Judge to hear hazardous waste arguments Oct. 5

    The evidentiary hearing in a lawsuit filed by several local communities seeking to prevent the disposal of nuclear waste in the area has been rescheduled for Oct. 9.
    Canton Township, Van Buren Township, the City of Romulus, and the City of Belleville were awarded a Temporary Restraining Order earlier this month, stopping Wayne Disposal, Inc. from accepting scheduled shipments of radioactive World War II era nuclear waste at the Wayne Disposal hazardous waste landfill in Van Buren Township.
    The planned shipment of 8,400 tons of radioactive waste material from Project Manhattan in New York to the Van Buren Township landfill was temporarily blocked by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kevin Cox last week in response to an injunction filed by attorneys representing the communities.
    “We are very pleased that the judge saw merit in our case for the residents surrounding this waste facility,” said Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak.
    She said Canton officials took immediate action when the plans to truck the radioactive waste were first revealed in the media.
    “Wayne Disposal is just three miles south of Canton, and located in the Huron River Watershed, close to our rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater. It sits next to two schools and residential neighborhoods immediately to the east and south. According to EGLE, (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) the harmful chemicals PFAS have been detected at Wayne Disposal,” Graham Hudak said in a prepared statement. She said the landfill has been cited multiple times for safety violations, according to media reports, and has had leaks and fires. Graham-Hudak said reports claim that Wayne Disposal has been cited for at least 15 violations by state and federal regulators in the past decade and fined for than $471,000. “Exposure to radioactive waste damages organs, causes birth defects and leads to cancer. In large doses, as with a radioactive spill or accident, it causes vomiting, skin burns, hair loss and even death. In other words, it will take just one leak or fire to cause permanent and irreversible injury to the health and welfare of Canton residents and the surrounding communities,” she said.
    The hazardous material which contains elevated radioactivity was to be shipped from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site in Lewiston, New York where the waste had been stored. The waste matter is from uranium extraction during the development of atomic bombs from 1944 until 1952. Original plans scheduled about 6,000 cubic yards of contaminated yards of soil and concrete in about 25 semitruck shipments through January 2025.
    State Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Township introduced state legislation to prevent disposal or trucking of hazardous, radioactive waste through local communities. She said this was a health and safety issue, not one of politics.
    Plans to transport the waste to Wayne Disposal Inc. site were only revealed to state and county officials on Aug. 12, prompting protests and complaints from area residents.
    The court filing followed a contentious public meeting attended by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, Miller and several local officials. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and representatives from Wayne Disposal owner Republic Services attempted to explain the safety and legality of the waste transport to the local site.
    Steve Pylypiak, chief of special projects for the Buffalo District of the Army Corps of Engineers assured the crowd that federal inspections of the Van Buren site as of 2022 found that it met all mandated safety protocols, despite public claims of several fires at the site. He said the trucking contractors would be required to follow federal safety requirements for transporting the waste through local communities and maintained that accidents involving trucks during transport of waste material were “rare.”

Iron Belle Trail section opened in Van Buren

Van Buren Township and state officials, along with members of the community,
celebrate the opening of the Iron Belle Trail section in the township.
The non-motorized recreational pathway connects 48 Michigan counties.

A section of the Iron Belle Trail, which is expected to travel from Belle Isle to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula officially opened in Van Buren Township last month. The Van Buren Township non-motorized pathway project will close a 7.0 mile gap in the Iron Belle State trail. The path will connect the B2B Trail system (55 miles) in Washtenaw County with the HCMA trail system (30+ miles) that begins in the Lower Huron Metropark and extends southeast to Lake Erie.  More than 80 percent of the completed distance will follow the Huron River Greenway while the overall trail will connect dozens of existing parks, schools, central business districts and neighborhoods, according to state officials.

Belleville Rotary Club presents annual scholarships

Members of the Rotary Club of Belleville presented six $5,000 scholarships to Belleville-area graduates during the 78th Annual Scholarship Program May 23.

The awards presentation took place at Belleville High School and included school administrators, parents, family members and Rotarians. 

The four Academic Scholarships went to Hope Copeland, Samantha Pause, Krishna Sharma and Sean Tinsley. The Charles B. Cozadd Community Service Award for service to school and other students was presented to Luke Budd while the Donald Juchartz Award for Community Service was presented to Ethan Delaney.

During the meeting, Belleville Rotary Club President Mary Jo Suchy offered a welcome, including an explanation of what Rotary is and a summary of club activities helping individual citizens, communities and other charities in carrying on their work.

Belleville Community Chorus sets date for annual spring concert

The Belleville Community Chorus will present the 16th annual spring concert, Life's Musical Sound Stage: Melodies, Meanderings, Memories, at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 7. The performance will feature a variety of songs ranging from classic Rock 'n' Roll to popular movie themes, organizers said.

The concert will be performed at the Belleville United Methodist Church, 417 Charles St., Belleville.  The concert will be directed by Mary Butler Loring with accompaniment by Judith Weed, backed by drummer Joe Laurell, bass player Eston Keller, and electric guitarist Eric Loring.

Belleville High School valedictorian matches brother’s honor

Sean Tinsley

Educational excellence is a family tradition in the Tinsley family.

Brothers, Sean and Shane, are the first Black valedictorian and salutatorian in their respective graduating classes at Belleville High School.

Shane Tinsley became the salutatorian of his graduating class in 2020, the first African-American student to have won that distinction, which is based on academic performance. This year his younger brother, Sean Tinsley, became the first African-American valedictorian of the class of 2023. 

“I saw him (brother Shane) make history and I wanted to make an impact on my school and my community as well,” Sean Tinsley told reporters covering the unique achievements.

Toxic waste from train derailment sent to local sites

Toxic waste from the site of an Ohio train derailment was
sent by truck to Romulus and Van Buren Township for disposal. 

The decision to send five truckloads of toxic waste 225 miles from the site of a train derailment in Ohio for disposal in Romulus and Belleville met with outrage from city, county and state officials last week .

While some of the toxic soil and chemicals from the massive train accident in Ohio have already been accepted at the deep-well injection disposal in Romulus and at a disposal site in Van Buren Township, transport of the waste material has been halted due, in part, to strong protests from area officials. Norfolk-Southern Railway managers made the decision to send the chemicals and toxic soil from the site of the East Palestine, Ohio derailment by truck into sites owned by Republic Waste Services in both Romulus and Van Buren Township.

Recruitment violations bench Belleville head football coach

Jermain Crowell

Belleville High School Football Coach Jermain Crowell has been prohibited from coaching any sport at any school for the next two academic years.

The ruling, handed down last week by officials from the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), followed an investigation of charges that Crowell violated the undue influence rule, approaching potential players inappropriately in attempts to recruit them for the Belleville team.

Crowell, who has coached the Tigers for eight seasons, was immediately suspended by school officials when the ruling was revealed in a letter of inquiry from MHSAA last month. He was prohibited from coaching the state championship Belleville team during the ongoing playoffs. The team is being coached by interim head coach DeJuan Rogers, according to school officials.

Wrong way driver results in 2 fatalities

Police said a preliminary investigation indicates that alcohol may have been a factor in an early morning Thanksgiving Day crash that killed two area residents.

A 28-year-old man from Belleville reportedly entered M-14 near Beck Road at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 24 going the wrong way on the highway. Michigan State Police reports said that as  troopers responded to the wrong way driver complaints, witnesses in the area reported a head-on crash.

Concert set

The 16th annual Belleville Community Chorus holiday concert, JOY-HOPE-LOVE will begin at 3 p.m. Dec. 11 at Belleville United Methodist Church. The concert will be directed by Mary Butler-Loring, accompanied by Judith Weed, and will feature traditional songs of the season. As always, the concert is free, though donations are welcome. 

Coach suspended as recruitment is investigated

The ongoing investigation into any possible violations of recruitment rules has resulted in the suspension of Belleville High School football coach Jermain Crowell.

Crowell's suspension was prompted by an investigation by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MSHAA) revealed last week. The team is currently defending their top spot in the district championship final games. 

High school football recruitment questioned

Belleville High School head football coach Jermain Crowell is currently under investigation for a possible undue influence violation by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. 

Crowell has denied any wrongdoing which is alleged to have occurred with attempts to recruit and enroll senior wide receiver/defensive back Jameel Croft, Jr. who plays for Detroit King High School. In an interview, Croft reportedly said that the Belleville coach made overtures to him and was picking him up for seven on seven practices before he enrolled at King. The star player said that Belleville was the first high school to reach out to him.

Neighborhood violence feeding students’ fears

The recent report of a third student with a gun at Belleville High School may be connected to an ongoing neighborhood dispute in Ypsilanti, according to Superintendent of Van Buren Schools Pete Kudlak.

The latest incident occurred Oct. 12 when high school administrators were notified that a student had posted a social media video of himself brandishing a firearm. The video was not taken at Belleville High School, according to reports from Belleville Police Chief David Robinson, but school administrators and police located the student as he arrived at school the morning of Oct. 13. A firearm was subsequently discovered on his person and he told school administrators that he was carrying the firearm in an effort to protect himself in an ongoing neighborhood conflict. 

Chorus rehearsals continue

Rehearsals are now under way for the Belleville Community Chorus winter concert, Joy-Hope-Love, set for Dec. 11 at First United Methodist Church.

The group welcomes singers from 16 through 96 to join the chorus, whether new voclaists or veterans who have sung with the members in the past. Soprano, alto, tenor, bass or undetermined, the chorus, under the direction of Mary Loring, is open to all who love music and singing, a spokesman said. To join, arrive at the church a few minutes before 7 p.m. any Monday and expect a warm welcome, he added. 

Belleville Community Chorus rehearsing for concert

Rehearsals are now under way for the Belleville Community Chorus winter concert, Joy-Hope-Love, set for Dec. 11 at First United Methodist Church.

The group welcomes singers from 16 through 96 to join the chorus, whether new vocalists or veterans who have sung with the members in the past. Soprano, alto, tenor, bass or undetermined are welcome to join the chorus, under the direction of Mary Loring, a spokesman said. To join, arrive at the church a few minutes before 7 p.m. any Monday and expect a warm welcome, he added. 

Rotary Club marks Day of Service

Members of the Belleville Rotary Club performed a cleanup at Fireworks Island in Belleville  Sept. 17 as part of Rotary District 6400 A Day of Service. The district wide event was marked by 1,500 members in the district's 52 clubs. On the day of service, club members worked on projects simultaneously to illustrate to themselves and to their communities their far-reaching impact.

"The clubs in our district do a terrific job of taking our motto of Service Above Self  to heart," said District 6400 Governor Traci Sincock. "Sometimes we get so involved in our own projects, though, that we forget to see the big picture. By coordinating some of the projects to take place in one 24-hour period, we can step back and see just how big the impact of our entire district is."

Local Comcast cable executive will retire after 40 years

Maria Holmes

Maria Holmes ended her four-decade career in the telecommunications industry last month as she announced her retirement as the director of Community Impact for the Comcast Heartland Region. 

Holmes, of Belleville, was charged with facilitating the connection of corporate and nonprofit resources to help many in the community enhance their quality of life, according to a prepared statement.

“Maria is one of the most dedicated employees I have had the pleasure of working with at Comcast,” said Craig D'Agostini, vice president of External Affairs for the Comcast Heartland Region. “Her passion for community impact has been a tremendous asset to this company and the communities we serve.”

Yankee Air Museum offering rare helicopter rides

Flying in a Huey helicopter with the doors wide open and the wind rushing around is an opportunity rarely offered but this Saturday, June 25, the Yankee Air Museum will take eager passengers into the machines for a unique experience.

The 10-minute rides in the Huey helicopter will begin at 10 a.m. and will be available for $99. The doors will remain open during the flight, weather permitting, officials said. Flights can be booked at www.yankeeairmuseum.org and click Fly With Us. Scroll down on the page to find the UH-1 Huey.  

Rotary Club presents student scholarships

Rotary Scholarship Committee chair and incoming club president
Mary Jo Suchy, far right, congratulates recent scholarship winners
Kylie Satterfield, left,  Laura Montgomery, Kennedy Plummer, Avery Fields
and Isaac Davis. 

Members of the Rotary Club of Belleville awarded five, $5,000 scholarships to area high school graduates during the 77th Annual Scholarship Program of the club. The event took place May 24 at Belleville High School and was attended by school administrators, parents and  family members along with the club members. Three Academic Scholarships went to Isaac Davis, Avery Fields and Kylie Satterfield.  The Charles B. Cozadd Community Service Award for service to school and other students was awarded to Laura Montgomery and the Donald Juchartz Award for community service was presented to Kennedy Plummer.    

College chancellor is honored

Dr. Curtis L. Ivery

The American Association of Community Colleges celebrated Wayne County Community College (WCCCD) Chancellor Dr. Curtis L. Ivery recently during the Awards of Excellence gala.  Ivery received the first ever CEO of the Year award from the association, which recognized his national leadership in issues of educational equity and creating opportunity for students through higher education.  Ivery has served as chancellor of the Wayne County Community College District in Michigan since 1995. In his acceptance of the award, Ivery noted how over the past few years during COVID he has reflected on the work of the college to strengthen student success and equity, and the challenges ahead - but said he's “especially happy to see students returning to the college.” The Ted Scott Campus of the college is located at 9555 Haggerty Road in Belleville. 

Financial workshop set

Messiah Center for Hope in Belleville will present Show Me The Money Day on May 14.

The free event will feature affordable financial products, community resources, financial workshops regarding financial literacy and budgeting. Presenters will also connect community members with free tax assistance services and discuss important tax credits, according to organizers. 

The event will take place from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at 42200 Tyler Road in Belleville, 48111.