$400 auto insurance refund checks, Whitmer kidnaping trial begins, a beloved Lincoln Park security guard
TUESDAY NEWS HIT - Michigan's auto insurance refund check that's owed to drivers will start arriving in bank accounts this week, according to the state's department of financial services.
The $400 refund checks issued to drivers are intended for those who had their vehicles insured by Oct. 31, 2021. The refund is part of bipartisan auto reform legislation passed in 2019 that requires the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) to issue money back to drivers.
Over the next 60 days, the $400 refunds owed to drivers will be deposited electronically in bank accounts. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer first announced the rebates in December 2021, with guarantees that refunds will be transferred from the MCCA to insurers by March 9.
"The Governor directed DIFS to take an active role in ensuring that refunds would be issued expeditiously to Michiganders who have paid into the fund for decades," said Anita Fox, who heads the Department of Insurance and Financial Services. "The DIFS bulletin ensures that consumers are protected and imposes a May 9, 2022 deadline for issuing refunds to all eligible drivers."
Auto reform legislation was signed into law in the summer of 2019, after years of Michigan reporting some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country.
Part of the reform package allowed drivers to choose reduced coverage from the Personal Injury Protection category of their plan. Prior to the reform, drivers didn't have a choice when picking their PIP rate. The reform efforts have come under scrutiny from victims involved in accidents that fear losing injury care.
Under state law, the MCCA collects funds to cover claims for those who are catastrophically injured in car accidents. Last year, it reported a $5 billion surplus. After Whitmer called on the association to issue refunds, the group's board voted on rebates of $400 per vehicle - which totals to about $3 billion.
In determining how much it should give back, the MCCA said it needed to balance maximizing the refund amount while maintaining sufficient funds to cover those catastrophically injured. With the deadline nearing for funds to be transferred to insurers, drivers with insured vehicles can expect the funds to arrive within the next two months.
Trial for 4 accused of plotting to kidnap governor begins Tuesday
With secret recordings and other evidence, prosecutors are pledging to show how four men were united behind a wild plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor in response to her aggressive steps to slow down COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic. Jury selection begins Tuesday in a trial that could last more than a month in federal court in western Michigan.
In 2020, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, was trading taunts with then-President Donald Trump over his administration’s response to COVID-19. Her critics, meanwhile, were regularly protesting at the Michigan Capitol, clogging streets around the statehouse and legally carrying semi-automatic rifles into the building.
During that turbulent time, when stay-home orders were in place and the economy was restricted, Adam Fox, Brandon Caserta, Barry Croft Jr. and Daniel Harris were coming up with a plot to snatch Whitmer, prosecutors say. They’re accused of taking critical steps over several months, including secret messaging, gun drills in the woods and a night drive to northern Michigan to scout her second home and figure out how to blow up a bridge.
The FBI, which had infiltrated the group, said it thwarted the plan with the arrests of six men in October 2020. Two of them, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, have pleaded guilty and will appear as crucial witnesses for the government, giving jurors an inside view of what was planned. Garbin, for example, said Fox, the alleged ringleader, wanted the men to chip in for a $4,000 explosive large enough to destroy a bridge near Whitmer’s home and distract police during a kidnapping.
The Kroger security guard in Lincoln Park
The regular shoppers at Kroger in Lincoln Park get an extra treat every time they come to the store: a greeting from Chester Harris. On the job since December, Harris does security on the second shift seven days a week.
"I walk, I’ve been walking here and from work most of the time," Harris said. "Every now and then someone will pick me up and say you want a lift or whatever." He walks precisely five miles, but that's no issue for him. Harris used to be homeless. He also doesn't have a car. And that's fine with im.
Whether it's the wind whipping his face over Telegraph or the thousands of extra steps he takes in lieu of a car, he doesn't mind. Patrons like Harris because he's always smiling. His good work ethic came from his dad who "talked to me about how to deal with a job before I was even old enough to be hired anywhere."
"You don’t get that anymore, you don’t see that in anymore," said Mike Lee, store manager. "And from his first day here, he was like that." Chester’s been saving for a car, something reliable and affordable. He’s definitely realistic about his budget. "My rent payment is $600 so that’s enough," he said.
Ex-Fisher Body Plant to be redeveloped
A long-vacant landmark that remains part of Detroit's automotive history is about to be redeveloped in a big way. The former Fisher Body Plant is set to be transformed into a huge new housing complex. "This is a day I've been waiting for a long time," said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
It's probably a day much of Detroit has been waiting on. The long-dilapidated eyesore that greets drivers on the I-94 interchange with I-75 has stood as a skeleton of its former self for decades. Now, 400 apartment units will be built into the structure, 20% of which will be designated affordable housing.
Gregory Jackson and Richard Hosey said they took years to conduct environmental and engineering surveys before announcing plans to turn the plant into housing. Together, their two firms believe the site is "rock solid and ready for redevelopment."
The two plan to invest $135 million in the project. They hope to get some help from the city and the state. It's believed to be the largest African American-led project in Detroit's history.
Detroit firefighter concerned after airbags failed to deploy
Last week a Detroit Fire truck crashed after being hit by a car while responding to a call. Three firefighters were sent to the hospital and now a firefighter is speaking up, concerned for the safety of the city's fire rigs. The crash happened at Fort Street and Springwells on the city's southwest side. FOX 2 has learned that the airbags inside the truck did not deploy.
"I don’t think any of us would have ever considered the fact that we’re in a horrific accident such as this one that we wouldn’t have the protection of an airbag," said a firefighter. But it turns out that was the case when a fire truck and a pick-up crashed in southwest Detroit last Thursday.
Neither the front or side curtain airbags deployed in during the collision that sent three firefighters and a civilian to the hospital. The fire truck in question is a 2015 model, one of the newer vehicles in the fire department’s fleet.
Dave Fornell, the deputy fire commissioner, says that up until last week, there’s never been an issue with airbags. According to their preliminary investigation, the airbags did not deploy in Thursday's crash because this pick-up truck hit the fire rig above the bumper where the airbag sensors are located. The fire department says the manufacturer’s investigator will be here this week to look at the truck.
What else we're watching
- A judge has declined to reinstate a professor at Ferris State after he was placed on paid leave following a rant that was posted online. Barry Mehler had tried to return to teaching after the university penalized him for his video, which included curse words and references to the student's attendance policy.
- MacKale McGuire, a student at Cadillac High School is a cancer survivor who lost his leg following his fight with the disease. Recently, he took the stage in his school's live performance of High School Musical to top off the ultimate comeback. Tap here to read the inspiring story.
- Beaumont Hospital in Troy is bringing back a fan-favorite: it's walk-through inflatable colon to increase awareness for Colon Cancer Month. The colon will be up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8.
- The City of Detroit had its first budget meeting Monday where the mayor introduced his $2.4 billion spending plan for the next fiscal year. Duggan highlighted that the city's revenue stream is on par with levels before the start of the pandemic.
- A Detroit man has been charged with repeatedly crashing into Macomb County administration and law enforcement buildings over the weekend. Nicholas Thompson, 28, caused "extensive" damage to the front entrance of county's building at 1 S. Main Street.
Live on FOX 2
Daily Forecast
A little snow may fall downriver, but precipitation will conclude by noon Tuesday. Metro Detroiters can expect near seasonal temperatures today with the high reaching 40 degrees.
US gas price average hits $4.17, an all-time high, AAA says
The price of regular gasoline on average across the U.S. hit an all-time high on Tuesday at $4.173, surpassing a record previously set in 2008 amid calls to ban imports of Russian oil.
Prices at the pump were rising long before Russia invaded Ukraine and have spiraled faster since the start of the war. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline has soared over 45 cents a gallon in the past week, according to auto club AAA.
The previous record average price was set on July 17, 2008, at $4.10 per gallon.
On Tuesday, California had the highest average price per gallon among U.S. states at $5.44, while Oklahoma was among the lowest at $3.719, according to AAA. More than half of U.S. states and Washington, D.C. were all charging over $4 per gallon for regular gas.