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?
Big summer heat & humidity arrive today with highs in the mid 90s and a heat index from 95° - 102°. There is a storm chance this evening, a few could be strong/severe.
Today: Heat Advisory for all of us starting at 11 AM to 8 PM. Lots of hot sun with a slight storm chance late in the day. Highs will be in the low to mid 90s with 94° in Detroit. It will feel like
Tonight: Warm & muggy with scattered rain and storm chance. Lows in the 70s. Winds: W 5-15 mph.
Friday: Partial sun, humid, with storm chances, especially in the afternoon and evening. The best chance for heavy rain will be around Detroit and south. Highs in the mid 80s. Winds: W 5-10 mph.
The top stories to know about
'So tragic': Family mourns father of 6 killed in Oakland County roadwork crash
A 43-year-old road commission worker was killed Wednesday when a driver crossed a median and struck him along with two colleagues who were making repairs on Orchard Lake Road.
Cedric Jones, a married father of six children, died at the scene of the crash near 10 Mile Road in Farmington Hills. Jones had been working with the Road Commission for Oakland County for just over a year.
Two other road commission workers were seriously injured in the collision and remain hospitalized, according to officials.
According to police, a silver Ford Escape traveling southbound crossed the median and hit the workers head-on. The crew was outside their truck on the northbound side repairing a drainage basin when the collision occurred shortly after 11 a.m.
"He was a hardworking young man. He loved his wife, he loved his children — one is about to go to college now. He would work hard to provide and make a living for his children," Pastor Alvin Jackson, Jones' uncle, said.
City sounds alarm on hundreds of Detroit rental properties, saying many are unsafe
The City of Detroit is once again sounding the alarm involving roughly 400 properties, saying many of them have unsafe conditions for tenants.
As a proud Detroiter who owns rental properties, Cheryl Cureton says she’s excited about homes being renovated across the city, and yet troubled to see others neglected.
“I’ve been here all my life. I’d like to see the city come together. Have better rental properties," said Cureton.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Conrad Mallett with the Detroit Law Department responded to a Wayne County Circuit Court judge issuing a temporary restraining order barring the company Real Token LLC & affiliated companies from collecting rent until their properties are improved and issued a certificate of compliance.
"Houses that really can’t be lived in, we are moving the people out," said Mallett.
The city says as many as 1,600 tenants could be impacted, and they’ll be notified within seven days.
Mallett says escrow accounts will be set up to hold rent deposits accessible to the landlord only to make repairs.
According to the city, Real Token LLC, a blockchain-based property investment company, is also prohibited from pursuing eviction against some tenants living in distressed rentals.
The company has previously said unscrupulous property management firms have victimized them. They released the following updated statement:
"My client has been committed to providing safe, quality and affordable housing in Detroit. What the city is attempting to accomplish through the courts is to prevent my client from performing what they agree are critical renovations. By effectively halting the revenue used to fund those renovations, and preventing my client from removing squatters who have no rights to occupy the properties, there are no renovations that can be performed. With respect to the courts, we believe that it acted prematurely to grant the TRO. In fact, we can show that more than $220k of those infractions have nothing to do with safety whatsoever, with some administrative issues that were written as far back as 2005, 15 years prior to my client ever purchasing the property. The question for the city should be how did the city’s few inspectors conduct enough inspections to amass $600k in infractions on one property owner in a city where blight is a citywide challenge?"
Sterlingfest Arts & Music Fair kicks off today; here's everything you need to know
One of the biggest festivals in Macomb County kicks off this weekend starts today: the Sterlingfest Arts and Music Fair.
The three-day extravaganza has something fun for the whole family, with everything from carnival rides to an art fair, and big names on the big stage.
Kyle Langlois heads up Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation. He said the 43rd annual Sterlingfest is sure to one for the books with big names headlining each night, like country music star Colin and 80s hair band Warrant, along with plenty of carnival games and rides.
"Nothing is more magnificent in the city than the three says of Sterlingfest and every year it gets bigger, it gets better," Kyle said.
"Just for everybody to come out and support us, we show our support, it's pretty great," said Tony Boschian, the owner and operator of a Jet's Pizza franchise (right).
Vendros setting up for the festival tell me attending Sterlingfest supports your neighborhood Jet's pizza franchises and other local businesses.
"We both grew up in Sterling Heights and both our stores are in Sterling Heights," said Mark Brooks (left).
Then there's Detroit Wing Company.
