METRO DETROIT (WXYZ) — Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.
What's the weather for today?
Monday: Mostly sunny with highs near 90°. Afternoon showers and a thunderstorm possible. Winds: SW 5-10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear with lows near 70°. Winds: S 5-10 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny with showers and thunderstorms likely. Some storms could bring heavy rain Highs near 90°. Winds: SW 5-15 mph.
Any traffic issues?
There's a new crash in Allen Park area at I-94 and M-39. Looks like all southbound lanes are closed and cars using the ramps that take you to I-94 as an alternate route. A bit of a slow down in that area, but there is a detour if you get off at westbound Michigan Avenue, to southbound Telegraph, to eastbound I-94.
The top stories to know about
2 killed, 2 hospitalized after stabbing at pool party on Detroit's east side
Two people are dead and two people are in the hospital after being stabbed at a pool party on Detroit's east side.
Detroit Police say they got the call of the stabbing at a home in the 18500 block of Fleming just before 10 p.m.
According to Deputy Chief Arnold Williams, the stabbing stemmed from an argument over a woman at the pool party. Per DPD, one male suspect stabbed four people after that argument.
Two people — a man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s — died in that stabbing. Two other men in their 30s were hospitalized, with one man in critical condition.
The suspect is not yet in police custody, but police have identified a person of interest.
"Over these last couple days, we've had this rash of violence," Williams said. "Unexplainable, this again is one of those incidents. We had four people that were stabbed because somebody said something or somebody touched somebody, and that is not how we deal with any type of conflict. We have to do better."
Neighbor Deborah Griffin says that the house, an Airbnb that's been on her street for a few years, has become a serious problem. Calling it the "party house", Griffin and other neighbors told us the loud music and crowded streets have become a nuisance, but they never imagined it would turn deadly.
“With this being so close to home, that was very scary for me," Deborah said. “At first everything was nice, because they fixed it up because the house had been burned down they fixed it up it was a really nice house, but then every weekend it’s bad because of the parties...I never thought, you know, that something like this would happen."
She continued to say that this was the final straw.
“You had mentioned that you’re going to take some action here, you’re going to go to a meeting, city council meeting, I mean what would you like to see done?" 7 News Reporter Carli Petrus asked.
“I want it gone really," Deborah said of the house." I mean, I hate that for the owner, but you know, I’d rather it not be in a residential area, you know, right on a block like this, I mean if it was contained, it would be okay, but it’s just bad that we have to deal with this every weekend.”
Local businesses gear up for 30th annual Woodward Dream Cruise
The Woodward Dream Cruise is just days away, with businesses along the iconic avenue preparing for more than 1.5 million visitors expected to attend the event.
"The energy is cool, everyone's in a great mood, everyone's just having a good time… it's great energy," said Bram Rowinski, front house manager at Vinsetta Garage in Royal Oak.
Rowinski and his team began preparations a month ago to ensure they're ready for the massive crowds.
"We were doing all the ordering and everything and making sure we're all staffed up and everything," Rowinski said.
The restaurant is bringing in additional staff to handle the influx of customers during the multi-day event.
"We bring in a lot of managers from all over, everybody just kind of wants to help out this week, it's awesome, it's really great to see," Rowinski said.
Though the Dream Cruise officially starts Saturday, car enthusiasts begin showing up days in advance.
"Wednesday, it starts getting real crazy here then it just carries on until the next week, it's awesome," Rowinski said.
Jason Thomas, a Harrison Township resident, planning to cruise Woodward this weekend, shared what draws him to the annual event.
"Just coming out having a good time with friends, looking at all the cars that come out whether it's older classic, Japanese JDM cars, exotic cars are out here," Thomas said.
Smart Shopper: Finding the best deals for supplies among Back To School sales
The countdown to the first day of school has begun, and one issue many parents are talking about is the growing cost of Back To School shopping.
Families are really feeling the effects of higher prices of school supplies. According to a recent Bankrate survey, 1 in 5 shoppers say Back To School costs are straining their budgets, 1 in 6 shoppers plan to buy fewer school supplies than previous years due to the cost, and 1 in 10 shoppers feel pressured to spend more than they're comfortable with spending.
To help you save, we have a special edition of Smart Shopper, looking at six common school supplies at four major retailers to see which offers the best deal.
We looked at the school supply list for kids, Kindergarten to fifth grade, and tried to come up with six items on each list, so I came up with disinfectant wipes, Kleenex, pencils, erasers, scissors, and glue sticks.
We've compared the prices at four stores to see where you can get the most bang for your buck.
Back To School shopping can be fun, but also expensive. Mother of five Jessica Szpanelewski knows a thing or two about that.
"I can definitely see a difference," she told me.
From her oldest, who is 22, to her youngest son entering the fifth grade, Szpanelewski tells me through the years, the school supply lists keep growing.
"Most definitely increasing, it seems like nowadays, we have to supply almost everything from tissues to disinfectant wipes all the way to dry-erase markers," she said.
So to not break the bank, Szpanelewski says Back To School drives and price comparing are the tricks. I'm doing the latter.
We started at Meijer, and repeated the process at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
The most affordable was Walmart, edging out Meijer by 49 cents. The most expensive by far is Amazon. Buying in small quantities isn't worth it if you're shopping at the online retailer, but you could get great deals buying in bulk.
But wherever you shop, and no matter how long the list, Jessica said it's important to keep your head up.
"You have the kids going back to school, so that’s good for us parents a little bit too," Jessica said. "Yeah definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.”
And teachers: if you are looking for deals for your classroom, we have more information at this link.
