The Thečhíȟila Collective is transforming long-vacant Detroit land into a growing Native community space. In July, land bank threatened to take the property back, alleging the collective failed to provide a required update in a third “final demand” letter sent to the wrong mailing and email addresses.
Jena Brooker
Jena Brooker is BridgeDetroit's environmental reporter, covering food and agriculture, pollution and climate change. She has held three fellowships: a ProPublica fellowship, where she led an investigative project on heavy industry in Detroit neighborhoods; a Data Fellowship at the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, where she produced award-winning coverage of Detroit's automotive industry and environmental racism; and a Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowship through CASW, AHCJ and SEJ. Her work has also earned the Michigan Press Association public service award three years in a row and recognition as Young Journalist of the Year in 2023. Before joining BridgeDetroit, she covered environmental issues across the Midwest as a Reporting Fellow for Grist.
Jena holds a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in The Guardian, Mother Jones, Salon, Slate, Grist, Next City, Chalkbeat and Planet Detroit.
Posted inEnvironment
How Detroit ceded a historically Black neighborhood to a billionaire-owned concrete facility
After a Moroun-owned company erected a concrete plant in a quiet neighborhood with the aid of the city, residents began battling clouds of dust and other problems. They say local and state officials have been little help.
Posted inEnvironment
5 things to know about the impact of the Air Pollution Control Act
BridgeDetroit spent months investigating pollution control laws in Michigan and the impact when companies aren’t required to follow the laws.
Posted inEnvironment
A law meant to clean Michigan’s air now costs the state billions with little oversight
A 1965 law exempts facilities that install air pollution control equipment from property taxes.
Posted inEnvironment
Michigan’s heavy industry receives hundreds of millions of dollars to control pollution. When they don’t, they keep the savings.
Critics say the Air Pollution Control Exemption is outdated, poorly enforced, and subsidizes companies for doing what they’re already legally required to do — even when they violate pollution laws.
Posted inEnvironment
Michigan cities lose millions to pollution tax breaks with no oversight, little say
Michigan cities are losing millions in tax revenue from pollution exemptions but have little say in granting them, and aren’t required to track or report the cost.
Posted inEnvironment
FAQ: What to know about Michigan’s pollution exemption law
In Detroit, over the last decade, five companies – three owned by Marathon Petroleum – have received 28 exemptions under the law, equaling about $46 million.
Posted inBusiness, Civic and Community Information, Housing
Years after buying home, Detroit couple caught in aftermath from land bank deal
The conflict highlights concerns over oversight and accountability in special deals between the Detroit Land Bank Authority and developers.
Posted inArts & Culture, Environment
Voices for manoomin: Protecting Michigan’s sacred rice
One Detroit, BridgeDetroit and Great Lakes Now collaboration takes viewers to a northeastern Michigan rice camp
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Harvesting manoomin, Michigan’s Indigenous wild rice | One Detroit
As part of National Native American Heritage Month this November, BridgeDetroit’s Jena Brooker along with One Detroit’s Bill Kubota take us on wild rice harvest where some new manoomin beds now grow because of a dam removal on northeastern Michigan’s Au Sable River.