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20 socially distant things to do in metro Detroit this winter
When the word “coronavirus” first started appearing with frequency in national headlines around this time last year, would you ever have imagined that you’d be largely locked inside a year later as a pandemic continued to grip the U.S. for months on end? We honestly can’t remember how we thought this was all going to…
Detroit just got a new Chipotle and it has a ‘Chipotlane’ to limit human interaction while getting your guac on
Some people live life in the fast lane while others, well, they take the “Chipotlane” and now Detroit-area fans of Chipotle Mexican Grill can do the same. As of Tuesday, Detroit just scored a new Chipotle, and it has what is referred to by the build-your-own burrito chain as the “Chipotlane,” which serves as a…
Duggan’s administration endorses plan to allow hazardous materials on Ambassador Bridge
Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration has endorsed a controversial proposal to allow trucks to transport hazardous and toxic materials across the Ambassador Bridge. In a Jan. 13 memo to City Council members, four city departments indicated they don’t oppose Detroit International Bridge Co.’s (DIBC) request for trucks to carry fuel, flammable chemicals, and corrosive materials over…
Detroit drops charges against 238 anti-police brutality protesters
The city of Detroit is dismissing charges against 238 protesters who were arrested during two days of protests that broke out following the death of George Floyd last year. The city’s law department said Tuesday it’s dropping all but seven of the cases. The move comes after police and law department officials examined videos and…
Judge denies bond for Wixom man charged with beating police during Capitol siege
A federal judge on Monday denied bond for the 30-year-old former Marine from Michigan who is accused of beating police officers with a hockey stick before climbing through a broken window at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Michael Joseph Foy will remain in jail as his case proceeds, U.S. Magistrate Patricia Morris…
Pizza Hut now has Detroit-style pizza on its menu, including one variety with 80 pepperoni
If you’re like us, then you likely say “When was the last time I went to a Pizza Hut?” every time you drive past the pizza chain. And you’re absolutely like us if that answer is “fifth grade.” Well, thanks to the Hut’s latest limited-time offering, you might just find yourself pulling enthusiastically into the…
Washtenaw County will no longer charge juveniles for low-level offenses: ‘We need to treat kids like kids’
We didn’t know it was possible to fall in love with a prosecutor, but here we are, crushing on Washtenaw County’s Eli Savit and his flurry of aggressive — and progressive — directives to move the county forward. Most recently added to the list of policy changes he has enacted since taking office on Jan.…
Whitmer refuses to answer questions about state health director’s resignation
Governor Gretchen Whitmer dodged questions from reporters about Robert Gordon, the former state health department director who resigned last week. Gordon announced his resignation as director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on Friday in a tweet, a seemingly abrupt move that came just after the state announced it would allow…
Michigan man charged in Capitol insurrection ‘among the most violent’ rioters, prosecutors say
The actions of a Wixom man charged with attacking police with a hockey stick during the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan.6 “were among the most violent of all participants,” federal prosecutors said. Michael Joseph Foy, a 30-year-old former Marine, is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday for a detention hearing, and federal prosecutors are…
Problematic fave Chick-fil-A will open new metro Detroit locations this week
Fried chicken fiends in metro Detroit will soon be able to feast upon Chick-fil-A’s famous sandwiches when the third-largest fast-food chain in the U.S. opens new locations in Northville and Shelby Township this week. According to the company, the new locations will open for drive-thru only service on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 20135 Haggerty Rd.…
Michigan restaurant association calls for vaccine prioritization for hospitality workers
Michigan’s restaurant lobbying group says now that the state will allow indoor dining to resume next month, its workers should be given prioritization for COVID-19 vaccines. “We welcome the governor’s decision to reopen restaurant dining on February 1 as good, if overdue news,” Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) president and CEO Justin Winslow said…
Greenhouse of Walled Lake gave 2,000+ joints to people who received COVID-19 vaccine
The Greenhouse of Walled Lake handed out more than 2,000 free joints to people who received a COVID-19 vaccine in the first three days of the dispensary’s “Pots for Shots” campaign. “I wanted to raise awareness of the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccination as our state and our nation battle this devastating pandemic,” dispensary…
Innovative program helps restaurants and the hungry in Jackson
With no end in sight to the economic turmoil spurred by the pandemic, a mid-Michigan community is launching an innovative program to ensure families have food on the table. Through a $500,000 donation from Consumers Energy and several community partners, the new Our Town program in Jackson will distribute meals prepared by more than 20…
U.K. coronavirus mutation spreads to Wayne County, more people linked to University of Michigan
A highly contagious coronavirus mutation known as B.1.1.7 has now reached Wayne County, health officials say. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) says the virus was detected in a Wayne County man, according to a press release sent Saturday. The mutation has also been detected in two more women associated with the…
Michigan’s health director resigned after the state allowed restaurants to reopen
Robert Gordon announced his resignation from his role as director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) on Friday afternoon. “Today, I am resigning from the Whitmer Administration,” Gordon wrote on Twitter. “It’s been an honor to serve alongside wonderful colleagues. I look forward to the next chapter.” When asked by Metro…
The unfinished business of Flint’s water crisis
This article was originally published by ProPublica. It is republished here with permission. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. When I first heard E. Yvonne Lewis tell the story, it was a hot July day in downtown Flint,…
Michigan allows restaurants to reopen for indoor dining, but top health director warns it’s safer not to
Michigan is moving forward with its plan to allow restaurants to reopen for indoor dining in February, but the state’s top medical official cautioned that doing so comes with a risk to diners. “Top scientists and doctors from across the country have reiterated that being indoors with no mask on is one of the riskier…
FBI arrests Michigan man accused of beating police with hockey stick during Capitol siege
A Wixom man accused of attacking police with a hockey stick during the U.S. Capitol siege was arrested on federal charges Thursday after the FBI received a tip on Twitter. Michael Joseph Foy, 29, is charged with assaulting police, obstruction of law enforcement, aiding and abetting, knowingly entering a restricting building without lawful authority, and…
Airline mechanic plans to plead guilty in alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer
Federal prosecutors are close to securing their first conviction in the alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Ty Garbin, a 25-year-old airline mechanic from Hartland Township, is expected to plead guilty next week as part of an undisclosed deal with prosecutors, The Detroit Free Press reports. Garbin’s change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in…
U.K. coronavirus mutation found in 2 more people, all linked to University of Michigan
The highly contagious coronavirus mutation that emerged in the United Kingdom has now been identified in three women in Washtenaw County. According to a press release from Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), all three women are linked to the University of Michigan. The first Michigan case of the coronavirus mutation, known as…
Bell’s Brewery marketing manager joins Common Citizen cannabis company
After leading the marketing for one of Michigan’s biggest craft beer brewers, Allison Hornev has made the jump to the new cannabis industry. Hornev left Kalamazoo-based Bell’s Brewery after five years as a senior marketing manager, heading to a new role at vertically integrated cannabis company Common Citizen, where she’ll serve as chief marketing officer,…
U.S. Attorney Schneider, a Trump appointee, is resigning after President Biden takes office
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, a Republican appointed by former President Donald Trump, announced Thursday that he’s stepping down on Feb. 1 to join a Detroit-based law firm. The announcement comes one day after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president. “It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve the people of…
St. Clair Shores warns about elevated levels of lead in water system
The city of St. Clair Shores has issued an advisory after finding elevated levels of lead in the water system. The city tested 62 sites along the city’s lead service lines and found that eight of them exceeded 15 parts per billion, which is referred to as the Environmental Protection Agency’s “action level.” That triggers…
‘Legacy’ Detroit residents can now apply for recreational marijuana dispensary licenses
The City of Detroit is finally taking recreational marijuana dispensary license applications, starting with longtime city residents. As part of its social equity program to help communities harmed by the War on Drugs enter the new industry, the city is granting “legacy” Detroiters priority in the application process. Applicants are considered “legacy” Detroiters if they’ve…
Insane Clown Posse denounces comparison between Trump supporters and Juggalos
Detroit hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse is not down with the clown at The Atlantic who wrote a story comparing the supporters of Donald Trump to their fans, the Juggalos. On Tuesday, The Atlantic’s published a story by journalist Graeme Wood “What to Do With Trumpists.” In the piece, Wood wrote, “At noon tomorrow, our…
Canton Township man sentenced to probation for forging daughter’s name on absentee ballot
A Canton Township man who forged his daughter’s signature on an absentee ballot for the November 2020 election was sentenced to 90 days of probation on Tuesday. Paul Parana, 47, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor election law. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dismissed charges of impersonating a voter and election law forgery, felony counts…
Michigan man arrested in Capitol riot warned of ‘war everywhere,’ sold right-wing paraphernalia
Karl Dresch, the first known Michigan resident arrested by the FBI for storming the U.S. Capitol, sold right-wing paraphernalia out of his Calumet home and threatened “war everywhere if we let this election get stolen.” “I don’t care where you live, your stimulus check will cover a trip to DC and a day off work,”…
She found that libraries were missing Black books, so she made her own
Detroit native Asmaa Walton says she has long felt like Black art was missing from her life. She didn’t have many visual arts classes to choose from growing up in Detroit’s public schools. Even when she was in undergrad at Michigan State University, “there wasn’t a lot of Black art being taught in my art…
Savage Love: Case disclosed
I could really use your advice. I recently found my boyfriend’s HIV meds while I was house-sitting for him and went into his cupboard for a multivitamin. We’ve been dating for a year, and I had assumed he was negative. I’m negative myself and on PrEP and he is undetectable, so I know there is…
Free Will Astrology (Jan. 20-26)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19 On May 4, 2019, my Aries friend Leah woke up in a state of amazement. During the night, she felt she had miraculously become completely enlightened. Over the next 16 hours, she understood her life perfectly. Everything made sense to her. She was in love with every person and…
Why can’t we be friends?
Donald Trump’s second impeachment last week presented House Republicans with a Gordian knot. Trump will leave office with an approval rating at 29%, fewer jobs than when he started, and U.S. COVID fatalities about to top World War II deaths. He’ll depart under the ignominious cloud of a pathetic, anti-democratic, and ultimately violent attempt to…
