Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That's why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we'll get you out the door informed and ready to go.
What's the weather for today?
Some light lake effect snow showers are possible Wednesday, otherwise skies will be mostly cloudy to partly sunny. Highs peak in the low to mid 20s.
Clearing skies Wednesday night will lead to our coldest morning of the week Thursday morning. Temperatures will be in the single digits to near 10°. Wind chills will be near 0° or a little below. The clear skies will lead to plenty of sunshine Thursday, helping temperatures climb back into the mid 20s by the afternoon.
Our next best chance for a few inches of snow will be Friday afternoon into Saturday morning. As of right now 1"-2" of snow is possible across southeast Michigan, with the best chances south of M-59.
Any traffic issues?
So far, no major traffic issues to know about this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map before heading out on the roads.
The top stories to know about
Police investigate Roseville apartment in missing Warren mother's case
Multiple police agencies spent hours Tuesday investigating at an apartment complex in Roseville that could be connected to a missing Macomb County mother.
Ashley Elkins, 30, of Warren hasn't been seen or heard from since Jan. 2, family said. They've been pleading for her safe return and for the public's help in getting answers.
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities investigated at the home of a man Elkins previously dated, police said. The apartment is on Pinehurst Street near 11 Mile.
Warren and Roseville police departments and Michigan State Police were at the scene. It's unclear at this time what investigators were looking for and if anything was found. The scene was cleared late Tuesday evening.
“Yeah, I saw all the police here and the police presence and so I ran to the maintenance guy and he let me know what was going on and I was shocked,” Timothy Dick said. "It's just so close. I mean, the building is right next to mine."
According to family, Elkins left her Warren home on Knox Avenue around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 2 to run errands. Her younger sister was the last loved one to see her. Elkins' mother Monika stopped by the home but had just missed her.
Howell Nature Center raises $140K since financial woes, looks to successful 2025
It has been a tumultuous few months for the Howell Nature Center. A financially strenuous 2024 made them close programs and let go of staff, but after a flood of generous donations, they are reopening programs and are looking forward to a successful 2025.
In November, we reported how due to the rising cost of supplies and the dramatic decrease in donations, the nature center had to close their rehabilitation clinic, which provides critical medical services to injured wild animals.
Because the center is a nonprofit, they do not receive financial aid from the local, state or federal level. Their biggest source of revenue is school field trips, however donations are how they get by.
Because of the financial strain, their wildlife rehabilitation clinic remained closed for about a month.
“Turning animals away is not anything that anyone ever wants to do," Howell Nature Center veterinarian Genevieve Cornwall said.
After our story aired, in just a few days the center raised over $90,000. By the end of the year, they raised approximately $140,000.
"Super excited about what 2025 has in store for us. I think we’re all ready for a much, much needed great year and I think this is going to be the one," Howell Nature Center CEO Tina Bruce said.
The center is now back to taking in new patients and helping injured wildlife.
Cameras roll as Canton police take down foreign national suspected of scamming elderly woman
Canton Police body cameras were rolling as a fraud suspect sought to scam an 84-year-old woman of $25,000 on December 17. That was after he and another man allegedly conned her out of another $40,000 just days before. Needless to say, the plot did not go as planned.
“It’s sad. You’ve got an elderly person who worked really hard their whole lives. To have their earnings taken from them is really terrible,” said Erin Downs.
Downs and Laura Hahn are the victim’s daughters. They monitor her accounts and were stunned to find three large withdrawals for a total of $65,000 in December.
“We contacted our mom and questioned why that had happened, and she told us we knew that wasn’t right. We contacted the local police department,” Downs said.
Investigators say a scammer cold-called the woman, pretending to be a senior fraud officer at her bank.
“They’re very convincing,” said Captain Joseph Bialy of the Canton Police Department. “They convinced the victim that there was an error in her account, and because of that error, she owed them money.”
That second suspect, who has not yet been caught, told the woman his assistant would collect the money from her home.
Li Biao, a Chinese national who police say is in the country illegally, was that bag man. He collected $40,000 from the woman on two separate occasions.
Canton Police entered the picture after the suspected scammers set up a third pickup for another $25,000. Officers waited at the woman’s home on the day of the exchange. When Biao arrived and got the money in hand, they sprang into action.
“It was nice to see a collaborative effort from the police department resulting in positive outcomes placing somebody in custody, especially with the circumstances surrounding this incident where an elderly victim was taken advantage of for quite a bit a sum of money,” said Captain Bialy. “So, for the Canton Police Department to get her back some of that money or at least stop the loss of money was very satisfying for us.”
Biao is facing a pair of felony charges for fraud and obstructing police. Downs and Hahn are hoping no one else experiences what their mother did.
