Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) - Some Michigan parents are planning to file a federal lawsuit in Detroit Thursday, claiming that the state and adoption agency officials withheld crucial details about the physical and mental disabilities in the children they adopted.

 

WWJ Legal Analyst and Talkradio 1270 morning show host Charlie Langton said the parents claim their civil rights have been violated.

 

“There’s a claim that the civil rights of the parents are being trampled upon by the state because of the state’s failure to disclose information. Who is in the best position to gather information about a child when the child is put up for adoption? It is the state. And if the state is not taking on the responsibility of gathering that information and disclosing that information, that becomes a civil rights violation, that’s a federal issue,” said Langton.

 

Lansing-area attorneys David and Stephen Kallman told the Detroit Free Press officials from the Department of Human Services and adoption agencies routinely withheld medical records and information about financial subsidies for special-needs children, misled prospective adoptive parents about their rights and stonewalled their attempts to seek assistance.

 

At the time of adoption, they were presented to parents as healthy babies. But in reality, the lawsuit claims many of the children had significant mental and physical health issues after being born to mothers who were addicted to drugs and alcohol — something the parents claim they were never informed of. Other children were handicapped or had diseases – something the parents claim the state also failed to mention.

 

Some parents claim their adopted children, most of whom were removed from homes of their biological parent or parents by court order, tortured pets, attacked family members and set fires.

 

The lawsuit also claims that several light-skinned ethnic minority children were “passed” as Caucasian for the sole purpose of depriving them of federal and state assistance to which they were entitled.

 

“It would be in the best interest of everybody if the state would disclose whatever information the state knew about these children before they adopted. I mean, disclosure is the name of the game in so many things. We have disclosure laws when you buy a car or a house, so why shouldn’t we have disclosure laws when you adopt a child,” said Langton.

 

If disclosure laws were in place, Langton said he thinks the number of adoptions would actually increase.

 

“You have to know what you’re buying, what you’re getting. I don’t want to make it on so impersonal terms here, but we’re talking about the life of a child, that if the parents are doing something good for the children, they should know what they’re getting so they can plan ahead accordingly… I think the state has a duty to go out there and investigate the background of this particular child and the family as well. It would help not only people in Michigan, but across the whole country,” said Langton.

 

Families included in the lawsuit are seeking as much as $13 million.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/13/parents-to-sue-mich-dhs-for-adoption-fraud/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) - Authorities say an underground cable problem is causing a power outage for several parts of downtown Detroit Thursday morning.

 

WWJ’s Ron Dewey reports the outage started in select areas Wednesday afternoon, including at some hotels where fire department EMS were called in to help people caught in elevators and on top floors.

 

Overnight, more buildings fell off the grid, including the Renaissance Center, Millender Center and Madden Building.

 

Some buildings are running on a backup power source, while others have been using industrial-size generators to keep the lights on.

 

It’s unclear exactly how long before power will be restored to the downtown area.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/13/parts-of-downtown-detroit-lose-power/

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Category: News Briefs Written by Huffingtonpost

 

The mother of an infant girl who has been missing since June, 2011, plans to marry the man suspected of killing their infant daughter last year.

 

Ariel Courtland has filed paperwork to marry Sean Phillips, the father of her daughter, Kate, known in the Michigan area as "Baby Kate Phillips."

 

Baby Kate disappeared on June 29, 2011, at the age of 4 1/2 months, from her home in Ludington, Mich. Phillips was the last person to see her alive, WOOD-TV reported.

 

The child's body was never found, but Phillips was convicted for the unlawful imprisonment of her in April. He is currently serving 10 years at Ionia Prison.

 

On the same day of his conviction, police named him as a suspect in a homicide investigation into the the girl's death.

 

Courtland filed an affidavit Monday in that county to marry Phillips, but said she is not marrying him for love, according to M-LIVE.com. She is hoping that the marriage will enable her to visit Phillips and find out what happened to their child.

 

Courtland, who testified against Phillips during his trial, has 30 days to marry Sean Phillips before the application is null.

 

Phillips has remained tight-lipped about what happened to his daughter, according to UpNorthLive.com.

 

Although the search for the missing girl has continued on and off, authorities say they have no new leads.

 

Courtland told WOOD-TV that Phillips has asked her to marry him before, but marrying may not get her the answers or access she wants.

 

John Cordell of the Michigan Department of Corrections told WOOD-TV by email that the warden of Phillips' prison "maintains the authority to deny the visit even if the person is married to the prisoner."

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/ariel-courtland-marry-suspected-killer-of-daughter_n_1875250.html?utm_hp_ref=detroit&ir=Detroit

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) — McDonald’s Corp. is doubling down on today’s nutritional emphasis, announcing Wednesday its restaurants in metro Detroit and across the country will post calorie information on all menus.

 

Will a $1 McDouble be as tasty when consumers know what it costs nutritionally? The chain is betting on it.

 

“At McDonald’s, we recognize customers want to know more about the nutrition content of the food and beverages they order,” said Jan Fields, president of McDonald’s USA. “As a company that has provided nutrition information for more than 30 years, we are pleased to add to the ways we make nutrition information available to our customers and employees.”

 

The change is set to happen Monday on menu boards and drive-through menus,which puts the company ahead of impending federal regulations approved through national healthcare reform requiring major chains to post the information, possibly as soon as early next year.

 

Along with the nutritional information, the Iillinois-based company is expected to roll out healthier options, including Egg McMuffins made with egg whites, Canadian bacon and a whole-grain muffin — called the Egg White Delight.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/mcdonalds-doubles-down-on-nutrition-puts-calories-on-menu/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

DETROIT (WWJ) - Four people were hospitalized after an alleged drunk driver crashed into the back of an auto hauler in downtown Detroit Wednesday morning.

 

The accident happened around 7 a.m. on the ramp from I-75/I-375 to Gratiot, near Eastern Market.

 

Michigan State Police say the whole thing started around 6:30 a.m., when an alleged drunk driver was being tailed by off duty state trooper on northbound I-75 near Outer Drive. That’s when man started driving on southbound I-75 and took the ramp to Gratiot, according to Lt. Michael Shaw.

 

“The individual accelerated, went off on Gratiot, struck a blue in color pickup truck, which caused his vehicle to overturn and hit the back of a semi truck, or car hauler, that was stopped at a traffic light,” said Shaw.

 

Reporting live from the scene, WWJ’s Ron Dewey spoke to Maurice Harris, who watched the whole situation unfold.

 

“The white car was driving real fast and the pickup truck was trying to turn on Gratiot. The white car tried to swerve over, not seeing the truck, and bumped up-side the pickup truck and bumped right back into the back of that hauler right there. It was horrible, crazy,” said Harris.

 

Emergency crews responding to the scene had to use the Jaws of Life to extract the male driver from the sedan. That driver, along with two men and a 3-year-old boy from the pickup truck, were taken to the hospital with unknown conditions. The driver of the auto hauler was uninjured.

 

Although Michigan State Police initially told WWJ there was one fatality in the crash, they now say they are waiting on the official word from the hospital to confirm that information.

 

The ramp from I-75/I-375 to Gratiot is expected to be closed for several hours while police investigate.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/1-killed-after-van-smashes-into-car-hauler/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

ANN ARBOR (WWJ) – University of Michigan police are warning parents about a suspicious man caught watching young children on the North Campus.

 

A resident told police he spotted an unknown man acting strangely around some kids who were playing on a lawn at around 10:30 a.m. Monday on the 1500 block of McIntyre Road.

 

The man left after the resident spoke with him.

 

The man is described as a white male in his 40s, about six feet, one inch tall and 250 pounds. He had a large belly, a bald head with brown hair on the sides, a round face, blue eyes and a thin brown mustache.

 

He was wearing a white long-sleeve t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

 

Anyone who has information about this man or observes other suspicious behavior is asked to call University Police at 734-763-1131 or 911.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/11/suspicious-man-caught-watching-kids-at-u-m/

 

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

WARREN (CBS Detroit) Saying he’s proud of his record of “honesty, transparency and forthrightness,” Warren Mayor Jim Fouts announced Wednesday a federal grand jury had issued a subpoena for records related to purchases by Gust Ghanum, Warren’s assistant public services director.

 

The records are tied to millions spent on new garbage trucks and a lucrative trash disposal contract.

 

Specifically, the subpoena, which Fouts released, orders Warren to give the FBI:

 

• Any and all records from Jan. 1, 2008 to now regarding the purchase of waste hauling trucks by Warren, and the purchase or acquisition of any parts for those trucks, including tires.
• Any and all electronic communication, including emails, which Ghanam sent, received or was copied on from Jan. 1, 2008, to the present.
• Any and all records regarding any contract between Warren and Detroit Renewable Energy and/or Detroit Renewable Power, including internal reports and communications, emails and memos related to vendors.

“All of the records requested were forwarded to the grand jury on August 22, 2012, the deadline set by the grand jury,” Fouts said in an email. “We have and will continue to cooperate with the grand jury by supplying all records that are requested.”

 

Fouts went on to reassure the public that all his appointees “must share (my) sense of honesty.”

 

“If any mayoral appointee is indicted resulting from this subpoena, he or she will be terminated immediately,” Fouts wrote. “The appointee will not be suspended but will be terminated.”

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/fbi-orders-warren-to-turn-over-records-for-lucrative-trash-contracts/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

WALLED LAKE (WWJ) - Police are investigating the sudden death of an Oakland County teenager who collapsed while playing basketball Tuesday night.

 

The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office say the 18-year-old was a Walled Lake Central High School graduate. He was identified by family members as Bryson Salem.

 

According to reports, Salem was playing basketball at LifeTime Fitness in Commerce Township when he collapsed. He was taken to Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

 

Relatives say Salem had just started his freshman year at University of Detroit Mercy, calling him a “wonderful young man” who seemed like a healthy teenager.

 

Salem’s father told The Detroit Free Press that his son had recently undergone a check-up and had no pre-existing medical conditions.

 

The Medical Examiner’s Office has not issued an official cause of death. An autopsy was planned for Wednesday.

 

As word of Salem’s death spread, many of his friends and classmates took to Twitter to share words of comfort with each other, using the hashtag #RIPBrysonSalem.

 

“I’m in shock right now. A class mate of mine died today. I literally just saw you today in computers class,” said @aidacoka.

 

“So sad seeing young ppl (sic) die. Truly makes you realize that u must live everyday like there is no tomorrow,” said @vanessamurad.

 

“My prayers also go out to Bryson’s family and friends. God has taken his child,” said @IrenePetou.

 

“I don’t know Bryson… But knowing that someone can just collapse and die playing basketball is scary,” said @WisamKizyJr.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/teen-collapses-dies-while-playing-basketball/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - The Southfield Police Department is asking for the publics’ assistance in identifying a female that is suspected of being involved in a check fraud ring.

Police say the check fraud ring has been operating in the metro Detroit area for about one year and has been targeting elderly victims.

 

According to investigators, the suspects obtain personal information from checking accounts and then use that information to create and cash fraudulent checks.

 

Anyone who has information about this suspect’s identity is asked to call the Southfield Police Department at 248-796-5540 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/police-search-for-woman-involved-in-alleged-check-fraud-ring/

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Category: News Briefs Written by WWJ

 

TORONTO — (WWJ) The Canadian Auto Workers Union has told local leaders to get ready for a strike, just in case one is needed when their contracts with the “Detroit Three” auto companies expire next Monday night.

 

“We’re making the preparations with the obvious intent of trying to avoid a strike,” said CAW President Ken Lawenza. “We just have to keep working on it. It’s frustrating, because I thought there would be more collaboration based on the incredible combined sacrifices that we’ve made.”

 

Lawenza told WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert that the two sides are very far apart, as they enter the final week of bargaining. The union wants to see pay raises. The companies want to move toward bonuses for performance, and lower pay for entry level workers.

 

“If the Detroit Three does not change their position on the multiple issues that we have at the bargaining table, then we have a problem,” said Lawenza.

 

The companies have not been willing to move much from their opening positions, said the union president.

 

“The slow dancing is over,” he said. “We’ve articulated a vision for the CAW membership. A vision for Canadian manufacturing in Canada from the Detroit Three. Obviously the manufacturers themselves have articulated their vision. Today, we have a significant gap.”

 

The car companies have said that they need to reduce their costs in Canada, which, they say, has become one of the most expensive countries to manufacture products. Lawenza says they are trying to force a UAW style contract on a union that is dealing with different realities.

 

“Y’know there’s no recognition today of the cost of living in Canada,” he said. “No recognition to the purchasing power, parity challenges that we have versus the United States. It’s just….simply, it’s a case of whipsawing.”

 

Whipsawing is a labor term for playing one union against another. As we near the deadline, and the talks intensify, executives at the auto companies have become very guarded in their comments.

 

“Our approach is always to collaboratively work together with all of our union colleagues,” said Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields. “Y’know our expectation is we’ll be able to come out with a satisfactory agreement for both parties.”

 

If there is a work stoppage next week, analysts say it won’t take long for auto assembly plans to start closing on the American side of the border. Mike Robinet, who’s managing director of IHS consulting, says there are a lot of Canadian made parts sent across the border to U.S. assembly plants.

 

The timing couldn’t be worse, with car companies scrambling to meet a growing demand for vehicles.

 

“It will be very difficult to make up that production,” said Robinet.

 

Robinet says car companies don’t have a lot of options.

 

“In past years, you’ve been able to work overtime to make up some of that production, once a labor stoppage had been rectified. When you’re already working a tremendous amount of overtime, there’s no slack in the system. Those are lost sales.”

 

While a strike in Canada would cost the major automakers a lot of short term pain, Robinet says the union could be hurt even worse over the long term. With flexible manufacturing, it’s a lot easier for companies to move production of vehicles currently built in Canada to the United States.

 

“This is a watershed moment in the Canadian auto industry,” said Robinet. “If this contract does not necessarily level the paying field with the UAW in other areas of the market, we could have some real issues in terms of the Canadian industry being viable over the next decade.”

 

CAW President Ken Lawenza says he understands this, and will take it into account as union leaders decide whether a strike would be able to accomplish any of their goals.

 

He’s hoping, however, that as negotiations intensify, the two sides can find common ground and prevent a walkout.

 

“The deadline will force both sides, quite frankly, to get to work, if—in fact—an agreement can be reached.”

 

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/09/11/strike-deadline-looms-for-detroit-carmakers/

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