WDET-FM Detroit

A commission that sets the salary levels for elected officials in Detroit meets tonight…for the first time in half-a-dozen years.    WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter has more…     The Elected Officials Compensation Commission will gather in the Detroit City Council’s chamber of the whole tonight (Thurs.) at the request of Mayor Dave Bing.    The Commission has not met as a body since 2003…even though it ... Full Story »

December 10, 2009         by Pat Batcheller The new Nine Mile Road bridge over I-75 in Hazel Park is scheduled to open this weekend.  The old bridge was destroyed by a tanker explosion last summer.  Michigan Department of Transportation spokesman Rob Morosi says the new bridge will be ready for traffic a couple of weeks sooner than expected.    “Looking at the good weather, looking at the design ... Full Story »

  Former Detroit Deputy Mayor Kandia Milton was implicated in the bribery scheme last week when a co-conspirator pleaded guilty in federal court. Now…Milton is following suit. He told a federal judge that he let down his family and the citizens of Detroit when he accepted a bribe in exchange for helping facilitate the sale of Camp Brighton to the Chaldean Catholic Church. Milton’s lawyer…Elliott ... Full Story »

  Despite Kwame Kilpatrick’s plea of poverty…prosecutors presented evidence that the former mayor and his family spent lavishly using money from a variety of sources including loans, tax refunds, political funds, and gifts. Prosecutors maintain Kilpatrick did not disclose these…and other assets as required by the court and that some of the money was hidden in his wife’s bank accounts. But ... Full Story »

     The Oakland County Executive spent this morning sharing his knowledge of financial management in the current economic crisis.       L. Brooks Patterson hosted about 300 local officials from across the tri-county area. The point of the seminar was to talk about the current state of the economy and how local governments could plan better.       Patterson’s Deputy County Executive Robert ... Full Story »

Officials with the Detroit Public Schools say they will soon begin demolishing more than a dozen of the city’s vacant school buildings.    WDET’s Quinn Klinefelter has more…     The cash-strapped city has been hard-pressed in recent years to find enough funding to tear down blighted buildings.    But D-P-S Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb says THIS demolition effort will be paid for with ... Full Story »

December 7, 2009          by Pat Batcheller An intense storm system is expected to bring snow, rain, and cold air to Metro Detroit this week.  National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Deedler says the snow should begin to fall late Tuesday night.   “Probably one to three inches (of snow) across the whole Metro area…then change over to rain quickly.  The heavier snows will be north of Flint ... Full Story »

     The Macomb County Sheriff says he’s considering a new job title – County Executive.      In a recent opinion poll by the firm of Denno-Noor, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel leads among all likely Democratic candidates for the new County Executive position by more than 45% points. Hackel says the poll is humbling but he’s looking at a possible run in a different way.      “It’s one thing ... Full Story »

General Motors plans to invest 336 million dollars in its Detroit-Hamtramck plant next year…to begin building the Chevy Volt. WDET’s Jerome Vaughn has more. SOQ GM officials say the Volt will be constructed on an existing production line at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant.  The company plans to begin building Volt prototypes there in the spring.  Full production is expected to start in the fall. GM ... Full Story »

December 6, 2009  The Lions lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 23-to-13 yesterday…and in many ways, it was a painful defeat.  WDET’s Pat Batcheller reports.    Detroit lost on the road for the 18th straight time…six shy of the NFL record…which the Lions themselves set earlier this decade.  Rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford continued to struggle…completing 11 of 26 passes for 143 yards, a touchdown ... Full Story »

December 6, 2009  Two Michigan college football teams are going to bowl games.  WDET’s Pat Batcheller reports.     Central Michigan is headed to the GMAC Bowl after winning its third Mid-American Conference championship in four years.  The Chippewas will enter the game ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll…the first time CMU has ever made the top 25.  They’ll face Troy University in Mobile ... Full Story »

Our weekly look at concerts, exhibits, and other events happening in Metro Detroit. Produced by Amanda Le Claire and mixed by Brad Potts. Full Story »

Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources is equipping its officers to assist other law enforcement departments through a special training project. The program focuses on issues such as finding individuals in rough terrain and in severe weather conditions.  D-N-R chief of law enforcement Gary Hagler says the purpose of this venture is to better equip officers to serve all of Michigan. “This ... Full Story »

Governor Granholm says there should be a permanent barrier between the Mississippi River system and Lake Michigan to prevent the Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes. That would mean closing the canal in Chicago that connects the water systems.  - Rick Pluta, MPRN Full Story »

     Southeast Michigan will be represented when President Obama convenes his jobs summit tomorrow.      Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers will be on the list of people attending the event in Washington. He says the job summit will give him a chance to highlight the need to free up more money through federal small business and manufacturing loan programs.       Right now, Rogers ... Full Story »

     This week health care reform starts to be debated in the US Senate. While most observers say the bill has an uncertain future… members of America’s First Nations say they want to be included in the debate. WDET’s Rob St. Mary reports. (click the audio link above to hear the story)      It’s the Tuesday afternoon before Thanksgiving at American Indian Health and Family Services on Detroit’s ... Full Story »

The Department of Natural Resources is sending half a dozen technicians and the state's entire supply of the fish-killing poison rotenone (ROH'-teh-nohn)  to Illinois to aid in the effort to keep the Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan. There is D-N-A evidence Asian that carp have jumped an electric barrier designed to keep them from reaching the Great Lakes. The Illinois environmental agency ... Full Story »

     A program offering health care payment assistance to the unemployed is coming to an end.      Under the recovery bills passed earlier this year, there was a subsidy put in place to help pay 65% of the COBRA insurance costs for the unemployed for nine-months.       Ron Pollack is Executive Director of Families USA. He says for the unemployed to take advantage of the program they need to sign ... Full Story »

General Motors President and CEO Fritz Henderson has resigned.  WDET’s Jerome Vaughn has more. SOQ  GM’s Board of Directors accepted Henderson’s resignation at the automaker’s board meeting Tuesday.  During a late afternoon news conference, Board Chairman Edward Whitacre thanked Henderson for his service leading the company through a time of intense change.  Whitacre then said he would take over ... Full Story »

Detroit automakers slowed year-over-year sales declines last month. Jerome Vaughn of member station WDET has more. SOQ Industry analysts say U-S automakers saw the effects of a stabilizing national economy in November, although consumers remained cautious about how they spent their money. General Motors sold more than 151,000 cars and trucks last month. Thats a drop of just over two ... Full Story »

     State of Michigan health officials say they hope to open the H1N1 flu vaccine to all very soon.      The Michigan Department of Community Health’s weekly conference call highlighted how the state is the doing against the H1N1 flu. Since September first there have been 49 flu deaths reported. Currently, the state is targeting the vaccination effort at those most likely to be affected by the ... Full Story »

A day before President Obama is to address the nation about the war in Afghanistan, Congressman Pete Hoekstra addressed faculty and students Monday involved in Ferris State University’s Intelligence program. In his speech at West Point Tuesday night, the president is expected to announce an increase of up to 35-thousand more U.S. troops in order to train Afghan security forces to take over.  But ... Full Story »