Category: News Briefs Written by WXYZ

 

DETROIT (WXYZ) - The body of Monte Williams Jr. was located by Detroit police on Thursday, more than a week after he disappeared. 

 

Family members tell 7 Action News a fingerprint match was used to identify the 25-year-old man.

 

Williams was reported missing on September 11.

 

 He was last seen at the home on Dresden Street he shared with his girlfriend.

 

Williams had been shot in the abdomen.  

 

 

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/body-of-missing-detroit-man-found#ixzz27Q1xdhYW

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Category: News Briefs Written by WDIV

 

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -

Bloomfield Township police say alcohol is suspected of being involved in a deadly crash Monday morning on I-75 that closed down the southbound lanes of the roadway for hours.

 

The southbound lanes were shut down at Square Lake Road at about 3 a.m. after a 1997 Buick ran off the road and overturned in a ditch.

 

The lone driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver's name isn't yet being released.

 

Traffic was back up for miles until the roadway opened just after 7 a.m.

 

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Bloomfield-Township-police-say-alcohol-suspected-in-deadly-crash-on-I-75/-/1719418/16712528/-/ekek4dz/-/index.html

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

DETROIT — (WWJ) Employees of Chrysler's Great Lakes Business Center are now working out of new offices in downtown Detroit.

 

"We are proud to contribute to the continuing transformation of the Motor City," said Reid Bigland, President and CEO – Dodge Brand and Head of U.S. Sales, Chrysler Group. "I am thrilled that one of my teams will be embedded in the city that means so much to our company."

 

The Chrysler workers—mostly involved in sales and marketing–will occupy the top two floors of what used to be the Dime Building. As part of the deal, the building has been renamed Chrysler House. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne will also have an office in that building.

 

Chrysler spokeswoman Katie Hepler said, while they have manufacturing operations in Detroit, the company felt they had to make more of a commitment.

 

"It's really important to us to also have a corporate presence downtown, to feel the energy of our city," she said. "Hopefully it will contribute to some creativity and innovation that goes forward in our advertising and sales."

All totaled 70 employees will occupy the 33 thousand square feet of space. Chrysler says the office will include a large training room, state-of-the-art board room and a kitchen.

"We are excited to get settled and to really enjoy all that downtown Detroit has to offer," said Mike Dragojevic, Head of the Great Lakes Business Center. "There is an energy and creativity around the city that is infectious."

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/24/detroits-chrysler-house-is-now-open-for-business/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WDIV

 

DETROIT -

It’s apparently not all “good times” for the Pure Michigan campaign.

 

The popular tourism campaign’s statewide singalong video set to Owl City’s “Good Time” has been taken down because of a copyright issue.

 

“This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Songs Music Publishing,” says a message when you try to view the video.

 

The video featured people from 50 cities across the state.

 

On their Twitter page, @PureMichigan says "The film producers weren't aware of a secondary copyright holder and are working to resolve this issues asap."

 

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Pure-Michigan-statewide-singalong-video-taken-down-for-copyright-issue/-/1719418/16712802/-/format/rss_2.0/-/10ge4h4/-/index.html

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) Detroit police are on the scene of an armored truck robbery.

 

The truck was reportedly stolen in the Harper and I-94 area on the city’s east side, and recovered at Sherwood and I-94.

 

One very important thing was gone: All of the money.

 

WWJ 950′s Mike Campbell is on his way to the scene and will have details in a live and local report once more information is available.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/24/breaking-armored-truck-stolen-in-detroit/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) A new survey found Detroit banks charge their own customers the fifth-highest fees in the nation for leaving their network for an ATM transaction — $1.86 per transaction.

 

That’s according to new research from Bankrate.com, which discovered the out-of- network fee is in addition to the average surcharge of $2.55 that Detroit ATM operators charge to non-customers.

 

That means a customer charged both fees would be out $4.41 for each out-of-network withdrawal.

 

Also, the average ATM surcharge (the fee charged by an ATM operator to a non-customer) rose 4 percent to a new record of $2.50.  This is the eighth straight year that the average ATM surcharge increased.

 

 

And for the first time, 100 percent of the banks that Bankrate.com surveyed charge non-customers to use their ATMs.

 

There’s more bad news for bank customers in the survey that included 10 banks in each of 25 large U.S. markets, as the study found the percentage of free checking accounts offered by U.S. banks continues to fall as other checking fees continue to rise — with only 39 percent of non-interest checking accounts surveyed available to all customers free of charge, down from 45 percent a year ago, and way down from the peak of 76 percent in 2009.

 

“Checking accounts that are free on a standalone basis continue to diminish. But a free checking account is still within reach of the majority of Americans, whether by getting the fee waived through direct deposit or moving to a bank or credit union that still offers free checking,” said Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate.com’s senior financial analyst, in a press release. “And consumers that practice good financial habits should rarely – if ever – incur ATM and overdraft fees.”

 

More findings:

 

• The average monthly service fee on non-interest checking accounts is a new record of $5.48, up 25 percent from last year.  The average balance requirement to avoid the fee is $723 – up 23% from the previous record that was set last year.
• The average monthly service fee on interest checking accounts is a new record of $14.75, up four percent from last year.  Avoiding the fee requires an average balance of $6,117 – up nine percent from the previous record that was set last year.
• Overdraft fees  increased 1.4 percent from last year, in line with the Consumer Price Index, to a new high of $31.26.  For the fourth straight year, the most common overdraft fee is $35.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/24/report-bank-fees-up-dramatically-detroit-ranks-5th-worst/

 

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) - Dozens of people marched outside DTE Energy payment centers on both Detroit’s east and west sides on Friday, speaking out against what they say are unfair practices.

 

WWJ Newsradio 950′s Florence Walton reported DTE’s on West 7 Mile Road office was temporarily closed Friday as a result of the demonstration.

 

The group is protesting high utility bills and shut-offs for non-payment, among other things.

 

Community Activist Brandon Neil said DTE is charging too much for services that people can not live without. ”Kids and the elderly are gettin’ sick, because they don’t have no lights and gas … Do the right thing!” Neil said.

 

Pastor W.J. Rideout said these protesters are part of the 99-percent.

 

“We stand against DTE wrongdoing and illegal shut-offs and illegal hiked charged prices in their guestimations of people’s bills,” Rideout said.

 

A similar protest, drawing a crowd of 200, was held in front of DTE Headquarters in July.

 

A DTE spokesperson says while there is no guarantee against utility shut-offs for non-payment of bills, the utility has several programs to help customers, including qualifying senior citizens.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/21/crowd-speaks-out-against-unfair-energy-costs/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - Demand for the iPhone 5 has been so strong, Apple has delayed some shipments. WWJ Newsradio 950′s Mike Campbell reported Friday there was enough supply to ensure retail outlets had enough to attract lines and media coverage.

 

People lined up outside retails stores nationwide, including right here in metro Detroit, for the iPhone 5. AT&T Vice President and General Manager Brian Ducharme seemed surprised people showed up at the company’s Royal Oak store hours before it was scheduled to open.

 

Kevin White of Royal Oak, got in line at 11 p.m. Thursday to be first to buy a iPhone 5 when the AT&T store opened at 8 a.m. Friday. (WWJ Photo/Mike Campbell)

“That’s crazy,” Ducharme said. “I was talking to a few of them and I said, why didn’t you just order this online? And he said, there’s something about being the first one here. There’s people here worried about being seen and missing out on work. It’s just a frenzy and it’s an exciting fun day.”

 

There are a lot of reasons people give for wanting the new iPhone.

 

One customer said that it’s supposed to be life-changing. Another customer said that he had an old Apple phone and he got a lot of apps for it so he could have to move all his apps over.

 

iPhone 5 buyers talking to WWJ said they decided the 4G screen capability, larger screen, lighter weight of the new model is justification for standing in line to get one. There are only two colors available: black and white.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/21/iphone-5-flies-off-metro-detroit-store-shelves/

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Category: News Briefs Written by myfoxdetroit

 

DETROIT (MyFox Detroit) - Detroit Police have been working to come up with a long range strategy to reduce fear and prevent violent crime. Thursday, the department revealed results from a pilot program tested in one area of the city.

 

Home invasions, assaults, critical shootings -- violent crime in Detroit have escalated in 2012. Can the problem be fixed?

 

An attempted answer to that question was to implement a program called "Broken Windows" in the Grandmont-Rosedale neighborhood.  The premise of the program developed by the Manhattan Institute of Public Policy relies on citizens getting more involved. 

 

At a meeting to check on the status of the program was implemented a few months ago, Inspector Vicki Youst was asked whether there has been any progress catching individuals suspected of robbing North Rosedale residents while they were doing yard work.

 

"The pattern was essentially that people were doing yard work, they were in their driveway, that someone was coming up and pulling off gold chains or jewelry from the individuals. We have made some gun-related, firearm-related and robbery-related arrests in this immediate area, and because we have not seen that modus operandi reappear, at this point I'm cautiously optimistic that we have caught the people responsible."

 

Detroit Police released stats showing improvement in decreasing the number of home invasions in the Grandmont-Rosedale community -- a 32 percent reduction in home invasions in the last 120 days.

 

"This is simply fantastic. This is how you build a safe community," said Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee.

 

This area is strong on neighborhood watch and citizens' CB radio patrol.

 

George Kelling of the "Broken Windows" program attended the meeting. He reiterated the premise of asking police and neighborhoods to crack down together on all crimes, even smaller crime in an effort to keep more serious crimes from developing.

 

"As you heard in the presentations, some of these criminals are very, very busy. They're stealing tires. They're carrying guns, and they settle disputes by shooting each other, and so, yes, I think 'Broken Windows' can help." says Kelling. 

 

Godbee says this program will go from a 'pilot phase' to full implementation starting soon in northwest Detroit.

 

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/19601127/detroit-neighborhood-tries-crime-prevention-with-broken-windows-program

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Category: News Briefs Written by mlive

 

DETROIT, MI - The Detroit Public Schools tentatively has surpassed anticipated fall enrollment, according to the district. 

 

As of Tuesday, 51,674 students had attended classes in the district's 100 schools. The district's fiscal year budget is based on fall term enrollment of 49,852 students.

The district says attendance was 90 percent Tuesday as 46,668 students made it to class, the Associated Press reports.

Detroit Schools has been pushing to increase enrollment and attendance in all of its schools.

A new automated calling system which notifies families of a student's absence in even one class each day has logged more than 177,000 calls and 41 attendance agents are addressing truancy.

 

About 66,000 students attended Detroit schools last fall. That number was down from 104,000 in 2007 and 168,000 in 2000.

“I continue to witness that attitudes are different across our schools this year,” Emergency Manager Roy Roberts said. “This is based on an overall positive direction moving forward, a smooth start operationally and academically for the new school year, a comprehensive effort in late summer aimed at ensuring parent and family readiness for the first day of school, and other new attendance initiatives.”

 

Along with the automated calling system, some 50 ministers' wives and widows participated in their new presence mission at DPS schools on Opening Day. Doors knocked on this August by Detroit Parent Network parent organizers and parent volunteers exceeded 2,000, and more than 100 events were covered by DPS enrollment teams during a several-week Back-to-School period. 41 Attendance agents have begun addressing truant children.

 

Roberts encouraged the parents and guardians of students who have not returned to classes this fall or whose attendance has lagged to act now to take advantage of the instruction taking place at this valuable time of the academic year.

 

Final count data for the October 3 and upcoming Winter term Count dates and 10-day reporting windows that follow is based on the number of FTE (full-time equivalent) students. The actual FTE could be less than “head count” enrollment, for example, for a high school level student not attending full schedule.

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2012/09/call_system_ministers_wives_he.html

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