3/28/13 - The Main Street and Downtown Development Authority Board decided to enforce bike ordinances more heavily this year at last nightâs board meeting. A few citizens attended the meeting to voice their concerns about the lack of enforcement on bike ordinances. The ordinance states that bikes and wheeled forms of transportation are not allowed on the sidewalks in the central district of downtown Howell. The DDA has decided to pursue a more active method of signs enforcing the ordinance which will say âWalk Your Bike, Carry Your Boardâ. Diane Larkin, the director of the Howell Main Street DDA tells WHMI they have several forms of action they plan to take. (DK)
Howell DDA Moves to Enforce Bike Ordinances
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Livingston County Airport Employee Retires After Three DecadesLivingston County Airport Employee Retires After Three Decades
3/28/13 - A humble man known to shy away from the spotlight is being recognized for his years of service to the Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport. Russell Stoughton is retiring after working more than 30 years in the flight line service and airfield maintenance fields. Today marks his final day with the county. Airport Manager Mark Johnson tells WHMI they have a small staff and Stoughton proved to be a very valuable asset since heâs pretty much a jack of all trades. Johnson says Stoughton will definitely be missed, especially his mechanical skills, noting he did everything from fueling airplanes to maintaining all of their lighting systems and vehicles but could fix pretty much anything that broke. Stoughton was actually hired by Spencer Hardy, whom the Airport is named after and Johnson pointed out he was very dependable and probably sick less than 15 days during his more than 30 years at the airport. Johnson says Stoughton is headed somewhere warmer than here and will be moving out of state following his retirement. (JM)
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Faith Medical Plans Fundraiser to Help Fund New FacilityFaith Medical Plans Fundraiser to Help Fund New Facility
3/28/13 - A local nonprofit clinic will hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser next month to help replace its old building, which was destroyed by fire. For years the Faith Medical Clinic has provided medical services to people who cannot get help elsewhere, but its facility was destroyed by a fire on February 18th. The building is a total loss, and the clinic is now looking for a new location to continue its operations. Faith kicked off its fundraising earlier this month and will continue those efforts next month with a spaghetti dinner event. The dinner will be held at the Pinckney Masonic Temple on Saturday, April 20th starting at 5pm. Entry is $7 for adults, $5 for kids 5 to 12 and seniors over 62, and free for kids under 4. For more information, contact Carla at (248) 790-3837 or email carlarose@gmail.com. (TD)
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UAW Reps Discuss Right-To-Work Laws With Local DemocratsUAW Reps Discuss Right-To-Work Laws With Local Democrats
3/28/13 - Right to Work legislation takes effect today, and last night the Livingston County Democratic Party heard from representatives of United Auto Workers Region C1 on the topic. The right-to-work laws passed late last year make it illegal for unions to require the payment of dues as a condition of employment. Supporters of the law say it will improve the business climate of the state, while giving workers the option to not support a union which is ineffective or supports political causes they oppose. Last night, UAW Region C1 Political Director Art Luna said the laws were designed to weaken Michiganâs unions, which could be forced to dedicate more time to retaining members and less time to collective bargaining. UAW representative Tim Hughes also spoke at the meeting, saying in his 45 years working with the state legislature he had never seen legislation passed in such a rushed manner as the right-to-work bills. Luna says four cases challenging the legislation are facing the State Supreme Court right now, and while they are pending his union is focusing on educating its members as to why they should continue to pay dues and oppose right-to-work legislation. Hughes also says that he expects only a small number of UAW Workers to stop paying union fees after the current contract expires in 2015. Although audience members joked about harassing workers who did not pay dues, Hughes says those workers can probably expect some resentment but very little in the way of harassment. The speakers also emphasized the importance of the 2014 election, as well as the need for a high voter turnout among unions to elect Democrats or labor-friendly Republicans. (TD)
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Fowlerville Man Recognized as Outstanding Metroparks EmployeeFowlerville Man Recognized as Outstanding Metroparks Employee
3/28/13 - Huron-Clinton Metroparks has named a local man one of its "Outstanding Employees of the Year". Chris Williams of Fowlerville was recognized for his years of work as an interpreter at Kensington Metropark Farm Center in the Brighton/Milford area. He also worked for several years at Kensingtonâs nature center. Metropark officials say his knowledge of animals and local history, coupled with his woodworking skills and craftsmanship, has enhanced a variety of programs at the farm, from maple sugaring to ice harvesting. They say Williams has developed innovative programs but also has a passion for providing relevant, educational experiences. Williams received the award for providing exemplary service in 2012 and officials say itâs a high honor because the candidates are recognized and nominated by their coworkers. (JM)
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Man Who Stole LETS Truck Sentenced to More Jail Time Man Who Stole LETS Truck Sentenced to More Jail Time
3/28/13 - A Wyoming, Michigan man will have an extended stay behind bars after stealing a Livingston Essential Transportation Service pickup truck just three hours after being released from jail. 55-year-old James Junior Williams was ordered to serve one year in the Livingston County Jail and two years of probation today. He previously pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful driving away of a vehicle and was sentenced as a 4th time habitual offender in Livingston County Circuit Court. Williams was given credit for 142 days already served but is not eligible for any early release from jail, except through earned âgood timeâ. He was originally arrested in connection with a robbery in the Pinckney area on September 15th but released the next morning pending further investigation. Police say Williams was walking down Grand River after his release when an EMS vehicle stopped to try and assist him. They then took him to the EMS building at Grand River and Burkhart Roads so he could make some calls, but had to leave after being dispatched to another call. Thatâs when Williams entered a door on the west side of the building and stole the LETS pickup truck that was inside with the keys in the ignition. Williams was later located following a police request for public assistance in finding the vehicle. (JM)
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Living Stone Church Closing But Officials Hopeful for Future Living Stone Church Closing But Officials Hopeful for Future
3/28/13 - A local church has announced that it will be closing next month but officials say the future is full of promise. Living Stone Church is the former Brighton Wesleyan Church but changed its name about four years ago following allegations of embezzlement that surfaced in 2006 against then-Reverend Ronald Walker and his wife Teri. Felony embezzlement charges were filed but later dropped and the couple eventually entered pleas to misdemeanor charges of filing false tax returns. Richard Meeks, Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church east Michigan district, says Living Stone has great history and hundreds of lives have been touched but in recent years, theyâve gone through some really difficult times. He says theyâve been trying to work through those and rebound but itâs been a challenge. Meeks tells WHMI the closure is a necessary ending in order for a fresh start in the Brighton community and a thriving congregation in the future. Current Living Stone Pastor Tom Monaghan tells WHMI despite the challenges that transpired, he has very fond memories of all the members who have come and gone over the years, saying everyone has grown together and learned a lot. Living Stone Church in Brighton will hold its final service on April 28th. (JM)
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Milford Twp. Delays Vote on Proving Grounds Tax AbatementMilford Twp. Delays Vote on Proving Grounds Tax Abatement
3/28/13 - Milford Township officials have delayed for several weeks a vote on a tax abatement request for General Motors' proposed new data center at the Milford Proving Ground. GM is asking for a 15-year, 50 percent tax cut for the $258 million project, which would construct a 93,000-square-foot information technology facility that would employ up to 20 people. The automaker wants to use that facility and one like it in Warren to house all of its data needs, allowing it to consolidate some 20 other facilities across the world. If taxed at the full rate, the new facility would generate nearly $6.5 million in annual revenue that would be split among various entities including Milford Township, schools, public safety agencies, county parks and libraries. However, if the proposed abatement were approved, that amount would be cut to approximately $3.24 million for the three years of expected construction and then twelve additional years afterward. The Milford Times says that Township Treasurer Cindy Dagenhardt indicated strong support for the abatement at a hearing on the issue last week, saying essentially half of something was better than all of nothing. But several trustees expressed doubts about the abatementâs promise of jobs and whether or not it was appropriate to take tax dollars out of the community and add them to GMâs profits. In the end, the board decided to delay a vote until its April meeting. (JK)
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Deaton Named New South Lyon Clerk/Treasurer Amid AccoladesDeaton Named New South Lyon Clerk/Treasurer Amid Accolades
3/29/13 - The City of South Lyon is looking for a new deputy clerk/treasurer after enthusiastically promoting Lisa Deaton into the head clerk/treasurer position this week. Deaton has been filling in as the clerk/treasurer since Julie Zemke was fired on January 22nd for âpersonal reasons.â The South Lyon Herald reports five people were interviewed for the position, but the city council said Deaton was the obvious candidate for the job. Council members praised Deatonâs past performance at Monday nightâs meeting. Deaton says she is excited and confident as she takes up the position, which involves handling the cityâs money, taxes, elections, and records. Now that the position of deputy clerk/treasurer has been officially vacated, the city is accepting applications to take up Deatonâs old position. Applicants who are experienced in dealing with money, elections, and the public are being sought. For information, contact the city offices. (TD)
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Teacher Contract Will Help Pinckney Schools Out Of DeficitTeacher Contract Will Help Pinckney Schools Out Of Deficit
3/29/13 - After entering deficit this year, the Pinckney Community Schools Board of Education has approved a contract with the local teachers union that will save the district millions. The Department of Education says Pinckney went from a surplus district to a deficit district this year, and Superintendent Dan Danosky says that deficit will be about $2 million at the end of June. If nothing had changed the deficit would have been $5 million by the end of the next school year, but Danosky says the new teacher contract has the potential to negate that increase. He tells WHMI the teachers made significant concessions in the contract, which was approved before the stateâs new right-to-work laws took effect on Thursday. Those concessions include taking a 3.5% pay cut, eliminating longevity, suspending pay steps, and increased health insurance deductibles and copays. Danosky says the district can still reduce the projected deficit further with other cuts, and that the contracts for the districtâs other bargaining groups have yet to be negotiated. (TD)
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Local Authorities Still Hoping For A Break In Unsolved 1983 Murder Local Authorities Still Hoping For A Break In Unsolved 1983 Murder
3/29/13 - Three decades later, the Livingston County Sheriffâs Department and investigators with its Cold Case Team have not given up on solving the murder of Christina Castiglione. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the missing 19-year-old womanâs body in the area of Fisher and Fawcett Roads near Cohoctah in 1983. Since then, no suspects have been arrested and the murder was never solved. Sheriff Bob Bezotte says theyâre still pursuing the case and any leads that come in but as time passes, new information is getting harder to come by but authorities have always felt the man who found Castiglioneâs body was involved. Ron Latilla reported the crime but quickly became a suspect. Bezotte says Latilla was supposed to go work but said he decided to go fishing and then changed his mind to go look for deer in the area where the body was found. Bezotte says he had no fishing equipment or a rifle and had parked in an area designated for commuters that few people utilized back then. Bezotte says a DNA test has since shown that he is not a match for material found on the body, but he remains very suspicious of why Latilla was in the area and maybe knew more than what he said, adding he was uncooperative with police and refused to take any polygraph tests. Police still suspect Latilla or his brother may have played a part in her death as Latillaâs brother lived close to the place where Castiglione was last seen. Bezotte says their cold case team was established four years ago and investigators are still actively working a number of cases but they also rely on information from the public and are always hopeful that something will one day lead to a break in the unsolved murder. (JM)
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Monday Ceremony Kicks Off April as Child Abuse Prevention MonthMonday Ceremony Kicks Off April as Child Abuse Prevention Month
3/29/13 - An uplifting ceremony Monday will not only kick-off a local awareness effort but remind the community about how important it is for everyone to work together to keep kids safe. This marks the 5th year of Pinwheels for Prevention, organized by the Child Abuse Prevention Council and LACASA. Community members are being encouraged to attend the noon ceremony in front of the Howell Carnegie District Library and plant blue pinwheels in a special garden area that symbolize the joy and hope of childhood. This yearâs theme is âthe power of oneâ. CAP Council Program Director Deanna Norris says the effort is about awareness and education and one of the biggest favors a parent can do for their children is start open dialogue with them early, and in an age appropriate way. She says the pinwheels are a visual reminder about child abuse prevention month and symbolize the importance of not only everyone working together but as individuals as well. She says everyone has the power to make a difference but people tend to view child abuse as such an overwhelming issue that they sometimes feel helpless to do anything about it. The roughly half-hour ceremony on Monday will feature the voices of local students, Junior and Cadet Girl Scouts as well as words of inspiration from local leaders and child advocates. Norris says all community members are invited to attend and the pinwheel garden will remain in place for the entire month of April as a show of support for local children and families. The full interview with Norris about Mondayâs kick-off ceremony and other local child abuse prevention efforts can be heard this Sunday morning at 8:30 on WHMIâs Viewpoint program. (JM)
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Student-Organized 5K Will Benefit Local Nonprofit Food PantryStudent-Organized 5K Will Benefit Local Nonprofit Food Pantry
3/29/13 - A 5K race planned by the Howell High School Interact Club will raised fund for a local food pantry next month. The Howell Interact 5K Run/Walk will take place on pavement at the high school, beginning and ending at the football field concession area. All proceeds will go toward the Sonrise Food Pantry, which provides groceries to about 300 families every month. Registration is $20 before April 18th or $25 on the day of the race, and those who register before April 13th will receive a free tee shirt. For more information or to register online, follow the link below. The Interact Club is a student-run organization focused on community service. (TD)
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Judge Rules Murder Suspect Can't Use "Duress" Defense at Trial Judge Rules Murder Suspect Can't Use "Duress" Defense at Trial
3/29/13 - There have been some recent court developments in the case of a couple charged with felony murder in the death of a homeless man whose body was found in 2010 along a rural Livingston County road. 45-year-old Mitchell Judd Hall of Byron and 51-year-old Antoinette Bea Hix of Gaines each face charges of 1st degree felony murder and abuse of a vulnerable adult in the death of 71-year old Clarence Elijah Hines. Hix is also charged with premeditated murder in the first degree. Hix claimed that she was under duress when the crime occurred and her defense attorney intends to argue that sheâs a victim of battered womenâs syndrome. However, prosecutors argued that is not a defense to murder and filed a motion to preclude the duress defense during trial, which was granted this week by Livingston County Circuit Court Judge David Reader. Both are scheduled for separate jury trials in April, unless the case is adjourned again or plea deals are reached. Police say the suspects left Hines at the side of Sober Road in Conway Township on April 11th, 2010. He was found dead there the following morning. Authorities say Hines died due to a combination of hypothermia and multiple blunt trauma injuries. Authorities say the couple wanted to rid themselves of caring for Hines due to his failing health and discussed various options to do so, eventually deciding to drop him off on a rural dirt road. (JM)
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Local Police Apprehend Man After Chase And Standoff in PutnamLocal Police Apprehend Man After Chase And Standoff in Putnam
3/29/13 - Police have taken a man into custody after he led them on a six-mile chase through the southern part of the county and fled into a house. Hamburg Police Chief Richard Duffany says a be-on-the-lookout was put out for an Ypsilanti man in a black Chevy Cavalier at about 5:15pm for reckless driving. Hamburg Officers spotted the man on westbound M-36 less than a minute later and gave chase. At one point the man came to a full stop in the area of Peaceful Valley Drive. Officers pulled up behind him, at which point he put his vehicle in reverse to ram the patrol car and escape. The man then fled to the home of an acquaintance on Merrick Drive. Officers quickly surrounded the house, and the three occupants who were home left the man alone inside. After an hour of unsuccessful negotiations, the Brighton-Hamburg Special Response Team entered the home. They found the man unarmed and hiding in a bathroom. He was the taken into custody. It is not known at this time whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident. (TD)
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LETS Included in SEMCOG's Transportation Improvement ProgramLETS Included in SEMCOG's Transportation Improvement Program
3/30/13 - A local agency will able to replace some buses and expand its fleet under a proposed amendment to SEMCOGâs Transportation Improvement Program. Among the 35 projects proposed to be added to the regionâs long-range transportation plan are six replacement buses and two expansion buses for the Livingston Essential Transportation Services or LETS agency. $1.1 (m) million in state and federal funds have been designated for the bus purchases. Another project added to the list designates funding for bridge replacement work on 6 Mile and 8 Mile Roads over US-23. Seven separate projects are proposed to be deleted from the plan, although none locally. Officials say the amendments are sometimes needed for a variety of reasons, including unexpected delays in projects, the awarding of new federal dollars, changing priorities or major changes in the project work description. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments is currently seeking comment on the amended list of projects and final action is expected April 26th. Details can be found below. (JM)
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Man to Appear on CSC Charges Involving Local 13-Year-Old Girl Man to Appear on CSC Charges Involving Local 13-Year-Old Girl
3/30/13 - A man accused of having a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl last summer will be in court this week. 31-year-old Carloque Lanning of Toledo is charged with five counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct, as well as being a fourth-time habitual offender. The charges stem from accusations that he had a relationship with a local girl that eventually became sexual in nature. The girl in question, who is not being named as part of a policy to not identify alleged sexual assault victims, testified that Lanning also provided her with drugs and alcohol. Lanning is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 2nd and will head to trial in May if no plea deal is reached. He is being held on a $150,000 bond. (JM)
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Workshops Target Teen Substance Abuse IssuesWorkshops Target Teen Substance Abuse Issues
3/31/13 - Families concerned about a young member involved with substance abuse are being encouraged to attend a series of workshops in May. Called "Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" the workshops have been a free resource for Michigan families since 1999. Held at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center in Ypsilanti, audiences frequently include residents of Livingston County, as the program is co-sponsored by the Livingston and Washtenaw Regional Coordinated School Health Program Advisory Team, which is coordinated by LESA. The first program titled âWhat To Know," will be presented on Tuesday May 7th from 7:30 to 9pm. It will provide information on understanding and recognizing teen substance abuse problems. The follow-up, called âWhat To Do," will take place Tuesday May 14th, also from 7:30 to 9pm and will provide information on what should and should not be done when a teen substance abuse problem is suspected or identified. It will also include a short talk by a recovering teen speaker. Both sessions are free and open to the public. While they are targeted primarily to parents or caretakers of teens, anyone with an interest is welcome to attend. Call (734) 485-8725 or e-mail; info@dawnfarm.org for more information. (JK)
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Huron Valley Extends Teacher Contract Two YearsHuron Valley Extends Teacher Contract Two Years
3/31/13 - Teachers in the Huron Valley School district have agreed to extend their current contract for two years. In a deal ratified last week, the district and the Huron Valley Education Association say the extension will help achieve longer-term financial stability. The deal, which will last through July 31st of 2017, maintains a district-wide Insurance Committee, which officials say fosters transparency in the decision-making process. It also creates committees to consider market indicators that could impact future compensation and developing strategies to increase student enrollment. Huron Valley officials say the district is one of the lowest funded in Michigan with a per pupil foundation allowance of $6,966. Accordingly, the districtâs professional staff is one of the lowest paid in Oakland County. Superintendent Jim Baker said the value of their staff is much greater than they can afford and acknowledged that was through their continued financial sacrifices that the district can, âoperate efficiently on behalf of students.â (JK)
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Howell Man Dies After Suffering Heart Attack While Driving
4/1/13 - A Livingston County man was pronounced dead after having an apparent heart attack while driving in Highland Township. 52-year-old Robert Paddock of Howell was headed northbound on Hickory Ridge Road south of Clyde Road at about 10:45 Saturday morning when he appears to have suffered a heart attack, veered off of the right shoulder and came to a stop along an embankment. Another motorist noticed the car and administered CPR until medical assistance could arrive. Paddock was transported to Huron Valley Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. An investigation is underway. (JK)
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