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STATE NEWS for FRI 17DEC20
One
of the women, convicted as the Alpine Manor Nursing Home killer more than
30 years ago, has been released from prison. 57-year-old Catherine Wood,
was released from a Florida prison yesterday even though relatives of five
elderly women she helped kill, objected. Wood won't be returning to west
Michigan to live as a condition of her parole. Wood and Gwendolyn Graham
killed at least five patients and maybe more at the Alpine Manor Nursing
Home , where they worked as nurse's aides in 1987. Graham is servine life
without parole. (Photos: Wood at time of arrest and today)
You may see signs on Michigan's freeways. There's an endangered
missing person advisory for a three-year-old girl and her mother. Michigan
State Police are looking for three-year-old Alydiauna (Al-EE-dee-awn-uh)
Munn and her mother , Tara Sheldon, of Sanilac County. They were last
heard from on Sunday when Tara was on the phone with her grandfather. She
told him her car had been broken into and she would call him back, but no
one has heard from them since. Police say they don't know where they were
when Tara spoke to her grandfather. The little girl is described as 3-feet
tall, 38 pounds with brown hair and eyes. Her mother drives a dark blue
2006 Chrysler Pacifica with the license plate ECN-6-1-0-1.
A baby has been delivered and is doing fine after the mother was
shot Thursday morning in the stomach in Metro Detroit. Clinton Township
Police Captain Richard Maerle says the shooting happened around 6:15
Thursday morning outside the Eastwood Village Apartments -The mother was
alert and talking when she was taken to the hospital. The suspect has not
been found.
There
will be an increased number of state DNR conservation officers and other
officers on patrol to make sure snow mobile riders are riding safely over
the Martin Luther King Junior holiday weekend. Last year, five people were
killed snowmobiling on the Friday before the Martin Luther King Junior
holiday. Three of those deaths occurred in the Upper Peninsula. The DNR’s
Ride Right snowmobile safety campaign offers snow mobile riders several
reminders, including to ride on the right side of the trail, ride at a
safe speed and to ride sober.
There's an update in the ongoing Warren De La Salle football hazing
investigation in Metro Detroit. Three members of the school's football
team were suspended last October over allegations they attacked a fellow
teammate. They have been subsequently allowed to return to the
classroom. A confidential settlement of a lawsuit against the all-boys
Catholic school reportedly is paving the way for their return.
A pickup truck crashed into a home in southwest Michigan's
Prairieville Township early this morning. WOOD TV reports it appears the
driver went off the road at about one this morning and landed on the roof
of the home, which is a summer home. Michigan State Police say no one was
there and no one was injured.
A
suspicious WiFi hotspot name forcing a flight delay at Detroit Metro
Airport. Airport officials say the hotspot name caused concern-- prompting
an investigation aboard a Go-Jet Flight last night. Two passengers were
removed from the plane for questioning. They were released.. as the
investigation continues. The plane went on to its final destination.
Students who take part in extracurricular activities at Plainwell
Community Schools in southwest Michigan will be subject to random drug
testing. The program will begin next week. The test will look for
opioids, THC, Cocaine, methamphetamine and nicotine. If a student tests
positive, they could lose 25-percent of playing time for the season but
would still be able to practice.
State
Attorney General Dana Nessel has asked the Court of Appeals to reverse its
decision on a law to allow a tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac
to go forward. Courts had ruled that the deal struck between former
Governor Rick Snyder and Enbridge does not violate the state constitution.
They had agreed to shut down Line 5, but build a tunnel for a replacement
pipeline.
Fiat Chrysler is in talks with the Chinese company Foxconn to
develop and manufacture battery electric vehicles. The U-S -Italian
automaker confirmed the discussions in a statement released today. Fiat
Chrysler is in the process of merging with French carmaker PSA Peugeot,
which is 12% owned by Chinese company Dongfeng. A joint venture would
focus first on China, which is the biggest market in the world for
electric cars. About 1.2 million electric vehicles were sold last year in
China, about half the global total.
A
former Chippewa County corrections officer, James Parr , has been
sentenced to two to 20 years for smuggling drugs to inmates. Parr pleaded
guilty in November after officers had found heroin, marijuana, and a cell
phone on him. His arrest came after a tip from state police.
A
Waterford man slapped with a long list of charges-- after driving
One-Hundred and Thirty (130) miles per hour in a Tesla and threatening to
kill an officer's entire family. Troy Police say Jordan Szeliga ((ZELL-ee-guh))
was taking the red Tesla on a FAST test drive , near Adams Road, on
January 8th. Upon his arrest-- the 28-year-old allegedly threatened to
kill an officer AND his children. He's charged with Reckless Driving,
Intimidation and Threatening to Burn Police A Facility. He's being held on
a 10-THOUSAND dollar bond.
Top
STATE NEWS for THU 16JAN20
From
behind the bars to a potential U.S. citizenship, A Michigan man is hopeful
after winning his immigration case. A judge dismissed Usama Humama's
deportation case after finding the defendant had rehabilitated himself
following his assault conviction over 20 years ago. Humama was the lead
plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that challenged U.S. deportations to
Iraq after the government arrested hundred of Iraqis to deport the ones
with criminal records.
Two crashes on the same road in west Michigan shut down that roadway
for several hours last night. WOOD TV reports a head on crash in Cascade
Township happened at about 8:20 last night. A man in one of the cars got
out to check on his wife and baby when another car hit his car . State
Police say the man was then hit by his own car and was thrown 40 feet into
the air. They say the man and his wife suffered serious injuries, but the
baby will be okay. The driver that initially crashed into their car also
suffered serious injuries. Police do not suspect drugs or alcohol as a
factor in the crashes.
Central
Michigan University and University Pediatricians in Detroit have entered
into a new five-year affiliation agreement to provide new opportunities
for medical education, training and research in pediatrics. It supports
the College of Medicine's mission to train culturally competent physicians
to provide comprehensive health care to underserved populations. It allows
pediatrics to be added as a fourth discipline in the CMU College of
Medicine's specialty training programs.
Two
State Senators are calling for an investigation into State Senator Pete
Lucido. Lucido has been under fire for telling a group of high school boys
during a State Capitol visit that they could have some fun with a young
female reporter and saying that she could have fun with him. Senate
Minority Leader Jim Aninich says the legislature is a workplace with a
higher standard Lucido has said he meant nothing by the remarks and that
he's sorry he was misunderstood. (Photo: Lucido)
Michigan
State Police are asking for the public's help to find a Marquette man,
who's been missing for a few months. 58-year-old Jody Dean Howe, of
Marquette, has been missing since Augues, least seen at a Meijer store
August 23rd. Anyone with information can contact the Michigan State Police
Negaunee Post.
The Green ooze saga is almost over, but cleaning it up is a whole
other issue. Michigan environmental agency officials say the cleanup of
the industrial site might cost millions of dollars. They say the efforts
to contain the leak cost at least 200-thousand dollars over the past
month. Tracy Kecskenmeti, a member of the Department of Environment, Great
lakes and energy -- says the presence of certain substances could increase
the cost significantly.
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A
couple of new Great Lakes cruises from Viking Cruise Line will offer stops
in Michigan. Undiscovered Great Lakes is an eight-day voyage from Thunder
Bay, Ontario, to Milwaukee, with a passage between Lake Superior and Lake
Huron via the Soo Locks. One of the stops is Mackinac Island. Niagara &
the Great Lakes is another eight-day voyage, this one hitting Niagara
Falls, Detroit and Sleeping Bear Dunes.
If you visit Grand Rapids in the next month, you may see 25 spinning
prisms in an interactive ice sculpture called Prismatica. Director of
public space management for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc, Kimberly Van Driel,
tells WOOD TV that it's been all over Europe, Canada and the United
States. Prismatica arrives along with Grand Rapids World of Winter
Festival.
Top
STATE NEWS for WED 15JAN20
A
man from Newberry in the Upper Peninsula has been charged with 35 counts
of possessing and distributing child porn. , Glenn Sutton was taken into
custody after a reported warranted search of his home and multiple
electronic devices yielded evidence of his activity. The investigation
originated from a National Center of Missing & Exploited Children cyber
tip. If convicted, Sutton faces 15 years in prison for the
aggravated distribution of child sexually abusive activity, 10 years in
prison for the aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material,
seven years in prison for the distribution of child sexually abusive
activity, four years in prison for the possession of child sexually
abusive activity, and up to 20 years in prison for using a computer to
commit a crime. Sutton is currently free on bond.
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Michigan
State Police are investigating the death of an inmate in the Upper
Peninsula's Iron County Correctional Facility. The sheriff's office
reports deputies found an inmate dead last Saturday morning.
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There's
been a propane tank explosion in west Michigan's Ionia County early this
morning. WOOD TV reports it happened at a home in Boston Township just off
of Bluewater Highway. Homeowner Joshua Miles says he , his wife and three
kids all got out safely. He says he ran outside to shut off the propane to
prevent a bigger explosion. The propane tank heats their home.
Top
STATE NEWS for TUE 14JAN20
A
woman in southwest Michigan has taken a plea deal, and admitted to hiding
the death of her mother. Marcia Lutz pleaded guilty to felony concealing
the death of an individual. The body of Lutz's mother, 74-year-old Phyllis
Lutz , was found on her property in Calhoun County last year. A charge of
failing to report the discovery of a dead body was dismissed in the plea
deal.
The
former owner of the Swan House in Manistee County, psychologist Paul
Smith, is going to prison for healthcare fraud and money laundering. The
Department of Justice says Smith Bilked Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
out of millions of dollars . It claims he used the money to pay for his
hotel interests in Manistee County. He will have to give up the real
estate and licenses , the reason he used the money.
The
father of the man convicted of killing and dismembering a west Michigan
woman, James Chance, has now been convicted of being an accessory after
the fact. Chance was acquitted of perjury charges, but could be retried on
one count because the jury was deadlocked on that charge. Chance is the
father of Jared Chance , who is serving life in prison in the murder of
Ashley Young , of Oshtemo Township. The elder Chance faces up to six
months in jail.
49-year-old
Kent County Corrections officer Brian Johnson is accused of driving drunk
and hitting a pedestrian last Friday night. WOOD TV reports Johnson
stopped and remained on the scene and testing determined that he was
intoxicated. The 24-yearold woman he his has been released from the
hospital. Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young says they regret this
incident has occurred and understand the gravity. She says their thoughts
go out to the person who was hit. She says they will conduct a separate
investigation to address Johnson's status.
The
Michigan hunter involved in the killing of another hunter at the start of
the 2018 deer season will serve at least FIVE years in prison. The jury
convicted David Barber of involuntary manslaughter and a gun offense.
Investigators say Barber believed he had shot a deer but instead hit
another person, Justin Beutel. (Photo: Barber-L, Beutel-R)
Top
STATE NEWS for MON 13JAN20
Ten
animals were killed in a barn fire in Fenton Township in Genesee County
just before one this morning. NBC 25 reports one horse and nine calves
were killed in the fire , which reportedly broke out just before one this
morning. The cause is being investigated. The barn is a total loss.
A
missing snowmobile rider was found in the U-P's Marquette County over the
weekend. WL-U-C reports 42-year-old Jason Goletz, of Pontiac, broke down
early Saturday evening on a trail in Champion Township. Goletz was found
walking on Trail 5 nearly seven hours later and was taken back to the
Maple Ridge Resort in Michigamme. He did not require medical attention.
Detroit
is seventh in the nation when it comes to having a bed bug problem. Orkin
has released its 2020 Bed Bug Cities list with Washington, D.C. in the top
spot and Baltimore dropping to second place. Lansing ranks 30th and Flint
is 31.
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LOCAL NEWS for FRI 17JAN20
Kalitta
Air recently announced the layoff of 154 employees. The layoffs are
at their aircraft maintenance facility on the former Wurtsmith Air Force
Base in Oscoda. According to the Iosco County News Herald, Kalitta's
Director of Heavy Maintenance, Don Nolan, said most of the layoffs were
contractors and temporary employees. Nolan said the layoffs were mainly
due to the global economic conditions that are greatly impacting air
freight. He said they are hoping it's the last time they have to do it,
adding the last time was about eleven years ago. Nolan said he wasn't sure
if the layoffs were permanent saying the company will have to see how its
next quarter pans out. 
A
northern Michigan man has been arrested for stealing a truck that he was
taking for a test drive. Trever Kibby-Boron, of Lewiston, reportedly took
the truck for a test drive in Hayes Township and never took it back. A
state trooper found the truck south of Fremont and arrested Kibby-Boron.
The
Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce has a new director. The Tawas Area
Chamber of Commerce's new managing director is Christina Aller. According
to the Iosco County News Herald, Aller has been with the chamber for the
past three years, most recently as office manager. She replaces Penny
Payea, who resigned as managing director last November after accepting a
position with Michigan Works. Aller said her intent is to go a full cycle
year as managing director to get to know all the events and to have them
scheduled successfully before she decides whether or not to make any
changes.
The
Michigan State Police recently announced the promotion of Sergeant Michael
Brown to the rank of Lieutenant and Assistant Post Commander of the West
Branch Post. In his new role as Assistant Post Commander, Brown will be
responsible for providing day-to day oversight and leadership to forty
Michigan State Police personnel. Before enlisting in the Michigan State
Police, Brown served with the Alcona County Sheriff's Office and Oscoda
Township Police Department. Brown's promotion was effective as of Sunday,
January 12th. The Michigan State Police West Branch Post serves Arenac,
Gladwin, Iosco and Ogemaw counties.
Duane
L. Hadley, long time local Standish Attorney and criminal defense
advocate, recently filed paperwork with the Arenac County Clerk's office
to become Arenac County's next Sheriff, on the Republican ballot, for the
election scheduled for August 4th. Hadley has been a licensed attorney for
nearly 24 years practicing law in a majority of Michigan district, circuit
and appellate courts. He is also licensed to practice in the Saginaw
Chippewa Tribal Court as well as the Michigan Federal Court System. He was
also a Friend of the Court Enforcement Officer with the 23rd Judicial
Circuit Court until he pursued private practice in 1999. Hadley also spent
time in the law enforcement field until 1988 when he elected to pursue a
legal career. 
Last
week, Oscoda county announced increases in building permit issuances, the
week, Ogemaw county is announcing the same. The issuing of building
permits in Ogemaw County was up for the year 2019 and is continuing into
2020. Ogemaw County Building Inspector, Brian Stein, said it is a
continuation of a trend of new growth in the county. According to the
Ogemaw County Herald, a total of 1,386 building permits were issued in
2019, an increase of 24 permits from 2018. Stein said there were 23
building permits issued for construction of commercial buildings and 97
permits were issued for residential buildings in the county in 2019.
Stein, who has served as County Building Inspector since 2006, said the
county was hit hard by the housing market crash which began in 2008, but
began to rally in 2012 and has continued to show healthy growth since
then. 
A
former school custodian at All Saints Catholic School in Alpena has been
arrested and charged for possession of child pornography. A tip led to the
arrest of Christopher Olsen. Michigan State Police reportedly took several
electronic devices from his home and workplace. Police say they contained
several thousand images of suspected child porn. Olsen no longer works at
the school, but it released a statement saying, they empathize with
whomever has been affected. The school has sent out a letter to parents to
let them know about the charges.
The
Arenac County Road Commission is aware of a culvert that is collapsing.
The collapsing culvert is on State Road in Standish. According to the
Arenac County Independent, road commission manager Blair Dyer said it is
not an immediate concern. Dyer said the damage to the culvert doesn't
affect the strength of the structure, so does not need to be replaced at
this time. Dyer said the culvert was probably built in the 1930's but the
concrete is still in good shape. Dyer added that the county plans to fix
the culvert eventually, but probably not before spring.
Harbor
Beach officials recently discussed the issue of upgrading water meters.
The Harbor Beach City Council approved charging residents unwilling to
upgrade their water meters. According to the Huron Daily Tribune, the
Department of Public Works has been replacing meters throughout town
during the summer and fall of 2019 and encountered several city residents
unwilling to consent to having their meters replaced. At the request of
Department of Public Works Superintendent, Mike Jurgess, the council
approved a quarterly fee of $50 dollars on those accounts not consenting
to replacing old meters. The fee will become effective with the March 2020
billing. 
The
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Drinking Water
and Environmental Health Division will hold a hearing Thursday to receive
public comments on proposed rules to establish maximum contaminant levels
for PFAS in drinking water. Attending the hearing will be Cathy
Wusterbarth and Greg Cole of "Now: Need Our Water" of Oscoda who will be
sharing their comments on access to safe drinking water and the
contamination of Oscoda's drinking water supply. The meeting will be held
tomorrow from 5-8pm in the AuSable Room of the Ralph A. McMullen
Conference Center, 104 Conservation Drive in Roscommon. .JPG)
How
would you like to be a lighthouse keeper this summer? They're looking for
volunteers to live in the Tawas Point Lighthouse on Lake Huron in northern
Michigan for two weeks this summer. Manager of the lighthouse, Laurie
Perkins, says you and three others can live at the top of the lighthouse
and you'd have to provide tours for a few hours a day in the historic
lighthouse..JPG)
On
January 6th, 2019, at approximately 11:20am, deputies from the Alcona
County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a residence in Glennie. Alcona
Central Dispatch received a 911 call from a female
stating
that her husband, Kenneth McMullen, had been struck in the head by an
unknown assailant outside their home. The suspects ran from the scene
before deputies arrived. After almost a year long investigation it was
determined that the suspect, Michael Keeting, knew and had worked for the
victim. Two other suspects were friends of
Keeting
but did not know the victim. The three planned to drive from Saginaw to
the victim's residence to commit robbery. When the victim resisted, he was
struck in the head and body with a metal pipe. Arraigned in 81st District
Court were Michael Keeting, Kayley Duel and Quinton McMurren, all
residents of Saginaw. The three are charged with assault with intent to do
great bodily harm less than murder, assault with a dangerous weapon,
conspiracy to commit a breaking and entering and attempted breaking and
entering. Keeting is being held by the Michigan Department of Corrections
on other charges; McMurren is lodged in the Alcona County Jail and Duel is
free on bond. (Photos: Kayley Duel, Quinton McMurren, photo of
Keeting not available at time of publishing) .JPG)
An
Alcona County Park will be receiving grant funding. The North End
Park on Hubbard Lake will be receiving grant money from the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources Recreation Passport Program. According to
the Alcona County Review the $150,000 grant and an anonymous donation of
$50,000 dollars will give Caledonia Township $200,000 dollars for the next
phase of park improvements. The next phase will include shoreline
stabilization; canoe/kayak ramp launch; two swimming docks with stairs;
swimming caution buoys and swimming platform. Caledonia Township
Supervisor Cyndi Apsey said the township will continue to see k grant
funding for further improvements to North End Park.
The
Tawas Area Schools Board of Education will hold their reorganization and
regular meeting tonight. On the agenda is election of officers, a
resolution to amend the 2019-2020 General Fund Budget, discussion on class
size overload and an Emergency Operations Plan Approval. The meeting will
be held tonight at 7pm, in the boardroom of the administration office in
Tawas City. 
West
Branch officials recently discussed a grant application. The grant
application is for an iron removal plant and additional well. According to
the Ogemaw County Herald, the application by the West Branch City Council
is in response to the Department of Environmental Quality tightening
regulations for water quality. The cost for the new structure is estimated
to be $1.5 Million dollars, with ninety percent of that cost covered
through the grant. The city would be responsible to pay the remaining
$150,000 dollars. The city will also have to pay $10,000 dollars for the
grant application and engineering report. The proposed location of the new
structures would be behind The Brook Retirement Home and will not include
expanding or replacing the existing water main.
Arenac
County officials recently accepted land donated to the county. The
fifty acres of land was donated by Standish native Rick Fiddler. According
to the Arenac County Independent, the fifty acres is joined to Youngman
Park. The land is located behind the existing park on State Road in
Standish. The deed states that the county will expand the existing park
system into the donated parcels which would allow for further outdoor
recreational activities for the general public. Attorney Duane Hadley
donated his legal services to the commissioners to put together the deed.
The Fiddler name will be added to the title of the park along with the
Youngman name. 
Friday,
January 17, 2020
Martin
Luther King Jr. Day
National
Pie Day
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
