Metro Food Rescue is piloting a new program to bring food directly to those in need with a community fridge in apartment complexes. The goal is to eliminate transportation and time obstacles for older people trying to get access to groceries.

The mini food pantries will be located in affordable housing complexes for seniors, starting with the Gratiot Woods Co-op on Detroit’s east side. The fridges will be stocked weekly with fruit, vegetables, bread and other essentials.

The pilot program is funded for two years by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.  

Additional headlines for Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026

New On-the-Go food pop up in Taylor

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has expanded its On-the-Go pop-up food distribution with a new location in Taylor. The pantry offers fresh produce, grains and protein. Halal and Kosher friendly options are available where the community needs it. 

The mobile pantry is offered on a monthly basis by appointment in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties. To date, the department has served nearly 550 families and distributed more than 11 tons of groceries. 

Individuals in Southeast Michigan in need of food must make an appointment by emailing MDHHS-FH-WC-Taylor@michigan.gov to help minimize wait times and ensure adequate food supplies. 

Board of Ethics publishes admonishment against City Assessor

The Detroit Board of Ethics published a public admonishment of City Assessor and Deputy CFO Alvin Horhn earlier this week. Horhn violated state law when he added more than 13,000 properties to the tax roll late, and without any late fees.

Between 2014 and 2020 the Detroit Land Bank promised buyers they would file property transfer affidavits on their behalf and never did. Horhn says if he had added the properties to the tax roll based on date of transfer, thousands of residents would have received penalties for an issue that should have never occurred.

The Board of Ethics said though his intent was good, it is not an excuse to violate state law. City council members sided with Horhn on the matter. So far, Horhn has not been punished for his actions.  

Sheffield investiture tomorrow

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s public investiture is tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Detroit Opera House. It’s the swearing in ceremony of Detroit’s first female mayor, though the official swearing in happened on Jan. 1.

The event will also include the swearing in of city council members, board of police commissioners, and the city clerk. It will be live streamed on Detroit’s social media sites.  

Michigan lottery raises over $1 billion for state schools

The Michigan lottery raised nearly $1.2 billion for the state’s school aid fund in 2025. It marks the seventh consecutive year the lotto brought in more than a billion dollars for education. 

Michigan retailers also cashed in on the drawings last year. They brought in around $300 million in commission from lotto ticket sales. 

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

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield took office on New Year’s Day. But she’s celebrating her achievement with a public swearing-in ceremony this week.

Detroit City Council members, police commissioners and the City Clerk will also take part. The ceremony at the Detroit Opera House features poetry and music performances as well.

Sheffield is the first woman ever elected mayor of Detroit. She says her team is developing an action plan for her first 100 days with input from the community. But she’s also retaining several key officials from the past mayoral administration including the corporation counsel—the city’s top lawyer—and Detroit’s fire commissioner.

Sheffield also announced today that the city will join a program that gives financial support to pregnant women and infants. The city has already raised 9 million dollars to participate in RX Kids. It’s looking for $2 million to fund the program for 3 years.

Sheffield says she hopes to secure the funding to launch the program within her first 100 days.

Additional headlines for Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

State utility regulators demand more transparency

DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, and other regulated utilities in Michigan must do more to inform customers about potential rate hikes. This is because of a new order by state utility regulators.

The Michigan Public Service Commission wants to increase customer participation in utility issues, including cases that set new rates. After March, regulated electric utilities must inform customers when they asked for higher rates, and how much their bills would go up if that amount is approved.

There’s concern that this could confuse people, since rarely do utilities get their full requested amount. But supporters of the change say advance notice will let more people find out about and comment on potential rate hikes before the cases are resolved.

Gas prices

Michigan gas prices have dropped 11 cents since last week. According to the auto group AAA, you can get regular unleaded for $2.70. This new price is 18 cents less than a month ago and 44 cents less than this time last year, making this new price the lowest since February of 2021.

The US strikes in Venezuela this weekend don’t seem to have impacted oil prices just yet, according to AAA. The organization also says Venezuela crude oil exports have been limited due to the sanctions in the last couple of years.

Sports updates

NFL

The Lions beat the Chicago Bears 19-16 yesterday with a walk off field goal kick from Jake Bates, ending the season with a winning record. Now all eyes are on the off season, the NFL draft and seeing how they will bounce back for the 2026 season.

NBA

The Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday 114-110 and remain on top of the Eastern Conference. Their next game is today at Little Caesars against the New York Knicks and again at Little Caesars on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Tip off for both is at 7:00 p.m.

NHL

The Red Wings play against the Ottawa Senators tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Red Wings are currently third in the Atlantic Division.

Carl Thomas performs

And R&B singer Carl Thomas known for his smash 2000 hit “I Wish” will be performing at Sound Board on Sunday Jan. 11, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

The artist from Illinois hit the Billboard Top Hot 100 and peaked at 20. And this year marks the 26th anniversary of his debut studio album “Emotional.”

To hear Thomas live, go to soundboarddetroit.com for tickets and more information.

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.

Detroit mayor-elect Mary Sheffield has chosen her deputy mayor.

Brian White has been her chief of staff during her time as city council president. White says he’ll help Sheffield deliver on her promises to spread Detroit’s growth into the neighborhoods. 

Sheffield has also announced she will keep Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison in his position. In a press statemen the Sheffield transition team credited Bettison with a record drop in violent crime across the city. Sheffield said the chief has the “respect of his peers…the loyalty of the rank and file… and the hearts and trust of the people.” 

Additional headlines from Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Federal childcare assistance

New federal bills would replicate a Michigan program to help with childcare in every state.

The “tri-share” childcare program splits the cost of childcare between income-eligible families, employers and the state. Republican Representatives Hillary Scholten and John James co-sponsored the bill.

If passed, the legislation would give states enough funding to run the programs for three years. 

Whitmer aims to improve reading scores

Governor Gretchen Whitmer says improving Michigan’s student reading skills will be her number one priority next year.

She told the Michigan Literacy Summit in Detroit that last year’s reading test scores show the need for urgent action. “Today, we’re 44th in the country in fourth grade reading. Just four in 10 third graders in Michigan read at grade level, and almost one in three Michigan students tests below average, and that’s what would call a crisis and the vast majority of the people of our state would agree.”

Whitmer says school districts need to focus on a small number of proven strategies to build reading skills, such as phonics.

She says she will share more details about her plans during her final State of the State address early next year. Kids Count ranked Michigan among the ten worst states in 4th and 8th grade reading scores. 

Detroit attorney joins the race for District 13 Representative

Detroit attorney Maurice Morton has announced he is running for Michigan’s 13^th Congressional District seat. Morton will challenge Democratic Representative Shri Thanedar as an independent. 

Financial aid information

The state’s last virtual FAFSA webinar of 2025 is this week.

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential’s Student Aid and Access Outreach team offers online information sessions for students and families preparing to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. 

The FAFSA is used by colleges and funding organizations to determine financial aid for students. The MiLEAP webinars also offer information on federal financial aid programs, state financial aid programs and resources for finding scholarships. The last FAFSA webinar of the year is Thursday, Dec.18 at 6:30 p.m. 

To register or to find a recording of a previous webinar, go here.

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.

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield is shaping her administration’s personnel and policy priorities.

A group of 18 committees will advise Sheffield about what issues to tackle first.

She calls it the most inclusive mayoral transition in Detroit’s history.

Attorney Butch Hollowell is leading Sheffield’s transition team, as he’s done for many other officials.

Hollowell says he finds this change in city leadership unique in a variety of ways.

The following interview has been edited for clarity.

Butch Hollowell:  We’re off to a flying start. I think the whole team and the whole city is just energized behind the first woman mayor in the city of Detroit. She came in with 77% of the vote. That in and of itself tells you that there’s a mandate from our community for what Mary Sheffield stands for. And that’s making sure that we have a city where everyone feels that they’re included as we deliver core city services, improve the quality of life and address these issues at the kitchen table level. Mayor-elect Sheffield has asked me to put together a transition team that’s smooth in terms of the handoff from the Duggan administration to the Sheffield administration. And that it is the most community-driven transition in Detroit’s history.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: What is your role specifically in the transition? Do you recommend certain people to lead on policy or do you say there’s certain positions on the mayor-elect’s staff that have to be filled right now? How do those nuts-and-bolts work?

BH: It’s a little premature to talk about that. Right now what we’ve done is focus on 18 different policy areas such as infrastructure and transportation and housing and education, the meat-and-potatoes issues that affect Detroiters on a day-to-day basis. Once we get down the line with those discussions, we’ll also begin to think of what should the administration look like and what skill sets would be necessary to carry out those policy initiatives. That kind of tells you the kind of person needed to head this agency or that agency.

It’s interesting, the cross-section of amazing Detroiters that have agreed to participate in this. You’ve got the city’s premier grassroots agency for Latino issues working with the chief operating officer of Henry Ford Health. You’ve got the individual who heads the neighborhood community violence initiative on the grassroots level working with the chair of Huntington Bank. We have the East Side Community Development head working with the vice chair of the Detroit Pistons. We’ve never had that kind of a team all in one room, all rowing in unison on the same boat and with the same oars. It was inspiring.

QK: Were you choosing specific individuals for this? Did people volunteer and say, “Boy, we want to help?” How hard was it to decide who was going to be on the transition team?

BH: First of all, nobody told me, “No,” not one person. We looked at people who have a certain skill set in an area, people that have known the mayor-elect, who know me. Then we have an internal team that we kind of bounced some names off of, and I reached out and made phone calls about whether or not they’d be willing to serve. Ultimately that decision was presented to Mayor-elect Sheffield. She’ll make the call for each one of those leadership positions.

Part of it was to explain what we wanted from them. We want concrete plans that can be achieved by this new administration in the 100 days, the first year and the first term in office. They’re going to be looking at what Mary Sheffield’s been saying on the campaign trail. What is her vision for this city in a particular area? And then we test that against national best practices. Is there something that they’re doing in Philadelphia that’s really great or something they’re doing in Los Angeles that particularly works? Maybe we’re the best at it. But maybe we can learn from others. Then the third part of it is to ask each one of those co-chairs to use their own background and experience to work with each other, work with their committees and come up with these concrete results.

We want concrete plans that can be achieved by this new administration in the 100 days, the first year and the first term in office.

QK: There’s always competing interests in various groups. Do you have a sense yet as to what the initial major priorities would be for the mayor-elect? As you say, she mentioned several on the campaign trail.

BH: There two parts to that question. The first part is some things overlap. For example, you can’t talk about transportation by itself, given that 35% of Detroiters go outside of the city for employment and come back in every day. Transportation has to be top of mind also as an economic development issue. And even though there’s a separate economic development team, there are educational initiatives that are important for that and other areas. So we talked about that internally in the work group saying, “You’re going to have some overlap. That’s okay. Just make sure that we have open lines of communication.”

The other part about it is yes, there are some priorities that the mayor-elect had talked about on the campaign trail, particularly just really lifting up the community violence initiative that’s gotten the buy-in, I think, from the entire city. That’s a real top priority for us. Education is a top priority as well. We’ve got to make sure that our kids are ready for the workforce and ready to be able to enter into civic life. Transportation is a critical area, as I said, so that people can get around efficiently. And, of course, the neighborhoods. We need to make sure that everybody feels and can recognize that everyone has a say, everyone has a stake. She wants everyone to know that’s being honored. Those are things that jumped out. There are certainly others but we’ll get through that as this process evolves.

You’re given such a short window in which to bring these plans to fruition and make sure they’re not just something that’s going to sit on a shelf and gather dust. These are action plans. We’re very committed to saying to each of these 18 groups, “Come up with, not a laundry list, but a list of two, three, four things that can be achievable, that Detroiters will see the results of in a focused period of time.” Again, in that first 100 days, first year, first term.

Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield announced the 18 policy committees that make up her transition team Thursday. 

The transition team will determine the priorities for the first 100 days of the new administration.  

Sheffield says the decision to place the team’s headquarters at the Marygrove Conservancy was deliberate.  “We wanted to ensure that this process remained rooted in my values of neighborhoods and community. And I am proud to say that this is the first time a transition has been set up in one of Detroit’s neighborhoods. First time ever.” 

Sheffield says everyone appointed to the committees were chosen for their expertise, track records, and connections to everyday Detroiters.  

The committees will focus on various issues such as affordable housing, public transit, economic opportunities, and youth support and development.  

Additional headlines from Thursday, November 13, 2025

DPSCD endorses Invest in MI Kids

The Detroit Public Schools Community District School Board is endorsing the Invest in MI Kids ballot proposal.

The proposal would add a 5% surcharge on income over $1 million. Advocates say the charge would raise over $1 billion in funding for schools.

The Invest in MI Kids coalition says the new funds would be constitutionally protected and explicitly directed toward reducing classroom sizes, retaining and recruiting educators, and career and technical education.  

Nurture Benefits for child care professionals

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, or MiLEAP, is partnering with the Small Business Association of Michigan to provide affordable health and retirement benefits to child care providers. The program is called Nurture Benefits and enrollment opens on November 15.

Child Care providers will have access to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and retirement benefits, and wellness and behavioral health resources. Childcare providers who work 30 hours or more a week are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit nurturebenefits.com.  

Marion Orr discusses new book

Author Marion Orr will be discussing his new book at Source Booksellers. The book is titled “House of Diggs: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Consequential Black Congressman, Charles C. Diggs Jr.” 

Diggs was elected to represent Michigan’s 13^th congressional district in 1954.

The event will be held on Friday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m.  

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