VIRTUAL

More than 18 million people in the last year were scammed using apps, like Zelle or Cash App, to send money virtually.

The school district told students and families that snowy weather and road conditions contributed to the decision for Friday's remote-virtual day.

Public school students in Tree Town will continue learning virtually on Friday due to severe winter weather.

Tree Town public school students will study from home again on Thursday due to severe winter weather.

Students attending Ann Arbor Public Schools will learn remotely on Wednesday due to inclement weather.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is planning to deliver a State of the State address in a virtual format on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is planning to deliver a State of the State Address in a virtual format on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

A new quantum science collaboration is coming to three Midwest universities.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) will be all virtual learning through Jan. 14, the district confirmed Tuesday.

The Ann Arbor Art Center is offering a wide variety of art classes this winter.

In a typical year 26 runners cross the finish line. Last year about 4,000 participated virtually. This weekend 14,000 runners made their way through the Motor City.

Recently launch, the store currently has T-shirts, tote bags, hoodies and sweatshirts.

Book a field trip at Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

See what's on tap at the Ann Arbor Art Center this fall.

While some are eager to resume in-person work as things return to normal, many people have found that they prefer working remotely and want to keep it that way.

Trial courts in Michigan are going to continue operating virtually where possible, despite much of the state slowly returning to a pre-pandemic normal, officials announced last week.

Tuesday is the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd.

The annual Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival will run through August 24.

You can now sign up your K-8th-grader for virtual summer camp at U-M's Museum of Natural History.

DETROIT – You can attend the inaugural season of the Obsidian Theatre Festival from the comfort of your own home. When the COVID pandemic led to live performances across the world being shut down, it wasn’t just the actors who were sidelined. John Sloan, III, is the Producing Artistic Director of the Obsidian Theatre Festival. He said when live theater shut down it made him rethink theater. The Obsidian Theatre Festival is available for anyone to watch the original productions.

ANN ARBOR – The Washtenaw Community College Career Transitions department will be holding its annual Spring Career Fair virtually on April 9. Ad“The spring virtual career fair will help to connect the two together. With the career fair being held in a virtual environment, students, alumni and community members can join us from the safety of their homes. We are excited about that.”The Spring Career Fair is one of several events the WCC Career Transitions departments hosts each year, which include a fall job fair and events tailored to those in the business, health care and advanced manufacturing fields. For more information about Washtenaw Community College, visit www.wccnet.edu.

Black Health Matters is hosting its 6th Winter Health Summit. The summit is a free, virtual health fair aimed at educating and empowering Black individuals. Click here to learn more about Black Health Matters. READ: Black History Month coverageHave you signed up for the Black Health Matters Winter Health Summit? It's VIRTUAL, FREE and... Posted by Black Health Matters on Monday, February 22, 2021READ: Doctor becomes first Black woman to lead adult neurosurgery department at Detroit Medical Center

We talked to a career counselor to find out how to navigate the new virtual job interview world. There are specific things you can do to help the interview go more smoothly. Virtual job interviews became necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic this past year, and now it appears these kinds of interviews are not going anywhere any time soon. Watch the video to learn what you can do to nail your interviews. More: Jobs news

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Ann Arbor District Library has announced the return of its online community game platform, but with a new name and a few twists. Through the Winter Game, players create an account, solve puzzles, collect codes and earn points all from the comfort of home. Points players accrue during the Winter Game will roll over to the AADL’s 2021 Summer Game 2021, the AADL said. New content will be released until March 12 but players can continue playing until the end of the 2021 Summer Game, according to the AADL. Read: Ann Arbor District Library named five star library for 13th consecutive year𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐!

Hosted by Tree Town’s Nadim Azzam, Whip Jams is part jam session, part personal interview. Whip Jams host Nadim Azzam interviews Ann Arbor-based Dani Darling for the season finale. While the series is similar carpool karaoke, which features well-established artists, Whip Jams focuses on music discovery. “A huge part of the whole idea for Whip Jams, aside from just showcasing, is really curation. Watch Whip Jams season one episodes on Facebook and YouTube.

Playwright Marc Holland presents his story at the 2020 Big Hearts for Seniors event. Big Hearts for Seniors is searching for community members willing to share their stories at its annual fundraiser. The Big Hearts for Seniors: Generations event will happen virtually on May 27, 2021. Our theme “Generations” will allow our storytellers to share memories of connection and tradition,” said Big Hearts for Seniors artistic director Breeda Miller. During the week on April 12, storytellers will record their stories in front of a small audience which will be shown at the Big Hearts for Seniors: Generations event in May.

ANN ARBOR – A group of University of Michigan students have been actively engaging with local older adults during the pandemic to help ease their isolation and strike up new friendships. The project was launched by members of the Lambda Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, an honorary co-ed band sorority focused on service. The group connected with the Ann Arbor Senior Center and began advertising in the center’s newsletter for virtual pen pals. “Chatting with my virtual pen pal has helped me remain connected to the U-M campus and the surrounding Ann Arbor community, as well as learn more about Michigan in general,” Souza said in a statement. “Additionally, as an aspiring high school teacher, I was so excited to learn that my pen pal was a high school teacher!

The revised plan includes increased COVID-19 testing capacity, including mandatory testing for all students prior moving into university residence halls and mandatory weekly testing for undergraduate students who live, study or work on campus. The expanded testing plan includes weekly asymptomatic testing for the remaining students, faculty and staff on campus. For those quarantining off campus, testing will be expanded, and departure testing will still be required for undergraduates returning home, as was the case for the Thanksgiving holiday. While mandatory for undergraduates, departure testing is recommended for all other students. In addition to a reduction of in-person classes, density in U-M residence halls will be reduced by more than half.

Published: December 11, 2020, 7:54 am Updated: December 11, 2020, 9:10 amGRiZ’s 7th Annual ’12 Days of GRiZMAS’ Event Series is slated for Dec. 12-23, 2020. GRiZMAS will treat fans around the world to all the performances, activities, and community service initiatives. Watch an interview about the event with GRiZ above. RSVP and Donate Here: www.12daysofgrizmas.com

“America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner-White,” a holiday tradition that originates from Downtown Detroit, will be a TV and online-only event this year on Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit.com. Themed “We Are One Together,” this year’s parade will honor frontline workers and heroes of the COVID-19 crisis. Statement from Tony Michaels, President and CEO of the Parade Company:“America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner White is a virtual, televised-only production. Then, at 8 a.m., Jason Carr and Tati Amare host “America’s Thanksgiving Parade Preview with Live in the D.”“America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner-White” starts at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, including a one-hour syndicated national broadcast from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. reaching more 185 major cities across the country (check local TV listings). Viewers will see both recorded and live elements hosted by WDIV-Local 4′s Devin Scillian, Kimberly Gill, Rhonda Walker and Evrod Cassimy.

DETROIT – A week of “Back to Michigan” virtual job fairs continues with the focus on openings in Detroit and Flint. The event runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. this afternoon. It is targeted at people living outside of Michigan, those who recently relocated and those who live in Metro Detroit and are seeking employment. There are openings in IT, engineering, finance, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, art and design, professional services, government, hospitality and more. In order to participate you must register by clicking here.

Elves are going digital this year for the U.S. Postal Service’s annual “Operation Santa.”The 108-year-old program fulfills wish lists for families and children in need, but due to COVID-19, it has been forced to go virtual this Christmas. USPS officials said the new system will allow them to reach more children across the country. Children can address their letters and lists to Santa at 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888Helpful “elves” fulfilling the wish list can pick up a letter from any city in the nation. Click here to visit the Operation Santa page.

DETROIT – The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) will shift from face-to-face learning to online learning starting Monday, Nov. 16. There have been outbreaks -- defined as two or more connected COVID-19 cases in people not of the same household -- in Michigan schools. School districts are trying to balance the desires of parents to have children in school and the fact that students learn better in person. Different districts have different risk tolerance and resources to reduce risk, which is why decisions shave been left up to local leaders. More: Tracking coronavirus cases, outbreaks in Michigan schools

DETROIT – The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) will shift from face-to-face learning to online learning starting Monday, Nov. 16. “All classes will be held online starting Monday, November 16 due to the rapid increase in the COVID-19 infection rate in Detroit. We are committed to supporting your students rise!”Detroit schools were offering optionsDPSCD had been offering options for parents including online learning, in-person learning and a hybrid of both amid the coronavirus pandemic. “The online learning wasn’t ideal and our children have fallen farther behind,” Vitti told CNN. The new move to online learning by DPSCD comes as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge in Michigan.

WALLED LAKE, Mich. – In an email sent to parents late Sunday, the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools District said a system outage has been linked to a cyberattack. The hack will not impact virtual learning, the district said. Superintendent Kenneth Gutman said virtual learning will proceed as normal when classes resume Monday morning. Walled Lake school officials said there is a possibility credentials and other information was taken. As communicated earlier today, Our Path and My Path virtual learning will continue, uninterrupted, for all students in WLCSD tomorrow.

WALLED LAKE, Mich. – In an email sent to parents late Sunday the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools District said a system outage has been linked to a cyberattack. The hack will not impact virtual learning, the district said. Superintendent Kenneth Gutman said virtual learning will proceed as normal when classes resume Monday morning. The District has a cyber security insurance policy which provides us access to these and other experts in the field. As communicated earlier today, Our Path and My Path virtual learning will continue, uninterrupted, for all students in WLCSD tomorrow.

DEARBORN, Mich. The University of Michigan-Dearborn issued an apology Wednesday for creating segregated online student cafes, one for white people and another for people of color, that it says were intended to promote discussions about race and diversity. He added its important that white students hear and learn from the experiences of students of color in these discussions. It seemed that opportunity was missed intentionally, said Ayoub, a UM-Dearborn graduate. The use of cafe was the cause of much confusion as people online thought the university was building two separate, physical cafes to serve students, said Vice-Chancellor Ken Kettenbeil, adding the sessions were one-time events, but he anticipates the dialogue will continue. The terms used to describe these virtual events and the descriptions themselves were not clear and not reflective of the universitys commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the universitys statement said.

We caught up with parents who have their hands full with work and school -- both from home. They have been working to prepare for this challenging time and have come up with some hacks you might want to see. Watch the videos to learn more.

LANSING, Mich. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is scheduled to be featured on the opening night of next week's Democratic National Convention. Whitmer will speak Monday during the four-day event, which will be virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whitmer's profile grew nationally in the spring as she confronted the COVID-19 crisis. At the convention, Democrats will formally nominate the presidential ticket and also adopt a party platform and rules.

DETROIT – Michigan State House Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo is calling on the Detroit public schools superintendent to reconsider the district’s plan to offer in-person classes at the start of this fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) has has been very clear that it has wanted parents to have a choice between face-to-face or remote learning. The approved plan includes the choices of in-person or online learning, smaller in-person class sizes and daily safety protocols like cleaning, masks and social distancing. Gay-Dagnogo said Superintendent Nikoli Vitti and the school board should reconsider the plan. For more information about DPSCD’s return-to-school plan, go here: https://www.detroitk12.org/returntoschoolRelated: How Detroit public schools are bridging the digital divide

UTICA, Mich. Families who want their Utica Community Schools students to return to school completely virtually can now register. The full virtual academy is offered through Utica Community Schools. The academy is completely online and open to families seeking a full virtual option for their children this fall. The UCS Virtual Academy will provide the high standards of quality instruction and support that our community expects and will be delivered by a UCS highly qualified teacher, Superintendent Dr. Christine Johns said. Officials said students who enroll in the academy will get a district-owned device.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. The Southfield Public School District plans to start the 2020 fall semester with remote learning due to a large number of COVID-19 cases in our region, the district announced. The school district describes its remote learning plan as follows:Students will begin the 2020-2021 academic year engaged in all-remote learning, similar to the final few months of the previous school year. Students will receive rigorous online instruction and support, and the same academic excellence that our in-person curriculum and teaching provides. Accountability measures for attendance, grades, and assessments apply.The district says students will automatically return to the hybrid model of instruction once all-remote learning has ended. The district also says it will offer a virtual-only learning option for families who do not yet feel comfortable having their students return to school when the district reopens for in-person learning.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. The Southfield Public School District, one of Metro Detroits largest districts, announce it will begin the 2020 fall semester with remote learning due to a large number of COVID-19 cases in our region, the district announced. Original story: Southfield Public School District to start school year with remote learning onlySouthfield Public School officials looked at the COVID-19 numbers, which jumped from a 2.4% infection rate to 5.4% infection rate in the community in less than a week. Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Green didnt just look at the infection rate, but at the Oakland County COVID-19 numbers of children under the age of 18. The district will go to a 100% remote learning model until the science says otherwise. It will not be face-to-face teaching, it will be child care and supervision for remote learning at the Birney K-8 facility on Evergreen.

During these unprecedented times, we could all use a good laugh, and like many other businesses, comedians have had to pivot and find creative ways to keep their careers and the laughter flowing. Joining hosts Jason Carr and Tati Amare over Skype is a friend of the show, Mike Bonner, a local comedian and comedy show promoter. He shared how he has kept the laughter going by moving his comedy show online. The comedian has been using Zoom to host private stand-up performances for different groups in the area. He kept them laughing as they discussed everything from his beard, to his forays into the kitchen, to his storytime for kids program called, What up doe?To hear all the fun things Mike Bonner has going on, watch the full video above.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Throughout July, Ann Arbors Wild Swan Theater will host a weekly virtual variety show for young audiences. The 30-minute shows are free and will be streamed through Facebook Live on the Wild Swan Facebook page. Wild Swan actress Sandy Ryder will be joined by musicians San Slomovits and Emily Slomovits. Currently, the Wild Swan Theater is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mission of the theater is to make professional theater accessible for everyone through lowered ticket prices, accessibility measures and outreach programs.

Wine-ding down has never been easier thanks to Detroit Vineyards. The local winery is offering virtual wine tastings from the comfort of your own home! During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, Detroit Vineyards was looking for a way to still interact with its customers, and it came up with the idea of doing a virtual tasting. They recently opened their tasting room in Eastern Market. For more information visit their website, or check out their tasting room at 1000 Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.

ANN ARBOR Although Monday marks the reopening of several governmental offices -- including operations at Larcom City Hall -- Washtenaw County courts will not be reopening for in-person business for now. Phases one and two will only allow employees in court buildings, and in-person services are expected to start up again in late June and early July. Until then, all court proceedings, probation interviews and any other public services will be conducted via videoconferencing, phone calls, mail or other means. If a visitor does not have a face covering, some court locations will be able to provide them at the security screening locations. Visitors will be screened for symptoms and COVID exposure at the security screening locations.

ANN ARBOR Wild Swan Theater has announced a new initiative titled Wild Swan in the Wings to help families with children bring fun, creative activities to their homes while schools are closed. The activities are designed for independent play or for children and adults to engage together at home, with the help of an occasional prop of common household objects. Throughout its 40-year history, Wild Swan offers lively, participatory theater workshops that provide fun ways for participants to develop imagination and creativity in a group setting. Most activities are designed to be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors -- away from screens. Every few weeks, Wild Swan will be releasing new theater games, video clips of past productions, playwriting activities and activities for kids with special needs.

The stay at home order has unfortunately canceled big and small life events like children’s birthday parties. Katy Werely of Mini Picassos in Harper Woods joined Jason Carr via Skype. Katy is sort of an expert at throwing fun and creative birthday parties. Her studio hosts all kinds of events including birthday parties. Watch the video to see how these crafts work and to see how Katy can keep your kids entertained even when it’s not their birthday.