The candidates' positions on the election issues
Our choices for the August ballot
Software for rental property regs reviewed
During a staff report on short-term rentals given at the end of the Monday, June 22, Birmingham City Commission meeting, city staff said they were actively looking into software to assist in the regulation of rental properties.
La Pecora Nera gets green light for dining deck
Italian deli and cafe La Pecora Nera, located at 135 Pierce Street in Birmingham, got the green light from the city’s planning board during the Wednesday, June 24, meeting for a proposed outdoor dining deck to be placed on the street outside their business.
Sewer rehabilitation contract awarded by city
A contract for sewer rehabilitation work through Birmingham’s 2026 sewer rehabilitation program was awarded during the Monday, June 22, meeting, moving the project forward through the consent agenda. The item was not pulled for separate discussion by any commissioner and was approved with the consent agenda in a 6-0 vote.
Declaration of Independence read at City Hall
As part of a nationwide commemoration, there will be a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on the steps of the Birmingham City Hall on Wednesday, July 8, marking the 250th anniversary of the document’s first public reading in 1776.
Birmingham Schools voters face fall bond vote
The Birmingham Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday, June 23, unanimously approved placing a school facilities and safety improvement bond proposal on the Tuesday, November 3 general election ballot, replacing a similar bond issue expiring in 2026.
Teen injured in bathroom brawl at restaurant
Several teenagers were reportedly involved in a fight inside the bathroom of a Birmingham restaurant, located at the 100 block of S. Old Woodward, the night of Saturday, June 20, leaving a 17-year-old from Farmington Hills with multiple injuries.
Group caught fighting in front of restaurant
Birmingham police are currently investigating an alleged fight that broke out between a group of men in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 21, outside of a restaurant in the area of E. Maple Road and Woodward Avenue.
Failed friendship ends in fist fight between men
After two friends called it quits, one of the pair allegedly started a fight with the other the night of Saturday, June 13, near the area of S. Old Woodward and E. Merrill Street in Birmingham.
Teen accused of assault in city parking garage
A 16-year-old male from Detroit was accused of throwing water on and arguing with two women the night of Saturday, June 20, inside the parking structure at 333 N. Old Woodward.
Woman assaulted by coworker after shift
A Mount Clemens woman is being accused of assault after her coworker reported that she punched her multiple times the night of Saturday, June 13, after a shift.
Woman steals items from city clothing store
A retail store in the 200 block of W. Maple Road in Birmingham is out roughly $376 after a woman allegedly stole several items on Tuesday, June 9.
Drunk man arrested in store parking lot
After allegedly walking around barefoot and urinating in the parking lot of a Birmingham grocery store located in the 600 block of E. Maple Road on Saturday, June 20, a drunk man was taken to the police station and issued citations for open intoxicants in a vehicle, resisting a police officer and urinating in public.
Driver arrested on multiple warrants
While driving near Woodward Avenue and Bowers Street in Birmingham in the early morning of Saturday, June 13, a driver was stopped by police for an expired license plate which ultimately ended with his arrest.
Wandering cops: how communities handle new hires
Andrew Lyon was hired by the East Lansing Police Department as an officer in 2024. By the time he resigned in April 2026, he was the subject of four internal department investigations. According to local reporting from WLNS-TV, in just two years on the job, Lyon was under investigation for speeding through red lights during a pursuit without lights and sirens, running red lights, and speeding in a personal vehicle. He had also ignored direct commands from his superiors not to discuss a federal civil rights lawsuit, which two black men filed against Lyons for using pepper spray on them when they were arrested for an alleged altercation outside a restaurant. Lyons claimed he was breaking up a fight, although video surveillance from the restaurant showed there was no fight. In reality, one of the men who was pepper-sprayed and arrested was trying to deter the other from getting involved in a potential fight.
GAME OVER
As we all know, one week before the storied bipartisan Mackinac Policy Conference in late May, former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced he was dropping his run as an independent candidate for governor in November. The question that has continued to circulate is why do it right before the Mackinac conference, which is sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber – which had endorsed Duggan early on.
