Cloning a rare plant, fighting crime in Detroit, and other stories you may have missed

(WXYZ) – Hey, you’re busy – we get it.

We know a lot happens throughout the week and you may not see all of our stories here at WXYZ. That's why we decided to collect the most talked-about stories from the last week in one place for you to read in your free time over the weekend.

Do you have an idea or tip for a story? Please let us know using the contact form below.

Here are the exciting stories from the week beginning October 28th:

“My wife is in labor!”: Utica police officer escorts frantic laboring couple to hospital

“My wife is in labor!”: Utica police officer escorts frantic laboring couple to hospital

What kind of crazy story is that?! A Utica police officer helped escort a young Sterling Heights couple who ran to the hospital while in labor.

Mary Weertz went into labor on October 17th, one day before her due date. She was surprised.

As they drove to the hospital, police officer Liz Demuynck saw the young, panicked couple driving erratically and making illegal turns.

Expecting to be pulled over, the couple actually called dispatch to let them know why they were speeding. The dispatcher recommended they slow down so they could be assessed by the officer. Demuynck, a mother of two young children, quickly jumped into action and accompanied the couple to Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital.

“As a mother, it is a very scary situation when you can imagine yourself in the situation that you went through when you gave birth to a child. “Things can change so quickly,” Demuynck said. “I think it really made me go into go mode — just get them there and keep them safe.”

Detroit police are investigating why Lions WR Jameson Williams avoided arrest after a gun was found in the car

Detroit police are investigating why Lions WR Jameson Williams avoided arrest after a gun was found in the car

Detroit police are currently conducting an internal investigation into the stop and brief detention of Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. In the early hours of October 8, after midnight, Williams came into contact with police when they stopped a vehicle driven by his brother for speeding.

When questioned by an officer, Williams' brother revealed that there were two guns in the car: the first was in the back seat, while the second was under Williams' seat, according to police.

Officers discovered the gun in the back seat was registered to William's brother, who had a concealed pistol license (CPL). Although the gun was registered to him under Williams' seat, he did not have a CPL.

The officer concluded that this was a problem and informed Williams that he was being taken into custody for carrying a concealed weapon.

However, after supervisors arrived on scene, Williams was eventually fired. You can view our entire investigation here.

After the story broke, we spoke to fans about the story. They express their disappointment but also their support for the 23-year-old.

“Obviously he's a star on the field and we need him to be part of our Super Bowl run,” said Lions fan Chase Chapman of White Lake.

“I think they have to be patient with him, he's growing,” said Lions fan Aaron Lowery of Detroit. “But he only has so many more chances.”

“Just because you’re an athlete and you have a certain status and blah blah blah, no. “They should have to pay the fine like everyone else,” said Lions fan Vincent Richardson of Detroit.

This rare plant shop in Detroit is working to clone the famous and endangered “ghost orchid.”

Rare plant shop in Detroit is working to clone famous and endangered 'ghost orchid'

In a warehouse in Detroit, Jocelyn Ho and a team from Rare Plant Fairy work to clone the famous and nearly extinct ghost orchid.

She and her team care for thousands of different rare and exotic plants, which is interesting enough in itself. However, we spend the day with her because her team is currently working on cloning a plant.

“We have been working on these ghost orchids for about two years,” said lab manager Deb Sweeney.

“It’s a plant that’s very well known in pop culture,” Ho added.

There are books and films about the ghost orchid, which is named for its white, delicate flowers.

They are native to the Everglades and people travel from all over the world hoping to find just one.

“Although there are only 1,000 in the wild, there are already a few hundred here,” Ho said.

It refers to the small clones of ghost orchids that grow there.

Michigan student, non-U.S. citizen, charged with voting in 2024 general election

Michigan student, non-U.S. citizen, charged with voting in 2024 general election

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County District Attorney Eli Savit released a joint statement saying charges will be filed against a non-U.S. citizen for voting in the 2024 general election.

According to the State Department, a 19-year-old University of Michigan student from China visited the early voting site on campus, one of six locations in Ann Arbor, on Sunday. The student then registered to vote using his university ID, provided documents proving he lived in Ann Arbor, and signed a document identifying him as a U.S. citizen.

Since the ballot has been filled out and placed in the tabulator, there is no way to take it back. Benson's office confirmed that the illegal ballot will count in this election.

“I think it’s terrible,” Michigan junior Max Friedman said. “It kind of pissed me off personally.”

Friedman says he wasn't surprised that a non-citizen student tried to knowingly or unknowingly register to vote illegally, but he was surprised that he was able to do so.

“I'm not surprised that it happened, but I'm surprised that it actually counted and they actually got credit for their vote,” Friedman said. “Everyone here shoves it in your face – oh, do you choose? Do you agree? Vote early. Everyone has to vote – and they don't even ask if you're American. We have a lot of international students.”

Benson and Savit say such cases are extremely rare. They released a statement providing further details on the case:

“Following an alleged violation of law involving a non-U.S. citizen voting at an early voting site in Ann Arbor on Sunday, October 27, the Washtenaw County District Attorney's Office has approved criminal charges of (1) unauthorized attempt to vote by a voter, which is a violation of… MCL 168.932a(c) and (2) Perjury – making a false affidavit for the purpose of securing voter registration, in violation of MCL 168.933. All charges are allegations only and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is illegal to lie about one's citizenship status on registration forms or voting applications. We are grateful to the caseworker in this case for taking the appropriate steps. We also thank law enforcement for their quick and thorough investigation of this case. Anyone attempting to vote illegally will face significant consequences, including arrest and criminal prosecution. Non-citizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event. Research in several states and across the country has found no evidence that large numbers of non-citizens have registered to vote. It is even rarer for a non-citizen to actually cast a vote. When it happens, we take it extremely seriously. Our elections are secure and Michigan's state and local election officials diligently follow the law. Our duty to the law is paramount, as is our responsibility to ensure that every eligible voter can register and cast their vote. Let’s be clear: Voting results are public – any non-citizen who attempts to vote fraudulently in Michigan puts themselves at grave risk and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

One-on-one conversation with Mike Rogers and Rep. Elissa Slotkin in the race for U.S. Senate

One-on-one conversation with Rep. Elissa Slotkin on the economy, immigration and more

One-on-one conversation with Mike Rogers on economics, immigration and more

With the election just days away, our Simon Shaykhet sat down with the two candidates running for U.S. Senate – Republican Mike Rogers and Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin.

The race is crucial for both parties as they seek to either gain or retain control of the U.S. Senate. The winner will replace outgoing Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Simon addressed a variety of topics with the candidates, including the economy, immigration, residency issues and NDAs, gun control, and more.

Watch their interviews in the videos above

Crime in Detroit is at its lowest level since 1966, officials said

Crime in Detroit is at its lowest level since 1966, community groups are helping, police say

Crime in Detroit has declined and is at its lowest level since 1966, according to Detroit police and city officials.

This week they made the announcement with crime statistics, citing new technologies and Community Violence Intervention Teams.

“Once the mentality changes, the numbers will go down,” said Cierra Renee, Force Detroit program director.

According to Renee, they use credible messengers, who are people who have experienced or been affected by violent crime. These people come and talk to children.

“Specifically in the Cody, Rouge area, we have been credited with reducing violence by 72%,” she said.

Metro Detroit residents tune in when they start hearing Christmas music

Metro Detroit residents tune in when they start hearing Christmas music

Finally, as November approaches, we ask people if it's too early to start listening to Christmas music. We asked on Facebook first and received hundreds of comments.

Some people said they had already started listening, while others said they would wait.

How long will they wait? Some won't listen until December, while others say they will start after Thanksgiving.

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