OAA/MAC Challenge Boys Basketball Preview

OAA/MAC Challenge Boys Basketball Preview

by | Nov 13, 2025 | Feature Writers, High School Sports

OAA/MAC Challenge Boys Basketball Preview

Written Thursday November 13th at 8:15 AM

Here is a preview of the games at Rochester for the OAA/MAC Boys Basketball Challenge on December 6th at Rochester.

This will be updated with times and more information.

STONEY CREEK vs Utica Eisenhower:

This could be a district preview between two neighbors who played in the football postseason recently (Stoney Creek 35-31 first round.) Both teams have young coaches (Stoney Creek-Marco Tomich, Utica Eisenhower-Anthony Muscat.) Both teams have proven guards and are looking to have bounce back years. The Cougars have experience but they need to overcome the losing mindset from the past. This should be a very interesting game.

ADAMS vs Macomb Dakota:

This looks to be a heavyweight fight of two teams that should make noise in their respective leagues this season. The Cougars are always loaded under Coach Paul Tocco while the Highlanders have Cannon Flynn for Coach Isiah Novak. Adams supporting cast will need to be huge in this game if they want to beat Macomb Dakota.

ROCHESTER vs Chippewa Valley

This is a very interesting matchup of two teams that can go up and down and score in bunches. The Falcons have experience but so does the Big Reds. Chippewa Valley is very athletic but there are some questions in the interior. Rochester is team oriented which is the most dangerous. It’s which style of play decides this game.

TROY vs Utica

These are two teams that are very young and scrappy. The Colts lost a lot of experience from last season. The Chieftains were very young and should be much improved. This could be a low scoring game between two teams that preaches defense.

TROY ATHENS vs Macomb Lutheran North

The Red Hawks have a lot of experience from winning a district crown last season. The Crusaders are a very proven program which should challenge Troy Athens. Macomb Lutheran North has been a proven power and has had deep postseason runs. This is an opportunity to show everyone what the Red Hawks are made of.

OXFORD vs Fraser:

The coaching matchup between Coaches Joe Fedorchik and former Stoney Creek Coach Steve Norgrove is a really fun coaching matchup. The Ramblers have been improving as a program under Norgrove. The Wildcats lost a lot of talent but Oxford still is a force to be a recon with. This should be a fun and competitive game.

OAA/MAC Challenge Boys Basketball Preview

Ferndale has a new Girls Basketball Coach

by | Nov 13, 2025 | Feature Writers, High School Sports

Ferndale has a new Girls Basketball Coach.

Written Wednesday November 12th at 11:35 PM

The Eagles have a new girls basketball coach.

Ferndale named April Johnson as their new head coach. The MHSAA website confirmed the hire.

Johnson played at Detroit Renaissance and played at Bethune Cookham University. She played point guard and brings experience into the program.

Johnson takes over a program that has a ton of questions. Program strength is a serious concern and will be something to watch. Ferndale won ten games and a district crown last season but the Eagles saw a mass exit leave the school and head elsewhere. Johnson will be tasked into rebuilding the program and also getting non conference games for her new program.

Ferndale will be in the Blue with Adams, Southfield Arts and Tech, Harper Woods, Troy, and Troy Athens this season. They are in a tough district which has Ferndale University, Birmingham Detroit Country Day, Madison Heights Lamphere, Center Line, and Hazel Park which could be at Birmingham Detroit Country Day but it’s not confirmed yet.

The Eagles have only two players according to my notes coming back in Zahra Richardson and JaNiya Larry but it’s unknown if they are in the program. Ferndale was not at Media Day on Tuesday at Groves.

The first day for girls basketball tryouts is November 19th.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story.

MHSAA website confirming the hire.

OAA/MAC Challenge Boys Basketball Preview

Football Regional Final Preview

by | Nov 13, 2025 | Feature Writers, High School Sports

Football Regional Final Preview.

Written Sunday November 9th at 1:15 PM

This will be updated later today for Groves game against either St. Clair Shores Lakeview or Grosse Pointe South.

HARPER WOODS vs Dearborn Divine Child at Westland John Glenn: Saturday 1 PM

The Pioneers really haven’t been tested in the first two weeks of the postseason (Macomb Lutheran North, Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy) but this week that changes when Dearborn Divine Child comes back to Beaconsfield Street to play Harper Woods in a rematch that was won by Harper Woods in the district finals 40-21 last season. The Pioneers have a ton of proven stars as mentioned in the blog. The Falcons have a proven quarterback in Drew Sheridan, who is the brother of former Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan along with running back Marcello Vitti. Both have been very instrumental in their postseason success. This should be a very interesting matchup on Saturday afternoon with the winner likely seeing Goodrich pending if they get by Williamson in the Division Four State Semifinals.

GROVES at St. Clair Shores Lakeview: Friday 7 PM

The Jeremiah Whitley show has taken over the Falcons along with a timely defense (Warren Cousino 36-22 in the district finals.) Whitley has had nine touchdowns in two games in the postseason but lets see how this young Groves squad handle going into Macomb County. The Falcons will get the Huskies in a very interesting matchup of two teams with different styles. Groves likes to balance things out while St. Clair Shores Lakeview likes to run the Wing T offense which is a time possession offense. The Huskies will rotate seven different running backs (including Brennan Johnson, Logan Grubb, and Dallas Harris who combined for over 180 rushing yards against Grosse Pointe South) plus they have a quarterback in Gavin McGee who is also very efficient as a runner in the Wing T offense. St. Clair Shores Lakeview has wins over Utica Eisenhower (30-27), Lapeer (21-7), and Port Huron Northern (21-14). They beaten Grosse Pointe South twice including a 25-22 win in week seven and a 24-7 win in the district finals with both games in Grosse Pointe and it was their first district crown in school history. The key to this game is possessions for both teams as mentioned. The Huskies like to limit the opposing team’s possessions and play time possession football while the Falcons want to play balanced football. The winner will get Gibraltar Carlson or Dexter in the Division Two State Semifinals.

ADAMS vs Romeo: Friday 7 PM

The Highlanders have been rolling through their city rivals (Rochester, Stoney Creek) this postseason. They will have a rematch with Romeo in the regional finals at Highlander Stadium. Adams beat the Bulldogs 39-7 in week one but Romeo is a much different team than they were from week one. The Bulldogs won the Macomb Area Conference Red crown and is coming off a 56-0 blowout of bitter Macomb Area Conference Red rival Macomb Dakota at Dan Barnabo Field. The Highlanders present a lot of challenges for Romeo. This should be a very interesting game on Adams and Tienken Roads. Whoever wins this game will get Saline or Detroit Cass Tech in the Division One State Semifinals.

CLARKSTON vs Novi Detroit Catholic Central: Friday 7 PM

The Wolves and Shamrocks are no strangers to one another, it was Clarkston that won the Division One State crown at Novi Detroit Catholic Central’s expense in 2013 and 2017 at Ford Field. The Wolves have been rolling since the Harper Woods game (lost 27-21) but this will be Clarkston’s gravest challenge in form of who the Shamrocks have with multiple players that are Division One bound talents. Novi Detroit Catholic Central has a set of brothers in Samson Gash and Gideon Gash whom both have been dominant this postseason along with an experienced quarterback in Duke Banta. They also have Cedrick Williams who has also made some noise at running back. Novi Detroit Catholic Central has a huge offensive line along with a solid defense. The Shamrocks really haven’t been tested this postseason with two blowout wins over Hartland and Brighton. Clarkston has a very experienced team and it’s defense has seen quarterbacks in Jaxson Dosh (Davison) and Jake Murrow (Grand Blanc) this postseason. This will be the Wolves gravest challenge but the good news for Clarkston is they have athletes too and the game is at Clarkston not at Novi.

AG Nessel Calls on FCC to Expand Multilingual Emergency Alerts

AG Nessel Calls on FCC to Expand Multilingual Emergency Alerts

by | Nov 13, 2025 | Regional News

Michigan Department of Attorney General Press Release banner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 12, 2025

Media Contact:
Danny Wimmer

Attorney General Nessel Calls on FCC to Expand Multilingual Emergency Alerts

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 18 other attorneys general and New York City in demanding the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) immediately publish a long-delayed rule (PDF) that would substantially expand language access for critical government emergency alerts sent to cell phones and other mobile devices. The rule, finalized and unanimously adopted by the FCC in January 2025, would expand emergency alerts to 13 additional languages, as well as American Sign Language (ASL). However, for the last ten months, the FCC has been refusing to move to implement it. In a letter to the FCC, Attorney General Nessel and the coalition warn that if the rule is not submitted for publication within 30 days, they are prepared to take legal action.

“Emergency alerts are designed to reach and protect all members of our communities, and they are only truly effective when they reach people in the languages they understand,” Nessel said. “The FCC has delayed the implementation of this much-needed rule for far too long, and I stand with my colleagues in calling for the FCC to do their job and make sure this life-saving rule is finally put into action.”

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are short, text-like messages sent by government agencies through cell carriers to warn the public of imminent threats, such as severe weather, natural disasters, missing persons, or public safety emergencies. These alerts are among the most widely used and effective public warning tools in the United States, but have historically been issued only in English, with Spanish alerts being supported only in recent years. In 2023, the FCC voted to expand to additional languages, and in January 2025, it formally adopted the Multilingual Alerts Order, which requires the implementation of pre-translated alert templates in the 13 most commonly spoken non-English languages and ASL. The order dictates that once the rule is published in the Federal Register, wireless carriers will have 30 months to update their systems to support multilingual alerts.

Nearly ten months after adopting the order, however, the FCC has yet to officially publish it. Because the 30-month implementation period begins only upon publication, the FCC’s inaction has stalled nationwide efforts to modernize the emergency alert system and ensure that more non-English-speaking communities receive timely, life-saving information during disasters or other emergencies. Without expanded language accessibility for WEAs, non-English speakers nationwide lack access to critical information to protect themselves and their families from severe weather and other emergencies.

Attorney General Nessel and the coalition note that the Administrative Procedure Act and the FCC’s own regulations require the agency to publish adopted rules in the Federal Register. By refusing to do so, the coalition argues, the FCC is violating federal law. The demand letter notes that the agency remains obligated to perform this non-discretionary duty even during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Joining Attorney General Nessel in sending the demand letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as New York City.
CELEBRATE 15 YEARS OF RECREATION AT OPEN HOUSE

CELEBRATE 15 YEARS OF RECREATION AT OPEN HOUSE

by | Nov 10, 2025 | Local News

ORION TOWNSHIP INVITES COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE 15 YEARS
OF RECREATION THROUGH FREE REC CENTER OPEN HOUSE

Orion Township, MI – Orion Township invites the community to celebrate 15 years of recreation at the
Parks & Progress Open House on Wednesday, November 12, at Great Lakes Athletic Club (GLAC). The
event highlights the newly redesigned recreational space at GLAC—whose new name, now narrowed to
two finalists, will be revealed at 5:30 PM—and showcases the township’s recreational achievements over
the past 15 years, as well as exciting plans for the future.
“Over the past 15 years, Orion Township has made significant investments in parks, green spaces, trail
connections, and recreational programming,” said Supervisor Chris Barnett. “This event is a celebration of
that progress and a chance for our community to experience all of the amenities at the new recreation
center, and everything else that makes Orion a place where living truly feels like a vacation.”
For additional background, see the attached feature story, Where Living is a Vacation and Recreation
Leads the Way. We welcome our media and community partners to use or adapt it for their own
publications.
More information about the Parks & Progress event is available at OrionTownship.org or through the
event’s Facebook page.
The evening’s timeline is as follows:
4:30 PM – Choose Your Adventure
 Heritage Park Ribbon Cutting: Explore our newest park at 3345 Pasadena, thoughtfully designed to
honor the families and history of our community.
 FREE Family Fitness Class (Ages 11+): Strength & Cardio with trainers Jen Pozzi & Regan Slocum.
5:30 PM – The Big Reveal at GLAC / New Recreation Center
 Celebrate the official transition of GLAC into the newly redesigned Recreation Center at 3800 S.
Baldwin Road.
 Witness the facility’s new name reveal and enjoy an evening of recreation, community connection,
and fun.
6:00 PM – Open House Highlights (for members and nonmembers)
 Tour the recreation center and explore the new children’s center
 Sample a “Taste of Orion” from local restaurants

 Take a FREE fitness class (Barre with Mykala or HIIT Core with Regan) or work out
independently
 Swim with the family
 Create crafts in the new art room
 Play family bingo and more activities for all ages
Special Bonus: Nonmember participants who are Orion residents will receive a virtual punch card
redeemable for three future visits.

Operation Safe Neighborhoods Reaches New Milestone

Operation Safe Neighborhoods Reaches New Milestone

by | Nov 7, 2025 | Regional News

Governor Whitmer Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 7, 2025

Contact: press@michigan.gov

 

Gov. Whitmer, Col. Grady, Dir. Washington Announce Operation Safe Neighborhoods Reaches New Milestone with 900+ Illegal Guns Off the Street

 

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Colonel James Grady, and Director Heidi Washington announced over 900 illegal guns have been taken off the streets as part of Operation Safe Neighborhoods. Since the operation began, law enforcement officials have conducted 9,405 check-ins with felony offenders, leading to over 900 illegal guns taken off the street. During sweeps, officers have also recovered illegal drugs and ammunition.

 

“Every Michigander deserves to feel safe in their community,” said Governor Whitmer. “That’s why I’m proud Operation Safe Neighborhoods has taken over 900 illegal guns off the street. Thanks to the partnership between state and local police, we’re making real progress to protect our communities and stop violence before it happens. Together, we’re building a safer Michigan for everyone. I’ll keep working to get the job done.”

 

“Removing hundreds of illegal guns from our streets will save lives and give more families peace of mind as they go about their daily schedules,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Thanks to more than $1.6 billion in public safety funding across 7 bipartisan budgets and Operation Safe Neighborhoods, we are making a difference so more Michigan families can achieve health, wealth, and prosperity in Michigan. Let’s continue to build safer, more resilient communities where every Michigander can thrive.”

 

Operation Safe Neighborhoods is a statewide crackdown on crime aimed at reducing gun violence by getting illegal guns off the street and guns out of the hands of people who cannot legally possess them due to prior criminal history.

 

“Initiatives like Operation Safe Neighborhoods make a real, tangible difference in the communities we serve,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police. “Removing firearms from people who are not allowed to legally possess them ensures they can’t be used to inflict violence against our neighbors and loved ones. In Michigan, we’re taking a comprehensive approach to safety through a variety of programs. Through our Youth Violence Prevention Summits, we are empowering young people to be leaders in their schools and choose the right path. We’re also making sure all Michiganders know they can ‘Stop a Plot’ by paying attention to the warning signs of violence and reporting them to law enforcement. And remember, if you lawfully possess a firearm, it is your responsibility to store it safely and use a gun lock, which we offer free at our MSP posts statewide.”

 

“Michigan Department of Corrections agents are committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe and ensuring those on probation and parole follow the conditions of their supervision,” said Heidi E. Washington, director of the Michigan Department of Corrections. “We have agents in every county in Michigan, and this initiative allows us to collaborate closely with local law enforcement to stop crime before it happens. We will continue to work every day to make sure that these illegally possessed firearms are off Michigan streets.”

 

Nearly one in three reported violent crimes in Michigan involve a firearm. This initiative builds on Governor Whitmer’s MI Safe Communities program that she launched in 2021 to invest in local police, get illegal guns off the street, and fund expanded opportunities in jobs, education, and the justice system.

 

About Operation Safe Neighborhoods 

Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) parole and probation agents team up with local law enforcement across the state and conduct enhanced compliance checks on probationers and parolees who are legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

 

There are roughly 32,000 probationers and 8,600 parolees in the state, many of whom have been convicted previously of a gun crime. These individuals are supervised by more than 1,000 MDOC parole and probation agents. The plan the department devised and implemented is aimed at focusing on high-risk individuals who have weapons possession in their criminal history that could be used to commit further crime.

 

Governor Whitmer’s Record Breaking Public Safety Investments  

Since taking office, Governor Whitmer has worked closely with local leaders, law enforcement officers, and community organizations to ensure people feel safe in their neighborhoods. The governor has signed seven balanced, bipartisan budgets, each making record investments to help communities fund local law enforcement departments and hire more first responders.

 

Since taking office, Governor Whitmer has invested over $1.7 billion into public safety. This year’s budget includes $60 million for Public Safety Revenue Sharing grants to provide cities, villages, and townships with additional resources for police services and to support community violence intervention efforts and $15 million for community violence intervention grants to reduce gun violence and save lives.

 

The new budget also makes specific investments in Michigan State Police. She delivered funding to help hire and train new troopers and continue Secure Cities Partnership. She also secured $59 million to pay for raises, helping with retainment and recruitment.

 

In April 2023, Governor Whitmer signed commonsense gun violence prevention bills that established universal background checks for all firearm purchases and safe storage requirements. In May 2023, Governor Whitmer signed bills establishing extreme risk protection orders in Michigan, ensuring police officers, health care professionals, and family members concerned about someone who may harm themselves or others can seek a court order to temporarily confiscate their firearms. In November 2023, Governor Whitmer signed bills disallowing convicted domestic abusers from owning firearms. In June 2024, Governor Whitmer signed ED 2024-4 to establish the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to further work in gun violence reduction.

 

Governor Whitmer proposed the commonsense gun violence prevention legislation during her 2023 State of the State address and has worked with the Michigan Legislature, community groups, law enforcement, students and parents following the shooting at Michigan State University in February 2023 and the shooting at Oxford High School in November 2021 to get these commonsense measures that will reduce gun violence signed into law.