(WXYZ) — Hey, you're busy — we get it.
We know a lot happens throughout the week, and you may not catch all of our stories here at WXYZ. So we've decided to gather the most talked-about stories from the past week all in one place that you can check out during your free time over the weekend.
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Here are the big stories from the week beginning July 7.
How to stay prepared for potential flooding if you live by one of Michigan's 300 named rivers
Michigan has over 300 named rivers, and if you live by one of them, you may have considered the risk of flooding, and even prepared for it.
As the country mourns the lives lost in the Texas flood, some Michigan residents are empathizing with families impacted.
“We know what it’s like to go through flooding but it’s more of a nuisance flooding that is unfortunately still problematic in different ways," Amber told me.
As someone who lives on a lake that experiences annual flooding, Dr. Amber Bismack says she and her neighbors stay prepared for anything.
“To be in a position where you’re losing your house, your family, your children, I can’t even begin to imagine what that is like and my heart goes out to them immensely," Amber said.
The latest flooding on Ore Lake in Hamburg Township, where they live, lasted more than 60 days, according to fellow resident Diane Henry.
The tragic Texas floods, begging the question: could something like that happen in Michigan.
Flood Plain Engineer Matthew Occhipinti, for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) says it's rare, but not impossible.
“I mean you might remember the flooding that occurred upstream of the city of Midland a couple years ago during COVID where the dams blew out and that caused a significant amount of damage. A lot of people lost homes, cottages, businesses, we’re still dealing with that.”
Occhipinti says the kind of flooding Texas is dealing with is flash flooding, which is not something Michigan sees often.
State says there is an 'immediate health risk' involving Wyandotte water system
The State of Michigan is calling attention to an immediate health risk for the drinking water system in Wyandotte. State regulators said they found a variety of troubling issues that date back years, despite the city insisting the water is safe to drink.
State regulators said they found a variety of troubling issues that date back years, despite the city insisting the water is safe to drink.
Engineers flagged violations, including the discontinuation of adding fluoride back in 2017, tennis balls and beverage containers in storage reservoirs, lack of screens to prevent contamination or safeguards against untreated backflow and more.
Elin Botanzo is an engineer and water safety activist who helped sound alarms over contaminated water in Flint.
"It’s important for people to be aware this notice exists. Asking for more reliable water service," Botanzo said.
The report shows routine flushing of hydrants also hasn't been performed, and a crumbling abandoned tennis court could pose risks to an underground reservoir.
“These are basic Safe Drinking Water Act requirements every community deserves," Botanzo said.
With the state citing 40% system deterioration and more investment needed, I visited city hall to get more answers.
The mayor's office referred to a statement that indicated the city's water is safe to drink and said the city is addressing all concerns.
"We're uniquely fortunate to operate our own reliable municipal services department, so we can say with absolute confidence that drinking water provided by the City of Wyandotte exceeds state and federal quality standards. This process is very similar to a home or restaurant inspection. Just as it is EGLE's job to inspect our water system and point out reliability and safety improvements for the future, it is now our job to plan for and execute them," the statement reads
EGLE says its staff is working with the city to implement a corrective action plan. That would include mandatory dates for completion.
Grow Detroit’s Young Talent program returns, employing young people this summer
A program that has put more than 87,000 Detroit young people to work during the summer kicked off on Tuesday.
This is year 11 of the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent program. Our Glenda Lewis with a young man who was one of the first to go through the program when it started in 2015 and now is a true success story today.
Teaching the ins and outs of technology through the nonprofit Journi is truly a full-circle moment for Matthew Jackson's life journey.
“GDYT was my first-ever job. Worked here with Journi nonprofit back in 2015, and I was young. I was really not understanding of software development at the time, but it changed my life,” Jackson said.
His journey since led him right back to head of the class.
“I started engaging with the technology community in Detroit, started participating more in hackathons and inspired me to go to college for computer science. So I went to Morehouse College, studied there and I achieved a lot,” Jackson said.
“I was in Stanford Intelligence Systems Laboratory and did an internship there one summer. We did AI regulations on aviation. I worked with Accenture and McKinsey doing consulting for two years and I've just been traveling everywhere from Atlanta to New York to back home in Michigan now has been a great experience.”
Now at 24 years old, he has a list of accomplishments that shows the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent program is really an investment in the city's future.
“There's also a financial literacy component to the program, there's a digital literacy component to the program, a soft skills component to the program so that overall, these young people are not only working and earning a wage, but they're learning along the way,” said Terri Weems, group executive of Workforce Development with the city of Detroit.
This program is truly a strategic investment in young people that is paying off in returns.
“I know that the mayor wanted to make sure that every young person has an opportunity,” Weems said. “And with over 87,734 opportunities since 2015.”
A press conference at Northwest Activities Center kicked off the 11th GDYT work experience, offering 8,054 summer jobs for Detroit young people. Mayor Mike Duggan on Tuesday launched his last year of the program he created.
“In the city of Detroit, we've got the best summer jobs program in America where we put 8,000 people to work. That's what we're doing,” Duggan said.
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.
Church hero who thwarted mass shooting receives new truck from local Ford dealership
A deacon from Crosspointe Community Church in Wayne, who helped prevent a mass shooting last month, received a brand new Ford F-150 truck today from a local dealership.
Richard Pryor, who used his truck to stop an armed gunman from entering the church during a Vacation Bible School service on June 22, was gifted a 2025 F-150 PowerBoost on a two-year free lease from Demmer Ford.
“I can't be more than enough thankful for everybody's support, the Lord was definitely involved in the events of that Sunday," said Pryor. "Everything that's transpired afterwards and how everybody’s reached out, Jack Demmer, Ford, it's been more than expected, so I can't be more than appreciative, just thank you to everybody.”
The heroic act occurred when a gunman armed with multiple weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition arrived at the church. Pryor, who was in his truck in the parking lot, was the first to spot the shooter.
In that moment, Pryor made a split-second decision to hit the gas on his F-150 and run over the gunman, making himself a target in the process.
"He shot a round through the truck and in those few seconds, I realized the truck was dead and I didn't have a weapon on me," Pryor said.
Armed security eventually neutralized the shooter, who continued firing at the church from the ground. Pryor's quick thinking likely saved countless lives, but his 2018 truck, which he relies on for work, was totaled in the incident.
Judge orders Northville to reopen downtown streets within days
A Wayne County judge has ruled that Northville must reopen its downtown streets to traffic by July 15, ending a two-year legal battle over the controversial street closures.
A judge ordered the lowering of retractable bollards that have blocked parts of Center and Main streets in the downtown social district, calling the extended street closures illegal.
"The premise of the whole matter was that they violated both the constitutional and the state rights of our members and the residents of Northville by taking up the streets, and that was affirmed by the judge," Joseph Corriveau, attorney and co-counsel for Let's Open Northville, said.
The court granted a permanent injunction, ruling that closures were arbitrary and lacked a legitimate governmental purpose post-pandemic and were a violation of property rights.
The closure began as a pandemic measure but evolved into a seasonal tradition to enhance the social district. It was set to last until November, with businesses like Center Street Grille investing money into their outdoor spaces.
"I had hoped that we would be able to just continue this until the end of the season because it's difficult for the businesses, particularly the restaurants, because they've got their tables out front, everything is set, they've got their flowers and everything looking nice, and now all of a sudden it all has to change," said Margene Buckhave, owner of Stampeddler.
Detroit cop arrested, suspected of stealing $600 from woman while bodycam rolling
A Detroit police officer was arrested last month inside the city’s 6th Precinct, accused by the department of stealing about $600 from a suspect.
The strongest evidence against the officer, the department says: his own body camera.
“Our (internal affairs) lieutenant took a look at the video and immediately recognized that we had a criminal act here,” Cmdr. Michael McGinnis said.
The officer has been suspended with pay, but has not been charged as of Tuesday. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing a warrant, according to the Detroit Police Department.
The four-year veteran of the department was arrested after reporting for work in June over what he is alleged to have done during a traffic stop back on March 7.
According to officials, while near the intersection of Joy and Evergreen Road, a team of three officers observed what they believed to be a narcotics handoff. Two of the suspects involved drove off, police say, and when officers stopped their vehicle, they found drugs inside.
The driver and passenger of the vehicle were both arrested, later housed at the Detroit Detention Center.
After their release, however, the female passenger reported that there was money missing from her purse — about $600 — and filed a citizen’s complaint with the Office of the Chief Investigator.
When investigators pulled up the officer’s body camera, they say the theft was obvious.
“You can see on camera an envelope of money contained in that purse. One minute you see it, next second it’s gone,” McGinnis said.
He said the cash was not listed in any department inventory, mentioned in the police report or placed into evidence.
“It was stolen,” he said.
McGinnis said there is no evidence that the other two officers involved in the stop were aware of or involved in the alleged theft.
In his role overseeing the department, Commissioner Ricardo Moore says he has too often watched officers shut off body cameras during stops or arrests, or never turn them on in the first place.
That an officer’s alleged theft was caught by his own camera is — in a way, Moore says — progress.
“I’m just happy that the body-warn camera situation worked,” Moore said. “I’ve been lobbying because a lot of officers turn off the body-warn cameras.”
The department says it is now conducting a wider review of the officer’s body camera, searching for similar alleged conduct. At the same time, they’re urging the public to come forward if they believe they’ve been a victim of theft.
While the officer is currently suspended with pay, the department says it will plan to seek a suspension without pay at an upcoming Board of Police Commissioners meeting later this month.
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t worried,” McGinnis said.
“What worries me is that this is an officer wearing a police uniform stealing from the citizens. I see it as just him doing it, but the rest of the world sees it as Detroit police stealing. And that’s just not the case.”
The Detroit Police Officers Association did not respond to a request seeking comment.
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
