Cover Story
Why the Detroit incinerator is costly, dirty, smelly, dangerous — and unnecessary
Detroit’s Farnsworth Street neighborhood presents a stark contrast with much of the surrounding area. While disinvestment and decline have taken their toll on much of the east side, Farnsworth, especially one block of it, remains thickly planted with houses, backyard gardens, and neighborhood gathering spaces. Many of the households are families, and gaggles of children…
Vegan food truck Shimmy Shack will launch a brick-and-mortar space in August
Vegan food truck Shimmy Shack is planning an Aug. 1 opening for its new brick-and-mortar location near Ann Arbor and Haggerty roads in Plymouth Township. Owner Debra Levantrosser says the new space will be a fast food concept with counter service, dine-in seating, and a 1950s vibe. “Our restaurant will pay homage to the cool style of the…
Online catalog will pinpoint more than 1,000 Detroit murals
Viranel Clerard divides his time between working at Trader Joe’s in Ann Arbor and chauffeuring people for Uber. In what limited spare time he does have, the Detroit resident has taken on the monumental challenge of cataloguing every mural within the city’s 140 square miles. “I see the city of Detroit as the mecca of art.…
Ypsilanti City Council hands China investigation to police, doesn’t censure mayor
The Ypsilanti City Council will turn over the China trip investigation to the Michigan State Police and will not censure mayor Amanda Edmonds. At its April 17 meeting, council voted 4-1 to turn the investigation over to authorities and 3-2 for a resolution to censure Edmonds. But the resolution needed four votes to pass. Council members Brian Robb and…
State lawyers say El-Sayed eligibility controversy ‘creation of media and the Michigan Democratic Party’
Attorneys for the state of Michigan are asking a judge to dismiss a request by gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed for a decision on whether he’s eligible for the ballot. In a court filing submitted Tuesday, attorneys representing Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said El-Sayed’s request for judgment was “premature” because no one had challenged his…
Ms. Lauryn Hill announces ‘Miseducation’ 20th anniversary tour and we are not worthy
The ocean is filled with frappucino straws, weed is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug, and our damn president is an overprivileged human Cheeto. Just when we’ve given up hope, Ms. Lauryn Hill comes along. Since the release of her stark and seminal debut 20 years ago (and inarguably the greatest female rap album of…
ACLU calls for policy change at Utica school that suspended kids after gun walkout
The ACLU of Michigan is urging a Utica school to change a policy that caused it to suspend kids during a national school walkout for gun reform last month, as students prepare to stage another protest this Friday to mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. At issue is a ban on political signage…
Detroit’s crackdown on suburban tax-evaders continues
The jig is just about up for tenants of Detroit’s booming downtown and Midtown apartments who use suburban family members’ or friends’ addresses to avoid paying city taxes. A previously reported crackdown on tax-evaders has since expanded to more than 50 properties in downtown and Midtown, according to a new report from the Free Press.…
Cass Corridor shipping container food hall set for late May opening
Cass Corridor shipping container food hall Detroit Shipping Co. will open in late May, likely around Memorial Day. When it’s completed, 21 repurposed shipping containers will compose the roughly 12,000-square-foot space. Its tenants include Motor Burger, Bread Meats Bread, Brujo’s Tacos and Tapas, Coop, Bangkok 96, and nitrogen ice cream and coffee maker Minus 320.…
Down traffic lights are not treated as four-way stops, MSP has us woke
It’s fucking snowing in April and you may still be without power in your winter hell dungeon of a home. The last thing you need is a car accident because you treat a down stop light like a four-way stop. Wait, what? Michigan State Police took to Twitter last month to remind the general public that we…
Ypsilanti council members say they’ll censure mayor Edmonds over China trip
The Ypsilanti City Council appears to have the votes and desire to censure Mayor Amanda Edmonds for her role in the ongoing China trip scandal. Council members also appear to have the votes to turn over the investigation into the scandal to the Michigan State Police. That could result in criminal charges for Edmonds, economic…
Michigan’s Des Linden becomes first American woman to win Boston Marathon in 33 years
For most, running 26 miles is challenging enough. Add freezing rain and 32 mph wind gusts, and the feat of winning the Boston Marathon seems virtually impossible. But Washington Township, Michigan native Des Linden has managed it, and become the first woman to win the marathon since 1985, when fellow Michigander Lisa Larson Rainsberger scored the coveted…
Chene Park will host Erykah Badu, the Roots, Kamasi Washington, and more this summer
One of Detroit’s most exciting concerts spaces for jazz and pop is back with a stacked lineup for the upcoming summer concert season. Today, Chene Park announced the performers for the upcoming concert season and it’s jam-packed with some of the biggest names in jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and funk. Here are the complete schedules for…
Here’s your chance to tour Detroit’s Charles T. Fisher mansion before it transforms
The Junior League of Detroit is hosting “Sneak A Peek” tours of the Charles T. Fisher mansion, Boston-Edison’s largest home, on April 28 and 29. The elaborate, 18,000-square-foot mansion features 14 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a prohibition-era liquor vault, and a gym. Actor Hill Harper bought the mansion last year for a whopping $1.25 million. This…
Ex-trooper charged in Detroit teen’s ATV death was involved in 40 use-of-force incidents, report says
The state police trooper who last year chased and tased a Detroit teen riding an ATV, leading the boy to crash and die, had reportedly been involved in 40 use-of-force incidents in the less than four years before the episode on Detroit’s east side. Let that sink in for a moment. Forty use of force…
Flint Eastwood premieres limited-edition merch to benefit teen LGBTQ center
Local alternative babe Flint Eastwood, aka Jax Anderson, announced the release of a new, limited-edition merch line in a Facebook post this weekend. The launch of the Choose Empathy line falls on the one-year anniversary of Flint Eastwood’s 2017 debut EP, Broke Royalty. While Anderson’s discography goes back to 2013 with two EPs, Small Victories and…
It’s on y’all — Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town are headed to DTE Energy Music Theatre
Miranda Lambert thanked her fans last night for “sharing her broken heart” as she took home the award for “Song of The Year” during the American Country Music Awards. The award-winning song “Tin Man” chronicles Lambert’s messy split from country star and NBC Voice coach Blake Shelton who filed for divorce so he could, you know,…
Detroit meets Coachella — Eminem headlines, Justin Bieber fawns over Greta Van Fleet
How the fuck does anyone follow Beyonce’s earth-shattering Coachella performance? Seriously. She’s the first woman of color to headline the festival and people have rightfully renamed it “Beychella.” We could talk all day about the Destiney’s Child reunion, Jay-Z’s appearance, her duet with sister Solange, or the fact that she apparently changed her nail color…
On this day in 1969, Elektra Records drops MC5 for attack ad on Hudson’s
On this day in 1969, a beef between two institutions of old-school Detroit were immortalized in an infamous Detroit magazine ad. In February of that year, the proto-punk pioneers in the MC5 released Kick Out The Jams, the band’s debut album on Elektra Records. The album was recorded live over two nights at Detroit’s Grande…
Belle Isle Grand Prix construction just began seven weeks ahead of the race
Construction for the June 1-3 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix began today, seven weeks ahead of the race. The event will be followed by at least a two-week breakdown period, which means race organizer Roger Penske has a roughly nine-week construction project planned for a two-day race. We looked at all other street races around…
These 5 black-owned Detroit cafes are better than Starbucks
It’s Monday morning in Detroit, and your week might not be off to the best start. You might still be feeling a bit pissed off over the video of a Philadelphia Starbucks manager having two black customers arrested on Thursday. It went viral over the weekend and shows that the men were doing nothing that called for…
Jack White gets accessible on Saturday Night Live
The last time Jack White appeared on Saturday Night Live Lindsey Lohan hosted and White was peddling his searing solo debut Blunderbuss. Now, the same week the brooding, pale-faced rocker admitted that he has only listened to his own music for the past year, White returned to the late night stage this weekend in…
Progressive Michigan Dems notch victory over establishment with AG endorsement
The Michigan Democratic Party has backed a progressive candidate for attorney general in a endorsement convention that attracted an influx of left-leaning Democrats energized by Bernie Sanders’ presidential candidacy. Dana Nessel, a metro Detroit attorney best known for successfully challenging Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage, eked out a win over establishment candidate Pat Miles, a former…
If you live in metro Detroit you might not have power right now
Thanks to Sunday’s ice storms, if you live in metro Detroit there’s a good chance you don’t have power right now. DTE Energy is reporting more than 310,000 of its customers are without service as of Sunday afternoon, and to make matters worse they expect more outages as the storms continue through Sunday evening. You can check…
15 of the funniest reactions to Michigan’s mid-April ice storm
Today is April 15, the 26th day of spring. AKA: The perfect time for mother nature to serve up an ice storm for southeastern Michigan. Power is out for several hundred thousand DTE customers, basements are flooding as freezing rain gives way to regular rain, and those who aren’t dealing with those difficulties are just…
MI Republicans pushing day to celebrate corporations get gobs of money from — you guessed it
This week, in a move that was equal parts SMH-inducing and unsurprising, a group of state Republican senators tried to designate an official day to celebrate corporations. The idea was to recognize Michigan’s corporations for, among other things, “their progress in protecting and nurturing the environment, operating with integrity, and creating great places to work.” We…
White Rochester Hills man charged for shooting at unarmed, lost black teen
A white Rochester Hills man is facing two felony charges after shooting at an unarmed, lost black teen who had knocked on his door to ask for directions. The man, 52-year-old former Detroit firefighter Jeffrey Zeigler, was arraigned in 52-3 District Court on counts of assault with intent to murder and possession of a firearm in commission…
Hamtramckans give Gov. Rick Snyder a warm Hamtramck welcome
Rick Snyder visited the Polka Dot bar in Hamtramck on Friday afternoon to discuss a job creation program, but Hamtramck reminded the unpopular governor that he remains perceived as the main villain in the ongoing Flint water saga. A large, homemade banner facing the small bar at which Snyder and other officials gathered blared the message, “RICK SNYDER…
Michigan Republicans just tried to designate a day to celebrate corporations
This week, as Flint residents were at the Michigan State Capitol rallying against an end to bottled water distribution in their city, Senate Republicans were tackling a far more pressing matter: celebrating the state’s corporations. Following the state’s controversial decision last week to allow corporation Nestlé to siphon more of Michigan’s water for pennies on the dollar, Battle Creek Republican…
Grand Rapids weatherman freaks out, just wants support from his coworkers
Meteorologist Garry Frank of WXMI Fox 17 in Grand Rapids is sick of being the bearer of bad news. And when your job is deliver updates on Michigan’s reliably shitty weather, your job is to deliver lots of bad news. It got so bad recently that Frank ranted to his co-hosts this week after they apparently…
Big Sean officially cancels recently postponed tour, including Detroit date
After postponing his “Unfriendly Reminder Tour” in February, Big Sean’s performance at Little Caesars Arena on June 2 has been formally canceled. Apparently, Sean is too much in the creative zone to tour Double or Nothing, a totally forgettable album that left us scratching our heads. I’ve been in a deep creative space & decided…
Detroit cop reassigned after insensitive comments about teen killed in ATV crash
A veteran Detroit neighborhood police officer has been taken off patrol duty for making insensitive remarks about a 15-year-old who was killed in an ATV crash after a Michigan State Police trooper chased and tased him. The Detroit officer has been sidelined following a Free Press investigation into the August 2017 death of Damon Grimes. The…
Jack White announces Negative Approach, Craig Brown Band to open LCA show
Leave it to Jack White to select a supporting line-up for his Little Caesars Arena gig that is as out-there as his latest chart-topping record Boarding House Reach — a bombastic menagerie in which he raps and also completely loses his ability to keep it simple. At any rate, White has invited two Detroit bands to support his…
Villanova alum creates Flint fundraiser in response to tasteless NCAA sign
At least one alum of Philadelphia’s Villanova University has voiced disapproval in her alma mater after an overzealous fan used the Flint water crisis to taunt U-M during the NCAA basketball tournament. Earlier this month, some Wildcats fan wrote, “The only lead @mich will have is in their water” on a sign before the final…
Queen Kwong frontwoman blasts Detroit’s ‘bro-y’ rock scene
In 2015, Queen Kwong frontwoman Carré Callaway moved to Detroit from Los Angeles with her now-husband, Wes Borland of rap-rockers Limp Bizkit. The two bought a house in Boston-Edison and quickly laid down roots in the city, with Callaway re-forming her band with a Detroit-based lineup and booking local gigs. However, don’t expect any more…
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is bringing cute confections to Great Lakes Crossing
Fans of all things kawaii, take note: the official Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is heading back to Michigan. The truck will make a stop at Great Lakes Crossing between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. You’ll find it parked outside of the AMC Theater. The roving cafe will offer super-cute wares like…
You can now buy a rusty, two-ton chunk of the Mackinac Bridge
Are you a collector? Do you own a crane? If yes, then we have just the item for you. Bidding is underway for seven pieces of Michigan history — in the form of rusty old steel grating that once lined the deck of the Mackinac Bridge. The two-ton grate pieces are being sold by the…
Stormy Daniels’ Detroit date rescheduled for April 18
Porn star Stormy Daniels has been as unpredictable as the Michigan weather, at least when it comes to bringing her “Make America Horny Again” tour to Detroit. Her anticipated appearance at the strip club Truth Detroit has already been twice postponed — the first time due to the actress catching strep throat, and a second…
The Morouns want Trump’s help in Canadian bridge saga
The drama over the Gordie Howe Bridge continues, with the Moroun family now calling on President Donald Trump for help. The latest development, reported today by Bloomberg News, is that the Ambassador Bridge operators want to throw a wrench in the Canadian government’s plans to build the rival Gordie Howe Bridge by appealing to Trump’s…
McDonald’s rolls out digital kiosks in 80 Michigan stores
If there’s any complaint that can be lodged against McDonald’s, it’s that waiting at the counter for Chicken McNuggets and Quarter Pounders after you order is less than ideal. Why stand around when someone could bring you a heap of paper-wrapped fast food on a brown plastic tray? Burger fans rejoice: McDonald’s is now offering…
Get your spring fashion fix sustainably at this weekend’s vintage event in Ferndale
More than a dozen vintage sellers from across the state will gather under one big roof in Ferndale tonight for a shopping extravaganza to last four days. The Ferndale Vintage Fashion Market, now in its ninth iteration, takes over the Rust Belt Market every six months with wares from online and brick-and-mortar vintage sellers. For Kory Trinks, who…
Poll shows gov candidates Thanedar and Whitmer neck and neck in Dem primary race
The latest poll on the race for the Democratic nomination for governor puts Gretchen Whitmer ahead of Shri Thanedar by two points, 17 percent to 15 percent. Abdul El-Sayed and Bill Cobbs each polled at 2 percent. While the Denno Research poll is the second in a row to show Thanedar and Whitmer pulling ahead, it’s…
Book talk with American Islamophobia author Khaled A. Beydoun this evening
Detroit native and UD-Mercy professor Khaled Beydoun will give a talk tonight on his newly released book American Islamophobia. Given the rise of Trump and a spike in violence against people perceived to be Muslim, it’s a topic worth looking at in-depth. And even if you think you understand it, it can be challenging to…
Michigan ACLU sues Flint over arrests at meeting to address water crisis
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Flint and members of its police department over the arrest of four people who spoke out at a public meeting on the beleaguered city’s water system. The suit filed this morning alleges the city, its police chief, and several…
Detroit’s guide to Record Store Day 2018
Once a year, record hunters brave the early morning chill and long lines for a chance to nab exclusive vinyl releases as part of Record Store Day — the record collector’s holiday. Record Store Day began as a celebration of independent record store owners and employees in 2007. Now in its eleventh year, RSD will…
Godfather of funk George Porter Jr. heads to Otus Supply
Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, bassist George Porter Jr. is best for his work in the Meters. Formed in 1965, the band pioneered what we now know as funk. Since then, the New Orleans native was recently honored with a Grammy lifetime achievement award, and has also worked with a diversity of artists — including…
Stormy Daniels once again cancels her Detroit date
What a tease! Stormy Daniels, quite possibly the world’s most famous porn star, has once again canceled a Detroit appearance. The porn actress was supposed to perform at Truth Detroit Wednesday night, but canceled due to flight delays. That date was already rescheduled from an earlier performance planned for Wednesday, March 14 which was canceled…
‘Ghost’ sighting inspires new spooky beer from Atwater Brewery
Atwater Brewery and Detroit Paranormal Expeditions are teaming up for the creation of Detroit’s first paranormal-themed beer, “Hello From The Other Side,” set to premiere Friday, April 13 at Atwater in the Park in Grosse Pointe Park. The collaboration follows Detroit Paranormal Expeditions’ investigation of the 1930s church that houses Atwater in the Park, where a…
Who’s really responsible for the low academic scores in Detroit’s schools
Read about Detroit’s public schools in major newspapers long enough, and a strange kind of “now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t” becomes apparent. Every time some new, grim statistic comes out about Detroit’s school system, it often seems to occur in a vacuum, often completely unrelated to any narrative about how the district got there. The scores are bad.…
39th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival lineup announced
Motor City jazzheads, get ready: The lineup for the 39th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival has just been announced. Organizers announced on Wednesday more than 30 performances for the festival, set to return to Detroit’s Hart Plaza Aug. 31-Sept. 3. This year’s highlights include artist-in-residence Chick Corea, the 25th-anniversary reunion of Straight Ahead, and three sets honoring the late Geri Allen by the festival’s…
Investigator makes case for criminal charges against Ypsi mayor in ‘Chinatown’ scandal
An independent attorney hired by the Ypsilanti City Council to investigate a scandal around a proposed Chinese development is recommending the case be turned over to the prosecutor’s office for further investigation and possible criminal charges. A report released to Ypsilanti city officials and obtained by Metro Times on Wednesday afternoon suggests council turn over…
Snyder calls for legal action after vessel anchor damages Line 5
Enbridge Energy informed the state of Michigan Tuesday that its Line 5 oil and gas pipeline was damaged by a vessel’s anchor — believed to be the same vessel that caused recent damage to power cables located at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, causing hundreds of gallons of coolant to leak. According to a statement…
Against Me! headlines Lansing’s Three Stacks Festival
Haven’t heard of the Three Stacks Music Festival? Well, mark your calendars because Against Me! is headlining the inaugural event. New to the Michigan festival scene, Fusion Shows presents the Three Stacks Music Festival which will come to Lansing’s revitalized REO Town neighborhood Saturday, June 23. The outdoor street fair will sprawl through the 1100 block…
No, Michigan Central Station did not light up in solidarity with UFO Factory last night
We want to believe. If you’re like us and mindlessly scrolled through social media for an hour before entertaining the idea of sleep last night, then you may have stumbled upon photos of Michigan Central Station allegedly illuminated in solidarity for Corktown’s befallen UFO Factory. This begs the question — why the hell would the owners…
Detroit cop ‘FatalForce’ faces charges after allegedly getting caught drunk with three guns
We had hoped we’d never have to write about Detroit police officer Jerold Blanding again, but, alas, here we are. You may remember Officer Blanding for fatally shooting an unarmed teenager behind an abandoned house last year in a case that benefited from no eye witnesses or video footage. (He was cleared of wrongdoing by the…
Review: Kung Fu Noodle House expands metro Detroit’s Chinese noodle conversation
It’s no secret that John R and Dequindre roads in Madison Heights are some of the best stretches for eating in metro Detroit. The sea of strip malls that comprise the suburb are stocked with excellent Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese restaurants, where you can go for everything from bahn gio to squirrel-shaped fish. And, man,…
You do know we are falling apart, yes?
Phil Power established a chain of suburban newspapers half a century ago, buying some, starting others, and he eventually had dozens of them in Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky. But then things changed. He shrewdly outfoxed Gannett, selling his papers to them in 2004, just before the internet destroyed the economic model of local newspapers by…
Toward a sustainable Detroit
The developments we see around Detroit — from the community gardens to the Midtown economic explosion — don’t really mean a thing unless they are sustainable and can serve as foundations for even bigger steps to be taken. People and organizations across the city have been struggling in their communities just to hang on and…
Savage Love: Call for submissions
I’m a 36-year-old straight woman. I was sexually and physically abused as a kid, and raped in my early 20s. I have been seeing a great therapist for the last five years, and I am processing things and feeling better than I ever have. I was in a long-term relationship that ended about two years…
Horoscopes (April 11-17)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 The usual tricks don’t seem to be working. To keep relying on them makes no sense at all. If you haven’t already, it’s time to revamp your take on what makes you happy; because you can’t expect to keep drinking from the same well. Those of you who understand…
Underground punk icon Wreckless Eric shoots the shit
If the name Wreckless Eric doesn’t ring a bell, then underground punk icon Eric Goulden has done his job. After dropping out of art school, Goulden topped the charts in 1977 with his single “Whole Wide World” — the same year fellow Brits, the Sex Pistols, released Never Mind The Bollocks. Goulden’s brand of angst…
Bonny Doon preps for Third Man Records show, Band of Horses tour
Public school teaching was a fine gig for Bobby Colombo until he met Bill Lennox. Once the two Detroit musicians began playing together and formed Bonny Doon, everything else was pushed to the side. “I brought him over to the dark side,” Lennox says. Now, free of his teaching job, Colombo has devoted more time…
