Thursday, May 23, 2013
Participants in the June 30 bike rally along the Woodward Avenue corridor from Detroit to Pontiac and back will have the opportunity to win raffle prizes, including a Shinola bicycle valued at $3,000.
Organizers of the Gran Fondo, undeterred by skeptics and impending road work, say the event will go on June 30 with a revamped bike rally format. The Gran Fondo originally was conceived as a race, but without full support from all of the communities along the route, organizers opted instead for the more casual road rally format that lets participants join in at the most convenient point for them and ride all 54 miles or just pedal to a couple venues. "It's about getting a lot of people out there so next year is a bigger event so that all of the cities are running to us saying we want to be a part of it," said Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop owner Jon Hughes, whose dad Dale Hughes conceived of the event. "We're really doing it from a grass-…
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Fire Department has until Dec. 31 to find a sustainable source of funding for four positions that had been considered for layoffs; partnering with neighboring communities to cut costs and forming a tax authority are options.
The race is on for the Ferndale Fire Department to find a sustainable source of funding for four firefighter positions that have been preserved through Dec. 31. A larger-than-expected decline in taxable values, paired with the expiration of a grant that has funded the positions for the past two years, forced the city to consider laying off firefighters as it budgeted for fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15. However, the decision has been put on hold through the end of 2013 to give the Fire Department an opportunity to find new funding. [Click here to review the budget.] "City Council agreed to allocate $176,000 of fund balance to preserve 4 SAFER-grant fire fighters until December 31, 2013," City Manager April Lynch wrote in the budget. "For …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Find out what crimes made headlines in neighboring communities over the past week.
The following information was supplied by area police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation, and does not indicate convictions. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP: Intruder Threatens Bloomfield Township Homeowner with Screwdriver The female burglar took jewelry and threatened to kill the homeowner while wielding a screwdriver when confronted, police said. TROY: Cadillac Escalade Stolen, Retail Fraud, and Robbery in Troy The following information was obtained from the Troy Police Department. ROCHESTER HILLS: 3 Break-Ins Reported in Rochester Hills Oakland County Sheriff's deputies respond to 3 alarms in Rochester Hills, find smashed windows. ORION TOWNSHIP: Sheriff's Office Seeks Information in Orion Township Break-Ins Three break-ins …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Radio system will allow the agencies to communicate directly with each other and coordinate responses to cross-border emergencies.
Officials are hoping to boost safety for Oakland County and Detroit residents with an addition to the county's OakWIN interoperable radio system. The system will now use data from Detroit to make a communication link between all Oakland County and Detroit police, fire and EMS radios, according to a recent Oakland County press release. Using OakWIN, the public safety agencies will be able to communicate directly with each other and coordinate responses to cross-border emergencies. OakWIN is supported by the regional public safety data-sharing consortium CLEMIS - the Courts Law Enforcement Management Information System. “This is a boost to the safety of Oakland County and Detroit residents,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Find out what crimes made headlines in neighboring communities over the past week.
The following information was supplied by area police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation, and does not indicate convictions. BIRMINGHAM: Birmingham Teacher Shot Multiple Times; Autopsies Scheduled Wednesday Long-time West Maple Elementary School teacher Harry Berkowitz was attacked by his roommate, Thomas Ian Matthews, at the Franklin home they shared, police said. ROYAL OAK: Neighbor Describes Atmosphere During 6-Hour Standoff Police situation leads some nervous Royal Oak residents to hide in basements, a neighbor said. TROY: Troy Police Seek Help in Finding Possible Stranger Danger Suspect Four police reports filed over the past week involve a man exposing himself and making lewd comments to women while driving in his …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Find out what crimes made headlines in neighboring communities over the past week.
The following information was supplied by area police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation, and does not indicate convictions. ROYAL OAK: Man Arrested After Breaking Into Royal Oak Church Citizen alerted police to man scaling a metal pipe to get into the building, police said. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP: Police Issue Another Warning After Mail Theft Reports The Bloomfield Township Police Department urges residents to use official U.S. Postal Service boxes for outgoing mail. TROY: Woman Tells Troy Police, 'I Should Not be Driving' The following information was obtained from the Troy Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction. CLAWSON: Clawson Man Arrested After Driving Drunk with …
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
No one was injured in the incident that blocked traffic for several hours Tuesday, the Ferndale Police Department says.
The corner of Nine Mile and Hilton Roads in Ferndale was blocked for several hours Tuesday after a semitruck lost its trailer. No one was injured in the incident, which occurred at approximately 9 a.m. and was cleared by approximately 1:30 p.m., according to the Ferndale Police Department. "A semitruck lost its tractor. It became disconnected," FPD Lt. Detective William Wilson said. "The tractor with its load was blocking the intersection." April Marzec Murphy wrote on the Ferndale Patch Facebook page that she witnessed efforts to clear the scene. "At around 11:45, there was a big trailer in the middle of the road getting hitched to a huge tow truck," she wrote. "Bunch of cops, cones out, another truck stopped ( I believe to offer help/…
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Find out what crimes made headlines in neighboring communities over the past week.
The following information was supplied by area police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation, and does not indicate convictions. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP: Police Stop Men Walking with BB Guns in Wabeek Bloomfield Township police officers responded to a call about armed men walking down Wabeek Lake Drive. BIRMINGHAM: Birmingham Police Seek Gas Station Burglar Surveillance video captures the man who smashed the front glass door if a Mobil station at about 4:30 a.m. Can you help identify him? BERKLEY: Berkley Armed Robbery Suspect Sought A woman was physically unharmed but her purse was taken by a man wearing a dark, hooded shirt early Thursday outside the Blarney Stone Pub. TROY: Troy Police Help to Nab Home Invasion Suspect Lucious…
Friday, April 26, 2013
Sgt. Mark Thompson of the Michigan State Police asks everyone to remember to be vigilant and look more than once for motorcycles.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Friday, April 26
Don’t like the weather? Wait it will change. Speaking of weather, on those few warm days and some not so warm days one of the early signs of spring has made its presence known. I’m talking about motorcycles. I’m going to ask everyone to remember to be vigilant and look more than once for motorcycles. A few seconds of safe driving techniques could save everyone from years of heartache and pain. That being said, motorcycle operators and their passengers also have a responsibility for the safe operation of a motorcycle. Drivers have you done your equipment safety check? Is everything working? Have you re-acclimated to your motorcycle’s equipment, switches, grips, brakes and shifting? Myself, I take a couple of days to re-acclimate …
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Find out what crimes made headlines in neighboring communities over the past week.
The following information was supplied by area police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation, and does not indicate convictions. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP Woman Finds Burglar Inside Vehicle at Bloomfield Twp. Panera Vonzell Berry, of Detroit, faces one count of breaking and entering a vehicle in the Panera Bread parking lot. BIRMINGHAM Motorists Arrested for Smoking Marijuana in Birmingham The Birmingham Police Department provided the following information. Arrests, where they are mentioned, do not indicate conviction. CLAWSON Clawson High School Evacuated Due to Bomb Threat - Update School resumes as normal on Tuesday however no backpacks will be permitted as a precautionary measure. OAKLAND TOWNSHIP Man Tells Deputies He Sexually…
Jeanne Sarnacki
5:19 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
Motown: I actually attended and followed Royal Oak CIty Commission on this matter and they would not endorse this in any fashion much less celebrate the vision, sport and fun of this type of event. So, what's occurring is a grass roots response that will be smaller and more ad hoc than originally proposed. more ›