Latest news with #TeferiBrent
CBS News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Public safety reform forum engages Detroit residents
As Detroit organizations that are dedicated to providing support and resources to combat violence brace for budget cuts, public safety leaders and advocates band together to spark change and reform. "These are my people. These are my neighbors. These are my children. These are my elders. These are my brothers and sisters," said community activist Teferi Brent. On Friday, dozens of people packed into Fellowship Chapel in Detroit to kick off Freedom Weekend 2025. "We can't sit on our couch and sit back and say we have an issue with violence in our community, but we're not willing to do something about it to make our community safe," said Brent. The citywide initiative encourages people to approach and begin difficult conversations around impactful topics, including justice, reform, and community-based safety solutions. "It's a holistic approach, and it's been working. It's been proven to be effective," said Negus Vu, president and CEO of The People's Action. Organizers say their goal is to highlight the work being done throughout the metro area and inspire the next generation of leadership. "We have a responsibility to serve and to protect rights and to provide resources for our community so that we can live in peaceful, prosperous communities. I mean, this is what our people deserve," said Brent. One organization seeing a big boost is The People's Action, which recently received a nearly $400,000 grant from Michigan State Police that will fund an intensive 20-week program designed to provide wraparound services in the community and offer alternatives to incarceration. "We understand that it's imperative to save as many lives as possible in the city of Detroit, but we cannot afford to lose any lives," said Vu. Organizers say events like these highlight the need for those who are already doing this work to continue moving it forward. "Either you are part of the problem, or you are part of solving the problem," said Brent. Leaders behind the weekend say these gatherings give them the boost they need to grow their programs and help as many people as they can for as long as possible.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Stop the cigar lounge at DTW' billboards placed along I-94, I-275
A public health group is ramping up pressure on the Wayne County Airport Authority to scrap a proposed cigar lounge at the Detroit Metro Airport, launching billboards that warn of secondhand smoke risks. The Detroit Wayne Oakland Tobacco Free Coalition unveiled the billboards this week along Interstates 94 and 275 near the airport. Featuring an image of a coughing child in an airport terminal, the signs urge passersby to 'Stop the cigar lounge at DTW' and call on the public to oppose indoor smoking at one of the state's busiest transportation hubs, according to a news release from the coalition. More than 31 million travelers passed through DTW in 2023. Health advocates say the risks extend beyond individual choice. 'The science is clear. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke,' said the chairman of the Detroit Cancer Screening Initiative, Dr. Lawrence MacDonald, in the release. 'Permitting a cigar lounge at DTW would not only put travelers at risk but also jeopardize the health and safety of the 18,000 employees who work there. This proposal flies in the face of Michigan's progress in creating smoke-free public environments.' In late 2024, the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) said its proposed Cigar Lounge and Restaurant Concessions Opportunity could bring a cigar bar lounge and restaurant, food hall and other new developments to the McNamara Terminal at DTW. "We developed the Cigar Lounge and Restaurant Concessions Opportunity in response to interest from the community and local businesses, especially as it relates to the international nature of the airport," a WCAA spokesperson told the Free Press. Michigan's Smoke-Free Indoor Air Law went into effect in 2010, banning indoor smoking in most public places. While cigar bars and tobacco shops are exempt under the law, critics of the DTW cigar lounge argue the WCAA plan stretches those exemptions and threatens to undermine smoke-free protections statewide. Members of the coalition say the proposal also lacks transparency and public engagement. Several have submitted comments and emails to the airport authority but report little response, according to the news release. Coalition leaders have also published opinion pieces and spoken out at monthly WCAA meetings.'As a parent and frequent traveler, I'm appalled by the idea of exposing my children to secondhand smoke while navigating the airport,' a Michigan resident and parent, Teferi Brent, said in the release. 'This proposal sends the wrong message to our youth. Many kids today have never even seen indoor smoking in public places, and we must not allow a backward slide into that past.' More: Workers at 5 metro Detroit nursing homes walk off the job in 1-day strike In response to public concern, the airport authority said a cigar lounge at DTW would include measures to reduce smoke exposure and emphasized that it prioritizes the health and safety of all its employees, customers and visitors. "Bidders will be required to provide a state-of-the-art air handling and ventilation system and facility design to reduce smoke exposure to the fullest extent possible," according to the WCAA. But according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, 'The only way to eliminate indoor tobacco smoke exposure is to prohibit all smoking activity inside and near buildings.' The proposed cigar lounge at DTW has also drawn criticism from the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation, the Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance and many Michigan travelers. Most of the comments on a DTW Facebook post from early January —which featured photos of the airport in the 1930s — expressed opposition to the proposed cigar lounge. "It must be the 1930s, if we're considering to allow indoor smoking again!" one user commented. "Second-hand smoke is extremely harmful to human health, and even the THIRD-HAND smoke that comes off of smokers' clothing is harmful as well," another person wrote. "I am a senior citizen who cannot afford to breathe second-hand smoke" The coalition plans to keep its billboards up for at least four weeks and hopes the campaign sparks broader public opposition. A final plan has not yet been announced. WCAA said it values community input as it prepares to "begin the solicitation process" for the concessions opportunity. Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@ Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Billboard campaign warns against proposed DTW cigar lounge
