Sarah Cwiek

There's some pushback against Kevyn Orr's plan for Detroit's water department

Sarah Cwiek — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:50:41 +0000

Detroit’s emergency manager has a plan for the city’s water department—but not everybody likes it.

Kevyn Orr proposes leasing the system to a “Metropolitan Area Water and Sewer Authority” as it part of a larger restructuring of city operations.

Orr's restructuring plan released, historic meeting with Detroit's creditors is underway

Sarah Cwiek and Mark Brush — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:45:44 +0000

Update 12:45

The meeting has ended. We'll have updates later today on Orr's plan and reaction to it from other stakeholders.

The Detroit Free Press' Matt Helms tweeted a shot of Orr talking to the media after the meeting:

#DetroitEM Kevyn Orr talks to media after historic discussions with creditors. pic.twitter.com/sJAWVlF1bf

Detroit's emergency manager launches key talks with creditors

Sarah Cwiek — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:06:01 +0000

Detroit’s emergency manager Kevyn Orr sits down with the city’s major creditors Friday.

The meeting sets up negotiations that could help Detroit avoid filing for bankruptcy—or lay the groundwork for it.

Orr will gather all the city’s big creditors—unions, retirees, and banks—to pitch his plan.

They’ll all be asked to take some major losses to help Detroit shed some of its crippling debt load, estimated at a least $15 billion.

Duggan vows to appeal judge's ruling, get back on Detroit ballot

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:55:33 +0000

Mike Duggan says he’s confident he’ll be back as an official candidate for Detroit mayor.

Duggan is appealing a judge’s decision that disqualified him from the ballot Tuesday.

The issue: The Detroit city charter says anyone running for office must be a registered Detroit voter “for one year at the time of filing for office.”

Orr's message to Detroit: "I'm going to accomplish this job"

Sarah Cwiek — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:08:07 +0000

Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr didn’t share much new information at his first public meeting Monday night—but he did set the stage for an upcoming meeting with the city’s creditors.

At his first public meeting—required by the emergency manager law that empowers him--Orr told a story we already know: Detroit hasn’t been paying contractors, making pension payments, and has only survived by borrowing billions.

A weekend of Pride in the Motor City

Sarah Cwiek — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 03:25:48 +0000

Michigan’s gay and lesbian community put on their biggest yearly event in Detroit this past weekend.

It was the third year for Motor City Pride in downtown Detroit’s Hart Plaza.

The crowd at this year’s Pride was bigger than ever. It was also diverse, ranging from teens to families with young kids to some older folks.

The events were equally wide-ranging, with everything from drag shows to family picnics.

Jackie Stoll was there with the group Dignity Detroit, which represents Catholic members of the LGBT community.

Levin: "Time to face the music" on sequester

Sarah Cwiek — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:57:16 +0000

The federal budget cuts known as the sequester are hitting home across Metro Detroit.

That’s the message Congressman Sander Levin took on the road in his district Friday.

Levin met with seniors, defense industry employees, and hospital staff in Macomb County. All have been affected to some degree by the sequester.

At St. John’s Macomb hospital, a 2% cut to Medicare payments has taken a $4.5 million bite out of the budget. About 70% of the hospital’s patients are covered by Medicare.

Wayne County halts construction on new jail amidst massive cost overruns

Sarah Cwiek — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:53:12 +0000

Wayne County will stop building a $300 million jail complex while it tries to figure out how the project got so over-budget.

The new jail was supposed to save Wayne County money by consolidating several facilities into one new, high-tech one.

Wayne State University has a new President

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:09:07 +0000

The Wayne State University Board of Governors unanimously approved Dr. M. Roy Wilson as the school’s next President Wednesday.

Wilson is currently a deputy director at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. An ophthalmologist by training, he comes from a background in medical research that spans government and academia.

House bills aim to crack down on illegal scrapping

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:45:01 +0000

The Michigan State House held its first hearing Monday on bills to crack down on scrap metal theft.

The scrap metal theft reform package “provides stronger tools for our local law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as theft protections for residents, businesses and farmers,” says Detroit state representative Rashida Tlaib, a co-sponsor.

Blacks more than 3 times as likely as whites to be arrested for pot possession

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 01:58:39 +0000

Blacks are 3.3 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession in Michigan, according to a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union.

The study shows Michigan’s racial discrepancy is close to the national average, despite the fact that blacks and whites use marijuana at roughly equal rates.

"We have to teach ourselves:" students at Detroit's Catherine Ferguson Academy file federal lawsuit

Sarah Cwiek — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:39:37 +0000

Some students and staff at Detroit’s Catherine Ferguson Academy say their education is so lackluster, it violates their civil rights.

The Detroit Public Schools handed the school for pregnant and parenting girls over to a charter operator in 2011, after students and teachers fought to keep it from closing.

Governor confirms financial emergency in Hamtramck

Sarah Cwiek — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 01:06:08 +0000

As expected, Governor Snyder has confirmed that Hamtramck faces a financial emergency.

Now, the question is what to do about it.

Hamtramck’s financial problems are nothing new. The city was in state receivership from 2000-2007. And in 2010, city officials asked to file for bankruptcy.

And they asked for this state review, too—which found the city is still running continuous deficits, and can’t make pension payments on time.

Trial begins today for officer who shot seven-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones

Sarah Cwiek — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:10:00 +0000

The trial of a Detroit police officer who fatally shot a seven-year-old girl began today.

Officer Joseph Weekley shot Aiyana Stanley-Jones during a botched raid for a murder suspect in 2010.

Weekley is charged with involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors say he showed "gross negligence" in shooting the little girl.

"Civic hackers" in Detroit this weekend

Sarah Cwiek — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 01:44:13 +0000

Attention civic-minded techies: Detroit needs your help.

That’s the message organizers are putting out ahead of the National Day of Civic Hacking on Saturday.