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Morehouse benefactor, Detroit mogul Bill Pickard, 83, dies

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Morehouse benefactor, Detroit mogul Bill Pickard, 83, dies


William “Bill” Pickard, Ph.D., the pioneering Black businessman, philanthropist, and co-owner of the Real Times Media and the Michigan Chronicle, has died. He was 83.

Pickard’s daughter, Mary Pickard, confirmed her father’s passing — June 12 at his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., while surrounded by his family — in a statement delivered to the Michigan Chronicle. 

“On behalf of the Pickard family, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the love and support during this difficult time,” she penned. “Your kindness has provided immense comfort. We are deeply touched by the memories shared, which highlight the impact my dad had on so many lives. Thank you for standing by us as we navigate our grief. We kindly ask for privacy to allow our family to heal. Funeral arrangements will be announced soon.”

Pickard, who donated generous amounts of money to Black institutions, including Atlanta’s Morehouse College, was born Jan. 28, 1941, in LaGrange, Ga., a small town about 65 miles southwest of the Georgia capital, before his family moved to Flint, Mich., a manufacturing town 70 miles north of Detroit.

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First Black owner of Detroit-area McDonald’s

After high school, Pickard acquired his associate’s degree from Mott College in 1962. He then got his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Western Michigan University in 1964, his master’s in social work from the University of Michigan in 1965, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1971.

According to the Detroit News, Pickard originally aspired to become a social worker. Instead, Pickard became the first African American owner of a Detroit McDonald’s franchise in 1971. Success in the food industry led to the founding of Global Automotive Alliance (GAA) Manufacturing in 1989, which generated more than $5 billion. He became one of the most successful and influential Black businessmen in the country.

“The world has lost a true visionary and trailblazer with the passing of Dr. William F. Pickard,” said Hiram E. Jackson, publisher of Michigan Chronicle and CEO of Real Times Media. “He was not only my esteemed business partner and colleague, but a dear friend whose wisdom, guidance, and unwavering belief in me changed the course of my life.

“Dr. Pickard’s pioneering spirit, coupled with his brilliant mind and generous heart, left an indelible mark on the business world and inspired countless others to dream big. His legacy of entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and uplifting the Black community will forever be etched in history. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to have walked alongside this giant among men. While his physical presence may be gone, Dr. Pickard’s impact on me and so many others will reverberate for generations to come. Rest in eternal peace, my friend and mentor.”

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Pickard served on numerous boards

In addition to being a prolific philanthropist, Pickard also served on numerous business and non-profit boards, including Asset Acceptance Capital Corporation, Michigan National Bank, LaSalle Bank, Business Leaders for Michigan, National Urban League, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of the National Park Foundation. Pickard was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Former Detroit mayor Dave Bing, the NBA legend who played for the Detroit Pistons before becoming a renowned business mogul, had many business interactions with Pickard and was an admirer and close friend of his.

“He spread his wings out and he helped a lot of different people,” Bing told the Detroit News. “And because he was in so many different areas, I mean, he was political. He knew a lot about politics. He knew a lot about business. He knew a lot about people. He just touched a lot of lives in a positive way. He will be missed.”





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Detroit, MI

Bruce Campbell announces cancer diagnosis; ‘Fear not,’ he tells fans

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Bruce Campbell announces cancer diagnosis; ‘Fear not,’ he tells fans



Treatment will delay the Royal Oak-born actor’s plans to tour his new film ‘Ernie & Emma’ this summer.

Royal Oak-born movie star and cult hero Bruce Campbell announced on social media on Monday that he has been diagnosed cancer — a type that is “treatable” but not “curable,” he said.

“I apologize if that’s a shock — it was to me too,” the “Evil Dead” star, 67, wrote in a message posted to Instagram.

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He went on to say “I’m not gonna go into any more detail,” and he didn’t. He said the public announcement had to do with scaling back appearances on his schedule, including tour dates behind his latest film, “Ernie & Emma.”

Campbell planned to show the movie June 5 at the Redford Theatre; as of Monday night, that date is still on the Redford schedule, but Campbell wrote in his note he plans to get “as well as I possibly can over the summer so that I can tour with my new movie ‘Ernie & Emma’ this fall.”

The movie is written, directed by and stars Campbell as a man who goes on a journey following the death of his wife. Campbell produced the movie alongside his wife, Ida Gearon, and filmed it in Oregon, where he now lives.

Campbell told The News in January he dedicated “Ernie & Emma” to his childhood moviemaking pals, including Scott Spiegel, who died of a heart attack in September 2025.

“It’s a callback to the carefree days of Super 8, where we could do whatever the f–k we wanted to do,” Campbell said of “Ernie & Emma.” “So I thought, ‘All the boys are responsible for this,’ so they’re all in there.”

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Campbell got his start making movies around Metro Detroit with his childhood pal, Sam Raimi. Campbell starred in Raimi’s “Evil Dead” trilogy and has since appeared in most of Raimi’s films; Campbell makes a brief appearance in a photograph in the background of an early scene in Raimi’s latest, “Send Help.”

He’s also an author; Campbell’s autobiography “If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor” was published in 2001.

In his post on social media, Campbell thanked fans and said he was not out to elicit sympathy.

“Fear not, I am a tough old son-of-a-bitch and I have great support, so I expect to be around for a while,” he wrote.

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agraham@detroitnews.com





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Michigan State Police sends message to drivers after trooper involved in hit and run:

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Michigan State Police sends message to drivers after trooper involved in hit and run:


“Slow down and move over” is the message that Michigan State Police is sending to drivers after one of its troopers in a parked patrol car was struck while investigating a crash this weekend. The driver of that vehicle fled the scene.

Michigan State Police tells CBS News Detroit that we’re two months into the year, and it has had six incidents across the state where patrol cars were struck by oncoming vehicles. One of those incidents occurred on Sunday evening.

“Could have been much more tragic,” said MSP Lieutenant Rene Gonzalez, First District public information officer.

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Michigan State Police


Gonzalez says on Sunday, an MSP trooper was near M-10 and Schaefer Highway in Detroit, simply doing his job, when his patrol car was hit from behind.

“Trooper was out there, and he was investigating a crash when, at the time, a Jeep SUV drove into the rear of the parked vehicle,” Gonzalez said.

The impact slid the trooper’s car into a concrete wall. The 29-year-old Detroit woman driving the Jeep SUV struck the center median, got out of the vehicle, and ran away.

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“Not sure why they did it. Maybe not paying attention if they were distracted. They’re attempting to locate her at this time,” said Lt. Gonzalez.

The trooper walked away with minor injuries. Gonzalez says this incident is an example of why Michigan’s Move Over Law was put in place many years ago. The law, which went into effect in 2019, requires drivers to move over into the next lane and reduce their speed by at least 10 mph when emergency or service vehicles — police, fire, rescue, ambulance and road service — have their lights activated. 

Drivers who are not able to move over are still required to reduce their speed.

“Trying to do our jobs, however, people are not paying attention. The law is easy. It’s simple. You see us, you see our lights activated, you have to slow down ten miles below the posted speed limit, and then if able, move over to the next occupied available lane,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez says crashes like this can be deadly and often avoided.

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“One life lost over something that was a totally preventable crash, it’s way too much. We’re asking that you slow down and move over when you see our lights. It’s a simple message that we’ve been pushing out for years,” he said.

Sunday’s crash remains under investigation. Michigan State Police detectives are still working to track down the 29-year-old suspect.

In the meantime, police are out enforcing the Move Over Law.



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Rex Satterfield’s 1956 Bel Air takes 2026 Ridler Award in Detroit

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Rex Satterfield’s 1956 Bel Air takes 2026 Ridler Award in Detroit


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Rex Satterfield hoped to see his 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible snag one of the BASF Great 8 finalist spots at this year’s Detroit Autorama. But winning the Ridler Award — one of the highest honors in the custom car business — was something he didn’t foresee.

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“It’s just overwhelming right now,” said the man from Russellville, Tennessee, as he left a ballroom at downtown’s Huntington Place and made his way back to the show floor on Sunday, March 1. “We weren’t expecting this.”

Getting a car recognized as one of the BASF Great 8 vehicles is a win in and of itself as they are considered the “absolute pinnacle of custom automotive craftsmanship worldwide,” according to the show. The cars undergo an intensive judging process.

And this effort had an unexpected and emotional complication with the passing in December 2024 of the original builder, Jeff Wolfenbarger, who was battling cancer even as he continued working on the car named “Elegant Lady.”

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Kevin Riffey of Kevin Riffey’s Hot Rods and Restorations in Knoxville stepped in to finish the work Wolfenbarger started. He’d had two other cars in the past make the Great 8. He said the goal with this vehicle was straightforward, calling it a “purpose-built show car.”

From its prominent spot at the front of the show floor, “Elegant Lady” sported a creamy exterior, dubbed Light Coffee. The car carries a 1,000 horsepower Don Hardy race engine. The gauges, wheels and gas tank are custom, and the dash is from a 1956 Pontiac.

Satterfield plans to show the car around some and enjoy the moment with it. He said he’s been a car guy since he was a little kid.

The Ridler Award, named in honor of Detroit Autorama’s first publicist, Don Ridler, comes with a $10,000 prize. It was awarded on the final day of this year’s Detroit Autorama, which ran Friday, Feb. 27-Sunday, March 1. This was the event’s 73rd year.

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Eric D. Lawrence is the senior car culture reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Send your tips and suggestions about cool automotive stuff to elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.



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