Michigan could not publish its September jobs report because of the federal government shutdown.

The monthly jobs report shows the unemployment rate, the number of unemployed people, and other workforce information. It indicates which sectors of the economy are losing or gaining jobs — information important to academics, economists, government policymakers, and businesses.

The September data exists, but it hasn’t been shared because the employees who handle the report are furloughed.

The August report showed Michigan’s jobless rate was down slightly, largely because fewer people were looking for work.

The 34-acre AB Ford Park reopened this week after $12 million in renovations and cleanup.

The East Riverfront park now includes two new playgrounds, environmental remediation, a basketball court, riverwalk replacement, a nature meadow, and more. The park is next to the Community Center at AB Ford, which opened in 2023.

During the Cold War, AB Ford Park was a site for missile radar towers. The bases of two towers still stand in the park. Detroit City Walls plans to beautify those towers with a mural in spring 2026.

A fund that helps Detroit water customers pay their bills has run out of state and federal money.

The Detroit Free Press reports the Water and Sewerage Department is restructuring its Lifeline Plan, which has helped thousands of customers since launching in 2022. Until now, most households on the plan paid as little as $18 a month for water.

The revised plan will raise monthly rates and serve fewer people in need.

A Wayne County judge says enough evidence exists to try a Hamtramck City Council member for election fraud.

Prosecutors charged Mohammed Hassan with forging a woman’s signature on an absentee ballot in 2023. The Detroit News reports the woman did not vote in that election.

A second round of No Kings protests is happening this Saturday, October 18, across the country — including several in Metro Detroit, such as at Roosevelt Park.

The protests are organized by the group 50501, which stands for “50 protests, 50 states, one movement.” Participants are protesting President Trump’s executive orders on immigration, foreign policy, federal spending cuts, civil rights, and more.

Organizers are asking people to wear yellow as a symbol of unity and hope.

The Detroit Fire Department received new fire and emergency medical services vehicles thanks to a nearly $11 million dollar investment from the city. This is part of the city’s efforts to upgrade their fleet and keep response times well below the national average.

The department received 10 new fire engines, 13 new ambulances, 3 battalion chief vehicles, and 3 new EMS Supervisor vehicles. Each vehicle is equipped with HAAS Alert Safety Cloud that sends real-time digital alerts to nearby drivers when emergency vehicles are approaching or stopped at an incident.

According to the city, these investments help improve a fleet in comparison to the decades old vehicles that were prone to break down.

Additional headlines from Thursday, October 16, 2025

• A proposal for transport at the recently restored Michigan Central Station
• Detroit sports update
• Convening for Dance and Culture is this weekend, hosted by TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance and Culture
  • Listen to The Metro: Annual African dance conference uses dance as a tool for justice and equity

Detroit voters will have an opportunity to see the two candidates for mayor debate each other tonight. City Council president Mary Sheffield and Pastor Solomon Kinloch will take part in the televised event at the WXYZ-TV studios in Southfield.

Michigan Chronicle Executive Editor Jeremy Allen says many Detroiters have already made up their minds about who they’re voting for. “It’s pretty clear that people are either for Mary Sheffield or for Solomon Kinloch. And there are – there’s really no in-between. And so, what I’m seeing from the community is folks who are invested in this race are fully invested on one side or the other, and there’s no in-between.”

Tonight’s debate will be broadcast on WXYZ-TV 7 at 7 p.m. and streamed online. Citizen Detroit will hold a debate watch party beginning at 6 p.m. at UFO Bar – that’s 2110 Trumbull in Detroit.

• The Detroit Free Press announced Tuesday that’s it’s endorsing City Council President Mary Sheffield to become Detroit’s next mayor. The Free Press says she’s more qualified to hold the city’s top job. The Detroit News and Michigan Chronicle have also endorsed Sheffield for mayor.
• The Detroit Fire Department is adding new vehicles to its fleet. The department is getting 10 new fire engines and 13 new ambulances. There are also six new supervisory vehicles. The city’s total investment is $10.7 million.
• A mural of civil rights activist Rosa Parks is being unveiled today at the Rosa Parks Transit Center. City officials say the mural is part of efforts to make improvements at the center.
• The opening of the Gordie Howe bridge between Detroit and Windsor has been delayed. The “Gordie” is now expected to open sometime early next year.
• Gas prices are falling in Metro Detroit. The average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded is now $2.87. That’s down 13 cents from a week ago, and 30 cents cheaper than last month at this time. Industry analysts say lower prices are a result of reduced consumer demand and the annual switch to a winter blend of gasoline, which is cheaper to produce.

A startup competition is soliciting business proposals from Indigenous entrepreneurs in Michigan. It's called IndigiPitch, and it's organized by 20 Fathoms, a tech startup incubator in northern Michigan.

Chief Financial Officer and Tribal Liaison Shiloh Slomsky says Native communities face more barriers to getting a business off the ground than other groups. "Number one is capital or access to representation at pitch events, or in front of venture capitals and even banking."

IndigiPitch will place entrepreneurs in front of investors. A panel of Indigenous judges will choose the winners in December and award cash prizes.

-MPRN

• Urban Consulate’s Daring Ideas for the Future series will bring 3 MacArthur “geniuses” to Detroit this fall. Admission is free but registration is required. For more information visit urbanconsulate.com/daringfuture.
• The Detroit Free Press Marathon is this Sunday and organizers are inviting the community to come out to cheer the runners on. Runners in the International Marathon, the International Half-Marathon and the Motor City Half-Marathon versions of the race will wind through parts of Midtown, the Cass Corridor, Eastern Market and downtown. Police will start towing cars along the marathon route at around 2 a.m. Sunday morning and keep streets blocked until 2 p.m. Check marathon routes and get more information at freepmarathon.com/marathon/
• Michigan Central is hosting Halloween at the Station. The free family event includes an Outdoor Festival on the Michigan Central Lawn and LaCombe Street with an interactive science station arts and crafts, a selfie station, airbrush tattoos, cider, doughnuts and more. Inside, DJ sets and live painting. Costumes are encouraged but masks are not allowed. No registration is required for the outdoor festival. Register for Fridays at the Station at michigancentral.com/events/
• People in more than a hundred Michigan communities plan to join nationwide protests against the Trump administration this Saturday. That includes a "No Kings" rally at Roosevelt Park in Corktown, at Parkwood Plaza in Oak Park, and at Lathrup Village City Hall. Millions attended similar demonstrations across the country in June.

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

A startup competition is soliciting business proposals from Indigenous entrepreneurs in Michigan. It's called IndigiPitch, and it's organized by 20 Fathoms, a tech startup incubator in northern Michigan.

Chief Financial Officer and Tribal Liaison Shiloh Slomsky says Native communities face more barriers to getting a business off the ground than other groups. "Number one is capital or access to representation at pitch events, or in front of venture capitals and even banking."

IndigiPitch will place entrepreneurs in front of investors. A panel of Indigenous judges will choose the winners in December and award cash prizes.

-MPRN

• Urban Consulate’s Daring Ideas for the Future series will bring 3 MacArthur “geniuses” to Detroit this fall. Admission is free but registration is required. For more information visit urbanconsulate.com/daringfuture.
• The Detroit Free Press Marathon is this Sunday and organizers are inviting the community to come out to cheer the runners on. Runners in the International Marathon, the International Half-Marathon and the Motor City Half-Marathon versions of the race will wind through parts of Midtown, the Cass Corridor, Eastern Market and downtown. Police will start towing cars along the marathon route at around 2 a.m. Sunday morning and keep streets blocked until 2 p.m. Check marathon routes and get more information at freepmarathon.com/marathon/
• Michigan Central is hosting Halloween at the Station. The free family event includes an Outdoor Festival on the Michigan Central Lawn and LaCombe Street with an interactive science station arts and crafts, a selfie station, airbrush tattoos, cider, doughnuts and more. Inside, DJ sets and live painting. Costumes are encouraged but masks are not allowed. No registration is required for the outdoor festival. Register for Fridays at the Station at michigancentral.com/events/
• People in more than a hundred Michigan communities plan to join nationwide protests against the Trump administration this Saturday. That includes a "No Kings" rally at Roosevelt Park in Corktown, at Parkwood Plaza in Oak Park, and at Lathrup Village City Hall. Millions attended similar demonstrations across the country in June.

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

Detroit’s mayoral candidates have their only scheduled debate this week.

The Reverand Solomon Kinloch faces City Council President Mary Sheffield in the general election. Kinloch, a political newcomer, says city leaders haven’t done enough to increase affordable housing in Detroit. He votes to do that and continue pastoring his church if voters elect him.

“All of us got a responsibility, not to just do something from a spiritual perspective, but to do something social and political. That’s my rearing and my raising. I believe that this is a great opportunity to inspire an entire city that ordinary people can do some extraordinary things.”

Sheffield argues dealing with Detroit’s housing and financial issues demands someone with the kind of experience she’s gained over a dozen years on Council.

The debate will be on Channel 7 starting at 7 p.m this Wednesday, October 15.

• Dearborn Heights City Council Chairman Mo Baydoun is now the Acting Mayor due to Mayor Bill Bazzi’s resignation. The U.S. Senate confirmed Bazzi’s nomination to serve as the Ambassador to Tunisia.
• The Detroit Repair Cafe is hosting a popup at the Moondog Cafe in Detroit Sunday, October 19. People can bring their clothes, electronics, bikes, toys and other things to fix for free. There is also free parking available.
• The Asian American-led group Rising Voices is hosting another artist salon in their series “We Belong Here - Asian American Ancestry, Authenticity and Healing." The program will be held at the Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit next Friday, Oct. 24. It will begin with a walking tour of Asian Americans and allies buried in the cemetery and be followed by a panel discussion about AAPI history in America and healing. It is free and open to the public.
• The international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse is looking for gifts and donations for Operation Christmas Child. Several drop boxes will be open next month for donations. Volunteers are collecting and delivering gifts for kids who have faced war, poverty or disaster. People can also donate $10 for a box of goodies to fill a shoebox full of gifts for a child. Collection week is November 17-24. Find the closest drop-box by entering your zip code on this Samaritan’s Purse page.

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

If you’re interested in how you can be a part of a clean energy future, this event might be for you. The Resilience and Equity in the Clean Energy Sector Summit is happening next week, October 13 through 15, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Organizers say this is the largest clean energy gathering with Black and Brown folks in mind — not as the footnote but the headline.

The summit will offer hands-on workshops, tech showcases, career pathways, funding opportunities, and more. Plus, the featured speaker is national political activist Stacey Abrams.

For more information, visit therecessconference.com.

The City of Pontiac is announcing 100 completed home improvement projects at a press conference on October 14. This is all part of its Houses Through Home Repair Program, which aims to fix homes that need key repairs and upgrades.

City leaders will highlight improvements to plumbing, HVAC, roofing, porches, and more at the press conference at 1159 Eckman Ave. in Pontiac.

For details, go to pontiac.mi.us.

Before we get to the weekend activities, let’s check out sports.

MLB
The Tigers face the Seattle Mariners tonight in a winner-take-all matchup. The American League Division Series is tied 2-2, and the winner of tonight’s game moves on to the American League Championship Series to face the Toronto Blue Jays.
First pitch is at 8:08 p.m.

NFL
On October 12, the Detroit Lions face the Kansas City Chiefs in a Sunday night matchup you don’t want to miss. The Lions are 4-1 and leading the NFC North, while the Chiefs are digging their way out of the AFC West.
Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium.

Wayne State University is partnering with the Consulate of Mexico in Detroit to host a film festival of Mexican-based films on Wednesday, October 15, at noon. The event is free and will be held at La Plaza del Norte Building, 2835 Bagley Street.

It will feature conversations about political and social implications, history, and more. For more information, go to las.wayne.edu.

Beacon Park is hosting Cider in the City this weekend, October 11 and 12, and next weekend, October 18 and 19, from 1 to 5 p.m. both days.

There will be cider and donuts, cocktails, football on LED screens, and more.
For details, visit ciderinthecity.com.

Wayne State University launched the Warriors on the Rise program last month that will offer guaranteed enrollment to qualified high school juniors in the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The goal is to increase enrollment of students that come from the school district. Juniors with a 3.0 GPA will be automatically enrolled by DPSCD school officials. Families will then be invited to a meeting with the district to discuss the next steps.

Additional headlines from Thursday, October 9, 2025

• Residents in Corktown presented the developers of the new Detroit City Football Club stadium with a detailed proposal for community benefits.
• A marijuana industry group is suing the state of Michigan after Governor Gretchen Whitmer passed a plan that would add a 24% tax on cannabis. Michigan currently has a 10% excise tax on weed along with the 6% Michigan sales tax.
• The Detroit Land Bank Authority is investing $15 million to launch its Affordable Housing Pipeline. The project aims to restore underutilized multi-family buildings in the city. The first project in the Wade neighborhood will transform two historic 1920s buildings into 30 affordable housing units.
• Detroit will offer free bus rides to voters on Election Day. DDOT will waive fares for people who need a ride to the polls on November 4.

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