Crumbley verdict shockwaves • High-rise opens on former Joe Louis site • Child labor violations in Troy
WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - A jury sent shockwaves around Michigan and the U.S. when they voted to convict Jennifer Crumbley on four counts of involuntary manslaughter. The unprecedented case is the first time a parent has been charged with a crime tied to a mass shooting carried out by their child.
In describing why 12 jurors came to their conclusion - which took a day and a half to reach - the forewoman said Crumbley was the last adult with the gun before the shooting.
"Lives hung in the balance, and we took that seriously," she said.
For others not on the stand, like the Oakland County sheriff, he said Crumbley's guilt was sealed when evidence of her reaction after she first learned of the shooting was revealed to the court and she said "did my son do it."
"That tells me that there’s a foreseeability that you knew something was possible and didn’t intervene," said Michael Bouchard.
The story isn't close to being over. Crumblety could appeal the decision. Her son, the shooter, has also appealed his own sentence. And James Crumbley, Jennifer's husband, is still facing a trial of his own.
James Crumblety's trial
James Crumbley's trial is scheduled to start Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Jury selection will be the first phase of the trial. Jennifer Crumbley's trial took a day and a half to seat the jury.
He's also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
According to one attorney, he could enter the trial with an advantage that his wife didn't share.
"I have more sympathy for him. I just felt he was in a space where he couldn’t even get himself up out of the bed," Attorney Lillian Diallo said. "He was doing the best he can, he’s door dashing, he might have had depression – or not. And I don’t know if he got that picture right before that meeting… that mom got on the email, because they said they sent it to mom."
Jennifer Crumbley's sentencing
Jennifer Crumbley's sentencing date is scheduled for April 9 at 9 a.m.
She faces up to 15 years in prison for each conviction. If the terms are served consecutively, she could spend 60 years in prison.
Jennifer Crumbley found guilty: Parents, officials react to historic verdict
A key factor for the jury was that Jennifer Crumbley was the last adult with the gun before the shooting, the jury forewoman said.
High-rise standing in former Joe Louis Arena parcel
Standing tall - the Residences at Water Square - the 25-story, nearly 500-unit apartment building is a far cry from what once stood in the spot. Joe Louis Arena was the home of the Red Wings for nearly four decades - has been demolished and replaced with the luxury high-rise.
"The first of its kind, all-glass residential tower right here in the City of Detroit - and let us not forget that we have the best - voted number one, river walk in the country," said Mary Sheffield, city council president.
The grand opening of the Residences at Water Square. represented a "redrawing of the skyline in the City of Detroit," according to the mayor.
The skyscraper was built without tax breaks - but also has some of the priciest rent around with some units going between $2,000 and $5,000 a month.
Popeyes in Troy cited for child labor violations
A Popeyes restaurant in Troy has been cited for violating child labor laws after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor found teens worked excessive hours when school was in session.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division fined the business $48,251 after it uncovered 63 teens aged 14 and 15 worked more than they should have.
The youth workers worked more than 19 hours when school was in session, or worked past 7 p.m. before June 1 and past 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day.
Kids that are 14 and 15 years old are prohibited from working later than 9 p.m. during the summer and 7 p.m. during the remainder of the year. They also cannot work more than three hours on a school day, eight hours on a non-school day, and 18 hours per week.
Gordie Howe bridge impacts
As crews continue piecing together the Gordie Howe International Bridge, its impact are already being felt in southwest Detroit. The Bridge Project Committee will award funding to the Community Health and Social Services — also known as CHASS.
Located on W. Fort in southwest Detroit, CHASS focuses on underserved African-American and Latino families. The pandemic put a spotlight on the health disparities in Black and brown communities. And the challenges persist — including food insecurity.
The Kaiser Family Foundation says Black and Hispanic children are twice as likely to be food insecure than white children nationally.
Southwest Detroit feeling positive impact of Gordie Howe International Bridge project
The Bridge Project Committee will award funding to the Community Health and Social Services — also known as CHASS. Located on W. Fort in southwest Detroit, CHASS focuses on underserved African-American and Latino families.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge Initiative will help fund the CHASS Mercado — a seasonal on-site marketplace that provides fresh fruits and vegetables to hundreds of families.
Eastpointe's Road Diet
Plans to shrink Nine Mile in Eastpointe stirred intense debate from residents concerned about how reshaping the mile-long stretch of road through the city could impact travel and traffic.
Those who attended the meeting were part of a public comment period that lasted well over three hours Tuesday night before city councilmembers eventually passed the plan by a 3-2 vote.
The proposed road diet wouldn't be the first in metro Detroit - it's not even the first for Nine Mile. The idea, which would condense the road from five lanes to three, would make Eastpointe more walkable and safer for those that live and work near the road, advocates say.
But others complained it would divert more traffic into neighborhoods, "where it's already horrible," one woman said. Another man called the idea "stupid." City planners around metro Detroit have implemented their own road diets, including Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge on Woodward Avenue and Oak Park on Nine Mile.
Eastpointe approves road diet for Nine Mile, shrinking from 5 to 3 lanes
The city council approved the plan 3-2, though not without intense scrutiny from public and private individuals. One member who spoke called the idea "stupid.:
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We're looking at temperatures climbing even higher Wednesday, stretching into the mid-40s. It could get as hot as 60 degrees this week.
What else we're watching
- Local and county officials are expected to discuss a new federal lawsuit relating to a scheme of illegally pricing insulin. Detroit, Macomb, Wayne, and Washtenaw county officials will speak at 2 p.m.
- The governor is expected to present her new budget proposal to the legislature Wednesday.
- The state of Michigan will pay you $10 for your thoughts on coming up with a new funding source for fixing its roads. Learn more about road usage charges here.
- The Detroit City Council decided on new boundaries for its city districts during a Tuesday meeting. See the districts that were selected here.
- The city council also approved a $30 increase in trash collection fees that homeowners must pay. It'll increase to $270 by 2026.
Fox Corporation partnering with Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery for new sports streaming service
Fox Corporation announced it is partnering with fellow media titans Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery for a new joint sports streaming platform.
The unnamed platform will streamline sports content that airs on the networks owned by the three companies including ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, and truTV.
"We’re pumped to bring the FOX Sports portfolio to this new and exciting platform," Fox Corporation Executive Chair and CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a press release. "We believe the service will provide passionate fans outside of the traditional bundle an array of amazing sports content all in one place."