By Sara KinnearyPublished: May 2025 at 12:56 PM EDT|Updated: 6 hours agoEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInPITTSFIELD (WBNG) -- The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of four defendants following a burglary investigation in the Town of Pittsfield the Otsego County 911 center received a report of a burglary in progress at a residence in the Town of Pittsfield Four subjects were reported to be inside the house Officials said that officers located the four defendants inside the residence and an investigation at the scene revealed that the defendants forcibly entered the residence with the intent of stealing property Knapp was found with suspected methamphetamine and a collapsible baton All defendants were taken to the Otsego County Correctional Facility for arraignment Officials stated that Wilson and Wilson/Bemis were remanded on $5,000 cash or $10,000 surety bond Knapp was remanded on $15,000 cash or $30,000 surety bond and Richard Suarez was remanded without bail The investigation is on-going and additional charges are pending Advertisement. Advertise with us the daughter of James and Louise (Kukenberger) Renwick She graduated from Hartwick High School in 1956 and was proud to be a Hartwick Huskie Susie married Richard Allen Conklin on July 27 1957 at Saint Mary’s Lady of the Lake Church in Cooperstown Susie answered fires phones for the Hartwick Fire Department Company #1 She was a member of the Butternut Valley Garden Club She was an active member with the Lena Cemetery Association Susie was an avid gardener and floral arranger and was a New York State Champion of Miniature Flower Arrangements She was an accomplished painter and was a student of Janet and Charles Munro The “Teaching Yourself To Paint” seminars with the Munros She was also known for her Yankee pot roast her pride and joy was her apple strudel; a much coveted family recipe Susie’s favorite season of the year was…kidding season And baby goats could be found each season in the house eating the wallpaper off the bathroom walls and Jan Conklin (Ritchie Coster); grandchildren Victor (Alicia) and Dustin Snell (Tara); great-grandchildren Cameron Jacalyn Renwick; and many nieces and nephews She was predeceased by her parents; her husband Richard; son-in-law Robert McGuire; and siblings Victor Renwick The family extends a special thank you to the staff at Helios Care We would also like to thank the friends and family that came for hugs kisses and laughter in her final week of life thank you for keeping us on our feet and fed To New Light Baptist Church of Greater New York for praying over the phone with us every day and for helping us surround her with the promises of God A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m Burial will follow at the Lena Cemetery in New Lisbon donations may be made to Lena Cemetery Association Arrangements are entrusted with the Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, 51 Dietz Street, Oneonta; www.lhpfuneralhome.com. and website in this browser for the next time I comment 2023 at the age of 100.  Virginia was born in Cooperstown on December 2 She spent most of her childhood in East Springfield and graduated from Springfield Central School in June of 1940 Virginia and Glenn devoted their lives to each other and to their family.  In addition to spending time with her family Virginia enjoyed playing the organ,… passed away unexpectedly at home on February 1 Peters in NYC. He attended Great Neck High School where he acquired a band of lifelong friends and graduated in the Class of 1962 He spent the summer after graduation on the Hospital Ship SS Hope on its mission to Peru He was so interested in this that he continued on these missions in summers during college. The mission to Ecuador brought many stories that he… Gerold served for 30 years in the United States Navy He was a retired chief petty officer and served in Vietnam He was the owner/operator of Jerry’s Bait-n-Tackle from 1988 to 2008 Gerold enjoyed spending his time with family (WPBN/WGTU) -- The Elmira man accused of killing his father is convicted with first-degree murder after a unanimous decision was reached by an Otsego County jury concluded the four-day trial of Kyle Karsten a person who commits first degree murder shall be punished by imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole 2024 after police responded to a home on the 2700 block of Camp Ten Road When police arrived they said they found Lee Karsten Kyle faced allegations related to financial misconduct Kyle allegedly wrote himself checks totaling more than $11,000 from a family trust in 2023 He was accused of forging signatures on these checks without the trustees' permission Kyle’s sentencing date has not been released the Michigan State Police (MSP) Gaylord Post and the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department investigated the shooting death of a 57-year-old Otsego County resident at his home in Elmira Township The investigation revealed that the decedent’s 25-year-old son Kyle Karsten was arrested when officers arrived on the scene on Aug 27 and subsequently charged with first-degree Murder Kyle Karsten was convicted of First-Degree Murder after a unanimous decision was reached by the Otsego County jury Karsten’s sentencing date has not been released GAYLORD — There was a new twist for the annual community food drive sponsored by the local chapters of Rotary and Eagles for the Otsego County Food Pantry on April 24 Folks who were bringing in food donations were putting it into a new electric van that will help the food pantry become more efficient in making sure no one goes hungry provided by Consumers Energy at no cost to the pantry "will help us to coordinate our efforts to pick up orders and deliver food It is also a moving billboard that will allow us to tell the story of how we feed people in need," said Rebecca Brown The food pantry has no paid staff and is completely run by volunteers like Brown “Our community is so supportive and comes together to help one another organizations and business partnerships that help us to address food insecurities," added Brown Brown said the effort to bring the van to the pantry started about a year ago "Consumers heard about our 100% volunteer staff and the things we are trying to do like delivering backpacks (full of food) in our own vehicle and we do about 400 of those a week to schools," she said we had a 100% increase in the demand on the pantry (because) it touched so many in a large geographic area." Subscribe Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you Consumers also provided a charging station for the van "There will be costs savings because we have control over the charging station We don't have to go out to a facility to do that," Brown said said they installed a charger "so they can plug it in at night and have a full charge in the morning." "We have also done passenger (electric) vans for churches as well as cargo vans in other parts of the state," Smith said Besides not paying for gasoline there will be other cost savings for the pantry "It will be about half of the cost they would pay for gas to cover the electricity Maintenance costs will also be lower as there are no oil changes," he said  — Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com 1/38Otsego girls soccer hosts rival Plainwell.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Matthew Ehler | mehler@mlive.comOTSEGO MI –– Alexis Gross and her seven fellow Otsego senior teammates have always yearned for it but they’ve never known what it’s like to beat their archrival on the pitch Victories over Plainwell have been hard to come by But they weren’t leaving Otsego without one Otsego girls soccer did just that by jumping on Plainwell (6-3-0) early and burying them late with a 3-1 triumph on Wednesday –– the program’s first victory over its longtime rival in five-plus years “This feels amazing –– we’ve been working so hard for this every year but each time we’ve always fallen short,” Gross said we were so cohesive that even when something went wrong 12-ranked Bulldogs (9-0-1) remained unbeaten with the win wasting little time setting the tone by scoring their first two goals in the first and last minutes of the first half to secure significant momentum “We talked about it in training yesterday that no matter what happens we wanted to stay positive with each other and have each other’s backs,” Otsego head coach Levi Butcher said “I don’t have to get too involved with this group because I trust them Sophomore forward Peyton Johnson started the game off with a bang –– she’d gather a through ball in space and rifle a shot into the bottom left corner for an early lead just two minutes in Plainwell’s prolific scoring junior forward Alayna Eldred responded with an equalizer at the 13-minute mark as she’d track down a high-arching through ball and dance away from Otsego goalkeeper Zoe Alkire in depositing a goal into the back left corner Wednesday saw contrasting styles from both sides: Otsego quickly owned possession in the midfield with Plainwell seeking out quick counter opportunities with its forwards Things looked on track to stay level at the half but an Otsego corner in the final minute proved otherwise Peyton Dennany’s looping ball dropped into traffic in front of Plainwell’s net and there to rip the go-ahead goal was Gross –– all with her left foot “All that was in my head was to just get something on this ball “I’m just so thankful that all my girls were there for me They’re all playing their best and that’s what really motivates me to work as hard as I can.” Seeing his team score at the beginning and end of the half wasn’t on the drawing board –– but Butcher will certainly take it “Scoring in the first minute of the first half and the last minute of the first half you don’t draw it up that way,” Butcher said you want to have a little steadier lead maybe going into halftime but I think it was a huge momentum shift and a mentality shift It was nice to see all the work get rewarded “It was nice to see Lexi get rewarded for that you don’t get al that many opportunities,” Butcher added “But she’s our third leading scorer and she just manages the game exceptionally well It was nice to see her get rewarded for all that hard work.” Otsego remained on the front foot into the second half controlling possession and stepping through numerous Plainwell passes –– something that was top of mind for Plainwell coach Garry Snyder “We got to play harder and they beat us to balls tonight,” Snyder said “They’re a good team and I thought maybe they’d come in a little overconfident and up a goal on them but the one we gave up right before half really demoralized us.” sophomore Sydney Timmons lined up a near 30-yard free kick and drove it low into the box Senior Grace Gerst was there to get just enough of a deflection redirecting the ball on frame for the game-sealing goal Which started the celebration out at Otsego “We all knew that this was something that we really wanted,” Gross said we were going to keep working as hard as we possibly could After reaching a district title game last season Otsego is just two games away from wrapping up an outright Wolverine Conference championship this year one that the Bulldogs will complete together “We’re a team that’s going to work hard even when the odds are against us,” Gross said we’re going to do it together and we always have each other’s backs I think that’s what creates a winning environment because everyone is so positive with each other Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices ONEONTA—The Oneonta College-Community Chamber Orchestra will present the final concert of its 2024-25 season tonight in the theater of the Anderson Center for the Arts at Hartwick College Aldridge will conduct a program consisting of works by Mozart and Mendelssohn in addition to the premiere of three new compositions for orchestra and soloists by Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Jeremy Wall guest performers will include flutist Ana Laura Gonzalez cellist Janet Nepkie and percussionist Brian Reynolds.  Wall—whose career spans more than five decades—is best known as the co-founder of Spyro Gyra the internationally renowned jazz fusion band after graduating with a degree in composition from the California Institute of the Arts Wall returned to Buffalo and resumed his work with the band the group burst onto the musical scene with the release of the first of its 29 albums to date Though he retains close connections to the band when he joined the faculty of SUNY Oneonta he has made significant contributions to both the university and the community highlighted by frequent performances with his highly regarded funk band both on campus and at numerous community venues A major highlight of Wall’s career locally was his large-scale composition “Songs of Peace,” based on texts from the Muslim Commissioned by the Catskill Symphony Orchestra it was premiered in 2017 under the baton of the late maestro Charles Schneider along with the choruses from both Oneonta colleges and members of the Catskill Choral Society after receiving both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Yale University he has performed with the Catskill Brass Quintet and with virtually all the professional orchestras and many other ensembles in Central New York and northeastern Pennsylvania He has also served as a faculty member at both SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College as well as at SUNY Binghamton and Colgate University Results of recent Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta sporting events Hartwick College Announces Five New Minors ONEONTA—Hartwick College has announced the addition of five new minors to its academic programs Students can now add a minor in game development “These five new minors further Hartwick’s mission to provide engaging relevant coursework that includes experiential learning opportunities for students,” said Dr vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty.… California and graduated from Tracy Joint Union High School in 1960 participating in the drama club and lending her voice to the school choir.… The students at South Maple Elementary School are planning to give back to people in the area who are experiencing homelessness it doesn’t mean you can’t do anything,” South Maple Elementary student Kellogg said The students created a donation drive for the community to help people experiencing homelessness “I’ve been seeing a lot of people on the streets and it made me sad,” he said I just decided to do this project to brighten up people’s lives.” He asked his parents and teacher what they could do to help He also encouraged his friends Waylon and Kellogg to join I wish I could join,’ and Landon came up to me the next day The Michigan State Police Gaylord Post will be partnering with the students to have a donation bin at their office The students are asking people to donate new pillows and blankets to keep homeless people warm All donations will go to The Refuge in Otsego County “This is our first experience with one of our youth in our community wanting to help others The State Trooper Outreach Program will be donating $500 to the drive Ashley Miller says encouraging the students’ hearts to help now will teach them to do this for the rest of their lives “There are a lot of people in need in every community throughout the state,” Miller said And when you teach them young to live for other people The third graders are hoping to make a difference in their county and want everyone to feel cared for Landon encourages other kids to follow their hearts when people need help spreading kindness and always caring about each other,” he said “I would just tell them to focus on their dreams The donation drive will be from May 5-9 at the Michigan State Police (WPBN/WGTU) — Tee off your golf season in Gaylord Treetops Resort in Otsego County opens their courses for the season starting tomorrow The resort will be hosting it's first outing of the season this Saturday at the We're Open OPEN Tournament Treetops offers five different courses to match your level of golf The Smith Signature course will be closed for another two weeks due to a tree renovation project “We took down over 10,000 trees out there and what were are trying to accomplish with that is open up the views and vistas and sightlines," said Doug Hoeh Guest Director of Recreation The Jones Pro Shop now offers Adidas apparel Voters in parts of Cheboygan and Otsego counties will decide the fate of school millage requests for Onaway Area Schools and Vanderbilt Area School on May 6 Interim superintendent Jake Huffman said the Onaway district is requesting approval of a bond proposal that would raise about $10.9 million the estimated debt levy would be 1.41 mills for about 20 years representing an increase of 0.85 mill from the 2024 debt millage rate "The scope of the project is to increase health safety and the security in the school building The majority is focused on replacing infrastructure that is 60 years old One of our two boilers (for heating) is down and one we replaced about 25 years ago We also want to increase the security of our building entrances," Huffman said the owner of a property with a $100,000 taxable value would pay an additional $85 a year in taxes Vanderbilt Superintendent David Harwood said the district is seeking to renew its sinking fund millage until 2030 A sinking fund is used to pay for school safety and technology improvements and the repair and construction of school buildings It is a “pay as you go” system that does not require borrowing money or paying interest We have an older building so things like that happen," said Harwood Proceeds from the renewal will go toward an upgraded fire alarm and sprinkler system improvements to surveillance cameras and improved Wi-Fi and STEM (science engineering and mathematics) lab enhancements The rate for the sinking fund is .7233 of a mill so the owner of a property with a $100,000 taxable value will pay about $72.33 annually The Charlevoix County Clerk's office said Chandler and Hudson townships in the county have consolidated with Corwith Township in Otsego County The registered voters from those townships will vote on the Vanderbilt school millage at the Corwith Township Hall Other voters in the Vanderbilt district will also vote at the Corwith Township Hall According to Cheboygan County Clerk Karen Brewster the county’s Wilmot Township has 32 registered voters in the Vanderbilt school district who will vote at the Corwith Township Hall in Otsego County The Onaway bond proposal involves two Cheboygan County townships that are consolidated with Presque Isle County — Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com MUSIC—7:30 p.m. “SUNY-Hartwick Orchestra Concert.” Presented by the Hartwick College Department of Music. Anderson Theater, Hartwick College, 1 Hartwick Drive, Oneonta. https://www.hartwick.edu/academics/academic-departments/music-department/music-events/ HEARING—9 a.m. State University of New York Board of Trustees Public Hearing. Concerned individuals share testimonies and statements on university-related issues. Registration required. Presented via Zoom by the State University of New York. trustees@suny.edu SENIOR MEALS—Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal Monday-Friday. Suggested donation is $4 for seniors, $11 for guests accompanying a senior. Today, enjoy a lunch of pork chops, sweet potatoes, broccoli and mandarin oranges. (607) 547-6454 or https://www.otsegocounty.com/departments/office_for_the_aging/index.php• 11:30 a.m BLOOD DRIVE—1-5:30 p.m. Schenevus Central School, 159 Main Street, Schenevus. RedCrossBlood.org LIBRARY—1 p.m. “Homeschool Hangout.” Stories, activities, crafts and learning for homeschool families. Held each Monday. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980 or https://hmloneonta.org/youth-programs/ DISCUSSION—3-5 p.m. “Current Events Discussion Group.” Held each Monday. Village Library of Cooperstown. 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. https://www.facebook.com/groups/321873527872198/user/1067808248/ ART WORKSHOP—4-6 p.m. “Watercolor.” Presented by Marilyn Roveland, who has been teaching watercolor for 25+ years. Fees apply; registration required. All materials included. Butternut Valley Arts and Crafts Center, 124 Main Street, Morris. (607) 263-2150 or https://www.facebook.com/groups/635887766562044 Click here to read the FULL CALENDAR JUNE 29 ‘Midday Music: A Glimmerglass Festival Lunchtime Concert‘ GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL – Noon “Midday Music: A Glimmerglass Festival Lunchtime Concert.” The stars of “La Boheme” perform their favorite party pieces accompanied by Glimmerglass Artistic Director Rob Ainsley Presented by Cherry Valley Artworks at the Star Theater (607) 264-3080 or visit facebook.com/cherryvalleyartworks/ UNVEILING – 9 a.m Greater Oneonta Historical Society and Oneonta Job Corps unveil historical marker for the Homer Folks Tuberculosis Hospital Held at corner of West Street and Homer Folks Drive (607) 432-0960 or visit facebook.com/OneontaHistory… MAY 29 Otsego County Remembers The Fallen ONEONTA MEMORIAL DAY PARADE —10 a.m The day will begin with a parade (line-up at 9 a.m to commemorate Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo A riderless horse will be included as a salute to the fallen hand carrying the battalion colors from Fort Wainwright to Oneonta and marching in the honor guard After the parade will be a ceremony of remembrance at 11 a.m In the lead-up to the event’s kick off, Shelby MacLeish, OCCA assistant director, said, “Truthfully, I’m just looking forward to realizing the whole day. It’s been a long time organizing it, so I like to see how all of the different aspects come together. Seeing all of the environmental organizations in one place, seeing people from all over the county, talking to them, enjoying the day … It’s nice to see. It’s like a big thing come together.” The day started out rather grim, with cloudy skies and pouring rain, but the foul weather did not stop the initial crowds from gathering—the school’s parking lot was overflowing by 10:30 a.m. Attendance fluctuated throughout the day, with both the event on school grounds and the recycling drop-off seeing solid foot traffic and vehicular traffic, respectively. Our hard-copy and online publications cover the news of Otsego County by putting the community back into the newspaper. We are funded entirely by advertising and subscriptions. With your support, we continue to offer local, independent reporting that is not influenced by commercial or political ties. 21 Railroad Ave. Cooperstown, New York 13326 • (607) 547-6103 President Donald Trump delivers Investing in America remarks from the White House. WATCHJury trial begins for Otsego County man accused of killing his fatherby Daniella Maxwell is on trial this week after being accused of killing his father A jury was seated and opening statements took place Monday The jury trial is scheduled through Friday Kyle faced allegations related to financial misconduct One person was rescued and taken to the hospital after a house fire Tuesday — One person was rescued and taken to the hospital after a house fire early Tuesday morning in Otsego Firefighters arrived to a home on South Grant Street near West Allegan Street just after midnight where thick smoke could be seen coming out of an upstairs window Firefighters and police said they used a ladder from the unattached garage to get to a 49-year-old woman who was trapped on the second floor of the residence Assistant Fire Chief Bush reached out to the woman from the roof of the garage in an effort to pull her from the window authorities said she was not able to grab the garage roof and fell to the ground between the two structures Responders then immediately brought the woman to safety and provided medical attention before she was taken to Bronson Hospital where her condition is being monitored "The fire department urges residents to check their smoke detectors and stay vigilant to avoid the risk of fire hazards in the home," the department said "Today is a perfect example of smoke detectors saving lives The occupants were awakened by the smoke detectors It is not known what caused the fire at this time who said they are continuing to investigate this incident — More than 1,000 linemen are being housed at a storm camp in Otsego County as part of ongoing efforts to restore power to the area The Otsego County Fairgrounds has been transformed into a temporary base for contractors working with Great Lakes Energy and Presque Isle Electric and Gas established last week with the assistance of Storm Services "This was such a catastrophic storm for our area that we couldn’t find housing for these contractors," said Shari Culver Chief Operating Officer of Great Lakes Energy "When you think back to when this storm hit all the cities around us have also lost power no food resources for any of our contractors." Culver said crews are making significant progress in restoring power and rebuilding lines She added that crews will remain on site until power is fully restored to all customers The Otsego High School 2025 “PG-13” production of the hit musical “Mamma Mia!” runs Thursday The “Mamma Mia!” cast members includes: Ella Kosinski (Donna) The musical team consists of director Olivia Schaffer choreographer Tracy Wilson and pit director Rebecca Schwartzkopf.  Click for advanced tickets “Mamma Mia!” Is the International smash hit musical based on the songs of Swedish pop sensation ABBA’s hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman’s search for her birth father This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago The musical includes the hit songs “Super Trouper,” “Money Money Money,” “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me Knowing You,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and “The Winner Takes It All.” Click typewriter to read opinions from readers or to learn how to submit one of your own Interested in advertising here on the sidebar of BG Independent News, or in becoming an annual sponsor? Contact Elizabeth Roberts-Zibbel at elizabeth.lrz@gmail.com or click image below for the Advertise page also accessible from the Main Menu heading above — An organization calling attention to "forever chemicals" in the Otsego water supply received half a million dollars to look into the causes the city's section of the Kalamazoo River has been contaminated for decades or manmade chemicals that are difficult to remove and they’ve been linked irreversible health issues a local advocacy group is starting a three-year project to help remove them From rare types of cancer to autoimmune diseases the Justice for Otsego Facebook page has been tracking reports of rare diseases They claim improper disposal of chemicals from longtime local industries has led to the diseases in both men and women -- young and old It’s a problem they’ve worked on with the MSU-based Toxic Action Lab who said the effects have been devastating certain kinds of ovarian cysts and tumors," Director Jennifer Lee Johnson said The two groups joined together to create the Otsego Story Project documenting residents’ stories and doing environmental sampling They said local agricultural fields and factories developed alongside the river used chemical contaminants that Johnson said she was told they were dumped in landfills and used as a dust suppressant along gravel roads which ended up having long-term consequences "The application of these wastes to agricultural fields was great to boost agricultural yields for a period of time; but also many of those wastes came with PFAS," she said Johnson said the science isn’t yet there to pinpoint the exact causes the Otsego Story Project received $500,000 from the Michigan Department of Environment and are just beginning the research process now They say they hope to move past pointing fingers and create a meaningful change for the future "Let's dedicate resources to making the environments where we live Anyone living in the Allegan County area can contribute to the project by heading to Toxicactionlab.org founder of 'Justice for Otsego,' a project that exposed PFAs or man-made 'forever chemicals,' died on Saturday Zack was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was only 17 years old She founded 'Justice for Otsego' in 2017 after seeing several friends and family members diagnosed with cancer Zack spent years uncovering and discovering facts about pollution those findings revealing harmful chemicals in her community She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022 she continued to fight and uncover more truths about illegal dumping and the harmful effects the chemicals had in Southwest Michigan and community who say she left behind a powerful legacy of protecting the people of Otsego "Mary is remembered as a hero and a legend The project will continue on in Zack's name as those she has worked with want to continue to help people exposed to PFAs be able to share their stories "We'll absolutely continue her legacy of hard work and dedication to her community and to the people there that she cares about which is the entire place," Jennifer Lee Johnson director of Toxic Action Lab and associate professor at Michigan State University The project received $500,000 from the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) in grant money over the next three years to continue research and help those affected "If people want to have their wells tested or are interested in having soil tested in their gardens or their agricultural fields or what have you we'll be doing that," Johnson said "We'll have resources as part of that grant to make that available." A 501(c)(3) is also expected to be set up in Zack's name If you or someone you know has been affected by PFAs, you can share your story at toxicactionlab.org (WPBN/WGTU) — As power comes back in some spots hit by the ice storm a week ago there was a lot to do," said Tony Tibbetts Another step in the recovery for those affected by the ice storm in Northern Michigan Dealing with the debris the storm left behind "This weekend was our first chance to get after it," said Tony And tree services are out here and just trying to get a grip on the approach." "Do not clear your lots and bring all that material all by the roadway," said Kirk Harrier manager of the Otsego County Road Commission The Otsego County Road Commission asks residents to keep debris off the right of way which is generally within 33 feet from the center of the road on either side And sometimes they have sticks that are sticking out they can go through the windshield and strike people and injure them and possibly kill them." "Otsego County Emergency Management has secured a location," said Kirk "Northern Forestry Products in Otsego County where anyone in the county can bring this material free of charge and it will be processed and repurposed." But it may take calling in some additional help getting it there "We understand that some people might not have a pick-up truck or trailer to do that," said Kirk "Depending on the size of your property you're probably going to have to someone load that material up and dispose of it." Kirk says that's because the road commission doesn't have the resources to take away those materials "We only have 22 road maintenance technicians that our out cleaning all the right of ways within the county," said Kirk The Antrim County Road Commission says the same "We simply don’t have enough staff or funds to get rid of storm debris beyond what we’ve cleared from the road,” said Burt Thompson Engineer-Manager of the Antrim County Road Commission in a press release But it's a different story in Cheboygan On-street parking within the city is not allowed from 8am until 4pm so residents can put debris in the parking lane of the street to be picked up With different communities having different policies Kirk says to check with your city or county first If you want to burn limbs and branches, the DNR says to check open burning status first. You can do so here (WPBN/WGTU) — Otsego County Emergency Management is stepping up to assist community members struggling to clean up after a recent ice storm With a long cleanup process still ahead for many areas across northern Michigan the county is collaborating with local partners and volunteer agencies to provide resources specifically for seniors and disabled individuals "We definitely have a debris management situation in our county and we truly feel terrible for all the citizens that are dealing with these issues," said Deputy Chief Gavin Babieracki "We’re attempting to help in every capacity that we possibly can and evaluating those conditions on a daily basis." Residents in need of assistance are encouraged to email or text Otsego County Emergency Management with their name MUSIC—7:30 p.m. “Hartwick College Choir Concert.” Presented by the Hartwick College Department of Music. Anderson Theater, Hartwick College, 1 Hartwick Drive, Oneonta. https://www.hartwick.edu/academics/academic-departments/music-department/music-events/ Our hard-copy and online publications cover the news of Otsego County by putting the community back into the newspaper We are funded entirely by advertising and subscriptions independent reporting that is not influenced by commercial or political ties & Local Organizations BLOCK PARTY – 10 a.m Celebrate the start of the summer season with local organizations from Hyde Hall and Glimmerglass State Park to the Otsego Boat Deputy The Rolling Meadows clydesdales will be on hand to greet visitors the Susquehanna SPCA will have opportunities for adoptions and Hanzolo will be performing live from noon to 2 p.m (607) 547-5098 or visit hydehall.org/block-party-on-june-10-with-hyde-hall-glimmerglass-state-park/ BAG SALE – 8:30 a.m OCTOBER 29 Pumpkin Glow at Cooperstown Library PUMPKIN GLOW—6-7 p.m Create a Jack-O-Lantern for display and then see what the neighbors made Held on the steps of the Cooperstown Art Association (607) 547-9777 or visit https://www.cooperstownart.com/ FUNDRAISER—8-11 a.m “Ambulance Fundraiser Breakfast.” Help the Gilbertsville Emergency Squad raise money for a new ambulance (607) 783-2520 or visit https://www.facebook.com/GilbertsvilleVolunteerFire You have reached your limit of 3 free articles To Continue Reading SubscribeLogin   Our hard-copy and online publications cover the news of… New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 4 today announced the completion of three new artificial spawning reefs in Otsego Lake in partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cobleskill and the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station constructed the artificial reefs to create new clean spawning habitat for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) a native coldwater species once abundant in Otsego Lake DEC Region 4 Acting Director John Weidman said “Lake whitefish thrived in Otsego Lake well into the 1980s sustaining lake trout and other native fish species before a series of biological and environmental factors severely decreased populations I applaud the work done by DEC Region 4 Fisheries and Operations employees and our partners at SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Oneonta to help bring the lake whitefish population back once again.”  The presence of the invasive alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) likely contributed to decreased larval lake whitefish populations Alewives are efficient planktivores that feed on a variety of microcrustaceans and fish larvae in the upper layers of the water disrupted Otsego Lake’s ecological balance likely leading to the collapse of lake whitefish populations making restoration of the coldwater ecology possible Region 4 Bureau of Fisheries and Operations employees and SUNY partners constructed three new artificial reefs by hand Crews placed cobble-sized rocks at three predetermined locations at Clarke Point on Otsego Lake each approximately 27 feet long by 23 feet wide and three feet tall contain monitoring wells placed in the middle of the piles and are equipped with temperature and oxygen sondes (data loggers) along with sedimentation monitoring tubes.  DEC will monitor the newly constructed reefs in hopes they are used by spawning adult lake whitefish over the winter months The reefs may also attract spawning lake trout and cisco (Coregonus artedi), which require similar spawning habitats DEC also placed egg collection mats atop the reefs to determine which species of fish are spawning and utilizing the reefs This ongoing project is expected to run for the next five to 10 years Additional reefs will be constructed around Otsego Lake in historic and current lake whitefish spawning areas DEC and SUNY are also exploring future studies examining larval lake whitefish survival rates These efforts will help fisheries biologists better understand and work to restore whitefish populations Conservationist is packed with informative articles first-rate photography and stunning artwork Subscribe (WPBN/WGTU) — State police have confirmed that a man and a woman found dead outside an Otsego County home in late February died from accidental overdoses of methamphetamine and fentanyl The victims have been identified only as a 61-year-old man from Grayling and a 43-year-old woman from Lansing The discovery was made after a passing motorist called 911 upon seeing the first body in the driveway "I didn’t really want to touch him." and authorities awaited autopsy and toxicology results for over a month The reports confirmed lethal amounts of methamphetamines and fentanyl in the victims' systems Lieutenant Ashley Miller of the Michigan State Police said "We are still looking at how the individual obtained the narcotics That is still on our radar and what we are pursuing We just don’t know how exactly they came to have the drugs at that time." Miller noted that the two individuals likely died quickly and were outside for some time leaving two children inside the home unharmed and they are getting the resources that they need at this time That’s really all I can say on the children," Miller said While the exact composition of the drugs remains unclear Miller mentioned that similar cases often involve drugs secretly laced with fentanyl State police continue to pursue leads on how the drugs were obtained which could lead to charges if a seller is identified You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Edwardsburg third baseman Ella Zache (5) tags out Otsego baserunner Audrey Lingbeck (10) in a run down between third and home plate (Scott Hassinger | Leader Publications Contributor) Edwardsburg third baseman Ella Zache (5) tags out Otsego baserunner Audrey Lingbeck (10) in a run down between third and home plate EDWARDSBURG – Despite having one of the younger rosters Edwardsburg second-year softball coach Todd Tighe expects his team to be in the Wolverine Conference title conversation this Spring Edwardsburg showed they are capable of holding their own Tuesday by earning a home doubleheader split with league favorite Otsego winning the opener 4-1 before dropping the nightcap 9-3 Tighe was impressed with the Lady Eddies’ performance in the first game against Otsego’s senior pitching ace and Western Michigan University signee Audrey Lingbeck grabbed a quick 2-0 lead over Otsego after one inning Sophomore third baseman Ella Zache reached first on a throwing error and went to second on the overthrow stole third before scoring on a sacrifice bunt by teammate Kourtney Zarycki Lani Hardin scored the Eddies’ second run when she raced home on Mia Castelluchi’s fielder’s choice Zarycki tripled with two outs in the third and scored after she stole home to increase Edwardsburg’s lead to 3-0 Otsego put its lone marker up on the board in the fourth Lingbeck doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice and throwing error at second base to reduce the Bulldogs’ deficit to 3-1 Edwardsburg added its final run in the sixth stole second and scored on Hardin’s groundout boosting the Eddies’ lead to  4-1 “For us to get some big hits in that first game against Otsego’s No Kourtney is a returning first-team all-conference player for us and she’s going to Glen Oaks Community College to play She’s been a big-time hitter in crucial moments for us so far this season,” said Tighe is now the starting shortstop at Western Michigan “It was a cold and windy night so we had to manufacture alot of runs early We did a lot of bunting and delayed stealing which got us some early runs Unfortunately we got down early in that second game and couldn’t really play that type of game We have lots of speed and high IQ players and it worked out for us in the first game today.” Tori Pulling chalked up the win for Edwardsburg inside the circle allowing just three hits and four walks while posting 11 strikeouts “Tori was lights out on the mound in that first game for us Not many people know much about her now but they will be the end of the year We have one of the better pitching staffs in the conference this season and she’s a big part of it,” Tighe said Zarycki collected a single and triple and Hardin and Castelluchi added singles for Edwardsburg’s hits in the opener Lingbeck went the distance and was charged with the loss allowing four hits with 10 strikeouts for Otsego Otsego broke a scorless tie in the nightcap by scoring five runs in the third Addy Lucas and Alycia Farrell both had two-run singles to highlight the Bulldogs’ half of the frame Zarycki’s two-run homerun over the centerfield fence in the sixth also plated Zache and sliced Edwardsburg’s deficit to three runs Maddi Dendel and Lingbeck all singled to load the bases Sydnee Mosher laced a two-run single to score Dendel and Lingbeck while Farrell’s RBI single plated Lucas Edwardsburg got its final run in the bottom of the seventh went to third on a passed ball and scored on Julia Seifer’s fielder’s choice Kenidie Flanery started for Edwardsburg and suffered the loss allowing five runs five hits with three walks and two strikeouts Flanery was relieved by Seifer with one out in the third “Kenidie held them in check a couple of innings before getting behind on some of her counts Julia came in and really shut them down by moving the ball around,” Tighe said Holland started and recorded the win for Otsego giving up four hits two runs with two walks and six strikeouts Zarycki singled and homered for the Lady Eddies while Seifer added a single and Zache doubled “We are a fairly young team this season We start four sophomores and three juniors in our lineup,” Tighe said The Eddies’ sophomores include Zache while the juniors are Pulling and Makayla Heflin “It’s just the beginning of the season and I expect this team to grow throughout the year We came together as team and listed our goals once we started practice but this group wants to be the first team from Edwardsburg to win a regional championship along with league and districts as well,” Tighe said remain focused and learn what we are trying to do from a base-running perspective.” Edwardsburg will also rely heavily on its four seniors that include Zarycki Hardin is hitting close to .700 while Kendal the Lady Eddies’ starting centerfielder “Lani is a four-year starter with a strong arm who will play at Lake Michigan College,” Tighe said Edwardsburg completes a busy week with a game at Elkhart doubleheader at Berrien Springs on Friday and travel to Lake Central Among the best players to keep an eye on when the Los Angeles Kings play the Chicago Blackhawks… will be on the ice Monday against the Los Angeles Kings at… Ryan Donato and the Chicago Blackhawks will play on Monday at 8:30 PM ET meet the Los Angeles Kings on Monday at 8:30 PM ET (WPBN/WGTU) — Officials and community members gathered Thursday to celebrate the donation of a new all-electric transit van to the Otsego County Food Pantry The Ford E-Transit van will be used by the pantry to pick up food and raise awareness of its mission to combat food insecurity chairperson of the Otsego County Food Pantry "The volunteers of the food pantry are excited and grateful for this amazing resource and will continue to find ways to incorporate it into daily efforts to provide food for people who have need," she said "Our community is so supportive and comes together to help one another organizations and business partnerships that help us to address food insecurities and we are thankful for all who assist in any way!" is expected to reduce operational costs by utilizing electricity instead of gasoline Consumers Energy’s director of electric vehicle programs highlighted the company's commitment to the community "Consumers Energy is excited to use our expertise with electric vehicles to serve needs for people who live in Otsego County," he said "We also hope this van provides an example of the ease and affordability that comes when clean vehicles hit the road every day." The unveiling of the electric van coincided with the start of the annual Community Food Drive event sponsored by the Gaylord Rotary and Gaylord Eagles This year’s event featured "Jam the Van," encouraging attendees to donate shelf-stable foods to fill the new E-van Consumers Energy continues to support electric vehicle adoption through incentives for vehicle chargers and reduced charging rates The company is also providing electric vehicles to churches and other nonprofit organizations to bolster their community efforts (WPBN/WGTU) -- Otsego County Emergency Management is offering assistance to some community members who may be struggling to clean up after the ice storm With a long recovery still ahead for many areas officials are working with local partners and volunteer agencies to help get resources for seniors and disabled residents “We definitely have a debris management situation in our county and we truly feel terrible for all the citizens that are dealing with these issues We’re attempting to help in every capacity that we possibly can and evaluating those conditions on a daily basis," said Deputy Chief Gavin Babieracki If you need help contact the Otsego County Emergency Management: Email: emergencymanagement@ocems.com Babieracki is reminding residents that they are still working with Northern Forestry Products in Vanderbilt as a primary debris drop off site which is open seven days a week from dawn until dusk (WPBN/WGTU) — As cleanup and power restoration efforts continue across northern Michigan following a severe ice storm the Otsego County Road Commission is urging homeowners to be mindful of where they place tree debris The commission has all its staff working 12-hour shifts to assist with the cleanup but challenges have arisen due to debris being placed in the right-of-way "Individuals are going to want to get their yards cleaned up and remove debris off their homes so the key would be to stage it on their property just don’t bring it out and stack it alongside the road thinking someone’s going to come pick it up at this point A lot of people are hiring private contractors to come and clean up their yards at this point clean up their own property that’s really the best bet." Harrier noted that the commission does not have the resources to collect tree branches or other debris left on curbs or placed along the road He assured residents that all roads in Otsego County should be passable by this weekend crews will reassess conditions to widen roadways and continue clearing debris (WPBN/WGTU) - - UpNorthLive News is working to get more information about the deaths of a man and women at an Otsego County home Michigan State Police is investigating what they are calling a “suspicious incident.” just to put our minds at ease,” said Christine Arndt State police say a man and a woman were found dead outside a home on Murner Road A passing driver called 911 early Wednesday having seen the man’s body on the driveway “As we were approaching the light at Murner and M-32 we heard an ambulance and a couple of police cruisers and a state trooper We didn’t hear anything in the area at all during the morning or at night It was kind of a shock to see something like that happening right here in our neighborhood because it’s usually so quiet,” said Arndt Two children were found inside the home and later evaluated at the hospital While a forensic trailer was onsite for hours Both deceased subjects have been sent for an autopsy and the cause of death is not known at this time,” said Lt Ashley Miller “We never saw anybody coming or going from the house and we didn’t even know that they had kids Arndt and her neighbors had a road blockade on their doorstep for six hours We asked Arndt what she wants to know from Michigan State Police “Whether it was something nefarious that went on because we’d like to know that the area we live in is safe and that there isn’t going to be any problems or anything happening to the rest of us here in this neighborhood,” said Arndt Lieutenant Miller says this was most likely an isolated incident and that there is no risk to the public — Otsego Public Schools will no longer house a countywide Autism program that services students from nine school districts and two schools Otsego Public Schools had to make the tough decision after receiving an influx in students that left no additional space for the program superintendent of Allegan Educational Service Agency Allegan Area ESA oversees the Level III program for all Allegan County public schools This program has been housed at Otsego Public Schools for the last several years some grade levels have a higher number of students than others," Brown said "That causes some space constraints." Brown said Allegan Area ESA reached out to other school districts in the region and no one had space to house the program Allegan Area ESA made the decision to return students to their local districts Level III services will be provided in the individual districts Allegan Area ESA teachers will also transition and will be assigned to individual school districts "They will be serving as coaches to help build the capacity of the teachers back in the local districts to support the students and meet their needs," Brown said Brown believes the adjustment will be a positive change for students and teachers "The students need the social and academic interaction with their non-disabled peers and we're meeting the needs of the students just in a different way," Brown said "The location of these services is what's changing Parents of the kids in this program have been notified Editor's note: this story has been edited to provide more context regarding program changes (WPBN/WGTU)— Residents of Otsego County were taken by surprise Monday when an earthquake alert mistakenly urged them to take cover The alert was inadvertently issued due to mobile cell towers borrowed from California after a recent ice storm explained the situation: "These mobile assets belong to They pushed the alert out to the public within the vicinity of those mobile towers here in Otsego County." Babieracki said that they have collaborated with AT&T and FirstNet to ensure the towers are now correctly geo-located to Otsego County it remains unclear how long the county will continue to use these mobile towers GAYLORD — The Otsego County Road Commission is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of over 900 miles of roads and the agency's managing director said all of the county's all-season roads are now passable following the March 29-30 ice storm "We are in the process of cleaning up road right-of-ways This will take some time because it will involve hauling material away and mulching material," said Kirk Harrier of the road commission (OCRC) More: How to help: Donation options for ice storm relief, recovery in Northern Michigan More: PHOTOS: Ice storm aftermath in Northern Michigan Harrier said the storm damage to roads was fairly widespread with no particular locations suffering a lot of impairment He noted that some areas near the Crawford County line may have fared better than others "When we had the tornado (nearly three years ago) the damage was localized to certain areas in the county," he said Harrier and his staff are just beginning to total the storm's financial impact on the road commission We had crews working 12-hour shifts from Saturday (March 29) until Sunday (April 6)," he added "A big expense will be cleanup on the road right-of-way but we don't have any numbers on that now." Harrier said there could be some state aid to help out "Since it was a state emergency declaration there is some potential reimbursement money that we could be eligible for That would only cover overtime as it doesn't get into cleanup costs," he said The storm also came at a critical time of year for the road commission "We have about 25 road maintenance technicians and they need to get out as soon as the weather breaks and the asphalt plants open to patch the roads as they normally do in the spring," said Harrier the OCRC and Otsego County Emergency Management reminds residents that assistance is available for the disposal of debris and storm-related materials citizens are encouraged to bring their debris to Northern Forestry Products where it will be chipped for proper disposal at no cost Northern Forestry Products will be open from 5 a.m or non-forestry vegetative waste will not be processed Vegetative material collected from any property in Otsego County will be accepted — A quiet first half gave way to fireworks down the stretch between two skilled teams Friday leading to a 1-1 draw that saw both Lakeview and Otsego remain unbeaten on the year Trailing 1-0 with roughly five and a half minutes left in the game Lakeview sent a pass ahead that Lilamae Frank booted past Otsego's goaltender to tie the game and ending Otsego's opportunity to extend its winning streak to eight games as her shot skipped past Lakeview's keeper Carson Howard to open the scoring the low scoring affair led to Otsego moving to 7-0-1 on the year Both teams still sit atop their respective conferences with the Bulldogs 3-0 Wolverine mark leaving them tied with Plainwell at the top Lakeview's 3-0-2 mark in the SMAC have them ahead of Gull Lake and Portage Central Friday's matchup was the lone showdown between the two teams in the regular season Michigan State Police are investigating what they call a “suspicious incident.” The investigation is centered around a house on Murner Road just north of M-32 and right outside Gaylord City limits State Police are staying tight-lipped about the incident police blocked off about a half mile of Murner Road starting at Winterland Drive and up to 5 Lakes Road Along with several police cruisers and unmarked cars there is a trailer from the Grayling Forensics Lab but UpNorthLive spoke with a neighbor who said he saw a fireman wearing some kind of tank entering the house this morning but he didn’t know anything about the house or who lives there We asked state police if they could tell UpNorthLive anything about what forensics is looking for or the status of whoever lives here All the public information officer could say was that it’s an ongoing investigation into a suspicious incident We also asked how long investigators might be at the home The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of 32-year-old Ryley W in connection with a shooting incident that occurred on April 14 Decker was taken into custody without incident and now faces multiple felony charges including Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Aggravated Criminal Possession of a Weapon He is also charged with Assault in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree The charges stem from an incident in the Town of Unadilla, where deputies from the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office and members of the New York State Police responded to the Wells Bridge Fire Department for a report of a gunshot victim According to investigators, the victim had been helping an uninvolved friend move out of a residence when Decker allegedly discharged a shotgun, striking the victim The injured individual was driven to the fire department by the friend where a citizen immediately called 911 to report the emergency Deputies arrived at the fire department and provided medical assistance to the victim until EMS arrived. Additional Sheriff’s Office and State Police units responded to the scene of the incident to secure the location The victim was later airlifted by LifeNet to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse for further treatment of their injuries Following an investigation, law enforcement officials located Decker at his place of employment. He was taken into custody by the New York State Police without further incident A search warrant was obtained and executed at the residence in question where additional evidence related to the shooting was recovered Decker was processed and transported to the Otsego County Correctional Facility, where he is currently being held pending centralized arraignment in the Town of Unadilla Court The Otsego County District Attorney’s Office has recommended bail in the amount of $20,000 cash, $20,000 credit card, or a $200,000 surety bond. An order of protection will be issued on behalf of the victim during the arraignment proceedings The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the investigation and response by the New York State Police Authorities have stated that this was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public and additional charges may be pending as it continues Reports are in: a shooting in Unadilla has left one injured and Ryley W. Decker charged with felonies.\nRead More Decker was taken into custody without incident and now faces multiple felony charges The charges stem from an incident in the Town of Unadilla, where deputies from the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office and members of the New York State Police responded to the Wells Bridge Fire Department for a report of a gunshot victim According to investigators, the victim had been helping an uninvolved friend move out of a residence when Decker allegedly discharged a shotgun, striking the victim Deputies arrived at the fire department and provided medical assistance to the victim until EMS arrived. Additional Sheriff’s Office and State Police units responded to the scene of the incident to secure the location Following an investigation, law enforcement officials located Decker at his place of employment. He was taken into custody by the New York State Police without further incident Decker was processed and transported to the Otsego County Correctional Facility, where he is currently being held pending centralized arraignment in the Town of Unadilla Court The Otsego County District Attorney’s Office has recommended bail in the amount of $20,000 cash, $20,000 credit card, or a $200,000 surety bond. An order of protection will be issued on behalf of the victim during the arraignment proceedings Authorities have stated that this was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public GAYLORD — The Otsego County Board of Commissioners approved spending $100,000 for storm recovery efforts while Consumers Energy said the utility hopes to have electricity restored by Saturday Seven of nine commissioners attended the emergency meeting Friday and voted unanimously to allow Jon Deming's county office of emergency management to use the funds for special equipment and incidental expenses associated with power restoration and other recovery measures from last weekend's ice storm according to county administrator Matt Barresi More: Live: Clean-up underway, recovery efforts ongoing in Northern Michigan communities Barresi said there are still some areas of the county where power restoration and storm recovery has been slow "Especially out by Johannesburg where a lot of telephone poles were taken out," he said "There are still power outages all over the county (on Friday) and both Great Lakes Energy and Consumers Energy are working on those areas They have been helpful in giving us information." Barresi said departments like the Otsego County Bus System have stepped up to help out with storm recovery "The (bus system) was instrumental in picking up people from their residence and getting them to warming centers All of that was done voluntarily as there were no charges The bus system came through in moving people around," he said More: Whitmer visits ice-damaged Northern Michigan, pledges support for recovery efforts The following locations are serving as warming shelters in the county: Gaylord E-Free Church at 1649 East M-32 in GaylordCorwith Township Hall at 8170 Mill St in VanderbiltCharlton Township Hall at 10775 Rowan Ave in JohannesburgOtsego County Sportsplex at 1250 Gornick Ave in Gaylord (limited hours)Utility roundupConsumers Energy continues its around-the-clock push to repair and rebuild the electric grid in Northern Michigan counties about 10,800 customers remained without power in the region About 95% of Northern Michigan customers should see power restored by the end of Friday with the remaining customers to follow Saturday Consumers has returned power to over 99% of the over 380,000 customers affected statewide by severe ice and thunderstorms throughout the past week Great Lakes Energy (GLE) said Friday approximately 29,000 customers are without power across the cooperative’s 26-county service territory Crews remain challenged by widespread damage with hundreds of downed poles according to GLE as replacing each pole takes several hours alongside repairing wires and clearing fallen trees but it may be multiple days before some areas receive power," the company said more than 800 Michigan National Guard soldiers and airmen have been activated by Gov Gretchen Whitmer to support communities affected by the ice storm Most of the units are staged at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and started deploying on Thursday “We are working alongside our local and state agency partners to help clear roadways overcome by debris and supporting delivery of pallets of food to areas in need," said U.S adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (WPBN/WGTU) - - A man was found dead in his driveway along with a woman dead outside of a home on Murner Road in Otsego County The two dead were found by a person driving by the home according to investigators MSP said two children were found inside the home and were sent to the hospital for evaluation Investigators said both bodies were sent for an autopsy and the cause of the death is currently not known at the time.