Families demand Oxford shooting investigation • 2 hospitals rated 'F' • Carrots recalled for E. coli

MONDAY NEWS HIT - A nonprofit that rates hospitals has given two Detroit hospitals "F" grades.

According to the Leapfrog Group, both Detroit Medical Center's Sinai-Grace and Detroit Receiving hospitals received failing grades when it comes to keeping patients safe from a number of dangers, including infections. Both were previously given a "D" when they were rated in the spring. Leapfrog rates hospital twice a year - once in the fall and again in the spring.

Sinai-Grace's rating fell because of several factors, including infections, blood leakage, and collapsed lungs, Leapfrog said, while Receving Hospital dropped due to issues such as bed sores, patient falls, and blood clots. Both hospitals were also knocked for having poor handwashing practices and communication about medications.

Much of the data used for the study comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as well as the hospitals themselves.

However, the DMC said it did not submit data to the survey, so the information used to rate it is incomplete, the hospital system asserted.

Families of Oxford High School shooting victims demand answers

Nearly three years after a student opened fire inside Oxford High School, the families of victims killed and wounded are still seeking answers.

These family members, including the parents of the four students killed – Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, and Justin Shilling – are demanding that the state mandate an independent investigation into what led to the Nov. 30, 2021 shooting.

Though the shooter and his parents have both been sentenced and are in prison, the victims' families still want an investigation into the actions taken by school employees before a 15-year-old student opened fire.

The shooter had come on the radar of school employees when he was caught looking up bullets in class and drawing violent images on a worksheet. He spent time in the school's office the morning of the shooting, and even had the gun used in his backpack at that time. Because of this, questions have been asked about whether more could have been done to prevent the fatal shooting.

The shooting was investigated by Guidepost Solutions, who put the blame on the school district.

Despite the result of this investigation, the family members argue that there wasn't subpoena power behind that deep dive, which resulted "in many school employees being advised by their attorneys to not participate, leaving crucial questions unanswered."

Family experiences 2nd house fire in a year

Twelve people are struggling after a fire Sunday damaged their home on Detroit's west side.

Eight children and four adults call the house in the area of Braile and 7 Mile home. According to residents, a candle caused the house to catch on fire. No one was hurt, but the family said they are in need of help as they figure out what to do next.

"I was helping my stepdaughter, she came and stayed with me, and she lit the candle and didn't watch the candle," LaShawn Dixon said. "This is the second house fire I had, and I just need some help."

Dixon said the last fire she experienced happened less than a year ago.

The family is working to set up a GoFundMe for people to help them. FOX 2 will share the link once we have it.

Carrots sold in Michigan included in recall

A multi-state E. coli outbreak has been linked to multiple brands of recalled organic whole carrots and baby carrots in the U.S. 

The carrots were sold in bags under multiple brands, including 365, Cal-Organic, Nature's Promise, O-Organics, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, among others.

Public health officials said at least 39 people were infected and 15 were hospitalized across 18 states after eating organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, based in Bakersfield, California.

E. coli O121 infections linked to the recalled carrots have been reported in Washington, Oregon, California, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

Symptoms of E. coli infection usually start three to four days after eating the bacteria. They include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Cash App settlement deadline

Those who have used Cash App to transfer money in the last six years may be eligible for up to $2,500 as part of a class-action settlement over security breaches on the mobile payment app.

The app allows users to send and receive money, invest in stocks, buy bitcoin and make payments to certain vendors.

In a class-action lawsuit filed in February, Cash App users alleged that Cash App Investing and its owner, Block, were negligent in their response to two data breaches: when a former Cash App Investing employee accessed account data without permission in 2022, and when an unauthorized user accessed certain Cash App accounts in 2023 using recycled phone numbers that were linked to the accounts.

It also accuses Block and Cash App Investing of failing to implement proper security controls and not responding to concerns about fraudulent transactions happening on the app. 

Learn more about filing a claim.

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Daily Forecast

A nice stretch of weather starts the week.

What else we're watching

1. Police are looking for a group of suspects after they tried to provoke a fight and then pulled a gun on University of Michigan students early Sunday in Ann Arbor.
2. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal hit-and-run that happened Saturday night on Smith Road near Telegraph Road in Bedford Township. A 43-year-old woman was walking near the shoulder when an unknown driver hit her and fled. Two other drivers also hit her but stayed at the scene.
3. A Detroit mother is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge for a crash that killed her 4-year-old son in May. Shaniqua Baskin's son was not buckled in when she crashed on I-75.
4. Gas prices in Michigan are up 9 cents compared to last week, according to data from AAA. 
5. A man is due in court for a preliminary exam after allegedly killing a man at Big League Brews in Taylor. William Parker is accused of stabbing Marcell Turner-Pongratz to death during a Halloween party at the bar.

Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy

Spirit Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following significant financial struggles due to mounting losses and debt maturities, the airline announced Monday.

The filing comes after two failed mergers in less than two years – one recently with Frontier and another earlier in 2024 with JetBlue – which left the ultra-low-cost carrier in a bind after repetitive quarterly losses.

In October, Spirit announced plans to sell multiple aircraft and lay off workers as it tried to raise cash and revive operations.

Spirit Airlines President and CEO Ted Christie said the airline has entered into an agreement with its bondholders that is expected to reduce the company's total debt and provide increased financial flexibility.