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?
Wildfire smoke will continue to impact our skies and air quality through Tuesday. Conditions should improve by late Tuesday, as southerly winds push the smoke back to the north. The rest of the week will be mostly sunny with climbing temperatures. There is a slight chance for some isolated showers Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, mainly developing along the lake breeze.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, hazy. Slight shower chance. Highs in the low to mid 80s. Winds: ESE 5-10 mph
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Slight shower chance. Highs in the mid 80s. Winds: ESE 5-10 mph
The top stories to know about
Detroit voters prepare for primary election as low turnout expected
It's August Primary Election Day in metro Detroit, and the biggest race on the ballot is the race for Detroit mayor. Nine candidates are facing off with the top two vote-getters moving on to the November election to replace current Mayor Mike Duggan.
Work is already underway at polling locations across the city, with voters dropping off absentee ballots ahead of Tuesday's deadline. The city clerk hopes for strong participation despite current projections.
Monday, campaign volunteers spent the day making their final push to get voters to the polls.
See our entire coverage of the Detroit mayoral election here
'He didn't deserve this:' Family mourns maintenance worker killed in Royal Oak apartment shooting
A family is sharing their grief after the tragic murder of 65-year-old Gregory Hill, who was shot and killed outside a Royal Oak apartment complex last week.
Hill was working as a part-time maintenance worker at Devon Park Apartments when he was shot multiple times by a tenant who was being evicted. Police say Hill was not involved in the altercation that led to the shooting.
"I'm just going to miss talking to him because he was the only one I would call," said Tonya Jordan, Hill's sister.
For Jordan, the tragedy that unfolded Thursday in Royal Oak is unthinkable. While residents knew the victim as Greg the maintenance worker, she knew him as her brother.
"Our favorite line in our text: 'Hey, my sister Tonya,' and I'd be like 'hey my brother, Greg.' That'd be our opening line to each other," Jordan said.
The two spoke often and were even planning a cruise together when Jordan received a devastating call from Hill's daughter.
"She said that they shot him, and I said 'they shot him? What do you mean? Where is he? What's going on?' She's like, 'He didn't make it' and I was like 'what? He didn't make it?'" Jordan said.
According to prosecutors, Hill was working on an outside door at the complex when 32-year-old Nathaniel Rockwell, who was being evicted for multiple incidents involving firearms, began arguing with management and then with a tenant in the parking lot. Witnesses say Rockwell suddenly grabbed a gun from his car and walked toward Hill.
"Why would you attract your attention to him when all he was doing was fixing the door? He was a maintenance man," Jordan said.
Police noted that Hill was unarmed and wasn't directly involved in the dispute. Prosecutors say Rockwell shot him 11 times, some at close range.
Waterford man fulfills promise to honor friends lost in 1966 house fire
It was an emotional day at Waterford Center Cemetery, marking the final chapter of a story that began nearly six decades ago.
It’s been a long time coming, but gravestones now sit at the place of what once were unmarked graves, offering a semblance of closure for the community that still remembers a tragedy long ago.
Bob Russako watched Monday as gravestones adorned with the names of his friends were set into place.
“Now everybody knows where they're at. I mean, I know where they are at now. Coming out here and not finding anything was very hurtful after a while,” Russako said.
The gravesite had weighed heavily on Russako for years, with his four friends sitting in unmarked graves.
“I was 15, same age as Kathy, and I remember very well — running around our house, her and my stepsister piercing their ears with ice cubes. And I remember her favorite song,” Russako said.
We first shared Russako and his story back in June. Russako’s friends, the Browns, lived just around the corner from him growing up.
