F-16 Crashes Near Traverse City

A Texas Air National Guard F-16 crashed during a training mission Thursday afternoon in Grand Traverse County, and the pilot ejected safely.

The jet went down in a field in Blair Township, near a house and a camper that were not hit, sending up a fireball and thick black smoke during a routine training mission from the Air National Guard’s training center in Alpena.

The pilot, assigned to the 149th Fighter Wing based in San Antonio, was in stable condition at a hospital, and Michigan State Police said no one else was hurt.

Officials initially ordered residents near County Road 633 to shelter in place and then, because of a hazardous chemical spill from the crash, to evacuate within a mile of the site, while a nearby church and the Red Cross assisted affected residents. The cause is under investigation.

Benson, James Split on Michigan Economy

Republican John James and Democrat Jocelyn Benson pitched rival plans for tariffs, taxes, and business growth at a Detroit Economic Club forum Wednesday.

Benson, the secretary of state, said she would negotiate directly with Canada and stand up to President Trump, whose tariffs one report estimates have cost Michigan households about $5,600.

James, a U.S. representative who joined by video after House votes kept him in Washington, said he will introduce a bill using tariff revenue to cut production costs and prevent layoffs.

Both largely backed local control over where data centers are built and called for changes to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Major business groups, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Detroit Regional Chamber, have yet to take a side in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 

Gas Nears $5, Diesel Sets Record

Michigan’s average price for regular gas jumped to $4.75 a gallon Thursday, up 21 cents overnight, according to AAA.

In the Lansing area, averages ranged from about $4.75 a gallon in Hillsdale County to $4.87 in Eaton County, while the statewide average was up from $4.31 a week earlier.

Diesel set a state record of $6.54 a gallon, its third straight daily high.

The surge is tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict and disruptions to oil shipping in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, which analysts say could push fuel prices higher still.

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➤ Statewide: Attorney James Fett asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate discrimination in Michigan State Police hiring and promotions. The agency said it follows civil service rules and federal law, while the DOJ said it is reviewing the allegations. (More)

➤ West Michigan: Twin brothers Michael and William Null, acquitted in 2023 of charges tied to the alleged 2020 plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, filed a federal lawsuit accusing Attorney General Dana Nessel, the FBI, and Michigan State Police of fabricating evidence and wrongful prosecution. (More)

➤ Lansing: Attorney General Dana Nessel joined survivors and advocates at an event to urge the state House to pass a stalled bipartisan package that would double the maximum human-trafficking penalty to 20 years. The Senate approved the bills unanimously in January. (More)

➤ Detroit: The city’s inspector general is investigating Police Chief Todd Bettison over calls he made asking two men to delete social media posts involving Mayor Mary Sheffield. Bettison admitted making the calls and said he has no regrets. (More)

➤ Wayne County: As a growing number of Michigan departments use artificial intelligence to draft police reports from body-camera audio, Prosecutor Kym Worthy urged chiefs to “be cautious,” calling the practice “fraught with problems” and drafting a countywide policy. (More)

➤ Northern Lower Peninsula: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reopened its 10-year State Forest Management Plan for public comment after a March 2025 ice storm, called a once-in-a-century event, downed timber across the region and forced revisions. Comment runs through Oct. 12. (More)

➤ Charlotte: The U.S. House unanimously passed a bill to rename Charlotte’s post office for Ensign Francis Flaherty, a hometown sailor and the state’s first World War II Medal of Honor recipient, who died aboard the USS Oklahoma helping his gun crew escape at Pearl Harbor. (More)

➤ Jared Goff threw four touchdown passes, but Josh Allen accounted for five scores of his own as the Detroit Lions fell 41-31 to the Buffalo Bills in the inaugural regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. (More)

➤ NCAA officials confirmed that replay protocols weren’t followed on the second-to-last play of Michigan’s 13-12 win over Western Michigan. The committee said proper review would have changed the outcome, but rules prohibit appeals. (More)

➤ Dylan Larkin will miss the opening of Detroit Red Wings training camp with an upper-body injury sustained during off-ice training. (More)

➤ Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan will play their Nov. 4 rivalry game at Detroit’s Ford Field. The 104th meeting will feature a fan competition, a MACtion cook-off, and more. (See Details)

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➤ Copperwood Mine opponents sued in Ingham County court to block a $50 million state grant awarded in August for the Canadian-owned copper project in the western Upper Peninsula. Backers tout 380 jobs, while critics cite oversight concerns and its proximity to the Porcupine Mountains. (More)

➤ Priority Waste said it hit a 99% route-completion rate across all communities it serves in August after months of missed-pickup complaints, as the company added 100 drivers and 70 trucks since June 1. (More)

➤ ArtPrize 2025 generated an estimated $82.6 million in economic activity for the Grand Rapids region as the festival drew roughly 960,000 visitors, according to a Grand Valley State University professor. More than half of visitors came from outside Kent County, bringing new spending to area businesses. (More)

➤ Metro Detroit home prices are trending around $337,000, while August sales dipped slightly but remained relatively stable, according to RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan. Mortgage rates have climbed from about 6% in the spring to nearly 7%, adding pressure for buyers heading into the fall market. (More)

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➤ Two towns along the Huron River now lie largely beneath Michigan lakes: Rawsonville, once larger than Ann Arbor, was largely submerged when a dam created Belleville Lake in 1925, while the Village of Kensington was flooded in the 1940s to form Kent Lake. (Read Story)

➤ Scott Lacey, a blind Kalamazoo swimmer, became the first visually impaired person to finish the annual 8.2-mile Mackinac Island Swim, circling the island through Lake Huron as a personal challenge rather than a race. (Read Story)

➤ Zoo Boo, the Detroit Zoo’s family Halloween event in Royal Oak, returns for 2026 with an earlier 3 p.m. start and illuminated evenings running to 8:30 p.m. on select dates Oct. 3 through 25. Advance tickets start at $21. (More)

➤ Poutine Week is underway along Grand Rapids’ Michigan Street corridor through Sept. 27, with restaurants competing to craft their own takes on poutine. Diners collect passport stamps and vote for a favorite. (See List)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ New research revealed just how many Americans are carrying medical debt despite having health insurance. (Listen Now)

➤ Princess Diana’s brother took aim at King Charles in a new memoir that has drawn a rare rebuttal from Buckingham Palace. (Hear Story)

➤ Uber was ordered to pay $40 million to the family of a woman killed after her driver abandoned her on a freeway. (Hear Details)

Gas is climbing toward $5 a gallon in parts of Michigan, and diesel just hit a record. How are the prices affecting you?

1. Driving less to save money
2. Cutting spending elsewhere
3. Feeling it, but no changes yet
4. Prices aren’t affecting me much
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

What matters most to you at an airport?

1. Somewhere decent to sit: 49%
2. Easy to get around: 14%
3. Short security lines: 14%
4. All of the above: 13%
5. Good food and shops: 6%
6. I avoid the airport at all costs: 2%
7. Other: 2%

When the Detroit Zoo opened in Royal Oak in 1928, it broke from the traditional way zoos displayed their animals, pioneering a more naturalistic approach. What was that innovation?

Show me the answer