The state health department is working with Forgotten Harvest to make sure people in Southeast Michigan have access to healthy food.  

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services launched On-the-Go pantries last month. MDHHS offices across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties host pantry days and accept individuals and families by appointment to pick up fresh produce, grains and proteins.

Pantries may also have halal and kosher items available at some sites.

The Madison Heights office hosted an On-the-Go pantry today. The agency is reminding residents about the pantries and other food resources after the U.S. Department of Agriculture told states that the government shutdown may keep families from accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP – support in November.  

Forgotten Harvest has many more resources for families looking for food assistance. For information about food distribution locations or to donate visit forgottenharvest.org/find-food. Appointments to shop at the Forgotten Harvest Community Choice Market can be made by calling 248-268-7756. 

Additional headlines from Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Funding cuts impact educational TV service

The new state budget cuts funding to the Michigan Learning Channel.

The project was a statewide collaboration between Michigan public television stations and one station in Indiana. It was founded in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic to provided educational content to students and families at a time when most children were learning at home. 

The 3 million dollars the Michigan Learning Channel requested from the legislature was a part of both state senate and house plans going into final budget talks. The network says it has the funding to continue broadcasting through fiscal year 2026. It’s not clear whether the cuts will result in layoffs for the channel’s 5 staffers located at several stations throughout the network or how individual stations will be impacted.

Congress voted to cancel funding to public television and radio stations in August. 

‘Hocus Pocus’ movie night

The Pontiac Youth Recreation and Enrichment office is hosting a drive-in movie night at City Hall Saturday. Attendees will be treated with a double feature: Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2. Popcorn and beverages will be available.

Festivities start at 7 p.m. Saturday night at 47450 Woodward in the City Hall parking lot. More information at pontiacrecreation.recdesk.com.

Halloween ice skate event Saturday

The Dearborn Ice Skating Center is inviting the community to a Halloween Skate Saturday. 

Younguns can come in costume to win prizes. Old ones are welcome too. There will be interactive on-ice games and Halloween-themed music and decorations. Tickets are $13 and include skate rental.

Costumes with loose items that obstruct vision or that may otherwise be unsafe for skaters will not be allowed on the ice. Get tickets at disc.activityreg.com. 

Dogs in costume for Palmer Park parade

You can let the dogs out this Sunday. Palmer Park’s Doggie Fashion Parade and Howl-O-Ween Party is from 2-4 p.m. at the Palmer Park Dog Park at 1655 W 7 Mile Road.

Participants get doggie bags full of goodies and humans get refreshments, too. To register in advance go to palmerparkunleashed.com. 

If there’s something in your neighborhood you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org.

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Over ten thousand people rallied in Detroit on Saturday for the No Kings Protest. 

The event started in Roosevelt Park in front of the Michigan Central Depot. Kassandra Rodriguez spoke at the rally. Rodriguez is with the Detroit Community Action Committee. She says many Latinx people stayed home. 

“A lot of them are very sacred, you know, they are view these big movements, big protests, as a place where they might get targeted. So its important, even more important that so many of us come out there and are able to like elevate their voices and share their stories.” 

Following the rally, protesters marched to the Customs and Border Protection field office in Downtown Detroit. The event was peaceful, although Detroit Police arrested one pro-Trump counterprotester. 

– Reporting by Russ McNamara 

Additional headlines from Monday, October 20, 2025

Microplastics awareness

Oct. 19 through Oct. 26 is Microplastics Awareness Week. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is inviting people to learn about the impact of microplastics, cleanups and prevention to reduce plastic use at home.

On Oct. 22  a free virtual Great Lakes Microplastics Summit will bring together scientists, policymakers and community members who will discuss microplastics and drinking water. 

For more details visit michigan.gov/egle 

MDHHS focuses on vaping during Fire Prevention Month

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is recognizing Fire Prevention Month. Part of that is raising awareness about vaping play that creates fire risk along with health concerns. 

MDHHS is sharing resources to educate Michiganders about a variety of topics  including reducing fire risks from smoking materials and e-cigarettes, protecting residents from secondhand smoke and aerosol exposure and lowering cleaning and maintenance costs for home owners and renters. 

More tips can be found at michigan.gov/smokefreehousing.  

Business workshop

ProsperUs Detroit is hosting a Business 101 Workshop in Highland Park next week.

The in-person event will take place at Avalon Village at 24 Avalon Street, Highland Park, MI on Wednesday, Oct. 29th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Dearborn public health director awarded

The Dearborn Department of Health’s public health director Ali Abazeed, has been recognized as part of 40 under 40 in Public Health.

The award is given by de Beaumont Foundation and it is the first of its kind to recognize and elevate leaders in public health. It honors people who work in leadership and community impact across institution through health departments, universities, nonprofits or in the private sector. 

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at DetroitEveningReport@wdet.org.

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Wayne State University President Kimberly Espy is resigning.  That’s according to a source with knowledge of the situation. 

Espy has reportedly been under pressure from the school’s board of governors to step down.  In recent weeks, there’s been criticism about the unexplained decision to place the dean of Wayne State’s Medical School on leave. 

A story by the Detroit News says the Interim Med School Dean resigned because his appointment did not follow proper channels.  Espy was also criticized for not fully engaging in the Detroit community.  She did not appear at an event on campus Monday to announce a program to make it easier for DPSCD high school students to attend Wayne State. 

Espy became the President of the university in August 2023.  A Wayne State Board of Governors’ meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m. 

Additional headlines for Wednesday September 17, 2025

Mayoral Debate 

WXYZ-TV has announced that it will broadcast a Detroit mayoral debate on Wednesday, October 15. 

The television station will host City Council President Mary Sheffield and Pastor Solomon Kinloch in its Southfield studios that evening.  Sheffield and Kinloch were the two candidates receiving the most votes in the city’s August primary. 

The October debate will be moderated by Chuck Stokes and Carolyn Clifford. 

679 Area Code 

Get ready to dial a few extra digits every time you call someone on your phone.  Starting October 7, residents will need to dial all 10 numbers when making a call.  In other words, all calls will need an area code. That’s to get folks ready for the new 679 area code.  That new code takes effect on November 7. 

Detroit residents seeking new phone numbers after that may receive a 679 area code once all 313 numbers are exhausted.   Residents in Wayne County suburbs such as Redford Township, Highland Park, Hamtramck and Dearborn will also be affected by the change. 

Fall safety

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is working to keep older adults from falling and getting injured. 

The department is collaborating with the Michigan Falls Prevention Council and the National Council on Aging.  They’re offering special online tools for risk assessment and fall prevention classes online. 

A webpage provides a directory of programs to help senior citizens stay healthy.  Residents can also call 2-1-1 to speak with a live operator about resources in the area. 

Next week is Falls Prevention Awareness Week. 

Detroit Grand Prix Dates 

The Detroit Grand Prix has confirmed its dates for next year. 

The race through downtown streets will take place on Sunday, May 31, 2026.  That’s the weekend after Memorial Day.  And as has been the case for many years, it’s the weekend following the running of the Indianapolis 500. 

Detroit Grand Prix organizers say 156,000 people came downtown to watch events over this year’s three-day weekend.  They say more than a million people watched the Grand Prix on television this year. 

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The Republican-led Michigan House Oversight Committee approved a slew of legislative subpoenas Tuesday directed at state departments, including the Attorney General’s office.

The oversight committee has aggressively used its subpoena power in this session to squeeze agencies in an executive branch controlled by Democrats.

The committee authorized two subpoenas demanding records related to the end of a criminal investigation by the Attorney General’s office into a Democratic Party fundraiser. 

Attorney Traci Kornak is a former Michigan Democratic Party treasurer was investigated for insurance fraud in 2022. The department set up internal firewalls due to Kornak’s relationship with Nessel, but GOP committee members say there appears to be evidence that Nessel was kept informed of progress on the inquiry and may have influenced the decision to drop it.

Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Twp.), chair of the oversight committee, said the subpoenas were necessary to help come up with improvements to Michigan’s campaign finance laws, but also hinted impeachment could be on the table.

“The House has the power to ability to impeach civil officers of the State of Michigan where corrupt conduct in office occurs,” he said. “In order to faithfully exercise its responsibilities in this regard, the House is entitled to investigate the Department of Attorney General’s decision to decline issuing criminal charges in this matter.”

Another subpoena asks for records and communications with the Department of State related to a campaign committee to include LGBTQ protections in Michigan’s civil rights law.

Tuesday’s round of subpoenas also includes records from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on its regulation of game ranches and its program for euthanizing Canadian geese as a wildlife control measure.

The committee demanded an in-person appearance by Michigan Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel, who is a member of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s cabinet.

“House Republicans have raised serious questions for months about troubling reports involving MDHHS — including children sleeping on floors, young people being placed in unvetted out-of-state facilities, instances of welfare and Medicaid fraud, and taxpayer-funded services being extended to individuals without legal status,” said Rep. John Roth (R-Interlochen) in a written statement. “Our goal has always been to work collaboratively behind the scenes to investigate these concerns, but unfortunately, we have not been able to secure the cooperation we had hoped for from the department.”

GOP members of the committee accused Hertel and the MDHHS of stonewalling their inquiries and said she has declined multiple invitations to appear. A health department spokesperson said there was a scheduling conflict, but she was not dodging the committee.

“A subpoena was not necessary to compel the director to appear before the committee,” said MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin, sharing a letter where Hertel requested an alternate date and a list of topics to be covered in her appearance. 

Detroit’s public schools board is interviewing candidates for its vacant seat this week.

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Angelique Peterson Mayberry resigned earlier this month to complete Irma Clark-Coleman’s term on the Wayne County Commission. Clark-Coleman died in June.

Chalkbeat Detroit reports 16 people will be interviewed during special board meetings held July 21-24. The candidates include: Pageant Atterberry, Kenya Avant, Sonja Beasley-Hall, The Rev. Dr. Steven Bland Jr., Whitney Clarke, Jonathan Demers, Debra Duren, Dr. Bonnie Ferrell, Bessie Harris, Dr. Shinese Johnson, Brandy Mitchell, Aliya Moore, Ashley Pearson, Traci Ricks, Jeremiah Steen and The Rev. Curtis Williams.

Applications for the position were open to the public and closed on July 9. The board plans to score each candidate during interviews then vote to fill the seat on July 28. The candidate selected will serve on the board through 2026. 

Other headlines for Tuesday, July 22, 2025:

• Low income Consumers Energy customers can apply for up to $500 to pay past due energy bills through September 30. The State Emergency Relief funds are available to households with income within 150% of the federal poverty rate. Last year 540,000 customers shared more than 38 million dollars in energy assistance.
• The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has launched a Faucet and Filter Safety Net Program. Eligible households may be able to replace a faucet or get a lead-reducing filter. Some residents may qualify for a home visit for a visual assessment of their plumbing or get assistance applying for the Medicaid Lead Abatement program. 
• The Lexus Velodrome was re-dubbed the Mad Track Arena on Monday. The indoor multi-sport complex first opened in January 2018 and partnered with the Detroit Lexus Dealers Association to offer bike programs. Detroit Fitness Foundation CEO Dale Hughes says thousands of youth in the city have learned to ride a bike, taken a spin on the Olympic-caliber indoor racetrack or become racers themselves. The arena features the only indoor velodrome of its kind in the U.S.

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