Detroit’s Inspector General is opening an investigation into Police Chief Todd Bettison over his personal intervention in a case involving Mayor Mary Sheffield. 

In July, activist Jahdante Smith posted photos of Mayor Sheffield and an ex-boyfriend on social media. Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison called Smith on Aug. 5 to request he take the photos down. He refused. 

Two weeks later, Smith was approached by officers on the street and handcuffed allegedly for unrelated reasons. He was released, but the officers obtained a warrant for alleged unrelated charges to seize his phone. Now, the Detroit Free Press reports that the city’s Inspector General is looking into Bettison’s actions. The inspector general handles public corruption cases. 

The group Citizen Detroit is hosting a Meet Your Candidates events on Oct. 1. Candidates for the Detroit Public School Community District School Board will participate in a speed-dating dinner and dialogue event. There are more than 30 candidates and only 5 open seats for the board.

The event will take place at IBEW Local 58 on 1358 Abbot Street in Detroit from 5-8:30 p.m. To RSVP, search “Citizen Detroit DPSCD Meet Your Candidates” on Eventbrite. Admission is free, but registration is required. RSVP by Sept. 28.

Citizen Detroit is also posting candidate interviews on their YouTube Channel and on citizendetroit.org. Videos will go live on Friday. 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit Michigan next week to campaign with Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Harris endorsed El-Sayed after his primary win in August, but this will be her first public appearance with him.

During her visit Tuesday, they'll attend a roundtable on Black maternal health.

During the primary campaign, El-Sayed faced criticism for urging Democrats to vote uncommitted in Michigan's presidential primary in 2024. He eventually endorsed Harris for president. 

The nonprofits Rising Voices and Detroit Asian Collective are hosting the Warning Whistle Kit Making Night. Participants will assemble multilingual warning whistle kits while learning how to protect residents rights and how to document interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The event will be held tonight from 6 – 7 p.m. Address will be given upon registration. 

Gasoline prices have risen more than 70 cents a gallon in the last 10 days. AAA says Michigan drivers are paying an average of $4.75 cents a gallon for regular unleaded this morning. It was $4.02 on Sept. 7.and $4.54 a gallon yesterday.

The average price of diesel fuel statewide is 20 cents higher than it was yesterday, rising to a record of $6.54 cents a gallon. 

Detroit may see more money in the city's budget at the end of this fiscal year than originally predicted. 

Detroit officials are estimating an increase of $58 million or more in revenue for the 2027 fiscal year. The city's Sean Tobin says that's a result of increased money from corporate income, property, and wagering taxes.

Tobin says the city was expecting to see a decline in revenue because of President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. However,"they were decoupled from that that policy, meaning that it wouldn't affect the revenues. So, based off of how fiscal year 26 ended, that beat our prior expectations pretty well, which is great news."

Officials estimate the city will end the fiscal year with a general fund of nearly $1.5 billion. The estimate provides the start for developing the budget for fiscal year 2028. 

-Reporting by Bre'Anna Tinsley

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration cannot change rules around mail-in ballots for the upcoming midterm elections. But a Michigan senator is worried about more attempts at election interference.

Democrat Gary Peters is happy about the high court's 7-2 decision. But he thinks President Trump will try to meddle in the November midterms. "They want to change the rules. They don't want free and fair elections. They want to do what they can to to undermine the credibility of our elections. So we have to be vigilant."

Trump still claims the 2020 election was stolen from him and frequently blames ballot counting in Detroit as a reason for his loss. The Justice Department sent election monitors to four Michigan cities including Detroit and Lansing for this year's August primary.

-Reporting by Russ McNamara

The Michiganders for Money out of Politics initiative will appear on the statewide ballot in November. But a measure to require all voters to prove they are U.S. citizens will not.

The Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 on the Americans for Citizen Voting proposal, denying it from the ballot. They could not agree on a way to resolve problems with petition signatures. Now, a State House Select Committee is trying to find out why.

Both campaigns turned in hundreds of thousands more signatures than were required. Harris says the committee plans to hear testimony from people affiliated with the campaigns, as well as state and local election officials.

- Reporting by Russ McNamara

Michigan health officials say the state has a growing problem with people using whippets or laughing gas. Nitrous oxide-commonly catted laughing gas has a variety of medical and culinary uses. But the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says recreational use of nitrous oxide has been linked to a growing number of hospitalizations.

Health officials say recreational use has been linked to neurological injury, blood clots and injuries related to impaired judgement. 

They say since 2024, a third of emergency nitrous oxide cases in Michigan required hospitalization.

-Reporting by Steve Carmody

Fuel prices are rising daily. AAA says Michigan drivers are paying an average of $4.54 for a gallon of regular unleaded this morning. That's 11 cents higher than yesterday, and 32 cents more than it was a week ago. Diesel fuel is averaging a record $6.34 cents a gallon statewide.

-Reporting by Pat Batcheller 

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said that Detroit would end the year with a $1.5 billion surplus. This has been corrected to say that the city is expecting a $1.5 billion general fund. We apologize for the error. 

Hundreds of people who qualified for a share of the multi-million-dollar Flint water settlement fund may soon be cut out. That's because some claims do not include correct Social Security numbers, or required signatures. 

Last week, a federal judge authorized sending final notices to thousands of claimants, advising them that unless they provide the missing information within 30 days their claim will be denied and closed.  

Detroit city inspectors say the tornado that hit the east side and Belle Isle on Sept. 3 damaged more than 100 homes and businesses. Nine buildings require emergency demolition. Mayor Mary Sheffield declared a local state of emergency so she can talk with state and federal officials about getting some disaster relief money.

She's also coordinating with the state and the Red Cross to help families who need food and housing City agencies have removed almost 300 fallen trees, hauled away more than 300 tons of debris, and restored 100 traffic signals. 

The price of diesel fuel in Michigan is the highest it's ever been. AAA says the average cost is $6.26 cents a gallon. That breaks the record of $6.20 a gallon set back in May. Gasoline prices are 12 cents a gallon higher this morning than they were yesterday. Michigan drivers are paying an average of $4.43 cents for a gallon of regular unleaded, which is 41 cents more than it was a week ago. 

The state is calling on nonprofits to support Michiganders who rely on assistance programs with changing federal requirements. The Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act changes work requirements and cuts funding to programs including Medicaid the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Those changes go into effect in January 2027.

The State Health Department has grants for nonprofits to provide community navigators to help residents apply for or renew coverage through the Healthy Michigan Plan or for SNAP benefits. MDHHS has more than 12 million dollars to direct toward the effort until September 2028.

For more information, visit the EGrAMS website. Anyone interested in learning more can attend an informational webinar on Sept. 16 at 10:30 a.m.

The State of Michigan is highlighting the need to take your iron pills. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says 1 in 33 babies are born with a birth defect which is preventable by mothers taking daily folic acid supplements.  

This week is Folic Acid Awareness Week. 

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian is the chief medical officer for the state. She says taking supplements prevents serious birth defects. She says its important for people to take their supplements within the first month of pregnancy. 

Folic acid is also found in leafy greens, beans, peas, asparagus and citrus. A daily supplement is about 400 micrograms.  

The City of Detroit’s Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department invites student artists to create artwork around civil rights. Artwork could be featured through the Civil Rights Summit: Civil Rights in the 21st Century. The summit takes place on Oct. 9th. Three awards will be presented by the Atellier School of Art. Submit artwork by Oct. 2.

Governor Whitmer announces the first payments from the Neighborhood Roads Fund. It’s part of a $2 billion annual investment for Michigan infrastructure.

Whitmer says the funding will go toward bridge projects for counties, cities and villages. That includes $100 million to repair and replace bridges, $100 million for public transit and $40 million for rail grade separation projects to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion.  

The city of Detroit investing more than $2 million in after school programs. The funding supports expanding the nonprofit Get On and Learn or Goal Line program. It had served 34 location and 1,000 students.

Now it will be expanded to include locations in four recreational centers and three libraries. Goal Line Executive Director Ricky Fountain says the investment will support an additional 1,000 students across the city.  

Any Detroit Public Schools Community District, Detroit chapter school, or homeschooled students is eligible to join for free.  

-Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley 

Detroit’s Cultural Center will welcome teachers to explore five venues Tuesday night.  

The Detroit Institute of Arts, The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detorit Historical Museum, the Michigan Science Center and the main brain of the Detroit Public Library will be open for Educators Night.  

Annamarie Boruki from the Detroit Cultural Center Association says the event offers resources and special programs.  “Teachers will be able to connect with more than 80 nonprofit and educational organizations, enjoy workshops, performances, exhibits, and heads-on resources that they can bring back to their classrooms.”

The event is open to classroom teachers, homeschooling parents and school administrators. This is the fourth time the Cultural Center has hosted Educators Night.  

-Reporting by Sascha Raiyn

This morning all international border crossings in Michigan were closed briefly to commemorate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It's been a quarter of century since the nation faced this horrific moment. Nearly 3000 people were killed when al-Qaida terrorits hijacked four commerical airplanes and crashed them in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. 

According to Michigan Remembers 9-11 Fund, an East Lansing-based nonprofit at least 42 people with ties to Michigan died during the attacks. The organization was created to honor those lives.

Patrick L. Anderson, a World Trade Center survivor and founder of Michigan Remembers 9-11, put out a statement saying, "For the past quarter century, we have strived to keep alive the memory of each person with ties to Michigan who lost their life on September 11, 2001. We remain committed to sharing their names and stories."

The historic Lochmoor Club burned to the ground in a fire this week and has been declared a total loss according to local officials. The Grosse Pointe Woods clubhouse was built in 1969 and included dining facilities, a pub, locker room and more.  

On Sept. 9, the Public Safety Department said that there was a reported kitchen fire. The fire was brought under control before midnight. The Grosse Pointe School district is warning residents that air quality nearby may be unhealthy for sensitive groups.  

NFL 

The NFL is back and on Sunday the Detroit Lions start the season off with a home game against the New Orlean Saints. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.

MLB 

The Tigers have a weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. The Tigers are still second to last in the American League Central with a 67-79 record.  

Soccer

Detroit City FC play against Sacremento Republic FC in Heart Health Park, Sacramento, California. Game starts at 10:00pm EST. 

The 2026 National Black Footwear Forum is this weekend at the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design (PLC Detroit). 

According to organizers this event highlights the collective power of Black leaders in the footwear industry. To celebrate the moment, Detroit’s revered run club WeRun313 is special Sunday morning group run and walk in partnership with @BrooksRunning as part of The Black Footwear Forum!

The City of Detroit will spend more than $2 million to expand after-school programs. The funding will allow the nonprofit Get On and Learn or GOAL Line to add programs at four recreation centers and three library branches for all public, charter, and home school students in the city.  

Sheffield says the expansion brings the city one step closer to her goal to have an after-school program within a 2 mile radius of every school in the city.  "So with the support of the city, the state, philanthropic funds, we're going to keep fighting every day to ensure that every child in this city and every zip code has access to after-school programming. "

The program provides sports, tutoring, and more, plus transportation to participating locations.  

Some liberal rabbis are calling on Michigan Democrats and the party's U.S. Senate nominee to be more welcoming to Jews. 

Non-negotiable Michigan is asking Abdul El-Sayed and state party leaders to be more forceful about supporting Jewish safety, self-determination and sovereignty in Israel. 

Southfield Rabbi Aaron Starr says he's concerned about how often Israel is criticized compared to other nations. "We can't help but hear, when the only Jewish state in the entire world, a tiny fraction, a tiny sliver of the Middle East, let alone the whole population, when IT is singled out, as opposed to all the bad actors in the entire world, we can't help but hear antisemitism."

El-Sayed has been working to make amends with Jewish Democrats who voted against him during the primary—often saying he cares about Jewish safety like that of his own daughter 

His Republican opponent-former Congressman Mike Rogers-has been courting support from Jewish voters.

The National Institutes of Health awards almost $4 million to two Wayne State University researchers. Doctors Marianna Sadagurski and J. Richard Pilsner will use the money to study the impact air pollution in Detroit has on aging and cognitive health. 

Sadagurski's preliminary research shows exposure to a mix of chemicals in the air impairs cognitive function and causes chronic inflammation. 

Detroit residents can learn basic medical response, disaster preparedness and other critical emergency skills at a training the city is hosting next week. The Community Emergency Response Team Volunteer Training runs from September 17-19 and 26. The free training includes training on using defibrillators, caring for injuries like wounds and fractures, and other life saving skills.

Class times vary by day. Participants must complete all four sessions to receive certification. They take place at Detroit Emergency Management and Homeland Security at 13331 Lyndon. Register at detroitmi.gov/emhs or call 313-596-1742.

Michigan's governor says the state needs to stay the course on education policy. In recent years, the state has changed its reading curriculum, offered free school meals to everyone and paid for literacy coaches. 
But the latest reading scores show slight declines across the state in the percentage of students in grades 3-8 who are reading at grade level.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the rather than making big frequent changes the state needs to focus on strategies it knows work. This school year, the state is changing how it funds districts based on the number of "at-risk" students they serve. 

The governor also indicated she is waiting to decide whether to opt in to the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit. The program offers tax breaks for donations to organizations that grant scholarships to low-income students.

Opponents say the program violate the prohibition against giving public money to private schools that voters have supported several times. Michigan is one of 15 states that still hasn't decided whether to join the program-despite calls from Republicans. 

Whitmer says she's still waiting on details from the U.S. Treasury Department about how the program would work. 

SMART is preparing to expand bus service into additional Metro Detroit communities after voters approved countywide transit funding while public transit usage is increasing, according to new data. 

The agency's report shows ridership rose about 25% over the past year. The SMART system currently operates 45 fixed routes across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. The agency plans to extend service into communities that previously opted out of the regional bus system.

SMART has proposed adding eight new routes and five extensions. New routes have been proposed for the Telegraph, Middlebelt,and Seven Mile corridors, as well as the return of SMART service to Hamtramck. Saturday routes will also be added for the first time since cuts in 2011. 

Applications for the Detroit home repair programs opened today. The Critical Home Repair option is open to owned homes with children under 18, seniors over 62 or residents with a documented disability. The Detroit LeadSafe program serves families who own or rent their homes with children under age 6 or with a pregnant woman in the home.

Both programs have income eligibility requirements and are only available to homes where property taxes are up to date or being paid through a payment plan. For more information, call 866-313-2520 or email [email protected]. 

Tomorrow is the opening reception for “Where We Belong: The Architecture of Home” at the Boulevard. The reception and exhibit explore the question of who gets to call Detroit home. Thursday’s event offers music, food and conversation as well as art.

On Saturday, Outlier Media’s Orlando Bailey will conduct “special interviews” exploring concepts of home, neighborhood, memory and belonging. On Sunday, the exhibit holds the conversation it calls “Building Belonging” with three Detroiters working in place, people and the built environment.

The exhibit runs through Sept. 20. For more information, visit abayomicdc.org/wwb. 

Stevie Wonder is planning a stop in Detroit this fall as a part of a tour celebrating the 50th Anniversary of his album “Songs in the Key of Life.” The legend will play the Fox Theatre on Dec. 8-9.

Tickets go on sale on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. at 313presents.com, livenation.com and ticketmaster.com. 

Some Detroit residents and businesses have begun to assess the financial toll from an EF-2 tornado that tore across the city's east side, damaging homes, industrial buildings, utility infrastructure and parts of Belle Isle.

The National Weather Service says the Sept. 3 tornado carved a roughly 3.5 mile path through Detroit, reaching winds of about 115 mph. City officials said dozens of trees fell, nearly 100 intersections lost working traffic signals and one resident was injured.

Some east-side businesses are hoping public assistance may be available. One business owner estimated damage to his property at between $100,000 and $200,000. 

Detroit health officials have confirmed the city's first human West Nile virus case of the year. Chief Public Health Officer Ali Abazeed confirmed the case Friday. Officials say most West Nile infections cause no symptoms but a small number of cases have resulted in serious neurological problems. 

The Islamic Society of North America creates a space for belonging for some during a time of growing anti-Muslim rhetoric in the country.

Thousands of people gathered over Labor Day Weekend at Huntington Place in Detroit, where speakers talked about overcoming challenges like anti-Muslim racism.

Bilal Irfan came to network with American Muslims involved in political, social, and educational life. He says young people are concerned about where they belong."There's a lot of feelings about kind of are these safe spaces for us? Where do we cultivate those spaces? So ISNA is kind of offering that kind of space for a lot of these Muslims that want to feel community, want to feel some place that we can organize together."

Saturday night, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud told the crowd American Muslims are a vital part of the country.

-Reporting by Nargis Rahman

The head of the United Auto Workers union says the up-coming midterm elections are vital for the future of employees across Michigan and the country. UAW President Shawn Fain spoke after Detroit's annual Labor Day parade which drew an estimated crowd of more than 10,000 people, including several Democratic candidates.

Fain, who has campaigned for Democrats in the past, says voters need to elect candidates willing to fight for workers' rights against what he calls the "billionaire class." 

Black and Arab women are invited to an event Sunday focused on creating solidarity and connection. The Home Meeting is also offered as a space to consider story and action. Arab Americans for Progress is hosting the intimate gathering.

More than 250,000 residents across Southeast Michigan remained without power on Friday after widespread storms. The storms brought heavy rain, winds and at least one tornado to the region.  

National Weather Service data showed that more than 3/4' of rain fell on Detroit on Thursday with an additional 2 inches of rain from overnight storms.  

DTE Energy issued a report saying that they expect 65% of customers to have power by the end of the day on Friday and 90% of customers to have power by Saturday and the remainder by Sunday.  

The city and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation awards $330,000 dollars to five Detroit businesses in round 32 of Motor City Match. This program connects new businesses with services and space to grow by providing them with funding and resources.

Kevin Johnson, president of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation says efforts like this help build Detroit.  “People who saw a gap in their neighborhoods decided to fill it... that's what's going to bring our city back to the place where we want it to be, which is the most vibrant and most outstanding place to start and grow a business in this city through the mayor's Rise Higher initiative.” 

The Tigers had their payback against the Minnesota Twins with a dominant win of 11- 6 on Wednesday.

They are going to try to build off of that win this weekend against the Cleveland Guardians during their trip to Progressive Field in Cleveland Ohio.

The Tigers are currently second to last in the American League Central Division. 

And this Labor Day weekend we have Michigan Lottery Arts, Beats & Eats. This annual downtown Royal Oak event is filled musical guests, such as rock band Third Eye Blind, country singer Chris Young, singer songwriter Brett Young, and R&B singer Ginuwine.  

Organizers say there will also be local talent, fun for kids, and a lot of interactive activities. 

At the festival there will be the Fine Art Fair  that was recently named #7 in the nation for fine art and design on Sunshine Artist magazine’s annual 200 Best list.

The Michigan State Fair begins Thursday in Novi, showcasing the work of young people who live on farms. Riley Stechschulte manages the fair's volunteers and sponsor relations. She says city kids get involved, too. 

"We have a great urban youth gardening program. We have an urban scholarship program as well as a livestock and agriculture. Those kids together, from rural areas and urban areas, and [we] have them teach each other about things that they do." 

The event is smaller than the original Michigan State Fair, which ran out of money almost 20 years ago. Agriculture groups and corporate sponsors revived it in 2012 and moved it from Detroit to Novi. It runs through Labor Day at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace. 

There are plenty of activities planned for Labor Day weekend this year.

The Detroit Jazz Festival returns with four days of free music. Gates open Friday at 5:30 p.m. and at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at Hart Plaza. Hamtramck’s Labor Day Festival starts on Saturday at noon on the Main Street of Joseph Campau. And Detroit’s Labor Day March kicks off at 9 a.m. in Corktown on Monday.  

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is reminding residents to keep food safety in mind this Labor Day weekend. Officials advise those tailgating or hosting cookouts to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot with insulated containers.

Avoid cross contamination by keeping raw meat and poultry separate from other foods and beverages. Think twice about leftovers; throw out any cold food that is not 40 degrees or below, and any hot food that has been sitting out for 2 hours or more with an internal temperature below 140 degrees. Store and eat leftovers within four days.  

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield is naming Olga Stella as the city’s new chief of Economic Development and Workforce.

Stella brings 25 years of experience to the job. She previously served several roles with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, including Chief Operating Officer. She helped launch the Motor City Match and Green Grocer programs. 

The group Detroit Heals Detroit is offering free showers to anyone in need. According to an Instagram post, walk-ins are welcome.

Towels, body wash, razors, toothpaste and toothbrushes are provided. Showers have steamers, fresh eucalyptus, body scrubs, luxury shower heads and a shower speaker. And participants will also receive a free mini-toiletries kit to take with them.

Showers are open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 19510 Alcoy Street in Detroit, MI.