Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation 6 May 2025 7:46:20 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); SOUTH LYON – When Rajeev Joshi of South Lyon turned 50 his primary care doctor recommended he get a routine colonoscopy Joshi said he wasn’t opposed to getting a colonoscopy; he just didn’t think it was a priority But when Joshi put the test off for a third time his doctor suggested he do an at-home Cologuard test Joshi was on vacation in Europe with his family when the results came back and others found some microstatic disease in the lymph nodes so it was diagnosed as a stage four colon cancer It was not the first time Joshi had heard those words was diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer She did have symptoms early on,” said Joshi he threw himself into learning everything he could about his cancer and care Dr. Harry Wasvary is Joshi’s doctor and the Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak. “His was a very incredible and unique case,” said Wasvary. Tests suggested Joshi would be a good candidate for the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. “He had stage four disease to multiple parts of his body, but with current day management and the ability to look at the biology of his tumor, we’re actually able to target his therapy, give him therapy, and all of his tumors disappeared without even the need for surgery.” Joshi responded incredibly to the drug, with almost no side effects. “There’s no fatigue, there’s no nausea. I could do the treatment in the morning and go to work, and nobody would even know that I had gone through a treatment,” said Joshi. He credits years of meditation with helping him stay strong. After 16 months of treatment, there was no evidence of cancer remaining. But Joshi is painfully aware that most patients are not so fortunate when their cancer is detected late. “I just happened to be the luckiest guy on earth, right? That the stars lined up. And in spite of my procrastination, here I am in remission,” said Joshi. Wasvary said, like Joshi, most of the patients he sees with colorectal cancer did not have any symptoms. “Symptoms could be a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, weight loss that you can’t account for, bloody stools. But most people just present. They don’t realize anything’s going on. Some people will present with anemia, low blood counts, and they don’t realize it, that the tumor is quietly reducing their hemoglobin numbers and causing anemia.” That makes getting that routine colonoscopy even more important. Joshi wants everyone to understand that colonoscopies can’t just detect cancer; they can prevent it. “So if I would have done that, sure, I would have had maybe only polyps that I would have found that probably would have never become cancerous,” said Joshi. The recommended age to start routine colonoscopies is now 45 years old. It was lowered because doctors are seeing so many more cases in people under age 50. If you have any symptoms or family history, share that with your doctor because you may need a colonoscopy much sooner. Wasvary hopes raising awareness of the lifesaving benefits of colonoscopy will encourage more people to get screened on time. “There’s a taboo about colonoscopy, about talking about colonoscopy, there’s taboo surrounding the prep and how rough it will be on one’s system, but it is certainly one of the screening options that will actually save lives and will reduce the incidence of cancer.” After putting off his colonoscopy, Joshi now believes in the benefits of getting it on schedule. “Silly of me that I kind of procrastinated, but that’s a small price to pay or inconvenience to have the assurance that you don’t have colon cancer or be able to detect it early and treat it as fast as you can. It could change your life.” Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group The Paryaski sisters are so crucial to the Plymouth Christian Academy softball team that South Lyon tried to avoid them during last week's tournament blue!" South Lyon coach Jerry Shippe yelled at the umpire from the dugout The Lions thought they'd have a better chance at getting out of a bases-loaded jam than keeping either sister from smacking a walk-off Reminder: South Lyon is a Division 1 team that played in the state semifinal at Michigan State a year ago, just sent the 2022 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year to Duke and has an enrollment of 1,005 more students than the D-4 PCA That's a lot of respect to show the Paryaskis yet it's warranted because the sisters are a big reason why the Eagles are a favorite to win a state championship 3 by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association until it lost a doubleheader to Livonia Stevenson another D-1 program ranked just outside the top 10 They've already played against bigger schools such as Plymouth And they've won almost half of those matchups Some of that has to do with the tremendous travel experience the sisters have as they've played for the Firecrackers Fastpitch Softball program and have faced elite competition every summer Taking on a Kensington Lakes Activities Association team isn't as scary as it sounds when you're used to seeing similar pitching and defense on the travel circuit And their confidence has been contagious to the other Eagles who aren't year-round ballplayers that's helped the sisters become better leaders "They've just been great encouragers to the whole team," third-year coach Jori Groen said and they don't do it in an intimidating or bossy way They've just been incredible leaders and captains on our team The Paryaskis are from a long line of baseball and softball players who played for nearby Concordia-Ann Arbor from 2018-2021 They were always around a diamond growing up They actually started high school playing for Michigan Independent Athletic Conference rival Southfield Christian before transferring to PCA as juniors They made an immediate impact with the Eagles last year, even helping them win the league and go on to capture the program's first district championship since 2019 but the schedule is definitely tougher because we play these bigger schools," Sophie said We're not going to win every game based on numbers and experience but we fight really well and we can be really scrappy Their statistics and recent milestones make it easy to see why Alma College signed both sisters she carried a .515 batting average and .616 on-base percentage while recording 16 doubles She also scored 44 runs and stole 34 bases she recorded both her 100th career RBI and 100th run scored but she's also been just as reliable as a pitcher which is saying something because the Eagles also have Clara Groen arguably one of the best junior pitchers in Michigan Groen would be a full-time starter for most D-1 teams in the state so the fact that she shares time with Sophie shows how talented both arms really are Sophie recently scored her 150th career run adding to the stellar stats she had as a junior finishing with a .509 batting average and recording 14 doubles five triples and three home runs and totaling 51 RBIs She also scored 48 runs and stole 27 bases She went 12-1 as a pitcher with 121 strikeouts and a 1.42 earned-run average last season "Our experience here has been really good," Chloe said "The atmosphere is a really great and the team is amazing but there is a little more pressure on us because not a lot of the girls on our team play travel So I've definitely had to step up to be a little more of a leader this year being the only catcher has been a lot of work." there are no days off when you play for a small school against a schedule loaded with D-1 teams especially for the up-and-comers still acclimating to varsity softball who thought they were out of the woods by intentionally walking the Paryaskis to put Mariah Wright at the plate the freshman belted a double toward the center-field fence bringing home Groen for the walk-off run in the 6-5 victory and putting a pair of smiles on the sisters' faces as they raced to the backstop to celebrate the win with their teammates Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on Twitter at @folsombrandonj HOWELL — They grew up watching players like Lexey Tobel Whitney Sollom and Amanda Roach help orchestrate long postseason basketball runs for Hartland a junior varsity player three years ago when Hartland reached the state championship game had to wait until her senior year to experience an extended playoff run with the Eagles Brinley Neuer only had to wait until she got to high school helping to deep into the state tournament as a freshman They are among a group of players adding their own names to program’s tradition advancing to a regional final for the eighth time in the past 14 seasons with a 45-39 victory over South Lyon in a semifinal game Monday at Howell High School DePestel couldn’t crack a veteran lineup as a freshman when a senior-led team lost in the state championship game to West Bloomfield at the Breslin Center She was part of teams that lost in the district final to Howell the last two years before beating the Highlanders in the same round Friday night Having once been part of the future of Hartland basketball DePestel realizes what this year’s run could mean to young girls in the bleachers RELATED: Livonia schools leaving KLAA to join Lakes Valley Conference just to inspire the next generation and to have the people who did go on the run watching us in the stands,” she said “It means a lot to be part of it this time I remember from a very young age coming to all these games The experience of playing playoff basketball for the first time is everything Neuer hoped it would be “It’s been a great experience,” said Neuer who scored a team-high 14 points and went 7-for-8 from the line You just have to have confidence out there Mike McKay was part of the early years when Hartland was establishing itself as a premier program working as an assistant coach under Don Palmer he helped the Eagles navigate a district in which they had to beat tough rivals Brighton and Howell Then he came up with a plan to beat a South Lyon team that entered the game with a 20-2 record and twice beat a Northville team that won Hartland’s division of the KLAA “They’ve done this in their history and it’s just great to be part of it and build on it,” McKay said We’ve got a lot of alumni in the stands and we’ve got a lot of young players looking up to these girls These girls have been playing together since fifth grade and stuck together.” South Lyon was playing in regionals for the first time since 2008 and looking for its first victory in regionals since 1987 but experience wasn’t a factor because none of the current Hartland players had been this far either The Eagles’ focus was on trying to contain senior guard Izzy Nooe a 1,000-point career scorer who will play for Bethel University Neither had played against one another before Monday or knew much about the other until watching film Saturday “She’s a really good player,” DePestel said We knew we had to slow her down if we were going to win that one.” but was held scoreless in the final six minutes as the Lions cut a lead that had been 11 points down to four a lot of different screens to try to get some separation.” Ava McKaig and Kennedy Tucker each had eight points for the Eagles reaching the 20-win mark for the seventh time in the last nine seasons The Eagles will have a daunting challenge in the regional championship game against second-ranked Belleville at 7 p.m The Tigers (24-1) advanced with a 79-40 rout of Dexter behind a 32-point performance from sophomore star Sydney Savoury Their only loss was 57-52 to Wayne Memorial on Feb They’ve got talented players and they’re well-coached We’re going to try to come up with a game plan and compete DePestel and the other multi-sport athletes on Hartland's basketball team hope to delay their spring sports for as long as possible She didn't even make her way to soccer practice just to say hello "They told me to stay here and finish what I'm doing and then get over there when I'm ready," she said 6 May 2025 7:46:50 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); HOWELL — South Lyon’s girls basketball team bucked trends all season to create history for its program The Lions ended a 17-game losing streak in its rivalry with South Lyon East won a share of their first Lakes Valley Conference championship and won their first district title since 2008 The latter feat was accomplished by knocking off a Northville team that won the West Division of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association a league which traditionally has its way with even the best LVC opponents in the postseason “When you go and play the Brightons and the Northvilles and the Hartlands and the Howells they’re big schools and they have athletes,” South Lyon coach Chris Schroudt said “I will say this year when you look at the scores of LVC schools — the Lakelands the Easts of the world — in the conference they played great but they also played well outside the conference I was glad we could represent them in a positive light for the most part.” South Lyon faced another tough KLAA West opponent with a chance to make more history Monday night The Lions hadn’t won a game at the regional level since 1987 against Walled Lake Western That’s a boxed that remains unchecked following a 45-39 loss to a Hartland team that reached its eighth regional final in 14 seasons it feels really good,” said senior guard Izzy Nooe “The amount of effort we put in this season and how connected we’ve played to get something out of it physically feels good.” South Lyon was playing in regionals for the first time in 17 years Izzy matchup between two multi-sport standouts who missed the first day of spring practice DePestel is a starting defender for a Hartland soccer team that was the Division 1 runner-up last spring while Nooe is the lead-off hitter for a South Lyon softball team that beat Hartland in the state quarterfinals last season Rylee Miller scored 13 points for South Lyon while providing tough interior defense “The big difference was any time we tripped or got screened in addition to making free throws and things like that “I think offensively we ran our stuff and got opportunities I wouldn’t change anything on the defensive end We just didn’t make enough shots tonight.” — South Lyon Schools will keep three Oakland County Sheriff’s Office deputies in the district for at least the next three years with the help of township officials “The rates for deputies have increased significantly,” Superintendent Steve Archibald said during the March 3 township board meeting “It was not a decision made by anyone in this room we are charged with maintaining adequate personnel to make sure students and staff are safe.” unanimously approving a contract in which the township will pay for the salaries of the three school resource officers for 12 weeks over the summer while the district will pay for the 40 weeks in which school is in session Those costs are going up significantly over the course of the next three years after the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approved rate increases for contracted OCSO services last fall.In 2025 the cost of a single school resource officer will be $187,116 the price will jump to $222,721 per officer The district has a school resource officer assigned to each of the two high schools as well as a third SRO designated to split time between the two middle schools the bill to have three school resource officers will reach nearly $670,000 almost $200,000 more than 2024.Per the contract school resource officers' services may include Township officials agreed with Archibald that having the school resource officers is absolutely critical I fully support moving ahead,” Trustee Sean O’Neil said He noted the township has done well with its fund balance and has the capability to help the district keep the school resource officers “If there is one thing we want to spend money on it’s kids,” Dolan said before referring to the 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School in which four students were killed “Oxford—we don’t ever want to see that again.” Archibald said the state has been “very good” to the district the last few years in assisting with safety funding and he hopes that will continue student and staff safety is the most important," he said we need these individuals (school resource officers) in our schools.” More: School threats, once shocking, have become commonplace. What are kids thinking? More: In sprawling districts like South Lyon, who should pay law enforcement to patrol schools? Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com Isabella Cepak's recent TikTok has 2.7 million views the post isn't of her doing anything extravagant like participating in the latest dance trend or challenge it's just a photo of the South Lyon East wrestler standing atop a podium following a recent tournament It was the Lake Valley Conference championships And it wasn't just a bracket for all girls which is why she tagged the post with "#womeninmensfields."  the senior became the first-ever girl to win an individual league title winning the 138-pound bracket after pinning all three boys she faced That included her defeating White Lake Lakeland's Alexander Kaschyk in 18 seconds Walled Lake Western's Fedor Petrov in 83 and Lakeland's Jackson Rogers in 85 Not a single match went to a second or third round managed to place first at the LVC championships The highest the current William Penn University (Iowa) grappler finished was runner-up when she was a senior last season But one thing is certain: Wrestling against the boys makes girls tougher on the mat and more prepared when the girls state tournament comes around More: 8 from Hometown Life region win it all at MHSAA individual wrestling state finals "Bella has been wrestling the boys since she was 4 and Tyler started when she was 7," said Matt Cepak "That's the difference between Tyler and Bella compared to other girls wrestlers so wrestling against the boys in high school has been nothing new for them They've been wrestling the boys forever."  Isabella's hoping winning an LVC title is just the confidence boost she needs going forward She's qualified for the individual state championships at Ford Field for her first three seasons of high school but she hasn't been able to get over the hump of actually winning a state title Cepak placed third at 115 pounds as a freshman and finished as the state runner-up at 120 and 138 pounds That included almost going the distance in a loss to Mason's Cecilia Williams in the first-place match in 2023 and suffering another heartbreaking loss in the second round of a finals match to Milan's Angelina Pena in 2024 Cepak has only been motivated to end her high school career on top That started with her placing second at 135 pounds during last summer's US Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals in Fargo considered the country's biggest and most competitive tournament her goal was to lose fewer than 10 matches And she's well on her way to meeting that goal with only 12 of her matches coming against girls That included her winning her bracket at three individual girls tournaments as well as going 3-0 during last weekend's inaugural girls district tournament where she spent only 2 minutes and 17 seconds on the mat to win it all at 135 pounds More: South Lyon East wrestler Isabella Cepak finishes as runner-up at Fargo Nationals she's also favored to win a regional championship and punch her ticket for a return trip to Ford Field "I think it's a good sign (winning an LVC title ahead of the state tournament) because every other year I've fallen short at conferences," Cepak said it feels like now is the right time to do it especially because winning the conference means something to me It's something I was really excited about doing coming into this season because I knew that I was capable of doing it."  she's expected to win her 150th match during the state finals making her one of the all-time winningest girls wrestlers in MHSAA history and one of the first to reach that milestone Which is saying something because over 75% of her matches have been against boys The only reason she has even wrestled 12 matches against girls this season is because the MHSAA required a minimum number of matches vs girls to determine the seeding of the district tournament Isabella hasn't taken the easy route to achieving that milestone "But I prefer going against the guys because it gives me a better experience wrestling overall and it's more challenging," the senior added "It really helped me when I did the national stuff last summer I don't think I would've done as well as I did at Fargo last year if it weren't for the guys that I train with Cepak expects to wrestle in college like her other family members wrestled at the University of the Cumberlands (Kentucky) alongside Isabella's brother-in-law and Olivia's husband is wrapping up his senior season wrestling for nearby Siena Heights University But she won't be making a college decision anytime soon She's focused on winning a state title right now More: How learning to wrestle has made South Lyon East's Tyler Swanigan one of the best "Winning a state title is something I've thought about for the past four years," Cepak said should she finally get over the hump and win it all especially considering how well-received her post following the LVC tournament was She's inspiring other girls around the country "I was worried she'd get some negative feedback on her post but it's been really great and inspiring to read," said Violetta Cepak "The guys who she beat were defending her in the comments and the girls were so inspired by seeing her do that (win a LVC title) and this is so inspiring to me,' and the comments were just so great."  sixth-seed Penn State has winnable games against SMU and Boise State in the upcoming College Football Playoff We're talking about Nooe's Lions and their chances of winning the Lakes Valley Conference No one in the league started off better than the South Lyon girls basketball team which was 15-1 at one point and looked like the squad that would finally dethrone South Lyon East (the Cougars had won three straight LVC titles and roster attrition was finally taking its toll) But then the Lions got toward the tail end of their schedule and In February, they lost back-to-back league matchups to East and White Lake Lakeland, which put them one game back in the standings. And, sure enough, East and Lakeland split their home-and-home series, both finished with 14-2 records in league play and the two shared the LVC title And those woes carried into the postseason as Northville upset South Lyon 37-32 in the opening round of the Division 1 district tournament Watching your crosstown rival four-peat as league champions and losing Round 1 to the rebuilding Mustangs in the span of three weeks 1-0) entered this season with plenty of motivation to play locked in "I have the dates of our losses (against East Lakeland and Northville) circled on a whiteboard at home," said senior Izzy Nooe arguably the top returning player in the LVC following Thursday's 49-30 win at Wixom St "All those losses from basketball and softball where I thought I didn't perform well enough It motivates me because we dropped those games when we shouldn't have not with how top-heavy the league is yet again Aubrin Miller is back for her junior season at Lakeland Rochester Christian University and University of Olivet And despite East graduating last year's LVC MVP, Anna Lassan, who is starting as a true freshman at Detroit Mercy this winter junior Nyla Lake continues to improve and has become a star player in the league So the Cougars are going nowhere anytime soon and realistically could win the conference for a fifth straight year is super strong," Lions coach Chris Schroudt said "If you look at the scores from around the league in all of these none-league games you've got LVC schools going and putting a hurting on a lot of the schools they play he likely has the deepest roster out of all nine teams She's a tough-as-nails point guard who isn't afraid to drive to the hoop and take physical punishment The Bethel University (Minnesota) commit plays well beyond her 5-foot-4 frame No rebound is impossible for her to get to No shot seems too long or too big to knock down She can thread the needle on most difficult passes down the floor The Lions will go as the reigning first-team All-LVC standout goes she lost a shoe while tussling for a rebound and still outraced the defense en route for a transition layup before a referee finally called the play dead so she could lace 'em up again a second-team All-LVC player with plenty of range She buried three of South Lyon's nine 3s in Thursday's win and has been nothing but reliable to start her junior season Other contributors include junior starters Brynn O'Neil and Marian Gleason and freshman Rylee Miller Ava Klotz and Lucy Stoll and freshman Libby Minke and this is Year 4 with Izzy and she's always been able to do her thing," Schroudt said "She's one of the best — if not the best — in the area right now But it's those other girls continuing to work hard in practice and being able to make plays when they double her and make her life more difficult that's going to help us win games."  South Lyon should be favored to win the league title Nooe has never beaten them in her four years on varsity She's 0-7 against the Lions' biggest rivals and East hopes to make that nine-straight wins by the end of the season And you bet East coach Rob Leadley was on hand scouting South Lyon against SCA three times my sophomore year and two times as a junior You won't see too many girls basketball players celebrating a routine layup in transition quite like South Lyon senior Izzy Nooe did early in the third quarter of Friday's 56-26 win at South Lyon East The Bethel University (Indiana) commit corralled a turnover in the backcourt took it the full length of the floor for two points and then pointed toward the student section while racing back on defense with a giant smile on her face As the 5-foot-4 point guard got into a defensive stance on the ensuing possession she started waving her hands to get the crowd on their feet she called it the greatest victory of her career which is saying something because the Lions (9-1 6-1) came within three points of making it a running clock and she spent the entire fourth quarter sitting on the bench The game didn't win them a Lakes Valley Conference title nor did it advance them in the state tournament But the entire night was four years in the making that routine layup allowed Nooe to reach the 1,000-point scoring milestone for her career that was her first win against her biggest rival Nooe and the Lions entered the matchup 0-7 against the Cougars over the past four seasons More: South Lyon girls basketball hopes to finally win the Lakes Valley Conference "To get a win here at East while scoring 1,000 points especially with the grind that we've had the past two weeks against the teams we've played and coming off a break where we haven't had a lot of practices I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else The amount of help and the way everyone contributed tonight.. that was the best part about it all: Nooe didn't have to put the team on her back to finally end the curse Sarah Nelson and Rylee Miller each making a pair of 3-pointers and Lucy Stoll sinking another one And they couldn't have played better defense They held East scoreless for almost 16 straight minutes That allowed them to go on a 35-0 run throughout the first three periods And, sure, the Cougars, who have won the past four LVC championships, were without their star player from a year ago, Anna Lassan, who graduated and is now starting for Detroit Mercy's women's basketball team But they still brought back veterans Megan Fannon and Brooke Moyer appears to be the next great to come out of East since Lassan and current Central Michigan University junior Taylor Anderson But South Lyon held East to just nine points in the opening half The Lions weren't going to be denied this win and Izzy deserves it because no one sees the amount of work she puts in on the gun getting shots up every day on top of practice and our practices are never easy," sixth-year coach Chris Schroudt said "But it's also an awesome thing when everyone contributed tonight She was able to get 1,000 points in a win where everyone played great as well She wanted the milestone in the first half because that was the basket South Lyon's student section was standing under Doing it directly in front of them would have been huge But a missed free throw in the second quarter meant she entered halftime with 999 points "I was kind of beating myself up about it," she admitted "But I had the opportunity in the second half to do it on that layup made the layup and I can't even describe the feeling."  Her smile said it all while racing back on defense Ron Levin's coaching career would probably be a footnote at a school where winning is the only expectation Fans will remember him as the foundational piece that finally made its boys basketball team competitive he announced on social media that he's stepping down as the Cougars' coach after 12 years hoping to spend more time with his family before his kids grow up and are out of the house for good the team won Lakes Valley Conference championships in 2021 and 2023 and earned Academic All-State honors from the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan seven times His 2023 team set the school record for most wins in a season with 17 while three teams won at least 14 games or more Considering where the program was when he took over "It was a hard decision to come to (semi-retiring) because of what we've built here," Levin told Hometown Life on Tuesday there really was no culture whatsoever within the basketball program That's because the school was essentially brand new opening its doors in 2007 and enrolling only underclassmen at first doubling to 850 students in the first three years and cracking 1,000 by 2018 But the basketball team's competitiveness didn't increase at a similar rate The Cougars never won more than five games in a season before Levin took the job That included a winless season in 2011 and a one-win campaign the following school year everything was coming from the coaches," Levin recalled the seniors started feeding the younger kids Those first couple of years were about building the culture and creating relationships with the kids helping them realize we were there for them." Everything changed with his freshmen class in 2017 That was the first group that grew up wanting to be star players for East Several of his previous players grew up thinking they'd attend rival South Lyon because they were in elementary school when the school district decided to open a second high school That's when the focus switched from building a culture to actually winning games The 2019-20 season saw the Cougars win 15 games the first time they ever had double-digit wins in a season and they likely would've won the program's first district championship had the pandemic not shortened the postseason They were set to face Ann Arbor Skyline in the district final after knocking off Brighton and South Lyon earlier in the playoffs they followed that effort by winning the team's first conference championship as seniors the next school year who set school records for most assists in a career (174) season (70) and game (8) before going on to play at Wilmington College in Ohio "They were the first group that came in and wanted to play for East," Levin said "I knew them since they were 10 years old and since they were little play for me and that's when everything changed for our program The program has won 80 games over the past six seasons beaten rival South Lyon 11 times in the past seven and Levin earned Coach of the Year honors from BCAM in 2021 The Cougars also won the league a second time two years ago for the coaches that are interested in taking over things here they're set to win for the next four or five years," Levin said and the coaches want to stick around to work with the ton of talent we have coming up the pipeline We also have a great football coach (Jacob Topp) who very much supports the basketball program so there are a lot of things in place that will make sure that East isn't going away anytime soon Levin expects to return to coaching down the road especially considering the support he's received from past players colleagues in the coaching industry and parents since he announced he's stepping away and the recent praise he's gotten proves it and they're all getting to that age when they'll be out of the house soon," Levin said "I want to make sure my priority is to be as present in their lives as possible it's necessary for me to step down for a couple of years." Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials have announced a temporary road closure in Lyon County on Monday the Lyon County Highway Maintenance Crew will temporarily close KY 810 South to replace a cross drain at the 1-mile marker They said work will begin at about 8:30 a.m Monday and is expected to be completed by 2:00 p.m. SOUTH LYON — Masala Indian Grocery & Kitchen is offering a new concept in Indian food—delicious favorites served over the counter in a fast-casual environment rather than typical table service “I took a big risk by changing the Indian concept of serving food,” owner Sathish Radhakrishnan said I can change the concept and menu overnight.’” His risk was calculated and based on both education and experience who earned a master’s degree in culinary arts in his native India before moving to the U.S Aroma Indian Cuisine in Farmington Hills from 2014 to 2019 he opened his first Masala Indian Kitchen in Novi and in 2021 Both fast-casual restaurants have been very successful and after more than a year in the works invited customers in just before Christmas which serves over the counter all the traditional dishes you would expect to find from an Indian eatery And while the restaurant is self-service and even has self-order kiosks spacious dining room lends a welcoming family atmosphere with butcher block tables it is tough to keep everything clean and organized but I believe in the process and I am finding success,” Radhakrishnan said If you want the wow factor— cook food with love and care.” Masala Indian Grocery & Kitchen has varied hours for the grocery and restaurant segments The grocery is open seven days a week from 10 a.m For more information, and a full menu, visit masalamichigan.com or call 947-362-7090 The Battle of the Burgers is going on now as Oakland County Main Street holds its first ever Food Fight on Main Burger connoisseurs are invited to chow down on 15 different burgers through March 17 (pace yourself) at restaurants in four participating communities - Lyon and Highland townships as well as the cities of South Lyon and Wixom - and vote for a favorite “We thought it would be neat to do a project together,” said Amy Allen Lyon Township Downtown Development Authority director “Burgers are easy for variety of restaurants to participate in and you can vote for the one you think is best.” but here are your options and where you can find them: BBQ Bacon Burger – 8 oz Angus beef patty with bacon burger on pretzel bun with caramelized onions sweet & spicy pickles and house DBH mustard BBQ bloody Mary aioli & crowned with a perfectly cooked sunny side up egg Dua Burger – A half-pound prime beef burger with tomatoes harvest lettuce blend and pickle (this burger can only be ordered from the third-floor bar) Frisky Whisky Burger – A half-pound 99% lean bison burger Buffalo Trace Bourbon Glazed and char grilled to order sliced pickles and a roasted jalapeno aioliall on a grilled soft pretzel bun Served with crispy golden fries and a pickle spear The Comeback Cajun Burger – A juicy half-pound patty dusted with bold Cajun seasonings The Bomb Burger – A juicy burger wrapped in golden pizza dough creating the ultimate mash-up of burger and pizza Customize it your way with your choice of toppings The Smokehouse Smash Burger – Two perfectly seared smash beef patties topped with smoky bacon sweet onion jam and tangy pepperhouse cheese Drizzled with Prime BBQ’s signature smash sauce and served on a buttery brioche bun The LIFT Bar & Restaurant (at the STS Athletic Complex) The LIFT Burger - A half-pound patty topped with smoked beef brisket Served on a grilled brioche bun with lettuce The Big Johnny - One full pound of all beef burger Sliders - Fresh all beef patties with grilled onion Alex Burger: 100% ground beef flamed broiled Mexican Burger - All beef patties with the flavors of Mexico is looking forward to the burger battle and the boost he hopes it gives restaurants and diners during the final stretch until spring “We’re looking for ways to build community pride while helping our restaurants during a slower time of year,” he said. “The regional approach will help build a friendly rivalry between the communities and hopefully folks will enjoy a burger they haven’t tried and will get to see a new place on top of it!”To vote for your favorite burger, go to Food Fight on Main - Burger Battle Contact Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com SOUTH LYON — Turkeys were flying off the Active Faith food pantry shelves as nearly 170 families picked up the birds and all the trimmings for their Thanksgiving dinners a few days beforehand These families and the staff at Active Faith were feeling grateful indeed as they prepared to celebrate blessings including the food pantry's new building at 553 S "I can't talk without being emotional," Sharon Sower "This was a vision that took three years and this town did it.. People who need help are not embarrassed to come to a nice facility." has been serving low-income families in the South Lyon School District for 37 years out of a 3,700-square-foot warehouse on Washington Street The purchase and subsequent yearlong renovations to the building would not have been possible without an $840,000 grant from the state of Michigan and a massive community fundraising campaign that is ongoing as renovations exceeded $450,000 4-star rated charity the proper space to do its work including office space for Sower and the four part-time employees; a multi-purpose room; a clothing "closet" that presents more like a store for clients to choose apparel for job interviews and more; and plenty of food storage with non-perishable items as well as fresh fruit Sower emphasizes that Active Faith stands out because they are a "free choice" pantry meaning that clients choose their own groceries as opposed to being handed a box of food They can visit every Monday on food distribution day although some come only once or twice a month When clients arrived to the new building for the first time our goal is for people to see outside their circumstances," said Sower noting that many of their clients are children We'll help you think outside your current circumstances because you're worthy." has been visiting the Active Faith food pantry twice a month for the last few years after being forced into retirement because of medical issues respectful and welcoming," McDonald said of Sower her part-time staff and their army of about 50 community volunteers "I can get food that is healthy and nutritious and they don't make me feel bad a 55-year-old South Lyon resident who began visiting Active Faith during the pandemic when her partner lost his job especially of the assistance the couple was given to fix the brakes on their only vehicle and to make a mortgage payment when they fell behind They help me in all the situations and are always trying to find solutions." Sower and the Active Faith team are now getting into the Christmas spirit and preparing to help Santa provide gifts for more than 100 children from newborn to age 17 If you would like to help or if you are in need of help, visit activefaithcs.org. SOUTH LYON — One of the city's newest police officers is being credited for her quick actions early Monday that prevented a fire from becoming a tragedy sworn in as a South Lyon police officer in June when she noticed heavy smoke passing over East Lake Street "There were flames on the balcony next to Corner Social," Baaki said "The guy who owns Corner Social lives up there." who lives in an apartment above Corner Social at 101 S adjacent to the rooftop balcony where Baaki said the fire began possibly by a discarded cigar in a burn pit she called South Lyon Fire and then she and Police Sgt John Tomanek sprinted up stairs to awaken a sleeping Carano and get him out of there The officers tried using fire extinguishers on the flames but were unable to douse the growing blaze "It was a pretty good-sized fire," Fire Chief Joey Thorington said "It was starting to burn through the roof when we arrived It's fortunate she saw the fire when she did the entire building could have been gone." Firefighters made an aggressive and quick attack putting out the fire with very minimal damage to the inside of the building The cause of the fire is still under investigation "We’re very proud of Angela for her quick actions "She responded to the crisis and got the individual out of the building in a safe manner." Carano also expressed appreciation for Bay's actions and said "it definitely could have been a lot worse." There is no significant damage to the storage building for Glass Tec and Corner Social is undamaged and remains open "I've been here six years and a little fire and pandemic isn't gonna shut us down," he said adding that a driver also crashed into the building last year More: These third-party candidates won't win. Still, they vie for your vote and future change. More: Lyon Township trustee candidates weigh in on development, water system, roads Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com  (WXYZ) — At a preschool in South Lyon on Tuesday it wasn’t the teacher reading to students but Olympic bronze medalist Frederick Richard the gymnast is known by many as "Federick Flips." I've just been flipping my whole life," Richard said He’s not kidding — Richard has been a gymnast for a very long time I've been doing it before preschool," Richard said the now 20-year-old student from the University of Michigan made his Olympic debut in Paris You have one shot to represent for the country It definitely felt like this full-circle moment," Richard said It was another full-circle moment for Richard as he found himself back in preschool at The Learning Experience in South Lyon he was there to read to kids in honor of National Reading Month “We just thought why not make it happen," preschool teacher Mollie Blixt said Her son is actually Richard's teammate at Michigan and it's why she felt inspired to organize Richard's visit “I think he has a really strong platform and tries to bring a lot of awareness to the sport," Blixt said Richard is trying to make the men’s gymnastics uniform better for gymnasts I never felt very comfortable in it," said Richard who now wears shorts and a loose top when he performs despite losing points for it in competition “You can make changes in your sport and for those younger kids who might also feel that way These changes will help them," Richard said "reading time" turned into "show and tell" Tuesday as Richard showed off a couple of his moves demonstrating a back flip right before students' eyes He also surprised the class with something that’s part of his story forever: his bronze medal Richard says Tuesday's event was more than just reading a story but also a chance to share his own Chase LeFevre's improvement in the offseason might help the Novi boys basketball team have the final say in who wins the Kensington Lakes Activities Association-West Which is saying something because the senior has already been a standout for the Wildcats during his previous two seasons on varsity His ability to play off the ball to create open shots for himself and others is a big reason why he was an All-KLAA player a year ago The senior pitched in 12 points during a 70-59 win in the season opener Monday at South Lyon "He put in a lot of work over the summer," coach Chris Housey said working hard and working on different parts of his game He worked on the development of his jump shot and worked on the things he's already good at and he has improved a ton — he went from being a good player to becoming a really good player over the summer." LeFevre has continued to be an offensive threat but the 6-foot-3 combo guard showed he could battle in the paint and play tough defense which included him squaring off against South Lyon's 6-7 senior arguably the best all-around center in Oakland County The senior had tough drives to the hoop and made heads-up plays in transition that earned him trips to the foul line And his presence on the floor made it so plenty of his teammates could find shots from high-percentage spots near the rim this has been the winter this year's senior class has been building toward including LeFevre and point guard Aaron Lauer The Wildcats were 11-12 overall as sophomores they want to show that taking their lumps over the years has prepared them to compete in the KLAA-West More: KLAA coaches predict Wayne Memorial boys basketball to win league "This is an outstanding group of kids," Housey said They work their butts off in practice every day "We've been trying to keep them together as much as possible since they were freshmen so they could develop chemistry together followed by Michael Schave with 13 and LeFevre and Brendan Lynch with 12 points apiece And their leadership as veterans was needed throughout the evening They controlled the tempo and play for most of the game but anytime South Lyon would get on a hot streak and trim its deficit like the Lions did when they made it 62-54 in the fourth quarter Novi's seniors stepped up and took back control "There were a couple of mistakes here and there but they share the ball well," Housey said "The best thing about them is they don't care who scores as long as we score which is rare for a ninth-grade group to come in that way they came in with that mentality and we've nurtured them along the way to help them get ready South Lyon is on its third coach in four seasons as Monday's loss was Grant Essenmacher's debut Coaching turnover is tough for most teams to combat Essenmacher has been in the program for the past seven seasons He's been a varsity assistant each of those seasons it helps when they already know the roster I already had a relationship with a lot of them coming in," Essenmacher said "Pretty much everyone on the team I've coached at one point." Essenmacher has retained South Lyon's entire staff from last season except for who led the Lions to 5-18 and 10-13 seasons his two years with the program it's not too much change," Essenmacher added We're running similar stuff defensively with some tweaks "It's not ideal to have three coaches in four years at least it was somebody they knew coming in." Essenmacher has known Braun since he was 5 years old I don't think it's any secret to anybody that we're going to go to him and go to him a lot "I hope college coaches get out to look at him because he deserves it It's cool to get to coach him his last year because I've known him since he was 5 years old I'll do everything I can to put him in the best position to succeed." More: The Avengers of the Lakes Valley Conference have assembled with Inspire U Basketball Under the circumstances Braun faced against Novi The senior picked up his third foul with just 2:01 remaining in the opening quarter which required Essenmacher to get creative with how he managed Braun's minutes to ensure the big man could stay on the floor and keep Novi from running away with the win including drawing three and-one opportunities Essenmacher took advantage of timeouts and stoppages to platoon Braun in and out of the game relying on the center to play mostly on offense While the rest of the Lions played well when Braun wasn't on the floor — including Braden Fox who added 18 points — it's clear South Lyon is going to go as Braun goes when Lakes Valley Conference play begins "Given the fact he got his third foul before the second quarter he did a good job of not fouling out," Essenmacher said "And we did a good job of managing that situation I thought he played well tonight give the situation he was in." SOUTH LYON — Three South Lyon East High School students were charged Sept 11 in connection with threats to shoot up the school Two of the students were charged with false report or threat of terrorism while the third student was charged with intentional threats to commit act of violence against school according to a press release from Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D False report or threat of terrorism is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine The intentional threat charge is a one-year misdemeanor "A threat against a school is terrifying," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said during a press conference. Two were arrested at school on Tuesday while the third was arrested at their home later that day Bouchard said he expected all three to appear before a juvenile court referee Wednesday stem from three separate social media posts made on Sept a student shared with a teacher a screenshot of a post stating '[G]uys imma shoot up the school tomorrow,'" McDonald said in the release "The teacher then reported the post to the school administration two additional posts were discovered in the same group chat indicating 'I’m going to blow up the school.'" At least ten students received these messages South Lyon Schools Superintendent Steve Archibald sent an email to district families informing them that the administrative team had received a communication at about 9:30 p.m Monday night regarding the threats on social media He said Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies had met with students and families involved in the initial report and that all three students had been removed from the building we take them seriously and in today's climate 'I'm just kidding,' 'I didn't mean it,' or 'It was a joke,' does not impact the seriousness of the situation nor the disciplinary referral process," Archibald wrote urging students to report any safety concerns and parents to have conversations with their students “Parents and kids should feel safe at school,” McDonald said and they also undermine our entire community's confidence in the safety of our schools It’s not a joke,and the charges we issued will ensure that these students face appropriate consequences.” UPDATE: Police said the girl has been found "safe and sound." SOUTH LYON — Police area asking the public to help locate a 12-year-old girl who was last seen Friday evening Harmony Sivret was last known to have walked downtown South Lyon and visited friends at about 7:30 p.m police said in a Facebook post Saturday morning Harmony was wearing a white skirt and pink She had a blue-and-green striped sweatshirt with her Call the South Lyon Police Department at 248-437-1773 if you have information on her location 215-pound sophomore Myles Smith continues developing as well as he has this winter for the Farmington boys basketball team the future college football player might have a tough choice to make as a senior how big he's going to get," second-year coach Byron Johnson said following Sunday's 52-45 win over South Lyon in a Holiday Extravaganza showcase game at North Farmington High School "We work out every day — and I really feel like he's a Division I football player — but if he continues with basketball I feel like he'll have his choice between football and basketball (at the next level)."  Those comments come after Smith's impressive performance vs Braun has the post moves to battle with the best of them under the basket but he can also knock down 3-pointers and handle point-guard duties Smith and Braun went toe-to-toe throughout the showcase Smith (14 points) edged Braun (12) by a bucket on the final stat sheet got to the foul line six times in the second half and did enough to halt South Lyon's comeback attempt in the fourth quarter figuring out what he (Braun) does," said Smith and he should be one of the top players in the state That teamwork is why Smith and the Falcons (7-2 2-1) are off to a hot start entering the new year And it wouldn't be a surprise to see them compete for an Oakland Activities Association-White title More: 27-point 3rd quarter allows Farmington football to upset White Lake Lakeland in Round 1 nor does anyone have trouble rallying on defense to make a tough play Their only issue is how young and inexperienced they are right now and our defense has been consistent," Johnson said Their two losses were a pair of four-point close calls against rival North Farmington and Birmingham Seaholm Maybe they pull those out with more court experience They were literally a play here and a play there from being 9-0 Which is saying something because they got a late start to the season A chunk of their contributors are football players, who beat White Lake Lakeland in the playoff opener and advanced to the Division 2 district final against eventual state champion Orchard Lake St "We really didn't expect to catch our groove until the middle of January just because our football guys didn't get back until tryout day," Johnson said "It's good because we're happy with where we are right now."  More: Farmington boys basketball stuns Redford Union at buzzer who had a slow start to the winter but is now becoming dominant in the post "I was proud of Myles today," Johnson said "We saw the film on him (Braun) and knew he was going to be the guy That's a hat tip to his time with coach Jason Albrecht and the football team It's not lost on Smith how much football has helped prepare him to be a reliable scoring threat down low "Football makes you tougher when you play basketball," the underclassman said Five of the six All-Lakes Valley Conference first-team boys basketball selections from a year ago have returned for their senior seasons and are doing an admirable job of leading their teams From Walled Lake Central's Jake Nellett to Milford's Carson Lutz who reached the 1,000-point scoring milestone for his career with Waterford Mott earlier this week But there's another senior in the LVC many aren't talking about Stone Seyburn has been Walled Lake Northern's leading scorer one of its toughest defenders and its most important ballhandler especially when opponents throw full-court pressure at the Knights The third-year varsity player has received some recruiting interest from Division III and NAIA colleges 172-pound point guard can play at the next level He has the fundamentals and basketball IQ to make any team better He's shown that all season long for Northern But the colleges haven't necessarily been calling him Seyburn doesn't promote himself on social media There aren't HUDL highlights or promotional graphics floating around X.com (formerly known as Twitter) as you see from the other standouts around the league Braun tied South Lyon's record for most rebounds in a single game last week A quick tweet that night notified hundreds of college coaches on social media about his achievement When Lutz set the Mavericks' modern-day scoring record with 45 points in a game in November Milford wasted no time promoting the milestone Almost every state-wide high school basketball media outfit in Michigan had a tweet about it immediately afterward More: The Avengers of the Lakes Valley Conference have assembled with Inspire U Basketball playing at a high level without the fanfare that comes from being online that's not him," fifth-year coach Ryan Negoshian said Tuesday night after Seyburn helped the Knights (6-10 5-6) stave off a late comeback attempt by Braun and the Lions to win solid offense and a lot of good things from him But he's not going to toot his own horn or gloat about anything goes to work and does what the team needs to be done."  Northern held onto the lead most of the game especially in the fourth quarter when Braun a 6-7 center with point guard-like ballhandling skills But every time Braun knocked down a 3-pointer or sank a foul shot to make it a four-point deficit Seyburn responded with a big play of his own whether that was moving the ball against South Lyon's press finding open teammates for high-percentage shots or That included making two field goals in the paint and earning a trip to the foul line More: Jake Nellett does it all for rebuilding Walled Lake Central boys basketball "He wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game to make sure it gets in the hot man's hands," Negoshian said but there's a lot of pressure there in games like this."  But that's been Seyburn's modus operandi since he got to high school "He's a pretty hard-nosed competitor," Negoshian added "It doesn't matter what it is (practice or games) he really worked on his game to show that he did belong."  And Negoshian would know who belongs on the varsity at a young age He comes from a long lineage of respected coaches. His father, Tom, was inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan's Hall of Fame in 2024, while his younger brother, Todd, led North Farmington to last season's Division 1 state championship, where it ultimately fell to Orchard Lake St. Mary's and five-star recruit Trey McKenney If a Negoshian says you can play at the next level "I know there's some people interested in him," he said While Seyburn mostly lets his play on the court speak for itself he has worked on his sales pitch to prospective schools "I would say that I would work my butt off for you," Seyburn said I want to be a great leader for anyone's team out there I'll work my butt off for whoever wants me."  The senior just needs the spotlight so that colleges know he's available to be recruited He hasn't ruled out signing up for social media to start promoting himself His elite colleagues in the LVC are doing so and they're all likely to play at the next level It's not too late for him to start his own hype train "Maybe I've got to put myself out there more," Seyburn admitted "Because I would love to play (at the next level) I'd love to keep playing basketball because I love basketball."  Oakland County Sheriff's detectives are investigating a threat against South Lyon East High School High school staff contacted the sheriff's office about a social media post that said "Guys imma going to shoot up the school tomorrow," according to authorities A South Lyon East High School student reported the post to the staff at about 9:30 p.m district officials said in a message to the school's parents Detectives began investigating and identified the student who created the social media post Investigators said they met with the student and his parents at their Lyon Township home The student's parents told detectives that he has no access to weapons at the home Officials said the detectives told the student and his parents that he would not be allowed on school property until further notice District officials said further investigation into the threat revealed that two other students posted similar comments on social media They said police removed those two students from the school Tuesday or it was a joke,' does not impact the seriousness of the situation nor the disciplinary referral process," the district said in its Tuesday message to parents "We appreciate having law enforcement available to our schools as the safety of our students and staff is a top priority We also appreciate that the reporting student sought out a trusted adult to share this concern to support the student who made the comment as well as to support the safety of others "We ask that if any students have information about a safety concern they always inform administration or another trusted adult as soon as possible Please help our school community by continuing to have these conversations with your children as well." Last weekend, authorities arrested a 15-year-old girl accused of threatening gun violence at a Monroe County school The incident came days after a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder NOVI — A South Lyon woman has been charged with embezzling more than $200,000 from a family friend who was suffering cognitive decline was arraigned on one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $100,000 or more and two counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $50,000 or more but less than $100,000 on Dec after he began to experience cognitive decline and then allegedly attempted to add herself to his South Lyon condo interest Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a release The attorney general also accused Green of facilitating changes to the victim's investment accounts in 2018 and 2020 that ensured she would inherit more than $400,000 “It’s both baffling and reprehensible that people especially those trusted by the victims and their families take advantage of vulnerable members of our community for their own personal gain,” Nessel said “Our seniors deserve protection from such predatory behavior and my department remains committed to holding accountable those who prey on vulnerable adults.”  Green was given a $50,000 personal recognizance bond A probable cause conference for Green is scheduled on Dec 18 before 52-1 District Court Judge David Law Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com or 517-281-2412 A South Lyon woman accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands from a vulnerable adult has been charged Tracie Green was arraigned Tuesday through 52-1 District Court in Novi on multiple felony charges the Michigan Attorney General's Office said The 64-year-old was charged with two counts of embezzling $50,000 or more but less than $100,000 from a vulnerable adult and a count of embezzling $100,000 or more from a vulnerable adult A magistrate set her bond at $50,000 and scheduled her next court hearing for Wednesday The court also ordered Green to have no contact with the victim's family or witnesses and forbade her from leaving the state she faces up to 15 years in prison for each count of embezzling between $50,000 and $100,000 and up to 20 years for the third embezzlement charge Court records on Thursday did not list an attorney for Green Authorities allege Green embezzled money from a man with cognitive impairment offered to help care for him after his cognitive abilities declined Police said she then allegedly tried to add her name to the ownership of his South Lyon condo They allege Green also changed the man's investment accounts in 2018 and 2020 to ensure she would inherit half of their value upon his death The victim died in 2021 and his investments were worth more than $400,000 "It’s both baffling and reprehensible that people take advantage of vulnerable members of our community for gain," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement "Our seniors deserve protection from such predatory behavior and my department remains committed to holding accountable those who prey on vulnerable adults." Green's charges are among the most recent cases of a caregiver being accused of embezzling money from a patient or elderly person In September, a Southfield man was charged for allegedly embezzling more than $7,000 from eight vulnerable adults at a Warren nursing home Alex Ambrose was given a $20,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in 37th District Court in Warren for a probable cause hearing next Thursday The same month, a Flint woman pleaded no contest to embezzlement after she allegedly conned an elderly romantic partner Constance Marie Roberts was sentenced in November in Genesee County Circuit Court to three years of probation and to pay restitution to the victims