Friday, February 27th, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1902, the castle-looking Light Guard Armory building hosted the first Detroit Auto Show.

Residents in Kalamazoo are organizing an effort to erect a Derek Jeter statue to honor the former Kalamazoo Central grad and MLB Hall-of-Famer. See photos of a conceptual statue here and read more below!

Branded Bills’ all new collegiate collection featuring both Michigan and Michigan State is now on sale! Shop the collection now to sport your favorite university with one of Branded Bills’ hallmark quality, breathable hats!

Detroit 22/38° ⛅ | Grand Rapids 20/36° ⛅ | Ann Arbor 21/37° ⛅ | Lansing 19/35° ⛅ | Flint 20/35° ⛅ | Saginaw 21/37° ⛅ | Kalamazoo 21/38° ⛅ | Muskegon 20/36° ⛅ | Traverse City 16/32° ⛅ | Marquette 14/29° ⛅ | Escanaba 18/33° ⛅ | Sault Ste. Marie 13/27° ⛅ | Alpena 16/31° ⛅

Forever Chemicals Found in Michigan Water

New data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed several Michigan cities to have dangerous levels of “forever” PFAS chemicals known to cause cancer and other serious diseases.

About four dozen locations in Michigan were named to have elevated levels of the chemicals, with five cities’ results ranking in the highest nationwide.

Clarkston was found to have the highest contamination levels with more than 2.4 times the safe limit, Dundee had 2.1 times the safe limit, and Kalamazoo’s results were 1.6 times the limit.

You can see an interactive map showing the affected Michigan cities here.

F-16 Vipers To Lead Thunder Over Michigan

Van Buren Township's annual Thunder Over Michigan Air Show will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force's F-16 Viper team, the show announced on Thursday.

The annual show which will double as a celebration of America’s 250th birthday this summer is set to take place from July 17-19.

You can buy tickets for the show, and see a photo of the F-16 Viper here.

Michigan Ranked 13th Worst State For Driving

A new study from WalletHub ranked Michigan the 13th-worst state for driving in America.

According to the study, Michigan has the 10th-highest cost of vehicle ownership in the country, and a below average safety and infrastructure ranking.

The study named Hawaii the worst state to drive in, and Vermont the best state to drive in.

You can see an interactive map of all states with their rankings here.

Breathable hats that last.

The company notorious for its flexible, silky-smooth hats that feel incredible now feature both prominent Michigan schools in their Collegiate Collection.

The University of Michigan "Michigan Gold Block" Curved 5 Panel Rope Hat

And for a limited time, Branded Bills is offering free shipping on orders of over $75, with easy returns on orders up to 60 days after purchase.

🧢 Shop Branded Bills today to sport your favorite team in style!

Around the Mitten

  • Saginaw: The federal government filed a complaint against exotic pet store Custom Creatures for turning away inspectors. (More)

  • Benzie County: Saint Ambrose Cellars is hosting a chilly disc golf tournament followed by a chili competition tomorrow morning. (More)

  • Statewide: The state department of natural resources is rolling out digital tagging for deer, turkey, bear, and more. (Details)

  • Calhoun County: Ford is set to begin production at its $3 billion battery plant following a lower court’s ruling against a citizens opposition group. (More)

  • West Michigan: State police seized over $35,000 in fake 100-dollar-bills after two men tried using the money during a Facebook Marketplace deal. (See Photos)

  • Also in West Michigan: Construction begins Sunday on a $50 million expansion of M-37 in Caledonia Township. (See Map)

  • Detroit: Popular pastry shop Dutch Girl Donuts is opening a second store off East Grand Boulevard. (See Photos)

Sports

  • Red Wings Captain Dylan Larkin netted two goals including the overtime winner to carry the Wings to a 2-1 win over Ottawa in their first game back from the Olympic break. (See Overtime Goal)

  • Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold is alleged to be involved in a kidnapping and armed robbery incident in Florida. (More)

  • No. 13 Michigan State squeaked out a 76-74 win on the road at No. 8 Purdue. (See Highlights)

You'll Wanna See This!

A group of residents in Kalamazoo are organizing an effort to erect a statue honoring former Kalamazoo resident and Hall-of-Fame MLB legend Derek Jeter.

Jeter moved to the city at age four and attended Kalamazoo Central High School through graduation, and returned home to give $5 million to his alma mater in 2023 to support player development.

You can join in on the conversation for the statue here.

How would you rate your fellow Michigan drivers? 🚗

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Previous Results

Would you trust a driverless semi truck on the highway?

  • Yes - 7%

  • No - 93%

Answer: No, “Just reading your question scared the Hell out of me!!!!”

Answer: No, “I personally do not trust a driverless ANYTHING on the highway! How does it make any sense?!?”

Answer: No, “Will never trust a computer in an emergency situation. ”

It doesn’t seem you guys are ready for driverless vehicles.. and I’m not either 😬

Thank you for reading Friday’s edition of The Mitten! We hope you enjoyed today’s stories. We always welcome any reader feedback by simply responding to this email.

Founder & Editor of The Mitten — Joe S.

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