Detroit, MI
Inside Dearborn Public Works’ winter wonders keeping the city running
DEARBORN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – From fixing your frozen pipes and maintaining city trucks every night to plowing the roads and keeping sewer drains running when it’s cold, Dearborn Public Works director Tim Hawkins says his team is always prepared for the sun or snow.
“We are prepped and ready to go,” Hawkins says.
However, while most this week are being told to stay in and stay warm, being outside eight hours at a time is the norm for the crew at DPW.
“I mean they are out in the cold. They are working when everyone else is staying inside,” Hawkins says.
For most of the day Wednesday, crews were out prepping ahead of a snowstorm expected to generate anywhere between 3-6 inches of snow between Thursday and Friday. Attaching plows, filling them with salt, and pre-icing the roads are just some of the tasks on the agenda.
They’re out in the cold, not just recovering from one storm, but now preparing for another.
“We have our trucks getting plows mounted on them. In the back of our yard, we are loading trucks with salt. They are pre-salting right now,” Hawkins says.
According to DPW, the City of Dearborn receives an estimated 7,000 tons of salt per year around with the majority of that load delivered right before the winter.
And while getting the roads plowed in a timely fashion is a priority, Hawkins says it is not the only item on their list.
“That is one of the biggest misconceptions about what we do. We do a lot of things people don’t know about on a daily basis. In the last snowstorm, everybody just sees the removal of snow and ice, but there was a lot of storm damage during that storm. We were removing trees off cars, out of roadways, clearing electrical lines after DTE made them safe,” Hawkins says.
And no matter how much snow or how cold it may be, Hawkins says he hopes all remember the hard work the men and women of the Dearborn Public Works team put in to keep this city safe.
“Really what it takes an operation like this is good employees with heart. They are really the lifeblood that keeps the city moving in a storm event,” Hawkins says.
What is Newlab?
Originally founded in Brooklyn, Newlab provides tech startups with a place to develop their products and expand their manufacturing capabilities. Located in the Albert Khan-designed former Detroit Public Schools Book Depository building in Corktown, Newlab Detroit is the venture platform’s second development center. The 270,000-squarefoot facility opened in 2023 and is situated within the 30-acre Michigan Central Innovation District. Newlab Detroit attracts global and local startups like metro Detroit’s Sharrow Marine, which makes advanced propellers.
“Detroit is still the best place in the world to make anything,” says Greg Sharrow, founder and CEO of Sharrow Marine. “It’s incredible that Michigan Central and Newlab exist here and that inventors are able to take advantage of those resources.”
How can a business become a member at Newlab Detroit?
More than 100 companies apply for Newlab Detroit residency every year, making membership an exclusive commodity. While membership is not restricted to hard-tech startups, the space is primarily designed to accommodate them. If an application is accepted, the monthly membership cost is $250.
What does Newlab Detroit provide members?
In addition to a fl oating desk, one of the biggest advantages Newlab o ers is access to the workshop. There, members can learn how to use state-ofthe- art technology that would otherwise be too costly for a startup to purchase. Other perks include access to Newlab’s manufacturing network and community of investors.
How many startups operate out of Newlab Detroit?
Currently, a blend of more than 100 local, national, and global companies operate out of Newlab Detroit. International startups currently make up roughly 15% of the community.
What kinds of products come out of Newlab Detroit?
The products developed at Newlab are as diverse as the people who create them. Technologies range from body temperature-reactive heating and cooling tiles to underwater robots designed to prevent water main breaks.
This story originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition
Emerging as the PWHL’s Defender of the Year made Tuesday night a special one for Megan Keller. Doing so in her hometown made it doubly so.Keller, a Farmington Hills native, earned recognition as the PWHL’s top blueliner this season with the Boston Fleet during a ceremony at One Campus Martius. She recorded 22 points in 30 games in addition to her stout defense.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Keller said. “Obviously, though, it’s a reflection of the team. I’ve got such great teammates. My D partner, also up for the award, Haley Winn.
“And goaltending Aerin Frankel, MVP, one of the best goalies in the world — makes my job super easy, and it was just so fun to come to the rink every day. We had such a special group, so to be a part of that, I’m just really thankful.”Winn earned Rookie of the Year, and Boston Fleet coach Kris Sparre earned Coach of the Year in his first campaign at the helm. He’s on to PWHL Hamilton next year, one of four expansion teams alongside Detroit. He had high praise for Keller, particularly for her athleticism and skill set. “I’ve said this before, and I’m sure this will ruffle some feathers from players that I’ve coached in the past, but she’s hands down my favorite professional athlete that I’ve coached in my 11 years,” Sparre said. “She deserves all the accolades that she gets.”
Keller’s name may ring a bell for her Olympic heroics, particularly February’s nifty move she used to score the golden goal for Team USA over Canada in the Milano-Cortina games. That’s the 30-year-old’s second Olympic gold medal of her career.Keller has also been a major proponent of expanding women’s hockey in Michigan, through both the creation of a varsity team at the University of Michigan and through a PWHL team. Fans who chanted “we want a team” at Little Caesars Arena will get their wish this year. Keller is ecstatic.“I’m so happy for the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan,” Keller said. “I think they’ve deserved a team for a long time.“I’ve gotten the opportunity to come back and play in the takeover tour games here at LCA, and the crowd that showed up, all the girls that were in the stands — I was a youth hockey player just like them growing up in all these rinks across Michigan.
“And for them to have a women’s professional team and role models to look up to every single night is going to be huge for them. I thought I was going to play on the Red Wings growing up, and to see their role models each and every day and know that they have a dream that can turn it into reality — it’s super special, and I’m so excited for what’s to come for them.”cearegood@detroitnews.com
@ConnorEaregood
J.T. Compher and Jesse Compher are the first NHL/PWHL siblings to play in the same city.
J.T. Compher and Jesse Compher are the first NHL/PWHL siblings to play in the same city.
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