Connect with us

Michigan

This popular Michigan bar has a working cigarette machine inside — but it dispenses art.

Published

on

This popular Michigan bar has a working cigarette machine inside — but it dispenses art.


FLINT, MI — There is a working cigarette machine at Soggy Bottom Bar, but what’s inside isn’t what you’d expect.

It’s contents are open to interpretation and meant to inspire be enjoyed.

No, it does not dispense cigarettes. It dispenses art.

And not just any art, but works by local Flint artists — a mini Flint art market now known and branded as the MarTket.

Advertisement

Jewel Brown, 26 of Flint, said she first had the idea while working at Factory Two when a larger vending machine came through that needed repairs.

Brown, a 2017 Flint Kearsley graduate who grew up on the city’s east side, knew she wanted to make something unique and to give a voice to artists from the start.

But now, she needed to buy an old cigarette vending machine. The one that came in was too expensive for her pocketbook.

So, she did what anyone would — she turned to Facebook Marketplace in hopes of finding a cheaper one. And in August 2024, she found one for sale in Metcalf, Illinois.

“It was a teeny, tiny town in southern Illinois,” Brown said. “The lady who sold it to me was so sweet. She had been running the bar she just bought two years ago. She had still been selling cigarettes out of it, and just decided she didn’t want to deal with the hassle anymore.”

Advertisement

Brown borrowed a truck from friends Jeff and Mary Mintline, even having help from Will Mintline, who drove with her to provide some extra muscle to retrieve the new dispensary device.

Brown said she was fortunate the machine was in good condition with fully working slots. Though, she admitted, it needed a deep clean, calling it “pretty, pretty grody.”

“I knew the idea right from the get — I knew it was going to be local artists. That was my intention the whole time,” Brown said. “My goal is to make Flint artists’ art more accessible for people. Not only in Flint, but people who are visiting Flint.”

The MarTket — which sells local artists work for $5 each — is an old cigarette vending machine that was cleaned and repurposed to fuel Flint’s art scene, making art more accessible and affordable. It is located inside of Soggy Bottom Bar.(Photo provided by MarTket)

That’s why Brown said it was crucial to have a home for the MarTket machine in Soggy Bottom Bar in downtown Flint — one of the city’s most popular bars.

Advertisement

Brown and Soggy Bottom’s regulars even threw a party for its grand reveal in March.

“The place was packed,” Brown said, noting she invited all the participating artists. “And a few artists sold out completely, which was awesome.”

The art vending machine holds up to 22 artists’ work at a time, and, Brown said happily, she has not had to turn a single artist away.

Inside the vending machine, you’ll find art in the style of poetry, zines, photographs, stained glass, leather, prints, collages and paintings.

“I really wanted to make sure there was a lot of options — something that everyone would enjoy,” Brown said. “I think Flint has a really rich art scene, but accessibility to it is not always there. So, a lot of times when we think about Flint art, the first things that are going to come to mind are the FIA and Buckham Gallery. And for a lot of these artists and a lot of people, these things are not super easily accessible.

Advertisement

“I think Flint does a great job of combating that with things like Art Walks where it’s a much more casual way to get involved in the arts community, giving an opportunity to see what the Flint arts community has to offer. But really the goal with it is to keep it affordable for people.”

This popular Michigan bar has a working cigarette machine inside — but it dispenses art.

Scenes from the grand opening party for The MarTket — which sells local artists work for $5 each. It is an old cigarette vending machine that was cleaned and repurposed to fuel Flint’s art scene, making art more accessible and affordable. It is located inside of Soggy Bottom Bar.(Photo provided by Hayley Murray)

Everything in the MarTket vending machine is $5, and artists get 60% of each purchase. Brown said it was important to her to ensure artists are compensated fairly as well.

The remainder of the money goes into packing materials and repairs to sustain the machine.

But Brown’s ambitions for the project don’t stop there. She aims to have two more by the end of the year, but in a different style and at other locations.

She plans to do the same with a full-size snack vending machine and a sticker vending machine as well.

Advertisement

The MarTket is stationed in the secondary room to the right after you enter Soggy Bottom Bar, located at 613 Martin Luther King Ave. in Flint.

You can follow the MarTket on Facebook and Instagram.

Read more on MLive.com:

Flint’s ‘biggest backyard BBQ’ is happening Memorial Day weekend. Here are the details.

From jail to diploma: IGNITE program marks 100th graduate‘

Advertisement

This nightmare has ended.’ After 52 years in prison, Horace Peterson is home

40 incredible outfits from the Westwood Heights Hamady ‘A Night in Paris’ prom

This Michigan cookie is selling by the thousands, shipping all over U.S.





Source link

Advertisement

Michigan

Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore

Published

on

Legal experts question University of Michigan’s role after charges against former HC Sherrone Moore


WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore appeared in court Friday on charges of stalking, home invasion, and breaking and entering, just days after being fired from his position.

The 39-year-old coach, who has no prior criminal history, was terminated by the university on Wednesday following an investigation that uncovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

According to prosecutors, the charges stem from an incident that occurred after the victim, a University of Michigan staff member, ended her relationship with Moore on Monday (Dec. 8).

Following the breakup, Moore allegedly made numerous unwanted calls and texts to the victim.

Advertisement

The situation escalated on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2025, when Moore allegedly forced his way into the victim’s Pittsfield Township apartment.

Prosecutors say he grabbed kitchen utensils and threatened to take his own life, allegedly telling the victim, “My blood is on your hands.”

“The totality of the behavior is highly threatening and highly intimidating. She was terrorized, your honor,” a prosecutor told the court during Friday’s arraignment.

Defense attorney Joseph Simon pushed back on prosecutors’ claims that Moore could be a threat to public safety.

“My client’s 39 years old, with zero prior criminal history, zero prior contact with the criminal justice system in any fashion,” Simon stated.

Advertisement

Attorney Todd Flood, who practices both criminal defense and civil litigation, said the fallout within the university could continue depending on when the organization was first alerted about the relationship and how university athletic officials first responded.

“What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it when they found out? Those are going to be the three major questions,” Flood said.

“The university could possibly have some culpability there, that they didn’t put a stop to this,” noted Flood, adding that the victim may have grounds to pursue action against both the university and Moore.

Flood said the stalking charge against Moore likely stems from a documented pattern of harassment.

“When there is a position where he is harassing, either via text messages, harassing via telephone calls, social media content, or showing up at a place where he doesn’t belong,” Flood said. “Those stalking charges are ones where you can show that pattern of conduct.”

Advertisement

“He’s ultimately going to probably plead this case out, under some sort of either misdemeanor, or something that gives probation,” Flood said.

Moore posted his $25,000 bond Friday.

As part of his bond conditions, he must wear a GPS tether, undergo mental health treatment, and have no contact with the victim.

He is scheduled to appear in court in person on Jan. 22.

–> Jim Harbaugh talks Sherrone Moore’s firing, arrest after former Michigan football understudy posts bond

Advertisement

Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Michigan

What we’re hearing in Michigan football coach search: News, rumors

Published

on

What we’re hearing in Michigan football coach search: News, rumors


play

With the firing of Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, Dec. 10, Michigan football is on the hunt for a new head coach.

It’s extremely late in the hiring cycle, with nearly every Power Four squad with an opening already having made a hire. But the Wolverines’ maize-and-blue brand could be strong enough to restart the coaching carousel, with several established coaches considered potential candidates for the U-M job.

Advertisement

It’ll be athletic director Warde Manuel’s call on the hire (with the usual inputs from donors and regents), despite rumors swirling on social media of his firing.

Here’s the latest on the Michigan football coaching search:

A former Notre Dame QB as Michigan football’s next head coach?

It’s possible.

Advertisement

Michigan football is reportedly interested in talking to Rees, according to Cleveland.com, who starred as a quarterback at Notre Dame. He moved up the coaching ranks fast, getting his big break as offensive coordinator with Notre Dame in 2020, where he served in the role for three years before moving to Alabama to be the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in Nick Saban’s last year. He has spent the last two years with the Browns, first as a passing game specialist and then as offensive coordinator this year.

Rees also reportedly talked to Penn State before the Nittany Lions landed on Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.

It’s an interesting proposition, as Rees is seen as an up-and-coming young coach, but it can be wonky trying to hire NFL coaches into the college game due to the schedule. But in this circumstance, it just might work. The Browns are out of playoff contention so their season should drag out, and Michigan is in a position to wait longer than normal because early signing day for recruits is over and the transfer portal won’t open until January.

Advertisement

It’s early.

Michigan still has time to make a case.

But according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, there’s “no indication” that Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, one of the hottest names in connection to the Wolverines, has an interest in taking the job in Ann Arbor.

DeBoer, who has Alabama in the 12-team College Football Playoff, was also briefly connected to Penn State earlier this offseason and quickly shot that down.

Advertisement

But never say never in college football in 2025.

If Michigan is looking to swing big for its third head coach in four seasons (or seventh, if you count the interims who served during Moore’s and Jim Harbaugh’s suspensions), the Free Press’ Tony Garcia broke down four big names, including a couple with established ties to Ann Arbor, one who couldn’t quite beat the Wolverines and another who’s the darling of the college football world.

Check out that list of candidates here.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Michigan

Bullough’s back: Ex-linebacker to be Michigan State co-defensive coordinator

Published

on

Bullough’s back: Ex-linebacker to be Michigan State co-defensive coordinator


A fan-favorite Spartan is coming back as an assistant coach.Max Bullough, a former MSU linebacker who has spent the past two seasons coaching linebackers at Notre Dame, is coming back to East Lansing to be a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Bullough confirmed in a biography change on X (formerly Twitter).

The move is a promotion for Bullough, who was a linebackers coach at Notre Dame the past two seasons. Bullough will serve alongside incumbent MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who The Detroit News confirmed last week is staying on Pat Fitzgerald’s first staff in East Lansing. Fitzgerald replaced Jonathan Smith, who went 5-19, 4-14 Big Ten in two seasons.Bullough, 33, played for Michigan State from 2010 to 2013, under head coach Mark Dantonio and defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi. He played immediately as a freshman and appeared in 53 college games, logging 284 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions.

He missed his final game — the 100th Rose Bowl against Stanford in 2013 — because of an unspecified violation of team rules. He never spoke publicly on the issue, though he was asked at the NFL Combine.Michigan State went 42-12 in Bullough’s four seasons with the Spartans, and 25-7 in Big Ten play, including the conference title in 2010 and 2013.After a brief NFL career with the Houston Texans and, in 2018, a stint on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad, Bullough got into coaching. He served as grad assistant for Cincinnati in 2019 under Luke Fickell, Alabama from 2020 to 2022 under Nick Saban (winning the College Football Playoff in his first year) and Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman in 2023. Freeman kept Bullough on as his linebackers coach last year, a season in which the Irish made it to the national championship game before losing to Ohio State.

Earlier this season, Bullough went viral in August for a video of him describing his detail-oriented approach during fall camp, citing knee bend and square tackling “when the s—‘s hard.”

Advertisement

Notre Dame finished the season 10-2, on a 10-game win streak, when it was left just outside the College Football Playoff bracket. Freeman and his team opted out of a bowl game, after terse words on the snub from AD Pete Bevacqua.Bullough coached a number of NFL draft picks in his career, including Dallas Turner (Minnesota Vikings), Christian Harris (Houston Texans), Henry To’oTo’o (Houston), Drew Sanders (Denver Broncos) and Jack Kiser (Jacksonville Jaguars).

Bullough won’t be the first in his family to coach at Michigan State. His grandfather, Hank, was an MSU guard and linebacker who won a national championship in 1952. Hank was also a well-regarded assistant coach on Duffy Daugherty’s staff from 1959 to 1969, including the national title teams in 1965 and 1966. He then went onto a pro coaching career that included stops with seven teams, including a head coaching tenure with the Buffalo Bills from 1985 to 1986.

After a year as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator in 1993, he finished his coaching career with a homecoming to Michigan State, where he was an assistant on George Perles’ final team. He died in 2019.

cearegood@detroitnews.com

@ConnorEaregood

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending