Michigan pot sales, Democrats call to investigate Lee Chatfield, 300 dead in Russian airstrike
Police offering $10,000 reward for help capturing suspected getaway driver in Pontiac girl's murder
The Oakland County sheriff and Crimestoppers are offering a big reward for information leading to the arrest of 17-year-old JaJuan Calvin McDonald. He's been charged with first-degree murder after him and another were part of a gang-related shooting that left a 7-year-old girl dead.
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Oakland County law enforcement have arrested one individual and are searching for another in connection with a 7-year-old's murder in Pontiac last week.
The sheriff's office is searching for 17-year-old JaJuan Calvin McDonald of Pontiac, who they say was the getaway driver in the gang-related slaying of Ariah while she was on her way home from school.
The suspected gunman was arrested Wednesday night in Troy and detectives plan to charge him with first-degree murder and other felonies.
The tragic shooting prompted an emergency meeting in Pontiac among community members and the mayor March 23. Officials concerned about the level of gun violence lobbied for more collaborative efforts in finding solutions to the upward trending homicide rates in the city.
"The wrong people are afraid in our community," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. "We must make those that carry and use weapons illegally and perpetrate this violence the ones that are fearful of the certainty of long prison time. Children coming home from school should never be afraid. These suspects must be held accountable."
According to the sheriff's office, McDonald is to be charged with first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to murder, and four counts of possession of a firearm while committing a felony for his involvement in the shooting death late Friday afternoon on March 18.
Police have set up a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest.
Police say the girl's mother was waiting at a bus stop for her two children and two nieces when she noticed an orange SUV with two men inside drive past her.
She picked up her children from the stop and headed home. As she pulled into the driveway of her home, she noticed the same orange vehicle approach. At around 4:50 p.m., multiple gunshots were fired at her vehicle.
Ariah, who was still in the back seat of the car, was struck once in the back of her head. Her father took her from the car into the home shortly before deputies arrived. She was taken to a hospital where she died a short time later.
Her 30-year-old mother was taken to the hospital with a grazing wound to her head, but she refused treatment. The other girls in the car at the time were 6, 7, and 11.
The sheriff's office is working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information as to McDonald’s whereabouts are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800- SPEAK UP. Tipsters remain anonymous.
A one-of-a-kind Art Deco home in Huntington Woods
Sandra Chumack couldn't tell you why, but all she needed was a walk into the living room, and she knew: she was going to buy the house. It was 1980 and Chumack was moving home from New York. Something drew her back to a Huntington Woods house which just happened to be for sale.
"All I did was walk into this living room, walked back, and said, 'Take that sign down. I’m buying this house.' And that was it," Chumack said, not realizing the significance of the property. Built in 1937 by H. H. Weimeister, the Bauhaus-style house is known for its flat roofs, concrete cubes, and geometric forms. It's drawn admirers for years.
The first person to live there was a certain celebrity cowboy and his horse. "At that time The Lone Ranger had a horse with him and the horse was in the garage, and there was this big opening that’s where he would eat his hay and get fed and water," Chumack said.
After more than four decades and every phase of life, Sandra, 85, is ready to say goodbye to her dream home. It's not very big - one level and about 1,200 square feet, but the health, history, and integrity of the house remain strong.
State Democrats call for investigation into Lee Chatfield
House Democrats in Michigan are calling for a special committee to investigate former Speaker Lee Chatfield. The Republican is facing a long list of allegations -- from sexual assault -- to illegally using taxpayer money.
State Rep. Tyrone Carter (D-6th District) is among those demanding transparency and accountability. He is calling for the creation of a special committee to investigate the activities of Chatfield. "We can’t come up here to Lansing and do as well please without there being any consequences," he said.
Among the accusation that Carter and fellow Democrats want to know more about is were there any ethical violations, misuse of state funds, misuse of state personnel? According to an investigation by the Michigan Finance Network, Chatfield and staff allegedly misused taxpayer money when he was in office. The Michigan State Police are working with the attorney general’s office as part of an ongoing investigation.
House Republicans declined to partake in the press conference. They released a statement saying legal authorities are handling it. But Carter says what he's proposing is separate. "If you have a complaint against an attorney, you go to the attorney grievance commission, if you have a complaint against a judge - go judicial. If you have a complaint against a legislator where do you go? We have to police ourselves and that gives us that opportunity."
How much money are Michigan cities getting from pot sales
Michigan municipalities with licensed pot businesses are getting a chunk of more than $42.2 million as part of the state's Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act. Cities, villages, townships, and counties will get $56,400 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness in its jurisdiction. This means 62 cities, 15 villages, 33 townships, and 53 counties have money coming.
Ann Arbor has the most marijuana licenses in the state. It is getting $1,411,336. The county it is in, Washtenaw County, is getting $1,806,510.08. "The Michigan Department of Treasury will distribute these dollars as soon as practical to eligible local units of government," State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said. "The doubling of this year’s payment amounts will have a larger impact on local government budgets."
Additionally, $49.3 million was sent to the School Aid Fund for K-12 education and another $49.3 million went to the Michigan Transportation Fund. This money is from the Marihuana Regulation Fund. It was collected from 374 licensees during the 2021 fiscal year. More $111 million was collected from the 10% adult-use marijuana tax.
"It’s rewarding to see that the agency’s balanced regulatory approach is effectively protecting consumers while still allowing Michigan businesses to grow and thrive," said MRA Executive Director Andrew Brisbo. "The funding provided directly to local governments – and the thousands of jobs created across the state – show that Michigan is leading the way in the cannabis industry."
2 dead, 3 injured in St. Clair County crash
Two people died and three more were hospitalized in critical condition after a two-car crash in St. Clair County Thursday afternoon. A 27-year-old woman from Warren and her teenage passenger from Emmett were both pronounced dead at the scene while a 3-year-old male was found in the back seat of the car and was taken away in an ambulance.
Emergency crews say the crash appears to have been caused when one of the vehicles involved cross the center line of Kinney Road in Riley Township. The St. Clair County Sheriff responded to the crash around 1:05 p.m. March 24. Investigators say a 2021 GMC Terrain was driving northbound on Kinney Road while a 2012 Nissan Altima was driving south when the crash happened.
It's unclear which car crossed over the center of the road. The driver of the GMC, a 40-year-old woman from Mussey Township was freed from the vehicle and taken to McLaren Port Huron Hospital. An 18-month-old child was also taken away in critical condition.
The crash remains under investigation. Crews from Emmett, St. Clair, as well as Michigan State Police and two emergency crews responded to the crash.
What else we're watching
- After receiving criticism for voting to pay themselves more, the Michigan Redistricting Commission has approved a measure rolling back their 7% raise. The original approval was done in response to what the commissioners called higher cost-of-living expenses linked to inflation.
- The city of Detroit is receiving a $57.5 million block grant for flood recovery and climate change resiliency. U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence announced the funding score Thursday. IT's part of a $3 billion HUD announcement to help communities recover from disasters.
- Several main arteries into Detroit will be under construction this weekend. Michigan Ave, Davison, and Woodward will all have traffic disruptions this week.
- Avian Influenza has been confirmed in wild birds in Macomb, Monroe, and St. Clair counties. The Department of Natural Resources said the highly pathogenic bird flu was first reported on the west side of the state.
- The Mackinac Bridge remains closed after reports of falling ice from the suspension bridge's towers. It was first closed at 11 a.m. Thursday.
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Daily Forecast
Get ready for minor dose of winter this weekend with temperatures dropping near freezing and a chance for snow on Sunday. It'll be a little while before Michigan climbs out of the cool conditions.
300 dead in Russian airstrike on theater in Mariupol, officials say
About 300 people died in a Russian airstrike last week on a theater being used as a bomb shelter in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the city's government said Friday, citing eyewitnesses.
When the theater was struck March 16, an enormous inscription reading "CHILDREN" was posted outside in Russian, intended to be visible from the skies above.
It was not immediately clear whether emergency workers had finished excavating the site or how the eyewitnesses arrived at the horrific death toll. Soon after the airstrike, Ludmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian Parliament’s human rights commissioner, said more than 1,300 people had been sheltering in the building.
Mariupol has been the scene of some of the worst devastation of the war, which has seen Russia relentlessly besiege and pummel Ukraine's cities. The misery inside them is such that nearly anyone who can is trying to leave and those left behind face desperate food shortages in a country once known as the breadbasket for the world.