Pat Batcheller

4 weeks ago | wdet.org | Pat Batcheller

Detroit City Football Club has called Hamtramck home since 2016. The team moved from its original grounds at Cass Technical High School and raised almost $750,000 to upgrade historic Keyworth Stadium. Now, DCFC plans to build a new stadium in Corktown. The club bought the vacant Southwest Detroit Hospital in 2024. Owners plan to demolish the building and clean up the property on Michigan Avenue near I-75 and I-96. Co-owner Alex Wright says they want a modern facility.

1 month ago | wdet.org | Pat Batcheller

Detroit’s iconic area code is getting some company. The Michigan Public Service Commission says the city and adjacent suburbs will run out of available 313 numbers by the end of 2027. When that happens, new phone lines will start with 679. The new area code will share the same space as 313. Ryan McAnany directs the MPSC’s telecommunications division. He says 679 will not replace 313, and people with 313 numbers will not have to change them.

1 month ago | wdet.org | Pat Batcheller

Tornado season has arrived, and the National Weather Service has started its annual training sessions for Skywarn spotters. Jackie Anderson is the warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS forecast office in White Lake Township. She says the information spotters provide is crucial during tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flooding rains. “When we’re issuing warnings, we’re looking at what’s going on with radar,” she said.

1 month ago | wdet.org | Pat Batcheller

Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II wants the top job in state government. He has declared his candidacy for governor in 2026, seeking to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She can’t run again because of term limits. Gilchrist is seeking the Democratic Party nomination. He’s the third Democrat to enter the race. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are also running.

1 month ago | wdet.org | Pat Batcheller

The Trump administration’s purge of federal workers includes layoffs at the National Weather Service. An NWS spokesperson would not say how many people lost their jobs. NPR reports that the firings raise concerns over the agency’s ability to forecast hurricanes. The cuts could also affect America’s fishing industry. Detroit area meteorologist Paul Gross says the government’s decision to stop launching weather balloons in western Alaska impacts the rest of the country.