Election results • House censures Tlaib over Israel-Hamas remarks • Suspect charged in murder of Pontiac teen

WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - Several Metro Detroit elections were close Tuesday.

In Westland, State Rep. Kevin Coleman appears to have defeated incumbent Michael Londeau. The term is a partial one, ending in three years after former longtime Mayor Bill Wild resigned for a job in the private sector. Coleman had 59% of the vote to Londeau's 40% with 100% of the vote in.

In Warren, State Rep. Lori Stone was running against George Dimas to replace longtime outgoing Mayor Jim Fouts. Fouts was denied a chance to run for a fifth term in office after a decision from the Michigan high court denied his appeal of a lower court's ruling.

Stone defeated Dimas 53% to 47%. Since Coleman and Stone will no longer hold spots in the House, their seats are up in the air.

Aside from the election impacting control of the House, there were plenty of others taking place across Metro Detroit:

House votes to censure Rep. Tlaib over Israel-Hamas comment

The House voted late Tuesday to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — the only Palestinian American in Congress — an extraordinary rebuke of her rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war.

The 234-188 tally came after enough Democrats joined with Republicans to censure Tlaib, a punishment one step below expulsion from the House. The three-term congresswoman has long been a target of criticism for her views on the decades-long conflict in the Middle East.

The debate on the censure resolution on Tuesday afternoon was emotional and intense. Republican Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia pushed the censure measure in response to what he called Tlaib’s promotion of antisemitic rhetoric. He said she has "levied unbelievable falsehoods about our greatest ally, Israel, and the attack on October 7."

With other Democrats standing by her side, Tlaib defended her stance, saying she "will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words."

Cities reject marijuana dispensaries

Several cities were voting on marijuana dispensary proposals this week. 

If approved, Birmingham would have been able to have one recreational marijuana store and one medical marijuana store. In Keego Harbor and Grosse Pointe Park, two marijuana businesses would have been allowed. The ballot proposal in Rochester would have allowed for three marijuana businesses.

However, voters in these cities, along with St. Clair County's Yale did not approve the proposals.

Voters in Rochester and Birmingham overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, with 87% voting against it in Rochester and 73% selecting no in Birmingham.

Keego Harbor's election was closer, with 53% of voters rejecting the measure. Sixty-six percent of Grosse Pointe Park voters rejected the proposal. 

Suspect charged with murdering Pontiac teen

A man is facing charges stemming from the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old girl in late October.

K'Nique Lawrence, 32, who has previous felony convictions, was charged on Tuesday with the murder of 16-year-old Desiree Childs. Investigators believe Childs was caught in the crossfire while walking near her home in Pontiac on Oct. 28.

While Lawrence has been charged with her murder, another suspect has been connected to the shootout.

Court documents obtained by FOX 2 show that shell casings at the scene match guns found in Jameel Tanzil's possession at his home, just a few feet away from where Childs was killed. Tanzil has four felony convictions on his record, including drug possession and concealed weapon charges.

Driving school suspended after state finds 6,600+ violations

Hundreds of drivers may no longer have valid licenses due to violations committed by a driving school.

The Michigan Department of State said it cannot issue certificates of completion to students who have participated in courses with Dearborn's Epic Driving Education LLC.

The state said more than 6,600 violations were found between 2021 and 2023. During this time, the school is accused of failing to ensure tests are passed before certificates of completion are issued, among other violations.

As of Nov. 1, owner Ameer Abusalah's authorization to teach driving has been suspended, and the state is working to revoke the authorization. 

If you took classes with Epic Driving, fill out this form and follow the instructions to send it to the MDOS.

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What else we're watching

1. The Kiffness, a South African band known for mashups of humans and animals, had to cancel a Detroit show after thieves stole $5,000 worth of gear.
2. Jamere Miller, the man who kidnapped and murdered Patrice Wilson outside Detroit Receiving Hospital, was sentenced to prison Tuesday.
3. Steps toward developing part of the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor were taken Monday when the city council approved zoning changes for part of the complex. Council members voted unanimously to change 8.3 acres of land zoned for parking into business services in preparation for eventual housing being built.
4. Detroit City Council members and citizens voiced opposition to the proposed I-375 Boulevard during a meeting this week.
5. Casino workers are asking the Detroit City Council for protection while picketing against the city's three gaming centers.

Ohio votes to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use

Ohio voters approved a proposal legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law.

Passage of Issue 2 makes Ohio the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes.

"Marijuana is no longer a controversial issue," said Tom Haren, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "Ohioans demonstrated this by passing State Issue 2 in a landslide. Ohioans are being extremely clear on the future they want for our state: adult-use marijuana legal and regulated."

Read more here.

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