. Some projects can take up to 600 balloons, she said.
Whether you have a birthday, gender reveal, retirement, wedding, quinceañera, or another event, Masso Balloons Décor can inflate it into something more.
Eventually Arce-Masso wants to expand and “do the balloons and add more to the balloons” such as other decoration mediums with her goal to “to grow until there’s no space to grow.”
“Hopefully it takes off and (I can) make it an actual full-time job,” Arce-Masso, a stay-at-home mom for the last year and a half, said. “I get to do something that I’ve always loved.”
The best way to contact Arce-Masso is through her Facebook page, Masso Balloons Décor, and on Instagram @massoballonsdecor.
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2022-08-17T17:11:44Z
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www.jsonline.com
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South Milwaukee woman opens custom balloon decor business for events
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/south-milwaukee/2022/08/17/south-milwaukee-woman-opens-custom-balloon-decor-business-events/10335464002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/south-milwaukee/2022/08/17/south-milwaukee-woman-opens-custom-balloon-decor-business-events/10335464002/
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Greenfield officials have rejected proposal for a $59 million four-story apartment complex next to Konkel Park
Following a public hearing that lasted more than three hours, the Greenfield Common Council Tuesday night rejected a proposal that would have paved the way for a four-story, 257-unit apartment project next to Konkel Park.
By a 4-1 vote, the council said no to rezoning the property at 5401 W. Layton Ave. to a planned unit development district to allow Milwaukee-based Ogden & Co. to move forward with plans for the Verde Terrace Apartments, a proposed $59 million multi-family housing development.
The project was being proposed for the former site of River Falls Family Fun Center, which announced its closure in early May.
Council members Denise Collins, Bruce Bailey, Pamela Akers and Shirley Saryan voted against the rezoning. District 3 Ald. Karl Kastner was the lone vote in favor of it.
"A high-density planned unit development district is not compatible with the surrounding park and government buildings," Saryan said prior to the vote. "It would not be a good fit."
Saryan's comments echoed the sentiments of dozens of residents who either wrote letters to the city or spoke in person at the hearing, urging the council to reject the project, saying it's in the wrong place, would eat up valuable green space and would cause traffic congestion and parking issues.
Some spoke in favor of the project, saying the proposal would offer needed housing for younger people, but the numbers paled in comparison to those who were against it.
The public hearing was not a typical one.
For one, Mayor Michael Neitzke said it was the biggest public hearing he's seen in 17 years as mayor. Then, Neitzke, who runs the council meetings and only votes in the event of a tie, turned the gavel over to Saryan to run the hearing because he said he couldn't be impartial on the topic.
But near the end of the public hearing, he did speak. As a resident, not a public official.
Neitzke got up from his usual chair, walked over to the microphone designated for public comments, and spoke as a "regular citizen."
"It's a beautiful building, it's just in the wrong place," Neitzke said during his remarks, reiterating comments he made on the proposal as a member of the Greenfield Plan Commission on July 12.
During that meeting, the plan commission logged a split vote on the proposal.
The commission recommended to rezone the property to a planned unit development district, but voted against recommending the project's site, landscaping and architectural plans.
The site, landscaping and architectural plans were also on the council's agenda for Aug. 16, but the rezoning vote result rendered the item moot.
The proposal called for two U-shaped, four-story buildings with about 205,000 square feet of living space, with a mix of studio, one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus den, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.
The buildings would have included courtyards that would house a pool, outdoor grilling stations, poolside cabanas and fire pits.
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2022-08-17T17:11:44Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Greenfield officials say no to huge apartment complex near Konkel Park
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/08/17/greenfield-officials-say-no-huge-apartment-complex-near-konkel-park/10342711002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/southwest/news/greenfield/2022/08/17/greenfield-officials-say-no-huge-apartment-complex-near-konkel-park/10342711002/
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WAUKESHA - The city's willingness to preserve the last intact hotel resort from its Springs Era has finally sunk in a muddy political battle spanning decades.
The Waukesha Common Council, after meeting in a more than two-hour closed session for the second time in a month to discuss a possible settlement, emerged late Tuesday with a split vote indicating that a deal with Waukesha County has been reached.
Essentially, aldermen agreed to withdraw the council's previous ruling in 2020 that upheld the Waukesha Landmark Commission's 2019 decision, which had prevented the county from demolishing the Moor Mud Baths building on the county's campus under an exception in the city's landmarks ordinance.
The gist of that settlement is that, in exchange, the county will continue to keep the adjoining Moor Downs golf course open for 10 years and preserve both the spring house and clubhouse on the grounds.
As proposed, the city would issue a demolition permit within 14 days to allow the resort building itself to be razed by the county.
It was a divisive issue for Waukesha official
It wasn't an easy decision. The council voted narrowly, 8-6, to accept the staff-negotiated settlement, and many aldermen took a moment to express their divergent views on the issue.
"I want to make it clear that it is in my opinion and I believe the opinion of the council that this settlement agreement is in the best interest of the overall general welfare of the public," said Ald. Joe Pieper, who made the motion to accept the settlement.
Ald. Cassie Rodriguez saw little benefit in any way for city residents against the loss of another historic property in Waukesha.
"I am against this settlement offer in any capacity," Rodriguez said. "I think with this, we are giving the county way too much latitude, we're giving into every demand, and we're not really getting anything in return with regard to the work of the landmarks commission and our own ordinances."
Like a number of residents who spoke during the open forum portion of the meeting, she also criticized the procedure used to discuss the settlement, suggesting only part of the discussion needed to happen behind closed doors.
"I do wish this wasn't veiled in so much secrecy, with the reasonings behind this," Rodriguez said. "I guess if the city and county want a better working relationship, I think those workings should be shared with the public. ... I think the failure to do so was a misstep. People should have known all along the reasons why we were going into these negotiations.
"To say I'm disappointed in what I think the outcome is going to be from this is an understatement," she added.
Ald. Elizabeth Moltzan echoed Rodriguez's concerns, adding that she strongly supported the most essential element of the debate: the worthiness of the Moor Mud Baths building as a historic site.
However, Ald. Rick Lemke was critical of both the perceived historical significance of the building and in the city's initial decision 20 years ago to "take away some of the county's property rights" by declaring it a historic landmark.
"The county does not want this building," Lemke said. "They will have other uses for their land, so I do not think they will not make any repairs to the building. It will collapse, and I don't think the city has the power to enforce (preservation)."
He added: "Yes, they'll be missing a building, but I have lived here for 42 years and this building has no historical significance to me."
The future of the Waukesha Springs-era resort has long been tentative
From the county's acquisition of the historic property at 500 Riverview Ave. more than 50 years ago to a judge's decision last year upholding the city's action in denying its demolition, the future of the Moor Mud Baths/Grandview Health Resort has always been tentative at best.
County officials have maintained that the acquisition of the old resort — which opened in 1911 and closed in 1962 — in the early 1970s was always intended to rework the property for unspecified uses as part of the county's sprawling campus along Moreland Boulevard.
But for decades, no steps were taken to demolish the facility or close down the adjacent golf course that was also once part of the resort grounds. The building was used to house the offices of the county's Department of Health and Human Services.
That changed at the turn of the century, after the Waukesha Landmarks Commission declared the mud baths building a historic landmark in 2001, over the county's objections.
The commission wasn't alone. Citing the property's role as the last intact resort from the city's Springs Era in the late 19th and early 20th century, the Waukesha Preservation Alliance also publicly criticized the county's refusal to commit to the preservation of the property.
In 2013, after the county moved its HHS offices out of the ex-hotel resort and into a new building, plans for its demolition became more public.
Next, the county executive's office included money for razing the building in the county's 2015 budget. Staff claimed the building's maintenance costs and necessary renovation exceeded what they considered to be fiscally acceptable.
The county briefly invited proposals from private developers around 2015, but rejected all proposals as inadequate, including a senior housing plan, angering preservationists who argued the county had acted in bad faith in seeking alternatives to demolition.
Responding to the threat of demolition, the city's landmarks commission stood firm in 2016 on its historic landmark designation for the site. Then, in 2019, it turned down the county's application for a certificate of appropriateness that would have cleared the way for the resort building's demolition under city's rules for historic sites.
County officials maintained that the continued care of the building was causing financial hardship, one of the exceptions in the preservation ordinance that could allow demolition.
So the county appealed that decision to the Waukesha Common Council, which on a split vote in February 2020 upheld the landmark commission's decision following a trial-like proceeding at City Hall.
Arguing that the city ignored standards of its preservation ordinance, the county further appealed the case, this time as a certiorari review in Waukesha County Circuit Court. But in October 2021, Judge Lloyd Carter ruled against the county, affirming that the city had acted appropriately and legally.
That brought a third appeal, this time to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, where the case was still pending and will now become moot.
Waukesha preservationists strongly object to the demolition
Somewhat unexpectedly, the emergence of settlement talks between city and county officials signaled the renewed possibility of the facility's demolition.
The issue was discussed in closed session at the council's July 19 meeting. But, with no discussion, aldermen emerged in open session with an 11-3 vote to continue negotiations with the county.
That led to Tuesday's meeting, again including a closed session discussion.
It also led to overt criticism from preservationists that the city was even considering any settlement, given the city's upper-hand advantage in the courts that negated the need for any negotiations.
In a four-page letter to the council, the landmarks commission reiterated that officials had followed the process securing the site's preservation and questioned how the city could agree to any settlement that would undermine its own rules.
"As a Landmarks Commission, we believe the settlement of this litigation without (a) full public hearing and consideration of the factors in the ordinance would, in fact, decimate the city's Historic Preservation Ordinance codified in Chapter 28," Carmen De La Paz, the commission's chairwoman, said in the letter. "It would set a precedent for demolition of our local landmarks."
Mary Emery, president of the Waukesha Preservation Alliance, restated the standards for the city's historic designation of the mud baths resort and what has transpired through this year.
But Emery also alluded to rumors that the city was capitulating to the county's demolish plans in exchange for land owned by the county that is needed as part of the Waukesha Water Utility's emerging water system.
"I urge you to treat the water utility issues separate from the Moor Mud Baths court case and follow the landmarks ordinance," Emery said. "Please vote 'no' on any settlement that involves demolition of the building."
The Moor Mud Baths settlement is still being finalized
While the agreement in principle has been reached, some loose ends will need to be tied up, and a timeline by the county will follow.
The Waukesha County Board must first vote on the settlement agreement, which would commit the county to certain elements that supervisors have not yet publicly considered.
City Administrator Kevin Lahner said late Tuesday that staff was expected to finalize the wording on Wednesday.
As to whether the county has made it clear they intend to follow through on demolition plans, there is little doubt, Lahner acknowledged. "I think it is that cut and dried."
More:Visions for animal care center in Delafield become a reality; Waukesha Rotary Club grant to help endangered monarchs
More:‘One pill. That’s all it takes’: Waukesha County executive declares fentanyl a community health crisis
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2022-08-17T17:11:45Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Waukesha County to demolish Moor Mud Baths building in settlement
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/08/17/waukesha-county-demolish-moor-mud-baths-building-settlement/10335247002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/2022/08/17/waukesha-county-demolish-moor-mud-baths-building-settlement/10335247002/
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It's a Friday night and hip-hop music is bouncing off the walls inside a brick building on the south side of Milwaukee, as club members hunch over activity tables. They are Black, Latino and white, both genders and many ages, all playing chess.
Yes, chess.
The Hip-Hop Chess Club of Milwaukee is almost certainly the city's most unusual organization devoted to a board game, and one of several programs offered by Your Move MKE. The non-profit actually grew out of the chess club in 2020.
“We are in the hip-hop community," said Raquel Aleman, co-founder and executive director of Your Move MKE. "I used to do music, and we believe that hip hop heals and teaches you knowledge about yourself. That knowledge can help with mental health and build skills to help in everyday life.”
The target groups for Your Move MKE are Black and brown youths on the south side of Milwaukee, Aleman said, because there is a lack of youth programming in that part of the city.
"I'd like to help bridge the disconnect between the 'hood, suburbs and the more affluent parts of this beautiful city. There's a fear in the unknown. The more we learn about each other, the better," said Brandon Kitts, Your Move MKE project director and music coordinator.
Your Move MKE has different programs for youth to be a part of, each with a different focus.
Chess encourages developing strategies, thinking about next moves and refraining from acting on impulse — all skills that Aleman and others in the group see as critical to growing up in an urban setting. Makin’ Moves Breakdancing focuses on mental health, physical health and discipline. Urban Trade Skills allows youths to explore different trades and develop home improvement skills. Open Forum is a writing and open mic session emphasizing knowledge of self, public speaking and creativity.
Together, as the organizations mission statement says, they focus on "bringing families on the southside of Milwaukee closer together, using programs that focus on higher-level thinking and self-expression through the elements of hip hop."
Eric Ramos brings his three children to Your Move MKE. Ramos enjoys the music himself, but the real attraction is the impact on his kids.
"I love it because my kids love it. It's something different. I've never seen a program like this," Ramos said.
Ramos said his children love the breakdancing and chess. They are always learning new moves, whether it's on the floor or on the chess board.
His 7-year-old daughter "says she feels like shes using her brain more," Ramos said.
Aleman said chess is more a part of urban lifestyle than people may realize. It's often played in parks or on porches. On the streets of New York, speed chess routinely draws crowds. Aleman played chess with her father when visiting him in prison.
"A lot of our young people have parents that are incarcerated, and they play chess with their parents on visits, so it's a really good game for them," she said.
Board members of Your Move MKE come from a music background, Kitts said, and believe in the connection between their passion for hip-hop and the higher-order thinking skills required by chess.
"Hip-hop is all about being in the moment, trusting yourself, being yourself and connecting with others," he said.
That's particularly true in some parts of the south side, Kitts said. "People living in poverty are in a constant state of survival that is all encompassing, and they can get a little of relief from that at Your Move MKE."
The organization also hosts cleanup efforts, fund-raising drives and car washes.
AJ Mckenzie, communications director, got involved to provide an outlet for youths and the community as a whole.
“This wasn’t present when we were growing up,” he said. “There were organizations like the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club, but I know many people that weren’t near those or couldn’t get in them. There’s more children than safe havens for them to go.”
The next goal for Your Move MKE is to get a building, in which they can teach trade skills, college readiness, entrepreneurship, and more.
Your Move MKE provides a positive environment and outlet, advocates for the community needs and works with youth and their parents, Mckenzie said.
“Being able to communication with each other is important,” he said. “Each one, teach one.”
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2022-08-17T17:12:01Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Milwaukee program combines creativity of hip-hop, discipline of chess
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/17/milwaukee-program-combines-creativity-hip-hop-discipline-chess/10016152002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/08/17/milwaukee-program-combines-creativity-hip-hop-discipline-chess/10016152002/
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The race for governor was closer, with Evers leading Michels, 45% to 43%, well within the poll's margin of error. Independent Joan Beglinger was at 7%.
Wisconsin's two marquee midterm races are expected to be closely-fought to the wire in the what remains one of the nation's most politically charged battlegrounds.
The survey's snapshot, the first since the state's Aug. 9 primaries, showed the fluidity of the races, with well-known incumbents trying to fight off the challenges of their lesser-known opponents.
Michels defeated former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch to grab the GOP nomination for governor, while Barnes, the state's lieutenant governor, was confirmed as the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee after his main rivals dropped out.
Barnes formed a good first impression with voters, with 50% saying "he cares about people like you," compared to 41% who say the same thing about Johnson.
Barnes was viewed favorably by 37% and unfavorably by 22% with 41% unable to provide an opinion.
Thirty-eight percent had a favorable view of Johnson with 47% having an unfavorable view.
Of course, Johnson has faced similar circumstances. In 2016, for months he trailed Democrat Russ Feingold but ended up winning re-election with a closing rush.
"He definitely has the experience of coming from behind," Franklin said.
In the governor's race, Evers was viewed favorably by 46% and unfavorably by 41%, while Michels was viewed favorably by 33%, unfavorably by 33%, with 34% unable to answer the question. Evers also enjoyed a wide lead over Michels (54% to 38%) when voters were asked if the candidate "cares about people like you."
Evers had 47% job approval with 45% disapproval.
"Look, it's a very close race," Franklin said. "Evers has a steady net approval rating. And so he goes into the race in better shape than a lot of governors historically. On the other hand, that approval is not very positive and it has been tightening. So I think that's a recipe for a tight race."
On the issues, the biggest concern was with inflation, followed by gun violence and crime and then abortion policy, closely followed by public schools.
For the first time in a year, instead of continuing to go up, concern for inflation fell off a bit, from 75% in June to 67% in the current poll, Franklin said.
Differing views on issues of concern
Democrats and Republicans held starkly different opinions on issues that drew "very concerned" responses.
For Democrats, top issues of concern were climate change, 79%; gun violence, 77%; abortion policy, 73%; public schools, 53%; crime, 53%; inflation, 42%; coronavirus, 40%; taxes, 26%; illegal immigration, 19%.
For Republicans, top issues of concern were inflation, 91%; crime, 80%; taxes, 72%; illegal immigration, 67%; public schools, 60%; gun violence, 45%; abortion policy 39%; coronavirus, 9%; climate change, 6%.
On the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the Roe. v Wade opinion on abortion,33% favored the decision, while 60% were opposed. Sixty-two percent of Republicans favored the decision with 28% opposed, while 5% of Democrats favored the decision and 82% were opposed.
Former President Donald Trump was viewed favorably by 38% and unfavorably by 57%. Among Republicans, 77% held a favorable view of Trump but just 59% said they would like him to run again in 2024.
President Joe Biden received 40% job approval against 55% disapproval.
Just 35% said the state was headed on the right track with 56% who said the state was on the wrong track.
The survey of 811 registered Wisconsin voters was conducted from Aug. 10-15. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.2% points for the full sample.
The partisan makeup of the sample was 30% Republican, 29% Democratic and 41$ independent, with leaners the balance was 45% Republican, 44% Democratic and 9% independent.
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2022-08-17T20:01:49Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Mandela Barnes leads GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in Marquette Poll
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/17/mandela-barnes-leads-gop-u-s-sen-ron-johnson-marquette-poll/10330655002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/17/mandela-barnes-leads-gop-u-s-sen-ron-johnson-marquette-poll/10330655002/
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A 9-year-old boy was shot and is expected to survive, Milwaukee Police say
A 9-year-old boy was shot Wednesday in the North Division neighborhood in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Police said the shooting happened at approximately 11:10 a.m. on the 3000 block of North 10th Street.
The boy arrived at a hospital for treatment of nonfatal injuries, police said.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are still under investigation and police do not have any suspects in custody.
There have been several incidents involving children and firearms recently:
On July 24, a 6-year-old girl was shot and critically injured in Milwaukee after gunshots were fired into a northwest side residence.
Earlier in the month, 2-year-old Ranyla Tharp was fatally shot on July 15, in what police said was likely an accident.
On July 1, 2-year-old Akai W. Stilo died of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. The child’s mother and her boyfriend were charged in the incident.
In May, a 30-year-old man was arrested after a 2-year-old boy suffered gunshot wounds after finding an unattended gun. The boy was expected to survive.
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2022-08-17T22:36:00Z
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www.jsonline.com
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9-year-old boy shot in Milwaukee's North Division neighborhood
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/08/17/9-year-old-boy-shot-milwaukee-north-division-neighborhood/10352808002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/08/17/9-year-old-boy-shot-milwaukee-north-division-neighborhood/10352808002/
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Legislature's Joint Finance Committee objects to Gov. Evers' plan for $31 million opioid settlement money
The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance has delayed the Evers administration's spending plan for $31 million in settlement funds to combat the state's opioid epidemic.
Earlier this month, the state Department of Health Services submitted a proposal to the committee recommending how the state should use the money awarded from a legal settlement with pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
The National Prescription Opiate Litigation (NPOL) settlement was reached as part of agreements that Attorney General Josh Kaul entered into settling the state’s legal claims.
DHS received its first $6 million payment on July 29 to begin using immediately, while the remaining $25 million is expected by the end of the calendar year.
Committee members had until Wednesday to anonymously object to the DHS' plan.
Committee co-chairs state Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, and state Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, released a statement after the committee objected to the plan.
“Fighting the opioid epidemic has been a priority for Wisconsin Republicans for over a decade. We remain committed to ensuring our communities have the resources they need to help those with opioid use disorders and their families," they wrote.
“We have been working with stakeholders to ensure that we are investing in impactful programs without duplicating our efforts. We will swiftly improve the plan to promptly distribute these funds to help combat the opioid crisis that continues to ravage our state.”
More:Wisconsin would receive $420 million in settlement lawmakers approved with opioid distributors
More:Wisconsin expected to receive more than $65 million in proposed resolution of Purdue Pharma case
The statement did not include specific objections or discuss alternative uses for the money.
The Joint Finance Committee will now meet to discuss the DHS proposal and the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau will likely study the plan.
Gov. Tony Evers and Kaul slammed the committee's decision.
“Wisconsin communities need funding to fight the opioid epidemic now,” Kaul said. “Wisconsin DOJ has fought hard and continues to fight to bring substantial resources to Wisconsin to combat the opioid epidemic, and there’s no good reason for Republican legislators to stand in the way of getting funds distributed that will save lives."
Evers said legislators have turned their backs on Wisconsin families who are facing substance use and mental and behavioral health challenges now.
“The opportunity to invest millions into getting people treatment, support, and services does not come along every day," Evers said. "For these legislators to turn their backs on the people of Wisconsin, especially given increases in substance misuse and the mental and behavioral health challenges our state is facing today in the wake of the pandemic, it simply defies logic.”
DHS is proposing several things for the $31 million including:
The entire proposal is at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p03288.pdf
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2022-08-17T22:36:06Z
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www.jsonline.com
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GOP legislators object to Evers plan for $31M opioid settlement money
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2022/08/17/gop-legislators-objects-evers-plan-31-million-opioid-settlement-money/10342676002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2022/08/17/gop-legislators-objects-evers-plan-31-million-opioid-settlement-money/10342676002/
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Rhode Island man killed in fall from Kilbourn Avenue Bridge remembered as an avid traveler, devoted father to 6 children
Richard and Rose-Marie Dujardin were due to fly home to Rhode Island on Monday, but before they left Milwaukee, they wanted to make it to noon Mass.
The Dujardins were walking across the Kilbourn Avenue Bridge, headed toward the historic Old St. Mary’s Catholic Church to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, a holy day in the Catholic faith.
Richard, 77, was dressed in his usual outfit, a suit jacket and tie, and was checking his iPad for directions to the church.
Then, suddenly, tragedy struck.
The bridge began to rise, splitting in the middle. Richard was still on it.
Rose-Marie had been doing a fitness routine, walking ahead of Richard and walking back to him, and she made it to the other side in time.
Richard would never arrive at the church. He died in a horrific fall from the bridge as it was opening, cutting short the retired journalist’s vibrant life.
His wife and six adult children remembered him as an avid traveler, devout Catholic and passionate storyteller.
“He’d wake up each day with a new, fresh look on life,” his son, Jean-Paul Dujardin, said. “Optimistic and gentle and just a wonderful father.”
Richard Dujardin 'really tried valiantly to save his own life'
Some details have emerged about how Richard died, but questions remain as to how the bridge operator — controlling it remotely from another bridge tower — could have missed him in surveillance footage.
His family in a statement said they met with Milwaukee police on Wednesday. They "are confident that police are conducting a complete and diligent investigation to get to the bottom of what happened here."
Richard used a hearing aid, walked slowly and was consulting the map on his iPad as he crossed the bridge, according to a report from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
"The lights, bells, and arms came down at each end of the bridge, however Richard was hard of hearing and it is thought that he didn't notice them," the medical examiner’s report said.
As out-of-town visitors, Richard and Rose-Marie didn’t know the bridge under their feet could open, the family said.
Richard tried to catch up to his wife when the bridge began to open, but he couldn't make it to her in time. He grabbed onto the side railing and held on for one to two minutes as the bridge continued to rise, the report said.
“He really tried valiantly to save his own life,” his son, Peter Dujardin, said. “He never wanted to die young.”
For Richard’s children, it’s been painful to imagine their father hanging from the bridge, clinging to the railing.
“The fear that he was facing as he hung there,” son Philip Dujardin said, is something they’re trying not to dwell on.
“That’s the most upsetting part of this, is just the sheer horror. You think about the free-falling, and holding on for dear life,” Philip said.
Son Jeffrey Dujardin wonders if he himself could’ve held on for as long as his father did.
“It’s very impressive that a man of his age was able to muster up the strength to hold on for that long,” he said.
Dujardin covered religion as a longtime reporter and even met the pope
Born in 1944 in New York City, Richard was the oldest of four boys and the son of a merchant marine.
He attended high school on Long Island and college at Fordham University and was proud of his Catholic education, his family said.
After graduating with a degree in journalism, Richard got a job at the Providence Journal in Rhode Island, where he'd go on to work for 47 years.
As a young adult, he served as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve for three years, making regular visits to the Mediterranean and Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, according to an account of his life published by the Religion News Association.
Richard returned to the paper and spent 36 years as the religion reporter. He covered both the local faith communities of Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts and international events, such as the installations of three popes in Rome.
He quickly learned that he'd never be bored on the religion beat. In a conversation with his son, Jean-Paul, he once compared it to a river full of fish.
"You just had to put your net in and then fish would swim right into your net," Jean-Paul recalled he said.
A cherished memory was Pope John Paul II's visit to San Antonio in 1987, where Richard served as the pool reporter. He stayed with the pope throughout the day and sent updates to the other reporters covering the trip.
He served as the Religion News Association's president in the 1990s and in 2015, he won its lifetime achievement award.
Travel and grandchildren kept him active in retirement
In retirement, Richard kept a busy schedule. He read the Providence newspaper every day, picked up new hobbies and traveled regularly with Rose-Marie to sightsee and to visit their 12 grandchildren.
"Every day there would be something going on," Jean-Paul said. "You'd think that I would be there to help them out. But they were always there to help me out."
In recent years, Richard had learned to play the organ and to speak French. He was often found with a camera in his hand.
Richard and his wife built up so many hotel rewards points that his children joked they sometimes took trips "just to use the points."
The couple had traveled to Milwaukee for a conference. Earlier in the weekend, he walked from their downtown hotel to see Marquette University’s St. Joan of Arc Chapel with their daughter, Julianne Grew.
He wasn't "the speediest walker," Julianne said. But "he never complained."
Julianne remembered him as a devoted dad and grandfather.
"He was always just very supportive and enthusiastic and engaged with people easily," she said.
He was a passionate storyteller
Richard's life took him around the world. And he loved telling people about it.
He was a great storyteller, his children said, and it seemed he had an endless supply of them.
Maybe it was from his time in the Navy, or an adventure from his childhood. But it was always something exciting, and often something they hadn't heard before.
Since his unexpected death, his children have been wondering: if he'd lived, how would he have told this story?
"We wish he could tell a story about this event, tell us the whole harrowing tale," Peter said.
The family finds comfort in their strong faith, "knowing that we'll see him again. Knowing that we can still communicate with him," Philip said.
Richard and Rose-Marie had so many plans.
"My main sadness right now is knowing all the things that he wanted to do," Rose-Marie said.
Her voice choked with tears before she could finish the rest of the sentence: "And that he'll never get a chance to do them."
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2022-08-17T22:36:18Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Kilbourn Avenue Bridge fall victim Richard Dujardin was father of 6
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/08/17/obituary-kilbourn-avenue-bridge-victim-milwaukee-richard-dujardin-father-retired-religion-reporter/10347905002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2022/08/17/obituary-kilbourn-avenue-bridge-victim-milwaukee-richard-dujardin-father-retired-religion-reporter/10347905002/
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A Christmas Day game vs. the Boston Celtics and a star-powered opening night matchup highlight the Bucks' 2022-23 schedule
The NBA released its full 2022-23 schedule on Wednesday, and the Milwaukee Bucks will come off their first full offseason since 2019 with an opening night contest against the Philadelphia 76ers at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 20 at Wells Fargo Arena.
Let’s look at some of the highlights and quirks of this season’s schedule:
Primetime games
With title hopes and Giannis Antetokounmpo coming off perhaps two of his best seasons after winning two most valuable player awards, the Bucks remain an attraction for the league’s television partners with 32 games on national broadcasts.
Oct. 20 at Philadelphia (TNT), 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 vs. Brooklyn (ESPN), 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 4 at Minnesota (ESPN), 9 p.m.
Nov. 18 at Philadelphia (ESPN), 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 27 vs. Dallas (NBATV), 7 p.m.
Dec. 2 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN), 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 9 at Dallas (ESPN), 9 p.m.
Dec. 13 vs. Golden State (TNT), 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 15 at Memphis (NBATV), 7 p.m.
Dec. 25 at Boston, (ABC/ESPN), 4 p.m.
Jan. 3 vs. Washington (NBATV), 7 p.m.
Jan. 4 at Toronto (ESPN), 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 at Atlanta (ESPN), 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 14 at Miami (ABC), noon.
Jan. 17 vs. Toronto (TNT), 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 29 vs. New Orleans (NBATV), 7 p.m.
Feb. 2 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (TNT), 9 p.m.
Feb. 6 at Portland (NBATV), 9 p.m.
Feb. 9 at Los Angeles Lakers (TNT), 9 p.m.
Feb. 14 vs. Boston (TNT), 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 16 at Chicago (TNT), 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 24 vs. Miami (ESPN), 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 26 vs. Phoenix (ABC), noon.
March 4 vs. Philadelphia (ABC), 7:30 p.m.
March 9 vs. Brooklyn (TNT), 6:30 p.m.
March 11 at Golden State (ABC), 7:30 p.m.
March 14 at Phoenix (NBATV), 9 p.m.
March 19 vs. Toronto (NBATV), 7 p.m.
March 27 at Detroit (NBATV), 6 p.m.
March 30 vs. Boston (TNT), 6:30 p.m.
April 5 vs. Chicago (ESPN), 6:30 p.m.
April 7 vs. Memphis (NBATV), 7 p.m.
RELATED:2022-23 Milwaukee Bucks schedule
Election off day throughout the NBA
The NBA announced Nov. 8 will be clear of league action to “focus on promoting nonpartisan civic engagement and encouraging fans to make a plan to vote during midterm elections.”
Shipping off to Boston for Christmas Day
The Bucks will head to TD Garden on Christmas Day to face the Boston Celtics for the first time since being eliminated by them in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Boston remains in the offseason discussion regarding a potential trade for Brooklyn star Kevin Durant, but even if that move is not made the Celtics are the reigning conference champs and added former Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, the 2017 NBA rookie of the year, and veteran forward Danilo Gallinari.
Stocking stuffers? Both the Bucks and Packers play on the holiday
The NBA used to be synonymous with Christmas Day, but the NFL is drifting hard into that lane. Following the merger between the NFL and the AFL in 1970, the NFL did not schedule a regular season game on Dec. 25 until 1989. It wasn’t until 2004 that the league started scheduling more than one regular season game, and last year the NFL went with a tripleheader.
As it was last year, Green Bay is once again a showcase game for its league on Dec. 25 vs. Miami, which will be the Packers’ fourth Christmas Day game.
The Bucks will travel to Boston to play the Celtics on Christmas Day, marking the second straight year the two teams were chosen as a marquee game for the NBA. It is also the Bucks’ ninth game on Dec. 25 and fifth season in a row on the schedule.
Last year the Bucks tipped off at 2:30 p.m. and the Packers kicked off against the Browns at 3:30 p.m. This year the Bucks and Celtics will get started at 4 p.m. after the Packers and Dolphins at noon.
An MVP showdown for the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and 76ers' Joel Embiid?
Denver’s Nikola Jokić has won back-to-back MVPs, following in Antetokounmpo’s footsteps, but Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid has been the runner-up each time and the 76ers big man has not been shy about his desire to win the award. Perhaps helping his case — and his team’s as the best in the East — is a reportedly rededicated James Harden and roster additions P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr.
Philadelphia has pushed its chips to the center of the table this season, and the Bucks will play them to open the season on Oct. 20 in Philadelphia and two other times on national television.
Longest home stand for the Bucks
After the opener, the Bucks will have a great chance to make an early impression with a half dozen straight from Oct. 22 through Nov. 2 at Fiserv Forum against Houston, Brooklyn, New York, Atlanta and Detroit (twice).
Longest road trip for the Bucks
Milwaukee has five straight games (Dec. 19-28) away from Fiserv Forum beginning in New Orleans and ending in Chicago. Interestingly, the Bucks will not have an extended West Coast trip this year, instead playing sets of three games against Western Conference foes. Per the NBA, "the estimated average miles traveled for the 2022-23 regular season has been reduced to 41,000 miles per team, a record low in the era with 30 teams and 82 games per team. This marks an estimated reduction of nearly 2,000 miles per team from last season’s previous all-time low of 43,000 miles traveled."
Back-to-back check: 12 pairs of games on consecutive nights
The Bucks went 7-4 on the back end of back-to-backs last season, and they will find themselves navigating 12 pairs of consecutive games this season. The toughest sets would appear to be Dec. 2-3 when they take on the Lakers at home and then head out to Charlotte. The league stacked some tough road sets together, beginning Feb. 9-10 playing the Lakers and Clippers on consecutive nights in Los Angeles, March 13-14 at Sacramento and at Phoenix and March 24-25 at Utah and Denver.
Better this year than last
“Quick” turnarounds don’t happen often in the NBA, but a couple of games this year look like they will more interesting than they were a year ago.
The two games against the Los Angeles Clippers (Feb. 2 in Milwaukee, Feb. 10 in Los Angeles) will be appointment viewing. The Clippers may not only have star Kawhi Leonard back after a season lost to injury but fellow star Paul George may play the Bucks for the first time since Feb. 28, 2021.
While Minnesota was a playoff team last year and beat the Bucks twice — including at a raucous Target Center on March 19 that saw players from both teams ejected — the Timberwolves added Rudy Gobert in one of the summer’s biggest deals. No doubt Minnesota’s moves will ratchet up the interconference heat between stately neighbors, who play Nov. 4 in Minnesota and Dec. 30 at Fiserv.
Locally flavored champs with the Golden State Warriors
We cannot forget the pair of games against the “Wisconsin west” Golden State Warriors, who are not only the defending NBA champions and league standard bearers – but also include Milwaukee natives Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole, Wisconsin native and former UW-Milwaukee player Patrick Baldwin Jr. and former Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo.
The Warriors will be a great measuring stick game regardless of all the local ties from the front office to the coaching staff to the roster, but it does add some flavor to the games Dec. 13 in Milwaukee and March 11 in San Francisco.
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2022-08-17T22:36:30Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Bucks schedule released, Milwaukee to play Celtics on Christmas Day
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/08/17/milwaukee-bucks-2022-23-nba-regular-season-schedule-release-christmas-day-vs-celtics/10343084002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2022/08/17/milwaukee-bucks-2022-23-nba-regular-season-schedule-release-christmas-day-vs-celtics/10343084002/
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Remington also called into question the Assembly office's record-keeping practices.
The office's lawyers claimed 761 pages of records were too "strategic" to publicly release, the judge said, but some of those documents were mostly blank.
One such record was a 59-page complaint "against numerous film and television actors for criticizing the government."
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bopp called Remington's decision "superfluous and meaningless" and claimed the order purging contempt concluded the case and therefore nullified the pro hac vice decision.
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2022-08-18T00:54:29Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Judge admonishes Michael Gableman's 2020 review of Wisconsin election
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/17/judge-admonishes-michael-gablemans-2020-review-wisconsin-election/10346689002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/17/judge-admonishes-michael-gablemans-2020-review-wisconsin-election/10346689002/
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MADISON – Wisconsin’s Greg Gard and Virginia’s Tony Bennett have faced each other twice since Gard took over as UW’s full-time head men's basketball coach.
A third meeting could come next season in the 2023 Fort Myers Tip-off.
According to a report: UW, Virginia, SMU and West Virginia are scheduled to compete in the tournament, normally held during Thanksgiving week.
The tournament pairings have not been set.
UW was scheduled to participate in the tournament in 2020 but withdrew because of travel concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Badgers have faced Virginia six times, including four since Bennett took over as head coach before the 2009-10 season.
Bennett’s Cavaliers recorded a 60-54 victory over UW and Bo Ryan in 2012 in Madison in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Badgers won, 48-38, in Charlottesville in 2013 en route to their first Final Four appearance under Ryan.
Virginia recorded a 49-37 home victory in 2017, Gard's second season as full-time head coach; and defeated UW, 53-46, in 2018 in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.
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2022-08-18T00:54:35Z
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www.jsonline.com
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Wisconsin basketball team could face Tony Bennett's Virginia in 2023
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/08/17/badgers-basketball-team-could-face-tony-bennetts-virginia-2023/10351834002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/08/17/badgers-basketball-team-could-face-tony-bennetts-virginia-2023/10351834002/
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