2023's top 23 Michigan stories: Tumultuous year leaves bittersweet taste

There were moments throughout the year that were simply bittersweet.

From disputes over labor contracts where there were winners and losers, to a smaller celebration of a Van Gogh exhibit that then became embroiled in international controversy over a painting's ownership, to scandals that rocked the capital city and the state's marquee college football teams, one of which became the No. 1 team in the country, 2023 was a year of strife and celebration across Michigan.

Among the darkest days was a campus shooting at Michigan State University that shook East Lansing to its core. An outpouring of humanity followed at vigils and memorials where those most affected found comfort in each other.

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Our sports teams sparked a rollercoaster of emotions — on and off the field. MSU saw its football coach felled early in the season by sexual harassment allegations. The Michigan Wolverines had an undefeated regular season of football, despite not having their coach for six games and being under the clouds of a still-mysterious sign-stealing scandal. Amid it all, there were some awe-inspiring moments, like when future baseball hall of famer Miguel Cabrera played his final games as a Tiger at Comerica Park. And "one pride" shined on Sundays this fall as the Lions had their best regular season in a generation.

Here's a look back at 23 of 2023's most significant moments in Michigan:

Tragedy strikes MSU

A gunman terrorized Michigan State University’s campus for hours on Feb. 13, marking the second mass shooting to plague Michigan in 14 months. Three students were killed, five were critically injured, and thousands more were traumatized after being forced to barricade themselves in dorm rooms and apartments until the shooter was caught. The shooting spanned two buildings at MSU — Berkey Hall, where two students were fatally shot in a classroom — then the Student Union, where another was fatally shot. All three students who died — Alexandria Verner of Clawson, Brian Fraser of Grosse Pointe Park and Arielle Anderson of Harper Woods — were from Metro Detroit. Those who were injured in the shooting spent months recovering. The gunman, Anthony McRae, took his own life hours after the campus rampage as police narrowed in on him in Lansing. He was found with a note that suggested he felt “slighted” by the world.

Election shakes up UAW leadership

The United Auto Workers’ first direct election of international leaders resulted in a runoff early in 2023 for several positions, including president. Shawn Fain, an administrative assistant, ultimately was sworn in March 26 following a narrow victory over incumbent Ray Curry, ending seven decades of control by the UAW's Administrative Caucus. The next day, Fain oversaw the UAW’s quadrennial bargaining convention at Huntington Place in Detroit, ushering in a “new day” for the union emerging from a years-long corruption scandal and denouncing multi-billion corporations as its “one true enemy.”

The year of the strike

Under new President Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers kept his commitment to take a more militant approach to contract negotiations. Fain rebuffed traditional handshake ceremonies with Detroit Three executives and literally trashed counter offers online in a public push for "record contracts" with General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV. The union launched selected plant strikes against all three companies starting Sept. 15, adding plants until reaching deals after more than 40 days that included unprecedented pay raises, a resumption of cost-of-living increases and a shorter timeline to top-scale wages. UAW members also went on strike for 88 days against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan starting Sept. 13 and joined other unions Oct. 17 in walkouts at Detroit's three casinos that lasted for more than a month. 

An airshow with a crash and burn

Thunder Over Michigan airshow fans got a finale they weren’t expecting in August at the Willow Run Airport when two pilots suddenly ejected in mid-air from a MiG-23UB fighter plane. The Soviet-era jet crashed into unoccupied vehicles in the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex, and the pilots, who weren’t injured, were rescued from Belleville Lake.

False electors charged

Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel leveled criminal charges in July against 16 Republicans who signed onto a false certificate alleging Donald Trump won Michigan's electors in the November 2020 election. Republican activists charged in the scheme include former Michigan GOP co-chairwoman Meshawn Maddock and Michigan Republican National Committeewoman Kathy Berden.  Prosecutors allege the false certificates were part of a nationwide strategy by Trump’s campaign to disrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 154,000-vote victory over Trump in Michigan. In December, several top Republican officials, including then-state GOP chairwoman Laura Cox, implicated the Trump campaign as having orchestrated the bid to report false electors to the National Archives and Congress in an effort to get then-Vice President Mike Pence to throw the election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

UFO over Lake Huron

The appearance of flying objects over Canada and the U.S. in early February took on particular importance in Michigan, where the U.S. military on Feb. 12 shot down a high-altitude object over Lake Huron. The object floated across U.S. airspace after the Air Force shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. The object was shot down from about 20,000 feet altitude with an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile about 15 nautical miles east of the Upper Peninsula after it passed over Wisconsin, Lake Michigan and the U.P. The F-16 pilot shot two missiles, the first missing its target. The pilot described the object as octagonal shaped and roughly the size of a four-wheeler. Officials said no debris was recovered.

Controversies engulf Wolverines

It’s been an eventful year for Michigan’s football program after ending last season with a crushing loss to TCU in the national semifinals on Dec. 31. They opened the season with controversy surrounding coach Jim Harbaugh and an NCAA investigation into violations during a COVID recruiting dead period, which led to an NCAA Notice of Allegations in December. The team also was involved in a sign-stealing scandal involving a lower-level analyst, Connor Stalions, who later resigned from the program. UM handed Harbaugh a three-game suspension to start the season and the Big Ten sat him for the final three games. That dark cloud hung over the Wolverines for most of the season, but they finished the season unbeaten, defeating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten for the third straight year. They earned the No. 1 seed in the CFP semifinals and were set to face Alabama in the Rose Bowl for a chance at the national championship.

Destructive weather throughout the year

Mother Nature walloped Metro Detroit — and Michigan — time and time again in 2023, destroying property and cutting off power. From a historic ice storm in February that downed 11,000 power lines and left hundreds of thousands of customers in the dark to a haze that drifted in from Canadian wildfires and settled over southeast Michigan for several weeks throughout the summer, weather woes were nearly constant throughout the year. In late August, a powerful late-night storm produced seven confirmed tornadoes in five counties across Michigan's Lower Peninsula, causing two deaths. A tunnel also flooded at Detroit Metro Airport, making the McNamara terminal inaccessible and essentially shutting down the airport.

Miggy calls it a career in Detroit

Miguel Cabrera wasn’t one for all the fanfare and recognition, but going into his 21st and final season in Major League Baseball, including 16 with the Detroit Tigers, all eyes were going to be on the Venezuelan star. It wasn’t one of his MVP seasons, but Cabrera turned back the clock on several occasions, and his final weekend gave the fans everything they wanted. The Tigers gave him a fitting, teary farewell at Comerica Park. Cabrera’s illustrious career included back-to-back MVP awards in 2012 and ‘13, along with 12 All-Star selections, four batting titles and a World Series title with the Florida Marlins in 2003. The Tigers announced that Cabrera will remain with the team as special assistant to president of baseball operations Scott Harris.

Dems in charge

The first Democratic-controlled Legislature in 40 years passed major legislation this year that hit on campaign pledges to broaden abortion rights, codify gay and transgender anti-discrimination rules, and repeal the decade-old right-to-work law that barred unions from mandating employees to pay union dues. The Legislature also restored a nearly five-year-old prevailing wage law that required union dues to be paid for state-financed construction projects. After the MSU shooting on Feb. 13, the Democratic majorities moved bills across the finish line that require the safe storage of firearms, require universal background checks and registration and allow an individual’s guns to be temporarily confiscated if they’re determined by a judge to be a risk to themselves or others. The Democratic majority was unable to muster support for a tax structure overhaul in Detroit, a fix for the 2019 no-fault auto insurance law, and several transparency measures that would apply to lawmakers and other elected officials.

EV projects in reverse

Two large electric vehicle battery plants announced by state officials in late 2022 and early 2023 experienced setbacks this year as community concerns and slower-than-expected growth in electric vehicle demand encroached on plans. Residents in Mecosta and Calhoun counties voiced concerns about the secrecy surrounding the taxpayer-funded incentive deals between the state and companies, the use of agricultural land for the project and the battery plants’ ties to China. Gotion Inc. had initial plans to build its facility on land that crossed into both Green and Big Rapids townships in Mecosta County, but limited the project to Green Township after pushback from the Big Rapids Township board. In November, the Big Rapids Township supervisor and five members of the Green Township board were recalled by voters because of the Gotion deal. In November, Ford said it would downsize its battery plant project in the Marshall area by about 32% due to slower-than-expected growth in electric vehicle demand.

MSU boots Tucker

Mel Tucker was off to a rousing start this season as Michigan State football coach, leading the Spartans to wins in the first two games. But when news broke of an inappropriate relationship with Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and advocate, MSU suspended Tucker in September. Over the next several weeks, attorneys for Tucker and Tracy went back and forth over the release of text messages between the two and what Tracy called unwanted sexual advances from Tucker over a video call. MSU later fired Tucker for cause, ending his historic 10-year contract worth $95 million, and Tucker signaled that he intended to continue with litigation.

Slaying rocks Jewish community

In a murder that shocked not just Detroit but the country, Jewish leader Samantha Woll was found stabbed to death Oct. 21 outside her Lafayette Park townhouse. Woll, a leader at the Isaac Agree synagogue in Detroit, was stabbed multiple times. After arresting and releasing one suspect, another man, Michael Jackson-Bolanos, was charged in December in connection with Woll’s murder. Police say Woll didn’t know Jackson-Bolanos, who has been charged with committing a felony murder during the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a larceny and/or a first-degree home invasion. Police maintained that there’s no evidence to show Woll’s death was a hate crime.

A hospital in crisis

Federal investigators found a lack of oversight they believe contributed to patient harm and death, and a pattern of “substandard” care in the surgery practice at Detroit's John D. Dingell VA Medical Center that leaders tried to conceal by altering external peer reviews and other data. Those were among the findings of a report by the Veterans Health Administration’s Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI) that was obtained by The Detroit News in February. The OMI report led to several top officials at the Detroit VA hospital getting reassigned or dismissed. Veteran Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough visited the Detroit VA hospital in July, vowing to make changes and improve care for veterans.

Green and fight

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees battled about sexual misconduct disputes and an attempted ouster of its board chair before selecting a new president and ending five years of controversy by voting to release thousands of documents related to the serial sexual misconduct of former university sports doctor Larry Nassar. In late March, the board released an investigative report by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan that showed the treatment by interim President Teresa Woodruff, while she was provost, of business school Dean Sanjay Gupta ran counter to the university’s discipline policy when she forced him to resign after he failed to report alleged sexual misconduct at a 2022 gala. In August, Woodruff announced she no longer would seek a permanent appointment as president, citing only her wish “for a period of stability for the university." In late October, Trustee Brianna Scott called for the resignation of board Chair Rema Vassar, arguing MSU’s accreditation was at risk because Vassar violated the board’s rules of conduct and ethics, claims that the Higher Learning Commission decided to investigate in November. Vassar rejected the accusations, and the board failed to oust the board president at an emotional meeting but voted for an outside firm to investigate the accusations. Before the year ended, the board selected University of North Carolina Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz to succeed Samuel Stanley more than a year after Stanley resigned, citing “lost confidence” in the board. At its last meeting of the year, the board unanimously voted to release the Nassar documents that had been sought by attorneys general Bill Schuette and Dana Nessel but had been withheld under attorney-client privilege.

An Amber Alert rocks Michigan

Rashad Trice, 26, of Detroit, allegedly kidnapped and killed a 2-year-old Lansing girl, Wynter Cole Smith, in July. Wynter's kidnapping prompted a statewide Amber Alert and a three-day search for the toddler before her body was found in a Detroit alleyway, a pink cellphone charging cord wrapped around her neck. Trice was charged both federally and in state court; the charges related to Wynter's murder are being tried federally. One of his state cases is related to the stabbing and sexual assault of Wynter's mother, his ex-girlfriend before he allegedly kidnapped Wynter. Prosecutors argued he kidnapped Wynter as retaliation against her mother.

Oxford endures a sentencing and a report

The search for healing and accountability in the deadly attack at Oxford High School continued throughout 2023, as a report into the tragedy was released and the shooter was sentenced to life in prison without parole. On Oct. 30, nearly two years after the shooting that left four students dead, the first independent report into the incident was released by Guidepost Solutions. The 572-page report blamed on “missteps and failures” by Oxford school officials that allowed the student shooter to slip through the district’s threat assessment system. On Dec. 8, another wrenching chapter in the tragedy closed when the shooter, Ethan Crumbley, was sentenced to life in prison. The teen pleaded guilty to killing Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17, at the school on Nov. 30, 2021. “You may have caused the pain and terror as you intended to do, but you did not destroy us,” Jill Soave, mother of Justin Shilling, said in court. “There is more love and light in the world because of the legacies of Justin, Tate, Hana and Madisyn.”

Van Goghing, going, gone

A case of international intrigue emerged in early January when a Brazilian art collector sued the Detroit Institute of Arts to recover a painting by Vincent van Gogh that he claims had been missing for nearly six years until it was discovered hanging on the walls of the museum as part of the “Van Gogh in America" exhibition. The lawsuit by Gustavo Soter's art brokerage company described an international hunt for a rare oil painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist master and a frantic attempt to reclaim "Liseuse De Romans" — also known as "The Novel Reader" or "The Reading Lady" — before the conclusion of the DIA exhibition. The painting's estimated worth is more than $5 million. The DIA refused to disclose who had loaned the 135-year-old painting to the museum while crowds, captivated by the artwork’s newfound notoriety, flocked to the DIA to see the van Gogh creation. The lawsuit lingered for two months and reached a federal appeals court before a lawyer for Soter’s company revealed it had reached a confidential settlement with the unnamed entity who loaned the painting to the DIA.

Taylor Swift plays Ford Field

The Summer of Taylor Swift easily grew into the Year of Taylor Swift as the pop megastar’s Eras Tour reigned supreme, followed by a concert film, a high-profile romance and the cover of Time Magazine. In Detroit, she played to more than 118,000 fans over two nights at Ford Field in early June and could have likely sold many more tickets if space and time permitted. The can’t-miss event for Swifties even spilled into the area around the stadium, where fans could buy merchandise even if they didn’t have a ticket to the show. "Ahhhhh Detroit that was so much fun!!" Swift tweeted after the concerts. "Thanks to those crowds this weekend for your endless energy and extremely loud scream-singing, you made us feel right at home."

Lions don't stink?!

After decades of futility as the laughingstocks of the NFL, the Lions have turned things around in the three years since general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell took the reins. The Lions, who won eight of their final 10 games last season, were preseason favorites to win the North Division, and they fulfilled the prediction, claiming their first division title in 30 years. Behind a potent offense led by quarterback Jared Goff, rookies Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions became a national story for their winning, energizing the fans at home and leading to big fan bases on the road. They’ll host the first-ever home playoff game at Ford Field next month as they vie in the meantime for a potential No. 1 seed in the NFC.  

Johnson heads to slammer over pot play

In February, The Detroit News uncovered an ongoing federal investigation of former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson’s work as chairman of the state’s now-defunct medical marijuana licensing board. By December, Johnson was getting locked up in a federal prison for 55 months after pleading guilty to accepting at least $110,000 in bribes while chairman of the board. The bribes for Johnson included cash, trips on airplanes and sex with a prostitute hired by Lansing lobbyist Brian Pierce. “I am a corrupt politician,” Johnson told a federal judge at his sentencing in September. Pierce and his lobbying partner, Vince Brown, were sentenced to 24 months and 20 months, respectively, for supplying Johnson bribes. Oakland County businessman John Dawood Dalaly was also sentenced to 28 months in prison for providing $68,200 in bribes to Johnson. The corruption scandal, considered Lansing’s largest since the House Fiscal Agency scandal of the early 1990s, exposed the efforts of Lansing lobbyists and political consultants to shape Michigan’s early marijuana regulations to help clients capture a share of what’s now a $2 billion-a-year industry

The end of muscle as we know it

The auto industry's transition to electrification, mandated by tightening government emissions rules, hit some speed bumps in 2023 even as some of Detroit's iconic V8-powered beasts ended production. The last new gas-powered Dodge Chargers, Dodge Challengers and Chevy Camaros rolled off assembly lines in December, leaving the Ford Mustang as the last muscle car standing. An electric Challenger is among the new EV offerings coming in 2024 despite slowing sales growth for battery-powered models due to high prices, range concerns and limited charging infrastructure. Automakers responded to the lower-than-expected demand by dropping prices, cutting back production plans, decreasing EV investments and delaying vehicle launches.

The streak

After finishing with the NBA’s worst record last season, the Pistons looked to move forward in their rebuild, with the potential No. 1 pick but fell to No. 5 in the draft lottery. Then, they added Monty Williams as the highest-paid coach for six years and $78.5 million in the offseason. Following an encouraging 2-1 start to the season, the Pistons proceeded to lose 28 straight games — and counting — to set a new NBA single-season record for futility. Team owner Tom Gores said change is coming, but that doesn’t seem to include a change in leadership, with general manager Troy Weaver and Williams appearing to keep their jobs.