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WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

Possible "Bike Bandit" Arraigned In Ann Arbor Heist

3/11/10 - A Stockbridge man thought to be Hartland’s so-called “Bike Bandit” has been arraigned on charges connected to an Ann Arbor bank robbery. 32 year old Kye Abraham was caught in Ann Arbor Monday after a witness saw him load a bike into a pickup truck after dropping some money. He led police on a chase that ended when his truck ran over spike strips police had placed on I-94. He abandoned the truck but was taken into custody after a brief foot chase. He was arraigned Wednesday on charges of bank robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, 3rd degree fleeing and eluding police and assaulting and obstructing a police officer. A preliminary exam was set for March 17th. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI that they continue to try and determine conclusively if Abraham is responsible for the February 18th robbery at the Hartland Chase Bank branch on M-59, which like the Ann Arbor robbery was carried out by a man who witnesses saw speeding away on a bicycle. He’s also believed to be behind two bank robberies in Jackson County. Abraham, who has reportedly not been cooperating with authorities, also served four years in prison in Florida for a robbery conviction until his release in 2007. (JK)

 

Utility Truck Crash Snarls US-23 Wednesday Afternoon

3/11/10 - The ramp from southbound US-23 to westbound I-96 was shut down for most of Wednesday afternoon due to an accident involving a utility truck. The ramp from M-59 in Hartland Township to southbound US-23 was also closed briefly. Michigan State Police at the Brighton Post tell WHMI that the truck struck the scaffolding holding various road signs over southbound US-23, then left the roadway and overturned at about 11:45am. The truck also had a minor fuel leak. The Michigan Department of Transportation closed southbound US-23 near M-59 at about 3:30 in the afternoon as crews worked to remove the damaged scaffolding from the sign. The sign will be replaced at a later date. (JK)

 

Police Release Composite Sketch In Possible Abduction

3/11/10 - The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department has released the composite sketch of the man who may have tried to possibly abduct a child at a Hartland Township bus stop last week. The incident happened shortly after 4:20 Friday afternoon in the area of Long Lake Drive and North Court where a 12year old girl was waiting for the school bus to drop off her younger sibling. The girl told police that a man pulled up next to her in his vehicle, put his window down, and told her to come closer. The girl said she began to run away, but when she called her small dog by name, the suspect reached out the window grabbed the dog by its collar, although it managed to break free. The girl then reportedly hid behind a nearby mound of snow and said the suspect turned his vehicle in the street toward her direction then pulled into a driveway. He left after the school bus arrived, heading south on Long Lake. Deputies canvassed the neighborhood, but were unable to locate any witnesses. The suspect is described as a heavier-set, middle-aged white male with short, spiked gray hair and a moustache. He was wearing black sunglasses and a black leather jacket. The girl said he spoke with an accent, but she thought it was fake. The suspect’s vehicle is described as being a light blue newer model four door car with dark tinted windows. Anyone with information related to this case is urged to call Detective Sgt. Childers at 517-540-7956 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP. (JK)

Attachment: Possibleattemptabductionupdate.pdf

 

Livingston County Designated "Recovery Zone"

3/11/10 - Livingston County is moving forward with a federal program that could create jobs and allow needed infrastructure work. As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the county was given the authority to allocate up to $40 million in bonds for construction projects in the municipal, commercial and industrial arenas. The first step was for the county to pass a resolution identifying the area it would allocate the bonds. Commissioner Dave Domas tells WHMI it was decided the entire county would be a designed “recovery zone”, so anyone in the county can qualify for the bonding. While the bonds are taxable, Domas says the federal government will pay about 45% of the interest on the bonds payments, so it works out favorably for those involved. Up to $15 (m) million will be available to municipal units of governments for use in financing infrastructure projects such as road and sewer work. The balance is available for private sector projects, such as programs for buildings or developments where bonding has been difficult to get… The county is now working with the Economic Development Council to draft selection criteria. (JM)

 

Putnam Planning Commission Seeks Improved Communication

Driver In Fatal Genoa Crash High On Pot & Meds

3/10/10 - Nearly two months after a fatal head-on collision in Genoa Township, toxicology results indicate the driver of a car that drifted across Grand River and smashed head-on into another vehicle was under the influence. 27 year old Jeffrey Todd Callebs of Genoa Township, had traces of marijuana in his system as well as high levels of a generic form of the anxiety medication Xanax, when he smashed his Ford Focus into a Chevy Tahoe head-on just east of Chilson Road January 20th. The driver of the Tahoe, a 48 year Genoa Township woman, suffered injuries to her knee and chest was treated at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte said although Callebs had been charged with drunken driving in West Bloomfield Township in December and had an open bottle of whiskey in the back seat of his car, it doesn’t appear alcohol was a factor in the crash. (JK)

 

Students Raise Money For Guatemalan Children

3/10/10 - A local school is once again reaching across borders by reaching out to help less fortunate children in other parts of the world. Students at Light of the World Academy in Pinckney are raising money to sponsor two kids in Guatemala. The school is working with a charity called Mayan Families which helps provide the essentials Guatemalan children need to attend school, such as shoes, supplies, backpacks and books. School director Kathy Moorehouse tells WHMI the students are very excited about the project and have already raised over $700 by doing jobs around the school and at home. Moorehouse says the idea for the project came from one of her students, a first grader named Charlie who was adopted from Guatemala. Last year Light of the World Academy raised money for the Pennies for Peace program to help build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and their efforts jumped unexpectedly into the national spotlight when someone stole their donation jar full of pennies. For more information or to make a donation, contact Light of the World Academy at 734-878-3301.(MS)

 

Health Department Survey Seeks Opinions On Smoking Ban

3/10/10 - With a new state law ready to take effect in less than two months that will ban smoking in most workplaces; local health officials are trying to gauge Livingston County resident’s opinions. The Livingston County Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Community Health, is conducting a public opinion survey through April 15th regarding the smoke-free legislation. The survey is only nine questions and is anonymous. Livingston County residents can take the survey on-line by Clicking Here. Residents can also fill out a hard copy version that’s available at the health department’s front desk. The Michigan Legislature passed the state-wide, smoke-free workplace legislation to take effect May 1st. However, they exempted Detroit casino gaming floors, cigar bars and tobacco specialty stores. (JK)

 

Howell School Board Member Unveils Pay Cut Proposal

3/10/10 - A member of the Howell Board of Education has a novel proposal that he says would prevent the board from having to lay off any employees or privatize services for the 2010-11 school year. Trustee Bob Parker, who considers himself a good number cruncher, says that would happen if all employees were willing to take a 4-and-1/2 percent pay cut. At Monday’s meeting Parker challenged the unions to meet with each other and come up with a unified proposal to cut their pay. Parker tells WHMI the caveat is that everybody – from the superintendent on down to union members and part-time employees – would have to be willing to take the pay cut. Howell Education Association President Jay McDowell wouldn’t say whether he would sit down with officials of the other employee unions to discuss a pay cut. Rather, he tells WHMI, the HEA has a standing proposal to meet with the school board to discuss pay. McDowell said the district has not yet responded to his proposal. School Board President Debi Drick tells WHMI that while Parker’s idea is intriguing, she takes a cautionary position, saying she wants to see hard data that supports Parker’s contention. (JK)

 

New Fee For Delinquent Water Bills Approved in Handy

Police Receive "Jump Start" Donation

3/10/10 - A local woman dropped off a generous donation designed to honor a loved one, and “jump start” a police fundraising campaign. Mary Jane Jeffreys of Pinckney (pictured here with Sgt. Mark Thompson) donated $800 to the “Jump Start the Heart” campaign through Brighton Post of the Michigan State Police. The program is a partnership between the post and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department to raise funds to purchase ten Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs, to be used by troopers and deputies on patrol. Ms. Jeffrey’s brother James Jeffreys was a Trooper with the Michigan State Police from October 1950 until his retirement in 1977, and she says she made the donation in his honor. Each AED costs $1400 and can be used to help return the human heart to a normal beat during a heart attack. Donations can be dropped off at the State Police Post in Brighton during normal business hours or mailed to; JUMP START the HEART, Brighton - State Police Post, 4803 S. Old US-23, Brighton, MI 48114. Checks should be made payable to JUMP START the HEART. (MS)

 

Activist Says Suicide Of Singer's Son Offers Teachable Moment

3/10/10 - Local groups that work to raise awareness about suicide say the death of performer Marie Osmond’s son should be a sign to everyone of just how pervasive a problem suicide is in our society, particularly among youth. Friends and family gathered this week to remember Michael Bryan, Osmond’s 18-year-old son who leapt to his death from a building rooftop last month. Osmond is pictured here watching the casket of her son taken from a Mormon church in Provo, Utah on Monday. Because of his mother’s celebrity, Bryan’s suicide brings the issue to the forefront, but a local spokesperson for the National Alliance for Mental Illness says suicide is much more common than most of us would like to believe. Brian Parsons of Pinckney tells WHMI it’s critical that friends, parents, teachers, and coworkers know the warning signs that could mean someone is in distress and possibly thinking about taking their own life. Parsons says young people who are away from home and their usual support groups are particularly vulnerable, but he adds that there is no age or social group immune to the issue. He adds that diagnostic tools and other resources are available at www.nami.org. (Photo courtesy of AP)

 

Suspect In Custody After Another Bank Robbery On Bike

3/10/10 - Police in Ann Arbor are holding a man in custody who they say robbed a bank on a bike and could be connected to a similar robbery last month here in Livingston County. The February 18th robbery at the Chase Bank branch on M-59 was carried out by a man who witnesses saw speeding away on a red bicycle with approximately $1000. And the Livingston County Sheriff’s department believes the same suspect is behind two bank robberies in Jackson County. Now, Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI there’s been a similar situation in Ann Arbor- and there’s reason to believe there may be a connection. Bezotte says the description of the Ann Arbor suspect is similar to the artist's sketch of the suspect in the Hartland robbery, which is pictured here. The suspect in custody for the Ann Arbor robbery was caught after a witness saw him load a bike into a pickup truck after dropping some money. He led police on a chase that ended when his truck ran over spike strips police had placed on I-94. He abandoned the truck but was taken into custody after a brief foot chase. Meanwhile, police are still looking for the suspect who robbed the Chase bank in Hartland just 8 days after the first heist. Authorities believe they are unrelated. (JK)

 

Suspicious Package At Hartland Fire Dept. Is A False Alarm

3/9/10 - A suspicious package that turned up at the Hartland Fire Station this morning was someone's discarded trash. Hartland Deerfield Fire Authority Chief Adam Carroll tells WHMI that Tuesday is garbage day and staff took out the trash at around 7:30 this morning. However, when they went back to take out additional items, they noticed a suspicious package next to the curb carts that looked like a bomb. It was about 3 inches in length and height and was wrapped with duct tape, which is commonly used by individuals to make home-made bombs. Carroll says they immediately contacted authorities and the Michigan State Police bomb squad was dispatched to the scene, which was cleared shortly before 9:30am. He says the package contained common tobacco products and was taped with cans and a lighter and was packaged in a very deceiving manner. Hartland Road between Ore Creek and Dunham Road was also shut down due to the situation and school officials in the area were notified. (JM)

 

South Lyon Man Charged In Pipe Bomb Case Faces New Charges

3/9/10 - A South Lyon man charged in federal court with setting off pipe bombs in Livingston and Washtenaw Counties over a seven-month period has now been charged with setting a Milan home on fire last year. 32-year-old Christopher Bandy was charged in July with manufacturing and possessing destructive devices in connection with a series of pipe bomb explosions in Hamburg Township, Whitmore Lake and Howell. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents. He’s now charged with four separate counts in connection with the blaze that gutted a Milan home. Bandy’s arrest warrant culminates a five-month joint investigation by Milan Police and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. His girlfriend has also been charged in the crime. Meanwhile, Bandy’s case in U.S. District Court in Detroit has been delayed numerous times. Plea negotiations are continuing and if no deal is entered in April, he heads to trial May 11th. (JM)

 

Trial Underway For Man Charged In Parents Double Murder

3/9/10 - The trial of an Oakland County man charged in the murder of his parents at their White Lake Township home is underway after previous delays. 27 year old Mark Ott is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his parents, Michael and Barbara Ott, both 57. Their bodies were found in their White Lake Township home in February of 2008. Both died of multiple stab wounds. Ott’s trial began yesterday and his attorney doesn’t dispute that he killed his parents but is instead arguing that Ott, who has a long history of mental illness and bi-polar disorder, was insane at the time. Police say his motivation was anger toward his parents, inheritance and greed. They also say a detailed notebook was discovered in which Ott appeared to be planning various ways to kill his parents. Ott showed little emotion in Oakland County Circuit Court and his attorney told jurors that he was delusional that day and thought he was involved in a war with corrupt government and believed his parents were part of it. The trial continues Tuesday afternoon. (JM)

 

County Commission To Consider Changing "Bully Breed" Policy

3/9/10 - Livingston County’s Board of Commissioners is one step closer to changing a controversial policy regarding dogs. Last year Animal Control tightened its rules on so-called “bully breeds” when the Board of Commissioners approved a resolution giving the department the authority to euthanize dogs based on breed alone. The rule came in the wake of the deadly mauling of two county residents by bulldogs. But Monday night Animal Control Director Anne Burns told the General Government Committee it was her recommendation the policy be changed to remove any language about breeds and instead cover “aggressive animals.” Instead, Burns recommended all dogs be given a temperament test to determine whether or not they were suitable for adoption. Burns tells WHMI she believes the new policy would be in the best interest of both public safety and animal welfare. The proposed changes came as welcome news to the dozens of animal activists who attended Monday night’s meeting. Last week Animal Control changed another controversial policy- ending the requirement that animals be euthanized after 14 days and extending the time to 30 days. The full board is expected to vote on the changes to the bully breed resolution on Monday March 15th. (MS)

 

Hartland Schools OK LESA Bus Plan; Howell Board Delays Action

3/9/10 - The Hartland School Board approved a resolution consolidating its transportation services with the Livingston Educational Service Agency at its meeting last night. But in Howell the school board delayed action on the same proposal. In Hartland, the action will save an estimated $150,000 out of its $44 million budget, which has been reduced by 10% in the past five years. Another $3 million must be cut by next year. While transportation aides were not included in the final draft, bus drivers have denounced the move, saying it will severely impact their income and benefits and that the district has not done all it could to avoid it. The board defends it as a necessary last resort, and Board President Kevin Kaszyca says it was not an easy decision to make. In Howell, the board did not take action on the proposed contract with LESA because, as presented, it did not provide for the purchase of school buses by the intermediate district for the district. The board agreed to wait until the contract can be modified. Bus drivers expressed concern at the meeting that they would lose their health insurance with LESA. But intermediate Superintendent Scott Menzel told the board LESA hopes to be able to offer affordable health insurance that bus drivers could purchase individually. The Howell board is expected to take action on the contract with LESA at its March 22 meeting. (TT)

 

Trial To Be Held In Capsizing of New York Tour Boat

3/9/10 - A federal judge has set a trial to determine whether another boat's wake contributed to the 2005 capsizing of a tour boat on Lake George that killed 20 passengers including two from Livingston County. In a ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy says there's a question of fact to be determined at trial June 10. He refused the Lake George Steamboat Co.'s request to dismiss liability claims that its tour boat's wake contributed to the Ethan Allen's capsizing. The 40-foot Ethan Allen carried 47 passengers and the captain when it suddenly tipped over in clear, sunny weather, sending screaming tourists into the Adirondack lake. Among the 20 who died in the incident were 67 year old Hamburg Township resident Stephanie Przybylski and 68 year old Ruth Renkiewicz of Whitmore Lake. Claims against the boat owner and operator and a tour organizer have been settled. (JM)

 

Cleary University Opens Micro Business Incubator

3/8/10 - The new Welcome Center and Micro Business Incubator for Cleary University in Howell was opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier today. The university plans to use the 2,500 square foot facility to assist entrepreneurs in starting new businesses by providing inexpensive office space and services as well as free student labor and access to advising from the university staff. Congressman Mike Rogers helped obtain $100,000 in federal funding for the building’s purchase and renovation, and visited the site to cut the ribbon at today’s ceremony. The facility already has one tenant business, Pure and Simple Catering, which has the university as its primary client. The building can house up to five small businesses at any given time, and rates for occupation should soon be available. (TD)

 

Hartland Man Rescued After Falling Through Ice

3/8/10 - A Hartland Township man, who fell through the ice on a frozen pond behind his home yesterday, was held above water by his parents until rescue crews arrived. State Police from the Brighton Post say they were dispatched to a home on Al Ford Lane, near Maxfield and Commerce roads shortly after 11:30am. The 27-year-old man, who police say has medical and emotional disabilities, had fallen through the ice and his parents were holding his head above the surface. Assisted by the Hartland Fire Department and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, State Police used a rescue disc to help support the man, while troopers carried a nearby wooden dock on the ice, where they were able to pull the 5-foot-11-inch, 300-pound man from the water and pull him back to shore. Police said the man and his parents were treated for cold-water immersion and hypothermia, but are expected to recover. (JK)

 

Fowlerville Woman "Followed" on Twitter by TV Personality

3/8/10 - A young Livingston County woman is the subject of a lot of Tweet talk – no, not sweet talk, but Tweet talk - not to mention media publicity these days. Former NBC Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien recently joined the social networking site Twitter and decided to follow just one person: Long-time Twitter member Sarah Killen, who is 19 and lives in Fowlerville. The resulting publicity has already changed the life – even if only for the moment - of the 19-year-old Killen, who dropped out of school for a year and now is a senior at Howell High School. She tells WHMI she was picked by O’Brien’s staff “at random.” Huge Conan O’Brien fan Killen says she had a recent disagreement with her grandmother over which Tonight Show host is better – him, or the one who both preceded and replaced him, Jay Leno. Killen says she has received offers for several gifts, including a bridal gown and wedding rings, as a result of all the publicity. Killen says she has also received a new Apple computer. Killen is engaged to 21-year-old John Slowik Junior, also of Fowlerville, who was recently laid off from his job at a Howell area store. Although Slowik and Killen were originally planning on a small wedding next fall, she says if Conan O’Brien were to attend, it could end up being considerably larger. Both Killen and Slowik hope to attend the University of Michigan. She says even if the Twitter-Conan O’Brien publicity ended tomorrow, she’d be happy, calling it a positive experience. (TT)

 

Traveling Law Clinic To Benefit Area Veterans

3/8/10 - A unique traveling law clinic will be coming to Howell this week with a goal to help Livingston County veterans in need of legal assistance. The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law’s veteran law clinic program titled “Project Salute” travels nationally and statewide via a custom designed recreational vehicle. Project Director of Tammy Kudialis tells WHMI that veterans who have a need for the service receive a free consultation with the hope of eventually placing their case with a pro-bono attorney who has also been retained in the program. She says the individual consultations are offered to veterans who are in need of assistance with their pension and disability benefit claims. Since the programs inception, Kudialis says they’ve provided consultations to more than 2800 veterans across the county and trained more than 900 attorneys with 350 lawyers currently working on veteran cases for free. Project Salute will take place at American Legion Hall on Grand River in Howell on Thursday from 11am until 2pm. For more information, log onto www.law.udmercy.edu/project_salute/whereweregoing.php (JK)

 

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WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

Hartland Girls' Basketball Run Comes To An End

Brighton Boys' Basketball Season Comes To An End

DETROIT (AP) - A sweeping $200 million plan targeting failing Detroit Public Schools is set to be announced. The Excellent Schools Detroit plan expected to be unveiled today at the Detroit-based Skillman Foundation. The plan also would add 70 new programs, launch a national effort to recruit principals and increase accountability and parental involvement.

DETROIT (AP) - Former Detroit Tigers infielder Doug Baker is selling his 1984 World Series ring on eBay for $5,000. The 48-year-old Baker, who lives north of San Diego, says he's selling his original ring that was stolen and later found because he has a replacement.

DETROIT (AP) - Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will learn this morning if a request to disqualify a judge hearing his restitution case has been granted. Wayne County Circuit Presiding Judge Timothy Kenny says he'll rule at 9 a.m. on the motion Kilpatrick's attorney filed to remove Judge David Groner.

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. (AP) - The Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports has announced a lottery for people who want to participate in the five-mile Labor Day run across the Mackinac Bridge. Four-hundred people will be able to join the noncompetitive run across the span connecting Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic leaders plan to begin reading a health care overhaul bill to rank-and-file Democats at a caucus meeting today. President Barack Obama, meanwhile, will discuss the legislation with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's auto safety agency is coming under scrutiny in the wake of Toyota's massive recalls. A House panel plans to examine the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's oversight of the auto industry. Critics have accused NHTSA (NIHT'-sah) of being too cozy with the Japanese automaker.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Come the fall, almost half the public schools in Kansas City, Mo. will be closed under a plan narrowly approved by the school board. The schools are being shuttered in the face of potential bankruptcy. Angry parents pleaded with the board not to go through with the closings.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Workers in Greece are protesting painful spending cuts the government is making to deal with the country's debt crisis. Public transportation was halted, flights were grounded and state hospitals were left with emergency staff only as workers walked off the job today. Greece has faced a new wave of labor discontent since it introduced a harsh new austerity plan last week.

DUBLIN (AP) - Seven Muslims in Ireland allegedly linked to a plot to assassinate a Swedish artist will remain in custody for at least three more days. A judge approved the extension as police investigate the suspects' computer and telephone records. The artist has received death threats for depicting the head of Muhammad on a dog's body.