7/26/13 - A Stockbridge man whose home invasion case originally ended with a mistrial being declared is now heading to prison. 36-year-old Jason Robert Cavender received a sentence of 6 to 20 years in prison after earlier pleading no contest to 1st degree home invasion in Livingston County Circuit Court. In exchange, two other charges of assault with intent to rob while armed and felony firearms were dropped by prosecutors, along with Cavenderâs habitual offender status. The deal was reached after Cavenderâs first trial ended with a hung jury in January when the group failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Police said Cavender entered a home on San Luray Drive on September 27th of 2011, pointed a gun at a female resident and demanded prescription medication. When the victim told him she did not have any, police say he got nervous and fled on foot. A four month investigation by Unadilla Township Police followed and resulted in the charges being filed. (JM)
Stockbridge Man Sentenced for 2011 Home InvasionStockbridge Man Sentenced for 2011 Home Invasion
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Outdoor Paintings Of Brighton Now On Display For Public VotingOutdoor Paintings Of Brighton Now On Display For Public Voting
7/26/13 - The public is invited to come and vote for their favorite from among more than two dozen created this month to depict the City of Brighton. The Plein Air Brighton Paint Out invited 25 artists to participate in some outdoor painting around the city. They produced a total of 27 paintings on Saturday over a period of six hours, all done completely outdoors. Those paintings are now hanging in ArtVentures in downtown Brighton, where members of the public can vote for their favorite until August 2nd. At that time they will be moved to the wine tasting tent of the Brighton Fine Art and Acoustic Music Festival. Voting will continue there until August 4th, when two winners are chosen, a âMost Popular Awardâ chosen by the public voting and a âBest in Showâ chosen by judges. (TD)
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Leadership Livingston Launches Program For StudentsLeadership Livingston Launches Program For Students
7/26/13 - Cleary Universityâs Leadership Livingston program has been helping local adults develop networks for the past two decades, and now students will get the same opportunity. Hamburg Township Trustee Mike Dolan says he participated in the Leadership Livingston program last year and learned about programs, services, and major players in the Livingston County area while meeting other influential individuals. As part of his experience, he was part of a group tasked with developing a youth version of the program. This month, Cleary announced that the youth program had been approved and would take place in August. It is open to any high school junior or senior in Livingston County, including those who are home-schooled or attend private, charter, or public school. Students interested in joining must have a 3.0 GPA or higher, a letter of recommendation, and complete an online application. Only 20 students will be admitted, but those who get to participate will do so free of charge because this is a pilot program. Applications are due on Thursday. For more information on how to apply, follow the link below. (TD)
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Man Released Pending Lab Tests in Alleged Alcohol-Related Crash Man Released Pending Lab Tests in Alleged Alcohol-Related Crash
7/26/13 - A Brighton man police believe was drunk and driving at the time of a crash that sent a woman to the hospital has been released from jail pending the receipt of lab tests. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI 23-year-old Craig Michael McNutt was lodged in the Livingston County Jail after the Wednesday night incident but then released Thursday pending the results of lab tests, which will determine if he was under the influence of anything at the time. The crash happened near Lake Chemung in Genoa Township at around 10:45pm. The Sheriffâs Department says McNutt was attempting to turn left out of a car dealership on Grand River when his vehicle collided with an eastbound Saturn driven by a 60-year-old Howell woman, causing it to roll over. The woman was transported to the hospital for treatment of what were described as non-life threatening injuries. The crash prompted a short closure of Grand River for investigation and police from multiple agencies assisted at the scene. (JM)
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New Signals at Latson/Grand River May Ease Motorist FrustrationsNew Signals at Latson/Grand River May Ease Motorist Frustrations
7/26/13 - A lot of everything is going on when it comes to work on the seemingly never-ending Latson Road interchange project. Managing Director of the Livingston County Road Commission Mike Craine says theyâre probably looking at a December opening date instead of the original mid-November projection due to setbacks from all of the rain this season but that could change as work progresses through the remainder of the summer. He says itâs a large project with many time-consuming components but everyone is pushing to get it done and you can always pick up time on schedules so theyâre optimistic and the contractor is working hard. Meanwhile, the old traffic signals at the Grand River/Latson Road intersection are being swapped out with the new ones this weekend and Craine estimates another six to seven weeks of construction in that area. He says once they have the new signal controller operating, theyâll be evaluating whether or not anything can be adjusted because they recognize thereâs a lot of frustration during off-peak hours and it is running on a pre-timed basis. He says that signal work is being done with their project partners at M-DOT and theyâre also aware of the impact on mobility and businesses and trying to improve it. When Latson Road is paved, Craine says the timing should change a little because of the turning dynamics and the fact that motorists will be driving on the opposite side. Meanwhile, he says Nixon Road work started up big time this past week with a focus on Crooked Lake Road north to be done as soon as possible in the area of Three Fires Middle School. The bridge over I-96 is also coming along and the beams should be erected and set during the second or third week of August, which Craine says will be done at night with freeway traffic likely diverted via the new ramps, which should be completed soon. (JM)
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Court of Appeals Denies Appeal of Local Woman's ConvictionCourt of Appeals Denies Appeal of Local Woman's Conviction
7/26/13 - The Michigan Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal request by a Hamburg Township woman involved in a dispute over a local road. 59-year-old Mary Ann Lamkin was ordered to serve three years of probation for her 2011 conviction of assaulting/resisting police, disturbing the peace and being a habitual offender. She was also sentenced to two days in jail, with credit for two already served. The conviction stems from an incident in July of 2008 when Lamkin was arrested for blocking Island Shore Drive, which she claims is her private property despite a previous ruling granting an easement. She appealed her conviction, but on Thursday the Michigan Court of Appeals issued a decision denying her leave to appeal the ruling. In the decision the court refuted Lamkinâs reasons for appeal, including claims police had no jurisdiction on a private road. The court called this claim abhorrent not only to the statutory authority of police officers, but to common sense as well. In 2012, Lamkin was ordered to serve three years of probation following a lawsuit between herself and a nearby hardware store over the use of Island Shore Drive. She filed an appeal in that case, and the Court of Appeals denied that request as well. (TD)
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Documents Detail Former Quarterback's Final Days But No CauseDocuments Detail Former Quarterback's Final Days But No Cause
8/1/13 - Police reports that were recently made public detail the days before the death of a former record-setting NFL quarterback from Livingston County but fail to shed any real light into what actually caused it. 30-year-old Cullen Finnerty died in May while on a holiday weekend trip in northern Michigan. Police reports released to The Associated Press showed Finnerty had a number of alcoholic drinks on the day he disappeared and that he told relatives in two final phone calls he believed he was being followed. Finnerty's wife told detectives it wasn't the first time her husband had a "paranoid" episode and about a year and a half earlier, he feared the FBI was following him and drove from Detroit to Grand Rapids. The 116 pages do not reveal however what might have killed the record-setting Grand Valley State quarterback. Authorities found his body in the woods within a mile of where he disappeared. Preliminary autopsy results failed to reveal a formal cause of death for the 2001 Brighton High School graduate. It found he had a âslightly enlarged heart and slightly cloudy lungsâ but âno trauma to the body at allâ and police are still awaiting toxicology results from the Kent County medical examinerâs office. Researchers at Boston University have also been studying a section of Finnertyâs brain to see if there are signs of repetitive head trauma related to prior football injuries. Meanwhile, friends and family have organized a golf outing in his memory on August 24th at The Jackal in Brighton. Spots are still available and all proceeds will directly benefit Finnertyâs wife and their two children. (JM)
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Bicycle Tour to Benefit Special Olympics in Milford Bicycle Tour to Benefit Special Olympics in Milford
8/1/13 - Bicycle riders will be getting a rare opportunity to take the track at the GM Milford Proving Grounds. The first ever MPG Dream Ride will take place this Saturday, August 3rd, at the Milford Proving Grounds. The tour will benefit Special Olympics Michigan, which will help provide nearly 20,000 kids and adults with intellectual disabilities, with free year round training. General Motors officials say theyâre excited to open the track to the public, especially to be doing it for such a great cause. This tour is geared toward families. Riders can chose to take part in one of four routes: a four-mile family loop, a 28-mile, a 32-mile or a 68-mile route that will begin at the Proving Grounds and continue through the neighboring Kensington Metro Park and Island Lake State Park. Registration information can be found bellow. (MV)
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Body of Missing Fisherman Recovered From Whitmore LakeBody of Missing Fisherman Recovered From Whitmore Lake
8/1/13 - Search crews on Wednesday recovered what is believed to be the body of a missing fisherman from Whitmore Lake. Dive teams have been searching Whitmore Lake since a 46-year-old Green Oak Township man failed to return from fishing and was reported missing by family members. Deputy Green Oak Fire Chief Kevin Gentry tells WHMI that shortly after 11:30 Wednesday morning, a caller from East Shore Drive reported seeing a body on the water. He says public safety boats had been performing searches throughout the day and quickly responded to find the body of a person tentatively identified as the missing Green Oak man. The body was recovered from the water with assistance from the Livingston County Dive Team and transported by the medical examiner to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing for an autopsy. Gentry says the final identification and release of the subjectâs name is pending information and confirmation by the medical examiner and will likely be done today by Green Oak Township Police. (JM)
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St. Joe's In Howell Named Among Top Surgery Providers in StateSt. Joe's In Howell Named Among Top Surgery Providers in State
8/1/13 - A new analysis by Consumer Reports rated Michigan's hospitals on how well they perform when providing surgery, and St. Joseph Mercy Livingston was one of only seven to get the organization's highest marks. The study says Consumer Reports looked at Medicare information from the past few years to determine which hospitals had an unusually high percentage of deaths or longer-than-expected hospital stays following common surgeries. It claims that research indicates these factors correlate to complications in surgery, and that some hospitals use this measure to monitor quality when providing surgery. Using a five-level ranking system, seven hospitals got top marks in Michigan, and St. Joseph Livingston in Howell was among them. Other high-ranking hospitals included Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Bell Hospital in Ishpeming, and Metro Health Hospital in Wyoming. In contrast, a total of six hospitals got the lowest ranking in the report, including Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. The Beaumont Hospitals in Grosse Pointe and Royal Oak also got the lowest ranking. The University of Michigan health system got average marks. (TD)
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Former Brighton Man Gets 165 Years in Prison for Abusing ChildrenFormer Brighton Man Gets 165 Years in Prison for Abusing Children
8/1/13 - A former Brighton man will spend the rest of his life in prison after traveling to Haiti to sexually abuse poor children in a center he set up in the Caribbean country. U.S District Court Judge Joan Lenard imposed the maximum 165-year prison sentence sought by prosecutors for 68-year-old Matthew Andrew Carter. He was convicted by a Miami federal jury in February on five counts of traveling from Florida to Haiti for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with minors, along with one count of attempting child sex tourism. He received 15 years in prison for the first count and 30 years in prison for each of the remaining charges. During Wednesday's hearing, Carter disputed the credibility of the witnesses who testified against him, and questioned the lack of physical evidence presented during his trial. Carter's attorneys had objected to the U.S. government's plans to submit statements from 45 victims as part of sentencing proceedings but the Judge ruled they had the right to be heard. All of the letters were collected by U.S. authorities in Haiti after the trial, including 18 from victims who testified. Multiple complaints of sexual misconduct were investigated at the center over the last decade, but Haitian authorities never charged Carter with any crime, nor did they take the rare step of shutting down the center until after his arrest in the United States. (JM)
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More Than 100 Attend Fundraising Motorcycle Ride in PutnamMore Than 100 Attend Fundraising Motorcycle Ride in Putnam
8/1/13 - More than $3,000 was raised during a motorcycle fundraiser on Saturday organized by the Putnam Township Fire Department to benefit the family of a local burn victim. Sarah Grundy is a 2012 Pinckney High School graduate who received third-degree burns on most of her body as a result of a bonfire accident. On Saturday, the Putnam Fire Department led a 75-mile motorcycle cruise through Ingham and Livingston Counties to raise money to help Grundy's family with mounting medical bills. About 70 motorcycles took part in the ride, and another 50 to 60 residents paid to join the group for lunch after the ride. Live music was also provided, and participants got a chance to drive the Brighton Fire Department's fire truck simulator. Putnam Fire Chief Greg Amburgey says the department wanted to get involved in this particular case not only because Grundy is a local resident and Putnam firefighters were on the scene the night of the accident, but because Grundy's mother went to school with several of the firefighters. They felt personally connected to the incident and wanted to go out of their way to help the family. Amburgey says the department plans to do more fundraisers in the future, benefiting either the same cause or a new one in need of attention. (TD)
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Health Department Offering Walk-In Immunization Clinics Health Department Offering Walk-In Immunization Clinics
8/2/13 - Local parents with kids getting ready for Head Start, pre-school and kindergarten are able to take advantage of upcoming clinics and make sure they're up to date with requirements and ready for the start of a new year. The Livingston County Department of Public Health is offering clinics for new school registrants and kids entering kindergarten that need written proof of current immunizations and recent vision screening prior to the first day of school. Walk-in clinics are held every Wednesday from 8:30am until 4:30pm at the health department on East Grand River Avenue near Chilson Road in Howell. The walk-in clinics run later until 7pm on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Parents are asked to bring their childâs records with them and there is an administration fee. Free kindergarten vision and hearing screenings are also available and appointments can be scheduled by contacting The Livingston County Department of Public Health. More details can be found in the release below. (JM)
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Lansing Man Heads to Trial in Brighton-Area Bank RobberiesLansing Man Heads to Trial in Brighton-Area Bank Robberies
8/1/13 - A Lansing man charged with two Brighton-area bank robberies is heading to trial. 42-year-old Todd Bradley White is charged with multiple armed robbery counts for the holdup of the PNC Bank in Brighton Township on March 18th and the April 26th robbery of the First National Bank in Brighton. He waived his preliminary exam Wednesday in 53rd District Court, sending his case to circuit court for trial. In both of the Livingston County cases, police say White brandished a gun, jumped over the counter and then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. White, who reportedly confessed to the Livingston County bank jobs, has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1987 when he was convicted for assault with intent to rob. White and three co-defendants are also facing bank robbery charges in Ingham County for hold-ups in Stockbridge and near Williamston. (JK)
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Theater Group & Building Department at Odds Over Opening Theater Group & Building Department at Odds Over Opening
8/2/13 - A local theatre company appears to be at odds with local building officials. Founders of The Dionysus Theater Steve DeBruyne and Matt Tomich have been renovating their new dinner-theater venture at 135 E. Main Street in the Village of Pinckney. Itâs alleged that the Livingston County Building Department notified the group they would not be able to host their grand opening in July and never submitted any construction plans or obtained necessary permits or a certificate of occupancy. DeBruyne has not responded to requests for comment but said in a July 19th Facebook post that the county building inspector kept hitting them with new demands and they jumped to make adjustments, but were allowed to hold the first show. County Building Official Jim Rowell declined to comment to WHMI or confirm anything. However, Putnam Township Fire Chief Greg Amburgey says the theater had planned and set up their grand opening event, but when that time came, they were not up to par with the countyâs requirements. He says he went to the building department and asked if the theater could open for three days if his fire department was on fire standby for the site. The building department agreed, and the grand opening was held. Amburgey says he does not know if the theater has since gotten the necessary permits from the county. (JM)
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County Cold Case Billboard Up on I-96 in Genoa Township County Cold Case Billboard Up on I-96 in Genoa Township
8/1/13 - A new billboard has been erected on I-96 that seeks tips and information in three local cold-case homicides. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI local cold case investigators are still working on the cases, which are all more than 20 years old. Kimberly Louiselle was a 16-year-old girl from Green Oak Township who disappeared while hitchhiking and was later found dead in a local park. Christina Castiglione was a 19-year-old Redford woman whose body was found near Fisher and Faussett roads in the Oak Grove State Game Area. 30-year-old teacher Paige Renkoski disappeared after pulling off of I-96 near the Fowlerville exit. Her car was found running with her purse and shoes inside. Bezotte tells WHMI the billboard is on I-96 near Chilson Road facing westbound traffic, and that the families of the victims are grateful for the attention to the cases. Anyone with information or tips related to any of the cases can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. Information can be left anonymously. (TD)
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Green Oak Township Police Identify Missing Fisherman Green Oak Township Police Identify Missing Fisherman
8/2/13 - A missing fisherman whose body was recovered from Whitmore Lake this week has been identified by local authorities. Green Oak Township Police identified the missing boater as 46-year-old Thomas Wojtewicz and family members have been notified. His body was recovered from Whitmore Lake on Wednesday following a four day search effort by the Green Oak Township Fire Department, Livingston County Dive Team, Washtenaw County Sheriff and Northfield Township police and fire personnel. Police say he was spotted by a Whitmore Lake resident in the water and was transported by the Livingston County Medical Examinerâs office to their facility at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. Wojtewicz was reported missing after he failed to return from fishing on the lake Sunday and his boat was subsequently seen circling the lake with no one inside. (JM)
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Head-On Crash Kills Brighton ManHead-On Crash Kills Brighton Man
8/2/13 - A Brighton man was killed and a Detroit woman critically injured in a head-on crash Thursday morning in Brighton Township. State Police from the Brighton Post were dispatched to the scene of the collision around 11:30 a.m. on Pleasant Valley Road, north of Buno Road. Trooper Mike Yenshaw says their preliminary investigation and witness statements indicate a red Honda Civic was southbound on Pleasant Valley when it crossed the centerline and hit a silver Chevy Volt, driven by a Fowlerville man. The driver of the Honda, a 55-year-old Brighton man, died at the scene, while his passenger, a 28-year-old Detroit woman, was flown by Survival Flight to the University of Michigan Medical Center with critical injuries. The Fowlerville man driving the Volt was taken by ambulance to U of M for treatment of his injuries, which were not thought to be life-threatening. The crash closed Pleasant Valley Road for several hours as police investigated the crash and crews cleaned up the scene. Itâs unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors. (JK)
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Brighton Councils OKs Headlee Override Ballot ProposalsBrighton Councils OKs Headlee Override Ballot Proposals
8/2/13 - Pending approval of the ballot language by the county clerkâs office, voters in the city of Brighton will go to the polls in November to decide on four Headlee override millage proposals. All four requests are for a period of ten years. The first, the largest of the proposed millages, is a 1.25-mill request to maintain and improve city streets, sidewalks and storm drainage facilities. The millage, if approved, could generate $487,000 the first year, based on current property values. The second proposal is for 38-hundredths-of-a-mill, which would generate about $148,000 the first year and would be used for new city police patrol cars and other basic police department necessities such as weapons and technology upgrades. The third issue, 37-hundredths-of-a-mill, would be used to repair, maintain and improve public buildings and parks in the city, generating about $144,000 its first year. The final request is for 1.16 mills to pay for trash collection, replacing the current trash collection fee, generating $451,000 the first year itâs in effect. City Manager Dana Foster tells WHMI the millage requests are a better deal for city taxpayers than last yearâs proposal that went down to defeat. Thatâs because any projects would be on a pay-as-you-go basis and there would be zero interest costs. The Headlee Tax Limitation Amendment limits property tax increases to five percent or the cost of living increase â whichever is lower. The city is currently right at the Headlee limit, levying 15.2 mills in property taxes, and needs voter approval to go any higher. Foster has said that the current limit is not enough to meet the cityâs needs, as a result of property tax revenue declines resulting from lower property values. (TT)
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Oceola Township Seeks to Learn How Much Land is WorthOceola Township Seeks to Learn How Much Land is Worth
8/2/13 - In December of 2010, Oceola Township purchased the failing Chemung Hills Golf Club. Included in that purchase was a plot of residential-zoned land across the street. Less than an acre, the parcel was the site of a pump house and pipe to move water from the lake onto the golf course for irrigation. Now, some local residents want to know when the township is ready to sell it off. Supervisor Bill Bamber says one resident originally wrote in asking to buy the property, which got the issue on the township board's agenda. Soon after, another resident called to make the same offer. Bamber tells WHMI the township is not in a rush to sell this hot property. It met with the residents at its regular meeting last night, but did not commit to selling the land. It will now investigate what sort of uses are allowed on the residential-zoned parcel and whether anything could be built there. Bamber says both of those factors would greatly influence the asking price of the township. The township will address the issue again sometime in the coming months. (TD)
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