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WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

Parole On Hold For Man Convicted Of Rape

7/2/09 - The pending release of a former Livingston County man convicted of raping a woman has been put on hold after objections were raised by Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper. Cooper’s office says that state officials notified them in June that Charles Feuquay would be released next week after serving 12 years and nine months of a 15 to 30 year sentence. Feuquay was convicted in 1997 on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct after he assaulted a woman he lived with. That same woman was the subject of a domestic violence conviction against Feuquay in Livingston County. An Oakland County Circuit Court judge granted a request delaying his release and allowing the prosecutor’s office to file an appeal of the parole board’s decision. A date for that has yet to be set. (JK)

 

Brighton Man Dies Of Injuries Sustained In Fall From Moving Car

7/2/09 - A Brighton man passed away yesterday from injuries he suffered late Monday when he reportedly jumped from a moving vehicle. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department reports that 26 year old Toma Pecaj struck the pavement just before 11pm Monday as the car he was a passenger in traveled east on Grand River near Superior Drive in Brighton Township. The car’s driver, 25 year old Summer Ritz of Howell, said Pecaj had jumped from the car voluntarily. Originally, the sheriff's department issued a press release that said she had been drinking, but has since issued a correction that she had not been drinking. Pecaj, who is thought to have been drinking, was combative and had to be restrained by medical personnel before they could transport him to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. That’s where he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. The incident remains under investigation by the Livingston County Traffic Safety Bureau. (JK)

 

Remains Found In Green Oak Could Be Missing Hamburg Man

Construction In Hamburg To Begin After 4th Of July Holiday

7/1/09 - The Michigan Department of Transportation will begin construction next week in Hamburg Township that will result in a substantial closure. The $920,000 project will construct a center-turn lane on M-36 at Pettys Road. The intersection will also be improved and the traffic signal there will be upgraded in addition to pavement work on M-36 east of Pettys Road. M-DOT Spokeswoman Kari Arend tells WHMI that the work will get underway after the Fourth of July holiday weekend and crews will begin construction with intermittent single lane closures and shoulder closures along M-36. The full 14-day closure of M-36 is anticipated to statr on Tuesday, July 14th. Officials say they are confident they can make the repairs in the time frame allotted and improve safety and traffic flow along that stretch of M-36. MDOT says the contractor will be assessed penalties of $10,000 a day to ensure the roadway reopens in the 14-day time frame. Once it reopens, one lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction on M-36 for the remainder of the project. Traffic on Pettys Road will be maintained at all times. (JM)

 

Recall Campaign Underway To Oust Howell School Board Members

7/1/09 - An effort to recall three Howell school board members has been filed by a local parent. Petitions to recall board President Ed Literski, Vice President Jeannine Pratt and Trustee Debbie Drick have been filed by Genoa Township resident Deb McCormick. Although member Ann Routt also voted to fire Superintendent Ted Gardella in the 4-2 vote, McCormick says it appears as though the three had a plan in place to do so from the beginning. The petitions, which can be downloaded below, say that the three did not act in the best interest of the community when they called the meeting last Friday to terminate Gardella without any public comment on the issue. McCormick says the board needs to get its act together and start putting kids, not agendas, first. Calls to Literksi were not returned and Pratt declined to comment. Drick told WHMI she stands by her decision and did what she felt was best for the community while operating on information that is not necessarily public. McCormick must collect approximately 5,000 signatures to get the recall issue onto the November 3rd ballot. However, she cannot begin collecting signatures until a clarity hearing on the petition language is held, which is set to occur on July 14th. Since the signatures must be collected by July 31st, that gives McCormick around two weeks to gather the needed signatures. She acknowledges that it will be an uphill battle but says it’s worth it. She has set up a website at www.forhowellkids.wordpress.com. (JM)

Attachment: 20090701045102.pdf

 

Hamburg Officials Say Skiba's Inaction Cost Township $10,000

7/1/09 - The Hamburg Township Board met Tuesday to discuss what was described as a “mass meltdown in the clerk’s department.” Township Clerk Matt Skiba has been the target of criticism by the public and township officials, and a petition to have him recalled is currently being circulated which claims he made unauthorized changes to board policy and spent unbudgeted funds. Last night, the board discussed Skiba’s alleged mishandling of mail and failure to provide meeting agendas to the public and officials. Township Trustee Mike Dolan tells WHMI that Skiba has failed to perform some important duties, including providing Blue Cross with necessary information about non-union employees, leading to a $10,000 loss for the township. Dolan adds that he is still willing to work with Skiba and hopes that he and the board can cooperate. Skiba was present at the beginning of the meeting, but left before any accusations were made and so could not rebut the allegations against him. The board also took to task Treasurer Pat Evon for failing to transfer $34,000 into the library’s account from the township’s general fund before the fiscal year ended yesterday. Evon indicated he was unaware of how that process worked as there were no written guidelines. (JK)

 

Hartland Man To Serve Prison Time For Molesting Daughters

Tyrone Man Charged In Racially Motivated Shooting Incident

6/30/09 - A Tyrone Township man has been charged with using racial slurs and firing a shotgun at two African-American men fishing in Parshallville. 46 year old James Leo Maloney was arrested late Sunday after Livingston County Sheriff’s deputies were called out on a report of someone driving in the area and firing a weapon at people. It was eventually learned that the caller was Maloney himself, who was quickly identified as the shooter by both of the victims, who live in Flint. The men, ages 29 and 35, said they had permission to fish at the Parshallville Millpond when they heard a gunshot. Soon after, they heard Maloney yelling at them and firing a shotgun in their direction. When deputies arrived they confronted Maloney, who at first denied his involvement but also refused to let them inspect his guns. After obtaining a search warrant, four guns were recovered from his home and he was placed under arrest. Maloney is charged with two counts of felonious assault and two counts of ethnic intimidation. He remains lodged in the county jail on a $100,000 bond. Meanwhile, the Parshallville Community Association, which represents more than 60 homes in the area, released a statement today condemning the attack, calling it an isolated and unfortunate event that in no way represents the Parshallville community. (JK)

 

Howell Man Enters Plea In Sexual Assault Case

6/30/09 - A Howell man accused of molesting a 9-year old girl has entered a plea in the case. A mis-trial was earlier declared for the 40-year old man who is alleged to have inappropriately touched his 9-year old daughter’s friend. WHMI is not releasing his identity to protect his daughter. In court Tuesday, the man pleaded no contest to an added count of felonious assault in exchange for prosecutors dropping two counts of criminal sexual conduct with a person under the age of 13. The alleged victim previously testified in court the man touched her in September of 2007, while she was staying there over night. While a jury did deliberate on the case last November, a visiting declared a mistrial due to a hung jury. The Howell man is set to be sentenced on August 13th. (JM)

 

Terre Davis: New Super Search Will Be Tough For Howell District

6/30/09 - The woman that conducted the last superintendent search for the Howell Board of Education is weighing in on the recent drama and calls it “disappointing”. Superintendent Ted Gardella was fired in a 4-2 vote last Friday much to the surprise of the community but not some board members who had predicted it all along. Last year’s search was conducted by Terre Davis of TD and Associates who told WHMI that she could only comment about what she has read and heard because no board members have contacted her. Davis (pictured during last year's search process) says she’s disappointed in the hasty decision and the fact that only six board members were present when the termination occurred. Member Phil Westmoreland was absent and Davis added that the decision should’ve been discussed extensively with the public. Last year’s search cost the district $17,500 but Davis’s contract included a provision that if things didn’t work out in a year, she would conduct an expenses-only search. Davis says she would be willing to work with Howell again but it will be very difficult to attract candidates, especially since Gardella was only on the job for one year. It’s expected that the district will have to pay Gardella around $200,000 since his contract called for one year of pay and other benefits if fired. It’s also believed that the district just finished paying off former Superintendent Chuck Breiner’s severance package, after he was forced to resign. (JM)

 

Brighton Eyeing Compromise For Miller Playground Equipment

6/30/09 - A committee of the Brighton Board of Education met Monday night to discuss how to proceed with an unpaid bill dropped on it for playground equipment at the former Miller Early Childhood Center. The board earlier voted to close the building and shift the kindergartners elsewhere, although the playground will still be used by early childhood programs. The equipment was purchased by the Miller PTO but parents stopped contributing once it was learned the school would be closing and the last payment was made in February. The total amount owed on the equipment and installation was $83,000 but the two vendors have offered 10% and 20% discounts on the bills owed, which brings the amount down to around $69,800. The compromise plan being proposed would have Community Education pay $50,000 and the district contribute $19,800 from the sinking fund. Members in the audience stated that it was not the district’s responsibility to fund the equipment, especially during tough budget times. However in a recent surprise, board members were provided with a copy of a letter from former Superintendent Jim Craig to the PTO expressing support for the equipment even though the board had stated it would not co-sign on a payment plan last September. Board members expressed that despite the situation, it could turn into a positive for the community. (JM)

Attachment: CraigPTOLetter.pdf

 

Byron Girl Killed In Cohoctah Township Crash

6/30/09 - A 17 year old girl from Byron was killed in a head-on collision yesterday afternoon in Cohoctah Township. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department reports that the crash occurred on Oak Grove Road shortly before 4pm. The teen was heading northbound in a Chevy Cobalt when a Ford van crossed the center line and crashed into her north of Cohoctah Road. The girl’s younger brother was taken by ambulance to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor and last listed in good condition. The driver of the van, a 52 year old Howell man, was taken by emergency helicopter to U of M with what were initially described as serious injuries, although he was also last listed in good condition. Authorities believe alcohol played a role in the fatal crash and were seeking a warrant for a blood test for the driver of the van. Meanwhile, Fowlerville Police also responded to a separate head-on collision earlier yesterday in which a van heading west on Grand River crossed the centerline at about 11am and hit a car near the village limits. While three people were hospitalized, none of their injuries were thought to be life-threatening. Neither speed nor alcohol was a factor. (JK)

Attachment: 715809062909CohoctahTwpfatal.pdf

 

Local Judge Denies Hamburg Clerk's Appeal Of Recall Petition

6/29/09 - Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty denied an appeal by Hamburg Township Clerk Matt Skiba concerning the language in a recall petition being filed against him. Skiba, representing himself, argued that several of the reasons given for his recall did not meet clarity standards and should not be admissible in the petition. Judge Hatty ruled that the petition is meant to be read as a whole and is admissible so long as some portion of it meets clarity standards. The recall petition was filed earlier this year by former Hamburg Township Board member Mike Bitondo, accusing Skiba of making unauthorized changes to board policy, spending unbudgeted funds, and secretly recording conversations with employees and members of the public. Bitondo must collect over 2,500 verified signatures by July 31st to get a recall election onto the November 3rd ballot. Skiba says the appeal hearing would have gone better if he had gotten representation, and he will not decide whether to take the case to the Court of Appeals until he consults a lawyer. (JM)

 

Fowlerville Crash Sends Three People To The Hospital

6/29/09 - Two people were hospitalized following an accident Monday morning in Fowlerville. The head-on crash occurred at 11am on Grand River, near the village limits. Witnesses say that that a 2001 GMC Safari Van was heading westbound and driving erratically when it crossed the center line and hit a 2008 Nissan Rouge. The driver of the Rouge was transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing by Livingston County EMS while the driver of the GMC van and a passenger were taken to St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital. Both had to be extricated from the van by the Fowlerville Fire Department. Police did not identify any of the individuals or their conditions and the crash remains under investigation. (JM)

Attachment: PressRelease.doc

 

Appeal Of Brighton Man's Overturned Murder Conviction In Limbo

6/29/09 - An appeal by the State of Michigan of a decision that overturned the 1992 murder conviction of a Brighton man remains in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. But so far there’s no indication if the high court will hear the case. 42 year old Daniel Albert Newman was convicted of 1st Degree Murder in the February 1992 shooting death of Harvey Chappelear in his Hamburg Township home. However, his 40-80 year prison sentence was thrown out by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati last October for insufficient evidence. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where several briefs have been filed although there has yet to be a decision if the justices will hear the case. Police said Newman shot Chappelear 10 times during a robbery. The victim was described as a known drug dealer who kept quantities of marijuana in his freezer. Two of the three judges said no evidence or eyewitnesses existed that would place Newman in Chappelear’s home the night of the murder, while a third judge dissented, pointing out that metal and wood shavings from Newman’s home were connected to the second weapon, a sawed-off shotgun. As for Newman, he remains free on bond while the appeal is underway. (JK)

 

Deadline This Week To Join Sheriff Explorer Program

6/29/09 - Young adults who have an interest in learning more about a career in law enforcement have a chance to get a week-long entry course from local police officers. Detective Don Welch with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department tells WHMI the 3rd annual Explorer Academy will be held July 27 through the 31st for interested 14 to 21 year olds. Welch says the 40 hour course will help participants learn about law enforcement careers in various jurisdictions and what the education requirements are in order to pursue their career goals. The deadline to apply for the academy is this Friday. For more information, you can Click Here. You can also download the flier below. (JK)

Attachment: ApplicationforAcademy.pdf

 

Questions Continue Following Firing Of Howell Superintendent

6/29/09 - Was Friday’s firing of Howell Superintendent Ted Gardella planned out in advance? The answer to that question depends on who you ask. Not surprisingly, all four board members who voted to terminate his contract and obligate the district to paying him upwards of $200,000 insist it was not preordained and only came after listening to a complaint by the teachers union over a staffing issue and debating his handling of the district’s alternative education program. However, the staffing issue was already resolved prior to Friday’s meeting and the alternative education issue was something previously approved by the board. So why fire him? Trustee Wendy Day insists the plan to do so had been in the works for several weeks and had said as much both in her personal blog and in direct comments to the media prior to Friday’s meeting. She claims that board members were giving Gardella conflicting directives and micro-managing the administration of the district. Treasurer Bob Parker, who along with Day voted against Gardella’s firing, concurred and said the former superintendent had not been given a fair chance. Either way, the Howell district is once again being run by Deputy Superintendent Lynn Parrish, who was voted to take over as an interim leader. She told WHMI that because of her role in negotiating a new teacher contract the board may have to look at bringing in an outside person to serve as Interim Superintendent. However, those decisions will have to wait for the board’s next meeting, which is set for July 13th. (JK)

 

Pinckney Woman Killed In I-96 Rollover

Three Victims From Genoa Township Crash Identified

6/28/09 - Police have released the names of a 34-year-old man and his two male passengers who were killed when a car struck a tree in Livingston County. The Livingston County Sheriff's Department says the victims included Mark Fontana of Hartland Township, the driver, and two of his three passengers - 25-year-old Brandon Richman of Genoa Township and 30-year-old Corey Staab of Highland Township in Oakland County. Richman's 28-year-old sister, Heather Richman of Genoa Township, was treated for minor injuries at the scene and released. The crash happened about 2 a.m. Saturday on Hacker Road, north of Hyne Road in Genoa Township. Preliminary investigation indicates alcohol and excessive speed likely were factors in the triple-fatal crash. (TLT)

 

Incentive Set for Scofflaws to Voluntarily Appear in Court

6/28/09 - There's a sale on for people facing arrest on warrants in Livingston County: If they show up voluntarily they will save at least $115 in fees. According to County Prosecutor Dave Morse, the program will help warrant scofflaws rest easier and reduce the risk of violent confrontations between police and people facing arrest. The offer is open to anyone wanted on a bench warrant for failure to get fingerprints or failure to appear for a court procedure such as a preliminary exam or plea on nonviolent offenses. The dates for those people to show up in court are July 16th and 17th. The procedure will take place from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Judicial Center on South Highlander way, across from the county jail. Morse says after that, those who didn't turn themselves in can be expected to be rounded up by the State Police and will relinquish the price break. Morse says the intent is straightforward: He just wants to get the people in and get the cases off the books. Morse says the price break is being done as a financial incentive so the offenders will turn themselves in voluntarily. The costs being waived are a $100 bench warrant fee, $15 fingerprint fee and 20 percent late fee. About 3,000 people are being targeted in the initiative - called “Safe Apprehension of Fugitives,” a cooperative effort by the prosecutor's office, courts and local police agencies. (TLT)

 

Three People Killed In Genoa Township Crash

6/27/09 - Three people were killed in an early Saturday morning crash in Genoa Township. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department reports they were called out about 2am to a one car crash on Hacker Road near McClements. Upon arrival they found a 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer had left the roadway and crashed into a tree. The driver, a 35 year old Hartland man, was taken by Survival Flight to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he later passed away. Two rear seat passengers, identified as a 25 year old Brighton man and a 30 year old man from Highland, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Miraculously, a 29 year old Brighton woman who was in the car’s front seat was treated at the scene and released. Hacker Road was closed for four hours overnight while investigators went over the scene. Officials say at this point it’s too early to determine if seat belts were being used or if alcohol was involved. (JK)

 

Howell School District Again Without A Superintendent

6/27/09 - The surprise firing of Howell Superintendent Ted Gardella continues to reverberate this weekend as the district finds itself without a leader for the second time in a year. At a hastily arranged meeting that just barely met the requirements of the Open Meetings Act, Board President Ed Literski, Vice President Jeannine Pratt and Trustees Debi Drick and Ann Routt voted to terminate his contract during a four-hour meeting Friday. Trustees Wendy Day and Bob Parker voted against the motion. Ironically, the meeting was supposedly arranged in order to dispel rumors that there was an effort to fire Gardella after Day had said last week several board members had been conspiring to oust him. Pratt denied that accusation when questioned by WHMI prior to the meeting. However, it was Pratt that made the initial motion to fire Gardella under the “for any reason” clause in his contract after saying he did not follow board directives. The motion to fire Gardella came after much debate about Day’s personal blog, staffing issues with the teachers union, a replacement program for renaissance alternative school and issues with a consortium agreement. Gardella excused himself from the board room after the vote and did not comment to the media. After he left, Parker questioned how the district would ever find anyone crazy enough to apply for the job and serve under the current board. The district must now pay Gardella an estimated $200,000 following his termination, per the terms of his contract. The district recently finished paying out on the contract of former Superintendent Chuck Breiner, who was forced to resign by a previous board following a series of incidents that called his leadership into question. (JK)

 

WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - A judge has sentenced a Michigan man convicted of raping and murdering his neighbor to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Derrick Oliver lived in the same building as Lindsay Graygo, who prosecutors say was found dead in the bathtub of her Ypsilanti Township apartment. Oliver's DNA was found under Graygo's fingernails.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) - A former newspaper carrier has been sentenced to life in prison in the shooting death of his boss at Sault Ste. Marie's daily newspaper. A jury in May found 50-year-old Nathan P. Hanna guilty but mentally ill in the 1998 shooting of Anthony Gillespie, the former circulation manager at The Evening News.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Residents have until Tuesday to register to vote in the Aug. 4 primary election. Applicants should be aware that Friday is a state holiday and Monday is an unpaid furlough day for state workers, meaning most state services will be shut down.

GRANT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - The Rothbury Festival is now under way in rural western Michigan. Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and the surviving Grateful Dead are among more than 70 acts slated to perform during the event. The festival runs through Sunday.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - It's going to be a hot ticket. Michael Jackson's promoter says a public memorial will be held Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. It's not clear how the tickets will be distributed. One city official would like to see the event delayed so that there can be more planning.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A search is under way in eastern Afghanistan for a U.S. soldier apparently captured by the Taliban after he walked off his base without his body armor or weapon. Officials won't say if there's been any contact with the insurgents.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Labor Department says employers slashed 467,000 jobs last month and that people still working are being paid less. A chunk of the layoffs are blamed on the troubled auto industry. The jobless rate hit a 26-year high of 9.5 percent.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has marked the 45th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. Obama says the legislation helped opened doors for freedom, but inequities remain.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says its high-profile garden on the South Lawn has tested positive for lead. But the measurements are said to be well below levels considered dangerous. A spokeswoman for the first lady, who planted the garden, says White House cooks will keep using the veggies.