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Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield discusses plan for the city ahead of taking office

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Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield discusses plan for the city ahead of taking office


It’s a new era for the city of Detroit and for Mary Sheffield, the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council and the city’s youngest city council president.

Now, Sheffield is the first woman elected mayor of Detroit

“I was told by the current mayor that it may take some time to fully sink in, but, very excited, very honored, and just tons of support from the community,” Sheffield said. 

The mayor-elect also has people in her corner from outside of the community, including former Vice President Kamala Harris. 

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“I was very humbled that she took the time to call me,” Sheffield said. “She encouraged me to make sure I take it all in and to prioritize the things that matter to everyday Detroiters, and just gave me a lot of advice and encouragement as a woman, going into office.”

Being Detroit’s first woman mayor comes with added pressure. 

“You just don’t want to let people down,” Sheffield said. “Being the first, you want to set the tone, and you want to set a high standard that, while I may be the first, I’m not the last.”

Sheffield says politics wasn’t always the plan, but public service is in her blood. 

“As a young girl, I used to march with Dick Gregory and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. I was 10 years old, and, my entire life, I was molded by both my mother and my father to serve the community,” she said. 

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Sheffield says Detroit hired her to do one thing above all: keep the momentum going and make sure every neighborhood feels it. It’s why Sheffield named her transition team “Rise Higher Detroit,” and set up shop at the Marygrove Conservancy in the Fitzgerald Neighborhood. 

“We have 18 committees focused on infrastructure and housing and public safety, transit, all of the topics that we heard directly from Detroiters throughout the campaign,” she said.

Those 18 committees are building an action plan for Sheffield’s first 100 days in office. 

“We’re really big on this administration being able to deliver day one for our residents,” Sheffield said.

Challenges are ahead for Detroit. By the end of 2026, millions of dollars in pandemic-era federal funding will stop flowing to the city. Several programs like Community Violence Intervention and down payment assistance depend on that money. 

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“We’re having those discussions now to figure out what programs have been the most impactful and looking at ways that we can supplement that funding with the private sector, philanthropic support, and other means as well,” Sheffield said. 

Sheffield will enter office under a microscope, as ethics questions have surfaced from her time on the city council. Sheffield says she’s taking steps to address those questions. 

“We actually have an ethics committee, which is chaired by Elliott Hall, our former inspector general. And so they’ll be making recommendations on ways that we can improve ethics not only within our administration, but within the entire city,” she said. 

The job will be demanding, and the days long, but Sheffield says she relies on family and quiet moments to recharge. 

“Quietness, you know, no television, no TV, reading a book, chilling out with my family. I mean, that is always a relaxing time for myself. I don’t have much of that these days, but it’s definitely something that I enjoy,” she said. 

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Down the road, if there’s one thing Sheffield hopes Detroiters say about their mayor in the Sheffield era, it’s this:

“She was always for the people. She improves the quality of life for our city, and she put our neighborhoods first. Most importantly is that she left the city better when she was here than when it was before,” Sheffield said. 



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Detroit, MI

Detroit ‘Sloppy Chops’ restaurateur\u00a0killed: What to know

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Detroit ‘Sloppy Chops’ restaurateur\u00a0killed: What to know


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Mourning continued and no suspects were in custody a week after the fatal shooting of Detroit restaurateur and nightlife figure Mikey “Mike B” Brown at the end of February.

Brown was the beloved figure behind the “Sloppy” brand of restaurants, and remembrances have been rolling in online since his death.

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Here’s what to know:

Shooting outside cocktail bar

“Mike B” Brown, 51, and two others were shot about 4:30 a.m. Feb. 28 in the area of 15789 Schaefer, police previously said.

The two others were found in front of the location, and Brown was found across the street, police said.

Police have asked those with information on the shooting to come forward.

There were no suspects in custody and no further updates in the case as of Monday, March 9, according to a statement from the Detroit Police Department.

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Updates on the conditions of the two other individuals shot were also not provided.

Who was Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown?

Brown was a husband, a father of five and a restaurateur.

He opened Sloppy Chops Restaurant, a steakhouse, in 2020 on West McNichols off the Lodge Freeway and later opened a seafood restaurant called Sloppy Crab, which was renamed the Crab Sports Bar, on East Jefferson Avenue near the Renaissance Center. Brown previously had two clubs, as well.

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His downtown dining spot served as an answer to questions on offerings for Black diners in the city’s renaissance. His other “Sloppy” location showcased successful reach beyond downtown and into the city’s neighborhoods. Brown was also a cultural figure in not only the world of dining, but in the nightlife, the Free Press reported.

When are funeral services for Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown?

A family hour was set for 9 a.m. March 13 and a funeral was set for 10 a.m. March 13, both at Triumph Church –North Campus at 15600 J.L. Hudson Drive in Southfield.

What’s been the fallout since Mike ‘Mike B’ Brown’s death?

Outside of the community hurt, there’s also been calls for a crackdown on establishments that stay open into early morning hours in residential areas, ClickOnDetroit reports.

How to report tips on Mikey ‘Mike B’ Brown’s shooting

Those with information tied to the triple shooting can contact the Detroit Police Department’s homicide unit at 313-596-2260 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up or DetroitRewards.tv.

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Detroit Lions need backup QB as Kyle Allen to sign with Bills

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Detroit Lions need backup QB as Kyle Allen to sign with Bills


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The Detroit Lions will need to find a new backup quarterback. Kyle Allen, the 30-year-old ninth-year veteran, will reportedly sign with the Buffalo Bills for two years and $4.1 millions, according to ESPN, reuniting him with his former coordinator Joe Brady.

Allen, who came to the Motor City a year ago after inking a one-year deal, appeared in just three games and attempted two passes this past season as starter Jared Goff logged 98.5% of the team’s offensive snaps at quarterback.

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Allen’s greatest contribution came in the preseason, when he forced the organization to give up on its experiment with Hendon Hooker.

In the competition for the No. 2 job, Allen outperformed Hooker and made the former 2023 third-round pick expendable by bringing his stunted development into sharp relief. While Hooker struggled to move the offense when he was in command, Allen thrived in his four auditions, spearheading one productive drive after another for the Lions. He completed 79.5% of his attempts, throwing for 401 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. All the while, he exhibited a good understanding of the Lions’ timing-based passing game, giving management the confidence he could – if needed – relieve Goff in a pinch.

“I feel very comfortable with him,” Campbell said last August.

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But as it turned out, the Lions were never forced to call upon Allen. Goff, who hasn’t missed a start since Week 17 of the 2021 season, remained reliably present.

The Lions hope Goff’s iron-man streak will continue.

But if it for some reason ends, Allen is no longer there to replace him.

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.



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Detroit water main break snarls travel on East Jefferson Monday morning

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Detroit water main break snarls travel on East Jefferson Monday morning


Vehicles travel through water collected near water main break in Detroit. 

A water main break in Detroit is causing headaches for drivers and sending water into the streets of one of the city’s east side neighborhoods.

The break involves a 42-inch pipeline at East Jefferson and Burns Drive.

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The breakage happened on Sunday, leaving only one lane open for each direction of travel.

Local perspective:

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A day after the breakage, water was still gathering on the road of Jefferson Avenue.

Video captured of the scene Monday morning showed vehicles driving through ponds of water. Construction equipment were on site along with traffic cones.

The backstory:

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This isn’t the only major disruption to water services in the region.

This weekend, a catastrophic breakage at 14 Mile near Drake impacted several Oakland County communities and thousands of residents.

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Novi and Walled Lake were among those hardest hit by the breakage, which included dramatic scenes of waves of water washing down the road, submerging vehicles.

The Source: FOX 2’s Charlie Langton and previous reporting were cited for this story. 

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