Collaboration Brings Arrest of Ferndale, Oak Park and Royal Oak Burglary Suspects (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 6, 2014) On March 6, 2014, at approximately 10:00 a.m., members of the Troy Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) arrested two home invasion suspects in Ferndale, according to a press release from the Royal Oak Police Department. The…
MEAP Scores Released, Improvement in Reading Celebrated (Michigan Dept. of Education Press Release, Feb. 28, 2014) Reading test scores for Michigan fourth graders improved for the fourth consecutive year, the Michigan Department of Education reported today. Results from the Fall 2013 Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) are reflective of what children had learned the previous…
Troy Police Warn of Stranger Danger Near Bus Stop (Troy Police Department, Feb. 28, 2014) The Troy Police Department has sent the following message to parents and to media: Dear Parents, I wanted to alert you to a suspicious vehicle report that has come to my attention in the area of Square Lake and John…
Troy Police Seek Suspect in Gas Station Attendant Murder (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 24, 2014) Troy Police have released a composite picture of the suspect in the Feb. 8 fatal shooting of a 63-year-old gas station attendant at Clark Gas Station at Rochester Road and South Blvd. Rochester Hills resident Athir Putres was found dead…
Pappageorge Talks Term Limits and More with Berkley Rotary (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 11, 2014) With one year left in office, State Senator John Pappageorge (R, Troy) is planning on giving term limit reform one last shot. The 82-year-old Republican met with members of the Berkley Rotary Club on Monday to talk about a…
Bridge Magazine Ranks Michigan School Districts (Crystal Proxmire, Feb. 9, 2014) Bridge Magazine looked at public school districts and public charters and compared them based on performance weighted by economics to determine how schools are performing compared to expectations. The publication used three years’ worth of data and ranked the schools. A score of 100…
Gas Station Clerk in Troy Killed Saturday (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 9, 2014) Troy Police are investigating the death of an elderly Rochester man who was working behind the counter of the Clark gas station at Rochester Road and South Blvd on Saturday. The man was found dead Saturday afternoon with a single gunshot wound…
Mode Shift’s Road Map To Understanding SEMCOG (David Sands, Mode Shift, Feb. 2, 2014, orig. wearemodeshift.org/mode-shifts-road-map-understanding-semcog) It was a noteworthy 2013 for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. The organization not only helped jumpstart the new Regional Transit Authority, but it’s been busy developing a regional non-motorized transportation plan and conducting an analysis of rapid transit…
Cold Prompts School Closings for Tuesday (C. Proxmire, Jan. 27, 2014) School administrators across SE Michigan have declared Tuesday a “snow day” due to temperatures and wind chills below zero. Classes and events will be cancelled in many districts, including Berkley, Birmingham, Clawson, Farmington, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Public Schools, Pontiac, Rochester Schools, Royal Oak,…
40 Under 40 Announced, Public to Pick Top Winner (Oakland County Press Release, Jan. 27, 2014) Starting Jan. 27 the public can cast an online vote to choose the winner of the Oakland County Executive’s Elite 40 under 40 Class of 2014. More than 500 applications and nominations were reviewed by a panel of judges,…
Oakland Chamber Network Learns From National Trends (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 27, 2014) Collaborating to improve the environment for business success is the core strength of Chambers of Commerce in general, and the Oakland Chamber Network doubles up on that principle by bringing 27 local Chambers together. At their annual meeting on Jan. 22, OCN…
Group Seeks Ballot Measure to Increase Minimum Wage (Mothering Justice Press Release, Jan. 27, 2014) Community organizing, social justice and labor groups today formed a committee to explore a ballot campaign to raise the minimum wage in Michigan. The minimum wage in Michigan –currently $7.40 an hour – hasn’t been raised since 2008, leaving many…
The Return on Investment from Michigan Passenger Rail (Dan Sommerville, Michigan Environmental Council, Jan. 26, 2014, orig. Michigan by Rail Blog) Passenger rail has been booming nationwide and in Michigan. Record-breaking ridership was recorded in 10 of the last 11 years (1) (2), and there has been a whopping 78% growth in Michigan ridership since…
City of Troy Regains Top Spot in “Safest City” Crime Rankings (Troy Police Department Press Release, Jan. 25, 2014) CQ Press has released their “City Crime Rankings 2014: Crime in Metropolitan America:” (http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2013/cc2014.htm). Troy is ranked as the 1st overall safest city in Michigan and 35th overall safest city in America (regardless of population size).…
Tips to Avoid Crimes Targeting Seniors (Troy Police Dept. Press Release, Jan. 8, 2014) Health Insurance Frauds Medical Equipment Fraud: Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered. “Rolling Lab” Schemes: Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals…
Tips to Avoid Crimes Targeting Seniors (Troy Police Dept. Press Release, Jan. 8, 2014) Health Insurance Frauds Medical Equipment Fraud: Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered. “Rolling Lab” Schemes: Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals…
Tips to Avoid Crimes Targeting Seniors (Troy Police Dept. Press Release, Jan. 8, 2014) Health Insurance Frauds Medical Equipment Fraud: Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered. “Rolling Lab” Schemes: Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals…
Car Flips Off I-75 onto Edge of Rochester Road (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 7, 2014) A driver lost control Tuesday morning while driving on Southbound I-75, and their vehicle flipped off of the bridge and onto the shoulder of Rochester Road below. Troy Police report there were only minor injuries. Oakland County 115 News reader…
Shelters for Homeless in Oakland County (City of Oak Park, Jan. 5, 2014) The City of Oak Park released the following information via email to help those in need of shelter during the cold. For a printable pdf. go to http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1113800372963-61/OC+Warming+Centers.pdf. Please also call the Housing Resource Center at 248-928-0111 for additional specific information related…
Winter Storm Update: Schools Closed, Snow Emergencies Declared (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 5, 2014) With low temperatures and high snowfall predicted, many cities have issued snow emergencies and school districts have taken the day off Monday. The National Weather Service is predicting snowfall of 3-7 inches tonight, and temperatures dropping to about 1 degree tomorrow,…