Detroit police investigate dead body on Drexel, FCA union workers get $8K bonus, the latest Covid restrictions
WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - Detroit police are investigating the scene on the city's east side after a dead body was discovered there Tuesday evening.
Police were seen on Drexel Street last night and early this morning.
The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office is still working to confirm the identity of the individual that was found.
The body's discovery in the 5500 block of Drexel is near where a woman was reported missing last February.
Around Feb. 16, a 20-year-old woman identified as Brandy Nelson, who was last seen around 5 p.m. when she was leaving her home which is also in the area.
In addition to the medical examiner's office, the homicide division from Detroit police were on scene.
Calls have been put out to police but no answer has requesting clarity on the situation has arrived.
Alcohol has been abused in Detroit firehouses for years
To those tuning into the Detroit Mayor's press conference Tuesday, it may have come as a surprise that the increased stress of firefighting and emergency response had led to an unchecked reliance on substances like alcohol and drugs.
But as a retired Detroit firefighter admitted later that evening, drinking problems have plagued firehouses for years. Larry Newberry was just 20 years old when he joined the DFD. He said some firehouses drank more than others. About a quarter of the department were heavy drinkers.
"You would go to fires and a lot of times you could smell the alcohol on the firefighters like they were reeking with alcohol," he said. When Newberry was promoted and confronted the problem and called for it to end, it turned into a messy issue that forced him out of the department.
But even the commissioner at the time admitted it was a problem. "It is all part of a systemic problem that has been there forever," he said. "And the only way they are going to do it is the way they are doing it now."
FCA posts profit, UAW gets $8K checks
Union workers awoke to a pleasant surprise Wednesday upon hearing that a surprise net profit reported by Fiat-Chrysler will yield them quite the bonus.
Parent-company Stellantis reported the earnings early this morning, announcing that UAW workers would get an $8,010 bonus after FCA reported a $29 million profit.
The bonus is part of a profit-sharing agreement struck during the last collective bargaining negotiation in 2019.
FCA's gain was surprising after a year of stalled production, broken supply chains, and a public health crisis that shuttered auto plants.
State GOP turning up pressure on Whitmer over ex-director payout
After she denied requests to disclose the reason for a $155,000 payment to her ex-health director after he left, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was criticized by the state GOP for what they're calling striking a secret deal.
"That is a public official being bought off with taxpayer dollars - what I want to know is - what are they hiding," said State Sen. Steve Johnson (R-Wayland). "This looks like a hush-money payment."
When asked Tuesday if it was 'hush money,' Whitmer said she "bristled at that characterization," arguing the nature of separation agreements means when "somebody in a leadership position leaves...there are terms to it and you can't share every term to it."
This likely isn't the end of the Robert Gordon saga after more reporting revealed two other former employees from the health department also received undisclosed payments.
State Republicans want answers on payoff agreement between Whitmer and ex-Michigan health director
Robert Gordon's confidentiality agreement and a $155,000 payout he received is now under investigation by the oversight committee. They want answers about the state's policies they say have led to more than 24,000 residents in long-term care facilities being infected with COVID-19. More than 5,500 have died.
Highland Park wins court battle over Detroit
A contract dispute between Highland Park and Detroit was resolved yesterday after a Wayne County Circuit Court judge ordered Detroit to pay a $1 million settlement over water rights.
While Detroit has alleged Highland Park owes the city millions in water fees that stem back to 2004. However, the smaller Wayne County city says its paid its fair share and then some for a 25-year agreement that was hammered out in federal court. In it, it said Detroit couldn't charge more than $16.7 million.
The twisting saga of legalese between the two cities has been going on since a lawsuit was first filed by DWSD in 2014 and an initial court judgment fined Highland Park $19 million.
"Detroit accused Highland Park and told the entire world and all of the ratepayers that it hadn’t paid a dime when the fact is we've overpaid," Cathy Square, the city administrator said.
Here's what's open under Michigan's newest COVID-19 updates
A new health order is in effect beginning March 5 that includes a breadth of changing restrictions that will allow further openings among restaurants, gyms, and nursing facilities.
Restaurants will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity and an extended curfew of 11 p.m. Private indoor gatherings can have a maximum of 15 people from three households and outdoor gatherings can have up to 50 people.
Movie theaters and bowling alleys can operate at 50% capacity and casinos can operate at 30% capacity. Indoor stadiums that seat fewer than 10,000 people can have 375 attendees while outdoor locations can have up to 750.
And both inside and outside visitation at nursing homes is now allowed for people who haven't had a positive COVID-19 test in the past 14 days.
Families of those living in senior facilities overjoyed at state lifting visitation restriction
According to the governor’s order, any licensed facility with 13 or more beds can allow up to two visitors per resident provided they test negative for Covid either on-site via a rapid test or they can present a negative test result if they had one within 72 hours.
What else we're watching
- Detroit expanded its eligibility for getting a vaccine again yesterday, now including manufacturing workers on the list of professions who can get the shot. Check our growing list for all other groups that qualify.
- A new brewpub is opening in Brush Park today - Saucy Brew Works. It's the brewery's fourth location and first in Detroit. It's also the first restaurant to open in Bedrock's City Modern mixed-use community development.
- The Michigan health department has announced a $900,000 media campaign that promotes harm reduction services offered by the state. The new ad campaign is the latest initiative to curb the opioid epidemic and other addictions.
- Recent reports of low-quality food being served to members of the Michigan National Guard stationed in Washington D.C. are drawing criticisms with the meal provider.
- MDOT is holding a virtual meeting this evening where it will discuss results from an urban planning study on future improvements to US-12 in Detroit. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
Get ready for a warm one - Wednesday temperatures will climb to 53 degrees while more clouds will form throughout the day.
Capitol Police increasing security ahead of March 4 due to ‘concerning information and intelligence’
U.S. Capitol Police sources tell FOX 5 they have received an intelligence bulletin warning of a militia plot to breach the Capitol this Thursday, March 4.
Two sources say officers got the bulletin on Tuesday and that it specifically names the militia group the Three Percenters. Members of the group are accused in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.
Sources say their days off and vacation days have been canceled this week as a result of this new threat.
U.S. Capitol Police announced Tuesday that they are planning to beef up security and staffing after becoming aware of "concerning information and intelligence pertaining to March 4th."