The 2022 Dooby Awards: Recognizing Michigan’s most dubious newsmakers

Grand Rapids Police

The Grand Rapids Police Department faces more fallout following the April 4 death of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who was shot in the back of the head by officer Christopher Shurr during a traffic stop. While Shurr was fired from GRPD, Lyoya’s family has filed a lawsuit against Shurr and the city, arguing they violated Lyoya’s civil rights. —Lee DeVito

An $1.8 million Corktown Condo

As one of Detroit’s oldest neighborhoods, Corktown is truly an experience and a community all its own, home to local dining favorites, one of Detroit’s oldest bars, the Saint Patrick’s Day parade, and the once abandoned, now revamped Michigan Central Station. You can also purchase a condo in this historic neighborhood for a mere $1.8 million, a price that’s nearly triple what other condos in the area are going for. While we love to talk shit about the price of the condo, the listing price adds to the flames of gentrification and pads the conversation about who Detroit real estate is listed for. According to the 2020 Census, the median income for the city of Detroit is $34,762, with almost 32% of residents living below the poverty line. If Detroit’s legacy residents can’t afford homes and housing in neighborhoods many have fond memories of, who’s about to move in? —Alex Washington

Those pesky spotted lanternflies

A red, white, and black polka-dotted insect that is an invasive species from Asia and has been spreading in the U.S. since 2014 reportedly reached metro Detroit this year. Officials say the beautiful spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a nuisance that feeds on grape crops, and urged residents to stomp on them if they see one. —Lee DeVito

The Michigan town that defunded its library

Upset over a queer-themed book on the shelf of a local library, voters in conservative Jamestown Township near Grand Rapids rejected a millage to fund it, with a local Christian group baselessly accusing the library of “grooming” children. Thanks to backlash and a successful crowdfunding campaign, the library raised enough money to stay open through January 2025, but its workers are feeling the strain and during a recent board meeting, one overworked librarian snapped. “I moved to this town two and a half years ago and I regretted it every day for the last year,” she said, adding, “I’m Catholic, I’m Christian, I’m everything you are. But I was taught to love your neighbor as you love yourself. That’s not what I hear every day. Not from you!” Merry Christmas to this woman and only her. —Lee DeVito

Vernors Black Cherry Ginger Ale

We’re sorry, but we have to say it — Vernors’ new Black Cherry Ginger Soda was a miss. The limited-edition variety was released in Michigan and northern Ohio earlier this year, the beloved ginger ale brand’s first new flavor in more than 50 years. But it lacked that satisfying ginger snap of the flagship product first introduced by Detroit pharmacist James Vernor more than 150 years ago, and, we assume, the medicinal properties that we Michiganders swear by. Good bye and good riddance to a what we consider a failed experiment. —Lee DeVito