 |
| © 2020Google |
The allegations, in a complaint filed by Treasurer Kenneth Bednark, claimed that township meetings were not in compliance with the executive orders issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and made inaccurate claims regarding the safety procedures implemented by township officials.
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) Safety Officer Jerry Zacharczuk interviewed Township Supervisor John Morgan and Deputy Supervisor Karen Armatis Sept. 16 regarding the allegations.
 |
| Christopher Sanders |
Sanders, 51, is accused of paying defendant Jimmie Lee Chandler, 28, of Van Buren Township, to break into Nocerini's car while it was parked in the city hall lot on Oct. 12, 2017 and place the starter pistol and fake drugs in the glove compartment. Prosecutors allege that Chandler then watched Nocerini leave in her vehicle and subsequently placed a 911 call to police identifying her vehicle and alleging she had been involved in a road rage incident.
Members of the Belleville City Council approved the hiring of Vera Chapman as the new city clerk/treasurer, just in time to manage the Nov. 3 general election.
Chapman, who is expected to begin her new job in Belleville in about a week, is currently employed in Birmingham. She will replace Sheri Scharf who resigned from the dual city position effective Sept. 1. Scharf did stay on with the city through Sept. 4 in an effort to complete some of the work required by the upcoming election.
Chapman's hiring followed a report earlier this month from Interim City Manager Tracey Schultz Kobylarz who told council members that without Scharf the city was without staff to register voters, send absentee ballots or manage the upcoming election.
New director is welcomed at Leanna Hicks Public Library
Julie Brown, Special Writer
Betty Adams took over Aug. 31 as
Leanna Hicks Public Library of Inkster director.
“The whole building is new,” Inkster resident Adams said of the structure at 2500 Hamlin Blvd. in Inkster. The construction entailed a temporary relocation to an Inkster Road site, with the late March of this year grand reopening delayed by the pandemic.
“I'm a firm believer the sky's the limit. The only thing that's impossible is the thing you don't want to put time into,” she said.
Former 34th District Court Judge David Parrott is scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing tomorrow, Sept. 25, in 35th District Court before Judge James A. Plakas.
Parrott, who was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection to the bench Aug. 4, is facing a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence. He is accused of assaulting his live-in girlfriend Feb. 8 in the Van Buren Township condominium they shared.
Van Buren police were called to the residence on a disturbance call, according to police reports and arrested Parrott based on the evidence at the scene and the accounts of the victim.
 |
| Chelsea Nicole Dunbar |
Chelsea Nicole Dunbar was arrested by the Michigan State Police (MSP) Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and arraigned on multiple counts of production, distribution, and aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, and criminal sexual conduct 1st degree.
According to police reports, the investigation began in June when law enforcement became aware of Dunbar possessing computer files of child pornography. Police said that a further investigation revealed a child victim in the case and a search warrant was executed in Romulus where Dunbar was taken into custody. The child victim was accounted for at the time of arrest, according to police accounts.
The City of Westland has once again invested in cutting-edge technology to keep the community safe and promote police department accountability.
Police Chief Jeff Jedrusik said the department has entered into a partnership with Altovista Technology, a leader in law enforcement intelligence, to provide the Westland Police Department with a new intelligence risk management software program named Arx Alert.
Arx Alert is designed to help prevent problems from occurring within a police agency. The program allows for two configurable user dashboards, Jedrusik said.
The first is an internal dashboard which will provide data directly to the chief of police to help analyze department risk on factors such as police pursuits, use of force, officers' productivity and officers' behavior patterns.
 |
| J. Susan Aitken |
“During a wonderful journey I made with my children years ago, we experienced stained glass masterpieces in France and Italy that took my breath away. The light and the color were unforgettable,” Aitken said, prompting her current work.
Most of the exhibited paintings are inspired by Aitken's imagination or experiences rather than existing stained glass windows. Instead of the reflective light of glass, there is a constant luminescent quality created through the painting technique which is not dependent on outside light.
 |
| Michael Siegrist |
“Canton is able to staff the precincts using the inspectors from August, along with additional recruits who have expressed interest after reading our call for help in the Canton Focus. Additionally, we increased the pay to $200 for Precinct Inspectors and $300 for Co-Chairs,” Siegrist said.
Individuals interested in becoming Canton precinct inspectors can visit www.canton-mi.org/vote and click on the Inspector link. An individual can fill out an “Election Inspector Interest Form” indicating interest and availability, he advised. Siegrist's office provides step-by-step instructions on the website about how to finish the process.
 |
| Yelim Park |
 |
| Sydney Smith |
This year, Sydney Smith and Yelim Park were each awarded the scholarships.
Smith is a second year student at Schoolcraft College and a second year recipient of the award. She is a 2019 graduate of the Plymouth Canton Education Park. Smith said she loves hospitality, loves food service and hope to someday become a food director at a resort.
Park graduated in 2020 from Plymouth Canton Educational Park and is in her first year at Schoolcraft College. She is currently employed at Rocky's of Northville and her career goal is to be an executive chef at her own restaurant.
Northville Art House is now independent
While the Art House has achieved the dream of independence from the city, the COVID 19 effects have added some nightmare elements to the evolution of the facility into an autonomous non-profit organization after operating under the wing of the City of Northville for more than 15 years.
 |
| Debbie Dingell |
 |
| Rashida Tlaib |
 |
| LeRoy Burcroff |
 |
| Kay Masini |
 |
| Ramzi El Gharib |
 |
| Milton Mack, Jr. |
State Court Administrator Emeritus, Milton Mack, Jr., has been appointed to serve on a national task force to assist state courts in more effectively responding to the needs of court-involved individuals with serious mental illness. The 40-member group includes four state supreme court chief justices, four state court administrators, and wide range of experts from across the nation.
Mack, a Wayne resident and former judge at the 29th District Court, has long been an advocate for mental health reform, promoting early intervention and treatment instead of incarceration.
“Given that our justice system is all too often the default mental health system, the work of this task force is timely, essential, and lifesaving,” said Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack. “Milt's incredible experience and knowledge on this challenging issue will help courts become the catalyst for diverting individuals to treatment instead of jail or prison.”
 |
| Northville Township Treasurer Fred Shadko accepts the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. |
Official census takers are in local neighborhoods going door-to-door throughout the area attempting to count those who have not completed the 2020 Census.
Residents who have not responded to the census can do so by phone, online or by mail, officials said. Those who have already completed the form are far less likely to be visited by the workers.
Last week, the national response was at 76.5 percent, while local participation differed. In our area, Inkster had the lowest response with 61.2 percent while in Plymouth Township, 87.6 percent of households had responded. Only 12.1 percent of census data was collected by personal visits nationwide with 64.4 percent responding online, by phone or mail.
The traditional 10-acre corn maze will open at the community farm tomorrow and continue through Oct. 25.
Organizers said the annual maze will have a little different look this season as farm personnel and visitors will be following social distancing directives and will be wearing masks. This year, too, the number of guests in the maze will be restricted and tickets will be by reservation only. The advance ticket sales will allow farm officials to control the number of people in the maze per half hour. Tickets can be purchased on the website www.mayburyfarm.org.
 |
| Ellen Craig-Bragg |
“Do not turn your ballot over to one of these groups to bring to city hall for you,” she advised voters. “I strongly recommend against this. These groups have good intentions, but this has to do with protecting your ballot and accountability.”
Craig-Bragg's comments came at a recent meeting of the members of the city council when she reminded residents that requests for absentee ballots need to be made only once. She said her office was receiving phone calls from some voters who were confused by several mass mailings suggesting they request an absentee ballot when they may have already done so.
Officials at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus received some good news last week.
According to U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will be awarding $1,957,480 to Detroit Metro Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant is supplemented by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act - which Stabenow and Peters helped enact - to support airports affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 |
| Devin Adams |
Adams has served as the Westland controller/purchasing director since December of 2012. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Western Michigan University and is currently pursuing his master's degree in business administration at Wayne State University.
Crain's Leadership Academy offers the best of personal development, professional growth, leadership exposure and civic outreach through discovery sessions and guest CEO speakers, according to a prepared statement from the city.
While scarecrows were originally designed to discourage visitors, those coming to downtown Wayne this month are expected to draw crowds to the area.
Scarecrows will be on display throughout downtown from Sept. 26 through Nov. 6 and community members are encouraged to visit each of the installations, while exploring historic downtown. Residents and visitors will also have the opportunity to vote on their favorite scarecrows during a balloting and reception planned from noon until 3 p.m. Oct. 17 in Derby's Alley at 34924 W. Michigan Ave.
City of Northville residents are in favor of new development in the community, as long as it preserves the small town character of the city while managing traffic and enhancing pedestrian options, according to a recent planning commission survey.
During a recent virtual meeting of the Northville Planning Commission, City Planner Sally Elmiger presented the results of the Master Plan Update survey which was developed to learn more about residents' impressions of Cady Street, Northville Downs racetrack and South Center Street.
New entertainment venue open downtown
Downtown Northville is offering a new twist on dining in the city.
Officials have approved a new social district in the community, allowing city streets to become an extension of the bars and restaurants themselves.
It's called The Twist and expands already-closed city streets to become an even larger district where visitors can walk the city streets with “cocktails to-go” from participating businesses. The district encompasses N. Center from Main to Dunlap and E. Main from Center to Hutton, with common areas including sidewalks, roadways, Town Square, and Old Church Square.
Following complaints from several local restaurants regarding the failure of the food truck to pay taxes in the community and citing an unfair competitive edge, trustees had rejected the Slows’ license extension request at the Aug. 25 meeting by a 4-3 vote.
Students in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools will begin school this year from home.
In an extended meeting recently, members of the board of education approved a plan to begin the school year virtually, for all students. Board members and administrators noted that the decision was based, in part, from information received in a survey of district families and input from the union which represents district teachers. The district had been planning on a blended system of in-person and virtual classes, but that decision was changed during the discussion of the safety protocols and dangers of COVID-19.
Don Howard, Staff Writer
 | ||
| Plymouth Township firefighters man aerial ladder truck, one of several fire apparatus required to control massive industrial fire last week at an industrial facility. Photo by Dan Phillips |
Fire officials said the building that housed Netshaped Solutions, located at 9075 General Dr. near Joy Road, was likely a total loss but there's a chance much of the heavy industrial cold forming and thread rolling equipment was saved from damage.
Township Fire Chief Dan Phillips said an employee working overtime first reported the fire at 3:45 p.m. According to Phillips. the business entity performs manufacturing operations that involve cutting oil and fluids, believed to be the main source of the fire.
Congresswoman visits area middle school
 |
| Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, center, visited McBride Middle School in Belleville last week and spoke with Principal John Leroy and Assistant Principal Laura Maher while maintaining social distancing protocols. |
She saw preparations and distributions of meals and school supplies including Chromebooks for students to stay connected virtually.
A recount of the primary election totals in Sumpter Township confirmed incumbent John Morgan as the winner in the race for township supervisor.
The recount, requested and funded by candidate Nelson Po, included nine precincts and all absentee ballots.
 |
| Raymond Lee Bailey |
Judge Tina Brooks Green of the 34th District Court agreed to reschedule the court conference for Raymond Lee Bailey to Sept. 16. Brooks Green approved the delay to allow Bailey, 37, time to secure a different attorney, who will then need time to review the case.
During the brief video appearance last week, Bailey told the judge that he expected to meet his new attorney during the weekend. He was wearing a face mask and jail garb and is being held without bail in the Wayne County Jail.
 |
| Tim Rush |
 |
Rotarians Dick Schmidt, Joe White and Ted Barker meet
with Rori Meyerink, IPSEP supervisor, at the pavilion,
to discuss renovation plans.
|
 |
| Jason William Dean |
 |
| Aubrey Berman |
 |
| Anthony “Nick” Jones |
The odds are in betters' favor at Northville Downs which opened recently for standardbred racing.