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?
7 First Alert Meteorologist Mike Taylor said today will be mostly cloudy with highs in the 30s. Snow could start after dark, but it really arrives tomorrow.
Friday's snow could get heavy at times and leave slick roads throughout metro Detroit. We could end up with 1"-3" of snow.
Behind this system, the weekend looks colder with highs struggling to reach the 20s with sub-zero wind chills at times.
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues to know about this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map before heading out.
The top stories to know about
Michigan legislation in limbo as gridlock continues in lame-duck session
There are several pieces of Michigan legislation in limbo as the gridlock continues in Lansing.
The people depending on those bills are hoping deals are struck in the final hour before the Legislature adjourns for the year.
“Do you value your essential services?” asked Matthew Sahr, president of the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union. “The essential services are here to protect the people.”
Supporters of bills on the verge of falling apart in Lansing are urging Democrats to do whatever it takes to get them across the finish line. The bills include addressing staffing levels for firefighters, legislation cracking down on the storage and disposal of hazardous waste materials and providing funding for community violence intervention groups.
“Nothing should supersede public safety,” said community activist Teferi Brent of Dignity for Detroit. “Nothing should supersede the fact that CVI programs in the city of Detroit has reduced crime by 40%.”
The Legislature is in gridlock. Democrats have majorities in the House and Senate, but they’re agenda is threatened. It's threatened first by House Republicans who walked out last week until Democrats take up bills to stop a minimum wage hike and the phasing out of tips for restaurant workers.
Also two of their own, Sen. Sylvia Santana and Rep. Karen Whitsett, are refusing to attend the remaining legislative sessions unless more attention is paid to issues affecting inner cities. The lame-duck session ends Thursday, as does Democrats’ majority in the state House.
What's that up there? Christmas tree on billboard beam off I-75 has spread holiday cheer for decades
Every December, for 40-some years, people driving down I-75 in Detroit have seen a mysterious Christmas tree.
It’s an annual symbol of joy that some say they’ve looked forward to seeing every Christmas for their entire lives.
It was not an easy task to find out who has been placing this tree over a hundred feet up on a silo every year. Eventually, I found the team responsible, and it may surprise you!
"I’d say it has probably been there over 40-something years," said Tonya Davis.
For decades, thousands of people driving along I-75 in southwest Detroit during December have found themselves saying, "is that a Christmas tree?"
Some say that it's part of their drive home for Christmas. Some that it always brings a smile to their face — and most, asking: "Who's doing this?"
"I had no idea who put it up there," said Nik.
To find out, we called Detroit City Council, MDOT, private billboard owners, and finally local cement company St. Mary's Cement.
"It’s surprising once they realize that it's a cement plant here making it happen," said Johnny Spartling, control room operator at St. Mary's Cement.
Johnny has been with St. Mary's Cement since 1985, and tells me the team here has been putting up this tree every December since before he even got here.
We asked, " do you know the origin story of this? Who had the idea that sparked this tradition?"
"It was a supervisor over at the pack house ... the guys over at the pack house decided to put up a tree to celebrate the holiday and it just took off from there," he said.
According to Johnny, the trees are often real, they used to lift them by crane, now it’s by elevator, and it takes a lot of guts to go the 150 feet up and help place the lit Christmas tree at the end of a support beam.
2 Detroit restaurants listed on New York Times' 'best dishes we ate' in 2024
Two Detroit restaurants are getting national attention for being some of the best food eaten by New York Times writers in 2024.
The New York Times released its list this week, with Mike's Famous Ham Place and Leila being included. At Mike's, it's the famous ham sandwich that was on the list.
Sara Bonisteel wrote, "I don’t know if Mike Muftari dreams of ham, but his ham sandwich has been on my mind since May. He’s been plying pork for 50 years at Mike’s Famous Ham Place on a desolate stretch of Michigan Avenue. His is an honest and satisfying sandwich built on a poppy-seed roll, with five or six solid planks of ham, a slice of cheese, a squirt of yellow mustard and some pickles. He sold the business in October, but has stayed on through the end of the year to teach the new owners the ropes. Aside from forms of payment, they don’t plan to change a thing."
The other item on the list was the Lebanese Sundae at Leila in Downtown Detroit.
Bonisteel wrote, "Arriving to the table like a Star Trek tribble ready for a night on the town, this dessert holds your attention from the first bite. Pistachios cover the mop of fairy floss atop the dish, and ashta, the rose-flavored ice cream with hints of orange blossom water, hides underneath the gossamer. The restaurant, on Capitol Park in downtown Detroit, is named for the matriarch of the Eid family, also the owners of Phoenicia, and the menu nods to home cooking. This dessert delights with its simplicity and whimsy."
