Why drivers are getting money, school safety member backs how Oxford HS handled shooter, AG to review actions

WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - Next year, Michigan drivers will get $400 per vehicle they had insured this year.

This money is a refund from the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association, which drivers have been paying $220 to per vehicle until recently, leading to a $3 billion surplus.

Auto insurance changes that went into effect over the summer reduced that amount to $86 per vehicle, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked the association to refund drivers some of that surplus.

However, some people are concerned that the changes that reduced auto insurance rates come at the expense of crash victims who require long-term care.

A subsection of the state’s no-fault auto reform law slashed the amount of money that insurance companies will reimburse post-acute care providers by 55%.

"I don't think that any system that doesn't protect the most vulnerable is a good system," said attorney Nick Andrews, who represents victims of serious auto crashes. "We should protect that money and protect those individuals. That's what I would like to see happen."

The refund money will be sent to drivers automatically next year as long as they had a vehicle insured by Oct. 31, 2021. The refunds are expected by March 9, 2022.

School Safety Commission says he would have handled Oxford shooting suspect same way as school

Oxford High School staff members met with suspect school shooter Ethan Crumbley and his parents the morning of the shooting.

Crumbley is accused of creating drawings depicting violence while in school, which led to the meeting. He also allegedly was looking up ammunition the day before the shooting.

After the meeting, school staff members let Crumbley return to class, not knowing that the teen had a handgun in his backpack. Shortly after he was sent back to class, the 15-year-old is accused of opening fire and killing four students.

Rick Joseph, a Birmingham teacher and member of Michigan's School Safety Commission gives guidance on safety. He said he would have handled the situation the same way school officials did that morning.

"It’s obviously a regrettable situation now," he said. "But on Tuesday morning before 12:50 p.m. I would have done the same thing."

He emphasized that Crumbley had no prior behavioral issues at school.

"We have to be sort of be willing to listen, and listen without judgement," he said. "With the understanding that different people have different levels of sensitivity around their willingness to be in an environment which ought to be safe."

AG Nessel to review Oxford High School shooting

The Oxford School District rejected Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's offer to review the school's actions prior to last week's deadly school shooting.

However, Nessel said her office will review the actions itself.

Nessel said she does not want to point fingers at school officials but that an investigation will identify the best practices and policies to prevent further violence. She said she plans to meet with students, parents, and teachers in Oxford Township.

"We really might need to revise the way that all school districts operate," she said. "It could very well be that this school district was operating to the best of its ability and (following) all the up-to-date standards and protocols, but those just fall short. ... We don’t know that until we take a closer look."

Oxford Community Schools Superintendent Tim Throne has said a third party will investigate, and the district’s lawyer told the attorney general’s office Monday it was fully cooperating with local law enforcement. That third-party has not been named.

What else we're watching

1. Pfizer says early lab trials show its COVID-19 booster offers protection against the omicron variant.
2. An Amazon server outage caused problems across the United States on Tuesday.
3. Kellogg’s workers rejected a contract offer that would have provided 3% raises, so the strike is ongoing.
4. Doctors say a COVID surge and the usual winter illnesses are putting a strain on Michigan hospitals.
5. A 99-year-old WWII vet shared his story of surviving Pear Harbor on the 80th anniversary of the attack.

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Daily forecast

Light snow will coat Metro Detroit on Wednesday morning before a cold day. Warmer weather is on the way, though.

Nick Cannon loses infant son to brain cancer

Television talk show host and actor Nick Cannon announced he lost his 5-month-old son, Zen, to brain cancer.

"Over the weekend, I lost my youngest son to a condition called hydrocephalus," he said on "The Nick Cannon Show" while holding back tears. "It’s tough."

According to the National Institutes of Health, hydrocephalus "is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the ventricles (cavities) deep within the brain." Symptoms can include a rapid increase in head size, vomiting and seizures. While there is no cure, current treatments could include surgery and rehabilitation.