METRO DETROIT — While toys are often in the spotlight during the holiday shopping season, there are some exciting gifts that cannot be picked up at the store or delivered to a house.

DETROIT — He’s one of the most famous artists in the world, and Vincent van Gogh holds a special place in the hearts of countless metro Detroiters who’ve admired his works in the permanent collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Clinton Township Board of Trustees approved a resolution to add Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day as paid holidays for township employees at its Nov. 14 meeting.

FRASER — It’s been eight years since Fraser soccer last won a district title, and it looked like nine was going to be on the horizon at the start of the year.

BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham will embrace the holiday season once again with its annual Winter Markt.

BIRMINGHAM — In the 1950s, Birmingham became home to a department store called Jacobson’s, which became very popular throughout the community. In 2003, the store closed, but its memory still lives on at the Birmingham Museum’s “Jacobson’s Experience.”

BIRMINGHAM — Throughout the last couple of decades, the parks and recreation master plan has listed certain sites as “mini-parks,” but it was brought to city officials’ attention that no formal designation of these sites has ever been made by the City Commission.

BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham Shopping District is celebrating its small businesses with its lively Small Business Saturday event Nov. 26-27.

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Dakota High School girls golf went above and beyond expectations in the 2022 season.

CENTER LINE — The Center Line City Council has approved a proposal to apply for a state grant to place a public safety officer in Center Line Public Schools.

CENTER LINE/WARREN/STERLING HEIGHTS — As residents came out to the polls Nov. 8 on Election Day, one of their civic duties was to vote in local school board elections.

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Macomb Dakota is a powerhouse in Division 1 high school football, and there’s no disputing that.

WARREN — The discovery of a sinkhole in Warren has led to repairs that may have prevented a bigger problem.

WARREN — De La Salle football has not only built off the momentum of last year’s perfect season, but they are also one game away from taking their third straight trip to Ford Field for the Michigan High School Athletic Association football state championship.

MOUNT CLEMENS — The driver who police said hit a 5-year-old boy and left the scene of the crash on the border of Warren and Center Line in June 2021 has been ordered to serve 20 to 40 years in prison.

WARREN — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. On the evening of Nov. 9, Gardner White Furniture, 6500 14 Mile Road, officially debuted “Twinkle Town” to an excited crowd ready to get into the holiday spirit.

FARMINGTON HILLS — Running a successful business has likely never been an easy task, but in recent years things have become even more challenging for many local business owners.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The Shelby Township Fine Art Society earlier this month announced the first-, second- and third-place winners at the 2022 Shelby Township Fine Art Society Library Show.

UTICA — For 15 years, the Joy to You Project has collected, purchased and donated needed items for local women’s shelters. Each December, the organization has put on a holiday concert, called “Joy to You,” featuring local professionals to raise money and collect supplies.  

FARMINGTON HILLS — The Farmington Hills Fire Department was recently one of six cities in the country chosen to participate in a pilot program that provides residents with a free Knox HomeBox.