12/7/13 - Unadilla Township has been awarded grant funds for trailhead improvements at the Lakelands Trail State Park. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says one of the its biggest priorities is to get more people outside, more often to enjoy all of the natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities available in Michigan. The department recently awarded $761,600 in Recreation Passport grants to local communities for park improvements. Unadilla Township is receiving $45,000 and Trustee Lori Cowan tells WHMI the funds will allow for the enhancement of the trailhead at the Lakeland Trail that begins in downtown Gregory. A pavilion with solar lighting, picnic facilities, a water pump and unisex restrooms will be installed while pedestrian and equestrian amenities will be added such as new bike racks, horse ties and mounts. Cowan expects that planning will begin in early January with renovations taking place in the summer and a final completion date for the enhancements by next September. (JM)
State Awards Grant To Unadilla For Lakeland Trail ImprovementsState Awards Grant To Unadilla For Lakeland Trail Improvements
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Man Accused of Hitting Woman w/ SUV at Rec Area Heads to Trial Man Accused of Hitting Woman w/ SUV at Rec Area Heads to Trial
12/8/13 - A South Lyon man who police say hit a woman with his SUV in a local park this summer is heading to trial. 24-year-old Roy Joseph Galdes was in 53rd District Court this past week, where a judge determined there was enough evidence to bind the case over to Circuit Court for trial. He faces charges of operating under the influence of alcohol causing injury, possession of marijuana, and having open intoxicants in a vehicle. Police said Galdes was intoxicated and had open alcohol in his vehicle when the Novi woman was struck by his SUV at the Island Lake Recreation Area the afternoon of June 22nd. Toxicology reports later revealed that he had a blood-alcohol level of .22%, nearly three times the stateâs legal limit for driving. Witnesses told police that Galdes had backed out of his parking spot and hit the woman, pinning her between the two vehicles. She was hospitalized and unable to walk for a couple of weeks as a result. Both the victim and her doctor testified at last weekâs hearing that she used a walker for roughly a month due to the injuries received. (JM)
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Local Children Shop With Cops For Christmas In Genoa TownshipLocal Children Shop With Cops For Christmas In Genoa Township
12/8/13 - Livingston County Law Enforcement Officials spent their Saturday morning Christmas shopping with 100 Livingston County children. Walmart of Genoa Township welcomed back the Shop With A Cop program, which reaches out to children who have been impacted by law enforcement. The program, which has been brightening Christmases for over nine years now, recently extended its criteria for recipients to children who suffer economic hardships. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI the children were especially excited about their grand entrance, where they arrived in public safety vehicles, running their lights and sirens. He says this program provides Christmas gifts for Livingston County children and families in need, while also allowing children to spend time with officers in a positive situation. Each child was able to spend $125 this year due to donations and fundraising from local businesses. Post shopping, the children and their assigned officers were able to wrap their gifts and enjoy lunch and music. (DK/TD)
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Hamburg Seeks County Help In Reducing Speed LimitHamburg Seeks County Help In Reducing Speed Limit
12/9/13 - The Hamburg Township Board will be paying a visit to the County Board of Commissioners to seek help in getting a local speed limit lowered. The township has tried and failed in the past to get the Michigan State Police to reduce the 55 mile per hour speed limit on Merrill Road reduced. The road is flanked on both sides by Bennett Park, and Supervisor Pat Hohl says there can be up to 6,500 children in that park on certain weekends of the summer for baseball and soccer tournaments. The speed limit for the road is determined by a formula that examines how drivers tend to behave along that stretch, and Merrill is a relatively straight and level road with good blacktop. At its meeting last week, the Hamburg Township Board unanimously voted to have as many members as possible attend an upcoming meeting of the County Board to ask for proactive help in convincing the MSP to lower the speed limit. Hohl tells WHMI there are several public safety arguments to be made against the current speed limit, including that it poses a threat to the young athletes as well as those who are using the Lakeland Trail and the disc golf course. The township clerk is preparing a draft ordinance to present to the county board at the meeting. (TD)
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Howell DDA Partners With MSU For Lunar New Year PerformanceHowell DDA Partners With MSU For Lunar New Year Performance
12/9/13 - Michigan State University is providing some unique entertainment and information to support the City of Howell's upcoming Lunar New Year festival. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is a two week celebration in January and February that will usher in the Year of the Horse in 2014. On February 8th, the Howell Main Street Downtown Development Authority will host a festival in honor of the occasion, and it has partnered with MSU to make it a success. The Silk Road Chinese Orchestra, which is made up of Chinese students from MSU who play authentic instruments from the region, is scheduled to give a free performance at the Howell Opera House for the festival. DDA Director Diane Larkin says they may also bring the Butterfly Girls, a dance troupe from MSU, to perform as well. Michigan State will also provide a guest lecturer on the Tuesday before the festival who will give a presentation on Asian culture at the Howell Carnegie District Library. Because this is the first year the event is being held in Howell, events are still being added. So far, pop-up mahjong tournaments are planned for January and February, and a âDragon Runâ 5k fun run is planned to take place at Howell High School. Larkin says a Facebook page for the Howell Lunar New Year has been created and will be updated as more activities are added. (TD)
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Trial Pushed Back for Man Charged in Brighton-Area Robberies Trial Pushed Back for Man Charged in Brighton-Area Robberies
12/9/13 - It will be at least February before a Brighton-area man accused of robbing two businesses earlier this year heads to trial. 34-year-old David Rentsch is charged with robbing the 7-11 store at Grand River and Pleasant Valley Road in Green Oak Township on March 15th, and then robbing the BP gas station on Grand River in Brighton three days later. Rentsch is charged as a 4th time habitual offender in Livingston County Circuit Court and his trial dates in both cases have been moved out to early February, unless a plea deal is reached earlier. In both instances, police allege that Rentsch would walk in to the business, display a handgun and demand money before fleeing. He is said to have received an undetermined amount of cash in both robberies. He was originally taken into custody after the BP robbery, when police spotted him near the Brighton Education Community Center building. (JM)
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Man Charged in Donation Jar Theft Enters Plea Man Charged in Donation Jar Theft Enters Plea
12/9/13 - A man police believe to be responsible for stealing various charity collection jars for sick and injured children has entered a plea in the case. 39-year-old Chad Lendon Stewart of Manitou Beach, Michigan pleaded guilty as charged to a four year felony of larceny in a building in Oakland County Circuit Court recently. Heâll be sentenced December 23rd. On November 1st, a store clerk at the Speedway gas station on South Milford Road reported the theft of a collection jar for the Childrenâs Miracle Network, which raises money for childrenâs hospitals and medical research. Milford Police say Stewart a history of larceny and may have been responsible for other donation jar thefts in the Livingston and Wayne County areas. The November incident for which he was charged happened just five days after a Childrenâs Miracle network jar was stolen from a different Speedway in Livingston County. (JM)
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Salvation Army of Livingston County Seeks Red Kettle Volunteers Salvation Army of Livingston County Seeks Red Kettle Volunteers
12/9/13 - Those looking to make a difference and help Livingston County residents in need can do so this holiday season without spending a dime or even a penny. Thereâs just a couple of weeks left in the Salvation Army of Livingston Countyâs Red Kettle Campaign but organizers say donations have been on the decline this season and theyâre in great need of bell ringers to help reach this seasonâs fundraising goal and spread some Christmas spirit. Distribution day volunteers are also sought to help families in need shop for their gifts at The Salvation Army & Toys for Tots toy shop. The local Corps is already down by over 100 volunteer hours, resulting in nearly half of the red kettle sites being manned. Officials say in order for the Red Kettles to bring in the donations needed, volunteers manning all of the kettles is crucial and by donating two hours of time, volunteers help provide hope to those in need in Livingston County. All of the funds raised stay in the local community and allows the Salvation Army to help feed local families, keep their heat on and more. Last year, The Salvation Army assisted over 600 families during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and expects that number to be even higher this season. For community members interested in signing up to ring a bell at one of the numerous locations across the county can click on the link below for more information. (JM)
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Mother Charged in Parental Kidnapping ArraignedMother Charged in Parental Kidnapping Arraigned
12/10/13 - A Wayne County woman wanted on a local kidnapping warrant is due back in court tomorrow in Howell. 33-year-old Christie Hope-Erwin Clancy of Westland was arrested in New York last month after she had been sought for failing to return her children to their father in August. The warrant was issued locally because the coupleâs divorce was handled in Livingston County. Clancy was arraigned Monday in 53rd District Court on a misdemeanor count of unlawful retention of a child by a parent. Sheâs being held on a $20,000 bond in the Livingston County Jail pending an exam conference Wednesday morning. The childrenâs father, who resides in Texas, has legal custody of the children, a 4-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. But the day before she was due to return them to their father, Clancy was seen packing her van with personal items. A tip later led police to Saranac Lake in upstate New York, where they located Clancy and the children, who were returned to their father. (JK)
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Fenton Works to Ease Rising Genesee County Sewer Rates
12/10/13 - The city of Fenton is finding a way to curb part of the cost increase that Genesee County residents soon will see for their sewer rates. The county will be increasing sewer usage rates that have not gone up since August of 2006. Fenton City Manager Lynn Markland says the city of Fenton plans to lower their capital charge on utility bills by $10 in order to offset the rising costs. Capital charges were raised in 2009 to pay bond payments which Markland says they are now recovering due to the improvement of the economy in the area. Markland tells WHMI the county will not be raising the rates again for at least 5 years. Community members that use a well or city water, will be seeing an increase of $21 per quarter. Costs for metered customers will rise 30 cents per thousand gallons. Markland says that water rates will not be increasing though sewer rates are. (DK)
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Howell High School Aviation Class Finishing 1st SemesterHowell High School Aviation Class Finishing 1st Semester
12/10/13 - A newly implemented class at Howell High School will be giving students a head start to a targeted job market. The Howell High School Private Pilot Flight Course, soon to complete its first semester in the school, offers students the chance to earn their private pilot license before graduating high school. The class not only exposes students to the world of aviation, but also aspects of the large industry and career opportunities. The program has partnered with Crosswinds Aviation, a flight training school based out of the Livingston County Airport. The owners of Crosswinds Aviation, Matt and Andrea Dahline, have gifted students who complete the class ten hours to use the procedural and emergency training flight simulator. Matt tells WHMI students who complete this class in high school will have the competitive advantage in the future job market of aviation. Jay McDowell, who teaches the class at Howell High School, has worked to bring in representatives from colleges with exceptional flight programs, as well as airline and corporate pilots. McDowell and the Dahlines are currently negotiating an agreement with Northern Michigan University for students who complete the class to attend the school with credits earned towards their aviation program. (DK)
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Man Accused Of Complex Stalking Scheme Pleads GuiltyMan Accused Of Complex Stalking Scheme Pleads Guilty
12/10/13 - After he allegedly executed a complex plan to get close to his stalking victim, a Howell man has entered a plea to charges. 24-year-old Jesse Clayton Bartsch was bound over to circuit court last month and immediately pleaded guilty to aggravated stalking and impersonating a police officer over the summer. A count of perjury was dismissed, and court records indicate that if he successfully completes 18 months of probation the counts against him will be reduced to misdemeanors. According to police, Bartsch used the name of a real Livingston County Sheriffâs detective to set up an email account and befriend a woman he had been stalking. The woman had filed a personal protection order against him, but Bartsch allegedly got the order dropped by changing the documents she received from the court and keeping her from being notified. Investigators say Bartsch used the persona of the Sheriffâs Department detective to get close to the woman, even sending her a nude photograph of another man, while saying things to encourage her to reach out to Bartsch in real life. The woman eventually showed evidence of the relationship to her attorney, who knew the detective in question and was able to identify the account as fake. Bartsch was charged soon after. He will be sentenced on January 2nd. (TD)
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Howell Approves Contract To Rehabilitate South-Side Truck RouteHowell Approves Contract To Rehabilitate South-Side Truck Route
12/10/13 - A construction engineering contract has been approved by the Howell City Council for a truck route around the south side of the city. The route includes a section of Michigan Avenue from Pulford to Mason as well as along Marion, Dearborn, Fowler, and Livingston Streets, north to Grand River east of town. The city received a federal grant in the past year for road rehabilitation, and that designated truck route meets the qualifications to use that money. The city is contributing about $65,000 to the project, which City Manager Shea Charles says will cost more than $1 million. However, there was some disagreement on the board about whether the same firm hired to do the design work on the project can be hired to do the construction engineering, specifically the inspection of the work. Councilman Doug Heins argued that this was a conflict of interest, and that he wanted to get a letter from the Michigan Department of Transportation stating their opinion. However, Charles told the board that he had received an email from MDOT giving the green light to the contract. Heins still voted against the contract, but the rest of the board approved it. Work is slated to begin in the spring. (TD)
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Brighton Board of Education Approves School Bond Sale Brighton Board of Education Approves School Bond Sale
12/10/13 - The Brighton Board of Education Monday night unanimously approved the sale of a second series of bonds in conjunction with the $89 million bond issue passed by the voters last year. According to Superintendent Greg Gray, the district did exceptionally well on the Series II bond sale, which encompasses most remaining aspects of the bond issue. The interest rate on the bonds will vary from 2-to-5 per cent. Although the districtâs bond counselors didnât have the exact figures at hand, the interest savings for the district â and therefore to district taxpayers - will be in the millions of dollars. Gray says as a result, the school district will be able to pay off the bonds in half the time. Bond counselors also informed the board at their presentation Monday night that although bond insurance was factored in the original projections, it wasnât needed, which will save the district another $385,000. The school board was originally set to hold the bond sale several months ago but decided to delay it because of a combination of factors: Interest rates werenât favorable at that time and Detroitâs financial problems had given Michigan a bad name in the bond market. So the board decided to wait until the bond market improved, which Gray says turned out to be a wise decision. The only bonds remaining to be sold are the last series of technology bonds, totaling $4.6 million. (TT)
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Work Begins On Replacing City of Howell Welcome SignsWork Begins On Replacing City of Howell Welcome Signs
12/10/13 - Visitors driving into the City of Howell could be getting an updated welcome next year courtesy of the City Council and the Downtown Development Authority. DDA Board President Eric Conn tells WHMI his organization is working with the city to replace the 'welcome' signs on the roads that serve as the main entrances to Howell, which have deteriorated with time. Renovating the existing signs would cost more than replacing them completely, and the city hopes to get a better deal on the new signs than the city got on the current installments. Each sign is expected to cost $3,000 to replace, with four signs located around the city. Last night, the city council approved going forward to look at designs to have the new signs developed, produced and installed. The designs and more accurate cost estimates should be available in January. The DDA has $5,000 budgeted for this project, with the city expected to pick up the rest of the tab. (TD)
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United Way to Again Host Triple Money MondayUnited Way to Again Host Triple Money Monday
12-10-13 - The Livingston County United Way will host another Triple Money Monday in an effort to address the most critical needs of those within the community. All cash, check, charge and text contributions made to the local United Way will be tripled in value on Monday, December 16th thanks to Citizenâs Insurance, the Howell Rotaryâs Tour de Livingston and an anonymous donor who have teamed up to triple donations up to a total of $50,000. All of the monies raised will be designated specifically to provide local families and individuals with basic needs and services such as food programs, shelter and homeless support, rent and utility assistance as well as providing support services for area seniors. Because of the United Wayâs ability to leverage every dollar in donations to more than two dollars of services, the true impact of a $100 donation Monday becomes at least $600 in important services for those in need. Donations for Triple Money Monday are 100% tax deductible and can be made on the 16th by calling the Livingston County United Way, going on-line to lcunitedway.org or by dropping off the donation in person at locations throughout Livingston County including the United Way offices on Dorr Road. Complete details can be downloaded in the document below. (JK)
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Truck Rolls Over in Roundabout at Kensington & Jacoby Roads Truck Rolls Over in Roundabout at Kensington & Jacoby Roads
12/10/13 - A large truck carrying trailers of sand overturned while attempting to make it through a roundabout in Brighton Township this morning. A dual-trailer dump truck entered the roundabout at Kensington and Jacoby Roads but overturned at around 8:44am. The Livingston County Sheriffâs Department responded and reports that the wheels of the truck went over the curb, which tilted the middle dump trailer. The weight of the truck then shifted, causing it to overturn. Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI alcohol was not a factor and the dump truck, which is owned by a New Hudson-based sand and gravel company, was traveling at low speeds. The driver, identified as a 67-year-old New Hudson man, was not injured and refused medical treatment at the scene but Bezotte says he was cited for making an improper turn. (JM)
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MSU Student From Pinckney Amazed at Help After Car DestroyedMSU Student From Pinckney Amazed at Help After Car Destroyed
12/10/13 - A local college student is offering gratitude towards fellow students who are pitching in to pay for a replacement car after his vehicle was destroyed in a near-riot on the MSU campus. 22-year-old Steven Ripley of Pinckney is a senior at MSU who watched in disbelief early Sunday morning as a group of students partying over the Spartan win in the Big Ten Championship lifted his 1995 Honda Civic and turned it onto its roof. MLive.com says the car was effectively totaled as the roof was destroyed and the engine ruined due to the mixing of multiple fluids. Ripley was devastated as he tried to figure out how he would pay for a new car on top of tuition and rent. But that soon turned to amazement when a roommate found an online fundraising page that another MSU student, Karen Wood of Fenton, had set up to help him out and prove that true Spartans were about more than mindless vandalism. She launched the page Sunday afternoon with a $500 goal, which she then upped to $1,000 when that was quickly surpassed. She later increased it to $3,000 and the page had garnered twice that by early evening at more than $6,300. Ripley called the generosity and compassion of his fellow Spartans âtotally amazing.â Meanwhile, East Lansing police continue to investigate that incident and dozens of others that happened when thousands of students and others gathered to celebrate MSUâs first Rose Bowl berth since 1987. (JK)
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Training Funds to Benefit Local Companies & EconomyTraining Funds to Benefit Local Companies & Economy
12/11/13 - Local officials say recently awarded state funds should improve the economy by helping Livingston County companies increase the skills of their current and future employees. Four local companies looking to hire in the new year received more than $235,000 in funding. CRW Plastics USA in Howell received the largest local award of $95,000, followed by Thai Summit America Corporation in Howell with $90,035. Brighton NC Machine will receive $33,000 while Total Security Solutions, a Fowlerville manufacturing firm, was awarded $17,936. The funds from the stateâs Workforce Development Agency are part of the new Skilled Trades Training Fund Program and together, the companies plan to hire more than 200 new workers in the next year. A total of $10 (m) million has been allocated for the 2014 program and grants will be awarded until all of the funds are gone. Theyâre available for employer-led training projects to better align talent with employer needs, and for any occupation where there is a documented talent need. Livingston County Michigan Works! Director Bill Sleight says they encourage companies interested in applying to do so quickly as they expect the funds to be committed soon. When that happens, Sleight says their local agency will still have access to other resources to help companies find and further develop their workforce. (JM)
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Warren Woman Sentenced in Unadilla Facebook Stalking CaseWarren Woman Sentenced in Unadilla Facebook Stalking Case
12/11/13 - A woman will spend Christmas behind bars after being sentenced in a stalking case in Livingston County. 30-year-old Angela Marie Sinclair of Warren was ordered to spend 30 days in the Livingston County Jail after she pleaded guilty to charges of identity theft and stalking. Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty ordered her to spend the first 15 days of that sentence beginning this Saturday. The second 15 days will be served in March. He also sentenced her to 18 months of probation. Authorities say Sinclair created a false Facebook account using the victim's identity to stalk and harass her after she learned her ex-boyfriend was dating the Unadilla Township woman. The charges followed a four-month investigation involving multiple search warrants. Police say Sinclair also filed a false police report against the Unadilla woman. The 30 day sentence more than doubled what had been recommended by the countyâs probation office, but was much less than the four months that had been sought by prosecutors. (JK)
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