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: Showers with thunderstorms possible, especially late in the day. Otherwise, partly to mostly with highs in the low 80s. Winds: S 5-10 mph.
Tonight: Clouds increase late with lows in the low to the mid 60s. There will be a shower chance before the sun comes up. Winds: ESE 5 mph
Wednesday: Partly sunny with some dry air moving in and a stray shower possible. Highs in the upper 70s to around 80 in Detroit. Winds N 10-15 mph.
The top stories to know about
'A huge blessing.' How 'Health Hubs' in Detroit public schools are changing lives
With so many Detroit families struggling to buy food, pay rent, or even see a doctor, help can feel out of reach. But now, new Detroit Public Schools Community District neighborhood centers called Health Hubs are offering free care and basic services — all in one place.
We’ve all heard the saying "it takes a village." At the Detroit Public Schools Community District, this moment is proof of that.
Brianna Beebe was homeless with four kids after leaving an abusive relationship.
With nowhere to turn, she found the Health Hub at Denby High School — a one-stop shop for physical, mental, dental, and vision care, plus food and family support.
Brianna’s children attend Mason Academy, connected to the Denby hub, where Tabitha Figueroa works the front lines.
"They can get clothing ... mobile dentist and vision, hearing services, they can even come see the doctor or the nurse practitioner to get shots, blood work done," said Tabitha.
Two years ago, there were just two hubs. Now there are nine, serving high schools like Central, Osborn, Martin Luther King Jr., and Denby — and open to nearby middle and elementary schools.
"They say thank you, they say, you know, I've never had glasses before. They're excited, they're walking with more confidence, and that just really warms my heart," said Tabitha.
For Brianna, the hub solved more than health needs. With no car, she struggled to get her kids to school — until they provided a Hop, Skip, Drive service to pick them up daily and return them home.
When we visited Denby, crews were building a new family distribution center, where families can pick up food once a month — no income check required.
"We've seen a tremendous turnaround with children just coming and getting to school," said Tabitha.
Livonia parents concerned as school bus route changes force some students to walk
New guidelines in Livonia are changing which students qualify for bus transportation, leaving some parents concerned about safety and scheduling challenges.
Some families who have relied on school buses for years will now have their children walking up to a mile to school, following Livonia Public Schools' update to their decades-old routing software.
"I was shocked," said Laurie Welty, a mother to a high school student who previously took the bus.
Holly Mlynek, a mother of two children, ages 5 and 9, faces a particularly difficult situation as both her kids will now be expected to walk about a mile to school.
"It's a 20-minute walk down 6 Mile (Road) through a neighborhood over a bridge that I'm not sure gets maintained in the winter to the back of the school," Mlynek said.
Safety remains the primary concern for many parents, including Welty, whose high school son must now cross major roadways.
"He's crossing two major roads with five lanes of traffic and with school starting early in the morning — he's in high school —he's gonna be walking in the dark at 6:30 a.m. to get to school," Welty said.
According to Livonia Public Schools, the changes affect less than 1% of bus riders. The district also noted that while some families are being moved to walk zones, others will receive bus service for the first time.
Parents expressed frustration about the timing of the announcement, which came just weeks before the start of school.
"It's really hard for parents at the last minute to figure out new scheduling, where they're gonna drop their kid off, who's gonna drop them off if they already had a schedule in place or somebody to do that. Now they have to find somebody else within two weeks to do that," Mlynek said.
Watch out for these back-to-school scams that target you & your kids
As kids start heading back to school, remember to watch out for scammers and take care when sharing information online.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is reminding families to be cautious as the kids head to class this fall.
First, let's talk about the cute social media posts featuring a child on their first day of school holding a sign listing various information about them.
The BBB is reminding parents that if you're posting back-to-school photos, avoid sharing personal details about your child.
"Don't list what school your child is going to. These can be dangerous pieces of information once you're giving away your child's teacher's name, their exact age, the school they go to. And be careful about that background that it's not giving away, you know, maybe a home address or the school location," Nakia Mills with the BBB said.
Mills said scammers use this information to attempt to commit identity theft. Also, if you use your child's personal info in passwords or security questions, it could leave you vulnerable to a security breach.
"Is there any kind of scheme or issue that high school students or parents should be aware of?" I asked Mills.
"Definitely! High school students and parents should be aware of the SAT preparation scams," Mills said.
Mills said you might get a phone call from someone claiming your teenager filed out an online form to sign up for a SAT preparation course.
"And as a proud parent, you think, 'oh, this is great. My child took initiative.' And they'll tell you that you just have to pay the deposit or give your credit card information, something to finish the order," Mills said.
But once people have paid, they find out their child never signed up for an SAT prep course and now the scammers have their money or credit card information.
Mills also said parents need to be aware of scholarship scams.
"You might get a letter in the mail or someone might give you a phone call saying, 'Congratulations, your son or daughter has won this great scholarship or grant that's going to help with their college. All you have to do is send us in a small processing fee,'" she said.
Don't fall for it. If your child has won a scholarship, they don't have to pay any money up front to get it.
