Family of 7 loses everything in fire • Ethnic intimidation in Bloomfield Township • Falling gas prices
MONDAY NEWS HIT - A family of 7 is struggling after losing everything in a house fire on Detroit's west side.
The fire broke out Sunday afternoon in the family's washroom.
"It was in the washroom this furnace is inside the washroom, and I don’t know if the furnace exploded or what," said Catrena Thomas, the children's Grandmother.
Some of the kids were at church with grandma, and the others were at home with their mom.
"I had on a shirt and some pants; I opened the back door, and I ran out,"
Fortunately, they all got out safely, but one of their two dogs died.
"They alive and they well. Like I was blessed to just be able to go out in the instant to buy a coat and some shoes for their feet," said Lorna Perry, the children's aunt.
The family now needs help replacing everything they lost and finding a new place to live.
"Ya know, so close to the holidays, it’s hard, so any help, we would really appreciate it," said Catrena.
The family has created a GoFundMe. To donate, click HERE.
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Detroit family of 7 loses everything in house fire
They all got out safely, but one of their two dogs died.
Dearborn man charged with ethnic intimidation
A 35-year-old Dearborn man was arrested after yelling at and insulting families at a Bloomfield Township daycare last week, leading to charges of ethnic intimidation. Hassan Yehia Chokr allegedly harassed both parents and students at the Temple Beth El facility Friday morning, leading to a 911 call and traffic stop later in the day.
He's still awaiting arraignment for the threats and is currently housed in Oakland County jail/ Disturbing details about the incident began to trickle in over the weekend after Chokr was arrested on Saturday.
According to police, an emergency call came into the Oakland County dispatch facility from the security director at the community center. While still on the call, Bloomfield Township officers located the suspect and conducted a traffic stop.
After ensuring that Chokr wasn't a threat to the community, they allowed him to go. But based on a follow-up investigation and evidence from the Dearborn Police Department, Chokr was eventually arrested on Saturday. He was later charged with two felony counts of ethnic intimidation by the Oakland County Prosecutor.
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Dearborn man harassed families at Bloomfield Township daycare, police say
Police were called to the Jewish daycare late last week after reporting a man was yelling at and insulting people who were coming and going from the synagogue.
UM fans can already buy College Football National Championship tickets
The University of Michigan is only one game away from playing in their first national championship in decades. For the superstitious, it may be too early to dream of winning the last game of the season. But for the folks out there ready to go all in, tickets are already up for grabs for the national championship game.
Suites are available to reserve for University of Michigan fans for the Jan. 9 game. This year, the big game is being played in Los Angeles and SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams and Chargers.
Those willing to push their belief to the brink and reserve the suites will also have the chance to refund their deposits if they don't win the semi-final game against Texas Christian University. Both teams will compete in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.
Tickets can be purchased at https://www.sofistadium.com/collegefootball or by calling 424-396-6827.
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Refundable National championship tickets for sale for University of Michigan fans
For the superstitious, it may be too early to buy a ticket to a game the Wolverines have yet to qualify for. But for those ready to go all in, suite tickets are already available.
Gas prices fall further with Metro Detroit costs the lowest in the state
Michigan gas prices dropped another straight week after recording another 20 cent reduction in costs at the pump. Michigan drivers are now paying an average of $3.44 a gallon for regular unleaded fuel - about 79 cents less than last month. For Metro Detroit, the price is even lower at $3.29 a gallon.
Motorists are entering the holiday season paying about $51 a gallon for a full 15-gallon tank of gas, which is down about $10 from last month.
AAA says demand has stayed steady while gas stocks have climbed recently, which has eased the cost on the pump. A spokesperson for The Auto Club Group said pump prices will continue to fall this week after tumbling so much a week before.
Metro Detroit's gas prices are even less than they were last year, despite the year of extreme swings in petrol costs. The most expensive gas can be found in Jackson and Traverse City at $3.61 a gallon.
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Gas prices fall further with Metro Detroit costs the lowest in the state
Despite the year of extreme swings in gas prices, Metro Detroit's cost for petrol is even lower than it was last year.
Fire displaces 3 families at Novi mobile home park
Three families were displaced after a fire tore through their homes at a Novi mobile home park Monday morning. The fire chief said calls came in around 2:30 a.m. and found a unit complete engulfed in fire. The blaze, believed to have started at a shed, eventually spread to three homes.
A total of six people were left without a home - though no one was injured. The fire happened at the Country Cousin neighborhood at 26855 Haggerty Road. The fire was eventually wrangled after hours of battling the blaze. Chief Jeffery Johnson said the location of the neighborhood made it difficult to fight the fire.
"We had some challenges here obviously. The water supply in the park here is a little bit difficult. They have their own hydrant system however, we had to get water from Haggerty road," he said.
A number of crews responded to the fire, including the Plymouth Township Fire and Rescue team. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Families displaced after fire tears through Novi neighborhood, engulfing three homes
Making fighting the fire even harder, the neighborhood is on its own hydrant system which forced the Novi fire department to get water from somewhere else.
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Daily Forecast
Wind chills this morning will keep temperatures feeling like the teens even as conditions warm up. The week ahead looks to land us in the 40s with chances of rain by mid-week.
What else we're watching
- The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear a case on religion and gay rights in another legal clash between the two subjects. Read more about the latest dispute here.
- The city of Detroit is offering full or partial property tax exemptions to some homeowners in the city. Residents that own a home have until Dec. 12 to apply for the HOPE property tax exemption. Someone has to make an appointment before meeting with the city to learn about the opportunity, however. Learn more at detroitmi.gov/HOPE.
- Dan Gilbert isn't yet done buying up Detroit Riverfront property. His real estate company Bedrock purchased the Roberts Riverwalk Hotel as it continues to buy up land along the Detroit River.
- Detroit Police Chief James White is reportedly planning to arm officers with less-than-lethal weapons to manage those who may be experiencing a mental issue. According to the Detroit News, DPD could get beanbag shotguns.
- Voting on leadership at the UAW is underway. The Associated Press reports the union has voted in several reform-minded candidates, ousting at least six incumbents.
Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster over concert ticket fiasco
A group of Taylor Swift fans filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, following the debacle that unfolded last month when the company put concert tickets for Swift's upcoming tour on sale.
The Swift fans' lawsuit alleges Ticketmaster engaged in antitrust violations, deceptive practices, fraud, and price-fixing during the ticket sale fiasco. It also accuses Ticketmaster of encouraging scalpers because the company earns income from fees when tickets are resold on its platform. Ticketmaster did not immediately reply to Fox Business' request for comment.
Ticketmaster canceled a planned sale of tickets to the general public for Swift's "The Eras Tour" last month after its system was overwhelmed by demand during a two-day presale event, leaving insufficient inventory for additional sales.