Family of 14 homeless after Southgate fire, Ann Arbor encourages no mowing in May, Team Wellness manhunt

THURSDAY NEWS HIT - Terecia Hubbard is still coming to terms with what her family lost, after a suspected electrical fire destroyed their 1895 Georgian home last week.

"We’re still in shock," she said.

Terecia, her husband, and 12 of their kids were inside the Southgate home when it started.

"I’m just grateful that all of us made it out, because it could’ve been a disaster," she said. "It was on fire for 20-30 minutes and we didn’t know anything."

Pictures show what’s left of their home - their belongings were destroyed, something Terecia is still trying to get through to their kids.

"He said, 'Momma I want to go home,'" she said, referring to one of her little boys. "And I said, 'Well, we can't go home.' I was like, 'What are you trying to get?' And he said, 'I'm trying to get my backpack, my shoes, my things.' They don't have anything right now and they don't understand the extent, that we've lost everything."

The Hubbard family is finding compassion in their greatest moment of need. Their co-workers and the Southgate Goodfellows donated toys, clothes and backpacks for the kids.

The fire department and hotel owner Tom Gasso put the family up the first few nights after the fire. Later, the Red Cross, and then the family’s insurance company, took care of their lodging.

"What better time to help people than in (their) desperate time of need," said Gasso, who owns the Wyndham Garden Hotel.

Terecia says she appreciates the support they’re getting. She and her husband are normally the ones providing the help - now they’re on the receiving end, and they have a long journey ahead.

"I’m grateful (for the help) but I’m sad because I’ve been married for 15 years," she said. "We’ve been building for so many years and it’s just all gone in (a split second), and it took us so long to even get to the point where we were at."

Right now that family is living at an extended stay hotel. They will likely be there for some time. Terecia said that according to their insurance company, the fire was so bad it could take at least a year to settle the claim.

If you would like to donate to help the family, they are on Venmo, @Terecia78.

Ann Arbor passes resolution banning mowing in May

The Ann Arbor City Council unanimously approved a resolution encouraging property owners to avoid mowing their lawn in May. The No Mow Initiative is intended to promote a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, including the endangered bee population.

There are no citations that will be handed out for not following the resolution. And certain parts of a property, including the street or sidewalk right-of-ways, must remain safe and clear. But the council resolution, which endorses the "integral" role of pollinators in our environment, still urges property owners to demonstrate commitment to those insects.

According to the city council meeting report "The City Council finds it is in the public interest and consistent with adopted City policy for the City to demonstrate its commitment to a safe and healthy community environment through the implementation of initiatives that help increase the pollinator population."

Additionally, the council also discussed certain harmful insecticides that are harmful to bees. The Pollinator Network at Cornell University warns that neonicotinoid, which is associated with the highly addictive chemical nicotine, targets brain receptors in animals. 

Judge orders Packard Plant demolished by mid-May

The abandoned Packard Plant in Detroit must be demolished, a judge ordered. The owner of the old auto plant, Fernando Palazuelo's Arte Express Detroit, must begin obtaining permits for the demolition this month, and demolition must start by mid-May.

All buildings must be demolished, and all debris at the site must be removed at the expense of Palazuelo. "They claimed he was a billionaire, he had all these grand plans," said Charles Raimi, city of Detroit attorney. "It all turned out to be not true, is one way to put it. He never delivered on anything."

According to the court order, if Palazuelo fails to meet timelines set by the judge, the city can use contractors to demolish the building. If this happens, Palazuelo must pay the city back. Palazuelo's company bought part of the Packard Plant site in 2013. He said he planned to historically restore the site that has been called a public nuisance and dangerous.

A Detroit attorney said Palazuelo already owes the city about a million dollars. The process of working with foreign investor hasn't been an easy one, the city says. "His lawyers withdrew from the case because they couldn’t get in touch with him - so he’s just done a huge disservice to this city," Charles Raimi said.

FEMA reimbursing funeral costs for families of Covid victims

In two years, COVID-19 became one of the leading causes of death in America — trailing only heart disease and cancer. During the pandemic, we saw how the deaths related to the virus took a toll on families emotionally, and financially, including funeral costs.

"The family is going to be very tempted to opt for expensive things in their grief, they want to memorialize and celebrate this person's life, in the right way. And I think they are going to make some poor financial decisions," said Ed Michael Reggie, who runs a consumer advocacy website called Funeralocity.com, which helps families manage affordable funeral costs.

Funeralocity is working with FEMA’s funeral reimbursement program related to Covid deaths. The initiative offers families of the deceased up to $9,000. According to average funeral costs, $9,000 is enough to pay for a cremation and most of what a burial costs. To be eligible for FEMA's funeral reimbursement program, a death certificate must indicate:

• COVID-19 as the cause of death.
• The death must have happened in the US.
• The applicant must have proper citizenship, but the deceased does not have to be an American citizen.

You must call FEMA’s funeral assistance hotline at 844-684-6333. To learn more about Funerlocity.com GO HERE.

Manhunt continues for suspect in Team Wellness fatal shooting

Detroit police are still searching for the suspect in a fatal shooting at a mental health clinic last week. Two employees of Team Wellness were shot on March 30, and one died from his injuries.

Demetres Nathaniel Johnson, 21, is wanted in connection to the shooting. According to the victim that survived the shooting, "He just reached in his jacket and just started shooting." Diante Davis, a tech at Team Wellness, was shot first. He later died from his injuries. 

Jaimond King, who survived the shooting, told FOX 2 that the shooter pointed the gun and fired two more times while Davis was on the ground. "And we just all ran… we all ran, and we didn’t know what to do," said Jaimond King, who survived the shooting," he said.

A source tells FOX 2 that Demetres Johnson was a patient at the clinic, however it's unclear what he sought treatment for. Detroit police are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to Johnson's arrest. He's considered armed and dangerous. Police say they have multiple apprehension teams out ready to make the arrest once the suspect is found. 

What else we're watching

1. Michigan State Police are searching for a stolen metal lawn ornament that depicts a Sasquatch. It is about 7 feet tall and was on a south Michigan property until its theft on March 22. A white panel van with dark driver- and passenger-side windows was observed parked in the area on March 22, police said.
2. Ready for more construction? Because I-94 will be closed to traffic in Wayne County for more roadwork this weekend. Between I-75 and I-96, the freeway will be closed for a bridge demolition at the Grand River overpass.
3. Opening Day is just around the corner. Sadly, warmer weather won't be accompanying the Tigers tradition. Friday's temperatures won't go beyond 45 degrees, and it's expected to rain.
4. The groundbreaking for a new memorial in Royal Oak honoring victims of World War II is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. The ceremony will be held in Memorial Park. 
5. The state of Michigan's lead line replacement hit more progress Wednesday in Benton Harbor when they passed the 20% mark on their way to removing all lead lines. 

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

An afternoon shower is possible Thursday, but conditions are expected to be a bit easier to manage than yesterday's big storm. Count on partly cloudy conditions for much of the day and a high of 50 degrees. 

Forbes billionaires 2022: See who made this year’s list of the world’s richest people

A list featuring the top earners in the world has been released by Forbes.

Forbes comprised a list of more than 2,000 billionaires worldwide and found over 1,000 billionaires who added to their massive fortunes this year compared to 2021. There are also over 200 first-time billionaires on the extensive list, published Wednesday.

Several notable women made this year’s list as newcomers, including Melinda French Gates of Microsoft with a net worth of $6.2 billion, Trudy Cathy White of Chick-fil-A with $4.6 billion, Grammy-winning singer Rhianna with $1.7 billion from her music and cosmetics and Jenny Just of Fintech (finance and investments) with $1.5 billion.

According to Forbes, the United States still has the distinction of having the most billionaires worldwide at 735 and a collective net worth of $4.7 trillion.

The financial global media company used stock prices and exchange rates from March 11 to determine the net worth of the wealthiest individuals.

Forbes has several categories for this year’s list which includes the richest individuals, richest women and the newest billionaires.

Here is a list of the 10 richest people in the world. To see Forbes' complete list, click here. 

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