Following are excerpts from the front pages of the Clare County Review for January through June. The second half of the year just past will follow in next week’s Review.
Pat Maurer
Following are excerpts from the front pages of the Clare County Review for January through June. The second half of the year just past will follow in next week’s Review.
Pat Maurer
January
1-6
Good news for Clare, Lake Shamrock dredging can start
The Clare City Commission got some good news at the first meeting of 2023 Monday evening.
City Manager Jeremy Howard said in his report to the board that the City “has finally gotten a response from EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) and have been given a partial permit (modified) to start mechanical dredging in the first section of the lake,” beginning at the McEwan Street Bridge and going approximately to Shamrock Court (the Year 1 area).
1-13
911 goes down in Clare
Clare County along with Isabella Midland and seven other Northern Michigan counties reported their 9-1-1 service was out for about an hour and a half Tuesday afternoon.
Chainsaw attacker headed to prison
Robert Joseph Presley Jr., of Oakland County is headed to prison for assaulting a Madison Heights woman with a chainsaw and dragging her through a fire before she could escape.
1-20
9-1-1 outage cause identified
A week after Clare and several other northern Michigan counties lost their emergency 9-1-1 line, the provider Peninsula Fiber Network released the cause and pledged to redesign its network
No more marijuana greenhouses for Clare?
Ordinances changes under review by the City would prohibit new greenhouses at marijuana grow facilities and mandate filtration and odor controls while minimizing Code Enforcement requirement.
1-27
Bomb threat puts Harrison High in ‘secure’ mode
A bomb threat made by a Harrison High student January 19, put the building in a ‘secure mode’ while it was searched. No bomb threat was found and the student, a freshman is facing disciplinary measures.
February
2-3
Woman missing from Ogema County found dead near Leota
The body of a 34-year-old woman who was staying in Ogemaw County, Sara Elizabeth Burns, who had been missing since January 9th, was found near where her van was found earlier in a remote wooded area near Leota.
Beaverton woman, Flint man charged in Jan. 6th Capitol assault
A 22-year-old Beaverton woman, Christina Legros and a 20-year-old Flint man, Isaac Thomas, were arrested on charges related to their actions during the January 6, 2021 breach of the Capitol in Washington D.C.
2-10
Tommie Bauer Racing team wins I-500
Tommie Bauer Racing with drivers Codey Bauer, Joey Burch, Tyler Nickels and Nick Wickerham captured the closest I-500 Snowmobile race in history with Joey Burch squeezing out a .0001 victory on his #19 Polaris.
County Clerk proposes consolidated voting
The enormous cost of holding an additional nine days of voting before an election day could cost thousands to implement. Consolidating voting into one location may be the only answer.
County Clerk Lori Mott presented a plan to fund the required additional voting days prior to all elections, a proposal approved by voters last November.
2-17
Farwell fire destroys Village home
An early morning fire destroyed a home in the Village of Farwell last Saturday morning.
The call came in around 4:10 am February 11. Owned by Merry Schuler, the single-story home was a total loss, although the structure is still standing. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Some residents say Surrey board should be ‘more transparent’
It was standing room only at the Surrey Township Board Meeting Tuesday evening as some residents feel they were not told about a change to the waste contract with GFL (Green For Life) Environmental. Rick Fancon from GFL assured audience members that the contract change meant a huge savings for the Township as, in return for using the transfer facility as a pass through point for compacted refuse from the Harrison transfer station, GFL would maintain the site without charge.
2-24
Bond issue discussion tops the Clare BOE agenda
It was a full house at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.
Audience members were there to hear the details and ask questions about the coming bond proposal at the May 2nd election.
Superintendent Jim Walter said, because of material cost increases the cost would be 8.54 mills for 30 years. That would include the two mills for the last project. He said “It takes a higher millage to cover today’s construction costs.”
March
3-10
Revovated Ideal Theater opens
After an extensive renovation, the historic Ideal Theater is ready to reopen, said new owners Lisa Benic and Sandy Wright, sisters of the Colum family who grew up in Clare. A soft opening is planned March 19 to the 23rd.
3-24
Irish Festival welcomes thousands
Snowy weather didn’t stop the thousands who came to Clare last weekend from enjoying the 18th annual Clare Irish Festival events around town.
3-31
Long-Time Drain Commissioner dies
With the death of long time County Drain Commissioner Carl J. Parks III, Clare County is looking for someone to take his place.
April
4-14
Bond issue on May ballot
Clare School District voters will go to the polls May 2nd to vote on a $66 million bond issue that would renovate most of the school campus and build a new high school.
4-21
Missing teens found safe
Two Missing Harrison teens, the subject of a police search over the weekend, were found safe on Monday morning.
4-28
Health Park raises questions
The question around town has been, “When will we find out more about the $25 million Health Park that is reportedly coming to Clare. The answer to that question has been difficult to find although through internet searches and FOYA requests, we have gleaned some information about the project, led by David Coker, Jr. The only evidence of the potential project is a sign on the hill at the north end of the City.
May
5-5
Bond issue voted down
It looks like Clare students will continue to be housed in the 100-year-old Middle School building for the foreseeable future after voters said no (unofficial vote 764 no to 557 yes) to a bond issue that would have build and new high school and renovated the Clare campus.
Republican ‘assault’ brings police to Doherty
In what seems to be a “sign of the times,” an alleged assault April 14th at a Republican Party the evening before a leadership meeting at the Doherty Hotel led to police involvement.
5-12
Sculpture Walk opens in Clare
The final touches are on and ten new sculptures are on display throughout Clare and the community’s first “Sculpture Walk” opened for viewers.
5-19
Mercury spill closes Lake Post Office
The Lake Post Office remained closed Tuesday morning after a package containing what now has been identified as mercury began leaking. Clare CCEMHSD (Clare County Emergency services & Homeland Security Division) Director Jerry Becker said.
5-26
Faber appointed new Drain Commissioner
William (Bill) Faber has been appointed to fill the remaining four-year term of former County Drain Commissioner Carl Parks. Parks recently died after a battle with cancer. Faber, one of several applicants, was Park’s assistant for about four years.
June
6-9
Five departments fight fire at Fair’s Salvage
Five Fire Departments and 25 firefighters from Harrison, Isabella North East, Saginaw-Chippewa, Surrey Township and Harrison, assisted Clare in extinguishing a fire that began in a pile of scrap metal Tuesday afternoon June 6th at Fair’s Salvage.
Recall petitions approved for three from Redding Township
Three recall petitions authored by Redding Township resident John Thompson have been approved, placing two township trustees, Marlene McGalsan and Nancy Scarborough and the supervisor Bruce Scarborough, on the November ballot for recall.
Beaverton shooter kills homeowner, search closes school
An armed suspect in the area closed down Beaverton Schools Tuesday, June 6th while police searched for the man, wanted for murdering a homeowner, Scott Eckert, in the Lakefront Estates Mobile Home Park. A woman was also assaulted during the incident.
6-30
Clare Health Park still ‘paused’ while investigation continues
The fate of a $25 million grant establishing a building a “Complete Health Park” north of the City of Clare is still unsure. The grant fund awarded to the reportedly non-profit group, “Complete Health Park” on the north side of the City, developed by David Coker Jr., of Clare, have been frozen by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services while an investigation into its leader, Coker, is conducted.
A Year to Remember will continue next week.