The blast heard around Macomb County

1. A tragic blast in Clinton Twp.

When firefighters arrived at a late winter building explosion in Clinton Township, the scene resembled a Fourth of July fireworks show even though it was still winter, with heavy metal canisters shooting into the air and then falling to the ground with a thud.

The March 4 explosion and subsequent fire at Goo Smoke Shop and Select Specialty warehouse at 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway rocked the area and sent debris flying for miles.

One of an estimated 1,000 canisters at the scene fatally struck a bystander and another injured a township firefighter.

On the night of the blast, the area took on a carnival-like atmosphere as relatively mild weather conditions allowed pedestrians to roam around despite heavily-congested streets caused by numerous roads being closed due to the emergency.

Investigators said the building blew up because thousands of nitrous oxide and butane cans that officials say were illegally stored inside. To this day, there is no explanation for what may have sparked the blast.

Located inside of a former grocery store, Goo Smoke Shop was used as a wholesale distributor of vape pens, CBD products, hookahs, lighters and other novelty items, officials said

Seven weeks after the explosion, Noor Kestou, 32, of Commerce Township, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport while trying to board a plane to China. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Turner Salter, 19, who was hit in the head by flying debris.

An investigation by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is still ongoing.

EPA officials say contractors have removed more than 1 million pounds of debris from the burned-out structure.

A multi-month federal cleanup is winding down. The estimated cost is $2.7 million.

2. End of an era as Lakeside Mall closes

A multitude of shoppers and former shoppers flocked to get one last look at Lakeside Mall and share memories before the place closed its doors for good on July 1.

The 48-year-old shopping center on Hall Road in Sterling Heights was sold to Miami-based developer Out of the Box Ventures, which hopes to launch a $1 billion redevelopment plan that will transform the 110-acre property over the next 20 years.

Opened in 1976, the Alfred Taubman-built Lakeside Mall was expanded in 1990 and last renovated in 2007.

“The mall became a destination spot for hundreds of thousands — maybe millions — of people,” said Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool. “It became one of the most vibrant areas of our city because of Lakeside.”

But Lakeside, like so many malls across the country, had been on the decline for many years as shoppers abandoned brick-and-mortar buildings and flocked to online shopping.

The multi-level center experienced a trail of tenant departures in recent years as shoppers turned their attention to online retail experiences or other facilities

The mall owners plan to demolish much of the existing structure and create a Town Center, consisting of shops, new offices, apartments, retail space, a 120-room hotel with attached parking deck, restaurants, high-rise buildings, recreational amenities, and a Central Park in the center.

Only Macy’s and JC Penney remain open.

The Sterling Heights City Council recently voted to approve the Lakeside City Center Master Development Plan. Demolition is expected in late 2025.

3. Strife continues in Warren

When Lori Stone was elected in November 2023 as Warren’s first female mayor and the first new person to hold that office in 16 years, it was expected tensions between the City Council and administration that plagued the last four years of former Mayor James Fouts’ tenure would be lifted.

But a year into Stone’s four-year term, it appears that the more things change the more they stay the same.

The relationship between the City Council and Stone has been rocky with the Council filing a complaint in Macomb County Circuit Court earlier this month after she refused to sign a land bank agreement that had been approved by the council in August. Two days after the complaint was filed, the Mayor announced she had signed the agreement via a press release that lambasted council.At its Dec. 17 meeting, the City Council seemed poised to file a second complaint in effort to get requested documents related to Habitat for Humanity’s move out of Warren that have not been provided. The previous City Council took Fouts to court for failing to provide requested information about various things and a court order was issued stating that the administration has 10 days to provide information requested by it.

Stone campaigned on transparency and has consistently touted her “listen, learn, lead” mantra, but a media policy that prohibits journalists from contacting department heads and the mayor directly and non transparency including Freedom of Information Act denials to residents and members of the media seeking information that is accessible by the public in other cities has earned her the nickname “The Stonewall.”

A Macomb Daily FOIA request filed on May 31 asking for the applications/resumes of the applicants for five then-vacant department head positions in the city — city attorney, police commissioner, building department director, human resources director, and parks and recreation director — was denied. The Macomb Daily filed a lawsuit in Macomb County Circuit Court on Aug. 20, asking the court to compel the city to provide unredacted copies of the requested documents to The Macomb Daily. That case is still pending.

In March, the unceremonious firing of Police Commissioner William Dwyer less than six weeks before he was scheduled to retire continues to be a source of controversy, particularly with the city being down more than 20 police officers and the administration taking more than nine months to get a new police commissioner in place.

Three department head positions remain vacant and there are several boards and commissions with vacant seats as well.

A second recall petition was filed against Stone this week. Going into the new year, it does not appear that relations between the CIty Council and Mayor Stone are going to improve any time soon.

4. GOP continues stranglehold on Macomb

This year’s Presidential Election defied all expectations and is likely to remain the topic of heated discussions among the nation’s historians, political analysts and professors for many years to come.

The day before the election pollsters and news outlets painted America as blue.

But the polls were wrong.

What the world witnessed instead was a silent majority made up of working class Americans who not only created a wave of support for Donald Trump but helped to turn the tide red for other Republican candidates.

That includes Michiganders who listened to Trump on his last day of campaigning across the country at a rally in Grand Rapids that included a coalition of people who crossed all racial and religious lines.

He was a candidate who not only faced impeachment hearings and a felony trial but survived two assassination attempts. Yet, as one headline said, “Through sheer force of will, an enduring hold on his base and a campaign operation far savvier than past iterations managed to turn his woes into fuel.”

The final count: 77,266,801 votes for Trump and 74,981,313 for Harris.

The State of Michigan where Democratic President Joe Biden was victorious in 2020 was among those that turned red.

In Macomb County he received 55.8% of the votes cast in 308 precincts. That was up from the 53.4% he received in Macomb when he lost to Biden and 53.6% that helped him defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The wave of red continued in the U.S. State House with Republicans winning 220 votes over the Democrats’ 215; and Senate with Republicans winning 53 seats over the Democrats 47.

Michigan Republicans also took control of the state House winning 58 of the 110 seats.

The momentum was also reflected locally.

Democratic Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickesham defeated Republican challenger Terence Mekoski for re-election to a third term, in the closest outcome among five countywide partisan contests. However, riding the Republican wave were four GOP elected officials. Prosecutor Peter Lucido, Treasurer Larry Rocca, Clerk Anthony Forlini and Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller all defeated their Democratic challengers by wide margins.

Macomb’s presence in D.C. continues to remain red as both incumbents John James and Lisa McClain held on to their seats.

5. Priority Waste takes over GFL

Some 700,000 residents across southeast Michigan saw an abrupt change in trash collection over the summer following the sale of GFL Environmental’s residential waste services to Clinton Township-based Priority Waste.

In a May letter to employees, GFL said the sale includes the transfer of contracts with 75 municipalities, as well as 70,000 homeowners’ associations and subscription residential customers in Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston, Genesee and Wayne counties.

Almost immediately, a massive amount of complaints erupted from residents who said Priority Waste crews would take days to remove garbage from their curbs. Residents say the unsatisfactory condition lured ro

dents to trash bins.

Company officials say they were confronted with several unexpected problems through the transition.

Many trucks were broken down and required immediate repairs, while a camera system the company uses to monitor work conditions was not fully operational. A shortage of trucks and staffing also contributed to the problem.

When customers called to complain, they were often left on hold for up to 60 minutes.

The issue caused Clinton Township officials to launch a $50 fine for Priority Waste for every unresolved problem.

By the fall, the company’s technology systems were completed and complaints seemed to have dropped off.

But it wasn’t all bad news for Priority Waste.

A three-man sanitation crew was honored by Mount Clemens and state officials after they rescued a 70-year-old woman from her burning home on Inches Street in April.

The men were working on their route when they spotted heavy smoke coming from Barbara Goudelock’s house. They were able to pull her to safety from the burning structure, but her 17-year-old dog, Rocky, did not survive.

The trash collectors — Gary Whitcher, Keeyon Beaty Jr., and Norberto Altman — each received a Citizen Hero Award from the city for their “courage and bravery” and a tribute from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

6. Troubles for local police

Police departments nationwide are struggling to hire officers and Macomb County is no exception. In Warren, there are currently more than 20 officer vacancies and it is uncertain when — or if — the city expects to be at full capacity.

Adding to the short staffing woes and hiring difficulties are officer-involved incidents that have led to cops being charged with crimes.

Warren police officer James Burke was charged in November with two counts of manslaughter after a September crash between the police vehicle he was driving and an SUV near Schoenherr and Toepfer roads resulted in the death of both the driver and passenger of the SUV.

Two $100 million lawsuits have been filed against the City of Warren, Burke and the officer who was a passenger in the police vehicle on behalf of the families of victims DeJuan Pettis and Cedric Hayden Jr.

In October, Sterling Heights officers James Sribniak and Jack Currie were each charged with one count of misconduct in office, a 5-year felony, and felonious assault, a 4-year felony for K9 deployment during the arrest of a suspect in Roseville.

Former Warren officer Matthew Rodrigeuz was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in September after pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law Rodriguez was captured on video using excessive force against a young, Black man who was being fingerprinted and processed at police headquarters.

Many industry experts point to the shortage of police officers as leading to more officers being charged with crimes either because there are so many fewer applicants now that municipalities may be forced to her less experienced officers or because overworked officers who are putting in large amounts of overtime due to staffing issues that make them more prone to making errors or engaging in misconduct.

7. Fatal drug overdoses drop

The county could be making headway in the opioid-abuse epidemic for the first time in years with a significant decline in the numbers of drug overdoses in 2023.

Figures released in November showed the number of fatal drug overdoses in Macomb County, 234 in 2023, dropped by nearly 25% from 311 in 2022 and is down nearly 41% from a high of 394 in 2017, according to statistics compiled by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The state of Michigan also saw a decline with a 5.7% drop 2022 to 2023 in Michigan, according to the data.

Linda Davis, executive director of Clinton Township-based Face Addiction Now, formerly Families Against Narcotics, threw some caution into optimism the numbers reflect a change in behavior. She said the development may be an isolated event, saying the dramatic drop is mostly due to saving addicts in the throes of an overdose with the opioid antidote, naloxone, aka Narcan.

FAN is one of the top naloxone distributors in the state with over 2,000 per month doled out, Davis said.

8. Parent effort to no avail at St. Germaine school

Parents were first informed of the St. Clair Shores school’s impending closure on Jan. 16 via a letter from Principal Colleen Maciejewski that cited financial difficulties as the reason. Parents also received a letter from St. Isaac Jogues Father Joe Barron detailing more of the financial struggles the school has faced in recent years, specifically that the school has been running at a deficit of $150,000 per year for several years and that resources used in the past to offset that deficit were no longer available.

The prekindergarten through eighth grade school was to close at the end of the 2023-24 school year.

After an outcry from the St. Germaine community, the Archdiocese Of Detroit offered a reprieve in mid-February: raise $150,000, secure another $150,000 in future pledges and have 150 students registered with paid deposits for the 2024-25 school year all by March 1 and the school could remain open for at least another year.

The St Germaine parents immediately went into action hosting fundraisers, contacting alumni, and reaching out to the St. Clair Shores community, St. Germaine students sold crayon drawings for $1 at the St. Germaine Friday fish fry events during Lent in effort to help keep their beloved school open.

St. Germaine parents not only met those goals, they exceeded them. Including a $100,000 donation that came after the March 1 deadline, $351,840 was raised, $180,130 was secured in pledges, and 153 students were registered for next school year.

As they awaited the decision of the AOD, parents were hopeful. They had done all that they were asked and then some, so they believed their hard work fueled by their passion for St. Germaine would save the school for generations to come.

In early March, the St. Germaine community was alerted that the decision regarding the school’s fate had been handed off by the AOD to a group of priests in an east side “family of parishes.”

Fr. Barron, Fr. Greg Piatt of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Rev. Ronald DeHondt of St. Margaret of Scotland, and Fr. John Wynnycky of Holy Innocents- St. Barnabas were the church officials who ultimately made the decision to close the school.

The decision angered parents and students with many saying they felt betrayed by the AOC.

“We worked hard, we did the right things, we did everything we were asked to do and they still closed us; what kind of lesson is that?” said St. Germaine parent Mike Kaddis.

Some parents opted to send their children to a different Catholic school for the 2024-25 school year, some to a public school and some to a Lutheran school. But the tight-knit community that was so special to so many for six decades is no more.

9. Sheetz moves into Macomb County

New businesses moving into a community is always exciting.

Sheetz, however, is looking to grow its chain to nearly 60 stores in southeast Michigan and its aggressive moves to expand its footprint in Macomb County drew headlines all year starting with its proposed location in Fraser.

It was then the Pennsylvania-based company presented its plans to demolish the city’s former State Bank, which also happened to be a historic building from 1910, and replace it with a 24-hour gas station, convenience store and fast food eatery. This would be in addition to the nearly 670 store locations that the family-owned chain is already operating throughout its home state, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.

The initial plan was rejected.

There was concern about the proximity of the gas station to hereby homes and the preservation of a longstanding landmark and that the proposed project would change the small town feel of the area.

Still, Sheetz never gave up and after ongoing negotiations that included eliminating plans for a drive-thru and an emotional public meeting, Fraser City Council voted 5-2 in favor of the $8 million-plus Sheetz fuel center and restaurant.

Romulus was the first city to see a Sheetz location open over the summer and while Fraser debated the project several other communities in Macomb County saw plans introduced for their cities.

In the coming year Warren, Macomb Township, Eastpointe and Chesterfield Township, all of which embraced the idea of one location to fill up both the car and one’s belly, are likely to have a Sheetz location open in the coming months.

What’s interesting about this year’s coverage of Sheetz is that it’s also an indication of a trend that has U.S. convenience stores offering more and more choices to consumers is likely to continue in 2025. Whether it’s Sheetz, 7-Eleven or Circle K, the operators of c-stores, as they have come to be called, are shaking up the fast food industry and that’s likely to lead to new business models in the coming year.

1.. Remaking the county jail

County officials made significant progress on the nearly $230-million reconstruction and renovation of the Macomb County Jail in Mount Clemens, with demolition beginning in July and the county meeting a deadline to commit its use of $130 million in federal funding.

The county Board of Commissioners in December approved Granger Construction Co.’s $136.5-million worth of contracts with over 20 subcontractors to complete the bulk of the project over the next three years. Granger is construction manager of the endeavor that includes demolition of 78,000-square-feet of jail and Sheriff’s Office facilities, construction of a four-level 162,000-square-foot Central Intake and Assessment Center and renovation of 28,000-square-feet of facilities.

The deal meant the county committed the expenditure of $130 million of the $170 million it received in American Rescue Plan Act dollars by the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline. The county also has committed $40 million in reimbursement-grant dollars it will receive from the state. The county will be using general-fund monies to finance the rest of the project.

In mid-July, County Executive Mark Hackel and Sheriff Anthony Wickersham donned cowboy-style hardhats and wielded sledge hammers for a “wall breaking ceremony” to mark the start of demolition by taking wacks on the side of a brick wall of the jail “annex,” which had been out of use since 2008, at a gathering of dozens of officials. Also being demolished are the 60-cell maximum-security facility, cell block D and the rehabilitation facility. The signature jail tower is being renovated.

The project was approved one year earlier, and had been in the design phase.

Honorable mention:

State titles earned by Lincoln hoops, Romeo runners and DLS boosters

The Romeo girls cross country team wasn’t just Michigan good — they’re nationally good. The Bulldogs didn’t lose a single race they ran all year in the mitten, blazing their way past every MAC team they faced before culminating in their second-straight state title win. They didn’t stop there — Romeo qualified for a national race in Oregon, which they recently ran and placed 6th cementing their place as the of the premier programs in the United States behind heroic efforts from Annie Hrabovsky, Natalia Guaresimo, Lillian Deskins, Olivia Purdy and Emerson Clor, among others.

It had been 19 years since Thair Mukthar’s De La Salle soccer team won state gold. And thanks to huge seasons by Josh Ross, Andrew Corder and Dominic Baldaratta with a wealth of talent around them, the Pilots were able to snap that near-two decade skid. They won each of their last 13 games (only two of which were decided by one goal) and dropped Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 4-1, in the state finals.

Staff reporters Mitch Hotts, Jameson Cook, Susan Smiley, Gina Joseph and Brady McAtamney contributed to this report.