Those who commute on I-696 could expect to add an hour extra to their commute time when construction starts on March 1.

"Two years 696. That's a big deal," said commuter Joshua Mahoney.

"I am concerned about the amount of traffic that is going to be bypassing right where I live," said Steven Merandi, who lives on the service drive nearby.

For many commuters, starting on March 1st, their drive to work may take longer once construction begins on the final phase of the Restore the Reuther.

"I am concerned but it has to be done," said commuter Bernard Davis.

This project will impact hundreds of thousands of drivers per day when 969 between M-10 and I-75 is shut down.

"It's going to be a rough couple of weeks as everyone tries different routes but once people figure out what's going to work best for them it will settle down," said MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross.

While Westbound traffic will be open, with only two lanes of eastbound traffic, drivers will face a massive detour via southbound M-10, eastbound m-8 and back onto northbound I-75, before returning to eastbound I-696.

"We are going to rip up what is there which is old it has to be 25 years old and we are reconstructing the entire freeway from the base up," Cross said.

60 overpasses will also be repaired, including the rebuilding of the Church Street plaza.

"I take 696 like everyday, two to three times per day," said driver Adam Stein.

Drivers and residents have mixed feelings about how long the project will last, with Stein being shocked at how long the project will take.

"It's par for the course," Adam said. "I am not happy about it but at the end of the day it is what it is."

"Two years is a long time to have to wait for a project to impact especially directly in the neighborhood," Steven said.

Where Your Voice Matters

Do you remember the last time you wrote in cursive? Do you still know how to read it? If so, the National Archives is looking for your help.

They are looking for thousands of volunteers who can read it in order to transcribe historical documents. The problem is, using and reading cursive is turning into a lost art. We spoke to Metro Detroiters to see how often they write in cursive, and put them to the test.

"The last time I wrote in cursive was the other day when i signed a check," said Detroiter Shabalis Johnson.

"Signing my name," said Rennee Peterson. "When I'm writing really fast or shorthand."

"Only when I need to sign a check," said Victoria Myles.

From the United States Constitution to the Bill of Rights, many historical documents are written in cursive. But as we continue into the digital age and use computers and our phones for taking notes or even writing a letter electronically, reading and writing cursive is becoming an art of the past and people are having a hard time even reading it.

"Writing makes your area brain fire," said Calligrapher Julie Fournier. "Whereas typing on a key board it's silent and shrinking."

Fournier is an artist and professional calligrapher. From pin-striping cars to personalized wedding invitations, you can say she's a Connoisseur of cursive.

"That's how people used to write," Julie said. "It's faster. It's easier when you know how to do it. Printing is slower even the key board you can write a lot faster."

That's why the National Archives need help from nearly 5,000 volunteers who can read historical documents written in cursive so they can transcribe nearly 300 million digitized objects within their system. The documents range from Civil War field notes to immigration documents of the 1890's, but you have to know how to read cursive.

"That's why the national archives (are) having trouble I encountered when I was trying to decipher documents someone had mistranscribed it and turned an h into an s and l because somebody couldn't read it properly," Julie said.

"My teachers would probably be very upset because that's all I was taught to do in elementary school," Shabalis said.

"I still have a few friends that's their natural way of writing out things but as far as myself using it you might be right about the third grade," Victoria said.

But I wanted to know if people still use cursive at all. I asked the people I interviewed to write 'Good Morning Detroit' in cursive, and pretty much everyone passed with an A.

"I miss it sometimes so I think I am going to write in cursive a little bit more," Shabalis said.

Where Your Voice Matters

A former Michigan high school athlete is taking a stand to raise awareness about heart health among youth.

At West Bloomfield High School on Thursday, 20-year-old pre-medical student Alex Bowerson shared his life-changing experience after suffering sudden cardiac arrest during a wrestling practice.

"It's shocking to think that high school students could be at risk for cardiac arrest, Bowerson explained. I never thought people could have heart problems at young ages. I didn't know things like this existed."

Hear more from Alex Bowerson in the video below: INTERVIEW: Alexander Bowerson talks about heart health and his cardiac arrest

During his time as a high school athlete, Bowerson was actively involved in football, baseball and wrestling. However, everything changed when he collapsed shortly after lacing up his shoes for a run at wrestling practice.

"I first went down and had a cardiac arrest with seizure-like symptoms," he recalled.

Fortunately, the high school cheerleading coach, who is also an emergency room nurse, was nearby. Her quick thinking and training kicked in as she recognized Bowerson was experiencing cardiac arrest. While someone began CPR, she retrieved an AED, or automated external defibrillator.

"Within two minutes, I got one shock from a defibrillator AED, and a couple of minutes later, I had a pulse again," Bowerson said.

After being rushed to the hospital, Bowerson was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, a heart condition that affects about 1 in 500 people, with many cases remaining undiagnosed. HCM can be a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes, underscoring the importance of awareness and screening.

To address this issue, Corewell Health will host a free heart screening at West Bloomfield High School on Feb. 1, coinciding with the first National Youth Heart Health Day.

"Parents can bring their kids aged 13 to 18 years old if they have an appointment. They can get a free blood pressure check, learn CPR, learn how to use an AED, get an EKG, along with a limited echo with our cardiologist," Jen Shea, the Corewell Health Children's Student Heart Check manager said.

West Bloomfield high student and event organizer Matilda Edvardsson emphasized the unpredictable nature of heart conditions.

"Sometimes, you don't even have any symptoms, and it can happen out of nowhere," Edvardsson said.

Along with fellow student Amarina Kriko, Edvardsson played a key role in organizing Bowerson's visit to their school, encouraging classmates to register for the upcoming heart screening.

"I think by getting that heart check, you can be aware that you have some sort of condition that can put you at risk," Edvardsson added. "Sometimes, you know and sometimes, you don't, and that's the scary part."

Kriko also stressed the need for preparedness in case of emergencies.

"If someone drops on the floor and has sudden cardiac arrest and no one knows what to do, that person could end up not surviving. We should be making sure we know what to do in events like this, locate an AED and know how to do CPR," Kriko said.

After his near-death experience, Bowerson hopes that sharing his story will save lives and encourage teens to take their heart health seriously.

"Know where your AEDs are," he advised. "If you're feeling something weird in your chest, weird feelings or chest pains, advocate for yourself get an EKG and an echo."

If you'd like to sign up for the heart screening with Corewell Health, you can register online.

Big changes are coming to Netflix, with the streaming giant announcing another price increase for it's standard subscription plan.

Starting next month, the standard plan will rise to $17.99 per month, up from the previous price of $15.49.

This latest price hike is stirring up a lot of conversations among its millions of subscribers, and some of those conversations taking place at the Maple Leaf restaurant in Troy.

"They all seem to be going up along with basic cable. It's getting to be ridiculous," said Tony, a Netflix subscriber.

"I've got the Disney package, I have Apple, I have Amazon, I have Paramount, and then I have Netflix," said Rick Krupske.s

"We like Netflix at our house. We use it quite a bit," said Ben Rybiski.

Netflix has been known for its diverse range of content, which has kept viewers like Rick and others tuning in.

"With the series that they have, they had the fight, and they have sports on it now. There's a lot more options," Rick said.

The company is banking on its original content and strategic investments to keep viewers engaged and willing to pay more. With these price increases starting next month, streaming services like Netflix are pushing their subscribers towards the lower-priced ad-supported plans to increase their profit.

"Netflix said a good majority of their sign-ups came from their ad-based plan," said CNet Senior Editor Kourtnee Jackson." I think that says a lot that people are willing to sacrifice having to watch commercials in order to save a few bucks every month."

Jackson says during the last quarter of 2024, Netflix added 19 million new subscribers. The latest price hike comes after the latest earning report for the streaming giant.

"Some of the pricing is getting comparable to cable packages, so this is a good time for people to start auditing their bills to see what you want and need, and what you're willing to pay every month," Kourtnee said.

Some think these streaming services are becoming expensive. I asked the question: what's the cut-off price point before bailing?

"I like their service, I just don't know what I'd be willing to pay," Ben said.

"I think we are spending more than we ever have. But it's hidden because it's a monthly subscription type thing," Tony said.

"It's insignificant. They've got a lot more now with the expanded catalog," Rick said.

Where Your Voice Matters

Many in Metro Detroit are feeling the winter blues and are ready to escape the frozen Midwest tundra and sub-zero temperatures.

"I am going to Orlando, Florida, then into a lovely cruise ship to the Bahamas," said Artavia Epperson.

"We wanted to go to Cancun and get a little bit of a sun kiss," said Michael Davis.

"It's freezing, my hands are frozen," said Ashley Crowley.

Crowley and her family are headed to Aruba.

"Walked outside today and I can think about is two weeks I get to go to Aruba! It's something I look forward to the last five years since we started the tradition and what I am most excited for is I am bringing my grandmother with me," Crowley said.

And it's no surprise with these sub-zero temperatures that many are looking to escape to a warmer climate for a week of sun and sand.

"There is no doubt that anytime the bad weather hits in the Midwest and northeast people immediately start top think about going to warmer climates," said travel expert Bill Pedlar.

Pedlar says the short warm destinations , like Florida and the Caribbean, those who book last minute usually are out of the cold for about a week.

"At this time of year you always see a mass exodus from the northeast to the Midwest to the warmer climates," Bill said.

Michael Davis, his wife, and their daughter Ava are headed to Cancun, Mexico, and are thrilled to jet out of the cold and into the sun.

"It was total lucky timing we planned it two months ago all details are figured out and it just so happened to be the coldest day of the year," Michael said.

"This can be very depressing time not only the cold but what are you looking at? We're looking at trees with no leaves," said Jennifer Coppola, who is headed on a cruise.

I also spoke with Jennifer Coppola, who is headed on two trips in March to excape the cold, and is already counting down the days until these two trips.

"It's important to go get the heat into your bones and get that chill out and embrace the sun for more than one day," Jennifer said.

"You get that recharge that reset the sun is just blazing and your just so much more appreciative of having the different seasons," Ashley said.

Where Your Voice Matters