Detroit News July 18, 2026
DETROIT — 7/18/2026
Hazardous air quality prompts citywide response
Canadian wildfire smoke pushed Detroit's air quality index above 300 — topping 600 in some areas. Mayor Mary Sheffield opened recreation centers as respite sites, distributed free masks, and shifted non-essential city staff to remote work. Essential services like police, fire, EMS, and trash collection continued as normal.
Gordie Howe Bridge opens to traffic July 27
After years of construction, the new Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario opens to traffic on July 27. The roughly $4.4 billion crossing includes Michigan's only multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists on a border bridge.
Detroit voters to decide school funding measure Aug 4
Detroit Public Schools Community District is asking voters to approve an 18-mill operating millage that would raise more than $100 million a year for general school expenses. It would apply to commercial, rental, and vacation properties — not primary residences — and is the district's first such request since 2016.
$184M program to fix 9,000 sewer connections
Detroit and DWSD announced a $184 million Alley Sewer Repair Program to fix thousands of private residential sewer connections in city alleys, funded largely through a federal disaster recovery grant. Work will prioritize qualifying neighborhoods, starting this October and wrapping up by the end of 2030.
3,000 new streetlights begin rolling out citywide
Mayor Sheffield and the Public Lighting Authority kicked off the "Brighten Up the Block" initiative with the first of 3,000 new mid-block streetlights, installed in the Regent Park neighborhood on the city's east side. The rollout aims to improve visibility and safety across all seven council districts.
Benefit concert to fund prosthetics for injured Palestinians
A Detroit benefit concert is being organized to raise money for prosthetics for Palestinians who have been injured, giving locals a way to support humanitarian relief through music and community.