Marine City officials have officially moved trick-or-treating from Halloween night on Friday to Saturday to avoid conflict with the high school football team's playoff game.

The city made the decision at a city commission meeting earlier this month. The Marine City Mariners will host the Clawson Trojans on Friday night the same night as Halloween.

Watch Brett Kast's video report below: Trick-or-treating moved to Saturday in Marine City as high school football playoffs begin

"Very happily our football team will be in the playoffs again this year, and that first playoff game will be Friday, on Halloween," Marine City Mayor Jennifer Vandenbosssche said during the meeting.

The scheduling conflict prompted city officials to consider moving the official trick-or-treating hours to Saturday, Nov. 1.

"When you have the band and football players and cheerleaders and all the people going, towns usually pretty empty," Vandenbosssche said.

This isn't the first time Marine City has faced this dilemma. The last time Halloween fell on a Friday was 2014, and the city was in the playoffs then too. Officials moved trick-or-treating to Saturday that year as well.

For longtime residents like Michael Blunden, who played football as a student at Marine City, Friday night football is a community tradition.

"It's as big as you can imagine," Blunden said. "Usually the stands are packed. It brings as many people as you can imagine, probably the whole town honestly."

Parent and lifelong resident Samantha Fraley agrees football is important but has mixed feelings about moving trick-or-treating.

"It is the biggest deal. When you got a couple state championships and you're a small school, they grow them big out in the boonies. We do well," Fraley said.

However, Fraley won't be attending Friday's game and still expects trick-or-treaters at her door on Halloween night.

"It's a lot. It's a lot for the parents to have to do, to buy two bags of candy. Not every house is a football house, but what are you gonna do. They're gonna do it anyways," she said.

After a brief discussion, the city commission unanimously approved moving official trick-or-treating hours to Saturday.

"Seems like the kids are the winners here they're going to double dip, Friday and Saturday," one official noted during the meeting.

Blunden supports the decision, saying it allows the community to support both traditions.

"The whole town gets behind the football team and they can go out and support them one night and go trick-or-treating the next," he said.

Related: What are the trick-or-treat times in metro Detroit for Halloween 2025?

"I think it's a little silly to ask parents to buy two bags of candy for two different nights but you know, football is a big deal I get it," she said. "I hope they do well on Friday, and go Marine City."

Despite her reservations, Fraley says she'll still cheer for the Mariners, and her 11-year-old son is excited about the possibility of getting candy on both nights.

"We're going to go Friday and Saturday because that's what he needs is free candy," she laughed.

The Marine City Mariners will face the Clawson Trojans at 7 p.m. Friday. Official trick-or-treating hours will be 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1.

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 Waterford Township-based nonprofit is mobilizing to help Hurricane Melissa victims in Jamaica.

Disaster Relief at Work, known as DRAW, is preparing to send 700 buckets filled with cleaning supplies to Jamaica in the coming days. The organization typically responds to natural disasters across the United States, but Hurricane Melissa will mark the second time it's helped internationally.

See Brett Kast's video report below: Metro Detroit nonprofit DRAW sending hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica

"We had the ability to help, we had the connections to help, we wanted to help, so there wasn't really anything holding us back from helping people after the storm passed," said Greg Martin, executive director of DRAW.

313 Presents sent more than 50 volunteers to DRAW's warehouse to help pack nearly 400 buckets. The buckets will all be sent to Jamaica.

"It's devastating. It's something that touches anybody," said Howard Handler, president of 313 Presents. "We're all pretty lucky that we live in a relatively climate-protected area here in southeastern Michigan but when we see footage like that, we want to do something and help people."

Some metro Detroit residents found themselves directly affected by the hurricane. Tamika Gaines was vacationing in Jamaica with her sister when Hurricane Melissa struck, leaving her stranded at a resort after her weekend flight was canceled.

During the storm, Gaines shared video from the resort lobby where guests had been moved for shelter. In a dramatic moment captured during her live stream Tuesday, the roof caved in as water poured into the room. Gaines posted Wednesday afternoon that she was safe and had made it through the ordeal.

Related video: Detroit woman's Jamaica birthday trip becomes hurricane nightmare Metro Detroiters riding out Hurrican Melissa in Jamaica

"Having responded to those storms before, we were like we have to do something about this one," Martin said.

DRAW is now waiting for airports to reopen, so they can finalize logistics for shipping the relief supplies. The organization hopes to get the buckets on the ground in Jamaica as soon as possible.

"We're just trying to get supplies into the hands of people that need them," Martin said.

Those interested in supporting DRAW's relief efforts can donate online or shop their Amazon wishlist.

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.

Southfield police are asking for the public's help with identifying a man they say took photos of a 9-year-old girl while she was using a public restroom at a Michaels store.

The incident occurred on Oct. 22 at the Michaels location on Telegraph Road near 12 Mile Road. Police have identified a person of interest captured on surveillance video and are seeking information from the community.

Watch Brett Kast's and Ryan Marshall's video reports below: Southfield police seek help identifying man who allegedly photographed child in store bathroom Southfield police seek help identifying man who allegedly photographed child in store bathroom

The mother, who requested she not be identified due to the sensitive nature of the case, said she and her daughter were using the two-stall restroom when they heard the door open.

"We heard the (bathroom) door open, we were still talking and I noticed that no one walked past or knocked to see if one of the stalls were free, and I just got an eerie feeling," the mother said. "I looked up, I didn't see anything, but my daughter, she's right in the stall next to me and it was like as soon as I felt it, she said it, she said 'mommy camera, camera!'"

Watch surveillance video of the man police are looking for below: Video shows man wanted for allegedly photographing child in store bathroom in Southfield

The girl told her mother she saw a man's hand hanging over the top of the stall, taking photos with an iPhone. She described the suspect as a white male and she said he had a black sleeve. The mother also noticed white shoes beneath the stall.

Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said police were able to identify one person matching that description on surveillance footage, which shows the man entering the store around 7:36 p.m. and leaving just five minutes later without purchasing anything.

"We captured him coming in the store, key images and we also captured him leaving the store in a hurry that's a key factor in this. Hadn't bought anything in the store. He came in empty handed, left empty handed," Barren said.

The suspect was wearing a black shirt under his white sweatshirt, according to police.

I want to commend this 9-year-old and her mother, mom, for taking quick action getting the information, calling 911, getting the store employees involved," Barren said. "We need help, and I'm very confident our community is going to step up and lead us to this person of interest, so we can get justice for this family.

The mother expressed gratitude to both the police and employees at Michaels.

They (employees) were very hands on. They weren't trying to hide anything. They were very active in trying to find this individual as well and making sure we were safe and OK as well," the mother said. "I just really hope this guy is brought to justice and no other kid falls victim to this kind of situation, invasion of privacy."

The 9-year-old girl had a message for the suspect: "I would say to him to stop taking pictures of anyone else using the restroom, if he had taken pictures of other women and little girls."

Anyone who can identify the person of interest is asked to contact Southfield police or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

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.

One of Michigan's oldest child welfare organizations is making a major change that will impact nearly a dozen girls and more than 100 employees.

Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights announced this week it is ending its state contract for residential treatment, meaning 11 girls currently in their care will need to be relocated and roughly 150 staff members will be laid off.

Watch Brett Kast's and Brittany Toolis' video reports below: Vista Maria ends residential treatment program after nearly 50 years Vista Maria ends residential treatment program after nearly 50 years

The organization, which began its work in Michigan in 1883, opened its residential treatment programs in 1976. After nearly 50 years of operation, CEO Kathy Regan says they're bringing it to an end.

"The model that we define as being Vista Maria no longer meets the realities of the kids that we care for as well as the regulatory structures we really have to operate in, so we deemed it best to exit," Regan said.

Vista Maria sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services this week ending their state contract to provide residential treatment for girls ages 11 to 18. Many of the girls in their care have experienced abuse, neglect or trauma and are referred by the courts.

The program has significantly downsized over the years. Regan says Vista Maria once housed 150 girls but today, that number is only 11 less than 5% of their overall work.

"We're in a mental health crisis as it is, and so the structures that surround that haven't really moved enough for us to safely handle the kids we do have," Regan said.

Vista Maria operates multiple programs beyond residential treatment.

"We do foster care, juvenile justice, independent living, we are a multi-service agency," Regan said.

Over the last year, the residential program faced scrutiny after a number of police and runaway calls and complaints about the program. During a tour of the facility, some girls in the program shared their experiences to 7 News Detroit anchor Carolyn Clifford.

"The staff is a lot more caring than my other placements. They treated us like criminals, we were locked out of our rooms... we couldn't do anything," said Jaedyn Main, a Vista Maria resident.

When asked about public criticism, resident Dynisti Porter said, "What is true is that Vista Maria is a place to help and heal the individuals."

Watch Carolyn Clifford's report from inside Vista Maria below: Going inside Vista Maria to see changes made in the wake of recent incidents

MDHHS will relocate the 11 girls by mid-December. Vista Maria is not alone in this decision, according to Regan.

"We're not the first agency to close their residential program. We're probably in a line of 15," Regan said. "We've got a system that's overworked, and we really have to come to bear with some changes that need to occur."

Vista Maria plans to eventually repurpose the spaces once used for residential treatment.

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.