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New Hamburg Township Park Will Be DedicatedNew Hamburg Township Park Will Be Dedicated

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5/25/13 - Officials will dedicate the new Winkelhaus Park in Hamburg Township during a ceremony on Monday. Located on Hamburg Road across from the Hamburg Pub, the park will be dedicated at 9:00am just before the local Memorial Day Parade. The park includes picnic tables, walking areas, and a gazebo. It is named for the Winkelhaus Family, which lived in the nearby 175-year-old Hamburg Hotel for decades and has worked with local municipalities to develop the park. The Hamburg Historical Museum will hold an open house with refreshments after the parade. For more information, follow the link at WHMI.com. (TT)

MDOT Plans Busy Construction Season in Livingston CountyMDOT Plans Busy Construction Season in Livingston County

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5/25/13 - Local motorists can expect some slowdowns on two major roadways through the county this summer due to Michigan Department of Transportation construction. MDOT will be doing resurfacing projects on both M-59 and M-36 in the coming weeks. M-36 will be resurfaced over about 15 miles from the western edge of the Village of Pinckney to M-52 in Ingham County. The M-59 project will extend from just west of Old US-23 to just west of Oakway Boulevard in Oceola Township. That project will also add a half-mile center turn lane between April Court and Botsford Road. MDOT Spokeswoman Kari Arend tells WHMI the projects will result in delays on both roads, but one lane of traffic should remain open on both for the duration of the projects, which should last into early autumn. Flags will control daytime traffic in both locations. (TD)

Rogers to Discuss Cyber Security & Other Issues at GMLRogers to Discuss Cyber Security & Other Issues at GML

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5/26/13 - Congressman Mike Rogers will talk about cyber security and other topics of national interest at an event next month in Howell. The Howell Republican, who serves as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, will be the featured speaker on Monday June 3rd at the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce’s Good Morning Livingston. Rogers had originally been set to address the gathering in April, but the Boston Marathon bombings and events in Syria and North Korea forced the event to be rescheduled. A former FBI agent, Rogers has been touted as a possible replacement for longtime FBI Director Robert Mueller, and he's been endorsed for that position by the FBI Agents Association. He's also been mentioned as a possible candidate to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Carl Levin. Good Morning Livingston will be held June 3rd at 7:30am at Crystal Gardens in Genoa Township. Tickets are $20 for members in advance and $25 at the door. You’ll find details online at Howell.org. (JK)

Memorial Day Parades Abound in Livingston CountyMemorial Day Parades Abound in Livingston County

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5/26/13 - Communities across Livingston County are planning Memorial Day celebrations on Monday. Things get started in Howell Monday at 9am when the Gilluly/Kingsley Camp 120 chapter of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will hold a memorial service at the Lakeview Cemetery for those who served during the Civil War. That will be followed at 10am when the American Legion Devereaux Post 141 begins its annual parade at the Howell Carnegie District Library, which will end at the cemetery with a ceremony conducted by Howell Mayor Phillip Campbell and guest speaker state Senator Joe Hune of Hamburg Township. Also at 10am, parades get underway in Brighton at Brighton High School, proceeding along Main Street to the Mill Pond, in Fowlerville at VFW Post 6464 on Veterans Drive which ends with a ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery and in Hamburg Township, from the village center to Hamburg Cemetery. The biggest event will be in Hartland, which will host its 78th annual parade starting at noon. Up to 5,000 people are expected to line the streets of Hartland as the parade, which is presented by the Hartland Area Community Council, makes its way from Ore Creek Middle School on Hartland Road to Village Elementary School on Hibner Road. The Pinckney Memorial Day Parade begins at 1pm on Hamburg Street and makes its way to the Putnam Township Square, where American Legion Post 419 will hold a ceremony to honor fallen veterans. Details on all of the parades are posted in the event section at whmi.com. (JK)

Preparations Underway for Fenton Freedom FestivalPreparations Underway for Fenton Freedom Festival

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5/27/13 - Applications are now being accepted to enter the parade through downtown Fenton as part of the Freedom Festival on July 4th. Organized by the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce, the event will run the entire day with a pancake breakfast, a 5k race, the largest parade in Genesee County, kids games, a classic car display, a $1,000 rubber duck race, and a fireworks display after dusk at Silver Lake Park. Applications are now being accepted for parade entries, with a $100 fee for politicians and a $20 fee for everyone else. Last year’s Freedom Fest included a fun run, but because of the enthusiasm for the event organizers have decided to turn it into an official 5k race. For more information, click on the link below. (TD)

Howell Native May Run for Governor in 2014Howell Native May Run for Governor in 2014

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5/27/13 - A Howell native is being mentioned prominently as a potential candidate for governor…The term of Republican Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is up next year and the unofficial leading contender for the Democratic nomination is former Michigan Congressman Mark Schauer of Battle Creek. Schauer was born and raised in Howell and is a graduate of Howell High School. Schauer also served in the state house and senate before he was elected to Congress in 2009. He served one term and was defeated by Tim Walberg, the person Schauer had defeated two years before to gain the congressional seat. Schauer has been urged to run for the governor’s position in 2014 by several top Democrats in the state, including outgoing U.S. Senator Carl Levin and Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Neither Governor Snyder nor Schauer has announced that he is running for the governorship next year but Schauer is expected to divulge his plans later this week. (TT)

Event to Raise Funds for Renovation of Howell Veterans MonumentEvent to Raise Funds for Renovation of Howell Veterans Monument

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5/28/13 - A special Flag Day event aims to raise funds for a veterans monument enhancement project. A project is underway to raise funds and renovate the Livingston County Veterans Monument in downtown Howell. Community members are encouraged to support the project and pay tribute to those who served by making a donation on Flag Day. Dr. Thomas Kellogg recently announced that he will match all donations made at the event, up to $10,000. The match is made possible through the June & Edward Kellogg Foundation. Bricks are also available for purchase to pay lasting tribute to particular veterans in someone’s life. The engraved paving stones will be installed in the "Ring of Honor" portion of the memorial. Any bricks purchased at the Flag Day event will also be matched. Donations can be dropped off at Dr. Kellogg’s office located at 12580 Byron Road between Grand River and M-59 in Howell on Friday, June 14th from noon to 5pm. (JK)

Rally to Show Support for Gay Rights in Livingston CountyRally to Show Support for Gay Rights in Livingston County

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5/28/13 - An upcoming rally aims to celebrate diversity and love in Livingston County. All walks of life, sexual orientation and diversity are encouraged to attend The Rainbow Community Rally at the mill pond in downtown Brighton on Saturday, June 1st. It’s being sponsored by a number of local organizations including the Livingston Diversity Council, Community Unitarian Universalists in Brighton, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, New Hope Congregation and P-FLAG of Livingston County or Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. That particular support group was created by Bob and Beth Newman of Oceola Township about five years ago. Bob Newman says their daughter came out as a lesbian and like any other family, they went through a lot of struggles but came to support her in her life as well as while she figured out who she is. He says the general feeling they get is that gay people are pretty much still in the closet and there’s a number that don’t feel comfortable coming out in this community so the rally aims to show support. Several pastors will speak and a variety of support organizations will have information available so that the community can become aware of the issue and while others can learn what resources are available to them. The rally will run from 11am until 1pm Saturday, June 1st at the Brighton Mill Pond. (JK)

Wednesday is Heat Awareness DayWednesday is Heat Awareness Day

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5/28/13 - While the temperatures have yet to truly make the mercury rise, the National Weather Service is once again promoting Heat Awareness Day, set for Wednesday, May 29th. Meteorologist Rich Pollman with the National Weather Service’s Detroit/Pontiac Office advises residents to know what the forecast is and how warm it will be, but on those really hot days, drink plenty of water and avoid drinks with alcohol, caffeine or a lot of sugar. He says try to stay out of the sun, especially between the hours of 11am and 6pm, and take frequent breaks but if possible, find an air-conditioned environment, which is the best preventive for heat. The very young and the elderly are most susceptible to heat so Pollman says it’s a good idea to keep an eye on older family members and neighbors and make sure they’re able to get to an air conditioned facility or have it in their home so they can stay cool during times of excessive heat. Pollman says never leave children or pets in vehicles on hot days because it doesn’t take much more than three to five minutes for heat to build up inside and become deadly. You can find more information through the link below. (JK)

LESA Board Sets June 3rd Special MeetingLESA Board Sets June 3rd Special Meeting

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5/28/13 - A local board of education will potentially begin the process of replacing its superintendent starting next week. Livingston Educational Service Agency Superintendent David Campbell was named as the unanimous choice to lead the Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency following interviews last week. Contract negotiations between KRESA and Campbell are currently underway. As Superintendent of LESA, a Mackinac Center report on school superintendent compensation indicates he earns $140,000 a year. That compares to a base salary of just over $168,000 for the current head of KRESA. Meanwhile, the LESA Board of Education has set up a special meeting for Monday, June 3rd when it is expected to discuss the impending vacancy and decide on a process to replace Campbell, who came to LESA in 2011 after 11 years as superintendent of Olivet Community Schools, southwest of Lansing. (JK)

Forensic Pathologist Approved For Couple Charged in MurderForensic Pathologist Approved For Couple Charged in Murder

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5/28/13 - A local judge has issued an order authorizing a forensic pathologist in the case against a couple charged in the death of a homeless man whose body was found in 2010 along a rural Livingston County road. 51-year-old Antoinette Bea Hix of Gaines and 45-year-old Mitchell Judd Hall of Byron are each charged with 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 pre-meditated murder in the first degree. Court records show that a miscellaneous order was issued by Livingston County Circuit Court Judge David Reader on May 7th, authorizing the defense in Hall’s case to expend $3,000 for a forensic pathologist. Records also show that the trial dates for both have been pushed out to July, marking the 7th adjournment in the case. Despite objections from prosecutors, Judge Reader earlier ruled the defense will be able to present two arguments during the trial of Hix. She claims that she was under “duress” when the crime occurred and her defense attorney successfully argued that point and that Hix was a victim of battered women’s syndrome. 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. (JK)

Howell Native Announces Candidacy for Governor in 2014Howell Native Announces Candidacy for Governor in 2014

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5/28/13 - A Howell native has made official that he is a candidate for governor. The term of Republican Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is up next year and former Michigan Congressman Mark Schauer of Battle Creek announced today he will seek the Democratic nomination in 2014. Schauer, who was born and raised in Howell and is a graduate of Howell High School, served in the state House and Senate before being elected to Congress in 2009. He served one term before he was defeated by Tim Walberg, the person Schauer had defeated two years before to gain the congressional seat. In making the announcement, Schauer said Michigan needs a governor "who will protect the middle class and invest in education to create good jobs for Michigan workers." He added that Snyder has taken Michigan in the "wrong direction" by raising taxes on pensions and families and cutting funding for schools. Schauer is the only announced candidate seeking to challenge Snyder, who took office in 2011 and is expected to seek a second term. His spokeswoman Sara Wurfel said the governor is focusing his attention on "getting things done and bringing our state back." (JK)

Finnerty Said He Was "Scared" Before DisappearanceFinnerty Said He Was "Scared" Before Disappearance

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5/28/13 - What would have scared a former NFL quarterback from Livingston County who has been missing since Sunday? That’s a question authorities in northern Michigan are trying to answer after 2001 Brighton High School graduate and star quarterback Cullen Finnerty went missing while on a fishing trip over the weekend near Baldwin, 65 miles north of Grand Rapids. Lake County Sheriff Bob Hilts says that Cullen phoned his wife Sunday and told her he was afraid. Hilts told the Ludington Daily News that Finnerty "went fishing (Sunday) night and suffered some kind of a nervous episode and went running off into the woods." Finnerty was fishing alone Sunday on the Baldwin River near the Bray State Forest where his family owns a cabin. Hilts says Cullen told his wife and in-laws to come and pick him up, but they arrived at his last known location, all they found was his small pontoon boat and fishing pole. However, his waders and other equipment were missing. Police used a helicopter and search teams to look for Finnerty, with additional searches planned today. Finnerty, who lives in Howell with his wife and two children, led Grand Valley State University to three national championships, including back to back titles in 2005 and 2006. Meanwhile, a bus full of Grand Valley State football players, staff and others is heading north in Michigan to join the search for Finnerty. Athletic department spokesman Tim Nott said the contingent will help look for Finnerty "until he is found ... or the sun goes down." In addition to the current players, dozens of former players and coaches are also lending a hand including former Grand Valley coach and current Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chuck Martin. (JK)

Road Patrols Uncertain as Committee Approves New DeputyRoad Patrols Uncertain as Committee Approves New Deputy

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5/29/13 - There was some disagreement at the county level last night about how to handle an open position among the sheriff’s department road patrol deputies. With a sheriff’s sergeant planning to retire for health reasons, Undersheriff Mike Murphy spoke to the county Public Safety and Infrastructure & Development Committee last night about two personnel requests. The first would allow the sheriff to promote one deputy to road patrol sergeant to fill the retiree’s position. That was granted unanimously. The second request was to hire a new full-time road patrol deputy, and it met with some resistance from committee chair Ron VanHouten. Murphy tells WHMI that the county has not yet decided the fate of local road patrols, and he thinks VanHouten would rather wait and see whether the new position will be necessary rather than risk hiring someone who would then have to be fired. Murphy says VanHouten also mentioned the cancellation of the Hartland-Tyrone patrol contract as a reason to reconsider road patrol levels. The other two committee members voted in favor of hiring the deputy. The resolution will now go to the county’s finance committee, then the board of commissioners for full approval. (TD)

Regal Recycling Owner Pleads to Weights & Measures Violation

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5/29/13 - The owner of a Howell recycling company has been sentenced after accepting a plea deal to charges that he used a device manipulate weight scales. Regal Recycling owner Vern Brockway was charged with general weights and measures violations in April following a one-year investigation by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Weights and Measures division and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department. After rejecting a plea deal in the case earlier this month, court records show he accepted a deal and was immediately sentenced Tuesday in 53rd District Court to pay $25,000 in costs and $1,500 in fines. Authorities discovered a device on one of Brockway’s scales during a routine inspection in April of last year. They alleged the device could manipulate the scale to increase or decrease the measured weight of cargo trucks by more than a ton. A review of the Sheriff’s Department reports by WHMI found statements from an employee who claimed to have seen the device used several times, mostly on trucks bringing scrap metal from a General Motors contract job in Flint. The report also included statements from other employees who said it was common knowledge that the scale was used to reduce the weight of incoming scrap. (JK)

Sidewalk Art Roars in South LyonSidewalk Art Roars in South Lyon

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5/29/13 - A new public art project kicks off this weekend in the South Lyon Area. Chicago had Cows on Parade and Mackinac Island had Turtles Around Town, but starting this Saturday, the South Lyon Chamber of Commerce is hosting its own version called “Lyon Around.” It will feature plywood lions standing about 3 feet high and approximately five feet in length. Participating business and organizations have transformed the figures into a unique multi-media work of art. Pictured here is the submission from the South Lyon Chamber of Commerce. The completed lions will be seen around South Lyon starting this Saturday, June 1st and will be exhibited through July 31st. For those without an office or storefront, the chamber has arranged two “pride lands” where multiple lions will be displayed. A map of the lions will then be produced and distributed to community members, who are encouraged to donate change to support a particular charity when they visit each lion. The four charities are Active Faith Community Services, the American Cancer Society, Meals on Wheels of Western Oakland County and Operation Injured Soldiers. Complete details can be found online through the link below. (JK)

Committee Okays Renovations For County Jail Receiving AreaCommittee Okays Renovations For County Jail Receiving Area

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5/29/13 - A proposal for new renovations to the Livingston County Jail’s receiving area was approved by the County Public Safety and Infrastructure & Development Committee last night. The committee approved the resolution for the renovations last night. Undersheriff Mike Murphy says they will provide improvements to the jail’s intake pod, where all prisoners are booked when entering and leaving the jail. He says the renovations are long overdue and will greatly improve the efficiency of the booking process while providing more space between the male and female prisoners. The project is expected to cost $110,000. Murphy says the jail had two booking windows when it was first built in the 1970’s with a capacity of only 63 inmates. When it was expanded in 1996 to a capacity of 205 prisoners, it was reduced to a single booking window. He says with more than 5000 prisoners going into the jail every year, increased capacity in receiving was becoming a necessity. The renovations to the area would provide two regular booking windows with the option to open a third for overflow. The proposal will now go before the county finance committee for its recommendation, then to the full County Board of Commissioners for approval. (TD)

Suspects Arrested in Brighton Township LarceniesSuspects Arrested in Brighton Township Larcenies

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5/29/13 - A Brighton Township woman called police after a man tried to enter her home, leading to two arrests. State Police from the Brighton Post say they were dispatched to a home on Culver Road last Friday after a woman witnessed a man ringing her doorbell and then try to enter the home through a door in her garage. When the suspect was seen looking through a patio window, the woman called 911 and hid with her children in a bedroom. A trooper who arrived at the house took down a description of the suspect and located him at the door of another residence on Bradford Circle, also occupied by the homeowner. When the suspect saw the trooper, he returned to a green sedan being driven by a second individual. After requesting backup from the Brighton and Green Oak departments, both suspects, a 48-year-old and 61-year-old from Howell, were taken into custody. They have since been linked to other burglaries which authorities continue to investigate. (JK)

Former Brighton Star QB Found DeadFormer Brighton Star QB Found Dead

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5/29/13 - A former NFL quarterback from Livingston County who went missing in northern Michigan Sunday has been found dead. The body of 30-year-old Cullen Finnerty was found about 8 p.m. Tuesday in the woods within a mile of where he disappeared. That’s according to Lake County Undersheriff Dennis Robinson, who said the cause of death wasn't immediately clear. However, he said foul play wasn't suspected. He said the body was not in the water and was found in a wooded area in Webber Township, near the family's cottage. An autopsy will be needed to determine how Finnerty died. The search drew scores of police and volunteers, including staff and players from Grand Valley State. Sheriff Robert Hilts said Finnerty last spoke to a family member Sunday night in a phone call in which he said "he was nervous about something." Based on that call, Hilts said the family suspected "he might be having some kind of a mental episode -- that he was either afraid or something and ran off into the woods." The sheriff said authorities had been tracking Finnerty's cellphone "until it went dead" and that the terrain made the search for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound ex-athlete difficult. Finnerty, a 2001 Brighton High School graduate, was a dual-threat QB who played for Grand Valley teams that won Division II titles in 2003, 2005 and 2006. He also briefly played in the NFL in Baltimore and Denver. Finnerty, who lived in Howell, leaves behind a wife and two young children. (JK)

Oceola Cell Tower to Get New Life for Emergency CommunicationsOceola Cell Tower to Get New Life for Emergency Communications

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5/29/13 - Livingston County EMS and 911 Dispatch are working together with a local fire department and township government to reinforce the lines of communication for local emergency responders. EMS and 911 currently have a primary emergency communication facility at Hillcrest Tower, complete with an independent power supply, but 911 Director Don Arbic says if something happens at that site much of the county’s emergency communication would go down with it. EMS and 911 are currently working out a contract with the Howell Area Fire Department and Oceola Township to turn the disused cell tower behind the Latson Road fire station into a backup communication tower. The deal is currently being reviewed by attorneys. However, Arbic tells WHMI the fire department tower has no backup power generator. A deal being struck would have the fire department install a generator at the site. In exchange for a one-time fee of about $16,000 from EMS and 911, the fire station would operate, maintain, fuel, and inspect the generator while providing backup power to the tower. For using the tower itself, EMS and 911 will only have to provide basic maintenance to the area such as trimming vegetation, maintaining the fence, and paying the electric bill. Arbic says it is a fantastic deal that will increase the stability of emergency communication in the county. (TD)
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