Mayor Mike Duggan named Melia Howard as his new deputy on Wednesday, replacing Todd Bettison — who becomes Detroit’s interim police chief on Nov. 11. 

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Howard  — the second woman to serve as deputy mayor in Detroit’s history — has served as the mayor’s director of community engagement for the past two years. Before that, she worked as a director of special projects and the department of neighborhoods manager for District 5.   

“Melia has been a fierce advocate for residents and absolutely critical in making sure Detroiters have a strong voice at City Hall and in developments proposed in their neighborhoods,” said Duggan in a statement. “Projects like the renovation of Michigan Central and Fisher Body 21, as well as the $3 billion Future of Health development, might not have happened if not for the trust Melia has built in the community and among developers.”

Howard also spearheaded the Saturdays in the D program, which provides Detroit youths and adults on-campus educational activities at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.

According to the city, Howard will continue the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) work that has been led by Bettison.

“As a little girl from the east side, I never thought this was possible and I am truly humbled and honored that Mayor Duggan has trusted me with this enormous opportunity,” she said. “My residents mean so much to me and I will continue to work hard for them.”

Other headlines for Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024:

• A new poll from the Detroit News and WDIV-TV shows just how close the presidential race is in Michigan.
• A soft opening is taking place from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday for the Old Redford Arts Alley in northwest Detroit. It is the first of nine “Arts Alleys” being transformed by the city of Detroit as part of Mayor Duggan’s Blight to Beauty initiative.
• Detroit police are investigating an incident involving Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams related to a weapons violation during a traffic stop, WXYZ reports.
• Gas prices are falling across metro Detroit, with the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded iat $3.19 — five cents lower than a week ago.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover Barack Obama’s visit to Detroit, the start of a new season for the Pistons and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Obama campaigns for Harris in Detroit

Former president Barack Obama made a stop in Detroit last night. He spoke to thousands at Huntington Place as part of a presidential campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris. Obama criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for trying to divide the country.  

Both presidential candidates have visited Detroit in the past few weeks. Michigan is a key battleground state in the election, and both the Democrats and the Republicans are working to get out the vote in the last few weeks before Election Day on Nov. 5. Early voting is already underway in Detroit, and begins statewide on Saturday. 

AI to detect lead in Detroit pipes

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is using artificial intelligence to find lead service lines in the city. The mapping software uses data from the Environmental Protection Agency and other sources to identify homes most likely connected to the lead lines. Deputy Director Sam Smalley says the predictions have been extremely accurate, which helps keep contractors in concentrated areas.

City officials say the mapping tool has saved the department $185 million by predicting locations instead of digging up every water service line in the city. The department is on track to replace 10,000 lead service lines by the end of this year.

GM reports strong profits

General Motors is reporting strong profits for the third quarter of the year. The Detroit automaker had net income of $3.1 billion between the beginning of July and the end of September. That’s down 0.3 percent from the same period last year. The results beat Wall Street analysts’ average expectations. GM posted revenues of $48.7 billion, which is up 8 percent from the previous year. The company credits strong demand for its mid-size SUVs for leading the way to improved quarterly revenues. 

MDOT to meet tonight 

The Michigan Department of Transportation is holding a virtual public meeting this evening on plans to improve Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. This will be the fourth and final scheduled meeting on the topic. MDOT is looking at making changes along the road from downtown to Eight Mile, including making the route safer for pedestrians and improving transit options. The virtual meeting takes place at 5 p.m. You can find more information at Michigan.gov/M3PEL. 

Pistons start a new season

The Detroit Pistons open the 2024-2025 season tonight at home. They’ll play the Indiana Pacers at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons have a new coach and several new players after disappointing seasons last year and the year before. The team won just 14 games and lost 68 last season, holding the worst record in the NBA. The Pistons hired former Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff to improve the team. They’ve also added several veterans, including Tim Hardaway Jr., to bolster a roster of young players, such as Cade Cunningham. Tip-off tonight is at 7 p.m.  

WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley contributed to this report.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Tonight on the Detroit Evening Report, we cover Harris’ recent visit to Detroit to shore up support from Black male voters; the opening of the new Dr. Maya Angelou Village in northwest Detroit and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Harris joins The Breakfast Club in Detroit

Vice President Kamala Harris spent part of the day in Detroit on Tuesday to take part in an “audio town hall” moderated by Charlamagne Tha God, host of iHeartRadio’s nationally syndicated radio show “The Breakfast Club.”  Discussion topics ranged from the economy, to the use of misinformation, to the violence on Jan. 6, 2021. 

“Donald Trump incited a violent mob to try and undo the will of the people and undo the results of a free and fair election,” Harris said Tuesday. “That violent mob attacked the United States Capitol. Over 140 law enforcement officers were injured.  Some of them were killed. And he has said since then, that there will be a bloodbath after this election.”

Harris has been working to attract more Black male voters in recent weeks, making several trips to Detroit in the process.    

Harris and Trump in Detroit Friday

Both Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are scheduled to campaign in metro Detroit on Friday. The Harris campaign announced Wednesday that former President Barack Obama will come to Detroit next Tuesday. Michigan is a key battleground state in what is expected to be a very close presidential election. 

Duggan to host District 6 meeting

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is scheduled to hold a charter-mandated community meeting in District 6 Wednesday night. It’s an opportunity to hear from the mayor and his administration about important news and events in the area. Officials from the Detroit Police Department will be there to give a presentation to residents about code enforcement. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Kingdom Apostolic Ministries, 4735 W Fort St., Detroit. Interested residents can also join the meeting via Zoom. 

Maya Angelou Village opens

A new development named after renowned poet Dr. Maya Angelou has opened in northwest Detroit, Model D reports. The mixed-use permanent supportive housing development, located near Grand River and Burt Road, is a partnership between a Chicago-based developer and the Detroit-based non-profit Alternatives for Girls.   The non-profit focuses on serving at-risk girls and young women in Detroit.  

Devin Scillian retiring

Longtime Detroit television anchor Devin Scillian is retiring. He announced the move last night on WDIV.   

“I am currently in my 30th year here at WDIV. And maybe it’s the roundness of that number, but I’ve decided to move on to the next chapter of what has been a most enjoyable and gratifying book,” he said.

Scillian started at the station in 1995. In the past three decades, he has covered politics, natural disasters, court trials, the Olympics and a wide range of news stories in metro Detroit. Scillian gained national prominence shortly before coming to Detroit, when he covered the Oklahoma City bombing for a local station there. He says he has decided to retire now to devote more attention to some of his other passions, including writing children’s books and singing with his band. Scillian’s last newscast will be sometime in December. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

On this episode of the Detroit Evening Report, we cover former President Donald Trump and Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance’s visits to Detroit; the Detroit Tigers’ exciting postseason run and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Trump stumps in Detroit

Former President Donald Trump will visit Detroit on Thursday as he continues to court Michigan voters in advance of next month’s election. 

Trump is scheduled to speak to members and guests of the Detroit Economic Club. The Republican presidential candidate has made several trips to Detroit in recent months, with a special focus on courting Black male voters.

The Economic Club address will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at MotorCity Casino Hotel.

Vance campaigns at Eastern Market

Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance spoke to voters at Eastern Market in Detroit Tuesday. Many of the speakers at the event urged voters to cast their ballots in the days ahead. Political analysts predict the final election results will be close. Detroit Pastor Lorenzo Sewell gave the invocation before Vance’s address. Republican candidate in Michigan 13th Congressional District race Martell Bivings also spoke at the event.

Detroit casino earnings

Detroit’s casinos continue to bring in tax money for the city and state. The three gaming establishments reported nearly $102 million in revenue for the month of September.  MGM Grand controlled 47% of the market, MotorCity had 31% and Hollywood Casino at Greektown had a 22% market share. Revenues were up at MGM Grand and MotorCity, but fell at the Greektown casino. Together the three casinos paid Detroit $12.5 million in taxes and development agreement obligations in September. They also paid another $8.2 million in taxes to the state of Michigan. 

Halloween in the D

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will hold a news conference on Thursday, where he’ll announce details of the 7th annual “Halloween in the D” citywide celebration. The city says the goal of the project is to provide Detroit families with safe experiences for Halloween. The mayor’s news conference takes place at 1 p.m. at the Butzel Family Center.     

Tigers continue postseason run 

Detroiters are celebrating the Tigers as they continue their  run into the postseason.   The Tigers play the Cleveland Guardians this afternoon in Comerica Park. Their American League Divisional Series is tied up at one game a piece. The best three out of five wins the series. Back in August, Detroit was not expected to make the playoffs, but the Tigers won 17 games in September — finishing the regular season with 86 wins and 76 losses, qualifying them for post-season play. The Tigers beat the Houston Astros last week in an American League wildcard series. Game four takes place at 6:08 p.m. Thursday at Comerica Park.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

The city of Detroit has officially launched its “Dining with Confidence” ordinance. The measure uses a color-coded system to tell diners how a restaurant has performed when it comes to Michigan’s food safety code.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Each color represents the following:

• Green means a restaurant has no serious food safety violations and its food service license is up to date.
• A white card means the establishment has violations it needs to correct. That card will also contain information a prospective diner can use to look up inspection results on the Detroit Health Department’s Open Data Portal.
• A red card means the restaurant has been closed because it doesn’t have a valid food service license, is in the final step of a violation enforcement, or poses a serious safety risk.

Restaurants will eventually receive the cards from the city health department.

More headlines for Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024:

• Michigan’s minimum wage will increase twice next year starting in January
• Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Detroit for campaign visit on Friday
• Henry Ford Health System completes merger with Ascension Michigan
• Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News looking for new offices after Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock declines lease renewal

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

WDET’s CuriosiD podcast answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

For the past decade, CuriosiD has captivated WDET listeners with its unique take on Detroit-centric stories. But what does it take to bring an episode of this beloved series to life?

CuriosiD is a listener-focused podcast about Detroit, where listeners guide the content by asking questions that we provide the answers to.

“Our listeners write or call in with questions they have about Detroit or the metro area,” explains WDET reporter and CuriosiD host Amanda LeClaire. “They’re just curious about things.”

The process begins by exploring a continually evolving list of listener-submitted questions. LeClaire says she carefully selects the most compelling topics for each episode.

Each question requires extensive research. In some cases that means examining hard to find historical and archived documents, or researching Nike missile sites from the 1950s.

Sometimes that means physically investigating locations on-site, like visiting Detroit’s underground steam tunnels.

“It takes a great deal of time, energy, and planning,” LeClaire says. “We’re always thinking about how to keep the high level of creativity and thoughtfulness that CuriosiD is known for.”

Former CuriosiD producer and host Laura Herberg agrees.

“CuriosiD actually takes a lot of work,” she said. “The stories sound light-hearted, but they’re little mysteries that can take a lot of time and energy to tell well.”

WDET’s Pat Batcheller, a frequent contributor, recounts one of his favorite episodes, which answers the question of how the Detroit Lions chose the iconic Honolulu Blue as a team color.

“George Richards, the original owner of the Lions, saw the hue of the ocean in Hawaii and said, ‘That’s the color I want for my team,’” Batcheller said. To tell the full story, Batcheller consulted football historians and even tracked down historical recordings of the team from the 1930s.

The digital side of storytelling also plays a significant role in CuriosiD’s success, leveraging the power of social media to reach new audiences — and new potential questions from listeners. WDET Digital Manager Dave Kim says one of his favorite social videos for the series was about the origins of Superman ice cream, which became a hit on TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Whether it’s unraveling the history of Detroit’s Boston Cooler or exploring who Lewis Cass was, CuriosiD remains committed to bringing listener questions to life.

Batcheller emphasized that it’s the listeners who keep CuriosiD moving forward, calling it “an opportunity for our listeners to have an impact on what we do and guide our journalism.”

Since the series launched in 2014, CuriosiD has produced 70 episodes, with more in the works.

Listeners are encouraged to continue sending their questions, because the future of CuriosiD is in your hands.

We want to hear from you! 

Do you have a question about Detroit? Let us know here or fill out the form below.

More from CuriosiD:

• Who was Thomas Mollicone? The story behind the naming of an east side Detroit park
• What is the history behind the Belle Isle Boathouse?
• What happened to Detroit jazz venue Strata Concert Gallery?

The Michigan Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing in Detroit Wednesday night to hear public comments on DTE Energy’s pending application to raise its rates. 

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The utility is requesting to increase electric rates by $456 million to improve the infrastructure and service for customers — less than a year after the commission voted unanimously to approve a $368 million rate increase for DTE.

The event on Wednesday will give residents a chance to weigh-in on DTE’s request, which was made in March. If approved, residents could see an average increase on their bills of about $11 per month.

Many customers have complained in recent months about frequent, long-lasting power outages. However, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has said the proposed rate hike is “excessive and unnecessary.”

The MPSC hearing will take place from 6-8 p.m. at Mumford High School, 17525 Wyoming St., Detroit. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024:

• The United Auto Workers union says it’s prepared to take action against Stellantis in the coming days.
• The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency is inviting Vietnam-era veterans to a ceremony at the Soul Harvest Cathedral in Highland Park on Thursday to recognize them with a special lapel pin.
• Eastern Market has launched a $15 million fundraising campaign to improve its facilities and offer more services.
• The Detroit Tigers are working hard to make the Major League Baseball playoffs.  The team is on a three-game winning streak and has won 8 of its last 10 games.  They play the Royals tonight in Kansas City.   

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

The city of Detroit held its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony Wednesday morning.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The event honored those killed in the terrorist attacks in New York City, Arlington, Virginia and Shanksville, Pennsylvania on Sep. 11, 2001. 

Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison says ceremonies like the one this morning are important, because not everyone knows what happened 23 years ago. 

“Last night, my son — he’s in the eighth grade — he asked: “Dad I need some help with my homework assignment for history.” I had no clue about what I was about to help him with, but it was a 9/11 assignment,” Bettison said. “He had really no clue, no memory.”

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Two hijacked jets flew into New York’s World Trade Center. Another jet crashed into the Pentagon.  A fourth hijacked jet crashed into a Pennsylvania field when passengers struggled with the terrorists to prevent the jet from hitting a major target in Washington D.C. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024:

• A new report finds Detroit is one of the hardest cities in the nation to live in for people who suffer from asthma.
• Detroit’s three casinos are reporting $112.5 million in revenue for last month — up nearly 6% from August 2023.
• The Michigan Gaming Control Board has won an Emmy Award for its series of commercials touting responsible gambling.
• The state’s first Klezmer music festival will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, in Detroit’s Cultural Center at the International Institute. Klezmer is a type of traditional Yiddish folk music originally created centuries ago.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Some Detroiters are without power and others still cleaning up after severe thunderstorms hit the region both on Tuesday and Wednesday night. 

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of more than 75 miles per hour at Detroit Metro Airport Wednesday night, with high winds bringing down tree branches and causing power outages around the region. 

DTE Energy reported more than 200,000 power outages Wednesday morning. Weather on Thursday is expected to be mostly dry and humid, with a high of 81 degrees. Thunderstorms are likely to return on Friday with heat indices ranging
from the upper 80s to mid 90s.

Other headlines for Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024:

• Outages on the Dearborn-Allen Park border caused problems for motorists trying to get to Detroit Metro Airport Wednesday morning.
• Detroit has set up cooling centers to keep residents safe during the high temperatures that blanketed Detroit this week.
• Former Detroit City Council President Saunteel Jenkins is considering a run for Detroit mayor.
• Wayne State University is holding a special grand opening reception on Thursday for its newest music venue, the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center.
• The Detroit Lions have made a number of roster changes to get ready for the NFL regular season.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.