The Detroit Evening Report

The Coleman A Young Foundation’s years long efforts to get a statue of the former Detroit mayor in the U.S. Capitol is coming to fruition.

Funders such as the DTE Foundation, Bedrock, The Ilitch family and business people John A. James and Suzanne Shank have donated to the cause.

The statue will be in the Capitol building’s National Statutory Hall Collection, replacing a marble sculpture of Lewis Cass, a former governor of Michigan who supported slavery.

Young was Detroit’s longest serving and first Black mayor. The Charles H. Wright Museum will host an event Tuesday, Oct. 20 to celebrate the announcement.  

Citizen Detroit is asking its audience to help spread the word about the 25 candidates running for Detroit School Board this election by watching and sharing the candidate interviews on their website.

Candidate interviews have been available for several weeks on Citizen Detroit's site.

The candidates answered questions about their priorities for students, what they hope to accomplish on the board and what they wish they had experienced as students themselves.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.  

Heavy rains have overwhelmed Metro Detroit sewer systems in recent years flooding rivers, streams, and basements. Local leaders and water experts met in Southfield today to talk about better ways to manage stormwater.

Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash says regional cooperation is critical. 

“Stormwater does not follow political borders. It follows river systems. 

It follows drainage districts. So, where the water flows really matters. All the communities in Oakland County and regionally are working together on a whole broad array of work." 

Nash says green infrastructure absorbs rainwater and keeps it out of sewers. Oakland County recently planted 30,000 square feet of trees and shrubs in two Pontiac parks that were prone to flooding. 

The Davis Aerospace Technical High School is returning to Coleman A. Young International Airport after 13 years at a different location.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District has converted the airport’s former main terminal building into a school for aviation training for Detroit. This marks one of several investments into the city airport over the last year, including the addition of companies MyFlight Tours and AvFlight.  

The Detroit Evening Report is taking a hiatus until Jan. 2027! We’re planning to come back bigger and better in the new year. Stay tuned.

The Wayne County Election is set to count the missing ballots in Hamtramck’s mayoral race tomorrow at noon.

The 37 absentee ballots were found in the city clerk’s office just days after the election. A Wayne County Circuit judge has ordered that the ballots must be counted despite a year-long legal battle.

Currently, Adam Alharbi is the mayor, contested by former Hamtramck city council member Muhith Mahmood. 

Despite the results, Alharbi will continue to challenge Mahmood’s residency in a separate lawsuit. CBS News reports the recount could lead to three different possible outcomes: Alharbi retains the seat, Muhith wins the seat but is not able to get certified without the court’s approval or the seat becomes vacant.

A court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22 to review the developments.  

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced a bill to ban federal funding for surveillance products such as Flock Safety cameras as well as facial recognition technology.

Flock Safety says its automated license plate readers and other products have helped police catch criminals and lower crime. Inkster resident Charles Stephens says he originally thought the cameras could stop reckless driving on his street. Now he’s not so sure about that.  

“They (drivers) run stop signs. There’s a playground right across the street. Some kids live two doors down. They run across the street to the playground...the camera doesn’t detect speed.”  

Tlaib and other critics say authorities could use surveillance data to stalk people to stifle free speech. 

Federal regulators are approving a new plan to remove a fuel assembly at the Palisades nuclear plant in Southwest Michigan. 

Holtec International owns the plant. It’s been working to bring Palisades back online after it went into decommissioning in 2022. As workers began to load fuel in the reactor in August, one fuel assembly tipped. 

The company said it’ll need to retrieve the assembly from the reactor in order to load any more fuel. Some critics argued the plan creates new risks without understanding the root cause. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff say they found no significant hazards. 

The City of Detroit Department of Elections is hosting their Get Out to Vote event.

The Scarefest and voter event will take place at the Northwest Activities Center. That’s at 18100 Meyers Road, Detroit, MI.

People can vote that day, engage in family activities and receive resources & giveaways. It takes place on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Detroit City Council is looking into reports of poor conditions at the Greenhouse Apartments.

The subsidized senior living facility is allegedly dealing with bedbugs, non working elevators, and other inhumane conditions, according to tenants.

The apartment has 209 units and is located in the west side of Detroit. City Council President Pro Tempore Coleman A Young II elevated the issues during a formal session this week.

The Council said that it has called on multiple departments to provide updates on inspector visits and addressing the conditions. The city’s Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department as well as the Department of Neighborhoods are both looking into potential penalties the city might seek against the building managers.

The deadline to register to vote is quickly approaching. There is  an opportunity to register at a protest happening this weekend.

During a No Kings protest on Oct. 17, demonstrators are expected to show up at intersections, pedestrians bridges parks and more.

This is all an effort to get people to make a plan on voting. No Kings Day protests have happened nationwide since President Donald Trump took office.

More than 70 rallies are expected to take place in Michigan and more than 2,000 will take place nationwide with the same focus on voting.

The last day you can register to vote online or by mail for the Nov. 3 General Election is Monday, Oct. 19!

The NBA regular season is right around the corner and the Detroit Pistons are getting ready to play their first game.

They face the Boston Celtics on Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

If you are watching the evening news, NBC Nightly News will air at 6:30pm on Channel 4 as a part of their broadcasts from key battleground states ahead of the midterm elections on Nov. 3.

The news program will feature interviews with candidates and Michigan voters about Midterm Election issues. Detroit will also be featured on "Top Story with Tom Llamas" streaming at 7 p.m. tonight on NBC News Now.

Detroit is hosting their 9th annual Halloween in the D.

Organizers say that the activities will feature fun family-friendly and some occasionally spooky activities during the dates surrounding Halloween: Oct. 24, Oct. 31 and Nov. 7.

During Halloween in the D in 2025, 1 million pieces of candy were distributed along with total donations reaching $104,000. More than 700 volunteers worked the event that found 30,000 attendees across all dates.

The American Pharmacies Group says independent drugstores are closing at an alarming rate across Michigan.

Advocates say the way these stores are reimbursed for the medications they provide is unsustainable.

The stores rely on what's called Pharmacy Benefits Managers when billing insurance companies the cost of prescriptions they fill.

However, Detroit Pharmacist Mike Nabolsi says that payment often does not cover the full price of the drug.

"We're getting under reimbursed for something that we bought...something that cost $1,000, we're giving it to a patient, and we're getting reimbursed $900. We can't survive."

The benefit managers also can determine which drugs would be covered by an insurance program, which often pushes patients to big box pharmacies instead.

The advocacy group American Pharmacies is calling for reform and ensuring savings reach independent stores.

-Reporting by Bre'Anna Tinsley, WDET

The Republican nominee for governor is calling for more accountability in Michigan's education system.

During a campaign stop in metro Detroit, Congressman John James said he wants parents to have a greater voice in kids' education.

James says—as governor—he'd also want more say in overseeing education.

"l would love to stand here and say hold me accountable for our kids being able to read, when the kindergartners who started this year go into the 4th grade when I'm running for re-election. I can't say that because right now our state board of education and our superintendents are not accountable to the governor."

The Michigan constitution puts the state board of education independently in charge of public learning and hiring a state superintendent. Both James and his Democratic opponent - Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson-say they want more resources going toward supporting teachers and students.

-Reporting by Colin Jackson, MPRN

More: MichMash: Do Michigan voters want to rewrite the state constitution?

The city of Detroit is recruiting volunteers for its annual "Halloween in the D" celebration. It started in 2018, offering events and activities for children and families such as trunk-or-treating at police and fire stations and free candy distributed across the city.

Wayne State’s Elaine L. Jacob Gallery is hosting a celebration for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) next Saturday, Oct. 24. 

The event will include a performance by students of Ballet de Folklorico de Wayne State University, an Ofrenda (offering for Día de los Muertos) workshop, flower making, a scavenger hunt and more.

The holiday is celebrated in Mexico and parts of Latin America to honor and remember loved ones who have passed on. Ofrendas on altars are one way to honor the deceased with decorations such as photos, flowers, candles, the favorite food(s) of the deceased and more.

The event is free and open to the public at 480 W. Hancock Detroit, Michigan 48201

Mayor Mary Sheffield and Hope Detroit are having a coat giveaway this Saturday at Williams Recreation Center, offering free winter coats for toddlers, youth and teens as colder weather approaches. 

The coat giveaway starts at noon on Oct. 17 and is on a first come, first served basis.

Youth must be present to receive a winter coat. Williams Recreation Center is located at 8431 Rosa Parks Dr. Detroit, Michigan 48206. 

Detroit historian Janese Chapman has died. She led the city’s historic designation advisory board, which aims to protect Detroit’s architectural and cultural heritage.

She also managed the Secondary Street Sign program, which honors well known Detroiters by adding their names to selected roads. Some of the honorees of the Secondary Street Sign program in Detroit include Aretha Franklin, J Dilla, JoAnn Watson, and Viola Liuzzo.

Janese Chapman was 70 years old.

The Michigan Supreme Court is hearing arguments over the limits of state civil rights laws. One question before the court is whether or not the law applies to discrimination by association.

Lower courts ruled against a man whose Calvin University contract wasn’t renewed after he officiated a same sex wedding.

The courts found his own sex wasn’t an issue in the matter. 

Lawyer Charissa Huang represents the plaintiff. She argues the law was meant to apply beyond just the direct members of a protected class.  

“Allowing this court of appeals holding to stand would have a chilling effect upon people of different races and cultures and sexes and sexual orientations. They could be fired for association with one another with no resources.”

Calvin University’s lawyers argue that since the colleague whose wedding he officiated didn’t face discrimination, the man can’t argue sex-based discrimination on his own.  

The Detroit Health Department is offering free breast exams tomorrow and next Tuesday. Offerings are from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Oct 13 and Oct. 20.

Both free exam dates include educational offerings and light refreshments. The Detroit Health Department is located at 100 Mack Avenue. To register, call 313-876-4319. 

The 2026 Neighborhood Vitality Survey is now live. Detroit residents aged 18 and up can share their thoughts and experiences around health, safety, housing and other topics.

The first 6,100 respondents will get a $25 gift card for completing the survey. Responses help shape policy and guide funding for community projects.  To participate in the survey, click here.

Huron-Clinton Metroparks is giving out $50,000 in funds for field trips.

Teachers can apply for the funds through the Huron-Clinton Metroparks’ "Get Out and Learn" Scholarship program.

The funds pay for field trips for hands-on experiences at the Metroparks or in classrooms.

It also hopes to remove financial barriers for students to participate in more STEM learning. The money can be used to pay for transportation costs for field trips up to $500.

Eligible schools must show they are 50% economically disadvantaged based on the Center for Educational Performance and Information score. In 2025, 54,000 participated in Metroparks field trips or classroom-based learning. To apply for the funding, click here.

The City of Detroit and Motor City Match held a ribbon cutting for Kidz Kingdom in District 7 in Franklin Park.

Kidz Kingdom childcare center during the week & play & party space on the weekends.

This business received $85,000 from Motor City Match in Round 23. This allowed the founder, Danielle North to be able to own the building instead of rent.

She says this opportunity allows more families to be served.

“I did have a passion and dream and fire inside of me to make my city a better place. To show people...that actually that there is more that we can do that there is greatness that already exists. My friends bring their kids here, my family brings their kids here. This is the block. This is what Kids Kingdom is about.”  

With the holiday season approaching fast, Spirit Christmas is coming to Michigan.

Shoppers will be able to visit the seasonal retailer stores beginning in November in metro Detroit’s Macomb and Taylor, along with Flint and Grand Rapids.

Spirit Halloween has nearly four dozen stores open statewide for Halloween. To find the nearest one near you,  check here.  

The Lions have two wins and two losses, currently sitting at third in their division. 

A lot of critics are pointing to their lack of Defensive production.

Lions Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard went viral in a press conference addressing the issue. “I can care less about perception. It’s all poison. Especially the praises"

The Lions hope to build some momentum as they face the Arizona Cardinals in State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona. 

Detroit City FC face Rhose Island tomorrow at Keyworth Stadium. Game starts at 7pm  

The Red Wings face the Seattle Kraken today at 7pm at Little Ceasars Arena.

This Saturday, The Villages Community Development Corporation, the East Village Associaiton and more are hosting Harvest Fest at the Shepherd near Waterworks Park from 12-4 p.m.

Organizers say this is an event where attendees can celebrate the season with an afternoon of pumpkins, s’mores, skate demonstration, live music and more. For more information, visit here. 

The city of Detroit approved a three year, $2.7 million contract for surveillance cameras and lighting in four parks across the city.

Detroit-based Bayview Electric Company will provide the service for public walkways in Chandler Park, Eliza-Howell Park, Maheras Gentry Park and Rouge Park. 

According to council members, this is part of the answer to community public safety concerns in these areas. The contract comes after residents have voiced concerns over privacy and surveillance from third party companies, most recently Flock cameras and ShotSpotter.  

Council Member Denzel McCampbell said he was particularly concerned about whether data would be stored on a private, third-party server.

According a city report, the cameras will collect data on locations, vehicles, and individuals at the parks.

Though a third-party vendor will install the cameras, all data will be stored and monitored by the city’s video management system. Video will be kept for up to 30 days unless it contains criminal evidence.

Cameras will be connected to the Detroit Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center. Requests to access surveillance data will be reviewed and approved by the city’s Law Department.  

The Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) is reacting to a roughly 40% cut made to its staff. Officials say they were blindsided when three of its seven staff members were dismissed without warning.  

Nafeesa Symonette is vice chair of the council’s board. She says she worries the cuts may deal a blow to Michigan’s $15 billion arts and culture economy.  

“Artists won't get to do the kind of work they do for a living. One of the goals in the sector is to keep artists here...to produce art here. If they don't have the resources to do that, they go elsewhere."

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), which oversees the Arts and Culture Council, confirmed to WDET that it approved the cuts.

The MEDC says it part of a larger 15% reduction to its workforce.  

The Department of Homeland Security is selling a Romulus warehouse it had planned to use as a detention center for immigrants. Michigan Advance and Project Salt Box (an investigative newsletter) report DHS is also selling six other buildings nationwide. The government bought the Romulus facility for almost $35 million dollars in February.

It scrapped plans for a detention center after residents who live near the warehouse protested that it was too close to their neighborhoods. 

The citywide coalition MoveDetroit is announcing the first 13 winners of a grant aimed at increasing and stabilizing the city's population. 

The initial Make Detroit Home awards are worth $15,000 each.

One of the recipients is local entrepreneur Karissma Yve. She says she will use the money to invest in scaling her business. 

"We hire from the city right in our community. We are excited to grow both our factory and the work that we're doing here...I'm really excited and honored to be able to...invest (it) back into the company, but ultimately (it's) the investment into the people in the community that we're hiring from." 

The coalition will offer another 300 grants of $1,000 each to assist current and future Detroiters with business projects, down payments, home renovations, rent and relocation assistance. 

Multiple Michigan universities got failing grades in a college free speech survey. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) conducted the study for the seventh year.

It found students felt like they can't speak on controversial topics openly on campus. 
Data analyst Chapin Lundthal Cleary says university policies, behaviors and student responses were evaluated. 

"Our goal is to protect free speech rights, both on and off campus, for all Americans...for instance, (with) the college free speech rankings...students can have a more informed idea of what the speech climate is at schools they’re considering attending."

The University of Michigan and Central Michigan University got "F" grades for free speech and Wayne State University got a "D." 

A Detroit city councilmember wants an 18-month moratorium on Al data centers while the city figures out how to regulate the facilities. 

Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero has asked council attorneys to draft an interim zoning measure that would pause permitting through March 2028.

Detroit city planners are separately developing zoning rules addressing data center infrastructure and environmental impacts. 

Mayor Mary Sheffield's administration says it has effectively paused permits for new principal-use data centers while those regulations are being considered but her office has not formally adopted the moratorium previously requested by council. 

Detroit election officials say about 20,000 absentee ballots have been returned with less than a month remaining before the November election.

The city mailed roughly 100,000 absentee ballots between Sept. 19 and Sept. 24. 

Detroit has 38 absentee ballot drop boxes across the city. Election officials say the early return rate is encouraging as they prepare for the Nov. 3 election. 

The City of Detroit reported a drop in juvenile crime this past summer, despite the so-called "teen takeovers" in the city.

Mary Sheffield is touting her Occupy the Summer Initiative as a major contributor to the drop in crime among young people.

In April, the mayor announced a six-point community safety plan that included the 10-week long initiative, neighborhood action teams and promoting safe gun storage.

Sheffield says she plans to bring the event back next year. "...the numbers really showed us that our strategy is working...that gives us more of a reason to advocate before the city council to make larger investments in our young people...we will have at least what we had this year and (will) continue to find ways to expand this project year-round."

The city reports juvenile homicides dropped from nine last summer to one this summer. Nonfatal shootings among young people were down 22%.

DTE Energy is hosting four resource events this month to help DTE customers apply for energy assistance, receive help with payment options, get shutoff protection and more.

Funding for state energy assistance programs became available Oct. 1.

The next resource event –the second of four - will be held Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Southfield Pavilion at 26000 Evergreen Road.

Former President Barack Obama will be in Detroit later this month to campaign with state Democrats on the November ballot.

The Oct. 24 event will include Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor.

President Trump told reporters outside the White House on Monday, Oct. 5 that he plans to return to Michigan in about a week and a half. He previously rallied with Republican candidates before the August primary election.

The state health department has launched an app to help Michiganders quit tobacco in collaboration with National Jewish Health. The QuitLogix app is an extension of the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink online program.

It offers encouraging messages, check-ins and goal reminders. It also lets users order Nicotine Replacement Therapy products.

Residents can call the Quitlink hotline 24/7 for help quitting at 800-784-8669 or 800-Quit-Now or go to Michigan.gov/quitlink. 

The BLK GRL Conglomerate is hosting a Black Girl Cash Mob this weekend to support the Detroit People’s Food Co-op.

The goal is to get 100 Black women to spend at least $20 at the Black-led community grocery Saturday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. and to have them join as member-owners of the co-op.

The Detroit People’s Food Co-op has launched a membership drive as it faces financial challenges two years after opening. It is located at 8324 Woodward Avenue. 

Editors note: To become a member of Detroit People's Food Co-op, patrons must pay a one-time $200 fee in lump-sum or spread out over 10 months.

Hamtramck’s last mayoral election is still disputed.

A judge has ordered that the 37 absentee ballots found in the former city clerk’s office must be counted, despite a year-long legal battle. The candidates are former Hamtramck city council member Muhith Mahmood and current Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi.

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers originally decided not to count the 37 ballots, which were turned in days after the election.

Alharbi’s attorney says they are ready to challenge the ballots, even if they end up being counted, according to WXYZ.

They also plan to continue challenging Mahmood’s residency, despite a Wayne County judge dismissing a lawsuit over his residency last December.

Forgotten Harvest is hoping to harvest 1 million lbs of food by the end of the year to feed people in need.

Lori Setera is the assistant farm manager at the Forgotten Harvest Farms in Fenton, Michigan. She says a pound of food is equal to a meal.  

“Our food here goes farmers market style, just how you see it here in these crates. A lot of our brick-and-mortar pantry partners don't have the equipment or the space to store these giant crates. Because of that, a lot of it ends up in mobile pantries.”  

The farm supplements nutritious foods the organization distributes. They grow about 20 different crops such as cabbage, corn, broccoli, and peppers.

Around 3,000 volunteers are needed annually to help plant, weed and harvest food. Forgotten Harvest Farms still needs more volunteers to meet their goal this year. 

The Collaborative to End Race-Based Medicine-Detroit and Wayne State University’s Office of Inclusive Excellence are hosting a virtual summit about race-based medicine.  

The National Institutes of Health defines race-based medicine as "treating race as a biological or genetic trait rather than a social construct." This leads to misdiagnoses and poor health care outcomes for minority patients—especially for those in the Black community.  

The collaborative is made up of international clinicians, legislators,  industry leaders and community members working toward ending race-based medicine through education, research and advocacy. 

Panelists at the virtual summit will discuss how bias shapes health care and public health in an age of artificial intelligence.

They will talk about how technology can help identify bias and potentially prevent harm.  

The “Held to the Light: Race, Code & Consequence in the Age of AI” event takes place Oct. 29 from 3 - 5 p.m. Register for the event here.

The InterFaith Council of Metropolitan Detroit is hosting a program highlighting coming-of-age traditions.

The Rites of Passage Coming of Age Across Religions event will feature a bar/bat mitzvah, a confirmation, a Hindu tradition and a Muslim rite of passage.

The program will talk about what it means for family, faith, identity and belonging.

It will be held Thursday, Oct. 8 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the North Congregation Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The event is free with registration.