(WXYZ) — Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.
What's the weather for today?
A cold front will drop through Lower Michigan on Friday bringing the chance for snow showers or a rain/snow mix at times in the afternoon through the evening. However, the milder temps will help melt any snow and keep it from sticking to the roads. Temperatures will rebound this weekend with highs back into the upper 40s Sunday and warm into the 60s next week.
Friday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers or periods of light mixed showers mostly in the afternoon and evening. Highs around 40°. Winds: W 5-10 mph.
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues to know about this morning. M-14/I-96 is closing in Wayne County this weekend as that construction project gets going. Check out more to know about the closure here.
The top stories to know about
Family distraught after father detained by federal agents after 30 years in the U.S.
“I just don’t think that they realize that they’re separating families. I mean, he’s just such a good man,” says Ana Jaimes.
Ana and Hector Jaimes’ father, Jose, is being held in the St. Clair County Jail—caught up in President Trump’s ramped-up efforts to remove those in the country unlawfully. Ana and Hector say their father came to America from Mexico more than 30 years ago and acquired a work permit, which was recently renewed. He started his family, business, and a new life in metro Detroit.
“Lots of people have been reaching out and saying like, ‘I’ve known him for years, and he’s such a good man,’” Ana continued.
“He always tried to give us a life that he wasn’t able to get while he was young,” said Hector Jaimes, a student-athlete at Tusculum University. “He was just always like, ‘go to school.’ He regrets not finishing high school. He was just like, ‘get an education.’”
The Jaimes family says federal agents followed Jose as he took one of his sons to school in Trenton. As he pulled off onto a side street to leave, agents pulled him over.
This week, the White House said ICE arrests of those in the country unlawfully have surged 627 percent and the number of those removed topped 50,000 as the Trump Administration continues getting those they describe as killers, rapists and drug dealers off the street.
But Jose has no record of criminal history—Ana and Hector have a hard time reconciling that with the president’s promise to go after the 'worst first.'
Right now, it’s unclear when or if Jose will appear before a judge.
Marshella Chidester found guilty on all counts, including 2nd-degree murder, in Swan Boat Club crash
The woman who crashed into the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township last year, killing two kids, has been found guilty on all charges, including second-degree murder.
Marshella Chidester crashed her vehicle into the Swan Boat Club in April 2024 while a children’s birthday party was going on.
Chidester was found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and five counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury.
Two kids – 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and 4-year-old Zayn Phillips, were killed when Chidester's car came barreling through the wall.
A jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching a verdict. The jury got the case around 2 p.m. and came back with a verdict just before 4 p.m.
“I feel like the jury got this one right on all counts. I believe that she deserves to be where she’s at. My babies can finally rest peacefully. This is what we’ve been waiting for,” Brian Phillips, the father of Alanah and Zayn, said after the trial.
Detroit Riverfront Conservancy says new 22-acre park set to open this fall
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy hosted a community meeting Thursday in southwest Detroit to gather input for events and experiences at the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park set to open this fall.
“I’m just excited because it looks so nice from what it was," Terry Holam, who rides his bike along the riverfront, said. "I’m just looking forward to it.”
The park will feature a play garden, basketball courts and a water garden. It’ll host movie nights in the summer and sledding in the winter.
“It is so good to see Detroit come alive. It is so great to see the people and diversity and how the growth is impacting our city in such a beautiful way," Mozell Scovil, who lives along the Detroit Riverfront, said.
The park was set to open last year, but COVID-19 and the former Chief Financial Officer William A. Smith embezzling over $40 million from the organization over a number of years set them back. Ryan Sullivan is the new CEO and addressed this head-on at the meeting.
“(We'll) put in place changes to make sure that something like this never happens again and we can preserve your trust as a community as we go forward and emerge from these challenging times," Sullivan said at the meeting.
