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And with that, the Stan Van Gundy era is over in Detroit. Four years after bringing in Van Gundy to serve the dual roles of president of basketball operations and head coach, Pistons' owner Tom Gores is taking the franchise in a different direction. Gores reportedly wanted to keep Van Gundy as coach for the fifth and final year of his contract. However, the two couldn't agree on front office changes. And, at the end of the day, Van Gundy simply didn't produce enough positive results to warrant retaining full control of player personnel. MORE
► Plenty of options to replace Van Gundy
► The ups and mostly downs of Van Gundy's tenure with Pistons
► 15 photos of Van Gundy at his most frustrated

Guns conversation addresses the power of the NRA

Our monthlong project covering the hot-button topic of guns in America recently turned its sights on the National Riffle Association. Specifically, does the NRA have too much power? On the heels of the organization's annual convention, our group of 150 engaged readers expressed differing views about the NRA during a moderated conversation. We encourage you to read the story and then join the important discussion in the comments section of the post. MORE

DTE unveils plan for $75M Ann Arbor riverfront development

The long-awaited development of a vacant, former industrial site along the Huron River in Ann Arbor finally got some momentum Monday. DTE Energy announced plans for a mixed-use project that would include extensive public green space, a riverfront trail, a hotel, retail and condos, and a restaurant. Plenty needs to happen, though, before the project becomes a reality. Plans still are being finalized and have yet to be approved by the city. MORE

May weather looks stellar compared to April

MLive chief meteorologist Mark Torregrossa has some great news to share with us: Spring is here to stay. (We knew you could do it, Mark!) Finally. One week into May, we can say this long winter is over. And, better yet, it doesn't look as if we'll jump right into summer. This is wonderful news, and we started the celebration by sending one of our award-winning photojournalists to Fredrick Meijer Gardens to capture spring in full bloom. It is a lovely sight for our recovering snow burned eyes. MORE

Massive list of Mexican restaurant nominations tops 300

The impressive list of nominations just keeps growing. Seriously. We might need more Michigan's Best reporters to get through this! Our search for the best Mexican restaurant in Michigan opened Friday with a call for nominations. And, well, we know our fellow Michiganders love quality Mexican fare, but this is getting muy ridiculo. We've received more than 300 (nominations) so far. What an awesome response, and what a tantalizing way to start our search. MORE