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Warren mayor says running Michigan’s 3rd-largest city full of ‘challenges and surprises’

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Warren mayor says running Michigan’s 3rd-largest city full of ‘challenges and surprises’


Warren ― Warren Mayor Lori Stone touted the city’s new defense alliance with Sterling Heights, infrastructure improvements and progress in constructing affordable housing, among other achievements, in her annual State of the City address Tuesday evening.

Stone mentioned the Arsenal Alliance, a regional economic development partnership that is focused on supporting and expanding the multi-billion-dollar defense industry in the two Macomb County cities. The Sterling Heights and Warren city councils approved the partnership in April.

“We are stronger together in growing military and defense assets, providing opportunities for manufacturing to adapt to a changing mobility landscape,” she said.

Stone, who was elected mayor in November 2023, gave her second State of the City address on Tuesday to a crowd of over 100 people at the Warren Community Center Auditorium. She shared the city’s achievements from the past year in economic development, infrastructure, parks and recreation, and other areas.

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“Leading the third largest city in Michigan has brought me many joyful and jubilant experiences,” she said, “and it has also brought challenges and surprises.”

In the area of housing, Stone said Baker & Associates Realty Group LLC has broken ground on a project to construct modular housing west of Van Dyke Avenue and north of Toepfer Road. The city is also working with developers on more than 700 workforce housing units, the mayor said.

Stone also said that the city has 31 boards and commissions, such as the Animal Welfare Commission and Senior Health Care Commission. She noted that the city has filled 15 of these bodies completely and still has openings on 16 of them. She asked members of the public to serve on these boards and commissions.

Councilman Jonathan Lafferty was perplexed by the mayor’s decision to highlight vacancies on city boards two years into her first term, arguing that it is “not a success.”

“You don’t highlight the failure to appoint your boards and commissions and your appointees in your administration. You’re two years in,” he said. “This should have been done in the first 90 days. This is not a success.”

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Lafferty also said the speech was Stone’s second opportunity to “provide a bold and decisive vision for the city.” He said a State of the City should laud the city’s successes and “chart the vision ahead.”

“Where are we going as a city? How are we going to compete … in the next generation? How are we going to attract businesses for an economically diverse future?” he said. “The speech completely lacked all of those essential elements.”

In an interview after her speech, Stone said one of her goals for the year ahead is the start of the city’s parks and recreation master plan. The plan will look at how the city manages its parks and recreation centers, what programming is available and what is needed, she said.

Defense sector

Warren has the Detroit Arsenal, which is home to U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). Stone said after the speech that there are communities that are “prepared to compete to attract the Detroit Arsenal away from Warren.”

Warren and Sterling Heights are each contributing $250,000 annually to the Arsenal Alliance initiative.

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“By paying attention, by advocating, by fighting for and expanding on the ability to draw down federal funds, it grows our economy, and it lets people know, ‘Back off,” Stone said. “‘Detroit Arsenal, it belongs here in Metro Detroit.’”

Infrastructure

Stone touted the city’s new Stephens Road Detention Basin during her address. The city held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and plaque dedication in February for the $37.5 million basin, which city officials say will reduce basement flooding and result in fewer sewage discharges into the Red Run Drain.

After playing a video showing the basin being built, Stone said, “Warren, we did that. We did that,” leading to applause from the audience.

She also praised the fact that the city secured a $100 million low-interest loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for a project to replace the city’s aging sludge incinerator.

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asnabes@detroitnews.com



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Michigan Football S Jordan Young enters transfer portal

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Michigan Football S Jordan Young enters transfer portal


Announced on Tuesday evening, Michigan true freshman safety Jordan Young has entered the transfer portal.

A former four-star prospect from Monroe, North Carolina, Young flipped his commitment at the last moment from Clemson to Michigan in the 2025 class. He played in nine games this season for the Wolverines and had 15 tackles and three pass breakups, with all three pass breakups coming in the final four games of the season.

We wish Young the very best at his next college football program.



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Tom Izzo angry at former Michigan State star for courtside ejection

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Tom Izzo angry at former Michigan State star for courtside ejection


EAST LANSING – Michigan State was rolling to a win against USC when there was a stoppage in play with six minutes remaining in the second half on Monday night.

It had nothing to do with what was happening on the court at the Breslin Center.

Referee Jeffrey Anderson blew his whistle to eject a fan sitting a few rows off the floor. The individual booted happened to be Paul Davis, who starred at center for the Spartans from 2002-06.

“He kind of got after the official and he was 150 percent wrong,” Izzo said of Davis after the No. 12 Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten) won 80-51 against the Trojans on Monday, “and for a guy like me to 150 percent agree with the official, it’s almost illegal.”

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Michigan State fans were upset about a foul call on the other end of the floor when Davis stood up and said something Anderson immediately objected to. That led to a hook.

Despite being tossed, Davis attempted to stay in his seat while taking a drink from an alcoholic beverage container. Anderson didn’t let it slide and provided an explanation to Izzo, who was less than thrilled and yelled across the court questioning what his former player was doing.

Davis finally stood up after being told to leave by associate athletic director Seth Kesler but took his time and brushed two hands against his chest. That prompted Izzo to scream, appearing to tell his former center to “get outta here.” Davis was walked up the stairs and watched the rest of the game from a concourse box.

“I love Paul Davis, I really do, he’s one of my favorite guys … but what he said he should never say anywhere in the world and that ticked me off,” Izzo said. “Just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it. You know what he’ll say, ‘I screwed up, coach, I’m sorry.’”

Former Los Angeles Clippers center Paul Davis (40).AP

Izzo claimed he was told what Davis said was nothing racial or sexual in nature but it was obviously enough to get the boot.

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“It was just the wrong thing to say,” Izzo said, “and I’ll leave it at that.”

Davis ranks 10th on Michigan State’s career scoring list with 1,718 points, was a second-round NBA pick by the Clippers and spent four years in the league. Izzo praised the work Davis does with current players but the Hall of Fame coach in his 31st season leading the Spartans has never been ejected from a game.

“He made a mistake but he’s been really good with our players too,” Izzo said of Davis. “In the summer he comes up and helps work a guy out or he’s just around. Jud Heathcote used to always tell me sooner or later the game makes fools of us all. Once in a while, the game makes fools of our fans and definitely it’s made a fool of me more than a couple times.”



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Former Michigan star RB promoted to Eastern Michigan assistant head coach

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Former Michigan star RB promoted to Eastern Michigan assistant head coach


Former Michigan running back and assistant coach Mike Hart is getting a promotion on Chris Creighton’s staff at Eastern Michigan.

The school announced Monday that Hart is being elevated to assistant head coach and will oversee the receivers in 2026. Michigan’s all-time leading rusher spent last season as an offensive analyst for the Eagles.

“Coach Hart is a winner,” Creighton said in a news release. “He has the ‘It’ factor. He selflessly helped us this year as an offensive analyst and made a positive impact. We know that he will be a major addition as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.”

Hart has 14 years of college coaching experience, including a three-year stint as Michigan’s running backs coach from 2021-23. He served as interim head coach for one game during the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship season when Jim Harbaugh was suspended.

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Under Hart, Michigan’s running backs thrived. Blake Corum rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and was a third-round pick by the Rams in 2024. The Wolverines won the Big Ten all three years Hart was on staff, but they did not renew his contract after the 2023 campaign.

The 39-year-old began his coaching career at EMU in 2011 and also has had stints at Western Michigan (2014-15), Syracuse (2016) and Indiana (2017-2020).

As a player at Michigan, Hart was a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting. Last season, EMU finished 4-8 but was No. 2 in the Mid-American Conference in passing yards per game.

“I am excited to be a part of Eastern Michigan football,” Hart said in a release. “Coach Creighton is one of the best leaders of men I have ever been around, and I look forward to learning and being a part of his program. EMU football and the Ypsilanti community have always held a special place in my heart, and I am excited to help the team reach our goals for the 2026 season.”



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