Crumbleys back in court, 2nd-generation Coney Island owner dies, special needs group sues to open Mich schools

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Both Ethan and his parents James and Jennifer Crumbley will be back in court Friday for their first appearance of the new year. Both parties - the alleged mass shooter and his mom and dad - will be in court for procedural purposes.

The defense and prosecution have been in the discovery stage for weeks following James and Jennifer, as well as Ethan Crumbley's arraignment in early December. Ethan, accused of murdering four students and injuring seven others faces 24 counts including first-degree murder and terrorism charges.

His parents James and Jennifer were charged with involuntary manslaughter for their ‘egregious conduct’ relating to their son, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said.

Ethan Crumbley, 15, had his first court appearance after his arraignment rescheduled after both his attorney and the prosecution asked for more time to review evidence. 

James and Jennifer Crumbley's defense attorney previously requested having their bond lowered from $500,000 each to $100,000, arguing the two were not a danger to society and are not flight risks. Both have no criminal record - a factor the judge will consider during today's hearing. 

But whether they're considered flight risks is a different question. Both parents were apprehended at a Detroit Art Studio, more than 12 hours after the charges were announced. It required a region-wide manhunt that included members of the U.S. Federal Marshals to find the two.

FOX 2's Charlie Langton said their attorneys will argue that they need time to prepare their defense while outside jail and that $100,000 is a sufficient amount to secure their appearance in future court proceedings.

The judge will decide whether to side with the prosecution and keep the bond at $500,000 or the defense and lower the bond.

The Crumbley parents are expected to physically be in court but are not expected to speak during the hearing.

Ethan Crumbley likely will appear during his probable cause conference virtually. 

Want to catch up on everything to know about the Crumbley case? Click here for more on Ethan Crumbley and here for James and Jennifer Crumbley.

Ex-Michigan speaker accused of sexual assault

State police in northern Michigan were investigating Thursday after a woman accused former state House Speaker Lee Chatfield of sexually assaulting her multiple times, beginning when she was 14 or 15 years old.

The accuser, now 26, filed a criminal complaint with the Lansing Police Department, which referred it to state police earlier this week. Her lawyer, Jamie White, confirmed the nature of the allegations first reported by Lansing City Pulse, including that Chatfield began molesting her more than a decade ago and the sexual contact continued until last year.

State police spokesperson Shanon Banner declined to provide additional information.

The alleged assaults began when the then-14 or 15-year-old girl attended Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church and Northern Michigan Christian Academy near Burt Lake, about 60 miles (96.56 kilometers) northeast of Traverse City, White said. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly.

— Courtesy of the Associated Press

Second-generation American Coney Island owner dies

The owner of American Coney Island in Detroit who was the second generation to pass through management of the famed restaurant had died. Chuck Keros was the ‘definition of class, elegance, fun, and generous to a fault,’ his daughter Grace said.

His death last week ended decades of iconic restaurant ownership, after Keros took over the family business from his dad. The restaurant first opened in 1917. "He went to U of D Jesuit continued to U of M, he was going to become a dentist," Grace said. "Two years in, he decided not for me, he wanted to help his dad with the business and there it is."

Keros became a fixture of the community shortly after. Whether you were a first-timer or a regular, chances are you would notice him, his daughter said. "There he was working behind the counter on the grill in a suit and tie, you never saw my father without a suit and tie," she said.

After several decades Chuck retired and Grace followed in her father’s footsteps, taking over American Coney Island. "He would always come down and check on things, have his hot dog, have a beer, have a loose burger, have a beer," Grace said. "Just to see how things were, he loved talking to the customers and they loved talking to him.

Group representing kids with special needs sues to reopen schools

An out-of-state man who runs a group representing kids with special needs that advocates on behalf of their education has filed a restraining order to keep Michigan schools from closing because of Covid. He says school districts don't have the ‘unilateral authority’ to close and move to remote sessions because the contracts they have don't allow them to do so.

Patrick Donohue, who has a daughter who suffered a severe brain injury as an infant and needs special care, is arguing the IEP - or an Individualized Education Program - requires school districts to guarantee the parents of a public school student with special needs to offer specialized education services offered under federal law.

But with schools closed, he argues, that breaks the contract. The group, representing special education students, already has a class action lawsuit pending in court on the first shut down in 2020, claiming it violated the Civil Rights of the families and fraud. 

"There is a tsunami of harms that’s on its way, that we are just starting to see the surface," Donohue said. He points to how students - especially those with special needs - have regressed and suffered socially, emotionally and academically. But several districts believe they may not have a choice. The omicron variant is spreading so fast, schools don't have enough staff to teach the students.

Michigan hospital staff face violence, threats while battling COVID-19

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said incidents of workplace violence between patients and doctors and nurses have steadily increased over the past decade. Data shows that there were 611 attacks related to COVID-19 that happened during the first six months of the pandemic. One in five attacks were physical, and 15% involved fear-based discrimination. Another 15% were verbal assaults or threats.

"If you talk to almost any healthcare worker, sadly, they have a horror story about the violence that they’ve experienced on the job," said Adam Carlson, the senior vice president of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association.

The association released a series of workplace safety posters warning patients about the consequences of assaulting healthcare workers. However, while Michigan has a law protecting first responders from on-the-job attacks, it does not have one for healthcare workers.

"As of right now, we’re extremely hopeful that a bill will be introduced this session, that the state legislature can bring up and work towards passing," Carlson said. A statement from Henry Ford Health System said it hasn’t seen an overall increase in violence against team members, but incidents do happen in response to Covid safety measures and visitation policies.

What else we're watching

1. The Detroit Fire Department Commissioner Eric Jones has announced he's stepping down from his position. The deputy fire chief said the news took many by surprise. The mayor has also announced a nationwide search for his replacement. 
2. The Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan say their new cookie variety - the Adventurefuls - won't be able to be produced at the planned volume the manufacturer had hoped for. Supply chain issues have hit the industry as well. 
3. Oakland County is adding COVID-19 testing sites as the omicron surge continues to batter America's hospital infrastructure. Michigan reported its highest number of daily cases ever on Wednesday.
4. Yes, even in January there is still road construction. Not a lot though - but drivers should be aware of westbound I-94's closure at Conner Avenue to I-75 from Friday to Monday.
5. Beaumont says more than 400 of its staff have been sent home with COVID-19 infections. It's the latest round of pressure put on an already strained hospital system. Read more here. 

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

It'll feel like sub-zero temperatures in some places of Metro Detroit Friday as a 12 mph wind will push freezing temperatures down even further. The weekend looks to be warmer and even a bit wetter with a chance for sleet and rain.

Uber driver stranded on I-95 buys teen passenger hotel room, offered new job

An Uber driver, who was one of many people stranded for hours this week along a portion of Interstate 95 in Virginia, is being praised for his determination to get his young rider home safe — and was even offered a new job after going above and beyond.

DaVante Williams sat for 5.5 hours in his vehicle overnight with a teenage passenger, who he described as "emotional" and "overwhelmed" as they faced the gridlock traffic. Unusually heavy snowfall and plunging temperatures had hit the area between Richmond and Washington, D.C., leading to a calamity on the interstate.

Hundreds of people were stuck in their vehicles, including Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Some, like Williams, were stranded overnight into Tuesday morning, although no injuries or deaths were reported.