Tuscola teens seriously O-G’s Fahrner named to Thumb author pays hurt in recent crash MHSAA advisory council tribute to WWII vets Page 4 Page 8 Page 16
Complete coverage of the Cass City community and surrounding areas since 1899
VOLUME 110, NUMBER 9 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN - WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 75 CENTS ~ 16 PAGES - 1 SUPPLEMENT Molter announces grocery store plans for village
by Tom Montgomery announcement Monday that should City. Molter said he has vast experience will begin soon. Editor have local residents smiling with “Cass City will soon have a new, in owning an operating successful Molter said he and his wife and the anticipation. 20,000-square-foot grocery store community grocery stores, and with couple’s four children “are excited to Few details were released, but Molter says he plans to open a new located in the heart of downtown,” his recent purchase of a downtown become a part of the Cass City com - Texas native Mark Molter made an grocery store in downtown Cass Molter stated in a news release. site, the new store will feature local - munity. ly-made products, high quality food “One of the reasons (we) chose items, fresh produce, meats, full deli Cass City was because of the high and fresh breads. quality of life, community support, Molter didn’t specify the location and highly valued school system,” for the new business or when it will added Molter, who said he is an avid open, saying only that construction Please turn to page 7. Kingston Schools plan second bond issue vote
by Tom Montgomery Editor
Kingston Community School District officials will again ask voters to approve a bond issue this summer in an effort to generate funding for what school officials have described as a myriad of long-overdue building and equipment upgrades ranging from technology needs to roof replacement. The Kingston Board of Education, meeting in special session last Wednesday, approved the language for the proposal, which has been reduced in scope following voters’ rejection of a $6 million bond issue request in March. Please turn to page 7. Deputies nab 3 in recent THE CASS CITY Junior-Senior High School Student Council teamed up with Michigan State Police Community Service Trooper Mark Swales prescription drug probes and other county and local emergency first responders to present a mock by Tom Montgomery fatal crash in an effort to remind students of the dangers of drinking and Editor driving. Students, including Emily Czapla and Ilana Blattner (top A trio of arrests in Huron County last week underscored the area law photo), along with staff members posed as victims and witnesses in the enforcement community’s efforts to reduce prescription drug trafficking in the Thumb. demonstration, held just three days prior to Cass City’s prom. Officials say an increase in prescription drug abuse of epidemic proportions across the state and nation is largely to blame for the rise in abuse of and overdose deaths related to cheaper but much more unpredictable street nar - cotics such as heroin. The latest arrests included one last Wednesday morning in Caseville, where Thumb sobriety court boasts more Huron County Sheriff’s deputies, assisted by Caseville police, took a 46- year-old Caseville woman into custody for allegedly delivering hydrocodone – a powerful opioid painkiller — in Caseville. “The suspect, Rebecca P. Williams, wife of Etroy Williams, who is being than 30 “graduates” and counting sentenced later this month in the 52nd Circuit Court for trafficking heroin in by Tom Montgomery Court has graduated more than 30 offenders the tools they need to get Caseville, was arraigned in the 73B District this afternoon on the felony Editor defendants who successfully com - and stay sober. charges that were authorized by the Huron County Prosecutor’s Office,” said pleted the intensive program The promising program is deliver - Huron County Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson. “She remains lodged in our jail on In just a little over two years, the designed to end the cycle of drunken ing positive results and changing a $75,000 cash bond, with further charges pending due to her being on Please turn to page 6. DWI/Thumb Regional Sobriety driving arrests by giving repeat lives, according to Tuscola County Chief Judge Amy Grace Gierhart. “I would say that we’ve seen amaz - ing stories of success,” said Gierhart, who along with Tuscola County Cooking up a class District Court Judge Kim D. Glaspie led the charge to establish the pro - gram in the Thumb. The first offenders accepted as par - Student’s passion for cooking ticipants in the Thumb Regional Sobriety Court began their year-long leads her to Extension expert journey to “graduation” in early 2014. “So far, we’ve had 33 people grad - by Tom Montgomery uate,” said sobriety court Program Editor Coordinator Rebecca Turner, who noted another eight participates did She may be no Betty Crocker, but Cass City High School junior Paige not successfully complete the pro - Bagnall knows the recipe for success. gram, and one individual was dis - When Bagnall, 16, went in search of a cooking class at school but couldn’t charged early due to medical issues. find one, she decided to propose creation of one to school officials. She also In general, the state measures the discovered a free class that MSU Extension offers to teens like herself, and success of regional sobriety courts Please turn to page 8. based on the rate of recidivism (repeat offenses), and the state’s suc - cess rate has been 65 to 70 percent. TRUST, ACCOUNTABILITY, Honesty and Success are the “On our last reporting period, we had words inscribed on the coin above, held by one of the first 86.7 percent” of participants suc - cessfully completing the program, graduates of the Thumb Regional Sobriety Court, which Turner said. “That number is climb - was established in late 2013 through a partnership of the ing. trial courts in Tuscola, Huron and Sanilac counties in an “We have 32 people (in the pro - gram) right now. There are four effort to break the addiction cycle involved in cases of indi - awaiting sentencing (and expected to viduals charged with repeat drunken driving offenses. Please turn to page 6. Ignition locks boost success of sobriety courts by Tom Montgomery ing out of sobriety court than those nects with a motor vehicle’s ignition Editor ordered by the court to use the and other control systems. The inter - devices. lock device measures the driver’s A new research report evaluating The same sort of success is being bodily alcohol content through their Michigan’s efforts to prevent repeat reported by Thumb Regional breath and keeps the vehicle from drunk driving by chronic offenders Sobriety Court officials, who say the starting if the Blood Alcohol Content through the use of ignition interlocks ignition interlock devices not only (BAC) is .025 or higher. The device CASS CITY High School junior Paige Bagnall recently concludes that the devices, when help to ensure sobriety court partici - also will ask for random retests used in conjunction with a sobriety pants are staying sober, but have also while the person is driving. helped organize an MSU Extension “Cooking Matters for court program, contribute to signifi - enabled court officials to effectively The state report, commissioned by Teens” class. About 18 area teens signed up and have been cantly better success rates among address the challenge of transporta - the Michigan Association of participants. tion for participants to meet obliga - Treatment Court Professionals learning about cooking and good nutrition under the guid - Offenders participating in the tions ranging from attending 12-step (MATCP) to evaluate the first five ance of Extension Nutrition Program instructor Karly state’s DWI/sobriety courts without meetings to keeping court appoint - years of the DWI/Sobriety Court Creguer and Cass City Public Schools Food Service the use of interlocks were found to ments. Ignition Interlock Program, was have three times greater odds of fail - An ignition interlock device con - Please turn to page 6. Director Shari Bock (pictured above, second from left). PAGE TWO CASS CITY CHRONICLE - WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN
THE CASS CITY Jr. High Student Council is always looking for ways to do their part in the community, from fun activities for the student body to host - ing drives for local charities, and even a Veterans Day event to support our local heroes. This year’s council members are (front, l-r) Kristofer Nika, Ryan Pisarek, Riley Copeland and Alexis Hull; (back) Addy Battel, Madi Tschirhart, Macey White, Alex Perry, Hailey Beckrow, Ryan DeLong and Sierra Spry.
Owen-Gage announces students of month The focus for Owen-Gage’s stu - Nathan and Kamryn Gruehn; Dana grade (senior student), son of Rena dents of the month for April is being Morrish, sixth grade (junior high Lorenz and the late Scott Lorenz. a “Goal Setter”. A student who is a level), daughter of Janet Abfalter and Special recognition goes to the goal setter sets goals and priorities in Mark Morrish; Boyd Evans, seventh “Senior Student of the Month”, the following areas: personal, career grade (junior high level), son of Devon Lorenz. Devon has been active in sports throughout high awareness, financial and family liv - Maurice and Tanya Evans; Carlee ing. The following students have Rievert, ninth grade (high school school. He was a member of the been chosen: Nolen Gruehn, kinder - level), daughter of Ed and Ame football and baseball teams all four garten (elementary level), son of Rievert; and Devon Lorenz, twelfth years. As a sophomore, he partici - pated in track. Devon also partici - pated in band each year except his junior year, where he plays the trom - bone. !$ Devon has been a member of the yearbook staff since his sophomore year. As a junior, he was on the prom ! ! ' committee. His senior year, Devon % % was nominated as a king candidate &$( &'% for snowball. Devon has attended 0 )' **#'&$ / .%* the Huron Area Technical Center # '! ') # 0 ) *)#(+#'&* #$$ enrolled in the auto technology pro - $! (# + 0 )! * $ +#'&