(WXYZ) — 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: Mostly cloudy to start then becoming partly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. Winds: NE 5-10 mph.
Tonight: Clearing skies with lows in the mid to upper 40s. Winds: NNE 5-10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with rain arriving around 2 PM, breezy. Temps near 60°. Winds: E 10-25 mph.
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues to know about this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map here.
The top stories to know about
It's rat season in Ferndale: here's how you can keep the critters away from your car
City officials in Ferndale say it's officially rat season: it starts now and gets worse in the fall. You may see them running through the streets or even inside your car, chewing through wires and damaging vehicles.
We first told you about this problem two years ago. Our Darren Cunningham spoke to a woman who paid over $600 to get her car fixed.
And it's not just rats, but squirrels and mice, too. But as we've learned, there are many things you can do to keep these critters away.
“I told my customer, ‘Bring me some Cholula!’ or some Red Hot,'" said Jason Collins, a technician at Ferndale Collision.
He says hot sauce can be used to keep rodents away from your engine bay.
He says those who live in Ferndale have been finding rats under the hood of their car. Experts tell us they see it as a warm, safe place and will oftentimes chew through the wires, causing significant damage.
“When they take a nap, they’re just chewing. They’ll grab onto whatever is in front of them, wires, plastic container…they just sleep and then they chew in their sleep," Collins said.
Others have found bite marks and damage to their vents, seat belts and car seats.
Utica baseball coach retiring after 50 years on the job
Doing any one job for 50 years is a long time but for Utica High School baseball coach Dick Schoenberg, it’s the sport he grew up loving, and now after a lifetime of memories and lessons, he says it’s time to hang it up.
“I was 8 years old, went to the ballgame and the Red Sox were there and Ted Williams was a member of the Red Sox and I thought this guy is so great, I’m going to play that sport and I’m going to be just like Ted Williams,” said Schoenberg.
Just like his love of baseball happened by circumstance, going to the ballpark and seeing one of the greatest players ever, so did his coaching career.
“I was first married and lived in royal oak, went to a church I went to. Had a softball team and they said we don’t have anyone that’s the manager. You’re the new guy, you’re the manager,” said Schoenberg.
Fast forward five decades and dick has seen and done just about everything the sport has to offer, but all the accomplishments won’t compare to the impact he’s had on people's lives.
“He’s been coaching 50 years, that’s like 50 years of kids, 50 years of parents…just someone that you can talk to and they’ve probably been in that situation before. It’s been super invaluable. It’s nice to show these guys that someone that’s 90 has a lot to offer” said Head Coach Mark Moehlig.
“It’s not about winning or losing it’s about being a participant and making something of yourself after you get out of here,” added Schoenberg.
And just like an great athlete or coach, it’s always hard to say goodbye, so is this really it for dick?
“In voice I’m sure, in history probably not," he said.
Veterans treatment courts across Michigan helping to change lives
A specialized veterans treatment court in Dearborn is helping justice-involved veterans address underlying issues like PTSD and substance abuse instead of sending them through traditional criminal proceedings.
Eighty-eight percent of Veterans who entered the Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court graduated very few committing offenses once they left, according to the court's stats.
For Kevin Belisle, a former Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant known as "Gunny," admitting he needed help was the hardest part.
"That was the hardest thing, is like admitting that," Belisle said.
Belisle had been silently battling using alcohol to cope after his military service.
"With me coming out of the Marine Corps, I think ... it was one of the things that I kind of migrated to as a coping mechanism," Belisle said.
It wasn't until his second DUI citation that Belisle decided to apply to the Dearborn Veterans Treatment Court.
"A lot of times what happens is we have no fear, and then you start getting some alcohol in you and it's like no fear on steroids, and you get the ego and you know I can drive and all that stuff and got pulled over and ... I got a DUI so ... I told myself that I'm gonna make a right out of a wrong and I got through the program," Belisle said.
The pride that comes with being a Marine was one of the biggest hurdles for Belisle to overcome. It's the kind of emotional challenge that Veteran-Chief Judge and former Marine Eugene Hunt understood when he started the program.
"They're pretty significant, you know, there are alcohol and drug problems that get picked up when they're in the service and they're overseas, there's post traumatic stress which is, I mean there are a lot of different things that people come out, once they go into the military, they come back different," Hunt said.
The 12- to 18-month program addresses underlying issues like PTSD and mental health challenges that have contributed to legal trouble. It's one of 27 veteran treatment courts in Michigan.
