11/4/12 - Police say the man whose photos they released last week as a possible witness to a shooting along the I-96 corridor is not believed to linked to the shootings. Wixom Police Chief Clarence Goodlein said Saturday that the man had come in and was cooperative with investigators, and he was released. The man had been sought for questioning as a possible witness after video surveillance photos released Friday from a gas station in Brighton on Oct. 27, the date of the last two shootings, showed him inside the station, and a dark vehicle that police said could be a black 2008 to 2012 Chevrolet Malibu outside. Police say they believe the gunman is responsible for 24 shootings along the I-96 corridor in Oakland, Livingston, Shiawassee and Ingham counties since mid-October. He is thought to be a white male in his late 20s or early 30s driving a dark car. One person has been injured, a Kalamazoo-area man who was shot in the buttocks while driving on I-96 near Fowlerville on Oct. 27. (JK)
Police Say Man in Surveillance Photo Not Linked to 96 ShootingsPolice Say Man in Surveillance Photo Not Linked to 96 Shootings
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Hartland Students to Assist at Polls on Election Day
11/5/12 - Several students from Hartland High School will be using their day off of school Tuesday to help out at the polls. Principal Ben Mainka tells WHMI the students, mostly seniors with a few juniors, are all taking government classes and have been learning about the democratic process. Last year, government teachers from the high school worked to get seniors registered to vote. This year, senior Morgan Lovay says that while she is still too young to vote, she looks forward to participating in the democratic process by working at the polls. She says the instructor who trained the students to work the polls told them that more Michigan voters have registered this year than ever before and the election should be very well-attended. Lovay says getting prepared for this project has changed her by getting her to care about and pay attention to politics. (JK)
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Heroin Charges Remain in Death of Brighton Township WomanHeroin Charges Remain in Death of Brighton Township Woman
11/5/12 - The case against a Detroit man accused of supplying the heroin that killed a Brighton Township woman has been pushed out yet again. 26-year-old Donald Watts Jr. is charged in the death of 20-year-old Kimberly Schanta, whose body was found on October 13th, 2011 inside of her Hilton Road residence. However at a hearing last Friday, Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty denied a motion from the defense to quash information as well as the bind over from 53rd District Court. A settlement conference where a possible plea deal would be discussed was subsequently rescheduled for November 30th, with a December 3rd trial date on the docket. Watts is charged as a 4th time habitual offender with delivering a controlled substance causing death. The prosecutionâs key witness testified previously that he purchased heroin from a person named "Black" at a home in Detroit and that Schanta did the same. Although authorities have identified that person as Watts, his attorney has argued the witness didnât actually see Schanta receive the heroin and thus the drugs that killed her could have come from somewhere else. (JK)
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Howell Opera House Asks 'What's Your Story?'Howell Opera House Asks 'What's Your Story?'
11/5/12 - Houston-based performing arts company Music Doing Good, Inc. will be in Howell this week to perform once again at the Howell Opera House. Sharon Fisher, Vice President of the Livingston Art Council, tells WHMI that the âWhatâs Your Storyâ performance will explore the theme of building community through civility and compassion. The performance will include several genres of music as well as spoken words from Dr. Mark Waters, a comparative religion scholar from McMurray University in Texas. Fisher says that the troupe has helped raise funds for the Opera House twice in years past, most recently for a presentation on Marilyn Monroe in June of 2011, but it has not done the âWhatâs Your Storyâ presentation there before. The event will take place on Friday and tickets are $25 per person. A cash bar and light refreshments will be available. For information or to buy tickets, call the Howell Opera House at 517-540-0065 or click on the link below. (TD)
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Vacant Urgent Care Facility to Get Second Inspection
View Larger Map 11/5/12 - Two weeks ago the city of Brighton conducted an inspection of the long-vacant, former St. Joseph Mercy Urgent Care facility to determine the extent of code violations. The building, located at West Grand River and Orndorf Drive, had been allowed to greatly deteriorate and become an eyesore. Thursday night, council voted to again contact the owner, asking that the premises be entered a second time, primarily to perform a fire inspection. City Attorney Paul Burns said if the owner doesnât comply with the request, a court order can be obtained. But City Manager Dana Foster tells WHMI he feels there will be no problem in getting the ownerâs permission to go back one more time. Some on council expressed concern that there apparently is no working fire alarm and sprinkler system in the building. Foster says special attention will be given by the Brighton Area Fire Department at the next inspection in that regard. Foster says to this date, âthe owner has taken steps to secure the building and there has been significant cleanupâ of the premises. He adds that âno trespassingâ signs have been posted outside the building, and those steps should ensure that the building is no longer attractive to vagrants. (JK)
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Wife of John Rogers Among Meningitis VictimsWife of John Rogers Among Meningitis Victims
11/5/12 - Mary Rogers, the wife of Brighton Township Trustee John Rogers, has meningitis. Rogers, in an interview over the weekend, confirmed that his wife has the disease. Mary Rogers is 82. Rogers' wife recently had received a series of steroid shots for back pain in Brighton and ended up in severe pain, to the point where it hurt for someone to touch her. Rogers tells WHMI she was admitted to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital near Ann Arbor when it was determined she had contracted a full-blown case of meningitis. Rogers says his wife is understandably sore from the surgery, which was performed to remove the infected areas on her back. The meningitis has also been tough on Rogers himself. He is devoted to Mary, and despite his 82 years has been commuting twice a day from his Brighton Township home to the Washtenaw County hospital to sit by his sick wife's bedside. The current outbreak of meningitis has resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people nationwide so far. Seven people have died in Michigan, and at least 112 have been infected, from the disease. The 2012 outbreak, with more than 300 illnesses in at least 16 states, is the result of contaminated serum formulated at the Framingham, Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center. The investigators have linked the outbreak to fungal contamination in steroids that were produced by the firm and administered to an estimated 14,000 people for back pain. John and Mary Rogers were childhood sweethearts who reconnected after each of their first spouses had passed away. They got married in 2010, both at the age of 80. While Mary Rogers had two daughters from her first marriage, John fathered five sons through his marriage with Joyce Rogers. They include Congressman Mike Rogers, State Rep. Bill Rogers and Major General Jim Rogers, who retired from military service earlier this year. (JK)
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Police Find Missing 88-Year-Old Highland Man Asleep On Couch Police Find Missing 88-Year-Old Highland Man Asleep On Couch
11/5/12 - A missing elderly man suffering from dementia who disappeared from his Highland Township residence and sparked a large search effort has been found safe. 88-year-old Elmer Howland was located this afternoon, sleeping in a nearby neighborâs mobile home. Police say that neighbor had been away and called authorities after discovering him sleeping on a couch. Authorities say Howland was transported to a nearby hospital to be medically assessed but appeared to be in good shape. He was originally reported missing on Sunday by his brother, who had found the back door of his Murray Court residence open. Deputies with the Oakland County Sheriffâs Departmentâs Highland Township substation and a K-9 unit conducted an extensive search of the area, which continued into the night. The search then resumed today with assistance from the Highland Township Fire Department, a number of police units and a helicopter. (JM)
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Police Investigating Break-Ins At Latson Elementary & Bordines Police Investigating Break-Ins At Latson Elementary & Bordines
11/5/12 - Local authorities are investigating a second breaking and entering in as many weeks at a mostly vacant school building. The Howell Public Schools district is working with local law enforcement to apprehend the intruder who broke into the old Latson Elementary building. Associate Superintendent Rick Terres says someone forced entry on the east side of the building during the first incident and stole video equipment valued around $1,500. The building is mostly closed and currently listed for sale but the district rents it out to a church in a deal that runs through February. Terres says the second incident occurred October 30th and two computers and monitors were found to be missing that were approximately seven years old and is being handled by Michigan State Police. Meanwhile, the Livingston County Sheriffâs Department is investigating an incident at Bordines Nursery on West Grand River on October 23rd at around 9:47pm that it believes involves the same suspect. A surveillance photo and additional details are posted below. (JM)
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Howell Attorney Enters Plea In Embezzlement Case Howell Attorney Enters Plea In Embezzlement Case
11/5/12 - A Howell attorney charged with embezzling from her clients has entered a plea in the case. 45-year-old Christina Heikkinen pleaded no contest in Livingston County Circuit Court today to a single count of embezzling between $1,000 and $20,000. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a second count of the same and will recommend that Heikkinen not serve any additional time behind bars when she is sentenced in December. Heikkinen was accused of embezzling $18,000 from a 40-year-old West Branch man in May of 2009 as well as $3,000 from a female client in December of 2006. She was previously ordered to undergo a mental evaluation to determine competency and issues of criminal responsibility. In addition to the local cases, Heikkinen has been charged in two other counties on un-related matters. Sheâs charged with possession of narcotics in Wayne County but also faces a charge of 3rd degree retail fraud in Oakland County after allegedly leaving a Walmart store without paying for merchandise. (JM)
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Howell City Council Eyes New Blight Ordinances
11/6/12 - The City of Howell is looking to enhance its ability to take action in response to abandoned properties within city limits. Last night, the council continued a discussion from a work session held on October 23rd regarding how it should regulate different issues associated with blighted properties. City Manager Shea Charles tells WHMI that the council discussed a list of problems commonly associated with blighted properties that are regulated by other communities, ranging from driveway maintenance and paint condition to pest elimination and weed control. Council members discussed which of these issues should be regulated in the city and directed staff to draft language for an ordinance to do that. That language will be returned to the city council for approval, allowing the city to more effectively deal with abandoned and neglected properties. (TD)
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Woman Charged With Tanger Retail Fraud Pleads Guilty
11/6/12 - Pretrial hearings were held last week for four women charged in connection with alleged thefts from the Tanger Outlet Center in Howell Township, with one of them entering a plea. Police say the four women conspired to steal more than $2,000 in merchandise from several stores at the mall on September 22nd. Three of the suspects are from Grand Rapids; Itaejah Lucas, Danielle Goree and Mari-jo Williams, while the fourth, Imon Swanigen, is from North Carolina. They each were charged with first-degree retail fraud and receiving and concealing stolen property in Livingston County Circuit Court. At her pretrial hearing on Friday, the 17-year-old Lucas pleaded guilty to the charges against her in exchange for prosecutors recommending that she be sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act. That will erase her conviction if she successfully completes probation. Her sentencing will take place on December 13th. Williams and Goree both rejected plea offers on Friday. They, along with Swanigan, are scheduled for settlement conferences on December 7th. (TD)
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Fowlerville Council Continues to Stall Search for New Manager
11/6/12 - The Fowlerville Village Council will not hire a new manager until they can secure funds for a salary in their budget. Members have postponed filling the position since April. At last nightâs meeting, Councilman Mike Stock brought up the idea of rearranging spending or creating new revenue to help afford a managerâs salary. However, the village is already facing a $30,000 deficit, making it unlikely that the position will be filled before 2013. Village President Wayne Copeland and Village Clerk Kathy Arledge will continue to assume the manager duties until then. The issue will be reconsidered at the councilâs December meeting after the budget has been fully evaluated. (SO)
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Tax Tribunals Take a Chunk Out of Howell City General BudgetTax Tribunals Take a Chunk Out of Howell City General Budget
11/6/12 - The City of Howellâs recent tax tribunal settlements left their mark on last yearâs audit report, which was presented to the city council last night. An audit is conducted every year by a financial consulting company to make sure the city is properly managing and accounting for taxpayer money. The city ended the last fiscal year with a general fund balance of about $2.3 million, which is down $373,000 from the previous year. City Manager Shea Charles tells WHMI this is because of the settlements in tax tribunal cases from previous budget years. The city had set aside funds for liability in those cases, and now that they have been settled $490,000 of those set-aside funds are being reassigned to previous budget years to pay for the settlements. Aside from the reduced general fund balance the representative who delivered the report described the audit as âboringâ because it did not have any major issues, and he congratulated the city on receiving the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the fifth year in a row. (TD)
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Long Lines & Heavy Voter Turnout Reported In Livingston CountyLong Lines & Heavy Voter Turnout Reported In Livingston County
11/6/12 - Long lines and a steady voter turnout is being reported at polling locations across Livingston County on this Election Day. Livingston County Elections Coordinator Joan Runyan tells WHMI itâs been extremely busy but the lines have continued to move and voters have been very patient and itâs much appreciated. She says when you consider the number of voters participating in this election, itâs great to see the patience and âdemocracy is working today in Livingston Countyâ. Runyan says they did have some issues with equipment today but kept everything under control and the lines moving so voting continued. She says some tabulators went down and electronic poll books but they managed by either replacing the tabulators or memory cards. As for the electronic poll books, Runyan says theyâre just doing things manually has they have in the past. While there was a small lull reported this afternoon in a few jurisdictions, Runyan expects it will be steady right up until the polls close at 8:00 tonight. Green Oak Clerk Michael Sedlak says the township will barely have enough ballots to accommodate all of its voters, and Genoa Clerk Polly Skolarus says absentee voter participation was over 90%. Both anticipate a total voter turnout of over 80% for their townships. (JM/TD)
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Wixom Man Arrested In Connection With Vehicle Shooting Spree Wixom Man Arrested In Connection With Vehicle Shooting Spree
11/6/12 - Police arrested a suspect on Monday night in connection with multiple vehicle shootings that spanned four counties. Task force members arrested the 43-year-old man at his Wixom home and took in numerous items of evidence that will be analyzed by the crime lab. The task force said the Wixom man is known to have driven a vehicle matching the description provided by one shooting victim. The suspect was being held pending the issuance of criminal charges, which are possible on Wednesday. The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the suspectâs mother identified him as Raulie Wayne Casteel and said she was worried her son was mentally ill and had tried to get him help. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI theyâre very confident they got the right man but cannot release certain information yet. Bezotte says the task force did a tremendous job sifting through the tips received, eventually narrowing it down to this individual. The task force investigating the shootings said it was confident the suspect is responsible for the crime spree that terrorized motorists in recent weeks and is believed to be involved in 24 shootings across Oakland, Livingston, Ingham and Shiawassee Counties since October 16th. (JM)
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Obama Wins A Second Term; Cavanaugh Takes Probate Judge RaceObama Wins A Second Term; Cavanaugh Takes Probate Judge Race
11/7/12 - President Barack Obama became only the second Democrat since World War Two to win a second term, winning more than 300 electoral votes to defeat Republican rival Mitt Romney. Locally, the big upset was in the race for Probate Court Judge, as Assistant Prosecutor Miriam Cavanaugh narrowly defeated Attorney-Referee Lori Marran by a margin of just over 3 percent. Otherwise, Livingston County voters retained Republican candidates for most other offices. Senior Trial Attorney Bill Vailliencourt defeated Democratic opponent Matt Evans by a margin of almost 2-to-1 to become the newest Livingston County Prosecutor. Voters also re-elected Republican incumbent candidates for the Livingston County offices of sheriff, clerk, treasurer, register of deeds and drain commissioner. The Livingston County Board of Commissioners will also remain GOP-dominated, albeit with some new faces. One is Republican Kate Lawrence, a former Brighton mayor, who prevailed over Democrat Bruce Schneider for the District 1 seat. Republican William Green prevailed for the District 2 seat on the county board while Republican Gary Childs won the District 9 seat. All other Republican incumbent Commissioners retained their seats on the board and include Dave Domas, Jay Drick, Steve Williams, Carol Griffith and Dennis Dolan. As for local ballot proposals, results show voters in Howell Township once again turned down a water and sewer debt millage proposal and in the City of Brighton, voters rejected a community improvement and infrastructure bond proposal. However, voters in Green Oak Township approved a 1.66 mill, 15 year property tax to repair and improve local roads. According to unofficial election results only one of the three incumbent members of the Howell School Board was re-elected yesterday, while one former board member will be returning. Incumbent Mike Moloney, former board member Mike Yenshaw, and newcomers Deborah McCormick and Stacy Pasini were elected to the four open seats on the board. Incumbent Jan Lobur and School Board President Ann Routt were defeated. In Brighton, the two open seats went to incumbent Treasurer Jay Krause and newcomer Nick Fiani. In the Hartland Consolidated Schools district, incumbents were re-elected to three seats â two that carried full terms and another partial term. In Fowlerville, incumbent Board of Education member Chris Wanczyk and newcomer Carrie Newstead were elected. In the contested Genoa Township trustee race, incumbent Republicans Jean Ledford, Jim Mortenson and Todd Smith were re-elected along with newcomer Linda Rowell. In Howell Township, voters elected Lois Kanniainen and Michael Tipton to the township board, which Tipton says makes them the first Democratic Party trustees on the board since 1958. Incumbent Republicans Dar Howard and Matthew Counts were also re-elected. In the race for the 8th Congressional District, Howell Republican Mike Rogers garnered the most votes over challenger Lance Enderle. In the 42nd State House District, results show local voters re-elected Republican Representative Bill Rogers of Genoa Township over Democrat Shanda Willis and Libertarian James Lewis. Cindy Denby of Handy Township was re-elected to serve as State Representative of the 47th District over Democrat Shawn Lowe Desai. All of the results are considered unofficial until certified by the Livingston County Board of Canvassers. A link for complete unofficial results is posted below. (JM/TD)
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Church Collecting Cleaning Supplies for Hurricane Victims
11/7/12 - A local church is hoping their effort to help victims of Hurricane Sandy is more than just a drop in the bucket. The Milford United Methodist Church is collecting cleaning supplies, most especially five gallon buckets with a lid, to aid the cleanup effort for hurricane victims. The supplies, which can also include everything from dish soap to heavy-duty trash bags, will be delivered to the hardest hit portions of New Jersey & New York by the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Residents interested in donating items are asked to drop them off at the church on Atlantic Street, next to the Milford Post Office. Donations must be received prior to November 21st. A complete list of needed items is posted at below. (JK)
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Brighton District Library To Host Film Screening With Special GuestBrighton District Library To Host Film Screening With Special Guest
11/7/12 - A special guest will be appearing at the local showing of an award winning film later this month. The Brighton District Library will be showing the film "Black and Blue" - the story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech football game. Library officials say "Black and Blue" is not just about football but civil rights before the movement led by leaders such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. The film inspired 8-year-old Genna Urbain of Brighton to seek recognition for Ward, who will be the special guest attending the film screening. The 2nd-grader successfully lobbied the state legislature to declare October 20th as Willis Ward Day, which is the anniversary of the University of Michigan vs. Georgia Tech football game. The showing will take place on Sunday, November 18th from 2 to 4pm at the Brighton District Library. More information or to register, click on the attachment below. (JM)
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Local Democratic Party Chairwoman Feels Progress Being Made Local Democratic Party Chairwoman Feels Progress Being Made
11/7/12 - The Chairwoman of the Livingston County Democratic Party says while they may not hold the majority vote locally, they fought a good fight and she hopes the results of Tuesdayâs election lead to compromise. Local Democratic Party Chairwoman Judy Daubenmier says they had dozens of volunteers working at their headquarters over the weekend through Monday, who made more than 15,000 phone calls to Democrats in the county, urging them to get out and support the President. She tells WHMI even if they donât carry the county, every local vote for the president counts toward a statewide victory. Daubenmier felt the buildup to the election was very divisive amongst democrats and republicans so hopefully, they can now aside the political reddick and start to compromise and tackle the big issues facing the nation. The local party put forward a variety of candidates in numerous local races but Republicans maintained their stronghold in Livingston County. However, it wasnât a complete sweep. Voters elected two Democrats to the Howell Township board and in Unadilla Township; an incumbent board member was re-elected. Daubenmier says regardless, they had a tremendous slate of candidates at all levels. While she would have preferred more wins, Daubenmier feels this will show that Democrats can govern well and next time around, theyâll have a stronger track record and be in a better position to attract votes. She added that a number of issues raised at the county level are also now being acknowledged. (JM)
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Wixom Shooter Arraigned On Charges For Alleged Howell Incident
11/7/12 - A Wixom man arrested in a four-county shooting spree has been formally charged in Livingston County. 43-year-old Raulie Wayne Casteel is being held on a $2 (m) million bond after being arraigned today in 53rd District Court in Howell on a variety of charges. They include felonious assault, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and three counts of felony firearms. The firearm was identified as a pistol. The charges were detailed by Livingston County Prosecutor David Morse at a press conference and he emphasized that more charges against Casteel are likely elsewhere. Casteel was specifically charged in connection with an alleged incident that occurred on Thursday, October 18th in Howell Township at approximately 2:43pm on westbound I-96 near the 135 mile marker. Casteel was arrested on Monday at his Wixom home and a multi-jurisdictional task force says heâs suspected in the shootings that began the week of October 16th but then stopped up until two possibly related incidents on I-96 near the Fowlerville exit October 27th. Casteel will appear next for a court hearing on November 14th before Judge Carol Sue Reader. (JM)
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