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STATE NEWS for FRI 14FEB20
A
Wayne County District Court Judge is on leave following allegations of
violence against a female partner. David Parrott's leave comes as the
Judicial Tenure Commission has received an official complaint about the
judge. Parrott is charged with assault and battery for allegedly attacking
a 55-year-old woman he lives with. The judge was arraigned in Plymouth
this week. Parrott was already on bond for a drunk driving offense from
December 2018 in Northern Michigan's Manistee County. This new charges
could land the judge in jail for violating the terms of his drunk driving
case later this month. Parrott remains free after posting bond in the
assault case.
A 16-year-old girl crashed into a Cadillac Area Public Schools Bus
Thursday afternoon. The Wexford County Sheriff's Department says the girl
from Marion lost control of her vehicle and spun into the oncoming lane
and hit the bus. None of the 36 kids on the bus were hurt. The teen driver
was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The man, suspected of robbing a Chase Bank in Kalamazoo on
Wednesday, has been arrested. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety
says the 28-year-old man was arrested at a home in the city on Thursday.
Detectives say they found evidence at the home, including money that may
have been taken during the robbery.
A man who was not only considered a foster son of Jimmy Hoffa - but
connected to the disappearance of the Teamsters boss - has died. Charles "Chuckie"
O'Brien died yesterday in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 86 years old.
O'Brien was a close aide to Hoffa from the 1950s until his disappearance
in July 1975. For a time, F-B-I investigators considered O'Brien a prime
suspect and believe he may have driven the union leader to his final
appointment. O'Brien has been depicted in film and T-V shows about Hoffa
over the years... most recently in "The Irishman" which was released last
year.
Three people were injured in a crash in southwest Michigan's Milton
Township Thursday. The Cass County Sheriff's Department says a 17-year-old
boy was driving and hit a tree and the car flipped over. The driver and a
passenger were taken to the hospital, while a third passenger was
released. Deputies do not believe alcohol was a factor.
A school bus accident in the U-P's Houghton County when a bus was
stopped letting students out in Stanton Township when a woman lost control
of her vehicle on snow and hit the back of the bus. W-L-U-C reports no
students on the bus were injured, but the 52-year-old woman driving the
vehicle was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. She
was cited for careless driving.
Helen
DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids is starting a new research
center after a 15-million dollars gift from Acrisure, an insurance broker.
Spectrum Health says the Acrisure Center for Innovation in Children's
Health will support cutting edge treatments for kids . The 15 million
dollar gift will be distributed to the hospital over the course of several
years.
Marquette Mountain ski resort has been sold to Eric and Sarah
Jorgensen. General manager Andrew Farron says plans for changes at
Marquette Mountain will unfold over the next few years. He also expressed
gratitude to the O-Dovero family for their 33 years of dedication and
ownership.
A bald eagle that was hit by a train late last year in Monroe is now
on the road to recovery in her new home at the Detroit Zoo. Spokesperson
Bonnie VanDam says the young bald eagle was sitting on the tracks when she
was struck last year. The collision fractured one of her three-foot wings
so severely that although zoo officials bandaged it up, she can no longer
fly. Van Dam, though, says the eagle is settling in fine to her new home
alongside the other two bald eagles.
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STATE NEWS for THU 13FEB20
The
winner of last night's 70 million dollar prize bought the ticket in
Michigan. The lottery's Jeff Holyfield says the ticket was bought in
Pontiac in Oakland County at the Huron Plaza Party Store. State lottery
officials say one ticket matched for the prize. Those numbers are
14-47-54-55-68 and the Powerball was 25. The 70 million dollar prize has
an almost 50-million dollar cash option.
Several employees of a Wendy's in Greenville in Montcalm County have
been fired after they were caught on video with one person taking a bath
in a kitchen sink as an employee walks by and talks with him . The video
was posted to social media and viewed thousands of times. The owner of the
franchise, Team Schostak Family Restaurants, says it's completely
unacceptable and says everyone involved was fired right away. They say the
restaurant was thoroughly cleaned and checked out by the health department
after the incident occurred.
Muskegon
Public Schools are closed today because many students and staff are out
sick. The closure comes as students are heading into their mid-winter
break. School will resume February 18th which will give custodial staff
time to clean and disinfect all of the buildings.
The mother of a 16-year-old special needs boy, who drowned in the
family pool, has pleaded no contest to a drug charge. Michelle Koets, the
wife of Grand Rapids Community College Professor Timothy Koets, pleaded to
one misdemeanor charge of obtaining a controlled substance by false
representation. Police say she and her husband filled their son's Ritalin
prescription after he died last March. Timothy Koets has been charged with
manslaughter in his son's death.
A
multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by parishioners at Assumption Grotto
Catholic Church in Detroit demands their priest return after he has been
barred due to sex abuse allegations since last summer. 20-parishioners are
suing for damages of over 20-million dollars against the Archdiocese of
Detroit, claiming fraud and emotional distress. That's according to
Channel 7. The suit contends Father Eduard Perrone, who has been barred
from representing himself as a priest due to an abuse investigation,
should return to the pulpit since the archdiocese has not presented facts
in the case to parishioners or law enforcement. The suit claims
parishioners have also been defrauded since a portion of their tithes go
to fund an internal sex abuse investigator and such funding is mandatory.
The Archdiocese of Detroit declined to comment on the case.
(Photo: Perrone)
A woman flying to Grand Rapids from Fort Lauderdale is charged with
assaulting a flight attendant and intimidating several flight attendants
while the flight was underway in December. WOOD TV reports Amy Jo-Manshum
John swung her arm twice to hit a flight attendant. Court documents say
she was disruptive and unruly during the flight. If convicted, she faces
up to 20 years in prison and a fine of 250-thousand dollars.
A
former Detroit Police Officer will serve 18 years behind bars for
conspiracy to distribute drugs. Christopher Staton found out about his
punishment earlier today after the jury found him guilty last year. The
52-year-old used his position as an officer to assist the drug trafficking
organization by running license plates and providing other sensitive law
enforcement information. He also purchased some drugs himself. He will
serve his sentence in a federal prison ANGEL CARE A daycare center in the
Traverse City area is closing down in June because of a staffing shortage.
9 and 10 News reports they'll close in June because they can't find and
retain any qualified employees. (Photo:
Staton)
Police in Kalamazoo are looking for a man who robbed a Chase Bank
yesterday afternoon. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety says the
man demanded money from a bank employee , but no weapon was shown. An
unknown amount of cash was taken. The suspect, described as a Hispanic
male about six feet tall with black hair and facial hair. Police say he
was wearing several gold chains around his neck and a dark colored hooded
coat and a black baseball hat.
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STATE NEWS for WED 12FEB20
Another
incident of a snowmobile going through ice in Michigan. A snowmobile
reportedly went through the ice a couple miles north of Grand Island
Landing in Munising Tuesday morning. Two people were on the snowmobile and
both made it off the ice. The Alger County Sheriff's office is warning
snow mobile riders that the ice is thin outside of Munising Bay and to
stay off of it.
It's a big day for school districts across Michigan, it's Student
Count Day. Public school districts statewide have two attendance days
during the academic year--and both help determine state funding. Fall
counts are on the first Wednesday in October and represent 90 percent of
state funding, while Spring counts are on the second Wednesday in February
and account for the other ten percent of state funding. Many districts
offers incentives such as raffles, special events, and giveaways to boost
participation
Three
people are under voluntary quarantine in west Michigan's Kent County after
returning to Michigan from China. The Kent County Health Department says a
14 day monitoring period is underway for the three. The Centers for
Disease Control believes they're medium risk because they were in China's
mainland, meaning they were in the country of China, outside of the
airport. The Kent County Health Department says there are no signs so far
that these people have the coronavirus, now known as COVID#19. Click
on virus pic to go to the World Health organization website.
(Photo link who.int/health-topics/coronavirus)
A southwest Michigan woman , who assaulted a car salesman in Lowell
while using racial slurs, has been sentenced to two years probation.
47-year-old Shelly Hueckel, of Nashville, will not serve jail time for
assaulting car salesman Terrance Smith who told her a trade-in value for
her car. She used racial slurs against the African American salesman and
backhanded him. Smith asked that Hueckel receive the maximum sentence,
saying he was assaulted for no reason and called the N-word over and over
again. Hueckel apologized for her actions and the pain she has caused
Smith.
Senator
Gary Peters, of Michigan, is asking the Air Force to allocate some of an
additional 60-million in funding for work on remediation efforts for P-FAS.
W-L-U-C reports the director of K.I. Sawyer International Airport says
money isn't necessarily designated for the airport, saying their funding
was already set. Peters call comes after the U.S. Air Force found one
resident's well near the base to have high levels of the suspected
carcinogen in drinking water. The Air Force put in a water filtration
system at the home and gave the homeowner drinking water.
(Photo: Peters)
If you own a Honda minivan, you could see a recall notice soon.
Honda is recalling 241- Odyssey minivans between the 2018 and 2020 model
years in the U-S to fix a wiring problem that could cause a fire. The
company says there have been three reports of fires - but, no injuries.
Honda says owners will be notified of the recall by mail in mid-March.
Dealers will fix or replace the wiring free of charge.
A
northern Michigan woman has taken a plea deal after she was accused of
stealing more than 200-thousand dollars from two businesses in Grand
Traverse County. Cynthia Riddle pleaded guilty to attempted embezzlement
of a vulnerable adult and three other charges were dropped. Riddle, who
had been the general manager for the Boarders Inn and Suites, allegedly
stole about 185-thousand dollars from Boarders Inn and Suites and nearly
20-thousand from Points North Inn. (Jail
Photo: Riddle)
Sixteen counties across Michigan are taking part in an exercise to
support any given community in the case of an emergency disaster. The
Mutual Aid Box Alarm System will be activating the Engine strike teams
today to show the capability to move fire resources during a disaster and
to test the statewide communications system.
Colorado
football coach Mel Tucker has been hired by Michigan State. The 48 year
old would replace Mark Dantonio, who abruptly retired earlier this month
after 13 seasons. If he signs Tucker would become the Spartans’ 25th head
coach. Terms of the deal were not available.
(Photo: Tucker)
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STATE NEWS for TUE 11FEB20
A
man living in Allegan County , Michigan, 70-year-old Dennis Bowman, says
he want to plead guilty to second degree murder in the death of Kathleen
Doyle in 1980. Bowman was extradited from Michigan to Virginia over the
weekend. Norfolk General District Judge Robert Rigney told Bowman he
wasn't ready to accept the plea and appointed backup counsel to advise
Bowman. Police used forensic evidence to connect Bowman to the case.
Investigators in Allegan County announced last week that they are
investigating whether Bowman may have killed his adopted daughter Aundria
Bowman in 1989 when she was 14 years old.
(Jail Photo: Bowman)
A semi has crashed into a home in Kalamazoo in southwest Michigan and
it's caused about 12-hundred customers of Consumers energy to lose power.
The crash reportedly knocked down several power lines.
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The
Grand Traverse Area Snowmobile Council is warning riders to slow down when
they're going over the top of a blind hill. Bill Gay of the Council giving
that warning after four snow mobile riders were taken to the hospital when
they came over a hill and crashed into a trail groomer in Kalkaska's
Garfield Township over the weekend. The sheriff says they were traveling
together and didn't see the trail groomer and all four snowmobiles were
involved in chain reaction crash. He says speed was a factor in the crash.
All four have been released from the hospital.
Police in southern lower Michigan's Albion are looking for two men who
assaulted and tied up a store clerk in a robbery last Friday night. The
robbery occurred at Albion Hydroponics and police say the men went into
the gardening supply store and threatened the worker with a gun, assaulted
them, and left them tied up in the bathroom. They stole money and took off
in a U-Haul van. Anyone with information should call Call police or Silent
Observer.
A
judge in Wayne County is facing assault charges. The Wayne County
Prosecutor's office charged 34th District Court Judge David Parrott with
domestic violence assault and battery stemming from a weekend incident
involving a 55-year old woman who is his domestic partner. Van Buren
Township police went to the couple's home Saturday night. The victim
claimed Judge Parrott hit her causing a bump on her head, a cut on her
hand and pain to her tailbone. The judge was arrested that night. He
appeared in 35th District Court Monday and was given personal bond. He
cannot talk with the victim and has to stay away from the condo they live
in. (Jail Photo: Parrott)
A
plans for a new Amazon facility in Lyon Township moves closer to approval.
The township's planning commission gave the OK to plans from the world's
largest online retailer to put a nearly 87-thousand square foot
distribution facility into a vacant building. The plans now head to the
Lyon Township Board of Trustees for its approval. Amazon has built several
facilities in Michigan recently including a regional fulfillment center in
Livonia in 2018 and a delivery station in Romulus last year.
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STATE NEWS for MON 10FEB20
Ann
Arbor Police Chief Michael Cox has been placed on paid administrative
leave for two weeks due to a personnel matter. City Administrator Howard
Lazarus has confirmed the leave. Cox was named Ann Arbor Police Chief last
summer after serving on the Boston Police Department for 30 years.
(Photo: Cox)
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Members
of a Michigan family says they are stuck on a cruise ship in a Pacific due
to corona virus fears. Steve Muth of Onsted in Lenawee County, his wife,
daughter, and her boyfriend have been on Holland
America’s
Westerdam since February 1st when they left Hong Kong. Since then, the
family says, the ship and its 19-hundred passengers have been denied entry
at every port but one. While there have been no confirmed cases of the
illness on board. The cruise line says its reworking plans to end the
cruise in Japan instead of China. Currently, corona virus in China has
sickened over 31-thousand people and has killed over 630.
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LOCAL NEWS for FRI 14FEB20.JPG)
The
East Tawas Fire Department recently presented its 2019 Annual Report.
East Tawas Fire Department Captain Randy Look made the presentation to the
East Tawas City Council. According to the Iosco County News Herald, Look
said there was an overall drop of twelve percent in total emergency
responses last year. Look said emergency responses dropped from 186 in
2018 to 164 last year. Vehicle accidents were down from 24 in 2018 to 13
last year. The department responded to only one fuel/gas spill last year
as compared to seven in 2018. Medical First Responder calls increased by
18% last year, Look said mainly due to drug overdoses. Look's report also
paid tribute to the late Norman Klenow who passed away on August 10th
after responding to a vehicle accident.
Residents
of an Oscoda County Township will now need a permit to hold major and
minor events. 
The
state of Michigan will be holding the 2020 free fishing weekend this
Saturday and Sunday February 15th and 17th. Everyone will be able to fish
for free as all fishing license fees will be waived for those three days.
All fishing regulations will still apply. Recreation passports will not be
required for entry into state parks and recreation area. Suzanne Stone, of
the DNR Fisheries division , says people like to fish for pan fish this
time of year like blue gill, crappie, and northern pike.
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In
an effort to stabilize its funding model, Mid Michigan College is seeking
a millage request on the March 2020 ballot for voters in the Beaverton,
Clare, Farwell, Gladwin and Harrison school districts. According to
M-Live, The Mid Michigan College Board of Trustees in December authorized
a millage proposal requesting an additional point 6268 mills. If passed,
the college’s total millage rate would increase to 1.85 mills for 10
years. Revenue from the increase would be used for college operating
purposes and would largely fund advanced technology for students and
academic programs, including in health sciences and skilled trades.
Huron
County officials approved a draft of the county's updated master plan.
Huron County Planning Commission unanimously approved a draft of the
updated master plan. According to the Huron Daily Tribune, the planning
commission has been working on updating the master plan for the past few
years. Copies of the plan will be provided to neighboring counties for
review. Those counties have until the end of April to submit comments on
the plan. The plan will now be sent to the Huron County Board of
Commissioners for approval. 
A
Cheboygan County man has been charged with attempting to murder a
relative. David Jullette the Second has been charged with attempted murder
and being a repeat offender. He was on the run Monday after allegedly
stabbing a family member, but was arrested that evening. The two victims
are reportedly expected to be okay.
Oscoda
Township officials recently approved a water meter replacement project.
Oscoda Township Trustees approved the water meter replacement project.
According to the Oscoda Press, the project will be carried out in three
phases and will lead to cost savings and an increase in efficiency. The
water meter replacement and radio read installation project will cost
nearly $350,000 and will impact more than eleven hundred residents.
Officials approved contracting with Ferguson Waterworks for the purchase
of 1,142 meters and radio read units and software for approximately
$256,000 dollars. The board also approved contracting with Hydrocorp for
the installation of the meters and radio read units for approximately
$93,000 dollars. The replacement project will take the next three years to
complete.
A
Critical Incident Management Training Session will be held tonight in
Arenac County. The free critical incident management training session will
teach people how to protect and defend themselves during a time of crisis.
According to the Arenac County Independent, the class will be instructed
by Critical Incident Management and will teach participants how to respond
to emergency situations such as an active shooter, bomb threats or
hazardous materials. The class is geared more towards owners and managers
who can take the information learned and train their employees or
volunteers, so everyone is on the same page with how to handle emergency
situations. The training session will be held tonight at 6pm at the Arenac
Community Center, on East Cedar Street in Standish. .JPG)
A
man , suspected in an attempted murder in Cheboygan County , has been
captured. 54-year-old David Jullette the Second was caught in a trailer
last evening. Sheriff Dale Clarmont says they had been searching for him
throughout the day after he allegedly attempted to kill someone in
Inverness Township early Monday morning. Jullette is expected to be
arraigned today.
Community
Emergency Response Team training will be offered in two counties.
Ogemaw and Oscoda counties will be offering Community Emergency Response
Team training. According to the Ogemaw County Herald, Michael Bowers,
Emergency Management Coordinator for both counties will be in charge of
setting up the training so that the public knows how to take care of their
households in an emergency. Both counties will hold town hall meetings to
inform citizens about the programs and to recruit volunteers. Bowers is
also working with the emergency preparedness representatives from Region
Two Health Department and the emergency management coordinator from Alcona
County to build a three county coalition, which expands the base of
trained volunteers. Training lasts for four days and there is no cost to
the volunteers. You can learn more about CERT at
The
Alcona County Commission On Aging has a new Executive Director. The Alcona
County Commission On Aging appointed a new board president as well as
introduced the new executive director. According to the Alcona County
Review, Delores Schlicker stepped down as president and the board voted to
appoint Mike Maturen the new president and Schlicker Vice President. The
board also appointed Pam Ashford as secretary and Rolland Lynch was named
treasurer. The new Executive Director was also introduced to the board,
Lenny Avery said he is proud to be a part of the Commission on Aging
family. Avery said he has instituted an open door policy and if anyone has
any questions or concerns, they should not hesitate to talk with him of
board members.
An
elderly man died in a house fire in Alpena over the weekend. The Alpena
Fire Department says they found heavy smoke and flames coming from a
broken window. A police officer and an off duty firefighter tried to
rescued the couple, but the fire was too much. Fire crews were able to
pull them both out, but the man died at the scene. The woman was taken to
the hospital. An officer was also hurt trying to rescue them.
Oscoda
County officials have announced that it is now a Second Amendment
Sanctuary. The Oscoda County Board of Commissioners passed the
resolution unanimously. According to the Oscoda County Herald, the
resolution is a response to Red Flag laws, which make thousands of
Americans vulnerable to losing their right to bear arms without due
process. Chairman Kyle Yoder also called on Sheriff Kevin Grace who also
approved of the resolution. With the sheriff's approval, Yoder said he
felt comfortable with moving ahead in the process and during the regular
meeting, commissioners passed the resolution.
The
Tawas Area Schools Board of Education will meet tonight. On the agenda is
a second reading of the revised board policies, committee reports,
treasurer’s report and a legislative report. The board will also discuss
the Michigan Association of School Boards Board of Directors Ballot. The
Tawas School Board meeting will be held tonight at 7pm in the boardroom of
the administration office in Tawas City. 
Friday,
February 14, 2020
Valentine's Day
Presidents
Day
President
Donald Trump hosts 'Keep America Great' campaign rally in Arizona
(10:00PM EDT)
Tired
of the mad dash to get a good camping spot at Pictured
Rocks National Lakeshore at Little Beaver Lake Campground, Twelve Mile
Campground, or Hurricane River Campground? These campgrounds now
require reservations, after years of a "first come, first served" policy.
Since visitation has nearly doubled in the last few years during the summer months
reservations can now be made at
