Girls Caught with Hit List Back in School by Tom Montgomery Other Students Saw the Hit List on One Editor of the Girl’S Notebooks in the Lunch- Room and Reported It
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Deford gunman found Area EDC efforts Ubly auto dealership competent for trial boost employment saves day with van Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Complete coverage of the Cass City community and surrounding areas since 1899 VOLUME 104, NUMBER 19 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN - WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2010 FIFTY CENTS 14 PAGES, TWO SUPPLEMENTS Girls caught with hit list back in school by Tom Montgomery other students saw the hit list on one Editor of the girl’s notebooks in the lunch- room and reported it. Two Cass City High School stu- Then-school Supt. Ron Wilson said dents who admitted to drafting a “hit the list specifically named students list” with the names of some 20 and possible causes of their deaths. upperclassmen, and the way those “They had sniping, stabbing, died in students would die, will be allowed their sleep,” he said at the time. to return to school in the fall. After making contact with one of That was the decision of the Cass the girls, who then confessed, school City Board of Education following a officials contacted both the Cass closed session Monday night. City Police Department and troopers School Supt. Jeff Hartel said the at the Michigan State Police post in THE “BIGGER OR Better” benefit for Revive Ministries, Cass City, was held Saturday at girls in question will be meeting with Caro to investigate. Officers moved high school Principal Chad Daniels quickly to interview the students and Rawson Memorial District Library, with 6 teams setting out in the community to find at the beginning of the school year to search their lockers and homes, something bigger or better than the object they had with them. All the items were donated emphasize that Cass City School while administrators contacted the officials will continue to enforce a parents of the students whose names to Revive. Above, Cameron Simpson (left) and Mark Stover load a donated stove onto a “zero tolerance” policy when it were on the list. trailer. The event netted many items along with $167. (Related photo, page 10) comes to making threats of any kind, Wilson initially suspended the stu- and that any future infractions will dents for 10 days pending comple- result in the students’ permanent tion of an investigation by police and expulsion from the district. a review of reports by the Tuscola Owen-Gage board still mum The girls, both 14, were freshmen County Prosecutor’s Office, which when the incident took place April did not authorize criminal charges in 20, which was also the 11th anniver- the case. sary of the Columbine High School Both school officials and local about Compton investigation massacre. police characterized the students’ According to school officials, 2 Please turn to back page. by Kelli Ameling Thrun Law Firm of Lansing and, Kathy Champagne, Brenda Staff Writer currently, Compton is not allowed on Kretzschmer and Mike Mandich. school grounds. Elected Muntz board president, The Owen-Gage Board of Huron County Sheriff Kelly Kathy Champagne as vice president, Education met in closed session dur- Hanson earlier this month said a Loretta Schmidt as secretary and Village officials ing a regular monthly meeting member of the board contacted his Deborah Quick as treasurer. Monday night. department and talked to a lieu- Appointed Schmidt as the board’s School officials stated the purpose tenant, saying Compton had been Huron Intermediate School District of the executive session was to com- placed on leave. (HISD) representative and Kathy municate with the district’s law firm. “I am assuming it is a civil action Champagne as the alternate. to review swim After almost 50 minutes in the because our department is not Named Independent Bank as the closed meeting, the board returned involved, and as far as I know the depository of school district funds. and adjourned the regular meeting state police are not involved,” Named Thrun Law Firm as the without further discussion or taking Hanson said. district’s legal counsel Law Firm. pool ordinance any action. Terry Muntz, board president, said Moved its monthly board meet- Board members are still not releas- he thinks the investigation will be ings to the fourth Wednesday of by Clarke Haire much harder - referring to the letter ing details regarding the investiga- completed soon. every month at 7 p.m. in the Owen- Publisher she and husband, John, were sent tion involving school Supt. Dana Gage High School Library. bringing to their attention necessary Compton, who was placed on paid IN OTHER BUSINESS Approved June and July regular Emily Phillips tries to be a model actions to take regarding a private administrative leave 4 weeks ago and special board meeting minutes. citizen. She told the Cass City swimming pool in their back yard pending the conclusion of the inves- In other business Monday, the Approved paying monthly bills. Village Council on Monday night being up to code. tigation. board: Approved the monthly financial during their regularly scheduled “We purchased a pool so we could The probe is being conducted by Swore into office board members report. monthly meeting. stay at home more,” Phillips said. However, the Woodland Street res- “We (John and I) work in town, pay ident also declares that village offi- our taxes, and spend our money in Races and tax cials are making that undertaking Please turn to back page. levies to be decided in Strong trial delayed; primary vote now set for October by Tom Montgomery by Tom Montgomery Editor Editor An unexpected complication delayed a jury trial in the case of a Cass City It will be a busy election season in man charged with sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. Tuscola County, where 4 of 5 com- Philip Jordan Strong, 21, was scheduled to face a trial lasting up to 3 days missioners face challenges this year. last week in Tuscola County Circuit Court. However, the proceedings were Several of those battles will get adjourned before attorneys even had the opportuni- underway next week, when voters ty to start the process of seating a jury. cast their ballots in the Tuesday, “We’ve met another roadblock,” Tuscola County Aug. 3, primary election. County Prosecutor Mark E. Reene said Tuesday following residents will also decide a pair of the adjournment. Reene indicated “unforeseen cir- millage renewal requests involving cumstances” prompted Judge Patrick R. Joslyn to funding for law enforcement and postpone the case, but Reene declined to be specif- senior citizen services. ic, saying only that the trial isn’t likely to begin now until Oct. 19 or Oct. 26. Strong’s case dates back to early 2009 and involves See related stories, the alleged assault of an 11-year-old girl at a Cass City residence. pages 9 and 10. Philip Strong Since Strong was arrested and charged, the case has been repeatedly delayed by months of DNA evidence testing, one round Among the races for the 2-year requested by the prosecution and another by Strong’s defense counsel. commissioner terms is a 3-way race A 2007 Cass City High School graduate, Strong faces one count each of for the District I post now held by SHIRLEY TUCKEY SPENT a total of 38 years teaching first degree and second degree criminal sexual conduct. First degree crimi- incumbent Republican Amanda at Campbell Elementary School in Cass City. After nal sexual conduct is punishable by up to life in prison or any term of years, Roggenbuck of Unionville. She rep- while the second charge, also a felony, carries a maximum penalty of up to resents Elkland Township, including teaching third grade for 24 years and kindergarten for 14 15 years in prison. the village of Cass City, along with years, she said she has never regretted becoming a Cass City police have released few details regarding their investigation, but Akron, Columbia, Elmwood, teacher. “I just love kids,” Tuckey said. (See story, page 9) reports indicate the alleged incident took place Feb. 21, 2009, during a party Please turn to page 9. at a home on Hospital Drive, where the victim was a house guest. PAGE TWO CASS CITY CHRONICLE - WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2010 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN 2,700 attend Exploration Our library through Days at MSU the years...100 years Nearly 2,700 individuals from 80 Michigan counties attended Michigan State University for one of and going strong the largest pre-college programs offered anywhere in the United States. by Kate VanAuken, director Exploration Days is sponsored by Rawson Memorial District Library MSU Extension, and it took place on the MSU campus June 23-25. If you are familiar with MeLCat, appeared at Rawson in 1980 and Twenty-seven Huron County 4-H the Michigan eLibrary Catalog, gave patrons access to 200,000 youth and leaders traveled to East you know that as a items in addition to the Lansing to participate in 4-H Michigan resident you 13,800 on the shelves. Exploration Days, including 7 youth have access to all the Librarians searched who attended for the first-time. materials held by par- Com Cat to locate an 4-H Exploration Days is a youth ticipating MeLCat item, ordered it, and development conference that helps libraries. This is mil- within a week it was youth ages 11 to 19 learn new ideas, lions of items available available for pick up at techniques and skills they can use to you for free by using Rawson Library. personally and in their 4-H groups your library card. Access to materials is and communities. The 4-H The precursor in our what libraries have Exploration Days’ environment fos- area to MeLCat was always been about and ters independence, accountability, Com Cat, or Computer Output it certainly continues today with decision-making and time manage- Microfilm Catalog.