METRO DETROIT (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: Partly sunny after some possible morning fog. Highs in the mid 80s. Winds: N 5-10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear early and then fog is possible toward morning. Lows will be in the mid to upper 60s. Winds: Light
Any traffic issues?
As of 7 a.m., there's nothing major that would slow down your Thursday morning commute. Later this weekend, the southbound lanes of I75 between Schaefer and Springwells will be closed, from Friday night to early Monday morning.
The top stories to know about:
Macomb Township issues formal notice to Priority Waste after resident complaints
Macomb Township officials have taken action against Priority Waste after numerous complaints from residents about inconsistent trash collection service, voting unanimously to send the company a formal notice of default.
Residents say they're frustrated with overflowing bins and repeated missed collections that leave garbage sitting out for days.
"I am very disappointed with the service we are getting from Priority," said Mike Koltuniak, a resident of Macomb Township.
The problems range from improper collection methods to extended delays in service.
"Sometimes, the garbage man picks up both the recycle and the garbage at the same time, puts it all together, which makes washing out peanut butter jars kind of frustrating," resident Jill Smith said.
Another resident, Tom Smith, says what bothers him the most is the smell.
"You have family over and you have bags and bags and containers of garbage in your subdivision. It looks horrible. Then it starts to smell," Tom Smith said.
When we reached out to Priority Waste, they attributed recent service delays to extreme weather conditions.
"The past 21 days of severe weather incidents, such as a tornado, heat indexes of 105 degrees and a holiday have contributed to the delays in services. The delays in service will be resolved by the end of this week," the company stated.
Detroit residents and businesses frustrated by years-long road construction on city's east side
City officials say relief is coming to a stretch of road that has been plagued by potholes for more than two years, but businesses along the route say the damage has already been done.
The nearly one-mile stretch of Mount Elliott, which turns into Conant on Detroit's east side near I-94, is riddled with potholes that appear every few feet, creating a traffic nightmare for drivers and businesses alike.
"It's a big mess. Yes, there's huge potholes, don't even have barricades for the potholes," said Sam Saleh, owner and operator of Hawk Auto Sales.
City officials acknowledge the problems and say they're working on a solution.
"Once we get done reconstructing this road, they're gonna have something that's gonna last for the next 50 years," said Richard Doherty, city engineer for the city of Detroit.
Things to Do this weekend: More than 100 boats set to line Black River in Port Huron for Blue Water Fest
Soon, more than a hundred boats will be lining the Black River here, as the Blue Water Fest kicks off.
“We have a lot of things going on throughout the whole festival," said Lisa DeLong, one of Blue Water Fest's organizers with the City of Port Huron Downtown Development Authority.
Drawing in tens of thousands of people throughout the weekend, Lisa says the annual event has a little something for everyone.
“We have Blue Water street vendors, they start from Thursday and go until Saturday, we have a lot of food trucks coming, we have music," Lisa told me.
That music is live music, on seven different stages, according to marketing coordinator Jesse Sheldon.
“There’s laid-back acoustic, high-energy country, rock and pop, we have local favorites, we have cover bands, and we have national touring acts," Jesse said.
Small businesses anchored in the downtown area have also been planning for a while, as foot traffic increases around this time, according to Greg Whitican, the owner of Local Elite Treats.
"Someone buys something, or if they’re out of town and they discover us, they may come back either in the fall or in the winter, or maybe next spring, so it’s huge for all of us downtown," Greg said.
