Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day. So, let’s get to the news.
Michigan Court of Appeals overturns conviction for man accused in Whitmer kidnapping plot
The Michigan Court of Appeals has unanimously overturned the conviction of a Jackson County man found guilty in 2022 for his alleged role in the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Joseph Morrison, of Munith, was sentenced to 4-20 years in prison — alongside other members of the militia group “Wolverine Watchmen” — for providing material support for terrorist acts, gang membership, and felony firearm charges.
The Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled to reverse those convictions based upon their finding that “kidnapping is not a violent felony,” and therefore “the charge of kidnapping cannot properly form the basis for [the] defendant’s conviction,” the opinion read.
Why the Flint-Beecher tornado of 1953 remains Michigan’s worst natural disaster
On June 8, 1953, disaster struck the north side of Flint and the northern suburb of Beecher when the Flint-Beecher tornado, Michigan’s worst natural disaster in terms of deaths and injuries, tore through the area.
With 116 killed and 844 injured, the Flint-Beecher tornado remains the only tornado to strike Southeast Lower Michigan rated F5 on the Fujita scale.
The scale of the storm was staggering. At 800 yards wide, the tornado didn’t just destroy homes — it erased entire blocks, entire neighborhoods, entire chapters of people’s lives in the span of minutes. Winds are believed to have exceeded 200 mph.
Sisters stab Detroit restaurant worker over wrong food order, prosecutors say
Two sisters were arrested after allegedly stabbing a restaurant worker on Detroit’s east side over a wrong food order.
Brianna and Kierianna Long were charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Police said the stabbing happened in the 17100 block of E Warren Avenue on May 30, just after 6 p.m. Prosecutors allege that after the sisters received the wrong food order from a worker, they argued with the worker, went behind the counter and began assaulting the worker.
Michigan, EPA announce $10M in funding for Detroit River restoration
Approximately $10 million in funding is being allocated to study and plan cleanup work along the Detroit River, state and federal agencies announced this week.
The U.S. Environmental Protection will provide $6.5 million of the total funding for the remediation efforts, with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) providing the remaining $3.5 million.
The Detroit River has been designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) by the U.S. and Canada since 1987 due to decades of industrial pollution, untreated waste discharges, stormwater runoff and habitat degradation.
Weather: 4Warn Weather Alerts issued for Wednesday and Thursday in Metro Detroit — what to know
4Warn Weather Alerts were issued for Wednesday and Thursday across Metro Detroit due to extreme heat and strong-to-severe thunderstorms.
After some sunshine and strong thunderstorms on Tuesday, we have kept a few thunderstorms in the forecast overnight, and our storm chance, along with extreme heat, remains in the forecast.