SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014
$2.00 / POWER ING MLI VE .COM
NEWSPAPER OF THE Y E AR > MICHIG A N PRES S A S SOCI AT ION
SPORT S /D1
MSU HOOPS HANGS ON IN OVERTIME
LOCAL / A5
AFTERMATH: FROZEN PIPES BURSTING FLUSHING
GENESEE COUNTY
NOTE TO READERS MLive access to eReplicas continues
The winter weather roller coaster continues to make delivery of your newspaper a challenge for carriers in many areas. They have dealt with snow, ice, subzero temperatures and now rain. If you live in an area where delivery is impossible or delayed, your newspaper may be viewed online via our eReplica edition at mlive.com/ ereplica. The eReplica edition normally is accessible only through a paid print subscription, but is temporarily open now to all at no charge. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
TODAY’S MUST�READS GENESEE COUNTY
When times get tough, people get nice
In times of duress — such as the 17 inches of snow that nearly paralyzed the region last week — simple acts of kindness are a welcome relief. What acts of kindness did you witness during the storm? Share your blueberry moments with us. Details, A6 FLINT
MLK Day projects taking shape
Two schools are among those planning service projects to honor the memory of the late Martin Luther King Jr. Davenport University and Baker College King are hosting a no-sew project to make blankets for children and teens who are in need. Both seek more volunteers for the effort. In addition, Baker plans other service projects to help the community. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 20. Details, A7
DAILY QUOTE
“
It’s brand new, and we can’t wait to get it in.” MICHIGAN SECRETARY OF STATE ON TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES COMING TO STATE OFFICES. DETAILS, A3
Ex-priest who abused altarboys free in N.M.
Flint area at hub of nature’s strange and extreme ways
Weird weather winner
By David Harris
dharris5@mlive.com
A former priest convicted of molesting boys at Flushing’s St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in the 1970s is free and living in New Mexico, according to the New Mexico sex offender database. His release with six years to go on his maximum sentence has upset the mother of a former St. Robert altarboy, as well as the former prosecutor who put him behind bars. Sigler Jason Sigler, 75, was sentenced to seven- to 15-years in prison after pleading guilty in Genesee Circuit Court to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2003 for molesting Anthony Otero in the mid-1970s. Sigler also pleaded no contest to molesting Otero’s brother. Sigler was released in May 2012 after serving nine years of his term, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Arthur Busch, the Genesee County prosecutor at the time, called Sigler “the worst of the worst.” “My feelings are, given the nature of these offenses, lack of remorse and decades of this behavior, I doubt he’s rehabilitated,” Busch said Friday. “I can’t think of any reason why he would be released with (six) years left (on the maximum term).” Sigler was on probation for more than a year and was released Nov. 29, according to Michigan
By Blake Thorne
bthorne1@mlive.com
Tornadoes, massive snowstorms, record-breaking highs and lows, floods. In the past two years, Genesee County has seen its share of extreme and unexpected weather. It’s left people scratching their heads MORE and battening down the hatches. INSIDE While other parts of the state and This weeksometimes the entire Midwest are end’s thaw impacted by many of these weather brings relief events, this area seems to have — and plenty received the worst of much of it. of puddles, The area set a temperature record A4 low Thursday, hitting negative 21 degrees. Other records were set Tuesday and Monday, at negative 14 and on Jan. 3 at negative 10. Thursday’s low was only a few degrees off the all-time record low for Flint, which was set in 1976 when it hit minus 25 on Jan. 18. Check out the extreme weather the area has seen in the past 22 months: •March 14-22, 2012: An unusual March heatwave across much of the country leads to record-breaking highs seven days in a row. Typically a time of year in the low 40s, March set temperature records in Flint, getting as warm as 88 degrees. •May 3, 2012: More than 5 inches of rain pummeled parts of Genesee County in one night, more than twice what the area normally gets in the entire month of May. The severe weather closed highways, displaced residents, left thousands without power and led one community to declare a state of emergency. Officials declared the flooding the worst in the county since 1986. The flooding was primarily contained to the Flint area. •May 28, 2013: Four tornadoes touch down in Genesee County, with the strongest occurring in Fenton Township and the Goodrich area. Two weaker tornadoes also were reported in Beecher, including northern Flint and the Mt. Morris area, and another in Gaines Township. The tornadoes caused an estimated $2.5 million in damage and affected more than 130 structures. It’s the first time four tornadoes have touched down in Genesee County in one day, according to records going back to 1950. No SEE WEIRD, A9
SEE ABUSE, A2
Simulated calendar pages show some of the extraordinary weather Genesee County has seen in the past 22 months. (Jeff Johnston/MLive.com)
INDEX Advice................ F5 Classified............ E1
“My feelings are, given the nature of these offenses, lack of remorse and decades of this behavior, I doubt he’s rehabilitated.” ARTHUR BUSCH, FORMER GENESEE COUNTY PROSECUTOR
FEEDBACK Entertainment.... F1 Local................... A3
Lottery ................ A2 Nation............... A13
Obituaries........... A9 Opinion............... B1
Sports................. C1 Travel .................. F8
TV .......... Diversions Weather............ A15
Send your comments to comments@mlive.com.
FL SUNDAY