WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is reopening in West Bloomfield, after facing some zoning issues.

The West Bloomfield Zoning Board of Appeals heard the beloved arcade’s case Tuesday night and unanimously voted to grant the business a zoning variance to allow it to open in the Orchard Mall.

“I’m just overwhelmed. I’m so excited, I’m so happy. This is going to be marvelous, and just to hear the outpouring of support from the people who came and from the whole board, it was just unreal,” said Jeremy Yagoda, the owner and son of Marvin, who opened the business in the 80s. 

“That’s why I keep doing it because I know how much people love what my father started.”

The arcade was forced out of its space in Farmington Hills last year, and planned to relocate to the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, but faced two zoning issues.

One concern was their proximity to residential lot lines and their lack of a shared entrance with the rest of the mall. However, the public overwhelmingly supported allowing Marvin’s to open there anyway.

“The township has received over 200 letters of support,” said board chair David Barash.

“It’s got my heart, and it will win the hearts of everybody in West Bloomfield. So I hope you grant this variance,” said resident Miriam Leary.

“And it’s so fun, as a mom who’s older, to be able to show these kids a little bit of my world,” said Township Karen Amick.

Yagoda said the community can expect a bigger and better Marvin’s.

“It’s going to be almost three times as big. We’re going to be adding new games as well. I’ve got this new photobooth that I’m ordering. It’s awesome, you can fit like six adults all in there. And it has programmable backgrounds in it, so one of them is going to be able to take a picture with my father in there.”

Yagoda said they aim to open in early summer and plan to keep the community informed through social media. 

THIENSVILLE, Wis. – A now-former teacher at a Thiensville private school has been charged with child sex crimes.

What we know:

The accused is 36-year-old Daniel Rick of Jackson. He is a former teacher and athletic director at Christ Alone Lutheran School.

He faces the following charges:

• Child enticement-expose genitals/pubic area/intimate parts
• Exposing genitals/pubic area/intimate parts to a child

Case details

A criminal complaint accuses Rick of picking “favorite” boy students each year and having some of them sit on his lap, where he would touch their stomachs or rub their backs and kiss them.

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One student told Thiensville police he later told the student he had to stop because he “could lose his job or go to jail.”

The complaint adds that when parents met with Rick to discuss his behavior in January 2024, Rick “quickly broke into tears” then tried justifying his actions with a comparison to Jesus, saying, “Let the little children come to me.”

Last month, detectives learned of even worse accusations, dating back to January 2024.

A student told police Rick asked him to come to his classroom after school.

According to prosecutors, Rick compared the boy’s athletic abilities to older students, then pulled the boy’s pants down to “see his pubic hair.”

Rick’s accused of later kissing the boy on the cheek and instructing him not to tell anyone because he “didn’t want to get in trouble.”

The complaint states Rick admitted “what he did was wrong” in an interview last Friday with investigators.

In court

What’s next:

Rick made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Jan. 21. His bond has been set at $100,000.

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Rick has also been ordered to have no contact with Christ Alone Lutheran School or Christ Alone Lutheran Church, or anyone under 18 years old, and to also not use the internet.

He is due back in court in February.

School’s response

What they’re saying:

Christ Alone Lutheran School provided the following:

“Dear Christ Alone Ev. Lutheran School Families, 

Student safety is a top priority for us at Christ Alone Lutheran School. In working with law enforcement, we have been informed and want to inform you that Mr. Rick has been charged with criminal conduct. We understand this information raises concerns. Since criminal charges are now pending, no additional information can be released at this time. 

If you have any information relevant to this investigation or have concerns for your child, please contact the law enforcement officer listed below. Law enforcement advises that you please do not ask your children any specific questions regarding the above information. Law enforcement can help with how to approach the topic with your child, prepare you for reacting appropriately to their responses, and explain the process if necessary.

Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Karsen Frame 
(262) 284-8462 
kframe@ozaukeecounty.gov 

We ask for your prayers on behalf of everyone who is hurting because of this turn of events. We commend everything into the hands of Him who assured us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (Jn 14:27)”

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The dysfunctional Minnesota House of Representatives seems unlikely to function as normal until at least Thursday, and possibly for weeks afterward.

On Capitol Hill

The backstory:

House Republicans filed written arguments with the state Supreme Court Tuesday, arguing the court should stay out of the fight over what constitutes a quorum – the number of representatives needed to do any business.

They say it’s 67, so they’ve gone about business as usual with 67 Republicans.

Democrats say it’s 68, but they’re trying to negotiate a power-sharing agreement before going to court.

“Both of us have huge downsides, and those are uncertainties that you can control through a settlement agreement,” said Rep. Melissa Hortman, (DFL-Brooklyn Park), who’s leading DFLers in their boycott to deny quorum.

The state’s highest court will hear arguments Thursday.

An election to fill the empty House seat is still more than a month away, but Democrats expect to win that seat and have a 67-67 tie in the House.

Republicans have a one-member advantage until then.

Senate efficiency advantage

Dig deeper:

Republicans haven’t used that advantage to do a lot yet, while the Minnesota Senate has been a model of efficiency.

Senators are sharing power across parties, and they’ve already authored more than 400 bills.

House Republicans have only produced 10 bills to date, and they say those are their priorities.

Three are related to fraud prevention, but most of them are very partisan bills with little chance of passing a mixed legislature.

Half-empty rooms are hearing the 2025 priorities for House Republicans, with fraud prevention getting first billing.

Finding fraud

Why you should care:

Rep. Jim Nash, (R-Waconia) wants all legislators to get a five-year scorecard on audits at state agencies.

“These have value,” Rep. Nash said. “We should be looking at them for a longer period of time. We should take advantage of them as we process a request for funding.”

Meanwhile, bipartisan Senate bills would add extra time in prison for people who lead police on chases, or who attack youth sports referees.

And GOP bills are already getting attention in committees.

“We did lay this bill over last year, and it seems to be gaining some momentum,” said Sen. Steve Drazkowski, (R-Mazeppa), as he moved a tax bill through committee.

Senators are also working on their own fraud prevention bills, but their approach is different.

Senate Democrats are trying to follow an outline from Gov. Walz.

Where the GOP would create an entire Office of the Inspector General, the governor proposed a Fraud and Financial Crimes unit at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

He also suggested a pilot program using artificial intelligence to detect fraud.

It’s not in any bill yet, but House Republicans say they’re on board.

“It is a tool that can be used to look for irregularities,” said Rep. Nash. “And I think that it would have found some of those things that would have been popping up with Feeding our Future.”

We’re still a long way from seeing any bills passed at the Capitol and when they do, it’ll require bipartisanship.

Neither party can pass a bill without at least one vote from the other side.