Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover former Detroit Police Chief James Craig’s mayoral candidacy announcement; President Donald Trump’s nomination of Dearborn Heights mayor Bill Bazzi as the next U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia; and more.

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James Craig for mayor of Detroit

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig announced his plans to run for mayor of the city Wednesday morning at an event at the Executive Cuts barber shop in Detroit.

“I stand before you, not as a candidate, but as someone who has walked these streets,” he said.

Craig — who served as Detroit’s police chief from 2013 until 2021 — has previously run for governor of the state and for one of Michigan’s U.S. Senate seats. He campaigned for both of those offices as a Republican.  Craig is now one of several candidates seeking the mayor’s job, including City Council president Mary Sheffield, former Council president Saunteel Jenkins, current Councilmember Fred Durhal III, pastor Solomon Kinloch and attorney Todd Perkins. 

Bill Bazzi named US ambassador to Tunisia

President Donald Trump has nominated Dearborn Heights mayor Bill Bazzi to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia.  Trump made the announcement on his TruthSocial platform. 

In the message, Trump praised Bazzi’s time as a U.S. Marine, and his career at Ford Motor Company. Bazzi became the mayor of Dearborn Heights in early 2021. He’s the second metro Detroit mayor nominated by Trump for an ambassadorship. Trump nominated Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib to become the next ambassador to Kuwait. Both Bazzi and Ghalib must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before the appointments become effective. 

Detroit casinos report revenue dip last month

Detroit’s three casinos are reporting lower revenues for the month of February. Together they posted revenues of $98.8 million.  That’s down 6.4% from the same month last year. 

MGM Grand has the largest share of the market at 47%. Motor City has 27% and Hollywood Casino at Greektown has 24% of the market. Casino profits continue to provide taxes for Detroit. The three gaming houses provided the city with $11.7 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments. The casinos also paid $7.9 million in state gaming taxes last month. 

Detroit Fire Department continues safety webinars

The Detroit Fire Department is holding another of its safety webinars at 6 p.m. this Wednesday to address fire risks associated with cooking, smoking and lighting candles at home.

The city says nearly a quarter of all home fires in Detroit are connected to cooking. Residents walking away from items left on the stove are a major problem. Webinars on other topics are scheduled for April 9, May 14 and June 11.  You can join any of those webinars at DetroitMI.gov/safetyseries. 

City of Detroit to begin yard waste pickup

The city of Detroit says it will begin picking up yard waste again, beginning on March 31. Residents can place grass clippings, leaves and small twigs in paper lawn bags to be collected weekly. Branches and larger twigs should be bundled together and placed at the curb.  Yard waste in plastic bags will not be collected. Detroit’s yard waste program is scheduled to continue until mid-December, when it will take a break for the winter months. 

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

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig is filing paperwork to run for mayor in this year’s election.

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

He filed a “Chief James Craig for Mayor” candidate committee on Monday, allowing him to collect donations for the August primary.

Craig was appointed as the 42nd Chief of Police in 2013. Serving in the role during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the department was scrutinized for excessive force against protestors — accused of using tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, mass arrests and more without probable cause. The protestors ended up filing a lawsuit which resulted in a $1 million settlement with the city.

Craig retired as Detroit’s chief of police in 2021 and then ran for governor in 2022 on the Republican ticket, but was taken off because of alleged fraudulent signatures on his nominating petitions.

Craig joins a seemingly ever-growing list of candidates, including Mega-church pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr., City Council President Mary Sheffield, City Councilman Fred Durhal III, former Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate, nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, Joel Haashiim and Jonathan Barlow, who are both local businessmen, and attorney Todd Perkins.

Other headlines for Friday, March 7, 2025:

• The Detroit Fire Department is looking to educate residents on fire safety at an upcoming Safety Series Webinar, taking place virtually at 6 p.m. March 12.
• Women in Robotics Michigan is hosting an informal gathering of women interested in robotics at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 16, at Michigan Central. Organizers say it’s an opportunity to network, share ideas, and learn from others in a relaxed setting.
• Next Thursday, March 13, is 313 Day, and there are a ton of events planned to celebrate.
• WDET launched its 2025 Spring Fundraiser on Thursday. All new members who make a gift during the Spring Fundraiser, which ends Sunday, March 15, will also receive a limited edition WDET skyline water bottle.

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