The Michigan Department of Transportation is lifting some restrictions for transporting certain hazardous substances across the Ambassador Bridge this fall.

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MDOT will ease restrictions on transporting fuels and materials for batteries beginning Oct. 29. The bridge’s owners requested the looser restrictions, saying it can respond quickly to a fire or spill. 

MDOT commissioned a technical study  in June 2021 to evaluate the risks associated with transporting restricted materials on the Ambassador Bridge from Porter Street in Detroit to Canada, the state reported. MDOT subsequently collected more than 80 letters from elected officials, business owners and community members, many expressing support for the looser restrictions.

Restricted materials will only be transported during off-peak hours, under the supervision of vehicle escorts, according to the state.

Other headlines for Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024:

• The city of Detroit is holding informational sessions this month to teach local nonprofits how to apply for grants to expand or improve their programs.
• Detroit is also offering free estate planning workshops to residents during the month of September.
• The Brightmoor Artisans Collective is recruiting volunteers for its Beautification Day event Saturday, Sept. 7. 
• The Paradise Wellness Academy is hosting a free Community Health Education series this month, featuring live cooking demonstrations and tips for preparing nutritious meals, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Sept. 12, 19 and 26. 

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

Windsor’s AM 580 radio station, known for its nostalgic playlist of hits and deep tracks from the 1950s, ’60s and beyond, has undergone a surprising format change this week.

The station, with the call letters CKWW, has pivoted to a focus on local Windsor news and information following its acquisition by Toronto’s CINA Radio Group.

Al Pervin, the new general manager of AM 580, says the previous music-heavy format was not achieving high ratings in the market.

“We had the chance to buy it, so we did and we’re changing the format to focus more on local information for Windsor and also play some music from the ’70s and ’80s,” said Pervin. “But the local information is really our prime focus.”

The station launched a new morning show this month, with plans to introduce even more local programming in the near future.