A September sting that broke up a gambling and drug ring operating in the Saginaw area has mostly ended with those arrested pleading guilty to their roles. In all, 24 people living mostly in Saginaw and Bridgeport Township pleaded guilty as charge Jan. 18 to either a felony or two misdemeanors. Prosecutors are recommending that Saginaw County District Judge Christopher S. Boyd, who presided over the individuals' pleas, sentence those who pleaded to felonies to only probation. Those who pleaded to misdemeanors each were fined 496, which they have until Feb. 18 to pay.
Saginaw County has a long-standing policy to kill pitbulls it shelters, rather than find them homes. Neighboring Genesee County had a similar policy until Wednesday. The Genesee County Board of Commissioners voted to allow its animal control agency to find adoptive homes for the often-maligned breed it, in lieu of euthanasia. Valerie McCullough, the Saginaw County Animal Care Center director, said she believes the Saginaw policy will be discussed at her next meeting with the advisory board.
During his State of the City address, Saginaw Mayor Greg Branch said that while Saginaw has been through a lot of down swings, success is cyclical, too. Saginaw has made a lot of improvements in terms of reducing blight, building a diverse economy and even reducing violent crime, despite what Gov. Snyder says, Branch told the crowd at The Dow Event Center. But it wasn't without growing pains, Branch admitted. "You all saw yesterday's story that violent crime is nearly half of what it was seven years ago," Branch said.
Grace Korte knows she has limitations in her life. But those limitations certainly haven't prevented the 17-year-old Valley Lutheran High School senior from pushing her boundaries. In her final year of high school, Korte is bowling. From her wheelchair. "Its a lot of fun," Grace said. I just appreciate the chance to do this. Most of the time, Ill hear people yelling for me. It feels really, really good. Grace was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that involves incomplete development of the spine. She has never been able to walk and has used a wheelchair since she was 3. Shes participated in other sports from her wheelchair, in the Great Lakes Bay Miracle League and wheelchair soccer, among others.
A blanket of snow has covered the Saginaw area, however, it all could be removed today as temperatures could reach 52 degrees Tuesday. It's expected to remain sunny throughout the day, but Tuesday night could call for rain, not snow, according to the National Weather Service. Other than Tuesday night's chance of rain, not much precipitation is expected for the remainder of the week. Temperatures should also hover in the mid-to-high 30s for the rest of the week, with lows being in the high 20s.
A Saginaw woman convicted of assaulting a mentally disabled man will spend the next 18 years in prison. Saginaw County Circuit Judge James T. Borchard on Thursday sentenced Henretta T. Little, 30, to 18 years and nine months to 41 years and eight months in prison for assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment. Borchard gave Little, whom a jury convicted in December, credit for two months. Police have said Little and Laprincess L. Jones, 26, were living at 1112 S. Jefferson in Saginaw with a man in his 20s who was collecting disability checks from the state. The women kept the man in the house and beat him with objects, police said.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson is sharing what he knows about partnership on Monday with Saginaw business leaders. The NBA Hall of Famer and former Michigan State University star will discuss partnerships between corporate businesses and communities, said Safiya Mosley, information services supervisor for the Saginaw Public School District. Such partnerships can grow the community, Mosley said. Johnson will speak to guests at 10 a.m. at the Saginaw Public School District administration building, 505 Millard in Saginaw.
Snowy roads and chilly temperatures were not enough to keep crowds from attending a popular winter event in Frankenmuth on Sunday. Downtown was busy with crowds wandering along the streets admiring ice sculptures ranging from Mr. Potato Head to a banana peel. Rodger Hitchcock came all they way from Sandusky, Ohio to be at the snowfest for the first time along with his friend Scott Asman, a Sandusky resident who used to live near Franknemuth and had been to the event for 11 years. "It's a a very nice town," Hitchcock said. "Everything here is very unique. The sculptures are fantastic."
Bryan Buzzard he answers the phone with "Buzz" has something big cooked up for the American Culinary Federation Flint/Saginaw Valley's annual Chefs Hot Food Competition and Tasting. On Monday, Jan. 30, about two dozen professional chefs, along with their teams and local culinary students, will close Zehnders Snowfest 2012 with A Culinary Salute to Hawaii, an event that allows guests to wander from station to station sampling their work. And the team that the executive chef from the Saginaw Country Club always credits with winning him top honors for the past three years will launch a triple-threat this time around, three separate teams taking on the competitions three major categories.
Saginaw switched to a 165 per year flat fee last year and will add bi-weekly curbside recycling in April. The city this week released a flier explaining what residents get for their fee, equivilent to 13.75 per month. Prior to the fee change, residents paid 50 per year and a 3-mill property tax levy.
