Guest View by Jay McMillan: The Community Spirit of Ferndale (Guest Column by Jay McMillan, President of Royal Services, orig. Ferndale Michigan Works!, Dec. 8, 2014) I believe that Ferndale, perhaps more than other communities that I have lived, played, and been a part of, is one of the most giving communities. This is just one of…
Guest View: Opening the Door: Talking Truth about Teen Suicide (Jean MacLeod, orig. published by Oakland Schools, Dec. 8, 2014) As a parent, I find myself in the surreal position of writing a blog post tragically initiated by the suicide of a local 8th-grader… Perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised; according to the Center for…
Stuff a Blue Goose Campaign Comes to Novi and Troy Dec 13/14 and 20/21 (Michigan State Police Press Release, Dec. 8, 2014) Activity: Stuff a Blue Goose Campaign Incident Date: December Dates, All events are held between 10 00 AM to 5 00 PM. Summary: The Michigan State Police Metro…
Program Helps Pontiac Students Prepare for Job Interviews (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2014) As AuJanae Love sat across the table from a woman in a suit and glasses with a stack of files, she squirmed a bit and stumbled on her words. “I’m so nervous,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. It…
Video and Photos from the Pontiac Holiday Extravaganza Parade 2014 (C. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2014) Downtown Pontiac was packed with energy for the 2014 Holiday Extravaganza Parade. Pontiac and neighboring communities collaborate to host a grand parade with hundreds of people marching and thousands watching from the sidewalks. Santa and Mrs. Claus were there, along…
State Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton Honors Sister and Public Education in Farewell Speech (video) (C. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2014) (scroll to bottom for video) At the end of three terms in the House of Representatives, Ellen Cogen Lipton of Huntington Woods said farewell with a sentimental speech honoring her sister and touting the importance of…
Slow’s BBQ to Open as Part of Strand Theater Redevelopment in Pontiac (C. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2014) Slow’s Bar BQ will open a location in the former Strand Theater in Downtown Pontiac as part of a redevelopment project slated to open late next year, according to Crain’s Detroit. The theatre is expected to become the…
Ice from Leaky Hydrant Possibly Factor in Serious Crash (Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept., Dec 7, 2014) INCIDENT: 08:55 HRS. – Dec. 4, 2014 – City of Pontiac – Injury Crash / Crash Reconstruction Unit Callout #14-190965 The Crash Reconstruction Unit is assisting the Pontiac Deputies with the investigation of a serious injury crash that occurred…
Birmingham Winter Markt Warms Souls with German Tradition (C. Proxmire, Dec. 6, 2014) This weekend’s Winter Markt in Downtown Birmingham has Shain Park looking like a German village around holiday time. With vendors lined in tents, traditional German food, and gatherings for music, stories and crafts, the event overcomes any chilliness in the air. In…
Pontiac Lights Tree of Hope (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 6, 2014) The kick off to the holiday season in Pontiac is the annual lighting of the Tree of Hope in front of the Waterman Hall of Justice. The ceremony this year included a visit from Scooby Doo and local children’s choirs. Glen Konopaskie, President…
Crafters Gather for 2014 Holiday Showplace in Ferndale (C. Proxmire, Dec. 6, 2014) The Kulick Community Center in Ferndale was packed with holiday cheer and fun craft items for the 2014 Holiday Showplace. The annual event raises money for Ferndale Recreation while giving people an opportunity to share their creativity with potential customers. Among…
EMU Extends EAA Agreement in Spite of Opposition (video) (C. Proxmire, Dec. 5, 2014) For nearly an hour the Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents heard from the public about the Education Achievement Authority, a State-run school district that partners with EMU. The contract was set to expire and Regents had until the end of…
Former Magic Bag Owner Jeremy Haberman Dies at Age 42 (C. Proxmire, Dec. 5, 2014) The man behind The Magic Bag died Friday after a long battle with lung cancer. Jeremy Haberman, 42, owned The Magic Bag in Ferndale from 1996 until 2013, according to an obituary in The Detroit Free Press. The Detroit Free…
Multiple People Stabbed on Train Between Chicago and Port Huron (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 6, 2014) Multiple people have been stabbed on a train bound for Port Huron from Chicago at about 7pm according to multiple reports. The train is now stopped in Niles, Michigan as police are investigating. At least one man has been…
Project Blue Light Ceremony in Hazel Park Honors Fallen Officers from Around Michigan (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 4, 2014) Correctional Officer Chad Charles was just 42 years old when he suffered a heart attack during a training exercise with the Emergency Response Team at Camp Grayling. He’d been with the Michigan Department of…
New Data: Oakland County has 13 of the top 15 richest zip codes in Michigan (Kurt Metzger, Mayor of Pleasant Ridge and Founder of Data Driven Detroit, Dec. 4, 2014) The Census Bureau released the latest file from the American Community Survey today, December 4. This file covers the period 2009-2013 and allows for the…
Birmingham Seeks Information on Retail Fraud Suspects (Birmingham Police Press Release, Dec.4, 2014) BIRMINGHAM, MI, December 4, 2014 – The Birmingham Police Department has asked the community for help with identifying two retail fraud suspects. Two unknown men recently entered Merwins Antiques Gallery at 554 North Old Woodward. One of them distracted the owner…
Drink Until 4am? Senate Passes Bill, House Still to Vote (C. Proxmire, Dec. 4, 2014) With a 22-14 Vote the State Senate passed a measure that would give local communities with a central business district the option to allow bars to serve alcohol until 4am. The municipalities would have to approve the extension of hours…
Birmingham Man Admits “Tagging” in Downtown Ferndale (Ferndale Police Report, Dec. 4, 2014) GRAFFITI DAMAGE: On 12/03/14 at about 1:30 in the morning, Ferndale police responded to Sneakers Bar on Woodward after receiving information that a man had spray painted graffiti on buildings, dumpsters, and a truck. A person witnessed the vandal after he did…
Religious Freedom Bill Passes in House, Moves to Senate (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 4, 2014) A religious freedom bill passed in the State House Dec. 4, that would give corporations, employers and individuals more freedom to use religion in decision making, even when it potentially affects the civil rights of others. Religious Freedom claims have…