Detroit, MI
Kamala Harris in Michigan • Detroit River rescue • Samantha Woll's murder still unsolved a year later
Kamala Harris visiting Michigan with Liz Cheney
Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Michigan on Monday for a moderated conversation with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are also scheduled, too.
MONDAY NEWS HIT – Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Michigan on Monday for a moderated conversation with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) about her plans for the United States if elected president.
Details about the visit have not been publicly revealed, but the event is planned for Metro Detroit.
The pair will also stop in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as part of the conversation tour focused on key battleground states.
Monday’s stop will be the fourth time Harris has been in Michigan in a week.
Last Monday, the vice president and Democratic presidential nominee did an interview with The Breakfast Club host Charlamagne tha God and a watch party for the interview. She then returned to Michigan on Friday to speak in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Waterford.
Harris stayed in the state until Saturday, where she hosted a rally in Detroit.
Detroit River water rescue
A man was pulled from the Detroit River early Monday after fishermen heard him yelling and called for help.
The call about the man in the water came in around 3 a.m. Detroit firefighters, the Coast Guard, and Border Patrol all responded to help rescue the man.
It is not clear why the man was in the water or how he got there.
Dangers of the river, especially at night, include the temperature, currents, and ships that have difficulty seeing if someone is in the water when it is dark.
“It’s chilly on the riverbank, and I’m going to say the water is pretty cold,” said Samuel Vazquez, a chief with the Detroit Fire Department.
Samantha Woll’s murder still unsolved a year later
A year after Samantha Woll was found stabbed to death outside her Detroit home, the crime is still unsolved.
Woll’s body was discovered outside her Joliet Place condo on Oct. 21, 2023. A suspect, Michael Jackson-Bolanos, was arrested and tried, but a jury found him not guilty earlier this year.
Prosecutors used a drop of blood on Jackson-Bolanos’ jacket, as well as location data to show that he was near the murder scene and accuse him of the stabbing. Jackson-Bolanos admitted that he touched Woll’s body, but only after she was already dead. He testified that he saw her body while breaking into vehicles in the area. According to his testimony, he didn’t call 911 because he did not want to get in trouble since he had a criminal record and was committing a crime.
The prosecutors noted that Jackson-Bolanos repeatedly lied to investigators. A jury found him guilty of lying to police, and he is currently in prison for that. However, jurors did not have enough evidence to convict him of the murder.
Woll’s ex-boyfriend, Jeff Herbstman, was also questioned after calling 911 and saying he killed his girlfriend. However, he was released, and investigators determined his confession was the result of his mental health and medication he was taking.
Woll’s family continues to believe Jackson-Bolanos was the killer, and they fear they will never get justice.
“We feel justice should be served. My sister’s murderer got away with it. That is unbelievable in a country like this,” Woll’s sister Monica said.
Near-record temperatures today
Today’s temperatures will be close to record setting.
The record high for Oct. 21 is 81, which was set in 2007.
With highs forecasted to be about 79 today, we far exceed the seasonal value of 60 and could potentially tie or break the record if temperatures go just a bit higher than expected.
In addition to the warmth, it will be sunny.
Today will be the warmest day of the week. That warmth sticks around for a few days before a cold front pushes temps down later this week.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
As noted above, it’s going to be a warm and sunny day.
Warmest Day
Temperatures could soar near 80 degrees today. Much cooler by the end of the week. Meteorologist Lori Pinson has your forecast
What else we’re watching
- Michigan gas price averages are down one cent from a week ago, according to data from AAA.
- Jake Bates kicked a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left and the Detroit Lions beat Minnesota 31-29 on Sunday, handing the Vikings their first loss in a back-and-forth game befitting of the NFL’s strongest division.
- A 57-year-old runner collapsed and died during the Detroit Free Press Marathon on Sunday.
- A mother and her adult son are both dead after an apparent murder-suicide Sunday in Warren, police said.
- Bobcat United is encouraging people to continue to support Bobcat Bonnie’s after staff at the now-shuttered Ypsilanti location and the business reached an agreement Friday. Workers will receive severance pay.
Hurricane Oscar makes second landfall in Cuba on Sunday
Hurricane Oscar maintained Category 1 strength as the small hurricane made a second landfall in Cuba Sunday evening after rapidly intensifying over the weekend and making its first landfall in the Bahamas earlier in the day.
Oscar rapidly intensified from a tropical storm into an 85-mph hurricane on Saturday, causing islands in its potential path to issue watches and warnings ahead of the system’s arrival.
Hurricane Oscar already made one landfall early Sunday morning on Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph just before 5 a.m. ET.
Perhaps some good news is that Oscar is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it moves across eastern Cuba Sunday night and Monday, but it’s still expected to produce strong winds and torrential rain in the region before moving back across the central Bahamas on Tuesday.
Detroit, MI
Our picks for state\nSenate from Wayne Co. | Endorsements
Every seat in the Michigan Senate is up for election this year, and eight of those districts are in Wayne County.
In the 4th, 5th and 8th Districts, only one Republican and one Democrat filed for election, meaning those candidates will automatically be nominated and move on to the November ballot. Here are The Detroit News endorsements in the five contested Senate primaries in Wayne County:
1st District (Southwest Detroit and parts of Downriver, including Taylor, Melvindale and Lincoln Park): Two Detroit Democrats are competing for this seat: Abraham Aiyash and Justin Onwenu.
Aiyash is a former state representative who is hoping to return to the Legislature after a two-year absence. He is a progressive whose policy positions align with Democratic socialists.
Onwenu is an attorney who served the Mike Duggan administration as Detroit’s first Director of Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunity, helping small businesses get a start in the city. Before attending Columbia Law School, where he was president of the student body from 2023 to 2024, Onwenu worked to combat air and water pollution in Detroit, Ecorse and River Rouge.
In the Senate, he promises to be a supporter of legislation to strengthen neighborhoods by lowering property taxes and investing in infrastructure.
He also supports stronger transparency and ethics rules for lawmakers. Justin Onwenu gets our endorsement in the 1st District Democratic primary.
Patrick O’Connell of Ecorse is unopposed in the Republican primary.
2nd District (Northwest Detroit, Dearborn Heights and part of Dearborn): The district is currently represented by Sylvia Santana, who made an unsuccessful bid to be nominated for the Michigan State University board.
The Democratic primary features two Dearborn residents who are hoping to replace Santana: Erin Byrnes and Abbas Alawieh.
Alawieh describes himself as a political strategist, community organizer and pro-peace advocate. He is supported by the Michigan Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus and aligns with many of its anti-growth positions.
Byrnes is currently a state representative in her second term. Like her opponent, she is well to the left of center on the political spectrum. In the Legislature, she has pushed for utility rate controls.
The two Democrats are similarly positioned. Our choice in the 2nd District is Erin Byrnes, based on her legislative experience.
Harry Sawicki of Dearborn Heights is unopposed in the Republican primary.
3rd District (Detroit, Warren and Madison Heights): The contest to replace incumbent Stephanie Chang has drawn a long list of candidates. The 3rd District starts near Downtown Detroit and stretches north through the center of the city into southern Oakland and Macomb counties.
Eleven Democrats, all from Detroit, are competing in the primary. They are: Mohammad Alam, a Bangladeshi immigrant and Army veteran; LeJuan Council, a property manager and small business owner; John Conyers III, son of the late congressman; LaTanya Garrett, a former state representative; Korey Hall, a former director of community affairs in the Whitmer administration; Adam Hollier, a former state senator; Gary Hunter, a former candidate for Detroit City Council; Kimberly Hill-Knott, former head of the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative; Toinu Reeves, an economist, Abraham Shaw, who owns an auto repair shop, and Eboni Taylor, a community advocate.
There are several interesting and impressive candidates in this race, including Conyers, who just wrote about his father. Garrett has legislative experience, as does Hollier, whom we’ve endorsed in his previous runs for public office.
But we are most impressed with Reeves, a newcomer to politics who brings top-notch credentials to the race. Reeves grew up on Detroit’s east side and is an economist who attended Wayne State University and Dartmouth College.
He serves as chair of the Economic Development Workgroup for Detroit’s District 4 Community Advisory Committee and on the Jefferson-Chalmers Community District Council. He is a former school teacher and autoworker.
Toinu Reeves offers fresh ideas and much-needed skills, and gets our endorsement in the 3rd District Democratic Primary.
Mark Ashley Price is unopposed in the Republican primary.
6th District (Redford Township, Farmington and Farmington Hills): Incumbent Mary Cavanaugh is defending her seat from a challenge from fellow Democrat Stephen Jensen, who shows no signs of a campaign. Both are from Redford.
Mary Cavanaugh, granddaughter of the late Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh, has served her district well and should be renominated for a second term.
Joi Pokerwinski of Redford Township is unopposed in the Republican Party.
12th District (Parts of Wayne, Macomb and St. Clair counties, including Algonac, the Grosse Pointes, St. Clair Shores, Harper Woods, Mount Clemens and New Baltimore): Incumbent Sen. Kevin Hertel of St. Clair Shores is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Five Republicans are competing in their primary to face him in November.
They are: Joseph Backus of St. Clair Shores, a prolific community volunteer who has run unsuccessfully for other offices; Patrick Biange of St. Clair Shores; John Goldwater of New Baltimore, an oil and gas entrepreneur; Eileen Tesch, the former mayor of Algonac who faced recall efforts, and Shelley Wright, a former general contractor and owner of a process serving company who says Donald Trump inspired her to politics.
John Goldwater has experience growing a business and creating jobs. He would also prioritize improving skilled trades training. The father of six is a conservative who describes himself as pro-life and a defender of the Second Amendment.
Our endorsement in the 12th District Republican primary goes to John Goldwater.
Detroit, MI
Teen on moped hit by car after cruising through stop sign in Detroit
Photos by FOX 2 Photog Scott Federspiel
DETROIT (FOX 2) – A 16-year-old moped driver was hospitalized after a crash on Detroit’s west side on Wednesday night.
The backstory:
Detroit police say the teen disregarded a stop sign while going east on Vassar when he collided with a vehicle turning south on Outer Drive at about 9:30 p.m.
Photos by FOX 2 Photog Scott Federspiel
The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where he is listed in critical condition. The driver of the car, a woman in her 30s, was not injured.
The Source: Information for this report is from Detroit police.
Watch FOX 2 Detroit Live:
Detroit, MI
Chickens, geese found at vacant home after nonprofit reports them stolen
Chickens and geese that went missing from a local nonprofit’s Detroit site were found in the backyard of a nearby home, the director of operations said Wednesday.
The Full Circle Foundation, a Grosse Point Park-based nonprofit, said more than a dozen chickens and geese were believed stolen from a chicken coop on Detroit’s east side that also features the Full Circle Edible Garden.
The nonprofit provides training and job opportunities for young people with special needs.
Neighbors who learned from news reports about the missing flock found the “chickens were being held in the backyard of a vacant home not far from the Full Circle Edible Garden,” said Stephanie DiVirgil, director of operations. She said Ribbon Farm 4-H owns the flock.
“The homeowner was contacted, and she reached out to Full Circle to confirm,” said DiVirgil. “We were able to retrieve all of the chickens and geese that were found on the property, 19 in total.”
The foundation and Ribbon Farms 4-H are working to secure the site, including cameras, fencing and lights.
“We will likely start a fundraising campaign to have these items installed,” DiVirgil said. “We’ve gotten amazing support from the community, including offers to help pay for these additional security measures.”
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