Plus, today’s travel could be slick

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Morning Briefing

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2024

In today's newsletter, school shooter loses bid to withdraw guilty plea, today’s travel could be slick and Red Wings reeling from lost weekend. 

Lions break even more franchise records

Dan Campbell sure was cheesin' on the sidelines after this one.

 

The Detroit Lions hammered the Chicago Bears 34-17 Sunday for their 13th win of the season, setting a franchise record with two games left to go. They also broke the franchise record for most points scored in a season, surpassing the 474 points scored in 2011.

 

Still, Campbell says it's not time to party yet.

 

“It’s never been done. I told them one day, we’ll be able to look back and enjoy that. But not yet. It’s not the time.”

Curated by Jamie Rewerts

Two babies dressed in Christmas costumes

Babies from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital are dressed up in Christmas sweaters in honor of the holiday season.

(Photo provided by Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital)

Seat belt use is declining. Here’s how each Michigan county rates

Numbers: Fewer people were observed using a seat belt this summer in Michigan compared to previous years. The 2024 statewide average was 92% for drivers and front-seat passengers using a seat belt, according to an assessment prepared for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning by Michigan State University. That was down from 92.4% in 2023 and continues a downward trend since reaching 97.9% in 2009.

 

In education: Some Manchester parents have raised concerns over the planned use of the sometimes controversial young adult novel “The Hate U Give” in an eighth-grade class next spring because of its profanity and themes surrounding race and police brutality.

 

More in public interest: Party supply store giant Party City is going out of business and closing all of its stores. The New Jersey-based chain has more than 850 stores across the U.S., including 21 locations in Michigan.

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Michigan school shooter loses bid to withdraw guilty plea in 4 deaths

The latest: A judge on Thursday refused to allow a Michigan school shooter to withdraw his guilty plea to two dozen charges, including terrorism and first-degree murder. Ethan Crumbley’s appellate lawyers cited his mental health and other factors when he waived his right to trial at age 16 and pleaded guilty to killing four students at Oxford High School in 2021. But Oakland County Judge Kwame Rowe said Crumbley’s guilty plea was “knowingly, voluntarily, and accurately given.”

 

While we're in court: A federal court has ordered the owner of three Barrio Tacos restaurants in Grand Rapids, East Lansing and Traverse City to repay $823,326 in back wages and damages to 177 workers.

 

Michael Tolbert, the first person to be charged under a new safe storage gun law in Michigan earlier this year, will head to trial in 2025.

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Sleet, snow, freezing rain: Today’s travel could be slick

Much of the Lower Peninsula is under a Winter Weather Advisory as a Clipper system is set to bring a wintry mix of precipitation across Michigan today. Timing for this system is roughly 7 a.m. Monday to 10 p.m. Light icing on the roads is possible near and south of I-96 on Monday morning and into the early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service office.

 

Brrrr: Temperatures spiraled well below zero across Michigan Sunday morning, and some areas saw numbers plunge to levels of record-breaking cold. The NWS in Gaylord said the daily cold temperature record in that city was broken at 5:24 a.m. yesterday when the pre-dawn temps hit -21 degrees, a record that had been standing since 1989.

 

Grab your overnight bag: Rent a piece of history for the ultimate summer slumber party right on the edge of Lake Michigan. The iconic Point Betsie Lighthouse welcomes overnight guests for weekly stays in the summer and shorter stays in the shoulder season.

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Outworked and outcompeted, Red Wings reeling from lost weekend

Bitter loss: The Detroit Red Wings had a good opportunity to salvage what has been a disappointing season and inch closer to a playoff position. Instead, they plummeted to new depths this weekend with a pair of losses to the Montreal Canadiens, perhaps none worse this season than their 5-1 setback Saturday at the Bell Centre.

 

In basketball: Cade Cunningham scored 28 points and had 13 assists, Jalen Duren added 17 points and 11 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons beat the Phoenix Suns 133-125 on Saturday night.

 

Saying goodbye: John Keating, a longtime sports broadcaster in Michigan, announced Friday that he will retire from television at the end of the Detroit Red Wings season. Keating made the announcement on social media, noting that he made the decision in July.

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Grammy-winning Kalamazoo native pays homage to hometown with Christmas song

Narada Michael Walden has helped write or produce 57 No. 1 hits in his illustrious, musical career. But there's a song that is yet to make it, the drummer/producer hopes someday it will be revered as a classic. Co-written with his wife, Katie Walden, “Candy Cane Park” holds a special place in Walden’s heart. The song is inspired by Candy Cane Lane, which emerges each holiday season at Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park.

 

Get into the spirit: Cirque du Soleil has combined its extreme stunts with Christmas to create a whimsical holiday feast for the eyes and ears. “Twas the Night Before,” Cirque’s first-ever holiday production (debuting in 2022), is at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit through Tuesday, December 31 with both afternoon and evening shows.

 

Jackpot: The MGM Grand Detroit has been anything but rude to popular casino influencer Brian Christopher as he won the largest jackpot of his life while in town this week for a promotional appearance.

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Welcome to a new week

Thank you for joining me on today's edition of the Morning Briefing.

 

As always, you can find the latest Michigan news at MLive.com. While you're there, consider becoming a subscriber.

 

Have a good day!

 

— Jamie Rewerts

 

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