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Thompson: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy leadership has a lot to prove

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Thompson: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy leadership has a lot to prove


Recent revelations that the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, which has been one of the city’s premier jewels, is making major changes, after a massive corruption scandal that took its former chief financial officer William Smith to jail for embezzling $44.3 million is good news. 

The internal financial controls the conservancy is putting in place, including periodic independent audits, is necessary, considering this public body has been the recipient of millions of dollars in taxpayer money as well as private funding over the years. 

No one should provide an excuse for how the conservancy was running its finances under Smith. Yes, Smith was the culprit but the blame should also be placed on everyone who had collective and overall fiduciary responsibility of the organization. The nonprofit should recognize they dropped the ball as a whole and then move forward in a way that instills public trust so it continues to draw support to beautify the riverfront. 

The reduction of its board seat to 30 members from 50 is a good sign. Organizations with that many board members sometimes are bogged down in unnecessary bureaucracy which slows swift decision-making and can lead to less engagement from those who oversee the agency. Some members may feel sidelined because the major decisions often are made by an executive committee. 

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In the wake of the riverfront conservancy scandal, some board members reached out to me privately about their own take of events that led to how they believed Smith was running a fraudulent scheme that siphoned millions of dollars, the largest in the region’s history of public corruption scandals. 

For example, one particular board member during a Saturday breakfast meeting told me he was actually not surprised about what happened with Smith because some of them were hardly engaged with the internal activities, especially the financial direction of the group. It was known to most members that only a few people were running the conservancy and that some board members felt like their role was simply ceremonial.

It looked good on a professional resume to be a member of the board of directors of the conservancy. Some of the individuals who were chosen for the board reveled only in the association instead of the responsibilities that came with the title. They knew that being on the board gave them some social capital and allowed them to be in the company of some of the region’s most influential individuals. 

The group must also rethink how it selects board members as well. Simply choosing who has a bigger title in this town should no longer be the qualifier. It should be made up individuals with a deep and profound commitment to the concept and mission of making the riverfront one of the best in the nation. 

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The new leadership of the conservancy under CEO Ryan Sullivan has a lot to prove over the next couple of years beyond the issuance of press releases that promise strong changes and a new direction. People want to see that change is not only promised but is self-evident and that this much celebrated institution will continue to serve Detroiters and the region.

The financial scandal was not only a black eye on the organization itself, but also the city.  Organizations like the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy must be exemplary in their conduct and this corruption saga must never happen again. 

 X (formerly Twitter): @BankoleDetNews

bankole@bankolethompson.com

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Bankole Thompson’s columns appear on Mondays and Thursdays in The Detroit News.



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Detroit-area teen charged in carjacking at Applebee’s restaurant bound over to circuit court

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Detroit-area teen charged in carjacking at Applebee’s restaurant bound over to circuit court



A 15-year-old boy who is accused of carjacking a woman last month at an Applebee’s in Roseville, Michigan, is heading to circuit court after waiving his preliminary examination, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.

The teen is charged with one count of carjacking, third-degree fleeing a police officer, two counts of malicious destruction of personal property, assault with a dangerous weapon, assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer, operating without a license and failure to stop after a collision.

The teen appeared for a probable cause hearing on Dec. 10 and waived his right to a preliminary examination. He will be arraigned on Jan. 5, 2026. 

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He remains in at the Macomb County Juvenile Center under a $250,000 cash/surety bond. If he posts bond, he is ordered to wear a GPS tether, be restricted to his mother’s house and have no contact with the victim, witnesses or Applebee’s.

Prosecutors allege that on Nov. 24, 2025, the teen forcibly took a woman’s 2016 Jeep Patriot in the restaurant’s parking lot. The teen took off in the vehicle and crashed it on Gratiot Avenue.

“The allegations and charges in this matter are serious. Carjacking is a violent offense that carries life-altering consequences for victims and offenders alike,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement. “To the young people of Macomb County, understand that the choices you make today will determine the path available to you tomorrow. We want every youth in this community to succeed, but that starts with stepping away from dangerous decisions before they lead to irreversible outcomes.”  



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Detroit Lions rule out All-Pro safety, list 7 others as questionable vs. Rams

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Detroit Lions rule out All-Pro safety, list 7 others as questionable vs. Rams


ALLEN PARK — The Detroit Lions will be without safety Kerby Joseph again this weekend, while listing seven other players as questionable.

Joseph and fellow safety Brian Branch were the only players ruled out ahead of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. Branch is out for the season due to an Achilles injury, but has not been placed on injured reserve yet. And Joseph, who will now miss his eighth straight game, suffered a setback and could be a candidate for injured reserve, per Dan Campbell.

The Lions listed tight end Shane Zylstra (knee), running back Sione Vaki (thumb), wide receiver Kalif Raymond (ankle), guard Christian Mahogany (fibula), safety Thomas Harper (concussion protocol), left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder/rest) and guard Kayode Awosika (foot) as questionable.

Decker has not practiced this week. But he’s been dealing with a shoulder injury all season and is coming off playing three games in less than two weeks. Awosika missed last week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys due to his foot injury. The veteran guard has practiced in a limited capacity all week long.

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Trystan Colon and Miles Frazier split duties at left guard last week for Awosika. The Lions will have a decision to make there between those three options, but perhaps for only another weekend.

Mahogany returned to practice this week. He seems like a longshot to play this weekend based on his injury. But the Lions are listing him as questionable after logging three limited practices in his first action back on the field.

Zylstra has been back at practice for two weeks in his return from injured reserve. Heading into the weekend, the Lions have only one tight end on their 53-man roster (Anthony Firkser) and hope to get Zylstra back.

Campbell said Harper has a chance to play against the Rams despite spending the week in concussion protocol. The Lions could sure use Harper, with Branch and Joseph both out, to hold things down at safety with Avonte Maddox against the high-powered Rams.

“Harper will be out there at practice today, so feel pretty good about him, but we’ll see,” Campbell said on Friday morning. “There again, I can’t give you definitives right now, but that’s kind of where we’re at.

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“So, we’ll be good. Look, (Erick) Hallett’s been taking reps, (Daniel Thomas) DT’s been taking reps, Maddox has been taking reps. We’ve got plenty of guys. They’re getting valuable reps, so we’re good.”

Raymond has missed two consecutive games due to an ankle injury suffered against the New York Giants. He has a shot to return after working back into practice, and should reclaim his role returning punts.

Vaki has continued to play through his thumb injury. He hasn’t returned kickoffs since suffering the injury, with Tom Kennedy and Jacob Saylors taking over.



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Oilers turn in smart, defensive game and Hyman hat trick for 4-1 win over Detroit: Cult of Hockey Player Grades

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Oilers turn in smart, defensive game and Hyman hat trick for 4-1 win over Detroit: Cult of Hockey Player Grades


CONNOR McDAVID. 9. In a quiet first minutes of this one McDavid had the most dangerous shot for, glancing off Talbot’s shoulder and out. Terrific patience on the doorstep before dishing to Hyman for the 1-0. Nearly outwaited Talbot again later in the frame. Dished the disk back to Ekholm on the 2-0. Pranced in and rifled a backhand off Talbot. Hi-lite reel assist on the 3-1, where he knocks down a puck then puts a backhand through his own legs to a waiting Hyman alone in the slot. An assist on the 4-1, for his forty-third four-point game. 63% on faceoffs. Second Star.



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