The Detroit City Council voted in new leaders Monday. 

WDET’S Bre’Anna Tinsley was there. 

James Tate was voted President 5-4. He served as President Pro Tem under now mayor Mary Sheffield. He says he wants to strengthen how the council operates.

 ”For years, I have pushed for a legislative agenda, and while we have not fully realized that goal, I did help usher into our rules, a process that can move us there. That matters because it increases transparency, accountability, and it also provides the public a way to see our priorities and measure our progress.”

Coleman Young II was voted Pro Tem, defeating Mary Waters.

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2025

Duggan’s independent campaign stresses unity

Independent gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan says he’s bringing a message of unity to the state—the kind he says helped him bridge divides as mayor of Detroit. 

As an independent Duggan won’t get any visibility from the party primary process. He says instead he’s visiting with small groups of voters across Michigan and finding many of them concerned about the same issues like affordable housing and job training opportunities. 

Duggan says Republicans and Democrats are more interested in beating each other than working together to solve problems. “I have never seen a state more evenly divided than Michigan today. And people more fed up. I don’t think the climate’s ever been more fertile…to have a third option.”

Duggan claims rural voters in particular find they have more in common than they thought with the urban electorate that placed him at the top of Detroit’s city government. (Quinn Klinefelter) 

Retail Food Business Cohort

The Brightmoor Artisan Collective is getting ready to launch a program for folks who want to start a food business.

Applications for the Retail Food Business Cohort are set to go live in a few weeks. Participants will be able to access free food safety certification, business plan development, networking events and a one year membership in the collective. 

For more information visit brightmoorartisans.org. 

New sports programs for kids

The Detroit Parks and Rec Department is launching a slew of sports programs for kids this and next month. Offerings include tennis, baseball, volleyball, basketball, flag football, soccer and “sports movement.” 

Programs will be offered at recreation and community centers throughout the city.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says the city generated a $105 million budget surplus in the last fiscal year. 

He credits strategic decisions by city staffers for the savings.  It’s the 11th annual budget surplus in a row.  The mayor says the city now has a rainy-day fund of more than half a billion dollars. 

The announcement was part of Duggan’s last news conference as mayor of Detroit.  He is now running as an independent to become Michigan’s next governor. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025

Sheffield swearing in 

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield has announced that she’ll have a public swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 9.  The celebration will give Detroiters a chance to watch the proceedings in person or online. 

Sheffield and members of Detroit City Council will officially be sworn into office on New Year’s Day.  The Jan. 9 event will take place at the Detroit Opera House.  It’s free and open to the public.  

Government offices closed 

Christmas Day is a federal and state holiday, meaning government offices will be closed Thursday.  That includes the post office – so there will be no mail delivery.  Detroit government offices will also be closed Thursday. 

Most private businesses will be closed for the holiday as well. 

Last minute shopping 

Expect malls and shopping centers to be very busy tonight as consumers rush to pick up a few last-minute gifts before Christmas. 

Don’t wait too late, though.  Several retailers will close early tonight – and won’t be open at all on Thursday.  That includes the region’s major grocery stores. 

CVS will be open on Christmas Day, but hours may vary by location. 

Gas prices fall 

If you’re on the road over the holidays, there’s good news for you.  Gas prices have been falling.  In metro Detroit, a gallon of self-serve regular now averages $2.84.  That’s roughly where it was a week ago, but that price is 21 cents cheaper than last month at this time. 

Metcalf suspension 

The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf for two games following an altercation with a fan during the team’s game in Detroit last Sunday.  

Metcalf will miss this weekend’s game in Cleveland and the regular-season finale against Baltimore. CBS-TV cameras captured the confrontation between Metcalf and a fan during the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 win over Detroit.

The fan leaned over the railing and exchanged words with Metcalf before the Steeler ended the confrontation by swinging his arm at the fan’s face. (AP) 

Lions-Vikings 

And the Detroit Lions play their next to last game of the regular season on Christmas Day.  The team travels to Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC North battle. 

The Lions’ playoff hopes are holding on by a slim thread after their loss to Pittsburgh. 

Detroit now has a record of 8 wins and 7 losses. The Vikings have seven wins and 8 losses.  

Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday.  The game will be televised on CBS 62. 

DER holiday schedule

Detroit Evening Report will take a break for Christmas Day – then we’ll have a week of special stories for the holidays. 

From all of us here at WDET, merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Great Lakes Water Authority says a new tunnel will divert excess stormwater from a sewer line along the Rouge River to an under-used wastewater treatment plant in southwest Detroit. The $87 million project is expected to take at least two years to complete. 

The agency expects the new tunnel will reduce the risk of flooding and sewage backups during heavy rains. State and federal grants are paying for the project, along with sewer rate revenue. 

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025

Blight removal update

A voter-approved initiative that helped fund an expedited blight removal program in 2020 will end next year. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave his final update on the program Monday. 

Duggan announced there are fewer than 1,000 abandoned homes left. That’s down from 47,000 in 2014. Of those remaining, 240 are scheduled to be demolished with the other 702 in the pipeline to be sold. 

Duggan says the final steps will focus on addressing contaminated soil from sites where contractors used polluted backfill. He says there is still a $15 million reserve to address backfill contaminated sites. 

Demolition begins for new DCFC field

Demolition work has begun on the old Southwest Detroit Hospital which has been abandoned since the early 90s. The site along Michigan Avenue is being cleared to make way for a new 15,000 seat soccer stadium where Detroit City Football Club will play its home games. 

AlumniFi Field, as the stadium will be known, is expected to host its first match in 2027. 

Renovations to prepare Little Caesars for WNBA

Detroit Downtown Development Authority has approved up to $5 million in cash toward the cost of renovations at the Little Caesars Arena for Detroit’s incoming WNBA team. 

Renovations include a new locker room, modifications of game officials’ locker rooms and visitor space. Work is expected to start in 2028. 

Detroit’s WNBA franchise will be the fifth professional team to play downtown – joining the city’s NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB teams. 

Sheffield names David Bowser as chief of staff

Detroit Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield has named David Bowser as her Chief of Staff.

Bowser was her senior policy advisor during her campaign and is the director of her transition team. 

Bowser served as deputy director of the Housing and Revitalization Department, deputy director of the Community Health Corps and director of Human Services in the for Mayor Mike Duggan. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave his exit interview at the Detroit Economic Club Monday.

He says he doesn’t plan to align himself with either party’s congressional races during his campaign for governor in 2026. Duggan was a lifelong Democrat until he decided to run for Whitmer’s seat. He says he’s not worried about how Michiganders vote in the U.S. House races.

“I am going to work with the people in both parties to get results that won’t get reversed every two years as the state flips back and forth. I’m going to try to do what I did in Detroit, convince people that actually solving problems is better politics than tearing each other down.”

Duggan says he plans to run his campaign for governor just like he ran his campaign for mayor—by meeting with voters directly.

His term as mayor ends in January. 

Additional headlines from Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Mayor-elect Sheffield gets married

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield got married over the weekend. Her transition team confirmed social media chatter, saying she and Ricke Jackson, Jr. tied the knot in a private ceremony at The Godfrey Hotel on Sunday.

Jackson works for the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. He runs a youth sports program. 

Menorah in the D

Hanukkah starts Sunday and that means Menorah in the D! This will be the 15^th annual lighting of the 26 foot menorah. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. with the menorah lighting at 5:30 p.m.

There will be musical performances, strolling street performers, the Detroit Pistons Extreme Team, a chance to take photos with the Chanukah Mensch and Dreidel Man & the dancing Dreidels, and free soup and hot chocolate.

Pontiac welcomes new businesses

The City of Pontiac will celebrate several new additions to its downtown business community tomorrow with a “mass ribbon cutting.”

Eight new businesses will be welcomed to North Saginaw Street with ceremonies starting between noon and 4:00 p.m. Several of the new offices are opening in the building at 91 North Saginaw Street, including an emergency health training services organization, a salon, and a multicultural community center.

At 4:30 p.m. there will be a celebration of the one year anniversary of interior design firm Designed Mindfully. 

Free admission to history museums

Admission to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and the Detroit Historical Museum is free Sunday, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21 this month.

The Dossin on Belle Isle highlights the maritime history of Michigan and the U.S. The Detroit Historical Museum is focused on the comprehensive history of Detroit.

You can find information about exhibits at both museums at detroithistorical.org.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

During Thanksgiving weekend, the MichMash hosts got together to look at issues and stories we should look out for in the month of December. In this episode, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben discuss topics such as data centers, the Michigan gubernatorial race, and what items on the legislature’s to-do list are likely to get accomplished.

Data centers

The Michigan Public Service Commission is planning on addressing the increasing amount of data centers in the state in a public hearing this week.

Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT, is opening a data center in Saline Township. Bridge Michigan recently reported there are nine other communities where companies have proposed building these large-scale data centers.

This surge is a result of a 2024 law that expanded the exemption from the state’s 6% sales tax purchases for the equipment inside these data centers. But despite economic opportunity, there is concern among residents. Questions about environmental impact came up when the legislature passed those bills.

The hearing is set for Dec. 3.

Michigan gubernatorial race

The team also spoke about a major shift coming up in the state gubernatorial race.

Detroit Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan is going to lose a huge asset in having the mayoral megaphone to command attention once Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield takes office. That means he could be losing a lot of news coverage starting Jan. 1. On the other hand, he’ll be able to dedicate his full effort to his campaign efforts. We’ll see how that plays out.