Monday, July 6, 2020

Man Who Called In Fire Arrested As Suspected Arsonist

The Lyon Township Fire Department was called to a home off of Pontiac Trail, west of Martindale, at about 4:30 Sunday afternoon on the report of a structure fire.

Hundley Encourages Voters To Learn Details Before Voting Absentee

Livingston County Clerk Elizabeth Hundley is sharing information on voting absentee, with more residents than ever being eligible.

Fenton Township Approves Trail Grant Application

The Fenton Township board voted 6-1 to approve a resolution in support of submitting a grant application for development of the Silver Lake Road Connector Trail.

Trinity Health, St. Joe's Laying Off 1,000 Workers

Trinity Health, which operates St. Joesph Mercy Livingston and the Brighton Health Center, announced the layoffs last week amid declining revenue from the pandemic.

Howell's Fire Chief Reflects On Time With HAFA

Howell Area Fire Authority Chief Andy Pless looked back on his time serving the community and towards what the future of firefighting in Livingston County may look like.

Ozone Action Day Declared For 2nd Consecutive Day

According to Michigan Department of Environmental Quality meteorologists, a stagnant air mass remains due to higher humidity and light winds. The combination will make conditions right for formation of smog pollution with high levels of ozone.

County Commission District 2 Candidates Square Off

Republicans James Bruney and Carol Sue Reader took part in an online campaign forum hosted by the Livingston County GOP.

Lyon Township Hall To Undergo Renovation/Expansion Project

The current building is 8,140-square-feet and the proposed expansion is 5,905-square-feet, which would result in a total building size of 14,045-square-feet.

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Separate Livingston County Crashes Take Two Lives Friday

The first was a 2-vehicle crash that occurred at around 6pm Friday evening in Howell Township, taking the life of a West Michigan man. The second was a one-car crash east of Fowlerville that took the life of a Redford woman.

Sunday Is Ozone Action Day

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, known as SEMCOG, is asking people to avoid mowing their lawns over the next few days to keep ozone levels down.

Whitmore Lake Holds Virtual July 4th Parade

The virtual parade, as with the actual parades in prior years, was sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Whitmore Lake.

MDNR Encourages Safety At State Parks & Campgrounds

Many state parks, campgrounds and state-managed boating access sites have re-opened but operations will be a little different this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reckling Endorsed By Small Business PAC

Meghan Reckling has picked up the full endorsement of the Small Business Association of Michigan's Small Biz-PAC in her race to become the GOP nominee for 47th State House.

Health Department Urges COVID-19 Safety This Holiday Weekend

Officials stress that COVID-19 is still spreading in the community and with restrictions lifted, more residents are leaving their homes - increasing their risk of exposure to COVID-19 as they encounter more people.

Metroparks Ready For Busy 4th Of July Holiday Weekend

Although annual fireworks shows are canceled; Huron-Clinton Metroparks has opened beaches, splash pads, campgrounds, farm centers, boat rentals and some pools.

Motorcyclist Killed In Howell Township Crash

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal 2-vehicle crash that occurred at around 6 p.m. Friday evening in Howell Township, taking the life of a West Michigan man.

Friday, July 3, 2020

Board Approves Purchase of 1,500 iPads

The iPads will replace technologically outmoded iPads that were purchased from 2012 through 2014 with funds from the 2012 bond issue.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Oakland County Prosecutor Will Handle Motion To Dismiss Rape Conviction

Livingston County Prosecutor Bill Vailliencourt says that in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest, he asked the Michigan Attorney General to handle the case. They appointed the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office to deal with the motion seeking a new trial for Zachary Lally, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Brighton 4th Of July Parade Cancelled

Brighton Fire Chief Mike O’Brian said they are fearful that having the parade could aid in spreading coronavirus and their priority has always been to keep the community healthy.

Vailliencourt, Reader Debate In Second Campaign Forum

The two candidates for the Republican nomination for County Prosecutor tackled Theresa Brennan, felony expungement, and more.

Governor Signs Bills Extending Driver's License Renewals

Senate Bills 876-878 extend the renewal dates for certain licenses, state ID cards or enhanced drivers licenses that would have previously expired between varying dates to now be valid until September 30th.

Brighton Library Entering Next Re-Opening Phase

Beginning Monday, the library will be allowing patrons to enter, find, and check out materials in 30 minutes or less.

AAA Forecasts 700 Million Trips This Summer

While some travel restrictions have lifted, social distancing is still recommended and car trips remain the favored mode of transportation for summer travel.

Annual Golf Outing Honors Memory Of Fallen officer

Sergeant O’Rourke was a West Bloomfield police officer living in Tyrone Township who was killed in the line of duty on September 9th of 2012.

Utility Offers Tips, Smart Thermostats For Summer Heat

Holiday weekend temperatures are expected to climb into the 90s, but Consumers Energy is giving away 100,000 Google Nest Thermostat E’s through the end of July if they enroll in the Peak Power Savers Smart Thermostat Program.

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Governor Closes Indoor Bars, Allows To-Go Cocktails

A new executive order that goes into effect at 11pm closes indoor seating in bars in parts of the state. Governor Whitmer also signed a bill allowing bars and restaurants to sell cocktails-to-go.

Whitmer Contemplates New Restrictions w/ Lansing Region "Heating Up"

Gov. Whitmer on Tuesday noted the Lansing region is "heating up" after a major outbreak linked to an East Lansing bar frequented by MSU students. Local legislators have been pushing to have Livingston County included in that region.

Online Event Seeks To Promote Civil Discourse

In partnership with the Civility Campaign of Highland Township, The Civility Project with Nolan Finley and Stephen Henderson will provide insights, tips, and hands-on skill-building to a July 30th Zoom session.

Genoa Teen Dives Into Home Baking Business

Splashy Sweets by Noah Shand is a home-baking business that will "bake for good.". Shand, who has been baking and decorating sweets since he was a toddler, will offer an array of custom cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, brownies, and other treats, with a portion of each purchase going to charity.

Backlot Drive-In Movie Showings Sell Out Quick

All three showings of the Historic Howell Theater's Backlot Drive-In movie experience are completely sold out.

Governor Releases MI SafeSchools Return to School Roadmap

During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Whitmer said she’s optimistic about returning to in-person learning in the fall.

Bezotte Boycotts GOP Candidate Forum

Local Republican Party Chair Meghan Reckling and Marion Township resident Yvonne Black were the only two candidates in attendance. County Commissioner Bob Bezotte later stated his reason for not participating was a perceived bias by the party’s election committee in favor of Reckling.

Bollin Say Budget Agreement Protects Schools, Local Governments

State Rep. Ann Bollin said while significant challenges remain, she’s pleased to say the agreement protects funding for students and for local governments that provide important public services.

Chalk Art Event Celebrates LGBTQ Pride In Howell

Pride Alliance of Livingston, a committee of the Livingston Diversity Council, hosted the event Sunday.