Man dies in aircraft accident • Apartment in Royal Oak approved • Plane crash kills flight instructor

TUESDAY NEWS HIT – A family is mourning the loss of a 24-year-old man who died last week in a so-called “work-related accident.”

Matthew McCoy was working at DPR Manufacturing in Warren on Friday when heavy machinery fell on him, killing him.

McCoy’s relatives said he really enjoyed his job at DPR Manufacturing – a family-run business specializing in steel, stainless steel and aluminum products, according to the company’s website – and worked there for about four years.

“He was a machinist, so he operated certain machines … He painted a lot of parts,” said his sister, Jami Reiterman. “He loved his job. He really did. He would come home and talk about all the cool stuff he got to work on (like) props for the Barbie movie premiere, and he was always excited about his job.”

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is still investigating the workplace death.

Apartment in Royal Oak approved

Some neighbors claim a new apartment complex in Royal Oak would bring too much traffic and loitering to their area, while city officials support the project.

The City Commission voted 7-0 Monday to approve a new 3 ½-story, 42-unit apartment building on Rochester Road near 14 Mile. The approval came despite some negative feedback from residents.

“Stand up for your citizens, not for these corporations,” one man said during the meeting on Monday.

There is currently an empty bank on the site. Local residents who are against the construction of an apartment say it would be too big for their neighborhood and that too many people would live in the area.

“We will turn an abandoned property into something beautiful that will increase and continue to grow property values ​​in the city and surrounding area,” said Mayor Michael Fournier.

Jury selection in the Samantha Woll murder case

Jury selection continues this morning in the murder trial of the man accused of killing Samantha Woll.

Michael Jackson-Bolanos is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, burglary and lying to police in connection with the October 2023 murder.

Woll was found stabbed to death outside her home in the 1360 block of Joliet Place. Jackson-Bolanos was arrested several weeks after the murder and police said the stabbing occurred during a burglary. There were initially fears that the killing might be a hate crime, but police said that was not the case.

Opening statements will begin once the jury is seated. The jury is expected to be seated on Tuesday.

Man sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his ex in front of his children

James Rockett will spend the rest of his life in prison for the murder of his ex-fiancée in 2022.

Rockett shot Michelle Siegel 15 times in front of her two children in her Warren home.

“She had no chance to defend herself or protect her children,” said Siegel’s mother Vicky Greer. “I thank God every day that they were not involved in the murder – but they will have to live with this for the rest of their lives.”

Rockett spoke during his sentencing.

“I also want to apologize to Michelle Siegel for my actions on March 10, 2022 – I never meant to hurt you – let alone take your life,” he said.

Although Rockett is the one going to prison, Judge Jennifer Faunce said Siegel’s family faces a life sentence.

“Unfortunately, friends and family are the real life sentence,” she said. “These children will never, I don’t know how they will ever recover from this. They will never recover from watching the heinous and cruel death of their mother right in front of their eyes. It’s unimaginable – and yet it happened.”

Flight instructor dies in plane crash

A Dearborn flight instructor died in a plane crash on Monday, while one of his companions was injured.

The couple were flying a Cherokee Cruiser in Clinton, west of Ann Arbor, when the plane crashed near Lima Center Road and Michigan Avenue.

The student, a North Carolina native currently studying at the University of Michigan, had to be extricated from the wreckage, sources said. He was taken to UM Hospital for treatment, while the 46-year-old lecturer was pronounced dead.

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Daily forecast

The day starts cool, but warmer weather is on the way.

What else we observe

1. A new rule would allow e-bikes on Michigan state parks trails. Certain classes of electric bikes would be allowed on trails where only non-motorized bikes are currently allowed.
2. Activists and police are working to end the violence after a weekend of shootings in Detroit.
3. A Ypsilanti family is demanding answers after their 14-year-old was attacked by a staff member at school. Video shows a coach choking the teen during an argument at Ypsilanti Middle School.
4. Sip cocktails and stroll through the Detroit Zoo in your best cruise outfit at Summer Sips on July 19. Learn more.
5. After throwing eggs and flour at her ex’s house, a teenager attempted to flee in Detroit last Friday but caused a car crash in the process. The incident was caught on video.

Trump ends interview before verdict after less than 30 minutes of questioning

Former President Donald Trump ended his mandatory pre-sentence interview Monday after less than 30 minutes of routine, uneventful questions and answers, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.

After Trump refused to testify at the trial, he was required to attend the meeting before his sentencing in his hush money case in July.

The pre-sentence interview was conducted via video from his apartment at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, with his attorney Todd Blanche at his side.