PODCAST: Strike Pushes CityLab Conference To Move, Substitute Teachers Left Out And Royal Oak Parking Woes

It’s a sunny, crisp fall day in Detroit, and here’s the rundown of our show recorded on Tuesday, Oct. 23:

- The ongoing strike by workers at the Westin Book Cadillac has prompted organizers of the CityLab 2018 conference to relocate to the Marriott at the RenCen. That’s a place that striking Book Cadillac employees says pays their workers a living wage.
- A private company that arranges substitute teachers for more than 100 districts across Michigan has abruptly closed up shop, without warning to school districts. Jer and I say it’s another example of the sorry state of public education in Michigan.
- Personal-injury legal titan Mike Morse is in hot water, accused by State Farm of bribing police officers to give him unofficial accident reports that he can then use to gain clients and run up medical and rehab treatment bills. The Detroit News reports he’s also the subject of an investigation by the FBI and a grand jury.

.@DetroitCityFC won a $40,000 cash grant from @MotorCityMatch to renovate an old 75,000-square-foot ice rink. Now, the new soccer facility has registration open for co-ed, women’s, men’s and youth leagues that will have the opportunity to play on the indoor fields. pic.twitter.com/vGLyWz3D9d

— Mayor Mike Duggan (@MayorMikeDuggan) October 22, 2018

Owners of the new Detroit City Fieldhouse cut the ribbon on Monday on the 75,000 square-foot facility, which features an indoor open field and indoor boarded field. A Detroit City FC-themed restaurant is expected to open in the coming weeks, pending approvals from inspections and a liquor license. The grand opening is Saturday.
The State of Michigan is awarding a $1.5 million grant to support a $3.6 million project by Coyote Logistics in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. The UPS subsidiary will add 300 jobs.

Shinola Hotel on Tuesday named a pair of people to lead the highly anticipated property in downtown Detroit. One is local, a veteran of the Detroit Institute of Arts, and one is an import from New York City.
Beirut Palace has been sold after 21 years in business in downtown Royal Oak. It’s the latest example of a business shutting down over a perceived shortage of parking. And it’s more illustration of the tension that has arisen as Royal Oak sees a wave of urbanization.
Local runners, take note: The Run of the Dead is back. It’s a 5k/10k through southwest Detroit that takes in two historic cemeteries and a neat old compact neighborhood. Register here.