Rare, century-old tiles once destined for the landfill are getting a second life and some are headed to a museum in Flint.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report: Artist using tiles to tell a tale at a Flint museum

Detroit artist and preservationist Tim Burke rescued the historic Flint Faience tiles from the abandoned Highland Towers Apartments, saving 75 pieces before the building faces potential demolition.

"These would have been in a landfill, in a landfill! It just kills me," Burke said.

The Highland Towers Apartments were abandoned in 2009 and suspiciously set ablaze in 2010. The tiles previously lined the building's entrance archway. Flint Faience is a tile made in Flint, Michigan, and popularized in the 1920s.

PREVIOUS STORY: Detroit artist races to salvage historic tiles from Highland Towers Apartments before demolition Artist working to preserve history in Highland Park

"A 100-years ago minus 6, and you can see on the back they're stamped Flint Faience. Barely, but it's there," Burke said.

Burke said he has always had a passion for antiques and collectibles and knew immediately what had to be done.

"I've always loved antiques and collectibles. My thoughts and feelings was, 'Dude, you have to donate those,'" Burke said.

With the right approvals secured and community donations funding his tools, Burke got to work. He had just 5 days to remove the artifacts from the brick.

"I'm like, 'Oh, Dear God,'" Burke said.

Despite the tight timeline and the challenges of removing the tiles from the brick, Burke successfully pulled 75 tiles a career milestone he described as his crowning achievement.

"It was a feather in my cap, so to speak. Like, this is the crowning jewel for me," Burke said.

The tiles together form a rare bird scene, with each image spanning 4 tiles.

The Sloan Museum of Discovery in Flint received 4 of the tiles and said it is grateful for Burke's work to preserve Flint's history and is excited to add them to its collection. Burke said the museum's enthusiasm was immediate.

"Everyone was raising their hands like, we would love some of those tiles! I'm calling it 100 years, full circle," Burke said.

Burke has also offered tiles to other nearby museums. As for the tiles he is keeping, he plans to incorporate them into a bench as he has done with past projects or other smaller creations made from the broken and damaged pieces.

Burke said he hopes the public display will connect the community to the history he worked to save.

"Wow, now the public will be able to view these tiles. Giving back to the community and being a part of the community," Burke said.

Stay tuned for when the tiles officially go on display at the museum.

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Detroit leaders, business owners, and neighbors gathered to celebrate the opening of the new Gratiot-Randolph Plaza, a redesigned public space at the gateway to Greektown aimed at bringing more people together while honoring the neighborhood's history.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report: Detroit's new Gratiot-Randolph Plaza opens in Greektown

Ayesha Maxwell, Executive Director of the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership, welcomed the new plaza to a committee of community members and business owners.

"It was a very, very big day," Maxwell said.

Maxwell said the goal is for Greektown to be a destination, not just a pass-through.

"We are wanting people to see Greektown as this place that they don't just have to pass through, that they can actually come and hang out," Maxwell said. "Preserving the cultural aspect of things and preserving what people remember Greektown to be."

Business owner Yanni Dionisopoulos said plans for the plaza had been in motion for years, and he takes immense pride in seeing it finally finished.

"A lot of families have been here for over 50 years," Dionisopoulos said. "My father has memories of Randolph Plaza, the street, from another time, and when I first got here, I have memories of another time, and now we're pretty much in a different time."

He said the plaza's completion reflects the continued momentum of the broader downtown area.

"Greektown is still here. It's part of the momentum of downtown Detroit," Dionisopoulos said.

Athina Papas, a legacy business owner and Greektown Neighborhood Partnership Board Chair, said the space has long served as a beacon for visitors from across the country.

"Greektown has always stood tall as one of those beacons of light for folks," Papas said.

Papas said she is excited to see the plaza serve as a gathering place that connects people to the rest of the city.

"To just be in Detroit, in the city and enjoy it," Papas said.

Landscape architect Lori Singleton said she saw the space as full of potential from the start.

"It's a huge transformation," Singleton said. "It was just a great big sidewalk with a lot of potential, and now it's a great and wide public space."

The space was designed to feel cozy and comfortable, with plants and flowers acting as a buffer between cars and traffic, allowing people to sit on a bench and feel safe among the greenery.

PREVIOUS STORY: Greektown streetscape project opens to the public just in time for summer Greektown streetscape project opens to the public just in time for summer

"We expect this to be a much more vibrant during the evening and throughout the year," Singleton said.

Detroiters Desmond Butler and Danilia Williams said the new plaza stirred up memories of growing up in the city.

"As a youth, we used to run around downtown in the city all the time," Butler said.

"We can just see what we used to do back in the day. We're super excited. It's like going on a tour in our own city," Williams said. "I am in love with my city all over again.

Butler said the heart of Detroit has always been its people.

"The people are what really make Detroit," Butler said.

The plaza is kicking off with a soft opening this weekend, with events continuing into July and throughout the summer. Plans already in the works could include movies and small festival-style events for friends and families.

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.

A Clarkston man is celebrating America's 250th birthday in a big way: by transforming his lawn into a giant flag display.

T.J. Breil, known on social media as "The Lawn Dad," spent 12 hours painting an 80-by-30-foot American flag on his nearly 2.5-acre property, enduring temperatures that felt as hot as 105 degrees at times.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report below: Clarkston man shows patriotic pride with American flag display

"Every single year for the past couple of years, I've done something for the Fourth of July. For the 250, we have to do something way bigger, way better," Breil said.

Breil went through about 2 gallons of water and took three safety breaks during the project, armed with paint, water and a mower to complete the star-spangled display.

Neighbors watched in awe as the patriotic lawn art took shape.

"Pretty cool to have that cheering on while I'm painting this," Breil said.

"I've never seen anything like it," neighbor Garrett Ross said.

Fellow neighbor Seth Wall said the finished product exceeded his expectations.

"When I saw it finished, I was amazed. It was may more than I thought it would be," Wall said.

For Breil, the project was about more than just a lawn display it was a statement of patriotism ahead of the holiday.

"Celebrating the 250, it's awesome," Breil said.

His neighbors agree.

"This is the greatest country in the world," Wall said.

Ross echoed that pride.

"I am a patriot. Yes, sir," Ross said. "Great country, great people. I'm just proud to be an American."

Wall added that the display resonated with the community.

"I love America and a lot of people here love America. Just having something that represents that is really special to have," Wall said.

For Breil, the effort was worth every hour.

"So, to be able to just do this and have fun doing this and just celebrating. We're a free country and the opportunity is endless. Happy 250. Let's go," Breil said.

Breil, who has a large social media following, said the reaction from his community keeps him going.

"I'm just a dude who just mows my lawn and people enjoy watching it. So, this is just another day on the job," Breil said.

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 sat at the center of the nation's battle over booze in the 1920s, with smugglers, speakeasies and the Purple Gang all playing a role in keeping alcohol flowing despite the law.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report: How Detroit kept drinks flowing during prohibition

Michigan was ahead of the national curve when it came to prohibition. Before the 18th Amendment took effect in 1920, the state passed the Damon Act, which outlawed alcohol in Michigan two years earlier.

"That act became the blueprint for the 18th Amendment," said Billy Wall-Winkel, a field curator with the Detroit Historical Society.

Wall-Winkel traces the roots of prohibition back to the 1800s, when Detroit became what he describes as the epicenter of a pastime many saw as deeply problematic.

"A lot of drinking," Wall-Winkel said.

Those who drank clashed with those who didn't, creating what Wall-Winkel calls a moral conundrum. Many believed alcohol was the source of the nation's troubles.

"Many people believed it to be the source of all of the issues the nation was currently facing and if they could stamp it out, they would fix all of those problems," Wall-Winkel said.

But for many Michiganders particularly automotive industry factory workers the so-called war on alcohol was widely unpopular. Detroit's position as a border city gave residents a distinct advantage: access to Canada.

"If Detroiters drank all of the booze that got imported from Canada, there would be a lot of dead Detroiters," Wall-Winkel said.

Much of that cross-river smuggling was carried out by the Jewish-led Purple Gang, which moved spirits across the country from Al Capone in Chicago to gangsters in Ohio and Indianapolis. Much of it ended up in speakeasies, the underground bars that popped up throughout the city.

"They were in closets, they were in basements, they were in attics, they were in abandoned buildings, they were anywhere you could fit them," Wall-Winkel said.

One of those speakeasies operated in the basement of Tommy's Detroit Bar and Grille, a nearly 200-year-old building that also served as a point to smuggle booze from the Detroit River. The bar even has a secret entrance that dates to its days as an underground drinking spot.

Tommy Burelle has owned Tommy's Bar and Grille for 15 years. Century-old bottles remain stashed in the walls, and archaeologists uncovered that the space also operated as a safehouse for the Underground Railroad.

Burelle considers himself a steward of its preservation.

"There is a lot of history here and I'd like to think we are making our own history along the way," Burelle said.

He says the history lingers in other ways, too including what he describes as prohibition-era paranormal activity. Burelle has his own story.

"No, I did not have a buzz on or anything. I did see what I swear to God was Al Capone in the middle of the night," Burelle said. "I'd love to go back in time to those days, be a fly on the wall, just to see who was in here."

"This place has been the most interesting place I've owned, that's for sure."

Prohibition came to a close in 1933.

"And people went back to drinking," Wall-Winkel said.

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.

Nearly 40 years after a retired teacher began dreaming of a safe, permanent place for his son with special needs to live, that dream has become a reality thanks to a former student and a generous community.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report: A dad's 40-year dream for his son with special needs now a reality in Clarkston

Dick Moscovic taught high school for 47 years. One of his students was Mike Hoeksema, who credits his former trades teacher with setting the course of his life.

"I have a high school teacher that I'm friends with today. How many people have a high school teacher they're friends with?" Hoeksema said.

Moscovic taught Hoeksema to build homes from the ground up, starting in 1980. Hoeksema still calls him Mr. Moscovic to this day.

"Every day he'd look you in the eye and smile and say, it's going to be a good day," Hoeksema said.

When Moscovic's third son, Drew, was born, Hoeksema saw a change in his mentor.

"He took some time off and came home from Drew's birth and you could see his bubble had burst," Hoeksema said.

Drew was born with special needs. Moscovic said the experience reshaped him.

"It's a different level of love for your child when you have a handicapped child. You don't take anything for granted. You get through it," Moscovic said.

Now in his 40s, Drew has been what his father calls his greatest teacher of patience and endurance.

Moscovic, a licensed builder, went on to found Drew's Home of Clarkston, a nonprofit with a mission to provide a safe, permanent home for people with severe disabilities. A year and a half ago, the nonprofit purchased an apartment building, now known as Drew's Home of Clarkston, and got to work making it accessible expanding doorways and replacing bathtubs with accessible showers to accommodate Drew and nine residents with severe disabilities.

Everything, from the cabinets to the building as a whole, is funded through community donations.

The residents are known throughout the community. Moscovic said Drew, whose smiling face has made him a neighborhood fixture, is recognized wherever he goes.

"If he goes to the grocery store, I bet there will be four or five people who say hi to him at least," Moscovic said.

The residents also contribute to their own quality of life through a can drive that generates funds for recreation and education.

"Gives them an opportunity to do something other than sit on the couch," Moscovic said.

At 10 cents a can, the crew has accumulated a $10,000 fund for activities like music and dancing.

Drew has a permanent lease at the home with no end.

"He'll be here until the end," Moscovic said.

"Through the end of his time," Hoeksema said.

Hoeksema now serves as building manager, dedicating his time to the teacher who once asked him for help.

"I jumped in and said, 'OK. What do we need?'" Hoeksema said.

He makes sure everything is in working order from the security cameras in case of a slip or fall, to caretakers staying in rooms across the hall. It is a mission that began with Drew and has only grown.

"What would I say to him? I love you immensely," Moscovic said.

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.

Clinton Township teens got their prom night after a gun threat forced the cancellation of the original dance just one hour before it was set to begin.

Last Tuesday night, the junior-senior prom at Clintondale High School was canceled after Michigan State Police received a tip that a student might be bringing a firearm. With spirits low, the community came together at the steps of Anton Art Center to give students the night they had been waiting for.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report below: Clinton Township teens get prom they thought was lost after threat canceled original dance

"Kids creating memories that they will never forget," DJ Britt said.

Kimberly Koltvedt's daughter Brianna, a junior, was among the students who lost their original prom night.

"I want to walk away feeling good," Brianna said. "We just thought it was a joke at first."

Senior Shamer Riser-Pressley was already dressed for the occasion when the original event was called off.

"I kind of felt like it was a slap in the face," Riser-Pressley said.

Watch our previous report when the community was organizing the event below: Community organizes replacement prom for Clintondale students after cancellation

Still, he said the rescheduled night carried the same weight.

"Cause it's something we've been waiting for our entire life basically," Riser-Pressley said.

Clinton Township Trustee Shannon King, whose daughter attends Clintondale high as a junior, said she was devastated by the cancellation.

"You just want her to be a kid," King said.

King said he refused to let the threat define the night.

"I wasn't going to let us be held victim to a threat of gun violence," King said.

Watch our previous report when prom was canceled below: Clintondale High School prom canceled after tip warns of possible firearm at event

He began making calls shortly after the cancellation and connected with Anton Art Center's executive director, Matt Matthews, who moved quickly to make the event happen.

"I talked to Shannon Thursday of last week, and it's Friday night and there's a prom behind me," the executive director said.

Youth advocate Marlan Collier said the community donated their time and even chocolates to pull the event together. Collier described prom as one of three moments that define a teenager's life.

"Homecoming, prom, graduation," Collier said. "We are building unity in our community."

Additional security and on-site law enforcement were in place to ensure there were no disruptions to the night.

"And to have the community come together and make it happen is just a blessing," Kimberly Koltvedt said.

Moe's Mobile Sports Lounge was also on hand for the celebration.

"Everyone have a good time. Let's party," Moe said.

Matthews said the goal for the night was simple.

"I just want kids to dance and have a good time," Matthews said.

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.

Leaders from Detroit, the state and the conservation community gathered at the newly renovated Belle Isle Casino to mark 50 years of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which has contributed more than $1.4 billion to Michigan's natural spaces.

The fund traces its roots to 1976, when former Gov. William Milliken championed the legislation that created it.

Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report below: Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund marks 50 years with celebration at Belle Isle Casino

"This arose out of a controversy about drilling in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula," Natural Resources Trust Fund board member Bill Rustem said.

Rustem served as Milliken's special assistant at the time the fund was established. He says the former governor made it so that whoever drills for oil contributes to the fund, which carries a $600 million limit.

"And we take the interest from that and we spend it on the parks and recreational activities for the people of Michigan," Rustem said.

Rustem says every county in Michigan has received a portion of the trust fund's dollars at some point.

Former Michigan State Sen. Kerry Kammer was 26 years old when the fund was created and says he was the first to sponsor the bill.

"I'd just been elected to the state senate the year prior," Kammer said.

The legislation faced obstacles before ultimately being enshrined in the state constitution.

"The Michigan people wisely voted for its inclusion into the Michigan constitution," Kammer said. "It became a lasting legacy of land for the people of Michigan."

Belle Isle itself has received $4 million from the fund. Nature enthusiasts Heather Shedd and Drew Fisk were among those enjoying the island's scenic views during the celebration.

"I love the wind and the water and I love being by the water," Shedd and Fisk said. "Love the day out here. It's a place I'd love to come back to."

Belle Isle Conservancy President and CEO Meagan Elliott says those who helped create the fund 50 years ago showed remarkable foresight.

"Detroit is beautiful," Elliott said. "Parks are constantly under threat and the public overwhelmingly wants spaces they can create memories with their family."

Elliott says the fund's contributions help inspire curiosity in younger generations a sentiment Rustem echoed.

"My kids their kids and their kids," Rustem said.

"Who will be the future stewards of this fund," Elliott said.

Kammer says the fund's impact extends well beyond northern Michigan.

"And not all up north either. We've got them right here in the city of Detroit," Kammer said.

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.