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Today: Storms and rain possible early with lingering showers into the afternoon. Highs in the mid to upper 60s. Winds: SW/NW 5-10 mph.
Tonight: Clearing skies and falling temps with lows in the mid 40s. Winds: S 5-10 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. Winds: N 10 mph.
The top stories to know about
'A culture of accountability.' Detroit leaders tout drop in violence for first 9 months of 2025
Officials from the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and federal agencies gathered Monday for a press conference, touting a drop in crime in Detroit for the first nine months of the year.
The press conference came on the same day that a teen was killed and another was hospitalized in a drive-by shooting earlier in the morning.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan acknowledged the shooting at the start of the press conference, saying that while the numbers are dramatically lower than in the past, "every single one is a painful loss in the community."
According to the latest numbers from the Detroit Police Department, there have been 133 homicides in the city of Detroit this year, down 15% from the same time period in 2024. There have also been 366 non-fatal shootings, which is 22% lower than the same time period in 2024 and 64 carjackings.
Last year, the city also touted a significant drop in crime, with former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn Isom calling the city a "national model for how to reduce violent crime."
“What we have been trying to do is instill a culture of accountability, both on DPD’s side and on the community’s side,” Duggan said in the press conference on Monday.
Duggan said that both the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office have embedded prosecutors inside DPD precincts to help bring down gun crimes.
In August, Duggan said agents executed raids at 11 homes of suspected gang members, which resulted in 43 illegal weapons being taken off the street.
“This is a collaborative effort between federal, between state, between local, and let’s not forget, our community, who we have an excellent relationship with,” Bettison said. “I have to be the luckiest police chief in America, because where I’m standing, I got all my friends standing behind me and these are the types of results we’re delivering for Detroit."
"Today is about partnerships, collaboration, about accountability. We are holding shooters accountable, firearms traffickers accountable," Detroit ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir said.
“We’re not waving the flag of success; there’s much work to do. But the strategies we’re implementing, what we are doing, is working," Bettison said.
Tigers fan attending first playoff game after double organ transplant, 313 days in hospital
After spending 313 days in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant, Alex Castonguay will finally experience his first Detroit Tigers playoff game in person when the team takes on the Seattle Mariners in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Comerica Park.
"Me going to this first playoff game after having such an awful weird year means more to me than I think most people realize," he said. "If we end up going all the way this year, I will cry."
The 30-year-old lifelong Tigers fan has been a season ticket holder since 2022, but instead of witnessing last year's playoff run from the ballpark, he watched from a hospital room.
"I was born with hypoplastic left heart. I always knew at some point in my life I was going to need a heart transplant and that day came when I turned 25," Castonguay said.
His health deteriorated in May 2024, leading to a 313-day hospital stay as he waited for an organ donor and eventually recovered from the procedure. During that time, his passion for the Tigers never wavered.
"I watched Opening Day (2025) in the hospital. I ordered some hot dogs off my hospital menu and anyone who came in to do therapy or anything, I would tell them 'not today. Today's not a good day. My Tigers are playing,'" Castonguay said.
His wife Christina has been by his side throughout the entire ordeal and will accompany him to the playoff game.
"I know it was just a struggle for him, the mental capacity just waiting in the hospital that long," Christina Castonguay said. "He just amazes me with everything he’s able to do now.”
Alex Castonguay underwent both heart and liver transplants in March. As his life slowly returns to normal, he remains grateful for his family, the Tigers players making this postseason run and, most importantly, his young organ donor.
"Because of somebody else — unfortunately, their circumstance — gave me an opportunity to feel good again and live my life again and get back to some normalcy," Alex Castonguay said. “Organ donation is something that many people will never have to endure in their lifetime, especially being my age."
"We have no idea who his organ donor is, but there's not a day that goes by where I am not so thankful that they gave him the second chance, so he could go and do this stuff," Christina Castonguay said. “Without organ donations, I wouldn’t have my husband sitting next to me."
Comerica Park is already prepared for the game, with a block party scheduled to begin three hours before first pitch in front of the stadium.
‘He should be removed.’ Road commissioner facing backlash for ‘threat of violence’
He’s a developer turned public official and his tenure as one of the people in charge of the Road Commission of Oakland County has hit some speed bumps. Recently, an independent investigation found that James Esshaki violated workplace violence rules for threatening a road commission employee. And that has some calling for his removal.
The Road Commission of Oakland County is separate from county government, but the Oakland County Commissioners are the ones who appoint the road commissioners. That means they’re the only ones who can remove a road commissioner.
In January, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Esshaki as a road commissioner. But by June, Esshaki was accused of threatening to fight with a road commission employee.
“Why did you threaten a road commission employee?” 7 Investigator Heather Catallo asked Esshaki after a public meeting in July.
“No comment,” said Esshaki.
The Birmingham developer has also come under fire for voting to stop the construction of the road commission’s new headquarters after millions of taxpayer dollars had already been spent.
“Are you qualified to be in this position overseeing taxpayer money?” Catallo asked Esshaki.
“Absolutely. Thank you,” said Esshaki.
“I was surprised when he made the threat. I was just like, you're supposed to be a commissioner that I'm supposed to look up to,” said Walter Mersino Jr..
Mersino is a foreman who has worked for the Road Commission of Oakland County for 35 years. Meeting minutes show Mersino is one of several long-time employees who spoke out during an April public meeting, questioning Esshaki about why he supported canceling the plans for the new building.
Mersino says later, when he was on a job site in Bloomfield Township with a co-worker in June, Esshaki suddenly showed up and challenged him to a fight.
“He got to the point where he said, well, this guy here can leave and me and you can go behind the trees and settle this,” said Mersino. Mersino says he did not want to jeopardize his job, but when he tried to leave the situation, he says Esshaki called him a “little girl” for leaving.
Mersino filed a police report and an incident report with the road commission. All road commission employees are required to report any threats of violence, according to their work policies.
An outside lawyer was brought in to investigate and recently issued an extensive report. After interviewing nine witnesses, attorney Heidi Hudson determined, “Mr. Esshaki engaged in behavior and made comments that constituted a threat of violence, and which constituted intimidation and harassment.” Hudson also wrote in her report, “Many witnesses expressed concern about retaliation from Mr. Esshaki, indicating they did not know if he had the ability to interfere with their employment.”
In the report that was shared with the road commission, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, and Oakland County’s Corporation Counsel in early September, Hudson also said, “As a Road Commissioner [Esshaki] holds a position of power over Mr. Mersino. Arguably he should be held to a higher standard of behavior, but at a minimum he should follow the applicable workplace conduct policy.”
Records show Esshaki declined to be interviewed for that outside investigation, with his lawyer saying he would not “dignify the baseless accusations made against him” and referred to the investigation into the workplace policy violation as a “waste of tax-payer money!”
After previously telling the 7 Investigators he did not make a threat, Esshaki did write an apology letter, which the road commission’s clerk was asked to read at a recent meeting.
“The entire situation was unfortunate and regrettable. Obviously, tensions were elevated. I extend a sincere public apology to Mr. Mersino. I also apologize to any other person I upset by my actions. Moving forward, it is my goal to set a new standard of civility and professionalism. For my part, I accept responsibility for any words or actions that may have been perceived as offensive or threatening. My intent is to serve the citizens of Oakland County to the best of my ability, always placing the interests of those traversing our roads at the forefront. Sincerely, James Esshaki, Road Commission for Oakland County Vice Chairman.”
“So he didn't have the class to read himself,” said Mersino.
Mersino was not present at that board meeting when the letter was read and says Esshaki did not apologize to him directly.
“That was it,” said Mersino. “It's a joke. All he's doing is trying to save face… He should be removed. If I was to do that to another employee that I work with, I would be fired. There's no tolerance for that in our workplace.”
Mersino says Esshaki’s threat is even more intimidating since the road commissioner is also a part-time Oakland County Sheriff’s Office marine deputy.
“So, who's to say I’m not running into this guy on a lake somewhere?” said Mersino.
“I’m on a lake with my friends on a boat, I run into him, and now he's in uniform-- how's that interaction going to go?”
A sheriff’s office spokesman told the 7 Investigators, “We did a preliminary review at the time of the incident and determined then that James Esshaki was not armed and did not represent the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. Upon review of the Road Commission for Oakland County report, we are now investigating his off-duty conduct.”
“He's an appointed official and represents the county,” said Commissioner Michael Spisz (R-Oxford), the Oakland County Commission Minority Caucus Chair. “It's a concern to me that anybody would go to a site and actually confront somebody and actually threaten them.”
Commissioner Spisz says he would like Oakland County Commission Chair David Woodward to start talking with the board about Esshaki’s future.
“As of right now there is no plan to have a discussion about anything that was reported in that report,” said Commissioner Spisz.
“Have you asked for a discussion?” asked Catallo.
“I have,” said Spisz. “I've asked the chairman of the board and I've asked the chairman of the [Legislative Affairs and Government Operations] committee itself.”
Commissioner Kristen Nelson (D-Sylvan Lake) first raised concerns about Esshaki’s appointment at the board’s Legislative Affairs and Government Operations (LAGO) Committee in January.
On Monday, she issued this statement:
“Mr. Esshaki’s written apology does not erase the intimidation employees experienced, fear of retaliation, or rebuild a safe workplace. The Board of Commissioners has a duty to hold appointees accountable and protect the integrity of our government. Accepting his apology sends the wrong message: that misconduct can be excused with words instead of consequences. Employees deserve real protections backed by action, and removing Mr. Esshaki is the only appropriate course of action.
Mr. Esshaki’s behavior highlights the dangers of abandoning a transparent appointment process. Chairman Woodward has bypassed that process since 2023, appointing both McPherson and Esshaki without applications or interviews. When appointments are made for political reasons instead of merit, employees are left unprotected, and the public loses confidence. Removing Mr. Esshaki is about safeguarding employees, restoring public trust, and making sure appointments reflect accountability, not politics.”
The 7 Investigators have asked Chair Woodward and his board media liaisons what the commission plans to do with the investigation into Esshaki on September 20, 2025 and again Monday October 6, 2025. They have not responded.
A spokesman for County Executive David Coulter told us this: “Under state law, the authority to appoint or remove Road Commissioners rests solely with the Board of Commissioners. It will be up to the Board to determine any next steps.”
The County LAGO committee that could start that conversation about Esshaki’s future meets Tuesday morning at 9am.
Meanwhile, the 7 Investigators have called, emailed and texted James Esshaki for comment. So far, he has not responded.
