12/26/13 - Nearly 3,000 residences and businesses in northern Livingston County remain without power after a weekend ice storm struck much of the state. Consumers Energy says it still had 2,900 customers without electrical service in Tyrone, Deerfield and Cohoctah townships. Officials say it will likely be Saturday before they can restore most of those outages. Spokeswoman Debra Dodd tells WHMI they understand the frustration being experienced by their customers, but they are taking every measure possible to restore power. "We are working 24/7. We have 2,900 employees between our office and line workers and damage assessors out in the field. We've got crews from 11 different states and additional crews coming from three additional states today. We are just working as hard as we can, but this has been the most catastrophic storm our company has ever experienced during a holiday week in our 126 year existence." Dodd says they are also urging customers using portable generators to make sure they are located outside the home and not in a garage or other enclosed space. Officials say there have been at least two carbon monoxide poisoning deaths related to generator use since the weekend storm. She also reminds residents that as they continue their clean-up efforts, they may still come across downed power lines and that those must always be treated as live wires. They are advised to remain at least 25 feet away and report the line by calling 1-800-477-5050 immediately. The majority of Consumers Energy crews are working in the Grand Rapids area and other areas of West Michigan today, with plans to be in Kalamazoo and Montcalm counties on Friday. They will then concentrate on Genesee, Ingham, Livingston, Oakland and Shiawassee counties on Saturday. (JK)
Consumers Sets Saturday Restoration for Northern Livingston Consumers Sets Saturday Restoration for Northern Livingston
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Woman Bound Over On Charges Of Fleeing With ChildrenWoman Bound Over On Charges Of Fleeing With Children
12/26/13 - A Wayne County woman has been bound over to circuit court after police say she fled the state with her two young children. 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 has been bound over to circuit court on a misdemeanor count of unlawful retention of a child by a parent. She is being held on a $20,000 bond in the Livingston County Jail. The childrenâs father, who resides in Texas, has legal custody of the children, a 4-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. However, 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. (TD)
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Officials Urge Caution When Shoveling Snow; Check on Elderly Officials Urge Caution When Shoveling Snow; Check on Elderly
12/26/13 - Snow is certainly fun for kids who are outside playing in it but unfortunately, not so much for those who have to shovel the stuff. The Livingston County Department of Public Health says it can be easier than you think to injure yourself while shoveling snow or working outdoors and back injuries, pulled muscles, and frostbite are not uncommon. Health Officer/Director Ted Westmeier says those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease should also check with their physician to see what's advised as far as physical activity levels. Snow may appear light and fluffy but it can get quite wet and heavy so experts advise shoveling often, as the snow falls. Itâs recommended to bundle up and start slowly, work at a steady pace and take frequent breaks since shoveling snow rapidly for long periods at a time can compromise your safety. Meanwhile with the recent cold temperatures, snow, ice and power outages, Westmeier adds that it might not be a bad idea to check up on the elderly, homebound and disabled. If possible, officials advise arranging for someone to keep their sidewalks shoveled to help prevent falls. An emergency supply kit with medications and other necessary items is also a good idea in case of a power outage or the unexpected. (JM)
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Milford Township Approves Tax Abatement For $5m FacilityMilford Township Approves Tax Abatement For $5m Facility
12/27/13 - A company in Milford Township will enjoy a tax abatement on a new facility to be built in the municipality. In a meeting last week, the Township Board approved the 12-year, 50% tax abatement for Kennedy Industries, which produces equipment and controls for managing water, wastewater, and industrial processes. The Milford Times reports they currently operate a facility in Milford Township and another in Lyon Township, and the proposed new facility in Milford will consolidate the two. It will be a 101,000 square-foot facility on Holtz Drive, with an estimated cost of $5 million. The townshipâs abatement of real and personal property tax will save the company more than $1.7 million over the facilityâs first 12 years. The company currently employs 70 people locally, and it says the new facility would allow for the hiring of 12 new employees. The township board was mostly in favor of the abatement, though some members wanted to include provisions to ensure that the new local jobs are actually created. Trustee Randall Busick voted against the abatement, as he does for every abatement brought before the township board based on his personal economic policies. The abatement passed 6-to-1. (TD)
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Hearing Delayed for Local Woman Charged in Medicare Scam Hearing Delayed for Local Woman Charged in Medicare Scam
12/27/13 - The hearing for a Livingston County woman charged in a Medicare scheme involving fraudulent billing claims has been postponed until the new year. 54-year-old Michelle Freeman of Pinckney and Elaine Lovett of Wayne County are accused of conspiring to engage in Medicare fraud and submitting fraudulent claims. The alleged offenses occurred while the pair owned and controlled Oak Park-based ABIX LLC. The complaint alleges they obtained the Medicare numbers of licensed medical service providers in and around Detroit, and then used the information to bill Medicare for chiropractic and psychotherapy services that were not provided. A preliminary exam in U.S. District Court in Detroit on Thursday was delayed until January 28th. A court order states that the delay will enable the defendantâs time to review the large volume of records but also allow the parties to discuss the possibility of resolving the case without proceeding to a grand jury indictment. Freeman remains free on a $10,000 unsecured bond. Sheâs among 20 Detroit-area physicians, company owners and operators, office employees and patient recruiters accused of submitting more than $34 million in false claims for services that were never rendered and with paying kickbacks to obtain patients to be billed. (JM)
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Utility Closing In On Full Power RestorationUtility Closing In On Full Power Restoration
12/27/13 - From the initial 600,000 Michigan residents who lost power in the wake of last weekendâs ice storm, it appears only about 55,000 are still without service as of this morning. But if youâre one of those customers whoâve had to endure a week of frigid temperatures and a darkened Christmas holiday, thereâs not much to cheer about. In Livingston County, about 1,700 Consumers Energy customers remain in the dark, with expectations most will be restored to power by tomorrow night. Consumers Energy spokeswoman Debra Dodd tells WHMI that while the ice storm that caused the problems is long gone, Mother Nature hasnât helped their efforts with continued below-freezing temperatures and intermittent snow flurries. However, she says they will continue to work 24/7 until every customer is restored to power. DTE Energy Company says it only has about 2,700 of its customers without power, the majority of them in Lapeer County, while the Lansing Board of Water and Light says of about 40,000 original outages; just over 4,100 still are without service. Fewer than 1,000 of them are projected to be without power by Sunday night. (JK)
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Man Injured By Accidental Gunshot In Brighton StoreMan Injured By Accidental Gunshot In Brighton Store
12/27/13 - An accidental gunshot in a local store sent a Green Oak Township man to the hospital yesterday. Brighton Police officers responded to a call at Home Depot at about 6:00 Thursday night. They discovered that a 32-year-old man had accidentally shot himself in the buttocks with a pistol he had been carrying on his person. His injuries were minor, and he opted to be driven to the University of Michigan hospital by his wife for treatment rather than take an ambulance. Police Chief Tom Wightman says it appears that the man was reaching for his wallet in the store when he accidentally grabbed the gun, activating the mechanism and firing a shot into his buttocks. The man was not seriously hurt, and there was no injury to bystanders or damage to the store. Wightman says the man had a license for the pistol as well as to carry it concealed on his person, so there likely will be no charges filed by the police in the case. (TD)
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State High Court Won't Hear Appeal in Synthetic Marijuana CaseState High Court Won't Hear Appeal in Synthetic Marijuana Case
12/27/13 - The stateâs highest court has declined to hear a defense attorneyâs appeal seeking to overturn a ruling that disqualified him from representing two women charged with illegally selling synthetic marijuana in Genoa Township. In an order issued this week, the Michigan Supreme Court denied the application for appeal filed by attorney Timothy Corr, who sought to overturn a November 2012 decision from 53rd District Court Judge Suzanne Geddis. She ruled it would be a conflict of interest to simultaneously represent two clients - the owner of Smokers Depot, 42-year-old Ronda Lee Roszak, as well as the storeâs manager, 28-year-old Melissa Ann Dzierwa. The ruling came after the Livingston County Prosecutorâs Office said it planned to offer a plea deal to one of the two defendants. Corr said both women previously consulted with separate attorneys and had no plans to accept a plea deal. They maintain that the seized substances had been purchased at a trade show, along with a lab report indicating it did not contain any illegal chemicals. Corr argued that the decision was a violation of his clients Sixth Amendment rights to select representation of their choice, but the ruling was upheld in July by the Michigan Court of Appeals which said courts must ââ¦balance the defendantâs right to counsel of choice against the publicâs interest in the prompt and efficient administration of justice.â The recent order issued by the Supreme Court denying the appeal application simply said that the justices were not persuaded the questions presented should be reviewed. Messages seeking comment from Corr on the ruling have been placed by WHMI. (JM)
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Airport Mishap Leaves Bent Propeller & Hefty Repair BillAirport Mishap Leaves Bent Propeller & Hefty Repair Bill
12/27/13 - Was it a crash or an incident? Thatâs a question investigators will try to answer as they look into a mishap this morning at the Livingston County Airport. Authorities say a single-engine Piper Meridian veered off the runway around 11am as it was landing and slammed into a snow bank, bending the propeller. The pilot, identified as a 68-year-old Livingston County resident with a South Lyon address, was not injured. Livingston County Undersheriff Mike Murphy tells WHMI that it will be up to the Federal Aviation Administration as to how this will be classified. If it costs less than $20,000 to repair, Murphy says it is likely to be called an incident. Anything more than that, and it becomes officially an accident. Mark Johnson, the Director of the Spencer J. Hardy Airport, says that although it appears only the prop was bent, any time a propeller comes to a sudden stop, the entire engine will have to be taken apart and inspected to ensure there was no internal damage. He was unsure what the cost of that procedure would be. (JK)
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Hamburg Township Recognizes Recreation Improvement EffortsHamburg Township Recognizes Recreation Improvement Efforts
12/28/13 - Some people who have improved the recreation facilities in Hamburg were honored at a meeting of the township board this month. The Ann Arbor-based organization A3 had several representatives at the board's December 17th meeting. They were recognized and thanked for their work designing and constructing the Merrill Field Disc Golf Course, known as âThe Gulch,â which draws disc golf players to the area and provides a new form of recreation for local players. They began work in 2012, with construction beginning about a year ago and finishing on July 27th. The course includes professional and amateur holes, and its quality has earned it the #9 rank among Michigan's roughly 200 disc golf courses. A3 President John Reifschneidersays he is very appreciative for all the work the township did to facilitate the disc golf course's construction, and for the thanks and honors they have gotten from the municipality. The township also honored local Eagle Scout Christian Henning. For his scout project, Henning constructed two informational kiosks located at the Manly Bennett West entrance and the Merrill Trailhead. (TD)
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Trial Date Set for Hamburg Township Man in Fatal Accident Trial Date Set for Hamburg Township Man in Fatal Accident
12/28/13 - A trial date has been scheduled for a Hamburg Township man charged in a fatal head-on crash. 45-year-old Richard Childress is charged with reckless driving causing death in connection with the April 26th crash on M-36 near Kress Road. A January 13th jury trial date was scheduled recently in Livingston County Circuit Court, unless a plea deal is worked out prior. Police say Childress was traveling westbound on M-36 in an SUV but veered left of center as he approached Kress Road, striking a station wagon head-on driven by 77-year-old John Pavlic of Hamburg Township. Pavlic died the next day at the hospital as a result of his injuries. Police say drugs are suspected as being a contributing factor in the cause of the crash. A search warrant for a blood sample from Childress was obtained and the results of a toxicology report were pending. (JM)
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Renovations Complete at Loose Senior Center in LindenRenovations Complete at Loose Senior Center in Linden
12/31/13 - Nearly two years after a fire destroyed its main building, renovations at the Loose Senior Citizen Center in Linden are complete. The center is located on Bridge Street and provides services and programs to hundreds of senior citizens from around the Linden, Fenton, and Holly areas. An open house has been scheduled on January 31st to publicly celebrate the completion of the project, which will run from 3 to 7pm. Officials had been looking to expand the main building to accommodate growing membership, but plans were accelerated in September of 2011 when it was destroyed by fire. After some delays with the permit approval process, plans were finalized and construction commenced this year. The parking lot was expanded, with more than 6,000-square-feet of space added to the center, which remained operational while efforts to rebuild were underway. A number of energy efficiency updates were also part of plans. The cost to rebuild totaled roughly $865,000, with more than $500,000 of that amount coming from insurance money the center received after the fire. The remainder of funds came in the form of donations from the community and area businesses. (JM)
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Road Commission Says Ample Salt Supply & Crews Keeping BusyRoad Commission Says Ample Salt Supply & Crews Keeping Busy
12/31/13 - With snow and cold temperatures expected to continue in the coming days, local road crews will busy plowing and salting. While some communities only tackle certain priority roads, thatâs not the case in Livingston County and it can be a costly job. The Livingston County Road Commission spends a little over $1.1 million on the salt product itself and crews work in tough conditions to keep area clear roads. Managing Director Mike Craine tells WHMI they consider winter service their highest priority and recognize many people who live in Livingston County commute elsewhere and have a lengthy trip. Craine says salt supplies are excellent this season and theyâve been going through it pretty regularly this season, even though there havenât been any major snow events outside of the ice storm that hit before Christmas. Craine says in an average year, the Road Commission will typically go through about 15,000 tons of salt, but not all of that is used on county roads. The Road Commission also sells salt at cost to some local municipalities and school districts, which is beneficial in helping those entities save money. (JM)
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Benefit Spaghetti Dinner Planned For Local Cancer SurvivorBenefit Spaghetti Dinner Planned For Local Cancer Survivor
1/1/14 - Tickets are now on sale and help is being sought for an event this month to benefit a local man battling cancer. Jason Miller of Brighton is currently fighting a cancerous brain tumor which has left him unable to work to support his wife and daughter. On Saturday, January 18th, a benefit spaghetti dinner and silent auction will be held at Chilson Hills Church, where Miller is a member. Those who provide a suggested donation amount can attend to get a spaghetti dinner, beverages and dessert as well as access to the silent auction. Items donated by individuals and businesses around the county will be up for bid, including a ride in a World War II-era plane, a duck hunting trip, various jewelry items, and spa treatments. In addition to selling tickets, organizers are looking for volunteers to help with preparation, setup, serving, and cleanup for the event. Anyone interested in tickets or volunteering can contact Sue Ping at (734) 878-9365 or Peggy Streight at (248) 437-2533. (TD)
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Health Department Urges Vaccinations as Flu Season Rolls OnHealth Department Urges Vaccinations as Flu Season Rolls On
1/1/14 - Public health officials advise local residents to start the New Year out healthy and get a flu shot. The peak of seasonal flu typically comes between January and April but Health Officer/Director of the Livingston County Department of Public Health Ted Westmeier says the level of flu activity has already been upgraded from sporadic to regional to reflect the increase in the number of lab confirmed Influenza cases. He says thereâs been a particular jump in cases caused by the H1N1 strain, which tends to affect younger and middle age individuals more severely than the elderly. Westmeier tells WHMI the best prevention for anyone is to get a flu vaccination, which helps prevent illness or at least allow for a decreased level of symptoms. Westmeier says there are many opportunities to receive the flu vaccine, whether through your local physician or pharmacy. The local Health Department also offers clinic hours on Wednesdays. Details can be found through the link below. (JM)
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Local Libraries to Showcase Preschool Options at Open Houses Local Libraries to Showcase Preschool Options at Open Houses
1/2/14 - Local preschools will be showcased during open houses at the public libraries in Brighton, Howell, and Hartland later this month. The events will give parents interested in early childhood education a chance to meet with representatives from local preschools ahead of the school year starting in September. The National Association for the Education of Young Children says parents considering a particular preschool program should ask about age-appropriate activities in the curriculum, the experience and qualifications of staff, how the school communicates with parents, the teacher-to-student ratio, and policies and practices of the facility. The open houses will be held at the Brighton District Library on January 25th, the Howell Carnegie Library on January 29th, and the Hartland Cromaine Library on January 30th. Interested individuals should contact the library of their choice for more information on the open houses. (JM)
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Milford Gearing Up for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Milford Gearing Up for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration
1/2/14 - Preparations have begun for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration later this month in downtown Milford and members of the community are encouraged to get creative with submissions for a contest. The Huron Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day committee is currently putting out a call for artists to submit entries in its annual art contest, which is open to any medium including art, poetry, photography, essays or music. This yearâs theme is âThe Power of Peace, Love and Respectâ, with winners determined and prizes awarded in three separate age categories. Winners and select submissions will be displayed in the front windows of various businesses in downtown Milford a week prior to the January 20th march down Main Street. The deadline for submissions is January 10th. For more information or to register for the contest, click on the link below. (JM)
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Green Oak Police Arrest Suspected Drunk Driver After Hit & RunGreen Oak Police Arrest Suspected Drunk Driver After Hit & Run
1/2/14 - A Northfield Township man believed to be intoxicated and involved in a recent hit-and-run accident was arrested and jailed. Green Oak Township Police report that an officer responded to a hit and run accident that happened last Friday in the area of Nine Mile Road and East Shore Drive. Police say the officer was informed that a vehicle was traveling in the wrong lane and had struck another vehicle. Nobody was injured in the crash and the officer was able to make contact with the suspected drunk driver believed to be at fault at his residence in Northfield Township. Police say the Green Oak Officer was assisted at the suspectâs home by the Northfield Township Police Department, where he taken into custody and subsequently lodged in the Livingston County Jail. (JM)
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Council Working to Address Drainage Issues on Barnard Street Council Working to Address Drainage Issues on Barnard Street
1/2/14 - Drainage issues are plaguing Barnard Street and the residents who live there, and the Howell City Council expects to spend tens of thousands of dollars to fix the problem. Ever since the street was reconstructed a year ago there have been drainage issues there, including waters that do not go into catch basins as designed, silt running into the driveways of residents, and cars going off the narrowed road and causing rutting problems. At its most recent meeting, the Howell City Council approved a plan to retrofit Barnard with some sort of curbing to get some control over the water flow. However, Mayor Phil Campbell tells WHMI that the scope of the plan is still unknown. The council considered two plans: a more conservative plan that would fix the issue at a cost of $44,000, and a more ambitious plan that would fix Barnard Street and address emerging flow issues on Higgins Street for $66,000. The council did not decide which plan to go with, but Campbell says they will make a decision sometime this month to make sure construction can begin in the spring. He adds that the council wants to tie this into other related repairs, such as improving parking and fixing swales along the city's streets. (TD)
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Textbook Scholarships Available to Local Sparty Bound Students Textbook Scholarships Available to Local Sparty Bound Students
1/2/14 - An annual scholarship program aims through a local alumni club to help out college bound students with textbook assistance. The Michigan State University Alumni Club of Livingston County offers annual textbook scholarships of $1,000 to high school seniors residing in Livingston County, who have been accepted at Michigan State University for the fall 2014 semester. The funds are to be used for the purchase of textbooks, reading material, course packets, pamphlets, or other resource material required for the studentâs courses while attending MSU. Students must submit a 200 word essay about why they feel they should be selected to receive the scholarship and also describing their present study and career plans. Applications are available in the counseling offices of high schools across Livingston County and online at through the link below. They must be postmarked by March 17th, with the scholarships presented at the Clubâs Freshman Picnic in the summer. (JM)
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