

Cover Story
What a strange traffic stop in Romeo reveals about Michigan’s ‘wandering cop’ laws
This is part of an ongoing series about “wandering cops” in Michigan. With the red-and-blue lights flickering on his patrol car, Romeo Police Officer Robert Priest pipes Beck’s “Loser” through the speakers of his patrol car, playing the ’90s alternative rock hit on a loop as he writes traffic tickets from the driver’s seat. “I’m…
Where to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day 2024 in metro Detroit
This Saint Patrick’s Day, “bored” should not be in your vocabulary. There are plenty of parties being held in and around Detroit to celebrate. (Did we miss anything? Let us know at tips@metrotimes.com and we’ll add it to the web version of this article.) Thursday, March 14 Bandit Tavern & Hideaway 419 S. Main St.,…
Whitmer signs bills banning sale of ‘whip-its,’ expanding drug treatment options
(The Center Square) – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills that expand access to drug treatment options and ban the sale of “whip-its” – nitrous oxide canisters available at grocery stores and gas stations that people huff to get high. “When families are facing crises, we must have their backs and connect them with the…
Library Street’s ‘Little Village’ campus to open in May with Charles McGee exhibit
The long-awaited Library Street Collective project anchored by The Shepherd in East Village is opening on May 18. They’re calling the whole campus spearheaded by Library Street Collective co-founders and partners Anthony and JJ Curis, “Little Village.” It spans several blocks in Detroit’s East Village neighborhood and includes The Shepherd, the Charles McGee Legacy Park,…
Flint funeral home goes quiet after judge orders release of Councilman Mays’s body
A funeral home agreed to release Flint City Councilman Eric Mays’s body to his only son Monday, but that didn’t happen. Mays’s son Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays arrived at the Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home in Flint on Monday evening with a hearse, expecting to move his father to a new funeral home in Saginaw.…
Award-winning Detroit musician Audra Kubat hosts songwriting workshops and performance at the DIA
Detroit-born musician Audra Kubat will be at the Detroit Institute of Arts this weekend, not only to perform, but also to share her songwriting knowledge with others. On Saturday, March 16 during two sessions at noon and 1 p.m., the award-winning singer-songwriter, composer, and educator will allow guests to become contributors to her art. The…
Local artists can connect at 313 Day Detroit Artists Market
In honor of 313 Day, local “art dealer” Art Nuttz is hosting a Detroit Artists Market at Extra Crispy Studios. The free event will feature art, streetwear, toys, home goods, and fashion, all crafted by Detroit artists. The hope is for the market to not only allow local artists to sell and showcase their work,…
Nick Speed launches ‘Nix Electronix Presents’ event series at Playground Detroit
Detroit DJ Nick Speed is kicking off a new event series on 313 Day with “Nix Electronix Presents,” which highlights new vinyl record releases with live performances and DJ sets. First up is Fat Ray from Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade Records, who is gearing up to drop his latest LP Santa Barbara. The title is…
Royal Oak’s Hideaway has been transformed into the bar from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’
The Hideaway in Royal Oak stays in the holiday spirit, so for March, the spot has transformed into a St. Patrick’s Day pop-up bar coined “Paddy’s Hideaway.” The festive experience is inspired by Paddy’s Pub from the hit TV series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, providing guests a similar feel to that of the beloved…
Detroit Writing Room to host Summer Author Series at the Whitney
This summer, Detroiters will have the opportunity to connect with Michigan authors while supporting local youth with the Detroit Writing Room’s Summer Author Series. It’s the Detroit Writing Room’s second year partnering with the historic Whitney mansion to host the series. Running from May through August this summer, the events are set for every last…
Son of late Flint Councilman Mays alleges ‘cruel act of retaliation’ in lawsuit against city
The only son of late Flint City Councilman Eric Mays is suing city officials, claiming they engaged in “a cruel act of retaliation” by withholding information about his father’s insurance benefits. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Michigan’s 7th Circuit Court, alleges city officials refused to disclose the information to Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays. Calling the…
Detroit police commissioners urge Justice Department to investigate cop who killed elderly man
The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is calling on the Justice Department to investigate a police officer who fatally assaulted a 71-year-old Black man outside of a bowling alley in Midtown. The board voted 7-0 on Thursday to send a letter to U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison, urging her to review the case of Juwan Brown,…
Street Beet is popping up at Bunny Bunny for cookbook release
We’ve been anticipating the release of defunct vegan popup Street Beet’s cookbook since co-founder Nina Paletta told us it was in the works last month. Nostalgic Vegan: The Street Beet Cookbook is finally available for pre-order and, not only that, Paletta and fellow Street Beet chef Meghan Shaw are celebrating with a two-night popup at…
Tamponpalooza event showcases local artists to raise feminine hygiene products for metro Detroit women in need
Tamponpalooza, an annual metro Detroit event created by Ken Brass in 2014, serves as a platform and fundraiser to address the need for feminine hygiene and hair care products among homeless and low-income women and girls. Although Brass is not a woman himself, the local community organizer, who is also the host of Detroit’s Soundoff…
Tribes urge U.S. to weigh in on Line 5 case as appeal sits in court
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. • The Bad River Band is suing to get Enbridge to move a section of Line 5 off its lands. • Lawyers and tribes say the case…
Doctor files whistleblower lawsuit against DMC after patient becomes quadriplegic
A former medical resident at Detroit Medical Center is suing the hospital system, saying he was fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle on the mistreatment of a patient who subsequently became quadriplegic. Joseph Owens was terminated from the residency program in November, less than a month after he notified his supervisor of a series…
Norwest Gallery is heavy on the melanin in sixth anniversary show, but the gallery almost didn’t make it
Walking into Norwest Gallery for the Heavy Melanin exhibit, a painting of blue and white blotches on black draws my eyes to the left. Getting closer, I notice there are braids snaking through the piece like a maze underneath clumps of white paint and yellow speckles. There’s something mesmerizing about it, as the braids loop…
Legal battle halts funeral plans for late Flint Councilman Eric Mays
The siblings of deceased Flint Councilman Eric Mays cannot move forward with a funeral for their brother this week amid a lawsuit over who has the rights to his remains, a judge ruled Thursday. The decision comes several days after Mays’s son, Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays, filed a lawsuit that alleges the Lawrence E. Moon…
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ lacks the joys of the franchise’s earlier installments
Kung Fu Panda 4 reminds us that animated movie franchises should really end after the third one. I’m still kinda mad that Pixar gave us one of the best movie trilogies of all time with the Toy Story saga, then served up a meh fourth installment in 2019. The same goes with the Shrek franchise,…
Detroit kept residents in the dark about hazardous contaminants at waterfront park
The city of Detroit knew about serious levels of contamination at a waterfront park on the east side but failed to alert residents or fence off the entire area until last month, Metro Times has learned. Soil testing at A.B. Ford Park in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood in 2022 and 2023 revealed excessive levels of…
Lapointe: Clinton Township blast too close to home
When the loud rumbles from the southeast began shortly before 9 p.m. Monday in Clinton Township, I assumed it was thunder. With no rain predicted for that night, I wondered whether the weather forecast was simply wrong again. But the rumbles continued for five, 10, and then 20 minutes. Then they’d stop and start again.…
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is performing the music of Pink Floyd on 4/20
Imagine an epic orchestra and rock band teaming up to play Pink Floyd’s biggest hits. You won’t have to imagine it, as this mashup will be a reality when the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs the music of Pink Floyd — and on April 20 no less. We’re not encouraging anyone to get high and go…
Library Street Collective founders to open a bed and breakfast in Detroit’s Shepherd building
ALEO Detroit, a bed and breakfast for artists with the founders of Library Street Collective at the helm, is expected to open in the spring. The space will be housed within the Shepherd building, a 110-year-old Romanesque-style church in Detroit’s East Village that is being transformed into a cultural arts center. The name ALEO refers…
Tim Allen gets uncanceled with ‘Shifting Gears’ pilot
Actor and comedian Tim Allen could soon return to ABC for a third time. The network has reportedly green-lighted a pilot for a new multi-camera sitcom tentatively called Shifting Gears. The plot features Allen as Matt, the “stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop,” which would be extremely on-brand for the grunting car…
The sausages sing at Detroit’s Alpino
In a corner of the world where menu rehashes are way too common, Corktown’s Alpino first scores a few points for conceptual originality with a menu of plates from the Alps region, including southern Germany, northern Italy, eastern France, and Austria. See the risotto, a northern Italian classic, made with a carnaroli rice done in…
Norwest Gallery hopes to secure new location for Womxnhouse Detroit and a bigger gallery space through Seed and Bloom program
Ten BIPOC artists in Detroit will be getting a boost from the Gilbert Family Foundation over the next three years. The Gilbert Family Foundation’s newly announced Seed and Bloom program in partnership with United States Artists will give $150,000 to artist-run businesses and community organizations like Norwest Gallery of Art, House of Jit, and Sidewalk…
Bacco Ristorante’s Chef Luciano DelSignore plots farewell dinner with a little help from his friends
Southfield’s Bacco Ristorante is closing after more than 20 years in business, but before he says “arrivederci” owner-chef Luciano DelSignore is planning a farewell dinner in collaboration with some of his industry friends. The Sunday, March 24 dinner features a menu by some of the top chefs in the Detroit area, some of whom were…
Deadly Clinton Twp. explosion was result of illegally stored chemicals at vape shop
A Monday evening explosion in Clinton Township that made national headlines occurred at a vape shop where chemicals were being illegally stored. A 19-year-old man was killed from the blast. According to reports, the man, who has not yet been named, was standing at a car wash a quarter-mile away when he was struck by…
Rashida Tlaib wants to reform the music industry with Living Wage for Musicians Act
The latest target of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib? The music industry. On Wednesday, the congresswoman announced the Living Wage for Musicians Act, new legislation aimed at reforming the music industry and digital streaming platforms like Spotify that pay only fractions of a penny per streamed song. Tlaib partnered with New York congressman Jamaal Bowman for…
Atwater Brewery is celebrating 313 Day with Detroit brands and $3.13 specials
Detroit’s oldest brewery, Atwater Brewery, is gearing up to celebrate 313 Day on Wednesday, March 13, with a day-long celebration at their Detroit taphouse. To commemorate the Detroit holiday, the brewery will feature $3.13 pint specials and food deals in partnership with a lineup of iconic local brands. Those include made-in-Detroit favorites like Faygo, Better…
Donald Trump is a racist
Related Stories
Two confirmed cases of corporate tone deafness
Chowhound is a weekly column about what’s trending in Detroit food culture. Tips: eat@metrotimes.com. While food cost inflation soars at a 30-year high, two corners of corporate America decided this month to trumpet how loftily out of touch they can be. Breakfast cereal giant Kellogg’s, for starters, just brain-farted loud and proud in the court…
Free Will Astrology (March 6-12)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow talent to the dark place where it leads.” So wrote Aries author Erica Jong. Is that true? Is it hard to access the fullness of our talents? Must we summon rare courage and explore dark places? Sometimes, yes. To overcome…






