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WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

High Winds Knock Out Power To Hundreds Of Local Residents

9/8/10 - Tuesday’s high winds resulted in scatted power outages across Livingston County. At the peak, approximately 1,000 were out in the Howell area and more than 1400 in Brighton. Others were scattered across the county. DTE Energy Co. and CMS Energy Corporation say 113,000 customers lost power across the region with the National Weather Service reporting wind gusts of up to 50 mph. Crews with DTE Energy were out working to get power restored locally and had been making progress as of late last night. (JM)

 

Howell Street Committee Holds Final Public Meeting

9/8/10 - About two dozen Howell residents attended the final meeting of the city’s Ad Hoc Street Committee Tuesday night to voice complaints, comments, and concerns about Howell’s ongoing street renovation project. The committee has been interacting with the public for several weeks in order to form recommendations for the City Council on how to proceed with the project. Citizens have criticized the narrowing of streets to slow traffic, the use and size of swales to mitigate runoff during storms, and the lack of parking allowed by the new setup. Attendees were shown cost-comparisons of eight different courses of action and asked for their opinions, but no clear preference was expressed by the public. The costs of the various options ranged from $415,000 to $4.8 million. The residents were also divided on the use of parking bays, which would be installed free of charge to residents who requested them. The bays would be taken out of the residents’ yards to provide parking out of the street, but would be open to anyone wishing to park there. Members of the committee also expressed concerns about the cost of many of the options being considered, especially in light of declining property tax revenues. The Ad Hoc Committee will make recommendations to the City Council at its next meeting on Monday. (TD)

 

Ulrich Denies Deleting Hartland Township E-Mails

9/8/10 - Despite some major changes over the past few months, the Clerk’s office in Hartland Township is transitioning well according to officials, although they said actions by the past clerk had made the job more difficult than originally thought. Clerk Larry Hopkins was appointed to the position following the resignation of former Clerk Ann Ulrich. A report on the transition and progress was provided to the board at Tuesday night’s meeting and Hopkins says a lot of filing and organizational work still must be done, in addition to preparing for the November election. A report from Supervisor Bill Fountain was also presented accusing Ulrich of deleting several thousand files from her computer before she left July 6th, a charge she has denied saying anything that was deleted was of a personal nature and not related to township business. The report further said that when she was contacted about providing a password to the Qualified Voter File, Ulrich said she couldn’t remember it. As for hiring a deputy, Hopkins tells WHMI that he’s received about 120 resumes and hopes to have interviews done in the next couple of weeks. He says the candidates have a lot of experience, some with actual experience in a Clerk’s office and he’s pleased with the pool he has to choose from. Hopkins had earlier appointed Pat Franklin to serve as an interim deputy to get through the August primary and to help out while the search for a formal replacement was underway. As of now, the deputy position is expected to be part time at 20 hours a week. However it could be more or less depending on whether or not its an election year. A budget must still be discussed for the deputy position and Hopkins plans to make a future proposal to the board to fund it. (JM)

 

Hamburg Approves Funding to Keep River Station Operating

Grass Fire & Truck Spill Close US-23 In Green Oak Township

9/7/10 - The Green Oak Township Police and Fire Departments along with Michigan State Police at the Brighton Post were tied up with two incidents this morning that forced the closure of US-23. There were two problems in the area of US-23 near 9 Mile Road shortly before noon today. Green Oak Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Gentry tells WHMI that one was on northbound US-23 that involved a small grass fire between the median walls and the other was on southbound US-23 which involved a trailer that had lost a load of nails. The fire was extinguished rather quickly but the trailer had deposited thousands of nails onto southbound side of the freeway, making the road impassable for anyone with tires. State Police shut down the freeway and Gentry says it took about two hours to clean up all the nails and get the freeway re-opened. The cause of the grass fire remains under investigation and Gentry says it does not appear as if the incidents were related, despite their close proximity. (JM)

 

Popular Howell High School Teacher Killed In Car Crash

9/7/10 - A former Howell High School teacher was killed in a car crash last Friday in Las Vegas. 62-year-old John Meredith died after the cab he was a passenger in was rear-ended while waiting in a freeway backup on I-15 caused by an earlier crash. Deputy Superintendent of Howell Public Schools Lynn Parrish says she learned of the tragedy over the weekend. She tells WHMI that Meredith, a Social Studies teacher who retired in 2004, was well regarded by both fellow teachers and students. Parrish says she was told that Meredith was in Las Vegas on vacation with another retired Howell teacher, Jarred Lang. Lang was also in the cab at the time of the crash, but survived and was last listed in stable condition. Funeral arrangements for Meredith are still pending. (JK)

 

Pinckney Schools Partner With Police To Curb Substance Abuse

9/7/10 - As a new school year begins in the Pinckney district, both administration and local law enforcement are working together to help curb drug use. Hamburg Township Police officers along with teachers and other staff attended various drug intervention and education programs over the summer to learn ways to identify and confront substance abuse. There has been growing abuse of prescription drugs and heroin in the community. Drug overdose deaths have also been on the rise, including two recent deaths of Pinckney High School graduates. An anonymous tip line is now available to the community and the district has partnered with Hamburg Police and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department to ensure that an officer or deputy is present at the high school during the day. Hamburg Police recently hosted a back-to-school in-service program to educate teachers about Opiates and signs of drug use in students. Administrators are also taking part in Livingston County’s “Project Opiate” which aims to coordinate efforts with prosecutors, judges, probation and parole offices and substance abuse counselors. (JM)

 

Legislation Moves Forward To Ban Pot-Like Substance

9/7/10 - Legislation to ban a psychoactive compound that serves as a legal substitute for marijuana may soon be banned following the efforts of one local lawmaker. The substance, known as K2, is sprayed on a mixture of herbs and sold legally as incense. Despite being labeled to indicate that the contents are not meant for human consumption, users smoke the substance for its marijuana-like effects. K2 can be more powerful than marijuana, however, and while overdose is not fatal it can cause seizures, vomiting, and brief psychotic episodes. Representatives from St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital report that the county experiences one or two K2 overdoses every month. Representative Cindy Denby, who sponsored the legislation, tells WHMI that the proposed ban on K2 is meant to prevent whatever health problems the drug may bring about. "We don't know yet whether there are any potential side-effects because it's relatively new. People do not understand that it has such high potency as compared to marijuana." Because K2 is sold as incense rather than as a smoking product it can be purchased by minors. However, many retailers recognize the intended use of the product and choose not to sell it to anyone under the age of 18. Ryan McDonell, who owns The Haven in downtown Brighton, agrees that the product should not be sold to minors, and says that regulating the composition and sale of the drug would make more sense than banning it. However, shops like The Haven and The Dream Factory in Brighton Township were recently condemned by a community substance abuse coalition in Pinckney for selling the product, which they say serves as a legal gateway drug that can eventually lead to more severe abuse. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the K2 ban, which will now go before the Senate. The ban is expected to be approved by Governor Granholm and put into law as early as October. (JK)

 

Brighton Woman Arraigned On Embezzlement Charge

9/7/10 - A Livingston County woman has been formally arraigned on charges that she embezzled nearly $2 million from a Livonia machine shop. 59-year-old Bonnie Deppert of Brighton is accused of taking the money over a six year period from Delta Gear where she worked as an office manager. She pleaded not guilty last month when she waived her preliminary exam in Wayne County District Court. Last week, she was officially arraigned on a single count of embezzling more than $100,000 in Wayne County Circuit Court and an exam conference set for September 20th. The president of Delta Gear, Bob Sakuta, said he first learned of the missing money when a bank contacted him while Deppert was on vacation, inquiring why company checks were being used to pay personal credit cards. Livonia police then began an investigation that prosecutors say showed Deppert, who worked at the company for 19 years, took a total of $1.8 million dollars. Deppert remains out on bond after she posted a cash bond of $50,000. (JK)

 

Howell Library Reopens Following Ten Day Closure

9/7/10 - Following a ten day closure, the Howell Carnegie District Library reopens today. Facing a large reduction in tax revenue and the resulting hit to their budget, library officials said they had to look at all options for cutting costs and were forced to furlough employees starting August 29th. The library will re-open at 10 this morning. The closure is expected to have saved approximately $20,000. Library Director Kathleen Zaenger told WHMI that they tried to choose a time when fewer people use the library and that no materials were considered to be due during the closure. She says the furlough was just one way in which they’ve been living within their means, including reduced staff hours. The library has also offered no pay increases and has changed heath insurance providers for the 6th time in 5 years. Despite the reduced revenue, Zaenger says usage continues to go up every year and they are working to preserve services for local residents. (JK)

 

South Lyon Teen Faces Charges in Double Fatal

9/6/10 - A South Lyon girl faces two counts of negligent homicide stemming from a double fatality accident in Oakland County’s Lyon Township last month. The 16-year-old is charged in an accident that occurred on August 6th on Pontiac Trail near Bradford Drive, just west of New Hudson. Oakland County Sheriff’s officials say the South Lyon teen was driving her pickup truck eastbound when she turned directly in front of a motorcycle driven by 50-year-old Gary Cline of Milford. Cline braked, but he and his 48-year-old wife Donna, who was a passenger on the motorcycle, slid into the side of the truck. Cline was transported to Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Donna Cline was taken to Providence Park Hospital in Novi and then airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, where she died three days later as a result of her injuries. The pickup driver and her passenger escaped injury. She now faces charges in Oakland County Probate Court. No date for her initial court hearing has been set at this time. (TT)

 

Brighton Council Takes Action on Restaurant Liquor Licenses

9/5/10 - The Brighton City Council approved action on two liquor licenses at its Sept. 2 meeting, one of them being for Bagger Dave’s, a popular – and relatively new - burger, shake and fries chain that should be opening up by the end of the year on Grand River Ave. The liquor license is needed by the franchise because it serves beer and wine at its three locations in Ann Arbor, Novi and Berkley. The redevelopment liquor license application must now go to the state Liquor Control Commission for final approval. The other council action was approval of a liquor license transfer from Mexican Jones to the Downtown Development Authority. City Planning and Development Director Matt Modrack tells WHMI the fact that the liquor license is not a downtown redevelopment license gives the city a lot of flexibility. Modrack, who is also the DDA Administrator, says the DDA could hold on to the license and use it as a bargaining chip to entice a new business to come into the community. Or, he says, as a resort license it could be sold anywhere in the state to the highest bidder. After Mexican Jones closed, the DDA took over ownership – and assumed the debt - because it had co-signed the loan by which former owner Richard Gienapp bought the restaurant and property from original owner Perry Jones. The unusual arrangement was made because the city needed an easement behind the restaurant to build the Mill Pond Walkway. The DDA is now in the final stages of selling the property to a Fenton entrepreneur who plans to open a 1950’s style diner at the site. Under the pending agreement, the DDA would retain ownership of the liquor license. (TT)

 

Fund Drive for Deerfield Twp. Family with 10 Special Needs Kids

Owner Of 77 Seized Dogs Could Face Charges

9/4/10 - A local homeowner could face charges following the seizure of dozens of dogs from Deerfield Township. 77 small dogs, mostly Dachsunds and Pekingese were taken from the home on August 19th, after a resident called to complain about some dogs in the poor conditions outside the home. When Animal Control officers arrived, they found at least 60 dogs inside the house and about a dozen more outside. Animal Control now plans to forward the case to the Livingston County Prosecutor’s office for possible charges. About 10 adoptable dogs remain in the Animal Control shelter. To view animals available for adoption, click here. (MS)

 

Cleary University Among Top "Military Friendly" Schools

9/4/10 - Cleary University has earned a special honor. The school which has a Genoa Township campus was just named to the 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools put together by “G.I. Jobs Magazine.” The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges and universities which the publication believes are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students. The list includes everything from state universities and private colleges to community colleges and trade schools. Criteria for making the Military Friendly Schools list includes efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students and academic accreditation. Cleary University president Tom Sullivan says the school has always done what it can to reach out to the military community, and is proud to have its efforts recognized. The publisher of G.I. Jobs Magazine says the list is especially important now given the Post 9/11 GI Bill which allows veterans and their family members extended opportunities to pursue higher education. (MS)

 

Howell Residents Upset Over Tree Removal

9/4/10 - Some residents in the City of Howell are voicing concerns with the planned removal of roughly dozens of trees in a neighborhood as part of the city’s ongoing street improvement program. The city has been evaluating the trees along Bower Street between Riddle and Caledonia as it reconstructs the road in that area. City Manager Shea Charles tells WHMI that the trees are fairly close to the road and in installing new curbs and gutters, they came closer to the roots of some trees than anticipated. Charles says that’s now forcing the city to remove more trees than originally thought as part of the project. Charles says they’re still determining final numbers and evaluating trees in the area but it’s in the area of 30. Charles says they plan to plant more trees than they remove. (JM)

 

Howell Fire Authority To Close Station Deemed Redundant

9/3/10 - Sometime in the next six months, the Howell Area Fire Authority will close its Marion Street station in the City of Howell, although authorities stress it is strictly a budget move that will in no way effect coverage. Chief Andy Pless tells WHMI that the station was originally added in 1992 to give them adequate coverage south of the railroad tracks, but became redundant after the construction of Station 23 on West Coon Lake Road in 1997. It has remained open, but was only staffed on nights and weekends. Pless expects that not only will closing the Marion Street station allow the department to avoid staffing cuts, but should also save the Howell Fire Authority around $30,000 a year in utility bills and other building costs. (JK)

 

Local Authorities Targeting Drunk Drivers This Holiday Weekend

9/3/10 - With summer coming to a close, local authorities are reminding residents to enjoy the Labor Day holiday weekend but designate sober drivers before they take to the roads or lakes. Michigan State Police at the Brighton Post will be conducting stepped up drunk driving patrols through the weekend. The federally funded patrols are part of the “Drunk Driving – Over the Limit, Under Arrest” campaign and will take place in Brighton, Hartland, Genoa and Howell Townships. Officials say the number of alcohol-involved fatalities has continued to decline but crashes involving alcohol are eight times more likely to be fatal than those not involving alcohol. During last year's Labor Day holiday period, four people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes. During the statewide drunk driving crackdown, officers across the state arrested more than 580 people for alcohol-related offenses and wrote 226 alcohol-related citations. For a complete list of planned patrols in Livingston County, Clicking Here. (JM)

 

Brighton Council Hears Public Speak on Controversial Sculpture

9/3/10 - Those who were hoping the Brighton City Council would rescind its recent action regarding a controversial nude sculpture came away disappointed Thursday night. However, those who wanted council to reaffirm its decision to move the sculpture may have also been disappointed, since no action was taken, one way or the other. At the heart of the matter is Decision Pending, a sculpture created by artist Jay Holland which purports to visually depict a man who has been damaged by life but perseveres through all the adversity. It’s part of the Brighton Biennial outdoor public art exhibit, and has been at the Mill Pond Park site since 2006. People have not been hesitant to comment on it, with many saying it’s ugly and too explicit for children and others saying it’s art and an example of freedom of expression. Former Brighton mayor Kate Lawrence was one of those who weighed in on the statue at the meeting, saying she likes it just where it’s at. On the other side of the issue was former council member Dennis Nauss, who said he didn’t object to the art, but wanted it moved farther away from a nearby war memorial to U.S. soldiers. Two weeks ago a divided council voted 4-3 to have the sculpture moved to a new location. The decision was not to take immediate effect, with council asking the Brighton Arts & Culture Commission to choose a new location for the sculpture and report back at the next meeting, which was Thursday night. However, Council Member Claudia Roblee told council the commission has not had a chance to meet due to schedule conflicts and will not be able to provide a report until the September 16th meeting. (TT)

 

Fowlerville Man Sentenced In Heroin Possession Case

9/3/10 - A Fowlerville man is heading to jail following his earlier plea to heroin possession. 19 year old Jonathan Lockwood was ordered to serve 11 months in jail and two years probation for his earlier guilty plea to two counts of delivery of less than 50 grams of heroin. Lockwood had originally faced up to 20 years in prison. He had sought to be sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which would’ve erased his criminal record if he successfully completed probation, but that request was denied by Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty. The charges were related to a March 25th raid of Lockwood’s residence by LAWNET, or the Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team. Agents found Lockwood in the act of packaging the heroin for distribution. It was the second time in three weeks that Lockwood had been busted with heroin. On March 9th, Fowlerville Police received a tip that Lockwood had purchased heroin in Detroit and pulled him over as he returned to the village. (JM)

 

1.2 Million Michiganders To Travel This Labor Day Holiday Weekend

9/3/10 - Stable gas prices, a slightly improving economy and good weather are expected to push a lot of Michiganders out on the roads for summer’s last big hurrah. AAA Michigan says 1.2 million people are expected to be traveling this Labor Day holiday weekend. That’s up slightly from last year and speaks to an improving economy according to Spokeswoman Nancy Cain. She says this is typically a driving holiday and around 98% will travel by vehicle. However, Cain says travelers will be staying a little bit closer to home. Survey reports reveal while some people will be staying a little bit closer to home, indications are that people will be spending about $50 more than they did last year. The top five most popular driving destinations this weekend according to AAA are Traverse City, Mackinaw City, Petoskey, Frankenmuth and Munising. (JM)

 

Soccer Tournament Organizers Hear Complaints in Oceola

Oceola Township to Hold Public Meeting on Earl Lake Weeds

Gen. James Rogers to Head Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville

9/2/10 - Army General James Rogers, who was raised in Brighton, will be installed next week as commander of the Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville Alabama. The ceremonies will take place on Friday, Sept. 10. In attendance will be Rogers’ father, John Rogers of Brighton Township, along with the general’s wife and children and members of his extended family, both military and civilian. At Huntsville, Gen. Rogers will be in charge of ensuring that airborne military hardware such as helicopters, drones and guided missiles get to American military units wherever they’re needed around the world. Rogers, now a two-star general, has had a distinguished military career that began with his appointment and subsequent graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1979. His last position was as commanding general for the First Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Before that, he was commander of the Army Joint Munitions Command and prior to that was chief of the logistics operations division at U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM. He has received numerous medals and awards and has a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. (TT)

 

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WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

Brighton Chrysler Dodge Jeep's Student Athlete of the Week

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP) - The trial for an 18-year-old charged with kidnapping another man outside a Detroit area sub shop before shooting him to death at a drug house is to start in a Mount Clemens courtroom. Jury selection in Ihab Maslamani's trial will begin this morning in Macomb County Circuit Court.

JACKSON, Mich. (AP) - A man who says he's serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit is asking the Michigan parole board to help free him from prison. Temujin (TEM'-uh-gin) Kensu get a change to address the board today. He's been in prison for 25 years for the 1986 fatal shooting of a man in Port Huron.

DETROIT (AP) - A new exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts focuses on images from artists' imaginations shown in prints from the last 500 years. "In Your Dreams: 500 Years of Imaginary Prints" goes on view today and runs through Jan. 2. It features prints from artists such as Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Marc Chagall.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Governor Jennifer Granholm and Michigan's legislative leaders are making progress on the state budget and soon could have a signed deal outlining major objectives. Spokespeople for the Senate majority leader and the House speaker say agreements in principle or in concept have been reached on budget targets.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP is set to release this morning the conclusions of its internal investigation into the deadly rig explosion that led to the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill. But BP's report is not the final word on possible causes of the blast. Several divisions of the U.S. government are also investigating.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles police chief's call for calm and his pledge to investigate fully a bicycle officer's fatal shooting of a drunken day laborer has apparently fallen on deaf ears. Hundreds of angry people gathered outside a police station last night to protest. At least 22 were arrested.

NEW YORK (AP) - The imam behind plans for an Islamic community center near ground zero in New York writes in a newspaper that the facility will include "separate prayer spaces for Muslims, Christians, Jews and men and women of other faiths." His comments came in an op-ed piece on The New York Times' website.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Things are a lot calmer this morning at Los Angeles International Airport where a Thai Airways jet from Bangkok landed last night after a bomb threat was discovered on a bathroom mirror. The plane was searched and no explosives were found. None of the 189 people aboard was hurt.

DUBLIN, N.H. (AP) - Most of the country will see a colder-than-usual winter while summer and spring will be relatively cool and dry. That's according to the time-honored, complex calculations of the "Old Farmer's Almanac." The 2011 issue of the almanac was released yesterday.