(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 buzz-worthy stories from the week of Nov. 11:
'An honor of a lifetime.' Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announces he will not seek reelection
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced this week he will not seek a fourth term as mayor, setting up an open race for 2025.
“I will not be a candidate for reelection for mayor of Detroit in 2025,” said Duggan. "Being your mayor has been an honor of a lifetime."
He started his speech by thanking city employees, the police and fire department personnel for sticking with Detroit through tough times. He also thanked his family, block club presidents, and the people of Detroit.
Duggan reflected on the time he was first running for mayor and met with Detroit families in their homes.
“A large part of who I am today was shaped in those living rooms in 2013,” said Duggan.
Duggan, 66, has served as mayor of the city since 2014 and worked in a variety of roles in the city and county dating back to the 1980s.
Several people have already announced their intentions to run for mayor next year.
Sheila Cockrel, a former Detroit city councilwoman, spoke to us about the city's future. She said Duggan made sure to focus on the city's neighborhoods and Detroit's next mayor should do the same.
“My experience is this administration has had more evidence of change in neighborhoods on a continual, regular basis across the city than I've seen in a long time," she said.
No ordinary coffee shop: Java Junction in Trenton serving good food and drinks with a side of inclusion
A new coffee shop in Trenton is serving hot coffee, cold drinks and fresh sandwiches, but it's also much more than its delicious offerings. The shop is also hiring those with disabilities.
It is part of the non-profit organization Arkay, which is a program in the Downriver area servicing adults with developmental disabilities.
"A lot of times people with disabilities are overlooked. They're not considered to be as valuable to the community and we're here to prove that wrong," says Program Director Leslie Cook. "We've got great coffee and great people," Cook said.
Great people like Orlando McGrew, who gets paid to hold creative signs outside the store.
"Every day I get to meet new friends. I like my people here because they treat me right," McGrew said. "I get a paycheck. I get to do what I want with it."
Cook said a paycheck is a big deal for some of these employees, who also get to take home tips.
"For some of them, the money that they get working here is all they have as far as money of their choice. That's all they have to make decisions with is whatever they earn working for us," Cook said.
Howell Nature Center laying off staff, closing rehab clinic due to financial strain
The Howell Nature Center has been a staple of the community for decades, but they've had to close their esteemed Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic and have started letting staff go due to financial strain.
Senior Director of Wildlife and Education Laura Butler says that the center heavily relies on donations to operate and donations have significantly decreased. Because they are a nonprofit, they do not receive financial assistance from the city or state
“I think as a place that relies heavily on donations, when the economy is difficult for people, we’re affected. But in my time here, this is the most dire the situation has been," Butler said.
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic has had to stop taking in new animals due to the high cost of operations.
“It’s very heartbreaking because there are many animals that need our help," Butler said.
Last September, a 12-year-old from Northville died after a tree fell on him during a school trip at the center. Butler says the incident has caused schools and families to pull out of planned trips, leaving a major revenue hole in the center's budget.
“Most of our revenue comes from our camp programs that happen over the summer and then we also get some revenue from school groups that come out. We have seen less school groups come out this fall, so that has affected us," she said. “It’s been devastating for the entire community, our hearts are broken and they go out to the family and everyone affected of course. It’s just a horrible tragedy.”
Coin flip to determine winner in tied Mount Clemens school board race
Mark this down as something we didn't think would actually happen. It's been more than week since Election Day, and almost all of the candidates for races know whether they won or lost – but not in Mt. Clemens.
That's because two school board candidates – Rashidah Hammond and Alex Bronson – each received 3,495 votes. They tied for the fourth and final open school board position.
“When I woke up Wednesday morning, I went and checked on the official website and I saw that there was a tie between me and the other candidate," Hammond recalled. “I was surprised."
“So, the first thing I do: I call the clerk. I’m like alright, 'What are we going to do about this?' He’s like, ‘Well, it’s unofficial. We gotta wait for everything and then once that’s done, then ya know, come do the process to settle a tie,'” Bronson said.
“We’re gonna call the two candidates in and we’re gonna flip a coin. This is how I handle it,” Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini told 7 News Detroit.
'Leave nobody behind.' Vietnam veteran has provided free housing for hundreds of people at Michigan farmhouse
on Veterans Day, our Sarah Michals shined a light on a remarkable veteran in Lapeer who has provided housing for hundreds of community members.
In 2013 Vietnam veteran Patrick Bell created Caroline House, a home in Lapeer where he has about 20 people – primarily veterans – staying at a time, completely free, as they work to get back on their feet.
He bought the 10-bedroom, four-bathroom farmhouse back in October 2013. He was spending his weekends that fall in the Cass Corridor of Detroit, handing out food to people who had nowhere to live.
"A guy came up and told me he knew I was a farmer and he said, ‘I’d work on your farm for free if I could stay in your barn,’ and that’s when the light went off," Bell said.
Since then, he's hosted hundreds of people, and while they live at Caroline House, Pat helps them find a job and affordable housing. In his 11th year, he says he has about a 97% success rate.
He still spends many weekends giving out food in the Cass Corridor, and he's still dreaming. He told me he's working on a plan to help better the lives of children in foster care.
Misinformation over Jameson Williams' near arrest led DPD to open IA investigation
The internal affairs investigation into the near arrest of Detroit Lions star Jameson Williams was opened over concerns that then-Police Chief James White was misled about a gun found under Williams’ seat.
The probe, now into its third week, is looking into whether supervisors intentionally withheld information about the gun that was registered to Williams, who did not have a concealed pistol license, and whether his status as an athlete influenced the decision not to arrest him.
The department said Thursday that while its investigation is still pending, wrongdoing has already been discovered.
"Preliminarily, the Department has identified several failures that occurred on the evening of the traffic stop. Any violations of DPD policy, including the actions of involved supervisors, will be addressed," a department spokesman said.
“It’s something I’d candidly like concluded here very soon,” White said in an interview last Thursday, promising the department would share the findings, whatever they were, when the investigation concludes.
Repeatedly, sources say, White had been told that the only gun found was laying in the back seat of the vehicle being driven by Williams’ brother.
But a subsequent review of police body camera video revealed that that wasn’t true: that a second gun — registered to Williams — was found under the Lions’ wide receiver’s seat, and he didn’t have a CPL.
“Given that there was two guns and that one of the guns was located within the wingspan of the passenger and that gun is registered to the passenger, that changes the circumstances,” said Cmdr. Michael McGinnis, who is leading the investigation, in an interview last month.
Williams was originally placed in his handcuffs by the officer who pulled him over, who planned to take him to the Detroit Detention Center. But after a sergeant was called to the scene and made calls to supervisors, the decision was made to release Williams and return his gun.
No police report was written, and a warrant was not submitted to the Wayne County prosecutor’s office. After learning of the second gun on Oct. 23, White ordered that a warrant request be submitted.
Williams’ attorney, Todd Flood, says that Williams’ brother had a CPL that would have covered the Lions’ wide-receiver’s gun.
“I give White and McGinnis credit saying we need to investigate this,” said Steve Dolunt, a former DPD assistant chief who spent 31 years with the department. “Because if (they) were misled intentionally, (they) have a problem with this officer or officers or supervisors or whatever.”
Dolunt says if he had pulled Williams and his brother over that night, he would have arrested the wide receiver because his gun was found under his seat and he didn’t have a CPL.
“If it’s Joe Blow on the street, I would have locked him up. Taken him in,” he said.
That was the initial decision made by the officer at the scene, which McGinnis said was proper.
During the stop, Williams made it known that he was a member of the Detroit Lions, and his brother placed a call on speaker phone from the front seat.
“I got the head of the Detroit Lions security supervisor right here on the phone with me. He’s trying to see like what’s going on, why you all trying to do that,” Williams brother can be heard saying. He did not provide the man’s name.
The sergeant said he was not interested in talking to the Lions employee.
“If they made phone calls, that doesn’t surprise me. Because when I was there, people made phone calls all the time,” Dolunt said.
“And does that work?” asked Channel 7’s Ross Jones.
“It depends,” Dolunt said. “It depends.”
It is not clear tonight if the phone calls made any difference in how Williams was treated, but it’s one of the questions being asked by internal affairs.
“We encourage our players to inform our security team immediately, should they have interactions with law enforcement,” a Lions spokesman said in a statement. “This ensures that we are getting the information directly from them and can communicate any issues with the league in a timely and appropriate manner.”
Investigators also want to know who supervisors on the scene that night called that led them to release Williams.
At one point, a sergeant appears to make a phone call, then turns off his body camera as it sounds like a conversation is about to start.
Internal affairs wants to know who the sergeant called, and why he turned his body camera off.
Once the IA investigation is over — perhaps as soon as this week — Kym Worthy’s office will have to decide whether to act on a warrant submitted late last month after White learned of the second gun.
While anything is possible, most legal experts tell 7 News Detroit they’d be surprised if Worthy authorizes felony charges.
‘I’m kidnapped.’ Vietnam veteran fighting Michigan guardianship system
Prosecutors have called court-ordered guardianship a superhighway that you can’t exit from and that’s exactly what one Macomb County combat veteran says has happened to him.
Gerald F. Harten says he survived the horrors of the Vietnam War only to now feel like he’s been captured by the enemy decades later. But this time, he says the enemy is Michigan’s guardianship system.
Harten admits he’s fully into his golden years and he’s not quite as physically capable as he once was, but he insists he is not mentally incapacitated. Harten says he wants his voice to be heard by the American court system that he fought for so many years ago.
“This is not right. This is illegally keeping me. Might as well go to jail — at least got more people there to talk to. Get three squares there, they'll give you your medicine. I've been in ‘jail’ for a year. That's the way I feel,” Harten told the 7 Investigators.
The 77-year-old Army veteran’s journey into guardianship started last November after he had back surgery and other health complications.
According to court records, his wife, Mary, had power of attorney to make Harten’s medical decisions, but she was hospitalized at the same time, so she could not care for him.
“I was in a hospital and my boy stepped up to be my overseer of the medicine,” Harten said.
Harten’s son became his legal guardian. When a judge approved that petition for guardianship, Harten was declared legally incapacitated.
“The court says I'm not allowed to go to the bank, take any money out or do anything,” Harten said.
If a judge appoints a guardian and conservator for you, you lose your rights, meaning you can no longer make your own medical or financial decisions, you can’t get married, you can't get divorced or decide where to live.
Harten says his son did a good job taking care of him at his home in Madison Heights after his surgery, but as Harten and as his wife both got better, Harten says he started asking to go back to his own home in Harrison Township.
“I was a millwright by trade. Worked seven days a week for 31 years. And I had everything paid for — my house. I have… three motorcycles, the pool in back, jacuzzi. I was made for my retirement. I'm not allowed to go home,” Harten said. “It’s just been a nightmare.”
Things in court then got messy. According to court records, Harten’s wife tried fighting the guardianship, his son hired a lawyer and there are allegations Harten’s wife ignored court orders and refused to pay for Harten's care. The judge later terminated the wife’s power of attorney over her husband.
In May, the judge put Macomb County professional guardian George Heitmanis in charge of Harten’s life.
Harten says he was furious Heitmanis kept him at his son’s house, even though police records show that the family started feuding so much that officers were called to the home repeatedly last summer.
“I'm kidnapped. I am really kidnapped,” Harten said about his guardianship.
Through their attorney, Harten’s son and his family declined to speak to the 7 Investigators, but police records show they alleged that Harten was often the aggressor during their conflicts.
According to court records, the allegation that Harten has dementia has been used to justify the need for guardianship.
The doctor’s note filed with the court that was used to start the proceedings last fall says Harten was suffering from “likely underlying vascular dementia …”
A report later ordered by the court that was conducted by a gerontologist who also works as a professional guardian states Harten’s “need for a guardian and conservator... has been clearly noted by four different evaluators.” For at least two of those evaluations, court records show Harten was on opioid pain killers, and he alleges those were the cause of his confusion at the time, not dementia.
“Do you think you are mentally deficient,” 7 Investigator Heather Catallo asked.
“No! Just no,” Harten said. “I remember everything.”
Whether he’s been talking to the 7 Investigators or the police, Harten consistently insists he’s not mentally incapacitated and he says to anyone who will listen that he just wants to go home.
“Do you remember the last time we talked,” one officer asked Harten while his body camera was recording back in August.
“I sure do. I don't have dementia,” Harten said.
Harten later told the officer while he was in the back of the police car, “It is a real bad situation. I don't want to be there.”
In the police bodycam footage, as officers moved Harten to the hospital, the video shows him remembering the officer who’s a fellow veteran from past police runs to the house.
“You’re the Army guy,” Harten said.
“Yeah, yeah,” the officer said.
After that exchange with police in August, Harten was evaluated by more neurologists at the hospital, and doctors regularly noted in his records that he was alert and oriented to person, place and time. Doctor’s notes indicate there had not been an “outpatient workup for dementia ...”
In September, Harten arranged his own transportation to get to the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Detroit to meet his regular doctor who wrote a letter saying “... Mr. Harten is competent and able to make his own decisions ...” and that Harten understands “the consequences of his actions.”
“Everybody that I know would say that I'm not crazy,” Harten said.
Harten’s guardian eventually transferred him from the hospital to a group home, which he says he’s not happy about. And other than one hearing on Zoom in July, Harten says he has not been allowed to attend his own court hearings.
“They always get me away from court deals. And that's what made me mad. I said, ‘what? I can't see the judge?” Harten said.
Harten has written two letters to Macomb County Judge Sandra Harrison asking to be heard in court, and his fellow veterans have filled the courtroom to support him even though he says he has yet been allowed to attend in person. Instead, his guardian speaks for him.
“Mr. Harten has significant neurological issues,” Heitmanis said at a September hearing.
Regarding a ward’s attendance at court, “It's not up to their guardian. It's not up to their loved ones. It's not even up to their doctors. Only that person gets to make that call," Michigan Elder Justice Initiative attorney Nicole Shannon said.
Shannon says someone who’s under guardianship has the statutory right to attend key hearings, and she’s helped write new legislation to reinforce that right for anyone facing guardianship.
“This is not just a legal technicality. This is a very substantive, important right that folks need to exercise. And if somebody is prohibited from attending their own hearing, it can have devastating consequences,” Shannon said.
“I am really almost crying out for desperation. I want to go home,” Harten said.
On Tuesday, the 7 Investigators reached out to both Harten’s professional guardian and his court-appointed lawyer. Within hours, a new hearing was scheduled on the court docket to discuss a new petition to terminate the guardianship.
Heitmanis told the 7 Investigators, the court wants Harten to go home as long as it can be made safe.
The hearing to terminate the guardianship will be held in December.
On Thursday, the Michigan state senators are expected to discuss proposed guardianship reforms during a committee hearing. Those reforms include increasing access to court hearings for people under guardianship, and other safeguards.
