6/12/13 - The City of Brighton is experiencing some temporary difficulties with its phone system following power outages on Monday. Officials say the outage caused significant damage to the system. They say staff is working to correct the issues immediately and resume normal operations but it may take a few days to correct all of the related problems. The City says it appreciates the patience of citizens and customers as they work to restore the phone system and get everything back up and running. More than 600 customers in the downtown Brighton area lost power due to a downed line in the Walnut and Second Street area. (JM)
Power Outage Causes Phone System Problems in City of BrightonPower Outage Causes Phone System Problems in City of Brighton
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Local Dentist To Hold Donation-Matching Event For Vet MonumentLocal Dentist To Hold Donation-Matching Event For Vet Monument
6/13/13 - A Howell dentist and his staff will host a unique Flag Day event designed to help raise funds for renovations to a veteransâ monument. 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, which is this Friday. Dr. Thomas Kellogg recently announced that he will match all donations made that day, up to $10,000, while hosting a free event including food at his office. 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 someoneâs 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. Kellogg tells WHMI his office will also provide professional skills to serve veterans on Friday by offering free cleanings and exams to all vets who visit his office during the event. Kellogg says he hopes the event will provide the last of the funds needed for the renovation. His office is located on Byron Road between Grand River and M-59 in Howell, and the event will take place on Friday, June 14th from noon to 5pm. (TD)
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Rogers to Announce Senate Intentions on FridayRogers to Announce Senate Intentions on Friday
6/12/13 - Congressman Mike Rogers says he will announce on Friday whether he's running for U.S. Senate next year. Speaking to the National Journal, the Howell Republican only said he would have an announcement on Friday, but would not confirm speculation that he has decided not to run. While many GOP leaders have urged Rogers, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, to seek the seat that will open up with the retirement of Democrat Carl Levin, others have posited that he would be unlikely to do so considering his national spotlight on intelligence issues and the gamble inherent in surrendering a safe House seat. Adding to the speculation that he is not inclined to run is a statement from his brother, State Representative Bill Rogers, who told the National Journal last week that his brother said he was in the position he wanted and was comfortable there. Rogers was expected to announce last month whether he would run, but delayed the announcement citing the Boston Marathon bombings and events in North Korea and Syria. So far the only declared candidate for the GOP nomination is former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, a longtime Rogersâ ally, who said Rogers wished her well when she told him she was running. Land said if Rogers had any reservations about her candidacy, he would have told her. (JK)
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Bus Service Colorfully Supports Pink PartyBus Service Colorfully Supports Pink Party
6/12/13 - Riders who regularly use Livingston Essential Transportation Service buses may notice some new color to the vehicles this week, or to be more accurate, one particular color. L.E.T.S Operation Manager Katrina Maxwell says that both drivers and office staff will be dressed in pink and deck their vehicles and/or cubicles in pink in honor of the annual Howell Pink Party, set for Thursday evening. Maxwell says their staff received many compliments from riders and the public for participating and for having vehicles decorated with Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbons. While bus drivers arenât allowed to wear masks, nor have anything on their vehicle that might obstruct their vision, she says the colorful addition to their fleet means theyâll be âpinking up the place.â You can find details about the Pink Party online through the link below. (JK)
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Local Lawmaker Opposes Red Light Camera LegislationLocal Lawmaker Opposes Red Light Camera Legislation
6/12/13 - State Representative Bill Rogers is speaking out against proposed legislation that would allow red light cameras to be installed in Michigan. House Bill 4763 has been taken up for testimony by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It would give local municipalities the ability to install red light cameras at their most dangerous intersections. It carries a requirement for those intersections to follow the stateâs yellow light timing standards. Rogers is opposed to the bill, which he says is a way to generate revenue rather than improve public safety. In a press release, he pointed out that those caught on camera would have to pay a fine for a moving violation but would not receive any points on their license. (TD)
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Bids for Pinckney Road Project Come In Over EstimateBids for Pinckney Road Project Come In Over Estimate
6/12/13 - Bids for the Pinckney road project have come in over the estimated price. That's according to Village President, Linda Lavey, who spoke at Monday nightâs council meeting. Despite the increase in cost, the council will continue with the road work as planned. The project includes basic paving and resurfacing for parts of North Howell, Rose, and Depot Streets. One segment will also include an extended sewer line where there was not one before and five service leads will be replaced. Lavey says while the village council has not officially contracted with Wolverine Engineering, they are âdoing business with them and itâs working out well so far.â Had the project been bid out earlier in the spring, it wouldâve been cheaper, but Lavey says the roads were on the councilâs list of streets to maintain in this budget year and costs will go up 3-5% if they wait another year. The councilâs budget is only slightly altered now that they have a union with the Pinckney Police Department in order to cover things the contracted requires. Lavey says this is ânot unexpectedâ and they are ârolling with itâ. Once construction begins, two-way traffic will be maintained under control. (DK/JK)
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Local Salvation Army Welcomes New Commanding Officers Local Salvation Army Welcomes New Commanding Officers
6/12/13 - New commanding officers have been announced for The Salvation Army of Livingston County. Lieutenants Tim and Julie Perkins of Brown County, Indiana are said to be very excited to become part of the Livingston County community, effective June 26th. The couple has two teenage children and for the past thirteen years, their church ministry has included youth ministry, pulpit ministry, Salvation Army camp staff, community outreach and adult leadership ministry. A link to a 2011 article in Priority! Magazine that's published by The Salvation Army and features the couple can be found below. The Perkins replace Captains Aaron and Jenny Ortman, who have commanded the corps unit for the last five years and have been promoted to the organizationâs divisional headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, as the divisional youth secretaries. A farewell open house is planned for the Ortmans on Thursday, June 20th from 3 to 5pm at The Salvation Army offices on Lake Street in Howell. All are invited and welcome to attend. (JM)
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Man Caught Breaking Into Fowlerville Businesses Early WednesdayMan Caught Breaking Into Fowlerville Businesses Early Wednesday
6/12/13 - A man was arrested early this morning after allegedly breaking into three different businesses in Fowlerville. Fowlerville Police Chief Tom Couling tells WHMI that an officer responded to a business alarm on West Grand River shortly before 5am and found the front door window had been smashed out. While police were investigating the first incident, Couling says the person involved was actually breaking into two other businesses. As a K-9 unit was being requested for a track, Couling says a witness stopped by and provided a description of a suspect seen running from one of the businesses that had been broken into. Couling says that description was provided to the K-9 unit as the officer was arriving in the area, and he observed the suspect in front of another business, with some visible injuries. Couling says the two officers interviewed the man and it became clear that he was the suspect involved in all three incidents. After the suspect was placed under arrest, Couling says police then located the other two businesses that had been broken into. He says money was stolen out of the tills at two of the three businesses but it was recovered from the 43-year-old man at the scene. He was lodged in the Livingston County Jail and his name is being withheld pending arraignment. (JM)
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Brighton Board of Education Approves Teacher Layoffs Brighton Board of Education Approves Teacher Layoffs
6/12/13 - The Brighton Area Schools Board of Education Monday night approved the layoffs of 10 certified teachers due to declining enrollment and to save money as the district strives to erase a legacy deficit that stands at $7.4 million. Actually, the district will lose a total of 21 teachers next fall, but the majority of the departures will be the result of attrition â in other words, early retirements and resignations. Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI heâs grateful that the district has only had to lay off 10 teachers, when it could have been much worse. The loss of the 21 teachers will bring faculty numbers down to 275-280. Brighton, with an enrollment of about 6,000 students this year, at one time had about 7,000 students and has been forced to close two schools due to declining enrollment. The district is projecting up to 200 fewer students in the coming year, after several years in a row of 150-200 student losses. If the erosion in student numbers isnât halted, the district will be looking at closing another school in a few years. (JM)
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Plans In Motion For $15 Million South Lyon Recreation CenterPlans In Motion For $15 Million South Lyon Recreation Center
6/12/13 - Thirteen Michigan architectural firms are working on plans for a proposed recreation and community center in South Lyon. An oversight committee made up of representatives from South Lyon, Green Oak Township, and Lyon Township will review the plans submitted by the firms, which were asked to stay within a $15 million budget. The South Lyon Herald reports the communities surveyed their residents about a possible rec center, and more than 90% indicated they would be willing to fund a new facility for public use. It would potentially include an indoor swimming pool, fitness facility, and gymnasiums. The cost, features, and location of the facility are still unknown at this point. The oversight committee will review the results on Monday, then take them back to the three municipalities for consideration. (TD)
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New Columbarium at Howellâs Lakeview Cemetery Complete New Columbarium at Howellâs Lakeview Cemetery Complete
6/13/13 - The installation and landscaping of a repository for funeral urns is now complete at Lakeview Cemetery in the City of Howell. Called a columbarium, the 96-unit structure is located on the east side of the cemetery, directly overlooking Thompson Lake. Itâs a growing trend to honor loved ones through cremation instead of traditional burials and allows individuals to safely store the remains of their loved ones. It was installed to the south of the existing mausoleums in a grassy area along the east side of the lake. During Monday nightâs city council meeting, Department of Public Services Director Erv Suida reported they expect the project to be a big success. He says the city already has interested families on a waiting list to purchase niches, and they anticipate the number to grow significantly. Staff has also completed a âNiche Rule Bookâ that will be made available to customers. (JM)
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Pinckney Camp Will Cater to Children With Medical ConditionsPinckney Camp Will Cater to Children With Medical Conditions
6/13/13 - With preliminary site plan approval from the Putnam Township Planning Commission, a local camp for children with medical conditions is quickly becoming a reality. Organizers hope to open North Star Reach on a stretch of land owned by the University of Michigan near Pinckney. It will provide a full camp experience for children whose medical conditions would otherwise prevent them from attending a typical camp. It was founded by Doug Armstrong, a 26-year nurse from U of M Hospital who has been taking children who have received organ transplants to summer camp for the past 13 years. He says about $10 million has been raised for the nonprofit camp through philanthropic organizations like the Ted and Jane Von Voightlander Foundation. Another $16 million is being sought, which would provide the camp with enough money to open and operate for the next two or three years. Armstrong says the camp would be open year-round with different activities including horseback riding, swimming, various sports, archery, and hiking. The summer months would be divided into different weeks for children with particular medical conditions, such as organ transplants, cancer, limited mobility, heart conditions, and sickle cell anemia. A fundraising event for the camp will be held at Ann Arborâs Travis Point Country Club on August 12th. For more information on the camp or how to donate, follow the link below. (TD)
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Howell Schools Look To Purchase Used Fire Truck For TrainingHowell Schools Look To Purchase Used Fire Truck For Training
6/13/13 - Superintendent Ron Wilson was authorized by the Howell School Board on Monday to spend up to $20,000 on a fire truck for use in the districtâs firefighter training class. The truck would be used by students of the Firefighter 1 and 2 programs as a way to train and become comfortable with the vehicles and equipment of a working fire station. While training outside of the school, the students would also be able to work with the equipment of the Hartland, Howell, and Brighton Fire Departments, all of which are partnering with the district for the class. The leading candidate right now is a truck that is nearing retirement in Hartland. Fire Chief Adam Carroll may be able to work with the township to retire and replace the truck early so it can be provided to the school district. The board expects to know more about that deal in the next couple of weeks. The school board hopes the new firefighter classes, as well as the pilot ground training course, will draw students into the Howell district. (TD)
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New Requirements for Public Aid Recipients Head to Senate FloorNew Requirements for Public Aid Recipients Head to Senate Floor
6/13/13 - A pair of bills introduced by Senator Joe Hune last fall and passed by committee on Tuesday would put new requirements on public assistance recipients. If passed, Senate Bill 275 will require public assistance applicants to submit to drug testing if their caseworker has a reasonable suspicion that they are abusing drugs. Hune says this will hold recipients of public money responsible for how they spend it. But some groups question why the state is singling out welfare applicants for drug testing as opposed to other recipients of taxpayer money. Previous plans to drug test welfare applicants have run up against constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure including a pilot program Michigan briefly ran to drug test welfare recipients in late 1999. The American Civil Liberties Union sued, and a federal appeals court eventually ruled the drug testing plan violated the constitution. This new bill would avoid that by making the testing suspicion-based. Huneâs other measure, Senate Bill 276, would require cash assistance recipients to participate in community service, unless they are exempt from the Partnership Accountability Training Hope program. Hune called it a common-sense measure to get those who benefit from public assistance to give back to the community that supports them. The bills passed the Senate Committee on Families, Seniors, and Human Services on Tuesday and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. (TD/JK)
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M-DOT to Begin Construction on M-59 in Hartland This Weekend M-DOT to Begin Construction on M-59 in Hartland This Weekend
6/13/13 - A construction project on M-59 is scheduled to start this weekend in Hartland Township and projected to last throughout the summer and into the fall. The Michigan Department of Transportation will resurface a section of M-59 between Oakway Drive to just west of Old US-23 and a center left-turn lane will be added near Kellogg Road. Starting this weekend, there will be one lane open under flag control between Argentine and Musson Roads for widening work. Crews will widen the south side of M-59, as well as upgrade shoulders, in order to install a center left-turn lane at Kellogg Road. M-DOT Spokeswoman Kari Arend tells WHMI motorists should plan extra time when traveling in the area, due to the upcoming lane closures and flagging operations. Once paving on M-59 starts later this summer, one lane will be open under flag control from 9am to 3pm on weekdays, and on weekends during daylight hours. No work will take place during special events, including the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest in Howell at the end of the month. M-DOT is looking to have all of the construction completed by November. (JM)
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Pinckney Highlighted In Documentary On Girls' Varsity SportsPinckney Highlighted In Documentary On Girls' Varsity Sports
6/13/13 - A documentary about the history of girlsâ varsity sports nationally with a focus on Pinckney High School will be screened this month at the new library building. Legislation known as Title IX was signed into law on June 23rd, 1972, requiring all educational programs to be offered to both sexes. It caused schools nationwide, including Pinckney High, to form girlsâ varsity sports teams when before none existed. âAn Unexpected Win: Title IX and the Pinckney Piratesâ is a new documentary about the law and its impact on local girls, who formed a girlsâ varsity basketball team the same year the law was enacted. It will include footage from the 40-year reunion of the Pinckney team as well as interviews with the players, female Olympians, and pro athletes like Billie Jean King. It will be shown at the Pinckney Library at 10:30am on Saturday, June 22nd and at 6:30pm on Tuesday, June 25th. A 15-minute documentary produced by two Pinckney New Tech High School students will play before both showings. Entitled âThe Heart of Pinckney,â it details the history of the building that now houses the Pinckney Library. For more information, follow the link below. (TD)
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Exam Delayed for Deerfield Assault SuspectExam Delayed for Deerfield Assault Suspect
6/13/13 - An exam has been delayed for a Deerfield Township man charged with various counts, including two different kinds of assault. 25-year-old Alan Dean March Jr. is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, aggravated domestic violence, interfering with electronic communications, and resisting a police officer. He had been set for an exam conference Wednesday in 53rd District Court, but that adjourned for a week to allow his attorney more time to prepare. Police say on May 29th, March told his former girlfriend he planned to attack another man she liked if she didnât come to his home on Cohoctah Road. The woman told authorities she went to the home in an effort to calm March, but was instead attacked by him, including being choked. He also took her cell phone so she couldnât call authorities. She was eventually able to escape and call 911. When police arrived, March had fled the area, but was taken into custody two days later. (JK)
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M-DOT Schedules Weekend Lane Closures on I-96 at Latson RoadM-DOT Schedules Weekend Lane Closures on I-96 at Latson Road
6/13/13 - Some lane closures are planned on I-96 this weekend in the Howell area as part of an ongoing construction project. The Michigan Department of Transportation will be implementing the lane closures on I-96, where work continues on the new Latson Road interchange. Two ramps are being built to connect I-96 and Latson/Nixon Road, and a new bridge is being constructed to extend Latson/Nixon Road over I-96. M-DOT officials say eastbound I-96 at Latson Road will continue to have a single lane closure until 5pm this Saturday. On westbound I-96, a single lane closure will be in effect Friday between 8am and 3pm and on Saturday, between 8am and 5pm. (JM)
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Governor Signs Budget; House Yet To Take Up Medicaid Bill Governor Signs Budget; House Yet To Take Up Medicaid Bill
6/13/13 - As Governor Rick Snyder signs a nearly $49 billion state budget, lawmakers in the House have yet to act on a bill making more low-income adults eligible for government-funded health insurance. The state House Committee on Michigan Competitiveness was divided in approving House 4714, which would expand Medicaid eligibility to thousands of non-disabled adults in 2014. The expansion is mandated under the federal Affordable Care Act and critics see it as an expansion of a "welfare state", vowing to defeat the bill. Wes Nakagiri, founder of the Hartland-based Tea Party Group RetakeOurGov, provided both verbal and written testimony in opposition of the bill during the recent committee hearing. He tells WHMI whatâs somewhere between troubling and interesting is that the bill passed out of a GOP-controlled committee, without a majority of Republicans on board. The Michigan League for Public Policy supports the expansion. Policy Analyst Jan Hudson said the bill isn't ideal, but will still make a difference in the state and will bring in billions of federal dollars to help our economy while providing coverage to people who desperately need it. Meanwhile, Governor Snyder has signed a nearly $49 billion state budget that takes effect October 1st, with few line item vetoes. (JM)
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Highland Teen Arraigned on Charges for Alleged Armed RapeHighland Teen Arraigned on Charges for Alleged Armed Rape
6/14/13 - A Highland Township teen facing life in prison after being charged as adult for the alleged armed rape of a 15-year-old girl has been arraigned. 16-year-old Brandon Alexander Markes was arraigned in Oakland County Circuit Court on charges of assault with intent to murder, assault by strangulation, 1st degree criminal sexual conduct and felonious assault. He is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial hearing June 27th before Judge Michael Warren. Markes was earlier ordered held on a $1.2 (m) million cash or surety bond on all charges, with no 10% option. The mother of the 15-year-old female victim called 911 to report the incident April 16th in which Markes is alleged to have raped the girl at knife point in the woods. Police say evidence was collected from the crime scene as well as Markesâ residence, where he was taken into custody. Police say the victim sustained serious injuries during the attack and was treated and released from an area hospital. (JM)
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