The Chaldean Community Foundation/Chamber of Commerce has opened a $15 million “CCF West” at 2075 Walnut Lake Rd. The new facility expands the chamber’s operations in Oakland County The completely renovated 42,184-square-foot facility positioned on seven acres on the site of the former Learning Circle Academy brings together the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and Chaldean News in one west side location The foundation also will continue its mission from its eastside offices in Sterling Heights along Maple Road  where it serves more than 48,000 individuals each year CCF West will serve as a hub for a wide range of vital services and resources for the community “We are greatly looking forward to assisting our clients with human and social services on the westside while offsetting the tremendous demand at our Sterling Heights facility,” says Martin Manna president of The Chaldean Community Foundation/Chamber of Commerce “At the same time we will be preserving and presenting our rich Chaldean culture through a wide range of mediums and platforms.” Complete renovation work for CCF West is expected to be completed by June 20 Founded in 2006 as the nonprofit arm of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce the Chaldean Community Foundation has been rooted in serving immigrant and newcomer communities Foundation programs specialize in mental health services educational programming for adults and young children services for those with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities the foundation served more than 48,000 individuals from 70 different countries of origin as part of its commitment to improving stability For more information, visit here Just inside the door of her West Bloomfield Township home Jewelette Estes tried to comfort her ex-husband: He did what he could to save the children who died following a neighbor’s house fire Jewelette Estes, 45, lives around the corner from the 5000 block of Pembury Lane, where, on Sunday night a deadly fire injured three children a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy — succumbed to their injuries at area hospitals the divorced Esteses spoke in the front hallway trying to understand how the deaths could have happened A fire official has said there were no working smoke alarms in the home and that a child reported being unable to get out Firefighters broke in through a locked door He keeps thinking how he’d want someone to get the boy out of a burning house Jonathan tried to alert whoever was inside the burning home Sunday night but he came to believe that no one was inside “I should have kicked that window,” he said Monday Jonathan pulled up to his ex-wife’s home around 8 p.m Sunday to drop off their 15- and 14- year-old children She’s a bit downhill from the Pembury Lane home where the fire happened but she said she saw an orange glow with Jewelette initially staying back with the kids and Jonathan racing off in his new SUV Jonathan didn’t know where the glow was coming from at first but he threw his car partially in a ditch while racing to the first home on Pembury It became apparent that the house was fine when he knocked and a young man came out said he had just finished working at his family's restaurant when he heard the knock Jonathan Estes and the young neighbor rushed to the two-story white house next door and started knocking there He and his companion tried to go around back to knock there It was hot and the swooping sound of the flames was loud It wasn't quite clear what exactly was on fire but the whole back of the house at least appeared in flames The pair again went to the front of the home There were also packages on the front doorstep; they must be on vacation If Jonathan had thought someone was inside It’s that very reason that made his ex-wife run up the hill and she knows he’s the type to try and help An officer arrived and broke out the back windows to the house Neighbors would witness firefighters pull kids from the house Those kids used to come and go from the house next door even using the trampoline outside Fayad’s home Jad recalled the dad of the home working on his yard and they seemed loving and caring from afar It was tragic to see the children carried out The elder Fayad said he saw firefighters take a knee seemingly winded at the efforts involved in the rescue The younger Fayad said he saw first responders slipping on ice while trying to work 3 children killed in West Bloomfield Twp. house fire: What we know Michigan dog to compete in Westminster, then go to LA to help wildfire victims Both Rawad Fayad and the Esteses said the parents of the kids in the house collapsed in grief Sunday night when they arrived home Rawad Fayad said the dad sobbed in his car officials reported that the kids were injured and did not report deaths Jewelette found some comfort in that Sunday night Jonathan remembers thinking the first child looked in bad shape when officials took them out on a stretcher His family and the neighborhood community members are distraught “It’s just something that you never expect to happen to someone that lives in proximity to you,” he said Rawad was the one who told Jad what had happened Jad is around the age of the deceased children and he couldn't help but think of if it had been his family caught in the fire Jonathan and Jewelette Estes said they immediately talked to their children about fire safety after the incident talking about multiple ways to get out of the home and that their eldest daughter should grab her little brother but the parents wanted to emphasize best practices right away West Bloomfield Township Fire Marshal Byron Turnquist also emphasized fire safety the morning after the blaze People need to make sure they have working smoke alarms replace alarms that are more than 10 years old and make sure alarms are outside and inside every bedroom Families also need to have and practice a safety plan Jewelette said she won’t be able to sleep until she learns more about what happened It’s a lesson in preparation and having a strong community around you to help Jonathan get his SUV out of the ditch in front of the Fayad family home as were the packages on the front porch of the house where the fire took place The white front door and rear exterior of the home had black smoke marks as was evidenced in Jewelette Estes’ front hallway as she spoke to the father of her children about his lingering guilt “You’re not a firefighter and your kids need their dad,” she said West Bloomfield Township — An Oakland County community is in mourning after a 12-year-old boy and his two teenage siblings were killed in a fire Sunday evening at a home that officials say had no working smoke alarms West Bloomfield Fire Marshal Byron Turnquist said Monday the cause of the blaze at the home on the 5000 block of Pembury Lane is under investigation One of the occupants is said to have called in to report the three — who included a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl — were trapped in the house The fire was contained to the main level of the home but there was "significant" heat and smoke damage throughout the home "We're working very closely with our partners at the police department and we just want to make sure that we don't miss anything," Turnquist said "(We're) still trying to again work through that and take a complete survey of the scene and try to determine .. how they were trapped and why they were unable to get out." He said a "very loving family" lived there for about three years who would sometimes come to his home to play basketball or jump on the trampoline "It's genuinely so insane we won't get to see them grow up It shows how your life can just change in an instant." had tried to alert his neighbors to the fire by pounding on the front door Jad and another man who attempted to help retreated in hopes the first responders would rescue the young people inside "We're always trying to help people," Nazir said District: 'Support the family'City officials received a 911 call at around 8 p.m about a structure on fire with residents trapped inside according to the West Bloomfield Fire Department Firefighter-paramedics from all six township fire stations responded forced their way through the front door and searched for the trapped occupants The two boys and one girl were found and transported to hospitals who added that there were no other occupants according to a letter sent from West Bloomfield Superintendent Dania Bazzi and High School principal Eric Pace informing families about the incident and available mental health resources One was a junior at West Bloomfield High School and the other two attended schools outside the district "Staff will be on alert and ready to assist students as needed," the letter said "We will work with the family and honor their wishes." The West Bloomfield School District's mental health team and mental health support will be available to students and staff on a drop-in basis in the counseling office this week it is important that we come together as a community and support the family involved and one another," the letter said "The most important thing we can do is love our kids and one another." The fire marshal encouraged the public to test their smoke alarms every month and to replace them if they are more than 10 years old "Everybody should know at least two ways out of their home," Turnquist said you need to have another avenue to escape your house echoed the plea to check smoke detectors in a post on Facebook "Utterly heartbroken by this devastating news My heart is with the family of these children who tragically passed away last night," Arbit said West Bloomfield Township Supervisor Jonathan Warshay said the community was mourning so our hearts go out to the family and their friends," Warshay said their neighbors and the West Bloomfield community as a whole feel their loss." yellow police tape encircled the front exterior Plywood covered what was once a narrow window next to the front door along with two windows in the back of the home In the driveway was a car with a yellow sticker on the bumper Two township police cars remained parked outside for hours said she had a clear view of the residence from a window on the second floor of her home has lived there for more than 20 years and said she didn’t realize anyone was in the house when she saw smoke flames and lights from emergency vehicles around 8:30 p.m "I was concerned because I didn’t know what was going on," Johnson said "I wasn’t scared because I feel like the emergency people had it under control The whole block was full (of emergency vehicles)." Nazir Fayad said he's using the tragedy as a teaching moment for his family We have fire extinguishers,' and teach them to use it," he said The incident came less than two weeks after a Redford Township fire left a 72-year-old woman dead In 2025, there had been 13 deaths from 12 fires in Michigan through Sunday before the three deaths were confirmed Monday in West Bloomfield's fire, according to the Michigan Fire Inspectors Society Fatal fire statistics for 2024 show Michigan experienced 116 deaths statewide resulting from 106 fires according to the state's Bureau of Fire Services The agency said the number is a 16% decrease from 123 deaths in 102 fires in 2023 Michigan fire departments responded to more than 34,400 fires between October 2023 and September 2024 according to the bureau's annual report for 2024 That compares with more than 38,600 in the same period the previous year UPDATE: Experts weigh in on keeping autistic kids safe after West Bloomfield fatal house fire A nonverbal child with autism kept leaving his home unannounced His dad even spotted him trying to crawl out of a second-story window the parents put a lock on the inside of their front door put the key to leave in a lockbox and installed window locks That child and his siblings were later pronounced dead after one told 911 they couldn’t get out during a Feb. 2 fire at their West Bloomfield home. And one of the kids was found behind the front door according to court records newly obtained by the Free Press Exact details on the fire and deaths of 16-year-old Hannah 14-year-old Jeremiah and 12-year-old Jacob Oliora have not been released but search warrant affidavits obtained by the Free Press are shedding new light on the police and fire investigations More: He tried to help as West Bloomfield Twp. home burned — now he grapples with deaths More: 3 children killed in West Bloomfield Twp. house fire: What we know 3 police interview with the children’s parents and details passed along from firefighters who responded to the scene at the white Police used that information as part of their probable cause argument to get a magistrate to sign off on their Feb 4 search of the home to look for the cause of the fire and any evidence of a crime Deputy West Bloomfield Police Chief Scott Mong called the deaths a “tragedy” and said that since the search warrant affidavits were written officials have obtained additional information “including about the measures the parents took to keep their developmentally disabled children safe.” “These measures appear to have been taken at the recommendation of knowledgeable experts,” he said The investigation is ongoing and the results will be released when it is complete and that we all avoid making a judgment about the children’s parents without all of the relevant information,” he said A parent of the children reached by phone Monday said they could not speak about them and the line disconnected Further attempts to give the parents a chance to comment were not returned The West Bloomfield fire marshal said this week that he could not yet comment on any determinations surrounding the cause or origin of the fire Official causes of the deaths have not been released by medical examiner offices both were working Sunday when the fire happened according to the synopsis of what they told police for their respective shifts — nursing for Liz and DoorDash deliveries for Don Hannah told him that she would start cooking hamburgers for herself and her younger brothers He had a few more DoorDash stops left and then would return home “There’s a fire in our house!” she told the 911 dispatcher Locks and Children’s Protective ServicesBesides Don and Liz Oliora Hannah was the only other person who had access to the key to unlock the front door from the inside They kept it in a lockbox in the home near the garage Wandering is not uncommon for children with autism Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the nonprofit Autism Speaks have pointed to a 2012 survey that found nearly half of youths with autism spectrum disorder wandered away at least once after age 4 and did so more frequently than unaffected siblings The children who did so did it for enjoyment and sometimes to avoid uncomfortable stimuli There were numerous close calls with drowning or traffic reported in the survey Police had prior contact with the West Bloomfield family in connection to a wandering child police got a call for a possibly lost 9-year-old child in the area according to a West Bloomfield police report tied to the address and obtained through the Freedom of Information Act More: Freezing deaths, living in squalor and shocking murder: Are Michigan's children OK? including the child’s name and his connection to the other person in the report were redacted — blacked out — so they could not be viewed But the report showed someone called to say a child was possibly lost about 10:45 a.m the child’s father had caught up with them The redacted reports indicate that police were told the child had run out of a back door and the responding officer told dispatchers to make note of a “condition” at an address police were called to the neighborhood for a small boy walking in the roadway More: Michigan man cleared of murder now fights for compensation Police found a 10-year-old boy with no socks shoes or coat on and took him to the police station according to the redacted police report for that incident Police used a tablet the boy had and found a phone number to call his dad A sergeant also drove out to find a family member of the child in person and found a front door standing wide open A sergeant knocked on the door for several minutes before going in Children’s Protective Services was contacted firefighters forced their way through the front door West Bloomfield Fire Marshall Byron Turnquist previously said Firefighters could hear the ignitor of the gas stove clicking They pulled Hannah, Jeremiah and Jacob Oliora from the home as neighbors watched Those neighbors later told the Free Press how they tried to save the kids themselves how the parents of the kids collapsed in grief when they arrived home A possible origin of the fire was spotted in the home’s living room when Turnquist arrived at the scene There were burn patterns between a couch and a wall but there was heavy smoke and heat throughout the home Two children were found on the first floor Turnquist also previously said there appeared to be no working smoke alarms in the house He urged the public to check their own and plan multiple ways to escape in an emergency The death of the youngest of the three children was preliminarily deemed to be an accident due to smoke and soot inhalation The other children’s autopsies were scheduled for the same day as the search The records also indicate police took two key sets from a dresser drawer in a first-floor guest room and keys from a ground-floor office The incident occurred on Sunday (Feb. 2) around 8 p.m. in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane, near 14 Mile Road and Orchard Lake Road. The fire department told Local 4 there were no smoking detectors inside the home. But the neighborhood was still in shock with the passing of the three children. “It didn’t take long either. It did not take long. In maybe about 10 minutes, that house was up in flames. From the time we called the police to the time they got here, it was already too late,” said Jewelette Estes. “I wasn’t 100% sure which house it was because when I pulled over there, it was just a lot of smoke in the street. Like you couldn’t see three houses down,” said Jonathan Estes. Jonathan said he noticed the smoke before flames engulfed the home and tried his best to help. After locating and knocking on the door, he thought no one was home. “When I saw the packages, I was like, ‘OK, they may be on vacation. I don’t think there’s anybody here.’ I was banging on the door. I didn’t hear anything. It looked like all the lights were off. So, I just aired on the side of assuming no one was as here, which was the wrong decision,” Jonathan said. “I saw them pulling the people out of the house and it was hard to watch, especially that first person. They were in bad shape.” We’re told some of the kids may have had special needs. But officials said all three children were pronounced dead at the hospital. “It seems as though the kids were home alone,” Jewelette said. “It made me change my mind about leaving my children at home, and my kids are 14 and 15.” When crews arrived at the scene, they forced their way into the home to find the three children—A 16-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy—trapped inside. Officials said the parents were cooperating with police. Sadly, we’re told one of the deceased was a West Bloomfield High School student. The West Bloomfield School District sent out information about the incident, letting parents know what happened. “It is with a heavy heart and tremendous sadness that we share that a WBHS junior was fatally injured in a house fire last night along with two siblings who attended schools outside our district. A tragedy like this impacts all of us differently and the grief we feel can manifest in many ways.” Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group As police and fire officials continued Wednesday to investigate a fire in a West Bloomfield Township home Sunday that resulted in the deaths of three children the victims' mother created an online fundraising page writing that "any support will be highly appreciated." Liz Osinde Oliora created a gofundme.com page on Tuesday asking for donations Gofundme.com spokeswoman Angelique McNaughton verified the page's authenticity the page had generated $2,395 in donations "I am the mother to beloved 3 children whose precious lives were cut shot (sic) by house fire here in West Bloomfield Michigan," Oliora wrote and I are very grateful for your support and love we have received this far were home when the fire started at about 8 p.m in the house in the 5500 block of Pembury Lane just off Orchard Lake Road between 14 Mile and Maple The children died from their injuries at local hospitals West Bloomfield police and fire officials, who said there were no working smoke alarms in the house, spent hours Tuesday sifting through the charred dwelling after securing a search warrant Police officials said in a statement the search was conducted "to further investigate the circumstances surrounding this fire to determine to the greatest extent possible what happened." The names of the three siblings have not been released but one was a junior at West Bloomfield High School and the other two attended Farmington Public Schools according to letters both districts sent to families offering counseling services The West Bloomfield Police ask anyone with information about the fire to call Detective Alex Mutchler at (248) 975-8938 Phone calls to Mutchler and the police administration were not immediately returned Wednesday the department released a statement saying "West Bloomfield Police Detectives and Fire personnel are continuing the investigation and will send their findings to the Oakland County Prosecutors Office for review." The identities of three children fatally injured in a West Bloomfield Township house fire have been released by their funeral home Hannah, Jeremiah, and Jacob Oliora, ages 16, 14, and 12 respectively, died following the Sunday evening fire in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane One of the three siblings called 911 shortly after 8 p.m Sunday to report the fire and say they couldn’t get out Fire Marshal Byron Turnquist previously said There were no working smoke alarms in the home and officials broke through a locked door to get inside Neighbors and a visitor to the neighborhood also told the Free Press they called 911 and tried to alert anyone inside the home. All three children were taken to area hospitals and succumbed to their injuries The cause of the fire was still under investigation in the days after the deaths The West Bloomfield Township Police Department announced Tuesday that detectives and fire personnel would execute a search warrant at the home A police department representative did not respond to requests for clarification on the nature of the search Pye said two of the children killed were reported to have special needs Fire officials did not respond to requests for comment on that topic nor indications reported by Pye that their special needs status could have been a factor in the incident The funeral home plans to cover the funeral costs for the family He has children in the same school district as two of the slain children and wanted to help wrap this family in support Donations are being sought for other expenses related to the burial GoFundMe verified one of two fundraisers on its site connected to the deaths Verification of another was still underway Wednesday Hannah was a junior at West Bloomfield High School the school and district told community members in an email Monday Her siblings attended Farmington Public Schools according to information released by that district Funeral information had not yet been finalized  He asked the community to keep the family in their prayers Further information from officials was not immediately available OAKLAND COUNTY – Three children are dead after a house fire in West Bloomfield Township Sunday night The home in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane caught fire at around 8 p.m A caller reported there were residents inside the home unable to get out they forced their way into the home to find three children—A 16-year-old girl a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy—trapped inside All three children died from their injuries Investigators are still working on what caused the fire Update: Community mourns loss of 3 children killed in West Bloomfield Township house fire Samantha Sayles is an Oakland University alumna who’s been writing Michigan news since 2022. Before joining the ClickOnDetroit team, she wrote stories for WILX in Lansing and WEYI in Flint. Returned to office unopposed after receiving 97% of votes cast, West Bloomfield Township Supervisor Steve Kaplan sprung a surprise He was sworn in for a third term last week then two days later served notice that he’d soon be leaving That had Kaplan’s colleagues congratulating him on West Bloomfield’s local cable channel including Kapan's past political opponents said he misled voters by running for office while planning not to serve More: Donate your body to science and get a free spot at Rochester cemetery announced Friday that Kaplan would soon become an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Confirming that this week was a spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy Kaplan declined to explain why he was leaving saying he regretted the release of news by the township's cable broadcasts whose walls are covered with Kaplan’s awards diplomas and framed news stories about his 25 years as an elected township official — including the last decade as supervisor — Kaplan deferred to his executive assistant Kris Darcy who said only that “We’re in a strong position — he will be leaving us in a strong position.” The next township board meeting is at 6 p.m when board members likely will receive Kaplan’s resignation and then begin a 45-day period in which they must appoint his successor That person would serve as acting supervisor until the midterm election of 2026 a township supervisor has a role similar to that of a full-time city mayor and earning a full-time salary — in Kaplan’s case Township employees are unsure about Kaplan’s exit timing but adding: "I believe his last day is Dec 4." Kaplan's reelection and the timing of his exit mean that he may have significant influence on the choice of his successor A statement from Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s communications director Maria Miller said: “Steve is being hired as an Assistant Prosecutor and will begin on December 2 It is my understanding that he will be in the warrant and screening unit reviewing warrants.” She declined to say what Kaplan’s salary would be said she was shocked by Kaplan’s abrupt exit You were lying to the public,” Hammond said Others who know Kaplan said they respected his decision to return to the criminal justice work at which he excelled as a former Macomb County assistant prosecutor a member of the township’s Parks and Recreation Commission said he didn’t resent Kaplan’s sudden departure Brooks said: “I’ve known Steve now for about 15 years and I wasn’t so surprised by this He really enjoyed what he was doing in the prosecutor’s office in the past and his heart was still there.“ Kaplan was considered one of metro Detroit’s top assistant prosecuting attorneys when he won numerous major trials in Macomb County He’s currently listed as an adjunct faculty member teaching courses in criminal procedure to law students at Michigan State University Kaplan is known for restoring harmony to the elected township board that was wracked by feuding and lawsuits that pitted groups of board members against others When the West Bloomfield board selects a new supervisor that will be the third big township in Oakland County to see a newcomer in that role this fall was ousted by former state lawmaker Mike McCready; and Independence Township voters elected Chuck Phyle to his first term as supervisor Kaplan is a Democrat while McCready and Phyle are Republicans Contact Bill Laytner:  blaitner@freepress.com Three children are dead after a house fire in West Bloomfield Township Sunday night Read story. Agency for International Development were instructed to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters on Monday after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency USAID staffers said they also tracked more than 600 employees who reported being locked out of the agency’s computer systems overnight Those still in the system received emails saying that “at the direction of Agency leadership” the headquarters building “will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday Read more here. Police are looking for the driver responsible for striking and killing a man on I-75 Sunday night and then driving away from the scene Authorities initially received calls about a man walking on the freeway on Feb another caller reported the man began running in the lanes of northbound I-75 near W Grand Boulevard Read more here. It’s been almost two weeks since Detroit’s well-known Lafayette Coney Island closed for a rat infestation the owners are seeing increased pressure from the community Read more here. Copyright 2023 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. This story has been updated with new information Three children are dead following a fire Sunday night in a West Bloomfield Township home with no working smoke alarms Sunday to report there was a fire in the home in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane Also read: He tried to help as West Bloomfield Twp. home burned — now he grapples with deaths Crews arrived on scene and forced their way through the locked front door of the single-family home Also read: 5-year-old killed in hyperbaric chamber identified by family: 'He loved life' and a 12-year-old boy – were taken to nearby hospitals but died The cause of the fire remains under investigation Turnquist highlighted the concern with the smoke alarms in its aftermath confirming there were no working devices in the house "We need everyone to take some time and test their smoke alarms," he said Every second counts when you need to get out." People should test their smoke alarms monthly and ensure alarms are outside and inside every bedroom The department also advised residents to plan and practice escapes in case of a fire And Turnquist said residents should know multiple exits in their homes family members and community members should also check in with each other Fire department members will be doing so after the losses One victim was a junior at West Bloomfield High School and the two other victims were the high schooler's siblings Those two children attended Farmington Public Schools Both districts sent a letter to parents that confirmed the tragic loss of their students and offered students mental health support and counseling And the superintendents for both districts — Dania Bazzi at West Bloomfield and Kelly Coffin at Farmington — ended their letters with this: it is important that we come together as a community and support the family involved and one another The most important thing we can do is love our kids and one another "Hug your loved ones and let them know you are there for them." Free Press staff writer Andrea May Sahouri contributed to this report Reach Darcie Moran at dmoran@freepress.com The incumbent was re-elected last month with 97% of votes cast And then he was sworn in. But two days later, Supervisor Steve Kaplan resigned to take another job elected a new supervisor on Monday afternoon – by a vote of 5-1 Board members held an unscheduled special meeting and then elected two-term trustee Jonathan Warshay to the full-time job of running the big affluent township that's 27 miles northwest of Detroit residents' comments were almost entirely favorable with the rare dissenter sounding half-baked seemingly giving blame to Warshay for invasive weeds in her yard Trustee Jim Manna took issue with what he said was an unnecessary rush to fill the open slot atop the township hierarchy I just don’t think you’re qualified” to oversee the large community A township has 45 days in which to fill a board vacancy adding: “This business that we’re in an emergency is baloney.” More: West Bloomfield's top elected official was elected unopposed but abruptly will exit Other board members said Warshay was well-qualified and that the township needed a top official After treasurer Teri Weingarten nominated Warshay Manna tried to nominate Trustee Vincent Kirkwood who’d been elected last month to his first term on the board Kirkwood was attending only his second board meeting Clerk Debi Binder ruled the nomination of Kirkwood out of order as the motion nominating Warshay was pending The vote for Warshay included support from Kirkwood president of the Chaldean Community Foundation in Sterling Heights West Bloomfield has a large and growing population of Chaldo-Assyrian Americans and it’s home to the Chaldean Cultural Center billed as the nation’s largest facility built for that ethnic group More: Woman from Chile charged in Novi is suspect in burglary gang West Bloomfield also has a large Jewish population and it’s the site of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit with the remaining residents Hispanic or multi-racial the township had in 2022 a median family income of about $121,000 — compared to $73,000 for the seven counties of southeast Michigan who has both a law degree and a master of business administration degree He said he'd also be quitting his job as a project manager for Denso International a major auto parts maker based in Southfield next year after a township-wide pay increase is added will pay a yearly salary of about $150,000 Warshay told the Free Press that his eight years as a trustee as well as previous tenure as a Ferndale city council member he was re-elected to a third term on the board He narrowly lost when he ran for West Bloomfield supervisor in 2012 “And I’ve aspired to it ever since,” he said 13 to choose a resident who will fill the board vacancy created by Warshay’s move to the supervisor’s job It’s not uncommon for autistic children to wander away from home But experts are speaking out about efforts to keep kids inside after the Detroit Free Press revealed preliminary police findings about a West Bloomfield Township fire in which three children were later declared dead Fire and police investigations remain underway, but search warrant affidavits issued in the days after the Feb. 2 fire show the parents of Hannah, Jeremiah and Jacob Oliora told police that their middle child was diagnosed as autistic was nonverbal and had a habit of leaving the house unannounced So, the parents placed a lock on the inside of the front door put the key to leave in a lockbox that only they and the eldest child could access The eldest of the three teenage and preteen children told 911 they couldn’t get out of the house during the fire and one child was found behind the front door Police say they have since learned additional information “including about the measures the parents took to keep their developmentally disabled children safe” that “appear to have been taken at the recommendation of knowledgeable experts.” They asked the public not to cast judgment without all of the details and with work still ongoing to determine official causes Parents of children with autism are between a rock and hard place trying to make decisions about the best way to keep their kids safe, confirmed Lori McIlwain, cofounder of the nonprofit National Autism Association. Until someone is dealing with a child trying to get out 24/7 It’s not a daily concern — it’s minute-to-minute More: Parents of 3 in fatal West Bloomfield house fire: Extra locks were due to son's wandering More: Uncertainty in Michigan looms over Trump promise to dismantle US Department of Education It's called "elopement," and it's when children or even vulnerable adults leave the care of a responsible person or safe area Data shows serious risks with death by drowning or traffic injury when they do And McIlwain noted her own child with autism eloped from schools that avoid locks on certain doors due to fire safety “This gets to be such a gray area because for so many families the greater risk is elopement,” she said “And it's difficult to give them advice when you're trying to keep the child from getting out of the house.” There are options and free resources available Last year was the deadliest year recorded for children with autism who wandered escaped or eloped from the safety of a responsible adult Her organization has tracked this data since the mid-2000s The group determined 82 children with autism died in 2024 amid an elopement, about double from the prior year, she said. Of those, 75 drowned and McIlwain said the figures are likely low Kids with autism have been found to elope or wander away more frequently than unaffected siblings and do it for reasons including enjoyment, to explore, and sometimes to avoid uncomfortable stimuli, according to a 2012 survey cited by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More: I lost my autistic son in a terrible accident. I hope his death prompts change. | Opinion More: Her boy wandered from home and died. This mom wants you to know the perils of 'elopement.' Nearly half of youths with autism spectrum disorder attempted to elope at least once after age 4 the survey found 24% were in danger of drowning and 65% were in danger of traffic injury a study from Columbia University found children with autism are 160 times as likely to die from drowning as other children There are also concerns about autistic children with limited communication skills who elope and encounter police, as miscommunication can lead to escalation, USA TODAY reports. Some children with autism try to get out of the house so frequently their parents sleep on a couch pulled in front of the door hoping to slow their kid’s run when they do get out One family even put a lock on their dog door to prevent their child from leaving The child still got out when it was unlocked for just a few brief moments felt the need to nail and drill windows and doors closed but a former fire marshal who is also the father of a child with autism said people need to understand that fires spread quickly a fire can overtake a room to the extent that even a firefighter in full gear can’t survive who spent about 20 years as a deputy state fire marshal in Minnesota And most people actually die of the smoke inhalation you just don't have time to grab a key before you're overtaken,” he said “And that's where I teach now about having sprinklers there's a perception out there that ‘Firefighters will be there to save me if there's a fire in my house.’ are dead before the fire department even arrives on scene.” Swanson has worked on Minnesota code changes related to the issue of elopement and fire safety He now works as a code and standards specialist for the National Fire Sprinkler Association where he conducts trainings for fire marshals That work includes discussions on fire safety with autism Swanson remembers well the time when his autistic son wandered away He and his wife noticed the front door was open and found their son had wandered into the driveway on a cold January day the family installed piercingly loud door alarms His son has an aversion to loud sounds and his son hasn’t wandered since Swanson said he understands that the alarms won’t work for everyone he is against the use of locks that would require keys to leave and locking kids in a Michigan doctor who works with families with autism says she has recommended locks as part of grander and ongoing discussions on safety Tisa Johnson-Hooper is a pediatrician and the medical director of Henry Ford Health's Generational Resilience Opportunity and Wellness Center for Autism and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities She said parents have to weigh the most immediate danger and devise a plan should they need to emergently get a child out families have to make a decision of how are they going to keep their child safe with an immediate potential danger … recognizing you could potentially be impeding access to getting out of the house Some families put locks on their child’s bedroom doors because at night they can be at risk of wandering the house getting into medicine or knives But safety planning has to be a part of that including discussions about placing keys around a caregiver’s neck or otherwise making them immediately accessible Swanson emphasized his concern with having to get a key out People think they can get a key out in time to escape it can take time for your body to react and realize what’s happening “You’re losing valuable time in those situations,” he said It’s something parents wrestle with every day and a lock should not be a one-and-done solution but the goal is to provide a child who is eloping with enough support and skills that a lock will no longer be needed Professional services can help address the behavioral needs behind elopement, said Erik Gallery, director of statewide access and early identification at the Autism Alliance of Michigan whether it's based around something that that person is trying to access … So we want to ensure that their needs are being met and they have an appropriate communication system that's been established so that if it is a matter of access they can communicate what that is rather than engaging in the elopement.” Gallery said autism isn’t the same for everyone and he couldn’t confidently say a locking system would never be warranted he takes a top-down approach looking first at the least restrictive options The Autism Alliance of Michigan has a scholarship program to give away GPS trackers that can alert parents when their kids leave the property and alert first responders if they leave the area The trackers are available in different styles depending on what works best for an individual child More: My son sees the world differently. Being Black delayed his autism diagnosis. | Opinion More: What an autism diagnosis in adulthood revealed to these Michiganders Another resource: The alliance has a free service called MiNavigator that can help connect families with local service providers including behavior analysts who can help make safety plans specific to a family’s needs Navigators can also help direct families to make sure the financial aspect of that is covered Stop signs placed at entrances can give children enough time to reconsider an impulse or be stopped Families should also familiarize neighbors with their child their speaking status and what to do if they see them out alone This could even include giving neighbors a photo of their child with instructions on the back Door and window alarms can be cost prohibitive, but the National Autism Association gives away free alarms to families “We recommend door and window alarms and adequate locks,” she said I mean locks that can be out of reach of the child but doesn't go so far as to create a safety hazard.” health agencies and others to help families finance better security systems for families with autistic children  “To help pay for security systems with more robust features that can help them keep their child safe so that (families) don't have to take extreme measures,” she said How to prepare in case of emergencyHomes need to have multiple smoke alarms She recommends having them in every room in the house especially inside and outside of where a child with autism sleeps It did not appear there were working smoke alarms in the West Bloomfield home where the Oliora children lived Multiple experts including Gallery and Johnson-Hooper recommended families create safety plans and repeatedly practice what to do in emergencies Several also discussed developing “social stories,” with illustrated guides showing their kids what a situation will look like and what to do Multiple also discussed connecting with local police and fire departments directly And Bruce Ferguson, a former Dewitt police chief who has a nonverbal daughter with autism and is on the board of directors for Autism Support of Michigan, said families need plans A and C if they are doing something special in their household to keep an eloping child inside That means training siblings on how to get out or how to break a window telling those neighbors which window is the room to your special needs child or putting a sticker on your window to let firefighters know that room “I can't fault the parents for trying to save their child,” he said “It’s just when you're living that situation and you're every day — every day — you're hoping and praying that they don't elope and get hurt … people shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to a second set of eyes to evaluate what they're doing “But you’re just — you're inundated with anxiety … It's just that you need to do that little extra.” (WXYZ) — A West Bloomfield house fire remains under investigation Three children were killed in that fire in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane just after 8 p.m "It was really hot and the flames were really intense," Jonathan Estes said rushed to Pembury Lane and was trying to figure out which house the smoke and flames were coming from who live next to the home where tragedy struck "It feels like a nightmare," Rawad Fayad told 7 News Detroit Related Video: West Bloomfield fire marshal talks about smoke detector checks and replacements The 18-year-old was devastated to learn his three young neighbors a 16-year-old girl and two boys ages 12 and 15 He watched as firefighters made their way in and brought out their bodies "These are two parents whose children are never going to see them again They're two parents who are very hard-working people who are never going to see their kids ever again who are never going to have the chance to have a chat with their kids All of that other stuff that you expect a parent to have with their kids," Fayad said "They're never going to have those moments It's all just going to be a memory from now on." The fire marshal said the three children were the only people home at the time and that it was reported they were unable to get out Why that is and what went wrong are under investigation Darla Johnson said she could see the fire from her back window I lost family in a house fire many years ago Brittani McNeary and her father Pastor Martin Dunlap stopped by to say a prayer for the family sent 7 News Detroit the letter that parents received the district let parents know that the FPS Social Emotional Support Team is available for students and staff who are trying to process the loss "We're working along with our partners in the police department to determine what happened in an effort to prevent it from happening again," West Bloomfield Fire Marshal Byron Turnquist said While the cause of the fire is under investigation Turnquist says it started on the first floor and that there were no working smoke detectors in the home especially after an incident like this (you) test all your smoke alarms (and) make sure that they're in good working order," he advised Turnquist said he anticipates returning to the home more than once this week to try and get to the bottom of what went wrong May 8 – West Bloomfield Hosting Master Plan Open House MI – West Bloomfield Township is hosting a Master Plan Open House on Wednesday May 8th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM in the Town Hall Board Room This is an opportunity to learn about and give input on the future of West Bloomfield and help shape the Master Plan that will guide the Township’s growth More info: West Bloomfield Township Lost our biggest pine in the storm last night 20250West Bloomfield TownshipNo comments yet BACK TO TOPTV Listings As a senior elections coordinator at the West Bloomfield Township clerk’s office Tony Weatherly fields questions from the counter even the temporary workers in the back room Should a man who made a stray mark on his absentee ballot spoil that ballot and do it over military stationed abroad have a family member mail back an absentee ballot domestically after returning from a visit One question Weatherly’s not so quick to answer these days often comes up in social settings Weatherly has been working elections for about nine years now in two municipalities He takes pride in his work but in a political season marked by anger and division he’s heard every complaint and conspiracy theory there is related to elections I think there's always been that person out there that says dead people are voting,” Weatherly said There’s that skepticism that elections aren't on the up and up the way they should be.” He said it's possible for a voter to submit an absentee ballot and then die before the election but there's a system in place to catch those "We get what's called the qualified voter file inbox and we get notifications on all sorts of stuff," he said "One of them that we get is change status to cancel Those notifications are based off of death certificates that are issued When one of those notifications comes in, Weatherly or another worker will track down that ballot envelope from the precinct it was sorted into and place it in a rejected ballot file Those are the ballots that are not counted Working in elections once carried a certain degree of community respect from residents who recognized the civic-mindedness that leads people to do the painstaking work to get it right Election officials have faced threats from angry voters Michigan’s top election official, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, has been the target of so-called swatting attacks Those are when an anonymous person calls 911 to falsely report a critical incident at the official’s home some clerks have trouble finding people willing to work on elections Some Michigan townships have struggled to get people to run for clerk director of member information services at the Michigan Township Association “If there isn't anybody that runs for the clerk's office if any of them go unfilled based on the election then who's ever the outgoing person holds over in that office through January 1.” the township board has 45 days to appoint someone to the position and if they can’t find anyone then the County Clerk calls a special election to try to fill it He said he has confidence in the election system because he knows how it works and he knows the people working it He grew up in neighboring Commerce Township He enlisted in the Marine Corps out of high school and when he got out He’s worked in Rochester Hills and West Bloomfield He takes his job so seriously that he planned his wedding last year around election dates He waited until the 2022 midterm election was finished “We planned it for June of 2023 because there was no election that I had to be worried about,” he said “We could focus on the wedding planning after the midterm was over We literally planned the wedding around election days.” he emptied absentee ballots in sealed envelopes from the drop boxes that flank the township hall The ballots were mailed about 10 days before and as the election approaches the stream of people dropping them off increases the first stop for the ballot envelopes is a black box that sits on the counter in front of Weatherly’s desk The label on it reads “Quietprint” which isn’t entirely accurate It makes a loud thunk when it hammers the time and date stamp on the envelopes That thunking becomes sort of a soundtrack in the office throughout the day as absentee ballots come in from the drop boxes by mail and by people who hand deliver theirs at the counter the envelopes are given to another employee who scans the barcodes on the return envelopes That calls up the voter information on a computer and she marks them as received in the office If voters want to see if their mailed ballot made it to the clerk’s office, they can check its status online “Then we're literally checking the signatures on all of them to make sure that every single one matches.” Weatherly pulls up on his computer an electronic copy of the signature card the voter signed when they first registered to vote He holds the return envelope containing the absentee ballot up to it to compare “Then we can mark them as approved for tabulation,” he said Weatherly checks a box on the envelope noting the approval and then initials it to indicate that he was the one who approved it So what happens if the signature doesn’t match Weatherly said that does happen and for legitimate reasons People’s handwriting changes slightly over time If a voter suffers a stroke or incurs an injury they may struggle to produce their own signature the person who questioned the signature will ask others in the office to review it “It’s never just one person,” Weatherly said If the consensus is that the signature looks off they will contact the voter to start a process to correct it Once the ballots are approved for tabulation they are sorted by precinct and by ballot number so that when it’s time to open the envelopes and run them through the tabulator The procedures are tedious and often time-consuming Weatherly said every clerk’s office has its own way of managing the process things are all spelled out in election law Among West Bloomfield’s 57,000 or so registered voters a small percentage fall into that category “We have 325 that are overseas civilians and we have 13 that are military that were sent out,” Weatherly said Those voters can receive their absentee ballot by traditional mail He sends out the ballots with instructions on how to fill them out the voter must print it out themselves and mail it back it won’t be on the official paper that can be run through a tabulator those overseas envelopes are opened and two people They then fill out a hard copy ballot on the official paper that can be run through the tabulator to match the ballot that was printed overseas by the voter That official ballot can then be run through to be counted The signatures on those ballots face the same verification procedure as all others Weatherly had ballots come back from Canada Weatherly is familiar with the process from both ends I lived in Japan and this is how I voted,” he said State law also requires other measures to help boost confidence in the system Every municipality is required to test its tabulators before the election including a public test that anyone can witness Oakland County installs the software on the machines listing the candidates and ballot questions West Bloomfield Clerk Debbie Binder said her office receives a stack of sample ballots known as a test deck The vote totals on that deck are known before the test Staffers run those through the tabulator to see that it counts correctly If the numbers from the tabulators don’t match the known numbers in the test deck you zero it back out to no votes,” West Bloomfield Clerk Debbie Binder said the precinct runs a zero tape that shows that every contest has no votes to start.” Weatherly said many of the doubts people express about election integrity are based on misinformation “A lot of people think that they're receiving multiple ballots in the mail “They're receiving multiple applications for ballots "A lot of people aren't trusting of the drop boxes They want to come in and hand the ballot to a person but I'm the same person that's checking the drop boxes that I have access to Weatherly said the checks and balances built into the system with multiple people involved in the process make him confident that it's secure Someone trying to cheat would have to get it past multiple safeguards "It would be astronomical to get something through without anyone catching it," he said Contact John Wisely: jwisely@freepress.com @jwisely West Bloomfield Township — West Bloomfield authorities executed a search warrant at the site of a deadly house fire that killed three young siblings Sunday night looking for clues about what started the blaze and what happened along with the West Bloomfield Fire Department spent at least an hour and a half searching the home in the 5500 block of Pembury Lane were in the house when the fire started and later died from their injuries at local hospitals police detectives and fire personnel will execute a search warrant at the residence to further investigate the circumstances surrounding this fire to determine to the greatest extent possible what happened," West Bloomfield Police said in a news release issued Tuesday morning around 9:15 a.m Emergency dispatch received a 911 call around 8 p.m Sunday evening from someone inside the home reporting that they were trapped inside the burning building No other people were inside the building at the time of the fire according to West Bloomfield Fire Marshal Byron Turnquist Authorities haven't disclosed where the children's parents were More: Three siblings die in West Bloomfield house fire. No working smoke alarms found One of the three siblings was a junior at West Bloomfield High School while the other two attended Farmington Public Schools according to letters sent to families by both districts The Farmington Public Schools Social Emotional Support Team is available for students and staff during school hours on a drop-in basis throughout the week at the schools affected by the tragedy Superintendent Kelly Coffin wrote in the letter Multiple cars and vehicles were parked front of the house with at least 15 people taking part in the search Tuesday A car remained parked in the driveway of the home with a yellow bumper sticker affixed to the back that read "Student Driver: Please Be Patient." "West Bloomfield Police Detectives and Fire personnel are continuing the investigation and will send their findings to the Oakland County Prosecutors Office for review," the news release said As of Sunday, there have been 13 deaths due to 12 fires in Michigan this year, according to the Michigan Fire Inspectors Society Michigan fire departments responded to over 34,4000 fires according to the Michigan Bureau of Fire Services West Bloomfield — A West Bloomfield Township trustee was tapped Monday to lead the Oakland County community as its supervisor after the previous supervisor suddenly resigned an 8-year trustee who was just reelected in November will serve as township supervisor until 2026 He replaces former Supervisor Steve Kaplan who was reelected to a third term in November and then submitted his resignation weeks later voted in favor of him being named the next supervisor while one Several residents spoke out in support of Warshay during a special board meeting Monday afternoon while a few recommended considering other names like David Flaisher who ran for supervisor and lost to Kaplan in the August primary election Some residents also expressed shock and disappointment in Kaplan for seeking reelection as supervisor and then resigning Kaplan joined the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Dec 3 as an assistant prosecuting attorney reviewing warrant requests "He (Kaplan) had to know he was getting a different job and he did this community wrong in the way he handled this," said 16-year West Bloomfield resident Belinda Friis he would have been applying for months before he got it He would have been in negotiations — tacky is the word that I would use." Manna also said he was not happy with Kaplan's resignation and attempted to nominate Trustee Vincent Kirkwood for supervisor but was not able to because the board approved Warshay's nomination first Township Clerk Debbie Binder said the last few weeks have been very uncertain and the township needs a supervisor in place to lead it the county clerk calls a special election that the township is responsible for paying for," Binder said and it makes sense to not spend the money on an unnecessary special election when we do have a uniquely qualified candidate." Manna disagreed and said the township should take more time selecting a supervisor like we need somebody right away because the township is going to fall apart is baloney We have six other leaders that are here," Manna said instead of just quickly choosing Jonathan Warshay." Several other members of the board and the public expressed support for Warshay's appointment Warshay previously served in Ferndale's local government and ran for West Bloomfield supervisor in 2012 but lost by a narrow margin in the August primary election to Michele Economou Ureste we need to look at how have they voted," Weingarden said "He (Warshay) has devoted himself for eight years He has been selected as a trustee every election I'm going to pick who the people are voting for." Warshay thanked Kaplan for his more than two decades of service to the township and promised to work with staff to continue providing the highest level of services I've practiced as an attorney for several years and going through the township's budgets over the years I'm very comfortable with numbers and finding things and I do think I have excellent people skills and can work well with a diverse workforce." The banners and signs were out in force Thursday night on Orchard Lake Road just as they have been for the last few weeks The colorful array of messages — “Eat the Rich,” “Eject Elon,” “Stop the fascist coup” and “Honk if you hate Nazis!” among them — set the tone for a crowd that appeared to grow beyond 100 people The crowd didn’t like what has been happening in Washington and they especially didn’t like Elon Musk and his slashing of the federal government “I do not want to see this man in charge of our government,” said Audrey Bourriaud said she could not have graduated without the Department of Education which the Trump administration appears set on shutting down noting how work study helped her get through her time at the University of Michigan and become a mechanical engineer described the response from drivers as mostly people honking in favor but “once in a while we get the middle finger” or someone says to get a job A reporter watched a silver Cybertruck with a Texas license plate make numerous passes as it emitted some lower-decibel electronic sounds that several in the crowd called “pathetic.” Tesla's changing image — and fortunesSidney Chait helped launch the protests at this site a few weeks ago noting that he had been to some other large ones elsewhere and was looking for something local He’s worried about the fate of the country and what he and others see as authoritarianism unfolding in real time “The richest man in the world has bought his way in He’s more powerful than the elected officials,” Chait said describing protests like this one and others around the country as successful so far electric vehicle-maker Tesla has come to represent the prime target for those who oppose Musk’s chainsaw-wielding government-slashing efforts as a key adviser to President Donald Trump who pumped millions of dollars into Trump’s election and now oversees the so-called Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE but as CEO he oversaw its rise as the dominant player in the EV space although that has faced increasing challenge The EV maker that was once a darling of progressives, even as it faced controversies over the safety record of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) features, has seen its sales tumble, stock price plunge and its vehicles subject to defacement and even damage by Molotov cocktails. Reports of shootings at a store in Oregon have even bubbled up in recent days have provided critics of the protesters a handy target of their own prompting threats of federal investigations and calls of “domestic terrorism.” A protest confrontationPresident Trump took the extraordinary step this week of endorsing the Tesla brand in an event at the White House Although the scene at the West Bloomfield Tesla would likely be viewed as peaceful a fender-bender across the street and some shouts by passing motorists one incident might have had the potential to change that Almost an hour and a half after protesters began lining the sidewalk Thursday a man pulled his car into the driveway in front of the store He could be seen driving along slowly with his hand out the car window interacting with some in the crowd before parking and walking back over The man argued with several protesters and ran up on others The man and a woman headed toward a police cruiser nearby but an officer could be heard later saying no complaint was being filed The man had repeatedly and loudly called the protesters sheep but their individual voices didn’t carry quite as far and the protesters went back to their mission The Free Press reached out to the store for comment this week and was directed to a general press email address for Tesla Protests 'as American as apple pie'Joan Pence whose work with the activist group Western Wayne Indivisible has helped grow the West Bloomfield protests said she has a few basic rules for the protests she has been involved in at the store: Stay on the sidewalk which Pence said the group members follow well didn’t prevent a visit by police during a previous Thursday But the police presence also didn’t derail the protest, an action the 66-year-old retired high school biology teacher from Plymouth Township noted is as “American as apple pie.” Pence’s group is part of a national umbrella group that she described as “a politically progressive organization that looks to do practical things to push back.” Supporters have cheered the actions as an overdue way to root out waste “(Musk) gives us a unique pressure point in this administration.” Friday nights are when crowds have been descending on the Tesla store on Jackson Road in Ann Arbor the last few weeks said he was hoping for another good turnout Friday (he estimated 300 people at a recent march) but he suspected that plans for a Thursday march with U.S Environmental Protection Agency workers might lower that a bit He has a fairly clear goal when it comes to Musk and the protests fire him from this ghost job he has in the government but I won’t promise it because we haven’t considered it.” The controversies and the reactions to them including the admonition from the national Tesla Takedown effort to “Sell your Teslas join the picket lines,” are likely playing a role in the brand’s down fortunes “Tesla propelled the electric vehicle market into the mainstream, setting the standard for innovation. As new competitors emerge and push the boundaries of technology, Tesla now faces significant challenges in maintaining its once-unquestioned dominance, with its market share dropping below 50%,” Stephanie Valdez-Streaty, Cox Automotive director of Insights, said in an article for Kelley Blue Book That same article noted that “Americans bought 60,325 Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) in February of 2023 The company’s sales have not crossed the 60,000-model line in any month since vice president of Global Vehicle Forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions pointed to leadership distraction as one factor “CEO Musk’s admonition that he’s having difficulty leading Tesla while he’s trying to work with the government should be taken as a sign that the automaker is not getting enough of his attention Compounding that with a large portion of his core audience hasn’t agreed with his side hustle performance has forced a reevaluation of the company’s future performance With the potential of reduced EV incentives going forward it’s unlikely that there are many newfound fans of the CEO looking to support his company based on their own altruism,” Fiorani said Tesla sales are down globally, particularly tanking in Europe a professor of practice in advertising and public relations at Michigan State University said the picture being painted of and about Tesla is complex The vehicles themselves had traditionally been positioned as leftist but people on the left began hating the cars when Musk “burnt down” Twitter the question will be whether Musk and the brand can attract enough people on the right to embrace electric vehicles It could actually be a boon for Tesla if so Even large brands like Toyota only have a slice of the market (less than 16% in the United States Brands can thrive appealing to a niche audience pointing to Subaru’s appeal with LGBTQ+ consumers noting Volkswagen’s diesel emissions cheating scandal “The Tesla story is going to be a long-term story the misnomer is you need everybody to love you.” and he said Musk’s accomplishments with SpaceX and Tesla had been celebrated there South Africans live with the blemish of apartheid and suffer an inferiority complex because of it They generally embrace their native sons and daughters who do well and Musk fit that bill as the world’s richest man But his political shift and actions have upended that and now he’s seen by many South Africans as cruel and a narcissist even as Chowles said he’s sure some on the right think he’s “awesome.” With so much attention on the Tesla brand of late the Free Press decided to rent a red Tesla for a day this week from a Hertz in Center Line to gauge reaction But during trips around parts of metro Detroit the car appeared to draw little notice aside from one possible minor incident A driver in a pickup truck on Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe Woods blasted his horn as he passed the Tesla couldn’t see any obvious reason for the blast other than the car The drive itself was marred by a vehicle with more than 120,000 apparently very rough miles in need of repair and a deep cleaning seemed to lose its charge a bit too quickly and that came equipped with an air freshener hanging by the driver’s side rear window that might only have enhanced what was hard to describe as anything other than an at times overpowering smell of marijuana The car did give the reporter the opportunity to drive to a Meijer at East 13 Mile and Little Mack to charge up (as simple as plugging it in and waiting) and connect with a few fellow Tesla drivers The location had what appeared to be eight Superchargers and numerous Teslas pulled in and out during the stop although one man waiting inside his cousin’s Cybertruck She said it’s a short trip to the Meijer from her home Custovic said she’s “trying to stay out of it because it stresses me out.” She’s focused instead on her own life and her family She and her boyfriend got the car in September and even though people have suggested she take it back she noted that she’s in a three-year lease Tesla owners do appear to occupy a strange place in the discussion about the brand that many of them have long embraced as evidenced by a couple of conversations with the Free Press before the drive vice president of the Tesla Owners Club of Michigan said someone she knows very well had recently asked how she was doing and if she was being called names with someone who had seen reports of various incidents involving a handful of Teslas in a world with millions of them on the road “We’re in a very mixed community and nobody has been hateful to us.” Trips to Menards involve people asking about her family’s Cybertruck the Model Y is Sebastian and the Model 3 is Stella Sloan admitted she’s an evangelist for the brand the vehicles themselves and the Tesla community “What Elon is doing in Washington … that is a motivation he has and she acknowledged she and her husband have taken a “big hit,” but she’s not wavering “Why would I sell if I still believe the fundamentals are still valid,” she said “I never abandoned my children when they didn’t do what I thought they should.” the experience of late has been a bit more challenging Hermann McEnhill got his white Tesla Model Y around Thanksgiving because he felt it was the cutting edge of technology about a mile from the garage where his car was parked on Tuesday He likes that there’s fun built into the car like the brief quack sound the car made as he spoke with a reporter This is where cars should be going,” McEnhill said It’s definitely not made by a traditional automaker.” But even at about the time of the purchase McEnhill said Musk’s activities caused him and his wife to reconsider They ultimately went ahead with their purchase concerned that the EV tax credit might soon be unavailable but Musk’s actions still have an impact on McEnhill He said he wishes Musk would be more mindful of the effect he’s having on a company that employs thousands of people He noted that Musk seems “out of his depth.” “One man is not the company,” is what the couple tell themselves to justify the purchase but now when they see friends they haven’t seen in some time McEnhill said he would probably pick a Subaru Forester which was the other car the couple was considering when they bought the Model Y Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters (This story was updated to add new information.)     March 20, 2001 marks the 25th Anniversary of the West Bloomfield F4 tornado. This tornado was the last violent tornado (F4 or F5) to strike Southeast Michigan 1976 near Halsted Road between 13 and 14 Mile Roads along a sharp cold front crossing Michigan The tornado cut a path (Figure 1) four miles long and 350 yards wide across Oakland County before dissipating near Maple Road between Middlebelt and Inkster Roads injured 55 and produced $50 million (or about $155 million in 2001 dollars) in damage     One death was attributed to the tornado A fifteen year-old girl riding in a car with three other passengers was killed when the tornado picked the car up near the corner of Maple and Orchard Lake and hurled it to the north side of Maple Road crushing the roof and smashing the windows     F4 tornadoes are devastating tornadoes with wind speeds between 207-260 mph Tornadoes of this magnitude are capable of leveling well constructed houses Much of the damage associated with this tornado occurred in a square mile area bounded by Walnut Lake near the intersection of Orchard Lake and Maple Roads in West Bloomfield Many businesses sustained considerable damage with nearly two dozen businesses in the Old Orchard Shopping Center and Orchard Mall feeling the brunt of the tornado Meteorological factors contributing to the tornado development     The tornado developed ahead of a powerful cold front that swept across Michigan during the day and evening. Ahead of the cold front temperatures rose to 67 and 71 at Flint (LCD for Flint) and Detroit (LCD for Detroit) respectively on March 20th temperatures plunged into the low 20s by the evening of the 21st South-Southwest winds to 60 mph just 5000 feet above the ground pumped warm moist air into Michigan providing the fuel for the tornado     Twenty-seven severe weather events struck Michigan on March 20 the West Bloomfield tornado was not the only one to strike Michigan on the 20th including an F3 that raced across Macomb County (Figure 2) about 30 minutes after the West Bloomfield tornado (The Macomb tornado also killed one -- an infant.) In addition to the tornadoes severe thunderstorms whipped across Genesee and Shiawassee Counties in Southeast Michigan and 12 other counties in Lower Michigan.       Michigan was not alone in witnessing severe weather The front spawned 63 tornadoes across the Midwest (ex-Michigan) South and East before it moved out into the Atlantic on March 21st The West Bloomfield tornado was one of three F4's; the others were in Illinois and Indiana How prepared is Southeast Michigan today for an F4 or F5 tornado     Increased scientific understanding of the nature of tornadoes coupled with technological advances have allowed the National Weather Service to dramatically improve tornado warning capabilities over the last 25 years the warning did not go out on the West Bloomfield tornado until it touched down the Weather Service aims to issue warnings before a tornado hits     National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac Meteorologist-in-Charge "Today we know quite a bit more about how tornadoes form than we did 25 years ago we now know of the critical importance that boundaries play in producing the severe thunderstorms that produce tornadoes Here at the Detroit/Pontiac office we pay close attention to where these boundaries will develop during the course of the day This in turn allows us to get a handle on the potential for tornadic development and the intensity of the storms." (Typical boundaries of interest to meteorologists in Michigan would be warm and cold fronts as well as lake breezes.)     Meteorologists observing the 1976 tornado did so with 1950's era radar Today Doppler radar technology and sophisticated software allow meteorologists to detect many tornadoes in their development phase before they touchdown "(The) advent of Doppler radar allows meteorologists the ability to better detect tornadoes especially the F4s and F5s like the the West Bloomfield tornado now than in 1976."  Figures 3a-b 4 illustrate the value of the Doppler radar over the previous radar.  Figure 3a.  Example of National Weather Service Doppler radar technology circa 1998 detecting a tornado over Sanilac County.  This image depicts radar derived reflectivities of precipitation.  The hotter colors (reds and yellows) indicate heavy precipitation; the cool colors (blues and greens) indicate lighter precipitation except depicting rotation in the thunderstorm.  Wind blowing in (green) toward the radar in White Lake Oakland County (to the southwest of Sanilac County) right next to wind blowing out (red) is a signature of a tornado.  This ability to detect rotation in the storm is one of the key advances in Weather Service radar capability that Doppler technology brings to the forecasting of tornadoes.      Improved technological and scientific understanding of tornadoes are two key tools in providing residents of Southeast Michigan improved warning services A third essential element is the National Weather Service severe weather spotter program a couple of hundred trained weather observers watched the skies over Southeast Michigan for any signs of severe weather National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac Warning Coordination Meteorologist Darin Figurskey notes "There are about 2,000 trained weather spotters in Southeast Michigan or 10 times the number available in 1976." Is Southeast Michigan "due" for a violent tornado     Over the last 50 years (the "modern era" in tornado record keeping) Southeast Michigan has experience 10 violent tornadoes     The West Bloomfield tornado was the last violent tornado to strike Southeast Michigan Simple arithmetic would suggest a violent tornado once about every five years when the next tornado will strike the region That is why the National Weather Service urges everyone to be prepared for a tornado Here are some simple rules to follow before the storm and during a tornado to protect yourself and loved ones: Develop a plan for you and your family for home Know the county in which you live or are visiting and keep a highway map nearby to follow storm movement from weather bulletins Have a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning alarm tone and battery back-up to receive warnings Listen to radio and television for information listen to the latest forecasts and take necessary action if threatening weather is possible If a Warning is issued or if threatening weather approaches: If an underground shelter is not available move to an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy piece of furniture Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead offer little protection from tornadoes and should be abandoned tornadoes develop so rapidly that advance warning is not possible Remain alert for signs of an approaching tornado Flying debris from tornadoes causes most deaths and injuries More information is available on tornadoes from the National Weather Service.  Three children died in a house fire Sunday night, Feb Firefighters from all six West Bloomfield fire stations responded to a 911 call reporting a fire in a home on the 5000 block of Pembury Lane shortly after 8 p.m It was reported that residents inside the home were trapped according to a release from the West Bloomfield Fire Department Crews forced entry through the front door and found three residents a 16-year-old girl and two boys ages 15 and 12 They were transported to hospitals where they later died Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire West Bloomfield firefighters received assistance from the Bloomfield Township Fire Department The Oakland Press will update this story as more details become available © 2025 The Oakland Press, Sterling Heights, Mich.. Visit www.theoaklandpress.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (WXYZ) — A community fed up with lackluster trash service is taking action against GFL hoping to get refunds for nearly 20,000 households West Bloomfield Township is hoping to secure at minimum $20 refunds for all former GFL customers based on what they call 'abysmal' service in the month of June It’s been the talk of the summer for many metro Detroit communities it was kind of the talk of the Facebook page of the neighborhood," said West Bloomfield Township resident Sheldon Eustice "The first week came along and they didn't pick it up so no one really thought anything about it then it happened the second week and questions were asked.” "It was probably a couple of weeks they didn't pick the regular trash and over a month they didn't pick the refuge garbage,” said another resident John Skarakis Skarakis notes this all happened in the midst of summer “If that happens when we have snow it’s not that bad “It did start stinking a little bit," Eustice said Township Supervisor Steve Kaplan says they’re now hoping to reimburse residents using a $1.5 million performance bond with GFL “The service provided to West Bloomfield Township and other townships was abysmal,” Kaplan said Their attorneys are working the case now hoping to secure at least $20 per customer which Kaplan says is about the cost for a month of service we don't know of any other municipalities that have sought redress by way of performance bond,” Kaplan said "We feel we have a good case because their service was abysmal Our residents did suffer and that's the purpose of a performance bond residents are thankful but aren’t holding their breath “It's really not a whole lot of money," Eustice said you're paying for a service that’s no longer coming and doing their service.” “I think they should because there was an agreement would likely be added as a credit to upcoming bills with Priority Waste We did reach out to GFL but have not received a response A West Bloomfield Township woman accused of robbing at least two businesses with a gun last week has been charged was arraigned Saturday in 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills on multiple charges eight counts of using a firearm during a felony a count of discharging a weapon inside a building and a count of carrying a concealed weapon She is being held at the Oakland County Jail Court records did not list an attorney for Malczynski or when her next court hearing is she faces up to life in prison for each of the armed robbery charges up to two years for each count of using a firearm during a felony up to 10 years for the discharging a weapon in a building charge and up to five years for carrying a concealed weapon Township police said officers were called at about 8:40 p.m Wednesday to the Twin Beach Market at 4292 Green Lake Road for a report of an armed robbery The caller told dispatchers an adult woman had entered the store with a pistol and robbed him of cash The woman left the store and the victim called 911 dispatchers received other 911 calls from businesses in the township and the city of Orchard Lake reporting armed robberies involving the same female suspect One of the calls came from a CVS/Pharmacy at 6070 West Maple Road The caller told dispatchers the suspect fired at least two shots Officers reported they arrived at the store found an armed woman in its parking lot and arrested her Investigators said they believe the woman was acting alone and no injuries were reported in any incidents involving the suspect Anyone with information about the robberies should call West Bloomfield Township Police at (248) 975-8905 The pinballs have been saved from the wrecking ball, says the Facebook page of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum This nostalgia-soaked arcade of game-playing beloved by kids as well as young-at-heart adults will dodge demolition by moving a mile north who inherited the arcade business from his late father The arcade seemed doomed in February when the Farmington Hills City Council approved the demolition of its building on Orchard Lake Road near 14 Mile Despite an outpouring of objections from fans of the spot the arcade seemed unable to find or afford a new location since then More: Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills must find a new home But Jeremy Yagoda announced on Monday that he’d found a much bigger site at the northeast corner of Maple in West Bloomfield Township “Our last day at the current location is Jan. 5,” said Yagoda on the Facebook page. He had no date for reopening but said he hopes it would be soon for the offbeat site of child-friendly escapism. It’s a place that a Free Press columnist described this way: “a potpourri of amusements Skee-Ball machines and cheap toys you can win with tickets.” A West Bloomfield zoning board is causing some hang-ups for Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum the storied metro Detroit arcade forced to close last year The arcade, which a Free Press columnist described as "5,500 square feet of pinball machines and oddities and giant posters," announced in December that it planned to relocate from its previous homestead in Farmington Hills to West Bloomfield the owner-operator and son of the namesake But they've hit a snag with West Bloomfield's zoning ordinance "While we have heard nothing but excitement from everyone that learns that Marvin’s is coming to West Bloomfield there is ordinance language that requires an entertainment business such as Marvin's to be at least 100’ (feet) from a residential lot line and also requires that the business entrance be an entrance that is shared in common with the rest of the mall," Yagoda wrote on Facebook on Friday Yagoda told the Free Press he was a little surprised about the ordinance."They are classifying us as entertainment which generally applies to bars .. More: Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum moving to Bloomfield Township He also called the situation a "small road bump and it will work out!!!" while encouraging those who are not West Bloomfield residents to email their support Yagoda revealed that the museum's new location was West Bloomfield Township and Orchard Mall the museum needed to find a new home after the Farmington Hills strip mall it was located in was being replaced with a grocery store The new space in the Orchard Mall next to Planet Fitness is 80 feet from a residential lot line behind it The building also has a door facing the parking lot not an entrance shared in common with the rest of the mall arcade supporters are organizing a petition campaign to ask the zoning board to allow them to open their new space they met supporters in the center court of the Orchard Mall Previously: Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills must find a new home A zoning board meeting was scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m where the application submitted by Orchard Mall LLC and the case will be reviewed by the zoning board LLC is seeking two variances associated with operating a "coin-operated amusement device business" in West Bloomfield Township According to the application submitted in December 2024  the variance seeks to allow Marvin's to operate at a proposed 80 feet from the residential lot instead of the required 100 feet Orchard Mall's variance also asks that Marvin's be allowed to operate through an outside access different from common access inside the enclosed mall.Variances are sought to deviate and provide relief from specific ordinances and requirements set forth by cities deputy director of development service for West Bloomfield Township "We received over 90 letters of support and those will be provided to the board for review deputy director of development service for West Bloomfield Township told the Free Press "They look at specific criteria and that the request is not a self-created — and exists at the current structure "One letter of support within the application package came from Suzanne Levine executive director of the Greater West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce Levine called Marvin's a "fabulous draw not only for Orchard Mall Yagoda also believes everything will work out."We are not giving up on this location," Yagoda said the museum closed to prepare for its move to the new location Breaking news reporter Liam Rappleye can be reached at LRappleye@freepress.com Home/Firefighting Three children died after being trapped inside their burning home which did not have working smoke detectors Firefighters arrived at the scene near 14 Mile and Orchard Lake Road within five minutes Firefighters immediately launched a search locating two of the children on the first floor and the third upstairs and a 12-year-old boy—all died from their injuries Visit Fox 2 for more. A 67-year-old Oakland County woman accused of embezzling more than $400,000 from a vulnerable adult has been charged was arraigned Monday through 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills on four felony charges the Michigan Attorney General's Office said She is the second person to be charged in the case. Last week, a Livingston County man was arraigned on five charges in connection with the same case Kirk Lanam was charged with four counts of embezzling $100,000 or more from a vulnerable adult and a count of fraudulently obtaining another person's signature Letzer is charged with three counts of embezzling $1,000 or more but less than $20,000 from a vulnerable adult and one count of fraudulently obtaining another person's signature Her next court hearing is scheduled for Feb Letzer's attorney was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday Authorities allege Lanam and Letzer fraudulently obtained legal power of attorney from an 87-year-old man in March 2024 Investigators said the two knew the victim was a vulnerable or incapacitated adult with a court-appointed guardian More: Senators drop long-sought reform to Michigan's troubled guardianship system Lanam then embezzled more than $400,000 from the man and diverted it to himself and a purported Howell-based charity under his control called the Veteran’s Service Dog Organization Letzer is accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the victim by writing checks to herself from his funds "Abusing the authority granted by a power of attorney to exploit vulnerable adults is an egregious violation of trust," Nessel said "My Department will continue to investigate and prosecute those who would embezzle funds from people entrusted with their care." Letzer and Lanam are the latest Michigan residents to be accused of embezzling money from vulnerable adults Last month, Nessel's office charged a South Lyon woman with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a man with cognitive impairment Her case was bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court for trial A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Feb In September, a Southfield man was charged for allegedly embezzling more than $7,000 from eight vulnerable adults at a Warren nursing home Weeks earlier, Nessel charged a Redford Township man for allegedly embezzling money from his grandfather who was living at a Bloomfield Hills nursing facility prosecutors dismissed the case against him (WXYZ) — A neighborhood in Bloomfield Township has reached a critical point as an aging water system is threatening the integrity of water safety Square Lake Road and I-75 were notified by the state that their water contains concerning levels of arsenic and lead and the wells they rely on need to be replaced A little more than 200 homes in the South Bloomfield Highlands area have been a part of the community-maintained well water system since it was installed in the 1960s If the township is unable to come to an agreement to move forward with a replacement plan the state may step in and shut down the water source completely you expect water — that’s just a given," Jim Tassen said Hear more from residents about their concerns in the video player below: Tassen says he has lived in his home on Marlbourough Drive for about six years Although water has been fine for him thanks to a filtration system the issue has been impacting other neighbors for years and forcing some to buy drinking water I don’t even drink the water out of the tap anymore I’m concerned about some of these other neighbors who have kids," Tassen said The two aging wells at the root of the issue are also impacting water pressure in neighborhood fire hydrants Township leaders say in the case of a fire first responders would be forced to connect a line from outside of the subdivision to fight the blaze This is fire hydrants that aren’t giving enough pressure," Township Supervisor Dani Walsh said After inquiring about paying for the replacement privately and discovering it would be too costly neighbors went through a few rounds of petitions to get the township to step in The plan now in place is set to cost each homeowner in the impacted neighborhood $24,000 but can be financed over the course of 20 years especially as many are on a fixed income or a part of young families "The concern is you have a $24,000 assessment on your property and that’s not interest You don’t know what the interest is going to be until they sell the bonds We’re not as wealthy as the rest of the township," Tassen said the township still should be helping us out to a certain extent." Township leaders say while they understand this could pose some challenges to families there's no local or county dollars to fund it There are also no state or federal grant dollars that the project would qualify for due to the neighborhood being considered "moderate" income I don’t pay into the water system because I don’t use the water system there’s no funding mechanism to save up to build out." Walsh says there are some assistance programs available for seniors over 60 More information can be discovered by calling the township offices Walsh says there are also some county loans available An informational meeting was held Tuesday evening at the St Informational meetings have been taking place for over a year now Residents have been making their frustrations heard “We’ve been paying taxes for so many years and I think the township should just find the funding," resident Imad Abujaish said Other say the need to replace the wells to have clean drinking water outweighs all costs Our infrastructure is really crumbling," resident Kelley McMillan said The township board is expected to take a vote on next steps Monday township leaders are hoping to begin work immediately The project is expected to take 18 to 24 months with neighbors still able to access well water throughout that time If the plan is voted down the township has to go back to the drawing board or risk having the water shut off by the state for having unhealthy levels It's not exactly game over — Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum is just spawning in at a new location The arcade and museum located since 1990 at Hunter's Square shopping center in Farmington Hills announced Monday it's moving a little over a mile to the north to Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield Township It will set up shop right next to a Planet Fitness gym on Orchard Lake Road "We're going to be bigger and better and more marvelous than ever," promised owner Jeremy Yagoda who took over the family business from his father Farmington Hills City Council voted unanimously to approve the project Since then, Yagoda's been hunting for the right space to take his immense collection of coin-operated games "We really wanted to stay in this general area," he said "We have so many customers in the area and going far away wasn't something I was all about." He said finding a suitable space nearby was difficult especially since he wanted to find a location that was larger than the 5,000-square-foot spot at Hunter's Square The new Orchard Mall site is about 14,000-square-feet Yagoda is excited to use that extra space for private birthday parties photo booths and other in-the-works plans he's not ready to announce just yet "We've always done birthday parties but now we can give people their own private dedicated room so they're not at the snack bar with other customers and they can decorate with their own posters and table clothes or whatever they like." Despite the stressful circumstances precipitating the move Yagoda said he has no ill will toward the Farmington Hills city government or anyone else associated with the development but it's just not always good for everyone." Yagoda said he believes the move will be good for business in the long run but he's bracing for the challenges of moving all the machines — some of them nearly 90 years old — even if it is just down the road "The move and the buildout are really going to be the big headache," he said "It'll cost quite a bit and it's going to be a challenge a GoFundMe was started to keep it afloat and raise $75,000 to pay rent for the building A Change.com petition created in 2023 that aimed to keep the business in Farmington Hills gathered nearly 54,000 signatures Yagoda thanked the Farmington Hills community for two and a half decades of support at the arcade's current location Just hours after announcing the move on Facebook the post had thousands of likes and comments celebrating the upcoming move Marvin's last day of operation in Farmington Hills will be Jan The business will take a short break before starting the move He hasn't yet announced a re-opening date at the new site @max_detroitnews (WXYZ) — It was a marvelous speed bump in the move of Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum from Farmington Hills to West Bloomfield Township The wacky wonderland ran into zoning issues after already signing the lease to their new location the West Bloomfield Township Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved two variances required for the business to still open as scheduled was prepared to fight for the two variances to be able to open on Orchard Lake Road at the Orchard Mall The old location, just a mile down the road at a strip mall in Farmington Hills, closed two weeks ago after city council there made the decision to tear it down and make room for a new Meijer “We found an amazing place in West Bloomfield and we're gonna start the move and hopefully build it bigger and better," Yagoda said Previous coverage: 'We're going a lot bigger.' Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum finds new digs Yagoda leased the new location not knowing it would be classified as an entertainment venue in the township it needed to be 100 feet away from a residential plot line It also required a main entrance through the main mall doors which would require a ramp from the inside due to a hill The ramp would be an expenditure Yagoda and his team were not planning for "We’re gonna be building some private party rooms and it’s a big it’s a process," Yagoda said about the new space This was what Yagoda and his attorney were ready to contest on Tuesday he was met with nothing but support from the board “I'm very happy that your family business has found a new home in West Bloomfield," Zoning Board of Appeals Chair David Barash said at the meeting Support from the community about Yagoda's father who opened the original location also poured in during the meeting “He was just a dreamer and a lovely person but I'm so glad the board supports this," West Bloomfield resident Wendy Case said Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is looking at a tentative opening date for their new location sometime early summer 2025 at 2:34 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The West Bloomfield Police asked anyone with information about the fire to call Detective Alex Mutchler at (248) 975-8938 MI — Investigators searched a West Bloomfield home where three kids were killed in a house fire Sunday were inside a home in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane in West Bloomfield Township on Sunday night when it caught fire The boy and the teens were taken to a nearby hospital No other people were inside the home when it caught fire Police said investigators were searching the home to "further investigate the circumstances surrounding this fire to determine to the greatest extent possible what happened." Police said someone inside the home called 911 and reported that they were trapped inside the burning home officials said there were no working smoke alarms inside the house Police did not say where the children's parents were Sunday night but said they are cooperating with investigators Officials plan to turn over their findings to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office for review The West Bloomfield Police asked anyone with information about the fire to call Detective Alex Mutchler at (248) 975-8938 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A home in the 5000 block of Pembury Lane in West Bloomfield Township caught fire Sunday night they found three minors trapped inside in the home Firefighters forced their way into the home and pulled the teens: a 16-year-old girl a 15-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy from the burning home The boy and the teens were taken to a nearby hospital Investigators were still working to determine the cause of the fire a day marked by pain and sadness for many across metro Detroit tensions have been high on college campuses like the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor many Jewish student groups held a prayer vigil honoring the hostages and remembering the hundreds of civilians killed in Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel Watch our previous coverage when police broke up an encampment on Michigan's campus below: pro-Palestinian student groups took to the streets protesting over the thousands of deaths from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and now Lebanon Campus police kept tight security near the Diag and one Palestinian protester marching was arrested Police say protesters then surrounded the patrol car which led to a clash with officers who used pepper spray All of this comes just hours after police in West Bloomfield responded to vandalism overnight at a home a university spokesperson confirmed belongs to Michigan President Santa Ono walkway and brick of the home had spray painted messages like "coward," "divest now," "complicit" and "intifada." All you are doing is simply making Jews feel unsafe,” University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker said Acker's business in Southfield was also vandalized back in June Protesters have been calling for months on the regents to divest from Israel “We're elected officials — we understand it is the job of elected officials to hear grievances from our constituents," Acker said This is targeted harassment and it’s criminal.” the Jewish Federation of Detroit was also vandalized in Bloomfield Township The FBI confirms they were in West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Township Monday as local police investigate Hear more about the vandalism in Bloomfield Township in the video player below: “This is not like sending a letter or showing up at a board meeting to harass the Jewish community,” Acker said West Bloomfield Township — Avid readers got to check out a different kind of storytelling on Saturday at West Bloomfield Township’s Human Library Taking a page from Denmark-based not for profit library administrators brought the event here by curating 13 volunteers with unique life stories a marketing and communications specialist with the West Bloomfield Township Public Library Each volunteer spent the afternoon sharing their stories in 30-minute spots as Human Books Library enthusiasts checked out Human Book stories one at a time and got to ask each person questions about their experiences From “Minority Veteran” to “Repressed Woman,” anonymous Human Books chose thought-provoking titles for their stories to draw in readers who’d want to learn more about their identity “We have a community that is very diverse and that likes to have a lot of conversations about cultural differences and civic engagement,” Edwards said “So this is something that we felt was a natural fit here.” Library administrators brought the program back this year after a successful first run in 2023 The 2023 event was so popular that the library didn’t have to do much outreach to get people interested in participating on Saturday Volunteers stepped up for a two-hour training session where organizers prepared a safe space for them to share vulnerable stories After setting ground rules and checking in with the Human Books the storytelling took off with great momentum West Bloomfield Township resident Nita Murray-Grier said she admired organizers and Human Books for sharing local stories with a sense of dignity Murray-Grier was instantly drawn to the 2023 event as a longtime lover of literature and learning She spent the past year spreading the word to friends about her Human Library experience and returned on Saturday eager to make more connections Murray-Grier began her morning with a Human Book who talked about her experiences as a self-labeled former troubled teen Another woman shared her journey of physical trauma after she was injured in a serious car accident These stories were sensitive and challenging to engage with on both ends adding that she appreciated how candid each Human Book was about their experiences for people to put themselves in that position.” More: Battle over explicit books roils Alpena library, community over whose values rule said sharing his life’s story as a Black man who had traveled the world offered him a chance to embody his practice of journaling more literally jumped at the chance to share memories of exploring the segregated side of his hometown of Humboldt His love of reading and adventure took him around the world beyond places he couldn’t get into back home as a young Black man under Jim Crow segregation laws and there being a public library exactly one block on the next corner up from my house – but as a kid “I couldn’t even get past the front door.” Cooper traveled through India and Japan in the 1970s before returning to Metro Detroit with a renewed passion for sharing knowledge with others Cooper kept memories of his travels close to his heart each day while teaching Japanese classes at Detroit Public Schools until retirement Sharing his journey with young students then and avid readers now was a fulfilling way for Cooper to inspire young people to venture out on their own too said she enjoyed getting to know stories of people she might not otherwise have come across on Saturday Love listened in on one Human Book’s experiences as an atheist to try to learn more about his personal philosophy Love doesn’t usually speak about her religion as a Christian but found it refreshing to learn how other people came together around different beliefs West Bloomfield Township resident Anthony Wagner spent his afternoon sharing stories of his life with others under the book title Wagner’s relationship with his family has evolved since he first came out to them and started Dearborn High School’s Gay Straight Alliance as a student in 2004 He also learned a lot from readers who shared their own experiences including one older gay man who began navigating his identity 30 years prior to Wagner’s own coming out Wagner said it felt meaningful to share his story with people who wanted to learn more about the LGBTQ community at a time when public access to LGBTQ books remains a subject of local and national scrutiny “I think everyone wants to be in a community where we can have these kinds of conversations,” Edwards said It’s an opportunity to get to know people who have experiences that are different from yours.” West Bloomfield Township — Henry Ford Health will open a new 192-bed behavioral health hospital in West Bloomfield Township next week which officials hope will help address the growing need for inpatient mental health care treatment in the region The new Henry Ford Behavioral Health hospital on Maple Road west of Drake Road is nearly double the capacity of the Kingswood hospital which was built in 1966 It will provide a range of inpatient therapies and medical care for everything from mood and thoughts disorders to substance abuse disorders hopes the facility will help meet the rising demand for mental health services "We know the need is huge within our community," Sexton said "There's often times where there are wait times within the community to get a bed in an inpatient facility and we want to work really strongly to be able to decrease those Rooms have been streamlined to minimize anything that patients could potentially use to harm themselves Televisions are encased in glass and even the furniture in the activity rooms is heavily weighed down chair of psychiatry and behavioral health services at Henry Ford Health for them to get better as the treatment goes along," Prabhakar said which will treat both adult and pediatric patients is located on the campus of Henry Ford Health's West Bloomfield Hospital campus It opens as Henry Ford plans to close its Kingswood Hospital in Ferndale admissionThe majority of patients at the new hospital will arrive by ambulance from an emergency department or local crisis centers The facility has eight individual assessment and admission rooms to help orient patients when they first arrive "Somebody in the community — a family member a primary care provider or the patient themselves — might notice that something is going on where they may need more help which leads to an emergency room assessment," Prabhakar said "Primarily what we want to do there is ensure that there are no medically complex conditions going on.. and for us to make sure that they are stable enough to be transported to a behavioral health facility." Once assigned to a 24-bed unit in the behavioral health hospital patients typically stay at the facility for one to two weeks and admissions departments for adults and pediatrics are kept separate in addition to activity therapy through art also emphasizes social interactions within each unit in addition to those for family visitation "A lot of treatment is happening individually but then there is a lot of emphasis on socialization and activities and groups — this is where we use our shared spaces," Prabhakar said More interactionAll of the units have access to walled-in outdoor courtyard spaces and each courtyard is designed for a specific unit has a basketball court while the older adult courtyard has a gazebo and walking path 24/7 staying in their room or in their own bed They're actively engaging in (the) therapeutic environment as well as with activities," Prabhakar said more socialization — nobody's at risk of isolating themselves." Contrary to the trend towards private rooms in acute care hospitals most behavioral health patients in the new hospital will share rooms because it provides more interaction with others and helps them acclimate back to the real world The new facility also will allow for easier collaboration when planning patients' treatments While patient units are locked environments the hospital has designated areas just outside for social workers all care is collaborative care," Prabhakar said "This space allows us the ability to facilitate those sorts of care teams where we can bring everybody together relatively quickly for the ease of patient care that's happening behind the closed doors." Since the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a surge in demand for sub-acute behavioral health services across the region and nationally Individuals present with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety the facility will train at least 120 nursing students from Michigan State University 12 psychiatric residents from MSU and Wayne State and five social work interns from the University of Michigan and Wayne State we have seen a greater surge in all things psychiatric care," Prabhakar said "We are expanding our training programs where we are able to bring in more medical students Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of beds in each unit 2025 at Bistro Le Bliss in West Bloomfield Township 2024 at 2:45 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Prime Concepts Detroit will occupy the building and rename the restaurant Aurora on the Lake an extension of the group’s Aurora Italiana restaurant brand.​ (Prime Concepts Detroit)COMMERECE TOWNSHIP MI — A West Bloomfield group bought a popular lakefront Oakland County eatery with plans to renovate the restaurant located on 11 acres on the shores of Union Lake in Commerce Township a real estate investment and management company in West Bloomfield an extension of the group’s Aurora Italiana restaurant brand known for its diverse and exceptional concepts Aurora on the Lake will offer stunning lake views with a menu that features steaks "The acquisition of this stunning lakeside property perfectly positions us as we continue to grow our real estate holdings along with expanding our hospitality offerings," Chairman and CEO of Barbat Holdings Joe Barbat said "We’re excited to bring the Aurora Italiana brand to the Commerce Township community and create new traditions and memories at Aurora on the Lake." the restaurant's 200-person banquet facility will remain open and feature the Aurora on the Lake menu each of It’s a Matter of Taste employees will have the opportunity to remain at Aurora on the Lake They will be joined by experienced team members from Aurora Italiana who will support all restaurant and culinary operations "With its original location opened in September 2023 one of metro Detroit’s premier dining destinations captures the Amalfi Coast's coastal flavors and dining experiences Aurora on the Lake will bring these beloved traditions to Commerce Township," Managing Partner and Director of Operations at Prime Concepts Detroit Stolion Liti said "We look forward to serving the community and look forward to earning the privilege to become its new favorite dining destination." It’s a Matter of Taste opened its doors in 1990 and served as the area’s premier dining Sexy Steak and Castle Hall in the Grand Army of the Republic Building WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP – The West Bloomfield Township Police Department seeks help identifying a man who robbed a bank while wearing an old man Halloween mask at the Fifth Third Bank in the 4747 block of Haggerty Road wore an old man Halloween mask with gray hair and a black umbrella with yellow smiley face and polka dots left in an unknown direction with a large sum of cash Anyone with information should contact the West Bloomfield Township Police Department at 248-975-8934 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online. Copyright 2024 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service. WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum has expanded and is relocating to Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield. The company will be relocating to the northeast corner of Maple and Orchard Lake Road, right next to Planet Fitness. The expansion will increase from 5,300 square feet to about 14,000 square feet, allowing for a couple of private party rooms for birthday parties and spreading things out. Their last day at the current location in the 31005 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills will be Jan. 5, 2025. A date for the reopening has not been revealed, but the organization will keep you updated. “Sad to leave Farmington Hills as the whole city has been MARVELOUS, but this was the best location we found! Sad to leave Hunters Square, but it’s time to start the next chapter for MMMM.” Three Young People Dead in West Bloomfield Fire MI – Three young people have died after being trapped in a house fire in West Bloomfield Township Sunday evening the West Bloomfield Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a fire in the home on the 5000 block of Pembury Lane “It was also reported that the residents inside of the home were unable to get out “Firefighters and paramedics from all six West Bloomfield fire stations responded to the scene Crews forced entry through the front door and searched for the trapped residents Firefighter/parametics found three residents and transported them to nearby hospitals where all three succumbed to their injuries “Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire “The Bloomfield Township Fire Department also assisted at the fire “The fire department would like to remind everyone to test your smoke alarms monthly replace smoke alarms that are more than ten years old make sure smoke alarms are installed on every floor of your residence and make sure everyone in your family can follow the plan.” NOTE: Police and Fire Reports come directly from the agency involved and are written by the person or agency listed below the title We generally run these “as is” or with minimal editing for punctuation Those needing more information about a case are encouraged to follow up with the reporting agency or court system for the most current information This story is presented without internal advertising due to the nature of the story