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Why Ben Johnson Coaching Chicago Bears Could Be Disaster

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Why Ben Johnson Coaching Chicago Bears Could Be Disaster


Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s name is being floated around as a top candidate for a head coaching vacancy within the NFC North.

Johnson is reportedly intrigued by the Chicago Bears’ head coaching job, which opened after the Bears fired Matt Eberflus on the day after Thanksgiving. Some analysts viewed the Lions’ 34-17 win over the Bears on Sunday, which featured one of the most unique trick plays of the season, as an audition from Johnson for the vacancy.

It’s worth noting that Johnson turned down interest from teams across the league to remain with the Lions after last season, and could be in position to do so again depending on how the team’s season finishes.

The Bears job is one of several expected to be open, but it’s the one that Johnson has been associated closest to at this point. With the success that Johnson’s offenses have had over his three years as coordinator, and the proximity that the Bears have to Detroit as members of the NFC North, it is a natural pairing.

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However, there’s more elements to a potential pairing that could be cause for concern. For starters, the Bears have struggled mightily as of late. They haven’t finished with a winning record since their 12-4 season in 2018, and have made just one other playoff appearance (2020) in that time span.

There has been disfunction throughout the organization this season, as they’ve lost nine games in a row dating back to a Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 8.

Additionally, there’s concern about the longevity of general manager Ryan Poles, and the team’s ownership, the McCaskey family, has drawn criticism from the fan base for its decision-making.

Because the Bears have struggled, and looked hapless at points, Johnson likely wouldn’t be easily enticed to inherit this situation.

MORE: Ben Johnson Expected to Interview With Bears, ‘Intrigued’ by Job

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However, the Bears also do have some elements working for them. Most notably, Johnson would get the opportunity to work with 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. The USC product has shown some promise throughout a rookie season that has lacked significant wins, but one filled with promise.

Johnson had high praise for Williams when asked about him by Lions OnSI leading up to the Week 16 game. He has thrown for 3,271 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions over the course of his first NFL campaign.

It’s easy to see why the Bears would be interested in Johnson. He’s the creative architect of one of the league’s best offenses and has played a vital role in Jared Goff’s career revival over the last several seasons.

What the 38-year-old coach has done with Goff has been well-documented. If he were to strike up a relationship of this nature with Williams, he could make the young passer into one of the league’s best talents at the position.

Williams has good weapons around him that could allow him to succeed in the right scheme. Chicago could also have another high draft pick depending on where they finish, which will allow whomever takes over as coach to add another highly touted piece to the roster.

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Additionally, it’s expected that the Bears will break ground on a new stadium next year with hopes of finishing construction in 2028.

Ultimately, it’s been reported that Johnson won’t interview for jobs simply to say he did it. Rather, he is expected to be selective and interview for positions that he would want to take. If he does take a meeting with Chicago, which he is reportedly expected to do, it would be a sign that he would want the job.

Johnson’s focus in the current future remains on bringing a Super Bowl to Detroit this season. If he were to do that, it would make the potential pill of him taking over in Chicago much easier to swallow. However, the Bears’ interest will make the offseason very intriguing as Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both navigate their futures.



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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 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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Detroit Sandwich Week is arriving: What local restaurants are doing

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Detroit Sandwich Week is arriving: What local restaurants are doing


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  • Detroit Sandwich Week is an annual event supporting local restaurants during the slow week between Christmas and New Year’s.
  • The tradition was started a dozen years ago by local food enthusiast Carlos Parisi to bolster small businesses.
  • This year’s event features seven stops over five days at various delis, restaurants, and wine bars in and around Detroit.

After Thursday’s Christmas holiday, it’s time to get ready for what’s become an annual tasty Detroit event.

This Friday starts the week sandwiched between Christmas and New Year’s.

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And in Detroit, that means it’s time to get ready for what’s become a Detroit tradition, founded by a Detroiter: Detroit Sandwich Week.

The annual Detroit Sandwich Week celebrates five days and seven events of sandwiches at local restaurants.

It’s been a dozen years since local sandwich and overall food enthusiast Carlos Parisi came up with the idea of Detroit Sandwich Week to help support local businesses during a slow time.

Doing so also allowed Parisi to take sandwiches to another level.

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“It’s beautiful because what Sandwich Week has done is given me a chance and an opportunity to do so much more,” Parisi said. “I started a podcast and was able to host TV shows and now the sandwich party, the Detroit sandwich party, which is insanely successful. It all stems from sandwich week.”

Parisi is also the owner and founder of Aunt Nee’s, whose products include Detroit-made tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole sold at Eastern Market and several metro Detroit stores.

Detroit Sandwich Week started out while Parisi worked at a corporate job. During the holiday season, Parisi and others were able to take longer lunch hours and got the idea to help support local businesses during the period between Christmas and New Year’s.

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While over the years the event grew, it’s stayed true to its mission of supporting local businesses. Each year, the event typically draws hundreds of people to stop in a select group of sandwich shops.

Parisi said that while Sandwich Week was something he first started with friends, it’s now taken on a life of its own.

“It’s really cool because in the lexicon of Detroit, you hear other people say sandwich week,” he said. “That’s so amazing because we know that what that means is, it’s the week between the two holidays where we go and support small business. And celebrate it by eating sandwiches.”

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Events this year include a ticketed dinner and the final Detroit Sandwich Week party.

This year’s Detroit Sandwich Week kicks off noon-3 p.m. Friday at Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop on Brooklyn Street in Corktown.

Founded by the late Greg Mudge, the famed Corktown spot is known for its hearty sandwiches piled with fresh-cut meats and cheese, soups and its wine shop. Mudge, who died in September 2021, name is now officially on a secondary street sign above the Brooklyn Street sign in Corktown.

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Other sandwich stops are:

  • Vesper, 5001 Grand River Ave., Detroit, noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27. A wine bar and cookbook store, Vesper is in a former bank building in Detroit’s Core City. Ayiti Spaghetti, a pop-up, joins Vesper.
  • Ladder 4 Wine Bar, noon-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28. Located in a Detroit neighborhood, Ladder 4 Wine Bar is in a restored former 1910 Detroit Fire Department house. In 2023, Ladder 4 Wine Bar was named the Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Restaurant of the Year.
  • Dakota Inn Rathskeller, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. on Dec. 28. Featuring a 15-foot sandwich, this ticketed event takes place in the basement of the 90-plus-year-old Dakota Inn on John R. Tickets, available through a link on the Detroit Sandwich Party Instagram page, are $65 each. They include access to the sandwich, sides and two drinks. A cash bar is available.
  • Rocco’s Italian Deli, 3627 Cass Ave., Detroit, noon, Dec. 29. This Midtown deli is known not only for deli sandwiches, but cocktails, specialty wines, cured meats, cheeses and olives.
  • Tall Trees Café, 817 Livernois, Ferndale, noon Dec. 30. Tall Trees Café is a sandwich shop and lunch counter.
  • Batch Brewing, 1400 Porter Street. On Dec. 30, a sandwich party starts at 6 p.m., and there’s a raffle with merch, gift cards and other items at 7 p.m. at the Corktown brewery.

Aside from the above specific events, places like Bev’s Bagels in Detroit’s Core City, Gonella’s in southwest Detroit, Last Chance Saloon and Pietrzyk Pierogi are participating with special sandwiches during the week.

Parisi also founded Detroit Sandwich Party, which once again drew thousands for last September’s event, its second, at Eastern Market. The sandwich festival is taking place again this year at Eastern Market and pays homage to the humble sandwich, featuring lots and lots of sandwiches, plus music and drinks. Parisi said he expects the event to be bigger this year.

Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free PressSubscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.



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