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?
Today: Increasing clouds in the afternoon. Rain and storm chances late towards evening. Highs near 80°. Winds: SW 10-20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear with lows in the mid to upper 50s. Winds: Light.
Thursday: An early shower is possible, but much of the day will be partly sunny and dry with highs in the mid 60s. Winds: W 10 mph.
Any traffic issues?
As of 8:45 a.m., there's a small delay on I-75 and Dixie Hwy with debris on the road from a crash, but no lanes of traffic are shut down there.
The top stories to know about
Detroit City Council passes ordinance allowing city to prosecute misdemeanors for first time
Detroit City Council made history Tuesday morning by passing an ordinance that will allow the city to prosecute certain misdemeanors for the first time, shifting responsibility from Wayne County and enabling prosecutors to focus more resources on violent crimes
The council approved the measure by an 8-1 vote, with Council President Mary Sheffield casting the only dissenting vote. The change, requested by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, is set to take effect July 1.
"This to me is a historic... moment because we're changing the way law enforcement is done in the city," said Douglas Baker, chief of criminal enforcement with the city's law department.
Councilman Scott Benson, who represents District 3 and proposed the ordinance, said the shift represents a significant milestone for Detroit.
"This is also a game changer for us at the city of Detroit. This is the first time we are taking over the prosecution from Wayne County," Benson said. "Prosecutor Worthy's office requested the city of Detroit to take on the process of prosecuting minor misdemeanors, so their office can focus on the felonies, more serious crimes."
Detroit has budgeted $700,000 to hire four new attorneys and two new paralegals who will handle these prosecutions. The city will also retain revenue from fines that previously went to the state.
"If someone is shoplifting, if someone breaks into your car and causes damage, if someone is drunk in public with a weapon, we would be able to hold them accountable and those fees will come back to the city of Detroit where they don't now, they go to the state of Michigan," Benson said.
Detroit resident Jordan Truesdale said the change could benefit the city financially.
"It seems we'll have more revenue from fines coming into the city, which could be good if it's used properly," Truesdale said.
Other residents also expressed hope that the shift will allow more focus on serious violent crimes affecting the community.
"I have two daughters... I've been noticing there's been a lot of kid shootings, violent crimes at the parks. There's been a lot of stuff going on this summer, so I believe with more prosecuting and them getting on top of it, it might slim down to show these younger guys that yeah, you might get in trouble for doing these violent crimes," Detroit resident Deray Fisher said.
In a statement, Worthy emphasized that her office will continue handling certain misdemeanors that often escalate to more serious crimes.
"This was a long time in the making. Most of the credit goes to Councilman Benson who listened to my concerns, brought the right people to the table, and quickly picked up this mantel of change. This ordinance will allow my office to focus on Detroit's violent and other felonious crimes. I do want to assure that we will continue to be the prosecutorial authority to handle those misdemeanors that are most likely to be the bridge to more serious criminality like stalking and domestic violence just to name a few," Worthy said.
Justin Turk, who works in Detroit, also expressed support for the change.
"I think anything that gets the focus more on the more important crimes to get off the streets is beneficial," Turk said.
Detroit plans to use specialty courts to help eligible residents maintain clean records.
Benson said most residents won't notice a significant difference as all cases will remain at the 36th District Court. He says the vast majority of Wayne County cities already have similar arrangements in place.
"This now allows us to have a greater level of control of how we hold our residents accountable and how we are able to help them as well," Benson said.
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Suspect arrested in double homicide after mother, 12-year-old son found dead in Hazel Park
A suspect has been arrested after a woman and her 12-year-old son were found dead in what police are investigating as a double homicide in Hazel Park, law enforcement sources told 7 News Detroit.
Late Monday night, police found the mother and son dead inside a home on Berdeno Avenue, near I-75 and 9 Mile Road.
Tuesday night, police said an arrest had been made in the case. We're told that a 43-year-old black man has been taken into custody in connection to this case.
Earlier, police said they don't believe the public is in danger.
We spoke to the family of the victims about the tragedy. Family has identified the victims as 12-year-old Kardi Jackson and 41-year-old Linda Hill.
Linda's 21-year-old son, Damontez Hill, says his mother had a joy for life. He says that they don't have a lot of information at this point, by that the entire family is heartbroken.
“All around good person. She wasn’t bothering nobody for real, always fun, main thing she wanted to do was to have fun," Hill said. "I don’t even know what would make a person do something like this. It’s messed up.”
Family members say the victim and her 12-year-old son were supposed to be at a Labor Day party; they were just waiting on someone to pick them up. A close relative who didn't want to be identified said someone at the party was on the phone with the victim when the person they believe is behind the double homicide walked in her front door.
"They were on the phone together while the situation was going down, but it went blank," the family member said. "She said she didn’t hear no screams or anything like that. But she heard the phone go silent... he is 12, like I said, young and innocent. He didn’t have anything to do with this."
Instead of joining his middle school classmates after the holiday break, the Hazel Park school district notified families of resources to aid students dealing with the death of a classmate, letting them know a 12-year-old and his mom were killed on the holiday.
"The family is in our thoughts, prayers, and support during this incredibly difficult time," the letter to district families read.
The family member said that the last phone call happened around 4 p.m. on Monday. Shortly after 4 p.m., Hazel Park police said they found the mom and her son inside the home. They haven't said how they died, only that they sustained injuries from apparent trauma. Police are investigating this as a double homicide.
This is all still early in the investigation, but if you have any information, you're asked to call Hazel Park police.
Family has shared the following GoFundMe link if you'd like to help them support funeral costs for Kardi Jackson and Linda Hill.
'Tell your unique story': College advisor gives tips on applying to scholarships to save money
Applying for college can be a daunting and expensive task, but when it to saving money on your education, applying for scholarships may be the best way to do it. The key is knowing which scholarships to apply for, and also how to apply.
We spoke with students who say the price tag attached to being a college student can be overwhelming, but finding scholarships really gives them hope.
"It's just like such a daunting amount of money that really, like, any amount of scholarships is so helpful," Clara told me.
"College was always something I had wanted for myself," said Adriana Guzman, a freshman at Eastern Michigan University. "Nobody in my family had ever been to college."
For Guzman, college always felt like a dream just out of reach.
"I'm expanding my education," Guzman said. "I'm meeting people who will eventually become my lifelong friends and I was just like 'I wanna do that.'"
She says money was her biggest hurdle when applying.
If I didn't have that scholarship money I honestly would be struggling financially," Guzman said. "I probably would have dropped out."
But she says that because she began her scholarship hunt early, college quickly became a reality for her.
“I would say the beginning of my hunt began in my sophomore year," Guzman said. "I was honest about my past and everything that I went through and everything I overcame to get to where I was now."
Kevin Towns is the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships for the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He told me high school students should start looking into scholarships in their junior year.
“Definitely start to look at the institutions that a student is considering," Towns said. "Also looking at private search engines like Fastweb.com, scholarships.com,, big future by College Board."
But if you're an overachiever, there are some openings to students as young as sophomores.
“They'll apply to our program in the fall, do some different campus visits, SAT prep, FAFSA completion, like a leadership training and networking and etiquette session," said Christa Funk.
Funk is the Executive Director of Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars. She told me the program is more than just money. They want to walk students through the entire journey.
"Once they graduate high school, they get a $4000 scholarship from us, and then we provide college coaching to make sure that they not only make it to campus but you know, persist and graduate too," Funk said.
Towns told me the key to making sure you don't leave any money on the table is organization.
"First thing you want to do is determine what is a tool that you're gonna use that is going to, keep track of the scholarships," Towns said. "So deadlines, as well as what the criteria is, if there's a lot of recommendations, if there's GPA requirements."
He also stressed the importance of authenticity.
"As personal as you can be is really important, being able to tell your unique story...so being able to put pen to paper to articulate that, the best way you can, being concise," Towns said.
He also added that local scholarships may have fewer applicants, giving you better odds.
"If you look at one local to your neighborhood, or to your city, or to your state," Towns said. "Even the number of students who are applying for that particular scholarship has reduced drastically."
