Fire chief Thumb counties Historical society sheds awarded grants brings home light on Amish community ‘42 pumper Page 4 Page 6 Page 8 Complete coveraCgAeSS o Cf ITthYe, M CICaHssIG CANit y- WcoEmDNmEuSnDiAtYy, aSEnPdT EsuMrBrEoRu n18d,i n20g1 3areas since 1899 VOLUME 107, NUMBER 35 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 75 CENTS ~ 16 PAGES - 1 SUPPLEMENT Thumb judges organizing DWI court by Tom Montgomery tage of those revisions. system has relied on the threat of ence of alcohol and/or a controlled Recent changes in the law have Editor Thanks to a $255,000 grant from monetary penalties and incarceration substance and are diagnosed as being made such programs uniquely attrac - the State Court Administrative to deter criminal behavior. For substance-dependent — not merely tive to rural areas, according to The Thumb’s trial courts are about Office (SCAO), the Tuscola, Huron crimes that are motivated by a sub - abusive. Individuals admitted to the Tuscola County Chief Judge Pro to embark on a cooperative experi - and Sanilac County trial courts are stance abuse problem, this hasn’t program will be required to attend Tempore Amy Grace Gierhart, who ment that will give them tools out - organizing what will be called the worked very well. Problem-solving group and individual counseling ses - serves as circuit court judge in the side of the traditional fines and jail Thumb Regional DWI Court. courts give us more tools to get peo - sions, go to support group meetings, county. time to encourage those convicted of The SCAO is funding four pilot ple the treatment they need and make get tested for drug and alcohol use The motor vehicle code was recent - drunken driving to turn over a new programs in Michigan. They are them productive members of socie - multiple times each week, and ly amended to allow courts with leaf. attempting, for the first time, to bring ty.” appear before the judge running the DWI programs to issue a restricted According to Tuscola County Chief DWI courts to rural parts of the state The Thumb Regional DWI Court program every two weeks for a driver’s license to program partici - Judge Kim David Glaspie, changes on a regional, multi-county basis. will be a cooperative program of the review hearing. pants, Gierhart said, noting such in the law are giving trial courts new “‘Problem-solving’ courts are real - circuit and district courts in all three At the review hearings, each pro - licenses enable program participants tools to address the problem of ly changing the way the criminal jus - counties, with Tuscola County serv - gram participant’s progress over the to go to and from program activities, motorists who drive under the influ - tice system does business,” ing as the coordinating court. previous two weeks will be consid - which include work, community ence of alcohol and/or drugs, and the explained Glaspie, Tuscola County’s The program targets individuals ered individually, with rewards and service, or school in addition to the trial courts in Tuscola, Huron and veteran district court judge. who plead guilty to driving while punishments being handed out based counseling, drug testing and review Sanilac counties are taking advan - “Traditionally, the criminal justice impaired (DWI) or under the influ - on the participants’ behavior. Please turn to page 6. Cops wrangle Snover man cattle rustlers faces several thanks to tip felony counts by Tom Montgomery from citizen Editor The Sanilac County man who by Tom Montgomery threatened to end Editor his own life after allegedly break - An anonymous Thumb resident ing into an heard Sanilac County Sheriff Garry Argyle Township Biniecki’s call for the public’s help home and steal - in tracking down the individuals ing a rifle and responsible for rustling nearly a handgun last dozen cattle last month in Sanilac week has been County’s Greenleaf Township. formally Everett Hartwick And, thanks to that individual’s call arraigned in Sanilac County District to the authorities, suspects were recently arrested and the young Please turn to page 8. bovines recovered, Biniecki reported over the weekend. According to reports, the thieves State court struck during the evening/early CASS CITY JUNIOR-Senior High School students gathered for a special morning hours of Oct. 29-30 in the 4000 block of Cumber Road and the assembly Monday, Veterans Day. Students and staff members alike welcomed re-appoints 5000 block of Cass City Road. area veterans, honored their contributions and treated them to breakfast. Stolen were several black and white chief judge Holstein cattle ranging in age from 5 to 8 weeks. by Tom Montgomery Biniecki reported Saturday that Editor three male suspects ranging in age A hero’s welcome from 29 to 66 from the Cass City and The Michigan Supreme Court has Gagetown areas had been arrested re-appointed veteran Tuscola County for the theft and were in custody at District Court Judge Kim David the Sanilac County Jail pending Cass City students honor local veterans Glaspie as the county’s chief judge. arraignment. by Tom Montgomery ment of essay winners. The school “exploratory” classes. Glaspie’s next 2-year term will Biniecki said a subject who wished Editor then treated the veterans present to Then-teacher Ron Lomasney, a vet - begin Jan. 1, 2014. to remain anonymous called Sanilac breakfast. eran and later commander of Cass In a news release issued by the County Central Dispatch Saturday Monday belonged to all of this Seventh and eighth grade students City VFW Post 3644, helped to state’s high court, Chief Justice and shared what he or she knew nation’s veterans. It’s a lesson Cass recognized as winners in the local expand the Veterans Day observanc - Robert P. Young Jr. called the chief about the crime. “The caller was City students and staff members took VFW Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest, es by inviting veterans to the schools judge appointees “judicial leaders” able to provide deputies with two to heart early this week, just as they with a theme of “What Patriotism and incorporating musical presenta - who will further the Supreme separate locations in Tuscola County have on Nov. 11 for the past several Means to Me”, were Jaclyn Palmer, tions, poster contests and essay writ - Court’s goals of improving public where the calves were located, as years. Shane Hoppe, Rebecca Morrish, ing into the programs, she said. service, more efficient courts, and well as the names of those involved,” Students and school officials alike Jared Blattner, Claire Kausch and “At different times the local post greater innovation, including he added. gathered for a flag-raising ceremony Katerina Halvorson. would place some of the large flags increased use of technology. “Acting on the information, person - first thing Monday, followed by an Local high school winners in the at the junior high school,” Keroson Starting in 2011, the Supreme Court nel from the Sanilac and Tuscola assembly in which they personally Voice of Democracy Scholarship added. “This tradition of hosting and began requiring candidates for chief County sheriff’s offices responded to thanked a number of area residents Program, with a theme of “Why I’m inviting the local veterans to our judge to submit applications detail - the locations provided and were able for their service to their country. Optimistic About Our Nation’s schools has been continued yearly ing their goals for their courts, to recover all 11 calves stolen in the The observance included watching Future”, were Kayla Zmierski, Katie with some variations. In years past, Young explained. He noted chief two separate incidents reported on a video, introducing and honoring House and Anna Bagnall. our veterans visited classrooms and judges oversee their courts’ internal operations, finances, case manage - Please turn to page 2. local veterans, and the announce - Teacher Mary Keroson, who also answered questions from students.” serves as seventh/eighth grade stu - Keroson noted that last year, when ment, work assignments and more. dent council co-advisor, said the tra - the seventh and eighth grades were “Being a chief judge is a demand - dition of honoring veterans during moved to the high school building, ing job; it requires leadership, vision school assemblies dates back to the the seventh and eighth grade student and administrative skills,” Young 1990s and was spearheaded by a said in the news release. “In making group of instructors who taught Please turn to page 6. Please turn to page 2. Revive pays off building note A step in faith gives Cass City ministry a permanent home by Tom Montgomery Editor Revive Ministries officials say a step in faith and overwhelming community support enabled them Giddyup! to recently pay off the note on their Main Street building, just CASS CITY teacher Adam Dorland eyes the basket while three years after signing the origi - nal purchase agreement. fending off a defender during Friday night’s donkey basket - “This was a huge step out in faith ball action at Cass City Junior-Senior High School. The for everyone involved,” com - mented Jaime Fritz of Revive PAID IN FULL – Revive Ministries officials in Cass City fundraiser was sponsored by the Cass City PTO, which Ministries. “Our donors helped reported an attendance of roughly 620 people and proceeds us get in the door, and Thumb recently paid off the note on their Main Street building, totaling about $3,500, which the parent-teacher organiza - National Bank stepped out with us just 3 years after signing the original purchase agree - by providing our financing.” ment. Pictured above are Jenny Hudson of Revive tion uses to support the local school system with grants for Originally established by the field trips and transportation costs as well as various class - (right) and Cindy Kruse, representing Thumb National room projects and supplies.