CLINTON TOWNSHIP nearly 60% of residential streets are rated as either poor or failed The Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) study assists communities in assessing their roads and creating maintenance plans a resident who has lived in the area for about two years We need a new road.” Jewell has already replaced a car due to the road conditions and recently bought a new tire “I’m not buying a new car because why should I just for it to get messed up?” said Jewell Clinton Township recently held a forum to discuss the funding needed to address the poor condition of subdivision roads and nothing seems to get done,” said one resident According to the PASER study, 59% of neighborhood streets in Clinton Township are rated as poor or failed The study defines “poor” as requiring major overlay Roads needing reconstruction are rated as “failed.” The jurisdiction for these roads falls under Macomb County “Here’s the problem: the funding formula is called Public Act 51 of 1951 It has not substantially changed since 1951,” he said Gieleghem said funding comes from the state through gas taxes and car registrations which are pooled in Lansing and distributed according to this outdated formula Residents are concerned that the situation is worsening They’re urging residents to contact their state legislator by signing this online form. Even for people who don’t live in the community, the township is also encouraging Michiganders to copy and paste the form to send to their state lawmakers to advocate for necessary changes. Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Shawnte Passmore joined WDIV in August 2024 after working at KOVR in Sacramento, California, WFSB in Hartford, Connecticut and KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group (WXYZ) — Two teens are recovering after being shot in Clinton Township on Easter Sunday in the hallway of a home in the 24000 block of Trillium Court We're told by family members of the victims and police that a 14-year-old was shot in the ear and a 16-year-old was shot in the leg minor kids out here with guns," said Simona Thacker of Mt Simona Thacker says her two grandsons were the teens who were shot “I feel like this community need to come together "People need to be involved in what’s going on out here.” 7 News Detroit also spoke to Amanda Standberry who's lived in the apartment complex for two years “This is kind of like the second incident where something has happened back to back and we got three little kids," said Standberry The events that led up to the shooting are still under investigation This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Three male teens were shot Easter Sunday morning in an apparent robbery attempt in a troubled Clinton Township housing complex Witnesses said a volley of gunfire broke out about 9 a.m located in the 24000 block of Trillium Court Police said one victim was struck in the leg while a second had an ear wound and the third had a graze to his arm The suspects were described as three males They were last seen fleeing east from the complex said a dispute has been festering for several days over a teen suspected of selling marijuana to minors in the complex but how can he do that if [he] ain’t got no gun,” Thacker told reporters “Now somebody over there has a gun and they shot my grandkids.” Thacker said friends loaded two of the victims into a car and rushed them to a hospital She said her grandchildren are expected to make a full recovery It wasn’t immediately clear how the third victim arrived at the hospital no arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon The matter is still being actively investigated The federally subsidized Clemens Court Apartment complex has been the site of numerous incidents in the past according to past Macomb Daily coverage of the facility has been arrested after she forced her way into a man’s Muncy area home at 217 Chestnut St and assaulted a woman who was in the house by punching her in the face about 3 a.m she turned and punched him in the face as well before fleeing the scene in her vehicle It all started with Dietrick arriving at the property screaming loudly and “repeatedly honking her car horn,” police said When her attempts failed to get to the backyard Deitrick went to the front of the house and kicked in a door to get in the house Following her arraignment the next day before District Judge Gary Whiteman on felony charges of burglary and trespassing as well as misdemeanor defiant trespassing Deitrick was briefly incarcerated at the county prison but has since been released on $10,000 bail LAIRDSVILLE — When a carport roof blew off at the Darwin Diagnostic Center on Route 118 during Tuesday night’s .. A child died Saturday after being struck by a vehicle in Clinton Township The Franklin County Sheriff's office said the crash occurred around 4:20 p.m in a parking lot on the 2000 block of Oakland Park Avenue A Honda Pilot was headed north on a private drive going into the parking lot when the juvenile ran in front of the Honda whose age and identity have not been publicly released The driver and passenger in the Honda were not hurt The location where the crash took place houses Fountain of Knowledge Academy and King's Court Bible Church The crash remains under investigation by the Franklin County Sheriff's office Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A driver is OK after being shot in the head during a road rage dispute in Macomb County, police said. The drivers of a white Ford F-150 and a black vehicle, possibly a KIA Sportage, got into a road rage dispute at 8:40 p.m. on Monday, April 28, on Groesbeck near North Rose. Clinton Township police say the drivers were speeding and brake-checking each other as they traveled southbound on Groesbeck. They then went westbound on 15 Mile Road. As they were in the area of Kline Drive (near Garfield), the driver in the black vehicle fired a gunshot at the F-150. The F-150 driver was struck in the head, but wasn’t seriously hurt, according to police. After firing the shot, the suspect vehicle continued to travel on westbound 15 Mile Road. The suspect driver was a man wearing a black baseball cap. Anyone with information is asked to contact Clinton Township Detective J. Figurski at 586-493-7848. Sara Powers joined WDIV as a digital content producer in Oct. 2024 and has been covering Metro Detroit news since 2021. those in Clinton Township say pothole-riddled roads are making local streets unsafe I’m a little nervous I’m going to roll an ankle,” said Megan Makin Truck driver Karl Savage said the problem is just as bad I’ve actually blown a tire on an 18-wheeler,” he said “I’ve had a lot of days watching other people try to avoid potholes almost hit other people because they’re more worried about hitting a deep hole in the road than they are hitting another car.” VIDEO: Take a ride on some of the residential roads in Clinton Township Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem says the issue isn’t just a nuisance it’s the most pressing challenge facing the community “We have 203 miles of subdivision streets in Clinton Township — 122 of them are currently ranked ‘poor’ to ‘failed,’” Gieleghem said the problem stems from a funding formula used to allocate road dollars across Michigan one that hasn’t been significantly updated in more than 70 years “That formula is called Public Act 51 of 1951 Gieleghem says the formula prioritizes funding for main roads but leaves very little for residential streets He says that residents need to lobby their legislators to acknowledge this and ask them to work with local communities to develop solutions “This is about engaging the residents to make sure that the state is making that commitment to local roads particularly in southeast Michigan,” Gieleghem said To help residents get involved, the township has posted this customizable letter on its website that people can send to state legislators They're also hosting a public "Driving Change" forum on April 30 Officials say it’s an opportunity for residents to come together and advocate for solutions and one that we need help to be able to fix,” Gieleghem said (WXYZ) — People in a Clinton Township neighborhood are on edge after a brazen break-in that was caught on camera It happened just a few weeks ago at the Crosswinds Condominiums complex on Heatherheath Drive just off of Hayes Road and 17 Mile Road Clinton Township police confirmed they are investigating the incident Surveillance video below shows suspect break into Clinton Township home: "We’ve never experienced something like this So it’s very shocking and taking us by surprise," said a homeowner in the area who preferred not to be identified "Everyone is just totally appalled because we’re not hearing anything like if (police) have any leads or what areas (the criminal is) really targeting He says while his home hasn't been targeted I looked at my mom's car and her doors were open," Baatz said "What’s your biggest concern hearing that someone may be targeting this area?" 7 News Detroit reporter Whitney Burney asked I’m worried about the kids and what might happen if some of these guys break into these houses with these kids and elderly folks," Baatz said Neighbors say they're even more concerned after seeing videos surfacing online showing similar break-ins in neighboring areas Clinton Township police say they’re actively investigating a break in on Heatherheath Drive and have increased patrols in the area they couldn’t verify the origin or location of the other break-ins shown in videos online Neighboring departments confirmed they’re also currently investigating recent break-in cases police encourage homeowners to do the following: Anyone who has been victimized or knows anything about the break-ins should call police Where Your Voice Matters (WXYZ) — Some people living at the Parkway Village Apartments complex in Clinton Township are on edge after gunfight broke out in a parking lot early Monday morning It all unfolded at the apartment complex near 16 Mile Road and Harper Avenue after an attempted theft of a car More than a dozen shots pierced the cold air as a confrontation between suspected car thieves and the car’s owner escalated into gunplay Watch surveillance video of the incident below: Kira Anderson says the violence hits close to home in more ways than one: she and a friend were walking back to her apartment from a party store when the shots rang out “We literally heard those shots and I didn’t know it was literally right behind us,” Anderson said “We were literally just coming down this street right here and literally And we have kids over here and everything.” Tenants say four suspects were attempting to steal their neighbor’s car “He had a gray (Dodge) Charger that they were staking out I don’t know if they were trying to steal it or break into it but the guy (car owner) saw it and came out,” Brent Burnside said At least three cars were struck by gunfire Burnside is amazed his building and his truck were not 'Cause I came out here to get away from all that shooting,” Burnside said “You are going to have some that’s going to keep saying It’s the unintelligent ones out here holding all these guns and using it with no discipline Dodge muscle cars are known targets for thieves and routinely top lists for most stolen vehicles according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data institute. The suspects are said to be still on the run – Clinton Township in Macomb County is more than just a place to live; it’s a community that blends green spaces and urban convenience – making it an ideal spot to put down roots and thrive ---> In Your Neighborhood: Which Metro Detroit community should we visit next? From the moment you walk into George George Memorial Park “They’re constantly mowing and keeping it clean,” said Haddad as she was swinging her youngest son The park is known for its picturesque landscapes and playgrounds It offers residents ample opportunities for nature walks along the serene Clinton River “It’s a wonderful thing,” said Bill Niblock who has called Clinton Township home for over 40 years While Clinton Township is known for its beautiful parks and scenic trails Just a short drive along Hall Road or Gratiot Avenue opens a world of urban conveniences “A few miles and you’re there,” said local resident Richard Brochu as he stood outside Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace in Clinton Township Clinton Township residents told Local 4’s Ty Steele that Clinton Township is a blend of suburban charm and natural beauty complete with all the modern amenities residents need Whether you’re looking to enjoy a peaceful walk among the lilies or quickly access a bustling commercial district this community offers the best of both worlds Local 4 News is getting out of the studio and hitting the road to be In Your Neighborhood: Which Metro Detroit community should we visit next? We’re showcasing what makes our communities great ---> More In Your Neighborhood feature stories Copyright 2024 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. A Clinton Township felon accused in the human trafficking of a Saginaw woman in Oakland County has been charged was arraigned Saturday in 43rd District Court in Madison Heights on three felony charges He is charged with conducting a human trafficking enterprise resulting in injury and accepting earnings from someone engaged in prostitution A judge set his bond at $150,000 and scheduled Joseph's next court hearing for Wednesday he faces up to 15 years in prison for the human trafficking charge and up to 20 years for each of the prostitution charges The domestic violence charge is a misdemeanor Court records did not list an attorney for Joseph on Friday but officials said one would be appointed for him Authorities said they arrested Joseph last Friday in Madison Heights They allege he prostituted a 28-year-old Saginaw woman assaulted her on multiple occasions and forced her to engage in sex acts with other men for money Investigators said he also refused to give the woman any of the money According to the Michigan Department of Corrections the offenses were committed in 2019 and he was sentenced in the same year The department said he was discharged from prison in 2022 Officials said he was arrested by the Oakland County Human Trafficking Task Force with help from the Madison Heights Police Department and Common Ground The sheriff's office launched the task force last year. Sheriff Mike Bouchard announced in January that the program made its first arrest — Damon Napier who allegedly plied two area women with drugs and forced them into prostitution He remains at the Oakland County Jail on a $1 million bond on multiple felony charges including conducting a human trafficking enterprise resulting in injury and third-degree criminal sexual conduct Court records said Napier is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in Oakland County Circuit Court on Monday Napier was ordered to stand trial on the charges last week Joseph's charges are the latest to be leveled against a Metro Detroiter accused of human trafficking This month, a Ferndale man on probation accused of prostituting a Flint woman was charged with human trafficking in Southfield In January, a Chinese woman accused of being part of a human trafficking ring operating in Wayne and Macomb counties was ordered to stand trial The month before, an Allen Park man accused of being part of an international human trafficking ring was charged A defense attorney for the owner of a Clinton Township warehouse that exploded in 2024 sought Monday to get more information from an IT contractor who provided inventory control-related services and for cameras operating on the premises At a show cause hearing for Kestou's case Monday morning in Clinton Township's 41B District Court said he subpoenaed Birmingham-based attorney Eric Pernie but didn't receive some items Pernie has previously represented an IT contractor for Select Distributors Chief Judge Sebastian Lucido ordered Pernie to turn over any contact information he has for Abusenenh He said Thomas and the other defense attorneys could then subpoena Abusenenh if they wanted to Abusenenh had to provide services relating to the cloud for inventory control and for the cameras operating on the premises at the time of the fire the access to the inventory control and the cameras was taken over by Abusenenh Thomas said he hasn't been able to obtain either "the inventory control or the access to the cameras ― whatever would have been recorded on the cloud." After a subpoena was served Thomas and his colleagues received about 700 pages of inventory control Thomas said Abusenenh retained Pernie as a lawyer in order to collect a balance from Kestou Thomas said he suspects that Pernie had in his file a "notice to preserve" for inventory control and the cameras but he didn't receive that in the subpoena Thomas added that he didn't receive any correspondence between Pernie and a police department or any of the other items that were listed in the attachment to his subpoena He told Lucido that he wanted to hear from Pernie "what it is that he has to say relating to those items." Pernie said he had forwarded to the defense attorneys what "he had in his possession." Leith is the person they need to subpoena and get the information from," he said Thomas said he believes Abusenenh has left the state and Pernie said he doesn't know where Abusenenh is "I'm busy," Pernie said to Lucido," you're busy 'that's it; that's all I have' ― sitting here on court right now is an abuse of the court and I want to make sure I give them what they need." Thomas and Pernie both declined to be interviewed a spokesperson for the Prosecutor's Office said the office does not have any information regarding the contract or contractor discussed on Monday The current deadline for discovery ― or the date by which a prosecutor's office has to turn over any information it has ― is April 1 in the Kestou case said the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is waiting to receive a report from the Bureau of Alcohol For the first time in more than two decades Clinton Township will have a new supervisor Democrat Paul Gieleghem will be the next to hold the township's top elected position after Tuesday's contest, according to unofficial election results posted on the Macomb County clerk's website beat Republican challenger Vicki Wolber with 52% of the vote He will take over the role held by six-term Supervisor Bob Cannon who announced in April that he was not seeking reelection this month and is retiring per a news release from April announcing his future plans which include spending more time with his family More: Election Day 2024 live updates: 92% of absentee ballots returned; in-person voters get say Clinton Township has nearly 100,000 residents, is the largest township in Michigan and is one of the largest communities in Macomb County voters had the opportunity to elect a new township treasurer Republican Mike Aiello won the contest over Democrat Tammy Patton GOP Clerk Kim Meltzer was reelected with 56% of the vote beating Democratic challenger Carol Shumard Diehl in the clerk's race The Democrats and Republicans split the four trustee seats up for grabs with incumbent Trustees Julie Matuzak winning as well as Democrat Shannon King and Republican Bruce Wade the entire seven member board of trustees — which is comprised of the four trustees treasurer and supervisor — will switch from a 4-3 majority for Democrats to a 4-3 majority for Republicans All of the positions in the township are four-year seats having served on the board of trustees for 40 years He was first elected to the board in 1984 and served as a trustee for 16 years but switched parties as the candidate field was crowded More: DJs energize Election Day crowds across Michigan as voters line up to cast ballots Gieleghem is a lifelong township resident who has been the township treasurer since first elected to that position in November 2016 a six-year township resident and former deputy executive in Macomb County Gieleghem is a Clintondale High School graduate and has a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and an associate degree from Macomb Community College, per his biography on the township's website Gieleghem was an administrator for two Macomb County treasurers He also was a part-time trustee on the township board from 2012 to 2016 he was on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners where he was chairman of the board from 2009 to 2010 a time before voters elected its first county executive Gieleghem also served as a state representative in 1999-2004 He served as a legislative aide to former state Sen Ken DeBeaussaert and was on the campaign staff of former U.S Wolber began her career in Fraser in 1988, first working as a part-time secretary in public works, moved up to serve as emergency management coordinator and then deputy city clerk, according to her campaign website Wolber left in 2000 to join the county's emergency management and communications office as assistant director She became director of the county department in 2007 County Executive Mark Hackel appointed her a deputy county executive in November 2018 criminal justice and health and human services initiatives She retired from that role in October 2023 but provides consulting services to the county executive's office as a contractor Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters (WXYZ) — Clinton Township is working to improve interaction with the community and reduce the number of repeat offenders by putting a spotlight on mental health The department is meeting residents where they are through a new partnership with CARE of Southeast Michigan a non-profit providing peer recovery services and community support resources This partnership will make sure officers have access to a crisis intervention specialist when they recognize there may be a need for more specialized resources “It’s just getting that person the support needed to help kind of alleviate the officers returning to the same address really for a mental health crisis,” said the Chief of Police for Clinton Township The department will have a licensed social worker on standby for officers to communicate with when they feel they need support in the field The goal of the added resources is to get residents who may be struggling specialized help and also minimize the amount of repeat calls officers have to respond to is there something else that can be done instead of us responding I think it’ll remove that burden of a continued response and not an effective outcome,” said Dominique Schroeder Chief Program Officer for CARE of Southeastern MI Programs like this one are gaining momentum across Michigan University of Michigan Flint has a similar program that has worked so well for them that they are looking to expand their services “It meets the noble promise of our profession Officers care deeply about their community and if we can leverage another resource to bring care and to support individuals in a life crisis regardless of what that is That’s why we get into the business," said Chief Raymond Hall Chief of Police for the University of Michigan Flint Clinton Township — Kids traveled down slides played a xylophone and swung back and forth at Clinton Township's new Inclusive Playground as it officially opened to the public on Friday which took more than five years to come together Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible soft surface playscape pods designed to accommodate kids with disabilities though it's designed for all children to use It's located on the Clinton Township Civic Center complex on Romeo Plank near the splash pad the chair of Clinton Township's Township's Inclusive Playground Committee and the mother of a 25-year-old with disabilities who played a key role in making the playground a reality said she was "completely overwhelmed" by Friday's opening Children wasted no time taking advantage of the new playground playing on all the equipment during and after Friday's ribbon-cutting which include Clinton Township officials and some families who have loved ones with special needs "What you see before you is an example of how government is supposed to work," Clinton Township Supervisor Paul Gieleghem said "It all started with a Clinton Township mom who sent a letter to township officials advocating for us to take on this project." she wrote a letter to the township posing the concept of an inclusive playground who was the township treasurer at the time The playground committee was established in late 2019 Ottoy told The News that she is aware of two other inclusive playgrounds in Macomb County Nearly 25% of Macomb County families that have a person with a disability live in Clinton Township a community home to 11% of the county’s population Ottoy said that standard playgrounds weren't developed with differing abilities in mind but the Inclusive Playground is universally accessible which means that people in wheelchairs can easily navigate the playground The playground also has a zipline with two lines ― one with a supported seat and one with a typical seat Ottoy said this will allow children with disabilities to play side-by-side with kids without disabilities "A lot of times kids with disabilities don't have the opportunity so they don't get to play with other kids that are their age," she said "It looks very accessible," she said of the playground explored the playground in their wheelchairs on Friday Castillo said the playground has a "great location," as it's near a medical clinic they go to She said musical instruments are "all over the playground," and they are are reachable for her daughters Olivia said she loves that the playground is wheelchair-accessible "There's so many things that's amazing about it said she likes that the playground's play structure is "completely caged in." She said her three-year-old but the enclosures mean that she isn't worried her daughter will come tumbling out of the structure The Inclusive Playground Committee had to raise funds for the project and it partnered with The Arc of Macomb County a nonprofit offering services to families with special needs Ottoy said that because of the amount of money they needed to raise "at times it felt like it was out of reach." the fundraising campaign was boosted with the Michigan Legislature’s approval of a $1 million appropriation bill the Clinton Township Board of Trustees approved $300,000 of federal infrastructure funds for the project The Montgomery Area School District and the Clinton Township Board of Supervisors have reached a settlement agreement that will see the district withdraw its current complaint which was set to be heard before Lycoming County Judge Eric Linhardt Wednesday morning The suit filed by the district sought the reversal of a decision by the supervisors denying a land use plan for the construction of a new junior-senior high school at the site of the Montgomery Area Athletic & Community Center (MAACC) damages in the amount of $137,000 for each month the plan has been delayed the Board of Supervisors have agreed to a fixed timeline during which the district’s updated Preliminary /Final Land Development Plan will be considered by the board and the township Planning Commission The first step would be a review of the Sewage Facility Planning Module of the plan by the Planning Commission at their Jan all parties would communicate in an effort to address any concerns raised by the commission the commission will review the full plan and make a recommendation to the board at their Feb all three will again work together to resolve any continuing issues The supervisors would then review and take action on the plan during their March 10 meeting at least it gives the township and the school a fresh start in which there’s no litigation or other issues from either side,” township solicitor Zack DuGan said at the meeting at a special meeting held Monday No guarantee of approval is made within the settlement which also does not affect ongoing litigation at the Commonwealth Court in which the township is seeking an appeal of a June ruling by Judge William Carlucci that struck down six conditions put upon the project by the supervisors when they approved the plan in August “I would caution against conditioning any of that on this because it would throw a monkey wrench into this litigation,” DuGan said though he expressed his hope that further discussion outside the scope of the settlement would take place Following a vote ratifying the settlement by the Montgomery Area School Board Superintendent Daphne Bowers was optimistic about future prospects of the plan “We just hope that we can follow the outlined timeline and work together with the township so that you can move forward in the best interest of our students,” she said Vehicular homicide and other adult charges stemming from a fatal car crash last year along Route 87 were dismissed .. More assistance is available for Pennsylvanians who are continuing to recover from Tropical Storm Debby in August .. (WXYZ) — On New Years Eve just before 2 a.m. Clinton Township police officers rushed to The Harbours apartment complex As the police body camera video illustrates officers yelled for the driver to climb out Ryan Bates said there was no time to spare he took off his gear and swam to the vehicle in an area estimated to be 10 to 12 feet deep You can watch the body camera video below: that window was almost completely underwater," Bates said he kind of resisted because he was trying to stay where he was safe in the air pocket.""I ended up having to pull him under water and out through the window." Bates said he took with him two tools that the department placed in all patrol vehicles because of another incident about two years ago — a life vest and a rope I don't know that I'd had the confidence to go in and I don't know if I'd had been able to make it back," Bates explained He said he placed the vest around the driver and yelled for his platoon to go ahead and pull the rope to pull him and the driver back to safety I definitely want to make sure they get all the credit that they're due He credits officer Celeste Smith for being first on scene and coordinating where officers needed to go while officers Gabrielle Mason and Preston Kue and Sgt John Kuehn all assisted by using the rope to pull the men to shore Despite praise received on the department's Facebook post for their heroic actions the officers said they don't consider themselves heroes we have a situation that we have to deal with that's pretty out of the ordinary Bates said it was just like an interesting thing that happened during the day and then we moved on." You may be wondering how the driver got into the pond in the first place A lawsuit filed by the Montgomery Area School District against the Clinton Township Board of Supervisors will move forward after Lycoming County Judge Eric Linhardt dismissed a motion to dismiss filed by the supervisors late Friday The suit filed by the district seeks the reversal of a decision by the supervisors denying a land use plan for the construction of a new junior-senior high school at the site of the Montgomery Area Athletic & Community Center (MAACC) as well as damages in the amount of $137,000 for each month the plan has been delayed due to the township’s “delay tactics and its improper denial of the plans,” court filings said The crux of the dismissal motion was that the Montgomery Area School Board committed a violation of the state’s Sunshine Act by not holding a public meeting prior to filing the lawsuit attorney Zachary DuGan argued on behalf of the township on Jan The law requires agencies to deliberate and take official action in an open and public meeting which the community must have advance notice of participate and comment prior to official action being taken successfully argued that the act allows for such violations to be remedied by the holding of a public meeting at which the action is approved retroactively The board subsequently held a widely attended special meeting on Jan at which it ratified the filing of the lawsuit by a vote of 5-2 “Because ‘official action taken at a later open meeting cures a prior violation of the Sunshine Act’ and because Appellant’s Board later ratified commencement of this case any violation of the Sunshine Act that did occur has been cured,” Linhardt said in his opinion “Because the alleged violation has been cured the court finds it unnecessary to consider whether a violation occurred in the first instance,” the ruling continued and the lawsuit is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday The region had its first taste of summer severe weather Tuesday night as a line of severe thunderstorms plowed .. (WXYZ) — The 26th Annual Clinton Township Community Blood Drive kicks off next week we worked with the Red Cross to collect more than 260 pints of blood It’s heartening to know that we can accomplish so much good together the township treasurer and blood drive coordinator The township stressed that "there are a million reasons" to give blood more than 6,000 units of blood have been collected with the Red Cross saying that each unit saves about three lives Those who donate blood will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of two iPads, air pods, or one of 40 $50 cash or gift cards to local businesses throughout Clinton Township.To schedule an appointment to donate, you can call (586)286-1768 or click this link and enter the code 'ClintonTownship' (WXYZ) — A sergeant from the Clinton Township Police Department rescued a man who drove a vehicle into a pond last week It happened on New Year's Eve at a retention pond in the Harbors Apartment Complex on Bayview with police getting the call about the incident around 1:50 a.m officers found a black SUV floating on the surface of the water According to a Facebook post from the department Bates entered the cold water and swam toward the vehicle they noticed the driver was not responding The sergeant was able to pull the driver out of the vehicle as it was sinking before getting the driver a life jacket and holding onto a rescue rope as other officers pulled them in "We are extremely proud of the actions taken by all officers of Platoon C Bates the driver may have suffered a fatal outcome." the department said in the post Clinton Township will officially open their new Inclusive Playground that while designed to accommodate children with disabilities It's the kind of space parents like AnnMarie Ottoy knows she and her son playgrounds were not enclosed and he elopes adding that her family didn't avoid playgrounds but often found it challenging to be at one Ottoy said the new Inclusive Playground will give parents of children with disabilities a chance to connect with other families “Just to be outside and know that parents are being able to make connections with other parents because it’s so isolating being a parent of a child with disabilities," she said children from area schools were able to visit the new Inclusive Playground but it doesn't officially open until next spring The playground is outside the Clinton Township Civic Center located at 40700 Romeo Plank Rd Nearly 25 percent of Macomb County’s families with someone who has disability live in Clinton Township For more information about the Inclusive Playground, you can call 586-286-9366 or email inclusiveplayground@clintontownship.com MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A Clinton Township woman was charged for allegedly opening a credit card account using a dead patient’s name while she was working as a nurse. Police said Linda Renee Polk, while working as a licensed practical nurse, allegedly opened a Capital One Visa Account using the name of a deceased patient in October 2024. Authorities believe she made several transactions totaling at least $10,700. After further investigation, police searched a Clinton Township residence and found evidence believed to be connected to the fake account. Polk was charged with Identity Theft, Possession of a Financial Transaction Device and Financial Transaction Device Illegal Sale or Use. Anyone who believes a family member may have been a victim of identity theft while under Polk’s care is asked to contact the Clinton Township Police Department at (586) 493-7839. Samantha Sayles is an Oakland University alumna who’s been writing Michigan news since 2022. Before joining the ClickOnDetroit team, she wrote stories for WILX in Lansing and WEYI in Flint. A Clinton Township trustee trying to create a committee to review an explosion that rocked the township last spring was denied on Monday when the board decided to not even discuss his proposal Trustee Dan Kress had placed an item on the agenda for the Monday Clinton Township Board of Trustees meeting that proposed establishing a “Goo/Select Distributors” Summary Committee. A fire and series of explosions at a warehouse on 15 Mile Road home to Select Distributors and the Goo Smoke Shop last March threw debris as far as two miles away killed local resident Turner Lee Salter and injured firefighter Matt Myers Kress told The News that the committee would give the township's taxpayers a summary of events "We haven't had a window into what took place ― if there was any missteps In a letter he wrote to the board members in mid January he said that they "need to look into the Township’s permitting practices and overall response." He also said they must "provide an honest summary including the financial burden ultimately left to our taxpayers." He told The News that the committee could be made up of the three newest trustees ― him Trustee Shannon King and Trustee Bruce Wade They weren't in office when the explosion happened But the Board of Trustees voted 4-3 to remove Kress' item from the agenda Mike Aiello were those who voted against the motion Related: EPA finishes cleanup of Clinton Township explosion site, removes hazardous materials "I find their decision to be a monumental disappointment and a disservice to the community that four members of the board prevented a look back into the tragedy to provide a thorough summary to the community," Kress said in a text message Trustee Julie Matuzak made the motion to remove the item She told The News that she made it because Prosecutor Peter Lucido has indicated to the township that they should not be discussing the case or anything surrounding the Goo incident until he finishes his criminal case has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Salter it is really important that the family of this young man achieve some sense of justice through the criminal process," Matuzak said "and I will follow the instructions of the prosecutor and let the criminal part play out Lucido said Tuesday that to "safeguard the integrity of the legal process and protect the defendant's rights such as the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial," his office has requested that discussions directly pertaining to the criminal matter not take place while the case is ongoing public comments or debates about the evidence or potential outcomes could unintentionally influence jurors or interfere with the collection and presentation of facts in court,” he said in a statement he wants to emphasize that it's "entirely within the purview" of the township's officials to publicly address matters related to public safely ordinances and emergency response protocols "We encourage proactive steps to safeguard the community provided they align with legal guidance and avoid interference with the criminal proceedings," he said Kress said the committee wouldn't do an investigation ― it would do a summary He said the committee could possibly yield recommendations to ensure that the incident doesn't happen again "I'm gonna go it alone." He plans to reach out to the township's planning department and other departments about the explosion He also plans to bring the committee proposal back to the board in the future Clinton Township — Clinton Township's new supervisor was officially sworn in Wednesday becoming the first new leader to steer Michigan's most populated township in more than two decades a former state lawmaker who most recently was Clinton Township Treasurer was flanked by the six other members of the Clinton Township Board of Trustees while they all took their oath of office at the Clinton Township Civic Center "My goal is to make sure that this board is functioning the best that it possibly can to operate these board meetings with decorum and to make sure that we all are heard that the residents are heard and that we together deliberate and move issues forward in a respectful manner," he said Wednesday defeated Republican Vicki Wolber with 52% of the vote on Nov He succeeds longtime Supervisor Bob Cannon who has led the township since 2000 and is retiring He told The News Tuesday that he's excited to assume the role "I think we have a great team here in the township and now it's a matter of getting sort of an agenda assembled and coming up with some big decisions," he said adding that running the township is also about making day-to-day The township's board comprises seven people ― supervisor Republican Bruce Wade and Democrat Shannon King and Republican Dan Kress and Democrat Julie Matuzak were elected to another term as trustees Gieleghem said he has been spending time meeting with every department director in the township “I have the advantage of having been at the township but there’s certain nuances to every organization that I want to learn about and hear people’s challenges and their successes and the direction that they want to see their department going," he said Gieleghem said he met with Police Chief Dina Caringi who is currently a captain for the department Gieleghem said he sat down with Cannon and Deputy Supervisor Dan O’Leary brings “a lot of value” to the administration he’s creating and we don’t always see things the same,” Gieleghem said “And so I think it’s good for us to have these discussions but there’s different approaches to getting there.” Gieleghem said one of the first steps he'll take as a supervisor is meeting with leaders of the cities and townships that surround Clinton Township Another first step is setting up a new Board of Trustees and "making sure that we're helping our new members get up to speed on issues," he said The township held a budget workshop on Monday which helped introduce the incoming trustees to the township budget Those in attendance looked at the five-year plan of capital expenditures and how the expenditures will impact the budget Clinton Township announced last spring that Cannon would retire in November He became supervisor in 2000 after having served on the township's board of trustees since 1984 Cannon said Tuesday that Gieleghem is an experienced politician who "knows what he needs to do." my deputy and our secretary ― have prepared him with every possible scenario every possible thing that could happen over the next couple years and he's been very gracious about receiving it," he said Cannon said being the supervisor is a busy job and "you don't know every day when you come in what you'll be doing." CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – An officer rescued an unresponsive driver from a sinking SUV in a Clinton Township apartment pond. The incident occurred on Dec. 31, 2024, at 1:50 a.m. when officers dispatched were advised they received several calls on a vehicle that had driven into a retention pond in the Harbors Apartment Complex on Bayview Avenue. The callers advised that there appeared to be at least one person inside the vehicle. When officers arrived on the south side of the pond, they observed the dark-colored SUV in the middle of the pond. Officers on the scene also observed a man in the driver’s seat vehicle. After observing the vehicle, it was obvious it was floating on the water’s surface. Sgt. Bates noticed that the vehicle’s front end began to sink slowly and identified that action would need to be taken before it was completely submerged. Officers attempted to instruct the driver to exit the vehicle, but he would not come out. Without hesitation, Sgt. Bates entered the freezing waters of the retention pond and swam to the car. When Sgt. Bates reached the vehicle’s driver-side door, he observed the driver moving around in the car but not coming toward the open driver-side window. Sgt. Bates yelled at the male to exit the vehicle, but the man did not respond. The car began to sink rapidly, and the open window was almost completely submerged when Sgt. Bates reached into the car and pulled the driver under the water and out of the vehicle. Sgt. Bates stabilized the driver on a lifejacket and held onto a rescue rope as other officers pulled Sgt. Bates and the driver to safety. As soon as Sgt. Bates had extracted the driver, the vehicle sank to the bottom of the pond and was completely submerged. Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service. A Clinton Township woman is facing murder and embezzlement charges after Macomb County sheriff's authorities accuse her of obtaining a fraudulent power of attorney over an elderly Macomb Township man and then telling a local hospital to pull his life support was taken into custody Wednesday on eight charges according to a release Thursday from the sheriff's office She was arraigned Thursday and ordered held in the county jail on a $1 million bond No attorney was listed for her case in online records at 41B District Court in Clinton Township Her arrest comes after a several-months-long investigation The sheriff's office indicated Polk began providing in-home care for the 78-year-old man's wife in 2021 the man began to decline in health as well He was transferred to a local hospital in October and put on life support. Polk is accused of obtaining fraudulent power of attorney over the man and told the hospital to have him taken off life support, according to the sheriff's office release The man succumbed to his unidentified illness and died Oct It states Polk did not inform the man's family of his death and used the power of attorney to have him cremated Polk also is accused of authoring a fraudulent quit-claim deed on the man's home Authorities allege she then embezzled a large sum of money from the man and opened and used credit cards in his name Scam Alert: Scammers are claiming you owe E-Z Pass tolls. What to know in Michigan Social Security: Why you don't want to follow this bad social media advice on Social Security payments Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Jennifer Putney did not release the name of the man or the hospital where he died She said the man's widow is alive and safe but declined to provide additional details about her Putney said the man's family is out of state and that sheriff's authorities say Polk isolated the couple from the family Putney said Polk was working independently for the family and the man hired her to help with the care of his wife She said the family learned of the man's death at the end of October Putney said the family was concerned about his death and the welfare of his widow and reached out to the sheriff's office in November Putney did not have a specific amount for which Polk is accused of embezzling from the man County Prosecutor Peter Lucido stated in a text from his interim communications director: "I am always especially concerned about cases that include allegations of calculated deception and exploitation of a vulnerable adult The allegations in this case are deeply troubling." Polk was arraigned Thursday on the murder charge as well as two counts each of forgery of a document affecting real property and the illegal sale or use of a financial transaction device She also was arraigned on one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult over $1,000 A petition for a court-appointed attorney for Polk was filed with Polk to be appointed counsel after arraignment The sheriff's office release indicates Polk is to wear a steel cuff tether and turn over her passport if she posts bond and is released from the jail A probable cause conference is set for April 14 (This story has been updated to add new information.) MONTGOMERY -When a fire broke out in her mobile home at 2054 Route 53 in Clinton Township on Tuesday night but she was unable to round up her three cats who were left behind in the smoke-filled trailer according to Clinton Township Fire Chief Todd Winder doused the bedroom fire and rescued the three felines that were brought safely outside was extinguished “within minutes,” he said When some family members and friends arrived they briefly “interfered” with firefighters who were working to put the fire out adding that he had to call police to the scene to help quell the tension which was caused by a space heater igniting items that were too close to it while on MONTGOMERY – A man and a woman were left homeless by a fire that broke out in their double-wide modular home at 49 Clinton Drive just before 5 p.m Clinton Township Fire Chief Todd Winder said and the other occupant were not home at the time Although there was smoke coming from the roof there was no visible fire or smoke when firefighters entered the home It is believed the fire started near the floor in the center of the modular and then quickly spread up the inside of a wall “We were chasing the fire from one end of the home to the other,” Winder said It took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control The American Red Cross was providing emergency assistance to the two fire victims The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental Hughesville and Picture Rocks responded to the fire MONTGOMERY – Three people were taken to area hospitals to be treated for injuries they suffered when two cars collided on Brouse Road Police said a woman driving a Nissan Sentra was traveling south on Brouse Road when her car crossed into the northbound lane resulting in a collision with a Subaru Outback Both the woman and the male driver of the Outback were taken by ambulances to UPMC Williamsport while the woman’s teenage daughter who was riding with her was taken to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville Clinton Township trustees have created a committee to review the fatal explosion that rocked the township last spring including the township's permitting practices and its response to the event The township's board of trustees voted 4-3 on Feb 10 to form the committee proposed by Trustee Dan Kress Last March, a fire and series of explosions at a vape supply facility on 15 Mile Road and killed local resident Turner Lee Salter and injured firefighter Matt Myers The proposal initially failed to make the agenda three weeks ago over some trustees' concern about interfering in the criminal case related to the explosion following a statement by Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido that the township has the authority to publicly address matters of public safety as long as it stays within legal guidelines in a letter to board members in mid-January cited the "need to look into the township’s permitting practices and overall response." He said the township must "provide an honest summary including the financial burden ultimately left to our taxpayers." The committee will be made up of the three newest trustees ― Kress Shannon King and Bruce Wade ― and the township attorney's office The three trustees weren't in office when the explosion happened Kress said the committee members will gather information and share it with each other He said he has not received an update on the explosion since taking office last spring Mike Aiello and Clerk Kim Meltzer voted to establish the committee Trustee Julie Matuzak was one of the three trustees opposed to the motion along with King and Supervisor Paul Gieleghem She told The News that the committee "can potentially interfere" with the criminal case against Noor Kestou of Commerce Township "I'm very much concerned that the family receive justice through the criminal courts," she said "and I'm very concerned that anything we may do may jeopardize their ability to get that justice We want to be able to do things differently." Clinton Township Attorney Jack Dolan said at the Feb 10 meeting that the township wants to get an opinion from Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel about whether businesses like Select Distributors are "pervasively regulated," which would allow the township to enter these facilities without a warrant but anything that directly talks about the incident I think jeopardizes the ability" of the family to get justice Lucido said in a statement in late January that to "safeguard the integrity of the legal process and protect the defendant's rights he said that he wanted to emphasize that it's "entirely within the purview" of township officials to publicly address matters related to public safely provided they align with legal guidance and avoid interference with the criminal proceedings," he said in a statement Meltzer was among the board members who initially voted to remove Kress' item from the agenda In voting to approve the committee last week A Clinton Township police officer is being called a hero for saving the driver of an SUV that ended up in a retention pond last week 31 to the Harbors Apartment Complex on Bayview Avenue near Hall and Elizabeth roads in Clinton Township for a report of a vehicle in a pond The caller told authorities at least one person was in the vehicle Officers arrived and found a dark-colored SUV floating in the middle of the water They also saw a man in the vehicle's driver's seat Investigators said they instructed the river to exit the vehicle after its front end started to sink A police sergeant jumped into the water and swam to the vehicle He saw the driver moving around inside but he would not come to the open driver's side window The sergeant yelled to the man to exit but he didn't respond They said the vehicle sank and the officer reached inside and pulled the driver out He was able to stabilize the driver on a lifejacket while holding on to a rope his fellow officers would later use to pull them out of the water Authorities said as soon as the sergeant had pulled the driver out but without the heroic actions of (the sergeant) the driver may have suffered a fatal outcome," the department said in a statement Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.