2016 Primary Election and Oakland County Local Initiatives Results (updated) (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 8, 2016) Pontiac, MI – This is where the Oakland County 115 News Hub (aka oc115) will post results of the ballot proposals through the county and the results of the Presidential Primaries taking place in Michigan on Tuesday, March 8.…
Birmingham Announces New Ways to Get City Information (City of Birmingham Press Release, March 2, 2016) BIRMINGHAM, MI– The City of Birmingham is pleased to announce a new public notices webpage and information sharing tools to better connect residents and businesses. To ensure community members have the latest information and updates from the City, these…
Stuff to Know When it Snows (C. Proxmire, Feb. 2, 2015) Did you wake up to find your neighborhood covered over with a layer of sparkly white frozen precipitation and a Facebook feed full of various warnings, advisories, and complaints? Though it can be disconcerting, don’t worry. It’s called snow, and it’s something we’ve dealt…
Birmingham: Poppleton Park Concept Plan Public Mtg. Feb. 2 (EVENT page) Public Input Sought For Poppleton Park Site Concept Plan Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 6:30 pm BIRMINGHAM, MI – January 21, 2016 – Birmingham’s Department of Public Services (DPS) invites and encourages community members to attend a Public Workshop for input to assist in…
Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash talks about Water Quality (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 13, 2016) Madison Heights, MI – Turning on the faucet and having clean water come out is something easily taken for granted. They wash their hands, take a shower, brush their teeth, cook, clean, and drink without stopping to think about…
How to Donate Water to Flint (Compiled, Jan. 10, 2016) Flint, MI – Residents of Flint are suffering from a lack of water due to contamination. Much has been written about the causes of the dangerous, lead-contaminated water, the question on many people’s minds is how to help. The Rachael Maddow Show compiled a list…
Questions About Ballot Issues? New Law Signed by Snyder Prevents Discussion (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 6, 2016) Cities, school districts, libraries, police departments and other groups rely on tax funding that comes from millages, which must be voted on by the public. There are also ballot proposals that directly impact governing bodies, for example, the…
Local Government Leaders Ask Snyder to veto SB 571 (Michigan Municipal League Press Release, Jan. 5, 2016) Lansing, MI – Local government leaders from across the state today joined to ask Gov. Rick Snyder to veto Senate Bill 571, which would gag local officials seeking to provide constituents with factual information on election matters 60…
No More Straight Ticket Voting in Michigan as Governor Signs Bill into Law (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 5, 2016) Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill into law that eliminates straight ticket voting in the State. Because the bill has a $5 million appropriation attached to it, voters can not reverse the law on referendum.…
oc115.com – Best Stories of 2015 (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 1, 2015) Ferndale, MI – 2015 was an amazing year for the Oakland County 115 News as we began growing in new communities, and as we tackled some challenging stories. We also got some nice recognition in other publications, including The Detroit News, Downtown Publications,…
US Postal Service Raising Shipping Rates, Service Fees (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 30, 2015) Washington, DC – The price of first class stamps will stay the same, but the costs of shipping and other services offered though the United States Postal Service (USPS) are going up. The increases, approved in October, begin Jan. 17, 2016.…
Resources for Adults Seeking Counseling (Nan Kerr-Mueller, Dec. 28, 2015) Oakland County, MI – Last month I started a quest to find some counseling help for a young adult in my life. They did not currently have health insurance and were having trouble finding someone that would see them. I started with Easter Seals as…
Royal Oak, Birmingham and Ferndale See Different Results from Water Lawsuit (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 24, 2015) Royal Oak, MI – While Ferndale and Birmingham opted for settlements, the City of Royal Oak successfully had a lawsuit dismissed over the charging of a fee on water bills to pay for work on the Kuhn Drain.…
Help Rename the Birmingham Historical Museum and Park (City of Birmingham Press Release, Dec. 9, 2015) BIRMINGHAM, MI – The Birmingham Historical Museum and Park is asking for the community’s help as they consider a new name. Museums throughout the country are changing with the times to incorporate new approaches and to engage with the…
LGBT Community Considers 2016 Ballot Initiative (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 8, 2015) Ann Arbor, MI – In Michigan it is illegal to discriminate against people based on factors such as race, religion, age and disability. However, discrimination continues against people in the LGBT community because it is legal to do so. In Michigan people…
Birmingham Youth Assistance Hosts Breakfast w/Santa Dec. 5 (EVENT page) The Community House and Birmingham Youth Assistance Present Breakfast With Santa! The Community House and Birmingham Youth Assistance present “Breakfast With Santa” on Saturday, December 5th at the Community House, 380 South Bates Street, Birmingham. The event will also feature a magician, face painting, animal…
Things Most People Get Wrong About Trees (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 15, 2015) Trees. Everyone has them or lives near them. Yet there are many mistakes people make in their care. Pleasant Ridge residents were recently treated to a seminar on trees that can help people in any community understand the nature of these beautiful,…
Clerk Launches Alert System for Property Owners to Help Prevent Fraud (Oakland County Clerk Press Release, Nov. 7, 2015) Oakland County has launched its new Property Record Notification system to enhance its Super Index, simplifying property record searches and allowing activity notifications for residents, professionals and law enforcement. “We’ve taken our Super Index, a property…
League of Women Voters Michigan Discusses Redistricting (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 6, 2015) “The problem,” said Michigan League of Women Voters of Michigan President Judy Karandjeff, “Is the politicians are drawing their own voting maps to manipulate elections and keep themselves and their party in power.” Karandjeff spoke to over 50 people at a recent…
Fire in Troy Consumes Storage Building (Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 4, 2015) A pillar of black smoke could be seen for miles as a building used for storage burned at 1300 Coolidge Highway in Troy, located between Maple Road and the Troy Airport. The long narrow shed, made mainly of wood and sheets of rusty…