City buying Community House for $5.2 million
The Birmingham City Commission on Monday, May 18, approved the formation of nonprofit foundation to take over running The Community House building now that The Community House Association has accepted an offer of $5.2 million from the city to purchase the building, and the following evening the commission formally voted to make the purchase.
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Commission reviews update on enforcement
As directed by the Birmingham city commission, city staff presented a report on short-term rentals during the Monday, May 18, meeting, providing commissioners with an update of the city’s enforcement and work to identify short-term rentals in the city since the commission’s last discussion.
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Preliminary plans for nine-story building okayed
A new nine-story building to be constructed across two properties at 34952 Woodward and 690 E Maple received preliminary site plan approval from the Birmingham planning board during the Wednesday, May 13, meeting.
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City budget approved for 2026-2027 fiscal year
Birmingham City Commissioners on Monday, May 18, approved a $58.2 million budget and 12.9731 millage rate for the upcoming fiscal year which will begin on July 1 and end on June 30, 2027.
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Birmingham Village Fair coming next week
The 61st annual Birmingham Village Fair, hosted by the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, will be coming to the downtown area surrounding Shain Park starting next Thursday, May 28, and running through Sunday, May 31.
Antisemitic incident prompts policy review
An antisemitic incident at a Multicultural Night at the Beverly Elementary school in the Birmingham district has prompted a review of policies by school officials and the banning of the responsible parents from further volunteer work at the school for the balance of the school year, according the district superintendent Embekka Roberson in a message sent to district families today.
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Driver caught with drugs, paraphernalia
A driver being pulled over for an improper license plate near Woodward and Webster in Birmingham on Friday, May 15, was subsequently arrested after officers found drugs on her person and drug paraphernalia in her car.
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Traffic stop leads to arrest over license, drugs
Bloomfield Township police, following a traffic stop on Wednesday, May 20, ended up arresting the driver for failure to have an active drivers license and for possession of a controlled substance.
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Home surveillance catches likely theft suspects
The home surveillance system of a home on the 700 block of Rivenoak Avenue in Birmingham captured footage of two unknown people walking up to the homeowner’s car and attempting to get in.
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Patio furniture stolen while stored for season
A set of patio furniture stored on the side of a home on the 1000 block of Abbey Road in Birmingham was stolen from the home while tucked away for the winter season.
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Cash taken from unlocked Mercedes Benz
Bloomfield Township police were dispatched to the 1600 block of West Square Lake Road on Monday, May 25, for a larceny from automobile involving the taking of $150 cash left in the vehicle.
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Catalytic converter taken at park-ride lot
At approximately 4 p.m. on Friday, May 25, the Bloomfield Township Police Department responded to the park and ride lot at Adams Road/Square Lake Road for a report that a catalytic converter was taken from a 2014 Dodge 1500 ST.
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Car broken into at apartment complex lot
While parked in his apartment complex’s parking lot overnight between Monday, May 18, and Tuesday, May 19, a Birmingham resident had his car broken into and a bag stolen.
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Cars broken into on Abbey Road, items taken
Two cars were reportedly broken into the night between Sunday, May 17, and Monday, May 18, with a wallet, an iPad and the keys to one of the cars still missing.
School digital curriculum has its detractors
Mark, a veteran English and journalism teacher in an Oakland County school district, has just about had it. In his 18 years of teaching, he has witnessed the ever-increasing reliance on curriculum delivered digitally and its impact on teaching in classrooms where every student has their own device. Technology has become a barrier between his lessons on writing, literature, grammar, and sentence structure and the students who need to learn them.
PUNCHING POLLSTERS
The polls for the marquee races for August’s primary are coming in fast and furious, often with conflicting determinations on who could prevail to be the party’s candidate heading into the November general election for senate and governor. Twiddling the numbers is especially notable amongst the three Democrats fighting to be the standard bearer to replace retiring U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township). Depending on the day and the poll, any of the three running – Congresswoman Haley Stevens, state Senator Mallory McMorrow or Abdul El-Sayed – are leading in the polls.
