ANTRIM
Police identify crash victims
BELLAIRE -- Police identified the victims of an Antrim County traffic crash.
Robert Carl Flink, 86, remained in critical condition Monday morning after a Jan. 30 traffic crash near Mancelona. His passenger, Marcia Mae Flink, 84, was in stable condition.
Police believe Robert Flink tried to pass a snowplow on U.S. 131, lost control and was struck by an oncoming tractor-semi trailer. The driver of the truck, Timothy Fuller, 44, wasn't injured.
BENZIE
Officials question phone system bid process
BEULAH -- Some Benzie officials are questioning the county administrator's handling of a $140,000 phone system contract, an effort that's drawn attention to the county's bid policy.
Administrator Chuck Clarke and his assistant shared details of at least one company's proposal with a competing firm before he recommended a bid award, and one contractor alleges Clarke was so biased that the entire selection process had a "pre-determined outcome."
County commissioners postponed the phone system plan in January, and several of them said Clarke's handling of the project troubled them. The plan would have upgraded technology and replaced phones in the government center and sheriff's department.
At least one county commissioner and others approached Benzie Sheriff Rory Heckman with concerns about bid irregularities. Heckman asked Michigan State Police to investigate, though a state police detective last week said he didn't find evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
CRAWFORD
DNR quashes proposed Crawford theme park
GRAYLING -- A theme park planned for Crawford County is now off the table.
The state's deadline for developer Patrick Crosson to pull together $161 million for an amusement park on state land near Grayling arrived Thursday. The money didn't.
Rebecca Humphries, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, refused a pending land sale with Crosson's Rochester-based Axiom Entertainment, the company that pitched the 1,400-acre Main Street America park plan.
"The developer was unable to secure financing under the terms of the process set forth at the August 2008 meeting, so I am denying the land transaction," Humphries told Michigan Natural Resources Commission members at their Thursday meeting in Lansing.
GRAND TRAVERSE
Zoning change allows driveways
TRAVERSE CITY -- Driveways are now allowed on Traverse City's downtown streets, a change that could pave the way for a new hotel in the Warehouse District.
The city commission on Monday approved zoning changes to permit new driveways on properties in the downtown C-4 regional center zone, under certain circumstances.
City planning commissioners discussed the driveway issue for at least the past couple years, but the most recent push came from developers of a proposed hotel in the Warehouse District.
Grand Rapids-based developer Wabash Traverse City Development, LLC, plans to begin construction in spring on a four-story, 130-room hotel at the site of Bay West Antiques and Gilbert's Service Oil Co. on Grandview Parkway. Two driveways off Garland Street would lead to underground parking on the site, and existing driveways on Grandview Parkway would be eliminated.
The planning commission in August gave initial site plan approval as long as developers worked something out with the driveways.
Teen arrested in armed robbery of cab driver
TRAVERSE CITY -- A Leelanau County teen faces a felony charge for allegedly demanding money from a cab driver.
Bryan Ramirez, 15, is charged as an adult with armed robbery. A preliminary examination is scheduled for Feb. 17.
A Cherry Capital Cab driver picked Ramirez up at Geyer's Party Haus in Garfield Township Feb. 6 and took him to the Bay Hill apartment complex off Veterans Drive in Traverse City.
Police said Ramirez allegedly put a metal object to the back to the cab driver's head and demanded money once she stopped the cab.
Ramirez is at a juvenile detention facility pending further proceedings.
Live grenade found in basement
TRAVERSE CITY -- One resident's new home came with a dangerous surprise.
The Michigan State Police bomb squad was called to a house on Woodland Drive in Traverse City Jan. 31 after a maintenance worker found a live grenade in the basement.
The homeowner recently purchased the residence, but investigators believe the grenade, which was dusty and covered in cobwebs, had been in the basement for a long time. The grenade was disposed of and no criminal charges were sought.
Commission OK's Old Town deck contract
TRAVERSE CITY -- Work is progressing on a parking deck in Old Town.
Traverse City commissioners last week authorized an agreement with Southfield-based Rich and Associates Inc. to design and construct the parking structure. The city commission's approval is contingent on finalizing a state grant to cover the roughly $328,000 contract.
Commissioners Deni Scrudato and Jim Carruthers voted against the contract, and consistently have opposed the project.
The proposed three-story structure, to have 410 parking spots, would be situated between Lake Avenue and Union, Cass and Eighth streets. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall.
Grawn man faces sex charges
TRAVERSE CITY -- A Grawn man faces multiple sex charges.
Mark Aloysius Beard, 51, is charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct with a person between the ages of 13 and 15. A preliminary examination is set for Feb. 13.
A girl, 15, said she was at Beard's home Jan. 27. While there, Beard allegedly gave her wine and had sex with her, according to court documents. She reported a previous sexual encounter about two weeks prior, court records show.
Beard allegedly told a deputy he had sex with the girl.
Teens charged in window shootings
TRAVERSE CITY -- Three teens face criminal charges for their alleged roles in shooting out more than 50 windows in the Traverse City area in late December.
Stephen Zachoria Pina, 18, of Kewadin, and Kyle Patrick Leiter, 17, of Rapid City, each is charged with five counts, including felony malicious destruction of property and misdemeanor malicious destruction of a building. Tyler Briegel, 15, also is charged as a juvenile with a felony count of malicious destruction of property.
Police arrested the suspects Dec. 26, but it took weeks to sort through the dozens of reported incidents to determine appropriate charges, Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Alan Schneider said.
The suspects face charges for only a handful of incidents, but Schneider said he plans to seek restitution for everyone who reported damage.
The teens hadn't been arraigned on the charges by Wednesday.
Downtown TC finds its 'Way'
TRAVERSE CITY -- The city's Downtown Development Authority will launch a "wayfinding" project this summer to help people find and then work their way around the downtown area, utilizing a local firm that's among the premier vehicle and pedestrian navigation experts in the country.
"We're trying to make Traverse City more accessible," said Jeff Frank, a senior designer for Corbin Design of Traverse City, who's heading up the $73,850 project.
Wayfinding utilizes directional and information signs to guide travelers to a general area, and then builds on kiosks, other signs and local landmarks to help people find more specific locations.
Frank said the DDA's project will encompass a relatively small area downtown, but will be designed for possible expansion throughout the city and region. The downtown area will be split into three separate districts -- Front Street, Old Town and Warehouse. Preliminary designs and plans were presented to the DDA board last month, and Frank said the project's early phases will be installed before the National Cherry Festival in early July.
Body discovered in Garfield Twp.
TRAVERSE CITY -- Police are investigating what happened to a body found in a Garfield Township apartment.
A man's body was found in an apartment in the Le Grande Vue complex off Garfield Road Wednesday morning. The body was decomposed, and investigators saw "no immediate observable signs of foul play," Grand Traverse Undersheriff Nate Alger said.
A maintenance man hadn't seen the apartment's occupant in several weeks, Alger said, so he used a key to get into the apartment. It's likely the body is that of the resident who lived there, Alger said, but officials hadn't made a positive identification Wednesday evening.
Police planned to have the body checked by medical examiners as soon as possible.
Officials hear review of fire department
TRAVERSE CITY -- A dwindling, aging pool of volunteers has left Peninsula Township's Fire Department ill-equipped to fight structural fires, a study found.
A three-member volunteer committee's report called for the township to raise taxes, build a new fire hall and hire more professional firefighters to provide all-day, everyday staffing within the next three to four years.
Township officials responded to the report with mixed reviews, though all agree something needs to be done, since several firefighters are approaching retirement age. The township board will meet Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. to discuss the report and determine a next step.
The study considered aligning with other fire departments, but instead recommended restructuring the current department under an appointed or elected fire board modeled on Glen Arbor's Fire Department.
All of the options would require a tax hike, likely double what residents currently pay.
Township Treasurer David Weatherholt said the township needs to look more closely at the possibility of consolidating with either Traverse City or the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Authority.
KALKASKA
Downstate man killed in crash
KALKASKA -- A downstate man is dead after a Kalkaska County traffic crash.
Steve A. Weitz, 55, of Northville, died after a crash last Sunday morning on County Road 612. Donna Marie Weitz, also of Northville, and Kalkaska resident Gregory V. Anderson remained in fair condition at Munson Medical Center Monday morning.
Police believe a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle driven east by Donna Weitz, 52, crossed the center line shortly before 11 a.m. and was struck in the passenger side by a westbound sport utility vehicle.
Anderson was the driver of the vehicle driving west. Steve Weitz was a passenger in the Chevrolet. The crash remains under investigation.
LEELANAU
Court overturns defamation verdict
GREILICKVILLE -- An appeals court overturned a jury verdict that found three Elmwood Township residents defamed former township Supervisor Derith Smith.
The Michigan Court of Appeals last week ruled that an anonymous mailing sent to township residents in 2004 did not meet standards for defamation of a public figure.
The judgment reversed a Leelanau County jury's November 2006 ruling that required former township Trustee John Stanek, former township Supervisor Noel Flohe and resident Donald Barrows to pay Smith more than $100,000 and publicly apologize for the mailing.
Smith's attorney plans to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
Smith, a Republican, lost to challenger Jack Kelly in last year's primary election for supervisor. Kelly then defeated Barrows, a Democrat, in the November election.
Smith sued the three in July 2005. The case involved an anonymous mailing to township residents sent during Smith's successful 2004 race to unseat Flohe as supervisor.
Pathfinder School names administrator
TRAVERSE CITY -- A downstate school administrator with experience in private, public and charter schools will become the leader of a Leelanau County private school this summer.
Karl Sikkenga, presently co-interim head of the upper school at Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, was named the new head of The Pathfinder School, off M-22 in Elmwood Township.
He replaces Robert Barrett, a former school board president who assumed the role nearly two years ago when a merger with Interlochen Center for the Arts dissolved.
Sikkenga is set to begin a two-year commitment July 1.
Interlochen leaders announced in 2007 that they would cease operation of Pathfinder, an independent day school for preschool through eighth grade, after acquiring it in 2000.
Parents then raised enough money to purchase the school from Interlochen, with the help of a private foundation. Barrett volunteered to fill the head of school position until a new leader could be found.
OTSEGO
Court reverses Kolke Creek order
GAYLORD -- The Michigan Supreme Court reversed itself on a case involving Otsego County's Kolke Creek, a decision that keeps the stream from becoming an industrial discharge basin.
Justices last week reversed their previous order that required the Michigan Court of Appeals to review a ruling by Otsego County Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy, who vacated a state permit granted to Merit Energy. The permit would have allowed the company to discharge treated wastewater from a contaminated groundwater plume cleanup project into Kolke Creek, headwaters of the venerated Au Sable River.
Anglers of the Au Sable and a riparian landowner sued to halt the project after losing a contested case hearing before an administrative law judge from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Murphy vacated the company's permit last year, but Merit appealed.
The appeals court refused to consider the case until the Supreme Court ordered it. Plaintiffs then asked the Supreme Court to reconsider and deny Merit's appeal, and their request was approved last week.
