DETROIT (AP) — Sam Walker jumps to attention when he hears noises at his Detroit home. But now he has an ally to help him see what's happening outside: a bright streetlight that replaced one that was dim and barely effective.

A new light would draw a yawn in most cities, but it represents real progress in Detroit. The city is slowly restoring some services, improving others and paying vendors for the first time in months, even while attempting to turn itself around in a record-setting bankruptcy case that has reached a critical point.

After a nine-day trial, Judge Steven Rhodes must decide whether Detroit really qualifies for the court's help to fix its awful long-term finances — including $18 billion debt. Although they haven't offered specifics, officials predict a "free-fall crisis" if the city is found ineligible and warn that the improved services, such as those streetlights, could suffer.