Organizers of an annual campaign are hoping generous residents will spend some time this summer to help make school in the fall easier for families in need.
The Livingston Educational Service Agency has set the date for its annual Backpacks for Kids campaign. Now in its 16th year, it will take place on Thursday, August 17th with the goal of providing Livingston County students whose families are experiencing financial difficulties school supplies at no cost. Individuals, local businesses, and community groups came together last year to provide over 1,000 backpacks full of various school supplies.
A complete list of donation sites is available online through the link below. Backpacks and supplies will be collected up until the distribution event, which will also be the same day LESAâs Connect for Kids event takes place. Organizers also plan events throughout the summer to help support the collection drive. (JK)
Date Set For Annual School Supply DriveDate Set For Annual School Supply Drive
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FBI Agent From South Lyon Finalist For âOscarsâ Of Government ServiceFBI Agent From South Lyon Finalist For âOscarsâ Of Government Service
A South Lyon resident has been named as a finalist for an award dubbed the âOscarsâ of governmental service.
Bryan Drake is an FBI special agent who headed up a team that investigated and prosecuted Dr. Farid Fata for giving false diagnoses and unnecessary cancer treatments to hundreds of patients so as to collect millions in payments from Medicare. He and three of his colleagues; HHS Inspector General Special Agent Abhijit Dixit, Department of Justice attorney Catherine Kuo Dick and IRS Special Agent Kevin Nalu, were all named as finalists for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Medal. The award honors members of the federal government workforce, highlighting the work of employees making significant contributions to the governance of the United States.
The group led by Special Agent Drake, known as the Detroit Medicare Fraud Strike Force, worked to gather evidence against Dr. Fata, who eventually pled guilty to charges of health care fraud, conspiring to pay and receive kickbacks and money laundering. In 2015 he was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison. Award recipients are chosen from the field of finalists by a selection committee comprised of national leaders representing government, business, entertainment, media and the non-profit community.
The winners will be announced at a black-tie gala in the early fall. (JK)
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Brighton To Get New Comprehensive Master PlanBrighton To Get New Comprehensive Master Plan
Last adopted in 2012, Brightonâs Master Plan badly needs updating, and city officials were told about the process at a joint meeting Monday night.
Hosted by the City Planning Commission, the meeting also included the City Council and Downtown Development Authority. The Detroit firm of Giffels-Webster will be the cityâs planning consultants on the effort. Representatives Rodney Arroyo and Jill Bahm said a master plan provides information that is vital in order for the City Council, Planning Commission and DDA to plan for the future with the proper information. This includes making decisions on planning and zoning, and possessing the proper and current data on what city residents and local officials want to maintain and enhance their quality of life and the direction they want the community to go regarding future development.
Partner Rodney Arroyo says after the base maps have been prepared and the website and Facebook page established, the next step will be to analyze the existing data and start the downtown needs assessment. Local officials were told that while the cityâs population has increased 3% since 1990 to about 7,700 residents, the median age has also increased, like most other communities in Michigan. The consultants said Brighton is a very educated community, with 26% of its residents being college graduates.
Arroyo says residents will be asked to complete surveys on what they like about Brighton, and also what they donât like, or would like to see in the community. The survey, which will officially begin today, can be completed online, and can be found through the link below.
In September, after all the date has been collected and analyzed, an open house will be held at which there will be various stations, divided by topic. Next spring, a public hearing will be held, followed soon after with adoption by the City Council. (TT)
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Final Two Survivors Of Fatal Crash Released From HospitalFinal Two Survivors Of Fatal Crash Released From Hospital
The last two of three survivors of a crash that killed five people Livingston County last month have been released from the hospital.
Michigan State Police say 22-year-old Matthew Carrier and a passenger, 23-year-old Kyle Lixie, both of Fenton, are out of the hospital as of today. 39-year-old Oakland County resident Albert Boswell went home last month. Investigators say Carrier ignored a stop sign May 9th as he traveled south on Argentine Road in Oceola Township and smashed into Boswell's vehicle as it traveled eastbound on M-59. Charges have yet to be filed in the case. Two people in Carrier's vehicle died. Three people in the vehicle driven by Boswell died, including a probation agent who had been honored at a Corrections Department banquet earlier that night.
Police say alcohol was a factor with social media postings by Carrierâs mother indicating her son was had been drinking. The secretary of state office says neither Carrier nor Boswell had a valid driver's license. Carrierâs license was suspended for unpaid traffic tickets, although he had past citations for careless driving and operating while impaired by liquor. Boswellâs license had been expired since 2002 due to prior alcohol-related incidents, but officials say he was in the process of getting a new license, but still needed to take a road skills test. (JK)
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Rock The Block Returns To Downtown Howell TonightRock The Block Returns To Downtown Howell Tonight
The first event in a monthly series kicks off tonight in downtown Howell.
Rock the Block is a music and foodie festival presented on the first Wednesday of the month in June, July and August. The summer series will feature live bands playing throughout downtown along with opportunities to sample food from local restaurants known as 'Best Bites on the Block' food samples. The festival is family-friendly and will feature a variety of free musical genres throughout the downtown district from 6 to 9pm tonight at businesses and street corners throughout town.
Howell Downtown Development Authority Director Cathleen Edgerly says this summer will be rockin downtown this week, noting Food Truck Tuesdays, Rock the Block and the Pink Party Thursday. She says past food truck rallies have been embraced so well by the community, the Howell DDA place making team decided to bring a couple food trucks in front of the historic courthouse the first Tuesday of the month from 11am to 2pm. Food Truck Tuesdays run through the first week of October.
Meanwhile for more information and to stay up to date on the Best Bites participants as well as featured music, visit www.RocktheBlockHowell.org. Wristbands for the food samples can be purchased at the event or online. (JM)
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Lyon Township Among Sites Being Explored By Foxconn For New Factory Lyon Township Among Sites Being Explored By Foxconn For New Factory
The Taiwanese company that manufactures Appleâs iPhone is likely to build a U.S factory but continues to scout locations including one in Lyon Township.
Foxconn builds electronic devices for companies including Apple and Samsung. The production building in China is where most of the world's iPhones and iPads are assembled. In January, CEO and Chairman Terry Gou said his company was planning to invest $7 (B) billion in a new U.S. display factory. Reports indicate Foxconn is considering building a manufacturing plant for the assembly of liquid crystal display screens for the automotive, aviation and defenses industries. An article in Crainâs Detroit Business says sources familiar with discussions have learned two Oakland County sites are being considered. The Lyon Township site totals 515-acres and is owned by construction giant Walbridge-Aldinger. The other site is in Pontiac and totals 154-acres owned by a realty group.
Lyon Township officials declined to speculate on the topic as they are not involved in discussions. A request for comment has been placed with Walbridge-Aldinger. Other states reportedly under consideration include Arizona and Florida.
Meanwhile, Foxconn is replacing tens of thousands of factory workers with more-efficient robots. The company announced a three-part plan to fully automate its factories and replace human workers with robots. It hopes to achieve 30% automation by 2020. The manufacturing giant has already deployed over 40,000 of its Foxbots, the industrial robots it has developed in-house. Foxconn has the capability to produce 10,000 Foxbots annually to replace human labor. (JM)
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Hartland Board Reacts To County Hesitancy On Movie Theater AbatementHartland Board Reacts To County Hesitancy On Movie Theater Abatement
The Hartland Township Board of Trustees is getting ready to defend their decision that would help a large cinema chain move into the area.
The Board with met with Livingston County Commissioner Dave Domas during an information and discussion workshop following their regular meeting Tuesday night. Last month the decision was made by the Board to offer a 7-year tax abatement worth approximately $65,000 per year to Emagine Theater that would more easily allow them to build a complex on 7-acres off of M-59 near Meijer. Emagine would still pay taxes of approximately $135,000 in that time on the property under the building and on personal property. Believing everything was going smoothly and that the abatement would pass through all the appropriate channels, many on the Board seemed shock to learn there was now hesitancy coming from the county level.
Hartland Township Supervisor Bill Fountain said the county sees these requests from time to time and all they can hope for is a fair shake. Fountain said the county faced a similar situation to theirs in February in the Howell-area and that the process went through very quickly. Trustee Joe Colaianne asked Domas why, if the Howell plans were so quickly approved in February without any plans for the property, are the Commissioners now nervous to approve the abatement in Hartland with a business proven to be successful ready to build.
Trustee Joe Petrucci projected it was because they were now seeing real numbers of what this actual business might do, as opposed to the Howell situation that was more open-ended. Domas said that the Howell job wasnât his territory and stated that perhaps the county moved too quickly on it. He said he is simply doing his due diligence, as asked of him, with Hartland. The abatement will be on the County Boardâs agenda this Monday where they can support it, do nothing, or disallow it. A vote of disapproval stops the abatement and likely forces Emagine to look elsewhere. (MK)
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Howell Man Injured In Macomb County Trench Collapse Howell Man Injured In Macomb County Trench Collapse
A Howell man is hospitalized after being seriously injured in a trench collapse in Macomb County Tuesday.
Warren firefighters were called out shortly before 8pm to the scene of a man trapped in a trench at the site of a former bowling alley along Van Dyke Road. The construction worker, a 37-year-old man from Howell, was removed after about an hour and a half and taken by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Warren Mayor Jim Fouts says the man is in serious condition from the impact of the clay and that firefighters had to dig with their bare hands to extract him.
The man, who worked for Howell-based Jay's Excavating, was reportedly in the process of connecting a sewer drain to a city drain at the time of the collapse. However, reports from the scene indicate he was not using a metal trench box, designed to prevent a collapse. The incident will be investigated by workplace safety regulators. (JK)
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Water Main Break In Hamburg TownshipWater Main Break In Hamburg Township
A water main break this morning in Hamburg Township has forced officials to shut off water service to customers along a stretch of M-36.
Livingston County Water Authority officials say the break is along M-36, west of Spicer Road, on the property of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. The cause is unclear as of now, although it could be a service lead or a coupling, officials should know the cause of the break by the end of the day. However, efforts to repair the break will force the shutdown of service from Spicer Road, west along M-36 to the Hamburg Township Fire Department on Veterans Memorial Drive. The closure could be in effect until 4pm while the Water Tap Inc. crew works to repair the break. Officials say once it is repaired, they will then have to institute a 72-hour boil water advisory.
Stay tuned to WHMI 93.5 FM and whmi.com for updates.(JK)
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Free Fishing Weekend This WeekendFree Fishing Weekend This Weekend
This weekend is a great opportunity to get out on the lakes and experience all that fishing has to offer.
Itâs free fishing weekend across the state this June 10th and 11th thanks to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Twice a year the DNR allows residents to cast lines from the shore or their boats without the need of a fishing license. State Representative Hank Vaupel of Handy Township said this goes in conjunction with preparation for Fatherâs Day coming up later this month. He said hopefully there will be a lot of young people out there participating and seeing why so many others enjoy this relaxing leisure sport.
While the license requirement is waived, all environmental rules and regulations, including limits, still apply. More information on Free Fishing Weekend and a list of activities and related events across the state can be found online through the link below. (MK)
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Scam Call Leads To Emergency Police ResponseScam Call Leads To Emergency Police Response
A report of a barricaded gunman Tuesday turned out to be a scam in the Hamburg Township area.
A couple living in the area of Swarthout and Richardson roads received a call from someone claiming to be a Washington State police officer. The scammer told the couple there was a warrant out for the husbands arrest and needed a sum of $1,500 dollars. When the couple did not send the full amount to the caller, police say the person on the phone then called Livingston County 911 Central Dispatch and made a false report of domestic violence in the coupleâs home and that the husband was armed.
After officers arrived on the scene it took approximately 15 minutes to get the couple to exit their home without further incident. As the couple was explaining what had happened, the suspect called again at which point they handed the phone to one of the officers. The caller then hung up. Hamburg detectives are now working with the couple to catch the scammer.
Authorities advise that anyone receiving such a call should contact their local police department and remind residents that law enforcement agencies never demand payment by phone for warrants or bonds. (AS)
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Longtime Director Of Howell Nature Center Announces RetirementLongtime Director Of Howell Nature Center Announces Retirement
The longtime head of the Howell Nature Center has announced he will be stepping down at the end of the year.
Dick Grant marked his 39th year with the organization last week, but says he will officially retire December 31st. The Reverend Julie Delezenne, who heads up the Howell Nature Center board of Directors, says that when Grant started in 1978, they logged about 300 visitors. By last year, there were 50,000 visitors to the 280 acre center, owned by the Presbytery of Detroit, which purchased it in 1963 with the idea of using it as a small retreat center.
Under his tenure, the Environmental Education program began in 1982 to bring wildlife education to children, followed two years later by the Wildlife Rehabilitation program, which now cares for approximately 3,000 wild animals each year. In 1985, the center opened the High Adventure Program, building childrenâs confidence through activities such as zip tours, climbing walls and rope tours. The center also hosts both day and overnight camp programs, which have grown to include six lodges that can sleep nearly 230 people.
Grant, who will be a guest Sunday at 8:30am on Viewpoint, says he and his wife may retire up north, but that he would also like to do some consulting work to stay active. (JK)
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Brighton, Howell & Hartland Meijer Stores To Offer Grocery Delivery Services Brighton, Howell & Hartland Meijer Stores To Offer Grocery Delivery Services
Three local grocery stores will be offering home-delivery service soon as part of a growing trend.
Grand Rapids-based supermarket chain Meijer announced that it will be adding home delivery this month to customers in more suburbs, including Brighton, Hartland, Howell, and Ann Arbor. Meijer started offering the service in Southeast Michigan in September and officials say the growing trend is changing the way people shop in the Midwest.
Meijer uses the company Shipt to provide the delivery service of about 55,000 items including groceries and smaller household goods. It also uses Instacart. While the delivery services offer convenience for customers, they also provide full and part time jobs for those who sign up as shoppers to deliver the groceries. The expanded grocery service will be offered to the additional communities on June 22nd. Meijer Photo. (JM)
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Student Success and Transformation Found Through Fowlerville Schools' Peer Support Program Student Success and Transformation Found Through Fowlerville Schools' Peer Support Program
Accreditation is the next step for a program focused on kids helping kids at Fowlerville Community Schools.
The districtâs Peer to Peer Support program, or Links, partners general education students with students who face some type of disability The program was designed to increase socialization and independence opportunities for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Program Consultant Denise Wood says there have been many success stories in which students with ASD benefit from the program academically and socially. The district now has Links in every single building from pre-school through the high school level, and even offers it as an elective course for junior high. Wood says the programâs success is built on âthe power of peersâ. She notes that special education teachers were offering all the tools needed to students with disabilities to help them be successful, but that something was still missing. After pairing a particular student with a peer supporter, Wood says it was clear that âkids learn best from other kidsâ. She says peer supporters help the student theyâre linked with engage in school, which leads to involvement in the community and activities outside of school.
Wood is looking to achieve accreditation for the program at the high school level so that it may be approved for the course catalog. The program is currently only offered at the high school as an independent study. Becoming accredited will require approval from the Board of Education, which Wood says is the programâs next step. Students who serve as supporters in Links can benefit from the accredited program by receiving college scholarships based on their participation. More than that, Wood sees the real benefit as a transformation in both the programâs support students and the students receiving the support. Wood says if thatâs not the power of peer support, she doesnât know what is. (DK)
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Pinckney Mom Bound Over For Trial On Child Abuse Charges Pinckney Mom Bound Over For Trial On Child Abuse Charges
A local woman said to be employed at a domestic violence shelter is headed to trial on charges alleging she beat her son with a belt.
28-year-old Ashley Nicole Bell of Pinckney was bound over to Livingston County Circuit Court Wednesday on charges of 3rd degree child abuse and domestic violence. The charges stem from an incident in which Bell allegedly beat her 9-year-old son with a leather belt until it broke after becoming angry with him. A report of the incident was made by a family member and received by Pinckney Police May 25th, although the incident occurred several days prior.
Authorities say Bell told officers she worked at a domestic violence shelter in Washtenaw County and also volunteered there as an advocate. Future court dates for Bell have not been set at this time. (DK)
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Weekend Lane Closure On Northbound US-23 To Bring Delays Weekend Lane Closure On Northbound US-23 To Bring Delays
Delays can be expected on northbound US-23 in the Whitmore Lake area this weekend.
The Michigan Department of Transportation advises that there will be a continuous single lane closure on northbound US-23 between Barker Road and M-14 for concrete patch work. The lane closure will start at 9pm this Friday and continue through 7am on Monday.
M-DOT says back-ups are anticipated with the closure and motorists should plan extra time and watch for traffic slowdowns when traveling through the area this weekend. (JM)
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Vaupel: Budget Will Be Done This Month Despite Teacher Pension ImpasseVaupel: Budget Will Be Done This Month Despite Teacher Pension Impasse
A local representative doesnât believe an impasse over teacher pension reform will prevent the state budget from being passed this month.
State Representative Hank Vaupel of Handy Township said he believes the House and Senate will finish up in the next couple days and then attempt to reconcile their budgets with Governor Rick Snyderâs. One of the major hold-ups between the Governorâs office and GOP legislative leaders, however, is an issue regarding teacher pension reform. The current plan, which Snyder supports, would continue a mix of guaranteed pension and a 401(k). Vaupel said that this way is underfunded to the tune of about $29-billion and growing almost daily. He said there were a variety of reasons for this, like incorrect assumptions on what financials will be, along with people living longer and retiring earlier.
The current budget proposal is $475 million less than what Snyder has proposed, with that money earmarked for closing the teacher pension system to new hires. Vaupel continued by saying that he believes the reform is a matter of whether it happens now, or whether they continue to let the debt grow and hope that future generations can handle it. However, both the House and Senate fiscal agencies project the plan to close the system will cost more than $46 billion over 40 years, with Democrats saying that money would be better used for schools and roads.
The stateâs budget isnât due until October 1st, but the governor has made an effort while in office to pass it before schoolâs budgets are due, which is generally July 1st. Michiganâs budget has been in passed in June the past 6 years. (MK/JK)
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New Leak In Hamburg Water Main Forces ShutoffNew Leak In Hamburg Water Main Forces Shutoff
UPDATE 3:17pm: Water has been turned back on. Officials say it was a tap to the water main that had failed. The precautionary boil water advisory will be extended 24 hours. This is only for users who are connected to the water system.
Another break in a Hamburg Township water main has forced officials to shut off water service along a stretch of M-36.
Livingston County Water Authority officials say the new leak is near the break they repaired Wednesday along M-36, west of Spicer Road. Itâs located on the property of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Itâs thought to be due to whatâs known as a âwater hammerâ which occurs when a valve closes suddenly at an end of a pipeline system, allowing a pressure wave in the pipe.
Crews are again fixing the leak, but because the water has again been shut off, officials will have to extend the precautionary boil water advisory by an additional 24 hours. A water sample will again be immediately after service is restored, followed every 24 hours until authorities can lift the advisory. (JK)
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Hartland Township Breaks Ground On Improvements For Two ParksHartland Township Breaks Ground On Improvements For Two Parks
The Hartland Township Board of Trustees have broken ground and celebrated a new beginning to making long awaited improvements at two local parks.
The implementation of Phase Two of the Park Improvement Plan for Heritage and Settlerâs Parks occurred on Tuesday. The first part of the phase will see the construction of new pavilions and restrooms at the parks. In spring 2018 they will build two new playscapes for children. Hartland Township Communications Director Jean MacLeod said she believes that one added benefit to the project will be a boost to local businesses, especially around Heritage. She said many of the local stores have a lot to offer the parents, kids, and teams that use the parks, by being places where they can eat, shop, and pick up supplies.
MacLeod said that itâs been 12 years since the parks had been first dedicated, and while improvements have been discussed many times since then, budget concerns always caused them to be put on hold. She said that over the past few years the township has been able to save enough money for this project specifically, and wonât need to ask for or require additional funding from taxpayers.
The project cost for improvements to both parks is just over $1.3-million. Portions of Heritage and Settlerâs Parks that are not directly being improved upon will remain open through construction. (MK)
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Two Rough Green Oak Roads To Receive Graveling, ImprovementsTwo Rough Green Oak Roads To Receive Graveling, Improvements
Two of Green Oak Townshipâs rougher roads are about to get some tender loving care.
Over the past couple of years, the paving of Rushton Road has caused 12-Mile Road on the detour path to take a beating. Township Supervisor Mark St. Charles said he has been working with the Livingston County Road Commission on addressing the matter. He said that 12-Mile Road, even before the detour, was a pretty bad road, likening portions of it to a minefield. He couldnât recall a time in time as supervisor that it had received a graveling, and that the time was now right to give the residents who live off it some relief.
At Wednesday nightâs meeting of the Board of Trustees, St. Charles laid out a proposal by the Road Commission where if the township paid for the gravel and trucking of it, the commission would lay it down and do needed drainage and ditching work. The Board approved it, 4-0, with 3 members absent from the meeting. This project will include similar improvements to nearby Peer Road at a cost not-to-exceed $160,000. St. Charles said the money is coming from the townshipâs 407 Fund, and not the road millage. The 407 Fund is supported fully by the general fund and the money they put into it when they have a balance. St. Charles said this will virtually deplete the fund, but it is for projects like this that they put the money away for.
Board members present could not think of two better roads that didnât have plans for improvements already in the works than 12 Mile and Peer. (MK)
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