Tag: metro Detroit

State fines a dozen metro Detroit cannabis businesses for myriad violations – Detroit Metro Times
State regulators fined 11 cannabis businesses in metro Detroit in September and revoked the license of another for various violations ranging from selling expired or contaminated marijuana to improperly tagging their products.

The fines are noticeably lower this month after the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) pledged to reduce penalties on the struggling industry, which will face a 24% wholesale tax in January.

In metro Detroit, cannabis businesses were fined a total of more than $61,000. By comparison, the CRA doled out $169,100 to local businesses in July.

The took action against these local businesses:

Cherry Industries, a cultivator in Detroit, agreed to surrender its license following multiple violations. Most recently, inspectors found more plants growing than was allowed by the company’s licenses, numerous plants and products were not property tagged, and contaminated cannabis was sold to a dispensary, among numerous other violations.
- Joyology, a dispensary in Lake Orion, was fined $4,000 for failing to have standard operating procedures on site, ensure surveillance cameras had no blind spots, and properly tag a few of its products.
- Lenox Operations Group LLC, a processor in Lenox in Macomb County, was fined $16,000 after a regulation officer found 3.5-gram jars of cannabis concentrate that was not properly entered into the statewide monitoring system.
- 13775 Buena Vista LLC, a cultivator in Detroit, was fined $1,333 for using a carbon dioxide system without approval from the Bureau of Fire Services. The inspector also determined there were no clear pathways or isle spacing within grow rooms.
- House of Dank, a dispensary in Detroit, was fined $100 for inaccurately tracking its inventory and sales data on a single product.
- The Hive, a dispensary and small-scale grow in Hazel Park, was fined $700 for selling several products with an expired state-tracking tag.
- JOZ Farm, a marijuana processor in Hazel Park, was fined $21,000 for displaying the wrong THC percentages on its HiFi vape cartridges. JOZ Farm said an employee mistook the cannabinoid percentages for the THC percentages.
- Distro 10 Inc., a marijuana processor in Warren, was fined $3,000 for improperly throwing away unused cannabis plant material.
- JK Logix, a cannabis transporter in Warren, was fined $13,750 for failing to accurately enter all transactions and retain surveillance footage for the time required.
- VML Processing, a marijuana processor in Warren, was fined $500 for failing to accurately record inventory.
- Inkster Pine Park, a cultivator in Inkster, was fined $556 for having an active management agreement with a company that was not an approved applicant.
- Pure NB, a dispensary in New Baltimore, was fined $100 for selling expired cannabis-infused beverages.
Outside of metro Detroit, 12 cannabis businesses were fined for violations. They are One Love Labs in Chesaning ($30,000), Infinity Artisan Cannabis in Muskegon ($3,000), Greenway Provisioning Center in Beaverton ($1,000), Exclusive Cannabis Cookies in Monroe ($2,000), Strange Rootz Cannabis, a dispensary in Twin Lake ($1,000), NH Ventures in Jackson ($12,000), Moses Roses in Port Huron ($28,975), JK Logix in Lansing ($3,750), Treetown Cannabis in Michigan Center ($4,000), Exclusive Grand Rapids in Grand Rapids ($10,000), Exclusive Grand Rapids in Kalamazoo ($10,000), and Cloud Cannabis Company in Kalamazoo ($1,000).

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Steve Neavling

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October 15, 2025
The Metro Times Best of Detroit poll is now open!

The Metro Times annual Best of Detroit Reader’s Poll is now open!

You can vote for all the people, places, and things to do that make Detroit great across 400+ categories — including arts & entertainment, food & drink, goods & services, people & places, and sports & recreation.

Voting closes at midnight on Wednesday, September 11. You can read all the winners in the Best of Detroit Issue, to be published Wednesday, October 16 in print and online.

Lee DeVito

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September 4, 2024
Detroit is wet AF

It’s been chilly and rainy in metro Detroit since late Tuesday night, and it just keeps getting wetter.

Remnants of Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 season, are causing heavy rain over the Midwest, which will persist in Southeast Michigan throughout Wednesday as the storm moves over Lake Erie.

A flood advisory has been issued for metro Detroit until 4 p.m., and a flood watch is in effect for most of Southeast Michigan until 8 p.m.

Prepare to take action if necessary, as excessive rainfall may cause flooding of low-lying streets, rivers, creeks, and streams. Some flooding has already occurred, so check your basements periodically, especially if you’re in a flood-prone area.

With the heavy rain, Wednesday’s temperatures have been primarily in the low 70s, which feels pretty cold following the early 90 degree weather that the area has experienced recently.

The air will be drier with highs in the upper 70s on Thursday.

By Friday, the heat and humidity will return, with parts of the weekend and early next week feeling like over 90 degrees.

Stay dry today, but you may want to get wet again soon since it’ll be so hot.

Layla McMurtrie

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July 10, 2024
Metro Detroit leads U.S. in overpriced homes, study finds

Gone are the days when homes in Detroit were absurdly cheap.

Now, even reasonably priced houses are hard to come by.

Metro Detroit now has the most overpriced housing market in the U.S., according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University.

The study shows that 40.8% of homes in the Detroit region are overvalued compared to their long-term pricing trends. The area beat out the Atlanta region for the most overvalued homes.

Driving up the values, no doubt, is Detroit, once known for having $500 houses, where home values grew by $3.9 billion between 2014 and 2022, according to the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions. In fact, housing values in Detroit increased every year since 2017.

The growth shows that demand for homes is finally rebounding following six straight decades of population losses. And for the first time since the 1950s, the population in Detroit increased, according to U.S. Census estimates released in May.

In 2014, the year Mayor Mike Duggan took office, residential values were plummeting and had lost an estimated $3 billion in value since 2010. But as the city went through municipal bankruptcy, deep-pocketed investors like Dan Gilbert and the Ilitch family began pumping big money into real estate in downtown, Midtown, Brush Park, Corktown, and the riverfront — areas where home values have risen the most.

But researchers say Detroit’s home values are bound to decline at some point in the future.

“Rents are still growing in Detroit, signaling that home prices are likely to continue to grow for the near future,” Ken H. Johnson, a real estate economist in FAU’s College of Business, told the university’s Newsdesk for a summary of the study on Monday “Detroit, however, does not have the same factors of supply and demand as South Florida and other parts of the Sun Belt where the housing market is bolstered by rampant demand from newcomers and population growth to sustain their housing prices. Eventually, prices will return to their long-term trends, but how they get there is the open question – will prices crash as they did after the last housing cycle’s peak or will home prices flatten out and slowly work their way back to the area’s trend? It will be one of the two.”

While growth near downtown has been robust, many of the city’s neighborhoods are a different story. For example, a disproportionate number of Black residents are living in neighborhoods dominated by blight, abandonment, and crime. The number of middle-class neighborhoods in Detroit shrunk from 22 in 2010 to 11 in 2020, leaving longtime residents with fewer options to find a decent place to live.

The areas where white people are flocking are getting more expensive, displacing Black businesses and residents.

click to enlarge

Steve Neavling

New condos are a common site in Detroit’s Midtown-Cass Corridor area.

Over the last decade, the median income of white Detroiters rose 60%. For Black Detroiters, the increase was 8%, according to Detroit Future City, a think tank that develops strategies for a more equitable city.

As part of a series Metro Times published last year about the growing racial and economic disparities in Detroit, we talked to Black residents who fled the city and asked them why they left. Overwhelmingly, those we spoke to said they couldn’t find decent-paying jobs in the city. By contrast, white newcomers are disproportionately getting employed by high-paying businesses.

Recognizing the racial and economic gap, Duggan has significantly increased the number of affordable housing options. But it’s nowhere near enough to meet the demand, and many Detroiters are finding it difficult to buy a home in the city.

Eli Beracha, PhD, director of FIU’s Hollo School of Real Estate, said housing prices are inevitably going to fall. It’s just a matter of when.

“Housing prices can and will re-stabilize. The only question is how local home prices will return to a given area’s long-term pricing trend,” Beracha said. “Will it be quickly with a precipitous fall in home prices extinguishing all worries of affordability? Or will prices flatten and slowly return to the area’s long-term trend sustaining equity values but creating considerable affordability problems?”

Steve Neavling

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July 1, 2024
Metro Detroit’s first pickleball-only complex opens in Warren

You could call it a pickleball paradise.

Bash Pickleball Club in Warren opened what is the first pickleball-only facility in metro Detroit last week, offering 10 professional-grade courts under bright lighting, a pro shop, locker rooms, lounge areas, a coffee station with beverages and snacks, and a party room for large gatherings.

Located at 6881 Chicago Rd., the 30,000-square-foot club features open-play, tournaments, coaching for all levels, free lessons for beginners, court reservations, mixers, and skill-based events.

The pro shop is impressive, with dozens of paddles from eight companies, balls, grips, backpacks and apparel.

Pickleball, which is a fun and dynamic hybrid of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton, is the fastest-growing sport in America and attracts players of all ages.

Bash Pickleball Club co-owner Sam Brikho says he and his brother Kevin Brikho decided to open a pickleball complex after falling in love with the game last summer at Borden Park in Rochester Hills. Like many outdoor courts in metro Detroit, they were often full, with people waiting to play.

“I would go almost every day after work, and more and more people would show up,” Brikho tells Metro Times. “All eight courts would be full. I could see that there was a demand for it, and I asked the players where they would play [when the weather got colder], and they all said there really aren’t many places.”

Brikho also said people were looking for organized play so they could compete with others at comparable skill levels.

The Brikho brothers say it wasn’t easy finding a large facility to lease because owners were hesitant to work with a start-up company. But then they found their current location, which was originally a former General Motors Plant that later served as a sports storage facility, peanut shop, tennis facility, and volleyball club.

“The landlord here was a pickleball guy, and he wanted it for the community, so he was willing to work with us,” Brikho says.

click to enlarge

Steve Neavling

Bash Pickleball Club has dozens of paddles from eight companies, balls, grips, backpacks and apparel.

Over the weekend, the club featured its first mixer, a popular event at indoor pickleball facilities that allow players to compete against new people and develop new skills. About 100 people turned out for drinks, food, music, and raffle prizes, including two paddles, a backpack, and a private lesson.

“It was such a good turnout,” Brikho says.

The club is open to everyone. Memberships range from $397 to $697 a year. Although paid memberships aren’t required, they provide discounts, advanced bookings to reserve courts, and free entry into open-play. Until May 15, the club is offering 15-month memberships for the price of 12 months.

The club offers three open-play sessions each day from Monday through Friday, and two sessions each on Saturday and Sunday. The cost for open-play without a membership is $12.

Lessons are available for players looking to strengthen their skills. Head coach Dr. Nick Hernandez, a licensed pharmacist who is taking a break from his profession to pursue his pickleball passions, is a friendly, skilled player who won gold medals in singles, mixed doubles, and men’s doubles at the Royal Oak Classic Pickleball Tournament last year.

If all goes as planned, the club will expand, with an additional 24,000 square feet available for another six to eight courts. The goal is to build a championship court to lure sanctioned pickleball tournaments to Warren.

“The tournaments are phenomenal,” Hernandez says. “The atmosphere is great. Some of them can get about 1,000 to 2,000 players.”

Brikho says pickleball has become very popular because it brings people together and is easy to learn, but is incredibly difficult to master.

“It’s a very social sport,” Brikho says. “It can be competitive or it can be very friendly. It’s great for all ages. Anyone can learn to play in a couple of hours. Every day there are new people coming in. We make them feel comfortable.”

During a recent open-play, players of various skill levels were there, and they were cordial and welcomed new competitors, making it a fun way to interact with new people.

For newbies, the club offers free lessons to teach the basics of pickleball. The club offers paddles for those who don’t have one.

Once beginners start playing, Brikho knows many of them are going to catch the pickleball craze and return.

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Bash Pickleball Club

A lounge area with a TV that plays constant pickleball matches at Bash Pickleball Club.

Metro Detroit has a few indoor pickleball facilities, but they also share space with other sports. One of premier facilities in the area is Court4, a combo tennis-pickleball complex in Detroit that is inside a large, well-lit dome.

In Pontiac, more than a dozen indoor pickleball courts are available for open play and reservations at UWM Sport Complex, which also hosts a variety of other sports.

The closest pickleball-only facility to metro Detroit is Ann Arbor’s Wolverine Pickleball, which has beer on tap, 12 indoor courts, and large ceilings with bright lighting.

Steve Neavling

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May 9, 2024
Racist billboards appeared across metro Detroit on Hitler’s birthday

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White Lives Matter Michigan/Twitter

This billboard contains numerous references to Nazis and Adolf Hitler.

Racist and pro-Nazi messages appeared on at least three digital billboards in metro Detroit over the weekend to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday.

A group dubbed “White Lives Matter Michigan” took credit for the signs in Hazel Park, Mount Clemens, and Brownstown.

“White Lives Matter Michigan permeated censorship to obtain three roadside billboards throughout Southeastern Michigan to dog-whistle morale boosting messages to pro-Whites for this 4/20 Day of Action!” the group tweeted Saturday.

April 20 is Hitler’s birthday and is widely celebrated by white supremacists.

The messages were intended to deceive billboard companies by using somewhat veiled references to Hitler, Nazis, and other white supremacists.

A billboard on John R Road in Hazel Park, for instance, read, “Happy birthday, Uncle Adi. 88 climbs! Hugs & Kisses to HT, GDL, & GTV.” Next to it is a semi-silleauted face with Hitler’s distinctive peaked hat.

“Adi” is a popular nickname for Adolf, and “88” is a white supremacist numerical code for “Heil Hitler.” “GDL” stands for Goyim Defense League, an American neo-Nazi, antisemitic hate group that promotes conspiracy theories and has been banned by most social media sites. “HT” stands for “Handsome Truth,” which is the nickname for Jon Minadeo, the neo-Nazi leader of the Goyim Defense League. “GTV” is an abbreviation for Goyim TV.

Across the street from the billboard stickers were found that read, “White Lives Matter,” “GDL,” and “Reject Poison. Embrace Purity.”

A billboard near the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens read, “Go back to Africa!” and disguised itself as a congratulatory message to “Tryone” for earning a trip after scoring 1350 on the SATs. “1350” is a racist code that references an alleged FBI study that claimed 50% of crimes are committed by Black people, who represent 13% of the population.

White Lives Matter Michigan/Twitter

A mock-up of a billboard that appeared near the Gibraltar Trade Center in Mtount Clemens.

In a written message to Metro Times, a representative of White Lives Matter Michigan said the “ultimate motive for the billboards and any of our activism is that we must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children.”

“Whites face inevitable genocide if the current trend of brown immigration, anti-White hatred, and White victimization continue,” the representative wrote. “It’s openly stated that Whites will be minorities in their own nations within decades.”

The message was much longer, but Metro Times is declining to share it to avoid giving the group a larger platform to spread hate and misinformation.

The billboard companies responsible for the messages apologized in a statement to Metro Times.

The messages were purchased through Billboard4Me.com and displayed on billboards owned by 5 Star Outdoor, a local company.

Billboard4Me said the deceitful messaging was discreet enough to make it past the company’s filters and that the messages were purchased by “an organization that disguised itself and its purpose with deceptive imagery and wording.”

“The group used silhouetted images, acronyms, and other deceptive tactics to get past our initial screening process,” the company said.

“A good samaritan discovered the images on the group’s [X] profile and let us know that these boards were deceptive, upon which we immediately removed them.”

Over the past four years, the company said it has posted thousands of personal messages for birthdays, anniversaries, and memorials and until Saturday “has never posted messages of this kind.”

Billboard4Me pledged to do a better job screening messages in the future.

“We have since implemented better safety protocols to screen all billboard ads that come through our system,” the company said. “We will be adding another set of human eyes to inspect all ads. We will search all names, photos, dates, and abbreviations to ensure no hidden agendas are being promoted in the ads.”

Billboard4Me expressed remorse.

“We recognize that we made a huge mistake by not catching these hidden messages before they were posted and sincerely apologize to the communities in Michigan and everyone who had to see them,” the company said. “We pledge to do everything we can so that something like this never happens again.”

5 Star Outdoor, which owns the billboard, also apologized and said it would try harder to avoid a similar situation.

“The ads were purchased through a third party,” 5 Star Outdoor said in a statement. “They were immediately removed upon notice. We are very sorry this happened and we are doing everything we can to make sure this won’t happen again.”

The billboards were first shared on Reddit on Saturday, prompting outrage that the messages were displayed.

“It’s sad that any billboard owner would be even willing to rent space for these,” A Reddit user by the name of codece wrote.

Rule 322 responded, “Like… ONE of these has the slightest SLIVER of plausible deniability. The other two are brazen and even more sickening.”

Another billboard in Brownstown read, “Happy anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. White. 14 Kids & 88 Years! Love W.L.M. & M.I.”

“14” is a reference to a popular white supremacist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

“W.L.M. & M.I.” refers to White Lives Matter Michigan.

On its X page, White Lives Michigan posted below an image of the billboard, “Such an enduring marriage and so many White children!”

Photos of the billboards were retweeted by the Great Lakes Active Club,” a Michigan-based neo-fascist group.

On Reddit, one user wrote, “Why are people so fucking dumb and terrible?”

Another responded, “Because too many people allow scumbags’ lives to be comfortable and easy.”

Steve Neavling

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April 22, 2024
Tamponpalooza event showcases local artists to raise feminine hygiene products for metro Detroit women in need

Tamponpalooza, an annual metro Detroit event created by Ken Brass in 2014, serves as a platform and fundraiser to address the need for feminine hygiene and hair care products among homeless and low-income women and girls.

Although Brass is not a woman himself, the local community organizer, who is also the host of Detroit’s Soundoff Sundays open mic night, started the event with the mission of using art to spread awareness about women’s health. Since its first event in 2015, Tamponpalooza has continued to grow with more donations and new sponsors each year.

This year’s installment is scheduled from 7-11 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 at the D Loft in Hamtramck.

Held during Women’s History Month, Tamponpalooza showcases women in various ways, featuring local women poets, singers, illustrators, and more. Among others, the upcoming event will include performances by Ari B, Beezy Brown, Bella Sweets, Chani the Hippie, Lucy Ghavalli, P Tha Poet, and Vee Marie. Plus, the night will be hosted by Detroit musician Kay Bae and radio host Melody Freshh. There will also be vendors selling an array of food, art, and handmade products.

Brass also collaborates with many women to organize and promote the event, including long-time sponsor and Detroit influencer Randi Rossario, who highlighted Tamponpalooza’s significance in a recent Instagram video.

“Could you imagine not having pads or not having tampons? Some people don’t have to imagine it because it’s a reality,” Rossario said. “Every single year, my brother Ken and I do an event called Tamponpalooza with a bunch of other sponsors. It’s a fundraiser for female hygiene products. You’d be surprised how many people actually need this. So, if you in the metro Detroit area, please get with us.”

Admission to Tamponpalooza is free with the donation of essential items such as pads, tampons, hair brushes, shampoo, conditioner, undergarments, purses, diva cups, soap, body spray, and other basic supplies crucial for women’s well-being. Without a donation of products, attendees can instead contribute a monetary donation of $10 or more.

All proceeds support various shelters across metro Detroit, including the Detroit Rescue Mission, Alternative for Girls, South Oakland Shelter, and Creating Opportunities To Succeed.

Layla McMurtrie

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March 8, 2024
HopCat Announces New Metro Detroit Location, Plans for Opening Early Summer

Widely recognized for its curated local craft beer lists, comfort food and famous Cosmik Fries, HopCat finds a new home in Clinton Township

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich., January 31, 2024 (Newswire.com)
–
Project BarFly, the West Michigan-based hospitality group that oversees operations of HopCat, Grand Rapids Brewing Company, and Stella’s Lounge, today announced its newest HopCat location will be at the Mall at Partridge Creek located at 17380 Hall Rd. The announcement was made by BarFly CEO Ned Lidvall.

“After opening two locations in Metro Detroit last year, we’re thrilled to be joining the Macomb County community and increasing our brand presence in this thriving market,” said Ned Lidvall, CEO of BarFly. “It was easy to see the opportunity at The Mall at Partridge Creek — a vibrant and walkable destination. We’re confident about our decision to invest in this location as the home of our 10th Michigan HopCat restaurant.”

Anticipated to open early this summer, the new Clinton Township HopCat will find its home off Hall Road at The Mall at Partridge Creek — taking over the former BurgerFin. The new 7,000-sq.-ft. HopCat will accommodate 250 guests and feature a wrap-around bar, spacious booth seating, a dog-friendly outdoor patio, a 4-season room, and a private event space for up to 50 people. HopCat will begin its hiring in March, looking to hire 125 employees.

“We are thrilled to welcome HopCat to The Mall at Partridge Creek,” shared Carmen Spinoso, CEO of Spinoso Real Estate Group, “Their commitment to quality, scratch-made and award-winning food and exceptional service resonates with our vision to create unique and quality experiences for our guests. HopCat’s parent company, BarFly, stands out with its mission of environmental sustainability and community engagement. We are excited and honored to partner with a company that shares our values and look forward to the positive impact they will bring to our mall and the surrounding community.”

About HopCat
At HopCat, craft quality goes beyond our unparalleled beer selection. We pride ourselves on scratch-made, award-winning food and friendly, knowledgeable service. Each HopCat location has a unique atmosphere, but you can count on a consistently exceptional experience every time. For more information on HopCat, please visit www.hopcat.com.

About Spinoso Real Estate Group

Spinoso Real Estate Group is a national real estate firm, recognized as the premier operator of enclosed shopping malls and large-scale retail-based mixed-use properties. With a proven track record of operating 87 properties and nearly 75 million square feet of enclosed-mall transformation from coast-to-coast, and an industry-leading operating and investment platform, the firm offers a range of services, including leasing, property management, repositioning, marketing, development, stabilization, and re-development/densification. For more information, visit spinosoreg.com.

About The Mall at Partridge Creek

The Mall at Partridge Creek is an exciting, open-air regional shopping center in Macomb County, Michigan, and is home to over 80 stores and restaurants, entertainment sites and anchored by MJR Theaters. Unique amenities include a dog-friendly, family friendly environment with free Wi-Fi, snow-melt walkways and a 30-foot fireplace in Center Court. Partridge Creek is leased and managed by Spinoso Real Estate Group. Visit shoppartridgecreek.com to learn more.

Source: HopCat

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January 31, 2024
Rare gold coin dropped into Salvation Army Red Kettle in Macomb County
The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit’s 2022 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign is a little closer to reaching its fundraising goal of $8.2 million after receiving a rare gold coin donation.

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit

Dayna Liski, volunteer, Salvation Army of Metro Detroit

Tuesday night, the anonymous donor, dropped the coin into a red kettle at the Kroger store located on 9 Mile Road in St. Clair Shores.

In an email to 7 Action News, the Salvation Army of Metro Detroit said the coin is a “rare, 1980 South African gold Krugerrand.”

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit

The donation marks the 10th consecutive year that a donor has deposited a Krugerrand into a red kettle in Macomb County.

According to Monex, the Krugerrand is valued at approximately $1,765.

All 2022 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign donations will help to feed, clothe and support people in need.

In 2021, The Salvation Army was able to provide:
- More than 2.1 million meals
- More than 405,000 nights of shelter
- Nearly 88,000 Christmas toys and gifts for children and seniors
- Resolution of nearly 1,800 legal issues through the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic
To donate to the 2022 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign, click here.
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December 1, 2022
Pontiac brothers wrongfully imprisoned for 25 years to file $125M lawsuit

(WXYZ) — Two brothers from Pontiac who were wrongfully imprisoned for 25 years are filing a $125 million lawsuit.

George and Melvin DeJesus were released from prison on March 22, 2022 after they were wrongfully convicted in the 1995 rape and murder of Margaret Midkiff in the City of Pontiac.

“This is the best day of my life. We are extremely happy and overwhelmed. It’s been a long time coming and it took a lot of help and people.” George said back in March.

Investigators said the two brothers were tied to a Pontiac killing of a woman in July 1995 after she was found naked and tied up in her basement. A team of investigators says another man, Brandon Gohagen, confessed to a sexual assault related to the murder, then cut a deal to blame the killing on the brothers.

The court records show both brothers had an alibi at the time, but nonetheless were found guilty.

“The only scientific evidence at the scene belonged to Brandon Gohagen. Advanced DNA, there was nothing that connected George or Melvin to that scene.” Assistant Attorney General Robyn Frankel said.

They were released from prison after an investigation by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit, the Michigan Innocence Clinic and the Cooley Law School Innocence Clinic.

According to the Mueller Law Firm, which is representing the brothers, an Oakland County Sheriff’s Office detective who was handling the case said Gohagen passed a polygraph test and was able plead guilty to sexual assault and second-degree murder, avoiding the first-degree murder charge.

But, new evidence found that Gohagen actually failed the polygraph test, contrary to the polygraph examiner’s report.

The brothers are expected to speak during a press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

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November 30, 2022
Farmington Hills woman says she had to cancel her Thanksgiving due to city barricade

FARMINGTON HILLS — Farmington Hills resident, Linda Solomon tells 7 Action News she had to cancel her family’s Thanksgiving gathering due to a cement barricade put in front of her house by the city.

“You can see it’s about four feet wide, you can’t step over it safely,” said Solomon.

Solomon says there’s been construction on their street recently, but Tuesday afternoon was the first time she heard there would be a barricade when a city engineer knocked on her door to tell her.

She says she replied, “How do we get in and out?! It’s Thanksgiving!”

Less than 24 hours later on Wednesday, the barricade was laid down.

Solomon lives in her home with her husband and her 94-year-old mother who she says can definitely not get past the barricade.

“The city doesn’t respond to any emails, or phone calls,” said Solomon. “I called everyone Wednesday morning… I emailed the mayor.”

With no path for the Solomons to come and go neighbors began to show up at the family home on Thanksgiving to check in on them.

One neighbor who did not want to be named told 7 Action News they were considering suing the city of Farmington Hills.

Another frustrated neighbor, TriDeep Aggrawal, told 7 he received an email about upcoming construction on November 4th but it was misleading.

An excerpt from the email given to 7 Action News said, “Road removals are expected to begin on Monday, November 7, 2022 – weather permitting. Be aware that there may be additional traffic delays and limited access. The contractor will be removing the road in sections, starting at the cul-de-sac, and moving north. This may require us to close off access to your driveway for a few hours. If this occurs, we will ask you to park nearby, and we will have a golf cart available to bring you up to your homes. Please keep traffic on the road to a minimum.”

Looking at Solomon’s driveway, Aggrawal said, “There’s no way you can enter or exit your house at all, this is ridiculous.”
7 Action News reached out to the Farmington Hills City Manager’s Office and Public Relations but did not hear back.

“Why would they do this to a family on Thanksgiving? Knowing they cannot work today, we wouldn’t expect them to work on the holiday,” said Solomon.

Solomon posted about the barricade on the NextDoor app where 84 people replied, many offering to come remove the barricade themselves for her.

“So that’s really the true meaning of Thanksgiving. A stranger offering to help,” said Solomon.
This holiday season, neighbors say they just want to be listened to.

“It seems like somebody makes these decisions without any communication or without looking at what will happen to the residents,” said Aggrawal.

“Of course it’s disappointing,” said Solomon. “You want to celebrate this important holiday with those you love to say thank you, but we can’t do that.”

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November 25, 2022
Baby alligators are being sold in Michigan, dumped or killed when they get too big

There is a thriving market for pet alligators in Michigan and many of the reptiles are killed or abandoned when they start to get too big.

Local 4 investigated and found alligators for sale at an expo in Kalamazoo, among other locations.

The Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary has 200 alligators under their care that had been abandoned. They are a rescue facility for unwanted reptiles.

“One particular alligator was locked in a dog crate for seven years. He was never able to touch water or swim or touch the ground,” Lina Kelly said. “Some have come in really horrible situations where their mouths have been taped shut and I’ve had wounds all over their faces. So, some of them are locked away in closets and misshapen their spines.”

Kelly said most people don’t realize how big alligators can get. They can reach up to 15 feet long and live for 60 to 70 years.

Previous: Going undercover to expose why abandoned alligators are being found around Metro Detroit

What happens when alligators get to big?

Local 4 went in undercover with cameras rolling to a Mt. Pleasant home where alligators are being sold.

“How big are they gonna get?” Local 4 asked.

“They can get up to 15 feet. I mean, so, they can get pretty big,” Mike Morningstar said. “Obviously, a 15-foot gator — it’ll kill ya.”

Alligators can grow to be absolutely massive, but that doesn’t stop Mike and Raquel Morningstar from selling young alligators for $200 each. The couple admits the animals they sell usually wind up discarded.

‘They either keep them, or they eat them, or turn them into boots’

“What do people do when they get really big?” Local 4 asked.

“They either keep them, or they eat them, or turn them into boots,” Raquel Morningstar said.

Raquel actually suggested people could eat their alligators when they get too big to handle.

Baby alligators are also listed for sale online with ads that say they “won’t last long.” Who’s buying them? Mike Morningstar said random people.

The Morningstars are licensed to sell alligators. They said they buy them from a breeder in Florida. They resell the animals and mail them around the country.

“We started out with like six and then we had 10 and had an order of 18 and we had 12 more after that and they’ve gone quick,” Raquel Morningstar said.

Mike Morningstar said that there are no legal issues in Michigan and that they can own and sell them. That it’s “not a big deal.”

That isn’t completely true though. While there aren’t any state laws against alligator sales, some Michigan cities have banned them.

The Morningstars told our undercover producer that this is the end of alligator season — but it’s not the end of the issue.

Local 4 spoke with health officials in Detroit and they confirmed they are getting calls for alligators in the city.

The sanctuary Local 4 visited said they have 200 alligators right now and worry more could be dumping off their pets as winter sets in and the gators continue to grow.

Have something you’d like us to look into? Reach the Local 4 investigative team at 313-962-9348, or email Karen Drew at kdrew@wdiv.com.

Previous coverage on alligators and crocodiles found in Michigan:

Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.

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November 16, 2022
Ebenezer Church to give away 1000 turkeys Thursday morning

DETROIT, MI (WXYZ) — Starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, Ebenezer Church and the Detroit Towing Association will be working together to give away 1,000 turkeys to city residents.

The church, which is located on Dequindre Road in Detroit, will pass out the 100 turkeys until they are gone, and with the cost of groceries going up, that could be just a few hours.

Last year, turkeys cost around $1.15 a pound. This year the price per pound is $1.47. A 28% jump compared to last year according to the US Department of Agriculture.

But it’s not just turkeys that are more expensive this year, the entire Thanksgiving plate is.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation Survey, a Thanksgiving meal will cost more than $60 for a family of 10. That’s $7 more than last year.

The USDA warns that there could also be a turkey shortage this year so the sooner you get your bird, the better.

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November 11, 2022