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 cloudy with a rain chance after 7 PM and a storm chance after 10 PM. Some of these storms could be on the strong side. Highs in the upper 60s. Winds: SSW 15-25+ mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with lows around 50° in the morning, with falling temps to follow. Winds: S 5-10 mph.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of mixed showers. Most of the snow chances will be north of Detroit. The snow should not stick to the roads. Highs in the mid 40s and dropping late. Winds: NW 15-30 mph
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues to know about this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map here.
The top stories to know about
Flex route system takes effect today on I-96 in Oakland County
The morning commute is going to look a little different on I-96 in parts of Oakland County. Starting this morning at 6 a.m., MDOT's flex route system takes effect.
The left shoulder will be used as a travel lane (or flex lane) from Kent Lake Road to the I-696, M-5, I-275 interchange.
But that’s only during designated hours.
Along the 12-mile stretch, the structures with the electronic signs are called gantries. The red X indicates the flex lane is closed. The green arrow indicates the flex lane is open.
From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., drivers headed eastbound will be able to use the left shoulder. They'll see a green arrow, which indicates the flex lane is open.
From 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., westbound drivers will see a green arrow and be able to use the left shoulder.
The electronic boards also include the posted speed limit, but they'll change to "recommended speed" limits as traffic conditions change.
When the flex lane is off-limits, there will be a red X.
MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross said, "If there's a red X, that's a ticketable offense, and you cannot use that left shoulder."
'A strong commitment to justice.' Ex-U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison honored with Spirit of Detroit Award
March is Women's History Month, and Dawn Ison, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, was celebrated on Tuesday.
Ison, a Detroiter who is called a pioneer and a trailblazer for civil rights, was the first African American woman to serve as the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Michigan.
“Her career reflects a strong commitment to justice blending her passion for law with empathy for those affected by crime," Councilwoman Angela Whitfield-Calloway said during the meeting on Tuesday.
Ison is a lifelong Detroiter, Cass Tech High School and Spelman College graduate, and was recognized for bringing down violent crime, strengthening community partnerships, fighting terrorism and more. She also led the high-profile drug enforcement unit of the office, working to get drugs off the street.
“To receive this award is an honor beyond measure for me," Ison said.
During her career of 22 years at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ison successfully cracked down on public corruption. Two high-profile cases included sending the former mayor of Taylor to prison for accepting bribe money and securing a guilty plea from the former CFO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy for embezzling $40 million.
“We will always root out corruption and hold accountable those people in whom we put our trust to represent us with integrity," Ison said.
'I almost cried': Wyandotte man returns wallet full of cash to grateful family
In Wyandotte, a young man busy with work still made the time to return a wallet full of personal information and cash he found in the middle of the street to a grateful family who appreciated the kind gesture.
When Michelle Johnson looked through her surveillance video Monday and saw a stranger standing on her porch, she didn’t know who it was or what they wanted.
"And he had held up a wallet into our camera," Johnson said.
Johnson then later went onto her porch to find a wallet hidden behind some decor, so no one else would take it. She quickly realized 26-year-old Donnie Hanson was returning her son’s missing wallet. Her 25-year-old son had just worked the entire weekend and made nearly $100 dollars in cash tips.
"He works down at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and made tips on Sunday, I believe it was, and that was all of the tips he had made," she said.
Donnie Hanson is a busy realtor who was running errands that Monday afternoon and couldn't believe he found an open wallet in the street.
"I was on 17th Street, seen it in the middle of the road, and all I was thinking was, 'Oh, someone had a great St. Patrick's Day; I can’t believe this was just lying in the middle of the road,'" Hanson said with a smile. "I just found the ID, and I was like, you know what, yup, gotta get this back.”
Hanson says he’s lost his wallet before, and no one ever returned it to him. He wanted to do for Johnson and her family what no one ever did for him.
It’s a gesture the family takes to heart.
"I almost cried; I know that sounds silly, but it was nice," Johnson added. “It makes you feel good and it makes people, our family included, we just want to pay it forward.”
