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?
We're finally trending in the right direction and looking to temperatures warming as we move into next week. For Friday, we'll see a few snow showers around with partly sunny skies and highs in the upper 20s.
The disturbance that's bringing the snow will eventually leave us today and that's when the sunshine could sneak in and bring temperatures into the upper 20s. Some of us could even get close to 30 degrees.
On Saturday, we'll have brighter skies and temps will reach the 30s, and on Sunday, temps will be above freezing for the first time in about a week.
Looking ahead to next week, temps will get into the 40s to start the week and through the middle.
Any traffic issues?
No major traffic issues to know about impacting the roads this morning. However, you should know that westbound I-696 will close from Lahser to I-75 from 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 to 6 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 and then again at 10 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday. It's for preps for the major construction project that kicks off on March 1 that will close part of the highway for two years.
The top stories to know about
Lawmakers pass compromise bill on Michigan's minimum wage & paid sick leave before midnight deadline
The Michigan State House passed a compromise bill in an 11th-hour vote in Lansing, just before Michigan's new minimum wage and paid sick leave laws were set to take effect.
The bill amended the requirement for most employers to provide paid sick leave, but the law still went into effect when the clock struck midnight because it still needs the governor's approval.
There has been a growing concern for small business owners and tipped-wage workers for months. A lot is up in the air right now for tipped workers.
Minimum wage workers saw a nearly $2 per hour pay increase in line with existing legislation to increase that pay to $15 per hour by 2028, but a bill sitting on the governor's desk could bump up that date and lawmakers say they also listened to those tipped workers while making some changes.
The bill makes some changes to the current earned sick time and minimum wage laws, with earned sick time. The bill allows businesses with 10 or fewer employees to provide 40 hours instead of 72 hours of earned sick time. It also gives small businesses a grace period to implement the benefit.
The bill also changes the minimum wage pay increase timeline.
Right now, without her signature, minimum wage workers are seeing $12.48 an hour with the second pay hike working towards the $15 per hour by 2030 goal. Tipped workers are on track to make full minimum wage by 2030.
Meadow Brook kicks off giving initiative to help restore windows damaged in vandalism case
After someone purposely broke two of Meadow Brook Hall’s historic stained glass windows earlier this month, the estate is kicking off a new initiative, asking the community to help get them restored to their original splendor.
Meadow Brook Hall Executive Director Bill Matt said the windows were broken during the early hours of February 4. The suspect reportedly kicked in one window and smashed another with a tool.
"It's kind of a mix of grief and horror, how anybody, an adult, could damage a National Historic Landmark," said Matt.
So, this week, the Meadow Brook team is launching The 1929 Club. This philanthropic monthly giving club, a nod to the year Meadow Brook was founded, aims to have people commit to giving $19.29 a month to support the cultural institution and restore the stained glass windows.
Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett has pledged to be the first member of the club.
"As Mayor of Rochester Hills, I take great pride in the unique gems that make our community special – and one of those is certainly Meadow Brook Hall, our nationally recognized historic venue located right down the street," said Barnett in a statement. "After the vandalism, we want to get Meadow Brook Hall looking beautiful and back on its feet as quickly as possible.”
According to Meadow Brook, it will cost $35,000 to replace the windows, which depicted scenes of the arts and are at the top of the estate’s ballroom. While Meadow Brook does have insurance, we're told the deductible was much higher than the cost of the damage. Meadow Brook was also recently approved for a grant to help with window restoration, but Matt says the recent vandalism was not factored into that cost.
$125K worth of construction equipment stolen from small Detroit business
An uncle-nephew small business duo is putting out a call to help find their stolen construction equipment. On surveillance video, you can see individuals attach the equipment to their own vehicle and take off in broad daylight on Jan. 16.
The Bobcat skid steer and trailer used to get it around that were taken from the area of Joy Road and Greenfield Avenue are worth around $125,000.
“It’s heartbreaking to say the least. It just sucks 'cause you work so hard for things and then somebody comes and takes it," owner of Care General Construction Erik Thomas said.
Thomas specializes in kitchen and bathroom remodeling with his company. He and his uncle, Shawn Young, are partners. Young runs Renew Plumbing & Construction, working on projects with the city of Detroit and DTE Energy.
Both Young and Thomas use the Bobcat T66 for jobs and now, they’re both missing out on job opportunities because of the theft.
Detroit police are investigating. If you know anything or recognize the truck, call police or Renew Plumbing & Construction at 313-352-9252 or Care General Construction at 248-702-5906.
