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WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

Salvation Army Of Livingston County Exceeds Campaign Goals

1/27/12 - The Salvation Army of Livingston County says the generous community support during its Christmas campaign exceeded expectations and went well beyond anything they could have imagined. The overall campaign fundraising goal for the season was $337,000 and to date, more than $378,000 was raised. Funds were raised through the red kettles which were stationed at seventeen locations across the county from mid-November to Christmas Eve as well as through mail and internet donations. Captain Aaron Ortman tells WHMI that they are blessed with a community that supports its neighbors and understand the importance of helping each other and this past season definitely reflects that. Ortman says 752 families were provided food, clothing and gifts this Christmas season but adds that nothing would be possible without the help of dedicated volunteers and many other organizations and churches. He says a big thank you is owed to everyone who sent in donations, gave online, or even dropped a few cents into the red kettles. In addition to assisting local families over the holidays, the donations raised also help support year round programs benefiting those in need in Livingston County. (JM)

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Free Tax Prep Again Offered For Low Income Residents

1/27/12 - The Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency is once again providing free tax preparation to low income residents in Livingston County. OLHSA works with the Accounting Aid Society to offer the free tax filings but it’s also promoting the earned income tax credit, a federal credit given to low income wage earners who pay taxes. Authorities say that many eligible residents don’t know about the credit and that as a result, they could miss out on up to an additional $5,700 in their federal income tax refunds. Last year, on average, the credit boosted refunds for eligible workers by $2,100. The free tax services are being offered by appointment through February and March, while walk-ins are welcome on Saturdays. They’ll be held locally at the Mott Community College M-Tech campus on Packard Drive in Howell. You can find details through the link below. (JK)

Web Link:	http://www.olhsa.org/free-tax-preparation-20
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Gruesome Testimony Heard In Case Against Murder Suspects

1/27/12 - Family and friends of a Lyon Township man who was brutally murdered attended a court hearing yesterday for the two men accused of killing him. Many of them showed support by wearing t-shits that read “In Loving Memory of Christopher Townsend 1971-2011” and “Rest in Peace”. Brian Stafford and George Tanner, both 27, are charged with beating Townsend with a wrench and strangling him with a seat belt before burning his body and then dispersing the remains on property in Green Oak Township. They both appeared in court for a preliminary exam, which will determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to Circuit Court for trial. Tanner’s then-girlfriend, 22-year-old Rochelle Bryant, testified that Townsend, who was drunk at the time, made a pass at her and kissed her, which ultimately led the two men to kill him. She said Tanner led her to a bonfire near his uncle’s home in Green Oak Township where a pocketknife, wrench and machete were on the ground and that she saw what looked like bones in the fire. The victim’s son, 19-year-old Christopher Townsend Jr. of Detroit told WHMI that he will be at every hearing until the end with family and friends and disagreed with Bryant’s testimony, saying his father was a good man who had let the two defendants stay at his home. Testimony was heard from prosecution witnesses throughout the day including Tanner’s uncle who said his nephew had asked him for masks, gloves and bleach the weekend of the alleged murder. After a full day of testimony, the exam was adjourned to continue on February 16th. (JM/JK)

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Steve Manor Awarded Highest Honor by Howell Chamber

1/27/12 - Howell City Councilman Steve Manor was named 2011 Citizen of the Year by the Howell Chamber of Commerce at its 55th annual awards dinner last night. The dinner included over a hundred guests from the local business and political communities. It has served as a way for the Chamber to thank its workers and volunteers for decades. The Chamber pointed to Manor's decades of commitment to the local community and culture in choosing him for this year’s Citizen of the Year award. Manor represents Howell in the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, where he received the Regional Ambassador Award in 2010. He is the city council liaison to the Howell Parks and Recreation Authority, a member of the Livingston Diversity Council, and president of the Howell Rotary. Manor said the recognition was a complete surprise and that he was honored, humbled, a grateful. Other awards presented last night included the Above and Beyond Award, which was presented to local businessman Paul Butler for his contributions to local events including Balloonfest, and the Outstanding Community Initiative award presented to the Howell Education Foundation for a building reconstruction project undertaken by local high school students. The Young Professional Award went to Rozalina Mekhael of LOC Federal Credit Union for her work with the Chamber coordinating events, and the Promote Local Award went to the new Michigan-themed retailer Heart of Michigan on Grand River. An Outstanding Architectural Achievement Award was presented to Dr. John Muir and Vision Source for their efforts refurbishing and setting up an optometrist's office in a 100-year-old Victorian-style home on Grand River. The new Phoenix Award was presented to the Magna International auto plant, which suffered major damage in a fire last year but managed to recover and reopen at 80% capacity within days. (TD)

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Wilson: No Student Misconduct In Hockey Hazing Incident

1/27/12 - The Howell Public Schools district has completed its investigation surrounding the sudden firing of Howell’s head hockey coach and his two assistants earlier this month for what it labeled a hazing incident. Superintendent Ron Wilson tells WHMI that the district has completed its investigation and following interviews, they determined that there was no misconduct on the part of the kids. Wilson adds that the district reacted quickly and they have a solid coach in place and the matter is now considered closed. However, a presentation of some type is expected to eventually be scheduled in an effort educate athletes and students about what constitutes hazing and its consequences. The incident in question happened on a school sponsored trip to Marquette during which students and coaches were staying at a hotel and are alleged to have dressed up in women’s undergarments only and went over to a nearby bar as a joke. At the time, Wilson said the adults in charge of the trip are expected show better judgment and serve as role models and based on the admission of former coach Randy Montrose that he had been drinking during the trip, had gotten into an altercation with one of the parents as well as condoned the team members parading through the bar, Wilson said they had no choice but to terminate the employments of the coaches. (JK)

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State Says Unemployment Rates Rose Seasonally In December

1/26/12 - The state says seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates rose in all of Michigan's 17 major labor markets in December but despite the seasonal uptick, the overall market situation improved last year. The statewide unadjusted jobless rate for December was 9%, up from
8.4% in November. The figures were released Thursday by the state Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Livingston County’s individual unemployment rate rose just slightly to 7.9% in December, an increase of two-tenths of a percentage point from November, and the county currently ranks 14th in the state. The Upper Peninsula and the northeastern and northwestern Lower Peninsulas showed the highest percentage jumps from November to December. The state says overall, unemployment rates dropped significantly in 2011 with payroll jobs increasing in many areas. Nearly all regions recorded job gains in professional and business services as well as manufacturing, education, and health services. Only two of the state’s major industry sectors reported declines last year – government along with leisure and hospitality services. (JM)

Attachment:	JanuaryRegionalRelease.doc
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Outgoing Brighton Fire Chief Reflects On Tenure

1/26/12 - Brighton Fire Chief Larry Lane is once again retiring but says he’s confident in the future of the department under the new leadership of Fire Marshal Mike O’Brian. Lane originally retired in 2005 but was called back in April of 2009 to assist the department through some difficulties, including the forced resignation of Chief Marty Deloach. Lane says his return was only supposed to last three to six months, but here he is retiring again almost three years later. There’s been a lot of change over the years and Lane says when he first came to the area, the population of the entire county was around 50,000 and today, there are 46,000 residents in the Brighton fire authority boundaries alone. Lane is said to have been a visionary in establishing the overall fire authority structure, which he feels has served the citizens well. He says Brighton has an 88 person department, 80 of which are paid on-call firefighters, who between full time jobs and family, do quite a bit of juggling. There are also five fire stations now compared to three a decade ago. O’Brian says he’s fortunate to be stepping into such a fiscally strong organization with a solid board and says Chief Lane has done an outstanding job with his leadership and developing people. He says they will continue to work with partners and increase prevention efforts while utilizing technology to their advantage. The formal transfer of leadership from Lane to O’Brian will occur at the department’s annual awards ceremony scheduled next Friday evening. The complete interview with Lane and O’Brian may be heard this Sunday morning on WHMI’s Viewpoint program. (JM)

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Hune Sponsors Bills Targeting Public Assistance Recipients

1/26/12 - A local legislator is sponsoring bills that he says would ensure public assistance recipients give back to their communities and undergo drug testing. Senator Joe Hune says Senate Bill 905 was introduced yesterday and would require cash assistance recipients who are not exempt from the Jobs, Education and Training program to participate in community service. The Hamburg Township Republican says it’s important for those who receive assistance to give back to the community that’s helping them in their time of need. Meanwhile, Hune’s other measure would require public assistance applicants to submit to a drug test if their caseworker has a reasonable suspicion they may be abusing drugs. The Family Independence Program currently requires families receiving assistance to work or undergo job training as a condition of receiving assistance. Hune says the funds are designed to help get people back on their feet and simply put; taxpayers should not be funding drug habits. Both bills have been referred to the Senate Families, Seniors and Human Services Committee. (JM)

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Search for Howell DDA Director Coming to an End

1/26/12 - After months of working and interviews, the Howell Downtown Development Authority will wrap up its search for a new director next week. The director position has been vacant since September when former director Nathan Voght resigned. Since taking office in 2008 Voght was credited with leading the DDA through several projects involving local festivals and attractions, including the DDA’s takeover of the Howell Melonfest. The authority received more than 40 applications for the position, and the final three interviews will be conducted by the DDA on Monday with the hope of having a new director in place by the beginning of February. DDA President Stephanie Schlittler says the new director must have people skills, initiative, and a background in advertising and PR to help the DDA market the downtown business district and communicate with local business owners. She adds that although she does not know where the final three applicants are from, she does know that none of them are from the Howell area. (TD)

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Couple Injured In Accidental Shooting In Marion Township

1/25/12 - A newly married couple will be recovering for a few days following an accidental shooting Wednesday afternoon in Marion Township. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte tells WHMI that the shooting occurred at the couple’s Norton Road home. He says the 21-year-old man was cleaning his new Springfield 9mm semi-automatic handgun but he failed to make sure that it wasn't loaded. Bezotte says as the man pulled the trigger, one single bullet discharged and shot him in the left hand and left leg but also shot his wife in the left leg who was standing next to him. Bezotte says the couple has been married for about a month and the man’s 22-year-old wife had purchased the weapon for her husband as a present and registered it on January 17th. He says they’ll forward a report of the incident to the prosecutor’s office for review but this was clearly an accident and there was no intent to hurt anyone. He says while the couple will be in some pain, they fortunately both suffered non-life threatening injuries and were able to drive themselves to the hospital. (JM)

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Bond Denied For Brighton Businessman In Federal Fraud Case

1/25/12 - A request for bond by a jailed Brighton area money manager has been denied. John Bravata, of Brighton Township, is charged with securities fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. Authorities say he collected $53 million from clients that was supposed to be invested in real estate, but was instead used for personal expenses including jewelry and travel. Bravata, who has denied any wrongdoing, was jailed last May after authorities said he had a strong motive to flee the country. A motion to allow a bond for his release was denied yesterday by a federal judge in Detroit. Also charged is his son Antonio. Bravata’s business partner, Richard Trabulsy, entered a guilty plea in October to wire fraud and is set for sentencing in May. A new trial date for Bravata and his son has yet to be scheduled. (JM)

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Genoa Woman Featured In Video Series On Living With Disabilities

Local Politicians Respond To Obama's State Of The Union Address

1/25/12 - There are differing opinions as to President Barack Obama’s positive assessment of the economy during his State of the Union address. Obama said he's willing to work with lawmakers to build on momentum but will fight efforts to return to policies that helped create the downturn and the defining issue of our time is keeping the American dream alive by giving everyone a fair shot. Republican Congressman Mike Rogers of Howell says this was really the launch of the president’s re-election campaign and he felt no concrete solutions were offered. He says the price of gas has doubled, there are more people than ever before on food stamps and Obama never mentioned the budget deficit. Rogers says he liked the part of the talk about going after China on trade, which is something he’s been working on for years, but overall the speech was a little disappointing because there are a number of real issues that people need solved in their lives. In contrast, Vice Chairman of the Livingston County Democratic Party Dane Morris tells WHMI that it was a great positive message and a record of great accomplishment for the president to run on in the election. He says the US economy is on the rebound, the war in Iraq is over and troops are coming home and he accomplished the mission of getting Osama Bin Laden. Morris says the lower unemployment in Michigan appears to be due to the uptick in the auto companies and citizens have President Obama and the Democratic administration to thank for coming to the aid of the auto companies and saving the industry in Michigan because otherwise they would be bankrupt. President Obama vowed to "fight obstruction with action" and avoid a return to what he called "an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits." He also suggested that half of the money that is no longer being spent on the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan should be used to help create jobs and increase competitiveness. (JM)

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Brighton Man's Motion To Fire Federal Attorneys Is Granted

1/25/12 - A Livingston County man accused of abusing poor boys at a residential center he ran in Haiti has successfully removed his court-appointed attorneys from representing him. Matthew Andrew Carter of Brighton is charged with multiple counts of Travel With Intent To Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. U.S. authorities say the 66-year-old man traveled from Florida to Haiti between October of 2001 and May of 2011 with the purpose of engaging in sex with someone under the age of 18. He’s alleged to have forced boys at the Morning Star Center in Haiti's capital to engage in sexual conduct in exchange for gifts, money or continued care. The center provided food, shelter and education for poor boys in Port-au-Prince. Carter, who has been in custody since his arrest last May in Miami, had petitioned the court to dismiss his two public defenders, alleging they had intentionally violated his right to a speedy trial, failed to keep him informed about court proceedings and were, in his opinion, aiding the government’s case by allowing the prosecutor to “roam the planet looking for evidence that don't exist.” In a hearing yesterday in federal court in Miami, a judge granted Carter’s request and appointed a new public defender to represent him. Carter is scheduled to go to trial on the charges July 3rd. (JK)

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WHMI 93.5 - Livingston County's Own

Game-Night Results

Brighton Ford Student Athlete Of The Week

This week we would like to recognize Brighton basketball player Courtney Murphy as our student athlete of the week. Murphy led the Lady Bulldogs to their biggest win of the season this past Friday night over Hartland scoring a game high 23 points. She took over the game in the second quarter going on a six to zero run draining three jump shots. With the win Brighton took sole possession of first place in the KLAA west division and also avenged two losses to the Eagles from last season. Once again we would like to recognize Brighton basketball player Courtney Murphy as our student athlete of the week. Congratulations on an outstanding performance from Brighton Ford and WHMI Livingston County’s Own 93-5.

 

Pathfinder Swimmer Beats 19 Year Old Record

A Pinckney middle school student has broken a nearly 20 year old record. Pathfinder Middle School swimmer Alexa Bloom swam the 50 meter butterfly at a swim meet January 19th in 28.99 seconds, beating the previous record time of 29.40. The record she beat was 19 years old. In addition, three other girls also broke a middle school record for the 200 meter free relay.

 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -Governor Rick Snyder says he liked some of President Barack Obama's ideas on college tuition restraint. The Republican governor didn't attend the president's speech today at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor about holding down college costs. Instead, Snyder was in Grand Rapids addressing the Michigan Press Association's annual meeting.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - President Barack Obama gave Michigan's star quarterback a shout-out during his campus visit to talk college affordability. Shortly after greeting the crowd of about 4,000 today at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he said: "Denard Robinson is in the house," prompting big applause. He added: "I hear you're coming back, man. That is a good deal for Michigan."

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A Detroit-area man has been sentenced to six months in prison for concealing what he knew about a major arson by environmental activists at Michigan State University. Jesse Waters was seeking probation today, but the sentence still is far short of the maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also was fined $5,000.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State University is proceeding with plans for a nuclear research facility despite concerns about how the federal budget squeeze might affect the project. The university's governing board approved the university administration's request today. The board established a $20 million budget, which will be used for site preparation and excavation.

DORAL, Fla. (AP) - Hoping to make points with Hispanic voters in Florida, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are urging conservatives to push for less aggressive immigration policies. The Republican presidential candidates are vying for Hispanic votes ahead of Florida's primary. Florida has some 1.5 million Hispanic voters.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has met at the White House with former President George H.W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. There's no word on what was discussed. Obama is scheduled to speak Saturday at the Alfalfa Club dinner, an annual event for Washington's movers and shakers. The former president and his son are attending the dinner.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - A San Antonio federal court has ordered a quick compromise between Texas lawmakers and minority on redrawn political districts by Feb. 6. The three-judge panel said that if both sides don't reach an agreement by that deadline, the state's April 3 primary will be pushed back. Minority groups contend the newly drawn voting maps passed by the GOP-controlled are unfair.

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - A lawyer for the former Penn State assistant football coach charged with child molestation says his client wants to see his grandchildren and they want to see him. A motion has been filed that would allow Jerry Sandusky's grandchildren to visit his home and for Sandusky to communicate with them by email, phone, text and Skype. His bail condition bars him from having contact with anyone under 18. Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year span.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Hundreds of Iraq war veterans are expected to march Saturday in downtown St. Louis in the nation's first big welcome home parade since the last troops left Iraq in December. The idea came from two friends who launched a Facebook page, sought donations and met with city leaders.