City buying Community House for $5.2 million
The Birmingham City Commission on Monday, May 18, approved the formation of nonprofit foundation to take over running The Community House building now that The Community House Association has accepted an offer of $5.2 million from the city to purchase the building, and the following evening the commission formally voted to make the purchase.
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Commission reviews update on enforcement
As directed by the Birmingham city commission, city staff presented a report on short-term rentals during the Monday, May 18, meeting, providing commissioners with an update of the city’s enforcement and work to identify short-term rentals in the city since the commission’s last discussion.
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Preliminary plans for nine-story building okayed
A new nine-story building to be constructed across two properties at 34952 Woodward and 690 E Maple received preliminary site plan approval from the Birmingham planning board during the Wednesday, May 13, meeting.
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City budget approved for 2026-2027 fiscal year
Birmingham City Commissioners on Monday, May 18, approved a $58.2 million budget and 12.9731 millage rate for the upcoming fiscal year which will begin on July 1 and end on June 30, 2027.
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Birmingham Village Fair coming next week
The 61st annual Birmingham Village Fair, hosted by the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, will be coming to the downtown area surrounding Shain Park starting next Thursday, May 28, and running through Sunday, May 31.
Antisemitic incident prompts policy review
An antisemitic incident at a Multicultural Night at the Beverly Elementary school in the Birmingham district has prompted a review of policies by school officials and the banning of the responsible parents from further volunteer work at the school for the balance of the school year, according the district superintendent Embekka Roberson in a message sent to district families today.
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Ulta Beauty hit for over $600 in fragrance theft
The Ulta Beauty store at 2161 Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township was the target of retail fraud on Tuesday, May 12, when a couple stole over $600 of fragrances.
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Arrest made at Target for merchandise theft
Bloomfield Township police made an arrest for theft of merchandise at the Target store, 2400 S. Telegraph, on Wednesday, May 13.
Microplastics invading the inland lakes
Leo Hendrick Baekeland innocently invented plastic in 1907. The easily shaped, durable, and inexpensive material became a staple in homes and businesses, with thousands of beneficial uses. Other scientists would come along and build upon the invention, but few probably foresaw the global problems they were creating in their labs.
Running for office is an expensive endeavor and candidates are forced to seek funding from all sorts of backers. But some fundraising is just plain wrong in today’s climate, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have rounded up, deported and even killed immigrants and protesters. According to The Detroit News, three of the four candidates for the open U.S. Senate seat – Republican Mike Rogers and Democrats Mallory McMorrow and Haley Stevens –received campaign contributions from federal contractors arming or equipping ICE agents.
