When will NB I-75 reopen, Detroit teen drowns in river, Wayne State's vaccine giveaway
MONDAY NEWS HIT - The drilling and banging noises on I-75 have picked up in the past hour as construction crews turn their focus to another problem plaguing I-75: a sinkhole.
First discovered last Friday, it's completely shut down northbound traffic and rerouted commuters at I-696.
Crews hope to have one lane open on that side of the highway by Thursday, but it could be weeks before the entire stretch of roadway is secured.
"Without a doubt, we understand the inconvenience, but safety is going to be the top priority always," said Rob Morosi with MDOT. "We have pavement that is separating, we have pavement that has settled, and until we get to the bottom of stopping that and then repairing it, we can't open the freeway."
The latest trial for Metro Detroit drivers to pass through came late last week when I-75, already the poster child for the past few year's heavy construction scenes, came in the form of a big gaping hole that formed underneath the northbound lanes Friday.
Road crews mining for a drainage tunnel about 100 feet beneath the surface came across some unexpected groundwater at the northbound service drive near Eleven ½ Mile Road. The operation affected the pavement above as sand and silt collapsed on itself.
It has led to road closures between I-696 and Twelve Mile Road. That section of I-75 has already been marked by traffic barrels the last few years as part of a multi-hundred-million-dollar road project to improve I-75.
Morosi said he hoped that crews would have secured the site enough to open access to travel by Wednesday afternoon, "but that's not a given."
The northbound I-75 service drive will remain closed from Lincoln to Gardenia avenues. Currently, there is not an estimate on when that section of the service drive will reopen.
Teen found dead in Detroit river
Detroit police say a 15-year-old drowned in a Detroit canal this weekend. Police were called to one of the city's canals Saturday night after a teen went missing earlier that day.
The teen's body was recovered a while later, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities ruled his death an accidental drowning.
Witnesses told police the teen was visiting people he knew and was helping with yard work when he asked if he could go for a swim. A spokesman for Detroit police said the boy did not resurface after going swimming.
The Detroit River can be vicious at times, as far as people swimming in it," Rudy Harper told media. "We always just tell people to use caution in the canals, in the Detroit River, any body of water, really."
Wayne State giving away classes, laptops in vaccine drawings
Wayne State is taking a crack at the vaccine incentive game with its own lottery system in hopes of encouraging students, staff, and faculty to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The school is not one of the Michigan universities that have mandated the shot - yet.
Instead, they're offering laptops, bookstore vouchers, and even an entire semester of classes. Anyone eligible, which is every one that would be on campus, should submit proof of their first dose by Aug. 29 to get a chance at winning one of the prizes.
Prizes for students include $100 bookstore vouchers, $100 OneCard vouchers, a free semester of parking, laptops, a free semester of on-campus housing, and a free semester of classes. Prizes for faculty and staff include gift cards, TVs, laptops, and free parking.
Both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan have ordered mandates of the coronavirus vaccine for the upcoming school year. Wayne State has previously said it is aiming at a targeted mandate for students living in university housing.
Aretha Franklin's handprints submitted to Detroit Historical Society
The Detroit Historical Society paid homage to one of the city's greats this weekend when they added Aretha Franklin's handprints, now embedded in concrete, to Legend's Plaza. It's something she even predicted would happen when she pressed her hands into the wet cement, said Rebecca Salminen Witt with the museum.
"This is Detroit's museum. We tell Detroit's story and I cannot imagine a more perfect moment to tell Aretha's story," said Witt.
The addition to Legend's Plaza accompanies the release of the film Respect, which is a dramatized biopic of the singer, as well as an exhibit showing off some of the costumes used in the movie.
It's also the latest tribute to the late singer, who died a few years ago. Since then, the city and several musical groups have made sure the singer's legacy is not forgotten.
Monroe Township fire lieutenant dies in boat crash
According to the Monroe County Sheriffs Office, a body was found after a boat crash on Laplaisance Creek in Bolles Harbor. A little after midnight, authorities say they responded to a call about a boat hitting a dock and overturning.
Once they responded to the scene, authorities say they confirmed two 37-year-old men were on the boat. Officials say one of the men was transported to a local hospital for treatment, and the dive team was called to search for the other victim.
Around 11:30 am the missing body was located.
Officials say they identified the person as Francis (Frank) Brown III, a lieutenant for the Monroe Township Fire Department, a position he had for 11 years.
What else we're watching
- Dave Chappelle will perform at the Filmore's first shows in more than a year and a half with a four-show series this August. Tickets go on sale at noon and the first show is Aug. 10.
- Detroit police are said to be investigating a video in Greektown of a cop punching a man in the face this weekend.
- The Michigan August elections are this week and there's a lot on the line for voters in Detroit. The City Clerk will be holding a news conference to discuss election preparations, expected turnout, and other topics at 11 a.m.
- The eviction moratorium has run out across the U.S., thrusting the country toward an unprecedented housing crisis as millions face removal from their homes
- Lincoln and Shinola are partnering to create a concept car that blends the designs of both companies. It'll create the Lincoln Aviator Shinola Concept.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
Residents probably couldn't have asked for a better start to the week as Monday brings the mid-70s and sunny skies. The first half of the week expects to be just as pleasant before temperatures take a gradual turn up. Rain chances remain low too.
Expiration of eviction moratorium thrusts US into housing crisis
The federal eviction moratorium expired on Saturday, putting millions of Americans at risk of being forced from their homes in the midst of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
According to the Associated Press, it could lead to the worst housing crisis since the Great Recession.
"It’s almost unfathomable. We are on the precipice of a nationwide eviction crisis that is entirely preventable with more time to distribute rental assistance," Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University and the chair of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Eviction, Housing Stability and Equity, told the AP.