GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY
Shooter receives 17-year sentence
TRAVERSE CITY — Parker Ayers didn't kill any law officers, and contends he never tried to do so.
But he shot multiple times in the direction of two Grand Traverse County sheriff's deputies during a tense September standoff at a pharmacy near Wuerfel Park, and ammunition boxes found at the scene suggest he planned to continue his assault.
Assistant Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Bob Cooney spoke Friday at Ayers' sentencing in 13th Circuit Court. Ayers' actions likely will have a profound and lasting impact on the deputies and those close to them, he said.
"I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a certain detective who communicated that every time he gets put on road patrol, his wife has to go to a counselor to deal with the fact that something like this could happen," he said. "When something like this does happen, it has an impact not just upon the officers who are involved in the case, but ... on their families and all of the people who care about them." Circuit Judge Philip E. Rodgers sentenced Ayers, 26, to a minimum of 17 years in prison on a host of felony charges. Jurors in January found Ayers guilty of two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, a count of breaking and entering a building, a count of having a firearm as a felon, a count of using a firearm during a felony and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Ayers and an accomplice, Whitney Marie McNett, smashed a vehicle through the doors of Medicap Pharmacy off Chums Village Drive in an effort to steal drugs. Deputies arrived and ordered them out of the building, but Ayers instead pointed a gun and fired at deputies.
The couple went into a rear room in the pharmacy, and about 25 area officers descended on the scene. A small team of officers eventually entered the building and found Ayers and McNett in an "incapacitated state" next to two empty bottles of methadone tablets, according to court records. Both were taken to the hospital.
Parks, lodge say no to train
TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County parks commissioners don't want Traverse City's miniature train, and neither does an area lodge.
The county Parks and Recreation Commission voted 9-1 this week against submitting a proposal for the Spirit of Traverse City. The city decided to remove the bayfront train to accommodate planned park renovations, and some county officials expressed interest in moving the train to the Civic Center.
But, county parks commissioners found the train incompatible with Civic Center uses and with other county park property. The board also found the cost to install and operate the train "extremely high," said Peter Doren, parks commission president.
"The Civic Center is not a place for the train. It's an active recreation area, not an amusement area," said county and parks Commissioner Christine Maxbauer. "If the parks board felt we had a good fit for the train, we would have looked at taking it. There just isn't a good fit for it at any of our parks."
The county board will discuss the parks commission decision and consider overruling it when the board meets Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Governmental Center.
The Great Wolf Lodge in Garfield Township explored obtaining the train with city and township officials. Some county commissioners, including Fleis and board Chairman Larry Inman, saw the resort as a better option than county ownership.
But Great Wolf officials said Friday the lodge is no longer interested.
TC L&P proceeds with substation
TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City Light & Power will move ahead with plans for a $4.2 million substation.
The utilty board on Tuesday gave Light & Power staff the authority to proceed with plans for a substation along LaFranier Road in Garfield Township. The substation will be built on a 30-acre site on the east side of LaFranier near Hammond Road.
A substation is used to convert power for distribution. The utility already has four such stations and needed one in the south side of its service area.
Courtade to host Montessori site
TRAVERSE CITY — Courtade Elementary School will host a new Montessori program this fall.
Traverse City Area Public Schools announced the East Bay Township site will house the new program for students ages 3 to 8.
It will be the district's second Montessori program. Glenn Loomis houses TCAPS' existing program, which started in 2001 at Central Grade School.
"The program, in essence, is a program within the existing school," Associate Superintendent Jayne Mohr said, of the Courtade Montessori.
TCAPS is now accepting student applications and will post openings for new teacher positions. Mohr is not sure how many students will enroll. The additional Montessori classes will not impact Courtade's existing students or attendance boundaries.
Township to buy Boardman land
TRAVERSE CITY — Garfield Township will move forward with plans to obtain about 75 acres on the Boardman River's eastern bank with the help of a state grant.
The township board voted unanimously this week to add two parcels to an acquisition originally approved by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund in 2009. Initial plans stalled when construction of the Hammond to Keystone Road connection blocked access to one parcel.
A 4.5-acre Keystone Road parcel will restore access, while an 11-acre Verizon Wireless donation will help cover the township's grant match.
The total purchase price is estimated at $1.3 million, less than the original $1.6 million budget. Township officials hope to complete the purchases by summer's end.
TCAPS math scores are lagging
TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City students' math scores lag well behind state averages, but standardized test results show local students surpassed statewide marks in most other subjects.
The Michigan Department of Education released results Wednesday of the fall 2011 Michigan Educational Assessment Program, or MEAP, exams.
Math proficiency levels for Traverse City Area Public Schools' third through seventh grades ran more than 10 percentage points lower than state averages. Local fourth-grade students' writing proficiency was also slightly lower than the state average.
"We need to take a very hard look at the elementary math program," said TCAPS Superintendent Steve Cousins.
Only 25.6 percent of TCAPS third-graders met or exceeded standards in math, compared to 36.3 percent statewide. In sixth grade, 22.3 percent of TCAPS math students met or exceeded expectations, compared to 37.1 percent across Michigan.
New life for stalled housing project
TRAVERSE CITY — A stalled affordable housing development in Garfield Township appears to have new life.
The sour economy quashed the 72-unit Brookside Commons apartment project on the corner of North Long Lake and Zimmerman roads that won township approval in 2009 after a 19-month review. But a buyer has emerged for available tax credits; so too has a developer for what's planned as a subsidized housing project.
The would-be developer is The Woda Group LLC, an Ohio-based organization with extensive experience building and managing low-income housing projects, including one in Frankfort.
"It's looking positive, but it's not a sure deal," said Scott Norris, who plans to develop a commercial wing of the 21.5-acre property.
Woda applied for tax credits through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which provides developers tax credits that they in turn sell to subsidize construction costs.
The developer also wants Garfield Township to grant a property tax break, known as a payment in lieu of taxes. Instead of paying a millage rate based on the property's assessed value, Woda would pay the township 4 percent of its gross rent receipts.
That's a standard requirement of subsidized housing projects, said Garfield Supervisor Chuck Korn. The state wants a local buy-in before it will put up state and federal housing dollars, he said.
Owners and investors in neighboring upscale subdivisions opposed the Brookside project and argued low-income housing would increase crime and lower property values.
By the time township officials settled the debate, the economy collapsed and killed the project, Norris said.
The township board will hold a public hearing on the tax request when it meets Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in the township hall. Korn said the township board has approved similar requests and he expects this one to earn approval.
KALKASKA COUNTY
Man convicted of sex charges
KALKASKA — Thomas K. Stetler hypnotized and sexually assaulted two women, and both took the stand during his trial.
The women gave clear testimony, Kalkaska County Prosecutor Kirk Metzger said. But testifying wasn't easy, and the women still struggle with Stetler's actions, Metzger said.
"It's clearly taking a ... toll on them, still to this day," he said.
Jurors on Wednesday found Stetler, 55, guilty of two felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. They returned a verdict after about four hours of deliberation that began late Tuesday.
A sentencing date has not been set. Stetler likely will face a minimum of two or three years in prison, Metzger said, but that figure could vary depending on state sentencing guidelines.
Michigan State Police in September arrested Stetler, a physician assistant who ran Boardman Health & Wellness in South Boardman and also practiced part time at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center. The women told police Stetler sexually assaulted them while they were under hypnosis to quit smoking.
LEELANAU COUNTY
Fire destroys single-family home
SUTTONS BAY — Fire destroyed a home near Suttons Bay.
Fire crews responded to a single-story house on South Meadow Ridge Lane off Kohler Road shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday. The fire had consumed much of the home by the time crews arrived.
"It was rolling pretty good when we pulled up," said Jim Porter, Suttons Bay-Bingham Fire and Rescue Department chief.
The home was unoccupied and undergoing renovations, Porter said. No one was injured in the fire, but the home is a total loss.
Fishtown group in running for prize
LELAND — The Fishtown Preservation Society is in the running for a $10,000 magazine prize.
The Leland nonprofit is among the dozens of groups and projects nominated for Dwell magazine's "Preservation" award. Voters can pick their favorite through Monday, Feb. 20, online at http://new.dwell.com/contests/rethinking-preservation/submissions/vote. A panel of judges will pick the winner from the 10 that receive the most votes.
