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Michigan woman to stand trial in crash that killed young brother and sister at birthday party

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Michigan woman to stand trial in crash that killed young brother and sister at birthday party

A Michigan woman has been ordered to stand trial in a crash that killed two siblings and injured several other people who were at a boat club to celebrate a child’s birthday.

Marshella Chidester, 66, was bound over Thursday to Monroe County Circuit Court on two counts of second-degree murder and other charges in the April 20 crash at the Swan Boat Club in Berlin Township, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Detroit.

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Authorities have said Chidester was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. A deputy testified Thursday during Chidester’s preliminary examination in Monroe County District Court that a blood test at a hospital after the crash revealed her blood alcohol content was 0.18. The legal limit in Michigan for operating a vehicle is 0.08.

This booking photo provided by the Monroe County, Mich., Sheriffs Office shows Marshella Chidester. The Michigan woman has been ordered to stand trial, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in a crash that killed two siblings and injured several other people who were at a boat club to celebrate a child’s birthday.  (Monroe County Sheriffs Office via AP)

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Deputies said Chidester told them she was headed to a birthday party at the boat club. She told one deputy that she had “passed out” while driving.

Surveillance video played Thursday showed a SUV barreling along an unpaved road leading to the boat club, then crashing into the building. After authorities arrived, police bodycam video showed the SUV stopped against a counter or wall as several injured people were being treated by first responders.

Monroe County sheriff’s deputy Steven Schmidt testified that the scene was chaotic. “There were injured people everywhere,” he said, adding that a small child who appeared not to be breathing was on the ground.

Killed were 8-year-old Alanah Phillips and her 4-year-old brother, Zayn Phillips. Their mother, Mariah Dodds, and another sibling were among the injured.

Dodds testified that the party was for the 3-year-old child of a friend.

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Defense attorney Bill Colovos argued against the second-degree murder charges, saying there was no testimony that Chidester operated her vehicle with intent to cause the deaths.

He said during Chidester’s arraignment in April that she only had a glass of wine and a bowl of chili four hours before the crash, and that she has suffered since November with “epileptic-type seizures in her legs.”

Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey argued at Chidester’s arraignment that she has had substance abuse issues that were corroborated by her friends and family. Yorkey also said there was no indication that Chidester suffered a seizure before the crash.

Home surveillance video recorded just prior to the crash and played in court Thursday showed Chidester holding a railing and going step-by-step from her porch, then walking slowly to her SUV, which was parked next to a garage. As she backed out from the driveway, the SUV sped in reverse around the opposite side of the garage and slammed into a neighbor’s parked vehicle. The SUV then accelerated forward, past the garage, driveway and down the road.

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Detective Sgt. Jeff Hooper testified that Chidester’s home is about 500 feet from the boat club near Lake Erie.

Chidester’s circuit court arraignment is scheduled for July 12.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit getting pro women’s hockey team? What we know about the rumors

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Detroit getting pro women’s hockey team? What we know about the rumors


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Is a professional women’s hockey team coming to Detroit?

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The answer is not fully clear yet, but the buzz for Hockeytown to get a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team very soon is real.

Denise Ilitch, who’s family owns the Detroit Red Wings, the Tigers and Little Caesars Arena (her brother Christopher Ilitch runs the day-to-day operations), predicted the PWHL was coming to Detroit earlier this year.

“I believe we’ll be getting a team in Detroit soon, which really excites me,” Ilitch said on her “Denise Ilitch Show” podcast on March 31.

Ilitch also serves on the Board of Regents at the University of Michigan and has been a strong advocate for a U-M women’s hockey team in recent years.

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Media reports from the New York Times and The Hockey News also indicate that Detroit may be next in line for an expansion team, after the league added two teams last month in Seattle and Vancouver. The league is looking to 2-4 teams by 2026-27.

The PWHL has made tour stops to Detroit four times in the last three years and some of the best women’s hockey players in the nation are from Michigan, including Megan Keller, who was the hero for Team USA women’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

During the 2023-24 season, 13,736 hockey fans set an attendance record at the time for a professional women’s hockey game in the United States.

The PWHL, which celebrated its first season in 2023-24, has gained extra interest since the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

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If Detroit got a PWHL team, some fans hope that could push the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to eventually add Division I women’s hockey programs.

The league’s last appearance in Detroit on March 28, 2026, featured a 3-1 Montreal Victoire win over the New York Sirens in front of 15,938 fans at Little Caesars Arena.

The Free Press reached out to officials with the city of Detroit, but they did not immediately provide comment.

Free Press reporter Helene St. James contributed reporting.

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Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee fatal shooting early Saturday, 18-year-old killed

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Milwaukee fatal shooting early Saturday, 18-year-old killed


Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)

One person was killed in a shooting in Milwaukee early Saturday morning, May 2.

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According to the Milwaukee Police Department, just after 1 a.m., an 18-year-old was shot in the area of 62nd and Arthur (near the border between Milwaukee and West Allis).

The shooting victim died from their injuries.

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MPD tips

What you can do:

Milwaukee police are looking for those responsible.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or use the P3 Tips app.

The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information.

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Minneapolis, MN

4 injured in shooting at south Minneapolis park, officials say

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4 injured in shooting at south Minneapolis park, officials say



Police in Minneapolis are investigating after city officials said four people were injured in a shooting at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park on Friday night.

According to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, officers responded to a report from an individual of a suspicious person around 8:38 p.m. The caller said there was a large gathering of young adults in the parking lot of the park, which is located at 4055 Nicollet Ave.

According to city officials, multiple gunshots were fired before the officers arrived at the park. 

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A 19-year-old woman was taken to the hospital by ambulance with serious injuries, city officials said. Three other people, whose ages have yet to be disclosed, self-transported to the hospital with gunshot-related injuries

Police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, investigate a shooting at Martin Luther King Jr. Park on May 1, 2026.

WCCO


No suspects in the shooting have been arrested, officials said. 

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Park police are working with the Minneapolis Police Department to investigate the incident.

This is a developing story.



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