Delta College brings Bay City native Patrick Yandall home for night of music and memories

File | The Bay City TimesPatrick Yandall

A picture of contemporary jazz guitarist Patrick Yandall hangs on the wall at Bay City's Water Front Deli and Market, and owner Greg Schultz has a story to go with it. He and Yandall grew up together, playing in a band, and Yandall was so talented, he said, that he decided then and there that he wasn't going to make music a career. "Greg is far too modest," Yandall said, laughing, in a phone call from his home in San Diego. "I remember that band, and he was good." But Schultz isn't the only one singing his classmate's praises these days. Bay City musician Larry Hammond filmed Yandall's last few concerts at Bay City's State Theatre, "and it came out so nice," Yandall said. "It sounded great and he made it look really awesome, even better than some I've seen done in Los Angeles."

Nearly 60 traffic crashes reported in Bay County in last 24 hours

Area police and emergency responders were dispatched to nearly 60 traffic crashes throughout Bay County since yesterday morning. The season's first heavy snowfall resulted in 58 crashes, said staff at Bay County Central Dispatch. There were no fatalities reported. "It looks like in the last 24 hours we've had 20 traffic crashes, and another dozen or so just cars that slid off the road where there was no damage," said Trooper John Kellerman of the state police's Bay City post. He added that it didn't appear as though any regions of the county had a higher concentration of crashes. A fellow trooper, Sgt. Tim Robbins, was injured in a crash Tuesday morning when a 1998 Oldsmobile rammed into the back of his 2010 Chevrolet Suburban while it was parked along Interstate 75 in Zilwaukee Township. The trooper was released from an area hospital later the same day. The driver of the Oldsmobile and a passenger were hospitalized but stable as of yesterday.

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State police vehicle rear-ended at 'big mess' on I-75 in Saginaw County near Bay County border

State police responding to a multiple-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 75 closed down two lanes here as medics and emergency personnel alike arrived. A state police trooper at the scene, just south of the Bay County border and less than a half-mile north of Interstate 675's northernmost junction, said officials were dealing with "a big mess" before asking a reporter to leave the scene, where sharp sleet was making the roads dangerous for motorists. State police at the Bay City Post confirmed that a state police vehicle was rear-ended at the site, but said it might be "a few hours" before officials could release details about the crash. State police first responded to a vehicle crash shortly before 9 a.m. Less than an hour later, a Saginaw County 911 dispatch indicated a second crash at the same scene.

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Bay County Christmas tree farms ready for the rush

December is time to pick that perfect Christmas tree in Bay County. Jim Bruzewski, owner of Jim’s Tree Farm, 733 W. Parish Road, is ready for the rush. The 30-year-old, family-run business sells trees ranging $17.99 to $31, depending on the species and its size. Bruzewski said the cheapest, fastest growing trees are the Scotch pines, but the most popular are blue and Fraser firs. Bruzewski said he isn’t concerned that artificial trees are taking over the Christmas-tree business. He sees many of the same people year after year, seeking the pine scent the trees offer and the family time of cutting or buying a pre-cut tree for Christmas together.

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Bay City downtown businesses offering Christmas wreaths to lucky shoppers

It took Christie Killey 20 minutes to paint a tiny toy soldier onto a saxophone reed. But once she got the hang of it, decorating the remaining reeds adorning Herter Music Center’s Christmas wreath went smoothly. “Once I knew what the soldiers looked like the rest of the project took as long as the first reed,” said Killey, a Linwood resident and employee at Herter Music Center, 901 Washington Ave. “Hopefully someone who loves saxophones is the winner.” Herter Music is one of 32 downtown businesses this year that created a one-of-a-kind wreath for The Festival of Wreaths. Shoppers have a chance to win one on Dec. 19.

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Michigan Sugar finishes up harvest, officials say crop better than expected

Michigan Sugar growers had a sweet ending to a rough growing season. Paul Pfenninger, vice president of agriculture for Michigan Sugar, said the cooperative harvested 3.97 million tons of sugar beets with an average of 18 percent sugar content. The last beets were harvested Nov. 17, although Pfenninger said they are still receiving some beets at the Bay City facility. “We are very happy with where we ended the season,” he said. “We had a difficult harvest season with it being wet. Our numbers weren’t quite what we were hoping for when we planted this spring, but we’re not disappointed with them at all.”

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Bay City man killed in Bangor Township crash remembered as 'a guy with a heart'

Robert J. King left an ineffaceable imprint on the hearts of many who knew him. “He was my best friend,” said Gary Manns, of Troy. “Everything he touched turned to gold, or at least he made it seem that way.” King, 34, of Bay City, died Monday in a two-car crash at South Huron and Wheeler roads in Bangor Township. Funeral arrangements remain incomplete. “No matter what the situation was, (King) would come into the room and change the mood,” said Manns. “He was like a light. An amazing, amazing guy.”

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Bay City man gets 15 to 40 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting 12-year-old

Months spent sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl has landed a Bay City man in prison for up to the next four decades. Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill on Monday sentenced James D. Brown, 47, to 15 to 40 years in prison, with credit for 250 days served. Brown in October pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim younger than 13. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed four more counts of the same charge, as well as three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person younger than 13. Brown began assaulting his victim — his girlfriend’s daughter — in 2010, Bay County Prosecutor Kurt C. Asbury previously said. The girl’s mother discovered the abuse when she walked in on the pair in bed together at the Bay Motel, 910 S. Euclid Ave. in Monitor Township, on March 16, 2011, Asbury said.

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Court dates rescheduled for Bay City trio charged with slaying Lonnie Houston

The next open court hearing for a trio charged with killing a Bay City father of five has been pushed back until after the new year. Stephen P. Ashley Jr., 20, Kaleb S. Rosin, 20, and Brett E. Vaughn, 21, each waived their right to have a preliminary examination within 14 days of their arraignment. Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly rescheduled the hearing for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. A settlement conference was set for Dec. 16, but such conferences are not open to the public.

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Essexville native Jon Paul Morosi casts his AL MVP ballot for Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander

Not everybody was convinced that Justin Verlander had an MVP season for the Detroit Tigers. But he got Jon Paul Morosi's vote. Morosi, the Essexville native who covers Major League Baseball for FoxSports.com, owns one of the 28 ballots cast in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. And he ranked Verlander at the head of the class, helping the Tigers ace become the first starting pitcher to earn the award since Roger Clemens in 1986.

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Police release details of fatal crash in Bangor Township

A head-on crash claimed the life of a 35-year-old Bay City man Monday in Bangor Township. State police were not releasing the names of the travelers involved in the 6:15 p.m. collision at Huron Road (M-13) and Wheeler Road. The victim was driving a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu south on Huron when he turned left into the path of a northbound 1998 Dodge pickup driven by a 20-year-old Bay City man. Both vehicles caught fire. Area residents said witnesses ran to neighboring businesses and homes seeking fire extinguishers to douse the flames. The pickup driver and two passengers, his father and 12-year-old brother, were transported to Bay Regional Medical Center.

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Bay City man struck by car

An 18-year-old Bay City man was scraped up but did not appear critically injured when he was struck by a car while riding his bike Sunday. Robert Davis had just returned home from church and was heading to a school for choir practice when the incident occurred about 1:50 p.m. at McKinley and Lincoln, said a man who identified himself as Davis’ father. Traffic in all four directions must stop. Davis was southbound. A Bay City man was driving the eastbound Buick Lacrosse involved in the collision.

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Bay City community reacts to three men charged in slaying of Lonnie Houston

A Bay County judge on Thursday arraigned three men on charges relating to the slaying of Lonnie Houston Jr., and the MLive community had a strong reaction to the news. Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer arraigned Stephen P. Ashley Jr., 20, Kaleb S. Rosin, 20, and Brett Vaughn, 21. Each was charged with three counts of felony firearm and single counts of open murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder and moving a dead body. Houston on Monday was found, with multiple gunshot wounds in the head, in a charred car in Saginaw County's Zilwaukee Township — less than a half-mile from the Bay County line.

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Bay City man headed for trial on rape charge

A Bay City probationer charged with raping a 22-year-old woman was in court for an evidence hearing today. Thomas J. Moreno Jr., 22, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving force or coercion. Moreno was charged Sept. 13 and has remained jailed on $250,000 cash or surety bond. The victim testified that June 23, 2010, she left her 2-month-old daughter in the care of her mother and went to Moreno’s home in the 300 block of North Linn Street to hang out. On the way to Moreno’s home, the victim bought liquor. The woman testified that she, Moreno, a friend she identified as “G” and Moreno’s brother drank and played basketball. Later, the victim, Moreno and G went into Moreno’s bedroom to listen to music. “I was buzzed,” the victim said.

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Men who took Bay County deputy's 'Very Sexy' cologne accept plea deals

Two men accused of breaking into an off-duty Bay County sheriff’s deputy’s car and stealing a bottle of Victor’s Secret-brand men’s cologne have accepted plea offers. Jordan G. Litzner and Trevor C. Nuffer were charged in connection the Sept. 27 theft of a GPS device, a cellphone charger, a Bulova Marine Star watch and the cologne, Very Sexy, from a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix parked in the driveway of Deputy Dean Treichel’s Bangor Township home. Litzner, 18, pleaded guilty Nov. 10 to one count of breaking and entering a motor vehicle.

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Bay City victim found in burned car in Saginaw County died of two gunshot wounds to head

Lonnie Lamarcus Houston, the 27-year-old Bay City man found dead here on Monday in the back seat of his mother's burning Cadillac Deville, died of two gunshot wounds to the head, media reports indicate. Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer expects to arraign three Bay City suspects — two 20-year-old men and one 21-year-old man — at 1:30 p.m. today. They were arrested and detained in the Bay County Jail on Wednesday morning, officials said. Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel revealed some information about the case on Wednesday but said he would withhold many details until Bay County prosecutors arraign the suspects.

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Bay County trial adjourned for accused killer Jeff Julian

A Bay City man who admitted in open court that he strangled his girlfriend to death has to wait until the new year to try convincing a jury he was insane when he did the killing. Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran this morning rescheduled the trial of Jeffrey A. Julian II, 23, for Jan. 24, 2012. Sheeran adjourned the trial from its slated date of Nov. 29. The adjournment was requested by Julian's lawyer, Edward M. Czuprynski. Prosecutors contend Julian strangled Lynn M. Spicer, his 33-year-old girlfriend, outside the Bay City home they shared on Aug. 21, 2010. He and younger brother Craig A. Julian then reportedly buried Spicer's body in an adjacent vacant lot.

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Patriot Dorm at Good Samaritan gives homeless veterans chance to get on their feet

There’s a comfortable new room in Bay City set up to help veterans going through tough times. The four-bed unit at the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission is called the Patriot Dorm. Since September, it has been a haven for homeless vets in need of shelter. For 49-year-old U.S. Army veteran Scott Orvis, the camaraderie he shares with his roommates makes time at the shelter a little easier. “We speak a common language,” he said. “We share things that the rest of the people just don’t understand.” The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs originally approached the Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan about setting up segregated rooms for veterans. Marcia Reeves, a spokeswoman for the Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan, said challenges homeless veterans face, including post-traumatic stress disorder, spurred the arrangement.

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Bay County sheriff defends actions of deputy who left Auburn to respond to emergency in Pinconning

Bay County Sheriff John Miller says Deputy Anthony Peter did the right thing Oct. 1 when he responded to an emergency medical call in Pinconning. “We would do it again,” said Miller. “We’re there to protect the citizens.” The deputy and the sheriff’s office have been heavily criticized by some Auburn residents and former City Commission candidates who want to retool the city’s own one-man police force. The city currently contracts with the county for one deputy, Peter, who patrols the city when Auburn Officer Sylvester Poltorak is off duty.

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Bay City Central's Trenton Robinson prepares for last home game with Michigan State University football team

As the Michigan State football team heads into Saturday's contest against Indiana, former Bay City Central standout Trenton Robinson heads into the twilight of his Spartans career. While MSU still has two regular season games left, in addition to a bowl game and possibly the inaugural Big Ten Championship game, Saturday's game against the Hoosiers marks Robinson's last home game in East Lansing. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. With 34 career wins, Robinson and his class are the winningest group in Michigan State history.

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Bangor Township dog-stomper gets up to a decade in prison

His wrists shackled, Jeremy K. Haire choked on his words as he apologized for stomping his fiancée’s 2-pound puppy to death. “I feel really bad for all this,” said Haire Monday as he waited for Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran to tell him how much time he’d be spending in prison. “I could sit here and blame all this on alcohol, on PTSD, but it really just comes down to me.” The 29-year-old Haire in September pleaded no contest to single counts of torturing or killing an animal, domestic violence and violation of probation. The charge of killing an animal is a felony usually punishable by up to four years in prison, but because Haire is a habitual offender and was on probation for assault with intent to commit second-degree criminal sexual conduct at the time of his crime, the penalty is doubled to eight years.

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Bay County deputies identify female pedestrian killed on US-10 Friday morning

Bay County Sheriff’s deputies have released the name of a Midland woman killed while walking along US-10 Friday morning. Deputies said Tamara Gandy-Chew, 44, was attempting to cross the highway on foot near the Bay City Road overpass when she was struck by a bread truck in the eastbound lane. Emergency responders pronounced Gandy-Chew dead at the scene. The driver of the truck was not injured. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor, deputies said. Deputies were assisted at the scene by state police troopers, Midland Police officers and the Midland City Fire Department.

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Saginaw County investigators discover charred body in back seat of burned vehicle near Bay County border

This morning, investigators made a gruesome discover in the back seat of a Cadillac Deville set ablaze in a river bank near the Bay County border: A dead body face down in the back seat. "It just doesn't add up," Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel said as he sized up the crime scene. "It doesn't look like this person was driving. As soon as we find out who owns this vehicle, that's the first place we're headed. "We definitely have something suspicious on our hands." Other suspicious signs: There are no skid marks indicating a crash or recognizable evidence of the vehicle's impact with any object, Federspiel said. While a portion of the front of the vehicle remains uncharred, much of the car is melted to the frame.

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Uptown at RiversEdge investment creates opportunities for local laborers

The $25 million investment announced for Uptown at RiversEdge is cause for celebration by many, but a local labor leader is cautious about what the future holds for the project. William Borch Jr., up-state business agent for Ironworkers Local 25, said he wants to see unionized labor and skilled trades do the work at the Uptown site. “I’m glad they found a developer, but my concern is they’ll bring in cheap, transient labor,” Borch said. Borch, who represents about 2,700 union labor workers across 21 counties, said about 1,700 Local 25 members are currently working in the area at jobs including Hemlock Semiconductor Group in Saginaw County’s Thomas Township, wind farms in the Thumb and Breckenridge and other projects.

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Mobile X-ray services to be provided to inmates at Bay County Jail

New medical technology soon will be available at the Bay County Jail. The nine-member Bay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a one-year contract between the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland-based MobilexUSA, which will provide on-site X-ray, EKG and ultrasound services. Sheriff John E. Miller proposed the resolution Nov. 3 as a means of saving money now spent to take inmates to emergency rooms. “It’s going to be a saving measure for us,” Miller said. “We won’t have to pay to transport (inmates) to a hospital or an X-ray facility. We’ll save money for two transport officers, the money and the time.”

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Bay City Commission gives City Manager Robert Belleman a glowing performance review

The Bay City Commission unanimously approved City Manager Robert Belleman’s annual review on Monday night. Commissioners also extended Belleman’s contract another year to Sept. 7, 2015. His contract had been through Sept. 7, 2014. The Commission conducted Belleman’s evaluation in two closed sessions last month. In the first meeting, Belleman gave commissioners a presentation on how he feels he’s met goals set forth in the past year. In the second meeting, commissioners gave Belleman their input on his performance. In an evaluation form filled out by commissioners, Belleman met or exceeded expectations in nearly all of his 11 goals and objectives. Two commissioners indicated Belleman needs improvement in the category of “intergovernmental relations” which includes dealing with other townships, but the evaluation form does not indicate which commissioners rated him that way or provide further details.

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Bay City Western's Matt Costello makes it official by submitting letter of intent to Tom Izzo and Michigan State University basketball team

Matt Costello's commitment to the Michigan State University basketball team is now in writing. The Bay City Western basketball phenom signed and submitted his national letter of intent this morning, making his commitment to Tom Izzo's program official. "He set a goal to become a high-level Division I player years ago," Western coach Chris Watz said. "He signs a piece of paper today, and he's there." "It's a special thing that he's playing in our state, playing for an icon ... that's all good stuff for Matt and for our area." Costello, who verbally agreed to become a Spartan in Aug. 2010, becomes the first Division I player ever to come out of Bay City Western. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound senior has been on the Division I radar since the beginning of his high school days, drawing heavy interest from Michigan, Indiana and Southern Cal among others.

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Five-story building to replace Mill End in Bay City's downtown

The big red-tiled building at Center Avenue and Water Street in downtown is a landmark from bygone days. But within two years, the former Mill End building at 103 Center Ave. has a date with a wrecking ball. The 150-year-old structure, deemed too far gone to save, is being demolished to make way for a five-story, 30,000-square-foot building. The first floor of the new development will house retail and office space, while the other four floors will be smaller condominiums, 650 square feet to 1,300 square feet, geared toward young professionals. Local businessman and developer Paul Rowley and his investment group, Gulfshore Investments,announced plans this week to move forward with the $7.5 million project starting next year.

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Area farmers are sentenced to probation, ordered to pay fines

The Bad Axe area dairy farm owners who pleaded guilty in federal court in June to hiring about 80 illegal immigrants were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $234,000 in fines. Johannes M. Verhaar and Anthonia M. Verhaar were sentenced in U.S. District Court for hiring illegal aliens and aiding and abetting each other to do so, according to a news release the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Bay City issued late Tuesday afternoon. The Verhaars’ convictions were the result of their guilty pleas entered in federal court following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI).

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Bay County offical disappointed by low voter turnout in Tuesday's election

Bay County Clerk Cynthia Luczak had one word to describe her feelings about voter turnout for Tuesday’s election. Disappointed. Only 15.46 percent of registered voters, 12,345 out of 79,854, turned out to cast a ballot in Bay County's 38 precincts. “(It’s) disappointing and a surprise,” Luczak said. “I thought it would be closer to 30 (percent) at least.” Luczak said there was good turnout in Auburn, where voters elected Lee Kilbourn mayor, and Beaver Township, where millages for fire services and equipment passed. Overall, Luczak said the night ran smoothly, with most precincts getting results in early.

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Bay City announces "historic" investment at Uptown at RiversEdge site

A $25 million development at Bay City's Uptown at RiversEdge site is expected to bring 440 full-time jobs to the area. At tonight's Bay City Commission meeting, commissioners approved the purchase agreement between the city and SSP Associates, the investment group run by Dr. Samuel Shaheen. SSP Associates plans to initially construct 100,000-square feet of building space that will house residential, retail and restaurants at the 40-acre site along the Saginaw River. The project is expected to be an extension of downtown and the Columbus Avenue business district.

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It's Election Day in Bay County: Get out and vote between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on variety of political races and tax questions

It's election day and today's ballots in Bay County feature a variety of political races and tax questions. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Among the highlights are mayoral races in Bay City, Auburn and Pinconning; millage questions in Bay City, Essexville, Beaver Township and the Bay-Arenac Intermediate School District; and commission races in Bay City, Auburn, Essexville and Pinconning. In Pinconning, Stanley Brandenburg and Barbara Cadwell are seeking seats on the City Council. John R. Clark's name also appears on the ballot, but Clark asks residents not to vote for him because he withdrew from the race, but not in time for his name to be removed from the ballot. In Auburn, voters decide on a charter revision proposal to help determine which direction the city goes with police services. If passed, a nine-member Charter Commission — for which nine Auburn residents are running unopposed on the ballot — will be formed to re-write the charter.

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Toys for Tots holds its grand opening Saturday at its new location in Bay City

Bay County Toys for Tots hosts a grand opening celebration at its new location from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Toys for Tots is now operating out of the historic Dunlop Motor Co. building at 519 Washington Ave. in downtown. Coordinator Jeff Jarvis said Toys for Tots organizers are accepting applications for recipients, as well as collecting donations. Local police and fire personnel plan to be on hand so youngsters can check out their vehicles. For more information on Toys for Tots, visit www.baycountytoysfortots.org or call 989-892-8687.

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Bangor Township pawn-shop owner facing misdemeanors for allegedly running business improperly

A Bangor Township pawn-shop owner known for his advertising featuring a pet goat faces a pair of misdemeanor charges in connection with his business. Authorities allege Donald E. Stanley, 65, owner of Wheeler Dealer Pawn Shop and Stan’s Gold Mine Jewelry Store, 3865 Wilder Road, isn’t complying with laws regarding pawn shops. Stanley — known in ads as Stan the Gold Man — is charged with not having a license as a pawnbroker and not having a permit as a second-hand dealer. Each charge is punishable by up to three months in jail and/or a $100 fine. Stanley said Thursday he did not want to comment on the matter until the case is resolved. He and his goat are featured in television commercials for his business, which frequently run during episodes of the hit History Channel program “Pawn Stars.”

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Long-term projects have officials hoping for increased attendance at Bay City State Recreation Area

Despite only being open for the last few weeks of the summer, the Bay City State Recreation Area’s new Spray by the Bay park can be considered a splashing success. “(The spray park) has dramatically boosted business in what was an otherwise slow area of the park,” Park Manager George Lauinger said. “I wish we had opened that back on Memorial Day. A lot of people say the reason they come to the park is to use the spray park.” With more upgrades scheduled for the spray park next year and other long-term projects on the horizon, Lauinger hopes the state park becomes a daily destination for residents of Bay County. A recent visit to the state park from State Sen. Mike Green, R-Mayville, and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant, also has highlighted the need for more work along the park’s shoreline.

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Michigan Sugar Co. expects this week to be busiest of the season

The Michigan Sugar Company is gearing up for a hectic week as growers race to get their beets out of the field before snow hits. "We're expecting this week to be the busiest of the season," said Ray VanDriessche, director of government and community relations for Michigan Sugar. "Normally we have our harvest wrapped up by Nov. 1, but we still have another 10 days to two weeks left because of the wet spring." "In the past we've seen the weather turn really bad for us, and that's where everybody's concerned." Michigan Sugar had only harvested 1.8 million tons of its expected 4 million ton crop as of Monday, far lower than normal. Monitor Township grower John Burk said he is concerned that wet fields could push the harvest back even further, increasing the risk of the ground freezing before the beets can be brought in.

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Bay City man likely to plead in child abuse case and avoid jail

A 24-year-old Bay City man is likely to avoid incarceration if he accepts a plea deal in a child abuse case. Kyle M. Witkop on Monday waived his right to a preliminary examination before Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer. The judge bound Witkop over to Circuit Court, where he is scheduled to enter a plea before Judge Kenneth W. Schmidt at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 5, court records show. The deal stipulates that if Witkop pleads guilty or no contest to a two-year felony count of third-degree child abuse, prosecutors will recommend his jail time be deferred. If he completes the terms of his deferment, he will be allowed to withdraw his plea and plead to a lesser count of attempted third-degree child abuse, court records show.

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Troopers investigate stabbings at Bay Valley

Michigan State Police troopers from the Bay City Post are investigating a large fight during which two people were stabbed early Sunday morning. The call came at 1 a.m., bringing troopers to the Bay Valley Resort, 2470 Old Bridge Road in Frankenlust Township. The incident occurred in one of the large ball rooms which had been rented by a local promoter for a Halloween party, a media release states. Before troopers arrived, the two people who had been stabbed left in private vehicle headed to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Saginaw. While troopers were at the scene investigating the first fight, another fight broke out inside the business. Additional troopers from Saginaw County, plus Saginaw Valley State University Police, were dispatched to assist. The event was then shut down.

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Michigan Department of Environmental Quality considering shoreline grooming at Bay City State Recreation Area

A plan to groom an additional 1,000 feet of shoreline at the Bay City State Recreation Area is now in the hands of officials from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Dan Wyant, director of the DEQ, toured the state park beach in Bangor Township on Monday and says a decision could be made by the time grooming starts again next year. “We took a look at the beach and the grooming activities. We also took a look at the state park and got a sense of the issues here, both with the amount of beach grooming that occurs and the opportunity here,” said Wyant.

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