Oxford shooter's resentencing request denied • UP copper mine grant in limbo • How much snow to expect

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Some people in Southeast Michigan woke up to snow, while others only saw a dusting - but it's not all we'll get.

That snow will continue to fall through the morning, and a bit into the afternoon.

Snow totals will range from a dusting to 2 inches, with the highest amounts north of I-69. 

Lake-effect snow could add more for Port Huron and areas along the Lake Huron shoreline, where 3 inches+ are possible. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 10 p.m. Friday for those areas. 

After the snow moves out for the weekend, the temps drop as cold air settles in. Highs won't make it out of the 20s on Saturday and Sunday, but milder temperatures are on the way for next week. 

Oxford High School shooter's resentencing request denied

The Oxford High School shooter will not be resentenced, a judge ruled this week.

The shooter, who was 15 when he killed four students on Nov. 30, 2021, wanted a new sentence after pleading guilty to numerous charges and being sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Oakland County Judge Kwame Rowe denied the request. As part of the request, the shooter wanted to withdraw his plea.

Attorneys for the shooter argued that because of his age, he didn't fully understand the plea that he made and thus should be allowed to withdraw it and get a new sentence.

Rowe did not agree.

"The Court finds that Defendant’s plea was knowingly, voluntarily, and accurately given and there was no defect in the plea-taking process," Rowe said in his opinion. "The Court finds that Defendant’s sentence is constitutional and proportionate to the seriousness of the offense and the offender." 

UP copper mine project in limbo

Millions of dollars in grant funding for a massive mining project in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is in limbo after the Senate committee declined to approve the funds this week.

The appropriations committee approved more than $240 million in grants for Down Chemical, the University of Michigan, and Detroit Diesel.

But absent from the approvals was the $50 million that would have gone toward a proposed copper mine near the Porcupine Mountains WIlderness State Park in the western UP.

The no-vote comes a week after the Michigan House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the funding amid jeers from activists concerned about the environmental consequences the mining project would have on Lake Superior and the surrounding wilderness.

The 505-acre Copperwood project would create 380 permanent jobs, another 300 construction jobs, lead to $425 million in investment, and act as a source of economic revival for the remote area of the state, Highland Copper, the company behind the project, has said.

The proposed project comes amid a new appetite for precious metals amid an industry-wide transition toward electric vehicles, which require certain minerals to make the batteries that power the new generation of automobiles.

Substitute teacher accused of sending inappropriate messages to student

A substitute at a St. Clair Shores high school is on leave for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a student.

The Edustaff employee who works at Lake Shore High School was immediately removed after they were accused of sending sexually explicit texts.

"It was just crazy, I mean like the whole school knew about in about it in a matter of an hour period," said student Jayda Sierra, who didn't receive any of the messages but says she did see them. "There were screenshots going around."

Edustaff said it learned about the alleged misconduct on Dec. 17.

"The employee was immediately removed from their assignment and placed on leave. At this time, they remain on leave status and are not permitted to work in any capacity under Edustaff while the investigation is pending," the company said in a statement.

Police are investigating the accusations. 

Michigan testing milk amid bird flu concerns

The state is taking steps to make sure milk is safe amid fears of avian influenza, also known as bird flu, infecting dairy cows.

"This is a new disease for us in dairy cattle," said Tim Boring, the director of Michigan's agriculture department. 

Michigan is in the first phase of milk testing overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Testing began in December as a means of monitoring milk samples coming from farms to better understand the nature of the mutated virus. Several other states are also doing so.

Any insight gleaned from the strategy will be used to better understand the nature of the bird flu outbreak, including how it spreads and how it mutates.

The H5N1 outbreak among cattle was first reported in March in Texas, which became the source of the first dairy herd infection reported in Michigan. Shortly after, the CDC reported the first case of a human testing positive for bird flu.

As of Dec. 13, there have been 61 human cases of bird flu.

The severity of the outbreak and potential for more mutations is why MDARD is coordinating with other state departments like the DNR and MDHHS, as well as with the federal government.

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Daily Forecast

Snow and cold are both here, but higher temperatures are coming.

What else we're watching

1. Site renderings have been revealed for three solar arrays coming to Detroit neighborhoods. The projects begin next year.
2. With the holidays here, Metro Detroit food pantries are struggling to keep up with the needs of the people they serve. Learn how to help here.
3. If you're a miliary member or vet who will be flying this busy holiday season, get away from the hustle and bustle at the Freedom Center at Detroit Metro Airport. Located in both terminals, the lounges provide snacks, food, and a quiet place to rest.
4. Michigan lawmakers want to remove an amendment to the state constitution that says marriage is only between a man and a woman. Though gay marriage is federally protected, if that were to ever change, it would immediately be illegal in Michigan without the change.
5. The Michigan House has adjourned until Dec. 31 after a chaotic final day in Lansing that saw Democrats try and fail to get enough of its members into the chamber to vote on more legislation.

House fails to pass Trump-backed spending bill

As a government shutdown looms days before Christmas, the House rejected a new plan on Thursday backed by President-elect Donald Trump that would have funded operations and suspended the debt ceiling.

Lawmakers failed to reach the two-thirds threshold needed for passage, as Democrats and dozens of Republicans refused to accommodate Trump’s sudden demands. The plan didn’t even get a majority, with the bill failing 174-235.

It was a big setback for Trump and his billionaire ally, Elon Musk, who railed against House Speaker Mike Johnson’s earlier bipartisan compromise earlier this week, which Republicans and Democrats had reached to prevent the government shutdown.

But despite the failed passage, Johnson appeared determined to reassess before Friday's midnight deadline.

The bill would have funded the government through March 14, 2025.

Without a new funding agreement, a shutdown will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21.

A bill would still need approval from the Democratic-controlled Senate, and signed by President Joe Biden. 

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