State and Local News
Headlines for the Day

5/9/08

THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH OF AN ELK RAPIDS TEENAGER IS CONTINUING. POLICE WERE BUSY GATHERING EVIDENCE AT THE HOME OF SAM AVERY ON THURSDAY. LAST NOVEMBER AVERY DIED FROM A GUNSHOT WOUND. POLICE HAVE CALLED IT A SUSPICIOUS SUICIDE. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEATH BECAME EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN THE BOY'S MOTHER ANNE AVERY TURNED UP MISSING FOR OVER A MONTH.

ANOTHER EMMET COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS LOOKING FOR A SUPERINTENDENT. BEN LASER TURNED IN HIS RESIGNATION THIS WEEK AFTER LEADING ALANSON LITTLEFIELD SCHOOLS FOR ALMOST TEN YEARS. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL JOYCE GREEN WILL FILL IN WHILE THE SCHOOL BOARD WORKS ON A GAME PLAN FOR FINDING LASER'S REPLACEMENT. THERE WILL BE A COMMUNITY FORUM TO GATHER INPUT ON THE QUALITIES THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT SHOULD POSSESS.

MORE HONORS FOR THE HISTORIC PARK PLACE HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN TRAVERSE CITY. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM THE CONVENTION AND VISITOR'S BUREAU, THE PARK PLACE HOTEL HAS BEEN NAMED TO EXPEDIA'S 2008 SELECT LIST OF THE BEST WORLD WIDE HOTELS. EXPEDIA TABBED HOTELS BASED ON THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND VALUE FOR THE MONEY. THE PARK PLACE WAS ONE OF SIX MICHIGAN HOTELS TO MAKE THE LIST

5/7/08

TUESDAY WAS ELECTION DAY IN MICHIGAN. AMONG THE MORE HOTLY CONTESTED ISSUES: THE CHARLEVOIX BOND PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE SINKING FUND PASSED 55 TO 45 PERCENT. A 1.62 MILLION DOLLAR PROPOSAL IN ELK RAPIDS WON HANDILY. VOTERS IN MACKINAC COUNTY SAID YES TO THE HOSPITAL PROPOSAL BY NEARLY 900 VOTES. NOT ALL THE PROPOSALS PASSED YESTERDAY, VOTERS IN VANDERBILT TURNED DOWN THE SINKING FUND REQUEST BY A MERE 12 VOTES. ALL RESULTS MUST BE VALIDATED BY THE BOARD OF CANVASSERS.

NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN COLLEGE IN TRAVERSE CITY WILL BE HOSTING THE 53RD BARBECUE FROM 11AM TO 5PM ON SUNDAY, MAY 18TH. TO CELEBRATE SERVING A HALF MILLION GUESTS, THE PICNIC UNDER THE PINES WILL FEATURE A DRAWING FOR A FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP. ANYONE WHO BUYS A TICKET CAN ENTER.

A TODDLER SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AFTER HE CRASHED AN ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE IN CHARLEVOIX COUNTY. POLICE SAY TWO YEAR OLD SUTTON MAJESKE FROM PORT HURON LOST CONTROL OF THE ATV WHICH PLUNGED DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT NEAR EAST JORDAN. THE MAJESKE BOY WAS AIRLIFTED TO A FLINT HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION. HE WAS WEARING A HELMET.

5/2/08

CITING SEVERAL ECONOMIC FACTORS SILVER RIDGE MUSIC FESTIVALS LLC HAS DECIDED TO POSTPONE THE MOUNTAIN COUNTRY AND MOUNTAIN ROCK FESTIVALS IN FARWELL. THEY ARE ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. TRACE ADKINS AND MIRANDA LAMBERT WERE THE HEADLINERS FOR THE JUNE 26 THRU 29 FESTIVAL. THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN WISCONSIN THAT SAME WEEKEND. THERE IS NO REFUND INFORMATION YET FOR PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT TICKETS AND GOT CAMP SITES.

ARSON HAS NOT BEEN RULED OUT IN A FIRE THIS WEEK IN EMMET COUNTY. THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING INTO THE FIRE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN PELLSTON. THE FIRE BEGAN AROUND 7:15PM AT R AND L AUTO IN MCKINLEY TOWNSHIP. FIREFIGHTERS FROM SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE QUICKLY WITH NO INJURIES.

THE NATIONAL CHERRY FESTIVAL IS HOLDING A VOLUNTEER FAIR TODAY. IT WILL RUN FROM 5PM TO 8PM ON THE CHASE BANK PLAZA NEAR PARK AND FRONT STREETS IN DOWNTOWN TRAVERSE CITY. YOU WILL LEARN WHAT EVENTS NEED HELP AND CAN SIGN UP AS A NATIONAL CHERRY FESTIVAL AMBASSADOR. THE 82ND NATIONAL CHERRY FESTIVAL IS JULY 5TH THRU THE 12TH.

5/1/08

THIS IS A SPECIAL DAY FOR THE COMMANDER OF THE COAST GUARD AIR STATION TRAVERSE CITY. STUART MERRILL WILL BE PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN IN A SPECIAL CEREMONY AT 9 O'CLOCK AT THE AIR STATION. MERRILL ASSUMED COMMAND OF AIR STATION TRAVERSE CITY IN JUNE OF 2007. THE COAST GUARD COMMANDER OF SECTOR LAKE MICHIGAN WILL PRESIDE OVER THE PROMOTION CEREMONY.

A CHEBOYGAN COUNTY WOMAN IS FACING EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES. 24 YEAR OLD TRISHA NESTELL OF INDIAN RIVER IS ACCUSED OF TAKING MORE THAN 7 THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM HER EMPLOYER BETWEEN OCTOBER 2007 AND MARCH OF THIS YEAR. NESTELL ALLEGEDLY USED THE COMPUTER AT A PARTY STORE IN WOLVERINE, WHERE SHE WORKED AS A CASHIER, TO RELOAD HER DEBIT CARD WITHOUT PAYING.

AN EMMET COUNTY MAN COULD SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON FOR ALLEGEDLY HAVING SEX WITH A MINOR. BENJAMIN YODER IS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT AND ONE COUNT OF SECOND DEGREE CSC. THE 24 YEAR OLD YODER, FROM FRIENDSHIP TOWNSHIP, IS CURRENTLY IN THE EMMET COUNTY JAIL.