Michigan

Michigan man charged with manslaughter in deadly building explosion

Published

2 years ago

April 26, 2024

Michigan man charged with manslaughter in deadly building explosion

DETROIT — A Michigan man who owns and operates a Clinton Township building that exploded in March, killing a teenager and injuring a firefighter, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Noor Noel Kestou, 31, was arraigned on the 15-year felony charge in connection with the explosions on March 4 at Goo Smoke Shop/Select Distributors, where the incident rocked residents for miles in the county. Thousands of cans of nitrous oxide and butane were inside the building, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Canisters propelled into the air and rained down throughout the area, with various types of debris found more than a mile away.

Turner Salter, 19, of Clinton Township, a bystander, died after he was hit in the head with a projectile about a quarter mile from the business. According to prosecutors, the teen was struck by a nitrous oxide canister. Township firefighter Matt Myers was also injured when debris came through the windshield of a vehicle and glass clipped the side of his face, officials previously said.

Kestou was ordered held in the county jail on a $500,000 bond during an arraignment in Clinton Township. A not-guilty plea was entered, according to district court records.

If Kestou posts bond, he must wear a GPS tether, surrender his passport, not leave the state, and have no weapons, according to the prosecutor’s office release. A probable cause conference was set for May 7.

Kestou’s attorney, James Thomas, said they are not commenting on the particulars of the case. He expected Kestou to make bond Thursday, and said they are going to continue to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the site.

“It’s a terrible tragedy, and we’re going to let it work its way through the courts,” Thomas said.

Butane, nitrous oxide, lighter fluid and vape pens exploded during blaze

Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in his release: “Our hearts ache for the family and loved ones of the young man whose life was tragically cut short by this devastating explosion. We are steadfast in our commitment to pursuing justice and holding the individual accountable for their actions.”

Lucido, Township Supervisor Bob Cannon and Township Police Chief Dina Caringi plan to give an update on the explosions and fire during a news conference Friday at the township’s police headquarters. A township news release Thursday stated the explosions and fire were caused by improperly store canisters of butane and nitrous oxide and the update will focus on the results of the ongoing police investigation.

Township officials previously said the site, a former Save-A-Lot retail and warehouse store, wasn’t supposed to have butane and nitrous oxide tanks inside. They said butane and nitrous oxide, lighter fluid, vape pens and canisters measuring 12 to 18 inches and weighing 10 to 15 pounds exploded during the blaze.

Canisters as well as knives and blades that were inside the building were tossed into the air, raining down on police and fire crews as well as other properties. Cannon previously said the knives were legal, the canisters were not.

See photos of the blaze Fiery explosion leaves one dead and others injured in Michigan

‘That’s where the problem came’

Cannon said two commercial businesses were authorized to be in the building. Township property records listed three owners of parcels at the address. Township officials inspected the property in 2022, “then they brought things in the back door that we didn’t know about and that’s where the problem came,” Cannon said previously.

According to its website, Select Distributors is a wholesale supplier of novelty items, phone accessories and other merchandise to discount stores and other types of retailers and wholesalers.

Paul Brouwer, the township’s emergency management coordinator, previously said the debris field from the blaze and explosions was 1 mile across and dozens of canisters were found embedded in yards. Scott Kleinfeld, the township’s assistant superintendent of public works, previously said crews gathered debris from a 2-mile radius.

Township officials previously said the owner and employees had been cooperative in the investigation.

In mid-March, a spokesperson for Select Distributors emailed a statement: “Select Distributors is deeply saddened and expresses its sincerest condolences to the victim’s family. It is actively cooperating with investigators as they work to determine the cause of the accident. Select Distributors has been a proud employer and member of this community for over a decade and is focused on ensuring safety and support of its team members and community.”

Contact Christina Hall at chall@freepress.com or follow her on X @challreporter.

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Michigan

Our View: Michigan must stop exporting its mental health crisis

Published

12 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Press Room

Our View: Michigan must stop exporting its mental health crisis

Michigan is sending some of its most vulnerable children hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles away for mental health treatment because it has failed to build the capacity to care for them at home.

Michigan once had roughly 1,200 residential treatment beds for children. Today, there are fewer than 400.

That’s because facilities have closed, staff have left and costs have risen.

The falling apart of the system is impactful, especially given the increased amount of attention on this issue for nearly half a decade — since COVID wreaked havoc on youth and adult mental health in this state on top of what was already a social-media-induced mental health crisis among adolescents.

A growing number of children in severe mental health crisis or with complex psychological disorders are being placed in out-of-state facilities because there is nowhere for them to go in the state.

As of 2025, at least 152 Michigan youth were living in out-of-state placements — more than double the 74 in 2023, and up from 122 in 2024, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

Children suffering from severe mental health challenges typically need the support of family and friends. They don’t often require isolation from their natural support structures. Parents should be able to access and help their children who are suffering. That’s harder to do when the child is housed in another state.

The related costs for the arrangement was $13 million last year shared across state and federal funding streams.

Michigan must reinvest in its mental health system, especially for children and adolescents who were particularly affected by pandemic lockdowns and other policies.

By the time many of these kids enter the system, they are already in crisis. They are demonstrating concerning behavior, interacting with police, cycling through emergency rooms or entering the juvenile justice system. That is the most expensive, least effective point to intervene.

Rather than operating at the back end of the problem, Michigan must invest aggressively on the front end by expanding in-state residential capacity and strengthening and integrating community mental health services, so fewer children ever reach the point of needing institutional care.

Bipartisan lawmakers have pushed hundreds of millions of dollars into school safety and mental health funding. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has overseen an increase in funding mental health services and some important reforms, like the crisis hotline and a measure that allows mental health care to be covered as critically as physical health care.

But more is needed. Michigan must aggressively increase capacity and create incentives to attract and retain staff.

Instead, MDHHS is pushing a proposal that critics say would shift some patients with significant needs into categories typically handled by private insurance, blurring the lines of responsibility between Medicaid and community health programs and complicating the exhaustive bureaucracy for patients and providers.

“Hospitals and providers across the state have already warned that the framework’s training, billing and operational requirements could slow access to treatment,” the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan warned in a recent op-ed. “The impact would be a new strain on an already overextended behavioral health workforce.”

Fixing Michigan’s comprehensive mental health strategy is an urgent need that will require funding and a coordinated strategy that aligns state dollars, insurance coverage and community-based services so that care is continuous and effective.

The goal should be to build a system that assures Michigan children are treated in Michigan.

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Michigan

Michigan Football Makes Top 7 For Elite Safety From California

Published

1 day ago

April 11, 2026

Press Room

Michigan Football Makes Top 7 For Elite Safety From California

Four-star safety from Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.) Pole Moala has named his top seven schools, with the Michigan Wolverines making the cut.

Moala, according to a report from Ethan McDowell of On3’s The Wolverine, visited campus earlier in the week for a few days with his family.

The California prospect is arguably the program’s top target at safety for the class of 2027 as the Wolverines reportedly sit in a strong position ahead of his June 19 official visit.

“It was great!!” Moala said to The Wolverine about the visit to Michigan. “Couldn’t be more grateful for the entire Michigan staff for the hospitality! I can definitely see myself coming back.”

Moala also told The Wolverine that Michigan is a top two school for him as he also visited Ole Miss later in the week.

Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham waves at the crowd as he is being introduced on the floor during the first half between Michigan and USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He is the No. 167 overall prospect, the No. 18 safety and the No. 12 player in the state of California in the class of 2027, according to Rivals.

Moala’s scouting report

Director of Scouting at 247 Sports, Andrew Ivins, views Moala as a potential multi-year Power Four starter with NFL upside.

Ivins full evaluation of Moala on his 247 profile reads:

-Versatile defensive back with the ideal blend of athleticism and physicality.

-Moved from the class of 2028 to the class of 2027 where he’s age appropriate after a stellar 2025 campaign.-Projects best as a free safety that can clean up mistakes, but has the hip fluidity and cover talent to potentially hang at cornerback.

-Strikes in the alley and runs his feet through contact.

-Active eyes frequently has him beating the football to the catch point.

-Commits to angles, but can get caught over-pursing.

-Likely to eventually carry 200 pounds on a frame that’s believed to be hovering right around 5-foot-11.5, 185 pounds.

-Should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter in a Power Four secondary with NFL upside given the ball production and competitive temperament.

The Wolverines have clearly made the safety position a priority during this recruiting cycle, with Darell Mattison and Maxwell Miles already committing under the watch of head coach Kyle Whittingham.

If Michigan can seal the deal with Moala, that would be another step in the right direction in helping bolster the secondary in Whittingham’s first full class as head coach of the Wolverines.

Michigan currently has five players committed in its class of 2027 up to this point.

Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines helmets sit on the field before a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

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Zoning limits bills prompt cities and towns to fight Michigan lawmakers

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

Zoning limits bills prompt cities and towns to fight Michigan lawmakers

Mayors and township supervisors across Metro Detroit are alarmed about state housing legislation that they said could result in much denser development that would tax local infrastructure, though advocates argued it would reduce the cost of housing.

The legislation, introduced in February, has pitted local officials against some state lawmakers who contend that Michigan needs to address local regulations that restrict the building of more affordable housing. The bills, now in a Michigan House committee, would allow for smaller lot sizes and smaller setbacks, paving the way for more affordable homes, said State Rep. Kristian Grant.

“What we know is that over the last 20 to 30 years, zoning regulations that may have been well-intended when they started have gone further and further and have really become a redlining tool to keep people out of communities,” said Grant, a Grand Rapids Democrat who is championing the bills.

But local government officials said the bills take a one-size-fits-all approach to zoning across the state and that local infrastructure, including sewer and water systems, can’t support potential increases in housing density. They countered that the bills do not ensure that the new housing will be sold or rented at affordable prices.

Multiple communities, including Bloomfield Township, Clinton Township, Romulus and Sterling Heights, have passed formal resolutions opposing the legislation. Dozens of officials from across Metro Detroit gathered at a February press conference, organized by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, to blast the legislation.

“There’s never been an issue in Lansing in the time that I’ve been working on legislative advocacy that has galvanized our membership and local leaders statewide in favor or against something so much ― in this case, against a bill package,” said Kevin Vettraino, SEMCOG’s director of planning.

The Michigan Municipal League, SEMCOG and the Michigan Townships Association have organized a letter of opposition that more than 2,000 officials across the state and over 100 residents have signed. The issue is about local control, they said.

“We are strongly of the opinion that we are closest to residents and that we should have a say,” Bloomfield Township Treasurer Michael Schostak said. “We have the ultimate say on our issues that impact the local community.”

But Grant argued that zoning is one of the issues that increases the cost of housing. Americans live differently than they did several generations ago, as more families have single parents and some married people don’t have kids, she said, necessitating more housing units.

Grant said her legislative package is not focused on “getting rid of zoning in any kind of way.”

“It focuses really closely on five zoning laws that are very directly correlated to housing,” she said. “It also does not remove local input.”

Not all local officials in Metro Detroit oppose the legislation. Ann Arbor officials support the proposals as addressing the unaffordability of housing by increasing the supply and thus lowering the price.

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor said the legislation doesn’t eliminate local planning, but rather “ensures that there are minimum levels of housing opportunity everywhere.”

“This package provides a floor,” Taylor said. “It doesn’t provide a ceiling.”

Home builders explain why zoning rules are costly

Zoning rules often make it prohibitive for developers to build smaller starter homes, said Dawn Crandall, executive vice president for government relations at the Home Builders Association of Michigan.

“If they have, say, one-acre minimum lot sizes, … that increases the cost of a home just in the land,” she said.

Crandall said the costs of land and building materials, as well as lending issues, have made home development more expensive. Zoning law changes are “one piece of the puzzle” to increase the state’s housing stock, she said.

“This is just one way that we can look at maybe putting some guardrails and some stability across the state for builders who sometimes build in numerous communities,” Crandall said.

But SEMCOG’s Vettraino said the bills don’t ensure that newly constructed units are affordable. He pointed to a development under construction in Harper Woods that is targeting families earning 60-120% of the area median income. He said that this ensures that the units are “affordable currently and into the future.”

“There is no confidence that the end result of that bill package results in affordable housing, because it gives all the decision-making to the developers,” said Amy O’Leary, SEMCOG’s executive director.

Grant countered by noting that the current low supply of new housing is driving up costs. and. She pointed to Austin, Texas, where a Pew Charitable Trusts article said policy reforms starting in 2015 “aimed at encouraging the development of new housing, especially rentals,” resulted in rents decreasing as more homes were built.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said he hasn’t been able to pinpoint how the package helps reduce the cost of home construction.

The city is already conducting quick reviews of site plans — Dearborn’s site plan guide says reviews take about 20 days — and working on pre-approved housing designs for single-family homes and duplexes, he said. The moves are intended to speed up construction by vetting certain home designs in advance to ensure they comply with local zoning and building codes.

“We are doing all the right things, but the cost of construction is just high,” Hammoud said.

Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight said he’d rather see lawmakers give developers an incentive to build higher-density housing by subsidizing infrastructure costs, such as utilities and roads, that have to be paid before home construction can start. That can cost $100,000 per house, he said.

If legislators can find a way to provide that kind of incentive, McCraight said, “Now you’re talking.”

What the zoning bills say

House Bills 5529 and 5530, which are sponsored by Grant and state Rep. Jennifer Wortz, R-Quincy, respectively, would prohibit communities from establishing a minimum parcel size of more than 1,500 square feet for detached single-family residences served by public water and sewer, according to a SEMCOG summary of the bills.

Grant said land is expensive.

“If we require people to buy large amounts of it for one single-family home, not only does that take away from someone else who could have built on that land, but it prices people out,” she said.

House Bill 5583, sponsored by state Rep. Matt Longjohn, D-Portage, would ensure that the zoning in communities in or adjacent to a Metropolitan Statistical Area, such as Metro Detroit, doesn’t require setbacks larger than 15 feet at the front of a building or five feet at the side or rear. A setback is the space between where a property line starts and where a housing unit is built.

The setback changes would allow more land to be used for housing, Grant said.

Grant’s House Bill 5582 would restrict zoning ordinances from requiring more than one parking space per dwelling unit in a multifamily development. And House Bill 5584, sponsored by Rep. Joey Andrews, D-St. Joseph, would make duplexes “a permitted use” in any zoning district that allows single-family residences.

Developers would be able to submit a proposal for a duplex, but local governments could still set requirements for duplexes, including regarding the design of the building or its parking, Grant said.

“What the bill is essentially saying is that you cannot, off the bat, just make duplexes illegal to build in your community,” she said.

How the proposed legislation would increase housing density

SEMCOG’s Vettraino said the bills don’t specify how the setback sizes and minimum parcel sizes were determined. The legislation would allow 1,500-square-foot lots with homes that are 500 square feet in size and “minimal setbacks,” he said.

“What does this really look like?” Vettraino said. “When you do the math for a single acre, this would result in as many as 29 single-family units on a single acre.”

The legislation doesn’t talk about setting aside land for green space, utilities or infrastructure, but if 30% of the land were reserved for those elements, there would be 20 single-family units per acre, he said.

“This still is far more dense than anything that we currently have in the region,” Vettraino said, adding that Hamtramck is the densest city in Michigan at 18 housing units per acre, followed by Detroit at 12, Ypsilanti at nine and Center Line at eight.

The smallest lot sizes in Sterling Heights are 7,200 square feet, which are typically 60 feet by 120 feet, said City Planner Jake Parcell, which equates to just under six homes per acre.

Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool said a few thousand housing units need to be built in the city in the coming years.

“Now, is it smarter to do it in the way we’ve been doing it, or is it better to have legislation that just mandates density anywhere in the community residential areas?” Vanderpool said.

The city manager pointed to the Lakeside City Center project, which will include “a couple thousand” housing units. The project will turn the Lakeside Mall property on M-59 into a mixed-use center, with restaurants, hotels, housing, park space and more.

Officials debate setback concerns

In Oakland County, which is home to hundreds of lakes, officials worried that reduced setbacks — meaning the space between where a property line starts and where a housing unit is built — could put developments too close to wetlands.

Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said his community has had “major flooding” in recent years — something he said the proposed bills don’t take into consideration.

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution opposing the bills out of committee in March. Gwen Markham, a Democratic county commissioner from Novi, said the setback for wetlands in the county is currently 50 feet. One legislative proposal would allow up to a 25-foot setback from wetlands, inland lakes or streams, and high-water marks for the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair, according to the SEMCOG summary.

“Wetland setbacks protect buildings, whether it’s homes or businesses or public buildings,” Markham said.

“The local officials don’t feel as though you can just tell us across the board, ‘You need to be able to do this.’”

Ann Arbor City Councilwoman Lisa Disch disagreed, arguing that Oakland County could create natural feature protections in its zoning code that would address bodies of water and coexist with the proposed rules.

Macomb officials worry that communities could be ‘upended’

Macomb Township Supervisor Frank Viviano said that when he and his wife were deciding where they wanted to raise their family, they chose an area where they thought they could “get value” and liked the surrounding community.

“Now, if these bills were to go through, the community that I invested to, and the community that literally hundreds of thousands of southeast Michigan residents invested into, could be upended, meaning that we could have a duplex next to us, five feet from our property line,” Viviano said.

Clinton Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem said he and other township officials believe the proposed changes would reduce property values.

“Reducing the value of someone’s home is literally pulling money from them,” Gieleghem said, adding that a family’s single largest investment.

“We are for development and affordable housing options, but where the infrastructure exists to be able to support it,” Gieleghem said.

Kelly Karll, the manager of SEMCOG’s environment and infrastructure group, said municipal engineers are responsible for making sure roads, water, sewer and stormwater lines in an area can safely support what’s being built.

“So when the state overrides local control with one-size-fits-all-type mandates like this, it breaks that connection between development decisions and the capacity checks that engineers are required to make,” she said.

Karll said the bills would allow “major increases” in density in places where infrastructure was sized for a significantly lower level of use.

But Rep. Aragona said he and the other lawmakers are not trying to “overwhelm any type of system.” If they have to amend the legislation to ensure that infrastructure isn’t overwhelmed, they will, he said.

“We don’t want anybody’s basement flooding or any streets getting ruined because … there’s not enough impervious surface or what have you,” Aragona said.

Some opponents are backing another proposal, called the MI Home Program, which was introduced as House Bill 5660 by State Reps. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester, and Samantha Steckloff, D-Farmington Hills.

Under the MI Home Program, the state would spend $160 million annually for five years to accelerate housing construction and rehabilitation and promote updates to local zoning regulations, a Michigan Municipal League document said. The homes built or rehabbed using the state money would be required to be sold to people earning within 120% of the area median income, SEMCOG’s O’Leary said.

“If they want to actually fix affordability, they need to put some funding behind it,” said Orion Township’s Barnett, who supports this bill.

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