IS IT STARTS NOW. MANY METRO DETROITERS HAVING TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO STAY AS TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GOING
WITHOUT POWER FOR ANOTHER NIGHT
. IN THIS COLD WEATHER IS A LIVE
LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON
DETROIT’S WEST SIDE RIGHT NOW,
DTE SAYS 419,000 CUSTOMERS ARE
WITHOUT POWER. THAT’S ABOUT ONE
IN FIVE DT CUSTOMERS. BUT THE
GOOD NEWS IS WE ARE SEEING THAT
NUMBER DROPPED MUCH MORE
QUICKLY. OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS
. WE DO HAVE AN UPDATED TIMELINE
ON WHEN THEY EXPECT THE POWER TO
BE BACK ON. DTS SAYS IT HOPES TO
HAVE HALF OF THE REMAINING
OUTAGES RESTORED BY TONIGHT AND
THEN POWER BACK TO NEARLY
EVERYONE BY SUNDAY NIGHT. IF
YOU’RE ONE OF THEM, OF COURSE
THAT’S FEELING LIKE A LONG WAIT
, BUT THE OUTAGES TOP OUR NEWS
HERE AT SIX. I’M DEVIN SCILLIAN
AND I’M KRISTY MCDONALD IN FOR
KIMBERLY. GUILT TONIGHT. WE HAVE
TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT ON THE
POWER PROBLEMS, STARTING WITH
SHAWN LEY, WHO IS LIVE ON
DETROIT’S WEST SIDE FOR A SEAN.
GOOD EVENING, CHRISTIE
DETROITERS TODAY, TELLING US
THEY ARE REALLY SICK AND TIRED
AND REALLY FRUSTRATED. SEEING
THESE. YOU’VE GOT A DOWN LINE
HERE. WE BELIEVE IT’S TURNED
OFF, THEN TAKE IT OFF THE LINE
STRETCHES RIGHT ACROSS THE
STREET. SOME PEOPLE HAVE DRIVEN
OVER THIS TODAY. THE SCENE,
THOUGH, HAS NOT CHANGED HASN’T
BEEN TOUCHED SINCE IT WAS TAPED
OFF. PEOPLE WANT THIS FIXED AND
WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF LINES LIKE
THIS ALL OVER THE WEST SIDE
TODAY. THEY ALSO WANT THE POWER
BACK ON AND NOW WE’RE SEEING THE
IMPACT ON LOCAL BUSINESSES.
WE’VE BEEN ON STREET AFTER
STREET BLOCK AFTER BLOCK ON
DETROIT’S WEST SIDE, WHERE WE
FOUND POWER LINES DOWN, TAPED
OFF LIKE THIS ONE JUST LYING
ACROSS LYNDON PENROD. WE PUT
DRONE FOUR UP TO SEE DTE CRUISE
IN THIS AREA. ONE LINEMAN HERE,
SAYS RESTORATION IS QUOTE. NOT
GOING WELL. CREWS ARE SCRAMBLING
TO DOWN LINE AFTER DOWN LINE.
JUST TO SECURE THEM. TURN THEM
OFF. MAKE SURE THEY’RE SAFE. IF
THEY CAN FIX THEM, THEY WILL BUT
USUALLY HAVE TO RUSH OFF TO AN
AREA THAT HAS MORE ATTITUDE. AND
IN DETROIT. IT’S NOT JUST WIRES
. THIS TREE HAS BEEN ACROSS THIS
STREET SINCE WEDNESDAY. STORM
CALLED ABOUT THE TREE AND THEY
TOLD ME UP TO A WEEK. THEY SAID
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DON’T DO IT.
HERE COMES A TRUCK RIGHT NOW
DRIVE ON MY GRASS SEED PEOPLE
BEEN DRIVING OVER MY GRASS. I
PUT MY GARBAGE CAN NEAR PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN DRIVING OVER. MY BRAND
IS GETTING PAST. THANKS DON’T
MAKE NO SENSE. AND WHAT ABOUT
BUSINESSES? SCOTTY SIMPSONS ON
FINKEL SHOULD BE PACKED ON THIS
FIRST FRIDAY OF LENT, BUT NO
POWER. IT’S CLOSED. TRAFFIC
LIGHTS REMAIN OUT FOR MILES. WE
LOOK TO GRAB LUNCH ALL THE WAY
OUT TO TELEGRAPH BUT NO POWER.
NO LUNCH. NO LUNCH, NO BUSINESS
BUSINESS, NOT MAKING MONEY. LOOK
AT A CONVERSATION WITH ALIGNMENT
TODAY, WHERE HE SAID IT WASN’T
GOING WELL, HE SAID. HE WAS A
VERY SLOW PROCESS. HE SAYS HE
DOESN’T HAVE POWER IN HIS HOUSE,
EITHER, HE SAYS. WHAT HAPPENS IS
DTE PINPOINTS POLICE, FIRE AND
HOSPITALS FIRST, THEN THEY GET
TO THE HOTLINES NEXT AS FAST AS
THEY CAN TURN THEM OFF. THEN
THEY DISPATCH CREWS TO THE
LARGEST NUMBER OF OUTAGES THAT
ALSO INCLUDE NURSING HOMES, HE
SAYS. IT IS A SLOW PAIN. MAKING
PROCESS SITE TO SITE BACK TO
YOU. ALRIGHT THANKS SO MUCH SEAN
, WITH HUNDREDS OF 1000.
MICHIGAN IS WITHOUT LIGHT OR
HEAT HEADING INTO THIS WEEKEND.
MANY ARE ASKING. WHY DOES THIS
KEEP HAPPENING WHEN WEATHER
STRIKES? WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT
IT? GRANT HERMES JOINS US.
YOU’VE BEEN TALKING WITH AN
EXPERT WHO THINKS ABOUT THOSE
ANSWERS EVERY SINGLE DAY. DEPUTY
CERTAINLY DOESN’T ONE OF THE BIG
THINGS THAT WHAT YOU’RE SEEING
HERE. BEHIND ME, IS POWER LINES
RUNNING THROUGH TREES OR RATHER,
TREES GROWING THROUGH POWER
LINES YOU CAN SEE THIS YEAR HAS
BEEN DOWN BECAUSE OF THAT STORM.
IT’S ALREADY BEEN TRIMMED. BUT
THIS EXPERT ALSO SAYS WHILE
TRIMMING TREES IS A BIG HELP.
WHAT IS IT EVEN BIGGER ISSUE
HERE IS UTILITIES JUST NEED TO
BE BETTER ABOUT PREPPING FOR THE
STORMS BEFORE THEY GET HERE AND
THEN GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT
STORM AFTER THE ONE WE JUST SAW.
EVERY TIME THERE IS A STRONG
STORM. IT SEEMS SO MANY
MICHIGANDERS ARE LEFT IN THE
DARK AND THE COLD THIS TIME AS
THE LATEST WINNER SYSTEM BROUGHT
SLEET, SNOW AND ICE TO STATES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. NEARLY ONE
MILLION HOUSEHOLDS WERE LEFT
WITHOUT POWER AT ONE POINT,
800,000 OF THEM WERE IN MICHIGAN
, FOR AND AWAY THE LARGEST
OUTAGE NUMBER IN THE NATION. SO
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX THIS?
THE FIRST ANSWER? WE’VE HEARD
TIME AND TIME AGAIN. TRIMMING
TREES IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
EXPENSES THAT UTILITIES HAVE,
BUT ALSO MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
IN HOW RESILIENT THE SYSTEM IS
IN THE FACE OF PARTICULARLY WIND
EVENTS AND ICING EVENTS.
UTILITIES HAVE POURED TENS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO DO THAT
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. THEN
THERE’S ALWAYS TALK OF BURYING
LINES BUT AT A COST OF A MILLION
DOLLARS PER MILE OF LINE THAT
TOTAL COMES TO ABOUT $31 BILLION
IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. THAT
MEANS THE REAL ANSWERS TO
PREVENTING THIS IS FOR UTILITIES
TO HAVE BETTER PLANS TO GET
CREWS OUT TO FIX DOWN LINES.
JUST GETTING THERE CAN TAKE
BETWEEN 12 TO 36 HOURS. AND
MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY, IS WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER THE STORM BLOWS
THROUGH NOW THAT MOTHER NATURE
HAS DONE SOME OF THE TREE,
TRIMMING ITS UP TO UTILITIES TO
MAKE SURE THE SYSTEM CAN HANDLE
ANOTHER STORM HERE SOMEPLACE
THAT’S GETTING HURRICANES PRETTY
REGULARLY. THEIR SYSTEM IS IN A
SENSE, ADAPTED TO IT BECAUSE IT
HAS TO BE SO WHEN THEY PUT THE
SYSTEM BACK TOGETHER. THEY DO IN
A WAY TO TRY TO MAKE IT STRONGER
AGAINST FUTURE EVENTS. AND I’M
HOPING DT IS DOING THAT IN THIS
CASE. NOW DTE DOES REMAIN ONE OF
THE LEAST RELIABLE UTILITY
PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTRY. WHEN
YOU LOOK AT NATIONAL RANKINGS,
IT’S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST
EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF RATES AND
ALSO FOR ABOUT $400 MILLION IN
RATE HIKES LAST YEAR, DESPITE
ALL OF THAT, DDT DOES SAY THAT
THEY HAVE SPENT ABOUT A BILLION
DOLLARS IN PUTTING RESILIENCY
INTO OUR POWER GRID THAT
RESULTED IN LAST YEAR, A 20%
DROP IN POWER OUTAGES. SOUNDS
LIKE THEY’LL BE TRYING TO WORK
ON THAT AGAIN AFTER THIS LATEST
WEATHER SYSTEM IN VAN BUREN
TOWNSHIP, GRANT HERMES FOUR.
LOCAL ALRIGHT SO WHAT SORT OF
CONDITIONS WILL THE POWER CREWS
BE FACING TONIGHT? BRANDON RUIN
FOR KIM ADAMS TONIGHT WITH LOOK
AT THE 41 FORECAST BRANDON.
LUCKILY, IT HAS BEEN FAIRLY
TRANQUIL, BUT IT IS PLENTY COLD
OUT THERE, THE WARMEST THAT
WE’RE SEEING OVER AT METRO WHERE
WE’RE STILL GETTING A LITTLE.
YOU KNOW OF THAT DAYLIGHT WE
STILL HAVE ABOUT 12 MINUTES
BEFORE THE SUN. SETS AND TEMPS
WILL BE FALLING INTO THE LOWER
TWENTIES. IF YOU HAVE FRIDAY
EVENING PLANS FEELING LIKE THE
TEENS, AND SO THAT’S WHAT CREWS
ARE DEALING WITH AROUND TOWN AS
THEY HOPEFULLY WRAP THINGS UP OR
MAKE PROGRESS. YOU KNOW, WE’RE
HOPING FOR THAT. WE LOOK OUT
WEST AND WE DO SEE A LITTLE
WEATHER MAKER GETTING GOING HERE
WITH SOME LIGHT ISH SNOW THAT
WILL BE COMING THROUGH METRO
DETROIT. MOST OF YOUR EVENING. A
OKAY THERE SHOULD BE THREE TO
ABOUT EIGHT A.M. FOR A DUSTING
TO MAYBE AN INCH. SO WE ARE
WATCHING THIS SYSTEM DOESN’T
LOOK TO BE THROWING DOWN A WHOLE
LOT. BUT IT COULD BE A NUISANCE
GETTING IN THE WAY OF YOUR EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING PLANS WARMER ON
SUNDAY, GUYS COMING UP. OH WE DO
HAVE YOUR FOREWARN WHETHER APP
FORECAST HERE IT IS AVAILABLE
FOR YOU IF YOU SEARCH WDIV’S
YOUR APP STORE, 1000% FREE
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT OUR WEATHER AND WEATHER
AROUND THE WORLD. ALL RIGHT,
BRANDON. TONIGHT WE ARE GETTING
TO HEAR FROM ONE OF THE HEROES
OF THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
SHOOTING. SHE’S A 911 DISPATCHER
WHO KEPT CALM AS SHE FIELDED
DOZENS OF CALLS ALL AT ONCE AND
DIRECTED OFFICERS AS THEY SEARCH
FOR AN ACTIVE SHOOTER. MARA
MACDONALD JOINS US LIVE WITH HER
STORY, MARA HI, CRISTI. YOU
KNOW, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE
LISTENING TO THOSE MSU POLICE
SCANNERS THE NIGHT OF THAT
ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION, AND
THERE WAS A SINGULAR VOICE THAT
EVERYBODY HEARD AND IT BELONGED
TO AMY BARAJAS. AND SHE IS
EXACTLY WHO YOU HOPE IS ON THE
OTHER LINE OF 911. IF YOU’VE GOT
A CALL IT WAS 8 18. PM AMY
BARAJAS WAS ON DUTY IN THE
KINGDOM COUNTY 911 DISPATCH WHEN
THE ORIGINAL CALL CAME IN ON THE
LINE. THERE WAS A CALL OF A
STUDENT. AND WHAT DID THE
STUDENT TELL YOU? THERE’S
SOMEONE THAT THERE WAS A GUNMAN
AND THAT HE HAD THE EDGE AT HER
FRIEND AMY’S VOICE YOU HEARD AS
SHE PUT IN MOTION THE MASSIVE
RESPONSE TO THE ACTIVE SHOOTER
ON CAMPUS UNITS. I GOTTA SHOT
COMPLAINING HALL 509 EASTERN
TIME TRYING TO GET FURTHER. I
HAVE A VICTIM WHO WAS WITH THE
VICTIM ONLINE ON THE PHONE. IT
WAS THE BEGINNING OF A LONG
NIGHT AND THOUSANDS OF PHONE
CALLS FROM THOSE ON CAMPUS SO
FAR IS THAT THERE’S A SHOOTER IN
THE HALLWAY. MULTIPLE PEOPLE
SHOT IN DORM ROOM OR CLASSROOM.
WONDERFUL A LOT OF IT. I CAN’T
REMEMBER. I JUST REMEMBER DOING
THE INITIAL GETTING UNITS OUT
THERE. I HAD, UM, MY PARTNER IS
ASKING IF THEY WANTED OTHER
DEPARTMENTS AND I SAID, YOU
KNOW, SON, EVERYONE WE GOT UNTIL
WE KNOW WHAT NO FOR SURE WHAT’S
GOING ON? SHE MADE EXACTLY THE
RIGHT CALL AND THE HUNT WAS ON
FOR THE SHOOTER TOWARDS THE
UNION BUILDING. WESTBOUND WE
HAVE A DESCRIPTION FOR THESE
OFFICERS OUT THERE. THEY DON’T
KNOW WHAT THEY’RE GOING OUT TO.
THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT’S OUT
THERE. THEY THEY DIDN’T KNOW
WHERE THE GUNMAN WAS. MY VOICE
WAS A LIFELINE FOR THEM THE
HARDEST PART OF THAT NIGHT FOR
AMY AND HER FELLOW DISPATCHERS
WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO STAY ON
THE PHONE WITH THE VICTIMS.
THEY’RE SO SCARED. AND THEY GOT
THEY GOT YOU ON THE PHONE. IT’S
SOMEBODY THEY CAN TALK TO. THAT
CAN MAYBE HELP THEM AND YOU
CAN’T STAY ON THE PHONE WITH
THEM. YOU JUST CAN’T THERE WERE
SO MANY OTHER CALLS COMING IN.
WE HAD WE HAD TO WE HAD TO SAY
GOODBYE. THAT WAS VERY HARD. ON
A TYPICAL NIGHT IN DISPATCH.
THERE ARE 10 FIELDING CALLS IN
ONE SUPERVISOR THAT NIGHT. THEY
HAD 20 DISPATCHERS MANNING THE
PHONES. THE VOLUME WAS JUST THAT
GREAT. I THINK JUST BECAUSE I
WAS THE MAIN DISPATCHER AND I’VE
GOTTEN SO MUCH ATTENTION, BUT I
WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO
THAT. WITHOUT MY COWORKERS. WE
WORKED LIKE A WELL OILED
MACHINE. BACK HERE LIVE IN, UM,
COUNTY DISPATCH TELLING US THAT
THAT NIGHT ALONE, THEY FEEL THAT
MORE THAN 2000 CALLS AND MORE
THAN 143 911 TEXTS FROM MSU.
WE’RE LIVE DOWNTOWN TONIGHT. I’M
MARA MACDONALD. LOCAL 4
TREMENDOUS STORY. MARA IN JUST
THE MULTITASKING IN KEEPING CALM
, BUT REALLY THAT POINT OF
WANTING TO STAY ON AND BE WITH
PEOPLE AS THEY CALLED IN. THANKS
SO MUCH MHM WOMAN WANTED IN THE
DEADLY HIT AND RUN CRASH THAT
KILLED MICHIGAN STATE SENIOR IS
NOW BACK IN THE UNITED STATES
DUBBED HIM SUE HOUSING. FLEW
BACK FROM THAILAND EARLIER THIS
WEEK AND IS NOW IN CUSTODY
AWAITING A DETENTION HEARING.
INVESTIGATORS SAY HOUSE AND HIT
AND KILLED 22 YEAR OLD BENJAMIN
CABLE IN OAKLAND TOWNSHIP ON NEW
YEAR’S DAY AND THEN FLED THE
COUNTRY. AFTER HEARING SHE WILL
RETURN TO MICHIGAN TO FACE STATE
AND FEDERAL CHARGES. THERE ARE
TWO BIG FREEWAY CLOSURES THIS
WEEKEND IN OAKLAND COUNTY IS
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS BEGIN TO
RAMP UP AGAIN. BOTH DIRECTIONS
OF 75 WILL BE CLOSED BETWEEN 6
96 AND SQUARE LAKE STARTING
TONIGHT AT 11 O’CLOCK. CRUZ WILL
THE SHIFTING TRAFFIC FOR THE
NEXT PHASE OF THAT MASSIVE
REBUILD PROJECT. THIS TIME, THE
FOCUS IS 13 MILES TO 6 96. THE
FREEWAY WILL REOPEN ON MONDAY
MORNING, BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO
GIVE YOURSELF SOME EXTRA TIME
DURING THAT COMMUTE. THEN OVER
ON I 6 96 CREWS WILL BE SHUTTING
DOWN BOTH THE WESTBOUND LANES
FROM TELEGRAPH TO I 2 75 THAT
STARTS AT EIGHT O’CLOCK TONIGHT
. WHEN IT REOPENS ON MONDAY
MORNING, THE WESTBOUND LANES
WILL HAVE ONLY TWO LANES OPEN.
THIS YEAR, CRUISE WILL BE
REBUILDING THE EASTBOUND LANES
FROM 2 75 TO EVERGREEN. NEXT