Holly, MI – Get ready to experience the holiday season like never before, as HollyDazzle returns to the Michigan Renaissance Festival grounds, bringing a winter wonderland filled with sparkling lights, festive cheer, and beloved traditions. Starting November 29th, this enchanting event promises fun for the whole family, with new attractions and memorable experiences that will make this season brighter than ever.

Protesters gathered outside the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office again Wednesday, renewing their calls for an investigation into cases tied to retired Detroit Detective Barbara Simon, who is accused of using unethical and illegal tactics that led to the wrongful convictions of innocent Black men. The demonstration comes nearly three months after a previous protest in August, when families, exonerees, and activists demanded a full review of Simon’s cases and accountability for her alleged misconduct. Protesters on Wednesday expressed frustration, saying that Worthy has not met with exonerees or affected families and has yet to take meaningful action, despite her pledge to do so.

Malik Shabazz, a fearless Detroit activist who has confronted drug dealers, city leaders, and bad businesses for decades, is back in the hospital after he had a massive heart attack in June 2023. Shabazz, the founder of the New Black Panther Party/New Marcus Garvey Movement, was admitted to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit for unknown medical issues on Thursday, a day after he attended Mayor Mike Duggan’s announcement that he wasn’t running for reelection.

Two members of an antiwar protest group called the Detroit Ceasefire Choir have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Detroit and the organizations managing Campus Martius Park, accusing them of violating their First Amendment rights. The lawsuit, announced Tuesday, alleges that security guards at the park silenced the choir’s pro-ceasefire caroling last holiday season, claiming their message was “too controversial” and falsely asserting that Campus Martius is a private park.

Teso Life, a U.S.-based Japanese department store chain that was founded in 2017 in New York City, plans to open its first Michigan location in the Detroit area.  The 12,000-square-foot store is planned for the mixed-use Asian-themed Sakura Novi development, which broke ground last year. Teso Life is known for selling Japanese snacks, cosmetics, homeware, stationary, toys, and more.

Four years after first proposing significant police reform legislation, Michigan state senators are reintroducing a comprehensive package of bills aimed at increasing accountability, transparency, and public trust in law enforcement. Many of the measures were initially introduced in 2020 following the death of George Floyd, whose murder by a police officer in Minneapolis sparked protests against police brutality across the U.S. The efforts failed to pass in prior sessions but have gained renewed momentum amid ongoing public demand for reform.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has achieved a significant milestone: The Humbug Marsh Unit in Gibraltar has officially joined the Old-Growth Forest Network, a national collection of protected native forests where people can experience biodiversity and the beauty of nature. A celebratory event took place on Oct. 20, marking the induction of the marsh into this prestigious network.

My most profound travel experience came almost 50 years ago at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Especially jarring was the vibe of claustrophobia. Imagine eight innocent people hiding in eight rooms for two tense years while Nazis hunted them down only because they were Jews.

Detroit Metro Times readers can follow us on Bluesky, an alternative social media platform that has exploded in popularity in recent days and is now the No. 1 downloaded app on Apple’s App store. Our Bluesky page can be found at @metrotimes.bsky.social. Founded in 2019 by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky’s popularity has surged following last week’s U.S. presidential election.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced Wednesday that he will not seek a fourth term in office but declined to address widespread speculation that he’s exploring a potential run for Michigan governor in 2026. The announcement marks a major shift in Detroit politics, as Duggan’s decision opens the field for new leadership in the city and sets the potential stage for his ambitions on a statewide level.

Detroiters will soon be able to keep chickens, ducks, and honeybees in their backyards under a new ordinance passed by the Detroit City Council on Tuesday. The council voted 5-3 in favor of the measure, which goes into effect in January 2025, marking a shift in urban agriculture regulations and allowing residents to raise certain animals for fresh food production, including eggs and honey, within city limits.

Michigan lawmakers are considering a historic bipartisan package of pretrial reforms aimed at transforming the state’s criminal justice system by reducing wealth-based detention, strengthening due process, and ensuring fairer pretrial decision-making. On Tuesday, the House Criminal Justice Committee heard testimony on the bills — 4655-4656 and 4658-4661 — which, if passed, would bring sweeping changes to pretrial practices across Michigan.

The White Stripes have decided to drop their copyright infringement lawsuit against former President Donald Trump after the unauthorized use of their hit song “Seven Nation Army” in a Trump campaign video earlier this year. Jack White and former bandmate Meg White filed a short notice on Monday to dismiss the case “without prejudice,” allowing the option to refile the suit in the future.

Masked white supremacists waving Nazi flags gathered outside an American Legion Post that was hosting a performance of The Diary of Anne Frank in Howell on Saturday night. The Fowlerville Community Theater put on the play, which depicts a young Jewish girl’s life in hiding during the Nazi occupation.

Jerjuan Howard’s love for his community shines bright. The 26-year-old Detroit westsider is transforming a long-abandoned building on Puritan Avenue into the Howard Family Bookstore — a space he envisions as a hub for books, coffee, and connection, grounded in literacy, local history, and empowerment. Just blocks from his middle school and childhood home, which his grandparents purchased in 1939, the bookstore is Howard’s latest commitment to revitalizing his neighborhood — but far from his first.