Signs along Michigan Avenue in Saline Township tell the story of a community split down the middle over a proposed massive data center project. While some residents welcome the development, others are fighting to stop it entirely.

The controversy has intensified as DTE Energy asks state regulators to skip public hearings and fast-track approval for what would be one of Michigan's largest hyperscale data centers. The project is backed by Related Companies, Oracle and OpenAI, with DTE providing the power infrastructure.

Watch Faraz Javed's video report below: Data center divides Saline Township as DTE seeks to bypass public hearings

Preston Dyer, a Marine veteran who moved to Saline Township in 2018 seeking peace and quiet, said he's "100% against" the data center planned for land directly behind his property.

"At first, yes, and right now still, but I don't think it's going to stay that way long if they put this center in," Dyer said about finding the serenity he sought when he relocated with his wife and two dogs.

Dyer cited noise pollution from the construction and light pollution from parking areas as major issues. His biggest frustration centers on DTE's request to bypass public hearings.

"I think there should be some kind of hearing on it," Dyer said.

DTE defended its approach in a statement, saying the data center "needs to get shovels in the ground by the beginning of the new year."

"The benefits to our customers, the community, and the state can only come if we proceed quickly," a DTE spokesperson said in a statement. "Given the sizable affordability benefits for our customers, as well as the economic impact the project will have, we think moving forward in this fashion makes sense."

Not all residents oppose the project. Jeff Quick, another Saline Township resident, supports the data center despite having concerns about water usage.

"I don't think the data center is the worst thing that you could have," Quick said. "Jobs it would provide are fine."

According to Related Digital's website, the project promises significant economic benefits including more than 2,500 construction jobs, at least $1.6 million in annual tax revenue through 2039, $8 million for area schools and $2 million to establish a Community Investment Fund.

DTE says the data center will contribute more than $300 million to the electric system, helping finance investments to improve reliability by 30% and cut outage time in half by 2029. The utility company argues that adding large customers helps spread fixed costs more widely, driving greater affordability for all DTE customers.

The Michigan Public Service Commission, which has authority to approve DTE's request to bypass public hearings, declined an interview but noted that "a request for an ex parte hearing is not unusual."

For opponents like Dyer, the potential approval raises concerns about property values and quality of life. When asked what would happen if the data center moves forward, he said he might try to sell his home and move away.

"Property values go down with it here," Dyer said.

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A mother of four from Holly has turned her small town into a movie set, creating a feature film that premieres this weekend while providing an economic boost to local businesses.

Loretta Bradfield, a Holly resident, wrote the script and produced "Heartbeat of a Drum Horse," a two-hour film starring a rare drum horse named BH Spectacular. The production transformed the village into Hollywood, proving that major studio backing isn't necessary to create a professional film.

Watch Faraz Javed's video report below: Holly mother turns small town into movie set for feature film debut

"He has a face for the camera. He is beautiful, he is talented when we first bought him, I knew there was something really special about him," Bradfield said about the star horse.

The film features 48 actors and includes scenes with barrel racers, mutton busting and drum horses from around the world. Drum horses are a rare breed, making the casting particularly unique.

"It's about breeding, raising baby horses. This movie is a lot about how the family rallied together to really get through a couple really rough times. And it has a lot of action, a lot of comedy and a lot of drama," Bradfield said.

Director Santiago Cirillo, a 15-year film industry veteran who also plays a minor role, praised the community's support for the production.

"Watching and seeing the neighborhood and the people in the community accepting us and helping us, supporting us, they opened the doors for us and especially to tell Loretta's story," Cirillo said.

The production involved 190 children from a local co-op who appeared as extras, creating massive sets with numerous moving parts to coordinate.

Actors Mary Rose Pasyk from Chicago and Tristan Welsh from Los Angeles found Holly's charm particularly appealing during filming.

"It's been great. I mean, it's beautiful out here. You're out in the open. I live in a suburban area, so I'm not used to all the trees and woods and everything, and it's been really nice," Pasyk said.

Welsh described Holly as feeling "like a movie" and praised the community's hospitality.

"It feels like homey. I'm going to miss the crew, community, the hospitality and I'm just going to miss, you know, the family. Because you always build a family when you show up on set," Welsh said.

The production has provided economic benefits to local businesses, demonstrating how filmmaking can boost small-town economies.

"I'm just some woman who lives in Holly, and I am a mom of four and I have a lot on my plate and somehow, I was able to pull this off," Bradfield said.

Welsh is encouraging others to pursue their dreams with proper support systems.

"Don't be afraid to chase your dreams. And I think a really important aspect of that is surrounding yourself with people who will support you and who will stand beside you while you do it," Welsh said.

The film is now playing in theaters.

To learn more about the movie head to heartbeatofadrumhorse.com.

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A Michigan family has turned their St. Clair Shores home into a haunted walkthrough that rivals professional attractions, proving you don't need a massive budget to create spine-tingling scares.

Watch the full story in the video below

Halloween enthusiasts transform Michigan home into spine-chilling haunted attraction for neighbors

Jeffrey Goode, his husband Michael, and their friend Mindy Crabtree have transformed their Masonic Street home into "Mayhem on Masonic," a Halloween spectacle that's drawing neighbors and visitors from across the area.

"Each year it's gotten bigger and bigger. We've added a little bit here, a little bit there. It's been trial and error for the last couple of years," Jeffrey said.

The trio has been perfecting their fright-fest for nearly four years, with most decorations crafted by hand. This year's display cost around $120, with pumpkins being the most expensive single purchase.

"The fact that most of it is handmade," Jeffrey said when asked about the attraction's unique elements.

Over the years, the group has invested about $5,000 into their spooky collection, with animatronics being their biggest splurge. Their most expensive piece is a $400 dragon that joins other animated creatures purchased during off-season clearance sales.

For the creators, Halloween represents more than just decoration it's about nostalgia and community building.

"I have very fond memories growing up and trick-or-treating with my friends and my family. And they don't do that anymore," Crabtree said.

The attraction has successfully drawn visitors to a street that typically sees few trick-or-treaters.

"Masonic doesn't get any trick-or-treaters. We want to bring them," Crabtree said.

Area residents Hannah Monteith and Bryonna have become regular visitors, appreciating both the local nature of the attraction and its accessibility.

"I love that it's in the neighborhood and it's local to us," Monteith said.

"Especially because most like haunted things or attractions are expensive," Bryonna added.

The team is already planning next year's theme a Nightmare Before Christmas display. Jeffrey has ambitious goals for the attraction's future.

"My goal is to have a reputation like Tilson Street, like Coleman Street, those things. That's the reputation that we want," he said.

Long-term plans include expanding the display across the street and eventually partnering with a charity, with 100% of donations going directly to the chosen organization.

"My overall goal is to move it across the street. Right over there? And be able to use all of that over there. Once we've gotten that big and we're able to do different things and different scenes like that, we're hoping to pick a charity," Jeffrey said.

Mayhem on Masonic (23106 Masonic, St Clair Shores, MI 48082) is open to the public day or night and can be found on the Macomb County Haunt map.

"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."

Detroit's new 22-acre Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park officially opened this weekend, marking the completion of an eight-year project that transformed the city's riverfront with a $56 million investment.

Watch Faraz's full story on the park's opening in the video below

Detroit's new $50 million Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park opens with thousands attending

The park, formerly known as West Riverfront Park, was reimagined in 2017 before receiving the major gift from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in 2018 that made the project possible.

"You don't always see this, you don't always get this, but this is what Detroit needs," said Alise King, lead singer of The Alise King Experience, who performed at the opening weekend festivities.

King, who describes herself as a proud East Sider, expressed her excitement about being part of the historic opening alongside other performers, including the Jacksons.

"It means the world to be on the same building, the same flyer as the Jacksons. Oh my God. So it means the world. It's one thing to be a part of something, but to be a part of history, the feeling is unexplainable," King said.

The new park features a play garden, sports house, water garden, and event spaces, adding to Detroit's award-winning Riverwalk. King emphasized the importance of having safe community spaces where families can gather.

"When you have parks like this, they work as a safe haven for the community to say, hey, you can bring your family here. You can bring your kids here. You can bring your dog here. It's saying it's giving a bigger, a better Detroit, saying we're improving," King said.

Mary Wilson, life trustee of the Wilson Foundation, said the park represents her late husband's vision coming to life.

"Detroit deserves it. People from all over the world will come and see this park because it took great teamwork. Because it took community helping design it, community helping build it," Wilson said.

Wilson shared that her husband would have visited the site daily during development if he were alive, and would be proud to see the community collaboration that made the park possible.

"He would just be so proud. Because it's all about teamwork. He created teamwork in everything he did. And his life was about bringing people from all walks of life together," Wilson said.

Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CEO Ryan Sullivan said the park provides the organization's largest platform for public engagement, with plans for another opening in the spring.

"This gives us the largest platform that we have ever had to engage with the public and welcome them. So, we have a lot planned for the next year, including another opening in the spring," Sullivan said.

The opening weekend featured Harvest Fest with 35 food trucks and live entertainment, drawing thousands of visitors to experience the new waterfront destination.

To learn more, head to https://www.detroitriverfront.org/events/calendar/2025/10/25/ralph-c-wilson-jr-centennial-park-grand-opening

"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."

Defending champion Andrew Bowman of Ferndale crossed the finish line first in the men's division of the Detroit Free Press Marathon on Sunday, completing the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 16 minutes and 10 seconds.

Watch Faraz's report in the video player below Metro Detroit runner Andrew Bowman wins Detroit Free Press Marathon for second straight year

The 31-year-old runner improved his time by more than a minute from last year's victory, despite challenging weather conditions that included wind and rain throughout the race.

"As hard as this course was, sometimes the battle is just finishing. So even just to get to the finish line is relief and to get to my wife and my baby," Bowman said.

This year's race held special significance for Bowman, whose wife Sydney won the women's division in 2024. Sydney cheered him on from the sidelines while holding their 3-week-old son Liam.

"I was just so relieved to see him turn that corner. And I mean, I knew he was, I knew he was going to win," Sydney Devore-Bowman said.

The Detroit Free Press Marathon, now in its 48th year, drew more than 26,000 runners from all 50 states and 40 countries. The international course takes participants over the Ambassador Bridge into Canada, through Windsor's redeveloped neighborhoods, and back into the United States via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

"Any time we were coming south, that wind was like stand-up wind," Bowman said about the weather challenges.

Despite his victory, Bowman narrowly missed the 2:16 qualifying mark for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. However, he remains optimistic about future opportunities.

"He's definitely getting less sleep, but he jokes that he has dad strength now, and so that's trumping the lack of sleep, I guess," Sydney said about how becoming a father has affected her husband's training.

In the women's division, Christina Welsh of St. Petersburg, Florida, won with a time of 2 hours, 46 minutes and 59 seconds.

Sydney, who cannot compete this year due to recently giving birth, is already looking ahead to next year's race.

"Oh, yeah. I feel like I want that course record just as much as Andy wants the course record. Now I feel like the fire is growing because I'm watching, you know, watching everybody this year," she said.

Both Andrew and Sydney work as coaches in the Detroit area and are committed to building up the local running community.

"This is an amazing event, and with my wife and I, we're coaches in this area, and we just want to build up the local community. This is our city, and we want to raise it up as best we can," Bowman said.

When asked what people should take away from his journey, Bowman emphasized the importance of enjoying the sport.

"The sport's not worth doing if you don't enjoy it. So always got to find the silver lining," he said.

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Thousands gathered at Roosevelt Park in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood Saturday for one of more than 100 "No Kings" demonstrations taking place across Michigan. The protesters delivered a unified message: no president is above the law.

Watch Faraz's report in the video player below Thousands gather for 'No Kings' protests across Michigan opposing Trump policies

The demonstrations, organized by groups like Macomb Defenders Rising, drew participants from across Metro Detroit to 23 locations in the region alone. Protesters voiced opposition to what they called President Trump's "political intimidation and authoritarian outreach," while Trump supporters countered that the administration's actions focus on security and stability.

"People united will never be defeated," chanted the crowd at Roosevelt Park, holding signs reading "You work for us" and "History has its eyes on you."

Rain and Shannon Jacob traveled from St. Clair Shores to attend their first No Kings rally.

"Donald Trump has fashioned himself as a king, and I had the whole party of the Republican Party bows down to him, and that's not what America is about," Shannon Jacob said.

Rain Jacob emphasized the importance of speaking out for future generations.

"I want to prove a point that we're not going to stay silent. We want no kings in America," Rain Jacob said.

Katrina Manetta from Macomb Defenders Rising outlined specific demands for Detroit.

"Here in Detroit specifically, we are making an ask. And the ask is no troops, no ICE, no genocide, and no profiling in our streets," Manetta said.

Oakland County Republican Party's Brian Szmytke disputed the protesters' claims during a Zoom interview, defending Trump's mandate from both the popular vote and electoral college.

"The fact is that in this country, we don't have a king. Donald Trump was elected with a mandate, both popular vote and the electoral college. He's doing exactly what he ran on," Szmytke said.

When asked about signs stating "immigrants make America great" and claims that Trump is anti-immigrant, Szmytke clarified the administration's position.

"President Trump is not anti-immigration. He is for legal immigration. There is a difference," Szmytke said.

State Senator Mallory McMorrow, a Democrat representing Michigan's 8th district, attended the rally and criticized the administration's approach to security.

"Security is essential, but what we are seeing is nothing but security theater. They are not going after cartels. They are not going after violent criminals. They're going after moms who are trying to stay with their babies. They are going after day laborers. They are going after agriculture workers, and they are invading our communities in a way that actually makes us less safe," McMorrow said.

McMorrow emphasized the power of collective action.

"Protests do make a difference because you get thousands of people coming together who see each other, so you realize you're not alone," McMorrow said.

Szmytke called for unity while dismissing concerns about Democratic opposition.

"We need to lower the temperature in this country. We need to come together. I think President Trump has tried to do that. He's tried to find bipartisan solutions," Szmytke said.

Shannon Jacob remained skeptical of such claims.

"I think it's all gaslighting. I think we just need to get this certain person out of office and try, try to get back to the values that we've had as a country," Jacob said.

Organizers say No Kings demonstrations will continue across Michigan to draw the line on presidential power, while Trump supporters maintain the protests represent free speech in action.

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