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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 April 28.
Cass Tech celebrates 80 students who are heading to the University of Michigan
Monday was a day of celebration at Cass Tech High School in Detroit. Eighty seniors are now heading to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The students are described as the cream of the crop and ready to tackle the world. I got the chance to visit Cass Tech to talk to the students and the principal and a U-M representative.
Those 80 seniors are all heading to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor on scholarship. Zuri Earth has been dreaming of this day since she was a little girl.
"Someone who really inspired me to go was my dad. He was actually a Spartan, but it was his lifelong dream to go to the University of Michigan," Zuri said.
Her dad emphasized more than just her studies to excel.
"A lot of emphasis on me being a well-rounded student. Grades were very important, but also extracurriculars. I play instruments, I play tennis, I am a full IB student," Zuri said.
Moses Mutua is only 16 years old. He's heading to U-M and will major in computer engineering with a dual major in math.
"To be honest with my whole college admissions process, DEI was something I thought about, but not really too much because I wanted to be proud of myself and I wanted to be confident in myself that I didn't need a program like that to get into these schools," Moses said.
Malcolm X's historic Inkster home opening to public in May following restoration
A small house in Inkster that played a pivotal role in Malcolm X's life will soon open its doors to the public. The home, where Malcolm X discovered his Muslim faith and changed his name from Malcolm Little, has been carefully restored to preserve its historical significance.
The house belonged to Malcolm X's brother, Wilfred Little, and his wife Ruth. It was in this home during the 1950s that Malcolm X underwent a profound transformation that would shape American history.
"Wilfred was already writing letters to Malcolm while he was in prison, telling him about the Nation of Islam," said Aaron Sims, founder of Project We Hope, Dream and Believe.
Those letters changed Malcolm's life.
"He went from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X in this house. He got him started at the Mosque Temple No.1 and things of that nature," Sims said.
The restoration project focused on authenticity, preserving elements like the original bathtub where Malcolm X performed religious washing rituals.
"When you read the book that Malcolm did, he talks about washing his feet. This is the original tub where they actually came and washed their feet in," Sims said.
The team worked meticulously to recreate the home's interior, from exact paint colors to period-appropriate furniture styles.
Selfridge Air National Guard Base to get new F-15EX fighter jets, Trump says
President Donald Trump announced that Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township will be getting 21 new F-15EX fighter jets.
“As commander-in-chief, I’m proud to announce that very soon, we will replace the retiring A-10 Warthogs with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. The best in the world,” Trump said.
The announcement came as the president spoke at Selfridge before heading to a rally in Warren on Tuesday afternoon. He was greeted by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, House Speaker Matt Hall and others.
The F-15EX is built by Boeing, and the company said the fighter jet "will serve as a backbone for any tactical fighter fleet - today and into the future."
“This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American airpower,” Trump said. “This is an exciting time for the United States military.”
Trump thanked Whitmer for bringing issues at Selfridge to his attention.
“I’m not supposed to do that — she’s a Democrat,” Trump said. “She’s done a very good job, frankly. She was very much involved with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it. It was not easy. So, I want to thank you very much, Gretchen. Good job. Thank you.”
Community 'rock train' grows in Taylor hospital yard to help comfort patient with special needs
Ray Jr. brings sunshine to just about everyone he meets. The 53-year-old from Gibraltar, who lives with cerebral palsy and autism, has the mental age of about 6, according to his mother, Debbie Carson.
Now, he’s fighting one of the toughest health battles of his life.
Ray has been on oxygen for about six years, but a recent bout of pneumonia landed him in Corewell Health Taylor Hospital for several weeks. His oxygen levels have dropped dangerously low, and doctors are unsure if he’ll be able to return to his baseline.
“He’s just been a joy in our lives,” Carson said. “But he fights all his life through different health problems, heart problems, lung problems, and he usually pulls through... But right now, he’s having it a little bit rough.”
His family is holding on to hope, and so is the community.
“Of course, we want to keep him as long as we can,” said Ray’s sister, Sherrie Melendez. “Eventually, it could be weeks, months, hopefully years though.”
To show support, members of the local group "Downriver Rocks!" have created a “rock train," a growing trail of painted stones, outside the hospital entrance.
Ray and his mother have spent years painting, hiding, and finding colorful rocks with the group.
“Every day he would get up on nice days and say, ‘Mom, can we go put out rocks?’” Debbie said.
Now, dozens of them line the garden outside the hospital, forming a makeshift tribute full of his favorite things.
We took a drive with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan as he talked revitalization, development plans
Across the city of Detroit, renovation is continuing at a rapid pace, with revitalization in the works in a variety of different neighborhoods.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan rode along with us to show us where new plans are coming to life and what the city is doing to promote development in places previously plagued by blight.
"From day one, I’ve felt like the train station was a symbol of Detroit’s decline," Duggan said from behind the wheel of his Jeep. He opened up about bringing the city's historic buildings back to life.
Riding to visit sites ranging from blight to beauty, the mayor revealed he's never doubted Detroit's potential or workforce after Ford bought and remodeled Michigan Central Station.
"Now, you will regularly see wedding parties come here before the reception. They are out here getting pictures taken," he said.
But along with revitalization through Downtown, Corktown and Midtown, our Simon Shaykhet asked about unfinished business in his final year in office, and the future of structures big and small, like the vacant Commonwealth Building on Michigan Ave.
"We are preserving it. We’re not going to knock it down. It’s a historic part of this neighborhood," he said. "My great-grandfather had a blacksmith shop on Michigan and 31st. My grandmother taught at DPS and grew up here, I think of this in terms of generations of Detroiters."
Cat reunited with owner after 3 years, found 10 miles from home
A Michigan woman has been reunited with her beloved cat after three years apart, when the feline was discovered at a McDonald's parking lot nearly 10 miles from home.
Ella Bennett couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted what looked like her long-lost cat Buddy in a Facebook post by the Lenawee County Humane Society.
"It's absolutely insane that he survived that long," Bennett said.
The indoor-outdoor cat had disappeared in 2022, leaving his owner wondering if she would ever feel his "sandpaper kisses" again.
"We kept hoping he would be back, but then it was a couple days too long than usual, so that's when we started to get worried," Bennett said.
Despite years passing without any sign of Buddy, Bennett maintained hope.
The breakthrough came when Bennett was scrolling through Facebook and spotted a cat that looked remarkably similar to Buddy in a post from the Lenawee County Humane Society.
"I immediately sent it to my grandma, I was like, 'that looks just like Buddy,' and I posted a picture of him on there, and I was like, 'Do you think that could be him?'" Bennett said.
The cat had been found severely matted at a McDonald's in Adrian, approximately 10 miles from Bennett's home.
Sasha Wilkerson with the Lenawee County Humane Society said they were able to confirm Buddy's identity through pet records, previous photos, and his reaction to Bennett.
Collections for defaulted student loans will restart May 5; what you need to know
On May 5, the U.S. Department of Education will restart collections for defaulted student loans. It marks the end of a pandemic-era pause and could lead to serious financial consequences for millions of borrowers.
When collections resume, it's expected to impact more than 5 million borrowers across the country and experts say if your student loans are in default or at-risk, it's crucial to have a plan.
For more than 5 million borrowers in default, this means they could face wage garnishments or withheld tax refunds.
Sabrina Calazans, the executive director of the Student Debt Crisis Center, says there's also another 4 million people considered to be in late-stage delinquency.
"That's the phase before you fall into default. So in the next two months, we could see 10 million people in default, which is 25% of the entire student loan portfolio," Calazans said.
Persis Yu is the deputy executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.
She says borrowers with worries should go to StudentAid.gov to find out if their loans are in default.
"I know a lot of people are scared right now because maybe they've been in a forbearance, maybe they applied for save, so they haven't been making payments and they want to know, does this even apply to me? So it's important to know what your status is," Yu said.
If you are in default, you're encouraged to go through loan rehab or begin setting up an income-driven repayment plan prior to May 5.
