Detroit Free Press
Trump to Minnesota: Insurrection Act on tap
President Donald Trump on Jan. 15 threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would give him power to deploy armed forces domestically, as tensions ratcheted up yet further in Minnesota following a second shooting involving a federal agent. The...
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TAKE A VICTORY LAP
The 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicles of the Year were crowned Wednesday, Jan. 14, to kick off the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place downtown. The winners: Car of the Year: 2025 Dodge Charger Truck of the Year: 2025 Ford...
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U-M regents board approves Syverud as new president
The University of Michigan Board of Regents voted unanimously to name Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud as the 16th president of U-M. Syverud, 69, is a lawyer who earned a masters degree and juris doctorate at U-M. He currently...
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Mayor Sheffield: ‘Let’s rise higher together’
Mary Sheffield is the 76th mayor of Detroit. But, as she noted immediately after a public ceremonial swearing-in as Detroit’s next leader, she is the first woman to helm a city founded in 1701. From the city’s poet laureate to the federal judge who...
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Stats tell the story: Crime way down in city
Homicides in Detroit continue to decline, with 2025 marking what officials have described as yet another historic drop: the fewest murders since 1964, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison announced on Wednesday, Jan. 7, surrounded by federal, state and...
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A PUSH TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO BUCKLING UP
On the morning of Jan. 6, 2024, Detroit resident Paradise Warsaw experienced a brutal car accident alongside her daughters, Lyliah Williams and Payden Pinson. The details remain fuzzy even a year later, but Warsaw, 30, recalls spinning out in her 2010...
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Maduro’s tight grip on power ends
Protests continued Jan. 4 across Detroit as advocates urged an end to the U.S. intervention in Venezuela. Dozens of protesters braved the cold Sunday to attend rallies in downtown Detroit, one at Grand Circus Park and the other along Michigan Avenue,...
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MSU AD brings sense of calm to the college chaos
EAST LANSING — J Batt comes across as someone who’s in control of the uncontrollable — in his demeanor, his decisiveness and in his initiatives. That’s a reassuring trait from an athletic director at a time when very little is certain in college...
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Sheffield turns focus to poverty on 1st day
On her first day as Detroit’s mayor, Mary Sheffield — the first woman elected to lead the city in its more than 300-year history — put a spotlight on one of the city’s most persistent problems: poverty. Sheffield, who had only taken the oath of office...
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UP, UP AND AWAY TO 2026!
LaiAnna Washington, left, and her next door neighbor Piper Hyles, right, of Flint, work together to try to capture balloons in a bag to take home as they fall after the noon countdown while celebrating during the sold-out Noon Year’s Eve event at the...
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Car with 2 front ends turns heads in Detroit
In Detroit, cars are built every day. None of them — seriously, none of them — looks like Zach Sutton’s ride. Maybe, if you happened to spot a ‘90s Chrysler minivan on the road, you could plausibly compare it to Sutton’s car. But even then, you...
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Sheffield team sets $2M goal for transition
The philanthropies backing Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield’s transition are expected to donate at least $2 million to what her team has called “the most ambitious and inclusive transition engagement effort in the city’s history,” putting it on...
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AI puts teachers, students at odds
There’s a difficult reality students and teachers are contending with in Michigan classrooms: There’s no foolproof tool to detect a student using artificial intelligence (AI) to cheat on an assignment. Some students are using AI to cheat. But many...
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Cass Tech marks century of lauded harp program
This year, Cass Technical High School marked a milestone musical anniversary. Cass Tech’s harp program, founded in 1925 by Clarence Byrne, then head of Cass Tech’s music department, opened the door for students to master one of the world’s most...
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Christmas miracle for Charlevoix crash survivor
CHARLEVOIX — The national anthem cracked over the loudspeaker in the Charlevoix High School gymnasium, and Joe Gaffney fought back tears, standing at the end of the bench. Gaffney swayed back and forth – looked down, looked back – and then pulled his...
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Trump named in newly released Epstein docs
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department released a new trove of 29,000 documents Dec. 23 from its investigation into convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein – including one in which a man accused Epstein and President Donald Trump of raping a woman he...
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MI front and center as data centers plans flare
The nearly 600 acres of property off of Michigan Avenue in Saline Township, where Related Digital wants to build a massive data center, is still just vacant land in a fairly rural community close to Ann Arbor and easily drivable to Detroit. It’s...
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How do you gauge your kid’s childcare? Rating may help
How do you measure the quality of your kid’s childcare? The answer is varied because childcare quality can look like many different things, experts say: a stable caregiverchild relationship, a predictable daily routine posted on a wall or annual...
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Neighbors worry about effects from Saline Twp. facility
LANSING — Michigan utility regulators signed off on DTE Energy’s agreement to power a hyperscale data center planned for Saline Township, despite at-times heated opposition calling for greater scrutiny of the project and the electric company’s plan to...
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Could Detroit end traffic stops for minor infractions?
Detroit police oversight board members hoping to limit minor traffic stops after a series of police shootings that started with issues including alleged license plate and tinted window violations can look to the experiences of at least three Michigan...
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DARKNESS SHADOWS FESTIVAL OF LIGHT
On a popular beach in Australia, the darkness of antisemitism intruded on the Festival of Light. Instead of celebrating a Jewish holiday, Jews were slaughtered. For the second time in two months, Jewish people on opposite sides of the world were...
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Person held in Brown University shooting
PROVIDENCE, RI – Authorities in Providence, Rhode Island, confirmed that police have a person of interest in custody after at least two students were killed and nine others were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University. “The people of Providence...
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Police: Case includes knives and threats
Fired Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was arraigned on a felony home invasion charge and two misdemeanors Dec. 12 in 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor. A Washtenaw County prosecutor said that on Dec. 10 Moore went into the home of a woman with...
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Moore jailed as assault investigation continues
Recently fired Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore remains in jail, but it is unclear when he may appear in court in connection to a possible criminal assault investigation. Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit said in a statement the...
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Detroit schools turning in house to find new teachers
Naimah Wade doesn’t have to look far to find future teachers for Detroit Public Schools Community District: from classroom aides to substitutes to the support staff who give kids targeted help when they struggle to read. Those types of school staff...
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SECRET SANTAS PAY A VISIT
Elf 32A and Mrs. Claus did it again for the 18th straight year, handing out thousands of dollars in cash to strangers in and around Lincoln Park to celebrate Christmas and the spirit of giving. They handed out good cheer $100 at a time on Dec. 8,...
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SNATCHING UP FUN
Large machines filled with toys, candy and collectibles up for grabs have loomed at grocery store exits, Pizza Huts, malls and everywhere in between for years. h Now, arcades full of claw machines are popping up in metro Detroit. h Detroit Klaws, 758...
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‘Saint’ is answer to Lions fans’ prayers
When you need divine help, you call on a Saint. Here were the Detroit Lions, their fans praying hard, in a game that they had to have, on a series that they had to control. They were clinging to a one-touchdown lead over Dallas with less than three...
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Early childhood funding loss cuts deep across state
When Jen Dominique, mother of three, faced the closure of her child’s Head Start program in November because of the federal government shutdown, there was one resource she wished families with young kids in her community in the Upper Peninsula could...
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Mother Nature dampens man’s houseboat dream
The Neverlanding has landed. A Canadian man’s nearly 70-foot homemade houseboat, dubbed Neverlanding, a wooden-framed modular building on a platform of barrels with a singular, 85-horsepower engine, captivated gawkers on the St. Clair River and...
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Storm blankets the East Coast in snow
The first winter storm of the season hit New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions on Dec. 2, with “heavy snow and impactful icing” threatening road conditions, forecasters said. A total of more than 45 million Americans were under winter weather...
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New ambitious redevelopment plan is unveiled
An ambitious and multifaceted development plan featuring housing, manufacturing, an indoor skate park and a techno music museum has been proposed for the site of the former Packard Plant factory in Detroit that recently was demolished. Detroit h Mayor...
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‘They did me wrong’
Behind prison walls, they called him “Baby Killer.” It was a h torturous nickname for Michael Griffin, who was serving a life sentence for the death of his infant daughter — a crime he adamantly denies. He said she fell from a baby swing inside their...
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Free little libraries turn into roadside pantries
The maroon-colored wooden box on a post in front of Lucy McGoron’s house usually holds free books for adults and children passing by. h The Grosse Pointe Woods mom recently swapped out the items that help feed people’s minds for those that help feed...
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Grateful for saying grace: A Thankgiving prayer
“All right, y’all, let’s bless the food.” We’ve not yet gotten to Thanksgiving, but I know exactly how the events of the day will go. My father-in-law will corral the h family, minutes after my husband and I hit the door of my grandmother-in-law’s...
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Chevy ad has all the feels for the holidays
A family road trip to a small town Up North. It’s an experience to which many Michiganders, as well as Americans across the country, can relate. Universality is a key decisionmaker for the marketing team at General Motors’ top-selling vehicle brand...
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Benefits of autonomous driving have far reach
Like many working to advance driver assistance systems, Doug Wellman has a variety of personal reasons in addition to professional ones on why he wants to get it right. Wellman, the man responsible for Stellantis’ system, helped construct each tier of...
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Give thanks for Gibbs
Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t just the most explosive player on the Detroit Lions. He’s the most valuable weapon they’ve got. And after their game on Sunday, Nov. 23, he ought to have a bank named after him. Because he just saved the Lions’ season. On the first...
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‘AT THE HAVEN, EVERYTHING IS AN EXPERIENCE’
DETROIT – The sun was shining, the table was set and here came the wasps trying to spoil it all. “I feel so bad,” Kesha Rand said apologetically to her guests as they swatted the air with their hands. “It's such a pretty day, but it's that season for...
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105-year-old Rosie among history’s heroes honored
They remembered those who served by presenting a special award to a 105-year-old Rosie the Riveter, who was able to attend the Birmingham breakfast, and memorializing veterans who had died. “We’ve all been touched by a veteran h in some way,” Peggy...
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SHUTDOWN APPEARS CLOSER TO ENDING
WASHINGTON – The longest-ever government shutdown is on the verge of ending, as food aid benefits are in limbo and flight cancellations and delays disrupt travelers. The U.S. Senate on Nov. 9 took the first big step toward voting on a bipartisan...
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Mom charged in crash caused by son
Nearly two years after a Grosse Pointe teenager was killed in a high-speed car crash, the mother of the driver who was behind the wheel that night is being charged with involuntary manslaughter over her alleged role in the tragedy — only it’s not the...
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Hudson’s holiday magic back in city
For the first time in over 40 years, Hudson’s is open for Christmas again. The Nick Gilbert Way, a public plaza situated between Hudson’s office building and the Hudson’s skyscraper in downtown Detroit, opened to the public on Nov. 6, featuring...
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U.S. government shutdown set to bring more pain
If the Trump administration follows through with its directive to airlines as expected, travelers through Detroit Metro Airport can likely expect upwards of 10% of the flights to be canceled beginning Friday, Nov. 7. Maybe. The Federal Aviation...
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Sheffield takes charge: ‘A mandate by our city’
Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield made history Tuesday night, Nov. 4, becoming the first woman ever elected mayor in the city and concluding a campaign cycle she led from start to finish. The Associated Press and CNN called the race for...
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On Election Day, voters get to speak
Frank Witsil, Clara Hendrickson, Eric Guzmán, Dave Boucher, Lyndsay C. Green, Duante Beddingfield, Nancy Kaffer, Beki San Martin, Tanya Wildt and Niraj Warikoo Metro Detroiters headed to the polls in an off-year election on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to select,...
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Great Lakes wrecks are less likely today
So long as bulk carrier freighters move goods through the Great Lakes — and through the severe storms that can pop up in November and other months — the risk of an Edmund Fitzgerald-type disaster is never zero. But improvements in weather forecasting,...
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McCarthy rises to occasion to spoil fun
It’s been a while since a former Michigan Wolverines quarterback came back as a pro to hand the Lions a defeat. Elvis Grbac did it decades ago. Tom Brady used to do it regularly, but his last visit was in 2020, when he was steering the Bucccaneers in a...
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FBI: PLOT FOILED
The FBI said it foiled a potential Halloween terrorist plot in Michigan on Oct. 31, making several arrests and searching two Dearborn homes and an Inkster storage facility. “We’re catching people before they even start,” President Donald Trump told...
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Inspired to help others in need
Growing up in poverty as a child on Detroit’s west side, sometimes wondering when and how he would get his next meal, the Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. says he can remember having “nothing,” including running water. The family would have to fill buckets at...
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Sheffield feels a call to lead change
During a September day of back-to-back meetings and campaign stops, Mary Sheffield stepped out of city hall to find her top aide waiting in the parking lot. There was a problem. Minutes before, during a speech in Howell, Michigan, Vice President JD...
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MAGA supporter, protester finding common ground
A protester at an anti-Trump rally got up from his seat and started moving toward the man wearing a Make America Great Again hat and shirt. “Oh geez,” thought organizer Kate Naden. It wasn’t the first time a supporter of President Donald Trump came...
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Melissa nears Jamaica as powerful Category 5
As Hurricane Melissa barreled toward Jamaica on Oct. 27, the nation braced for possibly its worst hurricane in recorded history, evacuating parts of its capital, closing airports and opening more than 800 shelters. Melissa, a Category 5 storm, was...
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THE SHUTDOWN GETS REAL
The looming pause in food assistance benefits for 1.4 million Michiganders next month has families all across the state anxiously scrambling to plan and food pantries preparing to serve more people. The federal government directed the Michigan...
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Trump says he cut off trade talks with Canada
WASHINGTON – A day after President Donald Trump announced that all trade talks with Canada had been terminated for using a “FAKE” advertisement showing former President Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs, he said the country’s tariff...
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Pistons legend Billups arrested in FBI probe
Portland Trail Blazers coach and former Detroit Pistons legend Chauncey Billups was arrested in Oregon on charges connected to an illegal poker ring, the FBI announced on Thursday, Oct. 23. Billups was charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy...
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Back from the dead to finish the race a year later
Patrick Vanderbush stood about 50 yards from where his heart stopped beating. “Great work!” Vanderbush said to a group of runners as they approached a fluid station during the Detroit Free Press Marathon presented by MSU Federal Credit Union on...
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Unicorns, frogs, make a statement at the protests
A cat and a unicorn fist-bumped in the mass of protesters outside Michigan Central Station, and the unicorn referred to her presence as a form of patriotism. It was the second nationwide “No Kings” protest day to take place in Detroit to denounce...
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Stars turn out to celebrate Detroit’s Motown Museum
An eventful Sunday downtown capped a yearlong 40th anniversary celebration for the Motown Museum — and offered some key updates to supporters of the Detroit institution. Smokey Robinson, the Temptations’ Otis Williams and songwriting brothers Brian...
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Reigning in rain on a tough day
Thousands of runners raced through on-and-off rain and some gusty winds on Sunday, Oct. 19, making the 26.2-mile journey throughout Detroit and in and out of Canada for the 48th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon presented by MSU Federal Credit Union....
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Lace up your shoes, it’s off to the races in Detroit
Detroit Free Press Marathon fast facts What: The largest international race in North America returns to Detroit this weekend — and crosses into Windsor. Where: The 48th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon, presented by MSU Federal Credit Union, will...
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At 70, she’s going to run her 71st marathon
For Carol Kuhn, 70, of Rubicon, Wisconsin, the pressure is on. She has felt it ever since she decided to run the 48th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon presented by MSU Federal Credit Union on Sunday, Oct. 19 — her 71st marathon and likely her last,...
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In Northville, a street fight over cars, community
Stephanie Frescoln hesitated a moment before answering a reporter’s question as she walked along Main Street in Northville on a recent weekday afternoon. The Northville resident had been asked to weigh in on a topic that has caused a rift in this...
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Free Press marathon’s elite may put records in danger
It has become much harder to win the big races at the Detroit marathon, with the prestige, cash awards and level of competition now higher than ever. This year will be the second year for the Elite Field at the Detroit Free Press Marathon presented...
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A ‘DAY OF PROFOUND JOY’ IN ISRAEL
Israel celebrated the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas militants in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks as the first phase in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan was met with joy around the world on Oct. 13. Twenty Israeli hostages in Gaza were...
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‘LET’S DO BRUNCH!’
The hottest, most in-demand brunch event in Detroit is one you may not have heard of. It takes place once a month on a Sunday. Longtime Detroit style guru and event impresario h Chuck Bennett’s monthly brunch parties at downtown’s Joe Muer Seafood have...
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Israeli military pulls back as Gaza ceasefire begins
A huge column of displaced Palestinians streamed back through the dust and rubble toward Gaza City, Gaza Strip, on Oct. 10 after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect and Israeli troops began pulling back from parts of the...
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PEACE DEAL IN THE MIDEAST IS HAILED
President Donald Trump announced Oct. 8 that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a peace deal aimed at ending the two-year conflict in the Gaza Strip. “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all...
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NOT OVER YET! TIGERS’ BATS REVIVED
Tigers left fielder Riley Greene celebrates hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Comerica Park in Detroit on Oct. 8.
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After being held by Hamas, girl’s life MOVES FORWARD
The world came to know her as the little Israeli-American girl who lost her parents in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and was abducted by the militant group to Gaza. Two years on, with a new pink backpack, she’s off to her first day of school. “She was...
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‘HE DID GOOD TO ALL’
Find someone in need and extend a hand of love, Craig Hayden’s family asked the public through their bishop on the day of his funeral Oct. 6. h It’s what Hayden, 72, would have wanted, and it’s what he did during his life before he was killed in the...
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CHANGED BY TRAGEDY
On Sept. 28, the congregants at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Grand Blanc were attending Sunday morning services when they heard the wail of police sirens. Some went into the hallway and spotted through windows on the front door black plumes of...
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New bodycam video shows rush to shooter
Body camera video from the Grand Blanc Township church shooting shows law enforcement officers racing toward the scene and the assailant, minutes after someone made the first call for help to emergency dispatch during the mass shooting and fire that...
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A stressed child care system is not equipped
Child care providers face a storm of challenges in trying to achieve quality care for Michigan’s youngest, from rising costs to limited state investment to high teacher turnover. But when those kids also come to providers with special needs like...
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Ford CEO surviving little sleep, nonstop pressure
If it’s 3 a.m. on any given weekday you can bet Jim Farley is up, moving at a pace some call “relentless,” for a job that is more than work, he’ll tell you. It’s a calling. He is an authentic car guy who can roll up his sleeves and wrench, as they say,...
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