Crisp, tart, mouth-watering Michigan apples are the hallmarks of the autumn season. Whether it’s plucking bushels off orchard trees or peeling them for a sumptuous fruit pie, everyone in this neck of the woods longs for apple season. The by-product of apples, of course, is apple cider, and what complements this natural nectar better but freshly baked donuts, a cider mill staple. People will stand in winding cider mill lines to satisfy their cravings for [...]

Count Lisa Brown as the latest target in the rash of recall attempts going on at the state level, but she’s not tucking her tail. Two sets of recall petition language filed against the second-term Democratic state representative — whose district covers Commerce Township, Wolverine Lake, and some of West Bloomfield Township — were approved by the Oakland County Elections Commission on Monday, Sept. 26. The first one cites her vote against House Bill (HB) [...]

Lake Neva is in need of a new standpipe for its dam — and quickly. According to the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the standpipe will not last another freeze-thaw cycle during the upcoming winter, as its corrosion has led to a state of disrepair. The standpipe sits in the water and allows water to pass underneath Biscayne Road, which is where the lake is situated off of Bogie Lake Road in White Lake [...]

Two West Bloomfield Township police officers who exchanged text messages after handling a traffic stop involving township Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste and her husband, Matthew Ureste, have received a disciplinary notice due to the nature of the exchange, according to Police Chief Michael Patton. “The inappropriateness in the messages is apparent and we take corrective internal measures, and that has been done in this case,” Patton said. The messages were exchanged between Officer Robert Stephens [...]

Results are in for the 2nd Annual Waterford’s Got Talent contest, with vocalist/guitarist Haley Hungerford crowned the winner on Saturday, Sept. 24 for her original composition, “The Grey Horse,” which earned her the $1,000 grand prize. Vocalist Bailey Spry cinched the first runnerup spot for her rendition of a monologue from the Fantastiks. Second-place went to comedian and magician Rich “Rodney” Moshier. The New Deal band, comprised of Waterford high school and college students Zack [...]

Thaddeus McCotter has announced the dissolution of his long-shot campaign for the Republican Party’s 2012 presidential nomination, and instead has shifted his attention back to getting re-elected to a congressional seat that represents a substantial number of west Oakland County communities, including Waterford, White Lake, Highland, Milford, Commerce, Wolverine Lake, Walled Lake, and Wixom. McCotter, first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002, has thrown his support behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, [...]

In another partnership move to improve roadways within Commerce Township, the township’s Board of Trustees and the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) have entered into a cost participation agreement for the preliminary design of improvements to Haggerty Road. The improvements would occur between Oakley Park and Richardson roads. Because the design phase is only in the preliminary stages, Township Clerk Dan Munro said they are looking into turning that portion of Haggerty into a [...]

The man on trial for the killing of a Livonia police officer in January pleaded no contest on Monday, Sept. 26 to second-degree murder in Oakland County Circuit Court before Judge Michael Warren. Terry Bowling, 49, was charged with felony murder for the Jan. 17 shooting death of Larry Nehasil, who resided in Milford. Bowling also pleaded no contest to home invasion-first degree and assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer. He faces up to 30 years in [...]

The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) Board of Road Commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday, Sept. 22 to approve a fiscal year 2012 budget that’s $7.5 million below the current budget. The 2012 budget is pegged at $100.65 million compared to the $108.16 million 2011 budget adopted last September, and includes a $2.7 million reduction in expenditures for operations compared to the current budget. The 2012 budget also includes $28.1 million worth of work on [...]

Milford Township has decided to expand its search for a township ambulance service provider to include other providers in Oakland County. “We’re still investigating and we’re now getting information from Oakland County Medical,” said Township Supervisor Don Green. “We’re asking for input on our (request for proposal) and we’re getting a list of ambulance service providers throughout the county that are licensed and qualified. The best case scenario is to have someone in a nearby [...]