Detroit, MI
Left out in brutal cold, dog ‘laid down and died,’ Detroit rescue group says
Protecting your dog from the cold weather: Winter safety tips
Learn about the dangers of keeping dogs outside in cold weather and essential tips to keep them safe and comfortable during winter.
Charlie, too weak to survive the sub-zero temperatures, froze to death.
A rescue group found the collared, tawny-colored male dog’s body in the Detroit snow.
“He walked until he couldn’t,” Detroit Dog Rescue’s Executive Director Kristina Millman-Rinaldi posted on social media Wednesday, retracing its last steps by following its tracks. Charlie stumbled, she added, feeble from the cold and “laid down and died.”
People have been finding companionship in pets — particularly dogs — for thousands of years; but judging by the comments on Millman-Rinaldi’s post, some Michiganders now are struggling to understand why a pet was left out in the cold.
Recently, reports of endangered and neglected dogs have emerged as millions of people in the Midwest and East Coast cope with temperatures so low that forecasters have urged residents to stay indoors.
To protect children, many school districts closed for at least a couple of days.
As for pets, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals urged owners to safeguard them by making sure they, too, are out of the cold and not left outside, which in some communities is a crime.
The cold weather earlier this week, Millman-Rinaldi said, likely stopped Charlie’s heart and took his breath — and life — away. As tragic as the dog’s end was, the rescuer speculated it likely was “relief to the pain” the cold caused its body.
Protecting a ‘best friend’
Detroit Dog Rescue, a no-kill shelter, seeks to save animals.
Dogs, after all, are “man’s best friend,” a phrase that dates to the late 1700s. Frederick the Great, the King of Prussia, is said to have referred to one of his Italian Greyhounds as his best friend.
French philosopher Voltaire concluded nature gave the dog to man for defense and pleasure. Of all animals, he wrote in 1764, the dog is the most faithful, calling it: “le meilleur ami que puisse avoir l’homme.”
In an 1870 court case in Warrensburg, Missouri, a lawyer, George Vest, representing a farmer whose pet, Old Drum, was killed, made an emotional plea to the jury, explaining a dog is “the one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world.”
The farmer, who was seeking damages, won the lawsuit.
Almost a century later, in 1958, a statue of the black and tan hound was cast with the support of contributions from dog lovers everywhere and erected outside the courthouse where the case was tried.
And in 2007, real estate magnate Leona Helmsley died leaving $12 million to her dog, Trouble, proving that a dog could be a woman’s best friend, too. Helmsley reportedly also dedicated other assets, worth $5 billion to $8 billion, to the care of more dogs.
‘I’m not leaving them’
Still, over the years, plenty of other people have neglected their best friends.
Millman-Rinaldi mentioned she also saw dogs at a southwest Detroit residence in the cold. She described how whining, freezing animals held up their padded paws, “trying to get out of the cold.”
Four dogs recently perished in and around Indianapolis because they lacked shelter and warmth, Newsweek reported. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals documented that at least three dogs were saved from extreme cold situations.
One dog, PETA said, was freed from a vehicle that broke through the ice on a Minnesota lake; a second, was pulled out of an icy Maryland pond, and a third, in Massachusetts, was rescued after getting stuck on a beaver dam.
The Humane Society of the United States, based in Washington, D.C., warned that dogs and cats — despite the “misconception that the fur on their backs” will protect them — suffer from winter cold.
The society added that leaving pets outside in extremely cold weather is cruel.
As for Charlie, Millman-Rinaldi said the rescue organization lifted the dog’s lifeless body out of the snow, gave it a name, and then, a dignified goodbye. But, the executive director added, the dog deserved better.
“Oh, sweet boy, I’m so sorry,” Millman-Rinaldi said in her post, explaining why, in part, she and others picked up the frozen bodies and put them to rest: “I’m not leaving them for kids to see on their snow day.”
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
Detroit, MI
Former Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron
The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.
Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer
Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.
In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.
Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.
A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.
The Pistons could use someone like Kennard
Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.
Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.
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Detroit, MI
Troopers arrest Detroit woman after drive-by shooting on I-94
A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.
Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.
The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.
In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.
None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.
Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.
The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.
In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.
The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.
Detroit, MI
Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons odds for NBA playoffs Game 1 Sunday
NBA playoffs best matchups
Breaking down the best first-round NBA playoff matchups.
Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?
Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?
What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?
What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?
NBA playoffs odds: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | NBA championship odds | Game odds
Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.
NBA playoffs Game 1 predictions, picks: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s score projections
Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?
BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.
NBA playoffs series schedules, TV channels: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | Daily schedule | First-round matchups
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?
The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
NBA playoffs series picks, predictions: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s predictions | NBA playoff bracket
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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