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candgnews.com APRIL 19, 2023 Vol. 42, No. 8
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RECORD STORE DAY CARRIES THE RIGHT TUNE/3A
BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
MADISON HEIGHTS — Madison Heights police and officials with Madison District Public Schools are reportedly investigating a school employee who was fired after allegedly admitting to embezzling money from the district. At press time April 12, the name of the individual had not been disclosed, nor was the amount of money stolen, but authorities said the person worked on the district’s finances. In a letter to families, MDPS Superintendent Patricia Perry wrote that the employee spoke to her the morning of April 3 and confessed to the diversion of district funds for personal use. The employee was immediately terminated from his position, and his termination was formally finalized by the MDPS Board of Education at its regularly scheduled meeting that evening. “Following his termination, I immediately notified all proper authorities, including the Madison Heights Police Department, of the information disclosed,” Perry wrote in her letter. “As this is an ongoing investigation, I am unable to share further details at this time. I assure you, however, that the district and I are cooperating See EMBEZZLE on page 10A
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$16.12/hr Lifeguards 0293-2316
RIGHT: Marg Sapp, operator of Wild Wings, a bird rescue effort in Hazel Park, checks in on the birds at her pigeon sanctuary, Louie’s Loft. Sapp is a veterinary technician who started the nonprofit in 2015. She and her volunteers have saved more than 5,000 birds to date. ABOVE: One of the recent arrivals at Wild Wings is this young pigeon found in Birmingham. People bring her birds from all over the tri-county area. Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
‘IT MAKES YOU APPRECIATE THE LIFE ALL AROUND US’ WILD WINGS CONTINUES MISSION TO RESCUE BIRDS IN NEED BY ANDY KOZLOWSKI akozlowski@candgnews.com
HAZEL PARK — You come across a baby bird that has fallen from its nest. You see the creature crying on the ground, and you want to help. But what do you do? Oftentimes, the best bet for the bird’s survival is in the care of an experienced rescue such as Wild Wings, a licensed nonprofit in Hazel Park that bills itself as the only songbird-
specific rehabilitation center in Oakland County. The group is run by Marg Sapp, a veterinary technician operating out of her Hazel Park home. She started rescuing birds in 2010 as a subpermittee under a licensed rehabber, Teresa Smelser. She then opened Wild Wings in 2015. Sapp has permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. She is also a certified wildlife rehabilitator with the InSee WILD WINGS on page 11A
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MDPS, police probe reported embezzlement
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