Morning Briefing Dec. 22, 2021: Detroit Lions gift Super Bowl tickets to man behind Giant Helmet; Dan Gilbert buys former UAW building in Detroit

Here are this morning’s top stories

Detroit Lions surprise terminally ill man behind Giant Helmets

Detroit Lions gift Super Bowl tickets to terminally ill man behind giant sports helmets

The Detroit Lions surprised a terminally ill Sterling Heights man with the gift of a lifetime in recognition of his work and mission.

Local entrepreneur Steven Strickland, 28, hopes to leave behind a legacy with his giant helmets before cystic fibrosis takes his life.

See the story here.


Gilbert buys former UAW building on Detroit riverfront

Dan Gilbert has added a new Detroit building to Bedrock’s portfolio.

Bedrock announced it has acquired “The ICON” -- a 420,000 square foot, multi-purpose development located at 200 Walker Street, the former Detroit riverfront home to the UAW-GM training center.

Read more here.


11 takeaways from Whitmer’s first COVID briefing since June: Mandates, omicron, ‘critical point’

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held a COVID briefing Tuesday for the first time since June, answering questions about whether this surge warrants new mandates and delivering specific messages for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents.

See the report here.


Investigations launched after incident on Detroit firefighters’ radio system: ‘He’s lying, Chief.’

A civil rights investigation is underway over a serious allegation about race that was made by one Detroit firefighter against another.

Learn more here.


Royal Oak police once again called to neighborhood to find caracal cat that escaped

Royal Oak police were asked once again Monday to help find a caracal cat that had escaped from its owner and was somewhere in her neighborhood.

See more here.


Weather forecast: Winter winds Wednesday before Thursday snow


COVID in Michigan 🦠

Michigan reported 13,999 new cases of COVID-19 and 160 virus-related deaths Monday -- an average of 4,666.3 cases over a three-day period. Of the 160 deaths announced Monday, 63 were identified during a Vital Records review.

Monday’s update brings the total number of confirmed COVID cases in Michigan to 1,434,837, including 25,984 deaths. These numbers are up from 1,420,838 cases and 25,824 deaths, as of Friday.

Read the latest COVID report here.




About the Author:

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.