Norman Sinclair
Buy-In, Sellout
When Art Van Furniture in Warren was sold to an East Coast equity firm in 2017, the new owners flipped the real estate, drained the talent, and cut back on a steady stream of popular commercials. How a $612-million retail powerhouse that took 58 years to build was destroyed in 36 months.
Recovery Shot
After a fire, Western Golf and Country Club in Redford Township rebuilds its clubhouse.
Getting Away
Northern Michigan resorts haven’t slowed down, with new courses, rental cottages, hotels, and restaurants ready for action.
Cut-Rate Insurance
In her first policy win after five months in office, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill that lowers auto insurance rates without calling for public hearings. The lack of transparency would have rooted out problems affecting businesses, catastrophically injured patients, and caregivers.
A New Direction
Michigan has reached the crossroads: Without more funds to repair and replace roads and bridges, long-range improvement plans will hit a giant pothole.
Cellular Defense
For years, federal authorities and police officials, in the pursuit of an investigation, have demanded customer location records from cellular carriers. But that all changed when Detroit attorney Harold Z. Gurewitz took a local criminal case all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
Over The Top
Organizers of Detroit’s inaugural PGA tournament, the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club, are aiming to make the annual event one of the top draws of the season.
Capital Flight
Since 2011, the Detroit Police and Fire Retirement System has appointed four receivers to collect on a $10-million unpaid loan to repair and sell homes to low-income buyers. After discovering an elaborate Ponzi scheme and filing multiple lawsuits against the three debtors, one partner committed suicide while the other two fled and are thought to be in Panama.
