Oxford Schools To Require Clear Backpacks + Sheriff Adds Puppy

Welcome back, Rochester-Rochester Hills! It's Friday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on today in Rochester-Rochester Hills.

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First, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 42 Low: 37.

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Here are the top stories today in Rochester-Rochester Hills:

1. Clear backpacks to be required for Oxford middle, high school students upon return to the classroom. (WXYZ)
2. Oakland County Sheriff's Office adds puppy to support community after Oxford High School shooting. (FOX 2 Detroit)
3. Latest: Hospital Capacity In Rochester-Rochester Hills Area. (Rochester-Rochester Hills Patch)
4. MDHHS to Michigan schools: More COVID action needed as students, staff return after break. (WDIV)
5. Dining events, pop-ups, guests chefs and more in Metro Detroit this winter. (The Detroit News)

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Today in Rochester-Rochester Hills:

• New Year's Eve Open Mic (7:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Oakland County Sheriff's Office: "So today, Sheriff Bouchard is driving to pick up our newest Comfort K9, Oxford. Thanks to the generosity of Clarkston Athletics who wanted to support the Oxford community. This new ball of fur love will be assigned to Oxford. More to fol..." (Facebook)
• Downtown Rochester: "The Big, Bright Light Show will be aglow all day and night on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!" (Facebook)
• Meadow Brook Hall: "This is it! The LAST day of our breathtaking light show Winter Wonder Lights. When the sun goes down and the lights come up, it will be for the final time of the 2021 season. Don't miss your last chance to be dazzled. Limited tickets sti..." (Facebook)
• Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce: "Happy #thankful Thursday! 💜 Thank you Alaina for your dedication to the Chamber for 5 years. Your positive spirit will be greatly missed around the office. We wish you the very best in your future endeavors." (Facebook)
• Oakland County Parks and Recreation: "As we send off 2021, we wanted to say thank you again to our parks users. So please take advantage of free entry to the parks below during a Parks Appreciation Day on New Year's Eve. You can find a park near you here: https://bit.ly/33Nf..." (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Dylan Siwicki

About me: I was born and raised on Detroit's Westside, in the hard working blue-collar Polish neighborhood of Warrendale. I'm a Detroit Public School graduate who fought hard to earn my education. My aspiration into journalism came as a young kid, when I began following the corruption scandal of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. My first break in to the journalism world began with the opportunity to work at the Michigan Journal, where I primarily reported on campus and local news throughout Dearborn community. I eventually worked my way to news editor. In correlation to work in journalism, I had an amazing opportunity to study and write about many different cultures and backgrounds at the Piast Institute, which also helped me prepare for this role. So with first-hand experience growing up in a tight-knit neighborhood, I know the importance of delivering news and telling stories that impact local communities. And as a breaking news editor at Patch for Metro Detroit, it's my job to deliver that news. So feel free to contact me about news tips or your own unique experiences at dylan.siwicki@patch.com