Wind Chill Advisory in effect • House full of kids mistakenly shot up • Crying Lions fan's deep connection
WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - The bitter cold stretch continues with a Wind Chill Advisory for Metro Detroit.
Temperatures could drop to 15-20 below zero on Wednesday morning.
It will not be as cold the next couple of nights, but single digit lows reappear over the weekend as dry weather wins.
However, some relief is coming.
The bitter cold looks to exit much of the U.S. as early as Jan. 23. The Climate Prediction Center has much of the country above normal for the chance to see temperatures trend above the seasonal January highs.
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Wind chills as low as -20 possible Wednesday morning in Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit wind chills could dip as low as -20 on Wednesday morning as bitter cold sticks around.
House full of kids mistakenly targeted in drive-by shooting
Tamara Pope and her family are traumatized after a drive-by shooter hit the wrong house last week.
Poe, her partner, and their six children were getting ready for their day when more than a dozen gunshots were fired into their Inkster home.
"Nobody should ever have to go through that with their kids - it was like a warzone in this house," she said. "The detective said that they found 13 shell casings. These people shot up my house 13 times - and for a bullet not to have struck none of us - it's only by the grace of God."
Pope was grazed by a bullet. Just before that bullet grazed her head, it hit her daughter's backpack in her bedroom.
Inkster police said they believe the intended target were actually neighbors – a group of teenage boys who have been in trouble in the past. They're suspected of leading police on a chase in a stolen car last February and there was also a drive-by shooting next door in October.
Now, the couple is trying to move to avoid this or something worse happening to the family.
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Inkster house full of kids mistakenly targeted in driveby shooting
An Inkster house full of kids barely were all lucky to escape after a drive-by shooter targerted the wrong house.
Garden City residents left without heat
Garden City residents are criticizing DTE's response after they were left without heat during the recent cold blast.
Those who live on Rosslyn Avenue woke up Monday to furnaces that were not working due to low gas pressure.
"It was really chilly in the house and I went to the thermostat and raised it, and nothing would happen," said Jim Gray, one of the residents. "A technician came out, and he goes, ‘no, the furnace is fine... The problem is you have low gas pressure.’"
When Gray spoke to neighbors, he discovered they were having the same issue. Like him, they had called on repair services to figure out the problem. They then called DTE, who handles both gas and electricity in the area.
"I said ‘I got a medical history, plus I can’t be in this weather,’" Gray added. "Yesterday they said ‘somebody will come to your house between 8 and 5,' and I said ‘OK, I'll be home.' (DTE) never called, never came."
On Tuesday, DTE crews showed up and began excavating the frozen ground in the area. The company said the problem stems from a recent water main issue that led to residual moisture getting in the gas lines and preventing the gas from reaching customers.
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Garden City residents left without heat in cold weather, criticize late DTE response
Several residents on Rosslyn Avenue in Garden City were forced to endure the freezing temperatures when they woke up without working furnaces Monday morning.
Crying Lions fan shares connection to team
When the Detroit Lions secured a playoff victory on Sunday, one fan was not shy about letting the tear flow.
Cameras captured Arron Wikaryasz's emotional reaction, a result of a connection that runs deep, the fan said.
"I think Joe did it. I don’t know what you believe in but we do," said Dave Schmieder, Arron's stepfather.
Joe is Arron's father. A lifelong Lions fan himself, it was him who introduced Arron to the team.
"He got us season tickets in '99. Two tickets, one for me and one for him. That was it, it was the only person he wanted to bring," said Arron.
Joe, who worked as an ironworker and assisted in building Ford Field, inspired Arron to enter the trade. It made him proud of his dad. Then, when Arron was 14, Joe tragically died in a truck crash while coming home from work.
When he was laid to rest, he was buried in his Lions jersey.
"Yes I wanted so bad to save it for his son, but it was something I just had to let Joe take with him because that's how much he cared about the Lions," said Marcy Schmieder, Arron's grandmother.
With so much sentiment baked into one football team and one NFL season, it's not surprising when Arron says, "It wasn't just a game to me."
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Crying Lions fan's connection to Detroit's football team runs deep
When the Lions had done enough to win their first playoff game, cameras turned to Arron Wikaryasz, who had tears streaming down his face. The story of those tears, was about more than a victory.
Whitmer explains her TikTok use as app is banned on state phones
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer banned TikTok on government devices a year ago – but she continues to use the platform herself. That's creating a controversy in Lansing but she says her use is necessary to reach younger voters.
Whitmer banned the use of TikTok on all government devices in March 2023, around the same time that the same move was made by President Joe Biden.
However, the governor is still using the app to communicate with users.
"There is a security risk, but we do recognize that there are a lot of people that get their information from TikTok," Whitmer said. "That's why we have a device that is dedicated simply to TikTok."
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Michigan Governor Whitmer explains her TikTok use as app is banned on state phones
Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer is still using TikTok to get her message out -- despite banning it from state devices. Here's why.
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Daily Forecast
The bitter cold sticks around, and there is snow in the forecast.
What else we're watching
- Dearborn police say a man used his pickup truck to block the path of another driver before pulling a gun on the victim. Now they are looking for both drivers.
- Barry Holley Washington, a man who authorities say shot a Detroit police officer with a shotgun last week, is now facing charges.
- Police say a 17-year-old was drunk when he crashed into another driver in Shelby Township earlier this month, killing them. That teen has been charged with murder.
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell and others will be in Detroit on Wednesday for the annual partnership meeting ahead of the 2024 Draft. The significance of the draft and what it means for the city will be discussed.
- Phone records and a jacket with Samantha Woll's blood were among evidence that prosecutors revealed during a court hearing about the Metro Detroit Jewish leader's murder last year.
Tesla supercharging station packed in Chicago, dead cars line parking lot due to frigid temps
Electric vehicles may be the way of the future, but many EV owners are having trouble dealing with Chicago’s bitterly cold temperatures.
Public charging stations have turned into car graveyards over the past couple of days.
"Nothing. No juice. Still on zero percent," said Tyler Beard, who has been trying to recharge his Tesla at an Oak Brook Tesla supercharging station since Sunday afternoon. "And this is like three hours being out here after being out here three hours yesterday."
Beard was among the dozens of Tesla owners trying desperately to power up their cars at the Tesla supercharging station in Oak Brook. It was a scene mirrored with long lines and abandoned cars at scores of other charging stations around the Chicago area.