2012 Bay City Fireworks Festival now presented by AT&T with new sponsorship deal

This year’s 50th Anniversary Bay City Fireworks Festival has found a major sponsor to assure its goal to make a bigger show than ever come to fruition. Festival President Doug Clark said AT&T has signed up as the title presenting sponsor for the event. The deal, the first for AT&T, will be announced at a press conference at 10:30 a.m. today, Friday, at the Pere Marquette Depot in Bay City. This year’s 50th anniversary spectacle includes plans to for the Saturday, July 7, show to be the event’s largest ever, with 50,000 shots spread over 50 minutes. “It looks like we are going to be able to realize that,” Clark said of the sponsorship. “This will be the single-largest fireworks display shot off in Michigan, ever.”

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Citizen's complaints, part 1: Bay City Police Department receives 16 complaints from roughly 300,000 contacts

In the past five years, the Bay City Police Department has received 16 citizen’s complaints against its officers, a figure the agency’s chief believes is low but still leaves room for improvement. “I would prefer to have zero complaints of misconduct or rules violations by my employees, but the very nature of law enforcement is confrontational,” said Chief Michael J. Cecchini. “I don’t think 16 complaints in five years is excessive if you look at the total number of citizen contacts we have, and most of those are enforcement contacts.” The chief offered a "conservative estimate" of 300,000 contacts his officers have had with citizens from 2007 through 2011.

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Bay City teen charged with threatening Lutheran Home workers with shovel

A 17-year-old is charged with a felony after police say he attacked employees of the Lutheran Home in Bay City. Bay County Central Dispatch on Tuesday afternoon was alerted to a resident of the foster care facility at 304 N. Tuscola Road chasing workers with a shovel. A Bay City police officer arrived to the sight of several employees standing outside the facility, with resident Justin J. McElwee walking around the yard with a shovel in his hand. At the officer’s suggestion, McElwee sat in the back of the police car while the officer spoke with the home’s director, Holly Van Buren. Van Buren told the officer McElwee had an altercation with another employee over the weekend and was afraid the incident would jeopardize a full-ride scholarship he has to attend Michigan State University following an early graduation from Bay City Central High School. Van Buren said she was on the phone with McElwee’s case worker when he became angry, went into the garage and retrieved a shovel.

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From Bay City to Muskegon, more Michigan woodlands mean black bear sightings are on the rise

Two car-bear collisions in Bay County in the past five months illustrate a change in the local ecosystem.
Experts are saying human interactions with the furry beasts are likely to continue. “We’re seeing across the whole tension zone where we have known bear populations that they’re starting to move south,” said Adam Bump, a bear and furbear, or furred animal, specialist with the Department of Natural Resources. “In an area like Bay County, an agriculturally dominated landscape, they’re out of their natural landscape and more susceptible to being hit by vehicles.”

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Bay City flushing water mains for two weeks

Bay City residents may find their water discolored in the next couple of weeks as the water distribution department flushes water mains. Flushing takes place from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. weekdays, weather permitting, beginning at Wilder Road and moving south each day. Even when discolored, the water is safe to drink. Residents can clear it by waiting a few hours, or by running the cold water tap for a few minutes. For more information or to have questions answered, call 894-8321 or email watershop@baycitymi.org.

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Former Friend of the Court employee suing supervisor, Bay County for sexual harassment

A former employee of the Bay County Friend of the Court has filed a lawsuit against Bay County and her former supervisor, alleging years of sexual harassment. Patricia McIver on Thursday filed a suit in Bay County Circuit Court, alleging that while she was employed with the Friend of the Court she was persistently harassed by supervisor Dennis Bergevin. According to the suit, McIver worked as a youth development counselor at the Bay County Juvenile Home from October 1993 until March 1997, at which point she started working as a court clerk for former Circuit Judge Lawrence Bielawski. In 2002, she started working for the Friend of the Court as a financial technician and then a child support modification specialist. Starting in 2005, McIver worked directly with Bergevin, the suit states.

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Longtime Red Cross members question whether Bay County money is being spent here; national office says it is

 

The American Red Cross says money meant for Bay County is being spent here. Whether the nonprofit agency's accounting will satisfy longtime volunteers remains to be seen. The Bay County Chapter of the Red Cross, which later became the East Shoreline Chapter, was left a $3,294,552 charitable trust by George Wagner, a Dow Chemical Co. pipefitter and local landlord who died at age 92 in 2003. He directed that interest income from the funds be used for Red Cross programs and projects in Bay County. "What is happening to that income?" former board member Gary Riedlinger asked Friday. "We're not alleging anything, although personally I don't believe they can be spending it in Bay County."

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Putting Experience to Work Program scheduled to start April 2, give older residents a chance at new positions

For older Mid-Michigan residents looking for a change in their work status the Putting Experience to Work Program is going to be available next month to help with just that. Putting Experience to Work is being put on by the Experience Works organization, which has its Michigan offices in Bay City. The program is open to those living in the Great Lakes Bay region who are 50 or older and are unemployed or underemployed. It is free to those who qualify. “It’s just about if they are going to meet their needs,” Experience Works state director Andrea Bridgewater said.

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Bangor Township man starts petition to get 18-hole disc golf course at Bay City State Recreation Area

 

With plans to put a disc golf course in Bay City State Recreation Area on hold until 2013 at the earliest, a Bangor Township resident who previously worked on the project has started a national petition urging officials to consider an 18-hole course. Craig Prime, 58, said he spent the last four years volunteering for park officials to come up with possible course designs, going so far as to secure funding and free labor. Prime said in 2011, he secured a grant of nearly $8,000 for the Friends of Bay City State Recreation Area from the Bay Area Community Foundation and an additional $4,000 from other donations. He said the Friends group, which is spearheading the plan, returned the funds when park officials decided not to go ahead with his 18-hole plan.

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Bay City Western's Matt Costello is Class A Player of the Year

Matt Costello became the center of attention — physically and figuratively — immediately after hitting the hardwood for the 2011-12 season. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Bay City Western High School senior center quickly became a key player for the Warriors, and a formidable foe for opponents. Now, the first-team all-state selection, who won the Mr. Basketball award and the Gatorade Player of the Year earlier this week, has been named The Associated Press Class A Player of the Year. Costello’s size meant he was usually the tallest player on the floor, but it was his game that separated him from the pack. Bay City Western coach Chris Watz could use his agile four-year varsity player as a shooting guard, if necessary, or play him at power forward or center. In short, Costello was a matchup nightmare since he earned a starting job halfway through his sophomore season.

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Bay City Public Schools plans to accept credit, debit cards for food service purchases

 

Bay City Public Schools is working on a new way for parents to pay for school lunches. The district plans to start accepting credit and debit cards for food service purchases. “We’ve had a lot of parents request for the service,” said Lorie Grant, director of food services for the district. The Bay City Public Schools Board of Education approved the proposal at its March 12 meeting, and Grant said the process should be in place by the time students get back from spring break on April 10. “We’re just waiting on the credit card processor,” Grant said. “There shouldn’t be too much more.”

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Bay City Lions Club donates iPad to 9-year-old with Down syndrome

Nine-year-old Kaylin Lynch watches the shapes move across the screen, mesmerized by the journey.
She taps the screen and the shapes move. She taps again, shapes move again. And so it continues, seconds grow into minutes and Kaylin doesn’t want to stop the game. It’s Shapes Game HD for the iPad, and for Kaylin, who has Down syndrome and trouble seeing out of her left eye, it’s amazing. And as she watches the screen, her mother and father, Cindy and David Lynch, have their eyes focused on Kaylin. Cindy Lynch is beaming with pride, recognizing the new ways she will be able to connect with her daughter.

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Bear freed from I-75 culvert last week killed in Bay County collision with vehicle

 

Last Wednesday workers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State Police freed a black bear from a culvert on Interstate 75 in northern Bay County's Fraser Township before tagging it and releasing it into the wild for study. Today, the DNR confirmed that the bear was killed after it was hit by a vehicle in the vicinity of West Erickson Road and North 11 Mile Road in Bay County's Garfield Township. The DNR added the driver of the vehicle was uninjured in the collision. “We do have occasional bear-car collisions in the spring,” DNR wildlife outreach technician Katie Keen. “It’s not unheard of, (the bears) are moving this time of year.”

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Donna Yost completes probation, now a totally free woman 13 years after death of daughter

Donna A. Yost , the Bay City woman originally charged with the death of her 7-year-old daughter, is now free and clear of all charges. On March 9, Yost completed her three-year term of probation. Yost served time in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the Oct. 10, 1999, death of her daughter, Monique. The conviction was eventually overturned and Yost was freed from prison. She later pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse. “She’s a totally free woman now,” said her attorney, Edward M. Czuprynski. “She doesn’t have to answer to anyone. She doesn’t have to make monthly reports. She’s home free finally after … 13 years.”

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Mr. Basketball winner Matt Costello is kind of player who makes Mom proud

Matt Costello has lived up to the standards of Mr. Basketball. And Mrs. Costello. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Bay City Western sensation made history Monday when he was presented the 32nd annual Mr. Basketball Award, becoming Bay County’s first player to earn the prestigious prize granted to the best high school senior in the state of Michigan. Costello did it by averaging 25.1 points and 19.1 rebounds per game while leading the Warriors to an 18-6 record and a second straight Class A district championship. And he did it in a way that made Mom proud. “He still leaves his wet towels on the floor. So he’s still a kid, but he is a good kid,” said Jennifer Costello after her son officially joined the list of high school hoops legends during ceremonies at the Detroit Free Press.

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Several windshields were smashed out on Bay City's west side overnight.
The vandalism happened around 2 a.m. and police said they've taken four calls from people with broken windshields.
Authorities said no particular street or neighborhood was targeted. Some of the vandalized cars were on Williams and Raymond streets. Police said they think a baseball bat was used. Calls to police started to come in as people awoke and found the damage.
The incidents are under investigation.

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Bay City sets new record high temperatures Wednesday

Mid-Michigan has already seen a tornado touch down, snow become a distant memory and temperatures nearly eclipse 80 degrees.
And March isn't even half over.
Bay City and Saginaw set new records Wednesday as high temperatures in Saginaw reached 77 degrees and Bay City hit 74 degrees.
Bay City's high temperature topped the previous high for March 14 which was 72 degrees in 2007, according to The Weather Channel.

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Trial begins for former Bay City substitute teacher charged with having sex with students

Despite an attorney’s efforts to have his client face a trial elsewhere, the case of a former Bay City substitute teacher charged with having sex with her students is proceeding to trial in Bay County.
 Lewis – who turns 43 Wednesday — taught British Literature at Bay City Central High School from January 2010 until the end of the school year. Shortly after classes let out for summer, Lewis began having sex with three 17-year-old male students, prosecutors allege.
Police began investigating in January 2011, when a female student at Central High School told the assistant principal her boyfriend had had sex with Lewis. Police interviewed the three alleged victims, who said they had sex with Lewis on several occasions, at their homes and in Lewis’ Jeep Cherokee.
Though the age of consent for sexual intercourse in Michigan is 16, it is increased to 18 if the participants are a student and a teacher, substitute teacher or administrator of the school attended by the student.

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Bay City man charged with embezzling from Midland pet food company set for trial

A trial date has been set for a Bay City man charged with skimming thousands from a Midland pet food company.
The trial of Walter J. Reynolds IV, 28, is scheduled to begin the morning of May 21. A status conference is scheduled for April 16.
Reynolds is facing three counts of embezzlement less than $20,000, a five-year felony. Prosecutors charged Reynolds in January 2011, as the culmination of an investigation that began in September 2010.
Prosecutors allege Reynolds was a contract worker at Wysong Corp., a producer of natural pet foods, when he embezzled about $120,000. Reynolds designed the corporation’s website and was responsible for directing traffic to it. Prosecutors contend he directed false traffic to the site.

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Bay City couple pleads guilty to cooking methamphetamine at South End home

Matthew R. Heeren, 33, on Friday morning appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill and pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing meth, said his attorney, Jason P. Gower. The previous day, Heeren’s girlfriend and codefendant Jennifer R. McCarthy, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charge.

The Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, or BAYANET, raided Heeren and McCarthy’s home 1224 Lafayette Ave. on Dec. 1 and found a meth lab in a detached garage or shed. Police reportedly found Heeren hiding in the basement and Michael T. Wheeler, 40, and a 22-year-old woman sleeping in the house.

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State police release video footage of suspects in Soaring Eagle Casino abduction, robbery case

Investigators with the state police's Bay City post have released surveillance camera footage they believe depicts two men who beat, robbed and kidnapped a Lake man following a visit to the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. Police say the 33-year-old victim left the Mount Pleasant casino in the early morning hours of Feb. 16 in the accompany of two black men. They left in the same car, heading east on M-20 toward Midland. The victim told police that, at some point, he was assaulted with a handgun, robbed and knocked unconscious. He later awoke in the trunk of a car, fled on foot and flagged down a passing motorist. He was later treated for head injuries at a Saginaw hospital.

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Native Direct Announces New Website Launch

Native Direct, a Native American art wholesaler and retailer located in Mount Pleasant, Mich., is announcing the launch of its newly designed website and online store at http://www.NativeDirect.com. Chris Tata, Native Direct Commercial Sales Manager stated, “We are very excited about our Native Direct online store. We hope that through it we will be able to bring Native American made products to a global audience.” Prior to launch, sales were mainly out of its home state of Michigan. The company looks to expand sales across the nation with its new online store, offering Native American art, Native American jewelry, Native American crafts and Native American beadwork products to those across the country and around the world.

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Bay County Hockey Association capping successful season by hosting Puck O' The Irish tournament

It’s a few miles north of Hockey Town. But Bay City is making its own mark in the game of sticks and pucks.
“I don’t think people realize what’s going on right here,” said Brent Jaime, president of the Bay County Hockey Association. “There’s an awful lot of hockey — good hockey — being played right in our town.” Bay City gets another chance to showcase its area hockey prowess this weekend with the 14th annual Puck O’ The Irish tournament, which brings 28 youth teams to Bay County Civic Arena for three days of on-ice action.

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Hundreds at Michigan funeral for 1 of 3 Bowling Green sorority sisters killed in Ohio crash

Hundreds of people have turned out for the funeral of one of three vacation-bound Bowling Green State University sorority sisters who died when a wrong-way driver struck their car in Ohio. Zion Lutheran Church in Bay City hosted Wednesday's services for 19-year-old Christina Goyett. MLive.com says sorority sister Jillian Muth told mourners how Goyett stayed by her at a hospital after Muth broke her arm. She says Goyett will always be her best friend and "soulmate."

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Bay City Central Band hosting annual pancake breakfast fundraiser before the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 18

The Bay City Central Band Boosters are again going to host their annual St. Patrick’s Day Pancake Breakfast this year. The breakfast is being held from 8 a.m. until noon on Sunday March 18, 2012 in the cafeteria at Central High. According to a press release the pancakes for the breakfast this year are going to be prepared by Chris Cakes, who has previously been featured on the Food Network. The press release also noted a new addition to the breakfast this year in the form of a pancake eating contest sponsored by Bob Evans. “The event is one of  the primary fundraisers sponsored by the band boosters to raise money for Central’s band in a continuing effort to provide music choices for our students,” event organizers April McGinnis, Greg Helmling and Pauline Helmling said in the press release. “Each of the 130 band students (is being given) five tickets to sell. We hope this results in an estimated 650 people (being) in attendance throughout the day.”

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Bay City Public Schools starts open enrollment push for revamped kindergarten classes

During the month of February, Bay City Public Schools held a series of open houses at each of the elementary schools in the district to provide information about retooled preschool and kindergarten classes. Wendy Legner, preschool director for Bay City Public Schools, said the district had 257 families attend the informational nights, and it was a chance for those families to see the changes that have been made to the district’s kindergarten program. On Monday, the district started its open enrollment push for kindergarten, and Legner said the district could see between 590 and 640 students in kindergarten classes when school starts this fall.

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Bay City woman to spend at least 25 years in prison for molesting 2-year-old girl

A year to the day since she molested a 2-year-old girl she was babysitting, a Bay City woman maintained her innocence as she learned she’ll spend at least a quarter-century behind bars. Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill on Monday sentenced Patricia M. “Missy” Kreiner, 31, to 25 to 40 years in prison with credit for 130 days served. The sentence is mandatory for a conviction the charge Kreiner faced. An eight-man, four-woman jury in December found Kreiner guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person younger than 13. “I come before you today as an innocent woman convicted of a crime I didn’t commit,” Kreiner told the judge, crying as she read from a prewritten statement. Kreiner said that her conviction has torn her family apart, with her fiancé raising two of her children and her parents raising two others. “All this pain for something I didn’t do. From the very beginning, I feel I was never given a fair chance.”

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Former Green Hut owner Denny Hayes to serve as marshall at Bay City's St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The 2012 Bay City St. Patrick’s Day parade has its grand marshall and it’s William ‘Denny’ Hayes, the former long-time owner of the Green Hut pub. “I’m looking forward to it,” Hayes said of the honor. Hayes is 72 and retired from the bar business but as active as he’s ever been in the local Irish community. He’s currently the president of the Friends of Celtic Culture and a member of Bay City’s Ancient Order of the Hibernians, noting both organizations got started in the back room of the Green Hut. “I think over the years my promotion of the Irish (led to this),” Hayes said. “I always did something (at the Green Hut) to promote St. Patrick’s (day).”

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Electrical work one of the last pieces to decide for Bay City Hall project

Major work at Bay City Hall is on hold until an electrical contractor is hired. "We're still looking at numbers," said Dana Muscott, city clerk and deputy city manager for administrative services. "We haven't decided who we're going with yet." Speaking of numbers, she could not provide provide a price tag for the project so far, saying Friday that she had been unable to speak with the insurance adjuster that day. In August, a city attorney said the insurance company, Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, already had paid out $5.5 million. The extensive project, in the wake of an Oct. 12, 2010 fire that occurred during the city's $1.6 million reroofing project, has not led to higher insurance premiums, she said. "We had a renewal last year, and it did not affect it at all."

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Bay City Commission may put hold on some digital billboards

A digital billboard in downtown Bay City will wait at least six months if the Bay City Commission approves a moratorium on them Monday night. Specifically, the resolution applies to off-premise advertising billboard signs. Digital signs that belong to the businesses on whose property they sit would not be affected. Lamar Outdoor Advertising has filed sign permit applications with the Bay City Planning Department, asking to replace its existing poster-type billboard at the northwest corner of Washington Avenue and Third Street with a new color LED digital display. The city denied the request because off-premises advertising signs — billboards — no longer are allowed in C-3 Central Business District zoning. The billboard was there before the zoning changed, so it is permissible in its current form as a legal but nonconforming sign.

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Auburn-area lottery winner Leroy Fick pleads guilty to owning illegal fireworks, six other charges

A Williams Township man who won the lottery less than two years ago is now clear of criminal charges throughout the state, having pleaded guilty this morning to eight misdemeanors and one civil infraction in Bay County. Leroy N. Fick, 60, on Thursday appeared before Bay County District Judge Dawn A. Klida and pleaded guilty to three counts of illegal possession of fireworks, three counts of operating a motor vehicle on a restricted license and single counts of operating a motor vehicle on a restricted license, second offense, allowing an unlicensed person to drive and driving 97 mph in a 55 mph zone. “This is the end of a very tumultuous and long road for Mr. Fick,” said his attorney, John Wilson. “We’ve cleaned up all of his files around the state. We’ve taken care to get Mr. Fick back to solid footing in regards to the criminal law situation.”

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Bay County Animal Control increases dog and cat save rate in 2011, one in three animals finds home

Bay County Animal Control had one of the highest kill rates of dogs and cats among Michigan shelters in 2010, according to state statistics. A preview of data for 2011 shows that the shelter has since made progress. "It's difficult to put animals down, but it's out of necessity," said Mike Halstead, Bay County Animal Control manager. "We are close to one of the biggest public intake shelters in the state — we're getting everything coming in the doors here." Halstead said that state statistics are not indicative of a shelter's standing or delineate the means that contribute to individual save rates: amount of kennel space available, number of humane societies offering assistance/shelter space and whether or not dogs and cats that are euthanized are considered adoptable.

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CMU to allow deaf student to teach with interpreter, complete degree

Central Michigan University officials reversed a decision that would not allow senior Kelly Laatch to complete her teaching degree. Central Michigan Life reported the Freeland native can now use an interpreter in her student teaching. Officials in the College of Education and Human Services had initially told Laatch she must be able to teach without an interpreter to earn her elementary education degree. Laatch has cochlear ear implants and can speak English, but cannot hear as well as a hearing person. She aims to teach hearing-impaired students.

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Ball State win was nice, but little has changed

Ahhhh, the elixir of winning. The heretofore emotionless faces of Ball State's basketball players who labored through a nine-game Mid-American Conference losing streak were gone, even if it was for only one evening. The bounce in their step as they went through the handshake line and headed to the locker room Wednesday night after beating Central Michigan 71-52 was starkly different than in the previous nine conference games. Who would be surprised if the Cardinals gathered in the locker room and chanted, "We're No. 10!!!" Maybe even, "We're No. 9!!!" "We started to see some smiles on people's faces on the court," senior guard Randy Davis admitted.

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Trenton Robinson shines at 2012 NFL Scouting Combine

The 2012 NFL Scouting Combine is over. And by most accounts Trenton Robinson did pretty well. The Bay City Central product and former Michigan State captain took part in tests and interviews over the weekend before hitting the field for defensive back drills on Tuesday. Going into the combine, Robinson had hoped to finish in the Top-5 of all his position drills, according to his agent, and the two-time All-Big Ten honoree came pretty close. His time in the 40-yard dash (4.52) was tied for second among safeties, while his broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches was tied for fourth. His vertical leap of 35 inches tied for seventh in his position group, and he tied for 14th in the bench press with 15 reps at 225 pounds.

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Michigan primary results: Vaughn Begick 'disappointed' in Bay County voter turnout, looking ahead to Super Tuesday

With Michigan primary results in the rearview mirror, area Republicans are looking to the future. Vaughn Begick, Bay County Republican Party vice chair and Bay County commissioner, R-3rd District, has supported Mitt Romney, who won Michigan with 41 percent of the vote to Rick Santorum's 38 percent. He kept checking today to see how Michigan's delegates were being awarded. "It'll be interesting to see how it breaks out. Of course, you've got all of Arizona," which also went to Romney, he said. Michigan awards Republican delegates by district, not in one lump by the overall state results. Begick has said the state is unlikely to lose delegates over its "early" primary, an action the Republican National Committee could take if it chose.

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