Comerica Park Gets a New Name

The Detroit Tigers and Fifth Third Bank announced Monday afternoon that the downtown ballpark will be called Fifth Third Park starting with the 2027 season.

The switch follows Fifth Third Bancorp’s acquisition of Comerica, a $10.9 billion all-stock deal announced last October. Comerica’s naming rights had been extended through 2034, but the deal was affected by the merger.

It’s the first name change for the park, which opened in 2000 after the Tigers left Tiger Stadium. Fifth Third’s name is already on Fifth Third Field in Toledo, home of Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate.

The bank signaled the timing in April, calling the park a treasured landmark and saying the name would change at some point, but not until the offseason.

Comerica moved its headquarters from Detroit to Dallas in 2007 and kept its name on the ballpark anyway. The Tigers, eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, play their final homestand this week.

ArtPrize Tackles AI, Voting Rumors

ArtPrize organizers issued a statement Sunday saying their voting platform, FlockX, has no connection to Flock Safety, the license plate camera company.

The confusion started because FlockX asks voters for location access. ArtPrize says that check helps prevent automated voting fraud and manipulation, and that it has used geolocation for at least a decade.

Organizers also clarified their rules on artificial intelligence, saying fully AI-created work is barred and the New Media rules have stood for four years. They plan to review competition guidelines after the festival.

The New Media category allows generative tools as part of the creative process, but ArtPrize says it recognizes only humans as artists and designers. More than 1,000 pieces have been entered this year, the most since 2018.

Predicting Lake Erie’s Blooms Months Ahead

As Lake Erie’s harmful algal bloom season continues into September, Michigan researchers are helping the federal government forecast how bad western Lake Erie’s blooms will be months before the first green scum shows up.

The seasonal outlook, released each June, keys on phosphorus washing off farm fields into the Maumee River. Nutrient load is the main driver of a bloom’s severity, said Gregory Dick, director of the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at the University of Michigan.

Wet springs carry more phosphorus, and floods in the Maumee basin have produced the worst blooms. NOAA predicted a moderate bloom this year, with the bloom’s timeline depending partly on September winds.

Toledo, where the Maumee meets the lake, faced contaminated drinking water in 2014 when toxins from a harmful bloom reached the city’s supply. Researchers are now working to forecast toxicity, surface scum and how long blooms will last, not just their size.

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➤ Lansing: The embezzlement trial of former House Speaker Lee Chatfield, set to begin Tuesday, was adjourned indefinitely after a judge stayed proceedings over whether a forensic accountant can testify as an expert. Chatfield has pleaded not guilty. Attorney General Dana Nessel called the delay a disservice to the public. (See Details)

➤ Farmington Hills: Lincoln Erickson, 32, a former Metro Detroit doctor, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a federal child pornography charge. His case grew out of a multistate investigation that began with an arrest in Toledo. (See Details)

➤ Tuscola County: The county health department has confirmed a measles case in the Thumb, connected to a known exposure. Officials are working to identify and notify anyone who may have been exposed, and are urging residents to check their vaccination status. (See Details)

➤ Calhoun County: The county is recruiting paid election inspectors for the Nov. 3 general election. Applicants must be at least 16, declare a party affiliation, and have no felony or election-crime conviction. Pay rates are set by each hiring jurisdiction, and sign-ups run through the state’s Democracy MVP program. (More)

➤ Otsego High School added police and administrative presence Monday after a threat the district called targeted led it to cancel Saturday’s homecoming dance hours before doors opened. Police secured the campus and found no safety concerns. Officials plan to reschedule the dance. (More)

➤ Kent County: Andy Albertson, the road commission worker known as the “deer sheriff,” has cleared more than 50,000 deer carcasses over more than two decades on the job. Kent County ranked first in Michigan for deer-vehicle crashes from 2022 through 2024 before dropping to second in 2025. (Read Story)

➤ The Detroit Tigers were officially eliminated from postseason contention with an 8-1 loss to the White Sox. Starter Troy Melton also left the game with discomfort in his throwing arm and is expected to be done for the season. (More)

➤ Michigan women’s soccer knocked off No. 1 Michigan State 3-1 in East Lansing, its first win over a top-ranked team in program history. Ella Jablinskey scored twice and added an assist in the game. (More)

➤ Michigan’s online casino revenue rose 17.6% in August compared with the same month last year, while online sports betting revenue fell 29.3%. Online casinos brought in $290.8 million for the month. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | WNBA | NHL | Soccer

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➤ Rockford, a Grand Rapids construction and development company, is now 100% employee-owned, giving all 330 workers an ownership stake. The company said the move keeps control local and builds up employee retirement accounts. (More)

➤ Hope College marked a major construction milestone last week on its new economics and business building in downtown Holland, placing the structure’s final beam. The $65 million, 74,000-square-foot project will bring the college’s business, economics, and accounting departments under one roof when it opens in fall 2028. (See Details)

➤ Detroit’s new retail director, Addofio Addo, is recruiting stores and restaurants for neighborhood business districts under Mayor Mary Sheffield’s administration. Detroiters spend upwards of $3 billion a year shopping in nearby communities. (More)

➤ Unifab Corporation in Portage is marking 75 years in business. The company traces its roots to Kalamazoo Coaches, which made small “Pony Cruiser” buses before becoming Unifab and shifting to metal fabrication in 1951. (Read Story)

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➤ Native wildflowers are popping up along Michigan highways as MDOT expands roadside habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The plantings also help reduce erosion, filter runoff, and control invasive species. Drivers can expect to see more of them in the coming years. (More)

➤ Frosty mornings are settling into the Upper Peninsula, with temperatures dipping into the low 30s today and Wednesday, especially in the western interior. (More)

➤ Michigan’s dunes shift by nature, but how to manage that movement is disputed. Seawalls and rock can hold one stretch of shoreline in place but worsen erosion nearby, experts say, while a bill in Lansing would allow sandbags along Great Lakes shores without a permit. (Read Story)

➤ Lansing Symphony Orchestra opened its 97th season Sunday with an intimate performance launching its Musician Series. (More)

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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. 

➤ Researchers found the timing of your retirement may matter far more than just to your savings account. (Listen Now)

➤ Insiders at major AI companies are openly mocking viral warnings that the technology could wipe out humanity. (Hear Episode)

➤ The New York Times writer behind the 1619 Project now says her decade-long public school experiment may have cheated her own daughter. (Hear Details)

Have you ever hit a deer?

1. Yes, more than once
2. Yes, once
3. No, but plenty of close calls
4. Never
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your favorite way to take in Michigan’s fall colors?

1. Scenic drive: 50%
2. Right from home: 22%
3. Cider mill or orchard: 13%
4. Hiking the trails: 9%
5. From the water: 3%
6. Other: 3%

In the 1830s, a border standoff with Ohio known as the Toledo War ended with Michigan giving up its claim to Toledo. What did Michigan get in return?

Show me the answer