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The county’s food bank received a donation from a different kind of bank to help the organization to provide food at no cost to those in need. First Merchants Bank recently donated $15,000 to the county Community Food Bank for it to stock up on food for it and its network of 56 pantries and hunger-relief organizations that distribute food to those in immediate need, county officials said in a news release. Ed Scott, director of Macomb Community Action, which oversees the food bank, said the donation came at a good time. “As we head into the holiday season, we’re seeing increased demand for food at all of our partner pantries. This donation will go a long way in helping get much-needed food to those who need it,” Scott said in the release. Terri Cable, Michigan president of First Merchants Bank, said the company’s vision is to “enhance the financial wellness of the diverse communities we serve,” according to county officials. “Helping our communities prosper is more than a responsibility. It is our passion. For us, social impact isn’t a campaign or a movement—it’s part of who we are. It’s the foundation of our organization, and it permeates every part of our business,” she said. The food bank supplies food at no cost so that families and individuals can have “no strings attached” access to the food they need, of officials said. In 2024, this network has served over 2,921,000 pounds of food to over 148,000 households. First Merchants operates a branch in Sterling Heights as well as in Ferndale and Taylor.

A STONE coffin believed to be that of the original 'Santa Claus' has been unearthed by archaeologists. The St Nicholas Church in Demre, Antalya, Turkey, has been an excavation site for researchers since 1989. It is believed to be the final resting place of the Christian bishop Saint Nicholas of Myra (now known as Demre) who died in 343 AD. The Greek bishop was the inspiration for the figures of both Santa Clause and Sinterklaas. He was a devoted Christian dedicated to helping those in need and he even spent his inheritance on the cause. Saint Nick was particularly known for his secret gift-giving and gained a reputation for leaving coins in people’s shoes. Now, archaeologists exploring the church's two-story annexe have located a limestone sarcophagus that could belong to Saint Nicholas. The five-foot deep and six-foot-long coffin with a raised lid was located at the burial site of the seventh-century church in the dig led by Associate Professor Ebru Fatma Findik from Hatay Mustafa Kemal University. Researchers who are taking part in the "Legacy for the Future Project" at the site revealed that the stone coffin was about six feet underground. They only realised they were working on a burial site when the researchers started finding animal bones and parts of clay lamps, Findik explained to Turkiye Today . The saint who died in the fourth century was buried at the site of his church and hundreds of years later, at the request of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II, a grand church was built in his honour at the same site. His remains were moved into a sarcophagus which was buried at the new church. But, it is not yet guaranteed that the stone coffin belongs to the devout Christian saint celebrated every December. The location of the Bishop's tomb has long been under speculation but the coffin being found so close to the church has given researchers hope. "Some sources suggest that St. Nicholas was buried near the sacred area of the city of Myra," Findik explained. "The fact that we have found a sarcophagus near the church, which is thought to house his tomb, may indicate that this is indeed the sacred area we have been searching for." "This is a significant archaeological confirmation of historical sources regarding the burial place of St. Nicholas," Findik added. In 1087, some bones were taken from his sarcophagus by Italian thieves from Bari who took them back to their hometown. Sailors from Venice later took the remaining bones during the First Crusade. In 1953, researchers confirmed that both sets of bones found in Bari and in Venice were from the same person, but it is not known if it is Saint Nicholas, according to Heritage Daily. Only the lid has so far been fully unearthed, with only a tiny section of the burial chamber currently visible as researchers hope to soon find a big clue as to its contents. "Our biggest hope is to find an inscription on the sarcophagus," Findik said. "This would help clarify the burial contents and allow us to determine the exact period it dates to." The lead researcher said that further details about the sarcophagus are expected over the next few months. Another group of researchers have managed to rebuild the face of Saint Nicholas after 1,700 years. To create the face, Cicero Moraes and his team used data collected in the 1950s by Luigi Martino, with permission from the Centro Studi Nicolaiani. He said: “We initially reconstructed the skull in 3D using this data. “We then traced the profile of the face using statistical projections. “We supplemented this with the anatomical deformation technique, in which the tomography of a living person's head is adjusted so that the virtual donor's skull matches that of the saint. “The final face is an interpolation of all this information, seeking anatomical and statistical coherence.” The result is two sets of images: one objective in greyscale, and one more artistic – adding features like a beard and clothes, inspired by the iconography of Saint Nicholas. SAINT Nicholas, the historical figure who inspired the modern-day Santa Claus, is a beloved saint in Christian tradition. He was a 4th-century bishop of Myra (modern-day Demre in Turkey) and is known for his generosity, miracles, and compassionate spirit. Saint Nicholas was born around 270 AD in the Roman province of Lycia, in the town of Patara (present-day Turkey). Raised in a wealthy Christian family, he lost his parents at a young age and inherited a substantial fortune. Rather than keeping the wealth for himself, Nicholas dedicated his life to serving others, living out his faith through acts of charity. Several stories about Saint Nicholas emphasise his generosity and miraculous deeds. Some of the most well-known include: The Dowries for the Three Sisters : A poor man in Myra had three daughters but could not afford dowries for them, leaving them at risk of being sold into slavery or forced into lives of destitution. According to legend, Saint Nicholas secretly provided dowries by throwing bags of gold through their window at night. Some versions of the story say he dropped the gold down the chimney, where it landed in stockings hanging by the fire to dry—a detail that inspired the Christmas stocking tradition. Saving sailors at sea : Saint Nicholas is also revered as the patron saint of sailors. One legend recounts that he calmed a fierce storm while on a voyage, saving the ship and its crew through his prayers. This story spread widely among seafarers, and they began to invoke his protection during their journeys. The resurrected children: Another famous tale tells of Saint Nicholas resurrecting three children who had been murdered by a butcher during a famine. In this story, the children had been dismembered and hidden in barrels, but Saint Nicholas miraculously restored them to life. This narrative contributed to his reputation as a protector of children. Saint Nicholas was known for his habit of secretly leaving gifts for the poor.His generosity earned him widespread admiration, and he became a symbol of selfless giving. After his death on December 6 (the year is uncertain but believed to be between 343–352 AD), Saint Nicholas's feast day became widely celebrated in Europe. Over the centuries, his legend grew, blending with local customs.In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas became known as Sinterklaas, a figure celebrated on December 5 or 6. Dutch settlers brought the tradition of Sinterklaas to America, where it evolved into the modern Santa Claus, further shaped by cultural influences such as Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and Coca-Cola’s iconic 20th-century advertisements. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of numerous groups, including children, sailors, merchants, the innocent, and the wrongfully accused. Icons of Saint Nicholas often depict him as a bishop holding a staff, with gold coins, children, or ships symbolising his miracles and patronage.None

Buffalo Sabres (11-10-2, in the Atlantic Division) vs. New York Islanders (8-10-6, in the Metropolitan Division) Elmont, New York; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Islanders -130, Sabres +110; over/under is 5.5 BOTTOM LINE: The New York Islanders take on the Buffalo Sabres as losers of three straight games. New York has gone 3-5-2 in home games and 8-10-6 overall. The Islanders have gone 6-1-1 in games they score one or more power-play goals. Buffalo is 5-4-1 in road games and 11-10-2 overall. The Sabres have a 4-7-1 record in games their opponents commit fewer penalties. Saturday's game is the second time these teams match up this season. The Islanders won the previous meeting 4-3. Simon Holmstrom scored two goals in the victory. TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Palmieri has 10 goals and nine assists for the Islanders. Brock Nelson has five goals and five assists over the last 10 games. Tage Thompson has 11 goals and seven assists for the Sabres. Rasmus Dahlin has five goals and five assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Islanders: 2-4-4, averaging 2.7 goals, 4.6 assists, 2.4 penalties and 5.1 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game. Sabres: 6-3-1, averaging three goals, 4.7 assists, 4.3 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game. INJURIES: Islanders: None listed. Sabres: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated PressPhiladelphia Flyers (11-10-3, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (11-12-1, in the Central Division) St. Louis; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST Blues -140, Flyers +118; over/under is 6 BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Blues host the Philadelphia Flyers after Dylan Holloway's two-goal game against the New Jersey Devils in the Blues' 3-0 win. St. Louis is 11-12-1 overall and 5-6-0 at home. The Blues have conceded 76 goals while scoring 60 for a -16 scoring differential. Philadelphia has gone 5-4-2 in road games and 11-10-3 overall. The Flyers have allowed 79 goals while scoring 67 for a -12 scoring differential. Saturday's game is the second time these teams square off this season. The Flyers won the last matchup 2-1. Travis Konecny scored two goals in the victory. TOP PERFORMERS: Jordan Kyrou has seven goals and 12 assists for the Blues. Jake Neighbours has three goals and two assists over the last 10 games. Konecny has 13 goals and 16 assists for the Flyers. Matvei Michkov has scored four goals and added three assists over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Blues: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.9 assists, three penalties and six penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game. Flyers: 6-2-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.7 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game. INJURIES: Blues: None listed. Flyers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated PressNASA to Cover its 31st SpaceX Resupply Mission Station Departure