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The world’s oldest, largest auto testing facility is in Michigan (and it just turned 100)

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The world’s oldest, largest auto testing facility is in Michigan (and it just turned 100)


DETROIT – General Motors has spent a lot of time in Metro Detroit. While its time at the RenCen may be coming to an end, it spent roughly a tapir’s lifespan at the iconic building.

Zebras also have a lifespan of about 30 years, so you can use that as a length of time if a tapir is too strange of a metric and you want something more normal.

It’s not the first time an automaker has left its Detroit headquarters. Famously, the Renaissance Center was built for Ford Motor Company, who sold the building to GM in 1996. While it would be hilarious if Stellantis moved in next, that’s incredibly unlikely. I don’t think its North American headquarters is going to leave Auburn Hills anytime soon.

General Motors was founded in 1908 and its first permanent HQ in Detroit started construction in 1919. The General Motors Building was an Albert Kahn-designed high-rise office located on West Grand Boulevard. It served as GM’s world headquarters until 2001 when the automaker moved the last of its employees into the Renaissance Center.

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The General Motors Building has since been sold to the State of Michigan and houses multiple state agencies. It was renamed Cadillac Place in 2002 and currently serves as the Detroit office for both the Governor and Michigan Attorney General.

The oldest, still operating GM structure in Metro Detroit is also one of its largest. You might know the Milford Proving Ground as a place one of us tried to sneak into through questionably legal means as an unruly teenager 20-something years ago. (Allegedly. Sources say.) It opened in 1924, turning 100 this year.

What’s so cool about the General Motors Milford Proving Ground? I initially was indifferent to the Proving Grounds, not knowing much about it. It could just be that growing up in Metro Detroit, the auto industry has been normalized to me to the extent that I’ve become desensitized and it’s not that interesting anymore to regularly see prototype vehicles with dazzle camouflage even though that is actually really cool. (Objectively.)

In addition to its intense secrecy and security, the more than 6 square mile facility in Milford is not only GM’s lead proving grounds, it is the very first automotive testing facility in the world. It has 132 miles of unique roads to help simulate the conditions vehicles would see in the wild.

It’s not just used to test GM vehicles. The automaker regularly allows access to other organizations, including allowing the grounds to be used for special EV training for first responders.

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Even 100 years in, it remains the largest automotive testing facility in the world.

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Michigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night

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Michigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night


FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.

“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.

Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.

James Shirah is sentenced to at least 30 years in prison during a hearing, Monday, May 11, 2026 in Flint, Mich. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP)

Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.

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“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.

In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.

“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.

Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.

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SW Michigan show returns as growing destination for vinyl collectors

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SW Michigan show returns as growing destination for vinyl collectors


BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.

The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.

Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.

Free admission begins at 10 a.m.

General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.

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A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.

Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond

The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.

“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”

Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.

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Future dates planned

The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.

For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.

This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.



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Yes, you can play curling in West Michigan

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Yes, you can play curling in West Michigan


ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The spirit of curling is one of friendship.

While memory of the Winter Olympics may have long melted away in the minds of many Americans, there some whose curiousness for the sport of curling has extended all the way into the springtime.

“Everybody’s having fun,” said Paul Curran, league manager for the Grand Rapids Curling Club. “It’s a really weird sport in that it’s really friendly.”

The club, which plays at the Cedar Rock Sportsplex in Algoma Township, has seen a recent spike in interest in its beginners leagues and learn to curl classes.

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“We’re all here to curl and learn,” said beginner Aaron Schwieterman. “Everyone’s making mistakes, but still having a great time learning the sport and trying to mimic what the professionals do at the Olympics.”

“I recommend it to anybody who wants to try something different,” said beginner Margaret Steketee. “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”

For a period of time on the ice, these newcomers to the sport turn into competitors. Then, at the conclusions of their games, they revert to being friends.

“Largely, what you’ll find with curlers is that when they’re done curling, they want to be friendly and hang out,” Curran said. “Which is what our league is doing right now.”

As long as people are interested, Curran says the club will continue to put on beginners leagues and lessons.

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“The more people we get out here curling, the better,” he said.

For more information on ways to play and learn how to curl in West Michigan, visit the Grand Rapids Curling Club’s website.

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