Several employees quit after the sale; Kafka fired the rest and shut the business down indefinitely.
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 inCivic and Community Information, Environment
State reaches $1M agreement with US Ecology over violations in Detroit
The order requires US Ecology to pay approximately $58,000 in fines to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and to invest $927,423 into environmental projects that will benefit the community.
Posted inJB's Bites
JB’s Bites: Mangoes in the Motor City
Jena Brooker got in on the WhatsApp mango craze. Check out her review as well as the latest food news and pop-ups.
Posted inJB's Bites
JB’s Bites: New art gallery & bakery
BridgeDetroit food writer Jena Brooker writes on a composting pilot with an autonomous robot, the latest food headlines and this week’s pop-ups.
Posted inArts & Culture
Detroiters open creative studio and art gallery in Milwaukee Junction
From chess nights to baked goods to supper club, Someday bakery and art gallery is doing a little bit of everything.
Posted inEnvironment, Jobs & Economic Development
A robot is helping turn food waste into compost in Detroit
The nonprofit composting service Scrap Soils is testing the effectiveness of using an autonomous robot to transport food to be composted.
Posted inCivic and Community Information, Environment
JB’s Bites: Food compost robot
BridgeDetroit food writer Jena Brooker writes on a composting pilot with an autonomous robot, the latest food headlines and this week’s pop-ups.
Posted inJB's Bites
JB’s Bites: Mapping Detroit street food
This week, Jena Brooker has a street food pop-up rewind. Check out this collaboration with reporter Laura Herberg, and send us some of your favorites.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Design Core Detroit awards $115K to community sustainability projects
Seven groups were awarded money for projects including solar-powered DJ sets and a community kitchen powered by biofuel.
Posted inJB's Bites
JB’s Bites: Free produce
BridgeDetroit food writer Jena Brooker has a reminder about the Double Up Food Bucks and how healthy food access helps local farmers.