Livingston County Area News Archive

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Monday, August 31, 2020

Tyrone Man Enters Plea After Child Sex Sting

39-year-old Jeremy J. Studt was charged earlier this year with several felony counts after he was arrested in July of 2019 by the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team, or GHOST, in an operation that targeted human trafficking. He is at least the second Livingston County resident that has been arrested as part of the ongoing sting operation.

Inmates To Be Without Jail Educator

The Board of Commissioners was split on the decision to hire a new full time educator, with those opposed wanting to explore other options during the county's hiring freeze.

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Friday, August 28, 2020

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Mid-Block Crossings On Grand River In Howell Approved

Identified crossing locations include West Grand River, between Chestnut and Center in front of the Howell Carnegie District Library; on East Grand River between State Street and Court; and on East Grand River in front of City Hall.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Rising COVID Rates Concern BAS Board & Administration

BAS Board President Andy Burchfield cautioned that the figures need to go down as the start of school approaches, saying “If you want to come back on Sept. 8th, it has to be a whole community effort, or it won’t be successful.”

Rep. Bollin Calls For Full, Safe Reopening Of Economy

State Representative Ann Bollin says that that the stimulus and other actions taken by the Trump Administration have helped the state budget to this point, but that they cannot rely on the federal government to "continuously bail out the states."

Monday, August 24, 2020

Howell Man Busted In Sex Sting

38-year-old Michael Beaudoin was among those arrested as part of seven different sting operations tied to child pornography and human trafficking.

Annual Charity Bike Ride Goes Virtual

As with all things in 2020, the 13th annual Tour de Livingston sponsored by the Howell Rotary Club, will go online as they invite bicyclists of all skill levels to take a ride for charity.

Three Finalists Chosen For Superintendent's Position

At a special meeting Friday, the board voted unanimously to select as finalists Brandon School District Superintendent Matthew Outlaw; Sharon Irvine, Brighton Area Schools Assistant Superintendent for Labor Relations and Personnel; and Swartz Creek Community Schools Superintendent Benjamin Mainka.

Stockbridge Twp. Man Jailed For Baseball Bat Assault

A 41 year old Stockbridge Township resident assaulted two acquaintances with a baseball bat. The male victims, both 40 year old Putnam Township residents, were transported to the University of Michigan Hospital with serious injuries.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Howell Unified Named Banner School

Howell High School is one of only 5 in the state to be recognized as a 2020 Unified Champion School National Banner School for their efforts at inclusivity within the student body.

Friday, August 21, 2020

County Confirms 29th COVID Death, Rise In Younger Groups

While all of the county’s deaths have been among people over the age of 50, officials with the Livingston County Health Department say they are seeing an increase in positive cases in younger age groups as a result of parties and other social gatherings.

LESA Adds New Assistant Superintendent

Stephanie Weese has taken over as Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, overseeing the Finance, Operations, Technology, and Human Resource Departments.

Fowlerville Man's Child Porn Plea Hearing Again Adjourned

Officials say because most federal jury trials are not practical under current social distancing measures, they are delaying the proceedings against 32-year-old Kevin Porter of Fowlerville, who is charged with production and attempted production of child pornography.

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Bollin Says Additional Information Is Needed On Canceled Contract

Republican State Rep. Ann Bollin of Brighton Township testified Wednesday before the Joint Select Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic after she had requested the Auditor General conduct an inquiry into a contact tracing contract that was awarded by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration to a data firm with ties to the Democratic Party.

Jail Time Ordered For Restaurant Theft

34-year-old Cordell Lamar Davis was sentenced by 53rd District Court Judge Shauna Murphy in connection with an incident last September at the Big Boy restaurant in Brighton where he was an employee.

Slotkin Discusses Impact of Disruptions To Postal Service

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin & Senator Debbie Stabenow said they’re working to make sure the Postal Service can continue and have been fighting for more funding to address the backlog and ensure on-time delivery of mail in the election.

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Howell Students Crowd Hallway On First Day Back To School

A picture from inside Howell High School Wednesday morning shows more than a hundred students congregating in the school’s entryway with no social distancing. District officials say while it wasn't required by state standards, they plan to review their plan and adjust as needed.

More Than 800 Sign Up For Jr. K-8th Grade Online Instruction

Maria Gistinger, the former Brighton Area Schools assistant superintendent for business and finance, is spearheading the effort to get the virtual academy underway. The deadline for applications was last Friday, Aug. 14th, and Gistinger says there are 839 students enrolled in grades Junior Kindergarten through 8th.

US-23 Corridor Sign Improvements Underway

The Michigan Department of Transportation is starting sign upgrades along the US-23 corridor throughout Genesee County, including the City of Fenton. The project will last into October.

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Local Electrician Appeals Ruling In Union Complaint

Charles Lanning filed a complaint against the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 58, alleging that it never told him he had the legal right to resign his union membership but then subsequently fined him $10,000. It was subsequently dismissed by the regional National Labor Relations Board.

Junge Lays Out Plan To Retake 8th District

Republican Paul Junge says the 8th District is still, by and large, conservative; explaining Democrat Elissa Slotkin’s win more as a result of the typical off-year cycle after one party wins the White House, than a shift in political alignment.

Commissioners Support Replacing Jail Educator

The jail’s current educator, Laura Ness, is resigning her position Thursday. The county made the jail educator a full time position a year and half ago, and in that time Sheriff Mike Murphy said they’ve probably graduated more inmates from GED classes than they had in the previous 5 or 6 years combined.

Monday, August 17, 2020

Slotkin Calls For Hearings On Trump's Postal Service Moves

8th District Democrat Elissa Slotkin called for the House Oversight Committee to hold immediate hearings, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to call the House back into session this week to vote on a bill prohibiting the U.S. Postal Service from implementing any changes to operations or level of service.

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Theis: Education Plan Will Help Improve Student Achievement

Senate Education and Career Readiness Committee Chairwoman Lana Theis, a Brighton Republican, said the plan, approved by the Senate in a rare Saturday session, empowers districts to make the best health and safety decisions for their communities.

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Friday, August 14, 2020

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Nomination Deadline Looming For WHMI's Operation Thank You

Area first responders, veterans, local active military who have gone above and beyond the call of duty are being sought for WHMI’s Operation Thank You. And in the year of a global pandemic, health care workers have been added to the list of local heroes.

Northfield Man Pleads Guilty To Impersonating a Cop

42-year-old Michael Joseph Snyder of Northfield Township has entered a guilty plea to false impersonation of a police officer or employee of the United States following an October 2019 incident on I-96 in Livingston County.

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Brighton Approves Back-To-School Plan, Extends Deadline

The plan revolves around the 2-1-2 concept — that of having school in the classroom on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with Wednesday an “online” day in which instruction will be provided online rather than in the classroom. It also includes an all-online option for those uncomfortable with an in-classroom setting.

Tornado Siren In South Lyon Damaged

The siren was most recently tested on August 1st and worked. However, Fire Chief Robert Vogel says the battery back-up system doesn’t work so if the City area loses power then the siren will not work.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Howell Farmer's Market Planning Special Saturday Hours

With local farmers reporting an abundance of the unique melons available for purchase, the Howell Farmer’s Market will be doing double duty this weekend, opening up on Saturday from 9am to 2pm, as well as on Sunday from 9am to 2pm.

Monday, August 10, 2020

Virtual Events Open Up New Worlds For Older MI Adults

AARP Michigan hosts dozens of educational and social events throughout the state every year. And in order to ensure its members are not exposed to the coronavirus, all its events will be held virtually for the remainder of the year.

Great Lakes Water Levels Peak

Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, say they expect water levels to decline across most of the Great Lakes but levels still remain extremely high.

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Online Session Details Plans For Virtual Academy

The limit of 300 participants was quickly reached, with some parents complaining later that the district should have paid to expand its Zoom account to accommodate more people. Parents also said that the time limit of one hour should have been much longer, since many of their questions were left unanswered.

Friday, August 7, 2020

Hearing Ordered On Motion For New Trial In Rape Case

A motion filed by Howell Attorney Tom Kizer accuses Livingston County Assistant Prosecutor Pamela Maas of soliciting perjured testimony from a Livingston County Sheriff's detective during the trial of 21-year-old Zachary Lally of Genoa Township.

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Sheriff Murphy Joins Criticism Of Biden Police Policies

Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy says police reform that is being championed by Joe Biden has the potential to be worse than the “failed law enforcement community degradation” he alleges occurred during the Obama Administration.

Fenton Schools To Begin Remotely

Face-to-face instruction for students in Fenton Area Public Schools has been delayed until October 1st, with all students beginning remotely when school returns on August 25th.

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

August 4th Primary Election Results

Livingston County will have a new prosecutor come November, while the Republican challenger to try and unseat first-term Democrat Elissa Slotkin from Congress has been decided.

Man Charged In Death Of Professional Poker Player

60-year-old Jeffery Bernard Morris of Pontiac is charged 1st degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Susie Zhao in White Lake Township. Her burned body was discovered July 13th at the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in Oakland County.

ME Caseload Jump Results In Budget Shortfall

EMS Director David Feldpausch, who also serves as the County Coordinator of Medical Examiner Services, reported there had been a 226% increase in the number of exams from January through July as compared to the same period in 2019. However, he said COVID-19 had "little impact" directly on the rise.

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Grad & Prom Parties Linked To South Lyon Covid Cluster

According to data from Oakland County, 59 residents in the 48178 ZIP code, which covers the City of South Lyon, along with portions of Lyon and Green Oak townships, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 30 days. That is more than a third of the total cases in that ZIP code since the pandemic began

Library Hosts Virtual Events For Parents On Schooling Options

The Salem-South Lyon Library is hosting two events. The first focuses on homeschooling and supplemental instruction options and the other covers what parents and caregivers should know about monitoring and maintaining their safety in a digital environment.

Monday, August 3, 2020

Local Clerks Busy Processing Absentee Ballots

State law requires that absentee ballots be received by the time polls close at 8pm on Election Day to be counted. Many local clerks also held extended office hours this past weekend to get things processed.

BAS Places Headlee Override On November Ballot

The Board of Education unanimously approved putting the override question on the ballot at its meeting last week. The millage would only affect industrial, commercial and investment property, along with vacation homes and rental properties.

Saturday, August 1, 2020