The Detroit Lions are still going through the painstaking process of dissecting what went wrong in a disappointing 2025 season, but just around the corner are several opportunities to revamp the roster and get ready for a playoff push in 2026.

For Part 2 of our three-part offseason blueprint, designed to help prime you on every second of the Lions’ offseason, we’re taking you through several steps of the player-acquisition process, from which in-house free agents the team could look to bring back in 2026 to the positions they could be targeting when free agency opens for the entire league.

In the first part, we gave an overview of Detroit’s staffing changes, college All-Star games, and the NFL Scouting Combine. In the next, we’ll cover the NFL Draft, extension-eligible players, fifth-year options, the NFL’s schedule release, and the offseason workout schedule.

In-house unrestricted free agents (End of season through training camp)

League-wide free agency doesn’t begin until March, but teams can start re-signing their own free agents at basically any point. The Lions have big decisions to make about several players who contributed to wins not so long ago.

Quarterback: The Lions’ lone free-agent quarterback (other than C.J. Beathard, who was on the practice squad) is Kyle Allen, who has a seemingly good chance of returning. Allen was extremely reliable in training camp and had a strong showing throughout much of the preseason. While we didn’t get to see how it looked during the regular season, Allen has significant starting experience and is a high-floor backup for Jared Goff.

Wide receivers/tight ends: One of the more intriguing decisions the Lions will make this offseason is on wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who’s been with the team since 2021 and embodies the culture they’ve built. At 31, is it time to move on? The Lions’ other free-agent receiver is Tom Kennedy, who’s a restricted free agent because of service time despite being the second-longest tenured member of the team. Kennedy, 29, seems like a lock to be here for training camp.

Meanwhile, the Lions could upgrade the competition in the tight end room by moving on from Shane Zylstra and Anthony Firkser. Both were solid depth players after the team lost its top two players, but neither is likely to challenge Brock Wright for the No. 2 job behind Sam LaPorta, and Lions coach Dan Campbell said he wants to bring more competition to training camp next season.

Offensive line: One of the biggest reasons to believe in a Lions bounceback is that the offense returns every 2025 starter. Of course, one or two of the positions along the offensive line might need an upgrade, but that’s generally a positive for a top-five unit.

On the O-line, Detroit will have the opportunity to reshape its depth. There seems to be a decent chance that the team’s first-choice backups are on their way out, with Dan Skipper mulling retirement and Kayode Awosika being a healthy scratch during desperate portions of the season. Interior lineman Trystan Colon also had his ups and downs, but could certainly stick around as a depth option.

We are intrigued by tackle Jamarco Jones, who was the top candidate to win Detroit’s backup tackle job before a season-ending ankle injury. While Jones, 29, is no spring chicken, there’s a sense the Lions really like him as a depth piece.

Defensive line/defensive end: There’s a big opportunity to reshape the defensive line this season, with seven of the Lions’ defensive free agents coming from that unit, and five of those players being edge defenders. On the interior, the Lions still could have plenty of use for D.J. Reader, so long as it’s at a much lower price than the $11 million annual salary he signed for two years ago, and likely have a strong interest in bringing back Roy Lopez, who was arguably the most cost-effective signing of the 2025 offseason. Levi Onwuzurike, who missed the entire season with an ACL injury, is a wild card. He had a breakout season in 2024 but missed the entire next season after getting a below-market deal, so there’s no telling what outside interest will look like for him.

On the edge, the Lions can and should seriously consider reshaping the room. Marcus Davenport and Josh Paschal have often been injured — Paschal missed the entire season with a back injury — and have been, at best, replacement-level players when healthy. I could see the team bringing back Tyrus Wheat, a restricted free agent who was a waiver claim and didn’t get many defensive opportunities, but flashed when he was on the field.

Lastly, we have Al-Quadin Muhammad. After an 11-sack season, which nearly doubled his career-best, his services are expected to be in high demand. But he’s also 30 years old and has much less of a track record than, say, a Za’Darius Smith, who ended up signing with the Philadelphia Eagles for just $4.5 million guaranteed before ultimately retiring. I’d expect the Lions to try everything to bring him back; the question is whether another, more desperate team will outbid them.

Linebackers: Alex Anzalone is the headliner of Detroit’s upcoming free-agent class. He was one of Campbell’s original soldiers back in 2021 and became one of the league’s most valuable linebackers as the Lions became a juggernaut in 2023 and 2024. His attempt to ink an extension last offseason did not come to fruition, and it might be tough to re-sign him after Detroit extended Derrick Barnes to the tune of $8.5 million annually the previous offseason.

Barnes has yet to become the player Anzalone is now, which makes their decision on what to do with Anzalone interesting. From Anzalone’s perspective, he’s 31 and yet to receive a big payday (relative to his high-end linebacking peers), which could play into his decision-making over the next few months. But at his age, it’s understandable why the Lions might be hesitant to give him the money he wants. It seems the writing is on the wall after last offseason, but perhaps the two sides can find some middle ground after another full season behind them.

Elsewhere in the linebacking unit, the Lions will have to make decisions on a pair of young players in Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lions keep both. They’ve invested quite a bit into each player’s development. As for Ezekiel Turner and Zach Cunningham, I wouldn’t be surprised to see either player at training camp this year. Grant Stuard certainly could be back as a special-teams ace. Still, he mentioned the opportunity to play on defense drew him to Detroit last offseason, and that ultimately didn’t happen much, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him seek a new opportunity.

Secondary: This time last year, cornerback Amik Robertson was a full-blown fan favorite for his role in the team’s division-clinching, Week 18 win against the Minnesota Vikings. But now, after Robertson was repeatedly picked on after being thrust into action as a starting outside cornerback, it seems the two parties are headed toward an amicable split. The Lions could bring Robertson back to challenge for the starting nickel corner job, but part of his appeal was his ability to bounce outside when needed, and he was a liability in that role this season.

The rest of the Lions’ reserve free agents in the secondary actually put together solid campaigns. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin was arguably Detroit’s best cornerback over the entire season and should be a high priority this offseason. Avonte Maddox and Daniel Thomas played well in most of their appearances at safety, with both players also contributing on special teams.

Rounding out this group is safety Jalen Mills, a late-season signing, and cornerback Arthur Maulet. Again, it wouldn’t be surprising to see either of these players in training camp next year — but that’s probably about the extent of their expectations.

Special teams: After finishing his two-year contract with the Lions, kicker Jake Bates is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA), a designation for players with fewer than three accrued NFL seasons. The Lions have complete control over the negotiation; they’ll either be able to sign him to a multi-year deal or tender him a qualifying offer at league minimum, which he must accept. Bates had more misses in 2025 than he did the year prior, but Detroit still has full belief he’ll eventually be one of the league’s best, and he’s certainly got the talent to do so.

Free-agent negotiation period begins (March 9)

Free agency doesn’t officially open until the new league year begins on March 11 (4 p.m.), but teams can get a head start on negotiations when the legal tampering window opens on March 9 (noon). These two days are some of the most exciting on the NFL calendar.

New league year begins (March 11, 4 p.m.)

Players who are not under contract for the 2026 season are officially set free from their previous deals at 4 p.m. on March 11, when they can formally put pen to paper on signing with a new team. Additionally, teams must submit qualifying offers to restricted free agents before this time, or they’ll lose the first right of refusal if and when a player signs an offer sheet elsewhere. With the start of the new league year, the trade market also reopens.

Tenders: The Lions have three restricted free agents (RFAs) this offseason: Nowaske, Wheat and Kennedy. RFAs are players with exactly three years of service time who are technically eligible to sign with any team, but the original team has the right of first refusal — or, in other words, the ability to match — on any contract signed by said player if they submit a qualifying offer (or “tender.”) They’re kind of like franchise tags but for players of a lower caliber. For example, the Lions used a right-of-first-refusal tender on tight end Brock Wright during the 2024 offseason and matched a contract offer from the San Francisco 49ers.

There are four types of tenders teams can use on RFAs, each with a different salary for the player and a different level of compensation for the original team. But for our purposes, we’re not going to get bogged down by the different avenues Detroit probably won’t use to keep this group of players.

The only tender Detroit could conceivably use on one of these players is a right-of-first refusal tender, but even that carries an annual salary in the neighborhood of $3.3 million. It’s unlikely that’s applied to Wheat, a recent waiver claim, or Kennedy, who primarily resides on the practice squad. Detroit could decide to tender Nowaske, considering they’ve watched his development and were upset about briefly losing him via the waiver wire a few years ago. But even then, they might be scared off by the salary.

Free agency: We’ll eventually do a position-by-position deep dive into all of the Lions’ free agency needs and available players, but for now, we’re taking a big-picture look at how they could approach the acquisition period. Unlike last offseason, when the Lions returned most starters from a team that went 15-2, there are several major holes on this roster — even if some of that is because of injury.

The biggest weakness is their offensive line, where they’ll have to replace at least one player, and maybe two. Detroit should find an upgrade from Graham Glasgow at center and make a move to protect against the potential retirement of left tackle Taylor Decker.

The latter is easier said than done; it’s going to be hard to find a tackle worth his salt that also would be content with being a backup, should Decker decide to play one more year. That’s potentially an acquisition better-suited for the draft, but we know Lions general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t like to shoehorn his team’s needs when drafting.

The Lions also will need to overhaul their defensive end group, with Aidan Hutchinson and Ahmed Hassanein being the only two players under contract. They’ll also likely be looking for an Anzalone replacement, as well as a safety or two to quell the uncertainty caused by injuries to Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee).

It’s also important to remember free agency is essentially a full offseason endeavor. Once the initial wave of signings comes in at the start of the new league year, hundreds of quality players will still be looking for their next team.

Trades: The Lions could certainly improve their team via trade, which they did during the 2024 offseason by trading a third-round pick for cornerback Carlton Davis III.

But they’re already down a pair of third-round picks, used to acquire wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in last year’s draft, and Holmes has been wont to stockpile draft capital rather than use it to acquire veteran pieces. It’s hard to imagine an already shorthanded Holmes punting on more draft picks. Still, it’s an avenue Holmes has used before, and after watching Detroit’s 2025 season fall apart, perhaps he’ll be more motivated to mortgage the future for 2026.

Potential cap casualties

Salary cap casualties are an unfortunate reality of life in the NFL. As I mentioned in last year’s Blueprint, projecting players to lose their jobs is not a fun part of the job. But teams are constantly looking for ways to reduce their salary cap hits, and cutting veteran players on expensive contracts is a critical way of doing so. Here are players whose release could provide cap relief.

Graham Glasgow, center: All told, the Lions don’t have many veterans whose release could provide substantial cap room, but Glasgow does fit the bill. He had a rough season after making his third position change in as many years, and could be nearing retirement — even if he wouldn’t say so directly. When asked whether he still plans to be a Lion in 2026 on locker-room cleanout day, he simply said that he’s still under contract. The Lions would incur $2.9 million in dead money and save $5.6 million by releasing Glasgow. While that’s not bad for a potential starter, it’s very expensive for a backup who’s already reached his ceiling.

David Montgomery, running back: Montgomery’s future with the team is in flux after a season that saw his role drastically reduced. Holmes acknowledged a disconnect between how Montgomery was used and how he deserves to be used, saying the situation could result in an amicable split — even if that’s not the outcome Holmes prefers. Cutting Montgomery would incur $4.9 million in dead money for 2026 and free up $3.5 million.

Brock Wright, tight end: Rounding out our group of potential cap casualties is Wright, who ended the season on injured reserve with a trachea injury. In this scenario, the juice probably isn’t worth the squeeze. Detroit adores Wright, who’s entering the final year of his contract, and what he does as a blocker. They’d only save $2.7 million by cutting him, which is likely less than it would cost to replace him. But with few other options for cap relief, perhaps the Lions will consider moving on.

Looking ahead

The Lions have a number of tough decisions to make about players who’ve helped build a winning culture in Detroit, and with each new offseason bringing fresh contract extensions for Detroit’s drafted stars, the margin for error only continues to shrink.

We’ll conclude our three-part series Friday with a look at the NFL Draft, fifth-year options, extension-eligible players, the NFL’s annual schedule release and Detroit’s offseason practice programs.

By STEVE PEOPLES, MIKE CATALINI, JESSE BEDAYN and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly a year into his second term, President Donald Trump’s work on the economy hasn’t lived up to the expectations of many people in his own party, according to a new AP-NORC survey.

The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds a significant gap between the economic leadership Americans remembered from Trump’s first term and what they’ve gotten so far as he creates a stunning level of turmoil at home and abroad.

Just 16% of Republicans say Trump has helped “a lot” in addressing the cost of living, down from 49% in April 2024, when an AP-NORC poll asked Americans the same question about his first term.

At the same time, Republicans are overwhelmingly supportive of the president’s leadership on immigration — even if some don’t like his tactics.

John Candela, 64, who lives in New Rochelle, New York, said the cost of living hasn’t improved for his family — his salary and bills remain the same as before.

“Still paying $5 for Oreos,” he said. But he’s willing to be patient: “I would expect it to be different by the time his four years are up.”

The poll reveals signs of weakness among consumers on the economy, especially Trump’s core campaign promise to reduce costs. Inflation has cooled somewhat, but prices on many goods are higher than they were when the Republican president took office last January.

There is little sign overall, though, that the Republican base is abandoning Trump. The vast majority of Republicans, about 8 in 10, approve of his job performance, compared with 4 in 10 for adults overall.

“I don’t like the man as a human being. I don’t like his brashness. I don’t like his roughness. I don’t like how he types out his texts all capital as if he’s yelling at everybody. But what I approve of is what he is doing to try and get the country on track,” Candela said.

Trump not improving costs, most Republicans say

On various economic factors, Trump has yet to convince many of his supporters that he’s changing things for the better.

Only about 4 in 10 Republicans overall say Trump has helped address the cost of living at least “a little” in his second term, while 79% said he helped address the issue that much in his first term, based on the 2024 poll. Just over half of Republicans in the new poll say Trump has helped create jobs in his second term; 85% said the same about his first term, including 62% who said he helped “a lot.”

Only 26% of Republicans in the January survey say he’s helped “a lot” on job creation in his second term.

And on health care, about one-third of Republicans say Trump has helped address costs at least “a little,” while 53% in the April 2024 poll said he helped reduce health care costs that much during his first term. Federal health care subsidies for more than 20 million Americans expired on Jan. 1, resulting in health care costs doubling or even tripling for many families.

In the town of Waxahachie, Texas, south of Dallas, 28-year-old three-time Trump voter Ryan James Hughes, a children’s pastor, doesn’t see an improvement in his family’s financial situation. He said the medical bills haven’t declined.

But, he said, “I’m not looking to the government to secure my financial future.”

Immigration is a strength among the Trump base despite controversy

The new poll underscores that Republicans are largely getting what they want on immigration, even as some report concerns about the federal immigration agents who have flooded U.S. cities at Trump’s direction.

About 8 in 10 Republicans say Trump has helped at least “a little” on immigration and border security in his second term. That’s similar to the share in the April 2024 poll that saw a positive effect from Trump’s leadership on immigration and border security during his first term.

Most Republicans say Trump has struck the right balance when it comes to deporting immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, and about one-third think he hasn’t gone far enough.

But Trump’s approval on immigration has also slipped among Republicans over the past year, falling from 88% in March to 76% in the new poll.

Kevin Kellenbarger, 69, a three-time Trump voter who retired from a printing company, said his Christian faith led him to the Republican Party. The Lancaster, Ohio, resident thinks the president’s immigration crackdown is necessary, though he expressed dissatisfaction at the recent killing of Renee Good by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis.

“I don’t like anybody getting killed, but it wasn’t Trump’s fault,” Kellenbarger said, adding that President Joe Biden, a Democrat, “let millions of people in. They have to be taken out.”

Several Republicans said in interviews they thought the aggressive tactics seen recently in Minneapolis went too far, suggesting that Trump should focus more on immigrants with criminal backgrounds as he promised during the campaign.

Overall, just 38% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s leadership on immigration, while 61% disapprove.

“These families that are being separated and they’re just here to try to live the American dream,” said Republican Liz Gonzalez, 40, the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a self-employed rancher and farmer from Palestine, Texas.

At the same time, Gonzalez said, she doesn’t think people opposed to the crackdown should be interfering at all. “I think if they just let (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), you know, like the patrol people, do their jobs, then they would see it’s not — it doesn’t have to be chaos,” she said.

More Republicans see the country improving than their personal lives

About two-thirds of Republicans say the country as a whole is “much” or “somewhat” better off than before Trump took office, but only about half say this about themselves and their family.

The broad sense that the country is moving in the right direction may be counteracting Republican dissatisfaction with the state of the economy.

Phyllis Gilpin, a 62-year-old Republican from Booneville, Missouri, praised Trump’s ability to “really listen to people.” But she doesn’t love his personality.

“He is very arrogant,” she said, expressing frustration about his name-calling. But she said the divisive politics go both ways: “I really, honestly, just wish that we could all just not be Democrat or Republican — just come together.”

The AP-NORC poll of 1,203 adults was conducted Jan. 8-11 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The poll included interviews with 404 Republicans, and the margin of sampling error for Republicans overall is plus or minus 6 percentage points.

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act — a law that could allow him to send federal troops — to try to end ongoing protests in Minneapolis after a second federal immigration agent-involved shooting this week. Trump’s threat came one day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded […]

The post Trump points to Insurrection Act in response to Minneapolis protests appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

Federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis have sparked intense confrontations between protesters and ICE agents, with a second shooting incident occurring last night that has further escalated tensions in the Twin Cities.

READ ALSO | Do ICE agents truly have absolute immunity?

The Department of Homeland Security said an ICE officer shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg during what they described as a resisting arrest situation. According to DHS, two people joined the struggle, and an officer was struck with either a broom or a shovel before firing in what they claim was self-defense.

The shooting comes just one week after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, an incident that initially sparked the wave of protests now gripping Minneapolis.

About 100 protesters gathered outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which serves as the epicenter of ICE enforcement in the Twin Cities. The demonstrations have intensified as federal immigration operations have ramped up over the past two weeks.

"It's just rational that we feel threatened, even before, there were people gunned down in our streets, but now this outside force has invaded our area, and we cannot just sit back and relax," said Carol, a protester who has been demonstrating for several days. "We have to speak up and use our constitutional freedoms, exactly what our forefathers meant for us to do. We can't sit back and be complacent. We have to let our voices be heard."

Watch: Second ICE shooting in Minneapolis escalates tensions as protesters demand federal withdrawal

Second ICE shooting in Minneapolis escalates tensions as protesters demand federal withdrawal

Protesters maintain their demonstrations have remained peaceful, claiming ICE agents are the ones escalating tensions through their enforcement tactics. Many demonstrators are calling on Governor Tim Walz to deploy the National Guard to protect protesters and ensure their right to peaceful assembly.

President Trump responded to the situation this morning by threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy federal troops to Minneapolis to "stop the protesters and attacks on ICE."

The federal building has become a focal point where protesters regularly confront ICE vehicles leaving the facility, with demonstrators demanding the agency leave their city.

By Mike Householder

The Associated Press

Researchers, documentary filmmakers and others will soon be able to get their hands on screenwriter and director Lawrence Kasdan’s papers at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

Archivists are about a quarter of the way through cataloging the 150-plus boxes of material that document the 76-year-old filmmaker’s role in bringing to life iconic characters like Indiana Jones and Yoda, and directing actors ranging from Geena Davis and Glenn Close to Morgan Freeman and Kevin Costner.

“All I wanted to ever do was be a movie director. And so, all the details meant something to me,” Kasdan said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I couldn’t be happier to have this mass of stuff available to anybody who is interested.”

The archive includes scripts, call sheets and still photos — including a few rarities.

Before Costner became an Oscar winner and Hollywood icon, he worked various studio jobs while taking nighttime drama lessons. His break — or so he thought — came when Kasdan cast him in 1983’s “The Big Chill.”

Costner played Alex, whose death brings his fellow Michigan alums together. Unfortunately, his big flashback scene ended up on the cutting-room floor.

What are believed to be among the only existing photographs of the famously deleted scene are part of the Kasdan collection, now housed in Ann Arbor.

“Different people will be interested in different things,” Kasdan said, pointing to his work writing the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” screenplay as one possible destination for researchers. The archive features audio cassette recordings of Kasdan discussing the film with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It also includes Polaroids taken of cast and crew members on the sets of his movies.

There are props, too, including a cowboy hat from the 1985 Western “Silverado,” worn by none other than Costner. Kasdan and the kid from California would work together again on “Wyatt Earp” in the ’90s. Costner also starred in “The Bodyguard,” which Kasdan wrote.

A number of unproduced scripts also are part of the collection.

“I’ve always considered myself a director and a writer. And if you are really interested in any particular movie, you can follow the evolution of that movie in the archive,” Kasdan said.

Library staff members are working chronologically through Kasdan’s material, meaning the papers for Kasdan’s earliest work — including “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill,” as well as the scripts for two “Star Wars” classics, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” — can be accessed first.

The remaining material should be completely processed by late 2026, said Phil Hallman, the curator of the collection. Hallman hopes to have Kasdan visit, perhaps next fall, to see the archive and take part in a symposium.

Kasdan’s papers are part of the University of Michigan Library’s Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection, which includes Orson Welles, Robert Altman, Jonathan Demme, Nancy Savoca and John Sayles.

Kasdan, who grew up in West Virginia and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1970 and a master’s two years later, is the lone Michigan alum among the group.

“To be there, held in the same place as those wonderful directors, is really a great honor,” Kasdan said.

It will be a while before you can come and get those Motown memories this weekend.

After Monday, Jan. 19 — the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday observance — the Motown Museum will be closed for tours to allow for intensive construction of its $75 million expansion, which is slated to grow the shrine from two houses on Detroit’s West Grand Boulevard into a 50,000-sqare-foot facility housing interactive exhibits, artifacts, a professional recording studio and more, as well as the Hitsville NEXT educational academy.

The expanded museum is slated to open in the spring of 2027.

This week and weekend also feature days themed to specific artists from Motown’s history. The Marvelettes, Teena Marie, Stevie Wonder and the Temptations were covered earlier in the week, while the weekend will focus on the Four Tops (Friday, Jan. 16), Diana Ross & the Supremes (Sat., Jan. 17) and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (Sunday, Jan. 18, with discounted admission). All will feature immersive tours, curated playlists, video footage and special giveaways.

MLK Day will also feature special immersive tours.

The museum will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Call 313-875-2264 or visit motownmuseum.org.

It's almost time for the public days to kick off at the Detroit Auto Show, but first, the annual Charity Preview will take place on Friday night.

WXYZ is proud to be the official broadcast partner of the Detroit Auto Show's Charity Preview, and you can watch our Red Carpet Charity Preview Special on Friday at 7 p.m.

This black-tie community event has raised more than $125 million for metro Detroit children's non-profits since it began in 1976. The beneficiaries for this year's Charity Preview are:

The Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital The Children's Foundation Detroit Auto Dealers Association Charitable Foundation Fund Detroit PAL The Children's Center

I talked with the president of Mott Children's Hospital, who said each dollar they receive goes toward making their young patients smile.

"So if there's something that we can do to just let them smile, let them just be a kid again, we know that that's important to the healing process as well," Luanne Thomas Ewald, the president, said.

Ewald said the funds go towards things like medical research, innovation and clinical care. They also go toward making kids feel like kids.

"So, for example, we will buy iPads for the kid so the kids can stay in contact with their friends, with their schoolwork," Ewald said.,"We have teachers on staff that actually help the kids, so they don't get far behind."

The Charity Preview also has quite a night slated with performances by five-time Grammy nominee Robin Thicke and Detroit rapper Trick Trick.

Tickets are $400 for one or $700 for the pair, and a good portion of that ticket price can be deducted come tax time.

Ford Racing is officially back in Formula 1 in 2026, nearly three years after announcing a partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing.

On Thursday, as part of a massive Ford Racing event at Michigan Central Station, Ford and Red Bull officially revealed the livery for the Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 car for 2026.

This year will be the team's first in the Red Bull Ford Powertrain era, and it comes as new regulations take effect for the 2026 F1 season. The cars this year will be shorter, narrower, lighter and nimbler, according to Formula 1.

"As the Ford Racing powertrain chief engineer, my challenge is to merge Fords 125-year winning culture with Red Bulls relentless agility and 20-year history of winning," Ford Racing Powertrain Chief Engineer Christian Hertrich said in a post. Led by Red Bull, Ford Racing is supporting the build of an F1 power unit from the ground up for the 2026 season, and the pressure is daunting."

According to an article from Hertrich, engineers with Ford Racing have been working with Red Bull engineers to cut down on fabricating time, run models and much more.

"The road to March 2026 is a massive undertaking, but seeing our embedded engineers working seamlessly in Milton Keynes proves what is possible when two world-class teams unite. We are working night and day to be ready," Hertrich wrote.

Red Bull finished third in the Constructors' Championship during the 2025 F1 season. In 2026, the team will be led by multi-time world champion Max Verstappen, alongside rookie Isack Hadjar.

Will Ford, the GM of Ford Racing, also posted about how important it is for Ford to be back at the top tier of global racing, saying that at Ford, "we weren't just inspired by racing. We were born from it."

"When I first saw the new liveries for Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, I didnt see a marketing asset. I saw my familys name back on a global stage where we have unfinished business," Will Ford wrote. "Seeing the Blue Oval integrated into those designs was a reminder of the weight we carry. Its a testament to dedication of our engineers in Dearborn and Milton Keynes have already spent in the trenches."

The cold is certainly here, but icy January temperatures are actually perfect for the Tecumseh Ice Sculpture Festival, which has been running for 17 years now.

See the full story in the video below

Tecumseh's annual Ice Sculpture Festival kicks off Friday, bringing a boom to businesses

Starting Friday night and continuing through this weekend, ice artists will chisel their way through Downtown Tecumseh, just when the city needs it most.

Well be doing live demonstrations of ice sculpting," Rhonda Nowak, the marketing and event coordinator for the City of Tecumseh, told me. "In january, in the winter, it's usually slow for businesses, so we tried to find something that would be exciting."

Nowak said the 17th annual Ice Sculpture Festival will be the city's biggest yet.

Started out with 15 to 20 sculptures. This year well have 49. About 6,000 to 8,000 people will show up this weekend," Nowak said.

What a sight it will be with sculptures all along Downtown Tecumseh. There will be a sculpture in front of every storefront, including Patina Jewelry.

Every year's different. Sometimes we do snacks, sometimes we do giveaways, this year just keeping the doors open," Cheynne Good, the co-owner of Patina Jewelry, said.

Good said that those thousands of visitors help put Tecumseh in the spotlight.

And its just a nice experience for them to get to shop and see what we have to offer as a town," Good said.

This is a great weekend that will set us up for the next two months," Edward Gerten, the operations manager of Pentamere Winery, added.

Pentamere has had a front row seat to the festival each and every year. Gerten said the crowded streets during the annual festival help keep the wine flowing during the winter months.

The first quarter is always the slowest. With this festival, it helps give us that extra padding," Gerten said.

The festival kicks off Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and runs the same time on Saturday and Sunday. You can learn more on the city's website.

"A lot of activities going on. We'll have a bird exhibit that will be here, a barred owl people can come and get up close to, we have a scavenger hunt going on all weekend," Nowak said.

Today is Friday, Jan. 16, the 16th day of 2026. There are 349 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 16, 1996, Wayne Newton performed his 25,000th Las Vegas show. Newton had performed more shows as a headliner in Las Vegas than any other entertainer.

Also on this date:

In 1865, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman decreed that 400,000 acres of confiscated land in the South would be divided into 40-acre lots and given to former enslaved people. (The order, later revoked by President Andrew Johnson, inspired the expression, “40 acres and a mule.”)

In 1942, actor Carole Lombard, 33, her mother, Elizabeth Peters, and 20 other people were killed when their plane crashed near Las Vegas, Nevada, while returning to California from a war-bond promotion tour.

In 1989, three days of rioting began in Miami when a police officer fatally shot a Black motorcyclist, causing a crash that also claimed the life of his passenger. (The officer was convicted of manslaughter, but later acquitted in a retrial.)

In 1991, in a televised address to the nation, U.S. President George H.W. Bush announced the start of Operation Desert Storm, a combat operation that drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

In 2001, Congolese President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was fatally shot by one of his own bodyguards.

In 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first elected female head of state in Africa when she was sworn in as president of Liberia.

In 2018, authorities in Denmark charged inventor Peter Madsen with killing Swedish journalist Kim Wall onboard his private submarine. (Madsen would be convicted and sentenced to life in prison.)

Today’s birthdays:

• Opera singer Marilyn Horne is 92.
• Hall of Fame auto racer A.J. Foyt is 91.
• Country musician Ronnie Milsap is 83.
• Filmmaker John Carpenter is 78.
• Actor-dancer-choreographer Debbie Allen is 76.
• Singer Sade (shah-DAY’) is 67.
• Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. is 57.
• Model Kate Moss is 52.
• Actor-producer-songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is 46.
• Baseball great Albert Pujols is 46.
• Singer-Songwriter Yebba is 31.

Junior Harlem Simpson finished with a team-high 28 points, leading four double-digit scorers in Birmingham Groves’ 80-48 win at Royal Oak Thursday night.

She was joined in double figures by teammates Mallory Killian and Jacey Roy, who each scored 15 points, as well as Sophie Schwanik, who ended with 13.

Lydia Dickens scored 10 points, Dimyah Jackson had nine, and Alyssa Rozycki and Kolbie Roelofs each had seven in the loss for the Ravens (4-6, 0-2 OAA White).

After starting 0-2, the Falcons have won six straight. That includes an 83-39 win on Jan. 13 in which Simpson poured in 42 points (and pulled down 14 rebounds), Killian had 17 points and six assists and Roy had nine points and steals each.

More girls basketball

WEST BLOOMFIELD 54, OXFORD 41 >> The Lakers won their second in a row at home on Thursday night and improved to 5-3 on the season. West Bloomfield head coach Darrin McAllister collected his 102nd win after hitting the century milestone on Dec. 28 against Cass Tech in a 59-48 victory.

FARMINGTON HILLS MERCY 54, DETROIT KING 17 >> Caroline Paluk tallied 11 points and Abby Bores ended with 10 to help the Marlins improve to 7-1 on the year Wednesday evening.

TROY ATHENS 56, WARREN WOODS TOWER 43 >> Madi Stencel had 15 points, Laityn Dennis had nine and the tandem of Kaitlyn Piggott and Gabby Bieniek each finished with seven in the fourth win in a row by the Red Hawks (8-2) on Tuesday.

ROMEO 52, TROY 35 >> Maci Zeiter scored a team-high 20 points and Rachel Zapatka added a handful for the Colts (5-2) in Tuesday’s loss to the Bulldogs.

SOUTH LYON EAST 52, MILFORD 47 >> Kaitlyn Therrian scored a team-high 15 points on Tuesday for East, who improved to 9-0 overall and 2-0 in the LVC. Ashlyn Lutz finished with a game-high 17 points and Madison Cornett added nine for the Lady Mavs (6-2, 2-1).

LINDEN 54, ORTONVILLE BRANDON 35 >> A hot start and a solid rebounding effort wasn’t enough for the Blackhawks (2-6) on Tuesday evening. Ellza Rizzo had 14 points, nine rebounds and five steals, freshman Avery Odinga had 14 points and seven rebounds and sophomore Maddie Heverly pulled in 10 boards in the loss.

Boys basketball

MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 57, CLINTONDALE 29 >> Evan Landstrom led all scorers with 20 points, while teammates Mychael Foster and Gavin Abbott chipped in 16 and 10, respectively, and Jack Robinson dropped 10 assists in Wednesday’s road win by the Rams (8-2).

MADISON HEIGHTS MADISON 63, HAZEL PARK 51 >> Madison pulled away in the second half to claim the MAC Bronze Division win Wednesday. Myani Franks scored 17 points to lead the Eagles (4-6, 1-1). Christian Payne added 12 points, Christian Barnett followed with eight points and Nehemiah Patman also scored eight points for Madison.

BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM 46, TROY ATHENS 29 >> Evert Wertz scored 16 points, Bryan Pohl had nine and Brody Feldmaier added seven in the victory by the Maples (4-7, 2-0 OAA Blue) on Tuesday.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS 66, TROY 47 >> Daron Mason scored a team-high 18 points, while Meyer Saperstein (15), Carter Hartfield (11) and Brennan Bies (10) also finished in double-digits for the Black Hawks (9-2, 2-0 OAA Blue) Tuesday night.

WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 62, SOUTH LYON 52 >> Evan Brown carried the scoring load for the Vikings (7-5, 3-0 LVC) in Tuesday’s win. Johnathan Matthew had 13 points, plus Asa Clay and Anthony Camacho both chipped in a dozen for Central in its league conquest.

ROCHESTER ADAMS 58, LAKE ORION 44 >> The Highlanders (8-4) won their third game in a row on Tuesday and their sixth in the last seven contests. Lake Orion dropped to 5-5 overall despite 20 points from Nathan Giacolone and 10 from fellow senior Jackson Shoskey.

Hockey

ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S 10, TRENTON >> Already cruising to victory, the Eaglets scored half of their goals in the third period Thursday evening. Matthew Mourad scored twice, Daniel Ramos scored and assisted three times and Charlie Roberts scored his team-best 17th goal of the year for St. Mary’s (12-4).

CRANBROOK-KINGSWOOD 8, PORT HURON NORTHERN 0 >> The Cranes outshot the Huskies 22-7 in the second period Thursday evening and cashed in during that span with goals by Matthew Mooradian, Kyle Braunscheidel, Efe Oztorun and Jack Shenkan. On top of that, Oztorun added another goal in the third and Cam Rocchini finished with a goal and three assists for Cranbrook (11-4).

UTICA EISENHOWER 8, M-1 UNIFIED 0 >> The Griffins (3-15) produced 22 shots, but couldn’t put one past Eagles netminder Connor Holmes in Thursday’s defeat.

BIRMINGHAM UNIFIED 3, ROCHESTER UNITED 3 >> Neither team could net a game-winner in overtime Wednesday’s matchup. Goals by Dylan Turnbull, TJ Maguet and Connor Cichocki had Rochester (16-2-1) leading 3-1 and gunning for a victory until Ryan Sloan and Connor Bozek hit in rapid succession to tie it up for Birmingham. Ryan Sloan also scored for BU (10-6-1) in the deadlock.

SOUTH LYON UNIFIED 4, SALEM ROCKS 0 >> SOUTH LYON UNIFIED 4, SALEM 0 >>Connor Day and Jackson Curtiss each put two goals in during Wednesday night’s win by Unified (15-2). Nathan Ligi, Braden Hillebrand, Aidan Herrera and Ryan Laird all had a pair of assists and Keegan Korpi recorded the shutout.

ROYAL OAK – The Detroit Catholic Central Shamrocks got eight goals from as many different players and routed Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 8-0 Thursday night.

The score stayed close for most of the first two periods. The Shamrocks led just 3-0 with three minutes to play in the second period. But then a couple of deflections 20 seconds apart made it a 5-0 game and things started to unravel on the Warriors.

Catholic Central dominated the game from start to finish. Its forecheck and depth were relentless; and while Brother Rice had flashes of offense, the game was largely played in the Warriors’ defensive end.

“I was very pleased. I like the way we played. I like the plays we made,” Shamrocks head coach Brandon Kaleniecki said. “I thought we were very hungry on the puck. The forecheck was really crucial in terms of taking away time and space and giving us opportunity to play in the offensive zone, which is where we want to be. Every team wants to be in the offensive. The game is a lot of fun when you can do that,” he added.

Still, goalie Drake England kept Brother Rice hanging around on the scoreboard most of the night. England turned in an outstanding performance, stopping 54 shots, including 40 of the first 43 shots he saw. But eventually, the Shamrocks just had too many shots from point-blank range and pucks started finding the net late in the second period, a trend that continued after the last intermission.

“He (England) played really, really well. I thought we were hanging in there pretty good in the second period and then they got a couple bounces, one deflection out in front and then one from behind the net, and that sort of broke us there I think, because it started going downhill at that point,” Warriors head coach Kenny Chaput said.

Photo gallery of No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in MIHL North hockey action

Sean Goff, Nicholas McQuaid, Luke Perdue, Myles Schlack, Elian Szerlip, Lucas Szmagaj, Dominic Testani, and Gabe Thompson all scored for Catholic Central, while Ryan Dye and Jackson Leiter each had two assists.

“That’s the story of our team,” Kaleniecki said. “It’s good to see you have goals coming from all different angles, all different guys, all four lines. With our team this year, we kind of have to be that way; and I think that makes us the type of team that we can be successful with,” he added.

As displayed by Thursday's performance, the goalscoring has been well-distributed this season for Kaleniecki's side. No one has hit double-digits yet, though Szmagaj and Thompson are now one away. Dye leads the team in both assists (18) and points (25), while Goff and Sam Masek have 11 and 12 assists, respectively.

Maxxon Sulla, who has split time between the posts this season with Nicholas Kogut, earned the shutout against the Warriors.

Detroit Catholic Central improves to 15-1-1 as it chases yet another state title. The Shamrocks have been a bit less dominant in the regular season than in the last two years, but Catholic Central are still ranked second in the state and should be among the favorites to add another trophy to the case when the state playoffs finish in Plymouth this March.

“Obviously, the record is what it is. We try not to dwell on it when it’s going well or when it’s not. Whether we’ve got a couple more losses or not in our pocket before the end of this year, it’s really about just getting to the point where we really like the team that we are and what we’re capable of when it comes time to play in the playoffs,” Kaleniecki said.

Meanwhile, the Shamrocks still have work to do to claim another league title, leading the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League North Division by just one game over Cranbrook. Detroit Catholic Central is 6-0 in league play and hosts Clarkston in a non-league match up this Saturday before traveling to Trenton next Wednesday for their next MIHL game.

Brother Rice is 4-15. The Warriors will face Orchard Lake St. Mary’s next Wednesday.

Detroit Catholic Central defeated Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 8-0 in the game played on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 at the Lindell Ice Arena in Royal Oak.

Anticipation is building among businesses and locals for what many consider one of the city's biggest events of the year.

The excitement is palpable as the Detroit Auto Show prepares to open its doors to the public Saturday at 10 a.m. For many attendees like Kimberly Phenix, the event holds special significance beyond just seeing the latest vehicles.

Watch Christiana Ford's video report below: Detroit Auto Show brings excitement and business to downtown

"It means a lot to me because my parents always took me for my birthday. Because today is actually my birthday," Phenix said.

The auto show serves as more than just a showcase for automobiles. It's also a spotlight for downtown Detroit's growing restaurant and entertainment scene.

"It's getting bigger and better. Detroit is really building up different restaurants and the auto show is bringing in a lot of people," Phenix said.

Local businesses are preparing for the influx of visitors. At Mootz Pizzeria downtown, manager Barbara Cangialosi says they're gearing up for one of their busiest weekends, with Saturday reservations nearly full.

"It is a really good pizzeria. He mentioned the garlic knots. It's one of our famous appetizers. The garlic knots are huge and you get six to an order and we probably sell hundreds," Cangialosi said.

The restaurant expects to see a significant increase in families attending the auto show and looking for dining options afterward.

"We're always bumping on the weekends. We're always busy, but we can expect more with lots of families coming in with kids and just families coming to the auto show and looking for food afterward," Cangialosi said.

Related video: 2026 Detroit Auto Show: What are some of the auto trends we'll see this year? 2026 Detroit Auto Show: What are some of the auto trends we'll see this year?

For many Detroit residents, the auto show has become a cherished winter tradition that brings the community together during the colder months.

"It's winter there's not much to do for families and I think people our age make it a tradition," Cangialosi said.

Related video: 7 family-friendly attractions at the Detroit Auto Show beyond the cars 7 family-friendly attractions at the Detroit Auto Show beyond the cars

Phenix agrees, expressing her enthusiasm for returning to the event after a brief hiatus.

"I'm excited to go this year. I haven't been a couple years, but this year especially I was excited. I was gonna go to the auto show, me and my husband," Phenix 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.

MILWUAKEE (AP) — Michael Houge had 19 points in Oakland’s 73-60 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday.

Houge also contributed seven rebounds for the Golden Grizzlies (10-9, 6-2 Horizon League). Brody Robinson added 17 points while shooting 2 for 7 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and 12 of 14 from the free-throw line while they also had three steals.

Isaac Garrett finished with 13 points, while adding 12 rebounds. Tuburu Naivalurua had 10 rebounds and four points.

“Tim McCormick (ESPNU color analyst) asked me during shootaround if I was going to find out a lot about my team tonight. I told him, especially after Sunday: let’s find out,” Oakland head coach Greg Kampe said. “We came out, Mike Houge was on fire. We had a good lead, sure we turned the ball over too many times. Gave up a few too many offensive rebounds, but we won with our defense tonight.”

Sekou Konneh finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Panthers (8-11, 4-4). Aaron Franklin added 13 points, 13 rebounds and three steals for Milwaukee. Josh Dixon finished with 11 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Olivia Olson scored 21 points, including 15 in the first half, and Te’Yala Delfosse added 15 to lead No. 8 Michigan to a 85-69 victory over No. 25 Illinois on Thursday night.

Mila Holloway added 13 points and Syla Swords had 11 for the Wolverines (15-2, 6-1 Big Ten). Michigan, which has won all 10 of its home games, is off to its best start since is started 20-2 during the 2021-22 season.

Berry Wallace scored 26 points and Jasmine Brown-Hagger added 16 for the Illini (14-4, 4-3 Big Ten), who have dropped three of their last four.

Michigan started by hitting its first five shots and led by as many as 18 points in the first half. Wallace and Brown-Hagger kept it from getting completely out of hand early by combining for the Illini’s first 19 points.

After trailing 47-32 at halftime, Illinois used an 11-0 run to get within 52-47. Michigan responded with a 15-4 spurt to push the lead back to 18. The Illini, who missed their last seven field goal attempts, could get no closer than 11.

The Wolverines kept the Illini’s offense out of sync throughout, forcing 15 turnovers and holding Illinois to 39.7% shooting. The Illini came in averaging only 12.8 turnovers and hitting 47% of their shots.

Starting guard Gretchen Dolan, Illinois’ second-leading scorer with 13.6 points per game, didn’t play because of a knee injury. She was replaced by Maddie Webber, who was held to 3 points.

Up next

Illinois: hosts Northwestern on Sunday.

Michigan: plays Vanderbilt in the Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday.

— BOB TRIPI, Associated Press

Metro Detroit cities are cleaning up after Wednesday evening's snowstorm, but whether snowplows will clear residential streets depends on how much snow accumulated on the roads themselves.

Watch Brett Kast's video report below: Some metro Detroit communities aren't plowing residential streets just yet; here's why

In Troy, residents like Kris Picano are scraping ice and clearing snow off their sidewalks and driveways.

"It's been a little bit of a nightmare around here, but we do what we can, still got to get to work," Picano said of metro Detroit road conditions.

While Troy requires residents to clear sidewalks when more than 2 inches of snow falls, the city won't deploy plows to residential streets unless there's at least 4 inches of accumulation on the roadway.

"We are just salting the local roads at this point. We do have a snow policy and part of that policy says it needs to have a 4-inch accumulation or greater to plow local roads," said Kurt Bovensiep, Troy's Public Works director. "I know there's a difference between (sidewalks and) our local road policy, but there is a significant difference between a drivable surface and a pedestrian walkable surface.

Bovensiep explained that crews measure snow accumulation on the actual roadway in the morning, not on porches, driveways or grass. They also consider road passability, noting that in this case, the snow is packed down.

"Even if we were on the local roads plowing, we wouldn't make much impact because our goal is not to get down to bare pavement in local roads, it's just to make it passable. And currently, in my belief, it is passable," Bovensiep said.

Many residents weren't aware of the 4-inch policy, and many Facebook comments questioned the measurement.

"Regardless of how deep the snow is, it's been pretty unsafe conditions. I've seen accidents and things like that," Picano said.

"It seems a bit high. I think more like they would do it after 2 or 3 inches. Four seems a bit high to me," Paul Baeten said.

However, Baeten also noted that road conditions haven't been too problematic.

"Honestly they haven't been bad. I haven't noticed anything too bad," Baeten said. "They were passable. No issues.

Related video: Winter storms are driving up salt prices and creating supply concerns across Metro Detroit High price of salt impacting small businesses

While many other metro Detroit cities declared snow emergencies, nearby communities including Madison Heights and Royal Oak joined Troy in not declaring one. The city of Royal Oak reported in a Facebook post that their roadways measured 2 inches to 2.5 inches of snow, while commenters pointed out the National Weather Service reported 4 inches of snowfall in the city.

"I know theres been some debate whether we actually received 4 inches or greater, Bovensiep said. We measure the road surface, which can be very different than accumulation to someone measuring their deck, their lawn or even their driveway.

Related video: Making the most of a snow day Making the most of a snow day

Bovensiep said they also consider future forecasts when making plowing decisions. With more snow expected Friday, Bovensiep says Troy will likely then surpass the 4-inch threshold, putting plows onto neighborhood streets before the weekend.

"We take it all into consideration. It is a significant expense to go into local roads," Bovensiep said. "I have family (and) friends who live in the city of Troy and their safety is of the utmost importance to me, but also there has to be a balance of being fiduciary responsible and making sure we have the funds to fix the roads in the summertime.

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.

The ACLU of Minnesota filed a new class action lawsuit against the federal government Thursday, seeking to stop federal immigration agencies from making indiscriminate arrests that target certain populations in the state.

The suit is against the Department of Homeland Security and its agencies, including ICE, for its alleged targeting of Somali and Latino immigrants. The ACLU claims the practice has led to the arrest of U.S. citizens.

Federal agents "have indiscriminately arrested without warrants or probable cause Minnesotans solely because the agents perceived them to be Somali or Latino," the suit reads.

The suit seeks an emergency order "to stop ICE, CBP, and other federal agents from continuing to violate Minnesotans rights."

RELATED NEWS | Minnesota leaders push back on federal presence as tensions rise over latest DHS shooting

State and city leaders have pushed back on federal presence.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said federal agents' presence was "causing chaos," and Minnesota's governor Tim Walz on Wednesday accused federal agencies of traumatizing the community.

"Let's be very, very clear. This long ago stopped being of immigration enforcement. Instead, it's a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government," Walz said.

President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that he could invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 and allow the U.S. military to be used for law enforcement purposes amid tension in Minnesota.

"If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE, who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the Insurrection Act," Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social.

Hazel Park's food scene is expanding with a new pizza restaurant that has quite the origin story.

Amelia Street Pizza Co owner, Matt Arb, transformed his passion into a pop-up operation and then secured a permanent storefront in less than 12 months, discovering a way to turn his love for pizza into a thriving business venture.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: Amelia Street Pizza Co. to open in Hazel Park following viral pop-ups

"I was doing it for fun, for me, and then I made an Instagram account so I wouldn't annoy my friends with just constant pizza stuff. Some friends asked to try and posted about it, and it turned into this online thing," Arb said.

Arb took to social media this time last year, posting pictures of pepperoni pizza creations. A couple months later, he started getting customers and became busy running a home-based pop-up shop. In June, the banker of seven years quit his job to pursue his pepperoni pizzas full time.

"I guess I believed in what I was doing even before there was really any proof of it, and I just wanted to see where it went. I figured I'm OK with mistakes, but I regret not going for it. And I just wanted to see what happens," Arb said.

Hear more from Matt Arb in the video player below: Web extra: Amelia Street Pizza Co owner talks about his new brick-and-mortar restaurant

Arb isn't doing this alone. He's partnering with James Rigato, acclaimed chef and owner of Mabel Gray, a Hazel Park restaurant that has served customers for more than a decade.

Rigato, Arb's investor and mentor, helped turn Arb's pop-up into a permanent brick-and-mortar location.

He provided a statement saying:

"When I first met Matt, I was impressed by his love of pizza and the process of making it. He has a real dedication to the craft and approaches it with curiosity and discipline. He's not from a culinary background, but he's a natural. I was able to open Mabel Gray because of sweat equity. My business partner, Ed Mamou, took a chance on me. Im inspired to do the same for others."

Local resident David Justice appreciates the entrepreneurial journey.

"It's pretty cool that someone can start from that small it shows dedication. Dedication for sure," Justice said.

Arb plans to open Amelia Street Pizza Co in the spring, located on 951 E. 9 Mile Road in Hazel Park. The restaurant is named after his home street the place where it all started.

"This whole thing has just been a big surprise," Arb 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.