4/30/13 - While Howell High Schoolâs âWe The Peopleâ team didnât make it into the top ten in the national competition in Washington D.C., one of their units was recognized for its outstanding performance. 29 students make up the six participating units in the instructional program thatâs based on the history and principles of American constitutional democracy. Although the team did not make it into the top ten, the groupâs instructor, Mark Ogelsby, says they have nothing to be down about because everyone did a great job and heâs proud of all of his students for their hard work and performance. He was especially proud of the teamâs Unit Six, which achieved Outstanding status at the national competition. Ogelsby says while the team was disappointed they didnât qualify for the top ten and a chance to compete yesterday on Capitol Hill, they are proud of Unit Six, which he says refused the award because they wanted the entire team to be recognized. This marked the 12th year that Howell High Schoolâs âWe the Peopleâ team has been competing but the first time in the districtâs history that it won the state finals and made it to nationals.
Howell's We The People Team Heads Home with Heads HighHowell's We The People Team Heads Home with Heads High
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Milford Twp. Board Approves Tax Abatement for GM Data CenterMilford Twp. Board Approves Tax Abatement for GM Data Center
4/30/13 - The Milford Township Board approved a proposal last night giving a tax abatement to GM for the construction of a new data center, but not without contention. GM is asking for a 12-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. The tax abatement would reduce the propertyâs tax bill from about $6.5 million to about $3.24 million for the next twelve years. The townshipâs original proposal included benefits for the municipality such as upgraded lighting for the nearby proving grounds facility and guarantees regarding how much of the data centerâs construction and staffing would come from local sources. GM gave the township a counter-offer that included none of those requests. After a lengthy debate on how to proceed, the township made only a minor language change to GMâs proposal before approving it in a 5-to-2. Supervisor Don Green says the abatement will help make sure the facility is not relocated to a different municipality, and that local labor for the construction and operation of the facility will probably be utilized to a certain degree regardless of the agreement. One of the dissenting votes came from Trustee Randal Busick, who tells WHMI that he disagrees with tax abatements on principle, calling it an issue of tax fairness. He adds that if the board is determined to do it then there should at least be some benefit for the township in return. He did not share the concern of other board members that GM would relocate the facility to another municipality. The township hopes to hear back from GM on the proposal this week. (TD)
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Brighton School Board Lays off 3 Administrators to Save CostsBrighton School Board Lays off 3 Administrators to Save Costs
4/30/13 - In a special meeting Monday night, the Brighton Board of Education unanimously voted to lay off three administrators effective June 30 in order to save the district over $300,000 per year in salaries. The three are Hornung Elementary Principal Susan Johnson, Maltby Intermediate Assistant Principal Jeffrey Eisele and Community Education Director Anne Rennie. Superintendent Greg Gray says the district had no choice to layoff three administrators to save money as it attempts to erase the long-term deficit that now stands at about $7 million. He tells WHMI that all three are competent administrators and that the layoffs had nothing to do with their performance. Rennie has been director of the Community Education Department for the last 10 years. âCommunity Educationâ is the umbrella name for six separate departments and programs: The Bridge alternative high school, Tot Spot before-and-after-school program, high school pool, Brighton Senior Center, Brighton Center for the Performing Arts and all school enrichment programs. Rennie tells WHMI itâs unfortunate, but understandable, that the layoffs had to occur. Although Gray didnât specify how Community Education would operate in the absence of Rennie, she says it could function efficiently with its six existing department supervisors. Gray says the administrative team will be meeting within the next week to discuss how to fill the positions at Hornung and Maltby. He assures that a full-time administrator will be appointed in each case. Gray says the person will likely come from Brighton High and Scranton Middle School, which have more than one administrator. (TT)
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Rogers Says "Persons of Interest" in U.S. in Bombing InvestigationRogers Says "Persons of Interest" in U.S. in Bombing Investigation
4/30/13 - Congressman Mike Rogers says the investigation into the Boston Marathon bombings involves other people inside the United States. Speaking Sunday on ABCâs âThis Week with George Stephanopoulosâ, the Howell Republican said he believes alleged bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev received terrorist training of some kind in the United States. Rogers, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, added that there is still a lack of cooperation with Russian authorities in the investigation. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed during a shootout with police just days after the April 15th bombings. His younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is charged in the bombings and is in federal custody. Rogers said itâs clear the older brother became radicalized during a six-month trip to Russia last year. Authorities are also focusing on the alleged bomberâs mother who spoke to her oldest son in a 2011 phone call secretly recorded by Russian officials in which he reportedly mentioned âjihad.â Picture courtesy of ABC. (JK)
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Annual 'Fill The Gazebo' Event Set For SaturdayAnnual 'Fill The Gazebo' Event Set For Saturday
4/30/13 - The annual Fill-the-Gazebo food drive in Livingston County is set for this weekend. The event this year is planned for Saturday, May 4th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will be the 11th year for Fill-the-Gazebo, whose goal is making sure no one goes hungry in Livingston County. Itâs sponsored by the Gleaners Community Food Bank and the Livingston County Board of Realtors, and is held in Brighton, Howell, Pinckney, Hamburg and Hartland. Former Brighton Mayor Steve Monet, who is the annual chairman of the event, suggests people contribute non-perishable foods such as cereal, Spaghetti Oâs, canned meat, peanut butter and jelly, macaroni & cheese; also toiletries, laundry detergent, and cash donations. A $1 donation provides three meals. Locations for Fill-the-Gazebo include the Mill Pond gazebo on West Main in Brighton; the Howell gazebo in front of the Livingston County Courthouse; Buschâs in Pinckney; GFS Marketplace on Grand River west of Brighton; Kroger's stores in Brighton, Howell, Hamburg and Hartland; VGâs in Howell and Wal-Mart in Hartland. (JK)
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"Super Drunk" Charges Filed Against School Principal"Super Drunk" Charges Filed Against School Principal
4/30/13 - A Novi elementary principal from Brighton has been charged under the stateâs co-called âsuper drunkâ law. 44-year-old Kim Warren is the principal of Deerfield Elementary School in Novi, but was placed on paid administrative leave after her arrest April 8th by Novi Police, who reportedly received two separate calls from concerned motorists regarding her driving while on Wixom Road. She was arrested in the school parking lot after reportedly returning from lunch. A squad car video of Warren being driven to the police station shows her slipping her handcuffs off and then showing them to the officer, who asks her not to throw them out the window. Warren was charged in 52nd District Court in Novi with operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.17 percent and possessing open intoxicants in a motor vehicle. Officials say her breathalyzer results indicated the Brighton resident had a blood-alcohol content of 0.21 percent, more than two and a half times the state limit for operating a motor vehicle. Warren is currently free on $5,000 personal recognizance bond with orders to stay away from alcohol and submit to random weekly testing. She is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on May 20th. (JK)
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Testing Planned at Howell Twp. Intersection After Enbridge Accident Testing Planned at Howell Twp. Intersection After Enbridge Accident
4/30/13 - The intersection of Burkhart and Grand River could remain a four-way stop for weeks as a result of the damage caused by Enbridge Energy while boring beneath the intersection for its pipeline project in January. Road Commission Managing Director Mike Craine says while boring from the north to the south side of Grand River, Enbridge hit a Howell Township sewer line. That particular line is a forced main, which means it is only in use when needed, so Enbridge did not notice the damage and continued boring. It then hit an MHOG water main, which burst and flooded the roadway. Sinkholes continue to open up in the affected area, so the intersection will remain in an always-stop condition until it is repaired. Craine says crews may not be able to close up the damage until May 13th, but testing scheduled for Thursday may reveal that it would be safe to return to a normal traffic signal. Craine says the cost to repair the water lines is estimated at about $300,000, and the total repair cost for the damage should be about $600,000 but could be as high as $1 million. It is still not clear who will pay for the damage. Craine says it is not clear at this time why Enbridge did not know about the water mains, but he does not believe they were being reckless in their work. (TD)
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Flags on Main Support Brighton Veterans Memorial ProjectFlags on Main Support Brighton Veterans Memorial Project
5/1/13 - The flags will be flying in Downtown Brighton this summer and the Kiwanis Club of Brighton is hoping the public will support that effort while also helping fund the ongoing Veterans Memorial Project. A total of 8 American flags will be placed on Main Street from Grand River to First Street on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day as well as each of their commemorative weekends. To help support the Veteranâs Memorial Project, Kiwanis of Brighton is seeking sponsors for each of the flags on those holidays which can be done in honor or memory of a loved one through a $25 tax deductible donation to the Kiwanis Foundation of Brighton. Proceeds from this yearâs Flags on Main project will benefit the Veterans Memorial which is set to be constructed late this summer at the Millpond Park in downtown Brighton next to the gazebo. Details are available through the link below. (JK)
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OLHSA Reinstates Agency Office Hours After Federal Cuts OLHSA Reinstates Agency Office Hours After Federal Cuts
5/1/13 - Now that the federal sequestration budget cuts are in place, The Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency is reinstating its hours of operation. In anticipation of the federal funding cuts in early March, OLHSA reduced agency operating hours to four days a week, reduced all full-time employees to 36 hours per week, laid off three employees, and left several vacant positions open. Around 100 low income children will have to be eliminated from OLHSAâs Head Start program in Oakland County this fall and in Livingston County, the amount of money available for emergency assistance including utility bills will be pared back along with other funds designated for helping older adults and seniors with items such as snow removal or lawn care. CEO Ronald Borngesser tells WHMI it all has a ripple effect but after assessing the budget and reaching conclusions regarding longer-term sustainability, it has decided to restore hours of operation. Borngesser says if the 5% across the board cut remains for all programs, then things will stay the way they are but he says itâs a wait and see situation with new budgets coming out for the 2014 fiscal year in October and theyâll just have to adjust based on the final outcome. More information about the cuts and upcoming changes can be viewed below. (JM)
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Howell DDA Events Planned For Historic Preservation MonthHowell DDA Events Planned For Historic Preservation Month
5/1/13 - The Howell Downtown Development Authority has planned events in the coming weeks as part of National Historic Preservation Month, which begins today. The 7th annual Historic Preservation Awards will be presented at a ceremony on May 16th. The awards honor property owners in the city who have made efforts to preserve, restore, or improve historic buildings in the downtown area. That ceremony will take place at 6pm on the third floor of First National Bank. In the spirit of maintaining the city, the Doing Good Downtown cleanup event will take place on May 13th. Volunteers are asked to meet at the DDA office on State Street at 6:30pm with any work gloves, brooms, or rakes they may have. The city will provide trash bags for the cleanup and tee-shirts for the volunteers. Some local merchants will also provide special offers as part of the Howell Employee Appreciation Days, which will take place from May 13th through the 18th. (TD)
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Pinckney Volunteers Collect & Load Donations for Haitian BorderPinckney Volunteers Collect & Load Donations for Haitian Border
5/1/13 - A Livingston County couple recently led an effort to help children along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Building Bridges of Hope members Adam and Jessica Carlile of Pinckney last weekend gathered 25 Pinckney-area volunteers in Grass Lake to hand-load a 40-foot tall shipping container with clothing, children's vitamins, formula, furniture, toys and playground equipment, and miscellaneous hospital supplies. The container is expected to arrive in the Dominican Republic at the end of May for use in a mobile medical clinic and Children's Nutrition Center. The Carliles say they collected donations for a year and stored many of the supplies in their own home before moving them to a storage facility in Grass Lake. Building Bridges of Hope helps to serve people in the east Haitian border area, providing mobile medical clinics, elementary and technical schools, reforestation projects, clean water initiatives, and a comprehensive childrenâs nutrition program. (JK)
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Milford Township Approves Almost $10,000 For New WebsiteMilford Township Approves Almost $10,000 For New Website
5/1/13 - A new website for Milford Township was approved this week and will go live sometime in the next 9-12 weeks. The townshipâs current website was designed for free by a Northern Michigan University student as a school project in 2006, and Township Clerk Holly Brandt says an updated site is needed. The township board approved spending $9,800 on Monday for the creation of the website, which is less than it paid for the municipalityâs original website 12 years ago. Brandt tells WHMI the new website will support increased accessibility for mobile devices as well as PCâs. The site will include more information, photos, and maps to show the locations of different features in the community. It will also have redundant hosting to make sure it remains active regardless of local conditions. It should be completed sometime between mid-summer and early fall depending on how quickly the information for the site can be gathered. (TD)
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Slowdowns Possible Due To Road Projects In Fenton This SeasonSlowdowns Possible Due To Road Projects In Fenton This Season
5/1/13 - Construction season is here, and that will mean some traffic slowdowns for Fenton area commuters this summer. Most of the projects planned for the area this year are relatively small, especially when compared to the disruptive North LeRoy Street project in 2012. The Tri County Times reports that work will begin this week on North Fenton Road, which will be widened to include a center left turn lane for 1.3 miles between Bly Street and Butcher Road. The $2.9 million project will be completed in late October, but during construction all through-traffic will be rerouted to Torrey Road. A utility project will also take place to provide a water line to the Cornerstone Building, a planned residential and commercial development project on LeRoy Street between Caroline Street and Silver Lake Road. That project will reduce LeRoy to a single lane in each direction. Small crack repair projects will also take place around Fenton and Argentine Townships, but the exact locations have not been announced. Some median work on US-23 will take place south of Ann Arbor, but MDOT is not planning any projects on the roadway this year in Livingston or Genesee Counties. (TD)
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Stiggy's Dogs Competing for Grand Prize in Online Contest FinaleStiggy's Dogs Competing for Grand Prize in Online Contest Finale
5/1/13 - A local non-profit organization that assists military veterans with rescue dogs is competing for a $250,000 grand prize in an online voting contest finale. Stiggyâs Dogs rescues and trains shelter dogs to be psychiatric service dogs for military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or traumatic brain injury, at no cost to the veteran. Last July, the non-profit won The Home Depot Foundationâs year-long Facebook voting program called Aprons in Action, and is now competing against nine other finalists for the $250,000 grand prize. With the $25,000 gift card and more than 50 power tools received last summer, Stiggyâs Dogs was able to turn a vision into reality and renovate the sanctuary portion of its Howell Township facility on Bowen Road to meet the needs of veterans who stay at the facilities while training with their dog. Renovations included a wheelchair ramp, first floor bedroom and accessible bathroom, a large garden for sustainability, trails for walking and a training space. Voting began today and runs through May 31st on The Home Depot Foundationâs Facebook page. A link can be found below. (JM)
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Regal Owner Arraigned on Violations Tied to Alleged Weights Scams Regal Owner Arraigned on Violations Tied to Alleged Weights Scams
51/13 - The owner of a Howell recycling company has been arraigned following a local and state investigation launched roughly one year after a device alleged to manipulate weight scales was detected and removed. Regal Recycling operates two facilities in the Howell area, one in Whitmore Lake and another in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Developmentâs Weights and Measures division originally filed a complaint after discovering a device during a routine inspection in April of 2012 that could allegedly manipulate the weight of items on the scale. The scale was taken out of service and the device was seized as evidence at that time and Regal Owner Vern Brockway was charged with general weights and measures violations last month. His arraignment in 53rd District Court was scheduled to take place Wednesday but court records show that it was moved up to April 23rd and waived. Additional investigation was conducted by The Livingston County Sheriffâs Department and a review of reports by WHMI show statements from an employee who claims to have witnessed the device being used on several occasions, mostly when truck drivers brought in loads of scrap metal from a General Motors contract job out of Flint. The employee alleges he was later shown how the device worked and how he could manipulate the weight of cargo, either up or down by 1,000 pounds. The reports included statements from other employees, who said it was common knowledge that there was a device with a toggle button to knock weight off certain things. Brockway is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial hearing on May 13th. (JM)
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Brighton Woman Petitions for Change to Boy Scouts Anti-Gay PolicyBrighton Woman Petitions for Change to Boy Scouts Anti-Gay Policy
5/2/13 - A Brighton woman who was fired from a Boy Scout camp after disclosing her sexual preference is continuing her fight and calling on the national organization to stop discriminating against gay scouts, adults, and volunteers. 19-year-old Lauren Jasenak was fired from the D-bar-A Boy Scout Ranch last summer after the camp director learned she was a lesbian. That was one day after the national organization re-affirmed its policy banning gay youth and leaders. Jasenak tells WHMI sheâs outraged the policy is still around but says sheâs been getting a lot of positive feedback from family and friends as well as supportive emails from others sheâs never met before. Jasenak had confided her sexual orientation to a Camp Commissioner and was told a few days later to go to the camp office, where she was forced to sign a document stating that she was being terminated as a result of her sexual status. Jasenak maintains she was made to leave immediately afterward, despite having no car and being two hours away from home. She was raised in a scouting family and has been involved with the organization for most of her life, and says no one deserves to be treated as she was and is asking that the community support her online petition asking the national organization to end its anti-gay policy and adopt a full non-discrimination policy. A link is posted below. (JM)
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Howell School Board Cancels Teacher Contract NegotiationsHowell School Board Cancels Teacher Contract Negotiations
5/2/13 - Nobody was happy after the Howell School Board approved a contentious motion to stop contract negotiations with the Howell Education Association last night. The vote came after a closed session lasting about two hours and officially announced that the district could not reach consensus on how to proceed with the teachersâ contract bargaining. Board President Mike Witt says he would have liked a new contract, but does not believe announcing the breakdown in negotiations will have a large impact on day-to-day operations. Without a new contract, the current employment conditions will continue for teachers into next year, including wage and step freezes and an increase in health coverage costs. Three members of the board- Deb McCormick, Mike Moloney, and Treasurer Doug Moore- voted against the announcement, saying a consensus could still be reached and a contract negotiated. However, other board members and members of the teachersâ union blamed those three members for causing the lack of consensus by not following the recommendations of administrators like Superintendent Ron Wilson. Union President Jay McDowell tells WHMI the lack of a new contract will force the district to find other ways to deal with a projected $3.5 million shortfall, possibly including layoffs. McCormick says she is disappointed with the boardâs âtunnel-vision decision making,â and hopes an agreement can still be reached before July. She told her critics at the meeting that she and the other dissenting board members were the ones who still wanted to try and negotiate a contract, and that giving up on that goal was unwise for the district. When McCormick had initially voted against the contract March 25th, she said she did so because she hadnât had enough time to look over the proposal and denied it was because the deal came just days before Michiganâs Right to Work law would have gone into effect. However, a Freedom of Information Act request indicates she had not logged in to her district provided account to access her board packet for either last nightâs meeting or the previous meeting on April 22nd, both of which dealt with the contract. District officials also confirmed that she had not physically picked up the packet either. Superintendent Wilson expressed his frustration at the end of the meeting. He said that by ignoring the recommendations of Assistant Superintendent of Finance Rick Terres and himself, Moloney, Moore and McCormick were causing him to question whether he could continue to effectively serve the district. (TD/JK)
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Accused Brighton Robber Rejects Plea DealAccused Brighton Robber Rejects Plea Deal
5/2/13 - The Brighton-area man charged in connection with two robberies has rejected a plea deal in one of the cases against him. 34-year-old David Rentsch is accused of robbing the 7-11 store at Grand River and Pleasant Valley Road in Green Oak Township on March 15th, then robbing the BP gas station on Grand River in Brighton three days later. He was offered a plea deal in the BP robbery case at a pretrial hearing on April 19th, but rejected it. A settlement conference in that case is scheduled for May 10th and trial will begin on the 13th is a plea agreement cannot be reached. An exam conference was scheduled yesterday in the 7-11 robbery case. In both instances, police allege that Rentsch would walk in, display a handgun, demand money and then flee after receiving an undetermined amount of cash. He was originally taken into custody after the BP robbery, when police spotted him near the BECC building. (TD)
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Afghanistan Veteran Military Dog To Get Official Burial Afghanistan Veteran Military Dog To Get Official Burial
5/2/13 - The Michigan War Dogs Memorial will hold its second full-honors funeral service this weekend for a bomb-sniffing dog who served in Afghanistan. Mina, a black Labrador retriever, earned the rank of sergeant through nine tours of duty before his honorable discharge from the US Army. He died recently at the age of 13, and will be interred on Sunday at the Michigan War Dogs Memorial in Lyon Township. The organization is a nonprofit that provides presentations and seminars to educate the public on the role dogs have played in the United States military. The organization started in 2010 when Phil Weitlauf, who is now president of Michigan War Dogs Memorial Incorporated, discovered a monument dedicated to the service dogs of World Wars One and Two located in a pet cemetery. The monument was completely overgrown, but with the help of volunteers from Livingston, Washtenaw, and Oakland Counties it is being restored. The service will include a flag line and taps, but in lieu of a 21-gun salute a chorus of trained dogs will howl on command. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will take place at 2:00pm on Sunday. For more information, follow the link below. (TD)
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Designer Tabletops Will Take Center Stage for Cleary AuctionDesigner Tabletops Will Take Center Stage for Cleary Auction
5/2/13 - Cleary Universityâs 21st annual fundraising auction this weekend will literally set the table for a good cause. This year, the university has invited Michigan designers to create a unique tabletop for the event, which will be held Saturday at the Johnson Center in Genoa Township. Proceeds will support student scholarship programs. Auction guests will be greeted with over 25 âdesigner tabletopsâ and will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite. The tabletop with the most votes will be crowned âPeopleâs Choiceâ. Livingston County Undersheriff Mike Murphy and his wife Penny are co-chairing the event. Mike Murphy said they are also offering a fundraising preview on Friday from 10-4 where for $35 people can get a look at the tabletops and meet the designers. In addition, $10 of that will go to the charity of your choice. Tickets for Saturdayâs main event are $175 each which includes a gourmet dinner and access to a live auction for ten packages including trips and professional sports events. In addition, internationally recognized DJ Donna DâCruz will keep the dance floor full. Youâll find details at whmi.com.
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