Every single Metro Times cover story of 2017

By Metro Times editorial staff on Sun, Dec 31, 2017 at 3:33 am

As an alt-weekly, Metro Times prides itself on providing an alternative view from mainstream media organizations. While news is moving to online platforms, we continue to create a print edition each and every week — and it's free. Click through this slideshow to see Metro Times' year in cover stories.

Tags:

Scroll down to view images

Page 3 of 3

In 2016 and again in 2017, Michigan's wealthiest developer and resident, Dan Gilbert, told lawmakers that he can't make the numbers work for two upcoming projects without a huge new pot of public money. And with that, lawmakers and Gilbert's lobbyists went to work, creating an opaque set of laws colloquially called the "Gilbert Bills" because their chief inspiration and design are to provide taxpayer assistance for Gilbert's projects. How Dan Gilbert just scored up to $1 billion in taxpayer money — and few noticed.

41 of 53

HGTV's home improvement shows have become a pop culture phenomenon. But Detroiter Nicole Curtis' Rehab Addict is different — while HGTV's shows are, as a rule, mind-numbingly repetitive, Rehab Addict is formulaic only in its unpredictability.

42 of 53

There's perhaps no pro sports team in recent memory that spoiled its fans with its success quite like the Detroit Red Wings. Yet in recent years, the once-proud team has struggled. A look at the rise, fall, and stalled rebuild of Ken Holland’s Red Wings.

43 of 53

In our Halloween Issue: How pumpkin spice flavor took over America, haunted attractions, haunted music venues, and more.

44 of 53

MT staff writer Alysa Zavala-Offman went a year without shaving. Here's what she learned about herself, her body, and her relationship.

45 of 53

In an era where a debate over race and police-related killings rages across the country — and 50 years after racist policing sparked the rebellion that would redefine Detroit forever — a Michigan State Police officer's killing of an unarmed teenager has provoked a new storm of outrage over how America's blackest large city is policed.

46 of 53

Detroit rapper Danny Brown damn near broke the internet when he got his teeth fixed this year. His gapped and broken-toothed smile (earned from several childhood mishaps) had been his unofficial trademark. We met up with Brown before his annual Bruiser Thanksgiving blowout.

47 of 53

In our Holiday Gift Guide: How to shop local, gift ideas for the un-material girl (or boy) in your life, Detroit books, and more.

48 of 53

In February of 2017, the notorious metal venue Harpos was bought by Ruzvelt Stevanovski, the former owner of metal club Blondies, who promises to breathe new life into the club for future generations. In the meantime, past employees and patrons look back at the iconic venue. These are their stories.

49 of 53

In a time where equal access to the internet nationally appears under threat, approximately 40 percent of Detroit households remain completely offline, even as slick new providers like the Dan Gilbert-founded Rocket Fiber emerge to keep pace with the city's frenetic development. And for the hundreds of thousands of residents left unconnected, the consequences are stark.

50 of 53

Given Michigan's sizable Muslim population, we thought it was important to compile the highlights of a year that government statisticians and advocacy groups say is on track to be the worst yet for hate crimes and bias incidents against Muslims. What follows are synopses of some of the key incidents with Michigan connections, as well as overviews of the problem from national observers.

51 of 53

Happy New Year! Here's 50 ways to ring in 2018 in Detroit.

52 of 53

As we look back at the Dumpster fire of a year that was 2017, it's important to set our sights closer to home and honor Michigan's best — the best of the worst, that is. That's right, folks: It's once again time for Metro Times' annual Dubious Achievement Awards.

53 of 53