Sheetz's request for a zoning variance to build a convenience store at the Edinboro Road entrance to the Millcreek Mall has been denied by the Millcreek Township Zoning Hearing Board The Altoona-based chain had planned to build a 6,139-square-foot convenience store with 10 fuel pumps, drive-through lane and car wash at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant The store would have been similar to the store built at West 38th and Liberty streets in Erie The Edinboro Road property is zoned for Commercial-2 development which does not include large convenience stores Sheetz requested a zoning variance to allow the store's construction Sheetz representatives contend that the 8,509-square-foot former Red Lobster restaurant is too large for a modern-day restaurant and that the 1.8-acre property is too small for a strip plaza It would be cost prohibitive for a business to build a smaller building on the property and no other business has expressed interest in redeveloping the property since it was offered for lease in June Sheetz MTO is a winner: In 'Coolest Thing Made in PA' poll would be a good fit for the property and would be "in context with the surrounding neighborhood that exists within this commercial development." It also would boost tourism by serving guests at nearby hotels and would improve safety in the area with additional lighting and 24-hour operations which owns and operates the Candlewood Suites hotel neighboring the Red Lobster property and we house a lot of nurses as well long-term," Cully said "A convenience store would be great for them right next door in walking distance." Not 'just for the sake of convenience'More than restaurants and strip plazas are permitted in the C-3 district although the property would accommodate a small plaza like the one anchored by Starbucks near the former Red Lobster property Millcreek Township attorney Mark Shaw said Thirty-one types of businesses are permitted in the C-3 district and the property has been offered for lease for less than a year A large convenience store would be better built in the nearby Mixed Use-2 district along Zimmerly Road west of Interstate 79 said township planning and development director Matt Waldinger Large convenience stores are permitted in the district "Although we are happy to host Sheetz in Millcreek Township and are proud that the first Sheetz in the entire region was built at Asbury Road we feel there are appropriately zoned locations very close to this (Edinboro Road property) that would not require a variance or require us to change our zoning ordinance just for the sake of convenience," Waldinger said Hagen History Center Executive Director Cal Pifer speaking as a Millcreek resident during the zoning hearing argued that the entrance to the Millcreek Mall is not an appropriate location for a convenience store "This is the gateway to the Millcreek Mall," Pifer said "Can any of you reasonably say a gas station will be an aesthetic addition to the township It's for gas stations appropriate for the side of freeways," Pifer said "It is not appropriate for a major tourist attraction in our community." The Zoning Hearing Board voted unanimously and without comment to reject the Sheetz variance request Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Darcy Lytle Forest Service attaches a road closure sign at the winter gate in Mill Creek Canyon on Tuesday the road beyond the winter gate is slated to be closed for nearly two years in Phase 1 of a project to shore up the road create a bike lane and add new parking lots The number of hikers and bikers along the Wasatch Front is growing they will find fewer quick options for escaping the crowds a road improvement project will close upper Mill Creek Canyon Road to all travelers and its handful of trailheads are scheduled to remain closed through at least fall 2026 with one exception: Nonmotorized access will be allowed from December 15 to March 15 Officials from the United States Forest Service Salt Lake County and the city of Millcreek acknowledge the extended road closure may aggravate those who have come to enjoy escaping to places like Dog Lake and Mount Aire The project will also temporarily put more pressure on trails lower in the canyon that near-term pain will lead to long-term gains “While it’s going to be frustrating to not be able to use this beautiful space for the next couple of years,” Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said “it’ll be so much better when we get done.” The main focus of the roughly $30 million project is the improvement of the 4.6-mile stretch of Mill Creek Canyon Road above the winter gate That includes shoring up the road to prevent it from eroding into Mill Creek It also includes widening the road in some places and adding uphill bike lanes where possible Silvestrini said care will be taken to prevent the road from becoming an autobahn “We’re doing the bare minimum to widen the roadway in critical spots,” he said “But basically we’re going to preserve the character of that roadway parking lots will be expanded and trailheads revamped (Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune) That is roughly the distance between the Upper Big Water lot at the end of the canyon and the next legal parking area at the Lower Big Water trailhead The safety issues qualified the project for funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Federal Lands Access Program according to regional planning and transportation director Helen Peters “Having cars back out into a line of traffic is not safe,” Peters said (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Crews prepare for major renovations to upper Mill Creek Canyon Road on Tuesday Peters said the county has applied for and is awaiting approval of a second FLAP grant to address similar issues along the lower part of Mill Creek Canyon Road Annual visitation to Mill Creek Canyon from 2015-22 has fluctuated between 434,000 and 750,000, according to studies cited in the environmental impact statement prepared for the project by the Department of Transportation How many of those users venture into the upper canyon — which is only open to motorized traffic between July 1 and Oct a 2012 feasibility study estimated summer visitation in the upper canyon to be 30-40% of total canyon visits For the more intrepid visitors to the upper canyon the district ranger for the Salt Lake Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest He noted that while the road will be closed most of the trails in that area will remain open The hitch is that hikers and bikers will have to access them either from the Pipeline or Desolation trails in lower Mill Creek Canyon or from another area The Little Water Trail connecting the upper parking lot and the Dog Lake Trail to the Lower Big Water parking lot is one of the trails that will be closed during construction. Old Red Pine Road will also be closed (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Pipe Line trail in Mill Creek Canyon is slated to get a new bridge over the small creek at Elbow Fork as major renovations to upper Mill Creek Canyon Road will soon begin “as far as trails go and as far as trail maintenance goes.” Shaw estimated the project would be completed in December 2026 Project updates will be posted on the Salt Lake County Office of Regional Development website. From there, those interested can also subscribe to email updates. For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune (WHP) — Two motorcyclists were injured after a three-vehicle crash in Millcreek Township The crash happened Thursday around 7:22 p.m on North Fort Zellers Road near North Kalbach Road Millcreek Township Police said a motorcycle crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a 2025 Lexus RX350 before crashing into another motorcycle Both motorcyclists were hospitalized for injuries who was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the wreck Millcreek Township Police are still investigating the crash SALT LAKE CITY — One Millcreek resident found a bag containing memorabilia belonging to the Jason Bateman family after moving into their home Jacob Branon moved into his Millcreek home in October 2023 when he noticed the bag There's no way this is the same Bateman family,” he said the box in the bag was not there when we first did our walk around the place but pretty sure we would have noticed something like that and that's when we noticed a big red box and a big green bag.” and handwritten letters that seemingly belonged to the Bateman family Branan tried reaching out to Bateman’s agents The bag was forgotten about until a couple of days ago we never found anything with it that's still just sitting in our house Maybe somebody in the Salt Lake Community has some sort of connection,” he said Branan was skeptical it was Jason’s family at first until he saw one specific newspaper clipping “It was really shocking when we first opened it up and we saw that it was Bateman's that obviously didn't ring any crazy bells,” he said “that's when we came across that news article talking about Jason Bateman on Little House on the Prairie Branan slowly discovered the Batemans had a personal tie to Utah “Seemingly they lived within five minutes of where we live now Branan posted his find on Reddit several days ago Some even claim to be distant relatives of the family Branan said the main goal is to get it back into the right hands “If somebody messaged me out of the blue and said I found a box filled to the brim of your parents' and grandparents' history I would certainly at least want to see it,” he said Even if that means trying to track down the movie star himself if I can get it to somebody who you or Kent fully endorses to possess it totally okay with me I just want to make sure it's given back to the right person,” Branan said FOX 13 News reached out to the owner and executive producer of Bateman’s podcast “Smartless” in attempt to reach out to Bateman Three Millcreek families received letters from the U.S Department of Homeland Security telling them their parole has been terminated and that they have seven days to leave the country unless they obtain a lawful basis to remain Utah (KUTV) — Three Millcreek families received letters from the U.S “They’re the type of people you would want as neighbors,” said Brad Neff He said that the families are frightened after receiving the letters but we can’t just pull the rug out from under people," he said “The United States Government has sent out a letter to people who are lawfully in our country making it seem like they are not,” said Jim McConkie He said the families have been in Utah since August we consider that to be an absolutely outright illegal order.” the Mayor of Millcreek addressed the letters his residents received in a press conference calling on Utah’s congressional delegation to investigate and remedy the situation “We’re not pretending that Millcreek is a sanctuary city and we respect the right and the duty of our federal partners to enforce our immigration laws and even to deport violent criminals but that does not mean we will stand by quietly when the rights of people in our Millcreek community are violated," Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said McConkie said they are filing a class action lawsuit on behalf of the families and that they have a potential meeting with the Department of Homeland Security next week He said they haven’t been able to verify the authenticity of the letters or have heard from anyone from the U.S They encourage anyone who received a letter to reach out to the Refugee Justice League at 385-390-3001 or https://www.refugeejustice.org/ Utah lawmakers and the Governor for a response Mill Creek Road is closed between Turner and Aumsville until November while the 95-year-old Mill Creek Bridge is being replaced The reinforced concrete bridge built in 1930 had exposed rebar in several areas and was narrow Traffic in the area is being rerouted south by Marion Rd. will also be closed and may need to be realigned no emergency vehicles will be able to cross the bridge Federal funds and Marion County matching are covering the cost of the project Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com 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 are pursuing legal action after receiving a notice from the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informing them that they had one week to leave the country or face potential law enforcement measures On April 11, an immigrant family from Venezuela received an email that began with “It’s time for you to leave the United States,” letting the family know that their parole was being terminated seven days from the email and that if they didn’t “immediately” leave on their own accord they would “be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal.” “Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you Please depart the United States immediately,” the email concluded told the Deseret News that the email initially appeared fraudulent would the government really say ‘we will find you,’ like that sounds like a scammer,” she said During a media conference on Friday afternoon, two of the family’s attorneys, Jim McConkie with the Refugee Justice League and Richard N former head of the criminal division in the United States Attorney’s Office in the state of Utah said it has not been verified that the email came from DHS Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini became emotional when he said that for the sake of the Constitution he “hopes” that these letters were sent by mistake “This is an affront to constitutionally guaranteed rights to all persons in the United States.” He said his team has reached out to Utah’s federal congressional delegation to find answers and to help remedy concerns and we respect the right and the duty of our federal partners to enforce our immigration laws and even to deport violent criminals,” Silvestrini said “But that does not mean that we will stand by silently when the rights of people in our Millcreek community are violated.” the Department of Homeland Security has not responded to the family’s legal team McConkie said they have a potential meeting next week and are also meeting with the U.S Attorney’s Office and preparing for a “class action lawsuit with a nationwide nature.” they are so fearful of being deported that they do not wish to speak to the press or provide personal information for fear of being detained by U.S McConkie told the Deseret News that the families are all here legally and not using the same legal representation as the Venezuelans since 2023 under a family sponsorship program The two Venezuelan families that are pursuing legal action are related The second family consists of another son of the first family and his spouse The families had traveled from Venezuela to Mexico where they worked for a year to earn enough money to enter the United States Staples said they went through customs at the Mexican border with all the necessary paperwork and all but one “They accused their 19-year-old son of being a criminal because he had a few tattoos on his arm and they haven’t heard from their son in six months which means we now have to go back to the government and petition the government to give us his whereabouts and to tell us why he was picked up and then we’ll ask him to be returned,” McConkie said The family members have obtained federal permits as they follow the procedure to become asylum-seekers They have an asylum hearing date before an immigration judge scheduled for 2028 they are legally entitled to be here and without an opportunity for a hearing our government department of DHS is commanding them to leave the country,” McConkie said is that the United States is deceiving them intentionally into believing that they need to leave when because they’re legally here,” he told the Deseret News where due process is completely ignored and intentionally ignored and where the government is propagating misinformation to achieve their ends.” Friends and neighbors of the immigrant families surrounded the mayor to demonstrate their collective support for the safety of their friends during Friday’s press conference Staples said the whole neighborhood was utilizing every available resource to find legal help “We had a couple of really amazing attorneys text us back and say ‘This notice does not/should not apply to them because they have filed for asylum.’ So this notice told Deseret News that he appreciated “the goodness and work ethic and hopefulness of my Venezuelan and Haitian neighbors They have met every requirement the government has asked of them It is manifestly unfair to try to kick them out of the country by intimidating them and not giving them due process.” it is my opinion that our country will find that immigrants give us far more than we give them,” Neff said “That has been my experience with my immigrant friends and neighbors religious community and my family’s life.” told the Deseret News that the whole neighborhood community has rallied behind them “They are so much a part of our community now that I consider them as family It’s heart- wrenching to hear of their revocation of refugee status and the short period to leave He added that he understands the federal government’s priority to remove “the bad characters out of our country Our system provides for due process on an individual basis.” LOCAL NEWS 4:04 PM | Updated: Apr 29 BY CARTER WILLIAMS, KSL.COM MILLCREEK — Construction will begin soon on the upper section of Mill Creek Canyon Road which will also impact some access in the popular canyon over the next two summers The Upper Mill Creek Canyon project will finally get underway on May 1 after a few years of planning between the U.S Crews are slated to repair the road beyond the canyon’s winter gate which extends a little more than 4½ miles toward the Little Water Trailhead bicycle or pedestrian will be allowed beyond the winter gate toward the end of the road including the Little Water and Old Red Pine trails as well as any access to the Little Water Trail from Dog Lake Shaw said all other trails will remain open The Pipeline and Upper Pipeline trails will “serve as the main routes between the upper and lower sections of the canyon,” allowing for access to “most of your favorite spots,” county officials noted Local entities chipped in over $9 million in matching funds director of regional planning and transportation for Salt Lake County “(It will) make sure that the water is being directed in the right way,” she added pointing to current environmental concerns The project also calls for expanded trailhead facilities to be constructed to add more parking while uphill bike lanes will be added “where possible” to account for the growing traffic up the canyon over the past few years Improvements that could lead to new transit access in the future will also be included The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2026 with a winter construction hiatus between Dec Access to winter recreation sites will be available during the pause in construction but access will be affected again next summer County officials will continue to post construction updates online in case there are any major changes over the next two years “While it’s going to be frustrating not being able to use this beautiful space for the next couple of years it’ll be so much better when we get done,” said Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini and one of the things that the road improvements will do is make it more accessible for emergency vehicles if they have to get up here.” The Millcreek Township School District is on its way to settling its third sex discrimination case related to former Superintendent Ian Roberts the settlement would bring the district's total payout in the three cases to more than $403,000 The Millcreek School District is prepared to pay $66,000 in the latest case to Timothy P. Stoops the district's former director of assessment and alternative learning Stoops was demoted in an administrative staff restructuring under Roberts in April 2023. The restructuring came about three months before Roberts departed the 6,500-student Millcreek School District to lead the 30,800-student public school system in Des Moines, Iowa Stoops claimed the Millcreek School District discriminated against him during his demotion process by passing him over for two principal positions and instead hiring two women who he claimed were less qualified than him Also in township: Millcreek school bus costs will increase by $962,000 next school year Stoops sued the Millcreek School District in federal court in Erie in June 2024 making him the third former employee to claim sex discrimination during Roberts' tenure Final approval of the $66,000 settlement for Stoops would put the total amount of settlements related to Roberts at $403,500 include proceeds from the district and insurance Bankruptcy CourtThe Millcreek School Board still must sign off on the deal for Stoops though approval is all but certain — lawyers for both sides negotiated the terms Stoops signed the deal on April 6 with the understanding that the district's approval is pending Bankruptcy Court in Erie must also approve the agreement filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy organization in May 2023 and the case was converted to Chapter 7 liquidation in October 2023 It started with a claim he filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before he sued in U.S The bankruptcy case made any settlement of the lawsuit subject to a review by a bankruptcy trustee The review was to help determine how much of the settlement proceeds would go to Stoops' creditors with the final deal subject to a bankruptcy judge's approval filed the proposed settlement agreement in the Chapter 7 case on April 30 Bankruptcy Judge John Melaragno to approve the deal A hearing on the request is scheduled for May 29 at the federal courthouse in Erie The School Board's vote and Melaragno's approval would make the deal final according to a motion that Speros filed with the proposed agreement on April 30 Spero is to retain the balance of the settlement — $36,349 — and release it "for payment of Administrative fees and costs and for a dividend distribution to the Debtor's unsecured creditors," according to the motion Stoops as part of the deal is barred from working at the Millcreek School District, according to the agreement. He is now the principal at the middle school at the Perseus House Charter School of Excellence in Erie The settlement ends Stoops' federal lawsuit while the case was in the pretrial stage The Millcreek School District "denies wrongdoing toward Stoops," according to the deal The agreement also states that "the parties desire to settle amicably all disputes and disagreements between them without any admission of fault by either of them and without the necessity of further proceedings." The deal requires the district and Stoops keep the settlement confidential though the agreement acknowledges that public disclosures are required "as part of the process to obtain Bankruptcy Court approval." The solicitor for the Millcreek School District, Tim Sennett, said the district had no comment. Chivers, Stoops' lawyer, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A spokesman for the Des Moines Public Schools the largest public school district in Iowa also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment from Roberts Roberts was not named as a defendant in Stoops' lawsuit in which Stoops sued only the Millcreek School District The Millcreek School Board in the 2023 approved Roberts' administrative reorganization in which Stoops was demoted from his post as the school district's director of assessment and alternative learning Stoops claimed he he was discriminated against because the school district as part of the demotion passed him over for the two principal positions in favor of two women in the response to the lawsuit it filed in court denied Stoops' claim that the women were less qualified than him The district eliminated Stoops' position as director of assessment and alternative learning "due to a consolidation of administrative positions," according to the response Stoops had worked at the Millcreek School District since 1996 Stoops had previously been principal at the high school and middle school levels in the district — the two positions for which he unsuccessfully applied after Roberts eliminated his administrative post New leadership in Erie: Natalyn Gibbs begins 'heart work' in preparation for becoming Erie schools superintendent Stoops was reassigned to a teaching position for the 2023-24 academic year He declined the teaching job and resigned from the district in August 2023 Stoops' lawsuit was similar to the case of Orlando who had been a top administrator with Stoops The Millcreek School District paid Orlando $87,500 to end a discrimination complaint he filed with the EEOC Orlando had been the district's director of elementary education His job was eliminated in the restructuring under Roberts Orlando was passed over for two principal positions — the posts that went to women — and was demoted and offered a teaching position Orlando declined the teaching post and resigned from the district to take a job at Erie Insurance In eliminating the positions that Orlando and Stoops held Roberts in his restructuring also created the job of director of K-12 education according to court records and school district records who had been the district's director of secondary education After Roberts left the Millcreek School District, the Millcreek School Board named Cavanagh the new superintendent on July 17, 2023 Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-870-1813 Utah (KUTV) — Police in Millcreek responded to a call of shots fired only to find those involved had fled the scene -- including the victim The call of shots fired came in at about 9:55 p.m Wednesday in the area of 3700 South and 900 East where responding officers with Unified Police found shell casings Aymee Race said multiple were detained for questioning Race didn't say whether police had named any suspects the individual decided the injury needed medical attention and went to the hospital Race said the victim was in fair condition but didn't have any specifics on where the individual was shot or how many times as well as what the possible motive behind the injuries UPD's violent crimes unit and the Salt Lake County metro gang unit are investigating Race said officers are working to find the other people who fled the scene It wasn't clear if there were any other victims Additional information wasn't immediately available Utah — Concerned about residents in his city possibly being forced out of the country against their will Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini is investigating the situation to make sure they are able to explore all legal avenues to stay I'm not saying that Millcreek is a sanctuary city by any means," Silvestrini said Friday "I recognize that under the law there are consequences for folks without documentation who are here in our country without legal status; however you should be able to enjoy that legal status and everyone is entitled to due process of law under our Constitution." Similar to instances being seen across the country during the second term of President Donald Trump, several Millcreek families over the past week have received letters from the Department of Homeland Security telling them they need to leave the U.S. Attorneys for the families say they are in the country legally including one family who fled Venezuela for safety reasons students in country legally surprised with sudden orders to leave U.S.: The mayor plans on contacting Millcreek's congressional delegation, led by Rep. Burgess Owens, to see if his office can provide any assistance, as well as promoting a GoFundMe page to assist the families Millcreek residents are still grappling with the fact that this happened in their own backyard and while she does not have a personal tie to the families the emotion when she heard the news hit the same I can't imagine what that would be like," she said I can't imagine the psychological damage that that would do.” who's also studying at Salt Lake Community College “There needs to be someone advocating for these people There needs to be checks and balances," she said "I feel like that's the biggest problem we have in our government today I feel like there are things going unchecked While acknowledging his position may not match those of federal agencies in charge of immigration Silvestrini believes it's his duty to protect those he was elected to govern "I don't have any illusions about the extent of my power," he said. "I'm the mayor of a city of 65,000 people, which some people would consider to be a pretty small place. What I can do is use my soapbox if you will, to ensure that the constitutional rights of all persons in the United States are observed "I think I owe that to people because I may have a voice that's maybe a little more elevated than the average citizen I don't have delusions of grandeur about that Utah family says father was deported without due process despite no criminal record: This is not the first time Silvestrini has gone up against federal agencies he believes are acting improperly In February, the mayor sent a letter to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency condemning its agents who had wrongfully claimed a man had intentionally swerved his vehicle towards them Video later failed to show the driver had many any more towards the agents Millcreek mayor claims ICE agents 'trampled the rights' of resident: "We have a lot of great things going on in Millcreek, including our diverse refugee community," he said, "and I wish that the spotlight was on Millcreek for a better reason." Plans to operate the Shrine Club as a community center were shared with the public during an open house at the Millcreek Township Municipal Building on April 29 Projected costs and revenues also were shared Residents attending the event expressed varying views on the plan Others said that the facility would be both unnecessary and costly Millcreek Township supervisors are considering buying the club and adjacent property for public use They're expected to vote on the proposal at their May 27 business meeting The Shrine Club property would provide facilities for exercise walking, bicycling, pickleball, yoga, and other fitness and wellness programs identified by residents as priorities in meetings and surveys conducted for the township's five-year parks and recreation plan senior associate with Ballard King & Associates the consulting firm hired to conduct the community center feasibility study The community center also could include a gym Gathering spaces would be available for senior fairs The center would be an asset to Millcreek and would provide needed fitness and wellness facilities said Millcreek residents Jackson Ferringer and wife Brooke Ridgeley The couple moved to Millcreek from the Cranberry Township area last summer We were drawn here so much that we moved here," Ridgeley said "Surviving our first winter here made us think how nice it would be to have an indoor place to walk and get some exercise." "Millcreek needs this kind of center," Ferringer said Others said that a community center is unnecessary and would be too costly to buy and operate We have gyms and parks and Erie Sports Park," Berley Mackrell said Schools and colleges also have gyms and other fitness facilities Purchase price for the Shrine Club and more than 40 acres of property at West 38th Street and Zuck Road is over $3.6 million An additional $1.5 million-plus would be required to pay for needed improvements identified in a property assessment by Georgia-based Intelligent Systems and Engineering Services The $1.3 million received from the sale of Erie Golf Course and a $1 million low-interest loan from the Erie Redevelopment Authority could be put toward the total $5.2 million estimated cost Erie Golf Club sold: What are the new owner's plans for the course? The approximately $3 million remaining could be financed through a mortgage or bond issue Township debt for the project would be about $250,000 to $290,000 annually Operating costs and revenuesCost to operate the center is estimated at $882,821 annually insurance and $529,537 for full and part-time staff facility manager and maintenance foreman in addition to the current parks and recreation director Revenues are projected at $624,450 annually mainly from daily or monthly admission fees and increased program fees The feasibility study recommends that program fees be increased by 10% to 15% "Your recreation fees are currently under market value," Caron said The township additionally could lease about 10,000 square feet of the 40,000-square-foot club to bring in an additional $150,000 annually would cover about 90% of the facility's projected operating costs The average "cost recovery" for community centers is 50% to 60% Public comment processSurveys completed during the April 29 open house and a second open house on April 30 gauged residents' interest in the proposed community center and provided a space for comments Public comments also will be accepted on the township website at millcreektownship.com parks and recreation director Ashley Marsteller said Feasibility study findings also will be posted on the township website, along with the township's five-year plan to improve parks and recreation, and answers to frequently asked questions about the proposed community center Firearms and Explosives has launched a criminal investigation into a house fire in Salt Lake County The fire broke out at a home in Millcreek near Lake Circle and Barrows Avenue Officials with the Unified Fire Authority said the fire started in the kitchen officials from both the UFA and ATF were conducting a criminal investigation into the fire Details about what led to the ongoing investigation were not released It was not clear if investigators had a suspect but said no one had been taken into custody Millcreek Township homeowners can get free smoke alarms and an education in fire safety through a partnership between the township's fire department and the American Red Cross Officials will hold a news conference May 1 to announce the township's participation in the "Sound the Alarm" campaign which comes in the wake of four fatal house fires in Millcreek since late January The program will provide homeowners with free smoke alarms and alarm installation as well as safety inspections and home fire safety education Homeowners can sign up for the program by calling 814-240-7667 Millcreek Fire Chief Michael Cliff stated in a news release announcing that the initiative is focused on saving lives as the Red Cross and fire officials have identified a higher number of fires in the township's zip code Five people have died in four house fires in Millcreek Township so far this year The Red Cross's involvement in the smoke alarm initiative in Millcreek follows a similar event in Erie that was held April 4 That campaign focused on residents who live in the 16503 zip code area which the Red Cross said is the area with the highest rate of Red Cross fire responses in northwestern Pennsylvania There were 162 free smoke alarms installed during the April 4 event a Red Cross spokeswoman told the Erie Times-News April 30 Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn. Erie County has an incredible opportunity ahead. The creation of a Gateway District in Millcreek Township isn't just a great idea — it's a necessary step forward forward-thinking project is a result of thoughtful planning and will transform a key corridor into a vibrant hub for both residents and the millions of visitors we welcome to Presque Isle State Park each year This project will enhance both quality-of-place and business attraction Millcreek has the unique opportunity to drive economic development while creating a more welcoming visually appealing entrance to our local gem and national tourism destination: Presque Isle State Park As a premier attraction drawing over 4 million visitors a year it deserves infrastructure that reflects its significance Home to approximately 54,000 residents, Millcreek has long been an integral part of the Erie region. Now, the Millcreek Township General Authority (MTGA) is putting plans into action to make this valuable corridor a destination in its own right to draw the millions of visitors each year across Peninsula Drive and into the city of Erie The township's vision for a gateway includes mixed-use space with potential for dining Designed to meet the community's need for more walkable the district will offer a natural extension of the park's spirit of recreation and relaxation support local businesses and attract investment that will boost the local economy for years to come It will serve as a beacon for future development offering new opportunities for both local and national retailers the proposed development benefits from millions of dollars already secured in state funding including the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that will help with infrastructure improvements and underground conduit installation — all of which will ensure the district is not just visually appealing but functional and welcoming for residents and visitors As any economic development professional knows building a strong capital stack requires thoughtful planning and coordination Millcreek Township has done just that — leveraging strategic and financial planning to lay the groundwork for meaningful investment More: West Eighth Street businesses are down or coming down. Now redevelopment begins the township is seeking qualified developers to bring this vision to life The nationwide selection process will invite developers who have the experience and expertise necessary to make this project a success mixed-use development and a commitment to community engagement The search is being run by Altair Real Estate which has significant experience in the realm of economic development both in and outside of Erie It is irresponsible to simply put a for-sale sign outside of the properties based on best practices utilized in vibrant communities across America As the Millcreek Township General Authority seeks qualified developers A crucial component of successful economic development is having shovel-ready sites that can best capture the imagination of developers and allow them to make their dream a reality actively support and show enthusiasm for this plan The Presque Isle Gateway District is our chance to shape the future of Erie County and create a space that future generations will be proud to call their own More: State grants fund Presque Isle Gateway projects in Millcreek. What will the work include? By embracing mixed-use development and smart infrastructure planning enhance community life and leave a lasting impact on the region With strong support from both public and private sectors the Gateway District is poised to become a standout destination that brings lasting benefits to Erie County The request for quotation (RFQ) search is ongoing and soon we may see new developments in the Gateway District Presque Isle is a national tourist destination; it deserves a process that will elevate it to meet the expectations of visitors from across the country Kim Thomas is the executive director of Infinite Erie Due to recent fire fatalities in Millcreek Township the Millcreek Township Fire Department is taking action to make sure residents are protected In partnership with the American Red Cross of NWPA the township is providing free smoke alarms to residents.  “This initiative is focused on saving lives Both the Red Cross and the Erie Fire Department have identified a higher number of fires in this zip code,” said Millcreek Fire Chief Mike Cliff “Homes with a working smoke alarm are significantly safer.” Pennsylvania leads the country in fire-related fatalities The current fire safety code recommends having a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and in every bedroom where someone regularly sleeps.  the fire department says devices should be less than 10 years old to remain effective.  Homeowners in Millcreek can call 814-240-7667 to schedule their free installation.  Sheetz has applied for a zoning variance to open a convenience store near the Millcreek Mall at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant at 2040 Edinboro Road A convenience store is not a permitted use at the location which is in Millcreek Township's C2 regional commercial district to the township zoning ordinance would be required to operate a convenience store there The Millcreek Township Zoning Hearing Board will consider the request at its next meeting on April 30 Sheetz's variance request is for a large convenience store, or a store between 2,500 and 10,000 square feet, with more than four fuel islands or eight fuel pumps and/or electric vehicle charging stations, according to the Millcreek zoning definition The application does not specify if the company would use the existing restaurant building or build a new store but a site plan submitted with the application appears to show a new store township zoning administrator Matt Puz said And the company in recent years has tended to demolish and rebuild rather than renovate its own buildings Sheetz's plan to raze its 4,650-square-foot store at West Ridge and Asbury roads and build a 6,139-square-foot store in its place was approved by Millcreek Township supervisors in November The company did not immediately reply to a Wednesday Erie Times-News request for comment on its plans for the Edinboro Road store Red Lobster operated a restaurant at 2040 Edinboro Road from February 1987 until May 2024 when the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed 90 restaurants Florida-based Red Lobster today has more than 500 restaurants worldwide, including restaurants in Meadville and Ashtabula, according to its website operates almost 750 stores in Pennsylvania Erie County stores are at West 38th and Liberty streets in Erie; on Peninsula Drive and at West Ridge and Asbury roads in Millcreek; on Perry Highway in Summit Township; on Main Street East in Girard; and on Route 6N in Edinboro Out with the old: Sheetz plans to raze, build new store in Millcreek is a little sawmill tucked into the North Woods that had a big impact on Mackinac Island "Robert Campbell originally constructed this mill about 1790 and the only reason he built it was to make timber and also to have farm crops to be sold to Mackinac Island," said Kyle Bagnall park naturalist for Mackinac State Historic Parks is part of the Mackinac Island State Park system and was opened to the public in 1984 The park consists of a reconstructed mill dam British workshop and American millwright's house on 625 acres There also are three miles of nature trails and a Treetop Discovery Tower offering views of Lake Huron thinking their fort at Michilimackinac was vulnerable to attack decided to move the fort to Mackinac Island in 1781 the colony supporting the fort moved with them Mill Creek was established to satisfy that need They had water to power the saw and access to Lake Huron making it easier to ship sawn lumber to the island "They were originally using hand saws to make all that lumber by hand when they were constructing the fort and all the downtown buildings," Bagnall said "And it quickly became clear that doing it by hand simply was not enough production to meet the demand Robert Campbell died in 1808 and his son John Campbell took over the mill and then sold the mill and farm to Michael Dousman the land reverted back to the state of Michigan It was forgotten until 1972 when Ellis Olson discovered the mill site the property was transferred to the Mackinac Island State Park Commission And Mill Creek is an excellent spot to come learn about the cultural aspects of this story of harvesting natural resources "This is a site that ties all of Mackinac State Historic Park sites together" Erie County Executive Brenton Davis on Wednesday presented a $250,000 check to Millcreek Township to address a deteriorating storm pipe Millcreek Township Supervisor Dan Ouellet said the funds will go toward realigning a 36-inch 700-foot-long storm pipe near West 28th Street Ouellet said the 50-year-old pipe has been deteriorating and causing sinkholes which would (cost) hundreds of thousands of dollars to do because it actually runs through people’s backyards we’re going to go ahead and realign that pipe,” he said "this "This is a monumental donation for us and we’re looking forward to getting going on this project as soon as possible." Millcreek Township Supervisor Kim Clear said the project will save “hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to homes” which are impacted by recurring floods in the area The funding, which comes from the county’s share of pandemic-era American Rescue Plan funds will serve as a local match investment to unlock nearly $2 million in outside grant funds who spoke to reporters Wednesday at Joe’s Gym A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNRao (This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) Zem Zem is sectioning off a small part of its Shrine Club property in Millcreek Millcreek Township supervisors on Tuesday approved its plan to subdivide its land at West 38th Street and Zuck Road to create a separate 3.1-acre parcel at the northeastern corner of the property Study findings will be presented to the public next week The club is too large for today's membership and needs Zem Zem trustee and past president Jim Richardson told supervisors Tuesday 'We are asking for this subdivision so that we can market a piece of property that is measurably larger than what we can use any longer," Richardson said "We're anticipating marketing the building as well as the over 42 acres of land the parcel that is 3.16 acres with the expectation that we'll be building a new building at that location at some later date "We're essentially right-sizing for our building," Richardson said The existing Shrine Club measures approximately 40,000 square feet The current club was built after a previous club at 124 E Utah (KUTV) — A group of people in ski-masks threatened a security officer with a gun at a new apartment complex in Millcreek The Unified Police Department asked the public for help figuring out who these people are the director of operations with Panther Security and Investigations got a call from one of his guards stationed at The Richmond Apartments in Millcreek — a newly built complex that doesn't have tenants yet "Our guard was confronted by a group of individuals who at one point brandished a firearm He described it as possibly a black semiautomatic Glock-type firearm," Perez said It happened in the building's parking garage Perez said the group threatened his guard not to call the police and told him to mind his own business before continuing through the garage "I asked my supervisor to maintain a safe distance and give support to the police," Perez said The incident happened just minutes from the Millcreek police precinct so officers from multiple agencies were on the scene — a complex with a six- and seven-story building — in a flash "Not only are we dealing with a large apartment complex but those are individual apartments with individual rooms that had to be searched," said Sergeant Aymee Race "Thanks to the help of multiple agencies but we were unable to locate those individuals." Perez said a team of five or six of his armed guards also went out to help police maintain a perimeter around the building UPD said the group of six to eight people was wearing ski masks and dark clothing but they don't know whether they were male or female Police also said they're not sure why that group was there in the first place "We have detectives out canvassing the area so we're just asking those community members to really step up and help us," Race said Perez said his guard told him the person with the gun had a Hispanic accent my guard says he was probably between the ages of 18 to 25," Perez said Panther Security said that the security guard was armed at the time it is probably some low-level gang type making a presence — letting individuals know that they're in the area so I would just recommend everybody just keep their eyes open Anyone with tips or information is asked to call UPD at 810-840-4000 "With businesses in the area and even residents to check their cameras as early as 9:00 p.m and see if they captured anything on camera whether these individuals were getting into a vehicle even if they know who these individuals are," Race said Authorities are continuing their search for the cause of a Millcreek Township house fire on Easter Sunday that led to the death of a 79-year-old woman Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook on April 24 identified the victim as Judy Jackson April 20 at the scene of the fire at her house according to the Erie County Coroner's Office and Millcreek police Cook said the cause of Jackson's death is pending the results of toxicology testing The Millcreek Township Fire Department and three township volunteer fire departments that responded to the fire arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the one-story modular home Officials said the fire spread to a neighboring residence and caused significant damage to it One firefighter suffered minor burns and was treated and released at the scene Millcreek police are investigating the cause of the fire with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and an Erie Bureau of Fire fire marshal The causes of two of the earlier fires have been ruled as undetermined and the cause of a third was determined to be careless smoking (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Todd Reeder with the Community Development Corporation of Utah talks about The Howick housing project under construction in Millcreek Note to readers: As a community-funded paper, The Salt Lake Tribune has chronicled Utah’s housing crisis for years, but also looks to find solutions. In this series of stories, “Building Options,” we’ll look to outline the issue and why it matters but also how a state program is showing signs of chipping away at the affordability crisis Waived building fees and a “super streamlined” process helped get what’s known as The Howick — for now — off the ground “We want to work in places that want us”, said Reeder, the CEO of Community Development Corporation of Utah the nonprofit building the 150-unit complex on South Howick Street off West Central Avenue in Millcreek going above and beyond in implementing strategies as part of the state’s moderate-income housing program “The Howick” — a name that could change later — was possible with density maximums and reduced parking minimums in the area Millcreek hasn’t seen many affordable housing projects but that zone is an exception with two “reasonably significant affordable housing complexes.” which is near Trax between the Meadowbrook and North Murray stations will serve people making 30% to 60% of the area’s median income According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that’s between $25,770 and $51,540 for an individual or between $36,810 and $73,620 for a family of four The federal agency defines 50% of area median income as “very low income.” (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Howick housing project in Millcreek Reeder said with three- and four-bedroom units Millcreek officials took steps to help the CDCU project and the other complex has made it easier to subdivide a duplex for more affordable ownership made it easier to build an accessory dwelling unit like a granny flat and eliminated the waiting period for subdividing multifamily projects Those actions are all strategies cities and counties can enact as part of Utah’s moderate-income housing program which offers incentives for implementing different housing initiatives “We’re actually giving some thought to making it easier for affordable homeownership to occur,” Lilly said “It really does make a difference to have the city wanting your product Some communities like their large home lots and it isn’t “worth our energy to go through that battle.” But other places are streamlining construction by opening up the permitting process and easing requirements he said – and it makes a difference for developers and those looking for a home Megan Banta is The Salt Lake Tribune’s data enterprise reporter, a philanthropically supported position. The Tribune retains control over all editorial decisions. 1:25 PM | Updated: 6:39 pm BY JACOB FREEMAN MILLCREEK — A home is considered a “total loss” after a one-alarm fire in Millcreek Thursday morning authorities are conducting a criminal investigation The Unified Fire Authority announced on X that the fire started in the area of Lake Circle and Barrows Avenue information officer for the Unified Fire Authority said crews received reports of a residential fire at approximately 11 a.m the home was “fully involved with smoke and flames,” Porter said Firefighters determined the fire started in the kitchen and quickly went to work on the blaze Crews got the fire under control as quickly as possible Porter said nobody was home during the fire and no injuries were reported the Unified Fire Authority with the help of the Bureau of Alcohol Firearms and Explosives is working on a criminal investigation into the fire This story is developing and may be updated Millcreek Township will share results of its Shrine Club feasibility study during public open houses on April 29 and 30 The township is considering buying the 40,000-square-foot club for use as a community center Purchase price for the property would be $3.6 million including 42 acres along West 38th Street and Zuck Road Township supervisors signed a letter of intent expressing interest in the purchase in December and have until late May to buy or pass on the property The public open houses will be held April 29 from 5 to 7 p.m at the Millcreek Township Municipal Building Study findings on the condition of the Shrine Club property and on community center operations costs and other possible locations will be summarized on information boards at both events Possible designs for the proposed community center also will be on display The open houses are "designed to give residents the chance to ask questions explore designs and share feedback that could shape the future of recreation and community programming in Millcreek," a township spokeswoman said in announcing the events A community center to house fitness, wellness and education programs is a top recommendation of the township's five-year plan to improve township parks and recreation The plan was based on Millcreek residents' parks and recreation priorities and was completed in February 2024 Other township residents have objected to the cost of buying the club and operating it as a community center In January: Former supervisors challenge procedures, potential costs for Millcreek community center If the Shrine Club is sold to the township, Zem Zem Temple would build a smaller club on adjacent property and could partner with Millcreek to hold special events at the larger community center club trustee Jim Richardson told township officials in December For sale: Millcreek Township approves letter of intent to buy Zem Zem Shrine Club (This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.) Mary Eckert has worked at Millcreek Community Hospital since 1983 and has overseen many changes over the past four decades The latest change was announced Thursday as LECOM Health officials officially renamed the Millcreek Township hospital as the LECOM Medical Center and Behavioral Health Pavilion It is the hospital's second name change in its 75-year history having been founded in 1950 as Erie Osteopathic Hospital "It's a fabulous change because the new name really tells the story," said Eckert "The hospital founded the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and now it represents LECOM's growth and its place in the community." Changing the hospital's name was first suggested more than a year ago by Dr The new name aligns the hospital more closely with the rest of the health system and other medical offices and long-term care facilities "We really wanted to demonstrate to the community the patients we serve and our student body of the close connection between the school and the hospital," Hansen said "The hospital is our primary training environment for our medical students pharmacists and other health-care professional students." Eckert said the decision not to include Millcreek in the hospital's new name was made because of the hospital's regional draw especially as a provider of geriatric and behavioral health What's next for the LECOM Medical Center?More changes are underway at the Millcreek hospital It is currently undergoing a 34,000-square-foot expansion that includes a new emergency department and intensive care unit Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce Two people are dead in a fire that broke out in a mobile home in Millcreek Township early Sunday morning The fire was reported on Sunday at 12:52 a.m according to Millcreek police and Erie County 911 The mobile home was fully engulfed in flames when fire and police arrived on scene Authorities said two people died in the fire but authorities are still working to confirm the identities Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene at 2:36 a.m A man and a woman who police said were also in the house managed to escape the fire and were taken to UPMC Hamot The Millcreek Fire Department and the West Ridge Kearsarge and Lake Shore volunteer departments were called to the scene to fight the fire A Millcreek police investigator is working with the Pennsylvania State Police on the investigation into the fire Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is asked to call Millcreek police Cpl Sunday's fire is the third fatal fire in Millcreek Township in a little more than six weeks Robert Powell, 67, died in a fire that broke out in a mobile home at 1270 Patlin Court on the early morning of Jan The cause of that fire remains under investigation Jerome Wilson, 75, and two dogs died in a fire that broke out in a residence at 521 Zephyr Ave. on the morning of Feb Millcreek police said the cause of the fire is undetermined (This story has been updated to add new information.) Millcreek Township School District will consider enlarging some elementary schools Several of the district's five elementary schools are nearing capacity in the number of students they can accommodate At least one grade level at each school has reached maximum enrollment meaning no more students can be accepted in that grade there has been an increase in the number of students requiring special education services leading us to anticipate a need for more specialized classrooms," Cavanagh said "This situation further restricts the number of students that can be accommodated in those classrooms." The district has hired a Mercer County architectural and engineering firm to evaluate each of its elementary buildings and determine how much additional space may be needed will assess the condition of each school and prepare a preliminary design and cost estimate to expand it The company also will prepare preliminary designs for improvements to make better use of existing space The firm additionally will project future enrollments at each school The facilities and demographics studies will cost an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 School directors will consider options to optimize or add space after the facilities study is complete this summer Here are the current enrollments for Millcreek elementary schools as well as the maximum number of students each school was designed to accommodate and the number of grade levels already at capacity: two grade levels at capacity;Belle Valley Elementary two grade levels at capacity;Chestnut Hill Elementary three grade levels at capacity;Grandview Elementary four grade levels at capacity;Tracy Elementary one grade level at capacity.Past closingsMillcreek Township School District closed two elementary schools due to declining enrollments and a massive budget deficit in 2013 Reed Children's Center leases part of the building Enrollment was 270 students when Ridgefield School closed was sold to the nonprofit Voices for Independence in 2016 What's in a name: Maybe more money for the Millcreek Township School District POLITICS & ELECTIONS 3:29 PM | Updated: 3:46 pm BY SHARA PARK MILLCREEK — Three refugee families in Salt Lake County recently received emails claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, instructing them to leave the country within seven days or face deportation While the legitimacy of these emails is still being verified the situation has raised concerns among local leaders and the community Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini spoke out strongly in defense of the families Friday emphasizing their right to reside in the United States “I want you to know you should feel safe here and you are welcome in our community,” he said during a press conference at Millcreek City Hall The mayor also expressed broader concerns about the implications of this situation “If people like me don’t stand up for this kind of thing and stand up early Today it’s refugees who came to our country out of fear or danger in their countries The Refugee Justice League is representing the families and investigating the emails encouraged the families to continue living their lives in the community as the team verifies the authenticity of the emails “The United States government has sent out a letter to people who were lawfully in our country making it seem as though they’re not It’s a letter which misrepresents what’s really going on and is intended as a scare tactic to get them out of the country with threats of fines and incarceration and it’s wrong,” he said McConkie said Homeland Security hasn’t responded to inquiries about the emails but he anticipates a meeting will happen in the coming week He said the Refugee Justice League is looking at filing a class action lawsuit on behalf of the families and others in a similar situation They’re lawfully here unless the United States can prove otherwise we’ll defend and if they try to take them into custody we’ll be in the courts as fast as we can go to get a temporary restraining order,” McConkie said Neighbors have rallied in support of the families demonstrating the strength of the local community Mayor Silvestrini has also pledged to advocate for the families at the federal level seeking assistance from Utah lawmakers in Washington respect the rights of all persons in Millcreek and across the country because there is a right way and a wrong way to go about this.” Mayor Silvestrini says he is only aware of the three families having received the deportation emails but worries others may have received them and are afraid to come forward. He is encouraging them to contact the Refugee Justice League. He said a GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for legal fees called Stand with Millcreek Families Follow @KSL5TV (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini listens during a news conference at Millcreek City Hall after he said at least one immigrant family in Millcreek received an email from the Department of Homeland Security demanding they leave the country within seven days The city of Millcreek has found itself yet again pushing back against federal immigration authorities Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said Friday afternoon Nearly three months after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stopped a U.S. citizen in the city and, as Silvestrini later alleged in an email to ICE made false statements to local police during the confrontation the Department of Homeland Security has now instructed a Millcreek family of four to leave the country The family, who moved to Millcreek from Venezuela last August, received an email last week that told them to leave the country within seven days. The family came to the U.S. legally on humanitarian parole, Silvestrini said, which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services grants for a temporary period “They’re entitled to be here in our country and they’re also lawfully entitled to work in our country pending a hearing to determine their refugee status,” Silvestrini said of the family during a news conference Friday “That’s the way this process works under the law.” who served as the criminal division chief for the U.S attorney’s office in Utah for about seven years There is no indication that the family has any kind of criminal record or gang affiliation which he said would have been assessed by government officials when they crossed the border A Millcreek woman originally from Haiti also received a notification requiring her to leave the country In a voice cracked by emotion and the final reminders of anesthesia said Friday that he’s not trying to make Millcreek the “nail that gets hit by the hammer.” (Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini speaks to media at Millcreek City Hall “Neither my city nor me are trying to step out of line here and do something that is unlawful or to interfere with the rightful duty of the federal government to enforce immigration laws,” Silvestrini said they need to be enforced in the right way — and that is not what I’m seeing happening in both in the former situation that I wrote to ICE The mayor said he has reached out to Utah’s congressional delegation for help while McConkie and Lambert said they plan to meet with the Department of Homeland security and the Utah U.S where many faiths think about Jesus and his family,” Lambert said Friday they were asylum seekers going to Egypt to avoid staying where they were in Bethlehem — where they knew if they stayed they were welcomed to a foreign land where they could stay until it was safe to go home,” he continued “And that’s exactly what our clients are seeking from the United States of America.” McConkie said he thinks the notice the family received was a “scare tactic.” The legal team is exploring a class action lawsuit and has already been in contact with individuals in Massachusetts, who received similar notifications and have filed their own class action suit “We consider that to be an absolutely illegal order,” McConkie said unless the United States can prove otherwise.” said they heard about the family’s notice to leave through their church The couple also knows the Haitian woman who received a notice and said they are frustrated and confused by the enforcement “We’ll go sleep in the doorstep if we need to to keep ICE from coming,” Hugh Matheson said “They’re going to have to arrest me before they can arrest them because this is their lives and their liberty.” and I have respect for the Constitution and Bill of Rights,” Silvestrini said Friday “And I see that threatened when people are being told to leave our country and their status is being revoked without any kind of due process Silvestrini’s wife, Leslie, has separately set up a GoFundMe campaign to help immigrant families with legal expenses The mayor said the campaign was not set up on behalf of the city The mayor added that anyone who has received notifications from federal authorities to leave the country can contact the nonprofit Refugee Justice League, which promotes and defends the constitutional rights of refugees, at 385-390-3001. Since it opened in 1975, the Millcreek Mall has been host to an ever-changing group of tenants Here's a list of those that called the mall home on its opening day: like including Sears Auto Center among department stores But the list reflects the way tenants were grouped in 1975 by the mall's owners More: As shopping centers close nationwide, Millcreek Mall is going strong at 50-year mark More: CheesErie to open second restaurant. Where they're expanding to Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com MILLCREEK — As President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigrants continues ensnaring an asylum-seeking family from Venezuela now living in Millcreek their lawyer says his clients won't abide by apparent U.S "They're staying here," said Jim McConkie, a lawyer with the Refugee Justice League, a nonprofit group that represents refugees and others. An April 11 letter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security giving the family a week to leave is "an absolutely illegal order unless the United States can prove otherwise." speaking at a press conference on the matter on Friday said he's been in contact with attorneys from around the country and they're reporting similar sorts of letters from the Department of Homeland Security He dubbed the letters a "scare tactic" and said the situation has prompted talk of a national class-action lawsuit against the federal government authorities attempt to take his clients into custody "we'll be in the courts as fast as we can go to get a temporary restraining order." McConkie said they don't have criminal records aren't involved with gangs and are legally working in Utah Brad and Deanna Neff speak about their immigrant neighbors at a press conference at Millcreek City Hall on Friday Deseret News)Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini led off Friday's press conference at Millcreek City Hall as "an affront to constitutionally guaranteed rights" of due process McConkie said the four Venezuelans he's representing — a husband and his wife and the couple's son and his wife — are here lawfully The federal government has the right and duty to uphold U.S "but that does not mean that we will stand by silently when the rights of people in our local community are violated When that happens we will circle our wagons," Silvestrini said He values members of the immigrant and refugee community lawfully in the country "and we want them to feel safe here." Customs and Border Protection spokesperson did not address the Millcreek cases specifically but acknowledged the agency has been reaching out to certain immigrants an immigration tool used during President Joe Biden's administration and tapped by the Venezuelans in the Millcreek case "CBP has issued notices terminating parole for individuals who do not have lawful status to remain," the message said The message didn't offer details of how widespread the effort is McConkie said he hasn't yet heard from DHS officials though he might be meeting with them next week He will also be meeting with representatives from the U.S while Silvestrini said he's reached out to Utah's federal congressional delegation for help Trump has made the deportation of immigrants here illegally a priority The April 11 letter to the Venezuelan family doesn't spell out any specific violation of law they've committed it cites discretionary authority granted to the DHS secretary under federal law with regard to immigrants paroled into the country "Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you Please depart the United States immediately," the letter reads address concerns about letters received by two Millcreek families instructing them to leave the country at Millcreek City Hall on Friday Deseret News)None of the immigrants who are the targets of the letters appeared at Friday's press conference though some of their Millcreek neighbors did as a show of support and we just couldn't stand by," said Neff "I wrote all of my federal legislators and Gov "They're trying to keep their heads down and work and The four Venezuelans crossed into the United States with a fifth family member and he was detained at the border when they arrived last August McConkie said the Venezuelans sought entry into the United States during the administration of President Joe Biden using the CBP One app which gave certain immigrants a means to enter the country and seek asylum The Venezuelans were political opponents of the socialist government of President Nicolás Maduro "They were dead in that country," he said The family traveled by land from Venezuela through Central America and Mexico to get to the United States Officials apparently detained the son still in custody because of tattoos that made U.S officials think he was involved with a gang "No allegations against him in his own country his own country would say he was part of the dissident group," McConkie said but the lawyer rejected any suggestion he was involved in gang activity This isn't the the first time Silvestrini has decried activity in Millcreek by immigration authorities. Last February, he spoke out against the detention of a U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after the man honked at the officials while they were detaining a woman on the street He said the ICE agents seemed to have "trampled the rights of an American citizen employed in my city" and he used similarly tough language in condemning the apparent efforts against the immigrant families in Millcreek "If people like me don't stand up for this kind of thing our rights can be gone in a second," he said "Today it's refugees who came to our country out of fear or danger in their countries Tomorrow it could be American citizens." The Millcreek families and their advocates are seeking donations for legal support by | Dec 16 Since our last update in April Millcreek’s new city center has continued to take shape throughout 2024 Here are some recent photos from the street and the sky Cottonwood Residential’s Richmond, located at 1280 E. Villa Vista Ave., will bring 328 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartment homes to the area. Rent will start at $1,350 for a studio and go up to $2,875 for a two-bedroom Brick Lofts by PEG Development has begun its Phase II which includes a two-story parking podium and five floors of apartments an office-to-residential conversion of the adjacent building This phase adds 89 apartments and 148 parking stalls bringing the total to 133 one- and two-bedroom apartment homes The project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2025 Moving south we have Millcreek Flats by the Boyer Company This project will bring 217 apartment homes and 6,851 SF of ground floor commercial space Located east of Highland Drive at the site of a former LDS church we have Millcreek Medical Center by Rigby Watts & Co This three-story medical office building will feature 21,000 square feet of commercial space and 71 parking stalls in the adjacent surface lot Anchoring Millcreek City Center’s southern edge is The Westerly another Cottonwood Residential development It will feature 197 apartments and a whopping 448 parking stalls which will be shared with Millcreek City Hall Devin Zander is a photographer and lifelong Utahn who resides in Sugar House He is passionate about sustainable development and transportation in the region Data is out for Q1 2025 market performance across multiple product classes A developer has submitted plans to replace a former single-family home near the North Temple corridor with a new 35-unit micro studio apartment.. Four months after the previous owner was sentenced to probation on marijuana conspiracy charges the Downtown music venue The Complex has been sold.. The Delta Center overhaul is officially underway — and the arena we all know will look much different next year You must be logged in to post a comment Site built by John Battenfeld 9:51 AM | Updated: 12:03 pm BY GARNA MEJIA AND MARY CULBERTSON, KSL TV Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Salt Lake County Now, Millcreek mayor Jeff Silvestrini is bluntly urging federal officials to take action. He said ICE responded I’m supportive of their efforts to detain and deport violent criminals and convicted felons who are in our country without documentation or status,” he said “but I draw the line at efforts that violate American civil rights or unnecessarily burden my city.” prompting responses from both Unified and Murray police A UPD investigation later revealed “inaccuracies and inconsistencies” in the agents’ statements “I think pulling someone over at gunpoint for offending them — that’s thuggery,” Silvestrini said Surveillance footage contradicted the agents’ statements showing the driver there who didn’t appear to swerve or make any moves at the agents when passing the citation he received at the scene for “failing to yield to an emergency vehicle ” was dismissed In an email dated Jan Silvestrini addressed the issue to Jason Knight the acting field office director for ICE’s Enforcement Removal Operations in Salt Lake City “It is telling that two of your three officers declined to sign witness statements and somewhat backed off of their story at the scene,” Silvestrini wrote “The third officer who did sign the statement possibly committed a Class B misdemeanor in doing so.” Unified police officers finding Brandon Colin handcuffed outside of his car in Millcreek Silvestrini further said ICE “sapped resources from both my city and Murray” for “nothing more than your officers’ ‘thin skin’ in the face of a citizen’s exercise of his right to free speech.” who sits on UPD’s Board of Directors and whose city contracts with the police department also commended the officer’s investigation “UPD’s thorough investigation determined that the evidence did not support the claims made, and the citation was appropriately dismissed,” Gettel said “I encourage all federal agencies to uphold the same standards of accountability and to collaborate closely with local law enforcement.” A statement made by Midvale Mayor in regards to a traffic stop made by ICE agents on Jan Murray police similarly issued a statement: “Murray City police do not enforce immigration laws but will back immigration officers when necessary The City agrees with Mayor Silvestrini’s concern that city resources may have been unnecessarily called on in this particular occurrence,” said Murray Chief Administrative Officer Doug Hill Silvestrini said if found to be unethical or frivolous such actions can negatively impact the community and local businesses “There is no place in their role for profiling American citizens and making people fearful to go to Walmart; that’s a concern for me as a mayor and the sales tax it generates for my city,” Silvestrini said Silvestrini said he’s also concerned about ICE agents running operations without notifying local police “Normally when a federal agency works in a municipality they would give our department a heads up … it can avoid confusion,” Silvestrini said “They didn’t do that in this instance.” Silvestrini said trust is essential for a successful relationship with federal immigration agents especially since both law enforcement agencies work together “They (ICE agents) can’t be making up stories about what happened That’s what’s really troubling about this matter is my officers want to trust ICE officers and at least in this instance they don’t feel they can,” Silvestrini said Silvestrini said he wants to see the agents held accountable “I would like ICE to investigate this and discipline these officers if their investigation shows that’s warranted,” Silvestrini said “I think a message should be sent to all law enforcement that nobody is above the law and nobody has the right to trample the rights of American citizens.” ICE did not respond to a KSL TV for commentary on Wednesday Immigration and Customs Enforcement stresses integrity and ethical behavior and the vast majority of ICE employees perform their duties with professionalism and honor ICE takes very seriously all allegations of employee misconduct Any allegations of misconduct are investigated by the appropriate agencies and any employee who has committed provable misconduct ICE takes swift and appropriate action to investigate and cooperate with outside law enforcement agencies when allegations of criminal conduct by an employee are suspected or alleged suspicious activity and suspected child exploitation to the ICE tipline: A months-long drug investigation fueled by a tip and believed to have been centered in Millcreek Township led local and state authorities to a warehouse in west Erie where investigators believe an illicit drug known as bath salts was being made Police served a search warrant on the warehouse at 1951 Grove Drive on Monday and said they seized a large amount of suspected bath salts items suspected of being used to manufacture the drug and three guns The man accused of being at the center of the investigation was taken into police custody during a traffic stop on Monday and was later arraigned on charges in the case according to Millcreek Township police and case documents whose address was listed on his criminal complaint as 1951 Grove Drive is charged with offenses including felony counts of manufacture delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver causing a catastrophe and possession of a firearm prohibited He was arraigned by Erie 6th Ward District Judge Timothy Beveridge on the charges and had his bond set at $100,000 A lawyer for Hilyer was not listed on his criminal docket sheet Tuesday Bath salts are stimulants from the synthetic cathinone class of drugs and are central nervous stimulants designed to mimic effects similar to those produced by cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy, according to information on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's website violent and self-destructive behavior paranoia More: Drug delivery death, manslaughter charges dismissed against Erie man in Millcreek overdose Millcreek police detectives launched the drug investigation that led to the charges in September when they received a tip through a federal agency The initial location of the suspected activity from the tip was in Millcreek Township but during the investigation detectives learned the suspected drug manufacturing was taking place elsewhere The investigation led police to the warehouse on Grove Drive which is in an area considered a drug-free zone because of its close proximity to Harding Elementary School on Lincoln Avenue detectives wrote in the affidavit of probable cause filed with the criminal complaint against Hilyer Millcreek police said they served a search warrant on the property with assistance from Pennsylvania State Police vice detectives and Special Emergency Response Team and Clandestine Laboratory Response Team members; agents with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control; and members of the Erie County District Attorney's Drug Task Force As police secured the property and awaited the arrival of other agencies a person arrived and admitted to coming there to meet Hilyer to purchase bath salts A small amount of suspected bath salts were seized from the person Investigators wrote in the affidavit that numerous items of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia were found during the search glass containers containing suspected precursors and products in the process of manufacturing suspected bath salts and a large amount of suspected bath salts Investigators said three guns were also found during the search MILLCREEK — Police arrested a man Monday in connection with a fatal shooting that happened in Millcreek the day before Sunday to a call of a suspicious death at the Revolve Apartments in Millcreek they located one adult dead from a gunshot wound The victim was identified by Unified police Monday as Dominik Philip Police said they detained and questioned five people who were present at the scene of the shooting while the violent crimes unit of the Unified Police Department investigated "Initial information suggested the shooting may have been accidental or self-inflicted further investigation uncovered inconsistencies," a police statement issued Monday night says A firearm was recovered from the scene and evidence suggested possible foul play was arrested Monday evening for investigation of murder Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call Unified police Utah (KUTV) — Five people have been detained after what police have called a suspicious death at an apartment complex in Salt Lake County Aymee Race with the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake said officers were called to the Revolve Apartments at 764 West 3940 South in Millcreek at 5 p.m police found one person dead with a gunshot wound Details about the exact cause of death was under investigation but officials did not give details about why they were detained or their possible connection to the death Race did say police believed it was an isolated incident and there was no threat to the public An area between apartment buildings was blocked off by crime scene tape while investigators worked to determine exactly what happened SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A solo snowboarder who was found dead Monday, buried under avalanche debris in Utah's Millcreek Canyon was found after crews faced weather-caused delays and after the man's dog was found wandering in the area a day before calls came in of an overdue hiker According to a statement from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue the three-day search began after the victim's black Labrador was found alone Saturday night above Porter Fork road The dog's microchip led authorities to identify its owner a hiker who was reported overdue on Sunday after failing to return from a splitboarding run That's when the search began. Officials found the man's vehicle parked at the Porter Fork trailhead ground teams weren't able to make much headway initially due to avalanche dangers in the waning daylight The weather conditions made air support impossible crews were back at work early Monday morning where they were able to make it further up the trail but were again halted by the dangerous avalanche conditions which delayed further searching until the weather cleared hours later a good Samaritan was in Upper Porter Fork and performed a beacon search on an avalanche debris pile and was able to locate the overdue party buried approximately three feet deep near the toe of the avalanche debris," according to the SAR statement Though the man's location was now know the avalanche danger was preventing recovery "It was determined that avalanche control work was required to make the scene safe for ground teams to complete the recovery operation," according to the sheriff's search and rescue statement A UDOT control team was flown to the site for mitigation setting off multiple avalanches in the area one of which almost reburied the site where the man's body was found crews began the process of getting to the man's remains when calls of another avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon came in which led to some of the resources being diverted that were in use in Millcreek The man in Big Cottonwood Canyon was found buried beneath about 20 feet of snow which it appears he accidentally triggered while also on a splitboard Both individuals were equipped with avalanche transceivers A LifeFlight helicopter remained at the recovery effort in Millcreek and was eventually able to hoist the man and the SAR crews out of the canyon "While it is never our goal to criticize someone involved in an accident this should serve as a stark reminder to how unstable the snowpack is in the Wasatch right now and risk to personal a backcountry winter operation in these conditions require," according to the SAR statement Authorities did not publicly identify the man in Wednesday's statement Millcreek Township School Board has approved the purchase of nearly 700 security cameras to replace aging cameras in Millcreek schools The $756,000 cost includes software licenses for the cameras for five years School directors earlier this month balked at spending just over $1 million for the cameras and 10 years of software licenses citing concerns about whether the cameras would go dark or the software would become outdated over that term What are the issues: Millcreek School Board debates security camera agreement Cameras that stop functioning will be replaced and software will be updated at no cost through the term of the agreement a Rhombus company representative told school directors And while the district will pay more for licensing with the five-year plan than the approximately $500,000 it would have paid for five years under a 10-year plan it will lessen any risk that Rhombus might go out of business or be bought by a company that would no longer upgrade camera software School directors approved the five-year camera agreement by an 8-1 vote with Mike Kobylka dissenting Kobylka had proposed a three-year agreement The new cameras have the functionality that the district's safety and security team recommends The new security cameras can detect weapons capture license plates — of non-custodial parents and recognize facial features — of a registered sexual offender said in outlining camera capabilities for school directors School directors next will seek bids to install the cameras in schools and other district facilities Some of the cameras that will be replaced have been in use as long as 14 years school directors unanimously approved the creation of an alternative education program for students needing emotional Millcreek Township School District currently pays Erie's Perseus House Charter School of Excellence about $200,000 annually to provide alternative education for up to a dozen Millcreek students The new program will be housed at the district's former Ridgefield Elementary School and will accommodate up to 24 middle school and high school students beginning this fall "We can do that and actually be able to save the district money while gaining more seats than we currently have," schools Superintendent John Cavanagh said earlier this month School directors had questioned "soft" costs Superintendent outlines plans: Millcreek schools to launch alternative education program Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com. READ MOREMillcreek man claims ICE agents detained him after photographing arrest sceneby Leslie Duarte on Sunday he was detained by ICE federal agents when he was leaving work Colin said the incident started near 900 East and Van Winkle in Millcreek He said he was leaving the Walmart parking lot when he saw ICE federal agents detaining a woman and took a picture of the activity He said before driving off he honked at the agents agents followed him and pulled him over near 900 East and 4900 South in Murray He told me to keep my hands on the steering wheel,” Colin said the officer asked him for his immigration status Colin said the agent told him they pulled him over because he had swiped their car but Colin disputed that claim and asked for a police officer to be present KUTV reached out to ICE via email to verify this information Murray Police Department confirmed they assisted ICE with this traffic stop along with Millcreek Unified Police Department while federal agents verified his citizenship status Murray Police officers asked him to step out of the car and handcuffed him Colin said when a Unified Police officer saw him handcuffed Colin said he hopes his story helps keep officers accountable for their actions They need to hold each other accountable and if they work with someone there needs to be peer accountability,” Colin said Millcreek Unified Police issued a citation for failure to yield and verified Colin did not hit the federal agent's car as first reported Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook on Tuesday afternoon identified the pair who died in the fire as Collin Pennell Cook said toxicology testing is being done on the victims The pair were pronounced dead at the scene of the fire The fire heavily damaged the mobile home and damaged a neighboring residence Two other people who were inside of the mobile home identified by police as a 57-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman The woman remained hospitalized at UPMC Hamot on Tuesday and the man was later transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital and remained there Tuesday Millcreek police and Pennsylvania State Police fire marshals were still investigating the cause and origin of the fire which was the third fatal fire in the township this year Millcreek Township has agreed to correct accounting issues found in a recent audit of the township's 2023 financial statements The audit by Zelenkofske Axelrod LLC of Pittsburgh found that some township fund totals did not balance by "material amounts" because transfers between funds were not properly recorded expenses and revenues for capital projects were not recorded in the fund in which the expense or revenue occurred Auditors also found that the township's trial balance — the report on the ending balance of the township's general fund also by "material amounts," because net income was not properly closed out at the end of 2022 The township additionally failed to enter corrections provided by auditors the year prior according to findings summarized for township supervisors last week by auditor George Jurcevich Accounting changesThe township will record fund transfers and capital project revenues and expenditures in the appropriate accounts and will reconcile accounts monthly according to a corrective action plan prepared by township treasurer Melanne Page a new year-end review process will be launched to make sure that net income is properly closed out And corrections presented by auditors will be reviewed and posted in financial statements in a timely manner Those actions will resolve the accounting issues adequate and if carried out would in fact resolve the audit findings," Jurcevich said Page was assistant township treasurer in 2023 Zaksheske had been township treasurer since July 2015 but was not reappointed in January 2024 due to undisclosed personnel issues He later was placed on unpaid administrative leave until July 13 by terms of a separation agreement with the township Some members of the public charged that Zaksheske was not reappointed in retribution for his public criticism of the $7.2 million purchase of West Eighth Street properties by the Millcreek Township General Authority in January 2023 chairperson of Millcreek's board of supervisors in 2024 "I unequivocally say this is not retribution for comments that he made publicly about Eighth Street," Clear said last year Millcreek considers club purchase: Study to assess condition of Zem Zem Shrine Club property A $1 million project to replace security cameras in Millcreek schools will be considered by the Millcreek Township School Board on Feb including cameras for areas not currently surveilled The new cameras would monitor 1.4 million square feet inside schools and other district facilities plus surrounding space outdoors all of our facilities will have the comprehensive camera coverage identified by our safety team as necessary," School Director Gary Winschel said in outlining the project during the board's February committee meetings School directors expressed support for the work but also some concerns about its cost. The $1,006,000 project includes $611,670 to license software for the cameras for 10 years Several school directors questioned whether the cameras would still be functional in 10 years or might become outdated in that time There's a half-million-dollar charge here for licensing way high," School Director Mike Kobylka said Koblyka recommended a three-year licensing term for the software and the district can save almost $25,000 annually by paying for 10 years of licensing at a better the technology may need to be updated in that time "I'd take the $25,000 hit and do a three-year (licensing) because it gives you more options," Kobylka said School Director Michael Lindner agreed that 10 years seems a long time to license software for technology that is frequently evolving "We did a camera project elsewhere and put a first set of cameras in and in four or five years we were able to put in night cameras in place of them," Lindner said "And a few years after that we were able to put in motion-sensor cameras the camera may last for 10 years but it's not necessarily doing what you want." Kobylka also questioned whether the district has looked into grant funding for the camera project About $300,000 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will help fund the work The district administration will provide three- five- and 10-year software licensing plans for the School Board to consider before it votes on the camera replacements Camera installation is not included in the estimated cost of the project The district will seek bids to install the cameras once the purchase is approved Launching this fall: Millcreek schools superintendent outlines plans for new alternative education program Millcreek Township supervisors unanimously approved a letter of intent on Tuesday indicating interest in acquiring the Zem Zem Temple property at 2525 W The proposed purchase of the 40,000-square-foot property would be for $3.635 million The property includes 42 acres of land with woods near Zuck Park there will be a five-month due diligence and public input process assessing the possible purchase of the Zem Zem Shrine Club facility Once the due diligence period and public input process is completed successfully the property would then be acquired by Millcreek Township "I think that the due diligence period that we have over the next five months will show the benefits that we provide to all of our township residents ages zero through over 100," said Millcreek Supervisor Kim Clear "The services that we will be able to provide and the amenities that as a township can provide are going to enrich the lives of our residents." More: Millcreek Township Government Study Commission meets for the first time. What's next? Millcreek Township has expressed plans to use the building as a new community center "A true community center has been the desire of the Parks and Recreation Department and the residents we serve for many years," Ashley Marsteller "My hope is that this could be a viable opportunity for us," Marsteller said "We want a sustainable center that changes the fabric of our community I'm really excited to have the opportunity to have a large center where we can have community events create an identity with neighbors and the community." Establishing a community center in Millcreek will allow the township to invest in health township officials said in a press release “We’re excited to enter into an agreement with a partner that has the know-how planning and capabilities to keep this storied facility an asset to the public for years to come,” said Jim Richardson Zem Zem past potentate and current trustee “The Zem Zem Shriners have a long tradition of community engagement and this building has housed countless family celebrations and memories over the years with their vision for a community center full of energy to create generations of new memories just seems right.”  The whole process of the Zem Zem Temple sale started back in 2022 when Shriners of Erie approached Millcreek Township Shriners approached the township to discuss the opportunity to support the community while preserving their legacy in the area The potential sale would benefit both ideals and allow Shriners to build a new facility with the proper size to meet membership needs More: Fairview century home is being auctioned by the state. The buyer will need to move it Richardson said the Shriners are carving out three acres on the same property of their current building where they will build a smaller facility Being next door to their facility after the sale will still allow Shriners to use the current facility for events "I think that with the partnerships that we are exploring this will be a center for learning and activity for all people within Erie County but especially in Millcreek Township," Clear said "People will want to flock to Millcreek Township to live Adding this last piece could increase quality of life More: Millcreek School Board will create foundation to help fund Gus Anderson Field improvements (This story was updated to change a video.) Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@gannett.com Millcreek middle school and high school students needing emotional behavioral or academic support may be enrolled in a new alternative education program in Millcreek beginning this fall Millcreek Township School District currently pays Erie's Perseus House Charter School of Excellence to provide alternative education for Millcreek students The district plans to launch its own alternative education program for the 2025-26 school year The goal is to provide quality alternative education for more Millcreek students at less cost The district expects to operate its own program — for 10 to 12 middle school students and 10 to 12 high school students — for less than the approximately $200,000 that it spends each year for Perseus House services "We can do that and actually be able to save the district money while gaining more seats than we currently have," schools Superintendent John Cavanagh told school directors Monday CsThe alternative education program will be held at the former Ridgefield Elementary School at West 32nd Street and Highland Road Millcreek Township School District closed the school in 2013 but still owns it Reed Children's Center leases space in the building counselor and administrator overseeing Millcreek Township School District's cyber education program Those employees additionally will oversee the new alternative education program Two more teachers for the program would be shifted from positions at McDowell High School a school security officer and possibly a nurse School board to voteMillcreek Township school directors will vote on the proposed program on Feb "Soft costs" for its launch requested by school director Mike Lindner will be provided before the vote Linder questioned if any renovations will be required at the school and how meals will be provided for students as well as potential one-time costs to launch the program although classrooms may need to be arranged to suit the program Meals most likely will be prepared at other district schools and taken to Ridgefield where equipment will be available to warm them Custodians already are employed at the school What's in a name? Maybe more money for the Millcreek Township School District (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) Some Tracy Elementary School students were medically evaluated Wednesday after ingesting what Millcreek police describe as a honey-based stimulant at school A student apparently brought the product to school and shared it with some classmates Police did not say how many students ingested the substance Affected students were taken to local hospitals for evaluation All of the students returned to school Thursday Millcreek police are contacting the parents of the students involved and are investigating the incident Millcreek Township School District officials described the substance as a honey supplement with energy-boosting ingredients and said that packets of it were shared with a small number of students Affected students were identified and evaluated by the school nurse "Tracy Elementary staff are asking parents to remind their children not to share or consume food they are not familiar with and to keep supplements or other items not fit for children out of reach," school officials said in the message A school district spokesperson shared the message sent to parents with the Erie Times-News but declined further comment has about 500 students in kindergarten through fifth grade In Meadville: Police charge Meadville, Uniontown basketball fans involved in fight at playoff game Utah — Police have arrested a suspect for the fatal shooting of a man at a Millcreek apartment complex Sunday evening Unified Police said they were called to Revolve Apartments Officers arrived and found one person who was dead from a gunshot wound He was later identified as 29-year-old Dominik Philip of Millcreek UPD announced that they arrested 30-year-old Deng Auling Initial information suggested the shooting may have been accidental or self-inflicted," the latest announcement read further investigation uncovered inconsistencies and evidence suggested possible foul play." Police detained five people for questioning on Sunday but said Monday that they have all been released UPD said they believe this was an isolated incident with no danger to the public "The Unified Police Department extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victim during this difficult time," Monday's statement continued "The department remains committed to ensuring a thorough investigation and seeking justice." Dan Ouellet will run for re-election as Millcreek Township supervisor this year will seek his party's nomination for the position in the May 20 municipal primary when he defeated Democratic incumbent John Groh for a six-year term as supervisor is chairman of the Millcreek Township Board of Supervisors and oversees the township's public works He previously was employed by the township for 31 years as an inspector in the public works department and as a 911 dispatcher for Millcreek police He has volunteered with the West Ridge Fire Department for 44 years SWAT team medic and as fire chief from 2005 until 2018 "Public safety in Millcreek has been and remains my number-one priority Investing in public safety and safe infrastructure is an investment into the residents of Millcreek," Ouellet said in announcing his re-election bid on Monday Ouellet cites the creation of Millcreek Township's first paid fire department and bolstering Millcreek Police Department staff as accomplishments during his first term in office Millcreek now has a full complement of 65 police officers plus an additional officer funded by a grant "Vacancies should be filled as they come up," and that wasn't happening Millcreek Township Fire Department hired its first full-time firefighters in November 2023 The department is comprised of both professional firefighters and volunteers from the township's Belle Valley Fifteen more professional firefighters are scheduled to begin orientation in the department next week bringing the number of full-time staff to 26 A $5.4 million federal grant will pay for salaries and benefits for the new firefighters for three years The department also includes paid part-time staff "Millcreek was one call away from tragedy" when it relied solely on a decreasing number of volunteer firefighters "The career/volunteer fire department collaborative model provides the residents with the security of knowing their emergency call will be answered "By the end of March we will have full-time staff around the clock in every fire district in Millcreek," Ouellet said How are they funded? Millcreek Township now offers pensions for full-time firefighters Ouellet also cites street and stormwater management improvements urged by township residents as major accomplishments during his time in office The township has paved more miles of streets in the last five years than in the previous 10 years Ouellet created the township's first storm team comprised of sewer team members have made informed and strategic investments to help solve stormwater flooding that has plagued the township for years Millcreek is a better place than it was when he took office in 2020 "The growing momentum in Millcreek right now is contagious Millcreek Township is being recognized at the local state and federal level because we are making strategic investments to secure the future of our township And I am not done working to secure our future," he said Millcreek voters will elect a township supervisor on Nov 4 even if the Millcreek Township Government Study Commission recommends a new form of government for the township and voters approve that recommendation A new form of government would not take effect until January 2027 and a supervisor elected this year might remain in office until the six-year term expires Government study: Millcreek commission looks at other forms of government will continue to provide school bus service for the Millcreek Township School District through 2029-30 The company has transported Millcreek students for more than 20 years but was not the obvious low bidder for the new five-year contract Student Transportation of America proposed to provide district bus service for $4,307,790 in 2025-26 with annual price increases to $5,039,505 in 2029-30 First student proposed to provide service for the coming school year for $4,386,946 The bids don't include summer school runs and other services required although the district provided that information to the transportation companies school district CFO Aaron O'Toole told school directors this week And the Student Transportation of America bid is for bus runs lasting no more than five hours There would be an additional charge for each additional 15 minutes in each run Those charges would be "significant," he said to complete each of the district's 67 bus routes The new contractWith all required services included First Student's cost for district bus service next school year will be $5,560,515 The district's cost in 2029-30 will be $6,522,176 Salary increases to attract new drivers are part of the reason for the higher transportation cost Millcreek Township School Board President Gary Winschel said School bus drivers have been in short supply in recent years That's a big part of the increase," Winschel said this year's bids actually came in a little lower than expected they were a million and a half (dollars) more per year." The district is negotiating the new contract with First Student The district hopes to include incentive and penalty provisions for drivers who meet or do not meet district benchmarks School directors will vote on the contract as early as March 24 Millcreek Township School District has hired a private company to transport students since the 1989-90 school year Coming soon: Millcreek School Board OKs purchase of new security cameras for schools