Threatening texts between lawmakers, 15-year-old graduates from high school, GWLA warns of floods
Rep. Steve Marino (R-Harrison Township), left, Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham).
TUESDAY NEWS HIT - A Michigan lawmaker told another lawmaker that he hoped her "car explodes on the way in," according to text messages filed in court to support a request for a personal protection order.
"You’re truly the worst human being I’ve ever met. I mean that with the utmost sincerity. Just a parasite," Rep. Steve Marino told Rep. Mari Manoogian.
Marino, a Macomb County Republican, and Manoogian, an Oakland County Democrat, had a personal relationship that ended more than a year ago.
Manoogian, 29, obtained a protection order last week from a judge, a few days after Marino, 32, was removed from House committees for alleged abuse. State police are investigating.
There was no indication in the court file when the text messages were written, The Detroit News reported.
Marino said he hoped Manoogian’s "car explodes on the way in" and warned her to "hide on the House floor" in a series of texts in which they also discussed issues being handled by a state House committee.
"After trying to ignore Steve’s threats and harassment for 21 months, and begging him to stop texting me in this harassing manner countless times, I had no choice but to report his abuse to my Democratic leader," Manoogian said in a court filing.
Marino said he’s a victim of "character assassination." His attorney, Mike Rataj, said they would challenge the protection order.
"These statements are so out of context, and we’re simply going to move to set it aside," he said.
The order could conflict with Marino’s ability to vote on the House floor if Manoogian is present. Lawmakers will be in Capitol on Tuesday.
- Courtesy of the Associated Press
Teens charged in assault of teen with autism in Howell
Three teens, who have not been named, will be charged as adults following the vicious beating of a teen with autism at a Howell skate park in August. The Livingston County Prosecutors Office has charged the defendants with assault with intent to commit great bodily harm, a felony punishable by 10 years in prison.
According to the prosecutor, the teens acted as if they were befriending the student, who is new to the district. They would spend time with the victim during lunch and encouraged him to come to the skatepark.
When he did, they encouraged him to go around the back of the building and out of public view. Once they believed they were in the clear, the victim was attacked by two of the students. The video shows them pushing him down, punching him, and kicking him multiple times. The third student recorded the beating and posted it to social media.
The prosecutor said the attack was unprovoked and was planned by the defendants. A GoFundMe account has been set up for the victim.
Sneak Peek: Motor Bella kicks off Tuesday
The M1 Concourse in Pontiac will be one of the centers of the automotive universe this week when Motor Bella kicks off one of its most unique shows ever. There will be 350 vehicles for spectators to see from 35 different brands.
Also on display will be 20 ultra-luxury cars as well as five to 10 new car unveilings with some fun surprises. This year's Motor Bella will follow some key themes, which include being interactive with nature.
Spectators will also get to ride with professional drivers for "hot laps" and test-drive electric cars as well as watch off-road vehicles tackle a rugged dirt track course. The event is scheduled to go underway rain or shine, which is a good thing considering several storms may hit Metro Detroit this week.
While the opening ceremony is Tuesday, which FOX 2 plans to stream, the show won't officially open for the public until Thursday. Adult tickets for Thursday and Friday are $15 while the Saturday and Sunday tickets are $20.
Inspired by tragedy, 15-year-old graduates high school early
Alysa Vasseur should be starting her junior year at Madison Heights Lamphere High School. Instead, she's finishing her senior year at the age of 15. But the success that Vasseur found in the last year-and-a-half was born out of tragedy when her friend was killed in February.
"She was just such a great person, and such a great friend, I just really wanted to finish something she couldn't," Vasseur said. Her mom said she couldn't be with her friends after the death of her friend because the family was in quarantine. So instead, she took to her studies.
Where many struggled with virtual learning, Vasseur took to it with ease. Using a program called Edmentum, it allows students to learn at their own pace. In the case of Vasseur, that pace may include all-nighters, 12-hour days, and a whole lot of stress. "Some things I did struggle with - but that's when you ask for help."
With the assistance of tutors and her parents, Vasseur pushed through to her diploma two years early. She plans to study forensic science one day and work in a lab. But she'll be taking a semester off before diving into college.
GWLA warning residents about flood potential this week
The Great Lakes Water Authority is warning residents about flooding potential this week as thunderstorms begin to roll into Metro Detroit this week.
In a severe weather alert, GWLA asked everyone and especially those in low-lying areas that have already been hit by flooding before to be on the lookout for more water.
Expected storms could bring up to 4 inches of rain, as well as exceed 1 inch of rain per hour at some times. "A Flash Flood Watch or Flood Watch may eventually be needed," according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS anticipates activating a Flood Watch alert from 4 p.m. Sept. 21 to 8 a.m. Sept. 23. GWLA said its regional system is working as designed currently has the capacity to handle the predicted rainfall. It also says it has staffed accordingly.
What else we're watching
- A judge had set March 8 as the date when five men accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will go on trial. The trial date was scheduled for 2021 but was pushed back after defense attorneys asked for more time to prepare.
- Flat Rock's Zone 2 has now been cleared and people that live in the area are free to safely return home following a Ford plant gas leak that led to the precautionary evacuation of hundreds of households.
- Southfield police are planning to hold a press conference Tuesday with an update on the shooting incident where two bullets pierced a window at a preschool. An arrest in the case has been made.
- A ‘staggering’ number of crimes as well as a wave of departures is putting Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy in a tough spot, who is pleading with retired assistant prosecutors for help at the county.
- Michigan is moving forward with a ‘red flag’ swimming ban at beaches where waves are reported to be too dangerous. The law doesn't pertain to surfers. It's in response to a rising number of drownings in the Great Lakes this year.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
An approaching cold front will bring a wave of storms today and later this week, which means the threat of flooding will be active. The National Weather Service is anticipating as much as 4 inches of rain, which will likely start falling Tuesday afternoon.
Rare copy of US Constitution worth $15-$20 million put up for auction
A very special document will be auctioned off later this year — a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution.
Sotheby's announced Friday — appropriately on Constitution Day — that in November it will put up for auction one of just 11 surviving copies of the Constitution from the official first printing produced for the delegates to the Constitutional Convention and for the Continental Congress. It's the only copy that remains in private hands and has an estimate of $15 million - $20 million.
"This is the final text. The debate on what the Constitution would say was over with this document. The debate about whether the Constitution was going to be adopted was just beginning," Selby Kiffer, an international senior specialist in Sotheby’s Books and Manuscripts Department, told The Associated Press.
"This was the Constitution, but it didn’t take effect until it had been debated and ratified. So this was the first step in the process of us living now under this 234-year-old document," he said of the document created during the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia.