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We know a lot happens throughout the week, and you may not catch all of our stories here at WXYZ. So we've decided to gather the most talked-about stories from the past week all in one place that you can check out during your free time over the weekend.
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Here are the big stories from the week beginning April 7.
WXYZ helps get prom dress for teen whose family lost everything in Detroit apartment explosion
One family had their lives turned upside down last week when their apartment building exploded.
The building has since been demolished, but trying to rebuild their lives after losing everything has been an uphill battle. And for one mother of two teens, her biggest worry is how to prepare her senior in high school for prom next month.
So we used the power of 7 and reached out for help.
Charlene Jackson's apartment building on Littlefield in Detroit blew up in the wee hours of the morning one week ago today.
"I hear a loud boom, it was me thinking so much of an explosion because of the impact," she says. "I'm thinking, it was a tornado."
Charlene, who lost her vision at 18 in the hospital, had to use sound to safely escape. After the explosion, Charlene's concern?
"I'm just worried about my daughter, she's graduating and her prom?" Charlene says. "Like, oh my God, it's not going to go through because everything I had was in the house, my money and everything."
So we reached out to our friends at Unique Lady in Southfield. From an alteration shop 34 years ago, Rana Maroof and her siblings took their mom's vision and created Unique Lady Bridal and Prom Boutique.
So when we called for help?
"She deserves it, especially the family, after going through what they went through," Maroof says. "It's not easy, it's a battle."
For Charlene's daughter, Marchala Robinson, who plans to join the Air Force after graduation, the fitting was a dream come true.
"I want a fabulous gown," Robinson says. "I wanted it to be unique, and that's what's in the name Unique Lady, so."
Emancipated teen at risk of homelessness receives full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame
Nick Slaughter is a senior at the Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies. The last four years of high school for him have looked very different than it does for most teenagers.
"The large part of my story comes from coming from a single-parent, low-income background," Slaughter said.
Being the oldest of three siblings with a single mother, Slaughter said his family has always struggled.
However, it was his freshman year when his mother got into a car crash and became bedridden that the responsibilities of a parent became his own.
"As a Christian, one of the most important things you’re always told is ‘honor your father and mother,’" Slaughters said. "I was like, 'I can't let my mom down,' and it's not her fault that she was unable to work and do all these things."
So, Slaughter began to do them.
At age 14, he studied to maintain a 4.0 in school, worked 20 hours a week to provide for his family, then came home to cook and clean for his siblings.
"I was tired a lot and there were times where I wanted to give up but I mean, they were always my motivation at the end of the day, was to keep doing good for them," Slaughter said, referring to his younger siblings.
At the time, Michelle Wlodarczyk was one of Slaughter's teachers.
"I had no idea what was going on with him because he’s such a happy kid and he just enjoys being in school," Wlodarczyk said.
However, at age 16, Slaughter said that the pressure of it all became too much.
Dedicated to creating opportunity through his education, Slaughter felt himself slipping and moved in with the family of a friend from school. He said that for the first time, he experienced parental support.
In 2024, Slaughter became emancipated. In December, he got an email saying that he has been accepted to the University of Notre Dame on a full-ride scholarship.
"I thought it wasn’t real. I thought it was congratulations for applying," Slaughter said. "It does feel like all my hard work has definitely paid off."
Artists with autism shine with the support of non-profit Mod Market
Mod Market in Northville is hosting its fifth annual autism acceptance art show at Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea in Novi.
The opening is Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the show will run through May 13.
"I’m super excited about the show because, as you see the pieces, they're all very different, different mediums, different subject matter, and the artist is very passionate about the piece that they presented. And then alongside each of the works is a full-page bio, because we think telling the story of the artist is as important as the piece of art itself," said Amy Bonser, MOD Market Director.
Twelve artists with autism will have their work featured.
Malcolm Wang is one of the empowered artists.
“That’s white peonies at the Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor between trail markers one and two out of the eight markers,” said Wang describing the photo he captured and displayed for the show. “It was June in summer.”
He's been practicing photography for more than 7 years, entering contests and receiving many accolades inspired by his love of the outdoors and hiking.
Nick Bair is an artist who also enjoys creating art, capturing nature.
"Just like doing something, creating imaginations and creating something realistic, and especially make something cartoon," said Blair.
'Prices are going to go up': What tariffs could mean for metro Detroit shoe stores
Along Main Street in Royal Oak is a sneaker lover’s paradise. Brand-name shoes line the walls and from China to Vietnam, you’d be hard pressed to find a tag that says "Made in USA."
Roland Coit, the owner of Burn Rubber, says most of the shoes he sells are made oversees.
"Maybe 100 (percent),” Coit said. “The only brand that does made-in-U.S. items is New Balance, and we don't carry much of the made-in-U.S. product because the price is so high and it kinda prices out the majority of our customers.”
Coit started the local boutique shop 18 years ago and recently opened another shoe store, Two 18, in Eastern Market. He’s been following every news update about tariffs because he knows what it means for his product.
“The prices are going to go up — that’s the short end of it,” Coit said.
Coit orders directly from the shoe companies roughly every three months and lists their suggested retail price. If that price goes up substantially, he worries his sales will go down, especially because the shoes he sells are brand name and sometimes limited edition.
“The consumer is tired, they’re worn out and doubling the price of goods on certain items is not something they’ll be down for,” said Matt Priest, president and CEO of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America.
Priest says 99% of shoes sold in the U.S. are made overseas and the majority are made in China, where President Donald Trump continues to increase tariffs.
Nemo's sign stolen during Tigers' 1984 World Series run returned on Opening Day
When the Detroit Tigers played their first game at Comerica Park this season, a beloved bar in Corktown received a big surprise. A sign that was stolen from Nemo's during the Tigers' 1984 World Series run was suddenly brought back, 41 years later.
Staff at Nemo's say having an old sign turn up after decades was definitely something they were not expecting, and they hope that note left by the person who returned it brings the Tigers a little extra luck.
"It's everything. We have other sports in Detroit, but this is definitely a baseball bar," said Sandy Simmons, manager at Nemo's.
Their walls are filled with the team's history, from old newspaper articles to cereal boxes.
But for years, one thing was missing: a sign welcoming fans inside the bar before or after a game at the old Tiger Stadium.
"It's a very simple sign. It's just a tiny advertisement; it's not anything earth-shattering," said Simmons.
The sign was seemingly gone forever — until this year's Opening Day when a man walked in with it.
"Threw it on the bar and said 'I stole this 41 years ago and I'm bringing it back,' and everyone's like 'what?!' I didn't even see him because we're all running around," she said.
Along with the sign, the man left a note, sharing exactly when he took it and his desire for Nemo's to have it back.
He also shared a message about the Tigers' fortunes ever since the sign was stolen.
"He wrote something about 'I hope it didn't jinx you'. Well, it kind of did, but now that he brought it back, look at the start we've had so far," she said.
Federal funding cuts could impact Michigan's nearly 400 public libraries
Nearly 400 public libraries across Michigan could lose critical funding as the Trump administration targets the Institute of Museum and Library Services for elimination, putting $4.8 million of support at risk.
The potential cuts were brought to 7 News Detroit's attention during a recent "Let's Talk" community event in Shelby Township, where a local resident expressed concern about the impact on their library services.
For Shelby Township mom Emily Ketchum, who home-schools her four children, the local library is essential to their education.
"We are at the library every single week, sometimes two or three times as well," Ketchum said. "It's essential for our day-to-day life. We are using it as a place to go out and finish all our school work for the week and check out hundreds of books a year."
A recent executive order could decrease access to books and other library materials for Ketchum's family and countless others. The federal agency funding museums and libraries across the nation is potentially facing elimination through government cuts.
Katie Ester, library director at the Shelby Township Public Library, expressed deep concern about the potential impact.
"The thought of having to tell our patrons I'm sorry, that's no longer available, just cuts to the heart of a librarian," Ester said.
Educational opportunities, grants and research databases could also be impacted.
"Those are all kind of on the line right now," Ester explained.
'It’s a really tragic death.' Macomb family says popular arthritis injectable killed their dog
A true animal lover knows the feeling. For more than 12 years, Barbara and Chester Bianco's world was their dog, Snickers.
The Macomb Township couple told 7 News Detroit that in April of 2024, they took Snickers to the vet to renew her arthritis medication.
The Biancos said that Snickers was taking pills but struggled with them; they said that their vet recommended a newer injectable called Librela.
"So she got the shot, that was the beginning of the end," said Barbara. "She started dying the next day," added Chester.
The Biancos said that the next morning, Snickers started becoming extremely lethargic, waking up in her own urine, and losing muscle control.
Within days, they said that she was vomiting and having diarrhea.
Barbara said, "It got so bad that she stopped eating, she stopped drinking, her nose was getting all cracked up."
Beside themselves, the couple said that they rushed Snickers to another vet where they were told that the veterinary staff did not think Snickers would survive the night. For the most peaceful ending possible, they put Snickers down.
The Biancos feel strongly that Snickers' symptoms were due to the Librela injectable.
They're not alone. Across the world, publications have started posting stories regarding adverse Librela effects.
In December, the FDA issued this letter to veterinarians, notifying them.
7 News Detroit reached out to the company that makes Librela, Zoetis.
"At Zoetis, pets are at the center of everything we do. That’s why their safety and well-being, as well as the trust of veterinarians and pet parents, are our top priorities.
On Monday, December 16, the FDA shared information with veterinarians about Librela, which included a summary and agency review of adverse events reported since the product's U.S. launch. This agency review of reported adverse events is part of the FDA’s standard process following approval of any product. FDA’s communication to veterinarians is designed to inform and educate professionals and pet owners, supporting transparent and meaningful discussions about treatment decisions.
The data shared with veterinarians by the FDA aligns with our own ongoing monitoring of Librela’s safety and efficacy. At Zoetis, we work closely with the FDA and other global regulatory agencies to provide context to reported events. As part of this process, we are discussing label updates with FDA which we expect will reflect post-approval adverse event reporting and be consistent with those included on labels in other markets.
We recognize that some recent media coverage has mischaracterized the FDA’s communication as a “warning” rather than the informational update it is – a “Dear Veterinarian” letter designed to inform and educate, not alarm. It’s also important to note that the FDA’s review included no new public data on adverse reactions. This data, gathered with Zoetis’ active collaboration, underscores our commitment to understanding and supporting veterinarians and pet owners in the safe and effective use of Librela.
Since its launch in Europe over three years ago, Librela has improved the lives of millions of dogs suffering from osteoarthritis. With over 21 million doses distributed globally, no individual adverse event sign has been reported at a rate higher than rare, as defined by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) – representing less than 10 occurrences per 10,000 treated animals (where one dose equals one treated animal).
We remain confident in Librela’s safety and effectiveness and are committed to supporting veterinarians and pet owners in helping dogs live with less pain and greater mobility.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: See full Prescribing Information. For use in dogs only. Women who are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding should take extreme care to avoid self-injection. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, could potentially occur with self-injection. Librela should not be used in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs. Librela should not be administered to dogs with known hypersensitivity to bedinvetmab. The most common adverse events reported in a clinical study were urinary tract infections, bacterial skin infections and dermatitis."
