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November 20, 2005Week in reviewANTRIMFederal grand jury adds drug charges EAST JORDAN - A federal grand jury added charges to what the FBI contends was a drug-trafficking ring that reached from Detroit to northern Michigan. Charges have been amended against Raymond "Ray-ray" Adams, 23, Ronald "Bugs" Adams, 26, and Herburt "K" Carter, 20, Detroit residents federally charged last month with conspiring to distribute heroin in Antrim County. Also being charged is Eric Belcher, 26, of East Jordan, who owned a house at 2653 Six Mile Lake Road that allegedly was used as a base for drug sales. All four men are being charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin between late 2004 and October in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. Carter is also being charged with three additional counts of distributing heroin in alleged incidents in October. Both Raymond and Ronald Adams also are facing additional charges of felony firearms possession. CHARLEVOIX County deadlocks on smoking ban CHARLEVOIX - A workplace smoking ban that will soon take effect in much of northern Michigan will not include Charlevoix County. Charlevoix commissioners deadlocked on a vote to approve a plan to ban smoking in most public and private businesses. The tie vote stalled the measure. The ban excludes bars, restaurants and tobacco specialty shops and already passed in Antrim, Emmet and Otsego counties. "We knew going in there was a possibility it would not pass" in Charlevoix County, said Jane Sundmacher, spokeswoman for the Northwest Michigan Community Health Agency, which is behind the new regulations. "The plan right now is to move forward without Charlevoix County," she said. At their Nov. 9 meeting, Charlevoix County commissioners split 3-3 on the smoking ban. Man accused of shooting at wife CHARLEVOIX - A Charlevoix man is in the county jail after he allegedly attempted to shoot his wife during an argument. Sheriff George Lasater said the 62-year-old man was arrested after police responded to an incident in Marion Township at 6 p.m. Monday. The man allegedly had been involved in a verbal altercation with his wife when he pointed a revolver and shot at her inside the couple's home. Lasater said the woman, who was not injured, fled and arrived at the sheriff's office for assistance. The man was arrested without incident and is being charged with assault with intent to murder and possessing a firearm while intoxicated, police said. Hunter found safe after getting lost BEAVER ISLAND - A Tennessee man is safe after he was lost for four hours during a hunting trip on Beaver Island. Keith Howard, 62, was reported missing by hunting companions Tuesday after he failed to come out of the woods at nightfall in the wooded area of French Bay on the island. Howard's hunting companions reported him missing to a state Department of Natural Resources officer, who was assisted in the search by the Charlevoix Sheriff's office, the Beaver Island Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard. Howard was located four hours later on West Side Road on the island's south end after he signaled a Coast Guard helicopter with a flashlight from the ground. CRAWFORD Hunter killed when struck by vehicle FREDERIC - A hunting accident in Crawford County left one man dead. A 67-year-old man from Erie was killed around 6:20 a.m. Tuesday when a pickup truck rolled into him near Blue Bear Trail in Frederic Township. The driver was the man's son, who left the truck to help his father with hunting equipment. The truck rolled backward and hit the victim, who suffered a severe head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police continue to investigate but said foul play was ruled out. Plea bargain struck in 2001 homicide GRAYLING - A man accused of slaying 21-year-old Shane Piehl of Grayling in 2001 avoided trial last week by seeking a plea bargain with the county prosecutor. Michael Patrick Bergan pleaded no contest to assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, as a habitual offender. He faced trial on an open count of murder. Piehl died from two .22 rifle shots to the head in a parking lot on Four Mile Road in an alleged cocaine-for-OxyContin deal gone bad. Crawford County Prosecutor John Huss said he accepted the offer in part because a potential problem arose with testimony from a key witness. The felony conviction carries a 15-year maximum sentence because of the habitual offender classification. Bergan is currently serving a sentence at St. Louis Correctional Facility on a larceny conviction for stealing $150,000 in July 2001 from a relative who owns a towing company in Crawford County. Bergan is the second man charged with the murder of Shane Piehl. Randee Craig Johnson was acquitted after a two-week trial in May 2002. EMMET Pet rattlesnake's bites send man to hospital PETOSKEY - A 21-year-old Emmet County man was hospitalized after being bitten by his pet diamondback rattlesnake. Sgt. Tim Rodwell of the Emmet County Sheriff's Office said the East Mitchell Road man was bitten twice on the hand while trying to change a bulb in the snake's holding tank last Sunday. He was taken first to Northern Michigan Hospital, and from there to Grand Rapids, police said. "It was discovered that it was a dry bite. No venom was transferred," Rodwell said. "He is going to be OK." Rodwell did not divulge the victim's name and said the rattler was purchased at Traverse City pet store. He said he did not know the name of the store, but said the animal has been returned there. GRAND TRAVERSE Industrial waste spews from storage lagoon WILLIAMSBURG - Tens of thousands of gallons of wastewater poured from a storage lagoon at a local fruit processing plant that has a history of environmental problems. State Department of Environmental Quality officials said a lagoon meant to store liquid industrial waste generated by fruit processing at Cherry Blossom LLC - also known as Williamsburg Receiving and Storage- gave way recently and spewed thousands of gallons of "smelly" wastewater across the property in Whitewater Township. "It's a real mess," said Janice Heuer, an environmental engineer with the DEQ in Cadillac. "It's a pretty serious spill." The DEQ suspects that part of an earthen berm around the lagoon gave way. Cherry Blossom owner Chris Hubbell said most of the waste was contained in stormwater basins on the property. The liquid was pumped from those basins back into the storage lagoon. Heuer said she didn't know if the latest incident will result in additional sanctions against the operation, which has been fined more than $60,000 by the state in the past three years for various environmental violations. $3 million is largest gift for Interlochen INTERLOCHEN - Interlochen Center for the Arts announced a $3 million gift, the largest donation in its history. The gift comes from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation in memory of former Interlochen trustee Barbara C. Dow, who died earlier this year. The gift will go toward construction of a $7.5 million facility for the visual arts program. The center has $1 million to raise to complete its fundraising for the new building. The Dow Foundation was established by Grace Dow in 1936 in memory of her husband, Herbert Dow, founder of The Dow Chemical Company. Barbara Dow was a member of Interlochen's board of trustees from 1984 to 1995. Her husband, Herbert H. Dow II, also served on Interlochen's board. Construction begins on homeless shelter TRAVERSE CITY - The earth officially moved for a new 22,000-square-foot Goodwill Inn Homeless Shelter in Traverse City. Executive Director Cecil McNally said about 100 people gathered Monday to watch a ceremonial groundbreaking for the multi-million-dollar project on Keystone Road, tentatively set for completion in August. The new center will have 77 beds and room to expand up to 115 beds. McNally said Goodwill still wants to raise approximately $1.4 million toward the $4.3 million goal set for the project. Fundraising got a strong kick-start last fall after an anonymous donor pledged $500,000, said McNally. The project received another boost in June when Harvey and Marilyn Warburton of Empire donated $500,000 to build the youth wing of the new facility in memory of their son, Peter, who died by suicide eight years ago. Man charged with stealing academy safe INTERLOCHEN - A Thompsonville man is being charged with stealing a safe from the Interlochen Arts Academy. George Arthur Hauser, 36, is sought on an arrest warrant for felony safe-breaking - punishable by life in prison - and larceny in a building stemming from an Aug. 18 incident at the Interlochen facility. An official at the school reported a safe missing from an office in the school's cafeteria. Police said they later found the safe near Hauser's home on Thompsonville Road, according to 86th District Court records. Hauser, who was working on a crew at the school, allegedly confessed to Grand Traverse County sheriff's investigators that he took the safe and its contents. Man barred from dorm slur appears TRAVERSE CITY - Northwestern Michigan College ordered 2 non-student to stay away from the dorms after a racial slur allegedly was written on the door of a black student. The college ordered that Brian Helmsley be banned from the two dorm buildings for more than a year unless he is escorted by a security officer. Helmsley admitted to writing the slur, according to a letter from the college to him. Krystel Jackson, 18, returned to her room with a friend the evening of Nov. 2 and found the phrase "African Tribal Bitch" written on her door in permanent marker. Jackson, who was born in South Africa and grew up in Switzerland, said she was angry and afraid when she found the message. Teen charged with break-in at neighbor's TRAVERSE CITY - A local teen is being charged with a felony after he allegedly broke into his neighbor's house and made off with $1,000 in change. Marshall Vincent Decker, 19, of Traverse City, is sought on an arrest warrant for second-degree home invasion after he allegedly broke into a house near his own on Clay Road last month. The homeowner told police she was away for three days and later found someone had taken approximately $1,000 in change from a container in her bedroom. Decker allegedly admitted to the victim that he stole the money after breaking into her home, according to 86th District Court records. If convicted, Decker could face up to 15 years in prison. Interlochen backs out of theater venture TRAVERSE CITY - Interlochen Center for the Arts no longer plans to run the State Theatre as a performance place, and several groups are negotiating the future of the historic movie house. The front-runner could be the Traverse City Film Festival. The State was the marquee venue last summer for the first film festival. It budgeted $1 million next year for the "purchase, operation or renovation" of the Front Street theater, according to festival co-founder Doug Stanton. The State currently is owned by the nonprofit State Theatre Group, which in 2003 announced a partnership with Interlochen. The plan was to raise $6.5 million in 12 months to upgrade the theater to allow for many types of entertainment and live performances. The funding hasn't materialized and Interlochen backed away from its plan to run it once renovated. The State Theatre Group, Interlochen, Rotary Charities of Traverse City, the film festival and the Traverse Symphony Orchestra are among those discussing what's next. Pizza delivery vehicle taken for joy ride TRAVERSE CITY - A local woman is in trouble after she allegedly stole a delivery car from a Traverse City pizza restaurant. City police Capt. Steve Morgan said a delivery car went missing from behind Luigi's Pizza just before 9 p.m. Tuesday. "Apparently, the delivery man saw a woman in a black coat jump in his Jeep and drive away," he said. Morgan said officers responded to the restaurant after the 36-year-old Traverse City woman who allegedly took the vehicle returned a short time later. Morgan said the delivery man attempted to detain the woman, who then allegedly led officers on a short foot chase before she was taken into custody. Morgan said a test found she had a blood-alcohol level of .22, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08. The woman was lodged in the Grand Traverse County Jail on charges of joy-riding, operating while intoxicated, and resisting and obstructing police, Morgan said. Front Street project gets $4.3M tax credit TRAVERSE CITY - A project that would transform a chunk of West Front Street won a $4.3 million boost by way of a state tax credit. Federated Properties LLC wants to build a 100-foot-tall multi-use project with public parking on the south side of West Front. Developer Michael Uzelac said he "always counted" on a brownfield single business tax credit from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. "as a necessary component to make the project work." "We are thrilled with it." he said. To receive the tax credits, work on the project must begin in one year and finish in five years, said Jean Derenzy, who runs the county brownfield program. Uzelac, however, does not have the required permit for the project yet. He and the city also have to work out an agreement for public parking costs. The permit request will be ready for a Dec. 7 planning commission meeting, Uzelac said. Barge runs aground in Bowers Harbor TRAVERSE CITY - A barge that was shuffled around various East Bay moorings over the summer may be spending its winter in Bowers Harbor, much to the dismay of its new neighbors. The barge was moved to Bowers Harbor in West Bay at the end of September, where until Sunday it sat in deep water in front of Ronald Olm's house. "I don't know what it was doing there and I don't like looking at it," Olm said. On Sunday high winds from the south blew the barge aground. "I'm kind of glad its not in front of my house anymore," Olm said. In September, Donald Balcom of Traverse City acknowledged ownership of the barge. Balcom's phone has been disconnected, and two people who know him said they heard he's in Africa until January. The Coast Guard is investigating, said Lt. Nick Gilmore. He said if there's oil on board or if it can become a hazard to navigation, the agency will step in. Kingsley man found guilty in CSC case TRAVERSE CITY - A Kingsley man was convicted on charges he took sexually explicit photos of underage girls attending a party at his home. Timothy Lee Glazier, 42, was convicted Wednesday of felony charges of criminal sexual abusive activity and possession of sexually abusive material, as well as misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, after a two-day jury trial in 13th Circuit Court. Glazier was arrested in September after a teenage girl told police he took pictures of her posing nude at his home last December. The girl said she later saw those pictures on Glazier's computer, which was seized by Grand Traverse County sheriff's officials. On the computer, detectives said they found numerous pictures of the victim and two other girls in sexually explicit poses. Glazier, who still is facing other felony charges of sexually abusive activity, could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison. LEELANAU Fundraising effort targets village LAKE LEELANAU - Chris and Jody Treter make their living importing coffee from Mexico to northern Michigan. Now the couple wants northern Michigan to help Mexico find some water. The Treters and other Leelanau County businesses and individuals launched a fundraising drive to raise $8,000 to build a gravity-fed water system for a village in Chiapas, Mexico. The village, in an area where the Treters frequently travel to buy coffee beans for their business, Higher Grounds Trading Company, currently has no direct access to clean water, the couple said. A social conscience is part of the Treters' business strategy. The coffee importers buy coffee beans from growers in Chiapas at a "fair trade" price, or well above market value, and sell the coffee to grocery stores, restaurants and individuals, primarily in Michigan but also around the country. Elmwood fills slots on planning commission TRAVERSE CITY - Elmwood Township finally has a full planning commission after months of haggling over two slots and amid consideration of the largest development in the township's history. Board members on Monday accepted Supervisor Derith Smith's appointments of Mark Leugers and Don Schubert. The new members complete the seven-member planning commission, which has been operating with a five-member quorum since June. Two of those existing members - Jeff Howell and Jeff Aprill - already recused themselves from considering plans for Glacier Bay Resort, a huge waterpark and lodge proposed near M-72. Howell owns property adjacent to the site, and Aprill farms and expects to inherit adjacent land. The township's attorney advised the board last month that failure to fill the two remaining planning commission seats could jeopardize timely consideration of those plans. Schubert served on the township planning commission between 1992 and 1998 and Leugers helped develop the township's waterfront plan. The previous planning commission was dissolved in February amid questions about term lengths. Board members in May approved reappointment of Aprill, Jack Kelly, Howell and Steve VanZoeren. Diane Gilbo was appointed in June. Elmwood Twp. recall petition rejected TRAVERSE CITY - Leelanau County's election commission rejected the first version of a recall petition targeting Elmwood Township's supervisor but will consider revised language later this month. John Stanek filed a petition Nov. 1 seeking recall of supervisor Derith Smith. The election commission must approve the petition's wording for clarity before circulators can gather signatures. County Clerk Michelle Crocker said that panel voted 2-1 Monday to reject Stanek's initial submission because it did not clearly state whether alleged wrongdoing occurred during her current term of office. Stanek filed an amended petition, and another clarity hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30. Signatures from 511 registered township voters would be necessary to force a recall election. County seeks help of equalization director LELAND - Leelanau County will rent its neighbor's equalization director for at least the next two months to meet state standards fueled by growing property values. The county needs a Level 4 certified assessor on board by year's end to keep up with its $3.2 billion state equalized value. The State Assessors Board annually sets certification requirements based on that figure for county equalization directors, who ensure local governments are assessing property throughout the county equally. Leelanau board chairman Robert Hawley said the state granted the county a grace period while director Pamela Zientek pursued Level 4 standing, but she recently decided not to continue training. Commissioners last week agreed to contract with Grand Traverse County equalization director Laurie Spencer for $10,000 per year to fill the Level 4 need. Leelanau commissioners eliminated a full-time equalization technician position in this year's budget and set aside $17,264 to hire a level 4 assessor. MANISTEE Crash claims lives of three Wellston children TRAVERSE CITY - In Manistee, the area's first winter-related traffic fatality claimed three young lives Wednesday when a van driven by Marie Bennett, 39, of Wellston, collided with a semitrailer on M-55 in Stronach Township. Madison Bennett, 10, Leeland Bennett, 14, and Michael Potter, 13, all of Wellston, were killed in the collision with a semi-trailer driven by Robert Gezelman, 47, of Blanchard. Marie Bennett is in critical condition at a Grand Rapids hospital. Gezelman was not injured. OTSEGO Pilot killed in crash of twin-engine airplane GAYLORD - Pilot Suhel Raffo Polis, 30, of Skokie, Ill., died just after 6 p.m. Wednesday when a twin-engine plane he attempted to land in snowy conditions at Otsego County Airport crashed and exploded near the corner of South Townline and Van Tyle roads. He approached the runway from the west, officials said. The cause of the crash that killed the Iraqi man is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Polis was delivering small packages and bundles of checks from Grand Rapids, FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said. Dave Schuster, manager of Otsego County Airport, said Polis frequently made deliveries to Gaylord, landing at the small airport nearly every day. WEXFORD Police probe theft of golf carts CADILLAC - Although golf season's in a deep freeze, someone managed to get away with a half-dozen golf carts from a Wexford County resort. Sheriff's officials said six Yamaha golf carts were stolen from McGuire's Resort Golf Course in Clam Township between Monday and Wednesday. The golf carts are white and each has a roof, sheriff's officials said. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at (231) 779-9211 or Silent Observer at (800) 528-8234. Two men sought in theft of gaming units CADILLAC - Wexford County Sheriff's officials are searching for two men who allegedly stole away from a store with a cache of video game units. Officials said two men entered the Meijer store in Haring Township just after 4 a.m. Tuesday then getting out of the sight of employees and gaining access to a display case. Police said the two men got away with "several" Sony PlayStation portable units. The first suspect is described as more than 6 feet tall, weighing more than 300 pounds with dark, short hair. The second suspect is between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet tall, 180 pounds and wearing a dark hat with a white insignia. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at (231) 779-9211. Man injured when vehicle flips in accident CADILLAC - A Cadillac man was injured after his vehicle flipped out of control during an early morning, two-vehicle accident. Cadillac police responded to the accident just before 8 a.m. Monday on Crosby Road near East Division Street. Police said Lyndon Corniuk, 56, of Cadillac, was driving southbound on Crosby Road when he failed to yield and struck a vehicle driven on Division Street by Norman Druce, 32, also of Cadillac. Police said the impact flipped Druce's car, which carried two other passengers. Druce was transported to Mercy Hospital. Corniuk was cited for failing to yield, police said.
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