11/6/14 - Voters in Dexter have approved a city charter, turning the municipality into the stateâs newest city. The measure lost by a narrow margin among Scio Township voters, but was passed by a wider margin in Webster Township and so was approved overall. Webster Township residents were the primary beneficiaries of the change, which will prevent them from being taxed twice for police and fire coverage. Village President Shawn Keough was also elected as the new cityâs first mayor, beating out Village Trustee Paul Cousins. The other five village trustees were elected to three- and one-year terms on the new Dexter City Council, along with newcomer Jim Smith. They will all be sworn in on November 24th. (TD)
Dexter Voters Embrace Cityhood, Elect New StaffDexter Voters Embrace Cityhood, Elect New Staff
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Hartland Township Discusses Rejoining Planning OrganizationHartland Township Discusses Rejoining Planning Organization
11/6/14 - After a nearly seven-year absence, Hartland Township officials are planning to rejoin the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. The township canceled membership with SEMCOG in 2008 to reduce spending during the recession, and has not discussed resuming membership until this year. When the issue was brought up in October some board memebrs were against the idea, saying the $1,565 annual cost was not worth the benefits that would be received from membership. Others wanted to join SEMCOG because they felt the organizationâs main benefit is to facilitate connections in regional roads and pathways, which would be beneficial with a new road millage set to go before voters. The board agreed to postpone the discussion until after the ballot issue was decided, and with the passage of the new millage the consensus of the board is to move forward with rejoining SEMCOG. The membership cost can be paid out of the current budget, so the township plans to rejoin SEMCOG at the beginning of calendar year 2015. (TD)
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Man Hospitalized After Accidental Exposure to Toxic Gas in HartlandMan Hospitalized After Accidental Exposure to Toxic Gas in Hartland
11/6/14 - A man was hospitalized after being exposed to hydrogen sulfide while working at a gas processing facility in Hartland Township Wednesday morning. The Hartland Deerfield Fire Authority and Livingston County EMS responded to the plant on Lone Tree Road near Tipsico Lake at around 10:30am. Fire Chief Adam Carroll says a contractor had come in to do some work and inadvertently opened a valve that caused the leak. He says the man was exposed for some period of time, not very long, but long enough to result in serious health effects and breathing problems. Carroll says the man was in and out of consciousness but a supervisor working nearby was able to pull him out of the environment. Carroll tells WHMI the exposure could have serious health effects for him as hydrogen sulfide can be a deadly gas. He says itâs still not clear if it was the supervisor or the individual doing the work that managed to shut off the valve. Regardless, he says their crews arrived and provided life support and helped the man with breathing before he was transported to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. His condition is unknown. Carroll says the plant has actually been there for quite some and this is the first exposure case heâs aware of but its unfortunate one did. He says their thoughts and prayers are with the man and hopefully he recovers but time will tell. (JM)
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'Mass From The Past' To Celebrate Church's Anniversary'Mass From The Past' To Celebrate Church's Anniversary
11/6/14 - Parishioners of a local church will be taking a trip back in time this Sunday. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Hamburg Township will celebrate its 170th anniversary with what church members call a Mass from the past. Churchgoers on Sunday will experience what it was like to attend a service at the church in 1844. That was the year it was founded. Many will dress in period clothes, including the churchâs rector, Father John Franklin, who says while they will be striving for a sense of what it was like to attend church there 170 years ago, one big difference they wonât imitate is excluding women from the service. He says there isnât a position within the modern Episcopal Church women canât be a part of. Otherwise, they will follow a service from the prayer book used then and sing hymns from that era, while Franklin will quote from a sermon given that year. Refreshments after the 10am service will be seasonal foods people would have had in 1844, including doughnuts, cider, popcorn and apples. Franklin says that although many congregants will be dressing in period clothing, it isnât a requirement to attend the service. (JK)
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Deerfield Mom Gets Probation After Death Of ChildDeerfield Mom Gets Probation After Death Of Child
11/6/14 - A local woman whose infant son died and who pleaded no contest to child abuse charges has been sentenced to probation. 25-year-old Heidi Lynn Kozlowski of Deerfield Township was charged with child abuse for living with her young children in what authorities called âdeplorableâ conditions. She turned down a plea deal in July, but in September she pleaded no contest to the charges. She was sentenced on Wednesday to two months of probation. In March, one of Kozlowskiâs twin sons, less than three weeks of age, died after experiencing breathing problems. She also has a two-year old daughter. Authorities could not say that the poor living conditions were the definitive cause of the childâs death, and the child abuse charge relates strictly to the conditions she allowed her children to live in. Kozlowski told police her son was having a hard time breathing and she had been suctioning out his nose and mouth before putting the twins to bed at 12:30 that morning. When she and the childrenâs father woke up at 5:30 am, they noticed their son was not breathing. Attempts to resuscitate the child were unsuccessful. (TD)
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MSP Searching For Fowlerville Man Who Fled During A Traffic StopMSP Searching For Fowlerville Man Who Fled During A Traffic Stop
11/6/14 - Michigan State Police at the Brighton Post are looking for a Fowlerville man who fled during a traffic stop. On Wednesday morning, an MSP motor carrier officer pulled over a work truck and trailer traveling south on Fowlerville Road just north of Mason Road for having defective trailer lights. The officer found three men in the truck, and returned to his patrol car to check them for outstanding warrants. While he was away, one of the passengers left the vehicle and ran away. The MSP has identified him as 27-year-old Joshua Brady of Fowlerville, who is wanted for larceny, disorderly conduct, and possession of marijuana. Troopers were assisted in searching for Brady by the Livingston County Sheriffâs Department and the Fowlerville Police, and both the MSP and Fowlerville K-9 units were on the scene. They tracked him through woods and farm fields, but it appears that Brady was able to get a ride away from the scene. The state police are now urging Brady to turn himself in, and anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts to come forward. (TD)
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War Hero's Headstone Re-Dedicated During Veteran CeremoniesWar Hero's Headstone Re-Dedicated During Veteran Ceremonies
11/6/14 - This Saturday marks the Veterans Day observance in Brighton and a headstone of special significance to the community will be re-dedicated during a ceremony. Although Veterans Day is Tuesday, it will be observed in the City of Brighton with ceremonies Saturday. A parade on Main Street starts at 10:30am and will travel from the Lindbom School down to the Mill Pond where a program is planned at the Veterans Memorial that was dedicated last year. It will continue from there with guests being led by a civil war band up into the old Village Cemetery where another short program is planned by the Brighton Area Historical Society. President Jim Vichich says the society has been rebuilding broken headstones as part of a larger project, including one that belongs to a Brighton hero who was killed while leading his troops into battle in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He says the headstone belonging to Civil War Lt. Colonel John Gilluly weighs 500 pounds, was broken in three places and had been lying ground in poor condition for decades. Vichich says the Civil War band will be performing in uniform and playing authentic instruments and will lead everyone to the cemetery and grave site, where the short program will be held in conjunction with the Sons of the Union veterans group in Howell to re-dedicate the headstone. Vichich says without support from the City and community, the improvements at the cemetery would not be possible and theyâre funded through donations to the historical society and by people becoming members. (JM)
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Aisin Seiki Among Japanese Companies Donating To DIAAisin Seiki Among Japanese Companies Donating To DIA
11/7/14 - A company with Livingston County ties is among several Japanese businesses that will contribute millions of dollars to Detroitâs Grand Bargain. Aisin Seiki Corporation is based in Japan, but its facility in Fowlerville provides testing and research for many of the parts the company sells to Detroit automakers. It is one of the companies in the Japanese Business Society of Detroit that will be contributing funds to keep the artwork from the Detroit Institute of Art off the auction block as Detroit enters bankruptcy. The deal, called the Grand Bargain, requires the museum to contribute $100 million toward Detroitâs debts, and the 21 companies of the JBSD are contributing about $2.2 million. Only 75% of that funding will go toward the grand bargain, with the remaining $540,000 earmarked for the DIAâs Japanese art collection in a new gallery, according to the Detroit Free Press. So far the museum has raised about $87 million, including $26 million from the Big Three automakers and another $1 million from Toyota. (TD)
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Brighton Renews Contract in EDC-Ann Arbor SPARK PartnershipBrighton Renews Contract in EDC-Ann Arbor SPARK Partnership
11/7/14 - The City of Brighton has renewed its commitment to the partnership between the Livingston County Economic Development Council and Ann Arbor SPARK, City Council Thursday night voted 7-0 to continue its involvement with the regional economic development program for another three years.The action involves a local match of $8,000. Representatives from SPARK and the Livingston County EDC were at the meeting to give a presentation on the partnership and the benefits derived from it. City Manager Dana Foster says renewing its membership in SPARK will enable the city to take advantage of its 22-member staff to assist in economic development and SPARKâs national reputation as a respected economic incubator for job creation and retention. Foster credited the program with helping the city secure a contract with Eberspaecher North America to expand its existing facilities in Brighton, despite competition from two other states that offered larger incentives. The company, based in Germany, manufactures exhaust systems and catalytic converters for cars and trucks. Ann Arbor Spark is funded 40% by the county; 40% by the cities, townships, and villages which participate in the program and 20% by the businesses. (TT)
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Tyrone Officials Deciding How To Respond To Millage FailureTyrone Officials Deciding How To Respond To Millage Failure
11/7/14 - A ballot proposal that would have extended funding for public safety in Tyrone Township was shot down on Tuesday, and officials are still debating how to respond. A special assessment currently provides funding for fire department responses to township residents as well as dedicated patrols by the Sheriffâs Department. Funding from that assessment will run out on March 30th, 2016, and currently there is no funding source to take its place. Township Clerk Keith Kremer says the township could still hold a special election next year to give residents a chance to approve a similar or reduced public safety funding mechanism, but holding such an election would cost $20,000 and reducing the amount collected would impact services provided. He says it would take $600-700,000 from the townshipâs general fund to maintain the current service level, and with the budget cuts made in recent years that kind of funding simply is not available in the current budget. Kremer says the townshipâs public information campaign may not have been effective at clarifying for voters that the ballot proposal was an extension of funding rather than an increase. He says officials may consider a survey in the coming months to get a better idea of how much public safety residents are willing to pay for. (TD)
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Community Still Rooting for Hometown Chef Depsite Elimination Community Still Rooting for Hometown Chef Depsite Elimination
11/7/14 - Family and friends are still rooting for a Howell native who ended up packing his knives after a double-elimination challenge this week on Bravoâs popular âTop Chefâ television series. 29-year-old James Rigato is currently the executive chef of The Root Restaurant & Bar in White Lake, which had been exploring a second location in the old Howell Theater but the owner changed course and moved into a different business direction. Although those plans never came to fruition, the Howell nativeâs down to earth personality, love of Michigan and use of fresh, local ingredients has captured a large following across the entire metro Detroit region. It was a seafood salad with fennel and orange that ultimately sent him packing on Bravoâs Top Chef series but Rigato says making it on the show in itself was an accomplishment. He talked about the experience on âAfter the Knife with Richard Blaisâ saying it was certainly inspiring in many ways and he came in bright-eyed and ready for the experience but the challenges proved very consuming in the moment. Rigato thanked everyone for all of the love and support via social media. Also axed in the 4th episode of the latest season that was shot in Boston was teammate Rebecca LaMalfa of Chicago. Rigato said he felt part of his loss was attributed to letting his teammates dictate a seafood menu in the last challenge instead of his preferred choice of lamb. Chef Rigato entered the restaurant business at age 14 as a dishwasher at a local diner and has worked at top restaurants all over metro Detroit since then, garnering much attention and awards along the way. Although the Patrick Swayze tattooed chef was eliminated in the latest challenge, he still has a shot at a comeback if successful in Last Chance Kitchen which airs online Wednesday, December 10th. Photo Credit: Bravo TV
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Green Oak Man Gets Probation In Oakland Exposure CasesGreen Oak Man Gets Probation In Oakland Exposure Cases
11/7/14 - Sentence has been handed down in Oakland County for a Green Oak Township man charged with indecent exposure. 30-year-old Nathanael Armstrong pleaded guilty to one count of indecent exposure and three counts of aggravated indecent exposure in Oakland County Circuit Court. He was ordered this week to spend one day in jail, which heâs already served, and five years of probation. He still faces a November 12th sentencing in Livingston County on a single count of indecent exposure. The Oakland County charges stem from incidents in South Lyon and Novi. He was arraigned on those charges in September. The Livingston County charges stem from incidents in July at the Green Oak Village Place mall. Those incidents went unreported until Armstrong was publicly identified in the Oakland County cases in which witnesses reported the suspect drove a Dodge Dart. Police then interviewed many of the areaâs Dart owners including Armstrong. But when a surveillance photo showed the suspect in medical scrubs, South Lyon Police Lt. Chris Sovik remembered interviewing Armstrong and that he indicated he worked as a traveling nurse. Further investigation then led to Armstrongâs arrest. (JK)
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Medicare Workshop Planned In Howell MondayMedicare Workshop Planned In Howell Monday
11/7/14 - An informational event Monday in Howell will be held for those who are considering signing up for Medicare next year. The free Medicare presentation will be held at the Bennett Recreation Center in Howell beginning at 6pm. It will feature certified Medicare Counselor Bob Richards, who will discuss the various Medicare options and policies, and help individuals with any changes and decisions that they may be facing. Organizers with the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority say Richards is not connected to any insurance company and will be providing confidential, unbiased advice. Registration for Mondayâs workshop is recommended. Call the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority at 517-546-0693, ext. 0, for more information. (JK)
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Positive Improvements Seen In Brighton DevelopmentPositive Improvements Seen In Brighton Development
11/7/14 - The Brighton City Council heard an encouraging report on the troubled Springhill Development off Flint Road at the regular council meeting Thursday night. Council was informed that the developers of the site condominium project have made considerable progress in rectifying the problems caused by severe erosion earlier this year. At an August City Council meeting, residents complained that boulder walls had failed, back yards were being washed away, retaining walls had been compromised and a drop off between the sidewalk and a steep slope posed a safety hazard (pictured). In his latest update, City Engineer Gary Markstrom of Tetra Tech reported to council Thursday that the developer has installed new pavement, a new retaining wall behind the most seriously affected units, upgrades to the storm and sanitary sewers, new boulder walls behind units 11 and 12, a storm drain by unit 12 to collect water, a new wall behind units 9 and 10, a catch basin, a new spillway for the existing storm drain and a sidewalk on Flint Road. Markstrom said that because itâs so late in the season, installing new topsoil and re-seeding the grass would have to wait until spring. In August the city filed suit against SDG Homes owner Trevor Surdu and his company after it failed to correct problems connected with the Springhill development, which is located next to the I-96/Flint Road overpass. The developer has since agreed to a âstipulatedâ court order, in which both sides agree to the conditions before the order is issued by the court. (TT)
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Brighton Financial Outlook More Favorable After Prop 1Brighton Financial Outlook More Favorable After Prop 1
11/7/14 - The financial outlook for the city of Brighton is looking brighter than it did a year ago â or even six months ago. City Finance Director Kelly Hanna gave her semi-annual financial forecast at the City Council meeting Thursday night. Hanna said the current fiscal year is looking good, with about a one million dollar fund balance projected for the end of the fiscal year next June. City Manager Dana Foster tells WHMI that passage of Proposal 1 this past August stands to benefit the city. Prop 1 eliminated the personal property tax on small businesses and redirected general fund dollars to local municipalities to make up the difference. The 2015-16 fiscal year should be slightly better than the current one, with a 2-3% increase in real property tax revenues forecast and the first new property taxes coming in from the ENA expansion project. By the end of the six-year cycle in 2020-21, the fund balance should be around $1.6 million, if the state stands by its promise of a 100% reimbursement from the elimination of the personal property tax as a result of passage of Proposal 1. However, Hanna said the city is being conservative by basing its financial projections on an 80% reimbursement from the state, rather than 100%. (TT)
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Man Charged in Local Murder Undergoing Competency TestingMan Charged in Local Murder Undergoing Competency Testing
11/7/14 - A Whitmore Lake man accused of killing his sister-in-law has been ordered to undergo mental health testing. 25-year-old Nicholas Allen Foerster is charged with 1st degree, premeditated murder in the strangulation death of his sister-in-law, 23-year-old Rachelle Lynn Wood. She was found dead in the bathtub of her Green Oak Township apartment on June 16th. Foerster allegedly confessed to choking the victim for a period of at least seven minutes, knowing that it would cause death. Court records show that Foerster was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation in October to determine criminal responsibility. That report remains pending, and a pre-trial has been scheduled in January. If convicted, Foerster faces life in prison without parole. Heâs being held without bond in the Livingston County Jail. (JM)
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Many Look to U.S. Supreme Court to Settle Same Sex Marriage Issue Many Look to U.S. Supreme Court to Settle Same Sex Marriage Issue
11/7/14 - Following a recent court ruling to uphold the gay marriage ban in Michigan and three other states, many on both sides of the issue seem to agree it's one that should be settled by the nationâs highest court. Michigan voters banned gay marriage in 2004, but Detroit federal Judge Bernard Friedman declared the constitutional amendment illegal last March. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Freidman's ruling Thursday in a 2-1 ruling. It concluded that states have the right to set rules for marriage and has created a divide among federal appeals courts, increasing the likelihood the Supreme Court will now take up the issue. Some state officials are defending the ban while others say they are not giving up on hope that love will win in Michigan. Equality Michigan and other groups say theyâll continue their fight for the freedom to marry in Michigan - including going to the ballot if that becomes necessary. Officials with the Livingston County Chapter of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays or PFLAG tell WHMI some people are upset by the ruling but the settlement of the issue at the Supreme Court level is really the only viable option, as a state-by-state solution will continue to create the "Are we married in this state or not?" question until it is settled nationally. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette issued a statement saying the court ruled and Michigan's constitution remains in full effect but the U.S. Supreme Court will have the final word on this issue and the sooner they rule, the better, for Michigan and the country. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has said his obligation to "support and defend the state constitution" has no exceptions and "is not a matter of personal preference." (JM)
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Hartland Township Man Enters Plea In Domestic Violence Assault Hartland Township Man Enters Plea In Domestic Violence Assault
11/8/14 - A Hartland man who police say threatened a woman with a gun has entered a plea. 34-year-old Weston Gabriel King pleaded guilty as charged to counts of felonious assault and domestic violence. In exchange for Kingâs plea, prosecutors agreed to not file further charges. On July 29th, local police agencies were called out to a residence on Montgomery Drive regarding a physical domestic dispute involving a handgun. Upon arrival, police say they were met outside by a woman who said she and King, who was still indoors, were having an argument when he pointed a handgun at her and threatened to shoot her. She alerted officers that there was a child inside the residence and that King had taken a large amount of prescription drugs. Officers then used a patrol car public address system to order King out of the residence. He exited the home un-armed with the child and was taken into custody without issue. King, whose bond was previously increased to $50,000, will be sentenced in Livingston County Circuit Court November 20th. (JM)
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Hartland Township Board Discusses Sewer System MaintenanceHartland Township Board Discusses Sewer System Maintenance
11/8/14 - The Hartland Township Board is reassuring the county that if the local sewer system needs maintenance, they are willing to step up and provide the funding. Livingston County took over the townshipâs sewer system in 2007, and though the waste is treated in Genesee the county still dictates the rates charged to users. It recently did a rate study, and one of the resulting recommendations was that it begin implementing rate adjustments over the next seven years. Hartland Township Manager James Wickman says the township asked the county to give that option serious consideration before implementing it, and in return the county asked the township to reaffirm that it would be responsible for funding any necessary repairs, maintenance, or replacements to the sewer system. The township board passed a resolution to that effect at its meeting Wednesday. However, Wickman says this does not actually change the townshipâs position since the requirement to pay for the sewer systemâs upkeep is already spelled out in the master operating agreement between the township and the county. Portions of the $40 million sewer system are almost 30 years old, and Wickman says there are repairs and upgrades needed every year. (TD)
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Bellringers Needed During Salvation Army's Red Kettle CampaignBellringers Needed During Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign
11/8/14 - The tinkling of bells can be heard at select stores across Livingston County this weekend as The Salvation Army hosts a soft opening of its annual Red Kettle campaign. The need is great and the goal is to raise $205,000 this holiday season, which helps provide funding for local programs throughout the year including shelter for the homeless, heat in the winter, rent and utility assistance, and feeding programs including holiday meals. The formal kick-off of the Red Kettle campaign will take place next Saturday, November 15th during the Salvation Armyâs 2nd Annual Red Tie Gala at Mt. Brighton, which boasts a masquerade ball theme. Red Kettle Coordinator Liz Welch tells WHMI last yearâs winter was particularly brutal and volunteers are needed more than ever this season to help meet their Christmas campaign goal. Welch says theyâre challenging individuals and groups to ring bells at more than 23 Red Kettle sites across Livingston County this season and have organized different contests to spark excitement but also reach out to those who typically wouldnât consider it. Those interested can contact Welch at (517) 546-4750 x 107 to to schedule a two-hour bell ringing volunteer spot or sign up online at www.registertoring.com. Further details about the Red Tie Gala and volunteer opportunities are available in the attachment and link posted below. (JM)
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