In this Detroit Evening Report, WSU's President Espy resigns, plus updates on mayoral debates, Detroit Grand Prix and more.

Detroit anti-violence organizer Eric Ford died Monday. Ford was the founder of Detroit 300.

Police Chief Todd Bettison says Ford was a “massive voice” for Community Violence Intervention. Bettison called him a “superhero to his community” and said he will be truly missed.

Ford’s family says he died of natural causes. He was 58.

• Duggan reports city budget surplus: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says the city is ending the fiscal year with a $60 million budget surplus. He is proposing City Council set aside a portion of that money for a Corporate Income Tax reserve. Federal spending cuts are expected to cause a shortage in the taxes collected from businesses in the city. And Duggan says tariffs have already caused a 50% drop in manufacturing income taxes.
• Michigan Central Drone Day is tomorrow. Organizers promise youth workshops,‘dronut launches from the roof and the longest commercial delivery flight in the city to date. The event will showcase a collaboration between Aerialoop, Newlab at Michigan Central, Airsapce Link and the state’s Office of Future of Mobility and Electrification and Department of Transportation.
• DCFC celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: The Detroit City Football Club is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a special ticket package that adds a themed DCFC shirt to a game ticket purchase. The Pablo’s Tacos Pack option gets 2 ticket holders into the club’s City Supporters section and a voucher good for 2 tacos and a drink from the Pablo’s Tacos Food Truck at Saturday’s game against Lexington SC. For more information and to buy tickets go to detcityfc.com.

Correction for recent Detroit Evening Report

Lastly… we reported earlier this month on the Carr Center’s exhibit "In the Life: Black Queerness – Looking Back, Moving Forward" presented by Mighty Real Queer Detroit. The exhibit spans a variety of media and features work from more than a dozen artists.

It is open through October 11th at the Carr Center location at 15 E Kirby Street. Our previous report directed listeners to the wrong Carr Center location. We apologize for the error.

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

Ford Motor Company announced Monday that its moving its headquarters for the first time in 70 years. The new headquarters will be located west of Greenfield Village in Dearborn.

The new Henry Ford II World Center is a 2.1 million square foot state-of-the-art building. It will serve as a global center to promote innovation, collaboration, and transformation. Among the changes are six Design Studios and a Design Showroom, which can hold 10 vehicle turntables with 64-ft micro LED screens for product review.

The building is a Net-Zero Energy Building, using a central energy plant for hot water and steam and DTE MI Green Power Program to have a net-zero carbon goal. There are also energy-efficient systems, including water saving measures and waste reduction strategies in place.

The headquarters has been built on a historic site—the 1953 Product Development Center, where the Mustang, F-Series and Ford GT were created. The former headquarters known as the "Glass House" will be torn down over the next 18 months, with plans to repurpose it for community use.

A public grand opening of the new building is scheduled for November with some employees shifting to the new location.

The project is slated to be completed in 2027.

• Dearborn career fair: The Arab American Women’s Business Council and Dearborn Economic Development are hosting their annual career fair. The career fair takes place at the University of Michigan - Dearborn Fairlane Center South in the Michigan Room East on September 24 from 6-8 p.m. Registration is required as spots are limited.
• Governor Gretchen Whitmer recognizes September 15 through October 15th as Hispanic Heritage Month in Michigan. The designation aims to celebrate the “rich history, vibrant culture and bright future of our Hispanic community,” Whitmer says in a release.
• La Jalisciense is hosting a patio party. The End of Summer Fiesta will host local vendors, a DJ, food and drinks. The party will take place on September 27th from 2-8:30 PM at the La Jalisciense 3923 Vernor Hwy, Detroit, MI.
• The City of Detroit District 1 is hosting a charter-mandated community meeting on Wednesday. There will be resource tables for Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental (BSEED), land bank, and public works, along with the water and sewage department. The meeting will be held on September 17 from 7-8:30 p.m. in person at the New Saint Mark Baptist Church, located at 24331 Eight Mile West in Detroit or virtually on Zoom.
• The Department of Transportation (DDOT) is hosting a virtual community meeting this week. The meeting is to gather feedback about DDOT services, fares and routes. The meeting takes place on Thursday, September 18, at 5 p.m. The Zoom call-in number is 1 (312) 626-6799.

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

The Kresge Foundation announced that it will relocate its headquarters from Troy to the Marygrove campus in northwest Detroit. Along with the move, the foundation says it will invest an additional 180 million dollars in the Liv-Six community over the next five years.

Kresge CEO Rip Rapson says the organization will build a new headquarters on the campus while also strengthening nearby neighborhoods.

“We will, working alongside neighborhood residents and community partners, invest in housing stabilization, home ownership, commercial corridor revitalization, small business support, public spaces enhancements and financial assistance in the Fitzgerald, Bagley, University District and Martin Park neighborhoods,” Rapson said.

The foundation had considered a return to the city for many years, but a renovation of its Troy offices in 2014 delayed those plans. The new headquarters at Marygrove is expected to be completed by 2028.

Apple will open its downtown Detroit store on September 19 on Woodward just south of John R. The announcement comes the same week the company unveiled its newest devices. Apple also revealed plans for a manufacturing academy in Detroit to complement its developer academy partnership with Michigan State University.

Rapper and entrepreneur Jeezy is bringing something special to Detroit. His Friday night concert at the Fox Theatre will feature a live orchestra and will also be livestreamed on his official YouTube channel.

Detroit is one of 23 stops on Jeezy’s tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, first released in 2005.

The Detroit Tigers face the Miami Marlins this weekend at Loan Depot Park. First pitch for tonight’s game is at 7:10 p.m.

The Detroit Lions take on the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 14. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show is coming to Detroit this Sunday, September 14, for an episode that will air September 15 on NBC. The show will be filmed at the Detroit Opera House and will feature special guests Keegan-Michael Key, Detroit Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham, and Grammy-winning rapper and actor Common, who recorded his first album in Detroit.

This is the Tonight Show’s first visit to the city and is being presented in partnership with Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit nbc.com.

The Detroit Department of Public Works announced a new effort to keep the city clean with a recycling pilot program at bus stops.

The department also unveiled two electric garbage trucks that will be used to collect recycling.  

The pilot program will place 800 new recycling cans at the bus stops. 

Public Works Deputy Director Sam Krassenstein says bottles and cans are the number one thing people throw away when waiting for the bus.  “And that's what we're trying to capitalize on by diverting that to keep that out of the landfill and keep that out of the streets.” 

Krassenstein says the pilot aims to increase recycling rates from 45% to nearly 100%.  

The $500,000 investment was funded by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, DTE, and City Council.  

• Jackets for Jobs giving away homecoming dresses and accessories at the Samaritan Center this weekend
• Corewell Health terminates gender affirming care for minors, following Michigan Medicine's decision to do the same.
• Dearborn's community development block grant initiave finishes fixing up its first business exterior, Nadia's Pharmacy.

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

Former Detroit mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins is endorsing Mary Sheffield for the job.

She expressed her support for Sheffield this morning during an event at Cody High School on the city’s west side, saying they have shared priorities.

“It’s about kids all over the city of Detroit who deserve to live in a city free of gun violence. It’s about all the kids who deserve to grow and reach their full potential.”

Jenkins has an understanding of City Council president Sheffield’s qualifications to become mayor. Jenkins served as the president of Detroit City Council before stepping down in 2014.

Sheffield faces Pastor Solomon Kinloch in the November 4th general election.

• Democrat Adam Hollier is running for Michigan's Secretary of State, changing course from his earlier announced intention of running again in the state's 13 congressional district.
• Detroit’s three casinos brought in 106.9 million dollars in revenue last month. That’s down 4.6 percent from August 2024.
• U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin is scheduled to give a keynote address at Wayne State University’s Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy this weekend to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
• Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens is recovering from prostate cancer surgery. He underwent a procedure on Tuesday to deal with the problem. In In a statement on YouTube, he urged men to talk to their doctors about prostate health.

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

The Detroit Regional Chamber is urging voters not to sign a petition that would tax the wealthy to help pay for schools. The chamber argues some small businesses file their taxes using individual income tax.

But Jess Newman from the Invest in MI Kids initiative says the language of the petition and the individual income limits affects only about 12,000 to 18,000 high income individuals in the whole state.

“We’re talking about a very targeted tax to folks that make a ton of money. They do not as an effective rate pay their fair share. We’re also looking at folks that just got a huge tax break on the income taxes from the federal government.”

The Invest in MI Kids ballot initiative would add a 4% tax hike on individual income over $500,000 to fund public education.

Both petition organizers and the chamber urge voters to read the language of the petition.

Wayne County is honoring longtime journalist and founder and publisher of Arab American News, Osama Siblani by naming a stretch of Dearborn’s commercial corridor after him.

Siblani established the publication back in the 1980’s, and 40 years later it has become the longest running bilingual Arab weekly publication in the nation.

According to officials, Warren Avenue is believed to be the first street in Dearborn to have a sign in honor of an Arab American advocate.

Ford is recalling almost 1.5 million vehicles in U.S. because of a rear view camera issue. The recall involves vehicles from model years 2015 to 2019.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the image on the center of the display screen has been reported to go black or get a distorted image which may result in a potential crash.

The administration said they are aware of 18 accidents and no injuries related to the rear camera issue. The agency said that vehicle owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their cars to their respective dealers to solve the issue. There will be no charge for the service.

To combat homelessness in the state, Michigan plans to create mini housing pods.

The city of Lansing approved the purchase and storage of 50 modular housing units called ModPods. City officials in Lansing are considering various locations to plant the pods.

If successful, the approach would make Lansing the first city in Michigan to utilize the 8-by-8 housing units which have been used in other states across the country.

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

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is joining the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to raise awareness for 988 day.

September 8 is dedicated to a national raising awareness for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It’s a 24/7 toll free hotline which connects people with local call centers to confidentially receive compassionate care and resources while people are going through emotional distress, including anxiety, depression or suicidal tendencies.

The hotline is open for people who may in distress with a call answer time of 13 seconds. People have made 261,000 calls to 9-8-8 from Michigan since the state opened its hotline in 2022.

Last year the 2024 State of Mental Health in America report found almost 23% of Michigan adults have a mental health illness. People can also call in for a loved one.

The crisis center has services available in English and Spanish, with an additional language line providing services in 250 languages.

An expungement clinic is coming to Detroit next week.

People can participate in Project Clean Slate, a program which works with people to provide free in person assistance to clear criminal records, removing barriers for housing, employment and educational opportunities. The program aims to help people who have completed their sentences and have stayed out of legal trouble.

Since its inception in Detroit in 2016, the program has expunged 15,000 convictions. The City of Detroit reports a 99.4 % success rate for the expungement of individuals who applied, with about 100 people denied.

This expungement clinic will be held at the Mathis Community Center, located at 19300 Greenfield Road, Detroit, MI on September 20th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Judge Greg Mathis and attorney Jade Mathis are hosting the clinic.

The outdoor event is limited to Detroit residents. Photo ID is required.

ProsperUs Detroit is hosting a Family Block Party this week. The event will feature free meals from five food trucks, activities and networking opportunities with entrepreneurs, partners and neighbors.

The nonprofit works with entrepreneurs for economic development in the Detroit area.

The block party takes place on Wednesday at the Eastern Market Shed 5, between 5-8 p.m. ProsperUs Detroit expects about 400 people to attend.

The Cities of Dearborn and Detroit are also hosting the fourth annual community block party next weekend.

The party takes place on Tireman and Miller Streets for neighbors from both cities. The event features bounce houses, vendor resource tables, and food trucks. There will also be activities and games.

The block party will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13, between 12-3 p.m.

Konjo Me is hosting an event for Ethiopian New Year this weekend. The celebration will feature special guest Bryce Detroit joining Chef Helina Melaku... who will be hosting a ceremonial coffee service. The event will also feature dance and music.

The celebration will be held at Vesper Detroit on Saturday September 13 from 2-7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP.

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