The Detroit Lions are going back to black in their primetime matchup against the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC’s top seed on Sunday night.
After teasing it all week, the Lions announced on social media Saturday that they’ll be wearing their black alternate uniform for the contest. They had been teasing the black uniform all week but made it official on Saturday. They’ll remain with their monochromatic superstition, though, pairing black jerseys and black pants with their blue helmet. They’ve yet to wear blue pants with the alternate look.
The Vikings, meanwhile, will wear white jerseys and white pants with their classic purple helmet.
The Lions have worn monochromatic uniforms in every game but one this season, a Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detroit is 1-1 in the black uniforms, which debuted this season. The Lions beat the Seattle Seahawks at home, 42-29, on Monday Night Football in Week 4 but lost to the Buffalo Bills, 48-42, at Ford Field in Week 15.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) runs the ball in the first quarter. Detroit Lions vs Buffalo Bills at Ford Field in Detroit on December 15, 2024. Bills win, 48-42. (ROBIN BUCKSON — The Detroit News)
Evan Boyd is coming home. After spending the past two years with Central Michigan, the former East Lansing High School standout Boyd has transferred to Michigan State.
Boyd, a wide receiver, announced the decision via social media Saturday night.
In his first season of regular action following an initial redshirt year, Boyd caught 21 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. He also caught a two-point conversion. His highest volume production came with six catches for 51 yards in a September win over San Diego State. He put up a career-high 78 yards twice, in a Week 1 win over FCS school Central Connecticut and in a Week 4 win over MAC opponent Ball State.
Before playing college football, Boyd was a star two-way player for East Lansing, where he caught 61 passes for 994 yards his senior year in 2022 en route to All-State honors. He graded out as a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, the 36th best prospect in Michigan his senior year and the 309th overall wide receiver in the country.
Boyd is the third wide receiver in the Spartans’ transfer portal class, joining Kent State transfer Chrishon McCray and Middle Tennessee’s Omari Kelly.
Michigan State has added 13 commitments since the transfer portal officially opened Dec. 9. MSU’s portal additions include: offensive linemen Luka Vincic (Oregon State), Caleb Carter (Western Carolina) and Matt Gulbin (Wake Forest); wide receivers Evan Boyd (Central Michigan), Chrishon McCray (Kent State) and Omari Kelly (Middle Tennessee); running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver (Sacramento State); defensive tackle Grady Kelly (Florida State); defensive backs NiJhay Burt (Eastern Illinois), Joshua Eaton (Texas State) and Malcolm Bell (Connecticut); and edge rushers David Santiago (Air Force) and Anelu Lafaele (Wisconsin).
MSU hires new QBs coach, taps Oregon State assistant
Michigan State has a new quarterbacks coach.
Michigan State has hired Jon Boyer to its staff to coach quarterbacks, a source familiar with the coaching staff confirmed to The Detroit News.
Boyer spent the previous six years with Oregon State, where he worked with current Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith. Last season, Boyer worked as tight ends coach under Smith’s successor, Trent Bray.
The move fills a coaching vacancy opened up by the departure of cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin for UCLA. Assistant coach Blue Adams remains the secondary coach, while Boyer fills quarterback duties that were previously handled by offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren.
The hiring was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Hiring a tight ends coach to prep the quarterbacks might seem like an oddity, but it’s reflective of the duration of Boyer’s career spent working with signal callers. In his time with Oregon State, Boyer served in a number of roles on Smith’s staff.
Primarily, he was a quality control coach and senior advisor on offense, duties that included working quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei in his breakout 2023 season, as well as Jake Luton in 2019.
Before coaching with Smith at Oregon State, Boyer coached at his alma mater, Northern Colorado. From 2002 to 2005, the final two years of which were spent as a quarterbacks coach. He left to be offensive coordinator at Colorado Mesa from 2007 to 2010 before returning to his previous role at Northern Colorado in 2011.
By 2012, the program promoted him to offensive coordinator where he stayed until leaving for Oregon State. All that experience gives Boyer a firm footing with coaching quarterbacks.
Boyer has experience not only coaching quarterbacks, but also an important one in Michigan State’s locker room — starter Aidan Chiles. After a middling season where 15 turnovers marred a productive 2,415 yards passing.
The hope is a reunion with Boyer can help Chiles tap further into his potential, with a designated quarterbacks coach helping him polish his game at one of the most important positions on the field.
Central Michigan’s Evan Boyd (85) dives on a fumble during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Notre Dame on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in South Bend, Ind. Boyd has transferred from CMU to Michigan State. (MICHAEL CATERINA — AP Photo, file)
The Michigan Department of Transportation is hoping to open the new “flex lanes” on Interstate 96 between Kent Lake Road and Interstate 275 in Oakland County in late February or early March, according to an agency spokesperson.
The “flex lanes” are part of the $269 million I-96 Flex Route project. Once completed, it will allow motorists to drive on the inside shoulder of eastbound I-96 from 6-9 a.m. and the inside shoulder of westbound I-96 from 3-7 p.m., which are peak times, said Diane Cross, a spokesperson for MDOT.
The project also is adding traffic lights in entrance ramps that will tell motorists when to merge onto the freeway.
Cross said the average daily traffic through that stretch of I-96 is 160,000 cars, and she noted that more crashes occur during the morning and afternoon rush than other times.
“If we can control the traffic getting onto the freeway ― we can give you an extra lane to use during just the busiest times, we hope to really reduce those numbers,” she said.
MDOT had to widen some of the inside shoulders of I-96, and it rebuilt the roadway. Cross said the project’s construction was completed in early November, and motorists have been driving on the roadway. However, the shoulders that will serve as “flex lanes” and the traffic signals in entrance ramps aren’t operational yet.
Electronic signs on I-96 will show either a red X, which means you can’t use the left shoulder, or a green arrow, which means you can use it. She said professionals are currently testing the electronics.
Cross said that when a flex lane is open, someone needing to move to the side of the road should pull over to the right shoulder and not the left one.
Traffic lights were also installed in entrance ramps along this stretch of I-96. There will be two lanes in the entrance ramps, and each will have a traffic signal, which will tell motorists to start merging onto the freeway or to stop and wait.
The added lanes on I-96 in western Oakland County are similar to the existing flex lanes on U.S.-23 in Washtenaw County between M-36 in Whitmore Lake and M-14 on the north side of Ann Arbor. That flex lane route is currently being extended from Whitmore Lake to I-96 in Brighton in Livingston County to relieve rush hour congestion on U.S.-23.
When asked about the “flex lanes,” Novi Council Member David Staudt said anything that moves traffic better is “good to me.”
“You have to have faith in in their engineering people to hope that what they’re doing is worthwhile to spend the money on and that residents and the drivers will benefit from it,” he said.
He said that because of projects on I-96, I-696 and I-275, Novi has been “surrounded by construction.” Streets in the city have also been under construction.
“It has been a really tough time for Novi residents,” he said.
The MDOT spokeswoman said the two years of highway reconstruction will have a lasting impact on Oakland County.
“MDOT has made a great deal of investment in our MDOT roads in Oakland County which will last for decades,” Cross said.
Flex lanes along the inside shoulders of I-96 around Novi and Wixom will open later to rush hour traffic later this winter, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The Detroit Lions are getting back two important players, potentially as soon as Sunday night.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone and receiver Kalif Raymond were activated from injured reserve Saturday afternoon, ahead of Detroit’s pivotal matchup with the Minnesota Vikings that is set to decide the NFC North champion and the conference’s No. 1 overall seed heading into the playoffs.
Just because Anzalone (forearm) and Raymond (foot) were activated doesn’t mean they’ll be available against Minnesota — the Lions are calling them both questionable — but it is an encouraging sign. Anzalone had been on injured reserve since Nov. 18, and Raymond had been there since Nov. 27.
Other moves made by the Lions included signing defensive back Morice Norris to the active roster from the practice squad, signing receiver Tom Kennedy to the practice squad and elevating defensive lineman Chris Smith and cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver from the practice squad for Sunday night’s game.
The Lions also placed cornerback Emmanuel Moseley on the reserve/non-football illness list. Moseley played 14 snaps on special teams against the San Francisco 49ers last Monday before popping up on the injury report Wednesday with an illness. He did not practice all week.
It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Moseley, who has suffered three major injuries in recent years. Moseley’s career with the San Francisco 49ers came to end when he tore his left ACL in October 2022, and his first season with the Lions was cut short when he tore his right ACL in October 2023. Moseley also tore his pectoral muscle in training camp, missing the first 10 games of 2024.
Also notable for the Lions was the lack of a move, as running back Jermar Jefferson was not elevated from the practice squad. The veteran had been added to the active roster for the last two games with David Montgomery (knee) injured, but Detroit has opted to keep him on the practice squad for Week 18.
Jefferson not being elevated is likely good news on the availability of Craig Reynolds (back), who is questionable to play against the Vikings.
Detroit Lions Alex Anzalone throws a glove up to a cheering fan after beating the Minnesota Vikings 31-29 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 20, 2024.
(DANIEL MEARS — The Detroit News, file)
Stellantis NV sold 15% fewer cars in 2024 than it did in 2023 in the United States, a stark departure with other major automakers, including Detroit rivals General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., that posted gains for the year.
The maker of Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo said Friday that it sold 1.3 million vehicles in 2024. In the fourth quarter, it sold 320,743 vehicles, down 7% compared to the prior year.
All the company’s major brands suffered sales declines in both the fourth quarter and for the full year except for Chrysler, which saw its Pacifica minivan sales surge in the final quarter.
Still, both the company and Stellantis dealers say they are feeling much better about their prospects in 2025 after selling down a glut of old inventory in recent months and as a few key new models are expected later this year.
Jeff Kommor, head of U.S. sales, noted that the automaker got some momentum in the second half of the year, selling 4% more vehicles than in the first half, while fourth-quarter sales were 5% above third-quarter sales.
“The pricing and incentive actions that we put in place across our brand portfolios in the second half of the year led our U.S. dealer inventory levels to be reduced ahead of schedule, allowing our dealers to prepare consumers for the introduction of all-new vehicles to the market, including from Jeep, Ram and Dodge,” Kommor said.
Those new vehicles include new electric offerings for Jeep as well as a replacement for the popular Jeep Cherokee SUV that was discontinued in 2023.
Several Stellantis vehicles that have long been top-sellers lost ground in 2024. That included Ram pickups, which combined were down 7% year-over-year; the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, down 3% and 12% respectively; and the Dodge Durango, down 14%. Bright spots included the Jeep Compass, up 16%, and the Dodge Hornet, up 120%.
Stellantis noted it had the highest plug-in hybrid market share in the U.S. in 2024, at 41%, with offerings such as the Wrangler 4xe, Grand Cherokee 4xe and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
Sales across General Motors Co.’s brands grew in 2024, with the automaker reporting Friday that it had the best overall U.S. sales total since prior to the pandemic in 2019.
GM’s 2.7 million vehicles sold for the year in the U.S. was a 4% uptick from 2023 — still under 2019’s nearly 2.9 million, but marking continued steady sales growth since a recent low point of about 2.2 million in 2021.
The automaker continued to post strong overall pickup sales, long a key profit-driver, but also notched a new record for electric vehicle sales. EV sales grew by half from 2023 and as GM’s battery-powered lineup has continued to expand.
GM’s fourth-quarter vehicle sales increased 21% year-over-year and included another record period for EV sales with 43,000 deliveries — up 125% compared to the same three months in 2023, and also an increase of more than 10,000 units over the prior 2024 quarter. GM has expanded its electrified lineup to now include seven models that include full-size pickups and different variations of SUVs.
In terms of GM’s brands in 2024, Buick sales grew by 10%, Cadillac was up almost 9%, Chevrolet increased less than 2% and GMC sold about 9% more vehicles.
“The driving force for our business is new vehicles with great design and performance across our portfolio, helping our dealers satisfy more customers,” Rory Harvey, GM executive vice president and president of global markets, said in a statement. “We’re carrying significant momentum into 2025.”
The top-selling Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup notched 555,609 sales in 2024, up just slightly from 2023, while its cousin GMC Sierra was up almost 10% year-over-year. The mid-sized Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups each saw a healthy sales surge in 2024.
Meanwhile, sales of several popular Chevy SUVs fell last year, but the budget-minded Trax continued its surge in popularity, with more than 200,000 of the compact SUVs sold in 2024, up from 109,000 the year before.
GM’s average transaction prices inched up in recent months, ending the year at nearly $53,000, while its incentive spending on vehicles dropped in the same time period.
Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales grew 4.2% year-over-year in 2024 to their highest level since pre-pandemic 2019, and it recorded a record year of electric vehicle deliveries, but fell behind crosstown rival General Motors Co. in sales of battery-powered models.
Even as affordability became an increasingly prominent issue for buyers in 2024 from high interest rates and transaction prices and as inventories built up, Ford sold 2.079 million vehicles last year compared to 2023’s 1.996 million. The results surpassed automotive digital services provider Cox Automotive Inc.’s forecast that the Dearborn automaker would post a 3.8% increase in sales for the year.
The results were boosted by the fourth quarter, during which the Dearborn automaker sold 8.8% more vehicles than the same period a year prior, totaling 530,660 vehicles. It sold 191,531 vehicles in December, down less than 1% year-over-year.
Even as EV leader Tesla Inc. reported its first annual decrease of 1.1% in global deliveries in more than a decade, Ford recorded record EV sales in 2024 in the United States. Sales of its three all-electric products increased almost 35% year-over-year to 97,865 vehicles, but new offerings from GM boosted the Detroit automaker’s annual EV sales 50% to 114,432.
Ford’s hybrid vehicles also grew by 40%. But gas- and diesel-powered vehicles still represented 86% of all U.S. sales, increasing 0.2%. Luxury brand Lincoln’s sales rose 28% compared to 2023.
Truck sales increased 7.1% in 2024. F-Series pickups were up 2%, making it the country’s best-selling truck for a 48th straight year. The results included a 39% increase in all-electric Lightning sales, a 47% increase in the hybrid model and a 14% increase in Super Duties. Ranger was up 43% and Maverick rose 39%, including a 31% increase for the hybrid model. Transit commercial van sales increased 18%, including a 64% increase in all-electric E-Transit deliveries.
Ford SUV sales were down 1.6% because of Edge production ending and sales of that midsize model falling 37%. Explorer was up 3.9%, Bronco rose 3.3%, Escape increased by 4.2% and Expedition grew by 6.3%. Bronco Sport sales fell 2.2%. The all-electric Mustang Mach-E increased by 27% and had its best-ever quarter in the last three months of the year.
Meanwhile, sales of the Mustang coupe, Ford’s only car segmented vehicle, decreased by 9.5%.
Lincoln had its best retail sales in 17 years. Aviator sales rose 62%, and Nautilus sales increased by 50%. Corsair’s grew by 13% and Navigator’s were up 28%.
Altogether, the Blue Oval’s SUV sales were down 1.2%.
GM’s total sales increased 4.3% year-over-year in 2024. Stellantis NV also was expected to post full-year and fourth-quarter results on Friday. Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. sales increased 3.7%, and Kia Corp.’s rose 1.8%. California-based EV maker Rivian Automotive Inc. on Friday said it met its annual production target after lowering it in October.
A 57-year-old Fenton woman died and five others were seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash that occurred on Interstate 96 in Lyon Township early on New Year’s Day.
The Fenton woman was a backseat passenger in a Ford Explorer that rear ended a Chevrolet Trax driven by a 30-year-old Ypsilanti man that was stopped in the second lane of westbound I-96, east of the South Hill Road overpass, with only its hazard lights on at 3:09 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
File photo. (Stephen Frye / MediaNews Group)
The Explorer ended up facing east in the westbound lanes and was struck head-on by a 75-year-old Leslie woman driving a Jeep Compass. The Explorer caught fire after the second crash, but all occupants got out before flames broke out.
The living occupants of the Explorer are in serious or critical conditions, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver and his wife, who was in the front passenger seat, are in serious condition and the second rear passenger, the husband of the Fenton woman who died at the scene, is in critical condition.
The 30-year-old Trax driver is in stable condition and the 75-year-old Compass driver is in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office.
ANN ARBOR — The first game after Christmas break has been a pitfall for the Wolverines in recent seasons.
Not this year. Not this time.
Michigan broke that trend and nearly broke a single-game program record for made 3-pointers in a 112-64 blowout win over Western Kentucky in Sunday’s nonconference finale at Crisler Center.
Nimari Burnett had 17 points and led the 3-point barrage with a career-high five made 3s for Michigan (10-3), which tied the single-game record with 19 made 3-pointers.
Vlad Goldin (17 points), Sam Walters (13 points), Tre Donaldson (12 points), Danny Wolf (12 points), Roddy Gayle Jr. (11 points) and Justin Pippen all made two deep balls, as Michigan finished 19-for-40 from beyond the arc.
The Wolverines were without guard Rubin Jones, who exited last weekend’s win over Purdue Fort Wayne with a left knee injury, but plenty of others picked up the slack. Nine Michigan players scored at least seven points and made at least one 3-pointer.
In fact, all Michigan did was score its most points (59) and make its most 3-pointers (11) in a half this season to bury Western Kentucky in a 28-point hole by halftime. And the Wolverines didn’t let up.
Burnett kicked off the second half with his third 3-pointer. Goldin connected on his second deep ball, marking the first time in his career he’s made multiple 3s in a game and pushed his career total to three.
Wolf tied Michigan’s season high for made 3-pointers with 14 — matching its output in the Nov. 18 win over Miami (Ohio) — at the 16:11 mark. Walters set a new season high a minute later, as Michigan’s lead swelled to 75-39.
The Wolverines continued to close in on the single-game record of 19 that was set on Dec. 13, 2016, in a win over Central Arkansas. Burnett splashed two more 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to make it 17, tying the program’s second-highest total and marking the third time it’s happened.
Walters broke that tie midway through the second half. Wolf delivered Michigan’s 19th 3-pointer and tied the program record with 6:05 to go, capping a 9-0 burst that gave the Wolverines a 50-point lead.
Michigan, though, couldn’t break the record as it emptied its bench in the final minutes and the Wolverines missed its final three 3-point attempts.
Don McHenry scored 18 for Western Kentucky (9-4), which shot. 36.4% from the field and trailed by double digits over the final 32 minutes.
After embarrassing losses to McNeese State, Central Michigan and UCF in the nonconference finale the past three seasons, the Wolverines never came close to letting that happen again.
Michigan got off to a hot start and dialed it in from deep, with four starters hitting a 3-pointer in the opening minutes. That proved to be a sign of things to come.
Gayle made a defender fall and swished a 3-pointer. Goldin pinned a layup attempt on one end and drained his second career 3-pointer on the other end. Michigan raced out to a double-digit lead less than three minutes into the game and extended it to 16-4 at the 16:17 mark when Donaldson drained a 3-pointer.
The Hilltoppers cut the deficit to four before Wolf found Burnett open in the corner for his second deep ball. That sparked a 10-2 spurt where Will Tschetter canned a long-range shot, as the Wolverines regained a double-digit advantage for good at 28-16.
As more and more Wolverines joined the 3-point party, the lead continued to grow. Freshman L.J. Cason drained a step-back 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 burst. Pippen followed with two deep balls in a 31-second span. Gayle connected on another deep ball during a string of 10 unanswered points.
By the time halftime arrived, seven Wolverines combined to make 11 3-pointers — tied for the team’s second-most in a game all season — as Michigan took a commanding 59-31 lead into the break.
Michigan forward Danny Wolf (1) puts up a shot in front of Western Kentucky guard Enoch Kalambay (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (JOSE JUAREZ — AP Photo)
GRAND RAPIDS — The Michigan State hockey team will be playing for a championship Monday night.
Inside a sold-out Van Andel Arena in the semifinal of the Great Lakes Invitational, the top-ranked Spartans overwhelmed Northern Michigan in a 2-0 win. Michigan State (14-2-1, 6-1-1 Big Ten) will play No. 6 Western Michigan in the GLI championship game, beginning at 7 p.m.
Michigan State led all the way, but it survived a brief scare early in the first period when Northern Michigan (1-17-1, 0-11-1 CCHA) forward Aidyn Hutchinson appeared to score on a scramble in the crease. A coach’s challenge showed that he kicked the puck in, wiping it off the board and giving the Spartans a fresh start. It wouldn’t be the last time a goal came off the board. Forward Griffin Jurecki scored for Michigan State, only for his goal to be wiped away by a coach’s challenge, too.
Midway through the first period forward Karsen Dorwart scored — for real, this time — to make it 1-0 Michigan State. Two minutes later, forward Isaac Howard scored his 10th goal of the season after stickhandling through the defense, giving his Spartans a 2-0 lead.
Michigan State put together a strong opening frame, stringing together long possessions and turning this into quality scoring chances. A 14-3 edge in shots reflected its control.
In the second period, the Spartans kept up the pressure with a high volume of shots. Though no goals came, this riled up the Michigan State contingent of a sellout crowd. The Spartans’ abundance of pressure reflected the difference in talent, as it controlled.
This constant attack also came with its thorns. Michigan State conceded a pair of breakaways to Northern Michigan forwards Grayden Daul and Hutchinson, but goaltender Luca Di Pasquo stopped both as part of a 15-save shutout. He hasn’t allowed a goal in two straight games, following his last shutout appearance Dec. 1 against Lindenwood.
Michigan State continued the onslaught in the third period, breaking the 40-shot threshold with seven minutes left to play. Its best chance of the period came on its 41st shot, a Dorwart shot that skittered up and over Northern Michigan goaltender Ryan Ouellette but fell on top of the net. Ouellette left the game with around five minutes left, with backup Ethan Barwick taking the reins the rest of the way.
Through the game’s entirety, the Spartans particularly shined through the neutral zone, leaning on quick skating to overwhelm its opponent. Always ahead — both on the scoreboard and in these races — Michigan State cruised to a 2-0 win. The Spartans ended with a 48-15 advantage in shots.
Michigan State will play in its 28th GLI championship game, having won 12 of these appearances. A win in Monday’s title game would give the Spartans sole possession of the second-most GLI championships in tournament history.
Western Michigan outlasts late Michigan Tech push
A raucous crowd erupted when Western Michigan captain Tim Washe scored the overtime winner in his team’s 4-3 defeat of Michigan Tech. After a strong comeback from the Huskies, Washe’s heroics punched the Broncos’ ticket to their sixth GLI championship game in program history.
Early on, No. 6 Western Michigan (11-3-1) appeared ready to run away with the game. A first-period goal from defenseman Robby Drazner and a second-period power-play tally from forward Liam Valente put Western Michigan up 2-0. And even if Michigan Tech’s Ryder Matter scored his first career goal to cut the deficit in half in heading to the second intermission, Owen Michaels put his Broncos up 3-1 7:18 into the third.
Cue the comeback. A goal from forward Trevor Kukkonen brought life into Michigan Tech (9-6-2), and another from defenseman Matthew Campbell brought it even. In the end, that comeback fell short with Washe’s overtime winner.
Michigan State’s Isaac Howard plays during an NCAA hockey game on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. (AL GOLDIS — AP Photo, file)
The Madison Heights Police Department is investigating the death of a 60-year-old man found unresponsive on Christmas Eve.
Officers found Robert Cavanaugh on the ground near the 26000 block of Dequindre Road around 7:39 pm Tuesday, the department said in a release.
Police said the city resident appeared to have suffered from blunt force trauma and was transported to Henry Ford Hospital in Madison Heights, where he was pronounced dead.
“Because of the suspicious circumstances, responding officers began an on-scene investigation,” officials wrote.
Officers located and arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for Cavanaugh’s death, according to the release.
The investigation is pending the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office determining the cause and manner of death. The case will be presented to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family during this tragic time,” police said.
Jared Birchall, Elon Musk’s money manager and the head of his family office, is listed as the chief executive officer. Jehn Balajadia, a longtime Musk aide who has worked at SpaceX and the Boring Co., is named as an official contact.
But they’re not connected to Musk’s new technology venture, or the political operation that’s endeared him to Donald Trump. Instead, they’re tied to the billionaire’s new Montessori school outside Bastrop, Texas, called Ad Astra, according to documents filed with state authorities and obtained via a Texas Public Information Act request.
The world’s richest person oversees an overlapping empire of six companies — or seven, if you include his political action committee. Alongside rockets, electric cars, brain implants, social media and the next Trump administration, he is increasingly focused on education, spanning preschool to college. One part of his endeavor was revealed last year, when Bloomberg News reported that his foundation had set aside roughly $100 million to create a technology-focused primary and secondary school in Austin, with eventual plans for a university. An additional $137 million in cash and stock was allotted last year, according to the most recent tax filing for the Musk Foundation.
Ad Astra is closer to fruition. The state documents show Texas authorities issued an initial permit last month, clearing the way for the center to operate with as many as 21 pupils. Ad Astra’s website says it’s “currently open to all children ages 3 to 9.” The school’s account on X includes job postings for an assistant teacher for preschool and kindergarten and an assistant teacher for students ages 6 to 9.
To run the school, Ad Astra is partnering with a company that has experience with billionaires: Xplor Education, which developed Hala Kahiki Montessori school in Lanai, Hawaii, the island 98% owned by Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison.
Ad Astra sits on a highway outside Bastrop, a bedroom community about 30 miles from Austin and part of a region that’s home to several of Musk’s businesses. On a visit during a recent weekday morning, there was a single Toyota Prius in the parking lot and no one answered the door at the white building with a gray metal roof. The school’s main entrance was blocked by a gate, and there was no sign of any children on the grounds.
But what information there is about Ad Astra makes it sound like a fairly typical, if high-end, Montessori preschool. The proposed schedule includes “thematic, STEM-based activities and projects” as well as outdoor play and nap time. A sample snack calendar features carrots and hummus. While Birchall’s and Balajadia’s names appear in the application, it isn’t clear that they’ll have substantive roles at the school once it’s operational.
Musk, Birchall and Balajadia didn’t respond to emailed questions. A phone call and email to the school went unanswered.
Access to high quality, affordable childcare is a huge issue for working parents across the country, and tends to be an especially vexing problem in rural areas like Bastrop. Many families live in “childcare deserts” where there is either not a facility or there isn’t an available slot. Opening Ad Astra gives Musk a chance to showcase his vision for education, and his support for the hands-on learning and problem solving that are a hallmark of his industrial companies. His public comments about learning frequently overlap with cultural concerns popular among conservatives and the Make America Great Again crowd, often focusing on what he sees as young minds being indoctrinated by teachers spewing left-wing propaganda. He has railed against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and in August posted that “a lot of schools are teaching white boys to hate themselves.”
Musk’s educational interests dovetail with his new role as Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has pitched a role for himself that he — and now the incoming Trump administration — call “DOGE,” or the Department of Government Efficiency. Though it’s not an actual department, DOGE now posts on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “The Department of Education spent over $1 billion promoting DEI in America’s schools,” the account posted Dec. 12.
Back in Texas, Bastrop is quickly becoming a key Musk point of interest. The Boring Co., his tunneling venture, is based in an unincorporated area there. Across the road, SpaceX produces Starlink satellites at a 500,000-square-foot (46,000-square-meter) facility.
Nearby, X is constructing a building for trust and safety workers. Musk employees, as well as the general public, can grab snacks at the Boring Bodega, a convenience store housed within Musk’s Hyperloop Plaza, which also contains a bar, candy shop and hair salon.
Ad Astra is just a five-minute drive away. It seems to have been designed with the children of Musk’s employees — if not Musk’s own offspring — in mind. Musk has fathered at least 12 children, six of them in the last five years.
“Ad Astra’s mission is to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in the next generation of problem solvers and builders,” reads the school’s website. A job posting on the website of the Montessori Institute of North Texas says “While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide.”
The school has hired an executive director, according to documents Bloomberg obtained from Texas Health and Human Services. Ad Astra is located on 40 acres of land, according to the documents, which said a 4,000-square-foot house would be remodeled for the preschool.
It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to take an interest in education, according to Bill Gormley, a professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University who studies early childhood education. Charles Butt, the chairman of the Texas-based H-E-B grocery chain, has made public education a focus of his philanthropy. Along with other business and community leaders, Butt founded “Raise Your Hand Texas,” which advocates on school funding, teacher workforce and retention issues and fully funding pre-kindergarten.
“Musk is not the only entrepreneur to recognize the value of preschool for Texas workers,” Gormley said. “A lot of politicians and business people get enthusiastic about education in general — and preschool in particular — because they salivate at the prospect of a better workforce.”
Political Moves
Musk spent much of October actively campaigning for Trump’s presidential effort, becoming the most prolific donor of the election cycle. He poured at least $274 million into political groups in 2024, including $238 million to America PAC, the political action committee he founded.
While the vast majority of money raised by America PAC came from Musk himself, it also had support from other donors. Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary in Trump’s first term, donated $250,000, federal filings show.
The Department of Education is already in the new administration’s cross hairs. Trump campaigned on the idea of disbanding the department and dismantling diversity initiatives, and he has also taken aim at transgender rights.
“Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world of work,” Trump wrote in Agenda 47, his campaign platform.
Musk has three children with the musician Grimes and three with Shivon Zilis, who in the past was actively involved at Neuralink, his brain machine interface company. All are under the age of five. Musk took X, his son with Grimes, with him on a recent trip to Capitol Hill. After his visit, he shared a graphic that showed the growth of administrators in America’s public schools since 2000.
Tuition Costs
Musk is a fan of hands-on education. During a Tesla earnings call in 2018, he talked about the need for more electricians as the electric-car maker scaled up the energy side of its business. On the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020, Musk said that “too many smart people go into finance and law.”
“I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters,” Musk said while campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania in October. “That’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors.”
Ad Astra’s website says the cost of tuition will be initially subsidized, but in future years “tuition will be in line with local private schools that include an extended day program.”
“I do think we need significant reform in education,” Musk said at a separate Trump campaign event. “The priority should be to teach kids skills that they will find useful later in life, and to leave any sort of social propaganda out of the classroom.”
With assistance from Sophie Alexander and Kara Carlson.
Stephanie Armour, Julie Rovner | (TNS) KFF Health News
Many of President-elect Donald Trump’s candidates for federal health agencies have promoted policies and goals that put them at odds with one another or with Trump’s choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., setting the stage for internal friction over public health initiatives.
The picks hold different views on matters such as limits on abortion, the safety of childhood vaccines, the COVID-19 response, and the use of weight-loss medications. The divide pits Trump picks who adhere to more traditional and orthodox science, such as the long-held, scientifically supported findings that vaccines are safe, against often unsubstantiated views advanced by Kennedy and other selections who have claimed vaccines are linked with autism.
The Trump transition team and the designated nominees mentioned in this article did not respond to requests for comment.
It’s a potential “team of opponents” at the government’s health agencies, said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian policy organization.
Kennedy, he said, is known for rejecting opposing views when confronted with science.
“The heads of the FDA and NIH will be spending all their time explaining to their boss what a confidence interval is,” Cannon said, referring to a statistical term used in medical studies.
Those whose views prevail will have significant power in shaping policy, from who is appointed to sit on federal vaccine advisory committees to federal authorization for COVID vaccines to restrictions on abortion medications. If confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy is expected to set much of the agenda.
“If President Trump’s nomination of RFK Jr. to be secretary is confirmed, if you don’t subscribe to his views, it will be very hard to rise in that department,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “They will need to suppress their views to fit with RFK Jr’s. In this administration, and any administration, independent public disagreement isn’t welcome.”
Kennedy is chair of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit. He has vowed to curb the country’s appetite for ultra-processed food and its incidence of chronic disease. He helped select Trump’s choices to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health. If confirmed, he would lead them from the helm of HHS, with its more than $1.7 trillion budget.
Clashes are likely. Kennedy has supported access to abortion until a fetus is viable. That puts him at odds with Dave Weldon, the former Florida congressman whom Trump has chosen to run the CDC. Weldon, a physician, is an abortion opponent who wrote one of the major laws allowing health professionals to opt out of participating in the procedure.
Weldon would head an agency that’s been in the crosshairs of conservatives since the COVID pandemic began. He has touted his “100% pro-life voting record” on his campaign website. (He unsuccessfully ran earlier this year for a seat in Florida’s House of Representatives.)
Trump has said he would leave decisions about abortion to the states, but the CDC under Weldon could, for example, fund studies on abortion risks. The agency could require states to provide information about abortions performed within their borders to the federal government or risk the loss of federal funds.
Weldon, like Kennedy, has questioned the safety of vaccines and has said he believes they can cause autism. That’s at odds with the views of Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon whom Trump plans to nominate for FDA commissioner. The British American said on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio that vaccines “save lives,” although he added that it’s good to question the U.S. vaccine schedule for children.
The American Academy of Pediatricians encourages parents and their children’s doctors to stick to the recommended schedule of childhood vaccines. “Nonstandard schedules that spread out vaccines or start when a child is older put entire communities at risk of serious illnesses, including infants and young children,” the group says in guidance for its members.
Jay Bhattacharya, a doctor and economist who is Trump’s selection to lead NIH, has also supported vaccines.
Kennedy has said on NPR that federal authorities under his leadership wouldn’t “take vaccines away from anybody.” But the FDA oversees approval of vaccines, and, under his leadership, the agency could put vaccine skeptics on advisory panels or could make changes to a program that largely protects vaccine makers from consumer injury lawsuits.
“I do believe that autism does come from vaccines,” Kennedy said in 2023 on Fox News. Many scientific studies have discredited the claim that vaccines cause autism.
Ashish Jha, a doctor who served as the White House COVID response coordinator from 2022 to 2023, noted that Bhattacharya and Makary have had long and distinguished careers in medicine and research and would bring decades of experience to these top jobs. But, he said, it “is going to be a lot more difficult than they think” to stand up for their views in the new administration.
It’s hard “to do things that displease your boss, and if [Kennedy] gets confirmed, he will be their boss,” Jha said. “They have their work cut out for them if they’re going to stand up for their opinions on science. If they don’t, it will just demoralize the staff.”
Most of Trump’s picks share the view that federal health agencies bungled the pandemic response, a stance that resonated with many of the president-elect’s voters and supporters — even though Trump led that response until Joe Biden took office in 2021.
Kennedy said in a 2021 Louisiana House oversight meeting that the COVID vaccine was the “deadliest” ever made. He has cited no evidence to back the claim.
Federal health officials say the vaccines have saved millions of lives around the globe and offer important protection against COVID. Protection lasts even though their effectiveness wanes over time.
The vaccines’ effectiveness against infection stood at 52% after four weeks, according to a May study in The New England Journal of Medicine, and their effectiveness against hospitalization was about 67% after four weeks. The vaccines were produced through Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership Trump launched in his first term to fast-track the shots as well as other treatments.
Makary criticized COVID vaccine guidance that called for giving young children the shots. He argued that, for many people, natural immunity from infections could substitute for the vaccine. Bhattacharya opposed measures used to curb the spread of COVID in 2020 and advised that everyone except the most vulnerable go about their lives as usual. The World Health Organization warned that such an approach would overwhelm hospitals.
Mehmet Oz, Trump’s choice to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency within HHS, has said the vaccines were oversold. He promoted the use of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. The FDA in 2020 revoked emergency authorization of hydroxychloroquine for COVID, saying that it was unlikely to be effective against the virus and that the risk of dangerous side effects was too high.
Janette Nesheiwat, meanwhile, a former Fox News contributor and Trump’s pick for surgeon general, has taken a different stance. The doctor described COVID vaccines as a gift from God in a Fox News opinion piece.
Kennedy’s qualms about vaccines are likely to be a central issue early in the administration. He has said he wants federal health agencies to shift their focus from preparing for and combating infectious disease to addressing chronic disease.
The shifting focus and questioning of vaccines concern some public health leaders amid the spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus among dairy cattle. There have been 60 human infections reported in the U.S. this year, all but two of them linked to exposure to cattle or poultry.
“Early on, they’re going to have to have a discussion about vaccinating people and animals” against bird flu, said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “We all bring opinions to the table. A department’s cohesive policy is driven by the secretary.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, walks through the Russell Senate Office Building on Dec. 17, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Trump’s nominees for his incoming administration continue to meet with senators on Capitol Hill, weeks before his inauguration.
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS)
After having their 11-game win streak snapped against the Buffalo Bills last week, the Detroit Lions showed no mercy against a desperate Chicago Bears squad at Soldier Field on Sunday, racing out to a 20-point lead before pulling away in the second half of a 34-17 victory.
For the Lions, it was a franchise-record 13th win on the season.
Detroit scored on its first six possessions (excluding a last-chance field-goal attempt before halftime) and set a new single-season franchise record for points scored (493), as Detroit (13-2) maintained control of the NFC North and the conference’s No. 1 seed, with two games remaining in the regular season.
“It takes a special group of guys to emotionally and physically, psychologically bounce back after a tough loss, especially after you haven’t lost in a while,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “I told the guys I did know that was a … franchise-record 13 wins, has never been done. And I told them one day we’ll be able to look back and enjoy that. But not yet.”
With the Philadelphia Eagles falling to the Washington Commanders, 36-33, the Lions have regained a commanding lead for the No. 1 seed. As Washington’s Jamison Crowder scored the go-ahead touchdown with six seconds left, the Lions’ locker room erupted into cheers. If the Seattle Seahawks can knock off the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday evening, the Lions will be in a position to clinch both the North and a first-round bye in a Week 17 game at San Francisco.
“It means a lot, because when I got here, we went 3-13-1,” said safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, who made his season debut on Sunday. “S—, to see we’ve got 13 wins, it means a lot that I got to experience this and I was part of the change.”
The mood in the Lions’ locker room was quite a turn of events from the situation Detroit found itself in after losing to the Bills a week ago.
“Last week was tough, but I think the outside was more worried than actually us as a team was,” receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “Because we know the type of players that we have in this locker room, the coaches. This is what we’ve built. One game is not going to deter us for end goal and what we’re striving to do.
Campbell said fending off teams to close in on the No. 1 seed and a second straight NFC North title is “why you want to coach and play in this league.
“This is when your eyes get open, when competition is at its highest, people are breathing down your neck or you’re chasing somebody and you’re at the top,” Campbell said. “It just doesn’t get any better than this. This is what it’s all about. Can it get frustrating? Can it get stressful? Yeah, it gets all of those (things). But it’s also the drug. It’s the drug. It’s what you live for.”
The Lions’ most dastardly deed of the day came on their opening drive of the second half. Quarterback Jared Goff and running back Jahmyr Gibbs pretended to trip on a play-action fake, which opened up tight end Sam LaPorta for a 21-yard touchdown pass to put the Lions up 20 points. After the game, Lions players said the play was called “Stumble bum.”
“As soon as the ball was snapped I just heard the crowd go, ‘Oh!’ I’m like, ‘Perfect, everyone is thinking he probably fumbled it,’” St. Brown said. “I looked back and it’s a touchdown.”
Asked if he’s ever surprised by the wild things Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson can come up with on a weekly basis, Gibbs said, “I used to be. Now it’s just like I expect something every week.”
In the Lions’ first game without running back David Montgomery, Gibbs shined as the lead back. Though the Lions said he would split his workload with running backs Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson, Gibbs had 23 carries for 109 yards and totaled 154 yards from scrimmage, including 45 receiving, torching the Bears to complete the Lions’ season sweep of Chicago and improve to a 5-0 record in the NFC North. Detroit accumulated 475 yards of offense as a team.
“I didn’t think we missed a beat with him taking on a little bit more of those,” Campbell said.
Goff totaled 336 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions on 23-of-32 passing. His best throw of the afternoon went to wide receiver Jameson Williams to put the Lions ahead, 20-0, with 12:49 left in the second quarter.
Williams went streaking down the middle of the field and Goff put it on him in stride for an 82-yard touchdown, the longest receiving touchdown of Williams’ career and the second-longest touchdown pass of Goff’s career. Goff was asked after the game what allowed Williams to get so open on the play: “Genetics,” Goff said.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams looks back at the Chicago Bears defense after catching an 82-yard touchdown from quarterback Jared Goff during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Williams finished with a career-high 143 receiving yards on five catches. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
“It was a hell of a throw, excellent protection, and man, just a great job on his landmark, hitting it with speed, trusting it, great catch,” Campbell said. “It was big time.”
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was impressive but Chicago’s non-existent run game made the unit one-dimensional and often killed the momentum Williams and his receivers created. He finished 26-of-40 passing for 334 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Bears were a disaster offensively to begin the game. Rome Odunze fumbled twice on the Bears’ first three drives, leading to 10 first-quarter points for Detroit.
The first was an unforced error, as Odunze dropped the exchange on a jet sweep; Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal pounced on it to give the Lions a short field for a seven-play touchdown drive that culminated with a 1-yard touchdown run by Gibbs.
The second was forced by Lions defensive backs Amik Robertson and Brian Branch and recovered by linebacker Jack Campbell. Detroit capitalized with another seven-play drive, this time ending with a 34-yard field goal from kicker Jake Bates to make it a 13-0 Lions lead.
The Lions’ defense bent but didn’t break often, stopping the Bears on eight of their 10 third-down attempts and holding them to one touchdown on two red-zone trips. Detroit accumulated six tackles for loss in the game. The Lions allowed 48 points the week prior.
“It was always a challenge, but we know who we are,” Robertson said. “Don’t let no one set a narrative on us and tell us who we are. You have to know who you are. I know this secondary, we know who we are. We just want to go out there and play Lions football.”
After Chicago got on the board with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cole Kmet, the Lions and Bears exchanged touchdowns in the final minute of the half.
St. Brown caught a third-down screen pass and rumbled his way into the end zone for an 8-yard score to put Detroit up 27-7, but the Bears answered with a three-play touchdown drive.
Bears receiver Keenan Allen, who scored twice in the first meeting with Detroit, beat cornerback Terrion Arnold with a double move and went streaking down the sideline for a 45-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in the half to make it a 27-14 game.
Detroit had a chance to add a field goal before halftime, but long snapper Hogan Hatten was flagged for a false start before a 60-yard field-goal attempt from Jake Bates, and the Lions kicker couldn’t drive home the 65-yard attempt.
Chicago waved the white flag with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter of a 34-17 game. Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad crushed Caleb Williams on third down to bring up fourth-and-20, and after a delay-of-game penalty, the Bears punted as their fans headed for the exits.
Chicago threatened to cut its deficit with 2:30 left in the game but Lions defensive backs Ifeatu Melifonwu and Terrion Arnold broke up a fourth-down throw to D.J. Moore in the end zone to end the threat.
Editor’s note: This version has been updated with corrections to a name and comments made by Jennifer Nicholas of Eastpointe.
By Myesha Johnson and Hannah Mackay
Tribune News Service
A steady stream of excited customers welcomed Michigan’s first Sheetz when the convenience chain opened its first site in Romulus this summer.
While many craved the Pennsylvania-based company’s stores, known for 24-hour service and made-to-order food, a growing number of Metro Detroiters now are speaking out and standing up against its 60-store expansion in the state. Their concerns include oversaturation of gas stations, added traffic, potential for more crime and environmental pollution.
Jennifer Nicholas, 59, of Eastpointe is among opponents of the chain’s push into Metro Detroit. After seeing a news report that Sheetz wanted to move into an Office Depot site in her city, she passed out flyers to rally a dozen neighbors to attend a public hearing on the proposed development.
The first Sheetz store in Michigan opened on Aug. 27 in Romulus. (Photo courtesy of Sheetz)
“It seems like they are just forcing their way into whatever city, whatever community they think is going to be beneficial to them, and residents do not have any recourse,” Nicholas said. “They can come out and speak to city council or their planning commission, but they have no voice. It doesn’t matter who was crying or talking.”
Eastpointe city officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Sheetz has announced plans to open stores at numerous Metro Detroit sites, including in Warren at 31925 Van Dyke, Ypsilanti at 2103 W. Michigan Ave., Eastpointe at 19001 E. Nine Mile, Taylor at 8200 Telegraph Road and 20623 Eureka Road; an additional station in Warren and others in Macomb Township at 45011 Garfield Road and in Chesterfield on 23 Mile east of I-94.
Most recently, the company received a site approval in Fraser for a store that is in the engineering process, with construction expected in 2025 at the southwest corner of 14 Mile and Utica Road.
Edie Pearson, 62, a 25-year Fraser resident, says Sheetz is moving into her backyard, with a brick wall being the only thing separating her from the planned convenience mart.
“There’s no positives to putting them in the neighborhood,” she said. “They’re putting a dumpster right on the other side of my fence.”
Pearson says the planned Sheetz contrasts with improvements being made in other Macomb County communities.
“New Baltimore is rehabbing an old building they have, Mt. Clemens is rehabbing their downtown, and we get a gas station,” she said. “We’ve got two gas stations on the corner.
“The city council seemed to have wanted the money more than helping us out,” Pearson said. “I feel city council has no integrity whatsoever. … They all make money, the developer, the multimillion-dollar corporation has money, and us that have the least to lose, we lose.”
Lauren Sayre, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, declined to comment. Other Fraser officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Sheetz defends its expansion plans as positive for the communities where it locates.
“Sheetz strives to be the best neighbor we can be in every community we serve,” Nick Ruffner, the company’s public affairs manager, said in an email. “As a family-owned-and-operated company, we listen closely to local feedback and work with officials to ensure our project aligns with community values. Sheetz will continue to meet with local officials throughout the duration of this project to ensure it represents the Fraser community well.
“Sheetz is a brand new offering in southeast Michigan. When new businesses come to a market, the competition benefits the community at large by driving innovation, enhancing consumer choice, lowering prices and fostering economic growth to deliver better value as well as attract and retain customers.”
Each Sheetz store will employ 30 to 35 workers, the majority of them full-time, the company said. It touted competitive pay, benefits packages to all employees, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 12 weeks of 100% paid maternity leave, a 401(k) retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, quarterly bonuses, paid time off and more. Sheetz ranked second in the latest Best Workplaces in Retail in America by Fortune and in the Top 10 of the “Companies that Care” list from People magazine.
Beyond its push to open dozens of stores in Michigan, mostly in Metro Detroit, the company is raising its local profile as the lead sponsor of next month’s Detroit Policy Conference, a gathering of political and business movers and shakers sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber.
Still, the chain’s planned entry into some southeast Michigan communities is meeting stiff resistance.
In Farmington Hills, residents and business owners have been vocal in their opposition to a proposed Sheetz gas station at the intersection of Middlebelt and W. 12 Mile. The city’s planning commission approved the planned unit development at a meeting last month, despite several residents showing up to voice their concerns. Farmington Hills City Council has the final say and will consider the plan and hear from community members at a public hearing that will likely be scheduled for January.
The proposed Sheetz would be at the former site of Ginopolis Bar-B-Q Smokehouse, which closed in 2019 and sits across from two gas stations. It would contain 44 parking spots, 12 gasoline pumps, a restaurant area and a drive-thru.
Four planning commissioners, including former mayor and city council member Barry Brickner, voted in favor of the proposed planned urban development, while one, John Trafelet, opposed it.
“We don’t look at the applicant based upon their name. We look at the applicant, the application based upon what they’re asking to do and whether or not it fits within current zoning or based upon the recent changes we did to the master plan,” Brickner said. “We look at the use and we look at whether or not it fits within zoning or under the new master plan. So four of us decided that it, as far as the use was concerned, was OK.”
Other factors at play in signing off on the development was that the Sheetz would replace an abandoned restaurant and be near other 24-hour businesses.
As a condition of recommending the planned unit development, Sheetz has to maintain lighting standards for commercial use to avoid spill-over illumination into the adjacent neighborhood, Brickner said. The company also will be required to have buffers separating the business from residential areas, Brickner said.
“There were some restrictions put on there based upon the complaints from the residents within … our abilities,” he said.
Ozzie Butt, 47, of White Lake owns the Sunoco gas station across the street and worries the chain would put him out of business. Butt owns another Sunoco gas station at Nine Mile and Farmington Road in Farmington.
“It just doesn’t make sense because … it’s not on the highway, you’re putting a mega-station right in the middle of a subdivision, it just doesn’t add up,” Butt said. “You’re putting a mega-store right in front of a mom-and-pop shop. Of course, we’ll have no choice — shutting the door and moving on.”
Tim Parvin lives less than a mile from the proposed Sheetz location and said the surrounding neighborhood is largely composed of single-family homes and condominiums. He notes the two existing gas stations and says he’s concerned that a 24-hour Sheetz would cause noise and light pollution.
“I just don’t see the fit here for these single-family homes. … Property values would decrease, traffic will increase,” Parvin said. “There are better locations for Sheetz. … Do we need more gas stations? I don’t think so.”
Another resident, Lloyd Banks, started a group to oppose the development, Concerned Citizens Against Sheetz. He said he’s worried the proposed 24-hour gas station would lead to an increase in crime.
“As it relates to crime, we feel, because of its 24 hours in nature, that it causes crime itself,” Banks said. “We know crime happens at many businesses, but in particular for Sheetz, they’ve had some really horrendous crimes that have taken place after 10 o’clock or 11 o’clock at those gas stations around the country.”
Incidents at Sheetz locations have included the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man in Columbus, Ohio, in October 2022, the shooting of two people outside a Sheetz in Prince George County, Maryland, in March 2024, and a stabbing that injured an 18-year-old man at a Sheetz in Larkville, Pennsylvania, in October 2024.
Banks also expressed concerns about diversity at Sheetz, referencing a lawsuit filed in April by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit accuses Sheetz of racial discrimination in hiring.
In a statement reported by CNN, Sheetz said it “does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”
Nasir Siddiqui, vice president of sales at Bazco Oil, co-founded the Metro Detroit Petroleum Alliance, a group of around 350 local business owners in the gas industry who oppose several proposed Sheetz locations across Metro Detroit. Siddiqui co-owns the Chillbox BP gas station across the street from the proposed Sheetz in Farmington Hills.
“There’s a lot of gas stations already in southeast Michigan, it’s one of the most densely populated areas obviously in the state and makes Michigan one of the most densely populated areas for gas stations,” Siddiqui said.
Siddiqui said the alliance’s members aren’t worried about competition, but large, out-of-state organizations compete on a different playing field and can disrupt local mom-and-pop gas stations in communities like Farmington Hills, Warren and Taylor.
“We’ve been local for all these years supporting local businesses,” Siddiqui said. “And Sheetz … It’s a big conglomerate, which doesn’t make for fair competition for the local mom-and-pop.”
Sheetz has not found success everywhere in Michigan with its expansion plans. In May, Madison Heights City Council voted against approving a Sheetz gas station on Dequindre Road. Officials cited concerns that it was incompatible with adjacent residential land uses, would have adverse effects on the environment, and that Sheetz failed to demonstrate the need for its business in the area.
Sheetz had proposed a location in Rochester Hills but withdrew its application from the Zoning Board of Appeals in January before it could be voted on.
Nicholas, the Easpointe resident who campaigned against Sheetz locating in her Macomb County city, spoke at a planning commission meeting in September and believes the city was “facilitating Sheetz entering the market.”
Nicholas said of the newly approved Fraser site: “It’s a horrible place for the gas station. It will be replacing a 100 year old bank in a small town that already has 2 gas stations at that intersection.”
“They are setting up next to gas stations that are already there. They are setting up in residential neighborhoods,” Nicholas said. “If they were taking over existing gas stations or they’re building in an area where there is not a gas station … that would be all right, but that’s not what they’re doing.
“Why would you want to come into a community that is opposed to you? Why would you want to set up a business when you see people angry and almost in tears saying that they don’t want you?” she said.
The MENA American Chamber of Commerce, representing hundreds of local business owners, is also calling for an end to Sheetz’s expansion. The group cites concerns regarding anti-competitive practices, environmental risks, and impacts on local supply chains, a release said.
Faye Nemer, CEO and founder of the chamber, said Sheetz is using the largest planning and zoning firms in the state as well as political lobbying firms to pursue its expansion.
“The introduction to Sheetz into the Michigan market has been very aggressive in nature,” Nemer said. “Their entering into the market is not what we’re concerned about, we’re not opposed to fair competition … neither are the independent operators, however it’s the unfair business practices that we are challenging and taking issue with.”
MENA will take legal action against municipalities that are approving Sheetz stores versus gas stations from independent operators, Nemer said.
“We’re hoping municipalities will start treating independent operators more equitably compared to corporate-backed entities, whether it’s Sheetz or others, to level the playing field … and make sure … they have the same opportunity as a $7.5 billion operation.”
About 500 people showed up for the grand opening of the Sheetz restaurant, convenience store in Romulus. Romulus is the first city in Michigan to open a Sheets store. (Photo courtesy of Sheetz)
ALLEN PARK — David Montgomery received positive news regarding his injured knee, with NFL Network reporting the Detroit Lions running back could return for the postseason.
It’s been quite the week for Montgomery updates. To open the week, Dan Campbell said the running back needed season-ending surgery. Then, the Lions head coach said on Wednesday they were exploring a third opinion regarding Montgomery’s injured MCL and that they weren’t ready to close the door just yet.
“… David Montgomery spent the last few days consulting with medical experts, sources are now optimistic that the star avoided the season-ending surgery that was initially feared,” NFL Network reports. “Montgomery will rehab with the hope that he can return at some point this postseason.
“It has taken several days and several experts, but Lions RB David Montgomery now has a path forward. And it’s one that — if all goes well — could put him on the field for the playoffs.”
Campbell said it’s all about trusting the doctors and Montgomery’s recovery. They need to know the knee is stable, for now and in the future, and that he needs to be able to protect himself and play at a high level.
The head coach said these extra opinions and glimmer of hope were why Montgomery hadn’t been placed on injured reserve, with the Lions in wait-and-see mode.
Montgomery tried to play through the injury in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. But he was limited to 4 yards on only five rush attempts in the team’s first defeat since September. The Lions were stifled on the ground that day, even with their 42 points and 500-plus yards, with only 13 designed runs in the shootout.
Getting Montgomery back in any capacity would be a massive win for this team, no doubt. The hard-charging running back is so much of who the Lions are and what they want to be about. He’s also developed a special bond with fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs, on and off the field, as the popular “Sonic and Knuckles” duo.
Montgomery has been such a hit since joining the Lions from the Chicago Bears in free agency that he’s already been extended in Detroit. Earlier this season, Montgomery inked a two-year extension worth up to $18.25 million to keep him around for even longer.
Montgomery has 1,790 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in 28 games with the Lions, including 775 yards and 12 scores this year.
Moving forward, the Lions will lean on Gibbs in the coming weeks, while Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki and Jermar Jefferson could get more chances. Gibbs has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the year, and the Lions have a ton of confidence in their home-run hitting second-year running back.
“Gibby’s really — he’s ready for this,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “We’ve seen a lot of growth from him over the last year and a half, and I think that he’ll take the bull by the horns and run with it. The guys that are depth players beneath him, Craig Reynolds, Jefferson and Vaki, those guys will have a great opportunity here to contribute as well.
“So, hopefully, we don’t miss a beat, and I really do believe that Gibby is ready for this.”
BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.
The operators of Carnival Market in Pontiac have agreed for the second time in four years to pay overtime wages to employees that the U.S. Department of Labor says remained unpaid between 2021 and 2023, federal officials announced earlier this week.
It follows another settlement for unpaid overtime in 2020 that the labor department claims led to retaliation against employees.
Carnival Market, a specialty Mexican supermarket and restaurant, has settled with the department for $192,500, which includes paying $91,250 in back wages to 12 employees, the same amount in liquidated damages and $10,000 in other damages and penalties, according to a news release.
The settlement was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The Labor Department claims the operators of Carnival Market interfered with the investigation by instructing workers not to talk to investigators or tell them there were no labor violations.
“Employers who shortchange their workers also harm local economies by reducing the amounts workers can spend day-to-day,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Timolin Mitchell in a statement. “Wage theft is a common problem, especially for low-wage workers who may be afraid to question their employers’ pay practices or to share their concerns with authorities.”
Attorneys representing Carnival Market did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The settlement says the operators have agreed to the terms “for the purpose of resolving this matter in an amicable manner.”
The market originally agreed in 2020 to pay back wages to 14 employees for overtime violations between October 2018 and September 2020. But after the settlement, the Department of Labor claims the operators retaliated against employees by demanding they kick back those back wages and threatened them if they did not.
Carnival Market also continued to violate overtime law between January 2021 and January 2023, the labor department alleges, which was the subject of the new settlement.
Carnival Market also has to audit and verify its current compliance with federal wage regulations, provide records to the Wage and Hour Division upon request for at least two years, provide Fair Labor Standards Act training to managers and post fact sheets about employees’ federal rights, according to the settlement.
The Department of Labor’s agreement with the market is among several recent investigations into overtime practices in Michigan.
In July, a federal judge ordered an operator of several Leo’s Coney Island franchise restaurants to pay overtime and keep accurate timecards, after labor officials alleged he had a pattern of breaking overtime regulations.
The department sued three Barrio Tacos restaurants in September 2023 for overtime and tipped labor violations, claiming the company failed to keep accurate records of employee pay and and did not pay tipped employees the federal minimum wage.
U.S. Department of Labor building in Washington, D.C.
By Morayo Ogunbayo, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)
One of the things new retirees look forward to is having the time to travel. Without PTO limits, vacations after retirement can be something new and different.
It can be so new and different, however, that it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a few golden rules you can follow to make each trip as smooth and worthwhile as possible.
Don’t overschedule
Family trips and vacations in your youth were likely packed with activities and excursions that could sometimes make them exhausting instead of refreshing. During retirement, however, there is no rush.
“Before, my travel was based on what I was going to achieve and bring home,” J. Patrice Marandel, a retired art curator, told Condé Nast Traveler. “Now, it’s about my pleasure.”
Go your own way
With time constraints on travel while employed, you may have had to follow a strict itinerary to visit every hot spot in your destination. After retiring, take things easy and see everything you want.
“We know where we’re going to stay along the way, but we hold that really loosely and give ourselves the opportunity to make something else happen,” retiree Kim Kelly Stamp told Condé Nast Traveler.
Start the day early
During previous trips, you may have had to plan things later in order to accommodate the whole family. Without the kids, however, you can start the day earlier and beat the lines of tourists.
Travel slower
Once there is no is no reason to rush back to work, you should make an effort to travel slowly and truly take in your surroundings.
When you cram too much into a single trip, two retirees told Condé Nast, “the whole experience just kind of becomes a blur.”
Explore
This is the best time to book your holiday travel this year
Don’t wait for tomorrow
If there is something you truly want to do, do it. Trips like these should be treasured and not taken for granted.
Ruthie Maldonado-Delwiche, a retiree who spoke to Condé Nast, said she cherishes this advice, because she believes “tomorrow isn’t promised.”
ALLEN PARK— The Detroit Lions are not yet ready to say David Montgomery’s season is over.
Despite head coach Dan Campbell previously labeling Montgomery’s knee issue (an MCL injury) one that would “require surgery that’ll put him out through the rest of the year,” the Lions did not place him on injured reserve Tuesday along with defensive lineman Alim McNeill (knee) and cornerbacks Carlton Davis III (jaw) and Khalil Dorsey (leg).
Campbell described why Wednesday, explaining that Detroit is in “waiting mode” regarding Montgomery because the running back is seeking a third opinion from a doctor. Montgomery suffered his injury against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, though it’s unclear exactly when because he finished the game.
“It’s a combination, certainly, of the doctors, but him as well, where he thinks he can go with it,” Campbell said of how the Lions will come to their final decision. “And can he protect himself and play at a high level? We’re in a holding pattern, which, as of right now, is a positive.”
Campbell said the focus will be about the stability of Montgomery’s knee — both now and in the future. Montgomery has been a key piece in Detroit’s offense since signing with the Lions in March 2023. He’s rushed for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns this season to go along with 341 receiving yards.
Campbell delivered two other injury notes Wednesday, one positive and one negative.
Starting with the good news: Ifeatu Melifonwu’s 21-day practice window has been opened, meaning he’s eligible to be activated off of injured reserve at any moment. Campbell said Monday the team would think about getting Melifonwu on the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, but he’d have to see how he looks at practice this week.
Moving to the not-so-good news: It looks like defensive lineman John Cominsky may not be able to get back on the field this season. Cominsky went down with a knee injury in training camp, and the Lions hoped he’d be able to return either late in the regular season or in the playoffs.
“I think it’s unlikely,” Campbell said Wednesday. “Man, he’s tried. He’s rehabbed, he’s doing it. It’s just trying to get over the last little hump here, it’s been tough. He’s doing everything he can, and those guys are doing a heck of a job rehabbing him trying to get him back. But I think it’s unlikely.”
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) will get a third opinion on his injured knee before making a decision on surgery. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)
Login
