7/16/13 - A sewer repair project in Brighton is causing some traffic issues. A small section of the sewer pipe on South Third Street near the intersection of Third and Washington collapsed Sunday afternoon, prompting a repair effort that involved significant excavation. Officials say because of recent rain, the task of shoring of the 17-foot trench needed for the repair took longer than anticipated, only finally being accomplished later in the day Monday. Crews are now making the actual repair to the broken line today, resulting in a traffic detour on South Third Street utilizing Washington, Second and Franklin streets. Brightonâs DPS have maintained a temporary above-ground bypass sewer line in order to maintain proper sewage flow while the repair is ongoing. (JK)
Repair Effort for Collapsed Brighton Sewer Leads to DetourRepair Effort for Collapsed Brighton Sewer Leads to Detour
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County Approves Lease for New Howell Dog ParkCounty Approves Lease for New Howell Dog Park
7/16/13 - A lease approval by the Livingston County Board of Commissioners last night brought the Howl and Bark Dog Park one step closer to reality. The county authorized a property lease for the park to be located on the southern portion of Highlander Way, called McPherson Park Boulevard, in the countyâs West Complex. It will be situated on a 2.4-acre plot between the Central Dispatch and Animal Control buildings. The Friends of the Howell Dog Park will approach the Howell Parks and Recreation Authority Board tonight for their approval to use the site. Their representative last night was City Councilman Steve Manor, who tells WHMI securing a lease to the land will allow them to begin raising funds for the park. He estimates that they will have to raise about $35,000 to install a fence, gates, a paddock, water, and electricity for lighting. That amount will also cover the first year of operation for the facility, which will be called the Howl and Bark Dog Park. Follow the link below for the parkâs official website. (TD)
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Brighton City Hall Closed Again Wednesday Due to AC Problems Brighton City Hall Closed Again Wednesday Due to AC Problems
7/16/13 - A malfunctioning air conditioning system has prompted the closure of Brighton City Hall. It was closed today and will remain closed tomorrow due to the problems. However, information is available online for residents that need to take care of any city business or other transactions and services. A link is posted below. Meanwhile, a sewer repair project resulted in some traffic issues in the City earlier today. A small section of the sewer pipe on South Third Street collapsed Sunday afternoon, prompting a repair effort that involved significant excavation. Officials said it took longer than anticipated because of recent rain and crews couldnât make the actual repair to the broken line until today, resulting in a traffic detour on South Third Street utilizing Washington, Second and Franklin Streets. (JM)
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Brighton School Board to Bring Back Laid-off AdministratorBrighton School Board to Bring Back Laid-off Administrator
7/16/13 - The Brighton Board of Education will bring back a school administrator that it had recently laid off. The board Monday night voted 7-0 to bring back Maltby Intermediate School Assistant Principal Jeff Eisele, who had been served a termination notice in late March along with two other administrators as the board grappled with ways to trim the $7.4 million legacy budget deficit. Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI that he will be extremely happy to have Eisele back. The other laid off administrators include Hornung School Principal Susan Johnson and Community Education Director Ann Rennie. There are no plans at present to return the latter two to their former positions, given the districtâs tenuous financial situation. Gray re-emphasized that the layoffs were based strictly on the need to cut costs, and not on performance. But he also made it clear that Maltby, with 1,000 students, sorely needed Esile to assist in supervising the building at Bauer and Brighton roads in Genoa Township. Additionally, he says the move will enable Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Laura Surrey to continue her duties full-time at central office, instead of splitting it between there and Maltby. Surrey was as scheduled to take over some of Eiseleâs duties at Maltby, and board members said the district really needs a full-time curriculum director. Eiseleâs return will cost the district about $120,000, but Gray says the district will be able to absorb that with the increase in state funds coupled with better-than-projected student numbers from the shared services and schools-of-choice programs. (TT)
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Firefighters Busy Battling House Fires in Hamburg & Green OakFirefighters Busy Battling House Fires in Hamburg & Green Oak
7/16/13 - A Hamburg Township home is considered a total loss following a fire Monday night while an early morning blaze caused moderate damage to a Green Oak home. Fire completely destroyed a two-story Hamburg Township home reported at 11:18pm on Center Hill Road, which was fully involved when firefighters arrived. Chief Mark Hogrebe tells WHMI there were no occupants and it was a defensive attack from the beginning because it was so involved. He says firefighters made a good stop and had it contained within 25 minutes, preventing any damage to nearby homes. The home was vacant, with preliminary damage estimated at more than $50,000. A cause remains under investigation but DTE Energy was working in the area earlier, either repairing or installing a transformer and that may have been a factor. Firefighters with the Green Oak Township and Brighton Area Fire Departments assisted at the scene. Then shortly before 7am, a different blaze was reported at a home on Meadow Lane off Marshall Road in Green Oak, and Hamburg and Brighton firefighters assisted with that. It was contained to the laundry room where it started and the cause is believed to be electrical in nature. Deputy Green Oak Fire Chief Kevin Gentry tells WHMI the resident made it out safely but his dog was trapped inside in a cage, and firefighters were able to save the dog. (JM)
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More Review for Genoa's Master Plan & Latson Interchange Area More Review for Genoa's Master Plan & Latson Interchange Area
7/16/13 - Genoa Townshipâs draft master plan will be going out for more review and input from surrounding communities. The board met Monday and discussed the plan, which shapes the future vision for the entire township but more specifically, a unified plan for the Latson Road interchange area and future development. Ultimately, board members agreed to distribute the draft to adjacent municipalities and the county for required review, so long as maps reflect the conceptual plan and that the interchange area will be reviewed further. Some were originally against moving ahead with the adoption process, knowing more changes would be made. Overall, a campus-style concept is being proposed with different types of uses, including some commercial in the immediate interchange area. It will include flexibility for the township and provide triggers so that depending on the use, the area could expand or other accessory/ancillary uses could develop along Latson-Nixon Road in the future. Another public hearing will be held with additional input from the Planning Commission and eventually, board approval. (JM)
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Local Tea Party Group Honors Four LegislatorsLocal Tea Party Group Honors Four Legislators
7/17/13 - An event next month will honor four Michigan legislators with awards from a local Tea Party group. RetakeOurGov of Hartland Township will hand out âDefender of Freedomâ Awards to State Representative Tom McMillin of Oakland County, State Senator Patrick Colbeck of Wayne County, State Senator Joe Hune from Hamburg Township and West Michigan Congressman Justin Amash at the 1st Annual Michigan Freedom Celebration August 13th. RetakeOurGov officials say they chose those four for consistently and reliably voting for constitutionally limited government. The 1st Annual Michigan Freedom Celebration takes place from 6 to 9pm on Tuesday, August 13th at Waldenwoods in Hartland Township. Details are online through the link below. (JK)
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New Three-Year Union Contract Approved for County ParamedicsNew Three-Year Union Contract Approved for County Paramedics
7/17/13 - The County Board of Commissioners approved a new union contract with the Livingston County paramedics at its regular meeting Monday night. EMS Director Jeff Boyd tells WHMI he is happy with the contract, which has been in negotiation since last fall. It is a three-year agreement with a wage opener in 2014. Although some firefighters and police unions are immune, the paramedicsâ union is subject to the recently-passed right to work law. Boyd says in addition to addressing health care, language, and financial issues, the new contract provides better pay for paramedics who get specialized training, such as mobile intensive care unit or paramedic training. He says this will encourage paramedics to go the extra mile and provide the county with better emergency health care. (TD)
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Hamburg Twp. Denies FOIA Request of Officer's Phone RecordsHamburg Twp. Denies FOIA Request of Officer's Phone Records
7/17/13 - Last night, the Hamburg Township Board stood by its denial of a Freedom of Information Act request by a local woman seeking the phone records of a police officer. The request was filed by Mary Ann Lamkin, who has had disagreements with the township and law enforcement in the past over the legal status of Island Shore Drive, where she lives. On June 10th she filed the FOIA request with the township to obtain the on-duty cell phone and texting records of Officer Clint Pace from the last six months, especially with regard to a specific phone number on Island Shore Drive. Why she wants these records is unclear. When the township denied the request, claiming it did not have those records, she appealed, saying it could contact the phone company to obtain them. She also insisted on her right to have the appeal addressed during a meeting of the township board. Last night, Clerk Jim Neilson read the townshipâs response, confirming that the cell phone is the private property of Officer Pace and the township has no access to its records. He also said Pace has confirmed that he did not call or text the number in question for official business. Pace also told officials that he would not make his private phone records available to them. The board allowed Lamkin to respond before it voted to approve the denial. She said she was disappointed that the township was accepting the officerâs word regarding his use of the cell phone. She also said she believed the board was ignoring the main point of her FOIA request, which was to get the records of the electronic communications used by Officer Pace in an official capacity on any device during the past six months. Lamkinâs FOIA request makes no reference to communication devices other than cell phone and texting records, and Neilson says officers are not issued official cell phones. Lamkin told the board she would see them in court, stating âI get 500 bucks for you violating my rights.â She ignored requests for comment after the meeting. Neilson commented that the township stands by its decision. (TD)
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Seniors Advised to Take Precautions to Beat the Summer HeatSeniors Advised to Take Precautions to Beat the Summer Heat
7/17/13 - The Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency is urging seniors to be wary of the heat this summer and to take measures to keep cool. Seniors living on fixed incomes often have a difficult time affording air conditioning, and excessive heat can be more deadly and harder to escape than the cold of winter. OLHSA recommends several steps seniors can take to make sure the heat doesnât get the best of them, such as avoiding strenuous work, wearing loose clothing, closing the blinds to keep out the sun, and enjoying cold or frozen treats in the afternoon to cool off. Seniors with no air conditioning can also go shopping, see a movie, or visit a cooling shelter on hot days to enjoy the air conditioning at those locations. OLHSA also advises seniors to work together with their neighbors to form a buddy system where a neighbor will check on the senior once a day to make sure they are coping with the heat. The agency also offers utility assistance and currently has funds available to help keep air conditioning units running for houses that already have them installed. (TD)
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Committee Close to Goal of Building Brighton Veterans Memorial Committee Close to Goal of Building Brighton Veterans Memorial
7/17/13 - Organizers say theyâve almost reached their target to construct a new veterans memorial in downtown Brighton but could really use a community donation push before the summer ends. The site is in the Mill Pond area toward the gazebo and designed to provide a more monumental footprint than the war memorial rock that's currently there. The $150,000 fundraising goal was set more than two years ago and Committee Vice Chairman Bryan Bradford says theyâre almost there but are still about $8,000 short. To assist in raising the remaining funds, he says a number of individuals and businesses are stepping up and they recently received an $8,000 donation in the form of carwash coupon books. He says theyâll begin selling those at a discounted price Thursday, and all proceeds will go directly toward the monument. Donors are also being sought to help match funds that some businesses are willing to pledge and bricks are still available for purchase for the Walk of Honor. Bradford says they hope to wrap up fundraising by August and then go right into constructing the monument after the Labor Day weekend. It's expected to take six to eight weeks to complete and a full dedication is planned on November 10th after the Veterans Day parade in downtown Brighton. Complete details and information about how to donate can be found through the link below. (JM)
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Rogers Re-Introduces Bill to Expand Health Care Law WaiversRogers Re-Introduces Bill to Expand Health Care Law Waivers
7/17/13 - Congressman Mike Rogers has re-introduced a bill to expand the waiver process in the federal health care law. The Howell Republican re-introduced The Health Care Waiver Fairness Act, which would require the federal Health and Human Services department to establish a waiver for any mandate in the health care law and allows anyone to apply for them â individuals, employers or private health insurers. The proposed Act follows a decision by the Obama administration to not enforce the employer mandate portion of the federal health care law for another year, which requires companies with 50 or more employees to provide insurance or pay a tax. Obama Administration officials say the vast majority of businesses covered under the provision already provide healthcare coverage to their workers. They say the delay is to make sure those businesses that donât will be able to meet the requirements effectively and efficiently. Individuals are still expected to purchase health insurance by January, if they're not covered through an employer. The law already allows consumers to apply for hardship waivers if theyâre uninsured, and low income families are able to obtain tax credits to offset the cost of health insurance. (JM)
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State Suspends License of Social Worker Caught EmbezzlingState Suspends License of Social Worker Caught Embezzling
7/18/13 - A Fowlerville social worker has had her license suspended as a result of her embezzling conviction last year. In January of 2012, 39-year-old Laura Lynn Turner of Fowlerville was sentenced to five years of probation and almost $120,000 in restitution following her earlier no contest plea to a felony charge of embezzling between $1,000 and $20,000. Three other counts of the same were dropped as part of the deal. On July 9th, almost eighteen months after her conviction, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs suspended Turnerâs license to practice as a social worker. It says the Public Health Code includes mandatory summary suspension of a health professionalâs license following a felony conviction. The Livingston County Sheriffâs Department says Turner was caught embezzling from the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, where she formerly worked as head of the guardianship program, which oversaw clients through the Probate Court. Turner was fired by OLHSA and the program was shut down. (TD)
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Green Oak Board Denies Request for Taller HomesGreen Oak Board Denies Request for Taller Homes
7/18/13 - A request to increase the maximum allowable height for residences in Green Oak Township was not approved by the township board last night. About two months ago, the Livingston County Builderâs Association asked the township to change the height ordinance by increasing the maximum height for single-family residences from 28 feet to 35 feet. The township board referred the matter to the planning commission for review and recommendation. After looking at a number of factors, including how some builders use alternative measuring in an attempt to skirt the height limitation, the commission determined that the current 28-foot limit was sufficient. The township board chose not to approve the height increase last night. Planning Commission Chair Bob Moran tells WHMI that public safety was a major concern in considering the request. Green Oak firefighters would not be able to reach the tops of 35-foot buildings with ground ladders. They do have a vehicle ladder, but Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Gentry reported that the department already has problems accessing the tops of some residences in specific locations with that ladder. He says any increase in the height of local buildings would only increase the number of rooftops his department could not access in a timely manner during a fire. (TD)
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Plane Crash Kills Former Lake Fenton High School Football PlayerPlane Crash Kills Former Lake Fenton High School Football Player
7/18/13 - A Lake Fenton High School graduate was one of two men killed Wednesday when a single-engine plane crashed about 5 miles northwest of Flint. 20-year-old flying student Bryce Frownfelter was a passenger on the plane. The pilot, who has yet to be identified, was also killed. Frownfelter, a star football player for Lake Fenton who graduated in 2012, was also a Western Michigan University student. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory says searchers found the plane about 3:45 Wednesday afternoon, about a half-mile east of Dalton Airport in Genesee County's Mount Morris Township. Cory says the plane left Dalton about 7:30am heading for Owosso Community Airport, approximately 20 miles to the southwest. The Taylorcraft plane, which was registered to the Father John 77 Flying Club in Flushing, crashed in a very heavily thicketed area. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. (JK)
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Brighton Sewer Repair Effort Delayed by GroundwaterBrighton Sewer Repair Effort Delayed by Groundwater
7/18/13 - A sewer repair project in Brighton has been delayed. A small section of the sewer pipe on South Third Street near the intersection of Third and Washington collapsed Sunday afternoon, prompting a repair effort that officials had hoped to complete this week. However, due to too much groundwater, crews have been unable to access the damaged line section to make the physical repair and replacement. A specialized dewatering operation is expected to take place either today or tomorrow with plans to begin the repair work this weekend. Depending on the weather, officials hope to complete the repair by next Tuesday the 23rd or Wednesday the 24th. Meanwhile, the existing traffic detour route on South Third Street utilizing Washington, Second and Franklin streets will remain in place until completion of the repair. Brightonâs DPS have maintained a temporary above-ground bypass sewer line in order to maintain proper sewage flow while the repair is ongoing.
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Hartland Library Wants Pubic Input on How to Expand Its FacilityHartland Library Wants Pubic Input on How to Expand Its Facility
7/18/13 - The Hartland Cromaine Library is looking to expand, and it is currently seeking input from residents on what the community would like to see added to the facility. A building expansion ballot issue for the library was shot down by voters in 2010. Now library officials are once again examining the issue of expanding the library, citing space constraints causing unmet needs within the community such as age-specific seating and room for events. A survey has been posted on the libraryâs website asking residents to prioritize a list of possible new features for the library. These include a new computer lab, a café and casual seating lounge, specific areas for teens or younger children, or a local history room. Comments can also be provided along with the answers. The website says a series of public meetings will be held to discuss the results of the survey. Click on the link below to take part in the survey. (TD)
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Photographer Pictures New Use for Historic Linden Building Photographer Pictures New Use for Historic Linden Building
7/18/13 - Lindenâs historic fire hall is getting a new lease on life as a photography studio. Gavin Smith wanted to trade his spot on Lake Fenton for what he calls his âFortress of Solitude.â Smith is a photographer who shoots everything from weddings to the Detroit Lions. He found what he was looking for in the fire hall and is now turning its three floors into a photo studio and home. It eventually will have a roof deck. The hall was built in 1909 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has also served in the past as the home to the Linden police department, library and most recently a dance studio. Smith's renovations must comply with certain guidelines because of the building's historical status. (JK)
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LETS Plans to Install Cameras Facing Out And In on All BusesLETS Plans to Install Cameras Facing Out And In on All Buses
7/18/13 - The Livingston Essential Transportation Service is applying for grant money to install a new camera system throughout its bus fleet. Commissioner Steve Williams tells WHMI the County Board on Monday approved the application and utilization of grant money to pay for the installation of the cameras in all LETS buses. They will face outward into traffic as well as inward at passengers to provide better security, insurance, and customer service information. LETS was approved for funding to purchase the cameras by the Huron Valley Federal Aid Committee back in March and has since applied for the grants to pay for the project. The cost of the camera system is estimated at about $88,815. Of that cost, 80% will be paid by Federal Transit Administration and the remaining 20% will be paid by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The project is part of several improvements planned over the next year, including repairs to overhead garage doors to its facility scheduled for November. (TD)
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Unique Classic Cars, Music & Auction to Benefit Local CharityUnique Classic Cars, Music & Auction to Benefit Local Charity
7/18/13 - For the third year in a row, a classic high end antique automobile and fine art show will serve as a fundraiser to benefit a non-profit group serving local residents in need. The 3rd Annual Leâ Concourse de Livingston will be held Saturday, August 3rd and will benefit Love INC, which is dedicated to meeting basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and money management with volunteers from more than 50 Livingston County churches. It will be held at the Genoa Township estate of local developer Steve Gronow, who says the collection of rare and classic automobiles has gone to a new level this year with the inclusion of classic recreational vehicles from the 1930's and beyond. Gronow says heâs also excited about the addition this year of the Frankie Valli tribute group âJersey Boysâ providing musical entertainment along with the return of speed-painter Dave Santia who will create several large paintings at the event to be sold to the highest bidder. Gronow says last yearâs fundraiser raised approximately $140,000 for Love INC and they hope to at least match that this year. There will also be a variety of unique auction items, including an autographed Eric Clapton guitar, African photo safari and a ride on the Yankee Lady B-17 bomber, Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online at www.leconcours.org (JK)
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