1.2 Mill Proposal to go on Nov. 8 Ballot for “Rapid, Reliable, Regional” Transit (Crystal A. Proxmire, June 1, 2016) Southfield, MI – The RTA unveiled their Regional Master Transit Plan on Tuesday, including information on a proposed 1.2 mill tax to fund it. Voters in Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Washtenaw Counties will have their…
Suicide Prevention Efforts Grow Across Oakland County, Training Available (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 27, 2016) Troy, MI – Southfield Police Officer Mark Zacks used to have trouble asking the question “Do you think about hurting yourself?” or “Have you thought about suicide?” With 28 years on the force including 15 on the special entry and…
2016 Candidate Interview: Lisa Brown Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 26, 2016) West Bloomfield, MI – Former State Representative and current Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown is seeking re-election. Brown faces challenger Michael D. Smith in the Aug. 2, 2016 primary. The winner of that race will face…
2016 Candidate Interview: Bill Bullard for Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 26, 2016) Highland Twp, MI – Longtime Republican politician Bill Bullard is running for Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds, a position that he had been appointed to for 2010-2012 before losing the position to Democrat…
Candidate Interview: Mike Goetz for OC Prosecutor (video) (Crystal A. Proxmire, May 2, 2016) Lake Orion, MI – A former Assistant Prosecutor is running for Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney against his former boss. Lake Orion resident Mike Goetz will be on the ballot against the incumbent Democrat Jessica Cooper who was elected in 2008. Election…
Main Street Communities Honored with Awards (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 28, 2016) Royal Oak, MI – Twenty two communities through Oakland County take part in Main Street USA, a program focused on thriving downtowns and community centers. Thursday night people from those Main Street Programs came together for their annual awards program, this year held…
Pre-Election Gag Order Not Enforceable Due to Agreement in Federal Court (Michigan Municipal League, April 28, 2016) LANSING, MI — U.S. District Judge John Corbett O’Meara has accepted an agreement between the Secretary of State’s office and local governments and school groups, permanently enjoining Secretary of State Ruth Johnson from enforcing a law passed in…
Oakland County Schools Vary on Testing for Lead in Water (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 27, 2016) Oakland County, MI – As they see the images of children in Flint lined up to get bottled water or crying over blood tests, people around the country have been wondering about the safety of the water they and…
Southfield School District’s Response to Lead Testing Inquiry (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 27, 2016) Southfield, MI – As they see the images of children in Flint lined up to get bottled water or crying over blood tests, people around the country have been wondering about the safety of the water they and their families use…
Plans in the Works to Test Water for Lead in Oakland County Schools (Crystal A. Proxmire, April 25, 2016) Pontiac, MI – As dozens of teenagers from high schools throughout Oakland County sat eager to learn about the safety of their community’s drinking water, officials revealed that plans are in the works for testing of…
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…
Berkley Selects Matthew Baumgarten as Finalist for City Manager (City of Berkley Press Release, Feb. 23, 2016) Berkley, MI – The Berkley City Council reached a consensus to make a conditional employment offer to Matthew Baumgarten, City Administrator of Lathrup Village, to fill Berkley’s vacant city manager position.The search committee composed of Mayor Pro-Tem Steve…
Great Futures Honored at the 2016 Boys and Girls Clubs Dinner (Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 21, 2016) Royal Oak, MI – Rashemia Powell stood before the crowd at the 2016 Celebrating the Future Dinner for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland and Macomb Counties, accepting the award as one of two Youths of the…
Lathrup Village Lions Club Pancake Breakfast Saturday Feb 20 (EVENT page) Lathrup Village Lions Club Pancake Breakfast Saturday Feb 20 Mark your calendar for the Lions Club annual Pancake Breakfast for Penrickton Center for Blind Children! Breakfast served 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Tickets on sale at the city offices. $5 for adults if purchased…
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,…