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Morehouse benefactor, Detroit mogul Bill Pickard, 83, dies

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Morehouse benefactor, Detroit mogul Bill Pickard, 83, dies


William “Bill” Pickard, Ph.D., the pioneering Black businessman, philanthropist, and co-owner of the Real Times Media and the Michigan Chronicle, has died. He was 83.

Pickard’s daughter, Mary Pickard, confirmed her father’s passing — June 12 at his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., while surrounded by his family — in a statement delivered to the Michigan Chronicle. 

“On behalf of the Pickard family, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the love and support during this difficult time,” she penned. “Your kindness has provided immense comfort. We are deeply touched by the memories shared, which highlight the impact my dad had on so many lives. Thank you for standing by us as we navigate our grief. We kindly ask for privacy to allow our family to heal. Funeral arrangements will be announced soon.”

Pickard, who donated generous amounts of money to Black institutions, including Atlanta’s Morehouse College, was born Jan. 28, 1941, in LaGrange, Ga., a small town about 65 miles southwest of the Georgia capital, before his family moved to Flint, Mich., a manufacturing town 70 miles north of Detroit.

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First Black owner of Detroit-area McDonald’s

After high school, Pickard acquired his associate’s degree from Mott College in 1962. He then got his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Western Michigan University in 1964, his master’s in social work from the University of Michigan in 1965, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1971.

According to the Detroit News, Pickard originally aspired to become a social worker. Instead, Pickard became the first African American owner of a Detroit McDonald’s franchise in 1971. Success in the food industry led to the founding of Global Automotive Alliance (GAA) Manufacturing in 1989, which generated more than $5 billion. He became one of the most successful and influential Black businessmen in the country.

“The world has lost a true visionary and trailblazer with the passing of Dr. William F. Pickard,” said Hiram E. Jackson, publisher of Michigan Chronicle and CEO of Real Times Media. “He was not only my esteemed business partner and colleague, but a dear friend whose wisdom, guidance, and unwavering belief in me changed the course of my life.

“Dr. Pickard’s pioneering spirit, coupled with his brilliant mind and generous heart, left an indelible mark on the business world and inspired countless others to dream big. His legacy of entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and uplifting the Black community will forever be etched in history. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have walked alongside this giant among men. While his physical presence may be gone, Dr. Pickard’s impact on me and so many others will reverberate for generations to come. Rest in eternal peace, my friend and mentor.”

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Pickard served on numerous boards

In addition to being a prolific philanthropist, Pickard also served on numerous business and non-profit boards, including Asset Acceptance Capital Corporation, Michigan National Bank, LaSalle Bank, Business Leaders for Michigan, National Urban League, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of the National Park Foundation. Pickard was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Former Detroit mayor Dave Bing, the NBA legend who played for the Detroit Pistons before becoming a renowned business mogul, had many business interactions with Pickard and was an admirer and close friend of his.

“He spread his wings out and he helped a lot of different people,” Bing told the Detroit News. “And because he was in so many different areas, I mean, he was political. He knew a lot about politics. He knew a lot about business. He knew a lot about people. He just touched a lot of lives in a positive way. He will be missed.”





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Detroit, MI

Car Radio, Season 6, Podcast 267: 2025 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year

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Car Radio, Season 6, Podcast 267: 2025 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year


Car Radio 910AM-Detroit: Podcast, December 23, 2025

Host: Henry Payne, Auto columnist, The Detroit News

Car shoppers had plenty of choices in 2025 as auto grocery shelves were teeming with goods. At The Detroit News, we’re biased towards value, style, innovation, and performance – and we choose our Vehicle of the Year accordingly. As Detroit News auto critic, I tested 59 new cars this year from the compact, $24,000 Nissan Sentra gas-sipper to the posh, $82,000 Lucid Gravity EV. For Vehicle of the Year, I reduced that list to three finalists: Mazda CX-30, Chevy Corvette ZR1, Dodge Charger SIXpack. 2 min. Originally aired December 23, 2025 on the Auto Report, 910AM-Detroit WFDF



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Detroit, MI

Former employee accused of stealing over $215,000 from Metro Detroit moving service business

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Former employee accused of stealing over 5,000 from Metro Detroit moving service business


A former employee of a Metro Detroit moving service business is accused of misappropriating funds and transferring the company’s money to her personal accounts.

Deborah Beaudoin is facing a federal charge of wire fraud, according to a criminal complaint filed on Dec. 10, 2025.

Homeland Security began investigating the case on Sept. 4, 2023, when the Van Buren Township Police Department requested support for an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud at a small business called Rose Moving and Storage.

According to the criminal complaint, the business accused former financial controller, Beaudoin, of misappropriating over $215,000 from Rose Moving and Storage by ordering company debit cards, transferring business funds to the cards and then transferring the business funds to her personal accounts.

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On Oct. 5, 2023, authorities interviewed the chief financial officer of the parent company of Rose Moving and Storage, and he explained that the business is a moving company that contracts with owner-operated truck drivers. He then said the drivers use their own cars and pay their moving crews to service customers at Rose Moving and Storage. However, the truck drivers typically did not have the financial capital to front their costs. So, the business would “front” the truck drivers about $4,000 to $5,000 to cover initial expenses, including gas and the payment of the moving crew.

The employees, including Beaudoin, would order the company debit cards issued in the name of the driver, load them with company funds and give them to the truck driver to pay their initial costs and complete the moving transactions. After the job is complete, the amount “fronted” by the business would be deducted from the final payment to the truck drivers.

Beaudoin is accused of devising a scheme to misappropriate funds by ordering and obtaining unauthorized company debit cards from the company’s provider, typically using names that contained different iterations of the company name, including” R. Rose Moving,” “R. Storage” and “R. Rose Moving ST,” then using company monies to fund them in amounts ranging from just over $1,000 to as much as $3,000 before withrawing the funds in cash using ATMs at different banks.

After withdrawing the funds, she allegedly deposited the cash into her personal accounts.

Beaudoin allegedly created fake entries on the company ledger for expenses such as “repairs” and would allocate the money she had appropriated from the company to these fake expenses to legitimize the costs.

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Homeland Security found that Beaudoin obtained over 60 fraudulent company debit cards from 2017 to 2023.

According to federal authorities, her use of Huntington Bank’s ATM machines to withdraw funds she had allegedly misappropriated from the business “caused the transmission of wire communication in interstate commerce,” leading to her facing a federal charge.

Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.



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Detroit, MI

Detroit police officer shoots himself in foot during dog attack

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Detroit police officer shoots himself in foot during dog attack


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A dog is dead and a Detroit police officer is injured after police stopped to investigate vehicles blocking the roadway on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Officers from the 6th Precinct were responding to a ShotSpotter report in the 14400 block of Rockdale Street at approximately 9 p.m. when they encountered two vehicles blocking the road, according to a statement from Detroit Police Department on Wednesday, Dec. 24.

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One of the vehicles was discovered to be wanted out of Livonia. As officers approached the wanted vehicle, a dog jumped out of it in the direction of the officers and the driver fled the location, according to DPD.

“The dog charged towards the officers and began to attack one officer,” according to DPD. “The officer fired shots to stop the dog from attacking them and accidentally struck himself in the foot.”

The officer was treated at a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He is out of the hospital as of Wednesday evening. The dog is dead.

Review of body-worn camera and camera assets in the area determined the driver, who was wanted by Southfield police, attempted to stop the dog from jumping out of the vehicle, according to DPD. The driver was arrested and taken into custody by Southfield police.

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“Detroit Police Department is not pursuing charges on the driver as we do not believe the driver intentionally threw the dog at our officers,” according to DPD.

Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.



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