The lake-effect snow storms that hit much of Michigan over the weekend brought more than three feet of snow in some areas, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The NWS Marquette office posted on Monday night that they crunched numbers and were able to get a four-day observed snowfall map, that highlights the northwesterly lake effect snow belts.
According to the NWS, about seven miles north of McMillan in Luce County, 40 inches of snow fell, according to an 8 a.m. total from Monday.
In Munising, 35.3 inches of snow fell, as of 6:30 a.m. on Monday, and in Painesdale in Houghton County, 29.1 inches of snow fell.
The Food and Drug Administration announced dog food distributed in seven states has been recalled after testing positive for salmonella.
According to the FDA, 2-pound logs of Blue Ridge Beef Puppy Mix distributed between August 6 and August 23 tested positive for salmonella last week. The recalled units have the UPC 854298001696.
The company learned of the problem when a customer's litter of puppies became ill and reported the issue. The seven states the products were distributed to include Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.
Pets with salmonella poisoning can be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Pets who have these symptoms and have consumed the recalled food should be seen by a veterinarian, the FDA said.
The FDA also said there is a risk to humans who may have contacted recalled products and did not properly wash their hands or sanitize surfaces. The FDA says salmonella causes diarrhea, fever and cramps in humans. The illness usually lasts four to seven days. Those who are infected usually do not require any treatment.
The FDA encourages people to wash all bowls and utensils that may have come in contact with the recalled food. Unused products should be destroyed.
Scout Vester, a new bar that opened this summer in Ferndale in the former home of M-Brew, has closed.
The bar, which was located at 177 Vester St. in a former home, opened at the end of July.
In a post on Facebook on Monday night, owner Matthew Buskard said they were hopeful they could see a bump in visitors over the weekend, but because of the economy and the weather, that didn't happen.
Buskard wrote that it's been a long-term passion project and they started the process of getting it back in late 2021 and early 2022.
"Over the next year plus all the legal stuff between the former owners was settled, and we got keys roughly end of 2023. This was also a time when sales for restaurants looked different- our stores were coming off an amazing 2022 and had seen some dip in 2023 but nothing like we are seeing in 2024 (and dipping even more the last 3 months or so...) Had Scout opened in 2022 or 2023 it would have had enough established to sale through what has been one of the roughest sales years weve seen," he wrote.
"We made the difficult choice that we just couldnt keep putting money into something that was not working- especially as sales at every small business continue to be down," the post continued.
The Michigan Department of Transportation is holding another meeting over the future of I-375 in Downtown Detroit on Tuesday evening.
This will be MDOT's seventh public meeting to discuss the I-375 Reconnecting Communities Project. It will take place at 5:30 p.m. at The Eastern at 3434 Russell St.
For years, MDOT and other partners have discussed plans to convert I-375 back into a boulevard and reconnect it to neighborhoods that were divided decades ago.
Before the I-375 highway was built in the early 1960s, it was home to two thriving African American communities, Black Bottom and Paradise Valley. Hastings Street was the main commercial avenue. It was paved over to build the highway.
MDOT held a meeting in June where hundreds of people attended. Picketers were also outside of the meeting holding signs like "Quit Talking, Start Listening." ReThink I-375 Community Coalition has been opposed to the project, saying there's no set vision for what will happen to the area if I-375 is diminished.
Watch below: MDOT holds meeting about huge I-375 project, picketers demand more information MDOT holds meeting about huge I-375 project, picketers demand more information
The planned boulevard with intersections would run from Gratiot Ave. to Atwater Street, and construction is set to start in 2025.
Its removing the freeway, putting in a boulevard, replacing the freeway with a boulevard that will free up 30-plus acres of development property," MDOT spokesperson Rob Morosi said back in June. It's looking at really what does the community want with that property? Do they want green space? Do they want tributes to Black Bottom and Paradise Valley that were decimated by policy decisions 70 years ago?"
Some city leaders like Detroit Planning and Development director Antoine Bryant say while the project is fluid and things still need to be worked out, it will be a positive for the community in the long run.
"We'll have a roadway that is safer for resident to traverse, we'll have slower speeds for vehicular traffic and will also result in new real estate," Bryant said.
Earlier this month, the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) released its I-375 Peer Review Report, which included design evaluation and collaboration, construction mitigation and assessment sections.
According to the DDP, community feedback and the peer review process led to significant improvements to the design since 2023 including a better design for pedestrians, a restoration of the street grid and more.
The DDP said recommendations to continue to improve the project include:
Ensuring the design of the interchange is right by decreasing the size of its footprint to create more direct connections to destination, future developments and provide safe, walkable and bikeable connections between neighborhoods; Incorporating Reconnective, Reparative and Restorative (R3) outcomes in design, construction, future land use, development, and economic participation; Utilizing effective construction mitigation by building out a robust suite of economic mitigation strategies prior to construction; Designing the boulevard for people and vibrant street life.
The United Nations is being presented with a new trove of evidence to support charges that Russia has stolen Ukrainian children and forced them to take Russian identities after a team at Yale University managed to hack into Russian adoption databases.
Yale's researchers secretly found within them what they say are 148 Ukrainian children. It's part of the most detailed and extensive evidence presented to date of alleged Russian war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The new report uses open-source intelligence and satellite images to identify Russian government aircraft allegedly used to take away Ukrainian orphans from Russian-occupied areas of Eastern Ukraine.
The evidence collected by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab builds upon methods and discoveries shown previously to Scripps News by its executive director, Nathaniel Raymond.
The report alleges that Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, ordered this program; it traces how it was carried out by officials at the highest levels of Russia's federal government.
Once children are adopted by Russians, they become far more difficult to track.
The report tracks 314 Ukrainian children at least 67 of them now naturalized as Russian citizens. But it's believed that there could be thousands more.
With the release of this report, Kyiv is calling for Russia to provide a register of all Ukrainian children currently being held in its custody.
"Ukraine will not rest until our children are returned home and those responsible are held accountable," said Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in a statement.
On Wednesday, representatives from Ukraine's government, along with Yale's investigators, will appear before a special meeting of the united nations security council of which Russia is a veto-holding member.
A defense lawyer asked jurors to put themselves in frightened subway riders' shoes Monday at the trial of a Marine veteran charged with choking an irate, homeless man to death after an outburst on a New York underground train.
Prosecutors countered that Daniel Penny was way too forceful and reckless in responding to Jordan Neely.
Both sides gave closing arguments Monday at Penny's trial on manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges. Penny, who gripped Neelys neck for about six minutes, claims he was defending fellow passengers. He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Penny was justified in using some physical force after Neely shouted in a crowded train about being willing to die, willing to go jail or as Penny and some other passengers recalled willing to kill. But prosecutors argue that Penny recklessly went way too far in dealing with an unarmed man.
"You obviously cannot kill someone because they are crazy and ranting and looking menacing, no matter what it is that they are saying, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Dafna Yoran told jurors Monday.
Defense attorney Steven Raiser asked jurors to imagine they were on that train when Neely got on, filled with rage and not afraid of any consequences.
Youre sitting much as you are now, in this tightly confined space. You have very little room to move and none to run," Raiser told jurors, saying his client put his life on the line for strangers.
Who would you want on the next train with you? he asked.
Penny's reaction to Neely touched raw nerves and fueled debate about race relations, public safety, urban life and different approaches to crime, homelessness and mental illness.
Some in New York and around the country see Penny, a 26-year-old Marine veteran turned architecture student, as a valiant protector of fellow subway riders who feared the erratic Neely was on the verge of violence. Others view Penny as a White vigilante who summarily killed a Black man who was in need of help.
The case sparked demonstrations that lambasted Penny and rallies that lauded him. In the defense argument Monday, Raiser sought to undercut some prosecution witnesses' credibility by saying they were testifying in the shadow of protesters who gathered outside the courthouse to demand justice for Neely.
Neely, 30, once was among the city's corps of subway and street performers and was known for his Michael Jackson impersonations. But after his mother was violently killed when he was a teenager, Neely was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia, was repeatedly hospitalized, struggled with drug abuse and had a criminal record that included assault convictions.
During the monthlong trial, the anonymous jury heard testimony from subway passengers who witnessed Penny's roughly six-minute restraint of Neely, as well as police who responded to it, pathologists, a psychiatric expert, a Marine Corps instructor who taught Penny chokehold techniques and Penny's relatives, friends and fellow Marines. Penny chose not to testify.
Jurors watched videos recorded by bystanders and by police body cameras and saw how Penny explained his actions to officers on the scene and later in a stationhouse interview room.
I just wanted to keep him from getting to people, he told detectives, demonstrating the chokehold and describing Neely as a crackhead who was acting like a lunatic.
I'm not trying to kill the guy, he insisted.
Multiple witnesses said Neely shouted about needing food and something to drink, whipped his jacket to the floor and started screaming. They differed in descriptions of his movements and whether they were threatening. Several passengers said they were alarmed, and some were thankful when Penny subdued Neely.
City medical examiners ruled the chokehold killed Neely. A pathologist hired by Pennys defense contradicted that finding, saying Neely was killed by a variety of other factors.
Prosecutors noted that the veteran continued to grip Neely's neck after the train stopped and anyone who wanted to get out could do so, after bystanders urged Penny to let go, and even after Neely had been still for nearly a minute.
Penny said he wanted to protect people, but he just didnt realize that Jordan Neely, too, was a person whose life needed to be preserved, Yoran said. She encouraged jurors to state with your verdict that no persons life can be so unjustifiably snuffed out."
The defense says Penny held on because Neely tried to break loose at points and the pressure on the man's neck wasn't consistent enough to kill him.
Penny wanted only to hold Neely for police, and so used a simple civilian restraint instead of a textbook chokehold that would be applied to render someone unconscious, Raiser told jurors.
The police werent there when the people on that train needed help. Danny was, the attorney said.
Yoran is due to finish her summation on Tuesday. Jury instructions and deliberations will follow.
Two people have been hospitalized after a crash on Detroit's west side that closed the eastbound lanes of I-96 and Schaefer.
VIDEO FROM CHOPPER 7: Eastbound lanes of I-96 and Schaefer shut down after crash Eastbound lanes of I-96 and Schaefer shut down after crash
7 News Detroit witnessed this crash when it happened live on the MDOT cam. We won't show you video of the crash out of respect for the people involved, but we did see a disabled car in the middle of the roadway get rear-ended.
A spokesperson for the Detroit Fire Department tells us that two people were transported to the hospitalized in this crash. They say one person is in critical condition and the other suffered non-life threatening injuries.
All four lanes on this portion of the highway were closed for about two hours so officials could survey the damage, starting around 6 a.m., but have since been re-opened.
This is a developing story. 7 News Detroit has a crew at the scene, and we will update this story as we learn more.
As families gather to celebrate the holidays, many are also taking the time to give back to those who are less fortunate. And on this giving Tuesday, I wanted to find out how people determine where they place their hard-earned dollars.
"To make sure it gets to the people in need that's the main thing," said Daniel Woods.
"Anything to do with supporting the community," said Gavin Doucette.
Charitable giving increases during this time of year and many choose non-profits that align with their values and make the most impact, but they also like to know where their hard-earned dollars go.
I spoke with Daniel Woods about what factors determine where he donates his money.
"Normally its the Salvation Army, because they've always given to the community to the people in need more than anybody else not saying anyone hasn't given as much but their out reach to the community we see it more," Daniel said.
One of the most common themes I found when I was speaking with people is transparency on where their donations go.
"It's paying it forward and it's helping a child or a mother or a family be able to enjoy a special time," said Pamela Burke.
Burke is the project manager at the Lennon Center in Dearborn Heights, a pregnancy resource center that helps women and families. All the funds raised, she says, for this non-profit stay directly with the communities in Metro Detroit.
"They go straight to our families. We just help our moms with just basic needs diapers, wipes," Pamela said.
"Donations are critically important for the work that we do," said Courtney Smith.
Smith is the CEO of the Detroit Phoenix Center, a 501(c)(3) high-impact non-profit organization that provides housing, academic, youth leadership and other wrap-around services helping Detroit youth in need. She says this time of year is critical for donations.
"We know people are the most charitable around the holiday season which is the winter season. But we see the most year-round. But with it getting cold outside we see the most need around this time," Courtney said.
All of the donations they receive also stay right here in the community.
"It goes right towards the people who need it the most to meet their most basic needs," Courtney said.
And when it comes to selecting non-profits, many donors also consider the organization's reputation and accountability.
"We just don't want to see it getting spread out and being told its going here and not seeing it reach out to them. The people actually getting the product and whatever they need to receive," Daniel said.
"Having money that builds this community up it pretty important," Gavin said.
Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.
What's the weather for today? Metro Detroit Weather: It stays cold with snow chances
The 7 First Alert Weather Team said temperatures will stay cold this week with highs only getting into the upper 20s and mid 30s, while lows will be in the upper teens and mid 20s.
Snow chances also continue, especially Wednesday and Thursday as we're expected to get hit with a clipper system.
Snowfall totals are only expected to be around 1" across metro Detroit, but highs it will also bring a blast of arctic air that will ramp up lake-effect snow showers and gusty winds.
Any traffic issues?
No major traffic issues to tell you about as of 8 a.m. The eastbound I-96 crash that closed local lanes at Schaefer has been cleared. Be sure to check our live traffic map before you head out!
The top stories to know aboutBurglars target over 20 Macomb, Oakland county businesses around Thanksgiving holiday Burglars target over 20 Macomb & Oakland county businesses around Thanksgiving
Sterling Heights police pursed a black Dodge Durango without a license plate on Friday. The crew behind break-ins reportedly used the same vehicle.
"It's estimated that throughout Oakland and Macomb counties, there have been over 25," Troy Police Department Sgt. Ben Hancock said.
Eight restaurants were hit in Troy, including The Maple Leaf Restaurant, the Chipotle Mexican Grill on Crooks Road, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill and the Kona Grill, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews.
In Sterling Heights, the Arby's and a gas station on Van Dyke Avenue near Plumbrook Road were targeted.
"The same crew, the same suspect vehicle on the same night already did B&Es earlier already in Shelby Township and Troy," Sterling Heights Police Capt. Mario Bastianelli said.
'A very serious problem.' How officials are working to combat Michigan's firefighter shortage 'A very serious problem.' Officials work to combat MI's firefighter shortage
From cities to suburbs, the lack of staffing is being called a threat to public safety, but a new proposal is aimed at finding a solution to the problem.
According to the union, Michigan is lagging far behind other states with much stronger staffing levels. Michigan has about 50 full-time firefighters per 100,000 people, compared to Indiana and Ohio, which have 101 and 111 per 100,000.
Warren is working on one of the solutions. The city has a program to pay cadets to attend the fire, EMS and paramedic academy, and offer competitive pay during and after the program.
Our starting salary is low 60s, and over a four-year period they become full pay. Top out at $96,000 per year," Warren Fire Commissioner Skip McAdams said.
State Rep. Jim Haadsma has introduced a bill that would ensure staffing levels would be discussed at all negotiations between unions and fire departments across Michigan, something that currently doesn't happen.
Weve had a number of bills that have sat a while in this session," Haadsma said. "Its a really important issue. A cost-benefit analysis of what is a life worth.
On a state level, its a very serious problem. We just have to realize the days of 700 applicants are a bygone era. We have to show young people there is a path in the fire service," McAdams said.
Downriver man with disability gifted new furnace from local company Giving the gift of warmth
I can just say I feel really blessed," Cooksey said.
Co-owners of Dynamic Energy Solutions Jason Thorpe and Randy Calhoun said a furnace is expensive and that is why they give someone a new one every year.
A typical furnace is anywhere form $4,500 to $7,000," Thorpe said. Were a family-owned business and we just want to give back to the community, so were glad we can help.
Thorpe and Calhoun told us this year, they found Cooksey through the Facebook page Downriver and Friends.
Essentially, a Facebook page recommended somebody through them, and here we are," Calhoun said.
Cooksey's niece, Lisa Kuberacki, was a big part of putting this together. She said she was contacted by the nonprofit RAINA, or Reaching All in Need of Assistance, about her uncle.
"And my uncle, the kind-hearted person that he is, he said 'Lisa, there might be more people out there that need it more than me,'" Kuberacki said.
After years of fighting, father convicted of child abuse in 'Baby Naomi' case now exonerated After years of fighting, father convicted of child abuse in 'Baby Naomi' case now exonerated
Finally, our 7 Investigator Heather Catallo has a story airing on 7 News Detroit at 6 p.m. Tuesday about the father who was convicted of child abuse in the "Baby Naomi" case being exonerated.
Back in 2015, the 7 Investigators led the way exposing what many in our community called a serious injustice that threatened to tear one family apart. Now the Burns family finally has an ending to their story.
You can watch more of her investigation tonight on 7 News Detroit.
Registration opens on Jan. 1, 2025 for the Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend, and people are encouraged to sign up early after the first sell-outs last year.
Marathon weekend takes place Oct. 17-19, 2025, starting with the Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, Oct. 17.
Saturday, Oct. 18 brings the one-mile run, the 5K, the kids Marathon, the Little Detroit Dash and other events.
Sunday, Oct. 19 is when the marathon, international half-marathon, Motor City Half Marathon and other events take place.
WATCH BELOW: Runner in Detroit Free Press marathon survives heart attack during the race Runner in Detroit Free Press marathon survives heart attack during the race
Last year, due to an increase in popularity of long races across the country, the marathon sold out in late July, about three months before the race.
To sell out really a couple of months before our international deadline is just unprecedented, Race Director Aaron Velthoven said in July. "We're the only race in the world that crosses international borders, so we get people from all over the world descending into Detroit to run our race. We're very much a bucket-list race.
Shortly after that, the international half-marathon sold out. Both races go across the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor and then come back into the U.S. through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
WATCH BELOW: Ferndale couple crowned Detroit Free Press Marathon Champions Ferndale couple crowned Detroit Free Press Marathon Champions
Giving Tuesday is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and if you're interested in making a donation to charity, be wary of scammers.
I contacted the Better Business Bureau for advice on how to avoid scams when giving to a non-profit.
"
If somebody stumbles across a social media post encouraging people to donate, what is the red flag there? I asked the BBB.
"Well, first of all, social media right now, sadly, is almost the red flag because there's just so much misinformation on social media. I'm not saying it's all wrong, but as soon as you see something compelling on social media, take it offline. Jot down that full name and then conduct your own research. That's just the safest way to go," Nakia Mills, the director of marketing for the BBB, said.
Mills tells me if you have an organization in mind, go directly to the charity's website. Don't click on a link posted on social media or sent to your phone or email.
Next, confirm the charity's exact name so you don't end up on an imposter site because of a misspelling. Also, resist pressure to give on the spot.
Make sure to use a credit card to make donations because debit cards and checks don't have fraud protection like credit cards do. Also, anyone asking you to pay with a gift card or cryptocurrency is a red flag.
Finally, make sure to only donate on secure websites - the ones with an "S" after "HTTP" in the web address.
"Are scammers a big concern on getting Tuesday specifically?
" I asked.
Well, any time. It's very similar to after, you know, say, a natural disaster. Giving Tuesday - it's one of those days where we have tons of people who are looking to literally give away their money. So, this is a prime time for scammers to dive in and think of what's my best scenario I can put out today when I know people are looking to give money and they might do a little less research today because today is the day of giving," Mills said.
Below you'll find the Better Business Bureau tips for people to use when donating to charity on Giving Tuesday. Some of those tips include information from Give.org. They include:
Get the charity's exact name. With so many charities in existence, mistaken identity is a common problem. Resist pressure to give on the spot, whether from a telemarketer or door-to-door solicitor. Be wary of heart-wrenching appeals. Press for specifics. For example, if the charity said it's helping the homeless, ask how and where it's working. Check websites for basics. They should have the mission, program and finances on the site. Don't assume that every organization is tax-exempt. You can check their tax status on the IRS website.
He was accused by a pediatrician of abusing his daughter, but always maintained his innocence.
After years of the Michigan Innocence Clinic fighting for justice for Josh Burns, his conviction has now been vacated.
Back in 2015, the 7 Investigators led the way exposing what many in our community called a serious injustice that threatened to tear one family apart. Now the Burns family finally has an ending to their story.
Extended interview: 'It's changed us forever.' Josh and Brenda Burns speak about their family's journey 'It's changed us forever.' Josh and Brenda Burns speak about their family's journey
Josh and his wife Brenda say they had their world turned upside down back in 2014 when they say they were falsely accused of abusing their infant daughter Naomi at their home in Brighton.
Its the hardest thing Ive been through in my life, Burns told 7 Investigator Heather Catallo.
Devastating, humiliating, terrifying, said Brenda.
Josh said when Naomi was two months old, she slipped off his lap and he caught her by the face to keep her from hitting the floor. Both Josh and Brenda say it was an accident, and Naomi had no obvious injuries other than a small bruise. Later, doctors discovered bleeding between the baby's skull and brain, and they found retinal hemorrhages. Both parents and some medical experts said that Naomi's injuries were largely caused by birth trauma and illness. But a Child Abuse Pediatrician and Livingston County prosecutors said it was abuse.
Did you abuse your daughter? asked Catallo.
Never. I would never hurt my daughter, said Burns.
While Brenda was later cleared of all charges, a jury convicted Josh of 2nd degree child abuse, which is a 10-year felony.
But the community rallied around Josh, signing petitions and holding protests.
Its hard to describe the feelings of going into prison an innocent man. But the blood of my innocence is on their hands, said Burns in 2015.
Citing all the community support, the judge sentenced Josh Burns to a year in the county jail.
I know the media coverage, especially from Channel 7 was huge, said Burns. I know that it had a direct impact on the judge and sentencing. I was facing 10 years in prison. She took a downward departure in my sentence and gave me the minimum sentence possible.
Lawyers from the Michigan Innocence Clinic saw that coverage of Joshs case and wanted to help.
Extended interview: David Moran speaks about shaken baby syndrome cases David Moran, co-founder of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, speaks about shaken baby syndrome cases
Of all of the shaken baby cases we've had, the testimony that was given against Josh Burns may have been the most egregious. So we took this case on direct appeal, which means, unlike the vast majority of our cases where we're revisiting the case years, maybe decades, after the conviction, we decided to take his case right after he was convicted and do the appeal, said David Moran, the former co-director and co-founder of the University of Michigan Innocence Clinic.
Moran recently retired from the UM Innocence Clinic, but hes championed the Burns case for years.
When the appeals did not work, Attorney General Dana Nessels Conviction Integrity Unit took the case and got prosecutors to agree to vacate Joshs conviction and dismiss the child abuse charge. The judge signed the order November 21, 2024.
It's really the greatest feeling in the world professionally I think that a lawyer can have, is winning a case on behalf of a very, very nice, solid person who is so grateful for the help and who deserves to have this outcome, said Moran.
Josh Burns is the 45th person the clinics students and lawyers have helped exonerate, and hes the 6th person accused of something called shaken baby syndrome that theyve helped get cleared.
Moran says studies have shown that the symptoms once labeled shaken baby syndrome can be caused by many things other than abuse including accidentally dropping a child, or illness.
The basic idea came from a few papers that were published in the early 1970s, one by an American physician and one by a British physician, that if you see a baby in the emergency room who has three symptoms: subdural hematoma -- that's bleeding on the outer layer of the brain, retinal hemorrhages, which is bleeding behind the eyes and cerebral edema, which is generalized brain swelling Then the only thing that could cause that was violent and abusive shaking by a parent or caregiver. So that was the hypothesis. The problem is that the hypothesis has never been proven. And we now know that there are lots of other causes that cause those three symptoms, said Moran.
Once Josh was released from jail, the Burns family left Michigan. And after nearly 10 years of work by the U of M lawyers and students, the judge recently signed this order vacating Joshs sentence:
We are so grateful, said Burns.
After the order was signed in late November, Josh and Brenda spoke to 7 Investigator Heather Catallo from their home in Texas where Naomi is now a happy and healthy 10-year-old.
She has a rosy view of the world and is fun and creative, said Brenda Burns.
Just being able to look at my daughter now and someday say, I have a story to tell you, justice was served finally-- its an amazing thing, said Josh Burns.
Both Josh and Brenda say the false conviction had massive consequences in their life.
Its changed us forever, said Brenda.
The conviction cost Josh his job as a Delta Airlines pilot, and Brenda was too terrified to have another baby.
I just could not have another child, said Brenda Burns. I was too traumatized.
Always having to look over your shoulder thinking like, okay, we have to take Naomi to the doctors office today What do we have to share about our past? How is this pediatrician going to perceive our family? said Josh Burns.
Now both Brenda and Josh are grateful for the work of the Michigan Innocence Clinic, the Attorney General, and everyone who supported them.
What this really showed is this can happen to anyone. And its frightening, its a frightening thing for parents to realize you can have an accident or you can have a medical issue going on with your child. And if it presents the wrong way to a Child Abuse Pediatrician or an ER pediatrician, you could quickly find yourself in the crosshairs of a system that is just a wrecking ball for families, said Burns.
The 7 Investigators contacted the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Child Protective Services, which pursued the abuse allegations against the Burns family back in 2014 and 2015. A spokesperson provided this statement:
While we cant discuss specific cases due to state and federal laws, MDHHS remains deeply committed to ensuring the health and safety of all children.
If you have a story for Heather Catallo please email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com
A Warren library is now closing in the middle of the day due to fighting among teenagers.
The Warren Public Library Dorothy Busch branch will be closed for nearly two hours every afternoon on school days, which is a decision prompted by concerns from police and library staff over fights among teens.
Warren police say recently, they have been called to the library nearly every week for disturbances and fights, mostly involving students from Fitzgerald High School across the street.
That's just too bad," nearby resident Marlene Dubiel said. "I hate to see it closed like that.
I think it's terrible," another library patron Christine Grippi said. "Those are prime hours when students who really want to utilize the library should have access to it.
Grippi says she has been coming to the library for years.
This library is very important to me. It's been a staple in my family. I'd like to take my grandson here, but I don't, Grippi said.
The last time she says she brought her 2-year-old grandson, she had to leave after rowdy teenagers took over the kids area.
I've seen fights outside the window at the library where kids are scuffling and pushing each other, getting rowdy outside the library, Grippi said. I don't take my grandson here for that very reason because I'm afraid a fight might break out.
It's for that reason that the library is now closing its doors every school day from 2:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. after a decision by the Warren Library Commission.
What we've been seeing over the last couple weeks is fights of up to 20 kids, and that just puts everyone in a very unsafe situation, said city of Warren Treasurer and Library Commission Trustee Lorie Barnwell. We want to work with students, we want them to feel welcome at the library but not at the expense of other peoples safety.
Barnwell says Warren police have been called to the library more than 100 times this year for high school kids fighting. While mostly outside in the parking lot, they have also happened inside and Barnwell says police are concerned the larger brawls could spill inside the library as weather gets colder.
Both Barnwell and the police department are calling on the Fitzgerald Public Schools district to do more. In part of a statement, the police department said:
"The Warren Police Department has engaged with the Fitzgerald School District to explore comprehensive solutions to this community issue. The Fitzgerald School District was initially cooperative however lately, the Superintendent has been unwilling to sit down with the Police Department and other stakeholders to discuss this issue. It is important for residents and parents to realize that the Fitzgerald School District is the only district in Warren that lacks a door-to-door enforcement policy for student conduct. This means that the district does not impose a school-based disciplinary action for inappropriate behavior that occurs after school hours, even with the behavior takes place right across the street from the school! Despite being made aware of the negative consequences of this policy, the District has thus far been unwilling to reconsider its stance on this policy."
In response, Fitzgerald Public Schools Superintendent Hollie Stange sent 7 News Detroit a statement:
"Fitzgerald Public Schools prides itself in working with the greater community to provide a safe and orderly environment for its students to learn. To that end, we carefully monitor our students actions within school during school hours and at school activities and hold them accountable to a carefully-drafted set of expectations. In circumstances where conduct occurs after school hours or off school property, the School District carefully reviews the facts of the situation. In those instances where there is a connection between the school day and a rule infraction, such a recent off-campus fight involving School District students, the School District carefully examines the facts and applies its rules. The fight in question, for example, was found to have been planned during the school day. Thus the rules were applied due to that connection. However, the School District must respect the due process rights of all involved and cannot impose its handbook absent a legitimate connection. We will continue to engage stakeholders regarding this item. We will continue to monitor each situation, carefully examine the facts, and enforce our rules in light of the requirements of the law."
Of course, everyone wants the libraries to reopen at full capacity. We would like to as well, but the school district is going to have to partner with us and they are going to have to change their policies, Barnwell said.
The new hours are in place Monday through Friday from now until Feb. 28, 2025.
A Warren couple spent $200 on Christmas decorations that were stolen the very next day by a real-life Grinch.
Last Saturday, the hard-working Milner family decided to splurge on fun decorations at Lowe's since their 2-year-old daughter Isabella is finally old enough to understand the holiday.
We dont make a ton of money. We enjoy what we spend and when it gets taken away from you, it kicks you in the gut a little bit," dad Jason Milner said.
Milner set up the decorations Saturday afternoon. By Sunday morning, they were gone.
The family caught on surveillance video what Warren police believe to be a young boy stealing their newly purchased items and taking them back to a parked white SUV with a getaway driver. The boy is seen making multiple trips, leaving behind the items he couldn't remove.
Watch the surveillance video below: Surveillance video: Real-life Grinch steals Warren family's Christmas decorations
In total, the thief stole approximately $100 worth of decor, leaving behind a speaker system playing holiday songs. For the Milner family, every penny counts and they're upset they'll likely never see the decorations again.
I dont get it. I really dont," Milner said in frustration. Financially, you know it hurts, but well get through it.
The family says they want to make sure that everyone in their well-decorated neighborhood is aware of the incident, so the Grinch doesn't strike again.
I think thats the end goal is just to make them aware that it happened here and it can happen anywhere," the father added.
Warren police are looking for the two people involved. If you have any information, call the Warren Police Department at 586-574-4700.
Travel through U.S. airports set a record at the close of the Thanksgiving weekend, officials said Monday.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said 3.09 million passengers went through U.S. airport screening on Sunday, which is some 74,000 more than the previous single-day record set on July 7.
There were more than 7,000 delayed flights and 163 total cancellations in the U.S. Sunday, which was not an unusually high rate of disruption. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson and Chicago's O'Hare International Airports were most affected.
On Monday, there were 5,130 delays and 111 cancellations.
Lake-effect snow contributed to the air travel snarls and has caused days of treacherous roads in parts of the Great Lakes region.
Heavy snow caused whiteout conditions and shut down parts of Interstate 94 in Michigan Monday. Officials said one driver was critically injured in a crash that involved 14 vehicles and three semi-trucks.
Parts of western New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where snow had already fallen, saw additional totals on Sunday and Monday.
Places like Buffalo, New York could see up to two more feet of snow yet through Monday. In all, the National Weather Service said, parts of the region got five feet of snow in four days' time.
Canadian officials have indicated the country cannot process mail from the U.S. while the strike is underway.
The suspension means several classifications of mail cannot be delivered, including Priority and First-Class Mail International and First-Class Package International Service.
The USPS has asked customers to wait to send any mail destined for Canada until further notice.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers began a strike in mid-November after union representatives and the Canadian government were unable to reach a new agreement over working conditions and compensation. The strike currently affects about 55,000 union members.
While the strike is underway, mail and parcels have not been delivered. Canada Post has warned customers to expect delays.
Canada Post says talks stalled in late November. On Sunday it presented a new framework that it hoped would help negotiations resume.
"The framework includes proposals to bring greater flexibility to the Corporations delivery model, while also demonstrating movement on other key issues. It is our hope that these proposals will reignite discussions and, together with the support of mediators, help the parties work toward final agreements," the agency wrote.
President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election.
Trump announced his trip in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening.
It is an honor to announce that I will be traveling to Paris, France, on Saturday to attend the re-opening of the Magnificent and Historic Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been fully restored after a devastating fire five years ago, he wrote. President Emmanuel Macron has done a wonderful job ensuring that Notre Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so. It will be a very special day for all!
A string of break-ins happened at businesses across metro Detroit. Multiple law enforcement agencies believe it's the work of a single crew working the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sterling Heights police pursed a black Dodge Durango without a license plate on Friday. The crew behind break-ins reportedly used the same vehicle.
"It's estimated that throughout Oakland and Macomb counties, there have been over 25," Troy Police Department Sgt. Ben Hancock said.
Hancock says the majority of them happened between this past Wednesday and Friday night.
Eight restaurants were hit in Troy, including The Maple Leaf Restaurant, the Chipotle Mexican Grill on Crooks Road, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill and the Kona Grill, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews.
In Sterling Heights, the Arby's and a gas station on Van Dyke Avenue near Plumbrook Road were targeted.
"The same crew, the same suspect vehicle on the same night already did B&Es earlier already in Shelby Township and Troy," Sterling Heights Police Capt. Mario Bastianelli said.
Bastianelli showed me the dash camera footage from Friday around 1:15 a.m. Officers responding to a break-in alarm at Arby's next to the Shell gas station.
"They pull right on it and you can see the suspects trying to get out of the Shell with a register. As they're coming, they get scared off by our officers because he just pulls up on them, and then they jump into the Dodge Durango and the pursuit is on," Bastianelli said.
You can watch the dashcam video below: Dashcam captures police chase following break-ins in Sterling Heights
Even with slippery roads due to the snow, the chase clocked in over 100 mph, continued southbound on Utica Road and was terminated at 14 Mile Road due to public safety.
"Continues right through metro, red lights, disregarding anyone's safety," Bastianelli said.
But this was not the crew's first rodeo. On Thanksgiving Day, the owner of The Maple Leaf Restaurant, Eddie Gjetaj, got the shock of his life.
"6:15 (a.m.), the alarm company calls me and they say hey, there's been a break-in at your restaurant," Gjetaj said.
Hear more from Eddie Gjeta, the owner of The Maple Leaf Restaurant, below: The Maple Leaf Restaurant talks about break-in at business
Gjetaj says a few hundred dollars were stolen from the cash register and some change from the back office safe.
"So they crowbarred here. So they just shimmied it open, pulled it and went through," Gjetaj said.
Police are saying that's how all locations were hit: using a crowbar to open the door and going after the cash register and the safe.
"They appear to be three males, they're dressed in all black from head to toe," Hancock said.
In 14 years, Gjetaj says he's never experienced anything like it.
"Never. Never in my wildest dreams would I think we would be broken into. And ironically enough, my uncle's restaurant in Farmington Hills was also broken into the same day about 40 minutes before our restaurant was broken into," Gjetaj said.
Police are working to hold the suspects in the dozens of incidents responsible.
"It's a lot. It's a roll of the dice. They are going to continue to do this thinking that they will get away with it, but it doesn't mean we are not on to them," Bastianelli said.
Sterling Heights police recovered the Dodge Durango, which Bastianelli says was a stolen vehicle and another common practice by such criminals.
The crew is still on the run. If you have any information about the suspects, you are urged to contact the police.
In the meantime, law enforcement urges business owners to avoid keeping large amounts of cash overnight.
A program that provides federal funds to groups in Detroit working to reduce homicides and shootings is showing reductions of 83%, 73% and 61% in some of the city's most violent areas.
The numbers come as Detroit is on pace to continue setting historic lows in those crimes, according to the city.
ShotStoppers ' metrics measure the level of homicides and shootings in the current quarter compared to the same quarter in the two prior years and were released Monday by Mayor Mike Duggan.
Detroit officials highlight success of 'Shotstopper' program
The program kicked off in 2023. Going by names like Force Detroit, Detroit 300, Detroit Friends and Family, and New Era Community Connection, activists and residents are empowered to use their own strategies to prevent violence. Those strategies include teaching young people to think critically, improving training opportunities for adults, drug prevention and blight removal.
Each group also is alerted by the police department whenever there is a shooting in their zone, Duggan told The Associated Press last week.
Because an hour later there will be a retaliation, Duggan said. The key is getting people to make different decisions. Theyve brokered agreements with groups beefing with one another. What theyre doing is making a difference.
The six groups focus on parts of the city that between 2018 and 2022 were hotspots for homicides and shootings. The recent drops in what the city calls Community Violence Intervention or CVI zones are from August through October and are compared to the same three-month period in 2023 and 2022.
Homicides and shootings were down 35% in areas not part of the CVI zones.
The 83% reduction in the Detroit Friends and Family CVI zone on Detroit's far northeast side was achieved through mediation strategies inside jails and juvenile facilities, working with the area's youth and looking at the goings-on within social networks, said Ray Winans, the group's founder.
It's not so much what we say to them. It's more so what we hear from them, Winans told The Associated Press last week. We want to hear what their stories are. We know our stories and support them while they are going through theirs'.
This is a group of young men and women whose brains aren't fully developed yet, he added. We don't look at leadership in the sense of traditional leadership. We serve as an example of what's possible. We deal with behavior modifications.
Tamica Nixon, 48, has relatives who live in Winans CVI zone. She said just a year or so ago the sound of gunshots was prevalent.
There were so many gunshots you would think thats the type of things you would hear in a war, Nixon said following Duggans announcement at a neighborhood church. Everything has really improved now. Its safer.
The program is similar in name to the gunshot detection technology, ShotSpotter, which has been used and later dropped by Chicago and several other police departments in the United States.
Violent crime in Detroit has been trending down for several years, with annual homicides being at their lowest since 1966 when there were 214 homicides.
In 2023, Detroit recorded 252 homicides and 804 nonfatal shootings. Those numbers were 309 and 955, respectively, in 2022. The city recorded 308 homicides in 2021 compared to 323 in 2020. There also were 1,064 nonfatal shootings in 2021, down from 1,170 the year before.
Officials have placed some credit to the drop in violent crime citywide to the hiring of about 200 new police officers over the past few years and a partnership between the city, Wayne County and the state that improves coordination among agencies and courts. ShotStoppers' success only appears to add to the lower numbers.
The project currently is funded by $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and each group started with a $175,000 base budget per quarter. Bonus grants are awarded to the groups that significantly cut serious violence in their areas.
With federal funding expiring in April, the statewide $100 million Public Safety & Violence Prevention Trust Fund being considered by Michigan lawmakers In Lansing could continue funding for the program. If approved, Detroit plans to add two new groups.
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