Michigan Students will get SAT Instead of ACT Starting in 2016 (Michigan Department of Education Press Release, Jan. 18, 2015) All Michigan high school juniors will begin taking the SAT as the state-administered college assessment exam beginning in 2016 after the College Board won the three-year competitively-bid contract, the Michigan Department of Education and Department…
Pug Rescue Network & Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue Hosting Valentine-Themed Event Feb. 7 (Pug Rescue Network, Jan. 17, 2015) Pug Rescue Network and Midwest Boston Terrier Valentines event Renaissance Vineyard Church 1841 Pinecrest Drive Ferndale, Michigan 48220 Come and see Pug Rescue Network and our available pugs and Boston Terriers There will be games, raffles…
Bird Banding Demonstration at EL Johnson Nature Center Feb. 7 (Press release, Jan. 17, 2015) Join us at the E.L. Johnson Nature Center for the Winter Bird Banding on Saturday February 7, 2015 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am! Allen Chartier, one of Michigan’s premier birding experts, will demonstrate the science of bird banding. Chartier…
Lincoln Street in Birmingham Closed Due to Water Main Break (Birmingham Police Department, Jan. 12, 2015) As of 11am on Monday, Jan. 12, Lincoln is shut down in both directions due to a water main break. Westbound is closed at Pierce, eastbound is closed at Bates. This story will be updated when we learn of…
Birmingham City Manager Gives an Update on Parking (Joseph A. Valentine, Birmingham City Manager, originally published at http://www.bhamgov.org, republished here Jan. 7, 2015) As City Manager, one of the most common questions I hear is “What’s happening with…?”. With so much happening in Birmingham, you can fill in this blank with numerous projects, programs and…
Waterworks Gives Plumbing Tips for Winter (Guest Column by David Greylen of Waterwork Plumbing. Dec. 2, 2014,republished Jan. 5, 2015) NOTE: Waterworks Plumbing is a sponsor of The Oakland County 115 News Hub. This informative guest column is NOT paid advertising, but readers should be aware that the author does advertise with us. The plumbing…
Remembering Patricia Hill Burnett, 2012 Interview (video) (Cherie Wyatt Rolfe, Crystal Proxmire, Jan. 4, 2015) At the age of 94, the co-founder of Michigan National Organization for Women (NOW) and celebrated portrait artist Patricia Hill Burnett passed away last week. Burnett was a face for feminism spanning across socioeconomic and political lines. She was well-dressed,…
The stories of 2014 Part 2 of 4 – April through June (Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 1, 2015) This has been an amazing year as the oc115 has ventured on the path of county-wide news coverage. From feel-good stories of neighbors helping each other to mass expressions of love, to the challenges of local governments,…
Oakland Co. Employee Casual Day Funds Go to 15 Charities (Oakland County Press Release, Dec. 24, 2014) Last week, Oakland County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson, awarded fifteen charities and a veteran with $29,000 dollars in funds that were raised by Oakland County employees through their Casual Day Funds Program. The program allows employees in participating departments and…
Chabad-Lubavitch Chanukah Parade Shares Light Through Oak Park, Royal Oak and Birmingham (Photos and Interview by Aaron Tobin, Dec. 19, 2014) Dec. 17 was a day to celebrate light as the Labavitch Chanukah Parade made its way through Oak Park, Huntington Woods, Royal Oak and Birmingham “The idea was to reach as many Jews and non-Jews…
Get Involved: Birmingham has Spots Open on Boards and Commissions (City of Birmingham Press Release, Dec.18, 2014) Citizens have an opportunity to share ideas and make a difference in their community by serving on City of Birmingham boards and committees. Those who serve help shape the future of the community by serving in an advisory…
Birmingham Fire Dept. Collecting Toys for Tots through Dec. 19 (City of Birmingham Press Release, Dec. 13, 2014) The Birmingham Fire Department encourages the community to participate in their annual Toys for Tots collection. The program specifics are as follows: What: Since 2003 the Birmingham Fire Department has helped needy children experience the joy of…
Ways to Help Boys and Girls Club this Holiday Season (Brett Tillander, Boys and Girls Club of Oakland and Macomb Co, Dec. 10, 2014) It’s Holiday Basket time at the Boys & Girls Club and we have numerous club families needing some extra support during this holiday season. Many of you have helped out in…
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…
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…
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…
Food Inc. Showing at Baldwin Library Dec. 18 (BPL Press Release) Food Inc. Thursday, December 18 at 6:30 p.m. No Registration Food Inc. shows how our nation’s food supply is controlled by a handful of corporations. The film includes surprising revelations about what we eat, how it’s produced, the livelihood of American farmers, and the…
SOCRRA Accepting Styrofoam at Drop Off Center (Compiled, Nov. 30, 2014) SOCRRA [Southeast Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority] is now accepting Styrofoam at their Drop-Off Center in Troy, starting December 1. You can now drop off the following items: Cups and takeout containers Egg cartons Rinsed meat trays Food trays/lunch trays (No Styrofoam peanuts) All…
Guest Column: Thanksgiving for the Goodness of Regional Philanthropy (Kurt Metzger, Mayor of Pleasant Ridge, Nov. 25, 2014) A November 11 Detroit News Editorial, entitled “Foundations think out of box to aid Detroit,” paid credit to the foundations who came forth to help fund the Grand Bargain and move the Detroit bankruptcy process to…