Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies, including updates about the COVID-19 pandemic. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Dodge//SRT and Mopar Team with Tony Stewart Racing in NHRA
When Tony Stewart Racing’s Funny Car and Top Fuel dragsters hit the track in their team’s NHRA debut at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. next month, they will be doing so with Dodge power.
Dodge//SRT and Mopar last week announced their sponsorship of drag racing’s newest super team, with three-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan and Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett running for owner Tony Steward, a dirt track, IndyCar, and NASCAR legend in his own right.
According to Dodge, the announcement opens the sixth “garage door” of the Dodge Never Lift campaign, a 24-month road map to the brand’s electrified performance future. The Dodge 24 Months of Muscle calendar can be viewed here.
“The Dodge brand has a long history of competing in and supporting motorsports.” says Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand for Auburn Hills’ Stellantis. “For nearly a decade, NHRA drag racing has been our primary motorsports focus, helping deliver products like the Dodge Demon, 1320, and Super Stock; cars that resonate with the Brotherhood of Muscle.
“These vehicles will hold a place in muscle-car history for years to come. The Dodge brand embodies the philosophy of the ‘last 10th,’ and we are not done pushing the performance envelope. So, we are extremely excited to partner with Tony Stewart and his drag racing team to help take Dodge to the next level. Tony is a racing legend with an attitude, personality and competitive drive that aligns perfectly with our goals.”
Stewart says, “I’m really pleased to have Dodge//SRT and Mopar as partners with our new NHRA venture as manufacturer and sponsor for our two entries in Top Fuel and Funny Car with Leah and Matt. It shows confidence in your program when an OEM wants to be on your team and for you to help support their program as well. They have obviously had a great relationship with both drivers for the last few years and to be able to continue that association is key to this team’s success and a huge benefit to the continuity for everyone involved.”
The 2022 NHRA Camping World Series season kicks off Feb. 17-20 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway.
Southfield’s Lockwood Breaks Ground on Senior Living Community in Ann Arbor
Southfield builder, developer, and manager of senior and active senior communities in Michigan Lockwood Cos. broken ground on a new senior living community in Ann Arbor.
The development represents an approximately $45 million investment in the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. It also will create 150 to 200 full and part-time jobs.
Lockwood of Ann Arbor, located at 2195 E. Ellsworth Road, will be a three-story, 168,130-square-foot building with 154 independent senior apartments, including 65 units dedicated as affordable housing.
Scheduled to open in Summer of 2023, Lockwood of Ann Arbor will feature 89 one-bedroom units and 65 two-bedroom units. The building will include a commercial kitchen and dining area, game room, arts and crafts room, barber shop/beauty salon, movie room, and fitness/wellness room. Three meals per day prepared by a chef, along with laundry and housekeeping services will be available.
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to provide high quality senior apartments to those living in or near Ann Arbor,” says Mark Lockwood, president and CEO of Lockwood Cos. “The senior population in Washtenaw County is projected to rise significantly by 2040. We are proud to offer an affordable housing option for area seniors.”
Sixty-five units of Lockwood of Ann Arbor will be designated as affordable housing, based upon area median income, with monthly rents ranging from $864 for a one-bedroom apartment to $2,750 for a two-bedroom apartment.
For more information, visit here.
Oakland County Publishes Accessibility Survey for Businesses
As part of Oakland County Executive David Coulter’s “Oakland Together” initiative, the county Planning and Local Business Development’s Department of Economic Development is gathering information from businesses to identify needs and formulate programs and services that can improve public access to businesses in Oakland County.
The county is asking businesses to complete the survey, posted here, by Feb. 1 to provide it with a better understanding of the challenges they currently face or have overcome in making their building barrier free and accessible to everyone.
The information the businesses provide will help guide the county in understanding what support is needed by the business community in the area of accessibility.
JVS Human Services Hosts Interviewing Webinar Feb. 1
Southfield-based VJS Human Services is hosting a free Zoom webinar at 1 p.m. on Feb. 1 titled “How to “Wow” Your Future Employer in an Interview.”
The program will feature a human resource professional from the med-tech company Xoran Technologies along with a JVS Human Services recruiter who both have inside knowledge of how to impress a potential employer and how to avoid red flags that could derail the hiring process.
To register for the program, visit here. The webinar will be streamed later on the JVS Human Services Facebook page.
“The New Year is typically a time when people reset the clock and feel excited and hopeful about starting something new and that particularly goes for employment,” says Sherrie James, supervisor of career counseling at JVS Human Services. “The current labor market, which has employers scrambling for the right candidates, gives job seekers a real impetus to make that change now.”
Heart Association Sponsoring National Wear Red Day Feb. 4
The American Heart Association is rallying women in metro Detroit to “Reclaim Your Rhythm” on Friday, Feb. 4 as a part of the association’s Go Red for Women National Wear Red Day.
This February, Go Red for Women is helping women reclaim their rhythm by promoting easy opportunities for women to build healthy habits that work best for their life, giving them the best chance at life. On Feb. 4 wear red to raise awareness about the prevalence of heart disease in women and donate to save women’s lives.
Through the Go Red for Women movement, the American Heart Association encourages people to take action in February by:
- Wearing red on National Wear Red Day Feb. 4, 2022. The Red Dress pin and other apparel are available at org. You can also contact Ebony.Bagley@heart.org
- Making a donation to support the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association at org. Big Lots and the Big Lots Foundation will match online donations on National Wear Red Day, up to $333,333.
- Visiting CVS Health and making a donation at the register. Donations also can be made online here.
- Join Research Goes Red , a joint collaboration between the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women and Verily’s Project Baseline to engage more women directly to participate in research.
- Joining the conversation by using #WearRedDay, #HeartMonth, #GoRedforWomen, #DetroitGoRed on social media.
- Creating a social media post sharing how you are ‘Reclaiming Your Rhythm’ in a video or photo.
The association is hosting a Detroit Go Red For Women Luncheon from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Suburban Collection Showplace. Visit here for more information.
Arbor Hospice Hosts Virtual Grief Support Groups
Arbor Hospice in Ann Arbor is continuing its virtual support groups throughout the winter for those experiencing the loss of a loved one.
For more information on individual groups, please visit Arbor Hospice’s Grief Journey Programs here. The following grief support events are scheduled to take place:
- Winter Warmth: A Reflection on Legacy — Jan. 23, 3-4 p.m. RSVP with Margie Martin at 734-769-5821 or mmartin@arborhospice.org
- Men Overcoming Loss: General — First Tuesday of the month (starting Feb. 1), 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP with Will Gasper at 231-444-3350 or wgasper@hom.org
- Men Overcoming Loss: Grieving Dads — First Wednesday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP with David Keller at 231-527-0913 | dkeller@hom.org
- Men Overcoming Loss: Partner/Spouse — Third Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP with Wes Lawton at 586-263-8514 or wlawton@hom.org
- Grief After Dementia — Second Tuesday of the month, 6:30-7:30 p.m. RSVP with Carly Whetstone at 616-443-2581 | cwhetstone@hom.org
- Healing Hearts: Coping with Valentine’s Day — Feb. 13, 2:30-3:30 p.m. RSVP with Naomi Avril at 734-794-5177 | navril@arborhospice.org
- Journaling with Ron Gries, author of “Through Death to Life” — March 20, 3-4 p.m. RSVP with Melissa McCreedy at 734-794-5127 | mmccreedy@arborhospice.org
- Working Age Dinner Group — Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP with Margie Martin at 734-769-5821 or mmartin@arborhospice.org
- Dinner Diners — Second Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP with Margie Martin at 734-769-5821 | mmartin@arborhospice.org