Pair injured in Headline writing can Sheriffs address Coast Sanilac Co. crash be a tricky business Guard seasonal staffing Page 4 Reporter’s Notebook, page 5 Page 8 Complete coverage of the Cass City community and surrounding areas since 1899 VOLUME 110, NUMBER 6 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016 75 CENTS ~ 16 PAGES United Way of Tuscola Co. awards funds to area groups by Tom Montgomery Editor United Way of Tuscola County officials recently announced the awarding of nearly $53,000 in funding to area non-profit organi - zations for 2016. Over the past 18 years, the local United Way organization has awarded funding totaling just under $1 million, according to Jim Heiser, director of operations, who noted officials are planning a celebration for next year to com - memorate reaching the $1 million mark since the United Way of Tuscola County was formed. Heiser announced Friday that this year’s allocations total $52,750. “The allocations follow a three-month process that started with United Way partner agencies submitting funding requests,” he explained. “Agency representatives reviewed Please turn to page 7. Motorcyclist’s body discovered hours after crash by Tom Montgomery Editor A beautiful spring weekend turned tragic Sunday morning in Huron County’s Sheridan Township, where the body of a motorcyclist was found by a passerby following an appar - ent single-vehicle accident hours earlier. Huron County Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson iden - tified the victim as Herbert E. Engler, 58, of Bad Axe. Deputies were dispatched to McTaggart Road, about a half-mile west of Bad Axe TATTOOS HONORING the memories of a close friend, a grandfather and a stillborn child Road, at about 6:30 a.m. along with a message of hope are represented above in tattoos belonging to Cass City resi - “The victim…was found by a Bad Axe man on his way to work, who in turn called 911,” dents Joe Bean (clockwise from top left), Mandy Czekai and Rebecca Turner. Hanson said. “Preliminary investigation is Please turn to page 7. Tributes in ink Blaze damages Residents embrace tattoos to express devotion, bittersweet memories Cass City Gun by Tom Montgomery the ink represents, although memories and honors loved ones too, which also features an Club last week Editor Turner is happy to share the missing from their lives today. image of his friend. “I knew meanings behind it. Bean’s latest tattoo – his third – Daryl for 18-plus years. Over by Tom Montgomery If you figure the detailed stair - Bean, who graduated from bears his devotion to a friend, that time I realized he was more Editor way and waterfall tattoo on Joe Cass City High School in 2000, Daryl Douglas, who died unex - than a friend; he was family.” Bean’s right arm and shoulder works as a second shift general pectedly last November. He was Daryl Douglas struggled with Damage was estimated at several thousand must symbolize his favorite rock supervisor at Blue Diamond just 27. personal issues, but those never dollars in an early morning fire at the Cass band or devotion to some sort of Steel Castings in Pigeon, while “We were pretty good friends. got in the way of being “a kind City Gun Club Thursday. cult, you couldn’t be more Turner, who collected her high I was friends with his brother soul that was always there for Elkland Township fire fighters were dis - wrong about the Cass City school diploma in Cass City a (Bryan Douglas) and he (Daryl) anyone,” Bean said. patched to the club, location about four miles man’s motivation for getting the couple years later, is now a psy - was always there,” Bean, 34, “Somebody you could call a true south of Cass City at 2676 N. Englehart Rd., tattoo – or what it means to him. chologist and coordinator of the recalled, adding he always con - friend. He was somebody you at about 3:30 a.m., according to Fire Chief Same goes for Rebecca Turner, Thumb Regional Sobriety sidered the Douglas brothers to could depend on – if you needed Glenn Guilds, who reported smoke was pour - also of Cass City, who chose a Court. be his own brothers. help, he was there in an instant. ing out through the building’s eaves and gable petite bracelet design when she Both share a common bond, “Daryl loved the water. That’s It was really hard to tell what ends when firemen arrived. took the plunge at a tattoo parlor however; like many others who why I went with the waterfall Daryl was going through “It was called in as a building full of smoke. in Nevada just weeks ago. You sport tattoos these days, their and the stairs of heaven going because he was too busy making It was just luck that a next door neighbor probably couldn’t guess what body art represents bittersweet through him,” he said of the tat - Please turn to page 16. noted it,” Guilds said, adding four fire fighters entered the structure and, utilizing the depart - ment’s thermal imaging camera, located hotspots in the attic and cut a hole through Sheriff’s department honors drywall to reach them before the flames could spread further. Guilds estimated damage to the building at its own at annual meeting Please turn to page 16. by Tom Montgomery professional excellence and have Editor received numerous letters of appreci - ation from your command officers The Tuscola County Sheriff’s and the public you serve,” Tuscola Wildfire risk high Department honored its own during County Sheriff Lee Teschendorf an annual departmental awards said. “Since transferring to your cur - as warm weather meeting last week in Caro. rent position, your efforts have Topping the list of honors was the resulted in the closure of numerous 2015 Officer of the Year Award, pre - felony investigations. arrives in Thumb sented to Detective Sgt. Robert “On Jan. 13, 2015, you were assist - Baxter, who has served Tuscola ing in the investigation of a missing by Tom Montgomery County citizens for more than 21 10-year-old from a home in Almer AMONG THE OFFICERS honored during an Editor years. He began his career with the Township. The temperature was annual Tuscola County Sheriff’s Department gath - department in 1994 as a corrections near zero and hours of effort to A long-awaited spring warm-up has arrived officer and, in March 1996, was pro - locate her had been unsuccessful. ering last week were Detective Sgt. Robert Baxter, in the Thumb, bringing with it the risk of wild - moted to the uniform services divi - Your investigative skills led you to a named the Officer of the Year (back row, far right), fires as residents get outdoors and start the sion as a deputy sheriff. He was pro - home that had already been checked, and deputies (back row, from left) Rodney Friday, task of cleaning up their yards and, in some moted to sergeant in April 2005, and but your thoroughness in returning to case, burning brush and other debris. in March 2013 was named a detec - the location resulted in your finding Spencer Coleman, (front row, left) Justin Nitz, Josh Elkland Township Fire Chief Glenn Guilds tive sergeant. the child hiding in that location,” the Herman and Chris Whetstone, who all received says he isn’t expecting a typical grass fire sea - “During your career you have sheriff said. son this year, largely because a brief warm received four commendations for Please turn to page 7. commendations for professional excellence. Please turn to page 8. PAGE TWO CASS CITY CHRONICLE - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN Play ball Steimel signs to play for Texas Univ. Sierra W. Steimel, granddaughter of Marty and Sean Zawilinski of Cass City and daughter of Heather (Zawilinski) and Tyler Steimel of Chandler, Ariz., has signed with Texas State University to play soft - ball for the next two years. Steimel is currently finishing up her studies in Biology at Phoenix Community College where she has also played right field for the last two years. At Phoenix, she has had a .479 hit - !$ ting season, owns a 45-game hitting streak and has 19 stolen bases this season. Her journey will continue at Texas State where she will play in !! ' the outfield beginning in the fall of %% 2016. There she will continue her studies in biology with plans to grad - &$(&'% uate and become a Physician’s 0)' **#'&$/.%* Assistant. Her long term goal is to #'!')# work with a college or professional 0)*)#(+#'&* #$$ team. $!(#+ Steimel is also the granddaughter of 0)!*$+#'&' )%* Tom and the late Tamara Steimel of 0 $$+/(*' '&++* Scottsdale, Ariz. and Pam and Dave Asher of Goodyear, Ariz. 0'$#&# '$* Sierra Steimel ### 0$***)(#) "$! ()'%") 0 $,)'**11()+##(&+ Ubly announces honor roll students $ !%)*!) !""&! The following students were recent - Stomack*, Mikaela VanErp*, GRADE 7 ly named to the 3 marking period Amanda Weaver, Adam Weber, and !%) #""#& honor roll for Ubly High School they Nicholas Wright. Andrew Becker, Alivia Bischer*, are: Kylee Brandt, Josephine Gusa*, GRADE 8 Cole Hagen, Katie Heilig, Carson GRADE 12 Heleski, Amanda Hill, Kalli House, % Olivia Brown, Austin Creguer, Grant Haley Klama*, Coryne Klemmer, Ana Luiza Abbiate, Bailey Bischer, Geiger*, Andrea Grifka, Amanda Haley Krueger*, Shelby Kuntze*, Evan Block*, Kaylee Block, Emily Halifax, Alyessa Krzyzaniak, Rachel Allison Lautner*, Dajnae Booms, Joshua Bowman, Macanna Leppek, Claire Melnik, Hannah Leipprandt, Erin McCarty*, Reese Briolat*, Alexandria Camp, Austin Melnik, Austin Peruski, Ellie McLellan*, Cole Messing, Shelby Chernow, Makayla Clink, Kyla Peruski, Lacey Pionk, Isle Messing*, Madison Michalski, Czewski, Trevor Dropiewski*, Roggenbuck, Jaiden Schulte, Taylor Pedrotte, Sarah Peplinski*, Jennifer Gentner, Nathan Gilbert, Christopher Schultz, Abigail Levi Peruski, Dawson Schumacher, Lindsey Glaza, Madison Glaza, Sorenson, Katelyn Sweeney, Samantha Souva*, Gabriel Sweeney, Miranda Glaza*, Andrew Danielle Tschirhart, Danielle Nolan Van Erp*, Olivia Vesel*, and Gosdzinski, Katlyn Groth, Grant Umbreit, Alexia Vogel, Sierra Elizabeth Weber.