LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN DETROIT LOCAL 4 NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. A BIG NEW INVESTMENT PROMISES TO BRING
THOUSANDS OF JOBS TO WAYNE
COUNTY BUILDING THE BATTERIES
THAT ARE SO CRUCIAL TO AUTO
INDUSTRY’S FUTURE. GOOD EVENING
, EVERYBODY NO ONE IN MICHIGAN
WANTS TO SEE THOSE BIG AUTO
PROJECTS CROPPING UP OUTSIDE OF
OUR STATE. IT TAPS ARE NEWS
TONIGHT AT SIX. SO IN FACT, THE
LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR SET
ASIDE A BILLION STATE DOLLARS TO
TRY TO ATTRACT BIG DEVELOPMENTS
HERE. AND IT’S PAYING OFF WITH A
NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY
PLANT IN VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.
IT’S GOING TO BE AT THE
CROSSROADS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
NEAR THE COURSE AND HAGGERTY,
BUT THE EXCITEMENT RIGHT NOW IS
IN NOVI, WHERE LOCAL 4 BUSINESS
EDITOR ROD MELONI IS LIVE WITH
THE STORY ROD. WELL THESE ARE
THE CORPORATE OFFICES FOR OUR
NEXT ENERGY OR ONE AS YOU CAN
SEE, IN THE SIGN BEHIND ME. THEY
ARE ECSTATIC BECAUSE NOW THEY
PROCURED THIS MASSIVE PLANT IN
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP WITH THE HELP
OF A $200 MILLION PLUS GRANT
FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND
MUJI. I JAZZ IS THE CEO, AND HE
SAYS THIS AMERICAN COMPANY IS
DOING SOME RATHER INTERESTING
THINGS WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY.
WE’RE USING A MATERIAL, IRON
BASED MATERIAL THAT’S EASY AND
ABUNDANT TO GET ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD. WE’RE NOT CHASING AFTER
COBALT, WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT
TO GET. WE’RE REDUCING THE COST
OF BATTERIES, AND WE’RE
EXTENDING THE RANGE OF ELECTRIC
VEHICLES ALL THE WAY TO AROUND
600 MILES. USUALLY WHEN WE HEAR
ABOUT THESE KINDS OF
MEGAPROJECTS WITH BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS AT STAKE, AND IN THIS
CASE, 700,000 SQUARE FEET OF
FLOOR SPACE, WE WAIT A LONG
WHILE FOR AN OPENING, BUT NOT
THE CASE HERE. THERE’S ALREADY A
MASSIVE BUILDING JUST AWAITING
WORKING HANDS NEAR THE AIRPORT.
THE EXPECTATION IS THEY WILL
WORK UP TO BUILDING A COUPLE OF
100,000 HEAVY BATTERY PACKS A
YEAR. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF
YEARS. I JAZZ LIKES THE NEW
TIMETABLE. WE’RE GOING TO MOVE
INTO THAT BUILDING AND TAKE
POSSESSION IN JANUARY, PERHAPS
MORE EXCITED AS TAYLOR STATE
REPRESENTATIVE ALEX GARZA HAPPY
A COUPLE OF 1000 NEW JOBS ARE
COMING INTO HIS DISTRICT. WE
DEFINITELY ARE IN NEED OF MORE
IN DIVERSIFIED FACILITIES LIKE
THIS, ESPECIALLY THE FUTURE OF
BATTERY OPERATION IN IN THIS
COUNTRY, SO WE’RE HAPPY TO BE ON
THE FOREFRONT OF THIS. YES THEY
COULD HAVE GONE OUT OF STATE.
BUT THEN BUREN PUTS OUR NEXT
ENERGY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NECESSARY TRANSPORTATION IT
NEEDS BUT MORE THAN THAT BRINGS
UNIQUE INDUSTRY TALENT TO BEAR
OUT OF TALENT. AND BEING ABLE TO
BRING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING
TO RUN THAT FACTORY FROM
AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCES AS WELL
AS BATTERY EXPERIENCES. NOW
BATTERY TECHNOLOGY OFFERS A LOT
OF DIFFERING OPPORTUNITIES AND
THEY’RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH
D T E TO USE BATTERIES THAT THEY
MANUFACTURING VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP
AS PART OF THE GRID. IN OTHER
WORDS, THE IDEA IS TO TAKE THE
BATTERIES THAT THEY’RE GOING TO
BE SHIPPING AND FOR 30 DAYS,
CHARGED THEM UP AND THEN
DISCHARGE THEM AND USE THAT AS
STORAGE SPACE FOR OUR ELECTRICAL
GRID. TRYING TO MEET SOME OF THE
DEMANDS OF THE FUTURE ISSUES AND
THE GREEN ENERGY PLANS THAT THEY
HAVE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.
IT’S GOING TO BE FASCINATING.
WE’RE CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD
TO SEEING IT WHEN THEY ACTUALLY
GET UP AND RUNNING BACK TO YOU,
AND WE KNOW THE DEMANDS ARE
TREMENDOUS, RIGHT. I KNOW. YOU
KNOW, WE OFTEN SEE THESE
BATTERIES STARTUPS LINKED TO
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS
LIKE GM OR FORD. IS THAT THE
CASE HERE? NO IT IS NOT. AND IN
FACT, THAT’S ONE OF THE UNIQUE
THINGS THEY SAY IS THAT THEY
HAVE FUNDING FOR THE NEXT FOUR
ABOUT $4 BILLION FOR THE NEXT
FEW YEARS. THEY HAVE ALL THE
BUSINESS THEY NEED. THEY DON’T
NEED TO GET ANY HELP. WHAT THEY
WANT TO DO IS TO GET GOING AND
ACTUALLY BUILDING THEIR NEW
GENERATION BATTERIES AS SOON AS
THEY CAN. YEAH ALL RIGHT. LOTS
OF EXCITEMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH
ROD AND COMING UP TOMORROW AT 6
45 GOVERNOR WHITMER JOINS OUR
MORNING SHOW TEAM FOR A LIVE
INTERVIEW. SHE’S GOING TO TALK
ABOUT BATTERY PRODUCTION. THE
NEW JOBS THAT ARE COMING AND A
WHOLE LOT MORE AGAIN. THAT’S
TOMORROW MORNING AT 6 45 RIGHT
HERE ON LOCAL 4. WE CONTINUE TO
FOLLOW BREAKING NEWS FROM
DETROIT’S WEST SIDE WHERE PEOPLE
ARE BEING ASKED TO STAY INDOORS
WHILE POLICE INVESTIGATE SHOTS
FIRED AT OFFICERS RIGHT NOW, TWO
PEOPLE ARE IN CUSTODY. WE JUST
GOT THIS NEW VIDEO FROM THE
SCENE WHERE A SWAT TEAM WENT
INTO A HOME TO POSSIBLY SEARCH
FOR EVIDENCE OR OTHER SUSPECTS.
THE SHOOTING HAPPENED IN THE
AREA OF WESTWOOD STREET NEAR
FORD AND EVERGREEN. IT IS
UNCLEAR IF ANYONE WAS HIT.
NEIGHBORS SAY OFFICERS WERE
WALKING ALONG THE STREET WHEN
SOMEONE FIRED SHOTS AT THEM.
WITNESSES SAY IT SOUNDED LIKE
FIRECRACKERS. OKAY. WHAT I HEARD
WAS, IT’S LIKE. BY BYE. AH WHOA!
WHAT’S GOING ON? YOU KNOW, I WAS
SCARED. YOU KNOW A LITTLE
BROTHER RIGHT HERE. MY FATHER
RIGHT HERE. AND THE SECOND I
HEARD THE GUNSHOTS. I TOLD MY
FATHER TO GO INSIDE THE HOUSE. I
LOOKED AT I C FOUR GUYS RUNNING
THREE GUYS. AND AS YOU SHOOK ME.
SO HERE’S THE LATEST OFFICERS
MAY BE SEARCHING FOR A THIRD
PERSON AGAIN. POLICE ARE ASKING
PEOPLE LIVING IN THE AREA OF
WESTWOOD AND DAYTON TO REMAIN
INDOORS AS THIS INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES AND MAKE SURE TO STAY
WITH LOCAL FORWARD AND
CLICKONDETROIT.COM WE’LL BE
UPDATING YOU THROUGHOUT THE
NIGHT. INVENTORY AT A FOOT
LOCKER STORE IN EAST POINT HAS
BEEN HURT, BUT THIS TIME IT’S
NOT A SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUE. POLICE
SAY THE PRODUCT MADE IT ONTO THE
DELIVERY TRUCK, BUT IT WASN’T
DELIVERED. VICTOR WILLIAMS LIVE
WITH THE STORY AND VICTOR OF
FEDEX EMPLOYEE NOW FACING
CHARGES. OH YEAH, THAT IS RIGHT.
SANDRA DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR
INVESTIGATORS, ALONG WITH FEDEX
AND FOOT LOCKER TO CONNECT ALL
THE DOTS. WHY WOULD YOU MESS UP
YOUR CAREER? UM. YOU KNOW, HE
WAS GONNA GET CAUGHT. I REALLY
DON’T GET IT. MORRIS JONES IS
BEING CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT
ALONG WITH RECEIVING AND
CONCEALING STOLEN PROPERTY AND
CONNECTION TO THE INTERCEPTION
OF NEARLY $100,000 WORTH OF
MERCHANDISE FROM FOOT LOCKER AND
IT WAS QUITE A BIT OF INVENTORY
, DETECTIVE ROBERT KENNEDY,
ESSMAN SAYS, INSTEAD OF DROPPING
OFF A BIG SHIPMENT TO FOOT
LOCKER JONES INSTEAD KEPT
EVERYTHING FOR HIMSELF, EVEN
SELLING SOME OF IT AFTER
FREQUENT LATE AND MISSING
DELIVERIES, BOTH FEDEX AND FOOT
LOCKER KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T
RIGHT AND THAT’S WHEN THEY GOT
THE EAST POINT. POLICE INVOLVED
EXECUTED SEARCH WARRANT
RECOVERED A LOT OF FOOT LOCKER’S
PROPERTY, AND AS OF NOW, IT
DOESN’T LOOK LIKE HE WAS ALONE.
A YOUNG WOMAN MAY HAVE BEEN
HELPING HIM IN SOME WAY THE
WHOLE TIME. THERE IS A POTENTIAL
A COUNTLESS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED
AS WELL. SO WE’LL BE SEEKING A
WARRANT THROUGH THE COUNTY
PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE AND DUMB
TODAY IN 38TH DISTRICT COURT,
JONES SAID BEFORE JUDGE FOR THE
FIRST TIME WHERE HE WAS GIVEN A
$25,000 PERSONAL BOND WITH THE
GPS TETHER. THE CASE REMAINS
UNDER INVESTIGATION WERE DIGGING
IN A LITTLE DEEPER TO SEE HOW
HOW FAR IT WENT. HOW FAR BACK
THIS WAS GOING, AND THERE’S SOME
PROPERTY THAT PROBABLY WON’T BE
RECOVERED. UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S A
SHAME. AND POLICE SAY THAT AT
LEAST JONES IS COOPERATE. VICTOR
WILLIAMS BEFORE. ALL RIGHT,
THANK YOU, VICTOR. WELL ANOTHER
GORGEOUS DAY OUT THERE. HOPE
YOU’RE ENJOYING IT AND ENJOYING
THE NIGHT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE
WE HAVE WHAT, LIKE, TWO NICE
DAYS LEFT RIGHT. KIM ONE. OH
SORRY. I GUESS IF YOU COUNT THE
REST OF TODAY, YES, BUT FRIDAY
IS WHEN EVERYTHING JUST REALLY
CHANGES. WE WILL MAKE IT THROUGH
TOMORROW, THOUGH AT LEAST MOST
OF THE DAY, FAIRLY PLEASANT 73
AT METRO AIRPORT NOW. 76 AT CITY
AIRPORT, 70 IN PONTIAC AND IN
MOUNT CLEMENS THIS EVENING, NOT
AS CHILLY AS IT WAS LAST NIGHT,
BUT AND ONCE THE SUN GOES DOWN,
IT DOES COOL OFF RATHER RAPIDLY
. BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WE WILL
BE IN THE UPPER FIFTIES
TOMORROW. THIS IS OUR LAST DAY
74 DEGREES FOR OUR HIGH THAN A
COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH AFTER
SUNSET IS THE BEST CHANCE FOR
SHOWERS. JUST LIGHT RAIN. WE’RE
NOT EVEN EXPECTING THUNDERSTORMS
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND WE
COULD REALLY USE SOME SOAKING
RAINS, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE JUST A
FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS OVERNIGHT
TOMORROW NIGHT AND THEN BEHIND
THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS SOME OF
THE COLDEST AIR WE HAVE SEEN IN
QUITE SOME TIME. TO KEEP TRACK
OF OUR FORECAST, AND ALL THESE
WEATHER CHANGES GOING ON OUTSIDE
THE NEWSCAST. DOWNLOAD THE
FOREWARN WEATHER APP. YOU PLUG
IN YOUR CITY, AND IT WILL GIVE
YOU A VERY SPECIFIC FORECAST FOR
YOUR AREA. SO DOWNLOAD THE
FOREWARN WEATHER APP TODAY. THE
OWNER OF A MICHIGAN FARM ACCUSED
OF USING UNTREATED HUMAN WASTE
ON PRODUCE IS SPEAKING OUT
TONIGHT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. THE
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE ISSUED A WARNING
ABOUT COUNTRY GARDENS AND HOMER
YESTERDAY, THEY SAY THE FARM
USED RAW, UNTREATED WASTE ON
PRODUCE FIELDS, SPARKING A
RECALL OF ITS VEGETABLES AT SOME
STORES IN METRO DETROIT COUNTRY
GARDENS TALKED TO LOCAL 4 TODAY,
CALLING THE INCIDENT AN HONEST
MISTAKE AND NOT INTENTIONAL. THE
OWNER TOLD US HUMAN WASTE WAS
DUMPED FROM AN OUTHOUSE BECAUSE
OF AN OVERSIGHT. THEY ARE
TESTING THE SOIL AND HAVE
STOPPED FARMING FOR THE REST OF
THE YEAR. WAYNE COUNTY
PROSECUTOR KIM WORTHY SAYS THE
FIGHT FOR JUSTICE IN THE FLINT
WATER CRISIS ISN’T OVER QUITE
YET. SHE SAYS HER TEAM IS STILL
ASSESSING ITS NEXT STEP.
YESTERDAY A JUDGE DISMISSED
CHARGES AGAINST SEVEN PEOPLE.
THE SUPREME COURT. CISION MADE
CLEAR THAT WHILE THE INDICTMENTS
WERE INVALID, THE ONE MAN GRAND
JURY CAN ISSUE WARRANTS AND THAT
WAS DONE IN THIS CASE. THE NEXT
STEP IN THE PROCESS IS
PROCEEDING TO IMPLEMENT TO
ELIMINATE EXAMINATIONS AND WE’RE
LOOKING AT THAT NOW WE STILL
CARE. WE’RE GOING TO HANG IN
THERE. WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE
TO FIGHT FOR YOU. WHAT HAPPENED
WAS ABOMINABLE AND HORRIBLE THAT
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH
AND WORTHY SAYS SHE BELIEVES THE
FLINT PROSECUTION TEAM MAY BE
ABLE TO STILL PURSUE CHARGES
BASED ON THE WARRANTS THAT WERE
ALREADY ISSUED. MORTGAGE RATES
IN THE US HAVE HIT A 16 YEAR
HIGH, ACCORDING TO NEWLY
RELEASED DATA FROM THE MORTGAGE
BANKERS ASSOCIATION. THE AVERAGE
RATE ON A 30 YEAR FIXED HOME
LOAN IS NOW 6.75. THAT’S THE
HIGHEST RATE SINCE 2006 RATES
HAVE INCREASED FOR SEVEN
STRAIGHT WEEKS BY 1.3% AND IT’S
MAKING PERSPECTIVE. HOME BUYERS
REALLY THINK TWICE. APPLICATIONS
FOR MORTGAGES FELL BY MORE THAN
14% FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK AND
ARE DOWN 37% COMPARED TO THIS
TIME LAST YEAR. NEGATIVE
ADVERTISING HAS BECOME A BIG
PART OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS. BUT
USUALLY THE ARTS SIGNS JUST SAY
THE NAME OF THE CANDIDATE ALONG
WITH SOMETHING POSITIVE. THAT’S
NOT THE CASE IN LIVONIA. THAT’S
WHERE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO
INFLUENCE THE SCHOOL BOARD RACE.
BY PUTTING UP SIGNS AIMED AT
OTHER SIGNS. JACQUELINE FRANCIS
SHOWS US WHAT’S GOING ON IN
LIVONIA. IT’S POLITICAL SEASON
AND CAMPAIGN SIGNS ARE LINING
NEARLY EVERY STREET CORNER. BUT
ONE OF THESE SIGNS IS GETTING
MORE ATTENTION THAN THE OTHERS
IN THE RACE FOR LIVONIA SCHOOL
BOARD CANDIDATES ARE GETTING
THEIR NAMES OUT THERE ONLY TO
FIND THIS SIGN PLANTED NEXT TO
THEIR OWN. IT’S REFERRING TO
LAST YEAR’S HOT BUTTON ISSUE OF
MASKING IN SCHOOLS. THEY WERE
ORDERED BY MATTHEW WILKE, THE
FORMER SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT IN
NORTHVILLE, WHO WAS REMOVED FROM
HIS POSITION AFTER MAKING
CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE
PANDEMIC IN 2020. SINCE THEN,
HE’S FOUNDED A POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEE ENDORSING CANDIDATES
ACROSS THE STATE, PROVIDING THEM
WITH THESE SIGNS, MANY OF WHICH
HE SAYS HAVE BEEN STOLEN. DO YOU
SEE YARD SIGNS ALL THE TIME, AND
ALL THEY HAVE IS THE NAME AND
WHAT THEY’RE RUNNING FOR, AND ON
OCCASION, THEY’LL HAVE A WORD OR
TWO. THIS ONE TELLS LETS PEOPLE
KNOW THIS IS WHERE THIS
PARTICULAR PERSON STANDS ON THIS
ISSUE, BUT THE INCUMBENT
CANDIDATES IN LIVONIA SAY THEY
NEVER VOTED TO IMPLEMENT MASKS
POSTING TO THEIR OFFICIAL
CAMPAIGN PAGE EXPLAINING THE
DISTRICT FOLLOWED STATE AND
COUNTY GUIDELINES, NEVER
IMPLEMENTING A MANDATE OF ITS
OWN. IN LIVONIA, SOME VOTERS ARE
TURNED OFF BY THE UNUSUAL SIGNS
. IT USED TO BE WHEN I WAS
YOUNGER CANDIDATES GOT ON
TELEVISION OR RADIO OR WHATEVER
, AND THEY SAID, THIS IS WHAT I
CAN DO FOR YOU. NOT LOOK WHAT
SHE DID. LOOK WHAT SHE DID, AND
THEY JUST SMEAR. AND THAT’S TO
ME, THAT’S NOT GOOD POLITICS,
ANOTHER VOTER, TELLING LOCAL 4
SHE’S NOT FOR MASKING, BUT NOT
FOR THESE SIGNS EITHER
CANDIDATE. WANTED THAT IN THE
PAST. THEN I DON’T THINK THAT
THEY SHOULD PUT THAT SIGN UP NOW
AND BRING ATTENTION TO IT. IN
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. IT’S
ILLEGAL TO REMOVE HER TO FACE A
POLITICAL YARD SIGN. BUT THERE’S
NOTHING ON THE BOOKS ABOUT THESE
TYPES OF SCIENCE WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT TONIGHT. WE ALSO CHECKED
IN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL CITY
OFFICIALS IN LIVONIA TELLING ME
THAT THESE APPEAR TO BE FAIR
GAME REPORTING LIVE. I’M