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: It will be mostly sunny with highs in the low to mid 80s. Storms are expected by late evening. Winds: SW 5-15 mph.
Tonight: Chance of strong storms again until 2 am. Winds will pick up with temps still in the mid 60s. Winds: WSW 5-10 mph.
Saturday: Partial sun with a shower chance. It will be cooler with highs in the mid to upper 60s in the morning and 50s during the afternoon. Winds: W 15-30+ mph.
Sunday: Partly cloudy with highs in the mid 60s.
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map before heading out.
The top stories to know about
Detroit's population increased for the 2nd straight year, data shows
The City of Detroit's population has increased for the second straight year, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other city leaders celebrated the news in a press conference on Thursday morning.
According to U.S. Census data, Detroit gained 6,791 residents in 2024, bringing the total population estimate to 645,705.
At the same time, the mayor said that the Census Bureau added 5,969 Detroiters that had been undercounted from 2021 to 2023.
Detroit now moves one spot to the 26th largest city in the U.S., behind Boston and ahead of Portland, Oregon.
“This record growth would not have been possible without the hard work of longtime Detroiters, our business community and city employees over the past 12 years,” Duggan said in a statement.
Last year, the Census Bureau reported a population increase of 1,852, the first increase since 1957. The city said that the new report "acknowledges a significant undercount in last year’s report."
In May 2024, the Census Bureau reported a Detroit population increase of 1,852, the first increase since 1957. The new report released today acknowledges a significant undercount in last year’s report.
'Wasn't expecting it': Wyandotte police gift wheelchair to woman with mobility issues
A 66-year-old Downriver woman is getting around a little easier after an encounter with police turned into a life-changing gift.
Mary Ann Rodriguez, who suffers from neuropathy, was found sitting on the ground near a church on Ford Avenue near 2nd Street when Wyandotte Councilman and former Police Chief Bob Alderman stopped to help.
Rodriguez was attempting to walk from Ford Hospital in Wyandotte to visit her mother in Southgate despite her medical condition that makes walking difficult.
"She doesn't drive and I don't drive, so I walked as best as I can," Rodriguez said.
Neuropathy causes Rodriguez to have limited mobility, a condition she acknowledges won't improve.
Wyandotte Police Officer Cade Barwig initially responded to the call and drove Rodriguez home that evening.
"At first, she just wanted a ride to the nearest bus stop but I mean, I'm here to help people," Barwig said.
The assistance didn't end there.
"I called Deputy Chief Groat and I said there's got to be something we can do for Mary. She can't walk. Why is she walking from Wyandotte Hospital to Southgate," Alderman said.
The Wyandotte Police Department and Alderman secured a brand-new wheelchair for Rodriguez and provided her with $200 in Kroger gift cards, courtesy of the American Legion.
"It was kind of amazing. She definitely wasn't expecting it. She was very grateful. She teared up a little bit," Barwig said.
Rochester schools implements new safety system with wearable badges for staff
The challenges schools face these days are very different from what they were just a couple of decades ago. As safety increasingly takes priority, local districts are adapting to the reality.
Rochester Community Schools is implementing a new platform of technologies. It's part of an effort to streamline resources and cut down on emergency response times.
Staff will be wearing badges that have a button on them, and simply pressing that button will engage an entire system of mapping and emergency responses.
The system is called the Centegix Safety Platform. Centegix is headquartered in Atlanta, and they say they were founded on the idea that technology can create safer, more secure environments.
"Let’s just say a student were to hurt themselves, what would happen at that point and time?" we asked.
“A staff member would press this three times, I need help. (A) response team comes and services the staff and student and see what the needs are," Superintendent Nicholas Russo said.
"Now let's just say, heaven forbid, something more dire happened, what would happen then?" we asked.
“So a staff member would hit this eight times or more and it triggers a lockdown on the school. We would have the strobe lights going off, we would have the PA system taken over, initiate a lockdown. That indicates to everybody at the same time what is happening, and simultaneously sends a signal to our 911 responders," he said.
It also creates a digital map that all those first responders can reference to know exactly where there’s a problem.
“So they will see not only the location where this is being triggered or multiple locations where this is being activated, but they’ll also see where all the assets are in the building, and AED, a fire extinguisher," Russo said.
