ROYAL OAK
Surge in COVID cases leaves businesses with major staffing issues throughout Michigan
Some businesses around Metro Detroit could not open their doors to consumers on New Year’s Eve due to a staff shortage. Today, Jan. 3, some McDonald’s locations have added a help wanted note alongside serving their food to entice the frequent customers to join the understaffed franchise.
Metro Detroit high school boys and girls basketball scores from Thursday, Dec. 23
Most scores are reported through the Associated Press and the MHSAA. To add your missing score, email japurcell@mlive.com with the results. Stats from the game are accepted too. BOYS BASKETBALL SCORESMadison Heights Bishop Foley 45, Royal Oak 39 (OT)Madison Heights Madison 47, Southfield Arts & Technology 34Warren Fitzgerald 49, Harper Woods 26GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORESDetroit Denby 45, Detroit Osborn 9MOREMetro Detroit high school basketball holiday tournament schedule features Motor City Roundball Classic
mlive.comDetroit Zoo mourning death of 20-year-old female lion, Erin
ROYAL OAK, MI – Staff at the Detroit Zoo are mourning the death of a female lion, Erin. Estimated to be 20 years old, Erin lived much longer than wild lions typically do, according to zoo officials. Zoo officials decided to euthanize her on Wednesday after continued decline in her mobility and condition. Erin was the oldest lion in the zoo’s pride and will be greatly missed by staff, volunteers, members and guests, according to zoo officials. She is pictured above with Simba, another rescued lion who was once owned by the royal family of Qatar
mlive.comSandhill crane rescued by Detroit Zoo has broken beak caused by tightly-wrapped rubber band
ROYAL OAK, MI – The Detroit Zoo has taken in a sandhill crane found with a rubber band wrapped so tightly around his lower beak that it cut off its blood supply and caused the beak to crack and break off. The incident serves as a reminder of the harmful effects of human-created pollution in the birds’ natural habitat, zoo officials said. The bird, found badly injured in Commerce Township in September, will join two previously rescued cranes in the zoo’s American Grasslands habitat. RELATED: ‘Like living dinosaurs:’ Where to see Michigan’s spectacular sandhill crane migration this monthUnable to eat on his own, it was determined the sandhill crane would die if returned to the wild. One of the previously rescued cranes at the zoo was found as a chick in 2002 with a wing problem.
mlive.comMichigan health dept.: Avoid emergency rooms unless situation is life-threatening as COVID overwhelms system
Michigan health officials are urging residents to avoid the emergency department at hospitals, outside of a life-threatening situation, to help alleviate pressure on health care systems as COVID continues to surge.
Dearborn teens arrested after Royal Oak armed robbery, high-speed chase to Oakland Mall, police say
Two teenagers from Dearborn were arrested this week when an armed robbery in Royal Oak led to a high-speed police chase through Royal Oak, Birmingham and Troy before ending at the Oakland Mall, officials said.
Red panda from Michigan remembered as mother to 9 cubs, great-great-grandmother
ROYAL OAK, MI - Michigan has lost a member of its red panda community. Ta-Shi was one of the oldest red pandas living at an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo. After a 2018 expansion, the Detroit Zoo’s red panda exhibit, known as the Holtzman Wildlife Foundation Red Panda Forest, became one of the largest of its kind in the country. Red pandas are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. On average, adult red pandas typically weigh between eight and 17 pounds.
mlive.comMichigan man charged with murdering his mother as they drove home from dinner
ROYAL OAK, MI -- A 22-year-old man was charged with open murder after he allegedly shot his mother in the head at point blank range last week as they drove home from family dinner on Thanksgiving Eve. The Detroit News reports Harry was denied bond in the case and is being held at the Oakland County Jail. The car crashed following the shooting, but George Harry II got out of the vehicle and allegedly started shooting at other cars that were passing by. A 43-year-old woman was shot in the thigh in the incident and required treatment at a nearby hospital before being released, according to police. Police previously reported that the shooting took place Thursday, but officials have since corrected that to say it took place late Wednesday night.
mlive.comMichigan man accused of fatally shooting his mother in head on Thanksgiving
ROYAL OAK, MI -- A 22-year-old Troy man is in custody after he allegedly shot and killed his mother on Thanksgiving Day. According to the Associated Press, the suspect -- who has not been identified -- was traveling as a passenger in a car with his 52-year-old mother late Thursday evening. The pair eventually stopped while heading northbound on Woodward Avenue and were beneath the Interstate 696 overpass when police say the suspect shot his mother in the head, killing her. The suspect then fled from the vehicle, which was stopped near the Pleasant Ridge and Royal Oak city limits, according to police. READ MORE:Boy shoots man in hip amid dispute over hunting land in Genesee County, sheriff saysMan linked to Capital insurrection, threatening calls to 911 dispatchers in Michigan found mentally competentAnn Arbor man found fatally shot Thanksgiving morning
mlive.comMagical Michigan outdoor nighttime Christmas walk has 5 million twinkling lights
ROYAL OAK, MI - It’s a holiday tradition featuring a whopping five million twinkling LED lights illuminating dozens of buildings and hundreds of trees and sculptures. This is “Wild Lights” at the Detroit Zoo. Now in its ninth year, this event returned this weekend and runs through January 9, 2022. Tickets, which can be purchased here, are $17 - $24 depending on the hour and day. All tickets must be purchased in advance online or at the Detroit Zoo during daytime hours.
mlive.comSee photos as Davison faces Bloomfield Hills Marian in state quarterfinal
ROYAL OAK, MI -- Davison volleyball’s journey in the state tournament has come to an end. The Cardinals (34-5) lost 25-14, 25-19, 25-15 to Bloomfield Hills Marian in the MHSAA Division 1 state quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Royal Oak High School. RELATED: Season ends for Davison volleyball with loss to Bloomfield Hills Marian in state quarterfinalIn Tiffany Sayles’s second season as varsity head coach, the team won a district and regional title. Davison overcame Grand Blanc in a fourth straight meeting in the district championship. PleasantHome-grown Davison gets payback on Grand Blanc
mlive.comSeason ends for Davison volleyball with loss to Bloomfield Hills Marian in state quarterfinal
ROYAL OAK, MI -- A long, accomplished season for Davison volleyball is over. The Cardinals (34-5) lost 25-14, 25-19, 25-15 to Bloomfield Hills Marian in the MHSAA Division 1 state quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Royal Oak High School. In Tiffany Sayles’s second season as varsity head coach, the team won a district and regional title. Davison overcame Grand Blanc in a fourth straight meeting in the district championship. PleasantHome-grown Davison gets payback on Grand Blanc
mlive.comOwner of escaped 50-pound cats told they must go by Monday
ROYAL OAK, MI – The owner of four 50-pound African cats is facing multiple citations and has been ordered to remove them by Monday after one roamed a Detroit suburb for about 16 hours on Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press reports. The demand by Royal Oak city officials may lead to a legal battle, the report said. Police previously acknowledged that caracals are not illegal to own as they are not regulated in Michigan. RELATED: Large African cat escapes owner, prowls Michigan suburbPolice said this is at least the third time one or more of the caracals has escaped from their enclosure. The owner has assured authorities that the felines are gentle and not aggressive toward people.
mlive.comLarge African cat escapes owner, prowls Michigan suburb
ROYAL OAK, MI – A large cat native to Africa was loose in a Detroit suburb for a day after escaping from its owner through a gate that was left open, police said. The 50-pound caracal was reported missing around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday in Royal Oak, The Associated Press reports. It was located by an animal rescue group around 10:30 p.m. and returned to its owner, WDIV Detroit reports. The owner has four caracals, which are classified in a category that isn’t regulated in Michigan, AP reports. This is at least the third time that the cats have escaped from their enclosure, police said.
mlive.comLarge African cat escapes owner, prowls Detroit suburb
A large cat native to Africa is on the loose in a suburb north of Detroit after escaping from its owner. The caracal was reported missing around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday in Royal Oak, authorities said. It was among four big cats held in cages that allowed them to go in and out of the owner’s garage.
news.yahoo.comCheck out Metro Detroit high school football scores from Week 7
The following scores are collected from either the Michigan High School Athletic Association or the Associated Press. These are score from Friday, Oct. 8, or Week 7 of the football season. Auburn Hills Avondale 35, Royal Oak 21Belleville 47, Westland John Glenn 14Berkley 36, Livonia Clarenceville 31Birmingham Seaholm 41, North Farmington 34Bloomfield Hills 37, Ferndale 6Brighton 35, Plymouth 6Brownstown Woodhaven 50, Wyandotte Roosevelt 0Canton 35, Salem 7Clarkston 50, Lake Orion 22Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 49, Grosse Point South 37Dearborn 49, Wayne Memorial 0Dearborn Fordson 38, Livonia Churchill 33Detroit Cass Tech 1, Detroit Western 0Detroit Catholic Central 21, Orchard Lake St Mary’s 0Detroit Central 1, Detroit Douglass 0Detroit Edison 1, Pontiac Arts & Technology Academy 0Detroit Henry Ford 48, Detroit East English 0Detroit Martin Luther King 57, Detroit Renaissance 7Detroit Mumford 44, Detroit Communication Media Arts 0Detroit Southeastern 1, Detroit Cody 0Farmington 50, Pontiac 8Gibraltar Carlson 52, Taylor 22Grosse Pointe North 1, Warren Cousino 0Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse 41, Fraser 36Hartland 38, Northville 19Madison Heights Bishop Foley 51, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 20Melvindale 35, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 6Melvindale Academy for Business & Tech 1, Southfield Bradford Academy 0Milford 21, Waterford Kettering 13Monroe St Mary Catholic Central 20, New Boston Huron 12Mount Clemens 1, Dearborn Heights Star International 0New Baltimore Anchor Bay 42, Macomb L’Anse Creuse North 3Oxford 27, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 26Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 58, Detroit University Prep Science & Math 0Redford Union 30, Garden City 6Riverview 38, Carleton Airport 19Rochester 23, Oak Park 22Rochester Adams 24, Birmingham Groves 7Romeo 7, Sterling Heights Stevenson 0Roseville 35, Eastpointe 6Royal Oak Shrine Catholic 48, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 6South Lyon 42, Walled Lake Northern 0South Lyon East 17, White Lake Lakeland 14Trenton 22, Dearborn Edsel Ford 0Troy 21, Troy Athens 20Utica 28, Warren Mott 7Warren De La Salle Collegiate 44, Detroit U-D Jesuit 7West Bloomfield 56, Southfield Arts & Technology 27
mlive.comOrphaned polar, grizzly bears now playful companions at Michigan zoo
ROYAL OAK, MI – Two orphaned bears can now be seen playing, wrestling and romping together at the Detroit Zoo. Polar bear cub Laerke was rejected by her mother after a medical emergency in November 2020. Polar bear cub Laerke was rejected by her mother after a medical emergency in November 2020. Polar bear cub Laerke was rejected by her mother after a medical emergency in November 2020. Now the young bears are playful companions at the Detroit Zoo.Provided by Detroit ZooThe Arctic Ring of Life is one of the largest zoo polar bear habitats in the world.
mlive.comComedian Jim Breuer won’t perform at Michigan venue with COVID vaccination rules: ‘I won’t be enslaved’
ROYAL OAK, MI - Comedian Jim Breuer says he won’t be coming to Michigan to perform in a couple weeks because he doesn’t believe audience members should have to show proof they are vaccinated. This venue is one of the many in the country promoted by AEG, the second largest concert promotor behind Live Nation. Beginning on October 1, AEG won’t let people into shows in its venues if they don’t show proof of vaccination. A negative COVID test won’t be enough. While Live Nation has left COVID policies up to each artist or venue, AEG says it implemented it’s COVID policy to help encourage people to get vaccinated.
mlive.comWhy some animals at Michigan’s largest zoo are now being vaccinated for COVID-19
ROYAL OAK, MI - Some animals at the Detroit Zoo have begun to receive a special COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccinations come after several lions, tigers, leopards and gorillas have contracted COVID-19 at other zoos across the U.S.“The animals routinely get other vaccinations. Currently there are no animals at the Detroit Zoo which have been infected with COVID-19. Zoo officials say many safety measures have been taken to protect the animals, including full PPE for staff as well as public barriers to ensure social distancing. “Much like we vaccinate dogs for things like parvovirus, distemper or rabies, this is needed to protect animals at the Zoo,” said Dr. Ann Duncan, director of animal health for the DZS.
mlive.comDashcam captures alleged drunken driver’s vehicle smashing into MSP patrol car
ROYAL OAK, MI -- A dashcam mounted inside of a Michigan State Police patrol vehicle captured footage of a traffic crash caused by an alleged drunken driver whose vehicle ran a stop sign and slammed into the cop car. The video shows the MSP trooper approaching a stop sign with a GMC Yukon across the street stopped at another sign for the two-way stop. The GMC begins crossing the intersection, however it does not have the right of way and just as the GMC gets close to the trooper’s vehicle, another vehicle smashes into the GMC, sending it right into the patrol car. See the MSP dashcam video on Twitter here. The other vehicle was a Lincoln that could not stop in time to avoid hitting the GMC.
mlive.com20 Michigan wineries worth a road trip
20 Michigan wineries worth a road tripYou can now own Ben Affleck’s swanky — and temporary — Royal Oak ‘Bat Cave’ for $1.69 millionThis $459k mid century modern house in Saginaw was designed by architect Daniel Toshach — let’s take a tourAll the mural magic we saw at Detroit’s inaugural BLKOUT Walls mural festivalThis $2.09 million William Kessler-designed West Bloomfield home has a bomb shelterEveryone we saw at El Club’s re-opening with Danny Brown
photos.metrotimes.comDetroit Zoo visitors can now see this cute baby wallaby, just out of mother’s pouch
ROYAL OAK, MI - The next time you’re at the Detroit Zoo, hop on over to the Australian Outback Adventure where you’ll now see this cute little baby wallaby. The red-necked wallaby joey, who isn’t named yet, is the first to be born at the Detroit Zoo since 2010. Related: Adorable polar bear cub experience snow for the first time at the Detroit ZooThis baby wallaby, or joey, is now visible at the Detroit Zoo following its birth this past October. (Photo by the Detroit Zoological Society via Rachelle Spence)“This is Eloise’s first joey. She’s very protective,” said Elizabeth Arbaugh, curator of mammals for the Detroit Zoological Society.
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