municipal birmingham/bloomfield
Township supervisor, treasurer sue NextDoor
Bloomfield Township Supervisor Leo Savoie and Treasurer Brian Kepes, acting as part of a class action suit for local members of NextDoor, have filed suit in Oakland County Circuit Court against the social media platform NextDoor, as well as township residents Val Murray and Kathleen Norton-Schock, the local administrator, alleging the company allowed Murray to monopolize posting boards with demonstrably false postings, to bully, insult and intimidate other members and to spread misinformation to defeat a ballot initiative in August 2019 seeking a $9 million special assessment district, and to continue her actions, and that Norton-Schock did not follow the platform's stated policies in monitoring the postings or banning her from the site. >>>
Village Fair, Dream Cruise events cancelled
The summer of 2020 will be far less exciting as Birmingham City Commissioners unanimously cancelled the Village Fair and Dream Cruise events at their meeting on Monday, May 18. >>>
Fixes at all five Birmingham parking structures
Birmingham is utilizing the quieter time with more people working from home and many stores having been closed to perform critical repairs and rehabilitation at all five of its parking structures, with city commissioners authorizing them at their meeting on Monday, May 18, conducted on Zoom. >>>
Residents to receive absentee voting applications
All Michigan residents who are registered to vote in the August primary will receive an application to vote by absentee ballot, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced, a number that covers approximately 7.7 million state… >>>
Pop art crayon box art receives no takers
A proposal from Birmingham's Public Arts Board to cover the green electrical box in the planter on the west sidewalk of N. Old Woodward at the intersection of Hamilton Row with a handpainted Crayola crayon box was shot down by Birmingham City Commissioners at their meeting on Monday, May 18, as they sought a comprehensive plan from the arts board on future projects. >>>
All Seasons seeking more senior living quarters
Birmingham Planning Board members reviewed a preliminary site plan for a new five-story senior living facility by All Seasons Birmingham, approving a community impact study at their meeting on Wednesday, May 13, but were not satisfied with the preliminary site plan, which will return at a meeting in June after adjustments are made. >>>
education birmingham/bloomfield
Bloomfield district cancels summer programs
Bloomfield Hills Schools has announced it has cancelled all district camps for the month of June, including ones from outsourced athletic providers and Bloomin' preschool summer programs, as a result of the coronavirus crisis. >>>
public safety birmingham/bloomfield
Township peeping Tom arrested in other cases
A man arrested and then placed on a tether in late January for peeping in local windows, was placed on surveillance for other incidents and then arrested for an incident in Southfield on Thursday, May 14. >>>
ATV stolen from Bloomfield dealership
A Polaris RZR ATV was stolen from Motor City Power Sports in Bloomfield Township on Saturday, May 16, and was then found hidden behind a dumpster at a neighboring business, according to Bloomfield Township police. >>>
Bricks stolen from construction site
Spot anyone with a huge load of bricks? If so, the Bloomfield Township Police Department would like to speak with you, because on Sunday, May 17, they received a call from a homeowner in the 100 block of Devon Road who reported that a delivery of bricks had been taken from his property sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. that day. >>>
Walgreens target of shoplifting incidents
Birmingham police received three separate reports of retail fraud incidents at the Walgreens in Birmingham, 34300 Woodward Avenue. >>>
Man takes off with blower from home store
A man is being sought after taking off from the Lowe's Store in Bloomfield Township with a backpack blower in his shopping cart without paying for it on Monday, May 11. >>>
Downtown newsmagazine has launched a membership campaign for donations to the publication to allow us to remain strong and grow while still remaining free to most homes in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area. Publisher David Hohendorf’s letter to the local community explains the background on the membership effort. >>>
Farming challenges: coronavirus adds to concerns
LC Scramlin is the third-generation to work the land on his family farm in Holly, Michigan, where he currently raises sheep, lamb and grows hay for feed. His brother, Marvin Scramlin, is a stone's throw away in Groveland Township, living and working on the family's centennial farm, established in 1910. >>>
Municipal outlook: community leaders' updates
Over two months into a stunning economic recession wrought by an invisible enemy, the COVID-19 virus, local municipalities are grappling with new and unexpected costs of keeping their residents and employees safe while experiencing drastically reduced revenues. >>>
While Michigan media outlets have heard little from GOP U.S. Senate hopeful John James, other than a rather bewildering (pontifical) op-ed piece recently in The Detroit News, Politico gave readers a bit more insight into what could be the candidate’s new approach in his attempt to unseat incumbent Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) come November. >>>
