Detroit, MI
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.
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.”
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.”
DETROIT — A Detroit teen is being charged as an adult in connection with a shooting that left a 14-year-old clinging to life earlier this month, according to officials.
The shooting happened at 9:40 p.m. on May 17 near Farmer Street and Grand River in the downtown area of Detroit, according to officials.
When officers arrived at the location, officials said they found a 14-year-old suffering froma gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was expected to be ok, according to officials.
Ramon Javon Perez Smith, 17, was charged as an adult with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, felonious assault, carrying a concealed weapon, and three counts of felony firearm.
He was placed in jail with a $500,000 bond, along with a GPS tether, house arrest and an order barring contact with the victim or any witnesses.
His next court date is scheduled for Wednesday.
A 16-year-old from Detroit was also charged in connection with the shooting. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and was given a $4,000 bond with house arrest.
Officials said Smith got into a fight with a group of kids that included the 14-year-old. During the fight, officials said Smith pulled out a handgun and fired multiple times into the group of teens, striking the 14-year-old in the chest.
Police arrested Smith shortly afterward.
The shooting happened as Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison told reporters that roughly 60 kids from Detroit and the metro region gathered in the city’s downtown area. He said police will also hold parents accountable for the shooting.
Woman blasts local gym for allowing burkinis
A familiar face is back in front of screens after a video posted by Mellissa Carone about burkinis picked up traffic online. The full-body swimsuit is often worn by Muslim women. Carone shared on TikTok that she was canceling her membership at the Lifetime Fitness because she saw women wearing them in the pool.
(FOX 2) – A familiar face is back in front of screens after a video posted by Mellissa Carone about burkinis picked up traffic online.
The full-body swimsuit is often worn by Muslim women.
Carone shared on TikTok that she was canceling her membership at the Lifetime Fitness because she saw women wearing them in the pool.
The backstory:
Carone rose to prominence following her testimony alongside Rudy Giuliani during a Michigan State House Oversight Committee meeting and even became the inspiration for a Saturday Night Live skit.
She also ran for office before being disqualified by the Macomb County Clerk.
Big picture view:
Posting on TikTok, Carone complained about burkinis being worn at her local gym.
“Story time regarding the Muslim problem we have here in Michigan,” Carone started her post on TikTok. “It is not freedom of religion to go into a pool with an entire burka on.”
She likened the garb to a “sanitary problem.”
FOX 2 sought an additional comment from Carone, who declined to comment.
The other side:
Other members of the Lifetime Fitness were confused by Carone’s comments.
“Muslim people wash five times a day for prayers and it’s part of their religion to be clean and sanitary,” said Khaled Farhat, a Lifetime Fitness member. “I don’t understand what she means by unsanitary.”
Another member was turned off by the Carone’s stance.
“Just mind your own business and go on your way,” the
Local perspective:
According to the Lifetime Fitness website, appropriate swimming attire includes swim shirts, bikinis, tankinis, one piece, trunk shorts or long briefs.
We reached out to the company for comment, but they were not immediately available.
The Source: A TikTok post, interviews with Lifetime Fitness members, and previous reporting was cite for this story.
Michigan State is looking to the Motor City for its next commitment.
Multiple reports on Saturday indicated that the Spartans have set up an official visit with Martin Luther King (Mich.) athlete Don Spillers III. The visit to East Lansing is set for May 29-31 and will be the first in a string of official visits for Spillers. He’s also got reported trips to Illinois (June 5-7) and Louisville (June 12-14) scheduled.
Fast Facts on Spillers
Spillers, listed at 6’2″ and 195 pounds, is a 3-star recruit ranked 848th overall in the class of 2027 on the 247Sports Composite. He’s listed as an athlete on 247Sports, but as a wide receiver on Rivals. It looked like MSU and Courtney Hawkins wanted him as a receiver for a while, but safety seems to be the spot where Michigan State wants him now. That would make his position coach James Adams.
The Spartans seem to be considered in the lead right now. MSU has two expert predictions in its favor submitted on Rivals, one of which was submitted as recently as Friday. Rivals’ RPM metric has Michigan State at the very top, holding a comfortable lead at 94.2%. Besides Illinois and Louisville, Spillers’ other notable offers include Michigan, Maryland, Missouri, Pitt, and Purdue.
More Info, Potential Fit at MSU
Next weekend will not be the first time Spillers will be on campus. He visited East Lansing while spring practices were going on and also showed up at MSU a few times during the Jonathan Smith era. The retentions of both Hawkins and Adams by new head coach Pat Fitzgerald have allowed mutual interest to remain.
If Spillers ends up committing to the Spartans as a safety, he’d be the second player at the position to join the 2027 recruiting class. The first was 3-star St. Peter’s Prep (N.J.) prospect Ty’ire Clark. He committed back on April 4 and is ranked 1,280th overall in the class.
There should be room for multiple safeties in the 2027 recruiting class. Michigan State has three players at the spot whose eligibility is expected to expire after this fall: Nikai Martinez, Aveon Grose, and Michael Richard.
A few other names are also on MSU’s recruiting board. The Spartans have three predictions in their favor for Dakota (Mich.) prospect Elijah Goins. He’s ranked 973rd overall in the class of ’27 in the Rivals Industry Rankings and has a reported official visit scheduled with Michigan State for June 19-21.
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