DETROIT – After 132 years of business, Detroit institution Dittrich Furs is closing its doors for good.

The owners announced their retirement on the store’s website, sparking an overwhelming response from customers eager for one last purchase.

On Tuesday, (Jan. 13), the store reported lines stretching down the street, with so many customers calling that Dittrich Furs had to temporarily stop answering phones.

While a final day of operation has not been announced, the store remains open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The liquidation sale runs through April 30, with prices up to 70% off as everything must go.

Lisa Wright, a longtime customer, shared her connection to the store.

“It’s iconic in its 136 years, so that is the reason that I stood in that line for almost six hours. I grew up in this area. I remember Dittrich because my mother bought a coat from Dittrich. In fact, I still have that coat.”

Wright added, “When I told my brother and them, ‘Hey, remember mom had Dittrich furs?’ I still have that fur even though she’s passed on. I’m the only daughter, so it went to me. Now it’s going to go from me to my daughter. That’s what my memories are, because she bought a fur. It was beautiful.”

She expressed mixed emotions about the closing.

“I’m going to miss them. Just the idea of advertisement, and I’m getting of age, and I’m seeing a lot of things going away that I’m used to. Congrats. They’re probably tired. They probably need a break, too,” Wright concluded.

Customers and community members recognize Dittrich Furs as a stronghold in Detroit.

“They are such a stronghold in Detroit for so many years. I think they’ll have some wonderful memories, as Detroit loved them. It’s being shown by people coming out,” said customer LaVerne Sommerville.

Eugene McCulloch, browsing the sale, said, “I think I might buy this jacket. I kind of like it. I like the color. It looks pretty good.”

As Dittrich Furs prepares to close, the store’s legacy lives on through the memories of its customers and the final rush of shoppers eager to own a piece of Detroit history.

MILWAUKEE — Students at Dr. George Washington Carver Academy of Mathematics and Science in Milwaukee experienced something special recently when a traditional school book fair became a celebration of free reading, thanks to a partnership between TMJ4, the Scripps Howard Fund, Milwaukee Public Schools and Scholastic’s “If You Give a Child a Book” campaign.

Each student was able to choose five free books of their own, removing the financial barrier that often comes with book fairs and giving children the freedom to select books they truly wanted to read.

“For them to have the chance to come in and literally pick whatever five books they want from the current up-to-date books that they’re raving over in class is awesome for them,” said Hayley Awe, a kindergarten teacher at Carver Academy.

TMJ4

The impact was immediate and visible. Student Lamar Allen described the experience as feeling “like a dream” and said it felt “amazing.”

Awe emphasized the importance of students having books at home, noting how meaningful it is to see children build their own personal libraries.

TMJ4

“I’m happy for them. It’s great that they are given that chance to just have books at home,” Awe said.

Parent volunteer Cheynile Johnson believes the initiative levels the playing field for students by providing access to books they’re genuinely interested in reading.

“I think it’s going to be beneficial for a lot of the kids, allowing them to have access to things that they’re interested in,” Johnson said.

TMJ4

Johnson also noted how refreshing it was to see children excited about physical books in an increasingly digital world.

“I noticed a lot of kids aren’t reading anymore. Everybody’s on tablets and on laptops, so this has been refreshing to see them actually excited to see books,” Johnson said.

TMJ4

The “If You Give a Child a Book” campaign has distributed more than one million books nationwide, working toward the goal of ensuring every child has the opportunity to develop a love of reading.

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MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Loved ones are demanding the immediate release of Garrison Gibson from ICE custody after armed federal agents used a door-breaching battering ram to arrest him inside his Minneapolis home.

Gibson’s legal team has since filed a habeas petition, arguing the arrest violated his constitutional rights because ICE did not have a judicial warrant.

Arrest caught on camera

What we know:

Video captured the arrest of Garrison Gibson inside his north Minneapolis home on Sunday morning.

Armed federal agents used a battering ram to enter the house after his family demanded to see a judicial warrant.

His loved ones documented the unfolding immigration enforcement operation live on Facebook.

Within 24 hours, Gibson’s legal team had filed a habeas petition, asking a federal judge to release him immediately.

“Any American should be terrified by that because that is such an egregious violation of the Fourth Amendment,” Gibson’s immigration attorney, Marc Prokosch, told FOX 9. “That is from our Bill of Rights. To see a battering ram coming to the front door of your house with a 9-year-old inside is just terrifying.”

Living under ICE supervision

Dig deeper:

According to court filings, Gibson is a 38-year-old Liberian citizen, who has a final immigration removal order dating back to 2009.

But he has lived under ICE supervision for more than 15 years with a past drug conviction that has been cleared from his record.

Prokosch says Gibson had just checked in with ICE officials approximately two weeks prior and had another meeting on the calendar at the end of the month.

But now he questions the tactics of federal law enforcement.

“Why this use of force?” asked Prokosch. “Why not just wait for him to come back because he is not like a violent criminal.”

Behind bars in Freeborn County

What’s next:

Attorneys for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been given a couple more days to file a response to the allegations before the judge ultimately rules on Gibson’s habeas petition.

The department has not responded to the FOX 9 Investigators’ request for comment.

In the meantime, the judge has ordered DHS not to move Gibson. 

His family reports that he is currently being held at the Freeborn County jail in Albert Lea.