TROY — The city of Troy will move forward with renovations to its City Council chambers after permission to use Community Development Block Grant funds to upgrade a local property to be an inclusive park were denied.

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — When Grosse Pointe Farms K-9 Duke retired last fall, it was hoped that he’d have at least a few years of snoozing on the couch and chasing balls in the yard.

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Call it a Christmas miracle. The Grosse Pointe Board of Education — which is known for divisiveness that can border on rancor — found itself in a rare moment of unity when selecting its next superintendent.

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Residents and organizations looking to make the most out of Macomb Township’s newest parks have some additional fine print to read following the Dec. 6 Board of Trustees meeting.

FRASER — The Fraser Public Library is going to start the new year with some brand-new programs to engage patrons and highlight some fun and enlightening books.

METRO DETROIT — December may be the most wonderful time of the year, but the Christmas season provides ample opportunities for scammers to try to take advantage of someone’s generosity or tight schedule to swindle them out of money.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Expectations were the topic of conversation coming into the season for Chippewa Valley boys basketball.

CLAWSON — A brand-new business has opened in the main downtown area of Clawson.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — The Bloomfield Township Fire Department is getting a financial boost, thanks to some grant funding.

BIRMINGHAM — The city of Birmingham established an Ad Hoc Aging in Place Committee to work toward the city’s goal of making it more realistic for older adults to remain in Birmingham as they age.

UTICA/SHELBY TOWNSHIP/STERLING HEIGHTS — On Dec. 5, Utica Community Schools Center for Science and Industry sophomores were challenged to create a viable, sellable product with original branding and marketing.

UTICA — Lights were bright and carolers were caroling at the Downtown Utica Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration Dec. 9 at Memorial Park.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Utica Community Schools eighth grader Ben Wodniak had a vision to create a war memorial, which has now become a reality.

STERLING HEIGHTS — This photo was taken in July 1995 of Sterling Heights police officers approaching the scene of a Detroit News strike that reportedly blocked the Sterling Heights Operations Facility at the intersection of Mound Road and Metropolitan Parkway.

STERLING HEIGHTS — Sterling Heights officials recently celebrated a new high score for the city on a rubric that measures LGBTQ rights and advocacy.

STERLING HEIGHTS — When Julia Frueh got married in November, she knew she wanted the occasion to be somewhere special. And for her, that place was the church at Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac.

STERLING HEIGHTS — Upon leaving military life about a decade ago, retired U.S. Army Sgt. Darrell Kingsberry Jr.’s life, in his words, had “been up and down,” sometimes fortunate and other times not-so-fortunate.

CENTER LINE/WARREN — Whenever a Peck Elementary School student needs a Band-Aid, an ice pack or hydrocortisone cream, they know to go to secretary Rosie Parker.

WARREN — Even though her three children have graduated from Warren Woods Tower High School, Jennifer Nitz still wanted to be involved with Warren Woods Public Schools.

WARREN — On Dec. 3, about a dozen bakers showed off their best cookie recipes to a team of local media judges and a room filled with cookie lovers that bought and tasted their confections.