Michigan
Here’s where things stand 4 years after the mid-Michigan floods
MIDLAND, MI – The year 2024 was a stalemate of sorts for the folks on the Four Lakes Task Force.
The entity in charge of restoring the dams destroyed in the 2020 mid-Michigan flood celebrated a handful of milestones but was unable to continue some plans due to a bevy of court cases delaying proceedings.
“This year we made significant progress in construction, but unfortunately by mid-year we lost momentum in our mission to restore the Four Lakes because the pending litigation over the lake level assessment rolls has impeded our ability to obtain financing,” Four Lakes Task Force Chair and President Dave Kepler wrote in a year-end statement.
“We know how disappointing it is to end the year with work suspended on three of the four dams and suspension looming on the fourth.”
The dams were formerly owned by Boyce Hydro, an insolvent company that lost them through condemnation after the May 2020 Edenville Dam collapse and flood that caused $200 million in property damage and forced 10,000 people to evacuate.
The organization began taking steps to acquire the former Boyce Hydro dams in 2018 after federal energy regulators revoked the Edenville Dam’s power generation license.
The Four Lakes Task Force received delegated taxing authority in 2019 after legal levels were established for Tittabawassee River impoundments Wixom, Sanford, Smallwood and Secord lakes.
The group was negotiating with former Boyce Hydro owner Lee Mueller to buy the damns and perform long-deferred upgrades when a May 2020 rainstorm overwhelmed the Edenville Dam, which collapsed and unleashed the combined waters of the Tittabawassee and Tobacco rivers in a 500-year flood that inundated downtown Midland.
The flood drained the Wixom and Sanford lake impoundments. The task force later acquired all four Boyce dams through bankruptcy for $1.5 million and has since been working to rebuild the damaged Edenville and Sanford dams, and upgrade spillways and embankments at Secord and Smallwood.
The Smallwood Dam auxiliary spillway construction was completed in March. Construction on the auxiliary spillway and chute at Secord Dam wrapped up in June. In July, the Edenville Dam embankment was completed.
But then work on the dams was halted due to ongoing legal challenges over whether residents living in a special assessment district should be required to help pay for the dam repairs.
On Dec. 11, the Four Lakes Task Force as well as the Heron Cove Association, the group representing residents living in the special assessment district, argued before a panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals in connection with the challenge. The following day, attorneys for Gladwin and Midland counties and the task force appeared in federal district court in Detroit requesting dismissal of two HCA lawsuits.
Neither court has issued a ruling.
“We have legal and contractual obligations to restore the lakes and the financial capacity and permits to do so,” Kepler wrote. “The FLTF board and staff are committed to getting the project restarted as soon as we can in 2025 to fulfill our mission of restoring the lakes so property owners can enjoy them long into the future.”
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Michigan
Dollar General grants fund Michigan literacy programs with $280K
Michigan schools, libraries and nonprofit groups are set to receive more than $280,000 in literacy funding, according to a community announcement issued by Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The money is intended to support reading and education programs across the state.
The grants are part of a nationwide single-day award total of nearly $16 million. The funding supports adult, family and summer literacy programs in the 48 states where Dollar General operates.
In Michigan, the grants are expected to affect more than 9,600 people, according to the announcement.
The grants are for nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools. According to the announcement, eligible groups must be within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center.
The money may be used for new technology, books, materials or software. The grants can help groups start literacy programs or expand existing ones.
Several Michigan organizations received grants of $10,000, the highest amount. Those recipients included:
- Adrian Rea Literacy Center in Adrian
- Arab Community Center For Economic And Social Services (Access) in Dearborn
- Literacy Center Of West Michigan in Grand Rapids
- Houghton Lake Community Education in Houghton Lake
- Livingston County Literacy Coalition in Howell
- Goodwill Industries Of Southwestern Michigan in Kalamazoo
- Kalamazoo Literacy Council in Kalamazoo
- Capital Area Literacy Coalition / The Reading People in Lansing
- The Global Institute Of Lansing
- Van Buren Intermediate School District in Lawrence
- Reading Patch Literacy Foundation Inc. in Niles
- Grace Centers Of Hope in Pontiac
- Oakland Literacy Council in Pontiac
- Literacy And Beyond Inc. in Port Huron
- Gigi’S Playhouse — Detroit LLC in Southfield
- Southgate Community Schools in Southgate
Other larger grants included $9,999 for Wayne State University in Detroit, $9,500 for Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency in Tawas City and $8,500 for Plymouth-Canton Community Literacy Council in Plymouth.
The recipient list also included many grants of $3,000. Those went to:
- Allendale Public Schools
- Boys And Girls Club Of Alpena
- Cedar Springs Public Library
- Clinton Community Schools
- Coloma Public Library
- Mason County Eastern Elementary in Custer
- North Dickinson County School in Felch
- Wilson School Parent Advisory Committee in Herron
- Hillman Community Schools
- Ida Public Schools
- Lawton Public Library
- Luther Area Public Library
- Saginaw African Cultural Festival Inc.
- Sebewaing Township Library
- Tekonsha Community Schools
- Columbia Township Library in Unionville
- Wakefield Public Library
- Whitmore Lake Public Schools
Other awards listed were $2,000 for Taymouth Township Library in Burt; $2,100 for Clinton-Macomb Public Library in Clinton Township; and $2,500 for Friends Of Cadillac Wexfod Public Library in Cadillac, Teamer Dreams Foundation in Eastpointe, Michigan Adult, Community & Alternative Education Association in Lansing and Palomino Hope Equine Experience in Tawas City.
The list also showed a $1,000 grant for Townline Elementary in Grand Rapids and a $4,500 grant for D House Of Angels in Pontiac.
Also receiving grants were Houghton Lake Community Education and Reading Patch Literacy Foundation in Niles.
A full list of grant recipients is available at dgliteracy.org.
“Since the foundation’s inception in 1993, our focus has remained on making meaningful investments in students, teachers and the organizations that support literacy and learning at every stage of life,” Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, said in the announcement. “These funds will help educators enhance their instruction and create opportunities that help empower students to reach their full potential.”
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
Michigan
Michigan groom sentenced for killing his best friend on his wedding night
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.
“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.
Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.
Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.
“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.
In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.
Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.
Michigan
SW Michigan show returns as growing destination for vinyl collectors
BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.
The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.
Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.
Free admission begins at 10 a.m.
General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.
A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.
Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond
The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.
Future dates planned
The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.
This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
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