James and Jennifer Crumbley back in court, GLWA raises water rates, one man's keloid scarring

THURSDAY NEWS HIT - More evidence will be presented on Thursday against James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of alleged Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley.

Thursday is the second court date for the Crumbleys' preliminary exam and we're expected to get more of an idea of what evidence the prosecution will use in the case.

The last time the Crumbley parents were in court, text messages between Ethan and Jennifer were read and discussed, including concerning messages that prosecutors said she ignored. Those exact messages were read during the hearing. Here's a recap of what was discussed. 

The Crumbley parents were also ordered during that hearing to stop sending non-verbal messages to each other. This order came after the Oakland County Prosecutor requested the court order them to stop communicating. The Crumbleys attorneys said they were not intentionally sending displays of affection to hurt families of the victims and "didn't even know they were being broadcast". The defense agreed that the two would cease communication in court.

Prosecutor Karen McDonald had called their actions "a serious distraction" and "traumatic for the family members" of the victims involved in the shooting. 

RELATED: Recapping day one of James and Jennifer Crumbley's preliminary hearing

Thursday's hearing also comes just two days after their son, Ethan, was in court. That court hearing was in regard to whether the Oakland County Jail is the proper place for the 15-year-old. James and Jennifer are also housed in the jail but do not have access to Ethan. 

The preliminary hearing is expected to resume around 8:30 a.m Thursday. FOX 2 will stream it on Fox2detroit.com and on YouTube. 

GLWA raises water and sewer rates

The Great Lakes Water Authority is raising rates by 3.4 percent for water and 2.4 percent for sewer, which was recently approved in a public meeting on Wednesday. The GLWA supplies 88 communities with wholesale water - that's about four million households and about 2.8 million households for sewerage service. The communities do add extra charges.

"When you see inflationary increases in your home, that happens to us too," said Suzanne Coffey. Coffey is the interim director of the Great Lakes Water Authority. She says, water and sewage rates are going up because of Covid, supply chain issues and staffing.

"I would say the last thing that people ask about why there is a charge increase, there's definite pressure on skilled trades wages - and we employ a lot," she said. And Great Lakes Water Authority has program to help those who can't pay, it's called the WRAP Program.

"Half a percent of all of our revenues every year go to a payment assistant program," Coffey said. "So for us come in that regard, we are able to help a lot of people." Assuming the rate increases go through, and they will, look for an increase in your bills starting July of this year.

Keloid scarring increasingly covering man's body

A Detroit man with keloid scarring over the majority of his body is looking for money to help pay for the surgery to remove the raised and dense material from his body. Davontae Stewart said he remembers the scarring started off small. 

"Me being a kid, I scratched the chickenpox off and I woke up the next morning, and I had little bubbles over my whole body," he said. A doctor recommended the scars be surgically removed at once. That was a big mistake as they returned and have since coalesced around 75% of his body.

Stewart worked at a nursing home but the job became to strenuous. He then moved to Illinois to become a diesel mechanic, but the physical work proved too much. The 29-year-old is now seeking reconstructive surgery. He found a specialist in Dr. Michael Jones in New York. 

The doctor told him it was 90 percent effective - unfortunately, the procedure that impacts the cells is considered cosmetic and insurance won't cover it. A GoFundMe account has been started to help raise the funds for the procedures - expected to cost thousands of dollars - but at this point Davontae says - it's his only hope.

FOX 2's Huel Perkins and Monica Gayle to retire in March

After nearly a quarter of a century together, Huel Perkins and Monica Gayle will retire from FOX 2 Detroit at the end of March. Both will be on the anchor desk for another month and will officially say their goodbyes on Friday, March 25.

"Before we go, some breaking personal news tonight, after 40-plus years in broadcasting and 32 years here at FOX 2, I've decided to retire at the end of March," Huel said. "I have had a wonderful career. I've had a wonderful career, and I thank all you for your support. I am grateful for my family, my wife Priscilla, and our sons, Jared and Vincent.  And I'm also grateful to my FOX 2 family, the people you see on TV and also the people behind the scenes -- who make it all possible. " 

"And I also want to thank the woman with whom I've shared this anchor desk -- for more than two decades, my friend, Monica Gayle, who has an announcement of her own."

"I have been so honored and blessed to share this desk with you," Monica said. "I could not ask for a better co-anchor, and it just feels very right that we go out together as a team. I have been so honored and blessed to share this desk with you, my friend. This year I am celebrating 40 memorable years in television news. Twenty-five of those wonderful years have been right here with you at FOX 2. I couldn't ask for a better co-anchor and it just feels very right that we go out together as a team. We've had a pretty amazing run.

Whitmer signs bill lowering prescription drug prices

A new bill backed by both sides of the political aisle is taking aim at slashing prescription prices in Michigan. "I’m proud to be here to sign the bipartisan bill that will lower the high cost of prescription drugs, and this is just one more way we are putting Michiganders first," said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

On Wednesday the governor signed several House Bills reducing the price Michiganders pay for pharmaceutical drugs, a cost many cannot avoid. "In 2021 alone, our pharmacists filled more than 31 million prescriptions for our patients across the Midwest," said Rick Keyes, Meijer President & CEO. "House Bill 4348 focuses on the transparency of prescription drug pricing and reimbursement, which benefits our customers by providing them with high-quality medication at a low cost."

Some pharmaceutical drugs cost so much that Michiganders have crossed the border to Canada seeking lower prices or they’ve been forced to make hard decisions.

"As we gather here in Meijer I am especially reminded that many residents in Michigan, our seniors and our most vulnerable, have to choose between food and their critical medication," said State Rep.Angela Witwer (D-District 71). The bills also help guarantee a pharmacist can provide honest advice to patients about treatment options and hold pharmacy benefit managers accountable.

What else we're watching

1. A woman from a northern Michigan township has pleaded no contest to accusations of trying to ‘clone’ voter data from a tabulator. The scheme included three men who helped, including a town trustee. 
2. A new ballot initiative seeks to cap interest rates on short-term loans usually guaranteed the same day. Rates and fees on payday loans tend to skyrocket following their approval. 
3. The USFL draft is complete and the Michigan Panthers have selected their entire team. See the new roster here. 
4. An Oak Park teen with muscular dystrophy is in need of a handicap-accessible van to improve mobility. Terrence Goodwyn is raising money on gofundme. Find more info here. 
5. Outdoorama is returning to the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi for the weekend. Everything from the hawking club to the Howell Nature Center will be on display. So will the Timberworks Lumberjack show. 

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

The cold has returned and with it, some snow is also expected to descend over Metro Detroit Thursday night. Plan on a few inches by Friday morning. 

Russia invades Ukraine as Putin threatens 'consequences you’ve never seen' if West intervenes

Russian troops launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to "consequences you have never seen."

Ukraine's leadership said at least 40 people have been killed so far in what it called a "full-scale war" targeting the country from the east, north and south. In response, NATO envoys agreed to beef up air, land and air forces on the alliance's eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia.

Ukrainian border guards released footage of what they said were Russian military vehicles moving in, and big explosions were heard in the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv in the east and Odesa in the west. As the Russian military claimed to have wiped out Ukraine’s entire air defenses in a matter of hours, Ukrainians fled some cities and European authorities declared Ukrainian air space an active conflict zone.

World leaders decried the start of a long-anticipated invasion with far-reaching consequences, as global financial markets plunged and oil prices soared. Russia’s actions could cause massive casualties, topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government and upend geopolitics and Europe’s post-Cold War security balance.