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Gannett to move Detroit News, Free Press printing operations from Sterling Heights

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Gannett to move Detroit News, Free Press printing operations from Sterling Heights


Sterling Heights — Newspaper publisher Gannett Co. announced Tuesday it plans to cease operations in August at the Sterling Heights plant that prints The Detroit News and Free Press.

Gannett plans to move printing of The News, Free Press and other publications to other presses in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee or Illinois, the company said. The facility employs 115 workers, who were notified of the change on Tuesday.

The decision by Gannett, which owns the Free Press, comes as the newspaper industry increasingly emphasizes online products.

“As our business becomes increasingly digital, we are making strategic decisions to ensure the future of local journalism,” Gannett spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón said in an emailed statement. “We deeply appreciate the many years of service our valued colleagues have dedicated to our Detroit facility and the local community.”

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MediaNews Group, owner of The Detroit News, doesn’t expect any disruptions for customers.

“The Detroit News will continue serving our readers with our daily print and online editions and does not expect any impact on our readers from this decision by Gannett to close its local printing plant,” said Gary Miles, The News’ editor and publisher.

In addition to The News and Free Press, the Sterling Heights plant at 6200 Metropolitan Parkway prints the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Toledo Blade and 27 smaller papers in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, including the Oakland Press and Macomb Daily.

The News and Free Press are separately owned, but their business functions are combined and managed by the Detroit Media Partnership, also known as Michigan.com, which is operated by Gannett under a joint operating agreement.

In 1971, the Evening News Association, which owned The News from its founding in 1873 until its sale to Gannett in 1986, built the six-story, 480,000-square-foot Sterling Heights plant. Gannett retained ownership of the plant when it purchased the Free Press in 2005 and sold The News to MediaNews Group.

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In 2023, Cleveland-based Industrial Commercial Properties LLC bought the plant from Gannett, which retained ownership of the presses and continued to lease the building.

At the time, senior vice president of Gannett Publishing Operations Wayne Pelland said, “Gannett has a long-term lease agreement with the property at 6200 Metropolitan Parkway, with no intention to move.”

bnoble@detroitnews.com

@BreanaCNoble



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Detroit, MI

Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002

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Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002



An additional case, this one involving a victim who was then 14 years old, has been added to the sexual assault investigation against a former Detroit Police Department sergeant. 

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the latest charges on Friday against Benjamin Martin Wagner, 68, who now lives in Greenville, N.C. He had retired from the Detroit Police Department in 2017. 

The victim in the additional charges was 14 years old when the assault happened in October 2002 in Detroit, Worthy said. The prosecutor alleges that Wagner approached the victim, pointed a handgun at her, ordered her away from the location and then sexually assaulted her. 

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In this case, he faces charges of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. An arraignment hearing took place Friday in the 36th District Court in Detroit. A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 7.

The woman is now 37 years old. 

“She has lived with what happened to her for 23 years and has now bravely decided that she wants to be a part of holding him accountable,” Worthy said. 

Wagner participated in a court hearing Thursday and was remanded to jail, one week after he was charged with 15 counts of kidnapping and rape in five separate sexual assault cases. All of those incidents happened between 1999 and 2003 in the northwest side of Detroit, with the victims being young women between the ages of 15 and 23. 

The court dates for the earlier list of charges are April 7 for a probable cause hearing and April 14 for a preliminary exam. 

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Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1989 as a police officer and was eventually promoted to sergeant. He retired in 2017 and moved to North Carolina. 



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Detroit, MI

Metro Detroit weather forecast, March 26, 2026 — 11 p.m. Update

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Metro Detroit weather forecast, March 26, 2026  — 11 p.m. Update


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Fangirl Culture is Front and Center as Detroit Mercy Theatre Company Presents a Zany Y2K Comedy

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Fangirl Culture is Front and Center as Detroit Mercy Theatre Company Presents a Zany Y2K Comedy


I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire closes Detroit Mercy’s 55th Season

DETROIT — Detroit Mercy Theatre Company (DMTC) closes the inaugural season of the new Detroit

Mercy Black Box Theatre with I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samantha Hurley, playing April 10-19 on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus.

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is set in 2004 and follows 14-year-old Shelby Hinkley, who is obsessed with Hollywood star Tobey Maguire and creates a play to kidnap and marry him in her basement.

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“This play is as hilarious as it is heartfelt,” said DMTC managing director Sarah Rusk. “Shelby truly believes Tobey Maguire is her destiny, and through her obsession we get a look into the complicated emotions of growing up during the Y2K era.”

“I absolutely love working with young actors,” said director Cassandra Svacha.

Student Actor, Rileyt McDevitt.  Detroit Mercy

Student actor Riley McDevitt, Photo by Alan Devlin

Watching them create and rise to the challenge is thrilling. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire to college-aged kids is like a period piece; none of them were alive when this story takes place so it’s extra fun to have them dive into this world in an anthropologic way. They aren’t reminiscing or remembering 2004, they have to study that world and build it for themselves.”

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire runs six performances April 10-19 at the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus. The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., with tickets being available for purchase anytime online at www.DetroitMercyArts.com.

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Individual tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.

Those looking to buy tickets should note that the play is rated R and contains adult language and

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