BROWN CITY – Spicer Group, the engineering firm hired for Brown City’s Thelman Avenue Project, has scheduled a pre-construction meeting with the City and contractor T.G. Priehs Paving Company for April 4th at 9:00 AM at City Hall. Once complete, the contractor should be able to schedule the work for Thelman Avenue, Belview and Autumn Gold Drives. In other Brown City council news, the City is still waiting on a response from the union concerning renewal of the contract. The current contract expired March 31st; however, the union has indicated that it will stay in effect until the new contract is signed or the process goes to arbitration. Primary issues raised by the union include wages, benefits and having a uniform supply and laundry service made available to the employees.
ELKTON – A wind turbine fire in Michigan sent black smoke billowing into the air and drew spectators who watched as flaming debris fell to the ground. No injuries were reported following Monday’s fire in Huron County near the village of Elkton. The fire broke out in Excelon’s Harvest Wind project turbine #17 about 5pm, and burned for about an hour. Local news media posted video of the fire located on property owned by Jared Schuette. Unable to reach the blaze at the top of the turbine, fire crews secured the area and let the flames burn themselves out. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
PORT HURON – A combined investigation by Michigan State Police and Port Huron police Major Crimes Unit has led officers to a local charity regarding possibly embezzlement. Port Huron authorities say Richard Hartwick,an accountant for Blue Water Center of Independent Living, is allegedly responsible for the embezzlement of over $1 million dollars. Police discovered the suspect in the Port Huron case also has a prior embezzlement conviction from 2000 when he took over $3 million dollars from a Dettroit-area auto supplier over the course of six years. Police arrested Hartwick at his Okemos home Sunday on six felony charges and bond was set at $1 million dollars.
PORT HURON – Port Huron police are investigating a report of shots fired in the area of 13th and Gordon streets in Port Huron Monday afternoon. Officials said Gordon St. was closed temporarily by police between 13th and 14th streets around 3 p.m. while Port Huron police and members of the department’s Major Crimes Unit investigated the scene. Police confirmed around 3:30 p.m. they were investigating an incident involving shots fired and two hours later said no one was found injured at the scene.
NORTH BRANCH – The Michigan College Access Network announced North Branch High School will receive a $19,000 Reach Higher System Impact grant to enhance college and career readiness. The school will bolster its college going culture through the creation of a curriculum taught by staff in every department focused on postsecondary awareness. In addition to placing a special emphasis on Advanced Placement, dual enrollment and early/middle college options, the school will teach skills critical for future success. Four schools received more than $72,000 in grants as part of the program. Since inception in 2015, the program has awarded nearly $1.6 million in grants.
LAPEER COUNTY – The Dryden and Lapeer school district have received a piece of pie from the State of Michigan in the form of safety grants totaling nearly $300,000 dollars. The allotment for the Lapeer County schools comes from a larger pot of $25 million dollars. State officials say they received $46 million dollars worth of requests from 366 applications for the grant program that features funding for security enhancements in schools. Dryden will use their share for access control, portable radios for staff members and new door locks replacing the old system installed in 1976. Dryden received just over $51,000 dollars while Lapeer received nearly $244,000 dollars.
LAPEER COUNTY – Five Zemmer Junior High School students in Lapeer County are facing legal action, following an incident at the school earlier this year. The incident, involving a vap pen, resulted in the five students being transported to an area hospsital for treatment. According to the Lapeer County Proecutor’s Office, one student is facing a four-year felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance. Four of the five students were either 14 or 15 years old. The case remains under investigation.
IMLAY CITY – When this year’s Imlay City Fair rolls around later this summer, officials will be working out of a new Fair Office. The old office, centrally located in what fair board members called prime real estate, was recently torn down with donated labor and equipment, clearing the way for a new $125,000 dollar, 30 x 100-foot office built in a different area on the fairgrounds. Several artifacts collected over the years have been safely stored and will become part of the decor in the new building. Fair officials say along with using the building for fair activities, it will also be used as a meeting place for non-profit organizations.
