BEHIND THE WHEEL
Warren, Sterling Heights seek defense advisor for Arsenal Alliance
BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com
MACOMB COUNTY — Several months after the mayors of the two largest cities in Macomb County signed an agreement aimed at bolstering the defense industry’s ties to the region, they have collaboratively launched a national search to
fill a key leadership position.
The two cities are working together to conduct a search for a defense industry economic development advisor to drive the work of the Arsenal Alliance, a regional initiative aimed at growing the defense industry in southeast Michigan.
The advisor will be tasked with leading stakeholder en-
Officer in fatal police-involved crash will stand trial
IMPROPER TURN CALLED INTO QUESTION
BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com
WARREN — A former Warren police officer who was behind the wheel during a high-speed crash that killed two occupants of another vehicle in late 2024 will stand trial.
James Burke was driving a Warren police SUV, allegedly without emergency lights and sirens at speeds of more than 110 mph, on Schoenherr Road in Warren at around 5 a.m. Sept. 30, 2024, when he hit a white Dodge Durango that was attempting to turn left from Schoenherr onto Prospect Avenue.
The passengers of the Durango, Cedric Hayden Jr., 34, and DeJuan Pettis, 33, were both killed. Burke and the officer he was with sustained serious injuries.
Burke is facing two counts of manslaughter with a motor vehicle, a 15-year felony; one count of moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function, a 93-day misdemeanor and willful neglect of duty by a public officer, a one-year misdemeanor.
See BURKE on page 29A
gagement across business, government and military sectors; developing a strategic plan aligned with emerging defense priorities; identifying and pursuing state, federal and private investment opportunities; and amplifying the region’s presence in national policy and procurement conversations.
An Aug. 11 press release states the role is “a first-of-its-
See ADVISOR on page 28A
Photos by Brian Wells
ABOVE: Relatives of Cedric Hayden Jr. and DeJuan Pettis, who were both killed when former Warren police officer James Burke hit the vehicle they were traveling in, comfort each other as the judge delivers his ruling at the conclusion of Burke’s exam hearing on Aug. 15. LEFT: Cedric Hayden, father of Cedric Hayden Jr., is surrounded by relatives and members of the media as he delivers remarks following James Burke’s exam hearing.
SECOND FRONT PAGE
ACLU sues Warren, police officers over 2022 incident
WARREN POLICE DEPARTMENT DISPUTES CLAIM, STATEMENT SAYS LAWSUIT WILL BE DISMISSED
BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com
WARREN — The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan has filed a federal lawsuit against several Warren police officers and the city on behalf of a family alleging a man’s rights were violated.
Early on Dec. 13, 2022, Warren police stopped Christopher Gibson. According to his mother, Alwanda Gibson, he had spent the night before with her cousin, who had cancer.
In a video released by the ACLU, Warren officers tell Christopher Gibson to relax. They place him in handcuffs as he says he’s worried about his family.
A press release from the Warren Police Department states the department received a 911 call reporting suspicious behavior.
The video then cuts to Christopher Gibson in the back of a police car, where he states, “I was (expletive) going through it.”
“You picked the wrong city to be going through it in,” the officer is heard saying.
Fitzgerald voters pass bond proposal, sinking fund replacement
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — A number of building updates and technological upgrades are on the horizon for Fitzgerald Public Schools.
During the primary election Aug. 5, voters approved two items on the ballot: a $42 million bond initiative, and a proposal to combine the district’s two sinking funds.
According to unofficial results from the Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office, the bond proposal passed with 676 “yes” votes and 499 “no” votes. The sinking fund passed with 677 “yes” votes and 496 “no” votes.
According to school officials, the $42 million bond represents a zero-tax-rate increase to residents, and it will focus on three areas: enhancing safety and security; enhancing educational spaces and technology; and upgrading school infrastructure and sites.
Now that the sinking fund initiative has been approved by the
majority of the voters, the two sinking funds — currently levied at 3.15 mils — will combine to reduce the fund by 0.15 mils.
On Aug. 6, interim Superintendent Laurie Fournier issued a statement regarding the bond election.
“Fitzgerald Public Schools Board of Education and staff are very excited about the August 5th Bond and Sinking Fund Renewal Election results,” she said. “Our community has stood behind our mission and vision for elections for the past 20-plus years. From the beginning, we have engaged the community to have a voice about what they’d like to see change in our facilities and campuses.”
Because of that feedback, school officials comprised a five-year plan for improvements districtwide. The projects will be completed in three different series, which means a number of projects will be worked on at a time with funding allocated for those projects.
In the statement, Fournier said a post-election meeting will be planned within the next few weeks to begin determining a time-
See FITZGERALD on page 34A
Fitzgerald Public Schools welcomes new superintendent
ELIZABETH JENSEN PREVIOUSLY WAS THE DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC SERVICES
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — Throughout her career in education, Elizabeth Jensen has worked in various capacities including classroom teacher, Title I specialist, principal, curriculum director, and director of academic services. She is now stepping into a new role: Fitzgerald Public Schools superintendent. At the district’s Aug. 11 Board of Education meeting, the school board voted 7-0 to approve a one-year contract for Jensen. Her first official day was Aug. 12.
“We’re excited. We have a new chapter. Glad to have her stepping right in as the school year starts,” Board President Julia Yokel said. “She’s been phenomenal in her role as director of academic services, building that department and helping us to move forward, looking at data and making sure students have everything they need.”
The 2025-2026 school year is sched-
Photo by Erin Sanchez
Elizabeth Jensen was recently named the new superintendent in Fitzgerald Public Schools.
Bodycam footage released by the ACLU shows Warren police arresting Christopher Gibson on Dec. 13, 2022.
Bodycam photo provided by the ACLU
Backpack Initiative supplies students for new school year
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — When a new school year begins, there are feelings of excitement and nervousness when meeting your teachers, finding your classrooms and catching up with classmates.
Families also have the task of purchasing school supplies for their children. However, because of financial hardships, many families can’t afford them.
But this year, approximately 8,000 local school children will receive the school supplies they need through the United Way of Southeastern Michigan Backpack Initiative. The United Way has partnerships with several schools, school districts and nonprofit organizations that will distribute the backpacks to students in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties for the 2025-2026 school year.
The United Way purchased pencils, notebooks and more through $68,000 they raised in sponsorships from a number of businesses. Several volunteers from those companies gathered Aug. 12 in the Lincoln High School gymnasium for the initiative. They formed an assembly line to stuff the backpacks of various colors with folders, composition notebooks, crayons, pencils, erasers, glue sticks and scissors. There was a morning shift and an afternoon shift. Lincoln students also volunteered. Lincoln is part of the Van Dyke Public Schools district. Some supplies stayed in the district for its students.
“We so appreciate United Way’s support and partnership,” Van Dyke Public Schools Superintendent Piper Bognar said. “The opportunities they have provided for our students
See BACKPACKS on page 14A
Photo by Erin Sanchez
Lincoln High School students, from left to right, Sadya Hashem, Kyla Jordan, Deja Coachman, Rajae Noble and Ranae Noble help fill backpacks with school supplies.
Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run
ATTORNEY: DRIVER A ‘GOOD, HARDWORKING WOMAN’
BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com
WARREN — A woman is facing charges related to a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred on Aug. 10.
At approximately 1:15 a.m., Warren police and firefighters responded to a crash on eastbound Interstate 696 near Hoover Road. Upon arrival, officers determined that a 28-year-old Madison Heights woman had been struck by an unknown vehicle while attempting to fill her car with gas, according to a press release from the Warren Police Department.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
Witnesses described an orange or red Chevrolet SUV traveling in the far-right lane before the crash, the press release states.
“Witnesses further reported observing this Chevy SUV exit I-696 at Hoover and travel northbound,” the release states. “At no point did the driver of the Chevy stop, return to the scene or contact 911 to report the crash.”
Evidence from the scene confirmed that a Chevrolet SUV was involved, the release states. Officers canvased the area and were able to locate the SUV in a driveway of a residence near Martin and Hoover roads.
“Investigators noted the Chevy had fresh damage consistent with a crash,” police said in the release.
Investigators made contact with the resident, 36-year-old Meghan Hamilton, who implicated herself in the incident, the release states. She was then arrested, and the SUV was impounded for further forensic analysis, which yielded other evidence linking the vehicle to the crash.
Hamilton also reportedly made additional admissions to her involvement in the crash.
Hamilton was arraigned Aug. 13 by 37th District Court Judge Suzanne Faunce. She is facing one count of failing to stop at a scene resulting in serious impairment or death, which is a five-year felony but can be elevated to 15 years if the crash results in a death. She pleaded not guilty.
Faunce set bond at $50,000 cash or surety only. If bond is posted, Hamilton will be required to wear a GPS tether and was ordered not to consume any alcohol or drugs.
Her attorney, Adam Clements, said Hamilton has little to no criminal history.
“If she was in fact involved in some serious criminal conduct or it can be proven that she was involved, it’s an abnormality,” he said.
Clements said Hamilton is a “good, hard-working woman” and a mother of six children. She’s worked at Chrysler for 15 years, he said.
He added that Hamilton, her father and husband extend their condolences to the victim’s family.
“She definitely wants to extend condolences to the family,” he said. “She’s not a person that has behaved in a malicious way in the past.”
In a statement, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido stated remaining at the scene of a crash is not only required by law but important to ensure help can arrive quickly and the facts surrounding it can be fully understood.
The Warren Police Department also extended its condolences to the family and thanked the public who assisted in the investigation.
Hamilton is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause conference at 8:45 a.m. Aug. 21 and a preliminary exam at 8:45 a.m. Aug. 28.
Call Staff Writer Brian Wells at (248) 291-7637.
Hamilton
Evidence presented against suspect charged with murder in disappearance of Ashley Elkins
BY BRIAN WELLS bwells@candgnews.com
ROSEVILLE — Prosecutors began presenting evidence in the 39th District Court Aug. 6 against the suspect charged with murder in the disappearance of a Warren mother whose body has not been located.
Deandre Booker, the ex-boyfriend of Ashley Elkins, appeared in court for a preliminary exam hearing.
Booker, 32, of Roseville, is facing a first-degree murder charge, as well as several other charges, following the disappearance of Elkins, a mother of two and Warren hairstylist who has been missing since Jan. 2.
The charges came after police investigated Booker’s apartment, located near Frazho Road and Gratiot Avenue in Roseville, and found “what was believed to be a large crime scene with a substantial amount of blood in the bathroom,” Roseville Police
Detective Sgt. Anthony Coraci said at Booker’s arraignment in January.
The exam is scheduled to continue Friday, Aug. 22.
Mother, police officer testify
The first witness to take the stand was Monika Elkins, Ashley Elkins’ mother.
While testifying, she said that she and her daughter were “very close.” Shortly after midnight Jan. 1, Ashley Elkins FaceTimed her mother from a Detroit casino. Later that day, she sent her mother a video of her cooking.
When her daughter stopped responding to text messages, Monika Elkins said, she knew something was strange.
“Sometimes she’ll text me right back, sometimes it’s 15 minutes, sometimes a half hour, depending on what she’s doing,” Monika Elkins said. “But she would never not
See BOOKER on page 32A
MAKING MUSIC AND MEMORIES
ABOVE: Several local high school marching bands, including students at Warren Woods Tower High School, have been attending band camp in recent weeks to prepare for the upcoming school year.
LEFT: Dyhonna Bellafont, a senior drum major at Warren Woods Tower High School, leads her classmates during band camp Aug. 8. BELOW: Students from Warren Woods Tower High School are looking forward to the new marching band season.
Photos by Erin Sanchez
NEWS & NOTES
12A/ WARREN WEEKLY • AUGUST 20, 2025
‘Operation Back 2 School’ Aug. 24
WARREN — The Warren Police Department will host “Operation Back 2 School” from 2-6 p.m. Aug. 24 at Fitzgerald High School, 23200 Ryan Road.
There will be a backpack and school supply giveaway while supplies last, free haircuts for boys and girls, a drone demonstration, a K-9 demonstration, a bounce house and an ice cream truck. Free transportation to and from Lincoln High School will be available from 22900 Federal Ave.
The grant for the event is funded by the Community Policing Competitive Grant program.
LOCAL GRADUATES RECEIVE FINANCIAL BOOST FOR COLLEGE
WARREN/CENTER LINE — Four local students recently received scholarships from Christian Financial Credit Union, which is based in Sterling Heights.
Center Line High School student Uma Ludwig and Lincoln High School student Shaun Gianino both received $750 Bathanti-D’Agostino Memorial scholarships. The program honors Christian Financial’s founding pioneers and celebrates students who demonstrate strong academic achievements and community involvement. Applicants submitted transcripts, letters of recommendation, a resume, and an essay about how they embody the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People.”
Regina High School student Evonna Karam and De La Salle Collegiate High School student Vianna Giorgis both received $500 scholarships from the Catholic School Scholarship program. Recipients were selected by their schools for demonstrating academic excellence, leadership, and strong character within their school communities.
“We were incredibly impressed by the quality and thoughtfulness of this year’s scholarship applications,” Christian Financial Vice President of Community Outreach Christine Quitter said in a prepared statement. “Selecting the recipients was a challenging task, as each student demonstrated exceptional promise. We’re confident they will go on to make meaningful contributions in their chosen paths, and we’re proud to support them on their journey.”
TIME TO ‘SPARKLE’
METRO DETROIT — The Sparkle Network will again hold its Dress Into A Dream homecoming dress sale for high school students by providing new and gently-used homecoming dresses for $10 each.
There are dresses of all sizes and lengths for homecoming dances and special occasions. For the first time this year, the organization will have separate pants, tops and skirts in limited sizes for $5 each. All proceeds will benefit the Prom Closet Project Tour 2026, which provides prom dresses to local high school students.
The following Dress Into A Dream dates and locations have been confirmed:
Aug. 22-23 at American House East 1, 17255 Common Road in Roseville. Time: 3-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Aug. 24 at Front Door Housekeeping, 11255 Hall Road Unit #104 in Utica. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Aug. 29 Meadowbrook Center for Learning Differences, 811 Oakwood Drive, Suite 303, in Rochester. Time 3-7 p.m.
Aug. 30-31 T-Tech Solutions, 1172 E. Big Beaver Road in Troy. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Sept. 3 at Romeo High School, 62300 Jewell Road in Romeo. Time: 4-8 p.m. Students do not have to go to Romeo to participate.
Everyone who signs up for a dress must fill out an application ahead of time by going to sparklenetwork.org and clicking the Dress Into A Dream icon.
Warren student named winner in Ticket to Tuition giveaway
DETROIT — Tasnim Sultana Omi of Warren recently received $10,000 toward her college education as a winner in the state’s Ticket to Tuition giveaway. She was one of 50 Michigan students recognized July 31 at Wayne State University alongside Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. The Ticket to Tuition giveaway was launched by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and MiLEAP in partnership with the Michigan College Access Network. The initiative awarded 40 $10,000 prizes and 10 $50,000 prizes to first-time Free Application for Federal Student Aid filers through a Michigan Education Savings Program account, promoting FAFSA completion, removing financial barriers and putting more students on the path to success.
GLEANERS FOOD DISTRIBUTION AUG. 27
WARREN — Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan will have food distribution from 9-10 a.m. Aug. 27 on the Fitzgerald High School campus, 23200 Ryan Road. Gleaners provides meals to families in the community. For more information, go to the Gleaners website at gcfb.org.
MDOT hosts open houses to discuss pedestrian bridge study for tri-county area
DETROIT/ROSEVILLE — The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is holding two open houses for the public to provide their input on how they use pedestrian bridges in their community.
The first open house will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Adams Butzel Complex, 10500 Lyndon St., in Detroit. The second open house will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Recreation Authority of Roseville and Eastpointe (RARE) at 18185 Sycamore St., in Roseville. Both presentations begin at 5:45 p.m.
Attendees will be able to view posters, take a survey, and view a presentation outlining MDOT’s efforts through this study to better understand the usage of state-owned pedestrian bridges in the region. The study team will collect data on current conditions and travel patterns, perform onsite observations, and engage with people across the region to identify priorities and better understand community needs.
For comments or questions regarding the study, email MDOT-Metro-Communications@ Michigan.gov. Attendees who require mobility, visual, hearing, written, or other assistance for effective participation should contact Orlando Curry at (517) 241-7462 or CurryO@Michigan. gov, preferably at least five business days prior to the scheduled meeting. Forms are located on the Title VI webpage. Requests made after this timeframe will be evaluated and honored to the extent possible.
Ludwig Karam Giorgis
Gianino
Photo provided by Moe Lietz
MDOT will host open houses to discuss pedestrian bridges in the tri-county area.
Photo by Erin Sanchez
ABOVE: The backpacks will be distributed to students in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties for the 2025-2026 school year. RIGHT: Oak Park resident Drew Carter, who works for Stellantis, fills backpacks with school supplies Aug. 12 for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan Backpack Initiative. BELOW: The backpacks will include folders, composition notebooks, crayons, pencils, erasers, glue sticks and scissors.
Erin
Backpacks
from page 5A
and district are incredibly valuable and we look forward to continuing to partner well into the future.”
Kristen Cibulskis, engagement director at United Way for Southeastern Michigan, said this year’s Backpack Initiative was done at no cost to the nonprofit organization because so many businesses made monetary donations. At press time, a total of 6,875 backpacks were to be donated. Other school supplies without backpacks were to be donated as well to provide for at least 8,000 schoolchildren in grades K-12.
“We’re trying our best to fit the needs,” Cibulskis said.
One reason some children won’t receive backpacks and only supplies is because the schools only allow for clear backpacks. When priced, Cibulskis said the clear backpacks were more expensive than the standard ones. That is something they will keep in mind for future initiatives.
The backpack donation was a three-day process. On Aug. 11, members from United Way were at Lincoln to set up tables, unpack supplies and prepare everything for packing day Aug. 12. Delivery day was Aug. 13. The Penske company donated transportation for the backpack distribution. Volunteers were scheduled to follow Penske trucks to the donation sites.
Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.
Photos by
Sanchez
ABOVE: Tom Petzold and members of his family manage a portfolio of neighborhood shopping centers. The business manages the Tech Plaza at 12 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue in Warren as well as other centers in Detroit and Dearborn, among other locations.
LEFT: The Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce works with major retail centers in its area, including the Adams Square Shopping Center on South Adams Road, south of Maple Road and east of Woodward Avenue. The plaza features a combination of local retail stores, restaurants and chain stores.
HUMAN ELEMENT CONSIDERED A BENEFIT AT LOCAL SHOPPING PLAZAS
BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — For those who have active roles in various business spaces in the metro Detroit area, shopping plazas can provide some benefits for in-person shopping as opposed to buying online.
A survey conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers notes that there are around 115,000 shopping centers in the U.S. with nearly 90% being small, neighborhood and convenience store centers. Also, about 83% of Americans visit a shopping center at least once a week and 20% go to a shopping center more than 10
times a week.
According to statistics compiled by CapitalOne Shopping, American consumers spent $5.927 trillion in retail stores and $1.337 trillion online in 2024, though this value does not account for seasonal adjustments.
The Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce works with major retail centers around the Maple Road/Telegraph Road, Telegraph Road/Square Lake Road, and 13 Mile Road/Southfield Road intersections, around both east and west ends, as well as the Adams Square Shopping Center. The plazas feature a combination of local re-
Photos by Erin Sanchez
CLPS has much to celebrate this year!
EYES ON THE FUTURE
Center Line Public Schools is a Ford Next Generation Learning Community-1 of only 3 school districts in Michigan to earn this designation!
1 only 4
With the support of multiple local fre departments, three of our students passed their practical exams for their state Firefghting Certifcation this year.
Wolfe Middle School was recognized as one of U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Middle Schools” in 2025.
FRESHMAN ACADEMY
•Helps with transition from middle to high school
•Forms small learning community
•Builds skills to be successful
•Explores interests and careers
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES ACADEMY
•Health & Wellness
•First Responders
•Law and Justice
•Public Service
All of our HOSA teams qualifed for state competition in EMT, Disaster Preparedness and Response (CERT), and Veterinary Science; Nancy Reeder and Samantha Lepire took 2nd place in EMT.
ACADEMY OF INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
•Engineering Technology
•Innovative Art & Design
•Business, Commerce & Entrepreneurship
•Digital Design & Communication
Center Line High School is bridging the world of work and school.
Connections with local and nationally recognized businesses help prepare our students for life after high school, providing students with hands-on, real-world experiences. CLPS students can graduate with college credits and/or industry certifications in high demand jobs, increasing graduates’ chances of finding future employment while filling a need in the community for skilled trade workers. CLPS participates in the Early College of Macomb and Dual Enrollment programs, where students can earn college credits at no cost while still in high school.
New this fall: Dispatch 911 & Criminology! This is a comprehensive course on learning how to become a public safety 9-1-1 dispatcher. Students will experience both live and computer aided simulations. Upon successful completion students will earn the NECI Basic 9-1-1 Dispatch Certifcation.
All CLPS schools are one-to-one. Each student receives a personal laptop with all the necessary tools to be successful.
CLPS provides support for our students beyond academics. In addition to a full complement of counselors and social workers, our high school also hosts an Ascension School-Based Health Center that provides free services to the children of our community. Join our family! CLPS is open to unlimited School of Choice for Kindergarten - 12th grade (Macomb County
CLPS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
counties. Visit clps.org for
When The Arbor Inn opened its doors in 1975, “assisted living” was virtually unknown in Michigan. Founder Carl Ruby recognized the need as people were living longer and often required help with daily activities but did not need nursing home care.
“Carl had owned a similar community in downtown Detroit and felt there would be a need out in the suburbs,” said Director of Operations Lou Petroni, who is also Ruby’s grandson. “Back then, there weren’t many options for seniors outside the city.”
Ruby selected Warren for its potential for long-term growth, and construction of the 146-bed community was completed that same year. Across the street, St. Malachy Catholic Church was also being built. Clergy have maintained a relationship with The Arbor Inn for five decades and still come weekly to hold Mass for residents.
From the start, The Arbor Inn has offered private and semi-private rooms, along with services such as cooking, cleaning, laundry and medication management. Residents enjoy the three landscaped courtyards, activity rooms, outings and seasonal events such as barbecues and picnics.
THE ARBOR INN: 50 YEARS OF FAMILY-OWNED SENIOR CARE
A multigenerational tradition
Over the years, the community’s family-centered approach has extended beyond the Ruby family. Executive Director Mary Sieger joined in 1977, and many staff members have had multiple relatives work there.
“Our administrator’s son worked here in high school and is now director of dietary,” said Admissions Director Tara Yagonczak. “Both of my sons have worked here. One still does. It’s all about family here.”
Petroni recalls his mother and aunt visiting residents every Christmas. “That kind of involvement has always been part of who we are,” he said. “We know every square inch of this building, every resident’s name and story.”
decades, and the children of past residents often come to the community when it’s time for the next generation to need care.
Adapting to changing needs
While the mission to provide safe, affordable care with dignity has remained constant, the needs of residents have evolved.
That closeness has led to unique connections. Some residents have called The Arbor Inn home for more than two
“We are now seeing more people with memory issues,” Petroni said. To meet those needs, The Arbor Inn opened the Reflections memory care unit in 2022, providing a secure setting for residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia to remain in familiar surroundings as their needs change. The community has adapted to technology demands with Wi-Fi upgrades and streaming capabilities. “We have residents who FaceTime with their families and use Alexa—things the building wasn’t designed for 50 years ago,” Yagonczak said.
Commitment to affordability
In an era when many assisted living communities are run by large corporate chains, The Arbor Inn’s independence helps keep costs within reach for a range of incomes.
“We keep people at whatever they can afford to pay,” Petroni said. “If someone has spent their savings, we’ll work with their income.”
The Arbor Inn also partners with PACE of Southeast Michigan and Macomb County Veteran Services to help support veterans and their family members, along with lowerincome residents. “The affordability is the icing on the cake,” Yagonczak said. “We have options for people from every economic background, and many ways to help them age in place without disruption.”
Beyond serving its residents, The Arbor Inn offers public seminars on topics like hospice care, veteran benefits and the differences between independent living, assisted living and memory care. “Even if someone doesn’t choose The Arbor Inn, I still want to make sure they get the right information,” Yagonczak said. “If we can be a resource, that’s part of our job.”
Petroni hopes to see The Arbor Inn continue for many more decades to come. “We will always adapt,” he said. “But the core will stay the same: treating residents like they’re our own family and offering them a safe, welcoming place to call home.”
The community’s ties to the broader public run deep. Local schoolchildren visit to trickor-treat, and church groups hold services and events. Some families of former residents even return to volunteer.
Now 90, Ruby still visits often. Petroni said his grandfather remains focused on quality and accountability. “He will not accept anything less than 110 percent for our residents,” he said. “That’s been the standard from the start.” Yagonczak credits that standard with keeping the building well-maintained and the staff engaged. “It’s rewarding to know residents are taken care of, that someone is greeting them every day with dignity and respect,” she said.
The Arbor Inn is located at 14030 E. 14 Mile Rd. in Warren. For more information, call (586) 296-3260 or visit thearborinn.net. Follow “The Arbor Inn” on Facebook.
HIGHLIGHTS:
STEAM-BASED CURRICULUM
FREE 5-DAY-A-WEEK EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM
CAREER TECH EDUCATION
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES
GIFTED & TALENTED EDUCATION
COLLEGE CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES
SUMMER EXTENDED LEARNING PROGRAM
APPLICATION/ENROLLMENT WINDOW OPEN FROM FEBRUARY 20, 2025 - SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
OPEN GRADES K-12 FOR MACOMB COUNTY RESIDENTS ENROLLED BY 3PM ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
REGISTRATION AT THE RCS ADMINISTRATION BUILDING,18975 CHURCH ST. THREE PROOFS OF RESIDENCY REQUIRED.
CLASSROOM LAPTOP/IPAD FOR EVERY STUDENT STATE-OF-THE-ART CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY
INDIVIDUALIZED MATH & READING PROGRAMS SAFE & SECURE SCHOOLS
ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAMS
PERFORMING ARTS COURSES
NO-FEE ATHLETICS
BEHIND THE WHEEL
22A/AUGUST 20, 2025 • WARREN WEEKLY
Do you own a vehicle with an interesting history?
Contact Staff Writer Maria Allard at allard@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1045, and you could be featured in an upcoming Behind the Wheel. For more stories, visit candgnews.com/news/auto or use the QR code.
Rockin’ Robin
THREEWHEELER GETS LOTS OF ATTENTION ON LOCAL ROADS
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
METRO DETROIT — If you made it out to the Woodward Dream Cruise Aug. 16 in Oakland County, you might have spotted Sami Abu-Soud in his 1997 Reliant Robin.
At press time, he planned to take it to the annual car cruise that brings together car buffs and spectators who spend the day reliving the golden age of the automobile.
Abu-Soud has owned the Reliant Robin for a few years and loves to take it to car shows and cruises. The British car has three wheels, one in the center front and two in the back. The car can fit two people in the front seat, two passengers in the back seat and there is a trunk where Abu-Soud keeps a spare tire and speakers that play his music of choice — electronic.
“The car is something else,” the Royal Oak resident said. “They haven’t changed the car style much since the ’70s and ’80s. This is the van model of it. It’s technically a motorcycle, so I have a motorcycle license.”
Abu-Soud, 38, purchased the three-wheeler directly from England. It traveled the Atlantic Ocean by ship, and all the parts for maintenance are ordered from across the pond. The Reliant has a stick shift, and because the car is British, the steering wheel is on the right side, unlike American cars in which the steering wheels are on the left side. Abu-Soud had no trouble adjusting to driving with the steering wheel on the opposite side.
“It’s actually pretty natural,” he said. “It keeps up with traffic for the most part.”
Abu-Soud has other cars, including a 1998 Dodge Viper, a 2001 Chevrolet Corvette and two Subaru WRXs. But the Reliant is his favorite vehicle to drive in the warmer months around town, visiting downtown Detroit or when running errands.
“I wanted something different. Anytime I don’t have to use the highway, I try to drive it as much as possible. It gets a lot of looks. As I’m driving, people take pictures of me all the time,” Abu-Soud said. “Even non-car people stop me and ask me about it.”
Abu-Soud also lets friends and even strangers drive the car, usually in parking lots or around the block. They just have to know how to operate a stick shift.
“I bought it to have fun,” said Abu-Soud, who always makes sure to go with guest drivers.
“Everyone has been able to drive it, no problem.”
One of Abu-Soud’s neighbors who works in
the automotive industry helped him tune up the Reliant Robin.
“It’s pretty solid otherwise,” he said. “I
See RELIANT ROBIN on page 23A
Sami Abu-Soud, of Royal Oak, drives his 1997 Reliant Robin whenever possible during the warmer months. The 1997 Reliant Robin was featured this past year at the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place. In honor of the Reliant Robin, Sami Abu-Soud keeps a tiny stuffed robin in the front seat of the car, pictured above. Photos by Liz Carnegie
Reliant Robin
from page 22A
haven’t done too much to it.”
The ’97 model, which has more than 80,000 miles on it, does not have power steering or power brakes.
“Basically, no frills,” Abu-Soud said. “It’s all fiberglass, so it’s really light. The car weighs less than 1,000 pounds.”
The four-cylinder Reliant is equipped with an 850 cc engine that produces 40 horsepower. When looking at the rear license plate, it reads “Flipy,” because the cars have a reputation for flipping onto their sides. That has not happened to Abu-Soud, but he saw it on the British Broadcasting Corp. television show “Top Gear.”
The ’97 Reliant Robin owner has always been into cars. Abu-Soud, who now works in real estate, worked as a mechanical engineer for 13 years.
“When I was a little kid, I started tinkering with cars,” he said. “I would fix cars. I try to do all the work myself on all my cars.”
There may be a reason why he is so comfortable driving the British car. AbuSoud was born in England, and his family moved to the U.S. when he was just 1 year old. He also has his own version of a mascot
for the car: a tiny stuffed robin he keeps in the front seat. One highlight this past year was displaying the 1997 Reliant Robin at the Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place.
“It was pretty exciting,” Abu-Soud said.
According to reliant.website, which is the official website for the Reliant Motor Club, the Reliant Motor Co. was formed in 1935 when Tom Lawrence Williams built the first prototype vehicle in his garden in the U.K. along with E.S. Thompson. A number of different Reliant styles were built over the years, including the Scimitar GT, Rialto and Kitten.
According to the website, the Reliant Robin was introduced in November 1973 and replaced the Reliant Regal 3/30. The Robin had different variations: the Standard Robin, the Super Robin, the Robin Estate and the Robin Van.
The Reliant Robin had become one of the most famous three-wheelers in the U.K. until 1981, when it was replaced by the Reliant Rialto. But in 1989, Reliant brought back the Robin with a new look, including a new fiberglass body attached to a galvanized chassis and a single, central windscreen wiper.
The website states that the company’s last Reliant vehicle was built in February 2001.
tail stores, restaurants and chain stores.
Chamber President Joe Bauman says the personal service of in-person shopping may be more appealing than the convenience of online shopping.
“There is a much greater chance you are going to be satisfied with your purchase when you can see and feel it before you buy it,” Bauman said in an email. “And if a problem does occur, it is much more likely to be resolved if you have established a relationship with the local retailer.”
“There is no denying the level of competition being brought by these massive, online retailers. But there are still plenty of people who want to deal with another human rather than a computer screen,” Bauman added.
At Petzold Enterprises, Tom Petzold and members of his family manage a portfolio of neighborhood shopping centers. The business manages the Tech Plaza at 12 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue in Warren as well as other centers in Detroit and Dearborn, among other locations. His grandfather started the business in the 1960s.
“We try to focus on being in ... central(ly) located, convenient locations,” Petzold said.
“We are a small family business, and we have shopping centers that we lease out to a combination of tenants, some of whom are small family businesses like us and others are more corporate,” he added.
In terms of the comparison of in-person shopping versus online shopping, Petzold says the positivity of the staff and the environment are really important to the consumer experience.
“When you think about when you’re creating a shopping center, one thing I’ve learned is that one of the constituencies that you’re competing for is the staff that work inside the stores and when I say that I mean you want to make your shopping center attractive, safe, inviting and even a place that someone could be proud to go to work,” Petzold said. “Like, it’s clean and you attract better personnel that work in the stores when you build a better shopping center and that ultimately benefits the customer to have the best people in the stores.”
Scott Marcus owns two locations of a franchise called Restore Hyper Wellness, one of which is located in a strip area at 643 S. Adams Road in Birmingham. The other is
located in Northville. The business offers wellness services like intravenous fluids, cryotherapy, compression therapy, red light therapy and a hyperbaric chamber.
Marcus has had the locations for about four years. He says the Birmingham location is the busiest but that both spots are fairly busy.
“For us it feels like the parking is excellent, so that’s definitely great for us because people come in and out and want ease of access,” Marcus said. “So for us it’s a great spot.”
Because the business offers health services, there is not a huge concern about online business affecting them. The products have to be delivered in person.
“Because most of what we do is therapytype services, so not something you can do online,” Marcus said. “You know, if someone wants to do cryotherapy for instance, that’s a cold chamber for three minutes. They’re not going to be able to buy something on Amazon to do that.”
The Golden Fig Gallery of Fine Arts and Antiques is located in the Adams Square Shopping Plaza in Birmingham, at 725 S Adams Road, No. 170. It is an art gallery that offers a wide variety of artworks and antiquities that has been in business for over 30 years.
Big things, small things, life-changing things, we’re here to make your health better.
“I did shows for contemporary artists, but I didn’t find that was working as a business model for me, so I moved into just vintage art and pretty much everything in the gallery is old and most of the artists have passed away,” owner Ron Povlich said. Povlich works with a wide variety of older and younger customers. He previously did online sales before but, due to the cost of shipping and other sales factors, he found that it was not profitable.
“This is a very funny market,” Povlich said. “You can’t tell online if something is real. I mean, it can look like a painting but in fact when you get it, it’s either a print, a very good lithograph print laid onto a canvas, embellished with clear paint strokes to make it look like a real painting, whereas people who come in here, they really want to put their hands on it and see it and know what they’re getting.”
Call Staff Writer Sarah Wright at (586) 498-1068.
uled to begin with a half day Aug. 25. The district has been without a permanent superintendent since December 2024. Jensen, 42, already has several goals to accomplish, including “creating some great citizens to send out into the universe upon graduation.”
“I really want to start by listening to hear what everyone wants. What are their hopes and dreams for all the kids who are going here,” Jensen said. “We have a really collaborative team here and it’s really great to work with teachers who help our schools function. We have really hard-working staff members. A lot of people take pride in their work here, which is nice to see.
“There’s a community-oriented and family-oriented feel. The community believes in the district. They love the district. Often, you’re hear people say, ‘I went there, or my uncle went there.’ There are a lot of connections through Fitz,” Jensen said. “We have some great athletics. We have a lot of great systems in place. Every time we have a new staff member come in, we get a lot of compliments from them of all the things we
ORDINANCE NO.
80-835
AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR THE ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONS, EXTENSIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WATER SUPPLY AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM OF THE CITY OF WARREN; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF JUNIOR LIEN REVENUE BONDS TO PAY THE COST THEREOF; TO PRESCRIBE THE FORM OF THE BONDS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE COLLECTION OF REVENUES FROM THE SYSTEM SUFFICIENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE COSTS OF OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM AND TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON THE BONDS; TO PROVIDE FOR SECURITY FOR THE BONDS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE SEGREGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE REVENUES; TO PROVIDE FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE HOLDERS OF THE BONDS IN ENFORCEMENT THEREOF; AND TO PROVIDE FOR OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THE BONDS AND THE SYSTEM.
THE CITY OF WARREN ORDAINS:
Section 1. Defnitions. Whenever used in this Ordinance, except when otherwise indicated by the context, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Act 94” means Act 94, Public Acts of Michigan, 1933, as amended.
(b) “Authority” means the Michigan Finance Authority.
(c) “Authorized Offcers” means the Mayor, City Clerk, Treasurer, and the Controller of the Issuer.
(d) “Bonds” or “Senior Lien Bonds” means any Bonds or series of Bonds so designated and payable from Net Revenues, which are secured by a statutory frst lien on the Net Revenues established by the Prior Ordinance and which are senior and superior in all respects with respect to the Net Revenues to any Junior Lien Bonds secured by the statutory second lien established by this Ordinance, together with any additional Bonds of equal standing thereafter issued.
(e) “EGLE” means the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
(f) “Engineers” means Hubbell Roth and Clark, consulting engineers of Bloomfeld Hills, Michigan.
(g) “Issuer” means the City of Warren, County of Macomb, State of Michigan.
have in the district, so they feel really supported.”
As superintendent, Jensen wants to keep the bar high to stay focused on instruction.
“I would love to continue to spread the message of what a great school district this is because sometimes we get a bad rap,” she said.
While growing up in St. John’s, Michigan, Jensen thought about either going into the medical field or being an educator.
“It felt like more of a calling wanting to work with kids all the time,” Jensen said. “My grandmother was a principal for a center-based special education school in Lansing, and there are various educators in our family. My mom was always one that pushed my brother and I to go to college and pursue our passions. She’s always been my biggest advocate and cheerleader.”
Jensen has two young children: a son in the second grade and a daughter in the first grade. Jensen’s contract is for one year. She’ll negotiate a new contract next year.
“We started a practice a few years ago where anyone moving into a new position here would be on a one-year contract for any of our nonaffiliated staff members,” Jensen said.
(h) “Junior Lien Bonds” means any Bonds or series of Bonds (including the Series 2025 Bonds) payable from Net Revenues, after satisfaction of any requirements for funding the Redemption Account, and which are secured by a statutory second lien on the Net Revenues and are junior and subordinate in all respects with respect to the Net Revenues to any Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds and any Bonds hereafter issued secured by the statutory frst lien established by the Prior Ordinance.
(i) “Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds” means the Series 2020 Bonds and any additional bonds issued that are senior in standing and priority of lien with the Junior Lien Bonds.
(j) “Prior Ordinance” means Ordinance No. 80-784 adopted by the City Council authorizing the issuance of Bonds, including the Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds.
(k) “Project” means the acquisition, construction, furnishing and equipping of additions, extensions and improvements to the Issuer’s Water Supply and Sewage Disposal System of the City, including but not limited to incinerator improvements consisting generally of thermal dryer and energy recovery systems for the purpose of destroying PFAs and PFAs-contaminated solids, together with all related appurtenances and attachments
(l) “Purchase Contract” means the Purchase Contract to be entered into between the Authority and the Issuer relating to the purchase by the Authority of the Series 2025 Bonds.
(m) “Revenues” and “Net Revenues” means the revenues and net revenues of the System and shall be construed as defned in Section 3 of Act 94, including with respect to “Revenues”, the earnings derived from the investment of moneys in the various funds and accounts established by the Prior Ordinance and this Ordinance.
(n) “Series 2020 Bonds” means the Issuer’s Public Utility System Revenue Bonds, Series 2020, dated December 9, 2020, in the original principal amount of $8,725,000.
(o) “Series 2025 Bonds” means the Issuer’s Public Utility System Junior Lien Revenue Bonds, Series 2025, with such other designations as determined by an Authorized Offcer, to be issued in one or more series in the principal amount of not to exceed $100,000,000 pursuant to this Ordinance.
(p) “Suffcient Government Obligations” means direct
Early in her career, Jensen taught third grade in Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland, where she also became an assistant principal. In 2015, she moved back to Michigan and took a position in Mount Clemens Community Schools, where she was the principal at the Seminole Academy and also became curriculum director. While in Mount Clemens, a colleague and mentor encouraged her to apply for the director of academic services at Fitzgerald Public Schools. She did and was hired in 2020, “right in the midst of COVID.”
Retired Fitzgerald Public Schools Superintendent Laurie Fournier served as interim superintendent since December. At last Monday’s meeting, Jensen thanked Fournier with a gift, flowers and kind words. Fournier wiped back tears as the school board and central administrators gave her a standing
ovation.
With Jensen settling into the superintendent role, the school board voted 7-0 on Aug. 11 to appoint Heather Klos as the district’s new director of academic services. Hal Heard III, executive director of high school education, Plymouth-Canton Schools; Susan File, executive director of human resources, Waterford School District; Kellie Finnie, director of curriculum and state/federal programs, Dearborn Heights School District; Amy Nelson, superintendent, Capac Community Schools; and Major Mickens, director of student support services and community education, L’Anse Creuse Public Schools, were the five other candidates who interviewed for the superintendent position.
Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.
obligations of the United States of America or obligations the principal and interest on which is fully guaranteed by the United States of America, not redeemable at the option of the issuer, the principal and interest payments upon which without reinvestment of the interest, come due at such times and in such amounts as to be fully suffcient to pay the interest as it comes due on the Bonds or Junior Lien Bonds and the principal and redemption premium, if any, on the Bonds or Junior Lien Bonds as it comes due whether on the stated maturity date or upon earlier redemption. Securities representing such obligations shall be placed in trust with a bank or trust company, and if any of the Bonds or Junior Lien Bonds are to be called for redemption prior to maturity, irrevocable instructions to call the Bonds for redemption shall be given to the paying agent.
(q) “Supplemental Agreement” means the supplemental agreement among the Issuer, the Authority and EGLE relating to the Series 2025 Bonds.
(r) “System” means the entire Water Supply and Sewage Disposal System of the Issuer, including the Project and all additions, extensions and improvements hereafter acquired.
Section 2. Necessity; Approval of Plans and Specifcations. It is hereby determined to be a necessary public purpose of the Issuer to acquire and construct the Project in accordance with the plans and specifcations prepared by the Engineers, which plans and specifcations are hereby approved. The Project qualifes for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund fnancing program being administered by EGLE and the Authority, whereby bonds of the Issuer are sold to the Authority and bear interest at a fxed rate of two percent (2.00%) per annum.
Section 3. Costs; Useful Life. The cost of the Project is estimated to be One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000), including the payment of incidental expenses as specifed in Section 4 of this Ordinance, which estimate of cost is hereby approved and confrmed, and the period of usefulness of the Project is estimated to be not less than thirty-fve (35) years.
Section 4. Payment of Cost; Bonds Authorized. To pay the cost of acquiring and constructing the Project, legal, engineering, fnancial and other expenses incident thereto and incident to the issuance and sale of the Series 2025 Bonds, the Issuer shall borrow the sum of not to exceed One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000), or such lesser amount as shall have been advanced to the Issuer pursuant to the Purchase Contract and the Supplemental Agreement,
and issue the Series 2025 Bonds pursuant to the provisions of Act 94. The remaining cost of the Project, if any, shall be defrayed from Issuer funds on hand and legally available for such use.
Except as amended by or expressly provided to the contrary in this Ordinance, all of the provisions of the Prior Ordinance shall apply to the Series 2025 Bonds issued pursuant to this Ordinance, the same as though each of said provisions were repeated in this Ordinance in detail; the purpose of this Ordinance being to authorize the issuance of revenue bonds of subordinate lien with respect to the Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds to fnance the cost of acquiring and constructing additions, extensions and improvements to the System, additional bonds of subordinate standing with the Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds for such purpose being authorized by the provisions of the Prior Ordinance, upon the conditions therein stated, which conditions have been fully met.
Section 5. Issuance of Series 2025 Bonds; Details. The Series 2025 Bonds of the Issuer, to be designated PUBLIC UTILITY SYSTEM JUNIOR LIEN REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 2025, with such additional or other designations as determined by an Authorized Offcer, are authorized to be issued in one or more series in the aggregate principal sum of not to exceed One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000) as fnally determined by order of EGLE for the purpose of paying part of the cost of the Project, including the costs incidental to the issuance, sale and delivery of the Series 2025 Bonds. The Series 2025 Bonds shall be payable primarily out of the Net Revenues, as set forth more fully in Section 8 hereof, provided that the Series 2025 Bonds shall be subordinate to the prior lien with respect to the Net Revenues in favor of the Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds and of any Bonds hereafter issued. Each series of the Series 2025 Bonds shall be in the form of a single fullyregistered, nonconvertible bond of the denomination of the full principal amount thereof, dated as of the date of delivery, payable in principal installments as fnally determined by the order of EGLE at the time of sale of the Series 2025 Bonds and approved by the Authority and an Authorized Offcer. Principal installments of each series of the Series 2025 Bonds shall be payable on April 1 of the years 2029 to 2058, inclusive, or such other payment dates as otherwise determined by an Authorized Offcer. Interest on each series of the Series 2025 Bonds shall be payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year, commencing April 1, 2026 or on such other interest payment dates as hereinafter provided. Final determination of the principal amount of and interest
on each series of the Series 2025 Bonds and the payment dates and amounts of principal installments of each series of the Series 2025 Bonds shall be evidenced by execution of one or more Purchase Contracts and each of the Authorized Offcers is authorized and directed to execute and deliver such Purchase Contracts when in fnal form and to make the determinations and within the limitations set forth herein.
Each series of the Series 2025 Bonds shall bear interest at a rate of two percent (2.00%) per annum on the par value thereof or such other rate as evidenced by execution of the Purchase Contracts, but in any event not to exceed the rate permitted by law, and any Authorized Offcers as shall be appropriate shall deliver each series of the Series 2025 Bonds in accordance with the delivery instructions of the Authority.
The principal amount of each series of the Series 2025 Bonds is expected to be drawn down by the Issuer periodically, and interest on principal amount shall accrue from the date such principal amount is drawn down by the Issuer.
The Series 2025 Bonds shall not be convertible or exchangeable into more than one fully-registered bond per series. Principal of and interest on the Series 2025 Bonds shall be payable as provided in the Series 2025 Bond form in this Ordinance.
The Series 2025 Bonds shall be subject to optional redemption by the Issuer with the prior written approval of the Authority and on such terms as may be required by the Authority.
The Treasurer of the Issuer shall record on the registration books payment by the Issuer of each installment of principal or interest or both when made and the cancelled checks or other records evidencing such payments shall be returned to and retained by the Treasurer.
Upon payment by the Issuer of all outstanding principal of and interest on the Series 2025 Bonds, the Authority shall deliver the Series 2025 Bonds to the Issuer for cancellation.
Section 6. Execution of Series 2025 Bonds. The Series 2025 Bonds shall be signed by the manual or facsimile signature of the Mayor and countersigned by the manual or facsimile signature of the Clerk and shall have the corporate seal of the Issuer or a facsimile thereof impressed thereon. The Series 2025 Bonds bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of the Mayor and the Clerk or the Treasurer sold to the Authority shall require no further authentication.
Section 7. Registration and Transfer. Any Bond or Junior Lien Bond may be transferred upon the books required to be kept pursuant to this section by the person in whose name it is registered, in person or by the registered owner’s duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of the Bond or Junior Lien Bond for cancellation, accompanied by delivery of a duly executed written instrument of transfer in a form approved by the transfer agent. Whenever any Bond or Junior Lien Bond shall be surrendered for transfer, the Issuer shall execute and the transfer agent shall authenticate and deliver a new Bond or Junior Lien Bond, for like aggregate principal amount. The transfer agent shall require payment by the bondholder requesting the transfer of any tax or other governmental charge required to be paid with respect to the transfer. The Issuer shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Bond or Junior Lien Bond during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the giving of a notice of redemption of Bonds selected for redemption as described in the form of Series 2025 Bonds contained in Section 13 of this Ordinance and ending at the close of business on the day of that giving of notice, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Bond or Junior Lien Bond so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of Bonds or Junior Lien Bonds being redeemed in part. The Issuer shall give the transfer agent notice of call for redemption at least 20 days prior to the date notice of redemption is to be given.
The transfer agent shall keep or cause to be kept at its principal offce suffcient books for the registration and transfer of the Bonds or Junior Lien Bonds, which shall at all times be open to inspection by the Issuer; and upon presentation for such purpose the transfer agent shall under such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, transfer or cause to be transferred on said books Bonds or Junior Lien Bonds as hereinbefore provided.
If any Bond or Junior Lien Bond shall become mutilated, the Issuer, at the expense of the holder of the Bond or Junior Lien Bond, shall execute, and the transfer agent shall authenticate and deliver, a new Bond or Junior Lien Bond of like tenor in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Bond or Junior Lien Bond, upon surrender to the transfer agent of the mutilated Bond or Junior Lien Bond. If any Bond or Junior Lien Bond issued under this Ordinance shall be lost, destroyed or stolen, evidence of the loss, destruction or theft may be submitted to the transfer agent and, if this evidence is satisfactory to both and indemnity satisfactory to the transfer agent shall be given, and if all requirements of any applicable law including Act 354, Public Acts of Michigan, 1972, as amended (“Act 354”), being sections 129.131 to 129.135, inclusive, of the Michigan
Compiled Laws have been met, the Issuer, at the expense of the owner, shall execute, and the transfer agent shall thereupon authenticate and deliver, a new Bond or Junior Lien Bond of like tenor and bearing the statement required by Act 354, or any applicable law hereafter enacted, in lieu of and in substitution for the Bond or Junior Lien Bond so lost, destroyed or stolen. If any such Bond or Junior Lien Bond shall have matured or shall be about to mature, instead of issuing a substitute Bond or Junior Lien Bond the transfer agent may pay the same without surrender thereof.
Section 8. Payment of Series 2025 Bonds; Security; Priority of Lien. Principal of and interest on the Series 2025 Bonds shall be payable primarily from the Net Revenues. There is hereby recognized the statutory lien upon the whole of the Net Revenues created by this Ordinance which shall be a lien that is junior and subordinate to the lien of the Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds created by the Prior Ordinance and to any Bonds hereafter issued, to continue until payment in full of the principal of and interest on all Bonds payable from the Net Revenues, or until suffcient cash or Suffcient Government Obligations have been deposited in trust for payment in full of all Junior Lien Bonds, including the Series 2025 Bonds, then outstanding, principal and interest, to maturity, or, if called for redemption, to the date fxed for redemption together with the amount of the redemption premium, if any. Upon deposit of cash or Suffcient Government Obligations for the Series 2025 Bonds the statutory lien shall be terminated with respect to the Series 2025 Bonds, the holders of the Series 2025 Bonds shall have no further rights under this Ordinance except for payment from the deposited funds, and the Series 2025 Bonds shall no longer be considered to be outstanding under this Ordinance.
Section 9. Management; Fiscal Year. The operation, repair and management of the System and the acquiring and constructing of the Project shall continue to be under the supervision and control of the Issuer. The Issuer may employ such person or persons in such capacity or capacities as it deems advisable to carry on the effcient management and operation of the System. The Issuer may make such rules and regulations as it deems advisable and necessary to assure the effcient management and operation of the System. The System shall be operated on the basis of an operating year which shall coincide with the Issuer’s fscal year.
Section 10. Rates and Charges; No Free Service. The rates and charges for service furnished by the System and the methods of collection and enforcement of the collection of the rates shall be those in effect on the date of adoption of this Ordinance and are estimated to be suffcient to provide for the payment of the expenses of administration and operation and such expenses for maintenance of the System as are necessary to preserve the System in good repair and working order, to provide for the payment of the principal of and interest on the Bonds as the same become due and payable, and the maintenance of the reserves, if any, therefore; and to provide for all other obligations, expenditures and funds for the System required by law, the Prior Ordinance and this Ordinance. No free service or use of the System, or service or use of the System at less than cost, shall be furnished by the System to any person, frm, or corporation, public or private, or to any public agency or instrumentality, including the Issuer.
Section 11. Funds and Accounts; Flow of Funds; Junior Lien Bond and Interest Redemption Fund. All funds belonging to the System and all Revenues of the System shall continue to be set aside as collected and credited to the Receiving Fund established by the Prior Ordinance (the “Receiving Fund”), except as provided in this Ordinance.
The Revenues credited to the Receiving Fund are pledged for the purposes of the funds and accounts established by the Prior Ordinance and this Ordinance and shall be transferred or debited from the Receiving Fund periodically in the manner and at the times and in the order of priority specifed in the Prior Ordinance and this Ordinance.
Funding Existing Funds and Accounts. Out of the Revenues in the Receiving Fund there shall be transferred and debited the amounts required by the Prior Ordinance to be deposited into the existing Operation and Maintenance Fund and the existing Bond and Interest Redemption Fund (including Bond Reserve Account) created pursuant to the Prior Ordinance.
Junior Lien Bond and Interest Redemption Fund. There is hereby established and there shall be maintained a separate depositary account designated JUNIOR LIEN BOND AND INTEREST REDEMPTION FUND (the “Junior Lien Redemption Fund”). Except as otherwise provided herein, the moneys on deposit therein from time to time shall be used for the purpose of paying the principal of and interest on any Junior Lien Bonds.
Out of the Revenues remaining in the Receiving Fund, after transfer, if required, for deposit into the Operation and Maintenance Fund and the Bond and Interest Redemption Fund for any Senior Lien Bonds, there shall be set aside monthly in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund a sum suffcient to provide for the next payment when due of the principal of and interest on the Junior Lien Bonds, less any amount
in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund representing accrued interest on the Junior Lien Bonds, and less the sum of any funds actually on deposit in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund. The amount set aside and transferred to the Junior Lien Redemption Fund each month for interest on the Junior Lien Bonds shall be 1/6 of the total amount of interest on the Junior Lien Bonds next coming due or such greater or lesser amount as is necessary to assure that the amount set aside in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund as of the frst of such month is not less than the product of (a) 1/6 of the amount of interest next due on the Junior Lien Bonds times (b) the number of months elapsed since and including the last interest payment date. For the month immediately prior to each interest payment date the amount set aside and transferred to the Junior Lien Redemption Fund to pay interest shall be reduced by amounts, including investment earnings, available in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund which are available for such purpose. The amount set aside and transferred to the Junior Lien Redemption Fund each month for principal commencing twelve months prior to the frst maturity or mandatory sinking fund redemption date shall be 1/12 of the amount of principal next coming due on the Junior Lien Bonds by maturity or as a mandatory redemption requirement or such greater or lesser amount as is necessary to assure that the amount set aside in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund as of the frst of such month is not less than the product of 1/12 of the amount of principal next due on the Junior Lien Bonds times (b) the number of months elapsed since and including the last principal payment date. If there is any defciency in the amount previously set aside, that defciency shall be added to the next succeeding month’s requirement.
No further payments need be made into the Junior Lien Redemption Fund after enough of the principal installments of the Junior Lien Bonds have been retired so that the amount then held in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund (including a bond reserve account, if any), is equal to the entire amount of principal and interest which will be payable at the time of maturity of all the principal installments of the Bond then remaining outstanding.
If required by the purchaser of any series of Series 2025 Bonds, the Issuer may establish a separate account in the Junior Lien Redemption Fund to be known as the JUNIOR LIEN BOND RESERVE ACCOUNT (the “Junior Lien Bond Reserve Account”). The amount to be deposited into the Junior Lien Bond Reserve Account (the “Junior Lien Reserve Amount”) shall be determined by an Authorized Offcer at the time of sale of the Series 2025 Bonds. The Issuer may fund the Junior Lien Reserve Amount over a period of up to ten (10) years by cash or bond proceeds, or by a surety bond, insurance policy or a letter of credit if the provider or issuer thereof shall be rated by a nationally recognized bond rating agency as high or higher than the Series 2025 Bonds.
Section 12. Bond Proceeds. The proceeds of the sale of each series of the Series 2025 Bonds as received by the Issuer shall be deposited in one or more separate accounts in a bank or banks qualifed to act as depository of the proceeds of sale under the provisions of Section 15 of Act 94 designated 2025 PUBLIC UTILITY SYSTEM JUNIOR LIEN REVENUE BONDS CONSTRUCTION FUND (the “Construction Fund”). Moneys in the Construction Fund shall be applied solely in payment of the cost of the Project and any engineering, legal and other expenses incident thereto and to the fnancing thereof.
Section 13. Bond Form. The Series 2025 Bonds shall be in substantially the following form with such changes or completion as necessary or appropriate to give effect to the intent of this Ordinance and subject to such modifcations which may be required by the Michigan Attorney General and the Authority and approved by bond counsel: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
STATE OF MICHIGAN
COUNTY OF MACOMB
CITY OF WARREN
PUBLIC UTILITY SYSTEM JUNIOR LIEN REVENUE BOND, SERIES 2025
REGISTERED OWNER: Michigan Finance Authority
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT: _____________ Dollars ($___,000)
DATE OF ORIGINAL ISSUE:_________, 2025
The CITY OF WARREN, County of Macomb, State of Michigan (the “Issuer”), acknowledges itself to owe and for value received hereby promises to pay, primarily out of the hereinafter described Net Revenues of the Issuer’s Water Supply and Sewage Disposal System (hereinafter defned), to the Michigan Finance Authority (the “Authority”), or registered assigns, the Principal Amount shown above, or such portion thereof as shall have been advanced to the Issuer pursuant to a Purchase Contract between the Issuer and the Authority and a Supplemental Agreement by and among the Issuer, the Authority and the State of Michigan acting through the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, in lawful money of the United States of America, unless prepaid or reduced prior thereto as hereinafter provided.
During the time the Principal Amount is being drawn
down by the Issuer under this bond, the Authority will periodically provide to the Issuer a statement showing the amount of principal that has been advanced and the date of each advance, which statement shall constitute prima facie evidence of the reported information; provided that no failure on the part of the Authority to provide such a statement or to refect a disbursement or the correct amount of a disbursement shall relieve the Issuer of its obligation to repay the outstanding Principal Amount actually advanced (subject to any principal forgiveness as provided in Schedule A), all accrued interest thereon, and any other amount payable with respect thereto in accordance with the terms of this bond.
The Principal Amount shall be payable on the dates and in the annual principal installment amounts set forth on the Schedule attached hereto and made a part hereof, as such Schedule may be adjusted if less than $__________ is disbursed to the Issuer or if a portion of the Principal Amount is prepaid or reduced as provided below, with interest on said principal installments from the date each said installment is delivered to the holder hereof until paid at the rate of two percent (2.00%) per annum. Interest is frst payable on April 1, 2026, and semiannually thereafter on the frst day of April and October of each year, as set forth in the Purchase Contract.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Bond, so long as the Authority is the owner of this Bond, (a) this Bond is payable as to principal, premium, if any, and interest at U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, or at such other place as shall be designated in writing to the Issuer by the Authority (the “Authority’s Depository”); (b) the Issuer agrees that it will deposit with the Authority’s Depository payments of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on this Bond in immediately available funds by 12:00 noon at least fve business days prior to the date on which any such payment is due whether by maturity, redemption or otherwise; in the event that the Authority’s Depository has not received the Issuer’s deposit by 12:00 noon on the scheduled day, the Issuer shall immediately pay to the Authority as invoiced by the Authority an amount to recover the Authority’s administrative costs and lost investment earnings attributable to that late payment; and (c) written notice of any redemption of this Bond shall be given by the Issuer and received by the Authority’s Depository at least 40 days prior to the date on which such redemption is to be made.
Additional Interest
In the event of a default in the payment of principal or interest hereon when due, whether at maturity, by redemption or otherwise, the amount of such default shall bear interest (the “additional interest”) at a rate equal to the rate of interest which is two percent above the Authority’s cost of providing funds (as determined by the Authority) to make payment on the bonds of the Authority issued to provide funds to purchase this bond but in no event in excess of the maximum rate of interest permitted by law. The additional interest shall continue to accrue until the Authority has been fully reimbursed for all costs incurred by the Authority (as determined by the Authority) as a consequence of the Issuer’s default. Such additional interest shall be payable on the interest payment date following demand of the Authority. In the event that (for reasons other than the default in the payment of any municipal obligation purchased by the Authority) the investment of amounts in the reserve account established by the Authority for the bonds of the Authority issued to provide funds to purchase this bond fails to provide suffcient available funds (together with any other funds which may be made available for such purpose) to pay the interest on outstanding bonds of the Authority issued to fund such account, the Issuer shall and hereby agrees to pay on demand only the Issuer’s pro rata share (as determined by the Authority) of such defciency as additional interest on this bond.
For prompt payment of principal and interest on this bond, the Issuer has irrevocably pledged the revenues of the Water Supply and Sewage Disposal System of the Issuer, including all appurtenances, extensions and improvements thereto (the “System”), after provision has been made for reasonable and necessary expenses of operation, maintenance and administration (the “Net Revenues”), and a statutory junior lien thereon is hereby recognized and created. This bond is of junior standing and priority of lien as to the Net Revenues to the Issuer’s Public Utility System Revenue Bonds, Series 2020 (the “Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds”). The Issuer has reserved the right to issue additional bonds of equal standing and priority of lien as to the Net Revenues as this bond on such terms as described in the Ordinances.
This bond is a single, fully-registered, non-convertible bond in the principal sum indicated above issued pursuant to Ordinance Nos. 80-784 and ___ duly adopted by the City Council (the “Ordinances”), and under and in full compliance with the Constitution and statutes of the State of Michigan, including specifcally Act 94, Public Acts of Michigan, 1933, as amended, for the purpose of paying part of the cost of acquiring and constructing additions, extensions and improvements to the System of the Issuer.
For a complete statement of the revenues from which and the conditions under which this bond is payable, a statement of the conditions under which additional bonds of superior and equal standing may hereafter be issued and the general covenants and provisions pursuant to which this bond is issued, reference is made to the Ordinances.
This bond is a self-liquidating bond, payable, both as to principal and interest, primarily from the Net Revenues of the System. The principal of and interest on this bond are secured by the statutory second lien hereinbefore mentioned. As additional security, the Issuer has pledged certain taxes collected by the State of Michigan and returned to the Issuer pursuant to a revenue sharing pledge agreement as further described in the Ordinances.
The Issuer has covenanted and agreed, and does hereby covenant and agree, to fx and maintain at all times while any bonds payable from the Net Revenues of the System shall be outstanding, such rates for service furnished by the System as shall be suffcient to provide for payment of the interest upon and the principal of this bond, the Outstanding Senior Lien Bonds, and any additional bonds of equal or superior standing to this bond payable from the Net Revenues of the System as and when the same shall become due and payable, and to maintain a bond redemption fund (including, except for bonds of this issue and any Junior Lien Bonds, a bond reserve account) therefor, to provide for the payment of expenses of administration and operation and such expenses for maintenance of the System as are necessary to preserve the same in good repair and working order, and to provide for such other expenditures and funds for the System as are required by the Ordinances.
Principal installments of this bond are subject to prepayment by the Issuer prior to maturity only with the prior written consent of the Authority and on such terms as may be required by the Authority.
This bond is transferable only upon the books of the Issuer by the registered owner in person or the registered owner’s attorney duly authorized in writing, upon the surrender of this bond together with a written instrument of transfer satisfactory to the transfer agent, duly executed by the registered owner or the registered owner’s attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon a new bond or bonds in the same aggregate principal amount and of the same maturity shall be issued to the transferee in exchange therefor as provided in the Ordinances, and upon payment of the charges, if any, therein prescribed.
It is hereby certifed and recited that all acts, conditions and things required by law to be done precedent to and in the issuance of this bond have been done and performed in regular and due time and form as required by law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the City of Warren, County of Macomb, State of Michigan, by its City Council has caused this bond to be executed with the manual or facsimile signatures of its Mayor and its City Clerk, and the corporate seal of the City to be impressed or imprinted hereon, all as of the Date of Original Issue.
CITY OF WARREN
By_________________________________
Its Mayor (Seal)
Countersigned:
By__________________________________________
Its City Clerk
EGLE Project No.: 5799-01
EGLE Approved Amt: $____________
SCHEDULE A
Based on the schedule provided below unless revised as provided in this paragraph, repayment of the principal of the bond shall be made until the full amount advanced to the Issuer is repaid. In the event the Order of Approval issued by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (the “Order”) approves a principal amount of assistance less than the amount of the bond delivered to the Authority, the Authority shall only disburse principal up to the amount stated in the Order. In the event (1) that the payment schedule approved by the Issuer and described below provides for payment of a total principal amount greater than the amount of assistance approved by the Order (2) that less than the principal amount of assistance approved by the Order is disbursed to the Issuer by the Authority, the Authority shall prepare a new payment schedule which shall be effective upon receipt by the Issuer, or (3) that any portion of the principal amount of assistance approved by the Order and disbursed to the Issuer is forgiven pursuant to the Order, the Authority shall prepare a new payment schedule which shall be effective upon receipt by the Issuer.
Maturity Date Principal Amount
April 1, 2029 $2,465,000
April 1, 2030 2,515,000
April 1, 2031 2,565,000
April 1, 2032 2,615,000
April 1, 2033 2,670,000
April 1, 2034 2,720,000
April 1, 2035 2,775,000
April 1, 2036 2,830,000
April 1, 2037 2,890,000
April 1, 2038 2,945,000
April 1, 2039 3,005,000
April 1, 2040 3,065,000
April 1, 2041 3,125,000
April 1, 2042 3,190,000
April 1, 2043 3,255,000
April 1, 2044 3,320,000
April 1, 2045 3,385,000
April 1, 2046 3,450,000
April 1, 2047 3,520,000
April 1, 2048 3,590,000
April 1, 2049 3,665,000
April 1, 2050 3,735,000
April 1, 2051 3,810,000
April 1, 2052 3,885,000
April 1, 2053 3,965,000
April 1, 2054 4,045,000
April 1, 2055 4,125,000
April 1, 2056 4,210,000
April 1, 2057 4,290,000
April 1, 2058 4,375,000
Interest on the bond shall accrue on that portion of principal disbursed by the Authority to the Issuer which has not been forgiven pursuant to the Order from the date such portion is disbursed, until paid, at the rate of 2.00% per annum, payable April 1, 2026 and semi-annually hereafter.
The Issuer agrees that it will deposit with the Authority’s Depository, or such other place as shall be designated in writing to the Issuer by the Authority payments of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on this bond in immediately available funds by 12:00 noon at least fve business days prior to the date on which any such payment is due whether by maturity, redemption or otherwise. In the event that the Authority’s Depository has not received the Issuer’s deposit by 12:00 noon on the scheduled day, the Issuer shall immediately pay to the Authority as invoiced by the Authority an amount to recover the Authority’s administrative costs and lost investment earnings attributable to that late payment.
Section 14. Bondholders’ Rights; Receiver. The holder or holders of the Bonds and Junior Lien Bonds representing in the aggregate not less than twenty percent (20%) of the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding, may, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceedings, protect and enforce the statutory lien upon the Net Revenues of the System, and may, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceedings, enforce and compel performance of all duties of the offcers of the Issuer, including the fxing of suffcient rates, the collection of Revenues, the proper segregation of the Revenues of the System and the proper application thereof. The statutory lien upon the Net Revenues, however, shall not be construed as to compel the sale of the System or any part thereof.
If there is a default in the payment of the principal of or interest upon the Bonds or the Junior Lien Bonds, any court having jurisdiction in any proper action may appoint a receiver to administer and operate the System on behalf of the Issuer and under the direction of the court, and by and with the approval of the court to perform all of the duties of the offcers of the Issuer more particularly set forth herein and in Act 94.
The holder or holders of the Bonds and the Junior Lien Bonds shall have all other rights and remedies given by Act 94 and law, for the payment and enforcement of the Bonds and the Junior Lien Bonds and the security therefor.
Section 15. Additional Bonds. The Issuer may issue additional bonds of equal standing with the Junior Lien Bonds for the following purposes and subject to the following conditions:
(a) To complete the Project in accordance with the plans and specifcations therefor. Such bonds shall not be authorized unless the engineers in charge of construction shall execute a certifcate evidencing the fact that additional funds are needed to complete the Project in accordance with the plans and specifcations therefor and stating the amount that will be required to complete the Project. If such certifcate shall be so executed and fled with the Issuer, it shall be the duty of the Issuer to provide for and issue additional revenue bonds in the amount stated in said certifcate to be necessary to complete the Project in accordance with
the plans and specifcations plus an amount necessary to issue such bonds or to provide for part or all of such amount from other sources.
(b) For subsequent repairs, extensions, enlargements and improvements to the System or for the purpose of refunding part or all of the Junior Lien Bonds then outstanding and paying costs of issuing such additional Junior Lien Bonds. Junior Lien Bonds for such purposes shall not be issued pursuant to this subparagraph (b) unless the Adjusted Net Revenues of the System for the then last two (2) preceding twelve-month operating years or the Adjusted Net Revenues for the last preceding twelve-month operating year, if the same shall be lower than the average, shall be equal to at least one hundred percent (100%) of the maximum amount of principal and interest thereafter maturing in any operating year on the then outstanding Senior Lien Bonds, Junior Lien Bonds and on the additional Bonds then being issued. If the additional Junior Lien Bonds are to be issued in whole or in part for refunding outstanding Junior Lien Bonds, the annual principal and interest requirements shall be determined by deducting from the principal and interest requirements for each operating year the annual principal and interest requirements of any Junior Lien Bonds to be refunded from the proceeds of the additional Junior Lien Bonds. For purposes of this subparagraph (b) the Issuer may elect to use as the last preceding operating year any operating year ending not more than sixteen months prior to the date of delivery of the additional Junior Lien Bonds and as the next to the last preceding operating year, any operating year ending not more than twentyeight months prior to the date of delivery of the additional Junior Lien Bonds. Determination by the Issuer as to existence of conditions permitting the issuance of additional Junior Lien Bonds shall be conclusive. No additional Junior Lien Bonds of equal standing as to the Net Revenues of the System shall be issued pursuant to the authorization contained in this subparagraph if the Issuer shall then be in default in making its required payments to the Operation and Maintenance Fund or the Redemption Fund.
(c) For refunding a part or all of the Junior Lien Bonds then outstanding and paying costs of issuing such additional Junior Lien Bonds including deposits which may be required to be made to the bond reserve account, if any, for such Junior Lien Bonds. No additional Junior Lien Bonds shall be issued pursuant to this subsection unless the maximum amount of principal and interest maturing in any operating year after giving effect to the refunding shall be less than the maximum amount of principal and interest maturing in any operating year prior to giving effect to the refunding.
Section 16. Negotiated Sale; Application to EGLE and Authority; Execution of Documents. The Issuer determines that it is in the best interest of the Issuer to negotiate the sale of the Series 2025 Bonds to the Authority because the Clean Water State Revolving Fund fnancing program provides signifcant interest savings to the Issuer compared to competitive sale in the municipal bond market. The Authorized Offcers are hereby authorized to make application to the Authority and to EGLE for placement of the Series 2025 Bonds with the Authority. The actions taken by the Authorized Offcers with respect to the Series 2025 Bonds prior to the adoption of this Ordinance are ratifed and confrmed. The Authorized Offcers are each authorized to execute and deliver the Purchase Contract, the Supplemental Agreement, and the Issuer’s Certifcate. Any Authorized Offcer is further authorized to execute and deliver such contracts, documents and certifcates as are necessary or advisable to qualify the Series 2025 Bonds for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Prior to the delivery of the Series 2025 Bonds to the Authority, any Authorized Offcer is hereby authorized to make such changes to the form of the Series 2025 Bonds contained in Section 13 of this Ordinance as may be necessary to conform to the requirements of Act 227, Public Acts of Michigan 1985, as amended (“Act 227”), including, but not limited to changes in the principal maturity and interest payment dates and references to additional security required by Act 227.
Section 17. Covenant Regarding Tax Exempt Status of the Bonds. The Issuer shall, to the extent permitted by law, take all actions within its control necessary to maintain the exemption of the interest on the Series 2025 Bonds from general federal income taxation (as opposed to any alternative minimum or other indirect taxation) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), including, but not limited to, actions relating to any required rebate of arbitrage earnings and the expenditure and investment of Series 2025 Bonds proceeds and moneys deemed to be Bond proceeds.
Section 18. Approval of Bond Counsel. The representation of the Issuer by Miller, Canfeld, Paddock and Stone, p.l.c. (“Miller Canfeld”), as bond counsel is hereby approved, notwithstanding the representation by Miller
Canfeld of the Authority in connection with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program which may include advising the Authority with respect to this borrowing. The fees of Miller Canfeld shall be paid from proceeds from the sale of the Series 2025 Bonds or such other funds of the Issuer lawfully available therefor.
Section 19. Approval of Bond Details; Authorization of Other Actions. The Authorized Offcers are each hereby authorized to adjust the fnal bond details set forth herein to the extent necessary or convenient to complete the transaction authorized herein, and in pursuance of the foregoing are authorized to exercise the authority and make the determinations authorized pursuant to Section 7a(1)(c) of Act 94, including but not limited to determinations regarding interest rates, prices, discounts, maturities, principal amounts, denominations, dates of issuance, interest payment dates, redemption rights, the place of delivery and payment, and other matters, subject to the parameters established herein.
The Authorized Offcers are each hereby authorized and directed to take all other actions necessary or advisable to enable the sale and delivery of the Series 2025 Bonds as contemplated herein, including applying for and paying the related fees for ratings and making such other flings with and paying related fees to any parties, including fling an application with the Michigan Department of Treasury for an Order or Orders of Approval to issue all or a portion of the Series 2025 Bonds under Act 34, and an application for exemption of the investment grade rating requirement.
Section 20. Savings Clause. All ordinances, resolutions or orders, or part thereof, in confict with the provisions of this Ordinance are, to the extent of such confict, repealed. Section 21. Severability; Paragraph Headings; and Confict. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Ordinance shall be held invalid, the invalidity of such section, paragraph, clause or provision shall not affect any of the other provisions of this Ordinance. The paragraph headings in this Ordinance are furnished for convenience of reference only and shall not be considered to be part of this Ordinance.
Section 22. Publication and Recordation. This Ordinance shall be published in full in The Warren Weekly, a newspaper of general circulation in the Issuer qualifed under State law to publish legal notices, promptly after its adoption, and shall be recorded in the Ordinance Book of the Issuer and such record authenticated by the signatures of the Mayor and the City Clerk.
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Section 23. Effective Date. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 6 of Act 94, this Ordinance shall be approved on the date of frst reading and accordingly this Ordinance shall be effective upon its adoption and publication.
ADOPTED AND SIGNED THIS 22nd day of July, 2025. Signed ___________________________________
Its Mayor Signed ___________________________________ Its City Clerk
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing constitutes a true and complete copy of an Ordinance duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Warren, County of Macomb, State of Michigan, at a regular meeting held on the 22nd day of July, 2025, and that said meeting was conducted and public notice of said meeting was given pursuant to and in full compliance with the Open Meetings Act, being Act 267, Public Acts of Michigan, 1976, as amended, and that the minutes of said meeting were kept and will be or have been made available as required by said Act.
I further certify that the following Members were present at said meeting: Boike, Dwyer, Lafferty, Magee, Moore, Newnan, Rogensues and that the following Members were absent: None
I further certify that Member Moore moved for adoption of said Ordinance and that said motion was supported by Member Lafferty .
I further certify that the following Members voted for adoption of said Ordinance: Moore, Lafferty, Dwyer, Boike, Newnan, Magee, Rogensues and that the following Members voted against adoption of said Ordinance:
None .
I further certify that said Ordinance has been recorded in the Ordinance Book and that such recording has been authenticated by the signatures of the Mayor and the City Clerk.
City Clerk
Advisor
kind regional blueprint designed to secure southeast Michigan’s place at the forefront of national defense readiness and innovation.”
“This isn’t just about hiring a director of defense policy, strategy and advocacy — it’s about choosing the right partner to help us build the future,” Warren Mayor Lori Stone said in a statement.
The Arsenal Alliance is a $500,000 agreement between Warren and Sterling Heights, which was signed in April. It aims to build on the strong defense industry already present in Macomb County by driving development, job creation and retention.
“It’s long past time that we collaborate on more issues like this for the benefit of our people and for the betterment, really, of the nation,” Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor said at the April press conference.
The agreement, he said, takes funding from both cities to create a joint venture to support the contractors that are already here
while also helping to find new government contracts through the Department of Defense.
In the Aug. 11 press release, Arsenal Alliance Executive Advisory Committee Member Mark Pasik said the agreement ensures that local defense companies, supplies and workers remain at the forefront of innovation.
“But this partnership is about so much more than economic development,” he said in a statement. “It’s a commitment to protecting American security, growing goodpaying jobs and building the advanced capabilities our warfighters depend on right here in our own community.”
The executive advisory committee, which is made up of public officials, private industry leaders, academic institutions and veterans advocates, will guide the selection process for the defense industry economic development advisor position.
A request for proposals opened Aug. 11 and will remain open until Sept. 16. In addition to being posted on both city’s websites, the RFP will be distributed through local, state and national networks and will be posted on BidNet Direct.
Burke
from page 1A
The exam hearing for Burke began in June and concluded Aug. 15. While Burke and his attorney appeared via Zoom, family members of the victims filled the gallery in the courtroom.
Judge delivers verdict, says improper turn ‘the heart of this case’
At the Aug. 15 hearing, 37th District Court Judge John Chmura called testimony regarding an improper turn made by the victims into question.
For him to bind Burke to Circuit Court, he said the prosecutors had to show enough evidence to prove two elements — the first being that Burke operated his vehicle in a grossly negligent manner, and that that conduct caused the death of Hayes and Pettus.
While the prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to prove the first element, the second was harder to prove due to an improper turn that had previously been testified to by a witness.
“For this illegal turn made by the driver of the Durango to be a viable defense, it’s got to be something that is not reasonably foreseeable. It goes beyond ordinary negligence,” Chmura said. “So that question, really, is the heart of this case. I think this is where the rubber meets the road.”
Testimony heard June 23 by a witness called by Assistant Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney Cory Newman, while being cross-examined by Marc Curtis, Burke’s attorney, pointed out that Hayden, who was driving the Durango, made a left-hand turn from Schoenherr onto Prospect a moment early, which caused him to cross a double yellow line instead of turning at the break in the line, according to a reconstruction of the crash.
Curtis argued the turn made by Hayden is what caused the crash.
At the Aug. 15 hearing, Chmura said it was hard to determine if the prosecutors had provided enough evidence to prove that a person could believe that the turn made by the driver of the Durango was reasonably foreseeable and did constitute ordinary negligence.
“There are reasons to believe that what the driver of the Durango did, did constitute ordinary negligence. And the strongest reason to believe that is that that type of turn that he made, where he cut the corner, is something that we all do,” Chmura said.
Because improper turns happen so often, Chmura said, it should be foreseeable.
Alternatively, he said, that because the turn was made so close to where Burke’s vehicle was, it could not be foreseeable.
“I don’t know which argument should prevail, but that’s why we have jury trials to determine that,” he said. “That’s why this is a hard case, because the arguments are strong and compelling in both ways. Because they’re strong and compelling in both ways, the jury must decide which, as I said, is why we have jury trials.”
Chmura called police policy into question, asking how fast officers should be allowed to drive when pursuing a suspect, stating that this is what the case is really about.
“This has been in the news a lot lately, and the question is, particularly in chases, how fast should officers go? How aggressively should they go after people who are suspects? Now this, again, is not a chase, but the considerations that are involved in police chases are applicable here,” he said.
People argue both sides of the case, he said.
“That’s what this case really is all about, in my opinion, is how aggressively should officers pursue potential subjects,” he said. “And however this case is decided, it will result in some commentary and some statement as to what that standard should be. At least in this community, in a free society, it is far, far better that that statement be made by 12 people … who make that decision after a vigorous debate, after coming to some sort of consensus on what that policy should be in deciding this case.”
For that reason, Chmura said, he would be binding the case over to Circuit Court for trial.
Burke is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 2.
Family dissatisfied with case so far
Following the hearing, Greg Wix, an attorney with the Fieger Law firm, which is representing the families of both victims, said they were relieved with the ruling but unhappy with the case.
“We’re at least relieved that this former officer has now been bound over, but make no mistake — we’re not happy. We’re not even satisfied,” he said. “This officer, we believe, was undercharged from the very beginning.”
Wix said if the court was interested in justice, the bind over to circuit court would have happened months ago. He also stated he believed there was evidence against Burke that hadn’t been released yet.
“There’s a lot of evidence that we don’t have yet because the prosecutor’s office has it on hold until the criminal prosecu-
tion is over,” he said. “We can’t get all the evidence. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even seen the vehicles in person.”
Cedric Hayden, Cedric Hayden Jr.’s father, was unhappy with the Warren Police Department.
“(Cedric Hayden Jr.) wasn’t a drunk, wasn’t labeled an alcoholic. He’d never been in a car accident, but he leaves this world in a crime scene because he was hit by one police officer flying down the street,” he said.
Cedric Hayden said his son rarely drank alcohol, and that Burke wasn’t being treated with the same disrespect as his son.
“If my son would have hit (Burke)
he would go to jail. This would have been over last year,” he said. “Give him the same respect as you give this former officer. He deserves justice. DeJuan deserves justice.”
Cedric Hayden accused the department of trying to cover up Burke’s alleged misconduct.
“They want to cover this up because he’s an officer. So in other words, if you are an officer, you can do crime and get away with it … you got a title so you can do what you want to do, because you got a title,” he said. “I’ve got a title. I’m a father, and I want my son back. That’s my title. We want DeJuan back.”
Lawsuit
According to Alwanda Gibson, her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis when he was 19. She claims he was having a mental health crisis when he was arrested.
Christopher Gibson was arrested on four open felony warrants for identity theft, larceny and other financial crimes, according to the police department.
“The arrest was without incident as the video clearly shows,” the police press release states.
Alwanda Gibson said when she called the Warren Police Department, she was hung up on. When she called back and spoke to a supervisor, she told them her son was having a mental health crisis and needed help.
“The officer assured me that when my son arrived at their police station, if there was something wrong with him, if they noticed that he was having a mental health crisis, that they would get him some help,” she said.
Bodycam footage released by the ACLU shows a Warren Police officer attempting to get Christopher Gibson to leave his cell to be taken to the interview room. Christopher Gibson can be seen standing on the other side of the cell door, refusing to leave.
Mark Fancher, a racial justice attorney with the ACLU, said he could not comply with the officer’s instructions due to his alleged mental health crisis.
“He was already having a mental health episode, a crisis, and now he had been placed in this cell where he was uncertain of his fate,” he said.
Fancher said officers triggered other reactions from him, which led to him biting one of the officers.
“At this point, as far as they were concerned, he was someone who had committed an assault against an officer, and from then on, he was treated as someone who was a danger to the police officers, whether they really believed it or not,” he said.
The press release states the bite drew blood and that the officer required medical attention.
“After this attack, Gibson refused to comply with even simple commands that were necessary to get him transported to a facility equipped with medical and mental health professionals,” the press release states.
Bodycam footage then shows Christopher Gibson in a different cell, again refusing to comply with officers. The video then cuts to him sitting on the floor and the door being opened. Tasers are then deployed against him.
The press release from the department states they used less-than-lethal options to ensure safety while successfully getting Christopher Gibson handcuffed and transported to a county facility.
Alwanda Gibson said she continued to call the department for three days. She was told they did not have her son, she said.
“I thought they murdered my son,” she said.
The video from the ACLU states Christopher Gibson was taken to the hospital, where he was being treated for severe physical injuries.
“The condition he was diagnosed with, among other things, was rhabdomyolysis, which is the condition that results from extreme pressure on the body,” Fancher said.
“The video shows multiple officers applying their full body weight to him and causing these extreme injuries that it took more than a week for him to stabilize from while he was hospitalized.”
The press release from the Warren Police Department disputes that.
“We dispute the claim that Mr. Gibson was seriously injured by the Warren Police Department or inside the Warren Police Department jail,” it states. “In fact, the lawsuit claims Gibson sustained injury when removed from a transport car in the garage of the county facility. This removal was not by Warren Police, but another department’s designated Cell Extraction Team who had been informed by us of Gibson’s self-reported mental health issues and abusive behavior.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court Aug. 13, alleges that the department “has a history of physically and otherwise abusing persons they have arrested.” It cites three incidents between 2021 and now.
While the lawsuit is asking courts to mandate a new national policing standard that requires social workers or mental health professionals to respond to calls of anyone self-reporting a mental health crisis, the press
release states that trained police are the only first-responders available in these situations.
“... the reality is that trained police are the only available first responder in these rapidly-changing, extremely dangerous situations,” the release states. “It is also the reality that mental health resources are limited in Michigan and nationally, as anyone with a loved one suffering with mental illness knows, which limitations equally apply to police agencies.”
In 2025, Christopher Gibson was charged and convicted of felonious assault involving a Warren police officer. Court records show he is scheduled for a final pretrial hearing in October.
The press release states the department is confident that the lawsuit will be dismissed.
“We believe the complete video record and other evidence will demonstrate here that Gibson engaged in a series of very intentional, violent assaults and other resistive actions against police while in custody,” the release states. “State and federal courts consistently hold that police can and must police in such a situation to protect life and limb, including by use of reasonable force when necessary.”
text me a whole day without talking.”
Monika Elkins also described how the family entered Booker’s apartment without his permission in an attempt to search for their daughter. They also set up a tip hotline, which generated a tip that she was being held on Eileen Street in Detroit on Jan. 4.
“I was looking for my daughter,” she said. “I wasn’t getting any help, so I looked for myself.”
Booker stood across the courtroom from Monika Elkins in the jury box while she testified, which Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carmen DeFranco objected to.
“Judge, I just want to place on the record an objection to the defendant’s posture in this manner,” he said. “(It is) an attempt, in my opinion, to intimidate witnesses that are going to be testifying against him today.”
Following Monika Elkins was Roseville police officer Shane Nabozny. Nabozny responded to Booker’s apartment after the department received a call to investigate.
As he was investigating, Nabozny found several pieces of evidence, including bottles of bleach in the bathroom. Additionally, he noticed the cover of the drain for the bathtub had been removed and was sitting in the middle of the tub, which drew his attention.
“I approached the bathtub to check out why the drain was there. … I did notice on the north end of the tub there were two drips of blood,” he said.
Nabozny also said he found multiple drops of blood or smears at several other locations throughout the apartment. One wall of the bathroom appeared to be “wiped down,” he said, based on what looked like fresh swirl marks on the wall.
Police describe scene, events around disappearance
When the hearing continued Aug. 8, Booker was described as being “very disruptive” by his attorney, Robbie Lang. Additionally, Booker refused to get dressed in the appropriate prison garb used for court hearings.
“Based upon what I’ve been told by the jail officers and what I saw personally when I went back there, it’s my understanding that he was uncooperative in getting dressed into the jail uniform. … The only thing that they have for him covering some of his body looks like some kind of a blanket, so they don’t think he’s in any appropriate state of dress to be in the courtroom,” Lang said.
When the court attempted to connect to Booker in the holding cell via an iPad and Zoom, he refused to show himself and could be heard shouting.
An attempt from 39th District Court Judge Joseph Boedeker to ask if Booker was waiving his appearance was met with obscenities and other indecipherable statements, leading to the judge ruling that the hearing would continue without him present as long as he was able to watch and listen to the hearing from his cell.
The second day of the hearing — which was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and continued until after 4 p.m. — consisted of DeFranco and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carrie Seward presenting evidence.
Roseville police officer Sal Munafo testified that he accompanied a plumber to Booker’s apartment Jan. 7. The goal was to check for debris or other evidence in the bathtub drain pipe.
The search returned a clump of hair, an earring and what Munafo said appeared to be a bullet fragment from a 9 mm handgun.
Lang questioned the age of the bullet fragment, as it appeared to be corroded.
“If that bullet had been fired from a gun and went into that drain, within a month it wouldn’t look like that,” he said.
Munafo replied that it looked like any other piece of metal that had been sitting in water. Munafo also stated that he couldn’t tell if the hair was from a man, woman, human or animal.
Following Munafo was Roseville Police Detective Chris Moran, who testified that in the days surrounding Ashley Elkins’ disappearance, Booker made several Google searches on his iPhone, including searches for a 9 mm silencer in Roseville, shooting a gun through a pillow, whether or not a phone can be tracked when it is off, what happens to trash, and “telling God I want to kill someone.”
During cross-examination, Lang asked what happened when Moran investigated the search about “telling God.”
Moran said it appeared to be something
on a podcast. He contacted the preacher who mentioned it in the podcast, and he was told it was a joke.
“It was not serious,” Moran said.
Searching dumpsters and watching surveillance video
While at the apartment complex, Moran said, he began searching the dumpsters in the area.
“The person was missing. There was reason to believe it could be a result of criminal activity, some kind of violent assault. This person was absolutely unknown at that point where they may be, so we attempted to locate them in a dumpster,” he said.
Moran added that the dumpster could be a “plausible place” to dispose of a body.
While searching the dumpsters in a nearby shopping plaza, Moran said, he was told to stop his investigation and instead search a dumpster seen on security footage that showed a person pushing a shopping cart and disposing of something that appeared to be heavy several days prior.
“There appeared to be something in the cart that was covered with a white sheet and possibly something that may have been an arm,” Moran said.
Moran said security footage showed the individual pushing the cart through the apartment complex and into another complex to the north, where he stopped at a dumpster and there was “a lot of movement,” he said.
“It was clear to me that the person putting whatever it was in that dumpster was struggling, which anyone who has experience with any person, it is difficult when they’re limp to move them around,” he said.
On Jan. 7, when Moran investigated the dumpster, it had already been emptied since the person was seen on the security footage dumping something in it. However, Moran still found what he suspected to be blood in the bottom of the dumpster.
While Roseville Police Detective Patrick Taylor testified, prosecutors showed security footage taken from throughout the apartment complex of an individual believed to be Booker pushing the shopping cart.
One clip shown was taken from a Ring doorbell camera. When Taylor questioned the owner of the camera, she said it’s not uncommon for people to take shopping carts from nearby shopping centers and push them through the complex.
“It’s common,” he said. “I even asked the lady with the Ring camera if that’s common, and she said yes.”
Taylor testified that police later learned trash emptied from that particular dumpster would be taken to a transfer station on Goesbeck Highway in Roseville, where it would
then be loaded into another truck and taken to a landfill in Lenox Township.
Taylor also said police learned Booker was staying at a residence in Flint. Police secured a warrant and went to the house. They found Booker there, though he wasn’t arrested at the time.
Police also found clothes that matched the clothes the individual was wearing in the video, including a jacket that had what appeared to be blood on it, Taylor said, in addition to a sales receipt for a 9 mm handgun.
Prosecutors are attempting to convict Booker despite Elkins’ body not being located.
Trash bags, bleach and blood spots
When testimony resumed Aug. 15, Roseville Police Detective Matthew Lesperance testified that, despite what Booker had told him regarding when he left the apartment to go to Flint, detectives disproved it through a search of his phone.
Booker said he was picked up by an Uber driver at approximately 5:17 a.m. Jan. 3, but reportedly his phone showed that he was picked up at 1 or 2 a.m.
Detectives found that Booker ordered heavy-duty trash bags and four bottles of bleach via his phone through DoorDash at 11:46 p.m. Jan. 2, according to the testimony.
Also obtained through the cellphone search was the last-known location of Ashley Elkins’ phone, at a beauty supply store. Booker’s phone pinged the same location at the same time, Lesperance said.
“Ashley’s phone was pinging all the way up to the beauty store,” he said. “Then the phone was either turned off or destroyed in some manner.”
However, after viewing the security footage at the beauty supply store, Lesperance said, police determined Booker had been there with another female, and that Ashley Elkins had never gone to the store.
During cross examination, Lang asked Lesperance how accurate are the location of phone pings. While he agreed they show a general location, he couldn’t speak any more about the accuracy of them.
Booker also told Lesperance over the phone that he had gone to an address in Detroit, according to the testimony. However, security footage obtained from Booker’s apartment reportedly showed he never left.
At this point, on Jan. 8, the day after speaking with Booker in Flint, Lesperance stated they were able to arrest him for lying to a police officer during a violent investigation.
Lesperance said the blood spots found in Booker’s apartment, on the clothing they ob-
Photo by Brian Wells
Deandre Booker stands in the jury box of 39th District Court Judge Joseph Boedeker’s courtroom at the start of an exam hearing Wednesday, Aug. 6.
tained from him when they confronted him in Flint, and the blood found in the dumpster was sent to Michigan State Police to be tested. DNA was also collected from Booker, Ashley Elkins’ relatives and her toothbrush.
The analysis of each blood spot — including the blood found in the dumpster — concluded that it was much more likely that the blood belonged to Ashley Elkins than another individual.
A lab report also said it was inconclusive as to whether the bullet found in the bathtub drain was fired from the handgun found in Booker’s apartment, Lesperance said.
During cross-examination, Lang asked Lesperance to look at a second report regarding the gun and the bullet, showing whether particles recovered from the pistol could be compared to the bullet.
When a gun is fired, particles shoot out as well, Lang stated. The report he presented stated that the particles found inside the pistol did not originate from the bullet due to being made of different materials.
However, when asked if the report would be stating if the bullet came from Booker’s gun, Lesperance stated he didn’t
have any formal training or experience in extracting bullets or fragments or how to identify them.
Lang ended his cross-examination by asking Lesperance, as the lead detective on the case, if there was any definitive evidence Ashley Elkins was dead.
“So you have no proof or evidence of what may have caused her death, if she is dead?” Lang asked.
Lesperance said Lang’s statement was true.
Seward asked what happened after the dumpster was taken and dropped off at the landfill. Lesperance said an extensive search of the landfill did not yield a body.
Seward ended her examination by asking what evidence led them to charge Booker with homicide.
“His multiple inconsistencies while speaking to me on a recorded line just did not add up,” Lesperance said. “His timeline for everything was very inconsistent. The sure fact that something violent happened inside of that apartment, specifically the bathroom, and then him being observed on CCTV footage with the shopping cart.”
Additionally, the blood evidence and the lack of proof that Ashley Elkins had ever left the apartment led to the charges, according to the testimony.
UKRAINIAN SUNFLOWER PICNIC
line, schedules and finalize a construction calendar for the Series I projects. Bond updates will be posted on the district website for the public at fitz.k12.mi.us. A complete list of projects per school building also is available on the website.
A bond is a state-approved funding process for large-scale projects. When approved by the voters, the school district sells bonds in the authorized amount and uses the bond sale proceeds to pay for the projects. The Fitzgerald bond is for 25 years and will fund building improvements, safety upgrades, classroom technology, and long-term infrastructure needs, without increasing the current tax rate.
According to school officials, the district will use the existing millage rate to secure funding for new projects under the $42 million bond to ensure that there are no additional taxes for residents. As the district’s previous bonds are paid off, the tax rate would remain unchanged with the new bond replacing the old debt.
With assistance from architectural and construction management resources, administrative staff conducted an internal review of all school facilities as part of the school district’s strategic plan. Community members, parents, guardians, staff, and students also had input on which projects were needed.
Each school has its own set of projects ranging from replacing damaged concrete sidewalks and masonry, to installing emergency alert systems and doing roof repairs. Depending on the school, work would in-
clude remodeling media centers, LED lighting replacements and more. Upgrades in technology, including computers, mobile devices, interactive whiteboards and document cameras also are included on the bond list.
The sinking fund replacement will take effect in 2026. A sinking fund is a limited property tax and a pay-as-you-go method for school districts to fund small-scale repairs without incurring interest on loans or bonds.
Sinking funds can be used for purchasing school property sites; the construction or repairs of school buildings; improvements in school security; the purchase and support of student transportation vehicles; and acquiring or upgrading technology. A sinking fund cannot be used for employee salaries, preventive maintenance or general operating costs.
Partners in Architecture, PLC, based in Mount Clemens, is the district’s architectural firm. The bond construction manager will be assigned to the district from Clark Construction Co., which is headquartered in Lansing with an office in Auburn Hills.
“There is quite a bit of post-election planning that takes place and as information develops, all stakeholders will be informed and apprised of the progress along the way,” Fournier said. “The Fitzgerald community has provided support to their schools for many, many years. We are grateful for their continued support with this election. As we transition to a new leadership team and Superintendent, our new focus to showcase will be all the wonderful initiatives we have planned for increasing student success.
Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.
NOTICE that the City Council of the City of Center Line (the “City”) intends to issue municipal securities in one or more series, in an amount of not to exceed $500,000 (the “Municipal Securities”).
The Municipal Securities shall be issued for the purpose of defraying the cost to design, purchase, acquire and construct certain capital improvements and acquisitions, including without limitation, the purchase of a fre truck and wood chipper, as well as all work, equipment, and appurtenances necessary or incidental to these acquisitions and such other capital improvements and acquisitions as the City may determine to make or acquire, and to pay the costs of issuance of municipal securities and capitalized interest, if any.
The Municipal Securities of this issue shall mature within the maximum terms permitted by law with interest on the unpaid balance at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate permitted by law to be determined upon the sale of the Municipal Securities. The Municipal Securities shall be issued pursuant to Act 34, Public Acts of Michigan, 2001, as amended (“Act 34”).
SOURCE OF PAYMENT
The principal of and interest on the Municipal Securities will be limited tax full faith and credit general obligations of the City, payable from any available funds of the City. Pursuant to this pledge of its limited tax full faith and credit, in the event available funds of the City are not suffcient to pay the principal of and interest on the Municipal Securities, the City will be obligated to levy such ad valorem taxes upon all taxable property in the City as shall be necessary to make the payments of principal and interest on the Municipal Securities, which taxes, however, will be limited by applicable constitutional, statutory, and charter limitations on the taxing power of the City.
RIGHT OF REFERENDUM
This notice is given, by order of the City Council of the City, to and for the beneft of the electors of the City in order to inform them of their right to petition for a referendum upon the question of the issuance of the Municipal Securities. The Municipal Securities will be issued, without submitting such a question to a vote of the electors, unless within 45 days after the date of publication of this notice a petition requesting a referendum upon such question, signed by not less than 10% or 15,000 of the registered electors residing within the City, whichever is the lesser, shall have been fled with the City Clerk or other recording offcer of the City. In the event that such a petition is fled, the Municipal Securities will not be issued unless and until the issuance thereof shall have been approved by the vote of a majority of the electors of the City qualifed to vote and voting thereon at a general or special election.
This Notice is published pursuant to the requirements of Section 517 of Act 34.
Dennis E. Champine, City Manager and Clerk City of Center Line
Published in Warren Weekly 08/20/2025
Physical Therapy For Tension Headaches
Tension Headache Or Migraine? Which Type Do You Really Have?
Headaches a ect millions of Americans—but not all headaches are created equal. This article from Orthopaedic Team Rehabilitation breaks down the four major classifications: tension, vascular (migraine), cluster, and traction/inflammatory headaches. With tension headaches being the most common and o en responsive to physical therapy, the piece highlights how understanding your specific symptoms can lead to more accurate diagnoses and lasting relief.
• A ect approximately 30 million Americans, 75% of whom are women.
• The American Medical Association notes that migraine causes remain uncertain, though a family history is common.
Over 30 million Americans experience migraines, but many still misunderstand the types and causes of headaches. With tension headaches being the most common—and o en treatable with physical therapy—Orthopaedic Team Rehabilitation o ers the Headache & Migraine Survival Guide to clarify symptoms, debunk myths, and guide patients toward e ective relief.
4 Di erent Types of Headaches
Before considering treatment options, it is important to think about the di erent kinds of headaches and their unique sets of symptoms. By using the symptom checklist below, you will have a better understanding of the potential possibilities for your diagnosis and treatment. In addition, you will be better prepared to be more fully engaged in the conversation with your doctor, physical therapist, and other wellness professionals.
• Symptoms may include sensitivity to light, nausea, and visual disturbances.
3. Cluster Headaches
• Known for intense, stabbing pain in one side of the head, occurring in cyclical patterns.
1. Tension Headaches
• Typically cause mild to moderate pain, o en described as a tight band around the head.
• According to the World Health Organization and the International Headache Society, up to 78% of all headaches are tension headaches.
• Relatively rare, impacting around 1 million people, with 90% of su erers being male.
• Episodes may occur daily for weeks, o en at the same time of day.
4. Traction and Inflammatory Headaches
• These may signal an underlying condition like sinus infections, meningitis, stroke, or even a brain tumor.
• Symptoms vary widely, making accurate diagnosis critical.
• Always follow your healthcare provider’s diagnostic process to rule out serious causes.
Final Thoughts: Taking Control of Headaches
• Around 60% of people with tension headaches experience social or work-related impairment.
• Frequent reliance on pain relievers may indicate the need for professionally guided treatment, including physical therapy for tension headaches.
2. Vascular (Migraine Headaches
Headaches are more than just discomfort—they can interfere with work, sleep, relationships, and overall wellness. By understanding the four main types of headaches and their symptoms, you’re one step closer to identifying patterns and pursuing the right treatment. If you experience frequent tension headaches or rely on pain relief o en, physical therapy may o er lasting relief by addressing muscular imbalances and stress triggers at the root.
• Usually involve moderate to severe pain, o en throbbing and one-sided.
At Orthopaedic Team Rehabilitation, we’re committed to helping patients decode their symptoms and reclaim their quality of life. Let our experienced therapists guide you toward long-term solutions that actually work. Schedule your Assessment today!
Melissa J. Orille, DPT, NCPI
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Returning to the scene of the crime
GROSSE POINTE CITY — Police said they arrested a 22-year-old Grosse Pointe Park man July 24 at The Village Kroger store after the suspect had reportedly stolen an unlocked light blue Giant ATX mountain bike from that location July 18. The victim contacted police after seeing his missing bike outside of Kroger July 24, only now, it was painted black. Police said the suspect was a person who worked in The Village. He was expected to face larceny charges.
Thousands in merchandise stolen
GROSSE POINTE CITY — Three unknown female suspects are said to have picked up a total of $3,582 worth of clothing from The Village Lululemon store at around 2:30 p.m. July 26 and exited without paying. The suspects — who could be facing retail fraud charges — are said to have fled the scene in a light blue Chevy Blazer.
Woman found with drug paraphernalia
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Police were called to a gas station in the 19000 block of Mack Avenue at around 10:57 a.m. Aug. 1 about a woman who was asking customers for money. The suspect — a 31-yearold Detroit woman — reportedly told police that even though the gas station clerk had asked her to leave, she remained at the business because she needed help. A check of the woman’s identification found that she was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant out of Ferndale for possession of narcotic paraphernalia, for which she was arrested. While police were searching her, they said they found traces of copper-colored scouring material commonly used as a filter for smoking crack cocaine. Police asked the woman if she had any crack cocaine on her. According to a police report, she said she didn’t, stating, “If I did, I would have smoked it already.” Police also found a portion of a glass pipe that contained suspected crack residue. The woman was cited for possession of narcotic paraphernalia.
Stolen liquor recovered
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — A 26-year-old Detroit man is facing possible third-degree retail fraud charges after he allegedly stole a bottle of Lunazul tequila worth $23.99 and a bottle of Mezza Corona Pinot Grigio worth $15.99 from a store in the 18000 block of Mack Avenue at around 1:55 p.m. July 24. A store employee told police she saw the suspect take the bottles off a shelf and put them in his backpack and leave the store. Police canvassing the area found and arrested the suspect, who was said to have had the stolen bottles in his possession. The alcohol was returned to the store.
Suspect arrested, found with stolen property
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A resident in the 21000 block of River Road called police at around 5 p.m. July 25 after discovering that cash and baseball equipment had been removed from his vehicle while it was parked in the driveway. The Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department stated in a report that St. Clair Shores police arrested someone for fleeing and eluding in a stolen vehicle, and the missing baseball gear was found in the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect was expected to face larceny from auto charges in conjunction with the Woods incident.
Generator grabbed
GROSSE POINTE PARK — A resident in the area of Devonshire Road and Mack Avenue called police at 12:14 p.m. July 23 after seeing unknown male suspects take his orange generator out of the bed of his pickup truck and put it inside their small white SUV. The generator is valued at $300, the resident told police.
Parole absconder arrested
GROSSE POINTE PARK — Police were called to the 1400 block of Berkshire Road at around 8:30 a.m. July 23 about an unknown man who was walking up to homes in the area and claiming to be lost.
Police investigated and discovered that the man was a 38-year-old from Detroit who had a warrant against him for being a parole absconder.
He was arrested on the warrant.
Boat threats
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — On July 21 at around 4:20 p.m., Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the 37000 block of Winkler Street to speak with a 36-year-old Harrison Township man about threats he was receiving.
Earlier in July, the man sold a boat to a 37-yearold Warren man. The Warren man contacted the Harrison Township man alleging he had been sold a broken boat and that he should keep an eye on his car’s wheels.
Deputies contacted the Warren man, who claimed he never threatened the Harrison Township man and that he was just “making him aware” of possible problems with his car. The Warren man maintained his belief he was sold a broken boat.
Mismatched license plate
MOUNT CLEMENS — While on patrol at around 1:30 a.m. on July 22, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled over a truck near the corner of Crocker Boulevard and First Street.
Deputies stopped a Ram truck after a database
to a different vehicle. The driver, a 40-year-old Detroit man, was arrested after not being able to present a driver’s license. Deputies noticed the smell of intoxicants while arresting him and later asked him to perform field sobriety tests. After agreeing to the tests, he took a breath test that reportedly registered a blood alcohol content level of 0.208.
The man was taken to the Macomb County Jail.
Two vehicle break-ins
MOUNT CLEMENS — On July 21 at around 9:16 a.m., Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the 170 block of Court Street for a larceny report.
Deputies spoke with a 42-year-old Mount Clemens man who said he and his daughter’s vehicles were broken into overnight. The daughter reported nothing was stolen from her vehicle, while the father had $800, a checkbook and a credit card stolen. The vehicles were locked.
Security camera footage showed a man approach the cars at around 11:45 p.m. the prior night, covering his face before breaking into a truck and taking items from the center console. The man returned at around 1:40 a.m. with a bag, breaking into an SUV before breaking into the truck a second time.
Burgled basses
MOUNT CLEMENS — On June 19 at around 6:50 p.m., Macomb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a residence in the 200 block of Hubbard Avenue for a larceny report.
Deputies spoke with a 67-year-old Mount Clemens man who said his two bass guitars and a laptop computer were missing. He recently returned from a multiweek hospital stay and said nobody had access to the apartment while he was away.
The bass guitars were not found in their holders, while the man took the laptop to the hospital but was unable to locate it. The man was unsure about who could have stolen the bass guitars.
Assault reported
ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 3:04 a.m. on July 29, an assault was reported in the area of Harper Avenue and Masonic Boulevard.
Officers checked the area for the suspect before meeting with the victim, a 20-year-old man. He stated he was driving a friend home when he became involved in a road rage incident. The other vehicle, which he thought held around four people, “brake checked” him and the occupants reportedly yelled slurs and profanities at him. The victim attempted to
When they reached Harper, the vehicle pulled into a parking lot and the victim proceeded to drop off his friend. He came back down Harper, noticed the suspect vehicle parked in a business parking lot and he decided to confront the suspects. One suspect got out of the vehicle and kicked the victim’s passenger door while another got out and pointed an AR style rifle at the victim with a laser pointer on it. The victim then called 911 and drove to another business parking lot where the clerk observed the whole altercation.
Items stolen ST. CLAIR SHORES — At 10:22 a.m. on July 27, a case of retail fraud was reported in the 22000 block of Harper Avenue. Dispatch said a man concealed liquor in his backpack and indicated that he was reportedly still in the store by the frozen foods section. He also allegedly took a blue T-shirt off the rack and put it in his backpack. Officers confronted the man at an entrance to the store and he tried to re-enter the business. The man was placed under arrest and handcuffed. A total of $296.70 was in his backpack.
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