candgnews.com JUNE 28, 2023 Vol. 16, No. 14
GET RELIEF ®
EXPL RE
LUDINGTON IS A PREMIER LAKE MICHIGAN BEACH TOWN 10A
Schedule Your Appointment Today at 1-877-301-3441
‘There’s a split in the community’ SOLUTIONS STILL BEING SOUGHT TO ADDRESS REGIONAL DEER POPULATION BY MARK VEST
cmeier@candgnews.com
File photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Multiple communities have been involved in trying to address the deer population in the region. West Bloomfield Township Supervisor Steven Kaplan said that the community is split in regard to what to do about the deer population, with some wanting to find a solution to get rid of the deer and others wanting them to be left alone.
State Rep. Kelly Breen, D-Novi, is working alongside Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, a Republican, to weed out the wrongful use of the animal tranquilizer xylazine, which is sometimes called “tranq.” Breen will be introducing legislation that, if passed, would make the now easily accessible drug a Schedule 2 narcotic and only available for its intended use in veterinary medicine. “This is something, though, that we need to take immediate action on,” Breen, whose family lost a friend to a fentanyl overdose, told members of the media during a June 9 press conference. “What we are seeing here with tranq is taking our worst opioid epidemic and compounding it. It’s horrific.” Xylazine use is creating a major health crisis across the country, Bouchard said. The drug has become a popular cutting agent in controlled substances. According to Bouchard, since February, it has been seen in approximately 85% of fentanyl seized in Oakland County. Xylazine is not made for human use, and its effects on the human body are severe. “It’s a terrible drug. On the human physiological makeup, it begins to basically degrade and disintegrate See TRANQUILIZER on page 2A
3.9% APR Financing up to 48 mo* 2023 Ascent or 2023 Forester 2023 Subaru Ascent
2023 Subaru Forester
*Manufacturer Offer. No down payment required. Financing for well-qualified applicants only. Length of contract is limited. Subject to credit approval, vehicle insurance approval and vehicle availability. From dealer stock by 6/30/23
0247-2323
See DEER on page 8A
Local state rep. seeks to limit access to animal tranquilizer linked to fentanyl BY CHARITY MEIER
mvest@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — According to Farmington Hills Assistant City Manager Joe Valentine, a regional deer survey has been completed by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments in an effort to come up with a regional solution to address the deer population. The Oakland County Community Deer Coalition was created in 2021 by a group of leaders in nine Oakland County communities, according to a press release that was previously shared. The release stated that, in recent years, the deer population has grown steadily throughout Oakland County, which has led to an increase in the number of deerrelated auto accidents, damage to landscaping and private property, and greater potential for Lyme disease and other illnesses that can be
info@realwavecenters.com
REALWAVECENTERS.COM
0208-2326
Southfield • Rochester • Warren • Livonia • Dearborn
COVERED BY MEDICARE AND MOST INSURANCE PLANS.