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How my husband’s unconventional idea materialized into a collaborative labor of love: A novel

By Courtney Conover – Whew. I’m going to be honest: I feel like I’ve just given birth. But, this time, instead of reveling in that new baby smell, the pride and joy I’m holding has 22 chapters, a glossy cover, and an electronic sibling. It’s entitled AI Turf: Playing...
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Friday nights with G.Faz Pizza

Welcome back to another Spotlight Series with Sarah! The series where the writer gets to know the city more personally, while the readers get to know the writer better in the process. In August 2013, I met one of my best friends, Amanda, during band week with the Michigan...
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With a historic strike in the rearview mirror, Dwayne Walker, president of UAW Local 900 here in Wayne, sets his sights on continuing union integrity and solidarity

By Courtney Conover – Today, the long stretch of southbound Michigan Avenue near Newburgh Road looks as if nothing ever happened. But we, the residents–those of us who call Wayne home–know differently. For 46 long, arduous days, Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant—and its...
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Do you make your bed properly? (Spoiler: Many don’t.)

I learned something the other day that I didn’t know—but probably should have—because it makes a lot of sense: I learned the real reason why hotels use white bed sheets. According to the magazine Travel + Leisure, it basically boils down to humans being imperfect beings who want...
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Life’s hard knocks were no match for Patel’s perseverance and even harder work

By Courtney Conover – Khushi Patel’s life thus far can be characterized in a myriad of ways. But easy isn’t one of them. Born in Flint, Michigan, to parents who immigrated from India in the late ‘90s to make a living in the motel industry, Patel,19, grew up amid the...
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11 hip phrases you may want to know

It’s almost Thanksgiving, so you know what that means. There’s the prospect of nearly three different generations gathering around the table to cut the turkey, feast on trimmings, and catch up on life. And that means lots can get lost in translation. But if you’re like me, that...
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On the eve of his appearance at HYPE Athletics in Wayne, famed wrestler Bret “Hitman” Hart opens up about his life in the ring—and outside of it

By Courtney Conover – When one thinks of a wrestler, big muscles are a given. But a soft heart? Perhaps not so much. But on Friday, October 13, 2023, both will converge at Wayne’s HYPE Athletics when Champion for a Cause Promotions Presents The Hart of the Matter featuring...
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Wayne Memorial Principal Gildersleeve plans to guide the Zebras on a path to success

By Courtney Conover – Cory Gildersleeve has amassed more than 26 years of experience in the realm of public education, so it’s fair to say that he’s learned a thing or two. The value of teamwork and cooperation is among them. “I’m a team guy,” says Gildersleeve, 49. “A...
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Cash Stuffing: Have you heard of it?

It’s a Thing Jasmine Taylor was once afflicted with something that ails a lot of Americans: Not having enough money. And being saddled with debt certainly didn’t help. She had roughly $60,000 in student loan debt as well as another $9,000 in medical and credit card debt on...
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Former Wayne-Westland Community School District teacher and school board member Tom Buckalew talks classroom etiquette, life lessons, and vacation plans

By Courtney Conover – Having retired from teaching in 2009, Tom Buckalew has become well accustomed to having free time on his hands. But that’s not to say he’s idle—far from it. On tap for Buckalew, 78, is a summer brimming with the kind of activity that fuels the sou...