Space-themed Lego models — rotating ride vehicles that are customized by passengers and a next-generation animatronic named Biff Dipper — are prominent parts of the indoor coaster.

Near the entrance is a brick-by-brick and way-bigger-than-life model of Lego set 918, a spaceship introduced in 1979.

It’s “a classic ship, but it’s got some extra flourishes that you only really find in the Legoland park,” says Rosie Brailsford, senior project director for Merlin Magic Making, the creative arm of Merlin Entertainments.

About four years ago, Brailsford was instructed to work with Lego Group to develop an attraction that would work on a global platform, she says.

“They have a line, kind of from the ’70s and various different iterations of that, which is what you will find in Lego Galaxy,” she says. “So, it’s kind of a merge of past and present and opportunity for future iterations as well.”

Brailsford guided the Orlando Sentinel on an exclusive walk-through — no riding yet — of the attraction, which opens to the public Feb. 27.

What’s outside

The new coaster is on the site of the Flying School ride that was closed in August 2023. The exterior queue looks down at the park’s Driving School attraction. There are two entrances, including one from Legoland’s water park.

The spaceship is surrounded by Lego characters, including photo opportunities. The Alien Tourist figure — outfitted in a floral shirt, red shorts, aqua hat and big old-school camera — takes snaps of a green and antennaed alien family. A Duplo play area dubbed Tot Spot and designed for the youngest visitors, includes a Lego Shuttle. (A shade structure is being added.) Nearby are large Lego space flowers and a robot dog.

Early on, potential riders meet Capt. Olivia on screen.

“She’s welcoming you to the Lego Galaxy, telling you about a little snippet of the mission that you’re going to go on,” Brailsford says.

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A large screen televises a 10-minute loop of details about what’s coming up.

“There are little moments of backstory here, so that if you are milling around in the land, you’ve already started to absorb in your subconscious what’s going on,” Brailsford says.

What’s going on? In the Galacticoaster universe, they are bracing for “the asteroid of probable destruction.”

What’s inside

The front lobby features a large blocky version of the Lego Galaxy logo, which is a bit interplanetary and a bit NASA meatball. Below it are actual assembled Lego models on display, some of which are vintage and difficult to find, Brailsford says.

A series of halls and customized posters lead to a big Briefing Room with animatronic Biff Dipper, the chief engineer. He’s about 4 feet tall and standing on an elevated platform. His arms, legs and head move, and his face is animated below the visor of his space helmet. He greets future riders — there can be as many as 80 people in the room — and explains the goal. It’s us versus the asteroid.

“Most of our minifigures in our Legoland are static, smooth minifigures. … Biff is essentially next generation of how we want to do that on a show basis,” Brailsford says. They partnered with Engineered Arts of Cornwall, United Kingdom, to create this figure, which sports 45 facial animations, Legoland says.

Merlin is “working really closely with Lego to make sure all of that motion that they do is true to how a minifigure would move, and we’re not just making them do random things,” she says.

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Other on-screen characters give ride instructions and advance the storyline of how to deal with that asteroid. Plans A and B (one involving a giant net) were flops, and they need help with Plan C. It involves “separator swarms.”

The room includes interesting visuals such as a blueprint for vehicle options and a sign that reads “Interested in time travel? Meet here last Monday, 2 p.m.”

From here, Biff sends riders into a room where ride vehicle options are selected. Riders pick design features for wings, tail, nose and such. The choices range from practical to fanciful — add-ons such as hamburger wings and disco balls. The console allows 15 seconds for each selection, and then the total look is uploaded onto an RFID-enabled bracelet. There are more than 600 possible combinations.

The idea, we’re told, is to make the spacecraft “so awesome that it grabs the separators’ attention like nothing else.” Also, don’t let them catch you.

Next stop: the Galacticoaster loading bay.

The ride stuff

Passengers navigate a moving sidewalk to the in-real-life vehicles, which seat four passengers across and have lap bars that lower from overhead.

The ride moves into an airlock space, and there “you’ll see yourself in your awesome creation,” Brailsford says. You’ll linger for about 10 seconds, “then you will launch, up to 40 miles an hour, off on your adventure,” she says.

“And you have your kind of save-the-day moment on the ride.”

The Sentinel walk-through did not include a ride-through. Brailsford said the experience is smooth and the launch makes it punchy, probably more intense than the Dragon coaster, its Legoland Florida sister attraction. The height requirement is 36 inches for riders accompanied by an adult. Unaccompanied visitors must be at least 48 inches tall.

“It’s not like terrifying or anything, but being indoors, we do feel like they’ll get a little bit more of that thrill factor as well,” she says. “Because it’s dark, you don’t necessarily quite know where you’re going.”

The spinning is programmed, she said. “It’s not like a free spinning.”

Legoland’s website says to expect “Special effects, synchronized lighting and surprise appearances from classic Lego Space characters.”

Ride time is about 1 minute and 30 seconds, and, per theme park tradition, the exit is through the gift shop (official name: Orbital Outpost).

Another Galacticoaster is under construction that’s set to open March 6 at Legoland California, and, in theory, there could be more. There are also Legoland theme parks in New York, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, Dubai, Japan, South Korea and China.

“We have, like, a base story and land concept that we can adjust and tweak if we were to roll a version of it out,” Brailsford says. “It might not necessarily be this ride. It might be a different ride with another story from the world.”

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. BlueSky: @themeparksdb. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump wants to keep home prices high, bypassing calls to ramp up construction so people can afford what has been a ticket to the middle class.

Trump has instead argued for protecting existing owners who have watched the values of their homes climb. It’s a position that flies in the face of what many economists, the real estate industry, local officials and apartment dwellers say is needed to fix a big chunk of America’s affordability problem.

“I don’t want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their homes, and they can be assured that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump told his Cabinet on Jan. 29.

That approach could bolster the Republican president’s standing with older voters, a group that over time has been more likely to vote in midterm elections. Those races in November will determine whether Trump’s party can retain control of the House and Senate.

“You have a lot of people that have become wealthy in the last year because their house value has gone up,” Trump said. “And you know, when you get the housing — when you make it too easy and too cheap to buy houses — those values come down.”

But by catering to older baby boomers on housing, Trump risks alienating the younger voters who expanded his coalition in 2024 and helped him win a second term, and he could wade into a “generational war” in the midterms, said Brent Buchanan, whose polling firm Cygnal advises Republicans.

“The under-40 group is the most important right now — they are the ones who put Trump in the White House,” Buchanan said. “Their desire to show up in an election or not is going to make the difference in this election. If they feel that Donald Trump is taking care of the boomers at their expense, that is going to hurt Republicans.”

The logic in appealing to older voters

In the 2024 presidential election, 81% of Trump’s voters were homeowners, according to AP VoteCast data. This means many of his supporters already have mortgages with low rates or own their homes outright, possibly blunting the importance of housing as an issue.

Older voters tend to show up to vote more than do younger people, said Oscar Pocasangre, a senior data analyst at liberal think tank New America who has studied the age divide in U.S. politics. “However, appealing to older voters may prove to be a misguided policy if what’s needed to win is to expand the voting base,” Pocasangre said.

Before the 2026 elections, voters have consistently rated affordability as a top concern, and that is especially true for younger voters with regard to housing.

Booker Lightman, 30, a software engineer in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, who identifies politically as a libertarian Republican, said the shortage of housing has been a leading problem in his state.

Lightman just closed on a home last month, and while he and his wife, Alice, were able to manage the cost, he said that the lack of construction is pushing people out of Colorado. “There’s just not enough housing supply,” he said.

Shay Hata, a real estate agent in the Chicago and Denver areas, said she handles about 100 to 150 transactions a year. But she sees the potential for a lot more. “We have a lack of inventory to the point where most properties, particularly in the suburbs, are getting between five and 20 offers,” she said, describing what she sees in the Chicago area.

New construction could help more people afford homes because in some cases, buyers qualify for discounted mortgage rates from the builders’ preferred lenders, Hata said. She called the current situation “very discouraging for buyers because they’re getting priced out of the market.”

But pending construction has fallen under Trump. Permits to build single-family homes have plunged 9.4% over the past 12 months in October, the most recent month available, to an annual rate of 876,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Trump’s other ideas to help people buy houses

Trump has not always been against increasing housing supply.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump’s team said he would create tax breaks for homebuyers, trim regulations on construction, open up federal land for housing developments and make monthly payments more manageable by cutting mortgage rates. Advisers also claimed that housing stock would open up because of Trump’s push for mass deportations of people who were in the United States illegally.

As recently as October, Trump urged builders to ramp up construction. “They’re sitting on 2 Million empty lots, A RECORD. I’m asking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get Big Homebuilders going and, by so doing, help restore the American Dream!” Trump posted on social media, referring to the government-backed lenders.

But more recently, he has been unequivocal on not wanting to pursue policies that would boost supply and lower prices.

In office, Trump has so far focused his housing policy on lobbying the Federal Reserve to cut its benchmark interest rates. He believes that would make mortgages more affordable, although critics say it could spur higher inflation. Trump announced that the two mortgage companies, which are under government conservatorship, would buy at least $200 billion in home loan securities in a bid to reduce rates.

Trump also wants Congress to ban large financial institutions from buying homes. But he has rejected suggestions for expanding rules to let buyers use 401(k) retirement accounts for down payments, telling reporters that he did not want people to take their money out of the stock market because it was doing so well.

There are signs that lawmakers in both parties see the benefits of taking steps to add houses before this year’s elections. There are efforts in the Senate and House to jump-start construction through the use of incentives to change zoning restrictions, among other policies.

One of the underlying challenges on affordability is that home prices have been generally rising faster than incomes for several years.

This makes it harder to save for down payments or upgrade to a nicer home. It also means that the places where people live increasingly double as their key financial asset, one that leaves many families looking moneyed on paper even if they are struggling with monthly bills.

There is another risk for Trump. If the economy grows this year, as he has promised, that could push up demand for houses — as well as their prices — making the affordability problem more pronounced, said Edward Pinto, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank.

Pinto said construction of single-family homes would have to rise by 50% to 100% during the next three years for average home price gains to be flat — a sign, he said, that Trump’s fears about falling home prices were probably unwarranted.

“It’s very hard to crater home prices,” Pinto said.

Palmeri started building the car in 1968, when he was 18 years old, in his home garage in East Detroit alongside his dad. Today the back of the car reads, “In memory of Tony and Jean,” for both of his parents who he credits as part of his car creation.

Since 1953, Detroit Autorama has been an event that showcases craftsmanship on vehicles with classic bodies that are reimagined. This year, the show runs from Feb. 27 to March 1 at Huntington Place, located at 1 Washington Blvd. in Detroit.

This year’s event will feature more than 800 works of art, showcasing one-of-a-kind custom hot rods, trucks, modern and muscle cars and motorcycles.

It will also feature celebrity appearances, live music and entertainment, movie vehicles, Toy-A-Rama featuring nostalgic toys, the Miss Autorama pin-up contest and more.

The Motor City Maven’s 2026 Art Panel Jam and Pinstripers Charity Auction benefitting Leader Dogs for the Blind will also take place at the event. There will be pinstripers demonstrations all weekend and puppies available to meet all weekend as well. The pinstripers charity auctions take place from 4 to 5 p.m. Feb. 27, from noon to 1:30 p.m., 3 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 and from noon to 1:30 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. March 1.

Other awards that will be presented at the event include the BASF Great 8, announced at 10 a.m. Feb. 27, and the Ridler Award, which will be announced in the afternoon March 1.

The event will also house the 20th annual Autorama Student Career Day Feb. 27, where high school and college students can learn about automotive careers through guest speakers and hands-on experience.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at a discounted price at select O’Reilly Auto Parts locations starting Feb. 7 for $28 general admission and $9 for children between ages 6 and 12. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office for $30 general admission or $10 for children between 6 and 12. Children aged 5 and younger get in for free.

The event takes place from noon to 10 p.m. Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 28 and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 1.

KENNEBUNK, Maine (AP) — It just wouldn’t feel like the Super Bowl for them if they weren’t all there. And this might be the last time they all do it.

That’s what three old friends were coming to grips with just before this year’s Super Bowl. The trio of octogenarians are the only fans left in the exclusive “never missed a Super Bowl” club.

Don Crisman of Maine, Gregory Eaton of Michigan and Tom Henschel of Florida were back for another big game this year. But two of them are grappling with the fact that advancing years and decreasing mobility mean this is probably the last time.

This year’s game pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday. Crisman, a Patriots fan since the franchise started, was excited to see his team in the game for a record-setting 12th time.

“This will definitely be the final one,” said Crisman, who made the trip with his daughter, Susan Metevier. “We made it to 60.”

Getting older, scaling back

Crisman, who first met Henschel at the 1983 Super Bowl, turns 90 this year. Meanwhile, Henschel, 84, has been slowed by a stroke. Both said this is the last time they’ll make the increasingly expensive trip to the game, although members of the group have said that before. For his part, Eaton, 86, plans to keep going as long as he’s still physically able.

Eaton, who runs a ground transportation company in Detroit, is the only member of the group not retired. And he’d still like to finally see his beloved Detroit Lions make it to a Super Bowl.

Even so, all three said they’ve scaled back the time they dedicate each year to the trip. Crisman used to spend a week in the host city, soaking in the pomp and pageantry. These days, it’s just about the game, not the hype.

“We don’t go for a week anymore, we go for three or four days,” Crisman said.

Eaton, too, admits the price and hype of the big game have gotten to be a lot.

“I think all of them are big, they’re all fun. It’s just gotten so commercial. It’s a $10,000 trip now,” he said.

Friendly rivalries over the years

Henschel said this year’s Super Bowl would be the most challenging for him because of his stroke, but he was excited to see Eaton and Crisman one more time.

Eaton met Crisman and Henschel in the mid-2010s after years of attending the Super Bowl separately. And Henschel and Crisman have a long-running rivalry: Their respective favorite teams — the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots — are AFC rivals.

The fans have attended every game since the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, as the first two Super Bowls were known at the time, in 1967. They have sometimes sat together in the past, but logistics make it impossible some years.

But this year it was just about being able to go to the game at all, Henschel said.

“I don’t talk or walk good,” he said.

An ever-shrinking club

The club of people who have never missed a Super Bowl once included other fans, executives, media members and even groundskeepers, but as time has passed, the group has shrunk. Photographer John Biever, who has shot every Super Bowl, also plans to let his streak end at 60.

The three fans spin tales of past games that often focus less on the action on the field than on the different world where old Super Bowls took place. Henschel scored a $12 ticket for the 1969 Super Bowl the day of the game. Crisman endured a 24-hour train ride to Miami for the 1968 Super Bowl. Eaton, who is Black, remembers the many years before Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1988.

Metevier, Crisman’s daughter, was born the year of the first Super Bowl and grew up with her dad’s streak as a fixture in her life. She’s looking forward to going to one last game with him.

“It’s kind of bittersweet. It’s about the memories,” Metevier said. “It’s not just about the football, it’s something more.”

Crisman’s son, Don Crisman Jr., said he’s on board with his dad making the trip for as long as he’s still able, too.

“You know, he’s a little long in the tooth, but the way I put it, if it was me and I was mobile and I could go, I would damn sure go,” he said.

Buses will be stationary, open to the public and available free of charge from 5-9 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. both days.

In Macomb County, buses will be at Macomb Mall, 32233 Gratiot Avenue, Roseville.

In Oakland County, buses will be at the Pontiac Phoenix Center, 47251 Woodward Avenue, Pontiac.

In Wayne County, buses will be at Southland Center, 23000 Eureka Road, Taylor and Fairlane Mall, 18900 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn.

“No one should have to endure dangerous cold without a place to warm up,” said Tiffany J. Gunter, SMART General Manager and chief executive officer in a news release. “We’re using our resources to help protect our community during these extreme temperatures.

— Macomb Daily staff 

In a unanimous vote earlier this year, the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority approved a $550,000 investment in public art and creative programming over the next two years. It’s an ambitious commitment designed to strengthen the city’s downtown, support local businesses and position Allen Park as a growing arts destination in Metro Detroit.

The funding expands the city’s successful Paint the Park mural initiative and adds new elements, including light art activations, a large curated art fair, and a winter arts festival. At the center of the effort is a new call for mural artists and vendors, now open for the 2026 season.

Artists and creatives interested in participating can find full details at paintthepark.com/2026-call-for-murals.

“This is about more than murals,” said Ben Hughes, director of the Allen Park Downtown Development Authority. “It’s about energy, pride, and creating reasons for people to come downtown, explore, and stay awhile.”

Building on a breakout year

The expanded investment follows the success of the inaugural Paint the Park program in 2025, when eight large-scale murals were installed throughout downtown with a $150,000 allocation from the DDA’s annual budget.

“I would say it exceeded all of our optimistic expectations,” Hughes said. “It generated massive social media interest and brought people into the city who were making special trips just to see the murals.”

Visitors often turned those trips into destination outings, walking the downtown, dining at local restaurants, and shopping at small businesses. According to Hughes, the walkable layout of Allen Park made the murals feel like a self-guided art tour.

“It forced people to explore,” he said. “And that translated into real economic activity.”

Encouraged by that response, the DDA opted to expand the program rather than treat it as a one-time initiative. In January, the board approved a two-year contract totaling $550,000 ($275,000 annually for 2026 and 2027) to bring back The Mural People and broaden the scope of programming.

A ‘Living Murals’ vision

Chief creative officer Michelle Tanguay of The Mural People, who oversees the Paint the Park program, said the expansion allows Allen Park to move into more immersive and interactive experiences.

“We’re not just painting walls,” Tanguay said. “We’re creating what we call ‘living murals.’”

One of the new signature elements will be nighttime light activations, developed in collaboration with projection artist Gabriel Hall. Using digital projection and animation, Hall’s work will transform completed murals into illuminated, moving works of art.

“He projects videos onto the murals, and it makes them come to life,” Tanguay said. “It’s a beautiful process.”

These light shows will be staged twice annually, once during the summer festival and once as part of a winter light celebration, creating year-round reasons for residents and visitors to engage with downtown.

August Festival and Art Fair

The centerpiece of the 2026 season will be a week-long public art festival scheduled for Aug. 16–23, with mural painting taking place throughout the week and major public events planned for Aug. 22-23.

During that period, visitors will be able to watch artists work in real time, attend demonstrations, and experience evening light installations. The weekend will also feature a curated art fair, which organizers hope will attract more than 100 vendors.

“We’re aiming for something similar to an ArtPrize-style experience,” Tanguay said. “We want art in businesses, artwork in windows, and opportunities for artists to earn recognition and prizes.”

Allen Park Public Schools will also participate, organizing a student chalk art competition during the festival.

“It’s a huge production,” Tanguay said. “But it’s also about involving the whole community.”

Open call for artists and vendors

With planning underway, organizers have launched their 2026 call for mural artists and art fair vendors.

“We want a strong mix,” Hughes said. “Local, regional, and even international artists.”

Last year’s program included artists from across Michigan and beyond. Hughes expects that diversity to continue, noting that friendly competition often pushes artists to deliver their best work.

“When you put talented artists together, they inspire each other,” he said. “That’s how you end up with standout pieces.”

Applications and guidelines are available at paintthepark.com/2026-call-for-murals.

Shaping Allen Park’s identity

For Tanguay, the project represents more than a series of events; it’s about reshaping how people see Allen Park.

After years working on large-scale mural projects in Detroit’s Eastern Market and other communities, she first became involved Downriver through projects in Trenton.

“I had never really been Downriver before,” she said. “And I fell in love with it.”

When she first visited Allen Park, Tanguay immediately recognized its potential.

“It’s walkable. There are great restaurants, great people, great stores,” she said. “It’s creative. But a lot of people just drive through. They don’t realize what’s here.”

Public art, she believes, helps bring attention to those overlooked assets.

“It puts a spotlight on the city,” she said. “It tells people, ‘There’s something happening here.’”

Hughes agrees, describing Allen Park as a “hidden gem” in Metro Detroit.

“We’re known as the home of the Detroit Lions. We have excellent schools and strong neighborhoods,” he said. “But this investment shows we’re also committed to culture and creativity.”

Economic and community impact

Beyond aesthetics, DDA leaders see public art as a tool for long-term economic development.

The 2025 mural rollout sparked increased foot traffic and business activity. Hughes expects the expanded program to amplify that effect.

“It creates optimism,” he said. “It shows residents and business owners that the city is investing in its future.”

Tanguay points to the transformation she witnessed in Eastern Market as evidence of what sustained art investment can accomplish.

“Murals changed that neighborhood,” she said. “They helped turn it into a destination.”

While she is mindful of issues such as rising rents and displacement, she believes Allen Park is at a stage where thoughtful growth can benefit both residents and businesses.

“There’s so much potential here,” she said. “And people are ready for something to happen.”

Looking ahead

With murals, light installations, festivals, and vendor programs on the horizon, Allen Park’s public art initiative is entering a new phase—one that blends creative expression with economic strategy.

Hughes said the overwhelming public support for the first round of murals gave the DDA confidence to expand.

“We heard residents, visitors, and business owners,” he said. “They wanted more. So we’re bringing it back and doing it even better.”

For artists, vendors, and creatives, now is the time to get involved.

Applications for mural artists and art fair participants are currently open at paintthepark.com/2026-call-for-murals.

More information about The Mural People and their regional projects is available at themuralpeople.com.

More than 60 Girl Scouts and 67 adults participated in Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan’s Ice to Table – Ice Fishing program, a hands-on winter experience that blended outdoor recreation, environmental education and practical life skills.

Designed as part of a broader fishing and aquatic conservation curriculum, the program introduced participants not just to ice fishing, but to the knowledge and confidence needed to do it safely and responsibly.

“Our Ice to Table – Ice Fishing event is part of a multi-part fishing and aquatic conservation curriculum,” said Paige Wigren, vice president of outdoor experience. “Most fishing programs focus on the ‘try-it’ aspect only. We wanted to take our events a few steps further.”

The program was offered in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge in Trenton and supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through the Detroit River Youth Fishing Team grant. For nearly four years, the collaboration has worked to remove barriers that often keep families from outdoor recreation, particularly the cost of equipment and access to instruction.

Each participant began the day with a detailed ice safety demonstration. Girl Scouts were fitted with mandatory ice picks and taught what to do if they fell through the ice, emphasizing the importance of staying calm. They also learned how to “spud” their path forward using an ice spud to test ice thickness before stepping ahead.

“It is best to assume that no ice is 100% safe,” Wigren said. “Becoming too confident during high-risk activities can lead to mistakes and accidents. Safety is at the forefront of everything we do.”

For many participants, the safety lessons were among the most valuable takeaways.

“I learned it’s important to not panic if you fall through the ice, to never go on the ice alone, and to carry safety picks in case you need to pull yourself out,” said Ayla DeLuca, an eighth grader from West Bloomfield.

Cassidy Holmes, a sixth grader from Waterford, said she learned “how to judge if the ice on a lake is safe, and how to use ice picks in an emergency.”

Violet Lira, a first grader from Canton, said she was surprised that ice fishing was actually on the ice.

“I’ve only been regular fishing, like when it’s warm. Walking right on the ice surprised me! I thought we would walk next to the ice,” she said. “I learned that no ice is safe ice, and you have to check first and be really careful before you walk on it. You check how the ice feels and what color it is to see if it’s OK to go on.”

After safety fundamentals were covered, participants moved on to fishing skills. Each Girl Scout was assigned a pre-drilled ice hole and a five-gallon bucket stocked with bait, hooks, jigs, hemostats and a depth finder clip. Instructors demonstrated how to operate an ice fishing pole, bait a hook with a wax worm, gently “jig” the line, and safely remove a fish from the hook.

“They learn how to drill an ice fishing hole, scoop ice shards so they don’t cut their line, measure water depth, set the hook, reel in their catch,” Wigren explained. “And if the fish is legal and they’re interested, we teach them how to fillet and pan fry it.”

That final step, the transition from ice to table, proved especially memorable for many participants.

“I liked watching Ms. Paige filet the fish, even though it was a little gross,” Holmes said. “I had never seen that before, and it was a good learning experience.”

Lilly Brinn, a 10th grader from Troy, agreed. “I liked the fish filleting part. It was really interesting to see the knife work.”

For DeLuca, the highlight was tasting the final product. “I liked eating the fish,” she said. “Ms. Paige is very good at cooking it. Best fried fish I’ve ever had. It probably helps that it was so fresh.”

The program followed a “challenge by choice” philosophy, allowing participants to decide how involved they wanted to be in preparing their catch.

“First and foremost, we focus on the comfort level of the child,” Wigren said. “Some kids are excited to learn how to filet a fish. Others prefer just the catching part, and that’s OK.”

Even those who didn’t catch a fish found the experience rewarding.

“Even though I didn’t catch anything today, it was still interesting to learn and great to be out in nature on a sunny day,” Holmes said. “It was peaceful on the frozen lake.”

Brinn echoed that sentiment. “I didn’t catch anything, unfortunately, but I enjoyed learning how to prep fish. The hour on the ice felt more like ten minutes.”

Several participants were surprised by how quickly conditions changed on the ice.

“I was most surprised that the water in the open hole freezes so fast,” DeLuca said.

“I’d never gone before, and I was surprised how fast the ice froze,” Brinn added. “Seriously, it’s crazy.”

Winter programming comes with logistical challenges, from unpredictable weather to managing cold exposure. The Scouts addressed those risks with heated pop-up shanties, access to warming stations, and continuous monitoring of participant comfort.

While the program was first planned in 2022, inconsistent ice conditions delayed its launch. The 2025 season marked the first year it could be hosted safely, and this year’s event proved equally successful.

Despite the complexity, Wigren said the impact makes it worthwhile.

“When kids directly connect with nature in their own communities, it leads to a better understanding of conservation and sustainability,” she said. “It breaks a big concept down into something tangible.”

For many Girl Scouts, the experience sparked interest in future outdoor adventures.

“I would love to do this again,” DeLuca said. “I love fishing, and I want to try again and actually catch something.”

Holmes agreed. “It was fun, I got to see my friend, and I learned a lot.”

Wigren hopes participants walked away with more than just fishing skills.

“These events teach Girl Scouts that they can do anything they put their minds to,” she said. “They can do hard things.”

For more information on GSSEM’s Outdoor Experience Department programs, visit gssem.org/go.

Andrea and Mica George-Michaud met at freshmen orientation in 2008 at a small, private Downriver high school.

They quickly became best friends, sharing all the joys and trials of growing up.

They stayed in the area through the first years of college and remained friends.

“Then life tested us. Mica left for Kansas to finish college and play softball,” Andrea wrote in a winning love story essay for a contest sponsored by the city of Southgate. “For the first time, a part of me felt missing.”

When Mica returned, the friendship continued, and began to blossom into “two best friends slowly, inevitably falling in love.”

“Our love story is about time, patience and choosing each other again and again.”

They later married and found a home in Southgate and are proud to call the city home, Andrea wrote in her essay.

“Everybody is really friendly and welcoming,” she said.

At its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 4, the City Council presented the couple with a gift basket filled with champagne and glasses, cookies, chocolates, a $100 gift card to Carrabba’s restaurant and a signed certificate from Mayor Joseph Kuspa.

Andrea expressed surprise that her essay won the contest, which was sponsored by the city’s Cultural Arts and Special Events Commission.

“I did this, kind of, in passing and then weeks went by,” she said. “Then I received a text from the city that said I won.”

Eight essays were submitted for the contest, which was held for the first time this year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Rent can eat up an entire paycheck at the start of the month, so a growing number of renters are turning to a financial product that promises relief by letting them split the bill — for a price.

So-called “rent now, pay later” services have emerged over the past few years as housing costs climb and paychecks grow less predictable, particularly for lower-income and gig-economy workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, rents have jumped nearly 28% in past five years.

Companies such as Flex, Livble and, more recently, Affirm, say breaking rent into multiple payments can help renters manage cash flow. But consumer advocates warn the products typically function like short-term loans, layering fees onto already strained budgets and, in some cases, carrying triple-digit effective interest rates — raising questions about whether they ease financial pressure or deepen it.

Kellen Johnson, 44, started using Flex to split up his rent payments about two years ago. Instead of paying the whole $1,850 of his rent on the first of the month, Johnson would pay $1,350 on that date, and $500 on the 15th. For the service, Flex collected a $14.99 monthly subscription fee, as well as 1% of the total rent, which for Johnson was $18.50, bringing his monthly charges for the app to more than $33.

Johnson said he was willing to pay the extra costs in part because he worked as an independently contracted delivery person for Amazon at the time, and his paychecks could vary.

“It was an expense that I was incurring, but I went ahead as it was more convenient,” said Johnson, who now works as a driver for senior citizens in Sacramento, California.

Roughly 109 million Americans, or about 42.5 million households, are renters in the United States. The Census Bureau estimated in 2024 that a large share of those households pay 30% or more of their monthly income on rent. The bureau considers such households to be “cost burdened,” meaning rent consumes so much of their income that they have less ability to plan for future expenses or build wealth.

Rent now, pay later services generally operate the same way: The company pays the landlord the full rent when due, and the renter repays the company in two or more installments over the course of the month. Because rent can be such a large expense, the companies argue that spreading payments out can give renters more cash on hand.

Many of these services come with fees. The fees can be structured differently but should be generally thought of as cost of credit, consumer advocates warn. In Johnson’s case, he was paying $33.49 for a two-week loan of $500, for an effective annual percentage rate of 172%, when expressed using standard consumer-lending calculations.

“Renters should be skeptical of any financing providers that have partnered with a landlord and be skeptical of anything that sells itself as no fees or no interest,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of Protect Borrowers. Pierce previously worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Launched in 2019, Flex is one of the largest companies focused on splitting rent payments. The company says its 1.5 million customers now send about $2 billion a month in rent through its system, and several of the country’s largest landlords accept Flex as a payment option.

Flex says most of its customers are lower-income renters with weaker credit profiles. The company reports a median credit score of 604 among its users and says about one in three customers works more than one job to make ends meet. A Flex spokesman says the average customer uses the service three to four times a year. Johnson used it every month.

Livble does not charge a subscription, but charges renters a fee ranging from $30 to $40, according to the company’s help page. Depending on how long the renter defers part of the payment, Livble’s fees can translate into effective annual percentage rates of roughly 104% to 139%.

The buy now, pay later company Affirm said this month that it is piloting a program allowing some customers to split rent into two payments. The program is being tested in partnership with Esusu, a company that reports rent payments to credit bureaus to help consumers build credit. An Affirm spokesman said the company is not charging renters interest or fees to use the product, but may charge landlords fees.

As another financing option, landlords are increasingly accepting credit cards for rent payments. Bilt, a credit card startup, built its brand around targeting renters when it launched, and some tenants also use credit cards to accumulate rewards or points.

But paying rent by credit card can also be costly. Landlords typically pass the processing fees on to tenants. Depending on the card issuer and payment network, these fees can range from about 2.5% to 3.5% of the rent. For a renter paying $1,500 a month, that translates to roughly $37.50 to $52.50 in fees — a monthly cost comparable to what services like Livble and Flex charge.

Economists and renters’ advocates argue that none of these financing options address the fundamental issue of affordability in the rental market. If credit cards, or flexible rent payment options become more widely used, they worry rents could rise further as landlords start factoring in a potential renters’ weekly cash flow as opposed to the rental market in the area the building is located in.

Merchants already pass along credit card processing costs to customers in the form of higher prices, and advocates worry that the rental market could adopt similar patterns. For example, Livble is owned by RealPage, which last year settled allegations that its algorithm allowed landlords to collude and push rents higher.

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Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed from Washington.

The Wayne County Airport Authority held a press conference to give an update on the Jan. 23 crash that injured six people who did not require hospitalization.

Tadarial Sturdivant, WCAA senior vice president of Emergency and Support Services & Operations, said there was “insufficient evidence that would link this to any sign of terrorism,” according to a report in The Detroit News.

He would not say which agency is holding the suspect. Authorities are awaiting the results of toxicology tests before sending the case to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office.

The Mercedes Benz 300 smashed through a set of glass check-in doors for Delta Airlines at the airport in Romulus. The driver then exited his vehicle and began speaking gibberish, Sturdivant stated. He was brought to the ground and taken into custody as he walked toward a restricted area.

One person was arrested but not identified and charges have not been announced.

The airport authority has installed 9,000-pound concrete barriers at the departure and arrival levels of the McNamara and Evans terminals, Sturdivant said.

Though airport operations returned to normal within several days after the crash, a sheet of wood sealing the destroyed doors remained in place Thursday.

“I’ve been with the airport for 27 years and what occurred on Jan.  23 at the McNamara Terminal is unprecedented. It has definitely changed our security posture,” said WCAA CEO Chad Newton, in a statement.

Surveillance footage shows the car traveling in the far-left lane outside the terminal, then suddenly veering right and driving through a set of glass doors before crashing into a counter.

Sturdivant said the airport has implemented temporary safety enhancements while more permanent measures are planned. No details were given.

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