Kilpatrick's sister says ex-mayor will be released this week and only 24 hours until election day
MONDAY NEWS HIT - Could this be the week that ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick finally leaves prison? The Detroit media desks received some affirming news over the weekend that would indicate as much.
State Rep. Karen Whitsett told FOX 2 that her sources confirmed with her the incarcerated mayor would be released on Monday.
Questions of an early release from the 28-year prison sentence continued to mount after Kilpatrick's sister affirmed the same news, that the former mayor would be going free this week.
The rumor mill of an early release for Kilpatrick began spinning earlier in the summer when several advocates working to secure the ex-mayor's release said it was coming soon. However, that news never amounted and Kilpatrick remained incarcerated.
Over the weekend, that rumor mill began to spin again. Only this time, Kilpatrick's sister offered some clarity.
"Due to suffering severe health challenges we expect Kwame Kilpatrick to receive a grant for COVID-19 compassionate release from the FBOP this week. We are extremely grateful to God and we thank each and every one who has kept him and his family lifted in prayer," she tweeted Sunday night, attributing the statement to the entire family.
Concerns of a COVID-19 infection are one of the reasons the ex-mayor could be released.
The FBOP, or the Federal Bureau of Prisons, did not immediately respond to a request for comment left Monday morning.
Only 24 hours before election day
While more than 2.5 million Michigan voters have already cast their ballot, millions more have yet to do so.
Like many states around the country, Michigan offers its own form of early voting. For those that didn't mail in an absentee ballot, they'll have one last opportunity to vote before election day.
For those looking to avoid crowds amid the pandemic, registered voters may obtain a takehome ballot between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday. Those ballots will need to be sealed in an envelope and dropped off in one of the precinct's dropbox locations before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
For any voters with questions about election day or what happens to their ballot after its submitted, FOX 2 has an entire guide on its website to help answer some of those questions.
Curious about registering to vote or keeping up with specific deadlines? You'll find the guide here.
Already voted and want to track your ballot? Find out how here.
Decided you want to change your vote to a different candidate or position? Learn how to spoil a ballot here.
There are several races beyond just the presidential election that voters can respond to. Read our election previews on ballot proposals, House races, and Michigan's Senate seat here.
For all other questions, head to FOX 2's Election page for more
Marshalls retail stores board up windows ahead of election day
Two Marshall retail stores in Metro Detroit have boarded up their doors and windows ahead of Election Day.
Concerns over violence on Election Day prompted the home goods retail outlet to take precautions at two of its locations - one in Dearborn and another on 8 Mile in Detroit.
In a Facebook post over the weekend, the Dearborn Police Department said it had received multiple calls about the stores being boarded up.
"According to store management, it is a companywide directive to board the windows prior to Election Day. Neither the store nor the Dearborn Police Department is aware of any specific threats to Marshalls or any other location within the City of Dearborn," read the post.
After a combustible summer that included several forms of protest where some turned deadly, many citizens have grown concerned about the prospect of more violence on Nov. 3.
Even so, the Dearborn Chief of Police said “There is nothing to be concerned about at this time and the police department will continue to work to provide a safe and secure election."
Trump returns to Michigan Monday
The Republican president is barnstorming Michigan for one more blitz of rallies on Monday, the last day before election day.
Donald Trump is expected to travel to Traverse City where he'll deliver remarks at the Cherry Capital Airport at 5 p.m.
Then, in his final rally of the day, he'll speak in Grand Rapids at 10:30 p.m., the same place he ended his unlikely campaign during the 2016 election race.
Michigan is among the all-important battleground states in the Midwest where both Trump and Joe Biden have worked hard to stir up enthusiasm for their bids to be the next president.
Oakland Sheriff offers $1,000 reward after shots fired at deputy
An off-duty sheriff's deputy was reportedly shot at while driving in his own vehicle on I-96 Saturday night.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Department says around 8 p.m. an officer was between the Merriman and Farmington road exits when a blue Mercury Milan slowed down and pulled up alongside his vehicle.
The driver fired a single shot at the deputy and struck his car. Police say the two had no interaction or altercation prior to the incident.
The suspect is described as a Black man in his mid-20s to early 30s with either braids or dreadlocks on his shoulders and with a light, scruffy beard.
If anyone has any information on this incident, they're asked to call the Livonia Police Department at (734) 466-2470 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak UP.
A $1,000 cash reward has been offered to anyone who offers assistance that leads to an arrest.
Woman in custody after fatally shooting boyfriend during argument
Detroit police took a 22-year-old woman into custody after she allegedly shot her boyfriend.
Police responded to the 400 block of Algonquin around 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Sometime prior to that, the woman got in an altercation with her 32-year-old boyfriend.
The fight turned physical and the woman picked up a gun and shot her boyfriend. Police and medics pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The weapon used in the incident was recovered and police are continuing to investigate.
Heavy weekend winds cause power outages
Almost 10,000 people lost power after some blustery weather blew through Southeast Michigan on Sunday.
Most of the outages reported by DTE were isolated to single cases.
A few locations in Livonia, Royal Oak, and Garden City had clusters of outages.
The city of Westland also tweeted out early Monday morning that power outages had been reported throughout the city and traffic lights may be out.
Daily Forecast
The weekday warmup will pick up on Tuesday, but before that, another seasonal chill is expected to sweep through southeast Michigan on Monday. A high of 48 degrees and partly cloudy is forecasted.
Texas events canceled after 'Trump train' surrounds Biden campaign bus on interstate
The Biden campaign canceled at least two events in Texas on October 30 after vehicles carrying Trump flags and signs surrounded one of its campaign buses traveling from San Antonio to Austin, according to Democratic officials.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident, a law enforcement official confirmed to The Texas Tribune Saturday.
The footage shows vehicles surrounding a bus, which was carrying campaign staff, on Interstate 35 in New Braunfels.
The video was captured by John Hinojosa, who told Storyful he was on the way to pick up his grandchild when he came across the scene. “I thought it was bad traffic for a Friday,” he told Storyful, adding that he took out his phone to record when he realized what was happening.
According to The Tribune, the incident featured at least one minor collision and led to Texas Democrats citing “safety concerns” as the reason for canceling the events.