An expected guilty plea from former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO William A. Smith seemed imminent in federal court yesterday, but the hearing was suddenly postponed with little explanation.

The big picture: The courtroom complication introduced new uncertainty to Smith's case, in which prosecutors say he stole more than $40 million from the nonprofit conservancy over a decade.

• Some in attendance were surprised by the delay in Smith's case. His guilty plea had been expected for nearly a month.
• U.S. District Judge Susan K. DeClercq said the hearing would be rescheduled without setting an immediate date.

What they're saying: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy officials were expecting a resolution.

• "We are disappointed that today did not meet our expectations of a guilty plea, and we look forward to this being resolved in the near future," conservancy CEO Ryan Sullivan said in a statement, adding that the conservancy is thankful to the U.S. Attorney's office for its efforts.

The other side: U.S. Attorney John Neal declined to comment outside the federal courthouse on Fort Street.

• Smith's attorney, Gerald Evelyn, could not be reached for comment.

Between the lines: Yesterday's hearing had proceeded as expected before the sudden interruption.

• Smith, wearing a dark-colored suit and speaking softly, answered "yes, your honor" to several of the judge's questions about his understanding of the plea agreement.
• But after prosecutors reviewed the agreement in court, Evelyn said an issue emerged with the deal, and they could not proceed.

Catch up quick: The government seized more than $100,000 from Smith and issued a lien on his wife's house to apply pressure ahead of yesterday's hearing, the Detroit News reports.

• Prosecutors and the FBI have been searching for Smith's assets, which include his Novi home (which was raided), a condo in Mexico, a yacht, rental properties, and a house in Atlanta, per the News.

The latest: After the hearing, Smith, 52, said nothing as he walked briskly into an SUV parked at the curb outside of court.

What's next: We're waiting to find out the rescheduled hearing date.

Michiganders need more companionship, with 41% reporting feeling lonely sometimes in the latest vibe check from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why it matters: Feelings of isolation and loneliness are a real public health threat — so much so that Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory last year.

Driving the news: In the newest Household Pulse Survey (HPS), 40.3% of American adults said they sometimes experienced loneliness.

• The survey, from July 23 to August 19, had nearly 60,000 respondents nationwide.

Zoom out: Alaska (45.9%), Oregon (44.7%) and Virginia (43.3%) had the highest rates of loneliness.

The bottom line: Getting out there and making some connections can do wonders for your mental health, as Axios' Carly Mallenbaum has reported.

💸 George Boukas, the owner of Temple Bar, which suffered structural damage in May, launched a $30,000 crowdfunding campaign to help repair and reopen the bar. Boukas says repairs to the building in a historic district are complex and expensive.

• After closing, staff continued to visit the bar to care for the bar cat, Darla, until she died recently at age 22. (Metro Times)

🗳️ Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson spoke with CNN about election disinformation after shooting back at Elon Musk on X to counter a false claim Musk highlighted that questioned if Michigan has more registered voters than eligible ones. (CNN)  

A meteorologist who spent 16 years working with WXYZ, Rob Kress, died in late September at age 77. (Detroit News)

A local nonprofit broke ground yesterday on a 17-horse equestrian center on a former school site in Detroit.

The big picture: Detroit Horse Power created a unique plan for using space left over from widespread demolitions of vacant structures across the city.

• The nonprofit transports students ages 11-18 to barns outside the city, where they learn to ride and lead horses in summer camps and after-school programs.
• With this new campus, it can serve more students closer to home.

State of play: The campus, situated on 14 acres at Fenkell Avenue and Linwood Street in the Hope Village neighborhood, will include stables, indoor and outdoor riding arenas, a half-mile path, 7 acres of grazing, classrooms, and office space.

• Organizers expect the facilities to open in 2026. They aim to serve 1,000 students yearly, up from 100 students per summer as of 2023.

By the numbers: Funders have committed $8 million to the project so far, according to a news release. Detroit Horse Power also launched a campaign yesterday seeking another $2 million to expand its programming for when the center opens.

Michigan's most-purchased Halloween candy last year — like almost every other state — was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

The chocolate didn't stop there.

• The rest of the state's top five, in order: M&Ms, Snickers, Peanut M&Ms, and Twix.

💭 Joe's thought bubble: No love for Skittles?