Bay City
Probation for man who put woman's goods on curb
BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) - A Bay City commissioner who was convicted of a misdemeanor for putting a neighbor's lawn mower, grill and fire pit on the curb has been sentenced to probation.
Chad Sibley says he simply made a mistake last April. He says he moved the items to the curb for pickup because of safety concerns. The previous owner of the home lost the property because of unpaid taxes but still had permission to recover her possessions.
The Bay City Times reports that Sibley, a Bay City commissioner since 2011, also was sentenced on Tuesday to $900 in fines and costs. He was convicted last month of larceny less than $200. He's seeking re-election in November.
Auburn Hills
Woman charged in shots fired at shoplifters
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - A 46-year-old suburban Detroit woman has been charged after authorities said she fired a shot at the tires of an SUV to stop fleeing shoplifters in a Home Depot parking lot.
Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said Tuesday that Tatiana Duva-Rodriguez of Clarkston faces one count of reckless use, handling or discharge of a firearm.
The shooting occurred Oct. 6 in Auburn Hills, northwest of Detroit. The shoplifters escaped, but two men were arrested a few days later and charged with retail fraud.
Authorities have said the woman who fired the shot had a concealed weapons permit, but wasn't being threatened by the shoplifters.
Cooper said the slug could have struck someone else.
An arraignment date for Duva-Rodriguez has not been set. A number listed for her was disconnected.
Ypsilanti
EMU's orthotics and prosthetics program gets new home on campus
YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) - A historic building on Eastern Michigan University's campus has taken on a new role as the home to the school's graduate program in orthotics and prosthetics.
The program moved into the newly updated Rackham Hall, joining the Ypsilanti school's programs for exercise science, nursing, occupational therapy, nutrition services, physician assistant and social work. An open house is Tuesday following the school's Board of Regents meeting.
Work to the building is part of a roughly $10 million renovation project, including about $3.5 million for the physician assistant program and $6.3 million for other work including the orthotics and prosthetics program's new home, according to the school.
The move expands the orthotics and prosthetics department, allowing for multiple classes and groups to take place at the same time. Students in the two-year program will be able to treat patients in a real-world setting and there's a plaster lab for modifying molds of body parts.
"We've moved from having a single lab and classroom to a space that has flexible rooms, which function both as classrooms and laboratories," Wendy Beattie, clinical and program director of the orthotics and prosthetics program, said in a statement. "In addition, everything is now in one building, enabling better communication and interaction between faculty and students."
There's also a research and development lab with a machine shop and advanced equipment such as 3D printers that can be used to make life-like bones, hands, ears, arms and legs. An expanded fabrication lab is where students will learn to make orthoses and prostheses.
Port Huron
Oldest lighthouse in state gets fresh coat of paint
PORT HURON, Mich. (AP) - A 186-year-old lighthouse in Port Huron has received a fresh coat of paint as part of ongoing maintenance work to ensure the 82-foot structure doesn't fall back into disrepair.
The Times Herald reports that thousands of dollars have been invested in the restoration of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse after years of neglect left it closed to visitors.
Safety concerns prompted its closure to the public in August 2008 when bricks started falling from the structure. It underwent renovations in 2011 and reopened to the public in May 2012.
Port Huron Museum executive director Susan Bennett says nearly 85,000 people have visited the lighthouse since its opening.
The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Michigan.
Detroit
Police don't like policy requiring pat-downs at entry
DETROIT (AP) - A policy requiring officers to be patted down before entering the state-run Detroit Detention Center has been met with resistance from Detroit police.
Formerly the Mound Correctional Facility, the center is where Detroit officers take criminal suspects to await arraignment. Prior to a 2013 agreement between the state and city to house detainees at the former state prison, police took them to precinct lockups.
Assistant Detroit police Chief Steve Dolunt said at a recent meeting of police officials that being frisked is "a slap in the face."
Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz tells The Detroit News changes to the search policy happened in June and officials hope to resolve concerns. Gautz says: "We run tight prisons in Michigan so we have to have tight controls of our gates."
Published: Wed, Oct 14, 2015
