Former Detroit Police sergeant stands trial for rape

High temperatures worsen air quality

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)’s meteorologists say the high temperatures this week will lead to high levels of ozone and poor air quality.  There’s an air quality alert for ozone in Southeast Michigan for today and tomorrow. Ozone is a pollutant in the atmosphere created by volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides found in things like industrial solvents, cleaning products and burning fuel. It is an air pollutant.  EGLE says people should avoid strenuous activities—especially for those who have asthma. People should also avoid refueling vehicles, using gasoline-powered lawn equipment or lighting charcoal with lighter fluid. People should also try to drive less and delay errands if possible.   ELGE says they will put out additional alerts as needed. For more information visit michigan.gov/MiAir [http://michigan.gov/MiAir].  ADDITIONAL HEADLINES FOR MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026 TIPS FOR HANDLING THE HEAT Detroit’s health department recommends drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated during this week’s heat wave. They also recommend limiting strenuous activity and staying inside. Recreation centers, public library branches will serve as cooling centers during normal business hours. Watch for signs of heat-related illness, including dizziness, headache, and unusually heavy sweating. Check on family members and neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities. AAA reminds drivers not to leave children or pets in their vehicles and to check the back seat each time they get out of their car.   -Reporting by Pat Batcheller DEARBORN HOSTS WORLD CUP WATCH PARTIES The City of Dearborn is offering free watch parties for residents and World Cup fans. The city is partnering up with What’s up Media Network to host the watch party at Dearborn’s PEACE Park West [http://dearborn.gov/dearborn-only-city-state-provide-free-public-world-cup-watch-parties-attracting-thousands]. The matches are shown on the screen at the park’s performance stage. Vendors will also provide refreshments. Anyone can join, but the park can hold only up to 1,000 people. People are encouraged to go early to find a spot.   Dearborn’s PEACE Park West is located at 22271 W Village Dr. in Dearborn.   DEARBORN TREE CITY DESIGNATION Also in Dearborn, the city was given the Tree City USA designation for the 39th time.   Mayor Abdullah Hammoud says the city is planting a few thousand trees.. And also removing dead ones.  “When I first came in, we had a backlog of about 1,200-1,300 dead and diseased trees that needed to be taken down. That list is now, I would say, around the 100 mark, and we've also caught up. We had seven years of no trimming of trees throughout the city. We officially caught up, and we're back on our normal five year cycle.”   Hammoud says planting more trees helps with air quality and mitigating flooding.   Dearborn residents can also request a free tree to be planted in their easement by going to Dearborn.gov/trees [https://Dearborn.gov/trees].

Wayne State tuition rises

The tuition at Wayne State University is rising by 4% for its undergraduate and graduate students. This comes after a unanimous decision from the university’s board of governors.  How will this affect the university students? Well, undergraduate students can see a tuition increase of about $250 and graduate students will see an increase of $33 dollars per credit.  The university increased their tuition last year by 4.5%. According to the school’s officials the 2026-2027 housing rates will not increase.  This rate increase is following a trend occurring in 4-year public and private universities and colleges across the country––tuition increases due to inflation, a drop off in enrollment post pandemic or uncertainty around state funding. WDET is licensed to Wayne State University.   ADDITIONAL HEADLINES FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2026 COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT SHOWS POSITIVE RESULTS This week, the city of Detroit released a Community Health Assessment that revealed that community improvements positively affect the health of residents.  The report was an assessment of about 6,000 residents, some commuity organizations, public health experts and local data.  During a press conference about the assessment, Mayor Sheffield expanded the idea of what health means. “Health is much more than what happens inside of a doctor’s office. It is also about prevention. Health is about whether a mother has access to prenatal care. It is about whether a child has healthy food nearby and it is about clean air, safe housing, transportation and whether families can access the care that they need when they need it.”   SPORTS  FIFA The U.S. had their first loss of the 2026 World Cup to the already eliminated country of Turkey. Turkey kicked a last minute goal to win the match. The U.S. also had mostly reserves playing in the second half of the game to ready the team for their next game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That game is Wednesday, July 1.   NFL  The Lions’ defensive back Terrion Arnold was arrested this week in Tampa, Fla. on alleged felony charges of robbery and kidnapping.  Six other individuals were arrested, but according to police Arnold was the one coordinating and directing the codefendants. Arnold is from Tallahasse, Fla., which is about 4 hours away from Tampa.   The Lions said in a statement that they are aware of the news but are not commenting “out of respect of the ongoing legal process.”  MLB  The Tigers loss to the Astros yesterday in the score of 4-1. Next game is today at Comerica Park. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m.   BURGER BATTLE And this weekend get ready for what organizers are calling the biggest burger battle in the Midwest. This weekend the 10 year anniversary of Detroit Burger Battle [https://burgerbattle.info/]is going down in the Motor City. Fifteen of metro Detroit’s top restaurants will bang burgers and chef it up for the crown. Participants of the battle get a single voting card to pick their top 3 burgers. Whoever gets the most votes wins. This is all going down on Sunday, June 28 from 1-4 p.m. at Shed 5 of the Eastern Market.

Mayor Sheffield gives update on road improvement plan

“Our great partner, Governor Whitmer isn’t the only one fixing the roads around here," said Mayor Sheffield yesterday, where she and the Department of Public Works gave an update to their road improvement program. This $58 million initiative includes 140 individual major road and residential paving and construction projects, as well as bridge removals and streetscape construction. The mayor said the project will not only fix the infrastructure of Detroit but it will build up the community’s workforce. “We are also putting Detroiters to work while we invest in our neighborhoods... 90% of the individuals that are doing this work are Detroit residents and 100% are unionized. Let’s give that a round of applause.” Funding for the road projects will come from federal and state transportation funds. This project will begin along West Grand Boulevard. ADDITIONAL HEADLINES FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026 NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX FOR SENIORS Earlier this week city leaders joined together for the ribbon cutting of new senior housing in Grandmont Rosedale. The new development Minock Park Place is a mixed use development bringing commercial space as well as affordable housing for seniors.  The development includes 36 one bedroom apartments and six two bedroom apartments for low to moderate income seniors. Mike Randall, executive director of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation, says completion of this project brings value to the neighborhood and community.  “In the face of doubt, skepticism, a global pandemic, 3 presidential terms, skyrocketing inflation and costs, yet here we stand. Not for the recognition and not to boast but to demonstrate that value exists on our corridor not just on grand river not just on 6 mile...and not just on schoolcraft but throughout all the great city of Detroit.” Residents are expected to begin moving in in July with commercial spots opening in the first quarter of next year.   SPORTS MLB The Tigers lost to the NY Yankees with the score of 4-2. Their next 3 game series is against the Houston Astros starting tonight at Comerica Park. First pitch is a 6:40pm. Club soccer Detroit City FC face Birmingham Legion FC on July 2 at Protective Stadium in Alabama  FIFA  And the FIFA group stage continues as TEAM USA faces Türkiye. The U.S. has a 51% chance of winning according to sports analysts. Tonight’s game at the Los Angeles stadium in Inglewood California starts at 10 p.m. EST.  Murder mystery walking tour And if you are looking for something spooky to get into this weekend, look no further than The Rosary Requiem—Detroit Murder Mystery Walking Tour. The tour starts at Most Holy Redeemer Church – the church where the film "The Rosary Murders" was filmed. Organizers say the walking tour is blends mystery and intrigue, with the vibrant spice of Detroit's Mexicantown – that means food! For more information go to distinctivelydetroit.com. [http://distinctivelydetroit.com]

Rep. John James calls for Canadian smoke control to be a part of bridge deal

Michigan candidate for governor, John James, says Canadian wildfire smoke needs to be better controlled, as part of a deal to open the Gordie Howe Bridge.  James made the comments on a video on Facebook earlier this month.   “You look at wildfire smoke every summer.  They’re throwing off 500 million vehicles’ worth of carbon emissions into our air each and every year and doing very little to nothing about it.  That’s got to change right now," said James.  "As a part of any deal we do with Gordie Howe Bridge, we have to work in close cooperation with Ottawa to make sure they’re also managing their business, so we can keep our people healthy and we can keep our relationship strong.”    Last summer, James wrote a letter to Canadian officials asking them for action to keep wildfire smoke from drifting into Michigan.   President Donald Trump endorsed James on Monday to become Michigan’s next governor.  Other elected officials around the country quickly followed suit.  James will face businessman Perry Johnson, and former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox in the Aug. 4 Republican primary.    ADDITIONAL HEADLINES FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2026 DETROIT POLICE PICK UP 180 CURFEW VIOLATORS DURING FIREWORKS  The Detroit Police Department is reporting that it detained 180 juveniles on Monday night for curfew violations before the annual Ford fireworks show over the Detroit River.  A news release says 171 of those detained were city residents.  Nine live elsewhere.   A special curfew was approved for fireworks night.  It required everyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.  The police department says 19 adults were arrested for a variety of infractions, including carrying concealed weapons, aggravated assault, and disorderly conduct.   One 18-year-old was shot by a police officer after a short chase, several hours before the fireworks began.   DEARBORN SCHOOLS SEEK NEW BOND APPROVAL  Dearborn residents will see a new millage proposal on their November general election ballot.  The city’s Board of Education will ask voters to approve a $1.5 billion bond measure.  If passed, the money will fund the construction of six new schools.   The district says the bond would also be used to remodel every remaining school building over the next 20 years.  The board approved ballot language for the proposal at Monday’s meeting.  NEW APARTMENT COMPLEX OPENS ON WEST SIDE    A west-side Detroit neighborhood is getting a new apartment building.  The city opened the OSI Art Apartments Tuesday afternoon.  The newly constructed four-story complex provides 30 residential units.  About half qualify as “affordable housing”.   Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield says the project will make a difference along the Grand River corridor. “It is an honor as mayor to welcome this project to our city.  A project that combines housing, culture, arts – and to breathe this vibrancy back into our community, which is so needed in our city.  So I thank you all so much for investing in Detroit.”   The development, which also includes 5,000 square feet of retail space, will be the gateway to the West End Gallery District.  The building located on Grand River near Selden is named for Nigerian-American artist Osi Audu.

Detroit police shooting leaves teen in critical condition

Detroit Police shot a teenager who was running away from them after they arrested another teen near Campus Martius downtown. Chief Todd Bettison says officers approached a group of young men and arrested one who was holding a suspicious-looking backpack. He says they searched the backpack and found a gun in it. An 18-year-old started walking away from the group and officers chased him. Bettison says the officer who shot the fleeing teen feared for his safety. This happened a few hours before the annual fireworks over the Detroit River. Police said the teen was shot several times and is in serious condition.  Police also arrested minors who violated the city's 8 p.m. curfew and held them  until a parent or legal guardian came to get them. (Batcheller/Raiyn)  - Pat Batcheller [http://wdet.org/author/pbatcheller]contributed to this report ADDITIONAL HEADLINES FROM TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2026 SCOTUS RULES AGAINST MICHIGAN FAMILY The Supreme Court ruled today against a Michigan family who said their rights were violated when their county sold their house for less than half its open-market value to cover a tax bill of just over $2,000. Isabella County maintained that auction sale prices are always lower than open real estate transactions. It said requiring foreclosure prices to match the open market would essentially end those sales.   PROJECT DOCUMENTING NATIVE BOARDING SCHOOLS REACHES CLOSE A project that gathered testimonies from more than 360 survivors of Native American Boarding schools has finished its first phase. The Tulsa-based National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition [https://boardingschoolhealing.org] collected video oral histories from Indigenous survivors across 19 states. The stories will be preserved in the Library of Congress. The project aimed to document the systemic abuse endured in boarding schools and how survivors found healing.  It identified eight boarding schools that operated in Michigan. Three are still open. HURON VALLEY WARDEN ON LEAVE FOLLOWING INMATE DEATHS Jeremy Howard, the warden at Michigan’s only women’s prison has gone on personal leave after three deaths at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility. The Michigan Department of Corrections told the Detroit Free Press [https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/06/23/warden-jeremy-howard-michigan-womens-prison-personal-leave-michelle-floyd/90655246007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z117061p119250c119250e1193xxv117061d--55--b--55--&gca-ft=50&gca-ds=sophi] today the leave is “personal and unrelated to current events." The deaths of Khaira Howard, Rebecca Fackler and Ashley Hoath are still under investigation. A former corrections officer at the facility was sentenced last week for criminal sexual conduct involving an inmate. The warden at the Cooper Street Correctional Facility in Jackson has been temporarily assigned to lead the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.   PWHL ANNOUNCES OUTSIDE INVESTORS The Professional Women’s Hockey League announced the Illitch Company is one of its first two outside investors. Toronto-based Kilmer Sports Ventures is the other. Mark and Kimbra Walter founded and funded the league in 2023 with hundreds of millions of their own dollars. Mark Walter is the owner of the LA Lakers, the Dodgers, and the LA Spark. The PWHL has not yet turned a profit but just two and a half years later has doubled its size to 12 teams – including Detroit’s scheduled to play at LCA in the fall.