Stray dogs found with chains locked around necks in Detroit area
A Detroit-area animal shelter is offering a $1,000 cash reward for information after two dogs were found with chains locked around their necks. Dubbed Gilligan and Skipper, the dogs were brought to Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit by Dearborn Animal Control on Sunday. Gilligan was found dragging two tow chains pad-locked around his neck…
Metro Times wins Society for Features Journalism award for coverage of Detroit youth
We’re feeling vindicated by our decision to bring Detroit-based journalist Eleanore Catolico on board as part of a year-long New Voices Fellowship in 2022. On Tuesday, the Society for Features Journalism announced that Catolico won second place in its annual writing competition for the category, “Inclusion and Representation in Features.” Catolico earned the award for…
Safety or exclusion? Detroiters shut out of public parks during fireworks
Detroit’s annual fireworks display on Monday was as radiant and breathtaking as ever. Trouble is, many Detroiters had trouble seeing the dazzling display because the city’s police department closed most of the public parks and spaces that offered the best views. Now residents and City Council President Mary Sheffield want to know why. The decision…
Ex-Michigan police chief sentenced up to 20 years in prison for stealing drugs
A former Michigan police chief who was charged with stealing narcotics from her department and planning to sell them was sentenced on Monday to 40 months to 20 years in prison. Tressa Beltran was chief of the Hartford Police Department when she stole the drugs in 2022. Beltran retired in January 2023 and was charged…
MAGA clown Mellissa Carone’s campaign debt grew after failed political runs
Mellissa Carone, the bombastic, conspiracy-peddling Donald Trump loyalist whose foray into politics twice went up in flames, owes more than $8,400 in unpaid campaign finance fees, according to records viewed by Metro Times. The Michigan Bureau of Elections sent Carone 44 late filing fee notices since she ran for state Senate and lieutenant governor in…
Faith leaders criticize Wayne State board for handling of pro-Palestinian protests
More than 60 faith leaders, including rabbis, are urging the Wayne State University Board of Governors to meet with pro-Palestinian activists and to apologize to those who have been harmed during recent rallies. The rabbis, imams, and Christian pastors plan to present an open letter to the elected Board of Governors at its next meeting…
Lapointe: How can we miss the Rolling Stones when they won’t go away?
At a Rolling Stones concert last month near New York City, lead singer Mick Jagger motioned subtly and then vigorously with his right hand for guitarist Keith Richards to join him for a rock-star strut on the runway during an instrumental bridge in the song “Miss You.” But Richards just stood there. Finally, Jagger coaxed…
Wayne State ducks pro-Palestinian activists with new virtual board meetings
At Wayne State University, democracy is ducking behind a computer. The university’s elected Board of Governors is going virtual for its next public meeting for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. By doing so, the board is avoiding face-to-face encounters with student and faculty protesters who have been rallying in support of Palestinians. In…
Muslim group sues Washtenaw County township over mosque dispute
A Muslim advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit against a Washtenaw County township on Thursday, alleging local officials are making it impossible to open a mosque. The lawsuit, filed by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), claims Lodi Township has unconstitutional zoning laws and practices that violate the religious rights…
Detroit students to protest inaction on deadly climate change this weekend
High temperatures scorching the United States right now are more than an annoyance — they are deadly — and a group of students from Detroit’s Cass Technical High School aren’t content to sit on their asses and watch the world melt. On Saturday, June 22, a group of students will be holding a die-in from…
Cause of death for celebrated Dearborn music journalist Kevin Ransom revealed
Kevin Ransom, a renowned freelance journalist from Dearborn celebrated for his engaging and unforgettable music writing, died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Wayne County officials told Metro Times on Thursday. Ransom was 69 years old when police found him dead at his home on June 1. The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office said his death was…
Fact check: Whitmer didn’t snub Hamtramck city officials at Negro League event
When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials joined more than 100 Negro League baseball fans to celebrate Juneteenth at Historic Hamtramck Stadium on Wednesday, city officials were nowhere to be found. Residents, including former Mayor Karen Majewski, took to social media to question why their elected officials didn’t turn out to an event that…
Sabrina Carpenter bringing her ‘Short n’ Sweet Tour’ to Detroit
Sabrina Carpenter’s inescapable, funky ’80s-style earworm “Espresso” has been already deemed the song of the summer, and the singer has just announced an arena tour to follow. The 29-date “Short n’ Sweet Tour” kicks off this fall, including a Detroit date at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, Sept. 26. Ghanaian American singer Amaarae will open…
Pig & Whiskey musical acts include Lucero, Black Lips, Frontier Ruckus, and more
This year’s Pig & Whiskey has enlisted some big names in music for its annual Ferndale festival. Headliners include Tennessee’s alt-country act Lucero on Friday, July 12; Atlanta garage rock band the Black Lips on Saturday, July 13; and New York’s self-described “brass house” band Too Many Zoos on Sunday, July 14. They’ll be joined…
R.I.P. Willie Mays, baseball immortal dead at 93
When it came to skill sets in baseball, Willie Mays possessed them all: he was a consistent hitter with power, a marvel on defense, a speedy baserunner, and a clutch performer in all facets of the game. The remarkable statistics he compiled only provide an iota of the excitement he generated over a long and…
How Zeek Williams and New Era Detroit used grassroot methods to rethink community safety
It’s a Friday night and a half-dozen volunteers and employees from New Era Detroit are gathered inside their headquarters on Schoolcraft Road in the Brightmoor neighborhood. They’re armed, dressed in black boots, black cargo pants, and black varsity jackets with the phrase “Our Community Our Responsibility” stitched on the back. The facility is equipped with…
