Correction: The story has been updated to include a statement provided by BASF that was omitted during initial publication Wyandotte — State environmental regulators are demanding that BASF an international chemical manufacturing company and major employer in Wyandotte stop the flow of contaminated groundwater into the Detroit River alleging the company is violating a 39-year-old consent agreement with the state Regulators from the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy have found extraction wells created by BASF to pump contaminated groundwater at the company's North Works site in Wyandotte away from the river generated fewer than 2 gallons per minute in mid-2024 while up to 60 gallons per minute flow to the river The environmental agency wrote BASF on March 10 telling the company to take “all necessary and appropriate actions to … halt the flow of contaminated groundwater to the Detroit River.” The state and BASF entered a 1986 consent agreement in which BASF was to maintain an inward "gradient" at the site to prevent contaminated water from migrating into the river A flow rate of between 10 and 90 gallons per minute into the extraction wells is necessary to achieve that which is located near Wyandotte's drinking water intake system PFOS and other volatile compounds considered harmful to consume The plant manufactures products including polyurethanes used in products such as carpet padding; seat cushions and insulation; specialty plastics and resins The company is a major employer in Wyandotte with more than 1,100 employees at the facility The former marshland was drained and filled with chemical waste in the 1880s and has served as an industrial and manufacturing site ever since Groundwater flows through that contaminated fill dirt and into the Detroit River just north of the Wyandotte municipal water intake BASF said in a statement to The News that the company has "no reason to believe that noncompliance exists we are conducting a deep dive into the data and will be responding to EGLE within the deadline We also continue to work diligently with EPA and EGLE toward implementation of the perimeter barrier wall." The company referred to a statement on its website that it is continuing plans to construct a physical barrier along the north east and south boundaries of the Wyandotte site long-term groundwater protection measure." The design requires approval by the EPA and BASF's website said the federal government approved a 60% design draft last November Approval and completion are not expected to before 2027 "BASF continues to work closely with EPA and EGLE to minimize the timeline of the project including by requesting expedited agency review," the company's website says The company has until May 10 to respond to EGLE's finding that BASF is violating its agreement with the state EGLE said in a statement that the department has yet to receive a response from BASF and declined to comment on what kind of enforcement actions the state may seek if deemed necessary we await the response before speculating about noncompliance," spokesperson Josef Greenberg wrote in an email But EGLE employee Art Ostaszewski feels his agency has failed to stop BASF from allowing pollution to flow into the Detroit River and Great Lakes He filed a whistleblower complaint with the Michigan Attorney General's Office in October alleging EGLE has known about continuous violations of the consent decree by BASF and allowed the company to release hazardous waste into the Great Lakes and a "critical assessment zone" close to Wyandotte's drinking water intake system A critical assessment zone is an area around a surface water intake deemed susceptible to contamination a longtime EGLE employee who's currently the department's drone pilot program coordinator said water sampling from 2021 showed pollution high enough to kill aquatic life BASF has to meet water quality standards before their groundwater reaches the Detroit River," Ostaszewski told The News in an interview Ostaszewski made clear he is not representing EGLE in his whistleblower actions and his statements are his own opinions based on materials and data he has reviewed He said he first filed his allegations about BASF's actions with EGLE's law enforcement division in 2023 but he said his complaint was not taken seriously prompting him to file the whistleblower complaint with the attorney general's office last year The attorney general's office declined to pursue criminal charges against BASF in a March letter responding to Ostaszewski's complaint no recent testing has shown any danger to the water intake for the city of Wyandotte.. There is no evidence that we found that points to criminality here," the letter read The letter also said the attorney general's office had not found evidence of wrongdoing by EGLE's law enforcement division and informed Ostaszewski it was closing his complaint a spokesperson for Attorney General Dana Nessel declined to comment on the office's conclusions beyond the contents of its letter to Ostaszewski reiterating the investigation "found no evidence of prosecutable criminal conduct as much of this matter is subject to ongoing administrative/civil efforts to remediate any environmental issues." "The Attorney General takes violations of our Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act very seriously she started the Environmental Crimes Unit to criminally address violations when the facts dictate a crime has occurred." EGLE declined to comment on the whistleblower investigation The most recent water samples from Wyandotte's intake location showed the city's drinking water is not contaminated adding EGLE has increased monitoring "out of an abundance of caution He wrote that steps taken to minimize human health risks from the North Works plant include monitoring exploring additional filtration at Wyandotte's water intake and installing more wells to extract additional groundwater from the areas that have the highest contamination "EGLE has helped fund the additional protections and is working with the city to add additional carbon filtration to its drinking water treatment system Due to its proximity to BASF and other facilities EGLE has worked with Wyandotte to increase monitoring of both the water coming into its drinking water plant and the finished water leaving the water plant for distribution to residents," the statement said "The water has consistently met all water quality standards." The state's 1986 consent decree with BASF required the well-pumping system created by the company to maintain an inward "hydraulic gradient" at the North Works site which is one reason the agreement has lasted so long an attorney at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center an environmental legal advocacy organization in Michigan BASF would have to have explicit permission to stop its well-pumping operations EGLE absolutely has the authority to go back to court and say they're not abiding by the consent decree and actions need to be taken," Troia said The GLELC is not involved with the agreement between the state and BASF but has heard from residents concerned about the Downriver community's pollution issues The state's letter to BASF says groundwater contour maps generated over several years "show a consistent outward gradient toward the Detroit River" and the pumping system "is not achieving the inward gradients sufficient to halt the flow of contaminated water to the Detroit River." a Metro Detroit-based hydrogeologist with experience in industrial waste cleanups who owns a consulting company doesn't believe the company needs several more years to construct a solution to stop contaminated groundwater from entering the Detroit River or renting a water treatment system while the company finalizes the permanent perimeter barrier but you could just put more wells out there It's not like putting a man on the moon," said O'Mara who did an independent review for the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center of BASF's 60% barrier design plan a Republican who represents the 27th District that includes Wyandotte said in a statement she is keeping an eye on the site's cleanup situation and is interested to hear more at Wednesday's EPA meeting She said companies have a responsibility not to pollute communities they operate in "No one wants the places they call home to be turned into toxic waste dumps or see their drinking water threatened by contamination Companies have a responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen and the state has a responsibility to protect communities and families," Linting said in a statement I am hopeful BASF’s continued remediation efforts can work hand in hand with EGLE’s work to provide transparency and solutions for people I represent." The letter from the attorney general's office closing Ostaszewski's complaint said their conclusions don't bar other administrative remedies or future criminal charges if warranted by additional facts "The state needs to set a deadline for the community," Ostaszewski said 3,400 gallons of toxic waste has left BASF And nowhere else in the Great Lakes do we know about something like that." (WXYZ) — The city of Wyandotte is planning to dig up a strip of land outside the Oakwood Cemetery to create 13 new parking spots but some residents worry the project could disturb unmarked graves believes the area in question may contain human remains Watch Meghan Daniel's report in the video player below: The parking spots would replace a small strip of grass between the cemetery and Ford Avenue at the request of the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency Wein told me Oakwood is one of the most historic landmarks in Wyandotte serving as the final resting place for thousands of more bodies than are marked with headstones "I have no idea how many bodies are in this parcel and a funeral home just told me there may be closer to 5,000 people," Wein said The cemetery has lived through widespread illnesses including the Spanish flu this is your final resting place," Wein said City Councilmember Rose Shuryan expressed concern about how potential remains would be handled "My concern is if they start digging and they find something that they do it the proper way and just make sure that we respect the people that came before us," Shuryan said another City Councilmember who voted to approve the project acknowledged the need to balance progress with respect but let's respect the people that are there," Calvin said Wein secured city council approval for a ground-penetrating radar scan of the land before digging begins "Ground-penetrating radar will indicate whether there are any gravestones of casket material left," Wein said "They will most likely find bones," Wein said noting that the radar can't detect human remains that may be buried underneath I reached out to the mayor's office for comment Wein acknowledges she can't stop the process now but is advocating for respectful handling of any remains discovered "If we go along with this process and everything is done respectfully then they are at least put back into the cemetery and they can remain with their family," Wein said KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel Housing advocates say each year they watch Wyandotte County residents nearly lose their homes in the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas’ tax sale we are scrambling to find money to help people right up until the deadline,” said Dustin Hare who volunteers with the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County The group works to address the impacts of redlining on disenfranchised parts of Wyandotte County Hare said he was chatting with a member of Groundwork NRG “There was sort of an idea that maybe it was just vacant homes that were being sold in the tax sale ‘Are regular people maybe losing their homes?’' And so we started checking that out," Hare said Four years later, their findings aligned with the data they already had from the Community Health Council's annual Health Equity Action Transformation (H.E.A.T.) report “East of 635 is where we’ve seen the highest concentration of properties that are in danger of being sold in the tax sale consistently,” Hare said “We continue to see not just disinvestment but refusal to invest in those neighborhoods Hare and his team have identified 85 homeowners at risk of losing their homes in the UG’s tax sale and found funding for all of them I think it was 85% people of color were in danger of losing their homes and that’s sort of been [a] trend throughout,” Hare said Two of them ended up seeking funding elsewhere but an anonymous donor paid for the remaining 11 “What we found is almost every single one of those people is on a fixed income,” Hare said “Either they're disabled or are on social security Laura Kane is one of those people Hare's group has helped She’s been living in her Wyandotte County home for 23 years Kane had to stop working due to health concerns so it wouldn’t really be much as far as paying rent and being able to survive,” Kane said She was eventually served papers warning her that her home was up for sale Kane owed approximately $8,000 in unpaid property taxes Dustin knocked on my door and told me about his program,” Kane said “I cried because of the stress being relieved off of me.” The Unified Government sends out eight different tax statement warnings for fourth-year delinquent taxes residents must either pay taxes in full or pay half of the taxes owed and get a payment plan with the UG through the Delinquent Real Estate Office Kane said she was on a payment plan but wasn’t notified she was supposed to pay the full amount owed Kane said she wishes Wyandotte County had more programs to help people The Unified Government said it’s ready to help people who are having trouble paying their taxes Hare explained there are both municipal and state-level solutions that could help more people One suggestion is to alter the current Unified Government charter resolution CR-01-12 which says delinquent tax payments are applied to the most recent delinquent tax year instead of the year of the first missed payment Hare said that puts residents like Kane in a bind “They have to come up with this lump sum of cash all at once to make themselves whole,” Hare said “A lot of bad implications come with being forced to come up with money that you don’t have.” Hare is already bracing for the next tax sale “There will probably be another tax sale in the fall," Hare said Hare said the likelihood of people getting on their feet without homes to live in is slim there’s a good chance that it’s a death sentence,” Hare said His volunteering is work he wishes he didn’t have to do but it’s necessary for the foreseeable future “I wish we lived in a system that would take care of our most vulnerable people and we wouldn’t have to do this work,” Hare said "That’s been my inside joke is I’m gonna evict it," Kane said She’s looking ahead with optimism and gratitude Report a typo A new eatery with family ties to and inspired by the flavors of a long-familiar downriver restaurant is planning to open sometime this year in the former Bobcat Bonnie’s space in downtown Wyandotte Fotini Callis plans to open The Auburn Taverna a family-owned restaurant in Ecorse for more than four decades who for two decades has run the long-time family-owned Auburn Café started by his parents (Auburn Café is currently closed after a January fire devastated the restaurant.) “It is going to be inspired by the flavors and the experiences of the Auburn Café,” Callis said Callis said there will be a lot of influences from Auburn Café classics and people can expect “comforting and familiar yet exciting” flavors “It's all about creating something that will feel like home but with new experiences to keep it fresh,” she said "We want people to come in and enjoy the great food and just have a good time.” Contractors will transform and remodel the former Bobcat Bonnie’s space on Sycamore Street “I wanted to bring the same welcoming family-oriented atmosphere to Wyandotte that my in-laws created in Ecorse.” Auburn Café is known for some of the best Greek food downriver Callis said she grew up around amazing cooks who had a huge influence on her in the kitchen and going to the Auburn Café “Now my mother-in-law is teaching me her unique ways with cooking which has really inspired the dishes we will be offering especially the ones that she used to start the restaurant in Ecorse with my father-in-law.” has been a long-time dream but she hadn’t found the right location “Once the opportunity in Wyandotte came up and I couldn't be more excited to finally bring this vision to life.” Callis follows a gluten-free diet and said she’s had to find ways to adapt recipes to her dietary restrictions She shares her gluten-free journey on an Instagram blog called the Gluten-Free Greek and expects The Auburn Taverna to have some of those influences “This has been a real passion of mine and it's been amazing to share those things with other people that have a gluten intolerance so it's become a wonderful part of my journey and it influences some of the things that will be offered at the restaurant.” Auburn Café is a well-known downriver restaurant noted for its Greek specialties including its popular lamb chops and sides of lemon potatoes plus a selection of salads and gyros grape leaves and desserts of custard pie and rice pudding is a huge inspiration and one she turns to with cooking questions “She opened the Auburn Café just cooking meals for her family upstairs and people would just enjoy her meals,” Callis said “So even now if I have a question about something I’ll go over there and I'll just watch her roll the grape leaves or I'll watch her make the Christmas dessert She's a huge part of our lives and a part of the Auburn Café history Her mother-in-law has also helped with her gluten intolerance trying to adapt traditional Greek recipes and experimenting with gluten-free options Callis called the family’s Auburn Café’s Jan 11 fire a “tough journey.” While it will take some time Callis said they are working on and committed to rebuilding the beloved café on Jefferson Avenue in Ecorse More: Auburn Cafe in Ecorse suffers significant damage from Friday night fire “We are working with our contractor to develop a new business model and design that will work with a smaller footprint since half of the restaurant was affected by the fire,” Callis said “We're committed to bringing it back to the same community of Ecorse that has just been so supportive for the last 44 years so we're looking forward to reopening stronger than ever.” Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X. Subscribe to the Free Press WYANDOTTE, Mich. – A change of traffic directions on two Wyandotte streets is getting a strong reaction from residents. 13th Street and 15th Street between Ford Road and Goddard Avenue are being converted to one-way streets. City crews began putting up signs Thursday (Jan. 2) on 13th Street, directing traffic flow southbound. The signs will be installed Friday (Jan. 3) on 15th Street, which will be for northbound traffic. “I don’t like it. I think it is confusing for people,” resident Judy Murray said. “It’s pretty much a no-brainer for me. And it’s for the safety of kids, so what’s better than that,” resident Joe Thompson said. The changes come after a student was hit by a car in the neighborhood last October. That prompted some residents to sign a petition asking the city for better traffic control around Jefferson Elementary School and Wilson Middle School. The recommendations include flashing stop signs, speed bumps, and increased police presence. The city council commissioned a traffic study. Following that study, Wyandotte Police Chief Archie Hamilton told council members he supported converting 13th and 15th streets to one-way streets to make them safer for pedestrians, which the council approved at a meeting last November. As the new street signs were being installed, some residents put up their own signs in their yards in protest. The signs say: “If you don’t like the change, rethink who you vote for.” “I’m highly opposed to it. None of us on this block want it. We’ve been to city council meetings, and they seem to ignore us,” resident Rick Demyanovich said. He worries that speeding will become even more of an issue in the neighborhood. “That bridge down there coming out of Lincoln Park is heavily traveled, and there is a lot of speeders that dart across the bridge. With no incoming traffic to stop them anymore, look out,” Demyanovich warned. Like others Shirley Troisi prefers other traffic control measures rather than making the streets one way. But she said she’s willing to give it a chance to see if it improves safety for the kids. “Safety is the most important thing, number one,” Troisi said. Wyandotte Public Schools will return to the classroom from winter break Monday (Jan. 6). Wyandotte Mayor Rob DeSana and WPS Superintendent John Anderson couldn’t be reached for comment. Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Will Jones rejoined the Local 4 News team in February 2023 as a weekend anchor and reporter. He previously worked as a general assignment reporter for the station from 2012 to 2015. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group (WXYZ) — Bakery owners in Wyandotte are facing significant challenges that threaten their businesses with rising supply costs and stiff competition making it increasingly difficult to keep their doors open who opened Moozie's Bakery in Wyandotte in November 2023 is uncertain about her business's future despite turning her lifelong passion into a career "I don't know what the next couple weeks hold explained that while their prices have remained unchanged since opening day and now that's kind of climbing to more than 80 dollars a batch," said Bruce Grunwald referring to the cost of making buttercream The couple recently took to social media to share their struggles with rising costs and low foot traffic a move inspired by similar posts from other local businesses Web extra: Owner of Moozies Cake Studio talks about their struggles "It was a little difficult because you know that some of these businesses have been there for years and years and we're only here for a year and a half," said Amanda Grunwald The post resonated with some community members who visited the bakery after seeing their message online "I just wanted to make sure that the businesses keep going," said Scalise Moozie's isn't alone in facing these challenges points to multiple factors affecting local bakeries "I think in the downtown area we have three that are probably within a half mile of each other," said Rauch Between big box stores and approximately four bakeries in Wyandotte itself Rauch notes that tighter household budgets are impacting specialty food purchases You're going to cut back from where you go to get that specialty cupcake or go into the candy store and buy some fudge and popcorn or anything like that," said Rauch make a point to support local bakeries when possible we can taste the difference," said Mitteer That quality difference is what keeps the Grunwald family persevering despite the difficulties "Simple high-quality ingredients instead of taking the easy route instead of getting frozen cakes delivered and buttercream in buckets but we just keep plugging away at it every day," said Bruce Grunwald This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy (WXYZ) — Opinions are wildly divided on how both parties are handling problems nationwide where Senator Elissa Slotkin gave the Democratic response to President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress Wyandotte residents who also largely voted for Donald Trump Owner of The Vault in Wyandotte Christ Doulos keeps his nose out of the politics and glued to his bottom line "I think the issues are more important than the party," said Doulos The issue he's paying attention to as a business owner is the state of the economy "I'm not seeing inflation rolling back as what was promised and now I just was informed the fish that we get from Canada So either I am going to have to stop carrying or raise my prices," explained Doulos The economy was a topic of discussion in President Trump's address to Congress and Senator Elissa Slotkin's Democratic response VIDEO: Slotkin makes case against Trump agenda in Democratic response "Wyandotte is a growing community in Downriver So it's kinda cool to get some of the attention I feel like we do have a lot to offer this community," said Jake Webb Webb did not vote for Trump and feels like the economy isn't getting better "I haven’t seen anything change; if anything Wyandotte is an area where voters chose both Trump and Slotkin to win this past election and that's why they voted for Trump," said Timbs so I think a lot of it just comes down to the economics," says Webb who's lived here for decades and voted for Trump "I'm happy because my biggest complaint was the border and that's the first thing he addressed and took care of it and now he's talking last night trying to unite the nation and when he mentioned no taxes on tips Fran Buchko says she's still hoping costs go down and she sees more unity in Washington food prices," said Buchko."I think Donald Trump is trying to get rid of the waste and everything but I just cannot stand that they don't work together." Wyandotte voter Steven Shubert did not vote for Trump and is nervous about the tariff impact and that's going to be a huge impact for us and I imagine that's gonna impact our jobs too," said Shubert Where Your Voice Matters (WXYZ) — A mom-and-pop Italian restaurant in Wyandotte went viral on social media after a heartfelt felt Facebook post told 7 News Detroit there have been three record-breaking nights in a row since the post was written on Friday Debby Celia said she got the inspiration to write it after seeing a similar post written by a small business up north It's been so bad during the week — three tables I just did a simple post and I said please remember us when you go out "Friday night and Saturday was our busiest nights we've ever had and that was incredible — ever The business was closed on Sunday and Monday as usual But it was back to business Tuesday where they served up classic Italian dishes "And tonight is our busiest Tuesday night we've ever had She said she didn't expect the community's enormous response both online and showing up at her door "I've had to turn away so many tables because we can't accommodate 'em because we can't accommodate 'em we just wanna support you,'" Debby Celia said his wife and sister-in-law saw the Facebook post and decided to forgo a 50-minute wait but they said they'll come back later in the week a lot of chains trying to push people out," he said "It's kind of nice to support a local business in your community." Lisa Doherty and her family were at Gregorio's celebrating her daughter's Kayla's 24th birthday She said her and her husband often dine at the restaurant on special occasions and added that she strongly supports small business and buying local "Some places you may pay a little bit more We're helping each other out," Doherty told 7 News Detroit Jennifer Kalata said it seems her and husband often dine at Gregario's on rainy days "They're just wonderful people and very warm this is always our feel-good place to come to," she said "The community response that we had is so overwhelming and I can't even find words to express how blessed we are that this has been bestowed upon us 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 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 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 Surveillance video: Good Samaritan returns wallet Patrick's Day; I can’t believe this was just lying in the middle of the road,'" Hanson said with a smile He wanted to do for Johnson and her family what no one ever did for him “It makes you feel good and it makes people Johnson explains that her son is a busy student at the University of Michigan - Dearborn and was in town Monday filling up his car with gas and then running to a friend’s house when his wallet must’ve fallen out of his pocket He now has his wallet back with all the cash and cards inside says many lessons can be learned from what Hanson did that day “You might not realize what something small does for someone else but even the smallest act of kindness goes a long way," Johnson said A downtown Wyandotte restaurant known for its array of seafood dishes H2O Seafood on Biddle Avenue closed after its Saturday service this post serves as our final farewell and goodbye to all patrons of H2O Seafood,” the post read and exceptional cuisine crafted by our signature chef H2O Seafood’s chef is moving on to a new adventure although the post didn’t share details of where or what Wood would be doing and Dave decided to move on to other ventures That’s why we decided to close,” owner Al Fritz told the Free Press Fritz said the H2O staff was alerted Sunday morning of the closure and that he was not aware of the Facebook post the restaurant has been posting on Facebook about making Valentine's Day reservations Nearly 100 comments followed the post expressing sadness over H2O Seafood’s closure and wondering why One thread spoke of the high rents in downtown Wyandotte former H2O Seafood chef David Wood said he got an offer he couldn’t refuse and is moving on to work for Davidson Hospitality’s properties on Mackinac Island “I will be the general manager overseeing food and beverage programs,” Wood told the Free Press H2O Seafood opened in early November 2020 with a seafood-heavy menu Wood told the Free Press he had stints at several Detroit restaurants including Seldom Blues It was about three weeks ago that nearby Bobcat Bonnie’s on Sycamore which also shuttered several other metro Detroit locations Popular downriver seafood retail store Weyand’s on Biddle Avenue in Wyandotte shuttered at the end of March a popular Downriver dining mainstay on the Detroit River for more than 40 years and Leo Stevenson bought the former Portofino restaurant Cade told the Free Press the building is undergoing renovations with plans to open this spring Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press — The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office has launched a death investigation after finding the body of a 40-year-old man inside a car at a park A sheriff’s office spokesperson said around 11:30 p.m they located an unresponsive white male inside the car Paramedics were called and declared the male The cause of death was not immediately disclosed Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward It's been turbulent times for Bobcat Bonnie's with several metro Detroit gastropub locations Bobcat Bonnie's owner Matt Buskard announced in a lengthy post on Facebook that another Bobcat Bonnie's location will shutter The Bobcat Bonnie's in downtown Wyandotte on Sycamore Street will serve its last customers after Sunday service Free Press messages sent to Buskard for comment were not returned Buskard announced earlier this month that the Wyandotte location would transition to a breakfast and brunch concept open from 8 a.m "If brunch goes well and we can see enough sales to keep our doors open we will consider doing Bobcat at night again if the brunch sales bring in enough folks to sustain!" Buskard wrote that the Wyandotte location was the place where they introduced "new cool ideas" before rolling them out to other Bobcat Bonnie's locations our Wyandotte dining room is hands down one of the coolest designed ones we have," Buskard wrote Bobcat Bonnie's endured changes that included an abrupt closure "We have had such a wild and fun run with you all but now it is time for us to continue our goal of making ourselves a bit smaller focusing harder on what made Bobcat the place you loved Buskard said they hope to "find a space and re-enter Downriver" and thanked Wyandotte for being "amazing." expressing in lengthy posts the challenges and struggles the restaurant industry has endured including the pandemic and a tough business climate with a downward trend in sales Buskard opened the first Bobcat Bonnie’s on Michigan Avenue in Corktown More: These metro Detroit restaurants opened, closed or changed ownership in 2024 A location was also announced for a spot in Toledo Its Clinton Township location at the Mall at Partridge Creek abruptly shuttered last August Ypsilanti's closure followed a few months later The Grand Rapids location is temporarily closed but is expected to move to another location Buskard’s portfolio of restaurants also included the Fly Trap in Ferndale but recently transferred the ownership back to its original owners Buskard opened Scout Vester in the former M Brew spot in Ferndale Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press The caller reported two men stuck in a deep hole and special rescue teams raced to the area of 17th Street and Walnut Street Community members from blocks away came to watch Aiden Wilson described it as "Absolutely crazy." One of the workers was able to free himself quickly but first responders worked for four-and-a-half hours to extricate the other worker "I cannot say more than enough good things for the first responders." the workers were installing a new sewer line when the two employees got stuck his team was almost done with their work Tuesday when a chunk of the wall came down on his brother's leg That's what prohibited his brother Doug from getting out of the hole heard that a chunk of the wall cave and got kind of panicky and called 911." "When you’re digging trenches that far down We are trying to figure out if those were in place." Many have said the hole the men were in was around 20 feet deep His brother Doug has been released from the hospital and is now on his way home who wouldn’t be after laying in a hole for four-and-a-half hours (WXYZ) — Wyandotte's Fire Chief Jeremy Moline says rescue crews have pulled two people from an apparent hole collapse at a home on Tuesday evening Wyandotte's Fire Chief Jeremy Moline says one of the men was rescued early in the effort and the second was pulled out shortly before 11 p.m The first was taken to Wyandotte Hospital for treatment and Moline says the second is in fair condition and will receive treatment WATCH: Wyandotte police body cam shows worker being rescued after hole collapse Related Video: Two men rescued from hole collapse in Wyandotte Moline says the work crew was not taking proper precautions for the warming weather Authorities say they received the call about the hole in the 2300 block of 17th Street last night with the two men digging about 25 feet deep It's unclear why the workers were digging the hole Officials confirmed that the men digging were not Wyandotte utility workers as the incident remains under investigation to determine the cause "Thanks to their expertise and the coordinated efforts of all first responders on scene both individuals were safely rescued," Moline said “This was a coordinated effort between multiple agencies, and I’m grateful for the teamwork displayed by our first responders,” said Wyandotte Police Chief Archie Hamilton in a statement a potentially tragic situation was prevented." Debbie Dingell speaks to hundreds of people during a Hands Off in tandem with over 1,000 other rallies across the country holds a balloon as hundreds of people gather for a Hands Off holds a sign as hundreds of people gather for a Hands Off Shri Thanedar hugs a rally organizer before speaking as hundreds of people gather for a Hands Off holds an American flag as hundreds of people gather for a Hands Off Darrin Camilleri speaks to hundreds of people during a Hands Off holds two signs as hundreds of people gather for a Hands Off Debbie Dingell arrives to speak during a Hands Off Podcaster Joanna Whaley speaks to hundreds of people during a Hands Off WYANDOTTE – Many communities struggle to redevelop former school buildings The former McKinley Elementary School in Wyandotte closed more than 15 years ago and has been vacant ever since. Now, a former student of the school is bringing life back to the building. “We bought it for a dollar, which sounds crazy, but the city was in a position of knocking it down at a cost of maybe $2 million and only being able to sell the land. It would have been a real big loss for the taxpayers,” said former student Ron Thomas. Thomas owns Rise Above Ventures, which focuses on redeveloping blighted or underutilized properties. Construction is underway to transform the 59,000-square-foot school building into condos and apartments, 15 of each. Thomas took Local 4 inside to see the current conditions of the building. “The main corridors here are nice and are going to be salvaged and used,” Thomas said. “The floors beneath, like I said, will clean up beautifully. This is kind of the stuff you can’t install anymore because it is so expensive to do.” Thomas wants to maintain some of the school’s history. “So one of my favorite features about the building is the artwork on the wall,” Thomas said. “This was all done by students back before the school closed. It’s a bunch of images of buildings actually here in town and what they were 20 years ago.” Jill Villalva’s fiancé lives across the street from the former school. “We need something to be done with it,” said Villalva. “Otherwise, it’s just deteriorating.” The playground and field area at the back of the school will become a park for public use. That’s very important to the community’s residents. The property will also include some single-family homes. Thomas looks forward to the next chapter of McKinley, a story he is helping write. “I have some personal history, and I just can’t wait for the day, which, hopefully, end of next year, I can walk through and see this brought back to life,” Thomas said. Copyright 2024 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. (WXYZ) — Grease is one of the most-watched musicals on Broadway and now it has arrived in the city of Wyandotte the plot revolves around the lives of ten working-class teenagers from the fictional Rydell High School But director Bryan Aue says all 25 of the metro Detroit Greasers come with a twist "I can definitely tell you in the Downriver area in the greater Detroit area it's the first time to feature an over 50 cast this is older people playing teenagers," said Bryan It's being done under the theme of older and bolder It came about from a complaint because there was a show that was released from Broadway but only available to high school kids and we said the high school kids get all the great stuff What happens to all of us that are a little older "Danny Zuko is just an iconic part you know John Travolta played in the movie the Trenton High School teacher says he also played the same role 36 years ago when he was in high school "Playing Danny in your teens and playing Danny now it's just thankful that you know you have the opportunity," Rob replied especially for something like this where we're supposed to be teenagers you really have to suspend your disbelief when you're gonna be watching us up there," Rob said saw the movie version of Grease but never dreamt of acting in the play I have 8 grandkids and they are the ones that encouraged me to try out," Robin said I have never auditioned for anything ever," Robin said what are some of the challenges you've gone through while being part of this play?" I asked "Remembering the choreography because the music is so fast," Robin said "I've directed both teenagers and now older actors and the older actors talk more because they're not afraid of me," Bryan said "Surely the message is age is just a number," I replied they have great knowledge of their characters they make up for in life experience and abilities on stage," Bryan said Bryan says his production is similar to the Broadway version along with additional songs from the movie "Are you thinking about your next play?" I asked "So you've been bitten by the acting bug," Faraz said Tickets are available online; the last show is on February 23rd, to learn more about the play and buy tickets,click here chocolate and pistachios has taken a Downriver yogurt shop by storm The dessert is inspired by the Dubai chocolate bar with a crunchy pistachio center that had everyone raving in 2024 Called the Dubai chocolate strawberry cup, the new confection is showing up around metro Detroit and has proved to be a big winner at Yogurt Co. on Biddle Avenue in Wyandotte The business is owned by Jay Mahfouz and his wife The dessert is made in a 16-ounce cup filled with slices of strawberries or bananas (or a combination of both) Layered between them are crunchy and seasoned kanafe pistachio cream and drizzles of Dubai chocolate fudge and Nutella you can top the whole thing off with a scoop of ice cream for $1 extra “When we did our research … it’s supposed to be the fruit with the sauces and pistachio cream,” Mahfouz said taking the pistachio cream to another level by mixing in other ingredients to give it crunch.” More: Which metro Detroit restaurant has the best chicken wings? Submit your nominations now! Adding the Dubai chocolate strawberry cup to Yogurt Co.’s menu was the idea of Jamal Jawad The Yogurt Co., Instagram page features posts of the dessert being at the shop as well as a collaboration with downriver Instagram tot Ace Morris @itsaces_world which costs $13 or $14 with a scoop of ice cream Mahfouz said he has been ordering 600-700 packs of strawberries weekly he goes through one to two tubs of the pistachio mix that Amy makes known for its large variety of frozen yogurt flavors and toppings ranging from candies to nuts to pretzels has been a mainstay in downtown Wyandotte for 10 years “Our main thing is frozen yogurt that is gluten-free has probiotics also has ice cream and is known for its Bubble Tea offers “No Weigh Wednesday” where you buy the frozen yogurt by the cup size for one price and fill it up Hours will change once warm weather arrives Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press (WXYZ) — The state of Michigan announced that it is launching a public study into the BASF site pollution in Wyandotte allegedly dumps thousands of gallons of chemicals per day into the Detroit River Watch Chopper 7 video of the BASF plant in Wyandotte below: "If I were living immediately downstream of BASF Wyandotte I would be extremely concerned," said Carrie La Seur with the Michigan environmental group For the Love of Water Her nonprofit group submitted a petition to the federal government pushing the state to launch a public study regarding the chemicals they say are being dumped into the water by BASF and how it might be impacting the community "We know that chemicals that have been proven to cause certain very serious health impacts like both defects and cancer are being released into the Detroit River," La Seur said The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services stepping in to do the study Community members tell us they also have concerns "Yeah it's a concern — why wouldn't it be?" Lee said "It's a big concern," avid fisher Justin Janik said You can't just let the government be held accountable for it." "What we're hoping for is a report coming from the state that will put those dots together and tell us whether there really is an emergency," La Seur said (WXYZ) — With a downtown full of small businesses the city of Wyandotte relies on its restaurants and shops — and they rely on their community support your community always," said Jeremy Sladovnik Sladovnik tells me they've been open on Biddle Ave but the last few years have been the most difficult "You don't know what the catalyst is for the struggles you know; it's hard to understand where they're coming from It's like a boat with holes and water and you put one finger in one and one in the other and sooner or later you're out of fingers," he said Between high costs for supplies and low foot traffic like coming into the restaurant to have a meal Related Story: Wyandotte mom-and-pop restaurant 'overwhelmed' with business after heartfelt post did you ever think that you would be sitting here talking about how much you're struggling as a small business?" I asked Fasczcza says she doesn't take a paycheck from this place "I'm really working hard to keep this place going I am taking my own personal income and putting it into this small business to keep it because I love it," said Fasczcza Helping to support these businesses is the non-profit Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber "We as a chamber of commerce are really focused on ensuring the health of Wyandotte is positive going into the future," said Hinrichs He said there's been a lot of concerns for small businesses specifically "We need to be very conscious of that and use our dollars very strategically," he said Hinrichs says the chamber also just launched a free virtual workshop for all small business owners. For more information, click here. (WXYZ) — The heartbreaking death of a pet has a Wyandotte woman speaking out about the dangers of coyotes around your furry loved ones Michelle Konyha's 14-year-old rat terrier mix was attacked by two coyotes early Friday morning and now she wants others to know the risks Bebe has been a staple of Konyha's life for over a decade Konyha was getting ready for work Friday around 6:00 a.m. letting Bebe and their brand new dog Stella out She went inside to grab the rest of her things when she heard strange noises coming from the train tracks right next to her home and I saw what looked like two large dogs.” Those two large dogs turned out to be two coyotes that got away with Bebe Downriver Animal Control, which oversees Wyandotte,says they've received inquiries about coyotes and provide the following tips: "Just be aware, go out with them, get an air horn," Konyha said.According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, coyote breeding season begins in January and lasts until March so residents are more likely to see and hear coyotes during this time being extra vigilant is more important than ever "I know coyotes need a spot in the world too but I just would’ve liked to know they were there and maybe have them find a home somewhere else," Konyha said residents should contact the Wyandotte Police Department the police department is not involved in trapping or handling coyotes WYANDOTTE, Mich. – Two streets in Wyandotte are becoming one-way streets after a child was struck by a car and seriously hurt. The child was struck by a car in in the area of Wilson Middle School and Jefferson Elementary School last fall. After the crash, some residents petitioned for traffic control in the area. They requested speed bumps, flashing stop signs, and police presence. The Wyandotte City Council commissioned a traffic study. The study found that there was a high volume of traffic and bottlenecking during drop off and pick up times. Wyandotte police chief Archie Hamilton recommended to the council to change 13th Street and 15th Street to one-way streets. He said one-way streets are safer for pedestrians. Hamilton ruled out speed bumps for several reasons, including slowing down emergency vehicles. The city has decided to convert two streets to one-way streets. 13th Street will be converted to a one-way street between Goodard Road and Ford Avenue, with traffic flowing southbound. The change will be made Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. 15th Street will be converted to a one-way street between Goodard Road and Ford Avenue, with traffic flowing northbound. The change will be made Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Local 4′s Will Jones is talking with residents and city officials. His story will be featured on Local 4 News at 4 and on Local 4 News at 6. WYANDOTTE, Mich. – Two workers were rescued after a trench they were working on collapsed in Wyandotte. At about 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, officials received a report that two men had been trapped while digging a trench in the backyard of a home in the 2300 block of 17th Street, according to Wyandotte Fire Chief Jeremy Moline. The men were contractors with a plumbing company and the homeowner, who recently purchased the house, was having renovations done. Three workers were at the house working, but only two were trapped in the trench when fire officials arrived. The trench was about 15-20 feet deep, according to Moline. The department called the Western Wayne County Urban Search and Rescue Team and the Washtenaw Urban Search and Rescue Team to assist. They brought their special equipment to help extricate the men. “Before we send rescuers down a trench like that, we’ve got to make sure it’s safe for the rescuers,” said Wyandotte Fire Chief Jeremy Moline. The men were rescued and one was taken by helicopter to the hospital. The other was treated at the scene and released. Both are in stable condition, according to the chief. One of the workers was trapped for around four hours before being rescued. A Romulus firefighter assigned to the Western Wayne USAR team was among the first responders who helped free the men. The individuals on the rescue team are skilled in rope and water rescues, trench collapse, confined space operations and wide-area searches and assist in communities throughout Wayne County. “Despite the rarity of their use, their work is incredibly specialized and underfunded,” said Kevin Krause, director of community safety and economic development in Romulus. “Yet, in critical situations like this, the return on investment is immeasurable—two individuals were saved and can return home to their families and loved ones." Sara Powers joined WDIV as a digital content producer in Oct. 2024 and has been covering Metro Detroit news since 2021. The owner of a Windsor restaurant damaged in a fire over two years ago is celebrating the reopening of the business were joined by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday for the grand reopening of Taystee Grill and Seafood at 1033 Wyandotte Street E a fire caused around $50,000 in damage to the restaurant he has rebuilt the business along with the interior and outdoor patio Chouman says there were times he lost hope after the fire and even considered just selling the property Chouman says they've transformed the restaurant to have a little more of a fine dining feel and Canadian food to make it a very rich flavour," he says The restaurant will employ around 10 to 15 people Chouman says it was very important to them to come back and be on Wyandotte Street In two years it's going to be the best street in Windsor It's going to be the best street in Windsor," he says The family is exploring options to franchise in the business with interest being expressed in the Greater Toronto Area Windsor Mayor @drewdilkens and Taystee Grill and Seafood owner Haissam Chouman try some of the food being served up at the grand reopening of the Wyandotte St. restaurant. It’s now open after being damaged in a fire over two years ago. @AM800CKLW pic.twitter.com/tu7wa9t86R Dec 11, 2024 | Press Release and subsequent announcement that the Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will be assessing the safety of the area Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) issued the following statement: “The presence of these harmful chemicals in the immediate vicinity of our water intake system and the Detroit River is something that we should be taking very seriously I’m grateful that MDHHS is taking this step to safeguard the well-being of Downriver and our residents and I will be monitoring this assessment and keeping in close contact with health officials as they evaluate any necessary next steps.” (WXYZ) — Highlighting its role as an anchor in the community Wyandotte’s American Legion Post 217 is teaming up with the police department there to help people who need it the most Members donated $2,000 in gift cards to Wyandotte Police and the goal is for officers to hand these out to people they come across on the job who may be in need “We really try to work outside the four walls of our building," Post Commander Aaron Lawn said Maybe it’s due to pride or letting others know that they need help so this is a more discrete way of them to receive that help.” Wyandotte Police Chief Archie Hamilton said he is looking forward to seeing the immediate impact this donation will have “This gesture and fundraiser is going to help so many people So many unsuspecting people right now who truly need help They’re going to receive that help," Hamilton said The first person to receive a gift card was Claudia Smith Four Wyandotte police officers visited her at home on Wednesday to hand her a stack that equaled $300 They first met Smith a few weeks ago when she needed to call for help bringing in her groceries when her neighbor was not around A seemingly simple task for some that is nearly impossible for Smith “When they took the groceries out of the car would you like your sidewalk shoveled and ice melted The gift cards were a complete surprise to Smith and these officers reassured her that they would be back to help her bring the groceries in again Chief Hamilton said this was just another day on the job for these officers but the legion’s donation gave them more resources that they did not have before “These gift cards will allow our police officers to go out there and truly help people and they're going to love this," Hamilton said The veterans with American Legion Post 217 said they are always accepting donations so they can do more community outreach like this If you are interested in helping, you can learn more on their website Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInKANSAS CITY (KCTV) - Waste Management costomers in Wyandotte County expected trash to be picked up Thursday will have to wait a week Trash and recycling pickup has been canceled again READ ALSO: KCK firetruck stuck in snow adds challenge as firefighters battle barn fire Waste Management is telling customers with a Friday pickup should put trash and recycling out as usual but those with pickups on Monday through Thursday are being asked to hold on to thrash until their regularly scheduled pickup next week The director of the Wyandotte County Public Health Department is no longer with the agency, a spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. It comes after turmoil during the handling of the major tuberculosis outbreak shown by emails obtained by the Kansas News Service Elisha Caldwell had been head of the local health department while an outbreak of TB grew in the Kansas City area, becoming one of the largest in recent U.S. history. He started at Wyandotte County’s health department in October 2023 The emails obtained by the Kansas News Service through an open records request show conflict between the local health department The conflicts centered around things as basic as the use of Wyandotte County office space and escalated from there. The state ultimately took over the TB response as outbreak-related numbers ballooned to 67 active cases including 60 in Wyandotte County and seven in Johnson County Caldwell said he would not comment right now on his departure from the health department “I just think it’s not the right time to talk,” Caldwell told the Kansas News Service in a brief phone conversation Tuesday “I’m very passionate about public health and this community.” Allen Greiner has served as the public health officer for Wyandotte County’s health department for more than 20 years He’s also a family practitioner for the University of Kansas Health System At the beginning of the outbreak in early 2024 Greiner helped diagnose and treat patients He said he believes the outbreak is winding down now despite the troubled response “We've been very lucky that things have worked out the way they have given the sort of rocky road that's gotten us to this point,” Greiner said in an interview The first cases associated with the outbreak were recorded in January 2024 Things reached a fever pitch in the late spring and early summer when new cases of tuberculosis were rolling in at high numbers “We were getting sometimes 10 or 20 new cases from a testing event,” Greiner said Greiner and multiple other public health officials said the general public is not at risk of catching tuberculosis from this outbreak When the cases started to spike last summer the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment came to Kansas City to assist the Wyandotte County Public Health Department with the outbreak According to Greiner and hundreds of emails obtained by the Kansas News Service things started out smoothly between leadership at the CDC KDHE and the Wyandotte County Public Health Department But that relationship began to sour as disagreements about how to contain the outbreak and treat patients arose “Sometimes there's too many cooks in the kitchen on these kinds of things and different people think they have the right idea,” Greiner said CDC and KDHE staff were temporarily housed at the Wyandotte County Public Health Department the state’s TB controller and director of KDHE’s Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention and Ashely Goss He said he did not like how he was addressed regarding the use of the county’s meeting spaces “While I value our collaboration and am eager to continue working together I am not one of your staff,” Caldwell told Swensson Caldwell told Swensson and Goss that moving forward they’d need to reserve meeting spaces in advance for KDHE use He assigned a designated space for them to use otherwise apologizing for the last minute use of their conference room “This does not give Lauren the right to speak to me in any manner she chooses,” Caldwell responded in an email “I have had ongoing concerns about issues with interpersonal communication and this behavior cannot continue without potentially impacting our working relationship.” Caldwell sent Goss another email and copied Janet Stanek “It has come to my attention that CDC and State representatives have been conducting calls in our health halls with their phones on loudspeakers,” Caldwell said in the email accusing CDC staff of entering Wyandotte County offices and “occupying spaces” without permission Caldwell said he’d also received complaints from his staff saying CDC employees had been rude we will have no choice but to ask the CDC and State representatives to find alternative office space outside our facility,” he said Goss responded saying she’d spoken to her staff and they all knew to stay in the room they were assigned or go outside “Our teams need to stay together,” Goss told Caldwell Caldwell asked Goss about funding for the outbreak Caldwell said his questions weren’t answered and pointed out his teaching experience who must have been forwarded the email thread His notes about teaching etc are so off point,” Stanek said in the email Caldwell responded a few hours later at 10:55 p.m I am ready to talk any time with KDHE because your staff created a toxic workplace environment for my teams.” Caldwell wrote and KDHE will not rule our health department.” Several people spoke to the Kansas News Service on the condition of anonymity because they are either current employees of the Wyandotte County Health Department and are fearful of losing their jobs or they recently left the health department and do not want to damage their careers All of them were involved in containing the tuberculosis outbreak that started last year They said this type of back-and-forth between Caldwell and KDHE staff happened a lot KDHE ultimately took over work on the outbreak after several months the Wyandotte County public health officer said the change happened abruptly in November 2024 He said there was not a lot of communication to Wyandotte County staff which he feels was abnormal in a situation like this folks came and took all the medications and took all their supplies and people (at Wyandotte County’s health department) were locked out of the epidemiologic tracking system,” Greiner said Greiner said the transition was difficult for patients He said health workers at Wyandotte County’s health department (himself included) had spent months gaining the trust of the community experiencing the outbreak and had developed relationships with them “I don't think we've done the best job of serving these patients this community or the broader community of Wyandotte and Johnson counties,” Greiner said A KDHE spokesperson confirmed the transition “In an effort to provide efficient and quality care to those individuals affected by the outbreak KDHE assumed responsibility for the coordination and distribution of testing treatment and medical consultation in Wyandotte County,” the spokesperson said in an email to the Kansas News Service The sources who spoke to the Kansas News Service said when KDHE took over there was a lot of confusion Multiple people came to the health department for treatment but were turned away and directed to a parking lot mobile unit where KDHE and the CDC were working the leadership shakeup did not result in missed tuberculosis cases or patients discontinuing treatment it’s important for public health officials to maintain trust with communities in Wyandotte County because ultimately there could be other outbreaks in the future “Trust is really hard to develop and maintain without continuity and stability,” Greiner said “Developing longitudinal trust would be good even if this outbreak sort of ends.” Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga reports on health care disparities and access for the Kansas News Service You can email her at r.shackelford@kcur.org The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org Michigan HomeWyandotte - North WorksMichigan BASF moves forward with long-term environmental remedies at its Wyandotte North Works Site in a way that is protective of people and the environment BASF is committed to implementing solutions that benefit the Detroit River and the Down River community Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Michigan Department of Environment the remedial work at the Site is designed to ensure that contaminated groundwater from the historical activities at the North Works Site (Site) is not impacting the Detroit River BASF is on schedule to implement additional remedial measures at the Site that are protective of people and the environment This website is intended to provide you with updates and address frequently asked questions We invite you to check back here regularly for the latest information Learn more about BASF in the Wyandotte CommunityGroundwater Extraction System BASF continues to operate a groundwater extraction system installed at the North Works site under a 1986 Consent Decree with EGLE BASF continues to meet its obligations under the Consent Decree EPA and BASF continue to finalize the Perimeter Barrier Project which includes constructing a physical barrier/wall along the north and south property boundary of the North Works site The project is progressing through several design phases with EPA BASF submitted the draft for the initial 60% design in March 2024 which the EPA reviewed and approved  in November 2024 BASF continues to work closely with the EPA to reach the next milestone BASF continues to work closely with EPA and EGLE to minimize the timeline of the project including by requesting expedited agency review Perimeter Resin Pilot Test Groundwater Collection System BASF received approval to operate a Perimeter Resin Pilot Test groundwater collection system to address PFAS in groundwater from historic joint firefighting exercises with the City of Wyandotte The new system began operating in July 2023  and will be operated until construction of the Perimeter Barrier Project is completed.  Aqueous Film Forming Foam (“AFFF”) fire suppressants containing certain PFAS compounds were used at the Wyandotte site during joint emergency response training events with the Wyandotte Fire Department and Downriver HAZMAT teams from the 1980s through early 2000s. More information can be found here. The 2019 detection was subsequently attributed to poor sampling methodology.  Upper Trenton Channel Sediment Removal Project and Union Carbide (the “Project Partners”) are working to remediate sediments in the Upper Trenton Channel a 3.25-mile channel of the Detroit River that flows from north to south between Grosse Ile and the Michigan mainland (the "Project Area").  Among the contaminants of concern in the Project Area are high pH some of which EPA believes relate to historic operations and discharges of various industrial users along the Detroit River.  EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) leads the project and funds a portion of the costs for engineering design and then remediation of the Project Area using funding from the Great Lakes Legacy Act The goal is to dredge over 200,000 cubic yards of impacted sediments along the shoreline ATSDR Human Health Assessment for Downriver Community the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) had accepted a petition for a public health assessment related to the BASF Wyandotte site will be responsible for conducting this public health assessment BASF was made aware of the public health assessment but has not been contacted by MDHHS or ATSDR BASF believes that any assessment needs to be based on sound science and accurately applied BASF coordinates with all local, state and federal regulatory agencies to ensure our sites operate within all mandated environmental guidelines and reporting requirements. Consistent with our commitment to the Responsible Care program the company proactively employs comprehensive safety and environmental protective measures in our operations.  Our responsibility is to provide safe operations and products for our employees and customers while protecting our communities and the environment. We regard protection of health safety and the environment as our most important responsibility Michigan hosts multiple BASF groups including business teams it has five manufacturing plants that produce urethanes The products and services are used in a variety of markets including transportation Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) BASF took ownership of the North Works Site in 1969 after acquiring Wyandotte Chemicals The Site has been used for a variety of industrial operations since the 1800s and borders the Detroit River BASF entered into an Administrative Order on Consent under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act with the USEPA in 1994 which requires certain RCRA corrective actions to be completed at the North Works Site. The Order is being held in abeyance pending BASF’s participation in the Upper Trenton Channel Sediment Removal Project Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Emails obtained by the Kansas News Service show there was a lot of tension between Wyandotte County Public Health Department’s then director and state health officials during the response to one of the largest tuberculosis outbreaks in recent U.S When the outbreak reached a fever pitch last summer the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stepped in to assist the local health department the state took control of response efforts said he thinks they shouldn’t have changed who was leading the response efforts we just had a lot of people disagreeing at different times Even down to the sort of simple thing of when do you release information to the public,” he said The Kansas News Service reached out to both health departments with questions about how the conflict impacted the response “Did the conflict shown in the emails hinder the TB response?” Here’s what we heard back from spokespeople from the organizations Wyandotte County Public Health Department: “I have confirmed that these questions fall under personnel matters Kansas Department of Health and Environment: “Thank you for reaching out to our office with your questions The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) mission is to protect and improve the health and safety of everyone who lives That mission drives the agency’s decision-making process ensuring essential care is provided to minimize the impact of disease or other health risks The relationships KDHE maintains with local state and federal partners greatly influence the lives of Kansans It is only through the collaboration of these partners that we can effectively respond to and mitigate the tuberculosis outbreak in Wyandotte and Johnson Counties We will continue to collaborate and expand our partnerships as we work to ensure a robust and responsive public health system that can address any challenge and meet the needs of every Kansan in every corner of our state.” who no longer works for Wyandotte County’s health department said he is not ready to talk about his departure “I just think it’s not the right time to talk,” Caldwell told the Kansas News Service in a brief phone conversation last week While it’s unclear whether or not bickering at the local and state level slowed TB response Some sources spoke to the Kansas News Service on the condition of anonymity because they are fearful of losing their jobs or damaging their careers They said about 10 employees left the Wyandotte County health department over frustration with how Caldwell was handling the response and treating employees And they said when the state abruptly took over in November patients were confused over where to receive care He said he doesn’t believe patients slipped through the cracks and missed treatments during the transition He said it was hard on families to change doctors and the location of where they were receiving care “I wonder whether the deployment of resources and the feel of care for these patients and families wouldn't have been better if we would have just kept things simple,” Greiner said Greiner said the November switch-up was not the first controversial change in who was caring for TB patients Caldwell did not renew the contract of a family physician who had been doing the brunt of the tuberculosis work and had extensive knowledge of how best to reach the community experiencing the outbreak “I'm a big believer in continuity of medical care and that if people sort of get used to certain physicians or certain nurses or certain public health staff they’re probably going to do best without having to learn who new people are,” he said Greiner said the outbreak is winding down and the general public is not in danger Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Wyandotte woman dies in collision on OK-60 after failing to yield (KTUL) — A collision east of Wyandotte in Ottawa County resulted in the death of one Wyandotte woman According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) the crash occurred on OK-60 and 680 Road at approximately 9:57 p.m The crash was the result of a 71-year-old female driver failing to yield was struck by a vehicle on the passenger side SIGN UP FOR THE CHANNEL 8 NEWSLETTER Wyandotte — Over 300 people gathered outside Wyandotte's City Hall for a rally against the Trump administration Saturday afternoon filling the sidewalks and drawing honks from passing cars responding to hundreds of colorful signs Those in attendance criticized the Trump administration's cuts to the U.S Departments of Health and Human Services and Education feared cuts to Social Security and Medicaid and attacks on transgender people and diversity Local and national elected officials addressed the angry but hopeful crowd and promised to continue fighting the Trump administration's funding cuts while activists encouraged those in attendance to become more involved in politics "Do we need to look at waste and fraud in the government "It is the strength of us united and joining with other communities across the country that are going to send a very very strong message: hands off our Constitution." rallies organized across the state Saturday Videos and photos circulated on social media of other events in Traverse City Ann Arbor and Marquette showed thousands of people across Michigan demonstrating against the Trump administration The rally follows several funding cuts and freezes throughout the president's first two and a half months in office as well as executive orders that President Donald Trump claims will curb government fraud and waste called Saturday's rallies a "fake grassroots operation," critiquing efforts by Democrats to protect programs like diversity equity and inclusion in the face of Trump's attacks and they're just going like crazy to keep it going," Runestad said Runestad also criticized Democrats for overspending and said the Trump administration's funding cuts would help save programs like Social Security and Medicaid let's go look at these programs for the first time and see "Are these people accomplishing the goals that they ostensibly were charged with doing thinks the country is in a "horrible situation" and said it was wonderful to be with like-minded people at Saturday's event our pillars of our culture are just being destroyed," Krauss and we write our Congress people and call them daily to express our opinions .. Dingell expressed concern that Trump would cut funding for Social Security and Medicaid the health insurance program for low-income adults and children and continue to cut the workforce at VA hospitals around the country they fired 7,000 people so far,” Dingell said “I don't say that's not touching Social Security Runestad said the Trump administration is actually protecting Social Security "What is going to be required to save Social Security is you've got to get this federal fraud waste and abuse under control," Runestad said also promised the crowd he would continue to fight Trump’s administration in Congress and encouraged those in attendance to continue to pressure their representatives “Don't let them take a knee to Donald Trump," Thanedar said "You say their first loyalty remains with their constituents Runestad said he plans to start holding public Republican Party events like town halls that residents can attend to express concerns and ask questions encouraged those in attendance to elect Democrats up and down the ballot over the next three years which could help flip Michigan’s House of Representatives blue with just over 51% of the vote last November Camilleri also encouraged people to run for local offices like city council or school board and get more involved in their communities “Republicans believe that they can sweep Downriver because they somehow think that they have fooled enough of our neighbors into buying the message that they're selling,” Camilleri said “But our neighbors do not want a billionaire running our economy They do not want their jobs to continue to pay little wages and have really bad shifts and have an unstable economy They don't want public schools that are defunded.” Southgate resident Ana Jaimes, 26, also tearfully addressed the crowd Saturday afternoon. Jaimes' father, Jose Jaimes, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials last month as part of the Trump administration's efforts to remove people who immigrated to the U.S. unlawfully, Channel 7 reported Jaimes said her father is still detained and he is her family's backbone "This all feels like a horrible nightmare I can't wake up from," Jaimes said "I just want to say thank you to everyone who came today and like everybody who's been like fighting back." demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups including civil rights organizations From the National Mall and Midtown Manhattan to Boston Common and multiple state capitols thousands of protesters assailed Trump and billionaire Elon Musk 's actions on government downsizing Hundreds of people demonstrated in Palm Beach Gardens a few miles from Trump's golf course in Jupiter where he spent the morning at the club's Senior Club Championship encouraging cars to honk and chanting slogans against Trump “They need to keep their hands off of our Social Security,” said Archer Moran of Port St “The list of what they need to keep their hands off of is too long,” Moran said “And it's amazing how soon these protests are happening since he’s taken office.” The president planned to go golfing again Sunday the White House said in a statement that “President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.” KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Wyandotte High School robotics team is undersized and underfunded compared to their peers but that didn’t stop them from qualifying for a prestigious worldwide competition next week in Houston “A lot of people overlook us,” Alonso Escamilla “They see us as your stereotypical Wyandotte kid We're known as something like not very well behaved or we're bad kids who don't know anything which takes place April 16-19 at the George R “I saw a lot of the kids grow over the season change and stand up to the challenge and try to do their best in every aspect that they could,” Wyandotte High School Robotics Coach Oscar Campos-Soto said but this is the first time Wyandotte has qualified for the FIRST World Championships in 20 seasons of competition especially how far we've come since my freshman year,” Wyandotte robotics senior Cristian Martinez said which is Wyandotte’s code for FIRST competitions didn’t always believe it would be possible to reach such heights Many of the student have been on the robotics team for four years so they planned more during the offseason and leveraged their experience to improve dramatically this season we have people that can grow and become better,” Campos-Soto said That’s also not something Wyandotte’s robotics team could always plainly see I didn't think that I would do much in life — just be in an average job,” Martinez said much like Campos-Soto was the team driver more than a decade ago when he was on the Wyandotte robotics team he’s a software engineer with a passion for giving back to his alma mater “There's a lot of kids that want to do great; they want to do big things,” Escamilla said and they want to make a difference in our community — not only our community “We hope that anyone else that comes after us can also come this far,” Martinez said 598 teams qualified for the FIRST Championship Robotics Competition from 44 states and 15 foreign countries — Armenia That list includes 11 from the Kansas City region — Panther Robotics from Paola High School (Team 1108) the Ravonics Revolution from Olathe Northwest (1710) The Cyborgs from Metro Homeschool Robotics and the Lutheran High School of Kansas City (1825) Team Titanium from Lee’s Summit West (1986) Team SCREAM from Smith-Cotton in Sedalia (4522) CTC Inspire from Fort Osage (5801) and Stealth Panther Robotics from Knob Noster (6424) KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two people have died in connection to what public health officials are calling America's largest tuberculosis outbreak since monitoring began in the 1950s Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokesperson Jill Bronaugh said the deaths connected with the outbreaks in Wyandotte and Johnson Counties Bronaugh did not give any further details about the deaths Tuberculosis is a bacteria that primarily affects the lungs Director of Infection Control and Prevention at the University of Kansas Health System which means a person can contract the illness if they're in the vicinity of an infected person who speaks Watch Hawkinson's interview in the video player below Hawkinson said tuberculosis is not as easy to contract as other contagious diseases "It’s very difficult to treat as well," Hawkinson said "Treatment consists of at least four drugs to start and then two drugs later on for at least six months or more sometimes." Hawkinson said 90 percent or more of people infected with tuberculosis do not experience symptoms "There are a lot of problems associated with the disease because it can affect any organ in your body," Hawkinson said it's usually within the first two years following infection with 67 active cases between Wyandotte and Johnson Counties "In an effort to provide efficient and quality care to those individuals affected by the outbreak treatment and medical consultation in Wyandotte County," Bronaugh said According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the vaccine is not recommended for use in the United States due to low risk of infection with tuberculosis "Certainly it can be a scare for the community and people living in that community," Hawkinson said "But we have had a very good public health infrastructure in the United States." Increasing Supply to Help Lower the Cost of Housing in the Region Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced approval for placemaking projects that will increase housing and community vitality in Detroit and Wyandotte as well as additional federal funding to support startups and innovators.   “Today’s investments will convert the iconic Fisher Body Plant in Detroit and the former Wyandotte City Hall into hundreds of new units of quality affordable housing and commercial space,” said Governor Whitmer “Our comprehensive economic development strategy is all about making Michigan the best place to live underutilized property into productive space and making our neighborhoods more attractive for families and small business owners too Let’s keep betting on Michigan and building up our cities.”  “Today’s support from the MSF Board reflects our commitment to executing the ‘Make It In Michigan’ economic development strategy focused on people true to our holistic philosophy of economic growth that delivers more chances for prosperity on both peninsulas,” said Quentin L CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and President and Chair of the MSF Board “I’m humbled and motivated knowing that the tangible benefits our investments provide a job or all the above to our friends and neighbors My thanks to the Governor and the state Legislature for providing the economic development tools and congratulations to all involved who continue to create opportunities to build Michigan’s sustained success and prosperity.”  Overview: The MSF Board approved $10 million in Community Revitalization Program (CRP) funds to rehabilitate the iconic former Fisher Body Plant in Detroit into a mixed-use development The funding includes $8.5 million for a performance-based loan and $1.5 million in a performance-based grant (both from CRP) The project intends to create 433 market-rate and affordable housing units (63 units will be reserved for those with 50-80% of the Area Median Income) over 26,700 square feet of retail space and 17,685 square feet of co-working space.   As Detroit’s renaissance has sky-rocketed in recent years Fisher 21 is a significant icon that had yet to be a part of that movement until the vision brought forward by developers Gregory Jackson and Richard Hosey.  “We are incredibly proud to be spearheading the largest African American-led development project in Michigan with the revitalization of the iconic Fisher Plant This project is about more than just bricks and mortar—it’s about restoring a piece of Detroit's history and creating opportunities for the city’s future,” said Gregory Jackson and Richard Hosey of Fisher Lofts 21 LLC. “This redevelopment allows minority workers who have been instrumental in rebuilding Detroit to finally receive the recognition they deserve We are breaking down barriers and ensuring that those who contribute to Detroit’s growth—whether through construction or beyond—share in its success With the creation of jobs and hundreds of units of affordable and market-rate housing this project is a testament to what’s possible when community-driven and minority-led investment comes together We’re thankful for the Michigan Strategic Fund helping us make it happen.”  “I am thrilled to learn about the MEDC's investment in the Former Fisher Body Plant Redevelopment Project we have seen housing prices continue to rise in the city of Detroit and Michigan,” said state Senator Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) “I am excited to see that this project will provide much needed affordable housing in our state while also making use of the current vacant plant and addressing blight.”  “The Fisher Body Plant is an iconic piece of Detroit history,” said state Representative Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park) “I am proud to see various levels of government and community come together for this revitalization project.  The housing piece is vital to ensure people are not pushed out of their communities because of new developments.”  The MSF Board also supported a state tax capture for Brownfield Act 381 eligible activities capped at roughly $8.7 million.   who in January secured a Michigan Business Development Program grant to create a facility manufacturing electric vehicle battery systems “Richard and Greg are transforming a reminder of decay and blight into something that showcases our proud auto heritage and points us toward a bright future,” said David Laurence Howell Vice President of Development Services at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation “This project isn’t just about a building – it’s about making real differences in people’s lives from creating family-friendly affordable housing to boosting the whole neighborhood The DEGC is proud to support this transformative effort with a TIF tax incentives and RAP 2.0 grant funding we secured from our partners at MEDC to advance the project.”   Michigan CRP funding to the former Wyandotte City Hall at 3131 Biddle.   Overview: In February 2023 the MSF Board supported a $1.56 million performance-based CRP loan to the Federal Building Redevelopment Project at 3131 Biddle the project ran into unanticipated cost challenges the reauthorization of that funding as well an additional $255,348 The project will now include 30 residential units as well as first floor retail or restaurant space.   Why It Matters: Once an anchor of Wyandotte’s downtown the property has become functionally obsolete since the City Hall moved in 2013 Continued support for the project ensures it can once again serve as a thriving hub for residents and visitors.  The MSF also supported the deployment of up to $11 million to Augment Michigan Opportunity Fund IV - MI, LP, from the Michigan State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) 2.0 Venture Capital Program The program builds on MEDC’s support of small businesses and entrepreneurs by providing capital to early-stage technology-based businesses in the State of Michigan as a limited partner (LP).   we are thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate with the MEDC and further support Michigan’s small business ecosystem We firmly believe Michigan is a dynamic hub for innovation and growth and recent momentum in the state’s startup ecosystem is undeniable,” said Sonali Vijayavargia “Many of Augment’s most successful companies have roots here and this partnership reinforces our commitment to fostering innovation and creating opportunities in Michigan We look forward to continuing our journey and investing in the next generation of transformational businesses that will shape the future of Michigan and beyond.”  About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) — A Kansas Department of Health and Environment official told a Kansas Senate committee Tuesday the agency continues to work to resolve an "unprecedented" tuberculosis outbreak in Wyandotte County discussed the outbreak during an agency overview Tuesday before the Kansas Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare Health officials have been monitoring the number of cases associated with the outbreak for several years Goss told senators that officials were able to decrease active cases in 2024 She said one of KDHE's 2025 goals is to continue to work with large employers in the county to identify any additional cases in the county Watch the Senate hearing in the video player below According to the latest data on KDHE's website there are 60 active cases of tuberculosis in Wyandotte County and another seven cases reported in neighboring Johnson County Goss said KDHE continues to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local officials at the Unified Government's Public Health Department to track and treat cases Tuberculosis is a bacteria that normally impacts the lungs of infected patients Cases can be active in that patients have symptoms and the bacteria can spread to others There are also cases of inactive or latent tuberculosis in which the patient doesn't feel sick and the bacteria isn't transmissible More information about tuberculosis is available online