Michigan

Are banks open on MLK Jr Day? What to know about the holiday

Published

1 month ago

January 18, 2026

Are banks open on MLK Jr Day? What to know about the holiday

Communities across Michigan will celebrate the legacy of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, Jan. 19, while state and federal offices, and some businesses close for the day.

The late Black preacher and activist, assassinated in 1968, is recognized annually with a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on the third Monday of January, Jan. 19. For MLK Day, the King Center in Atlanta is promoting the 2026 theme, “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way,” according to its website.

“This theme is more than a banner; it’s a blueprint for action. It guides our programming, fuels our outreach, and anchors our commitment to building the Beloved Community; a world where injustice ends, violence is replaced by compassion, and love becomes the prevailing force,” the King Center’s website says.

Here’s what to know ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

When is MLK Jr. Day in 2026?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. The federal holiday falls on the third Monday in January each year.

How are Michigan communities celebrating?

Here are events to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Michigan:

MLK Day Rally in Detroit: The 23rd annual MLK Day Rally will take place at noon Jan. 19 at St. Matthew’s & St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Detroit. The event will feature a rally and march fighting for democracy and human rights, followed by a community meal, per the website.
MLK Day in Lansing: The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan will host its 41st annual A Day of Celebration at 11 a.m. Jan. 19 at the Lansing Center in Lansing. The event will feature civil rights activist Diane Nash as a featured speaker and Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden as the keynote speaker.
MLK Day with Michigan United: Michigan United will host an MLK Day celebration, “My Freedom. My Resistance. Our America,” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. The event will feature Genetta Y. Hatcher, pastor of The Room Church, as its keynote speaker.
MLK Day in Traverse City: Traverse City’s annual MLK Day of Service will include free events Jan. 19 at the Commongrounds Building and The Alluvion in Traverse City, sponsored by Building Bridges with Music. With a poetry theme, the lineup will feature written and performed student poetry, live music, art workshops, free lunch, a youth poetry slam and evening performance by Detroit Poet Laureate Jessica Care Moore.
MLK Day at U-M: The University of Michigan will host its 40th annual MLK Symposium, with a lineup of events across the Ann Arbor campus Jan. 19. The Keynote Memorial Lecture will feature as speakers Donzaleigh Abernathy, an actress, author and civil rights activist, and NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson at 10 a.m. at the Hill Auditorium.
MLK Day Lecture in Grand Rapids: The Grand Rapids Public Library will host a public lecture, “Integrating into a Burning House, Martin’s Great Fear and the Challenge Before Us,” featuring Randal Maurice Jelks, a professor, author and documentary film producer for MLK Day. The event will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Main Library in Grand Rapids.
MLK Day Regional Celebration in Saginaw: The 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Celebration hosted by Saginaw Valley State University will take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at Malcolm Field Theatre, Curtiss Hall on the campus in Saginaw. The event will feature keynote speaker Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, a business executive and author, and will be open to the public.
MLK Day of Service: A MLK Day of Service in Detroit will include food distribution, wheelchair ramp construction, hot meals, health screenings, youth activities and a resource fair with free giveaways Jan. 19. The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kemeny Recreation Center in Detroit.

Is MLK Jr Day a federal holiday?

Yes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. All federal offices, including courts, post offices, social security offices and others, will be closed.

Is Martin Luther King Jr Day a state holiday in Michigan?

Yes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a state holiday in Michigan. State offices, such as the Secretary of State, will be closed and state employees will get the day off.

Will banks be open on MLK Jr Day?

No. MLK Day is a federal holiday, so banks and credit unions will be closed. ATMs at banks should remain operable.

Will schools be open?

No, public schools and colleges will be closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in observance of the public holiday.

How did MLK Jr Day come about?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday on Nov. 2, 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Efforts to establish a federal holiday in honor of King began shortly after his assassination in 1968, with civil rights activists pushing for 15 years for the holiday, according to the museum.

Once MLK Jr. Day took effect in 1983, it was another 17 years before all 50 states recognized the federal holiday.

Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.

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Michigan

Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Nick Lentz

Updated on: March 1, 2026 / 11:08 PM EST
/ CBS Detroit

The Michigan State Police is looking for the driver of a Jeep that the agency said hit one of its patrol cars on Lodge Freeway in Detroit Sunday night.

According to officials, the incident happened at 7:50 p.m. on the northbound side of the freeway near Shaefer Highway. The agency said a trooper was investigating a crash and had the patrol car parked on the right shoulder of the freeway with its emergency lights on when it was rear-ended by the Jeep.

“The impact forced the patrol car to strike the concrete wall on the right shoulder,” according to the agency.

A damaged Michigan State Police patrol car on the side of Lodge Freeway in Detroit on March 1, 2026, after it was hit by a Jeep.

Michigan State Police

The Jeep then went across three lanes of the freeway and hit a median wall, officials said. The driver, identified by law enforcement as a 29-year-old Detroit woman, left the vehicle and fled the scene.

Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Mike Shaw said that while the trooper was evaluated and cleared at the scene by medical personnel, he was still taken to the hospital as a precaution.

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Indiana extends Big Ten streak to five as the Michigan women win for the first time since 2018

Published

19 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Indiana extends Big Ten streak to five as the Michigan women win for the first time since 2018

The Indiana men didn’t just win, they secured a fifth straight conference championship, continuing a swimming and diving dynasty in Bloomington. Michigan’s women surged to the top of the league, capturing the title with authority and balance across the lineup.

Records fell left and right throughout the week as this year’s Big 10 championships featured some of the best performances in conference history in the pool.

Here are the main takeaways from this year’s Big 10 swimming and diving championships:

Indiana breaks away from Michigan to win fifth straight title

The Indiana men continued their dominance in the pool in 2026, extending their Big 10 dynasty.

From start to finish, the Hoosiers demonstrated experience and elite talent. Indiana won ten different events, including two relays and eight individual wins from six different athletes.

Indiana dominated the distance events this week, winning the 400-yd IM, the 500-yd freestyle, and 1,650-yd freestyle. Senior Zalan Sarkany won both distance freestyle events while freshman Josh Bey started off his Big 10 career with a win in the 400-yard IM.

Owen McDonald was the second highest scorer in the meet behind Michigan senior Tyler Ray, who was named Big 10 Swimmer of the Championships. The senior won the Big 10 title in the 100-yd backstroke and 200-yd IM.

Senior Kai Van Westering and junior Dylan Smiley closed on the week with wins on the last night of competition for the Hoosiers. Van Westering grabbed the win in the 200-yd backstroke and Dylan Smiley won the 100-yd freestyle before leading Indiana to a win in the 400-yd freestyle relay to close out the meet.

Beyond individual stars, the Hoosiers stacked swims in the top eight of each event, showcasing balance across not only distance, but sprint and mid-distance events as well. Indiana’s performance combined consistency and poise, placing swimmers in the establishing control from the first event individual event to the final relay.

The win marks Indiana’s 32nd Big 10 title overall, which is second all time behind Michigan. Head coach Ray Looze won his ninth men’s Big Ten title, moving him into the top five all time in conference history.

The Hoosiers have once again positioned themselves as one of the nation’s elite teams, ready to challenge for another top-three finish at the NCAA Championships in March.

Michigan women continue building momentum

The Michigan women left Minneapolis with its first Big 10 title since 2018 and the Wolverines’ 18th all-time, the most in conference history.

The Michigan women started the season ranked tenth in the CSCAA Top 25, one spot behind Big 10 rival Indiana. Since December they’ve moved into the top four and have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in the country.

“We had a really great team this year,” senior Devon Kitchel told Yahoo Sports. “Throughout the season we consistently worked hard and continually improved. By the time B1Gs came we were ready to go.”

As a team Michigan won eight individual events, took first in four of the five relays and medaled in five additional events.

Bella Sims lead the charge for the Wolverines. The junior transfer won two out of her three individual swims and was named Swimmer of the Championships, the first for Michigan since Maggie MacNeil won it three times between 2020-22.

As a team, Michigan put eight athletes of a possible 17 on the All-Big 10 First Team. Along with Sims, eight-time Big 10 champion Stephanie Balduccini, eight-time Big 10 champion Brady Kendall, five-time Big 10 champion Letitia Sim, and five-time Big 10 champion Hannah Bellard led the way for the Wolverines.

Michigan will now turn its focus to the NCAA Championships in March, where the team will attempt to improve on its ninth-place finish in 2025.

Welcome to the Big 10, Bella Sims

Bella Sims is finding her groove in Ann Arbor.

Sims swam in seven Big Ten finals, which included the 200-yd and 400-yd IM’s, the 100-yd backstroke, and four relays. She finished the meet with five gold medals and two silvers.

In her first two years of collegiate swimming Sims was a three-time NCAA champion, thirteen time All-American, and nine time SEC champion. However, all three of her NCAA titles came during her freshman season at Florida.

The Las Vegas native has represented the United States at the Olympics and World Championships and transferred to Michigan to finish her collegiate career.

Now approaching her third NCAA championship meet, Sims has momentum on her side. Although she is yet to go a personal best this season, Sims is leading the Michigan women to new heights in 2026.

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Woman accused of driving at the bottom of an Oakland County ski hill near guests

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Woman accused of driving at the bottom of an Oakland County ski hill near guests

Nick Lentz

February 28, 2026 / 11:18 PM EST
/ CBS Detroit

A 58-year-old woman is accused of driving a vehicle at the bottom of a ski hill near skiers and snowboarders in White Lake Township, Michigan, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday.

Prosecutors allege the Bingham Farms, Michigan, woman drove near guests of Alpine Valley Ski Area, including children, on Tuesday.

According to the prosecutor’s office, witnesses said they saw the woman smoking what appeared to be marijuana before the incident and wearing ski boots while driving. Officers attempting to perform sobriety tests reported that she “exhibited poor balance, slurred speech, and open hostility.”

Online court records show the woman is charged with operating while impaired for the third time. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000 and “mandatory vehicle immobilization” for one to three years, the prosecutor’s office said.

“This defendant endangered children with her irresponsible actions,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a written statement. “There is no excuse to drive impaired, even once. If you’ve had too much to drink or are under the influence of marijuana or other drugs, call a friend, call an Uber, just don’t drive.”

The woman is scheduled to appear at a probable cause conference on March 12.

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