A Milford man was killed early this morning when the car he was driving went into the Clinton River in Oakland Countyâs Waterford Township. The Waterford Township Police and Fire Dept. were notified of the accident at 12:48 a.m. by a witness who called central dispatch. According t a news release, the 20-year-old Milford man was driving a GMC Sierra pickup truck eastbound on Hatchery Road, west of Edmore Road, when he lost control and struck a construction trailer-mounted arrow board and fence line. The truck then slipped into the river at the fish hatchery, rolled onto its roof, and became partially submerged. The driver, who was trapped in the truck, was later extricated by fire dept. personnel and rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The passenger, a 22-year-old Waterford man, was also trapped in the submerged vehicle, but was conscious when freed by emergency personnel. Itâs undetermined at this time whether alcohol was a factor in the fatality. The identity of the Milford man is being withheld, pending notification of next of kin. (TT)
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Milford Man Dies When Pickup Truck Goes into RiverMilford Man Dies When Pickup Truck Goes into River
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Plans Are Being Finalized for Brighton's 150th Birthday Party This SummerPlans Are Being Finalized for Brighton's 150th Birthday Party This Summer
Plans are moving forward in preparation for Brightonâs 150th anniversary this summer. Perhaps the biggest day of the sesquicentennial is the Community Block Party set for Aug. 13th. 150th Anniversary Co-chair Renee Pettengill tells WHMI there is a plethora of activities that will be taking place. Among trhese are a photo booth in which people can dress up in period costume and have their pictures taken, a kids' carnival with period games; an Americana theme with a butter churning displays; there will be a blacksmith and a cornhusker; tours of the Old Village Cemetery; a Civil War-era band playing at the gazebo; and dancers in period costume in front of the CoBACH building. There will also be the usual summertime events held during the summer, including the classic car display along Main St. and the Kiwanis gazebo concert. The highlight of the day will be the laser light show taking place at around 9:30 p.m. Pettengill promises that the laser light show will be spectacular, with a wall of mist projected onto the Mill Pond and down West Main St., 15 feet above the street. And a series of mirrors will then be set up along the walls of buildings to project images consisting of historical photos of Brighton. The laser light show is being put on by the Fogman Company at a cost of $4,000, with the event paid for by the Brighton 150th Anniversary Committee out of its general fund, made possible from community donations and advertising by local businesses. (TT)
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Brighton Area Schools: No Need to Borrow from State Next Year Brighton Area Schools: No Need to Borrow from State Next Year
The Brighton Area Schools will not likely have to borrow funds next year in order to meet expenses, as it has been doing for years. Instead, the Brighton Board of Education voted last week to establish a bank line of credit, rather than going for a state loan. Supt. Greg Gray says the line of credit will only be utilized if the district ends up having to borrow money because the state is late in making its regular per-pupil state aid payment to the district. Assuming that no line of credit is needed, the district will then not have to pay interest on a loan. In the past, that loan has usually been in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gray tells WHMI that situation has resulted in a lot of money that could be utilized in the classroom being wasted on interest fees. The freedom from having to borrow money is all due to the steadily improving financial condition of the district, which finished the 2015-16 fiscal year with a $1.5 million fund balance. Thatâs a fund equity which is expected to grow even more by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. (TT)
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Paving Starts Tuesday On Grand River In City Of Brighton Paving Starts Tuesday On Grand River In City Of Brighton
Paving work is getting underway on Grand River in the City of Brighton as part of a large maintenance project.
The City issued a recent update that says asphalt milling and base coat asphalt application will start Tuesday ending between the I-96 bridge and the Cross Street area. The work will take place at night from 8pm to 6am with the contractor hoping to finish the base course work on all lanes by Friday, June 2nd. The following week, the contractor will be performing structure adjustments and right-of-way rehabilitation. That will require intermittent lane closures during the day but the work will be kept between 9am and 3pm.
The City says alternate routes are suggested if possible. (JM)
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County Building Department Offering Saturday Inspections, Plans To Lower FeesCounty Building Department Offering Saturday Inspections, Plans To Lower Fees
The Livingston County Building Department is expanding hours and reducing fees.
Starting Saturday, June 3rd the County Building Department will be providing building inspections on Saturdays throughout the 2017 construction season. The end date will be determined based on demand. Building official Jim Rowell says they do not know of any other building departments in the state that provide Saturday inspection services in Michigan. Another first for the department is said to be a reduction in fees.
By the end of the summer, the department will again reduce permit fees. Rowell says building departments are required by law to use their revenue exclusively to fund the operations of the building department. Due to the high permit activity over the last 18 months, he says the County Building Department is beginning to increase its fund surplus. Therefore, Rowell says theyâve started a comprehensive review of all fees and anticipate that the permit fees for new structures will be reduced by at least 25%. The department also reduced fees by 25% in September of 2015. Again, Rowell says they are unaware of any other building department that has ever reduced fees.
A public hearing is required to adjust fees up or down and future updates will be forthcoming. (JM)
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Residents' Concerns Stall Rezoning Of 75 Acres In Hartland Township Residents' Concerns Stall Rezoning Of 75 Acres In Hartland Township
A public hearing brought forth concerns that the Hartland Township Planning Commission wants answered before rezoning nearly 75 acres of land.
Back in 2015, property owner Black Wing LLC was approved to go forward with building the proposed Turnin 2 Softball Complex at the southwest corner of Clyde Road and Old US-23. At some point last year during construction, however, Black Wing contacted the township and informed them they would no longer be pursuing the project. Their intent has now become to rezone the land as light industrial, which is consistent with the Future land Use Map, and sell it. They were granted a request by the township board to be released from their performance bond and were allowed to keep building materials from what had been started on the land for 1 year, which is up next month.
During last weekâs rezoning hearing, however, Township Planner Troy Langer said many residents voiced complaints about how the land has been treated. Many neighbors spoke of it being an eyesore. Some said that they planted 8 trees as replacement screening for the many removed, but 6 of them have died. Langer said he has taken calls about complaints on the land over the past year, but this was the first heâs heard of the dead trees and inadequate vegetation cover over the ground.
The Planning Commissioners present were unanimous in wanting to further investigate this situation and hear from the owner about how they plan to rectify the problems before continuing with the rezoning process. (MK)
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Hearing Wednesday For Pair In Milford Credit Card TheftHearing Wednesday For Pair In Milford Credit Card Theft
A hearing is set this week for two Milford residents charged with stealing credit cards and then using them to buy gift cards from the Meijer store in Hartland Township.
20-year-old Avery Snyder and 21-year-old Tyler Graves are due in Oakland County District Court Wednesday for a probable cause conference on three counts each of stealing and retaining credit cards. The Milford Times reports Snyder was arrested for stealing and retaining a credit card after police found store receipts for $726.80 in the car she was driving. The receipts allegedly showed purchases made with a stolen credit card on May 1 at Meijer in Hartland.
The cardâs owner, a 36-year-old Milford resident, told police his vehicle had been broken into the night before while it was parked in his driveway. The cards were then used for more than $2,000 in purchases at stores and gas stations in White Lake, Highland, Wixom, and Hartland. When police reviewed the Meijer storeâs surveillance video, an officer recognized Snyder and Graves and was aware that Graves was wanted for cutting off his tether for being on parole from a 2014 home invasion conviction.
On May 18th, they followed Snyder after she left her motherâs house, observed her pick up Graves, and then drive into downtown Milford, where the officer pulled over the car for a traffic violation and arrested Graves. Snyder was arrested after credit card receipts from the Milford theft were found in the car along with a credit card belonging to a Wolverine Lake woman. Snyder is free on bond while Graves remains in the Oakland County Jail. (JK)
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Bernie Corrigan Honored With Renaming CeremonyBernie Corrigan Honored With Renaming Ceremony
A tribute was held on Memorial Day for Bernie Corrigan as The American Spirit Centre was renamed in his honor.
The long-time Brighton resident was remembered on Memorial Day by friends, family, and members of the community. The Korean War veteran was the founder of Corrigan Oil Company and Corrigan Construction. Corrigan served for many years on the Brighton Township Board of Trustees, including a stint as supervisor. He was also a longtime member of both the Brighton VFW and the American Legion and was a founding member of the American Spirit Centre, where he supported efforts to maintain the facility, including an ongoing drive to raise money to repair the roof. Mondayâs service saw nearly 100 people attend and featured speeches from friends, community officials, and members of the Corrigan family. State Representative Lana Theis described Bernie as, âThe equivalent of a founding father for the city of Brighton.â
The ceremony was concluded with a 21-gun salute and the revealing of a plaque made in his honor. (DF/JK)
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Motorcycle Bike Wash Aims To Raise Funds For Local Veteran Housing FacilitiesMotorcycle Bike Wash Aims To Raise Funds For Local Veteran Housing Facilities
Motorcyclists can get their bikes washed and detailed to help support local veterans at a fundraising event next month.
The bike wash will be held Saturday, June 17th from 11am to 4pm at the Livingston Leather Shop, located on South Grand Avenue in Fowlerville. Event organizer Theresa Mailloux says all donations from the event will be used to benefit veteran residents living at Helenâs House or Pine Oaks in Brighton. Helenâs House is the only VA Medical Foster home located in Livingston County, and Pine Oaks is an Adult Foster Care home. Both operate similarly to a group home, aiding veterans in the process to receive benefits and offering a better quality of life.
Mailloux tells WHMI she and her boyfriend Rick Hargraves, who is also a veteran, were inspired to hold the benefit bike wash being motorcycle enthusiasts themselves. Their business, CT Cycle Detailing, will be providing the bike wash and detail. Mailloux says she and Hargraves seek out a cause to support once or twice a year. She feels the biker community is abundant in this region and very generous when it comes to supporting a good cause.
Anyone at the event with a military ID will also receive a free lunch. More details are available in the events section on our website. (DK)
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CAP Council Kids Fair Set This Weekend In PinckneyCAP Council Kids Fair Set This Weekend In Pinckney
A yearly event in downtown Pinckney will return this weekend with something both parents and kids can enjoy.
The LACASA Center Child Abuse Prevention Council Kidsâ Fair will work in conjunction with Pinckneyâs Art in the Park festival held this Saturday, June 3rd and Sunday, June 4th. This yearâs fair will again feature free ice cream and a book for each child while supplies last, a Saturday visit from one of Livingston County Sheriffâs Mounted Division horses, make-and-take crafts, and animals from local 4-H clubs.
The CAP Council operates under the umbrella of LACASA Center, which provides critical services for victims of child abuse and interpersonal violence. LACASA and CAP host county-wide parenting education programs and child abuse prevention seminars throughout the year. The CAP Kidâs Fair will be located on Livingston Street, near the playground in downtown Pinckney.
Art in the Park is celebrating its 27th anniversary this year of bringing the community together to enjoy food, entertainment and art. Youâll find additional information about the event through the link below. (JK)
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Howell Seeks Headlee Override To Overcome State Funding ShortfallHowell Seeks Headlee Override To Overcome State Funding Shortfall
The City of Howell has a fairly stable budget for the coming year, but officials say the next few fiscal years beyond that will be very difficult.
City Council adopted the 2017/2018 budget during a May meeting, following a presentation and lengthy discussion. The city will be able to maintain status quo for now but unless the state changes municipal financing dramatically, officials say future revenues and expenses have put the city in a situation where it cannot maintain the current level of services. Itâs being attributed to a combination of things. Council members commented that legislators have balanced the state budget on the backs of local governments, repeatedly, and there is a perfect storm converging on municipalities, although some are better off than others.
Councilman Jeff Hansen directed his comments more toward the legislature, saying Howell is not the only city that has a fiscal problem looming in a big way, thus theyâre faced with cutting services or increasing taxes. Hansen said if the state doesnât fix the way every city is funded, there will be emergency manager issues five years from now and it wonât be pretty.
Mayor Nick Proctor says Howell has been managed very well financially but the systemic problem in the state is due to the convergence of three issues; the state continually underfunds municipalities lower than statutory levels, Proposal A and the Headlee Amendment. He says when property values decrease, so does revenue collected but when the economy recovers, the city is capped at the lower level and canât move back up. Proctor says itâs a significant problem and theyâll "muddle through" the next fiscal year as best they can, noting the budget is balanced and the city has a healthy fund balance and is currently able to fund all services. However, Proctor cautioned that cannot sustain itself and the city needs to do something.
At the most recent council meeting, members voted to place a Headlee Override request on the ballot next May, which would return the city to the level of taxation from around 2005. A special election will be held next May. If approved, it would allow the city to maintain status quo, avoiding deep cuts to services and staff. While the ballot question would allow the city to levy the full amount if approved, it could be phased in over time. (JM)
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Bridge Repairs To Cause US-23 Lane Closures This WeekBridge Repairs To Cause US-23 Lane Closures This Week
US-23 bridge repairs will resume this week in Livingston County.
Overnight, single lane closures will take place on northbound US-23 between Clyde Road and Faussett Road starting tonight and continuing through Saturday, June 3rd, between 7:30pm each night and 10am the next morning. The project is part of a $2.2 million investment by the Michigan Department of Transportation. MDOT officials say the repairs are "capital preventative maintenance" designed to extend the life of the structures as long as possible. The bridge improvements include deck patching and overlay, beam repair, substructure patching, painting, slope repair and replacement, and approach work. All of the work and related closures are weather dependent.
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16th Annual Day Of Caring Coming In August16th Annual Day Of Caring Coming In August
The date has been set for the largest volunteer event of the year in Livingston County.
The 16th Annual Livingston County United Wayâs Day of Caring will take place on Wednesday, August 16th. This one-day community service provides seniors, schools, disabled residents, local nonprofit organizations, and local residents with needed help that they canât get done on their own. Last year 1,300 volunteers helped at 125 different worksites. United Way Executive Director Nancy Rosso said there are a myriad of ways people can get involved. Some examples of opportunities are painting, landscaping, delivering emergency pantry packs to shut-ins, and interactions with seniors or people with special needs. Volunteers can sign up individually or as a group, designate their preference for a location, and when they would like to work.
High School clubs and teams can join the event and potentially win a Challenge Grant from Citizens Insurance and the Hanover Foundation. The United Way will also host a picnic for volunteers in the middle of the day at Howell City Park. Rosso said that is a great chance for everyone to get together and share stories Applications for worksites that need help are also now being accepted. Worksite requests, volunteer applications, and additional information are available through the link below. (MK)
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Family Pet Killed & Home Destroyed In Hamburg Township FireFamily Pet Killed & Home Destroyed In Hamburg Township Fire
A Hamburg Township home was destroyed and one pet killed in a fire Monday afternoon.
Fire Chief Mark Hogrebe says the fire department received a call about a structure fire on the 8400 block of Teahen Road just after 3pm. When responding units arrived, Hogrebe says the fire was already fully involved and flames were coming out of the roof. Firefighters fought the blaze for about 45 minutes before they were able to bring it under control.
While there were no human occupants inside the home at the time of the fire, there were two dogs. One did not survive and the other is currently being treated for smoke inhalation at a local veterinary clinic. The house was destroyed.
Hogrebe says the origin of the fire is unknown, though they are not ruling out electrical problems as the possible cause. He confirmed that authorities donât believe the fire was suspicious in any way. Firefighters from the Brighton Area Fire Department, Green Oak and Putnam Township Fire Department assisted at the scene. (DK)
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Body Pulled From Lake FentonBody Pulled From Lake Fenton
Authorities continue to investigate after a body was pulled from Lake Fenton Tuesday afternoon.
According to eyewitnesses, a tarp was placed over the body after it was pulled from the water around 3pm. The Lake Fenton access site in Fenton Township was closed as officials with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and Michigan Department of Natural Resources investigated the circumstances of the death, which have not been released to the public. (JK)
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Fowlerville District Library Finds New Home in Former Curtis Grocery BuildingFowlerville District Library Finds New Home in Former Curtis Grocery Building
The building that was once home to Fowlervilleâs oldest grocery store will soon be developed to serve a new purpose for the community.
Curtis Grocery closed at the end of last year when the storeâs owners decided they could not compete with bigger-chain grocery stores and couldnât meet their supplierâs demands. The building was purchased by the Fowlerville District Library earlier this month for approximately $625,000, according to the libraryâs Board of Trustees President Marion Cornett. Cornett says the board was able to purchase the building outright because theyâve been saving and planning to expand the library for about 30 years.
The libraryâs current building is just under 6,000 square feet. Cornett says once they transition into their new building, they will be almost doubling their size. Conservatively speaking, Cornett says the library has 40,000 items that are available to be checked out. However the lack of space in their current building forces them to rotate those items that are displayed with others that are kept in storage. By almost doubling their building size, the library will be able to display all of their checkout items at once.
Cornett says the new building will have a bigger program and childrenâs area, more book stacks and lower stacks so children are able to reach the books, a bigger circulation desk, and a space to sell books the library no longer needs. There are also plans for a small café area and a fireplace with additional seating.
The libraryâs board has met with an architect who is working on creating a full site plan, which could take about six to eight weeks. From there, Cornett says theyâll begin renovations. The library will have to close for roughly two weeks next March or April so the full transition from one building to the next can take place. Cornett says the ultimate goal is to be moved in to their new space in April of 2018. The community can keep up with the libraryâs move by following their Facebook page, âFuture Home of the Fowlerville District Libraryâ (DK)
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Pastor Detains Man Accused of Breaking Into His Church Until Police ArivePastor Detains Man Accused of Breaking Into His Church Until Police Arive
A man accused of breaking into a Highland Township church was detained by the pastor until authorities could arrive.
Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriffâs Office responded to a Breaking and Entering call at the Highland Hills Baptist Church just before 7:30am, Monday morning. According to a report from the Sheriffâs Office, the pastor arrived to find that the building had been broken into and that the party responsible was possibly inside the church. The pastor found the suspect, a 22-year-old male from Highland Township, and held him until deputies arrived.
The pastor said that cash was missing from his drawer. A large quantity of cash in small denominations was found in the suspectâs pocket. Deputies took the suspect into custody, transporting him to the Highland Township Substation. A detective questioned him, and the suspect made admissions of breaking into the church 2 times previously.
He was lodged at Oakland County Jail pending the issuance of criminal charges. The incident remains under investigation. (MK)
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Linden Man Identified As Lake Fenton Drowning VictimLinden Man Identified As Lake Fenton Drowning Victim
A Linden man has been identified as the victim who drowned Tuesday in Lake Fenton.
Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell says 73-year-old Elmer David Metras may have suffered a medical event when he reportedly fell into the water while loading his boat onto a trailer at the public access site on Grove Park Road in Fenton Township at about 2:30 Tuesday afternoon. Metras had been fishing when he called his wife to say he was coming in because of the winds. Pickell says a witness who also was loading a boat on the other side of the dock, said that Petras appeared to be in distress before being seen a short time later floating in the water.
The man called 911 and a Genesee County sheriff's deputy retrieved Petras about 40 yards from shore. Despite lifesaving techniques being performed, he was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital An autopsy is being conducted, but Pickell says the death does not appear to be suspicious. (JK)
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Green Oak Township To Connect Pathways To Nearby CommuntiesGreen Oak Township To Connect Pathways To Nearby Communties
A recent grant will help Green Oak Township connect a large stretch of pathways with multiple neighboring communities.
The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments has awarded over $9.2 million of Transportation Alternatives Program funding for the upcoming 2018 fiscal year. Green Oak Township has been named as one of the 22 beneficiaries for their Lemen Road and M-36 Shared-use Pathway project. Township Supervisor Mark St. Charles said this will help them connect a significant chunk that is missing in an extensive trail-to-trail system. He said it will allow them to take the Lakeland Trail from Hamburg Township where it stops, east to US-23. It will spur off down Lemen Road to 8-Mile where it will have the opportunity to connect with Washtenaw Countyâs trails.
St. Charles said that within the township, the non-motorized path will go under US-23 and eventually run north from 9-Mile Road to Silver Lake Road, where it will tie into an existing pathway at Silver Lake and Fieldcrest. Once the Department of Natural Resources extends the trail from Island Lake Recreation Area, it will hit all the trails going east into and through Oakland County.
The Township is currently working through easements and final property acquisitions with the hope of starting construction by the end of this year. The grant, which is for $559,000, will cover the majority of costs, with St. Charles saying the township was covering the final 30%. (MK)
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New Name For Annual Painting EventNew Name For Annual Painting Event
What used to be called the Brighton Paint Out has expanded this year, bringing in people from not just Brighton but from all over Livingston County.
Now called The Livingston Paint Out, the annual event will be held July 22nd and 23rd, giving all artists, ages and media, a chance to paint their favorite outdoor charm in Livingston County. The competition in which artists complete one or two paintings outdoors within a specific time period will be entered into a contest for a number of cash prizes.
Sarah Grusin is an art guild member and one of the eventâs organizers. "Some of the prizes that are coming in that our sponsorships are geared for certain subjects, like the Brighton Arts and Culture Commission is sponsoring a prize for best Brighton view and it may happen that they're still soliciting people in Howell, so hopefully we'll get some Howell prizes also."
The Livingston County Paint Out competition will have its very own tent at the Brighton Fine Arts Festival where every piece submitted from the event will be on display. Registration for the Paint Out is $25 and you must pre-register online at the Howell Opera Houseâs website, a link for which is below. A continental breakfast will also be included. (AS)
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