Ford Field vaccinations start today, HGTV host gets scammed on Detroit home, robotic pets keep seniors happy

WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - With hundreds of thousands of people scheduled and even more available vaccines ready for injection, there's little else to do except start administering shots to people at Ford Field.

After weeks of preparation and negotiations between several public and private agencies, America's first mass vaccine clinic opened at 8 a.m. today. 

"(It's) amazingly important to have sites like this in our community, especially in communities of color and vulnerable communities, so we can reach those that may be hesitant or have concerns about the vaccine," said Dr. Usamah Mossallam, a Henry Ford Health Systems medical director.

Ford Field was selected for its proximity to so many people, particularly underserved people. While vaccine rates in Southeast Michigan are rising steadily, communities like Detroit are still well behind the average.

The city and state hope to change that over the next eight weeks when medical staff administers 335,000 doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

"That's really important to get us to our 70% magic number for herd immunity," said Mossallam.

The site will operate from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. seven days a week. 

People who get the vaccine will be selected based on the CDC's social vulnerability index, which is assessed when someone registers online. Meijer is coordinating scheduling appointments. For anyone who wants to register, they can head to clinic.meijer.com/register/CL0034 to learn more.

Or, any eligible residents can text EndCOVID to 75049 and select the Ford Field location. 

HGTV's Nicole Curtis was 'scammed' in house deal

The host of a home improvement show on HGTV was 'scammed' by the man she purchased a home from in Detroit when she discovered the land bank still owns the property. 

Nicole Curtis purchased a home in 2017 for $17,000 and spent $60,000 on repairs and other costs. But the 'Rehab Addict Rescue' host discovered recently that the Detroit Land Bank Authority still holds the title to the house.

"I feel bad for Nicole," Mayor Mike Duggan said Monday. "It appears she was scammed. It appears she paid somebody who didn’t own the house and paid them to buy it. But the land bank can’t legally just give her the property."

The previous owners of the home executed a quitclaim deed to Detroit Renovations in 2017 after losing control of the home for failing to fix it. Curtis is a native of Detroit.

Meet the robotic pets keeping seniors company

The West Bloomfield Health and Rehabilitation Center was one of nearly 30 nursing homes in Metro Detroit to receive robotic cats and dogs meant to alleviate some of the isolation felt by patients. "The toll on the residents was an increase in depressive symptoms," said Director Scott Jackson.

"This is Cookie. He does a lot for me. It makes my day," said resident Gladys Marcum, gesturing to her pet. "He makes me think there’s something good going on today."

The pets were provided by the Area Agency on Aging 1-B with grant funding meant to curb some of the anxiety and depression built up over the pandemic. Patients in nursing homes have been without contact with family for many months due to COVID-19.

The agency is also delivering other items, such as therapy dolls, tablets, and music players that play recordings that can help residents recall happy moments from their past.

Man crashes stolen Dodge Charger going 120 MPH on I-75

A man in a stolen Dodge Charger sped past a Michigan State Police trooper on I-75 Tuesday afternoon before crashing in Detroit.

Police said the driver was going more than 120 mph when he lost control in the area of Holbrook and crashed into an SUV and garbage truck around 12:25 p.m. The man fled on foot, leaving an empty pistol holder in the car, police said.

A witness provided a description of the driver, and Hamtramck police found the man. A police K-9 was brought to search the crash scene and found a loaded Glock pistol with a 50-round drum magazine, police said.

Police said the Charger was stolen in Georgia.

How to attend prom in a pandemic

The Riverside Marina wants to make sure that students at Detroit schools aren't robbed of another prom after the pandemic stole the first one from them.

"We weren't able to have homecoming or the pep rally, you know, stuff that we've seen other seniors do, because of the circumstances," said Cass Tech Senior Brianna McQuire. 

Not every event will be canceled, though. Five separate schools can sign up for an outdoor prom at Engel Memorial Park in the Marina District in downtown Detroit.

The venue's manager, Alicia White, says they're looking for sponsors to help offset the cost of hosting the events. "This is a cost that we are trying to minimize for our schools so we do need assistance in that regard, so we are asking for community support," she said.

Massive blaze overtakes Birmingham pizza shop, unfinished home

Birmingham firefighters found themselves battling two separate blazes in the same afternoon in the same neighborhood after a massive blaze overtook Primo's Pizza on S. Adams Road. Responding firefighters then got a note about a house on Lincoln catching fire just a half a block away.

"We looked over across the street and saw fire in the dumpster," said Thomas Chambers, who witnessed the house fire.

Chief Paul Wells said the fire destroyed most of the roof but the interior of the pizza shop was still pretty good. However, the damage could be more. Construction crews working on the new home were on site when the fire started nearby. 

Nobody was injured and the fires were cleared within the hour.

What else we're watching

1. Michigan will have its first statewide tornado drill today at 1 p.m. Read about the need for having a weather plan here.
2. The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is on the scene of a barricaded gunman in the area of Meadow Drive and Gale Road in Superior Township. Police want anyone near there to stay in their home.
3. Dana Nessel, Michigan's Attorney General, is testifying on domestic terrorism during a hearing in the Subcommittee on Intelligence & Counterterrorism.
4.  Grand River is getting a makeover as planners from the state will meet to update the community about a new streetscape development. Councilman James Tate will be love on Zoom and Facebook today at 6 p.m. to discuss
5. Rep. Rashida Tlaib has reintroduced legislation that would provide monthly $2,000 monthly payments to Americans. The bill is a longshot in a divided Congress.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Temperatures will go above 70 by late afternoon today, with clouds in the sky for most of Wednesday. A lot of rain will follow after, forecasts show.

CDC: 1 in 4 Americans have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday that one in four Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a critical milestone in the fight to get the country vaccinated.

The agency reported that more than 83.9 million Americans have gotten a shot, representing 25.3% of the total U.S. population. More than 45 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, or about 13.7% of the population.

The CDC said more than 164 million doses have been delivered, and more than 128 million doses have been administered.

The vaccine rollout has picked up the pace ever since the first dose of vaccine in the U.S. was given on Dec. 14, 2020 in New York to an intensive care nurse.