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?
Today: Mostly sunny with highs in the mid 50s. Winds: Light.
Tonight: Mostly clear with lows in the mid to upper 20s. Winds: Light.
Friday: Partly sunny and getting warmer with highs in the mid 60s. Winds: SE 5-15 mph.
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues to know about this morning. Check our live map here.
The top stories to know about
Date night + kids: Utica restaurant offering on-site child care while couples dine downstairs
A metro Detroit restaurant owner saw the need for parents to spend time together — and came up with a solution.
Host Utica has started offering something called Parents Night Out, an initiative where on specific nights they offer child care on their second floor while parents enjoy a date night, or solo dining, on their first floor.
"I originally thought about it and then I Googled, ‘is anybody else doing this?’ I only could find some restaurants in California that offer it," said Michael Ivkov, owner of Host Utica.
The restaurant has been open for a little over two years, but most recently people have been driving in from all over to visit thanks to the new initiative.
Parents Night Out or "PNO" happens on the second floor of Host on Tuesday through Thursday nights.
What is it? Restaurant on-site child care!
"So it’s $8 for the first hour and a half. If you want to stay longer, you can, we just charge an extra $3 for every half hour," he said.
The child care is open for children who can sit up on their own, up to the age of 12.
Parents must call a day in advance to make their reservation.
While their children are here, Michael says CPR-certified child care professionals will be watching them and parents can have food sent up if they like.
Road projects happening this year in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne Counties
The weather is getting warmer all across Metro Detroit, which means orange barrel season is here. On top of the I-696 closure, there are major road construction projects you need to know about.
The eastbound lanes of 12 Mile will be shutting down between Middlebelt and Inkster sometime in mid-April and lasting through July.
For those thinking they’ll go up to 13 Mile using Orchard Lake, you’ll hit orange barrels on Orchard Lake as well. It will only have one lane open in both directions, from June to November, between I-696 and 13 Mile Road.
In Macomb County, work on 10 Mile begins next Tuesday, the 18th, and lasts to November; between Lorraine and Ryan Road, in both Warren and Center Line. Eventually the road will close at the railroad tracks for 35 days for reconstruction.
Work continues on Garfield this year. Northbound traffic will be maintained on the southbound side. Southbound traffic will be detoured to Utica Road. The road will close sometime around Fraser School District’s spring break.
In Wayne County, work on Oakwood continues between Beech Street and Rotunda in Dearborn.
Work is underway to rebuild the Denton Bridge in Van Buren Township. That’s expected to open to traffic at the end of this year.
More furnaces and hot water heaters installed as southwest Detroit recovers from water main break
The City of Detroit says it’s on track replacing the dozens of furnaces and hot water heaters necessary to get hundreds of Detroiters displaced by the water main break back into their homes. Some never left.
“It feels great because now I have heat in the house and warm water,” Jesus Hernandez said.
The necessities can feel like luxuries when you’ve been without them for nearly a month. We met Hernandez as city contractors installed a new furnace and hot water heater at his home, which he and his family never left. It’s just one of many impacted during February’s water main break.
“I’m pleased to say that two weeks in, of the 110 furnaces, half have been replaced already. We have seven contractors with 15 crews inside the houses today,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said.
Duggan went on to say that of the 90 hot water heaters that need to be replaced, 60 are already installed.
“We’ve got a cadence going now where we’re going to be able to rip through this work in the next couple of weeks,” said Gary Brown, Director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
While the city says that homes that experienced burst pipes and others with more significant problems pre-dating the water main break will take a bit longer, it’s still moving at a rapid pace to get displaced residents back into their homes.
