2016 Candidate Interview State Rep. Jim Runestad 44th District (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 18, 2016) White Lake, MI – Republican State Representative Jim Runestad is running for re-election for the 44th District which includes the Milford, Highland, Springfield, White Lake and part of Waterford. He is being challenged by Democrat Mark Venie. When asked…
MML#2 – Cities Facing Increasing Lawsuits over Fees (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 18, 2016) Mackinaw Island, MI – Class action lawsuits against municipalities are becoming more common, particularly those over water and sewer billing. Litigation attorney Soni Mithani, a Principal at Miller Canfield in Ann Arbor, took time to educate officials about these types of…
MML #1: From Pork to Pollination, Best Ways to Support Local Development (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 15, 2016) Mackinac Island, MI – Development professionals often use the phrase “attract and retain businesses” as their main job functions. But economist and author Michael Shuman is determined to change that. “You cannot attract a local business,” Shuman…
Readers Urged to Check Thermostats for Recall Notices after Fire in Troy (Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 15, 2016) Troy, MI -The folks at Troy Medical Plaza had no idea that the thermostat in their building had been similar to one ordered recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (SPSC) until it caught fire on Wednesday…
Heritage Conference to Focus on Dixie Hwy Sept. 23 (EVENT page) The 2016 Heritage Conference is on the road again with its two-year exploration of the Saginaw Trail as it traversed Oakland County. This September, the conference moves north from Woodward Avenue onto the more rural Dixie Highway. Examine the potential of this heritage corridor…
Eye on Oakland Features oc115 Publisher Crystal Proxmire (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 28, 2016) Bloomfield Township, MI – Oakland County 115 News Editor and Publisher Crystal A. Proxmire was recently the guest on Eye on Oakland, a public access program hosted by Dave Potts and Chuck Moss and produced by Bloomfield Public Television. Apart from…
Help Control Rats in your Neighborhood (City of Oak Park, orig. Aug. 31, 2104, republished Aug. 24, 2016) The City of Oak Park sent out the following guidelines to help residents control rats and rodents in the community. The tips are useful for any community: Here are seven actions you can take to control the…
2016 Election: Candidate Interviews and Issues (ongoing main coverage page) Oakland County, MI – Now that the primaries are over, it’s time to think about the 2016 Presidential Election. There are many local races happening as well, plus ballot issues. The official list is not ready from the County Clerk yet, however we’ve been doing…
Troy Community Coalition Gives Safety Tips for Pokemon, Applauds Benefits (Troy Community Coalition, Aug. 10, 2016) Troy, MI – Pokemon GO has taken the world by storm and it’s likely that your children, regardless of their age, are playing it. The mobile phone app has caused a lot of positive effects in communities around the…
2016 Candidate Interview Vicki Barnett for Oakland County Executive (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 31, 2016) Farmington Hills, MI – The race for County Executive is now down to two people. Democrat Vicki Barnett of Farmington Hills is challenging incumbent L. Brooks Patterson for the position. Barnett is the former Mayor of Farmington Hills and…
2016 Primary Election Results and oc115 Readers’ “I Voted” Sticker Selfies (Crystal A. Proxmire, Aug. 2, 2016) Pontiac, MI – The results are in from the Aug. 2 Primary Election. Scroll beyond the “I voted” sticker selfie photos to check out how the voting went. In Oakland County, 97,506 people cast ballots in the Republican…
Regional Transit Plan Blocked from Going on Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 28, 2016) Detroit, MI – Plans for a $4.6 billion regional transit system were expected to go to the ballot for a vote of the people in November, but board members from Oakland and Macomb Counties have blocked the measure at the request…
Regional Transit May Not Make it to the Ballot (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 27, 2016) Pontiac, MI – Efforts towards a regional transit plan could be stopped in their tracks if representatives on the RTA Board from Oakland and Macomb Counties do not vote to put the 1.2 mil question on the ballot. Oakland County…
Federal Judge Blocks Michigan Ban on Straight-Ticket Voting (Crystal A. Proxmire, July 21, 2016) Detroit, MI – US District Court Judge Gershwin A. Drain placed four preliminary injunctions to prohibit Michigan from enforcing a new law that bans straight-ticket voting. According the The Detroit News, “the real question the court must answer, Drain wrote, is…
Patterson Presents Proposed Budget, Announces New 911 System (Office of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, July 21, 2016) There is a major public safety enhancement in County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s recommended three-year budget covering fiscal years 2017-2019. Oakland County provides for replacement of its 911 copper network which has reached the end of…
Renew for the Zoo Offering Free Animal Themed Signs to Promote Detroit Zoo Millage (Renew for the Zoo, July 20, 2016) ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Penguins, frogs and tigers are staking out their territory on lawns across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties to encourage support of the Detroit Zoo millage renewal. The signs read, “Renew…
2016 Candidate Interviews & Ballot Issues (Frequently Updated) The oc115 believes in giving all political candidates a voice and a chance for readers to meet the people who want to represent them. So here is a series of video interviews. Not all races are listed, only those where we have an interview or story. “*”…
Photos from the 2016 Oakland County Fair (C. Proxmire, July 16, 2016) Davisburg, MI – The Oakland County Fair is not just a day of rides, shows and animals. It’s actually a 9 day fair with many people camping at the fair itself for the whole experience. Kids from all over Oakland County come to…
Guest Column: The Value of Street Trees (Robert J. Gibbs, AICP, ASLA, July 15, 2016) Trees are an indispensable component of good neighborhoods. When the right species are planted in the right place and cared for properly, many benefits are realized. Street trees soften hardscapes, buffer pedestrians from moving vehicles, and create “outdoor rooms” that…
League of Women Voters Hosting Candidate Forums Through the Area (Compiled, League of Women Voters Oakland Area, July 6, 2016) The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. Here are candidate forums through the area:…