Villages-News.com A Summerfield woman wanted on a warrant was arrested with fentanyl and needles in her purse Thursday to the residence of 41-year-old Samantha Nicole Lester to find her and serve an active Lake County warrant according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office She was found and arrested for the warrant charging her with grand theft auto Inside the purse was a smaller bag containing a red straw and a small green and white jar with two pieces of cotton in a clear liquid and the liquid tested positive for fentanyl Also in the purse was a contact lens container that held two more pieces of cotton submerged in fentanyl and weighing 0.05 grams A yellow pill bottle with no label contained multiple Ziplock bags Lester was ultimately charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and fentanyl on top of the warrant She was transported to Marion County Jail with bond set at $3,500 She was also arrested in Feb. 2024 on suspicion of skip-scanning at Walmart A two-vehicle crash in southeast Marion County on April 30 killed one person County Road 42 and Southeast 89th Terrace in Summerfield Troopers said a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck was eastbound on CR 42 in the left-turn lane was westbound on CR 42 in the outside lane approaching 89th Terrace The rider laid the bike down and the man and the bike collided with the truck's right side FHP officials said the motorcycle rider was transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital Authorities said it was shortly after 3 p.m Officials said the victim was pronounced deceased at 4:51 p.m Officials said the pickup driver had left a VA medical facility and was on his way to Bushnell It's unknown where the motorcycle rider was headed Motorcycle death: Two-vehicle crash in Weirsdale kills motorcyclist, 74, on April 26 The death was the second motorcycle fatality in the past few days. On April 26 an elderly woman driving a Hyundai Tucson was attempting to cross the road when her vehicle struck a 74-year-old man riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle The crash occurred at Southeast Harbor Road and County Road 25 part manifesto and part meditation on a question that has long unsettled technologists and philosophers alike: when machines seem to think Summerfield's book arrives at a pivotal moment. Breakthroughs in AI—from the release of multimodal models like GPT-4 to brain-inspired advances like IBM's NorthPole chip—are reshaping how scientists policymakers and the public understand machine intelligence their cognitive status—whether they are truly capable of reasoning planning and thinking—has become one of the most urgent and contentious debates of our time Summerfield argues that to grasp the future of AI it is necessary first to understand the nature of human reasoning—and to recognize both the parallels and differences between biological and artificial minds currently housed in a weathered cluster of buildings at the edge of Oxford’s Science Area feels like a space in transition: whiteboards are thick with diagrams and the smell of old wood coexists uneasily with that of new wiring Summerfield and his colleagues will move into the Life and Mind Building a gleaming complex of pale stone and glass where EEG suites sleep labs and eye-tracking rooms are being built behind clean Yet even as Oxford remakes its infrastructure the mood inside the building remains unchanged—serious threaded with the quiet intensity of people who spend their lives trying to understand how minds Summerfield teaches a course called "How to build a brain from scratch," which draws on psychology neuroscience and AI to examine the underlying principles of learning and inference He is known for emphasizing clarity and accessibility traits that have become increasingly important as discussions about AI move beyond technical circles and into broader public debate framing a face that is open and animated when discussing ideas He wears a simple dark sweater and wire-rimmed glasses lending him the appearance of someone more concerned with solving problems than cultivating a polished image equations and diagrams catches the morning light "There's a tendency to frame AI in these starkly opposing ways," he says the optimists believe we'll very soon have technologies smarter than humans skeptics see AI as hype—just another tool wielded by corporations to control us." Meanwhile, companies like IBM are pursuing brain-inspired designs. The NorthPole chip is built to mimic aspects of biological neural networks emphasizing energy efficiency and parallel processing over brute computational power these efforts reflect a growing realization that scaling up conventional AI methods may not be sufficient and that new models of intelligence Ask Summerfield whether large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are able to reason "At least within a narrow range of domains today's AI systems reason better than humans," he says Today’s LLMs don't merely retrieve facts; they generate code, compose essays and propose solutions to complex problems. The newest frontier, known as multimodal AI extends this capacity further by allowing systems to process images a development researchers hope will approximate more holistic forms of reasoning "Models are better than most people at most cognitive tasks," Summerfield says But he is quick to add that significant limitations remain Models often struggle with tasks that require deeper social understanding infer intentions or grasp the unspoken nuances that characterize human interaction "Social interaction is essential to our survival," he explains "Models aren't trained in that world They're missing some of the motivations and emotional cues that make human social reasoning so sophisticated." Recent studies have attempted to test whether AI systems could develop a "theory of mind"—the capacity to attribute mental states to others Some experimental models show hints of this ability in controlled settings but researchers broadly agree that AI still lags far behind the layered intuitive mental models that humans deploy every day Summerfield points out that while today's systems can simulate aspects of logical reasoning impressively they do not truly understand what they are doing They lack grounding in a lived experience of the world—a fundamental limitation that no amount of clever prompting can fully erase And the nature of these differences becomes even clearer when we consider another essential ingredient of human thought: memory If motivation gives direction to our thoughts machines diverge sharply from biological minds Humans possess multiple memory systems Short-term memory relies on dynamic electrical activity in the brain allowing people to hold and manipulate information over brief periods involves physical changes in neural connections—a slow adaptive process that enables individuals to retain knowledge experiences and skills across years and even decades deeply encoded by brain structures such as the amygdala shape behavior and decision-making throughout a lifetime Today's AI models, by comparison, handle memory very differently. LLMs operate within a fixed context window: they retain information temporarily during an interaction "When you interact with a language model," Summerfield says It can’t remember who you are or what you discussed unless that information is carried explicitly forward." This limitation is not just inconvenient. In humans, memory enables the creation of personal identity deepens relationships and allows for the development of trust remain fundamentally transactional—excellent at pattern-matching in the moment Even if developers can overcome the technical hurdles Human memory is not just a database of facts; it is malleable It evolves with new experiences and takes on new meanings memory isn’t just storage," Summerfield noted It’s the continuous rewriting of the past through the lens of the present." AI will always lack a core element of what it means to be truly intelligent—and genuinely human product leaders and more as they cut through the AI noise to bring you the latest in AI news and insights Despite the current limitations of artificial systems Summerfield believes that the attempt to build thinking machines is already reshaping how scientists understand natural intelligence AI acts as an existence proof," he says "If certain computational strategies work for machines it suggests they could also be at play in biological systems." One of the most striking developments has been the discovery that relatively simple neural network architectures, when scaled massively, can produce behaviors once assumed to require far more sophisticated designs. Transformer models have shown that large-scale pattern recognition and generalization can emerge from statistical training alone This success is pushing cognitive scientists to revisit longstanding theories about how humans learn, reason and generalize. In particular, it challenges the idea that intelligence must be hard-coded with intricate symbolic rules it suggests that much of human reasoning may itself emerge from simple mechanisms operating over vast amounts of data and experience Modern AI models can infer solutions to unfamiliar problems even engage in forms of meta-cognition: reasoning about their reasoning Developers did not explicitly program these capabilities; they arose spontaneously from the training process mirroring some aspects of human cognitive flexibility Summerfield is quick to caution against facile comparisons While brains and AI may resemble each other at an abstract level the underlying systems remain fundamentally different evolved under pressures that embedded emotions motivations and biases deeply into the fabric of cognition features largely absent from machine systems "There are striking similarities at the algorithmic level," he said "but the substrate—the medium in which intelligence is instantiated—is entirely different." Human thought is not purely logical or dispassionate guided by social context and shaped by the need to survive and reproduce These layers of complexity give rise to behaviors that AI models the process of building and studying AI is helping researchers refine their understanding of what intelligence is: not a single ability but an emergent phenomenon arising from many interlocking capabilities "We are learning as much about ourselves," he says If efforts to build memory into AI highlight the gaps between machines and minds the question of consciousness pushes the contrast even further The notion that an artificial system could ever become conscious—that it might have subjective experiences a sense of self or an inner mental life—has long been one of the most controversial debates in cognitive science and philosophy Summerfield approaches the issue with characteristic precision not because he views consciousness as uniquely magical but because the evidence simply does not support the idea that today's AI systems possess anything resembling subjective awareness "When a language model says 'I am conscious,'" he explains "it's echoing patterns it has learned from human data There's no independent reason to believe those words reflect an internal reality." LLMs like GPT-4 are trained to predict the most plausible next piece of text but coherence is not a reliable indicator of consciousness Some researchers have proposed behavioral tests for machine consciousness adaptability and coherence of AI responses But without access to subjective experience "We have a hard enough time assessing consciousness in non-human animals," Summerfield notes In biological systems, consciousness appears to emerge from the complex interaction of billions of neurons bodily sensations and a history of embodied experiences today's AI models operate by performing mathematical transformations of input data without sensory grounding or emotional context Summerfield offers a simple analogy: "You can simulate the behavior of a hurricane on a computer," he says "But the simulation isn't wet or windy an AI can simulate the outward patterns of a conversation—and even self-reports of consciousness—without experiencing anything internally For now, Summerfield believes it is safest and most productive to view AI systems as complex tools, not nascent beings. Treating them otherwise risks confusing imitation with understanding—and distracts from the urgent work of monitoring their real-world impact As our conversation shifts toward the future, Summerfield broaches a theme that has threaded quietly through all our discussions: governance "These systems are powerful," he says "And their development is being driven largely by commercial incentives." Summerfield embraces technological innovation He sees incredible potential for AI to revolutionize areas like medicine he worries that if we don't put careful safeguards in place the dangers could end up surpassing the advantages "We need structures that ensure these tools are developed and used responsibly," he says research organizations and advocacy groups are publishing best practices for responsible development and deployment He says that many cutting-edge AI systems are trained on massive datasets and their deployment often lacks meaningful transparency and accountability "It's not just about technical fixes," he says "It's about societal choices." about who benefits from AI advances: Who bears the risks Who controls the tools that are increasingly shaping our economies our information ecosystems and even our intimate relationships but as a reflection of ourselves—an imperfect mirror showing us both our capabilities and our blind spots will be one of the defining challenges of the years ahead the work of understanding has only just begun Learn how to choose the right approach in preparing datasets and employing foundation models We surveyed 2,000 organizations about their AI initiatives to discover what's working performant and trusted AI models tailored for business and optimized to scale your AI applications Access our full catalog of over 100 online courses by purchasing an individual or multi-user subscription today enabling you to expand your skills across a range of our products at a low price the curriculum is designed to help business leaders gain the knowledge needed to prioritize the AI investments that can drive growth Want to get a better return on your AI investments Learn how scaling gen AI in key areas drives change by helping your best minds build and deliver innovative new solutions Learn how to confidently incorporate generative AI and machine learning into your business Dive into the three critical elements of a strong AI strategy: creating a competitive edge scaling AI across the business and advancing trustworthy AI foundation models and machine learning capabilities with IBM watsonx.ai a next-generation enterprise studio for AI builders Build AI applications in a fraction of the time with a fraction of the data Put AI to work in your business with IBM’s industry-leading AI expertise and portfolio of solutions at your side Reinvent critical workflows and operations by adding AI to maximize experiences real-time decision-making and business value Get one-stop access to capabilities that span the AI development lifecycle Produce powerful AI solutions with user-friendly interfaces workflows and access to industry-standard APIs and SDKs A man with a suspended license was arrested after running a stop sign near a gas station in Summerfield An officer observed a blue Dodge Dakota traveling westbound in the area of southeast SE Hwy 47-year-old Ryan Joseph Clark of Summerfield The vehicle pulled into the Sunoco at the intersection of the highways and the deputy pulled off the road slightly west He watched Clark drive back out about 30 seconds after pulling in The vehicle then ignored a stop sign before getting back onto southeast U.S A traffic stop was subsequently conducted in the 9300 block of the highway to which he stated he had not had a license for “years.” He provided his information and it confirmed it had been suspended since 2016 A check of Clark’s driving history revealed he had three prior convictions for driving while his license was suspended dating from May 2017 to May 2021 His license was currently suspended as a result of a DUI Clark was arrested on charge of driving while license suspended/revoked (third or subsequent violation) He was transported to Marion County Jail with bond set at $2,500  Santa Rosa’s Summerfield Cinemas is closing for good this weekend.  The beloved cultural locale will mark the occasion with free screenings of films shot here you want to be ready when we get to Santa Rosa That’s one of the movies that will be screened for free this Sunday Gabe Meline is senior editor on the KQED Arts & Culture desk and will be there give people locations to look out for when they’re watching the movie tell some stories from behind the scenes of the filming of the movie," said Meline "A lot of local excitement about these movies when they were filmed here And I think it will just be a nice send off for theater that is – now it’s the oldest existing movie theater in Santa Rosa continuously operating as a movie theater.” There are some fun shooting locations that are sure to inspire nostalgia for old Santa Rosa When I watched Smooth Talk and saw scenes of the mall large redwood log that was in the middle of the mall for some reason.” You know they go to Coddingtown Cinemas at one point in that movie was memorialized by Hollywood in these films," Meline said The closure follows months of efforts by fans of the theater to keep it open as well as potential development deals that have fallen through Dan Tocchini is owner of Santa Rosa Entertainment Group He says multiple factors have led to the closure “The pandemic of course effected art and foreign film much heavier than the commercial film It seemed to hit the older people were affected more by coming out and the business never really came back after the pandemic," said Tocchini "And another thing that added to it is the – the independent industry has a tendency to stream much quicker because in some cases they don’t have the money to wait for the distribution throughout the theaters Meline says he hopes there is still a chance for movie theaters to entertain the public they way they used to and not to move towards a trend of overpriced it really was just the sort of workman-like And there were lots of movie theaters in Santa Rosa Showing films as cheap family entertainment And if that gets “bougified,” which I think that’s where we’re headed will devote two theaters to indie and foreign language films The free screenings of locally-shot films on Sunday at Summerfield Cinemas start at 1pm Here are links to what's happening RIGHT NOW in Sonoma County Start your weekday mornings with the Sonoma County First News podcast bringing you the top local headlines and a detailed weather forecast to kick off your day Stay informed with the latest breaking news and stories from communities across Sonoma County—from Petaluma to Cloverdale Subscribe to the Sonoma County First News podcast through the NorCal Mobile App Get the latest updates on programs and events Nearly three years ago I visited and was wowed and saddened by the 1904 home of Summerfield United Methodist Church Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories in that station's most popular podcast.  2025.  He was born October 24,1959 at Pawnee City and Aladene (Fiehtner) Burger.  He lived on a farm East of Summerfield until 1968 when his family moved to Summerfield.  He attended Summerfield School graduating in 1977.  He worked for CR Industries for a period of time and then became a truck driver.  Later he and his brother Bobby went to Manhattan Area Vo-Tech to study auto body graduating in 1986.  He worked for Smitty's in rural Axtell for a short time and then went to work for Industrial Mill Works in Seneca Ks.  From there he went to work at Quality Homes where he worked until his health forced him into early retirement.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother Michael Burger.  He is survived by 3 brothers Ks.  Nieces and nephews Heather Burger Molly Burger (Tyler Peterson).  Eight great nieces and eight great nephews.  He had a love for NHRA drag racing and going to car shows.  His favorite car being the Ford Mustang.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing.  He was a big K-State and LA Rams fan His nieces and nephew held a special place in his heart and he in theirs.  His great nieces and nephews considered him a second grandpa.  He will be greatly missed by his family Mass of Christian Burial Services will be held at 11:00 a.m 2025 at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Summerfield Kansas with Father Mathew Francis officiating.   Rosary will be recited at 10:30 a.m 2025 at the Wherry Mortuary in Pawnee City Memorials may go to the family's choice Interment will be in the Holy Family Catholic Cemetery Online condolences may be left @ www.wherrymortuary.com 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Signature HealthCARE at Summerfield is hosting a fun festive “Walk-In Wednesday with Sue” — a special kickoff barbecue to launch the company’s exciting Drive Home Success employee referral program Team members who refer a full-time LPN or RN will be entered to win a brand-new car This lighthearted event will feature Chef Moon on the grill and a peek at a similar vehicle on display to give staff a taste of the grand prize Signature HealthCARE at Summerfield1877 Farnsley Rd Signature HealthCARE is a leading provider of long-term care operating facilities across multiple states Signature HealthCARE is committed to transforming elder care through innovation Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInROCKFORD joins Andy and Maggie on the Morning Blend Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor The news that Summerfield Cinemas in Santa Rosa will shutter permanently comes after months of speculation about its future The five-screen Summerfield Cinemas in east Santa Rosa which specializes in independent and foreign films is closing in March after months of speculation about the theater’s future “We really appreciate the public in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County in supporting the theater over the years It’s been a delight to run,” said Dan Tocchini of Santa Rosa Entertainment Group “It’s a theater that we all love and cherish The longtime operator confirmed the closure in an email Tuesday and said the business had struggled to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic with fewer art-house films being released in theaters The closure represents another blow for local cinema buffs who have held tight to Summerfield and Sebastopol-based Rialto Cinemas amid nationwide contraction in the business Local operators estimate more than 30 movie screens across Sonoma County have been lost with the closure of Rohnert Park’s Reading Cinemas in November 2023 and other smaller movie houses in the pandemic Summerfield’s last showing will be March 9 The closure comes roughly nine months after neighbors were first alerted to a proposal to redevelop the building into a Planet Fitness gym alarming them and movie enthusiasts who said the theater was integral to the community’s fabric The proposal came as the owner of the Lakeside Shopping Center on Summerfield Road where the theater is located looked to sell the property. A prospective buyer submitted plans for the gym to the city in September 2023, which were approved though Planet Fitness officials say they’re not moving forward with the project Supporters under the banner of the Citizens Committee to Save Summerfield Cinemas group in recent months pushed for the theater to be preserved starting an online petition and hosting rallies outside the site They opposed any chain business taking over the space arguing it would take away from the atmosphere cultivated at the shopping center by locally owned businesses “I’ve been so appreciative of them keeping movies going,” he said So many people wanted to see the cinema continue.” The space has been operated as a theater as far back as the late 1960s when the two-screen Park Cinema opened there according to reports in The Press Democrat from the time The Tocchini’s remodeled and reopened the space in 1989 as the Lakeside 5 with plans for a discount theater specializing in second-run movies They operated the theater until the former Rialto Cinemas Lakeside moved in 2000 which has a near-century long history in the theater business in Sonoma County again took over operations of the Summerfield in 2010 after the Rialto lost its bid to stay at the site and relocated to Sebastopol Tocchini told The Press Democrat over the summer that while the business was struggling financially he didn’t have plans to shut down when he was notified by the incoming property owner that they intended to redevelop the space City records show plans were submitted to the city in September 2023 by prospective buyer George Arce Jr and a New Hampshire-based Planet Fitness franchisee who owns other locations in Northern California The city’s Zoning Administrator in July approved a minor conditional use permit allowing the conversion The Save Summerfield campaign appealed to the Planning Commission the sale of the 4.22-acre Lakeside Shopping Center to Arce hit a snag late last year threatening the gym plans and providing a short reprieve to supporters seeking alternatives that would keep the theater open Tocchini on Wednesday said while operations at the company’s two other local theaters Roxy Stadium 14 in downtown Santa Rosa and Airport Stadium 12 near Windsor had mostly returned to pre-pandemic levels the Summerfield “has not even achieved half the business we had in 2019.” He said it wasn’t feasible to keep the theater open “It’s just a business decision that we had to make,” he said adding that he had been considering closing for about a year The theater’s closure next month has raised immediate concern among supporters about the permanent loss of movie screens dedicated to art house films Movie theaters aren’t permitted at the Summerfield location but the Summerfield was grandfathered in when zoning regulations for the site were updated years ago That means if theater operations cease for more than six months a theater would no longer be allowed to operate there under city zoning said he and other supporters continue to look for a new operator that could step in to take over operations and are studying opportunities for a partnership that would bring in private funding and nonprofit assistance to keep the theater running “We’re hoping that perhaps with this window opening with Summerfield closing there’s an opportunity to work with the property owner to do something there,” Stefan said It’s not clear if property owners or prospective buyers would be open to that idea Tocchini said Santa Rosa Entertainment is committed to maintaining independent films as part of its business model and they intend to allocate two of the 14 screens at the Roxy to independent movies “We’re going to try to make it work and fulfill the need of the community for art films,” he said Tocchini said operators are discussing potential plans for a farewell celebration at the Summerfield but nothing has been finalized You can reach Staff Writer Paulina Pineda at 707-521-5268 or paulina.pineda@pressdemocrat.com PETERSBURG – Brea Olmstead threw a birthday party for herself Monday The Summerfield junior blasted a home run and a triple to power the offense during a 12-0 softball victory over Lenawee Christian “What an incredible performance,” said Summerfield coach Christine Zappone The Bulldogs got off to a fast start as Elena Miller and Lilly Delmotte singled Kylee Nevel drove in two runs with a single and Makenzie Wolfe doubled home another Erie Mason: Tossed a 1-hit shutout in the first game and went 6-for-7 with two doubles during a doubleheader 15-0 Second-game winning pitcher Addie Homrich had 5 hits with a double a triple and a home runs Ava Belair added 4 hits and scored 4 runs Kensey Kreger logged 3 hits Boys Basketball final stats: Football players control the boards for Region basketball teams SMCC: Went 4-for-4 during a 10-1 win over Jefferson Winning pitcher Olivia Piepsney struck out 10 and Averie Gendron and Braelyn Runyon drove in two runs apiece Milan: Collected hits in all three trips to the plate during a 12-0 mercy of Grosse Ile Charleigh Meggison and Cami Heath added two hits each and Kendyll Fell tossed a 2-hitter with 9 strikeouts over five innings Airport: Went 2-for-2 and stole two bases in a 6-1 triumph over New Boston Huron Brooklyn Martin tossed a 3-hitter with 8 strikeouts Madison Kuzara went 2-for-4 and stole three bases for Huron Gibraltar Carlson: Cracked a pair of doubles and a single to ignite an 8-4 triumph over Woodhaven Monroe: Blasted a three-run homer in the third inning to put her team on top by a run on the way to a 10-4 win over Dexter Avery Leach drove in two runs to run her season total to 16 Aly Lewis tripled twice and Maci Willey added two hits and stole two bases Flat Rock: Gave up just one hit and struck out 13 over 5.3 innings of a 9-1 win over Riverview Brendan Smouthers went 2-for-2 and Jordan Godfrey Ty Bergeron and Anthony Hernandez also logged two hits apiece scored four and earned the pitching win as the 4-0 Falcons beat Jefferson 16-5 Riley Sommer rang up four hits and five RBIs Cameron Cole and Tyler Bashaw added two hits each Bedford: Logged 3 hits and 2 RBI apiece as the Mules fell 9-8 and 4-2 to Saline Summerfield: Hit a home run and drove in four runs during a 13-3 win over Toledo Emmanuel Christian Kalb finished with two hits along with Tyler Dafoe Josh Horak picked up his first varsity win in relief New Boston Huron: Scored twice in a 3-0 win over Riverview Mikey Skamiera recorded the other goal and Gabby Emelian had a pair of assists Flat Rock: Shot a round of 41 to spark an 187-199 victory over Allen Park Cabrini Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAutoplaySports MONROE COUNTY — Three Monroe County school districts will have millage proposals on the May 6 ballot the Monroe County Clerk's Office announced this week “Mason Consolidated Schools will have a proposal. Summerfield Schools will have a proposal. Whiteford Agricultural Schools will have two proposals,” said Katelynn LaPrad, vital records/elections coordinator for the Monroe County Clerk's Office Absentee ballots will be available March 27 Monroe County is not offering early voting for May's election "Early voting is only mandatory for state and federal elections," LaPrad said Monroe County Community College had previously announced a proposal for a zero increase renewal of .85 mill for a period of five years for renovation and upgrades to infrastructure and facilities “The college decided not put their proposal on the May ballot They are thinking maybe August,” LaPrad said Whiteford is trying again with two millages that were on the Aug The first 2025 millage requests $6,500,000 to erect additions to furnish and equip Whiteford Elementary School; install equip and re-equip Whiteford Elementary School for instructional technology; and prepare develop and improve the Whiteford Elementary School site Whiteford sought a $9,600,000 millage for similar work and also work on athletic support buildings That millage was defeated by voters 800 to 435 More: Carleton's Airport Community Schools making plans after passage of $32.8M millage The second 2025 millage requests $1,000,000 to erect athletic support buildings and structures and prepare develop and improve athletic fields and facilities Whiteford sought a millage for $400,000 to prepare including installing synthetic field turf for the baseball and softball fields That proposal was defeated by voters 935 to 309 including safety and security improvements including equipping and re-equipping school buildings; acquiring and installing instructional technology and instructional technology equipment for school buildings; and developing and improving sites The estimated millage that will be levied is 2.69 mills ($2.69 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding For the full text of the the ballot proposition contact the administrative offices of Mason Consolidated Schools Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content. Summerfield seeks a sinking fund millage proposal of 2.5 mills ($2.50 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 10 years to create a sinking fund for the construction or repair of school buildings; for school security improvements; for the acquisition or upgrading of technology; for the acquisition of student transportation vehicles; for the acquisition of parts supplies and equipment used for the maintenance of student transportation vehicles; for the acquisition of eligible trucks and vans used to carry parts the maintenance of school buildings; for the acquisition of parts supplies and equipment used to maintain such trucks and vans; and all other purposes authorized by law The estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2025 To learn more about local elections, visit Monroe County's election page — Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com OTTAWA LAKE – Summerfield remained the last unbeaten Division 4 basketball team in the state and had its leading scorer Tyler Dafoe pass 1,000 career points Thursday Dafoe reached 1,000 points inside the final minute of the third quarter of a 61-47 victory over Whiteford Prep Basketball: Standings for Monroe County Region leagues More: Monroe County Region prep basketball summaries Jan. 27-Feb 2 Whiteford’s Mason DeBarr grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it back in to pull the Bobcats within two at 37-35 with 1:51 left in the third quarter but Dafoe made a three-point play to make it 40-35 – giving him the milestone – then scored again in the final seconds for a 42-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter “It means a little more because its against our rival,” Dafoe said Dafoe came into Thursday’s game needing 18 points to become the sixth Bulldog in history to reach 1,000 points He missed a couple of shots early but when he connected on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter “I was a little more nervous than I normally am but it was all about coming here and beating our rivals again,” Dafoe said “We needed to get another win and keep things rolling.” The Bobcats lost by 36 points to Summerfield earlier this season but was within striking distance until early in the fourth quarter Summerfield finally was able to pull away by forcing some turnovers “That was the goal from the beginning,” Summerfield coach Phil Schiffler said “We knew they were going to try and ugly us down and play us tight Schiffler said the Bulldogs made some adjustments at halftime and were able to pull away “This is a rivalry game that means a lot,” he said “We were able to overcome some of the adversity in the first half and I’m proud of the boys for that.” Dafoe finished with 23 points while Hornbeak had 17 He’s selfless,” Schiffler said of the sophomore Chris Degner and Trent Schankin as Bulldogs to reach 1,000 career points I always wanted to get to 1,000 points,” he said “My brother was like 40 some points away from 1,000 Whiteford was led by Cole Griffith’s 13 points IDA – Dundee snapped a five-game losing streak by winning on the road against its biggest rival Ryan Zanger led the 3-12 Vikings with 16 points and Levi Evans added 10 Luke Bishop and Travyn Vajcner scored 4 points each in the fourth quarter Ida (6-10) was led by Owen Snyder with 18 points and Connor Zimmerman tossed in 11 Ida’s junior varsity pushed its record to 11-4 with a 45-19 win TEMPERANCE – Bedford ran its record to 13-1 by cruising past Ann Arbor Pioneer 51-39 Thursday Victoria Gray led the Mules to their 12th straight victory with 22 points and Nyah Mullins added 10 Carlson ends skidGIBRALTAR – Gibraltar Carlson snapped a three-game losing streak coming from behind to beat Lincoln Park 53-47 Thursday night Austin Saavedra led the 7-8 Marauders with 14 points and Matthew MacBride and Trent Ison with 13 apiece State Line falls in OTWATERFORD – Jackson Baumker hit five 3-pointers and scored 19 points but State Line Christian fell 67-62 to Waterford Lakecrest in overtime Thursday Brandt Dyer added 17 points and Cooper Worley added 13 for the 10-7 Patriots Mary Catholic Central trailed heading into the fourth quarter but dominated that final period 21-2 to pull away for a 69-52 win Thursday night to remain unbeaten Adela Illes and Brooke Mossburg led the 14-0 Kestrels with 19 points each Illes scored 9 points in the fourth quarter and Mossburg 8 well-played game by both teams,” SMCC coach John Durbin said The girls kept competing and we found some rhythm in the second half.” Natalie LaPrad added 11 points and Gracelyn Carter 10 for SMCC Madleen Hussein poured in 25 points for Flat Rock (7-7) “Three exceptional quarters of basketball by both teams,” Flat Rock coach Brian Kryk said “I think we just ran out of steam in the fourth CARLETON – Airport celebrated Jet Pride Night by racking up a season-high for points in a 74-32 victory over Milan Thursday night “We had a great night had an outstanding crowd,” Airport coach Darrell Mossburg said Sophia Mator (15) and Peyton Zajac (13) all scored in double figures for 10-5 Airport Milan (4-11) was led by Emily Bladen with 22 points “Couldn’t be more proud of my girls,” Milan coach Rob Carlson said “They played their hearts out for 32 minutes.” Farago hits career bestLINCOLN PARK – Jillian Farago scored a career-high 18 points to help Gibraltar Carlson clip Lincoln Park 64-25 Thursday night Brooklyn Kemokai added 9 points as the Marauders improved to 11-4 ERIE – David Mills won the 500-yard freestyle and swam on a winning relay Bowie Jacobs took first in diving and Jared Tunison ruled the individual medley for Erie Mason-Ida in a 100-85 loss to Riverview Thursday night Cameron Tross qualified for the state meet in the 200 freestyle GIBRALTAR – Donovan Randazzo and Owen Keith each won two individual events and swam on two winning relays to lead Gibraltar Carlson to a 120-56 victory over Dearborn Edsel Ford Thursday Other individual wins came from Dylan Cain and Jace Starll Ethan Hoover and Zach Bahler logged major time drops Monroe relay winsMONROE – A win by the medley relay of Alex Roa-Garcia and Reuben Green was the highlight for Monroe in a 135-51 loss to Dexter Thursday Noah Carveth and Reggie Geftos also had strong performances for Monroe A Summerfield man has been arrested on a warrant as the result of an angry confrontation that prompted a fearful woman to call 911 a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic disturbance at an undisclosed Marion County residence according to an arrest report from the MCSO He met with the female victim who advised that she was in the garage with 49-year-old Martin Anthony Hering The victim explained she was in a verbal argument with Hering She was in the corner of the garage where there was a door that led inside the residence She confronted him over items missing in the garage and him taking her vehicle without asking her Hering yelled at the victim with both fists clinched together He continued yelling and screaming at her while moving closer to her He then got so close that she could feel the spit from him as he yelled in her face came outside the garage door due to all the yelling and items being thrown around He got in between the victim and Hering to create space and separate them Hering got mad and started yelling at the witness The victim was able to get back inside the residence with the her son called 911 due to being in fear Hering left the residence after being told law enforcement was called The deputy next spoke to the witness with permission from the victim He advised that his mother and Hering were arguing He took the youngest sibling to his bedroom so he would not hear it before going back to the garage and listening The witness then stepped outside the garage door and stood behind the victim He saw Hering’s closed fist as he screamed and yelled so he got in between him and the victim to prevent further violence Hering made remarks to get the witness to fight him the deputy observed items thrown around the garage he saw the victim was upset over the entire incident The witness also seemed a bit shaken up and was nervous speaking with the deputy Hering was ultimately arrested Wednesday on a warrant charging him with simple assault (intent threat to do violence) He was transported to Marion County Sheriff’s Office and released after posting $1,000 bond He was also arrested in April 2021 for grabbing money from a female friend’s bra and in May 2020 for stealing his grandfather’s riding lawn mower Surrounded by the smell of fresh movie theater popcorn former employees of Summerfield Cinema gathered in the lobby to reminisce and say goodbye the theater The buttery scent of popcorn lingered as three former Summerfield Cinemas employees stepped into the dimly lit lobby Sunday their eyes scanning the familiar space one last time they gathered to relive memories and say goodbye to the beloved Santa Rosa movie house who credits the theater with shaping his life — both professionally and personally Weislow arrived in Sonoma County to attend Santa Rosa Junior College Weislow spent two years guiding moviegoers to their seats with a flashlight But his biggest takeaway from the job wasn’t just fond memories — it was love Becky Weislow had been working at the concessions counter for six months when Jeff joined the staff their connection deepening into something more “I didn’t know they were dating,” Bondi said Bondi managed several Sonoma County theaters including the now-shuttered Star-Vue Motor Movies drive-in and Coddingtown Cinemas When “Tommy,” the rock opera based on The Who’s album Bondi placed a pinball machine in the lobby and let the highest scorer take it home he drove a 1977 Toyota Celica straight into the theater transforming the space into a spaceship-themed spectacle Becky Weislow still remembers the camaraderie among the staff “I just love to come to this theater because you guys working here are having the best time” — and Summerfield Cinemas remained largely unchanged over the years and independent theaters struggled to compete The COVID-19 pandemic only deepened the decline For Summerfield, the challenges proved insurmountable. Declining attendance and a shrinking lineup of art-house films forced the decision to close. Adding to its troubles, the Lakeside Shopping Center, where the theater stands, was listed for sale at $9.5 million Early proposals suggested the space could become a Planet Fitness gym The closure marks yet another loss for local film lovers who have clung to Summerfield and Sebastopol’s Rialto Cinemas amid industry-wide contractions. More than 30 movie screens have vanished across Sonoma County, including Rohnert Park’s Reading Cinemas, which shut down in November 2023 Bondi had one request for movie lovers: “Tell people to go to the movies.” the theater’s marquee displayed its final showtimes Summerfield Cinemas dimmed its lights and closed its doors — its story now a memory for those who loved it You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8531 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter,) @alana_minkler More: Tyler Dafoe joins 1,000-point club as Summerfield tops Whiteford Honor: Michigan Sportswriters Division 4 All-State first team Grand accomplishment: Reached 1,000 career points during a victory over Whiteford on Jan which is third-best in school history behind Ted Tibbets (1,325) and Eric Cogan (1,181) said: “Tyler has been the staple for our program for the past three years He was thrown into action out of necessity at the end of his freshman year What Erie Mason coach Kevin Skaggs said: “Athletic and relentless on the court.” What Jefferson coach Corey Wiley said: “Great defender What Whiteford coach Nick Abalos said: “His length helps him be a great defender and he's a great scorer All-around great player and his team seemed to rally around him.” Siblings: Brendan Dafoe (23) and Drew Dafoe (21) Person (living or dead) I would most like to meet: Kobe Bryant The best thing about my school: That the community is so supportive If could change one thing about my school: The cafeteria food The person most influential in helping me become a successful athlete: All my coaches for football My greatest asset as an athlete: Love playing defense more than offense The moment I realized I could excel in sports: When I played varsity basketball as a freshman I’m happiest when I’m: Hanging out with my friends Biggest thrill in sports: Beating Whiteford 20-14 this year in football and scoring 1,000 points my senior year at Whiteford Biggest disappointment in sports: Losing to Britton Deerfield in districts this year Best Christmas gift I ever received: Tickets to a Michigan State basketball game Favorite place I have visited: Cruise to the Bahamas Place I would like to visit: North Carolina Future plans: Study Business-Finance at Lourdes University I see myself: Having my own home with a husky dog People would be most surprised to learn that: Between me and my two brothers we have all made All-State in 4 different sports Best coaching advice I ever got: Be competitive and have fun doing it Best compliment I ever received: Even in hard times How would I like fans to describe me as an athlete: Spunky and competitive What sports taught me about life: Keep working hard and good things will happen What role can athletes take in making our schools feel safer and more inclusive: Spend time with the youth in your community Talia Divita with the West Virginia State Police said arresting Patricia Summerfield never would have happened so quickly if not for the school employees who witnessed her drag a nonverbal three-year-old across the floor in a pre-school classroom at Holz Elementary was arrested on Wednesday and charged with battery and assault on a disabled child as witnesses say they watched her drag a special needs child across the floor before one teacher intervened to stop her “That is the only reason we got to this point," Divita said "That is the only reason we were able to make an arrest on someone who abused a three-year-old child who was nonverbal was because of the other two people in the room that had the training and that had the courage to report it immediately.” Summerfield and the school system could soon be facing a lawsuit as the family has retained attorney Ben Salango who intends to file a lawsuit next week the child had both bruising and scrapes on her stomach from the incident Because of a law passed in 2019 self-contained special needs classrooms in the state are required to have cameras in them An update to the law passed in 2022 would require someone to periodically check them Neither of those applied in this case because it was in a pre-school classroom so we were very fortunate for these two witnesses to actually come forward as quickly as they did," Divita said These changes in state law with cameras and the reason Summerfield was charged with a felony in this case were all because of previous cases of abuse - one even from the same school This case strengthened the camera law and created the felony crime of battery and assault of a disabled child. It also led to a record multimillion dollar lawsuit settlement with Kanawha County Schools Salango was the attorney on that case and now is representing the family in the latest ever should you put your hands on any child much less a special needs child much less a three-year-old nonverbal child who simply cannot defend herself who can’t go home and tell their parents," Salango said With another criminal and civil case in the works Salango said this will hopefully send a message once again that something has to change She didn’t deserve this and these special needs kids need protection but elsewhere is that some teachers simply do not need to be in the classroom.” A Kanawha County Schools spokesperson told Eyewitness News on Wednesday that school administrators took the appropriate action once it was reported and that they will not be commenting further on a personnel matter Summerfield was able to post a $75,000 cash-only bond and she is due back in court next week