Possible Suicide in Oakland Township

Possible Suicide in Oakland Township (Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept, March 27, 2014) INCIDENT: 15:24 hrs. March 25, 2014– Oakland Township – Death Investigation – 14-43331               SUMMARY:  Deputies responded to the 300 block of Birchhill for a deceased person. The deceased had been committed by Deputies for an attempted suicide in the past.  She was found…

State Won’t Recognize Same Sex Marriages Made Over Weekend

State Won’t Recognize Same Sex Marriages Made Over Weekend (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 26, 2014) Governor Rick Snyder announced today that over 300 same-sex marriages performed on Saturday, during the window of time when they were legal, will not be recognized until after a stay on Friday’s District Court decision has been lifted. Judge Bernard…

$41 Million Furniture Contract Controversy Hits Governor’s Office

$41 Million Furniture Contract Controversy Hits Governor’s Office (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 26, 2014) Documents obtained by the Michigan Democratic Party reveal that Governor Rick Snyder’s cousin has benefited to the tune of $41 million in furniture sales to the state. According to documents, the state contracted with Holland-based Haworth Inc. to the tune of…

Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter’s 2014 State of the City Address (video)

Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter’s 2014 State of the City Address (video) (Dave Coulter, March 25, 2014) Thanks Jennifer for that introduction and for hosting us here at the Rust Belt Market, a true Ferndale original and certainly worthy of the all attention they have received. Chris Best and his wife Tiffany have created something very…

Ferndale Councilman’s Kitchen Damaged by Fire

Ferndale Councilman’s Kitchen Damaged by Fire (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 23, 2014) When a fire started in his home Saturday night, Ferndale City Councilperson Mike Lennon was grateful for the city services that he’d long been an advocate for.  The retired Ferndale Policeman and lifelong Ferndale resident contacted the Ferndale Fire Department at about 8…

Revenue Sharing Reviewed: How Cities Have Been Impacted

Revenue Sharing Reviewed: How Cities Have Been Impacted (Michigan Municipal League Press Release, March 23, 2014) Communities from Marquette to St. Joseph and everywhere in between are among the Michigan cities that lost hundreds of millions of dollars in “statutory revenue sharing” over the past decade because the governor and Legislature diverted the funds to…

Gary Meier Announces Retirement from Ferndale Schools

Gary Meier Announces Retirement from Ferndale Schools (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 20, 2014) After 14 years as Superintendent of Ferndale Schools, Gary Meier has announced that he is retiring. In a memo to Ferndale Schools staff, Meier wrote: “It is with many mixed emotions that I write this letter to formally advise you of my…

Preferential Polices Stricken from Ferndale Schools Contracts

Preferential Polices Stricken from Ferndale Schools Contracts (Crystal A. Proxmire, March 20, 2014) At some point in the 1970s, language giving preference to the hiring and promotion of minorities, including non-Christians, made its way into teacher contracts at Ferndale Schools.  The wording “Special consideration shall be given to women and/or minority defined as: Native American,…