ANTRIM
Fire destroys Shanty Creek building
BELLAIRE -- A fire ripped through one of Shanty Creek Resort's three golf course maintenance buildings early Tuesday. The blaze destroyed lawn mowers and other equipment used to groom the Cedar River golf course and left a chemical-ridden mess for emergency crews to mop up.
Someone noticed the fire at about 6:30 a.m., spokeswoman Lindsey Southwell said. Fire quickly consumed the pole barn structure off Del Mason Road near the resort's Cedar River Village.
The building also housed large amounts of fertilizer and pesticides, so Antrim County's hazardous materials team also responded to contain and clean up the contaminants.
The building is a complete loss, and there isn't any preliminary indication of what caused the fire.
Teacher may plead guilty in sex case
BELLAIRE -- A teacher who also served on a local school board could plead guilty to a criminal charge after police said he had sex with a student.
Frank E. Moser is expected to plead guilty to a single count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct on Jan. 20 in Antrim County Circuit Court. Moser, a teacher at Forest Area High School in Fife Lake, resigned from the Mancelona Public Schools board shortly after his arrest in December.
Authorities believe Moser had sex with a female Forest Area High School student, 17, at his Mancelona home in November. Moser, who taught English and social studies at Forest Area, is on unpaid suspension pending the outcome of criminal proceedings.
Moser appeared Thursday before 86th District Judge Michael Haley in Bellaire. He waived his preliminary examination, which is held to determine if there is enough evidence to send a felony case to trial, and Haley conducted his circuit court arraignment.
Antrim County Prosecutor Charles Koop dropped a second count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in exchange for the plea. Koop told Haley he also agreed to not charge Moser with an additional criminal charge for violating state education law.
GRAND TRAVERSE
Boltres' lawsuit set to begin
TRAVERSE CITY -- Former Acme Township Treasurer Bill Boltres' lawsuit against the Village at Grand Traverse developers is set to begin in earnest.
The suit had been mired for a year because of legal motions filed by the Village over Boltres' previously closed personal bankruptcy filing.
Bankruptcy matters were settled recently and Grand Traverse County Circuit Court Judge Philip Rodgers on Monday agreed to give lawyers more time to interview witnesses and review documents.
Boltres is seeking $3 million from the Village, court records show.
Boltres filed for bankruptcy in October 2005, six months after he suffered a serious heart attack.
The bankruptcy court forgave Boltres' outstanding debts in 2006, but the case was reopened after Boltres sued Meijer Inc. more than a year later.
Boltres alleged stress from harassment and malicious lawsuits filed by Meijer Inc. and the Village at Grand Traverse over a proposed Acme Township development led to his heart attack.
Meijer settled with Boltres in December 2007, after depositions in the lawsuit exposed the retailer's illegal manipulation of two township elections through citizen front groups it created.
Gladiators hire Mirabelli as baseball coach
TRAVERSE CITY -- Former Major League catcher Doug Mirabelli was introduced on Monday as the new baseball coach for the Traverse City St. Francis Gladiators.
This will be the first coaching position for Mirabelli, who won a pair of World Series titles playing for the Boston Red Sox. He played for four different teams in 12 seasons.
St. Francis athletic director Tom Hardy said that Mirabelli told him his reasons for coaching were simple: A chance to build a program from the ground up and an opportunity to share his talent for baseball with others.
Mirabelli takes over the program for Buzz Zammaron, who directed the team for two seasons.
Theater nixes run of anti-Moore film
TRAVERSE CITY -- The Traverse City screening of a movie critical of documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has been shelved.
"Shooting Michael Moore" was scheduled to start a one-week run Friday at Carmike's Horizon Cinemas. But the company halted plans to show the movie late Tuesday, on the eve of a press conference organized by Moore supporters to protest the movie's local debut.
The movie is directed, produced, narrated and largely financed by Kevin Leffler, a Davison native and schoolmate of Moore. He learned the film would not be shown but was not told why. Leffler blamed the Oscar-winning filmmaker for pressuring the theater chain to yank the film and "silencing a voice that he did not want to come out."
Leffler's movie drew criticism from some local Moore backers who thought its title went too far. The title is a "thinly veiled call to violence," said Jeff Gibbs, who worked on Moore's films "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Bowling for Columbine" and also knows Leffler from school.
Downtown gift certificates boost sales
TRAVERSE CITY -- Merchants got some bang from downtown bucks during a wobbly holiday shopping season.
Sales of Downtown Traverse City Association gift certificates soared to $192,425 this holiday season, up 25 percent from last year.
That's despite a national downward trend in holiday gift card sales. Some local merchants said certificates dedicated to downtown shops helped boost sales during a trying holiday shopping season.
The promotion was launched in the late 1980s and modified in 2002 so the certificates would be accepted at the various banks used by downtown merchants, said Colleen Paveglio, DDA marketing director.
Spending on downtown certificates more than doubled over the past five years, she said. Major employers like Munson Medical Center, Hagerty Insurance and the Record-Eagle distribute them as perks for employees.
New school board member resigns
TRAVERSE CITY -- The newest Traverse City school board member resigned her seat -- before she attended any meetings as an elected official.
Amy Sutherland, 24, sent a letter dated Dec. 31 to board President Fred Tank. She was to begin her term Jan. 1, and her first meeting would have been Jan. 12.
She will leave today for the African country of Zambia, where she and husband Paul, president of investment firm FIM Group in Traverse City, are adopting an infant son.
They aren't expected to return until May, following a residency and approval process by the Zambian government.
Sutherland had declared her candidacy for the November election before the couple chose to pursue international adoption. She was the sole candidate for former member Gerald Morris' seat.
Woman in crash dies at hospital
TRAVERSE CITY -- A woman involved in a Garfield Township traffic crash died, and the man behind the wheel faces at least one charge.
Kira Patterson Kirchler died Monday at Munson Medical Center, according to a death notice provided to The Record-Eagle. Kirchler, 24, of Traverse City, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Richard Connell-Sanford on Jan. 2. Police said the vehicle crossed the center line on Garfield Road and slammed into a semi truck at about 11:30 a.m.
Connell-Sanford, 24, of Jackson, remained in fair condition at Munson Tuesday afternoon. Secretary of State records show his license has been suspended since December 2005 after he failed to pay a driver responsibility fee tied to a 2004 ticket for operating without insurance.
Grand Traverse Prosecutor Alan Schneider said he received a request from the sheriff's department to charge Connell-Sanford with driving with a suspended license. Undersheriff Nate Alger said the department is still reviewing reports and could soon request additional charges.
Man allegedly bought stolen goods
TRAVERSE CITY -- A Kalkaska man was arrested after allegedly purchasing stolen music equipment.
Joshua David Thomas, 23, faces a felony count of receiving and concealing stolen property, with a value $1,000 or greater but less than $20,000, court records show. The charge carries up to five years in prison.
Thomas allegedly told a Grand Traverse County sheriff's detective he had purchased a sound mixer from someone while knowing it likely was stolen, records show.
Records indicate a music teacher at Traverse City West Senior High had reported the $8,000 equipment stolen from a storage room.
Police: Drunk man hit store with car
TRAVERSE CITY -- A driver who rammed a local convenience store with a car was drunk and trying to pull a prank on a friend, police said.
Traverse City police were called to the 14th Street 7-Eleven at about 11:30 p.m. Monday. The owner of the vehicle was present and told police he was giving a friend a ride home from the bar. They stopped at 7-Eleven and the owner went inside to buy cigarettes.
When he was leaving the store he heard a crash and saw his friend running away. Police found the suspect and determined he tried to pull a prank on his friend by moving his car from the front of the store to the back. The suspect said he forgot to put the vehicle in park, and it struck the building. The suspect was arrested for operating while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.
Cherry Festival has new home
TRAVERSE CITY -- The National Cherry Festival will breathe new life into the historic Con Foster building at the former Clinch Park Zoo site.
The move not only will give the organization a home at the center of festival activities, but also provide a venue for local nonprofit events.
Traverse City commissioners on Monday approved a one-year agreement for the Cherry Festival to take over the 4,200-square-foot facility. It takes effect in September and can be renewed up to five years, though it could open this summer if festival officials find an auxiliary use that's acceptable to the city.
The agreement requires the festival to pay an annual fee of $14,500 for maintenance and improvements to the building and surrounding area. The festival plans to renovate the building to create suitable office space, and those improvements will act as credit toward the annual fee.
Woman allegedly rammed light pole
TRAVERSE CITY -- Police arrested a woman who allegedly rammed a light pole with her car.
A Traverse City police officer saw the woman's Chevrolet Blazer speeding and swerving on Woodmere Avenue shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday. At about the same time, he heard on his radio that a vehicle with matching description had smashed into a light pole on Grandview Parkway near Front Street and left the scene.
The officer pulled the woman over and noticed significant damage on the front end of her vehicle, police said. The woman, 49, of Traverse City, was arrested for drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
New rules promote affordable housing
TRAVERSE CITY -- New zoning regulations could make it easier for developers to build affordable housing in Traverse City.
City commissioners last week approved new rules to allow increased density and lot coverage for projects with a certain amount of affordable housing units in multi-family residential districts.
The move is one of several recommendations put forth in a city report on affordable housing that was released last spring.
Affordable housing costs 30 percent or less of a household's income. It's aimed at households making between 60 and 80 percent or less than the average median income.
School board to choose president
TRAVERSE CITY -- The leader of Traverse City's school board plans to seek another year at its helm, as the district braces for $2 million in budget cuts and adjusts to operational changes.
Fred Tank, the board's current president, so far is the only member to declare for certain he will run. Board member Dave Barr, the current vice president, said he is considering whether he will, too.
Barr lost to Tank last year.
The school board will meet Monday for the first time in 2009, during which time members will elect officers and join committees for the calendar year.
Board members also are expected to discuss how to fill a vacancy created when Amy Sutherland, elected in November, resigned at the end of last month.
Township racks up $217,000 legal bill
TRAVERSE CITY -- Garfield Township's $217,000 legal bill for 2008 is prompting officials to think twice before dialing the township attorney.
Garfield's 2008 bill for legal fees is four times that of neighboring townships. Defending a lawsuit over a proposed pornography shop helped run up the tab, but that wasn't the only problem, new township Supervisor Chuck Korn said.
"I think every employee had the attorneys on speed dial," Korn said. "They work on an hourly basis, $150 an hour, and every time the attorney picks up the phone it's 10 minutes."
Township employees now must get permission from an elected official before calling Running Wise & Ford PLC of Traverse City, Korn said. The new practice trimmed legal expenses over the last month.
The board eventually will bid out legal services, though likely not for a year, Korn said. Other townships have had success cutting legal fees by bidding out services and putting law firms on retainer for a set monthly fee.
Chairman denies committee requests
TRAVERSE CITY -- Newly elected Grand Traverse County Commissioner Beth Friend wanted a pair of committee assignments that would allow her to tackle problems with the county's financially troubled septage plant, but she'll instead have to do most of her work from the audience.
Board Chairman Dick Thomas passed over Friend for spots on the sewer and water committee and Board of Public Works, assignments that include oversight of the county septage treatment facility.
Friend, of East Bay Township, was the lone commissioner who requested the sewer and water spot.
Thomas instead appointed Commissioner Bruce Hooper, of Peninsula Township, who didn't ask to serve on either committee.
Hooper replaces Thomas on the committee, leaving Peninsula Township Supervisor Rob Manigold the lone holdover from the committee that in 2003 decided to build the plant.
Man allegedly tried to bite deputies
TRAVERSE CITY -- A Suttons Bay man faces felony drunken driving charges.
Andrew Isaac Miller, 44, is charged with third-offense drunken driving and two counts of assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer.
A Grand Traverse sheriff's deputy allegedly saw Miller drive into a snowbank in Blair Township, court records show. The deputy said Miller smelled of alcohol and had "slurred and confused" speech.
Police said Miller kicked and attempted to bite two deputies as they tried to arrest him. Miller previously was convicted of drunken driving in 2003, 1995 and 1989, court records show.
Woman arrested in alleged assault
TRAVERSE CITY -- A Kingsley woman faces a felony assault charge.
Rebecca Ann Vansickle, 44, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.
Michigan State Police arrested Vansickle Dec. 30. Investigators believe she struck her husband on the left side of his head with an aluminum broom stick, leaving a small laceration.
A preliminary examination is set for Jan. 16.
CHEBOYGAN
11-year-old dies in snowmobile crash
CHEBOYGAN -- An 11-year-old boy died after crashing the snowmobile he was riding in Cheboygan County's Inverness Township.
Trevor Morris, of Grand Blanc, was riding with family members about 3:05 p.m. Jan. 2 on a trail near Stempky Road when he lost control and struck a tree, according to the Cheboygan County sheriff's office. He was taken to Cheboygan Memorial Hospital, where he died.
The accident remains under investigation.
KALKASKA
Man arrested in two-county chase
SOUTH BOARDMAN -- A man who allegedly struck a patrol car and led authorities on a vehicle chase through two counties was arrested without incident in Kalkaska County.
Eric Arthur Mauser, 34, was arraigned Monday in Benzie County on felony charges of second-degree fleeing from a police officer and assault with a dangerous weapon, and a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended license.
He could face as many as 10 years in prison if convicted.
Kalkaska state police Trooper Stephen Porter stopped a vehicle Sunday in South Boardman, in which Mauser was a passenger. He was taken to the Benzie County Jail, and bond was set at $100,000.
Secretary of State records show Mauser had seven speeding tickets and an arrest for drunken driving, among other offenses, in the past decade.
3 Kalkaska County planners retain seats
KALKASKA -- An anticipated shake-up on the Kalkaska County Planning Commission didn't come off as expected, but not for lack of effort.
Three of the commission's seven members were up for re-appointment and some in the community thought county leaders might choose others for the posts, fallout from the recent loss of a proposed biomass power plant to neighboring Antrim County. Instead, the three incumbents retained their seats.
Stuart McKinnon and Eric Hendricks were re-appointed to three-year terms recently, but Louis Walter almost lost his position.
"George Shetler wanted me off of there, probably because I have a hard time saying yes to everything," Walter said.
Shetler, county board chairman, could not be reached for comment. He previously said he wanted to reverse perceptions that the county doesn't welcome new businesses, a goal that could be achieved by changing the planning commission's makeup.
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