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Ribbon Cutting Officially Opens Hartland's Heritage ParkRibbon Cutting Officially Opens Hartland's Heritage Park

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8/27/13 - An unconventional ribbon cutting commemorated the official opening for Heritage Park in Hartland Township yesterday. Heritage Park provides 10 new athletic fields for local youth football, lacrosse, and soccer teams. The township purchased the 65-acre park in 2000 for $1 million, with $300,000 of that paid by the state government. The athletic fields cover about 40 acres of the property at the northwest corner of M-59 and Fenton Road, with another 25 acres of unused forest land to the north abutting Bullard Lake. The land was turned into a park over the past few months with the help of the Hartland Area Youth Athletics Association, and at yesterday’s official opening the ceremonial ribbon was cut by more than 50 young athletes running through it. The name Heritage Park was suggested by Hartland senior Jacob Scherba to acknowledge that it would be a resource for future generations. He was honored with a plaque at yesterday’s ceremony. Township officials plan to open the other new local park, Settler’s Park, later this year. It will focus less on athletic activities and more on passive recreation. (TD)

Milford Man Seriously Injured After Motorcycle Collisison With DeerMilford Man Seriously Injured After Motorcycle Collisison With Deer

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8/27/13 - A Milford man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries following a collision with a deer on Saturday. The Livingston County Sheriff's Department says the 41-year-old-man was riding his motorcycle on Hyne Road near Pleasant Valley Road in Brighton Township. The accident occurred at about 12am when the driver struck a deer, causing him to lose control of the motorcycle. He was not wearing a helmet, and police say alcohol was a factor in the crash. He was transported to the University of Michigan hospital with life-threatening injuries and was last listed in critical condition. The cleanup and investigation closed Hyne Road for about two hours following the crash. (TD)

Brighton School Board Recalls Laid-off TeachersBrighton School Board Recalls Laid-off Teachers

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8/27/13 - The Brighton Board of Education is recalling 4.5 teachers who had been laid off earlier due to declining enrollment. Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI the school district always issues layoff notices to more teachers than necessary, so that some, or most, can be recalled if needed. Gray says the reason for the callbacks is that kindergarten registrations are considerably up for the fall term. He says that may be due to a combination of factors, including younger families moving in to the district, improvements taking place from the $88 million bond issue, and Brighton’s excellent academic reputation. Brighton has all-day kindergarten for the third year in a row this year. Also, a half-day classroom has been added this year for those parents who prefer half-day kindergarten for their child. There are nearly 300 teachers in the Brighton School district. School starts on Tuesday, September 3rd with a full day for all students except kindergartners. Both teaching and non-teaching staff will meet this Thursday at 8 a.m. at the high school stadium for orientation. Gray will address employees with a rundown on what has been accomplished with the $88 million bond issue and plans for the upcoming school year. The Brighton Education Association and BESPA, which represents non-certified staff, will each have a meeting at 10 a.m. to discuss new legislation and how it affects the school district. Teachers in Brighton are now in the second year of a 2-year contract. Those with the most number of years in the district, who are no longer on “steps”, are in line for a 2% salary increase, and those still on “steps” will get a 1% raise. However, BEA President Ellen Lafferty says that’s misleading, since teachers’ salaries have been reduced by 7%, not including give-backs, during the last several years. But Lafferty concedes those reductions and other cuts have been needed to “right the ship” to erase the legacy deficit.(TT)

Four Lansing Residents Indicted For Brighton Bank RobberiesFour Lansing Residents Indicted For Brighton Bank Robberies

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8/27/13 - Two men and two women from Lansing have been indicted by a federal grand jury for a series of bank robberies in Brighton, Williamston and Stockbridge. 42-year-old Todd White and Roderigious Williams were both charged with three counts of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. White was also charged separately with brandishing a firearm during a felony and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Federal authorities say that on March 18th, the pair, along with two Lansing women, Andrea Hath and Jessica Felix, robbed the PNC Bank on West Grand River in Brighton. The indictment says White, armed with a 9mm handgun, jumped the counter and got away with $15,000 while Williams served as the getaway driver. Court records say that White, Williams and Felix then returned to Brighton April 26th and robbed the 1st National Bank on Challis Road, making off with nearly $22,000. The trio is then accused of robbing the Independent Bank in Williamston on May 24th, getting away with $8,500 and finally on May 29th, holding up the Farmers State Bank in Stockbridge, getting away with almost $19,000. The indictment says White used a 9mm pistol and an Airsoft pellet gun during the robberies. White reportedly confessed to the Brighton robberies following his arrest May 31st. He and Williams remain in federal custody pending a September 10th hearing for all four defendants in U.S District Court in Grand Rapids, with a trial date set for September 17th. White is also charged in Livingston County for the Brighton robberies and is due in court Friday for a pretrial hearing. (JK)

Howell Approves Big Increase In Thai Summit Facility ExpansionHowell Approves Big Increase In Thai Summit Facility Expansion

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8/27/13 - Alterations to the tax abatements for Thai Summit’s ongoing expansion were approved by the Howell City Council last night. Thai Summit provides engineering, stamping, assembling, and manufacturing services to other companies, including the auto industry. Last fall, the City of Howell approved two 12-year tax abatements for a $35 million expansion to its local facility. The city was competing with Chicago to become the location of the expansion, which is expected to create an additional 100 local jobs. Last night, the city council approved two changes to the application for the abatements. The first corrected the name of the company, which was approved as Ogihgara Corporation but has since changed to Thai Summit America to reflect the name of its parent company. The second change increased the size of the expansion from $35 million to $50 million. The increased investment is due to the addition of another new press to the facility, and it is not expected to increase the physical size of the addition or the number of new jobs created. Work on the expansion is already underway. (TD)

I-96 Resurfacing Project Set to Begin Next WeekI-96 Resurfacing Project Set to Begin Next Week

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8/27/13 - A major construction project on I-96 is set to get underway next week with most of the impact expected to be on nighttime drivers. The Michigan Department of Transportation will be resurfacing approximately 10 miles of westbound I-96 in Oakland County beginning after the Labor Day holiday. The resurfacing project extends from Novi Road to the Oakland/Livingston county line, just west of Kent Lake Road. The work is restricted to overnights, with the exception of two weekends when westbound I-96 will be reduced to a single lane near Beck and Wixom roads for concrete patching. All work on the $4.4 million investment is scheduled to be completed in mid-November. MDOT officials say that in order to minimize the impact on motorists, crews will resurface the freeway in segments, with lane restrictions beginning at 9 p.m. on weekdays. The lane closures will be removed by 5 a.m. the following morning, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday when lanes will reopen at 8 a.m.

Veterans Stopping in Howell Wednesday as Part of Ride 2 RecoveryVeterans Stopping in Howell Wednesday as Part of Ride 2 Recovery

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8/27/13 - A multi-state bicycle ride to promote recovery among returning veterans will be making a stop in Howell on Wednesday. The United Healthcare Ride 2 Recovery Great Lakes Challenge began in Chicago on Saturday and will finish in Detroit on Thursday, completing a 375-mile journey. It is made up of 200 injured veterans and their supporters who have trained for the ride as a way to promote physical and emotional recovery from the challenges faced by many vets coming home from service. It also raises support for other physical and psychological recovery programs for injured veterans. On Wednesday, the ride will pass through Willamston and then into Howell, with the riders stopping outside of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department located at 150 South Highlander Way. Ride 2 Recovery Spokeswoman Deborah Spano tells WHMI they encourage members of the community to gather along the route to show support for the veterans as they ride in tomorrow. She encourages everyone to waive a flag or clap and cheer as they ride by. She says they’ll be arriving around 11:30am and encourage supporters to just look around for the USO canteen where they’ll be gathered. Depending on their physical abilities, the riders travel on traditional road bikes, recumbent bikes, tandems, and hand-powered bicycles. Spano says they’re staying at the Kellogg Center in Lansing tonight and joining in the Spartan Spectacular and fireworks show. She says after their last overnight stop in Novi tomorrow, they’ll head into Detroit for a stop at the Renaissance Center before finishing up at the 1:00pm Tigers game. A link to more information is below. (JM)

Howell Public Schools Deals With Administrative ShufflingHowell Public Schools Deals With Administrative Shuffling

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8/28/13 - Retirements and resignations have led to a number of administrative changes within Howell Public Schools, along with the creation of some new positions prior to the start of a new year. Kara Cotton has been named executive director of instructional services. Cotton was the former Northwest Elementary up until accepting an interim curriculum post for part of the last school year. Interviews were then conducted for the Northwest Principal job and Superintendent Ron Wilson says it was narrowed down to six, but then the first and second choice candidates both declined the position. He says that posed a bit of a quandary so they asked John Clay to step into that as an interim position for one year. Wilson says Clay is a distinguished and well respected administrator, having been the former Northwest Principal but more recently at Hutchings. The principal of Southeast Elementary is also leaving but with short notice and Parker Assistant Principal Bob Starkey was moved to that interim position effective last Monday. Howell Superintendent Ron Wilson says Starkey brings a special education background and that’s important because Southeast houses the district’s cognitively impaired program. The district will also have a new security officer and a new food service director following a retirement. As a result of the shuffles, there have also been also some resulting changes to the dean of students and assistant principal positions at the middle school and high school levels. With the exception of a few teaching positions left to fill, Wilson says they’re ready and excited to begin another year. (JM)

Fowlerville Police Searching for Bank Robbery Suspect Fowlerville Police Searching for Bank Robbery Suspect

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8/28/13 - Police in Fowlerville are investigating the armed robbery of a downtown bank Tuesday morning. Police were called out shortly before 11am to the Chase Bank located at 118 Grand River near Grand Avenue. Police Chief Tom Couling says a black male subject with a medium build, approximately 6 feet tall entered the bank wearing all black and a ski mask and displayed a weapon before demanding that money be placed in a bag. Couling tells WHMI the suspect left with an undisclosed amount of money as a result of the robbery and a black semi-automatic pistol was displayed. The suspect fled the scene in a burgundy Buick Park Avenue, somewhere between a 1998 and 2004 model year. Couling says they do not know which way the suspect fled but last have him in a nearby parking lot. He says they’re being assisted by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police and the FBI. Anyone with information or who may have noticed the suspect or vehicle is asked to call Fowlerville Police at 517-223-8711. (JM)

State Senate Approves Medicaid Expansion; Hune Votes NoState Senate Approves Medicaid Expansion; Hune Votes No

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8/28/13 - In a big win for Republican Governor Rick Snyder and a loss for TEA Party activists, the Michigan Senate has voted to make more adults eligible for Medicaid. The Republican-controlled chamber's 20-18 vote Tuesday afternoon clears a big hurdle for implementing a key but optional component of the federal health care law. State Senator Joe Hune voted against the measure. The Hamburg Township Republican has long been opposed to the expansion, saying it should incumbent on the federal government and not the state legislature to help low-income residents meet the demands of the Affordable Care Act. Also known as Obamacare, the act will require most Americans to have some kind of health coverage by January 1st. The expansion of Medicaid, which would cover approximately 320,000 Michigan residents, about 5,000 of them in Livingston County, will be completely covered by the federal government until 2017 at which point it will drop to 95% and then to 90% in 2021. The GOP-led House is expected to pass the legislation next week, and Gov. Snyder may sign it quickly. Snyder has said those who would be covered under the expansion are currently accessing the health care system primarily through the emergency room, which is the most expensive form of medical care. He says that leads to higher premiums for businesses and individuals with private insurance. (JK)

Police Say Man Charged In Highland Break-Ins ConfessedPolice Say Man Charged In Highland Break-Ins Confessed

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8/28/13 - Police say a former Highland Township man now facing home invasion charges confessed to the break-ins. 35-year-old Ryan Patrick Brotherton was arraigned last week in Oakland County District Court on charges of first-degree home invasion, second-degree home invasion, and retaining or stealing a credit card. The Milford Times reports that the charges stem from an incident on July 26th on Wardlow Street in Highland and a second incident on August 9th on Clyde Road, just east of the Livingston County line. He is alleged to have entered both homes through open windows during the day, stolen jewelry and other items, then fled the scene when the residents returned. He is also alleged to have stolen a credit card and used it to pay for gas. Officers from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office say when they pulled him over on August 19th, a search of the vehicle turned up some of the stolen goods as well as drug paraphernalia. They say Brotherton confessed to the break-ins, as well as other robberies in other jurisdictions. They say he also confessed to a heroin addiction that stemmed from using pain medication he had been prescribed. (TD)

Pinckney Man Charged in Multiple LarceniesPinckney Man Charged in Multiple Larcenies

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8/28/13 - A Pinckney man is facing multiple felony charges after police raided an apartment in the village Sunday. Pinckney Police say their officers, along with Hamburg Township officers, had a warrant to search the apartment on W. Hamburg Street in order to locate a suspect wanted for multiple thefts of items from inside vehicles, both in Pinckney and the surrounding area. Inside they arrested 18-year-old Dayton Lee Taylor and recovered various items thought to be stolen. Taylor was charged Tuesday with two counts of Larceny From a Vehicle, a count of Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle and another count of Receiving and Concealing Stolen Property over $1,000.00. He’s being held on a $30,000 cash / surety bond. Pinckney Police say while the arrest closes four cases, they believe Taylor could be responsible for over 20 similar incidents in the Pinckney, Putnam Township and Hamburg Township areas. Among the items that were recovered were a pocket watch, knives and a long gun and police say many of these cases likely have gone unreported. Anyone who may have lost these items can contact the Pinckney Police Department at 734-878-3700 – Investigator Hamlin, extension 410. (JK)

Brighton Nation Celebration to Take Place ThursdayBrighton Nation Celebration to Take Place Thursday

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8/28/13 - Brighton Area School students and parents, and the general public, are invited to the “Brighton Nation Celebration” taking place this Thursday at the Brighton High School football stadium and parking lot. Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI there will be a variety of activities to kick off the 2013-14 school year. Among events taking place will be Cirque Amongus; limbo and hula hoop contests according to age group; the Brighton High School Marching Band with a step-off and tailgate performance; Music in Motion Karaoke and DJ; a demonstration by the high school tech department of new technology arising from the bond issue; Carnival Bounce City; Choo-Choo train rides by Jollie Train; face painting; demonstrations by the Brighton District Library and Brighton Fire and Police departments and prize drawings every 15 minutes. It’s all free – except for food purchases from vendors – and it all takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, just before the home football season opener, when the Brighton Bulldogs host Novi. (TT)

Man Hospitalized After Motorcycle Crash on Milford RoadMan Hospitalized After Motorcycle Crash on Milford Road

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8/28/13 - A motorcycle crash left a man seriously injured and closed Milford Road for about two hours today. The crash happened at about 3:00 when a 39-year-old Milford man riding his Suzuki motorcycle southbound on Milford Road in the area of Buno Road lost control of the bike. He collided with a pickup truck that was traveling northbound. Milford Police Chief Thomas Lindberg tells WHMI the operator of the motorcycle was transported to a hospital in Farmington Hills with serious injuries, while the driver of the pickup was not hurt. It is not known at this time what caused the motorcycle operator to lose control of his vehicle, but Lindberg says drugs and alcohol were not involved. It took about two hours to investigate the crash, clean up the scene, and reopen Milford Road. (JM)

Four Fire Departments Fight Blaze At Unadilla Township HomeFour Fire Departments Fight Blaze At Unadilla Township Home

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8/29/13 - A Unadilla Township home was destroyed by fire late Tuesday night. Unadilla police and fire units responded to the house on the 200 block of Bullis Road at about 11:50pm on Tuesday. They found an elderly resident of the home sitting on the front porch while flames and smoke were visible inside the home. They escorted him away before fighting the blaze. Firefighters from Unadilla, Putnam, Hamburg, and Stockbridge all contributed to the effort, but the home was eventually declared a complete loss. Preliminary observations indicate the fire began in the kitchen area, but an investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is currently underway. (TD)

Road Work Blamed For Drop In Howell Melonfest AttendanceRoad Work Blamed For Drop In Howell Melonfest Attendance

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8/29/13 - Despite the commercial success of the event, the Howell Downtown Development Authority is blaming road traffic on the drop in attendance at this year's Melonfest celebration. DDA Director Diane Larkin says downtown businesses are reporting excellent sales from the festival, including some new all-time highs, and the event in general had excellent weather throughout the weekend. However, it appears that the actual number of people who attended the festival has declined from last year. Larkin says the DDA is blaming this on the road construction on I-96, US-23, and the intersection of Latson Road and Grand River, which made getting into the downtown area difficult. She says with the excellent weather, many people decided to visit other summer destinations rather than try to make it into Howell. A debriefing meeting will take place tonight with members of the DDA and the Parks and Recreation Authority to discuss the festival and begin plans for next year. Larkin says organizers are considering whether to implement a carnival, complete with rides, as part of the festival in coming years. She says organizers expect crowds to be on the rise again next year, when the construction will be finished and the Latson Road I-96 interchange completed. (TD)

Three Suspects Sought In Saturday Brighton Sprint Store RobberyThree Suspects Sought In Saturday Brighton Sprint Store Robbery

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8/28/13 - Brighton Police are searching for the three suspects after a robbery at the Sprint Store on Movie Drive Saturday morning. Police say they received a call at about 5:04am to report three black males leaving the Sprint store. At about the same time, the department received multiple alarms from the business. The witness said their vehicle, possibly a late-90’s model black Chevy Caprice, was backed up to the store’s front door. When officers arrived they found that the door broken and ajar, with evidence of having been forced open with a yellow crowbar. Police say the suspects can be seen on surveillance footage prying open a secured locker in the back of the store and stealing about 20 cell phones. Two of the suspects are described as black males who appeared to be in their late teens, while the gender and race of the third suspect is unknown. Police also checked the nearby Sprint store on Grand River and found fresh damage at the front door indicating an unsuccessful attempt to enter the building. (TD)

Victims Identified in Separate Fatal I-96 CrashesVictims Identified in Separate Fatal I-96 Crashes

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8/29/13 - The two victims from separate fatal accidents along I-96 yesterday have been identified. The first happened about 3:15am on westbound I-96 near Webberville when a car driven by 89-year-old Lee Carl Woodbury of Ionia County hit a semi head-on after traveling east in the westbound lanes. The truck driver, from Pennsylvania, tried to avoid Woodbury’s car but couldn’t. He was treated and released from the hospital with minor injuries. The crash (pictured) forced the closure of the westbound lanes at the Stockbridge exit for more than six hours, resulting in massive multi-mile backups. The second crash happened around 11am in Lyon Township when a tow truck hauling a disabled State Police car collided with a semi that had braked suddenly to avoid a swerving car. The tow truck driver, a State of Michigan employee, was killed. He was identified as 42-year-old Don Selden of Dewitt. That crash closed the westbound lanes between Milford and Kent Lake Road for several hours. Both accidents remains under investigation. Picture courtesy of WLNS. (JK)

Fowlerville Police Release Photo of Bank Robbery Suspect Vehicle Fowlerville Police Release Photo of Bank Robbery Suspect Vehicle

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8/29/13 - The search continues for a suspect involved in an armed bank robbery in Fowlerville and authorities have released additional photos of the getaway vehicle. Fowlerville Police have now released a surveillance photo of the suspect vehicle, which is a Buick Park Avenue and burgundy in color. It was last seen in the Fowlerville area between the hours of 9:45am and 11am this past Tuesday. The man wanted for the armed robbery of the Chase Bank on Grand River remains at large and is described as a black male, standing approximately 6 feet tall and of medium build. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of money after displaying a black semi-automatic pistol. Multiple police agencies and the FBI are involved and are asking that the public lend any and all information to the investigation. Contact information can be found in the attachment. (JM)

Ride 2 Recovery Rolls Through Howell with 200 RidersRide 2 Recovery Rolls Through Howell with 200 Riders

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8/29/13 - About 200 U.S. military veterans, along with supporters and volunteer staff, were in Howell Wednesday as part of their Ride 2 Recovery bicycle ride. The event is held each year to bring attention to the problems and needs of veterans who have experienced injuries, mostly in war-torn areas like Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the leaders in the group is retired Lt. Colonel David Haines, who hails from Massachusetts. He is a decorated veteran who was seriously wounded in 2006 when his unit was hit by a roadside bomb outside Baghdad. A lieutenant colonel in the infantry, he suffered shrapnel injuries to his hands, arms and legs. Tuesday night the riders were in Lansing and Haines says they were fortunate to escape the heavy thunderstorms that flooded streets in the Lansing area, including a portion of the East Lansing campus of Michigan State University, where the group stayed overnight. The Ride 2 Recovery, which started out in Chicago, stopped at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department in Howell Wednesday for lunch and a needed break before continuing its trek to Detroit. The ride, which is not a fund-raiser, is funded in advance through corporate donations. Six Ride 2 Recovery bicycle rides are held around the country each year. Spokesperson Debora Spano says this is the first time they have been in Michigan and the riders have received an enthusiastic reception from Michigan residents. (TT)
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