High school football starts today, man lures 12-year-old for sex over Snapchat, universities battle COVID

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Ron Bellamy probably said it best ahead of his team's game on Friday.

"...in order to do something we want to do, we gotta do what we have to do."

And what Bellamy, his West Bloomfield Lakers, and every other high school team in Michigan wants to do is play football. And they'll get their chance to Friday night - but first, they gotta do what they have to do. 

That means wearing a mask on the football field. That means going through a health screening ahead of game time. And for the fans, socially distancing in the stands.

"Every day we just reminded them, it's redundant, it's repetitive, but that's the way we're going to play football," said Bellamy. "It's unlike any times we've ever had."

It's been an offseason unlike any other for high school athletes. Many expecting to play in the fall found themselves with little hope of such a reality as August dragged on and no mention of contact sports being included in the list of what's OK to do during the pandemic.

Then early September, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave the proverbial nod to the Michigan High School Athletic Association that organized sports may happen with strict safety measures in place. It came around the same time she allowed gyms and fitness centers to reopen.

“Individuals can now choose whether or not to play organized sports, and if they do choose to play, this order requires strict safety measures to reduce risk,” said her chief medical executive in a statement. 

However, play is contingent on a school's ability to keep it's COVID-19 count down. Some schools like Novi, Utica, and Lake Orion weren't so lucky after COVID-19 had been transmitted to some of its players.

Other schools like West Bloomfield and Oak Park will make due on Friday - face masks and all.

Man charged with criminal sexual conduct, HIV exposure after meeting 12-year-old on Snapchat

Allen Park police say one of the scariest things about Anthony Hodges is how normal he appears. 

But beneath the 35-year-old man's mundane facade is at least one instance of him luring a pre-teen using Snapchat's location feature to find out where she lived.

He's now charged with several sex crimes, including four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct; one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of HIV-unknowingly engaging in intercourse with intent to inflict an uninformed partner, and one count of habitual offender, second notice. 

A police detective said the two met on Snapchat when the victim was 11 and they talked for weeks, with Hodges' ultimate goal of meeting up for sex.

Police also suspect it's not the only time he's done this, considering his record.

"We very well believe that there are other victims out there. He's had other allegations against him in the past and I would find it hard to believe there aren't other victims out there," detective James Thorburn said.

Detroit police and fire add drones to their equipment lineup

Built for taking aerial photos and delivering packages, it appears the next frontier for drones is aiding law enforcement and fire response teams.

Both the Detroit Police Department and the Detroit Fire Department are being trained to pilot drones, giving them a perspective they haven't used before.

The mini-quadcopters are easy to fly, quick to deploy, and offer sophisticated camera technology that uses infrared vision. That means if someone's hiding in the bushes, they're not going to remain hidden for long.

Drones can also find people lost in the dark.

While each costs $1,000, law enforcement say it's worth it.

Cluster of cases reported at UofM's South Quad

Ann Arbor's COVID-19 whack-a-mole has begun.

The University of Michigan said one of its residential halls is reporting a cluster of COVID-19 cases.

In South Quad Hall, the 6th and 8th floors were the roots of a climbing coronavirus rate on campus.

The university is now partnering with the Washtenaw County Health Department to help monitor the cases and conduct contact tracing. So far, 19 cases have been identified. 

According to the university, most of the cases were found to be connected, except for three.

All positive cases and close contacts have been moved to isolation or quarantine and residents of the 6th and 8th floors are expected to follow enhanced social distancing for the next 14 days.

11 more large houses at MSU quarantined

However, it's the social life in East Lansing that is giving Ingham County health officials more headaches. So far, 39 large houses are now under mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure.

Health officials monitoring the situation have added an additional 11 locations with known exposures.

So far, more than a third of the 342 people affiliated with the school who are testing positive attended social gatherings. 

The houses under quarantine include 14 large rental houses and 25 Greek-affiliated houses.

Ingham County currently has 252 cases per million people, exceeding the state's maximum indicator for community risk. Any region with 70 cases per million or more is 'very high risk.'

Daily Forecast

Your end-of-summer cooldown

has arrived with temperatures falling into the 40's and even a little further tonight. Expect a bounce back next weekend though.

Walmart raising pay for 165,000 employees, some to $18-$30 an hour

Walmart is giving approximately 165,000 hourly workers a raise, as the company seeks to introduce new leadership roles and “cross-training opportunities.”

On Thursday, the retail giant announced that it will be implementing a “team-based operating model” in Supercenters that includes new roles and skills training to serve customers and encourage career and pay growth for associates.

Walmart said that the pay increases will start in October, taking the place of the usual annual increase that comes in February or April.

“This new structure is built around higher-skilled jobs of the future, and the compensation for those roles reflects that,” said Dacona Smith, Walmart U.S. COO, in a statement. “Through this new, tiered structure for team leads, we’re creating room for pay and career growth while investing in areas like pickup and delivery as customers increasingly turn to those options.”