One day after the Tuesday explosion that rocked the Orion Township community, we're learning that a man who was hospitalized is recovering well and is expected to be OK.

The explosion happened at the Keatington New Town Condominiums near Baldwin and Waldon roads.

Related video: Amazon driver ran toward danger, saving victims of the Orion Township explosion Amazon driver ran toward danger, saving victims of the Orion Twp explosion

Multiple buildings were affected. Eighteen units were completely destroyed across the complex and 12 others are being questioned for their stability. Miraculously, everyone is alive.

It is an absolute miracle, an absolute miracle if you have seen that scene that we are currently talking about no fatalities," Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said.

A man and a woman were sent to the hospital with serious injuries, including Ann Oddens 80-year-old brother who she wants to keep anonymous.

Odden says her brother was working in his office and about to make a pot of coffee when he heard a loud boom. Everyday heroes stepped in to help guide him and others to safety.

The gentleman was standing in the middle of the house with his clothes got blown off and he was coherent. He talked and he said he wanted a chair, so we got him a chair and moved him from here to the street until the medics got here," neighbor Paul Kastran said.

Odden's brother was transported to a burn unit in Detroit where he is recovering. She said her brother lost everything in the explosion but is just grateful that he's alive.

He is doing exceptionally well. I mean, everybodys just shocked at how well hes doing because he shouldnt be here," she said.

Related video: Community steps in to help those impacted by condo explosion 'A lot of devastation.' Community steps in to help those impacted by explosion

The investigation into the exact cause is officially underway. The Orion Township Fire Department believes the cause could be a gas explosion, but it will take weeks to get clear answers.

"Our team is very slow and methodical to make sure that they dont miss anything. Theyre very thorough in their investigation. At the earliest, I say it will take a week for the initial, it may take three to four week for the full investigation," Orion Township Fire Chief Ryan Allen said.

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Michigan Republican Party Chairman Pete Hoekstra to be the U.S. ambassador to Canada, Trump announced on Wednesday.

Hoekstra was officially recognized as chairman by the national Republican Party in February during a clash over leadership with the state party about the removal of Kristina Karamo as the party's chair. Karamo was voted out during a meeting on Jan. 6 and did not accept the results.

Trump had endorsed Hoekstra over Karamo. Both were loyal supporters of Trump.

Hoekstra was present at many campaign events Trump held during his recent campaign.

Hoekstra served as ambassador to the Netherlands during Trumps first term. Prior to that, he was a U.S. House representative from 1993 to 2011.

Trump released a statement about Hoekstra's nomination:

I am very pleased to announce that former Ambassador, and former Congressman, Pete Hoekstra, has been nominated as my United States Ambassador to Canada. Pete is well-respected in the Great State of Michigan - A State we won sizably. He represented Michigans 2nd District in Congress for nearly 20 years, where he was also Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and was a great help to our Campaign as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. I overhauled the disastrous NAFTA Agreement, the worst Trade Deal in the History of the United States, which was switched to the USMCA (Mexico/Canada), which no one thought could be done. We brought Trade with Mexico and Canada to a level playing field for our wonderful Farmers and Working Families. In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST. He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role. Thank you, Pete!

A man who was critically injured earlier this month after being hit by a car in Rochester Hills has since died.

Seventy-two-year-old Stephen Singleton, a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, was out for his morning walk on Nov. 3 when he was hit and killed crossing Rochester Road near Avon Road around 6:45 a.m.

Investigators say he was wearing a reflective vest and was in the marked crosswalk.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says the driver is a citizen of Colombia who was in the country illegally. However, he did have a valid foreign drivers license, which is accepted in Michigan.

I was sitting at the table reading my bible waiting for him to come back and he left about 6 o'clock or so," the victims wife Teri Singleton recalled. "It started being 7 (o'clock) and then 7:30 and I started thinking did something happen?"

Shortly after, she learned something did happen.

I was sitting there as there was a knock on the door and it was unusual for someone to knock on the door that early in the morning," Teri Singleton said. "I went to the door and when I looked out, I saw a sheriff."

The deputy informed Teri Singleton of the accident and she says her husband was initially alert at the time.

Initially, he was talking," Teri Singleton said of her husband. "I don't know how he was talking because the car hit him so hard that he flew in the air and hit the windshield and broke it.

Teri Singleton and her daughter Ruth sat down with our Glenda Lewis and told her that after Stephen arrived at the hospital, he took a turn and was put on life support. Doctors gave him a slim chance.

He (doctor) said that my dad was not going to make it, that he had zero percent to live," Ruth Singleton said. "I remember thinking to myself that my dad was so strong that he just doesn't know my dad. He doesn't know all the things my dad did to help people.

Stephen Singleton was a former WXYZ-TV employee back in the 80s. During 9/11, he went to Ground Zero as a volunteer. It was one of his many selfless actions that we highlighted with a story back in 2022.

I started tearing because I couldn't find survivors," Stephen Singleton said during the 2022 interview. "We would find people who were perished, but we couldn't find survivors.

You can watch our 2022 report with him below: First responder recalls driving to NY to help after the attacks on Sept. 11

The family is still hoping to get more answers and waits for potential charges in the case against the driver.

One day, I wake up and just know he's gone for such a simple and senseless thing," Ruth Singleton said. "I just don't understand.

The Singleton family has set up an online fundraiser to help cover expenses as they mourn their loss.

Hello, old friends.

Waterford Kettering and Mott appear set to re-join the Oakland Activities Association, ending over a decade-and-a-half stint combined competing elsewhere in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association and Lakes Valley Conference.

Rumors of the move had began to circulate in recent weeks, and the district’s membership application to the OAA was confirmed on Tuesday.

“We are grateful for the competition we have been privileged to experience as a member district of the LVC for the past eight years,” Waterford School District director of communications and community relations Sarah Davis said. “Many factors went into our decision to apply for membership to the OAA – such as competitive alignment with like-districts, game proximity, and academic and student leadership advantages. These opportunities will best serve our Waterford School District athletes, coaches and families now and into the future.”

Both Waterford schools were charter members when they, along with Clarkston, Lake Orion and Pontiac Northern joined from the Greater Oakland Activities League to help form the OAA with schools from the Metro Suburban Activities Association and Southeastern Michigan Association back in 1994.

However, in 2008 the pair of WSD schools jumped ship when the merger of the Kensington Valley Conference and Western Lakes Activities Association helped form the KLAA, a 23-school conference that included the newly opened South Lyon East.

In 2017, nine of those KLAA members, among them Mott and Kettering, split to create the Lakes Valley Conference. When it joined the LVC, Mott and Kettering’s enrollment numbers were neither the largest or the smallest in the conference, notable as other KLAA program’s student bodies were larger.

While a variety of factors have led to declining enrollment numbers throughout the state, and LVC schools have been no exception, it has been sharp enough that Mott and Kettering were now both in the bottom-third of the league, and may find themselves again playing more similarly sized programs in the OAA.

That has been reflected from a competitive standpoint. The LVC website charts year-by-year all-sports standings for both female and male sports. In the first six years of the conference, Mott and Kettering averaged finishing in the bottom-3 of the table in female sports, and the same could be said for male sports, with the exception of 2017-18 when Mott had exceptional seasons in baseball, basketball and football to place in the upper-half.

A source said that the LVC, now down to seven schools — Lakeland and Milford, along with the South Lyon and Walled Lake schools — intends to discuss filling the spots the Captains and Corsairs would vacate.

New York City on Monday instituted a drought warning for the first time in 22 years, as brush fires strike within city limits and drinking water supplies run low.

The new measure is because of both unusually high temperatures and an unprecedented lack of rainfall, which is now forecast to continue for weeks.

The conditions contributed to brush fires in the city in the previous weeks, including in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and in northern Manhattan.

RELATED STORY | Record warmth: Earth to exceed critical temperature threshold in 2024

New York City uses some 1.1 billion gallons of water per day, drawn from a system of lakes, reservoirs and aqueducts that extend more than 100 miles beyond city limits. That system is now only about 63% full, officials say. The region would need to see some eight inches of rainfall to regain lost reserves.

New York City municipal services are switching to drought protocols that will reduce their water use, and city officials are urging residents to cut back on shower and faucet run times.

"Our city vehicles may look a bit dirtier, and our subways may look a bit dustier, but it's what we have to do to delay or stave off a more serious drought emergency," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "We need New Yorkers to continue to save water too, so we can water our parks and fill our pools this coming summer."

New York will pause a repair project on the Delaware Aqueduct, reopening it with the work still incomplete so it can deliver more water from upstate reservoirs.

Officials say the work will restart next year.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain will retire following this season, his sixth year with the Mid-American Conference program.

The former Florida and Colorado State coach made the announcement Wednesday with a 33-35 record at Central Michigan. He was a coach of the year in three conferences and has a career record of 77-63.

After leading the Chippewas (4-7, 2-5 MAC) in their season finale Nov. 30 at Northern Illinois, McElwain will become a special assistant to the athletic director.

Central Michigan hired him in 2018 after he worked as Jim Harbaugh's receivers coach at Michigan. McElwain replaced John Bonamego, who was 1-11 in his fourth and final season at Central Michigan.

McElwain was 8-6 in his first season at Central Michigan, earning a spot in the first of two bowl games with the program. He won nine games in 2021, including the Sun Bowl, before losing an average of seven-plus games over the next three seasons.

McElwain was the Southeastern Conference coach of the year in 2015, his first season at Florida, and agreed to a buyout with a 22-12 overall record in two-plus seasons with the Gators.

___

AP college football:

https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

and

https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

A patient died while restrained. Others say they were assaulted and abused by staff.

Those are just some of the allegations surfacing in a federal report that led to a local psychiatric hospital losing its Medicare and Medicaid funding.

Previous report: Feds terminate Medicare funding for Pontiac General over alleged patient rights violations, layoffs announced Medicare terminates funding to Pontiac General, hospital announces layoffs

I think about it every single day every day, Bri Jackson said about the way she says she was treated when she was held for nine days inside Pontiac General Hospital.

Bri says after she lost her job and her health insurance in 2022, she ran out of her anti-depressant medication. When she qualified for Medicaid, she went to a family doctor to try to get her medication refilled. Jackson says she was not suicidal but says that request for medication turned into her being hospitalized against her will.

I just wanted to get help. And what I got was not help. I was not helped, Jackson said.

Earlier this year, the 7 Investigators first showed you how other psychiatric patients alleged they were held against their will, not provided any therapy inside the hospital and some of them alleged they experienced abuse.

You can watch that report below: Michigan doc pre-signed blank forms that can rob you of your freedom

Lakeshia says she became her daughters legal guardian after the 23-year-old was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In January of 2022, Lakeshia says she had to take her daughter to a local emergency room during a depressive episode. She then got transferred to Pontiac General Hospital.

My daughter was there for nearly a week without Pontiac General making contact with me, without even so much as a phone call, Lakeshia said.

Lakeshia says when her daughter was able to call, she got terrible news.

She was crying, crying. Im like whats wrong? She said they just jumped on me, Lakeshia said. I said who jumped on you? And she says an employee.

Lakeshia filed a police report about the incident with Oakland County Sheriffs Office.

Previous report: Trapped in a Psych Ward: I felt kidnapped.' New patient speaks after 7 report Trapped in a Psych Ward: I felt kidnapped.' New patient speaks after 7 report

Now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the hospitals participation in the Medicare program will be terminated on Nov. 24, 2024.

That means they wont be able to get reimbursed for Medicare or Medicaid patients.

I'm happy that the spotlight is on them and there are going to be consequences and they can stop doing what they're doing to people, Jackson said.

Records obtained by the 7 Investigators give us some insight as to why the feds are doing this.

In early April, CMS records show that a 41-year-old male patient was restrained after he started swinging at staff. The patient fell prone to the floor and staff kept him in that position. The records show one mental health tech used his knee, elbow and chest to keep the patient restrained.

The patient stopped moving, but it took staff several minutes to start CPR and even longer to bring a crash cart with a working defibrillator to the patient. Records show the defibrillator was not used for at least 13 minutes. The patient was pronounced dead after EMS transported him to a separate hospital.

Other findings by CMS investigators include staff punching a patient and hazardous items left accessible to developmentally delayed patients in a janitors closet.

CMS isnt the only agency investigating Pontiac General.

It started following your reporting, Heather, that we opened a project into looking into Pontiac General, Stonecrest Center and Harbor Oaks. That project is related to mental health treatment at those facilities and whether proper protocol is being followed for involuntary treatment and the quality of treatment there. We've been to all three facilities in person in the past six months, including Pontiac General, and we continue to receive calls on those issues and actively investigate them, said Simon Zagata, director of the Community and Institutional Rights Team at Disability Rights Michigan.

Zagata says hes saddened to hear a patient died after being improperly restrained.

The way the restraint was done was contrary to how you're supposed to do a restraint based on the standards. Michigan has standards for how a restraint is conducted in a mental health facility and the fact that this restraint was prone so the patient was face down and had somebodys elbow, chest, knee on that patient's back for an extended period of time that is not how a restraint is supposed to occur. So to hear that someone died because this protocol was not followed, it's sad and quite frankly, it makes me angry," Zagata said.

Zagata says hes relieved to know CMS is taking action.

I was really happy to see those enforcement powers used in a situation where it's pretty clear that patients are not getting appropriate treatment and patients are getting abused, Zagata said. No money, but especially federal money, should be going to pay for treatment that results in that. We're also very concerned and keeping an eye on how the transition happens for people in that community and people receiving treatment there to make sure that they have a place to go to receive high quality treatment.

Previous coverage: 'We don't want patients to be mistreated.' Agencies push for change in wake of 7 investigation Agencies advocating for patients, fighting for change in wake of 7 investigation

The 7 Investigators have reached out to the owners of Pontiac General Hospital. So far, they have not gotten back to us.

In their notice to the state for laying off employees, the hospital owners indicated they expect to get their contract with Medicare reinstated, but its not clear if or when that will happen.

In the meantime, the Oakland Community Health Network had a contract that allowed Pontiac General to bill Medicaid $950 a day for their psychiatric patients. They are now in the process of terminating that contract as well.

A spokeswoman for the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network did not respond to questions about whether they are revoking their contract with Pontiac General.

If you have a story for Heather Catallo please email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com.

DETROIT — Can you imagine a better or more fitting birthday present for Tigers’ lefty ace Tarik Skubal? Or a better way to cap a sensational, breakthrough season?

On Wednesday, the day he turned 28 years old, Skubal was named the American League Cy Young Award winner for 2024 by a vote of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Happy birthday, indeed.

Skubal becomes the fifth Tigers pitcher to win the award. Denny McLain won it twice (1968 and 1969). Willie Hernandez (1984), Justin Verlander (2011) and Max Scherzer (2013) also won the prize while wearing the Old English D.

Full disclosure: I had a Cy Young Award vote this year and I did not put Cleveland’s dominant closer Emmanuel Clase on my ballot. I have been steadfast on every Cy Young vote I’ve cast over the years that it’s an award for starting pitchers. Relievers have their own award, as they should given the disparity between the two distinct roles.

The lines on this are getting blurrier as starter innings continue to shrink and bullpen roles expand. But this season, after comparing every candidate including Clase on a spreadsheet with every relevant statistical category — sabermetric and traditional — there were five starting pitchers who scored higher than Clase.

Thus, my ballot: 1. Skubal, 2. Kansas City’s Seth Lugo, 3. Seattle’s Logan Gilbert, 4. Kansas City’s Cole Ragans, 5. Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes.

Putting Skubal at the top of the ballot was a no-brainer. And not just because he became the 22nd player in MLB history to win the pitcher Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228).

He joins Hal Newhouser (1945) and Justin Verlander (2011) as the only Tigers to achieve the feat.

It was much more. When manager AJ Hinch said that Skubal was “everything for us,” this is what he meant:

After dealing away Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline, the Tigers were left with two starting pitchers — Skubal and rookie Keider Montero. The other three starting slots in the rotation were, for the final two months, covered by a creative and elaborate mix of openers and bulk relievers.

For that strategy to work, the Tigers needed Skubal, especially, to cover at least six innings in his starts. Here’s how Skubal responded to that challenge:

From Aug. 2 through Sept. 24, he went 6-1 and averaged 6.2 innings in 10 starts. He limited opponents to a .206/.252/.292 slash-line with 74 strikeouts and 11 walks.

He managed to be at his best exactly when his team needed him the most.

The Tigers were 21-10 in his 31 regular-season starts, a stat that held more value to Skubal than his 18 pitcher wins. He won two of his three postseason starts and threw 17 straight scoreless innings until the fatal fifth inning in Game 5 of the American League Division Series in Cleveland (see Lane Thomas homer).

Skubal limited opponents to two runs or less in 24 of his 31 regular-season starts, covering at least six innings in 21 of those.

Skubal day turned into win day for the Tigers. There is no better measure of greatness for a pitcher.

“He’s unbelievable,” said first baseman Spencer Torkelson after Skubal posted his 200th strikeouts of the season in a 2-1 win against Boston on Aug. 31. “It’s not only his stuff. It’s the conviction behind it. The intent and the confidence he has every single pitch he throws.

“You can really look up to somebody like that. He sets the tone. It builds character in our pitching staff and even in the position players.”

He set the tone for his season on the first day of live batting practice in Lakeland when he hit 99.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. He was asked about hitting 100 mph so early in camp.

“It wasn’t 100,” he said. “We don’t round up in the big leagues.”

He would hit and surpass 100 mph legitimately on May 11 against Houston, becoming the first Tigers starting pitcher to hit triple digits since Verlander in 2012.

He took the ball on Opening Day in Chicago and pitched six scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He got the start in the home opener, too, on April 5, making him the first Tigers pitcher to start both the regular-season opener and home opener since Mike Moore in 1993.

He struck out 12 in six innings at Yankee Stadium on May 5. But his most dominant strikeout performance came in Cincinnati on July 7 when he punched out 13 and got a remarkable 23 misses on 51 swings.

By the All-Star break he was 10-3 with a 2.41 ERA and a sub-1 WHIP (0.879) and earned his first All-Star berth. He threw a perfect second inning in the game, setting down Christian Yelich, Alec Bohm and Teoscar Hernandez.

“When you needed a big performance, he was our guy,” Hinch said in an interview with MLB Network earlier this month. “When you really needed a punch-out to get us out of an inning, he was our guy. We you needed someone to show incredible competitive emotion, he was our guy.

“We leaned on him for so much leadership and performance. And he delivered in all ways. He was the definition of dominant for us and across the league.”

The mantra for the Tigers’ pitching staff all season was “pound the strike zone,” and nobody pounded it more relentlessly and fearlessly than Skubal, evidenced by his 69% strike rate and 68.6% first-pitch strike rate.

To further amplify the point, he had a 30.3% strikeout rate and just a 4.7% walk rate.

Skubal’s 6.3 WAR (baseball-reference) led all big-league pitchers. His pitching run value of 40 (per Statcast) was best in baseball. His fastball run value of 26 ranked in the top 99 percentile.

Opponents hit .197 against his four-seam fastball and .207 off his two-seamer. They hit .216 off his changeup with a 46% whiff rate. His slider (.169) and knuckle curve (.158) rare got hit hard.

“Just Skub being Skub,” said Jake Rogers, who caught every one of Skubal’s starts. “I never get tired of talking about Skub. He’s been big for us all year, and every time he gets on the mound, he gives us a chance to win.

“I’m just really glad he’s on our team.”

President-elect Trump is promising major tariffs that could impact retailers and their consumers.

A tariff is a tax placed on goods when they cross national borders.

Trump has said all U.S. trading partners could face tariffs of up to 20%. He's said goods from China could be levied at 60% or higher on some specific products.

"I will impose whatever tariffs are required 100%, 200%, 1,000%," Trump said of some Chinese imports during an event in October.

The potential for these tariffs is already having some retailers rethink their business, and it could mean consumers paying higher prices.

"It's not a one size fits all situation with this," said Bill Reinsch, Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Each company, each retailer is going to decide what it wants to do for itself. Sometimes, they'll choose to eat part of the tariff. In other words, absorb some of the increased price and simply have a lower profit margin in order to maintain their market share. But most of the time, they pass part, if not all of it, onto the consumer."

Walmart's chief financial officer John David Rainey told CNBC if Trump's tariffs take effect "there probably will be cases where prices will go up for consumers."

Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison also addressed the topic on the company's earnings call on Tuesday.

"Like everyone, we're waiting to see what happens when the Trump administration actually takes office in January," Ellison said. "Having said that, we feel good about the processes and the systems we put in place since the first Trump administration to manage tariffs or other challenges."

The Home Depot told Scripps News it's following this situation to see how it could impact its business.

"It's too early to speculate, but tariffs would impact our industry more broadly," The Home Depot said in a statement to Scripps. "The majority of our goods are sourced in the U.S. While the remaining products are not all sourced from Asia, we do source from several Asian countries, so we are watching this issue closely. Our teams have been through this before and we anticipate that we will manage through any new tariffs similarly to how we have done so in the past."

RELATED STORY | Trump will nominate Howard Lutnick to oversee 'tariff and trade' policy

Trump sees tariffs as having two purposes raising revenue for the government and taking money from other countries. The Tax Foundation estimates a 20% tariff on all goods would raise $3.3 trillion for the federal government from 2025 through 2034.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics projects Trump's tariff plan could cost the average U.S. household $2,600 per year.

After a dominant 2024 season, Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal has won the AL Cy Young award, Major League Baseball announced on Sunday evening. Skubal received all 30 first-place votes.

The left-handed pitcher led all American League pitchers in earned run average (2.39), wins (18) and strikeouts (228), considered the Triple Crown of pitching. Skubal started 31 games for the Tigers this past season, posting an 18-4 record while throwing 192.0 innings and posting a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched). In his age-28 season, Skubal also earned his first All-Star appearance earlier this summer, being one of two Tigers invited to the Midsummer classic (Riley Greene).

Skubal led all Tigers in Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement (6.4), a key piece on a Detroit team that made an improbable run. On August 11, the Tigers were eight games under .500 (55-63) and had a 0.2 percent chance of making the playoffs on Fangraphs. From there, the Gritty Tigers got hot, winning 31 of their final 44 games to earn a Wild Card spot in the Playoffs.

Once in the postseason, Skubal and the 6-seed Tigers proceeded to sweep the 3-seed Houston Astros in the Wild Card round before falling to the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Divisional Series in five games. In his first postseason, Skubal pitched in three games, posting a 1-1 record while recording a 2.37 ERA, allowing 13 hits and five runs and striking out 20 batters.

Skubal is the third Tigers player to win the award this century, joining Justin Verlander (2011) and Max Scherzer (2013). He's the fifth player to win the award in franchise history, along with Willie Hernndez (1984) and Denny McLain (1968 & 1969)

Hailing from Seattle University, Skubal was drafted by the Tigers in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft. Skubal made his Major League debut in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. In five seasons, Skubal has posted a 41-31 record, a 3.37 ERA, and 648 strikeouts in 571.1 innings pitched.

Skubal is set to make $11,200,000 in 2025, and barring a new contract with the Tigers, he's set to become a free agent in 2027 when he turns 30.

RELATED VIDEOS: Tarik Skubal speaks after Detroit Tigers clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2014 Tarik Skubal speaks after Detroit Tigers clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2014 Inside the Tigers clubhouse: Player interviews as they celebrate playoff berth Inside the Tigers clubhouse: player interviews as they celebrate playoff berth Tarik Skubal is 'the best pitcher in the game right now,' Aaron Judge says Tarik Skubal is 'the best pitcher in the game right now,' Aaron Judge says

The post Detroit Evening Report: Detroit officials assure residents water is safe after letter raises concerns appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

In the aftermath of Tuesday's fiery explosion at the Keatington New Town Condominiums, thousands are talking about a mystery Amazon delivery driver who ran into the danger.

Resident Paul Kastran said, "Hes a hero. Hes the first guy who jumped in."

Young Chris Deluca told 7 News Detroit that he saw the man carry a victim out of the fire, "It was pretty heroic."

His mom Lauren Deluca said, "To go into that, not knowing if anything else was going to explode? He definitely put his life on the line."

No one knew exactly who he was, but they knew how his heroic actions made them feel.

Young Leighton Mcameer said, "My mom had to run back in and get her purse, and the Amazon person was standing right there and I was crying because I was really scared and then he came over and held my hand and told me it would all be okay."

After a day of searching, 7 News Detroit did find the hero.

Too humble to go on camera, Christopher Bissonnette agreed to talk over the phone. He shared that he was delivering packages to the neighborhood when he saw the explosion around 7 p.m. Tuesday. He looked up and saw an older gentleman, clothes half-burned off, standing in the middle of the disaster.

Chopper video shows aftermath of explosion at Orion Township condo complex

"I moved some debris around and picked him up by one leg, grabbed his back and carried him out of there and got him to the side of the curb," said Bissonnette. "Then I ran around trying to help the other lady."

Bissonnette said he does remember seeing Leighton Mcameer, "Her brother and her were standing there in the middle of the yard, and she goes Im so scared Im like Come here, come here, I got you.'"

After making sure everyone was okay, he said he tried to drive off unnoticed, "Thats when the other residents saw me and started talking to me. I told them what happened and they started calling me a hero."

When asked how that made him feel, he responded, "Awkward, I didnt know how to accept it, and it felt weird."

However, extremely deserving.

A day later Bissonnette, like many of the residents, is still working through the catastrophe that happened at the condominiums.

In the end, he said he simply did what he knew was right.

"God keeps putting me in weird conditions, the right spots I guess," said Bissonnette.

Where Your Voice Matters

Some Detroit students were honored for their creativity, continuing 33 years of tradition during the unveiling of this years float for The Skillman Foundation.

This year's theme is "We are better together."

Ten-year-old Harmony Henry's drawing was chosen out of the hundreds of submissions to be the winner of this year's competition. She said that is the meaning behind her drawing.

I was like, oh my gosh, woah. My mom was jumping up and down. She was like you earned it, you earned it. But I was really excited and proud of me, myself and I. Harmony said.

Angelique Power, president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation, said it's not easy to choose a winner, but Harmony's drawing checked all their boxes.

All the different types of people working together to make the world better, not people who were like each other, but specifically people who were different, Powers said.

Hear more from Harmony Henry Angelique Power and in the video player below: 10-year-old Harmony Henry explains her design for America's Thanksgiving Parade float

Harmony told me she put a lot of thought and rough drafts into the project and wants everyone who looks at it to understand that we all have a part to play. 

The hosts of the contest said they wanted to honor some of the other amazing artists by decorating the bottom of the float with their drawings as well.

My inspiration is my mom being a law enforcement officer and my dad also being one and hes also a firefighter, sixth grader Kaiden Green said.

Officials confirmed no one was killed in an explosion at a condominium complex Tuesday night in Lake Orion, and the two people injured remain hospitalized but their conditions were improving as of late Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s an absolute miracle, an absolute miracle — if you’ve seen this scene — (that) currently we’re talking about no fatalities,” Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon from Orion Township Hall.

Fire Chief Ryan Allen said an investigation continues into the cause and origin of the explosion at the Keatington New Town Association and is expected to take “a little over a week.” The explosion destroyed 18 units, displacing multiple residents, and caused damage to about a dozen more, Allen said.

First responders were dispatched to the two-story building on Pine Ridge Court between Joslyn and Baldwin roads after the explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m., officials said.

Little information has been released yet on the two people injured, but Allen said one was in non-critical, stable condition and the other in guarded condition which “is between serious and stable condition.”

According to Consumers Energy Vice President Christopher Fultz, crews found no abnormalities in the system from the gas main to the meter which is the extent of the utility company’s responsibility. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said a resident reported she had detected the smell of gas just before the explosion and is part of the investigation.

Allen reminds residents that if they ever have concerns about a possible gas leak to exit the home and contact the fire department by calling either the emergency or non-emergency number.

Barnett noted that there’s been “an incredible show of support” from the community in response to what he described as “a horrific incident.” And it’s what can be expected, he said.

“I’d put our community against any community when it comes to things like this. We step up,” he said. “It’s horrible what happened, but if ever (something like this) happens, you’re lucky if it happens in Orion Township.”

Victims in need of immediate support are encouraged to call the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or Orion Township offices at 248-391-0304 ext. 2009.

Those interested in helping can provide monetary donations through Love INC of Northern Oakland County by calling 248-693-4357 or online at https://loveincofnoc.org/.

Clothing and food donations can be dropped off at Woodside Bible Church, located in Canterbury Village, 2500 Joslyn Road. Those in need of food can visit Woodside’s Village Food Pantry, also located in Canterbury Village, at 2325 Joslyn Court. Reach the pantry by calling 248–391-1900.

Bouchard cautions residents that it’s likely there will be scammers attempting to profit through false charities, so only donate to organizations listed above and any others listed on social media pages for Orion Township or the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Tribune News Service contributed to this report.

A House Democrat is now moving forward with plans to try and compel its ethics committee to release the report on attorney general nominee and former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Rep. Sean Casten from Illinois is expected to bring a motion on the House floor Wednesday to compel the House Ethics Committee to release the report. The effort would require bipartisan support.

The move comes after the House Ethics Committee Wednesday tried to vote on whether to release the report. The committee, which is made up equally of Democratic and Republican lawmakers, deadlocked.

"This committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans," said Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, ranking member of the committee. "In order to affirmatively move something forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side which happens a lot, by the way. And we often vote unanimously. That did not happen in today's vote."

"There was no consensus on this issue. We did agree that we would reconvene as a committee on December 5th to further consider this matter," she said.

RELATED STORY | Trump backs former Rep. Matt Gaetz despite fallout from ethics investigation

Gaetz resigned just two days before the committee was originally scheduled to potentially release the findings of investigation.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has since said he believes the committee should not release the report since it deals with a now former member of the chamber.

In the meantime, Congressional Republicans have hinted that confirming Gaetz as attorney general may be difficult.

Gaetz was on Capitol Hill with Vice President-elect JD Vance Wednesday to set up meetings with lawmakers as they work to shore up support for his nomination.

Confirmation hearings are not expected to begin in earnest until January.

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge who was nominated by Donald Trump says it would be “beyond frustrating and disappointing” if the president-elect hands out mass pardons to rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol after the 2020 election, a rare instance of judicial commentary on a politically divisive subject.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed to the bench in June 2019, expressed his criticism during a hearing Tuesday at which he agreed to postpone a Capitol riot defendant’s trial until after Trump returns to the White House in January.

During his campaign for a second term as president, Trump repeatedly referred to Jan. 6 rioters as “hostages” and “patriots” and said he “absolutely” would pardon rioters who assaulted police “if they’re innocent.” Trump has suggested he would consider pardoning former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after a jury convicted him of orchestrating a violent plot to keep Trump in power after the 2020 election.

“Blanket pardons for all January 6 defendants or anything close would be beyond frustrating and disappointing, but that’s not my call,” Nichols said, according to a transcript. “And the possibility of some pardons, at least, is a very real thing.”

Nichols is one of over 20 judges who have presided over more than 1,500 cases against people charged in a mob’s attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Many Capitol riot defendants have asked for post-election delays in their cases, but judges largely have denied their requests and forged ahead with sentencings, guilty pleas and other hearings.

Steve Baker, a writer for a conservative media outlet, pleaded guilty last Tuesday to Capitol riot-related misdemeanors after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper refused to pause the case until after Trump takes office. However, Cooper acknowledged that the case may never reach the punishment stage given the possibility of pardons.

Nichols commented on pardons during a hearing for Jacob Lang, a Capitol riot defendant who is jailed while awaiting a trial in Washington. Within hours of Trump’s victory this month, Lang posted on social media that he and other Jan. 6 “political prisoners” were “finally coming home.”

“There will be no bitterness in my heart as I walk out of these doors in 75 days on inauguration day,” wrote Lang, who was charged several days after the riot with repeatedly attacking police officers.

Nichols, who clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas before working for the Justice Department, said he hasn’t delayed any trial solely on the basis of possible pardons. He noted that his decision to delay Lang’s trial was based in part on matters that they privately discussed under seal.

“I agree very much with the government that there are costs to not proceeding here, both to the trial team, to the witnesses and to the victims, as well as to the public, which has an interest in a determination of guilt or innocence in a case that has been pending as long as this one,” Nichols said.

Several days after the election, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras postponed a Jan. 6 trial that had been scheduled to start on Dec. 2. The defendant, William Pope, argued that his trial would be a waste of the court’s time and resources “because there will never be a sentencing, and I will be free.”

Contreras said he didn’t want to bring in dozens of prospective jurors for a two-week trial “just to have it go for naught.”

“Of course, it’s speculative, but there is a real possibility of that happening,” the judge added, according to a transcript.

A prosecutor objected to the delay, saying that “the speculative nature of what Mr. Pope hopes will be a pardon is not a sufficient reason to continue this trial.”

Judges have largely echoed that argument. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton refused to delay a Nov. 8 sentencing hearing for Anna Lichnowski, a Florida woman who believes she would be a good candidate for a pardon. Walton, who sentenced Lichnowski to 45 days in jail, wrote that the possibility of pardons is “irrelevant to the Court’s obligation to carry out the legal responsibilities of the Judicial Branch.”

By MEG KINNARD

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has endorsed a line of guitars, following up on the Bibles, sneakers, watches, photo books and cryptocurrency ventures launched during his third White House campaign.

Trump on Wednesday posted to Truth Social a photo of himself holding what he said was a “Limited Edition ‘45’ Guitar,” an electric model emblazoned with an American flag and eagle on the body, and Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan inlaid into the neck. Both acoustic and electric styles are available, for $1,250 and $1,500, respectively, as well as “Presidential” and “God Bless the USA” models and “Signature Edition” guitars, which — with a $10,000 price tag — also include Trump’s signature.

What’s not clear is the financial relationship between Trump and proceeds from the guitar sales.

Following his long tradition of melding his political and business interests, Trump has hawked a series of branded products since he launched his 2024 White House campaign, a slew of items that went up for sale in the wake of a $489 million civil fraud judgment against the former president.

Some of them, like the “Official Trump Watch Collection” — where one model costs $100,000 — were listed as affiliated with CIC Ventures LLC, a company that Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure.

Websites for items like the watches note that the products are subject to a “paid license agreement,” the same mechanism that allowed Trump, well before he entered politics, to profit for years from sales of everything from water to vodka and steaks.

As of Wednesday, GetTrumpGuitars.com included no such disclaimers, or even the name of the company selling the items. An FAQ page lists information about how many of each model are being made available — and notes that these models are “the ONLY guitars endorsed by President Donald J. Trump!” — but includes none of the disclaimers or licensing language on some of Trump’s other product sites.

The guitar website’s privacy policy does include a suburban Nashville address for a couple, neither of whom immediately returned a message seeking comment Wednesday. Photos on their social media pages showed that they attended Trump’s election-night party in Florida.

Messages left with 16 Creative — a branding agency listed at the bottom of the guitar website — and Trump’s transition team also were not immediately returned.

Leading up to his win in the general election, Trump this year has announced the sale of $100 silver coins bearing his face, urged his supporters to spend $59.99 for a “God Bless the USA Bible,” inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad, and hawked new Trump-branded sneakers at “Sneaker Con,” a gathering that bills itself as the “The Greatest Sneaker Show on Earth.”

He also has dabbled in NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, and last year reported earning between $100,000 and $1 million from a series of digital trading cards that portrayed him in cartoon-like images, including as an astronaut, a cowboy and a superhero.

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Holly, MI – Get ready to experience the holiday season like never before, as HollyDazzle returns to the Michigan Renaissance Festival grounds, bringing a winter wonderland filled with sparkling lights, festive cheer, and beloved traditions. Starting November 29th, this enchanting event promises fun for the whole family, with new attractions and memorable experiences that will make this season brighter than ever.

A local church is welcoming in those impacted by Tuesday's condo explosion in Orion Township, offering food, water, and a place to sleep.

Christ the Redeemer Church is located right across the street from the Keatington New Town Association condos, where the explosion happened.

Related Video: Massive condo explosion in Orion Township 2 critically hurt, 2 unaccounted for after explosion at condo complex in Orion Township

It's where we found 74-year-old Ross Flore. His home was damaged in the blast.

"My bedroom and my son's bedroom are on the other side so that's what took the direct brunt of the explosion," said Flore.

He said Tuesday's explosion at the condos is like nothing he's ever experienced before.

Related Video: Chopper video shows aftermath of explosion at Orion Township condo complex Chopper video shows aftermath of explosion at Orion Township condo complex

"A lot of devastation here," he said.

But what he was most worried about was his cat, Snickers.

"I didn't even think of grabbing my driver's license, my car keys, my medications, anything," he said.

Related Video: Ross Flore is reunited with his cat, Snickers Condo explosion victim reunited with cat

She was found by firefighters in a pile of rubble, unharmed, the morning after the explosion.

"I prayed for you," he told Snickers.

Both Ross and Snickers, are now left without a home.

The church across the street is providing a safe haven for them and anyone else in need.

"We're lucky to have people like that, that will open up their hearts and let people in," he said.

Father William Promesso said local restaurants have been donating food to the church to give to victims and fire crews.

"We're able to provide food, drink," said Father William.

Owner of Professor Soups, Todd Messer, provided lunch on Wednesday.

"We've been a part of this community for our whole lives, so it just hurts to hear people are hurting over here," said Messer.

The food, shelter, and comfort being offered by Christ the Redeemer Church means a lot to young couple Drake and Nina Falconer.

"We came home to our whole house in flames," said Drake Falconer.

But they tell me they're still looking for their cats, asking everyone in this area to keep an eye out for Ambrose and Fergus.

Related Video: Drake Falconer out searching for pets after Orion Township condo explosion Man impacted by Orion Township condo explosion searching for pets

"Those were our first pets as a couple. Those are family. It's not just pets," said Drake.

And while the search continues for all the lost pets, and fire crews pick up all the pieces left behind from the explosion as they continue with their investigation, Father William says this church will be right here, for anyone who needs it.

"Whether we're doing it for humanitarian reasons or for religious reasons, the end result is the same, we're able to take care of those who live nearby us," he said.

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