When snow starts falling in Michigan • Fake cop in Rochester • Lions' Frank Ragnow in Pro Bowl

Our major winter storm is still on track. 

Winter storm warnings are posted and go into effect at 7 p.m. this evening and run through Saturday morning at 4 a.m. 

So the main event is tonight and Friday with light rain and or snow breaking out this afternoon. 

Any snow that falls this afternoon will be melting as temperatures don't plummet until tonight. They'll fade fast though, potentially freezing the moisture on the roads. 

Now we'll get to snow. 

A general 3-6 inches will fit for many, though our southern communities may get a bit less and north of a line from Ann Arbor to Port Huron may squeeze out a bit more. Even low-end snow totals will be blowing around in the intense winds that will be whipping. 

Most of that snow falls tonight/tomorrow, but Saturday we'll still have lake effect showers to contend with. They're smaller, so their impacts are more hit-and-miss, but intense snow and whiteout conditions where they do set up. 

The wind that's drawing moisture off of Lake Michigan will be more than noticeable. 

Fifty mph wind gusts will be possible Friday, which may lead to sporadic power outages in pockets. At this point it doesn't look like they will be widespread, but where they do occur, it'll be tough as temperatures bottom out in the single digits this weekend and have a tough time getting out of the teens. 

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Detroit Lions Frank Ragnow selected for Pro Bowl

The Detroit Lions will have representation in the annual pro bowl game games this upcoming February after Frank Ragnow was selected.

Ragnow, who has played with Detroit for the last five years, was named to his second Pro Bowl on Wednesday. He'll join the best of the best from the NFC for "The Pro Bowl Games" which will take place in Las Vegas in 2023.

In the past, the pro bowl has been a single football game between the best players of each conference. It's since taken on a new form, transitioning to a week-long skills event. It'll end with a flag football game on Feb. 5. 

Several other Lions, include Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell were named as alternates. But it's Ragnow who will get his moment in the spotlight, beating an opening-game injury and missing the second game because of turf toe. Since then, he's played every single snap, helping Detroit to a 7-7 record. 

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Fake cop in Rochester

When a woman was pulled over Monday night in Rochester, it felt unusual to her. That's because it was a phony cop who stopped her. She was driving near Tienken and Washington when she was stopped around 8:30 p.m.

"She said it was kind of an unusual traffic stop because she didn’t really feel that she had done anything wrong," Rochester Police Chief Steven Schettenhelm said. "As soon as the individual stopped her the lights on the vehicle were turned off. The flashing red and blue lights. Individual walked up, she didn’t notice any patches or regular police type identification, and so she found that to be unusual."

The woman gave the suspect her driver's license and registration. He walked back to the car, which appeared to be a dark sedan, possibly an older Chevrolet Impala or a Ford Crown Victoria. She eventually asked if another office could come or if they could move to another location. Instead, the individual said she was free to go.

He's described as a white man who is possibly in his 30s. He has dirty blond hair that is about 1 inch long on the top and buzzed on the side. He has slightly lighter-colored facial hair and a stubble beard. The man is about 5 feet, 11 inches tall, and looked to weigh between 200 and 240 pounds.

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Nonprofit getting support from Black Leaders Detroit

A new effort to recruit Black men into education is underway, thanks to Black Male Educators Alliance. Michael Payne Jr., the director of teaching and learning is working to inspire others to pick teaching as their profession.

"How do we recruit more Black men into education and then how do we develop them into really culturally responsive educators?" he said. "It's important for Black boys to see academic excellence from Black men as well so they can see it in themselves."

Formed in 2017, the nonprofit has a mentorship program for students and teachers, as well as fellowships for others. However, it relies on grants and donations to make it happen - making its efforts tough to see through.

That's why Santa came early this year. "We wanted to present BMEA with a grant to go toward supporting the amazing work that you all are doing," said Black Leaders Detroit Founder Dwan Dandridge. "At Black Leaders Detroit, that's what we do."

Appeals court denies prosecutor bid to revamp Flint Water charges

Prosecutors again lost a key decision Wednesday in another effort to revive charges against Michigan's former health chief who was accused of negligence in certain deaths linked to the Flint water crisis.

The state appeals court said a Flint-area judge followed an "explicit directive" from the Michigan Supreme Court to dismiss an indictment against Nick Lyon. "This court is unable to grant any relief," a three-judge panel said in a terse order.

The Supreme Court in June said indictments returned by a one-judge grand jury in Genesee County were invalid. Nine people were charged, including former Gov. Rick Snyder, who was facing two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty.

Lyon and former chief medical executive Eden Wells were charged with involuntary manslaughter in nine deaths. They were accused of failing to timely warn the Flint area about the outbreak.

Courtesy of the Associated Press

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Daily Forecast

Michigan's winter weather watch starts at 7 p.m. Thursday. Before that, residents can expect to see rain move in in the afternoon with temperatures in the high 30s. It won't dip below freezing until late tonight. 

What else we're watching

  1. The Michigan health department has closed its Mount Clemens location after a vehicle crashed into the side of the building. Other locations in Warren and Sterling Heights are still open for those who need them. 
  2. The City of Detroit overcame a final legal hurdle in its efforts to start allowing recreational pot sales. A judge tossed a request for a temporary restraining order against the city's ordinance, which prioritizes some Detroiters who want to open a dispensary.
  3. In one of the final steps of the 2022 election, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers rejected challenges to two proposals that were approved during the midterms. The meeting was called after partial recounts were ordered in some counties for the proposals. 
  4. Thanks to the persistence of two Commerce Township parents, uncovered a genetic disorder that one of their twin sons had - though it took testing a year later to confirm the diagnosis. They've since joined the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, connecting with other families who have experience with the disease. Learn more here
  5. A man has been sentenced for his role in an Oakland County prostitution ring that spanned several cities like Auburn Hills, Pontiac, and Madison Heights. Twenty-three-year-old Dallas Ephraim Jordan-King was given the maximum sentence for counts of forced labor, child sexually abusive material, and felony firearm. 

Santa’s house at the North Pole is now worth $1.15 million, Zillow says

With Christmas only days away, Santa is busy at the North Pole — and according to Zillow — his property is now worth a whopping $1.15 million

According to the real estate marketplace company, Santa and Mrs. Claus first claimed their home on Zillow’s website in 2016, giving people around the world a glimpse into their enchanted lives. 

The home, which sits on 25 acres, includes Santa’s main living quarters, a community of tiny elf homes, a state-of-the-art toy-making facility, a garage with space for an all-weather sleigh and stables for his reindeer. 

Constructed in the 1800s, the 3-bed, 2-bath property is 2,500 square feet and is steeped in Old World charm, but thanks to a recent renovation, it also offers modern-day amenities.

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