Michigan, Pontiac | featured news

This year's Ferndale Pride festival is expected to be the largest ever, with more space, music, vendors and people."We think we'll have over 20,000 people," said Julia Music, who chairs the annual event now in its eighth year. "We'll have 40 percent more booths and a bigger footprint."Set for Saturday, June 2, Ferndale Pride is expanding on West Nine Mile Road from Woodward to Livernois, nearly twice the length the festival covered in past years.

The annual Celebrate Birmingham Hometown Parade will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 20, in downtown Birmingham.Due to the Old Woodward reconstruction project, the parade will start at the intersection of South Old Woodward and Frank. It will proceed northbound to Brown, where marchers will turn and head west on Brown to Pierce.

Detroit police are investigating after two Troy women said they were sexually assaulted and forced to smoke crack cocaine Tuesday, May 15, in a home on the city's east side, according to a report in The Detroit News.

A $5.6 million Michigan Department of Transportation project will close a portion of M-5 this weekend in Commerce Township. Drivers will not be able to access northbound or southbound M-5 between Maple Road and Pontiac Trail at times because support beams are going up for a

Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services are joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to proclaim May as Hepatitis Awareness Month. Michigan residents are urged to participate in Hepatitis Testing Day on Saturday, May 19 if they feel they might be at risk of contracting the disease.

ADULT ACTIVITIES. Southfield Parks & Recreation Adult Recreation Center 50+ Senior Vendor Fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 22 in the Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield, entertainment, food and informational vendors for seniors, www.cityofsouthfield.

. The National Association of Women Business Owners - Greater Detroit Chapter "Fore! Success Principles in Golf and Business is 8 a.m.-2 p.m. May 22 at Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor. Panelists include LPGA professional golfers: Brittany Lincicome and Paula Creamer. Event includes lunch, LPGA golf clinic and opportunity to watch practice.

A new finance director has been named in Berkley.City officials in a news release Friday said Ginger Burke-Miller has been appointed to the position.She comes to Berkley after serving as the financial controller for Burton, a city in Genesee County that is a Flint suburb.Burke-Miller has 16 years experience and city officials said she will head the finance and treasury department staff in an "efficient and transparent manner.

The Lake Orion Village Council heard a proposal at their May 14 meeting for a possible new parking structure on Anderson Street. According to the Lake Orion Review, Jeff Schmitz of JS Capitol presented a parking development proposal at the meeting for a two-story parking structure that would be located on the corner of Flint and Anderson streets, where two open lots now stand, known as the Pet Centre parking lot and the former Whiskey's lot between Flint and Front Streets.

Selling alcohol to teenagers has cost a New Hudson gas station its ability to sell booze all summer long.Kensington BP, located at 60999 Grand River Ave., was given a 102-day suspension of its liquor license and permits, beginning May 25 through Sept. 3 during a May 15 hearing of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.