DETROIT (CCN) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has announced that he will not seek re-election to a fourth term. He's the second-longest serving Mayor in the city's history.

Mayor Duggan has been Mayor for 11 years and will complete his 12th year in 2025.

 That's when the campaign for Governor would get started in Michigan. 

The Morning Gazette Radio Show on Metro Flint News/Talk Radio reported last summer from high-placed sources that Duggan would run for Governor in 2026.

Duggan has repeatedly denied he would try to replace Governor Gretchen Whitmer who is term limited out at the end of next year.

He didn't rule it out but would not comment when Detroit reporters peppering the Mayor with questions about it. Duggan said his "future plans are a secret for at least a couple more weeks."

Duggan made national attention in 2013 when he won as a write-in after a snafu kept his name off the ballot and because he became the first white Mayor of the majority-black city since Roman Gribbs in the early 1970s when Detroit's population still had a white majority. Duggan was re-elected in 2017 and 2021.

He is the former Wayne County Prosecutor and among those who worked for him there include Jennifer Granholm who went on to become Michigan Attorney General for eight years and later Governor for eight years, Mike Cox who served eight years as AG, Dana Nessel who is the current AG and Kym Worthy who has been Wayne County Prosecutor since 2004 when she was appointed by a three-judge panel to replace Duggan when he resigned to become CEO at the Detroit Medical Center before running for Mayor.

Duggan's administration has been rocked by state and federal investigations that have included raids at Detroit City Hall, as well as indictments of key individuals close to him.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Mike Duggan who is not seeking re-election for a fourth term as Mayor in the City of Detroit.

LANSING (CCN) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a press release to announce the 2025 meetings of the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission, and testimony by its chair before the state legislature in support of two bills to toughen state laws. 

Melissa Palepu, an assistant Attorney General in Nessel's office, is Chair of the Commission and she testified before state committees in both the State Senate and the State House of Representatives.

House bills 5836-5854 and 5864, as well as Senate bills 515-517, aim to strengthen protections for human trafficking survivors and enhance accountability for traffickers. The legislative package was unanimously advanced out of committee to the full House floor for consideration. It must pass both the House and Senate, then be signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The Commission's 2025 meetings will be held at the Williams Building which is located at 525 W. Ottawa Street in Lansing. AG Nessel said they will also be accessible remotely via Microsoft Teams.

The Commission invites survivors of human trafficking, advocacy groups, law enforcement partners, and members of the public to join their upcoming meetings from noon until  1 pm on Jan. 23, March 10, May 19, July 14, Sept. 22and Nov. 17.

“The Human Trafficking Commission is a diverse group of survivors, victim advocates, attorneys, government agency representatives, and law enforcement agents all working together to end human trafficking,” AG Nessel said. “These members, including the Department’s very own Assistant Attorney General Melissa Palepu, bring an unwavering commitment in the fight to combat this horrific crime. I encourage anyone supporting this cause to attend an upcoming meeting.”

The Commission was created within the Department of Attorney General by statute, when the 2014 Human Trafficking Commission Act became law, and began operations in 2015. The Commission is comprised of 10 members appointed by the Governor, Attorney General, Michigan State Police, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Dana Nessel who is Michigan's Attorney General.

(CCN) —Here are brief summaries of top headlines from around the state of Michigan:

THREATENING TO KILL A FEDERAL JUDGE has a Macomb County man facing federal charges after he was arrested by the FBI, according to court records. James Nelson Holloway II, 33, sent more than 400 e-mails to government offices with his threats to kill a federal judge, according to a report Friday (Oct. 25, 2024) by WDIV TV 4 in Detroit.

TV 4 said the emails appear to be in response to search warrants that were executed on his hotel rooms, car and trailer on Oct. 18. He threatened in his e-mails to kill the judge who signed one of the search warrants.

A FIGHT ERUPTED AT A HIGH SCHOOL football game in Jackson Friday night (Oct. 25, 2024) and the contest was stopped to assure safety of players and fans, according to a post on social media by officials at the Jackson school district.  A Facebook post on the page of Jackson Public Schools said the fight initially broke out inside the stadium and then moved outside of the stadium. Police on hand for security at the game were able to immediately restore order. Haslet was ahead of Jackson 42-24 when the game was halted.

THE E-COLI OUTBREAK linked to onions on quarter pounders at McDonald's restaurants has been linked to two people in Michigan, according to a Detroit Free Press story quoting officials from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. The Free Press reported that each person ate quarter pounders in other states. The e-coli has now sickened 75 people in 10 states with 23 being hospitalized and one dying in Colorado. 

SAGINAW POLICE are investigating an alleged assault of a student at Stone Elementary School in the Saginaw school district, according to a report by WJRT ABC TV 12. A statement from the district said officials are aware of the allegations of the assault against a 6-year-old student by a substitute teacher who has now been removed from the class room until an investigation is done.

A BAY CITY BUSINESSMAN who owns stores in Bay City and Mount Pleasant is in the Ingham County Jail after being arrested for allegedly taking money from his customers for gold, then gambling away more than $5 million. Matthew J. Burton owns Flying Eagle Coins in downtown Bay City and Jack of All Trades Coins & Collectibles in Mount Pleasant. Court records show the 52-year-old businessman faces five felony counts that could land him more than 20 years of prison time for taking money under false pretenses.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY DAWN ISON of the Eastern District of Michigan has announced charges against a Michigan doctor for taking part in a multi-million dollar scheme to illegally sell and divert expensive prescription cancer drugs. Charged by the federal government after he was arrested by the FBI was Dr. Naveed Aslam, 51. He lives in West Bloomfield and his office is in Royal Oak. Dr. Naveed was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Detroit on a felony count for conspiracy to illegally sell or trade prescription drugs and 10 more felony counts of illegally selling or trading prescription drugs.

ALLEGED ANTI MUSLIM COMMENTS has led to two advocacy groups calling on Warren Mayor Lori Stone to dismiss city historical commission member Wesley Arnold, according to a story in the Macomb Daily. Arnold allegedly made anti-Muslim posts on social media posts and he allegedly called Islam a “cult.” 

NURSES IN SOUTHFIELD WILL VOTE on whether or not to join the Teamsters union, according to a story in the Oakland Press. The Detroit-based Teamsters would represent 9,600 registered nurses at eight hospitals for Corewell Health and at the company's offices in Southfield. The Corewell Health hospitals in the Detroit area are Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital, Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital, Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital, Corewell Health Taylor Hospital, Corewell Health Trenton Hospital, Corewell Health Wayne Hospital and Corewell Health William Beaumont in Royal Oak. The Detroit Fee Press reported that the nurses announced their intent to unionize late last month during a demonstration to deliver their petition to the National Labor Relations Board office on Michigan Avenue in Detroit. They want a stronger say in nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, job cuts, wages and benefits.

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

DETROIT (CCN) —.Five pro-Palestinians arrested at a May 30 protest event on the Detroit campus at Wayne State University won't face charges. That was the decision revealed today (Sept. 24, 2024) in a press release via the office of Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed felony charges against 11 pro-Palestinians on Sept. 11 after they were arrested in a protest on the campus at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Prosecutor Worthy said, "I want to make it exceedingly clear that this office will not ever tolerate protesters that engage in behavior that is not peaceful or turns violent in any way. But that is not present in these cases," 

Witnesses accused Detroit Police Department officers of arriving with riot gear as they cleared an encampment set up on Wayne State's campus.

Prosecutor Worthy wrote in her press release: "On May 30, 2024, there was a protest on the Wayne State University campus by Students for Justice on Palestine. On that date five people were placed under arrest and later released. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office received five warrant requests for alleged incidents stemming from the protest from the Wayne State Police in July 2024. The evidence included body worn camera footage from seven officers that was reviewed in conjunction with police reports."

After reviewing the body cam videos and police reports, Prosecutor Worthy said she found no reason to charge anyone because she ruled no crimes were committed. She added that tickets issued against other protesters will be dismissed.

She said a Detroit police officer arrested a protester in one case based on the allegation that she “hit” his shield, but her investigation of video footage shows that was not true. She said a female was "targeted by police" because she had a bullhorn.

Prosecutor Worthy issued a statement, saying, "The right to peacefully protest and demonstrate is deeply woven into the American fabric. The WCPO has thoroughly studied and examined these cases and we have determined that they do not rise of the level of criminal behavior. We will not be charging any of these criminal case requests that have been presented to us."

Dozens among the protesters participated in the encampment on Wayne State's campus that was both a show of solidarity for Palestinians and a protest against Israel's attack on the besieged Gaza Strip where more than 40,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed  since Oct. 7 when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 and took more than 200 hostage on an attack against Israel.

PHOTO CAPTIONP: Pictured above this story is Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy who declined to prosecute 5 pro-Palestinians arrested at Wayne State University protest on May 30.

BY IZZY ROSS

 Special Report for Public News Service

Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection, reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration 

CHARLEVOIX (PNS) —  On a Sunday morning in Charlevoix, a small town surrounded by lakes in northern Michigan, people gathered in the Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church. The small, one-room log building is almost 200 years old and the hymns are sung in English and Anishinaabemowin.

It was December, so Pastor Johnathan Mays was leading an Advent service, one of his last, since he would soon retire. In between reflections on scripture, Mays touched on an important venture: The church was planning to install solar panels on its larger meeting hall, working with Michigan-based nonprofit Solar Faithful to do so.

Greensky Hill has a long history of environmental care and stewardship, grounded in Anishinaabe culture, with a majority Native congregation.

One of the ministry's priorities is the "greening of Greensky Hill."

Mays said that prompts them to ask "how we can use our space and our resources to address those issues for climate care, or creation care, or what some people call Earthkeeping."

As Greensky Hill works to become more sustainable, it's switching from propane to heat pumps to become more energy efficient. Mays said solar will allow them to use renewable energy and give that energy back to the grid.

"The biggest issue was how can we get this huge building off of greenhouse gas creation?" he said, referring to the meeting hall, which was built in the 1990s.

Across the country, houses of worship are pursuing solar systems. 

 As of 2021, about 2 percent of houses of worship in the United States have solar systems, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which the University of California manages for the U.S. Department of Energy. That's disproportionately high; houses of worship make up only 0.6 percent of all non-residential buildings.

But these projects can be difficult to execute. Congregations can have tight budgets, older buildings, and more pressing priorities. And switching energy systems can mean a lot of bureaucratic paperwork for which they might not have the staff.

And, because houses of worship generally don't pay taxes, they've also had trouble capitalizing on renewable energy tax benefits.

One alternative has been for them to work with third parties that could benefit from the tax credits. For instance, an investor could buy and install solar panels on a church. The church would buy that power from the investor, but wouldn't own the panels - an arrangement called a power purchase agreement.

Now, they have another option. The federal Inflation Reduction Act has made it possible for governments and tax-exempt entities, including houses of worship, to get tax credits for renewable projects. Called direct pay, the program provides them with a tax credit worth up to 30 percent of the installation cost. That can help cover some expenses, and advocates say it's critical to getting more congregations to consider solar. 

 "I expect in the coming year, it's really going to boom, the solar on houses of worship," said Sarah Paulos, the programs director for Interfaith Power and Light. "It makes a lot of sense. If they can cut their utility bill way back, then they have more money to do what they're there for, which is their mission."

Interfaith Power and Light might sound like a local utility (or maybe a prayer group) but it's actually a national network focused on climate action and religion, started in 1998 as a coalition of Episcopal churches that worked together to buy renewable energy. It has since expanded to other denominations and faiths.

Paulos has worked in this field for almost 20 years. She said when she started, there were a lot of climate deniers, especially in churches.

"In the beginning, people of faith were really, really being courageous and stepping out and talking about responding to climate change through renewable energy and energy efficiency as a moral call to care for creation," she said.

While there's increasing acceptance that climate change is happening, religious Americans are still far from unified in their views.

A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that most religious adults believed they should protect the Earth. But for a variety of reasons, highly religious people tend to be less concerned about climate change than other adults in the U.S.

One way to reach people and engage them in climate action is through tangible efforts like solar, said Leah Wiste, the executive director of Michigan Interfaith Power and Light.

 "In the public conversation, I think we've kind of failed to see the leadership that people of faith and conscience are taking on these issues," she said.

Local involvement is critical to getting more people to install solar, and non-residential buildings - such as schools or houses of worship - are part of that.

A study published last November in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy found that when non-residential buildings install solar, they can spur other installations in the area.

But raising awareness of solar doesn't necessarily make it more equitable.

The researchers say it's unclear how effective houses of worship can be in encouraging more solar in their communities "without directly addressing low-income barriers to solar adoption," like budget constraints and lower home ownership rates.

And houses of worship with solar are located disproportionately in "relatively wealthy, white and educated census tracts," according to Berkeley Lab, mirroring the broader trend.

Still, many people working at the intersection of religion and renewables say these projects are an opportunity for more people in those communities to learn about solar.
 

 "Part of that can happen just through the simple physical act of putting a system on the roof," said Galen Barbose, a scientist at Berkeley Lab. "But houses of worship are also in a unique position to be able to sponsor events, talk to their membership, and potentially really serve as emissaries for solar energy."

Rob Rafson has worked to put solar panels on churches for years. He's the president of the solar energy company Chart House Energy.

About a year ago, Chart House Energy teamed up with the Climate Witness Project, Michigan Interfaith Power and Light, and climate activists in the Detroit area to launch Solar Faithful.

Rafson wanted to make it easier for houses of worship to adopt solar.

"It's been a very big challenge," Rafson said. "Because churches - they're nonprofits, they don't have a budget, they don't want to borrow money, and the size project ... is too small for investors to invest in."

Despite such challenges, congregations have managed to install panels. At the First Lutheran Church in Muskegon, a new solar array shines on the roof.

"They're hard to see," said Pastor Bill Uetricht. He's walking around the church, craning his neck, trying to get a good view of the panels. "You can see that it's on about half of that roof up there."
 

 Now that it has solar panels, the church needs to buy less power from utilities. That's expected to lower the energy bill.

It's an example of a power purchase agreement. By purchasing the solar-powered energy, First Lutheran will pay off the project cost of around $175,000 to an investor. Buying the power from their own array, they're slowly paying back their investor. Once that's done, the power that comes from the array is essentially free.

Uetricht said First Lutheran got involved with solar when a couple in the congregation gave the church two panels they didn't know what to do with.

"I contacted a cousin of mine who works in alternative energy, and I said, 'Hey, send me to someplace where I can do something with these two panels,'" Uetricht said.

They ended up working with Solar Faithful.

Uetricht said installing solar panels is one way of fulfilling the church's mission. He said that the world doesn't belong to us, but that it is a gift - one that we haven't been caring for.
"Old technologies have contributed to that lack of care," he said. "So it only makes sense that we would be at the forefront of encouraging alternative energy sources."

(Izzy Ross initially wrote this article for Grist) 

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is a small, nearly 200-year-old church in Charlevoix spurring installation of solar power in their area.  — PHOTO BY ROB RAFSON 

 BY CHRYSTAL BLAIR

Public News Service

(PNS) — Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. 

This spring, Michigan was awarded $156 million to use as grants, which is the largest initiative of its kind in history. The goal is to strengthen the nation's economic competitiveness and advance energy independence, while at the same time reducing energy costs in historically underserved communities.

Shalanda H. Baker, the University of Michigan's first Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action, pointed out the disparities in communities of color that this funding is poised to address.

"Over half of Black households in America experience energy insecurity, and around 47% of Latinx households experiences energy insecurity. We also know that there are many Native American households that simply lack access to electricity altogether," she said.

The program is expected to create new jobs in clean energy, strongly focusing on building an inclusive workforce in disadvantaged areas. Communities like Southwest Detroit, known for facing environmental challenges, is expected to benefit from the grant.

The funding also boosts the "MI Solar for All" program, which aims to provide affordable solar energy solutions to low-income communities across the state. Baker said these are the places where households are more likely to live in the shadows of fossil fuel production facilities - so they're also more likely to have the health impacts related to living in that environment. She added the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund should help change that.

 "This program is really designed to bring more access to clean energy to those communities, and just bring more clean energy on the grid, to overall clean up," she explained.

The program is expected to reduce energy bills by about 20% for eligible Michiganders, and support the state's goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2040. 

INKSTER (CCN) — A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office has announced that the former mayor of Inkster has taken a plea deal and admitted to taking bribes of $100,000.

Federal Prosecutor Dawn Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson who is the Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Patrick Wimberly, 50, served as the Mayor of the City of Inkster from 2019 until 2023. Charging documents on felony bribers counts In the spring of 2022 said Wimberly demanded $100,000 in cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the city to an outside party that was referred to  “Person A” in the indictment.

Over several months, Person A provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of this property. The monthly payments started at $5,000 but the parties agreed to eventually increase that amount. After the initial bribes, Wimberly explained that he was ready to increase the payments. Person A agreed. But when Person A later did not provide the amount Wimberly expected, Wimberly complained that he was due “10,000 a month.” Person A then increased the monthly payments to $10,000. 

In total, Person A provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly for the purpose of winning the bid for the property he wanted. The FBI investigation intervened before the property could be transferred to Person A.

The bribery charge is a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666, and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

“Public officials who act in their own best interests, motivated by greed, betray the trust of their communities and the general public,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “ We will continue to aggressively prosecute corrupt public officials for their illegal actions.”

Special Agent Gibson said, "Investigating public corruption is a primary concern and priority of the FBI in Michigan.” 

The case against Inkster's former mayor was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown until this week's guilty plea deal was reached.

LANSING (CCN) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a victory today (Oct. 22, 2024) in a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC) challenging Michigan’s voter registration database and maintenance.

 Judge Jane Beckering of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan granted A.G. Nessel’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the RNC against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and State Director of Elections Jonathan Brater under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The RNC cited high registration numbers but Judge Beckering dismissed the lawsuit for lack of standing while also noting in her opinion that the RNC’s claims lacked any merit.

“The court’s ruling is yet another example of the Republican National Committee’s strategy to present baseless, frivolous arguments both inside courtrooms as well as on social media,” A.G. Nessel said in statement released by her office earlier today.

“Michigan should be applauded as a leader in voter registration and maintenance of its voter rolls, not the target of meritless political lawsuits that serve no purpose but to incite uncertainty in our Democratic processes," she added. "That a major national political party is engaging in lawsuits that serve no purpose other than to undermine the public’s faith in our system of elections is shameful.”

In her opinion and order, Judge Beckering found fault in the RNC’s registered voter calculations, leading them to “inaccurately conclude” that the qualified voter file  contained too many people as registrants, and further that even if their faulty census data were reliable, it “does not plausibly indicate” any violation of the law, and that the RNC’s requested relief of requiring state officials ensure that ineligible voters are removed “in telling fashion, flips the statutory mandate on its head,” because the statute requires Michigan to ensure that any eligible applicants are registered, while making a “reasonable effort” to remove ineligible voters from the voter rolls.

Judge Beckering continued in her opinion and order by writing: “...the NVRA purposes to both protect electoral integrity and protect against unlawful voter disenfranchisement.  Absent Plaintiff’s legal conclusions and unwarranted factual inferences, which this Court is not required to accept as true... there is no content in Plaintiff’s Complaint that states a plausible claim under the NVRA.”