Latest news with #WashtenawCounty
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Volunteers clear overgrowth at historically Black cemetery in Ypsilanti to celebrate Juneteenth
After decades of disrepair, the descendants of those buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and volunteers are working to restore their resting places. Thomas Marshall's oldest brother survived serving in the Korean War but passed in a car crash one year after returning home to Michigan. "He was buried here, and no one knows exactly where he is buried," he said. For a long time, the organizer said Woodlawn Cemetery was the only one in Washtenaw County that would accept Black bodies. Marshall said years ago, there was a shed that held the information on who was buried where, but the shed has since burned down. "We've been trying to figure out where his headstone should be placed, and so far we haven't had any luck, but we know he's here somewhere," Marshall said. Back in the 1960s, the land began falling into disrepair. Marshall and upwards of a hundred volunteers gathered on Thursday to continue work clearing overgrown plants around the cemetery. "Over the years, there have been starts and stops around restoring it, but this year we began in earnest with restoring this property," said Debby Mitchell Covington, one of the organizers. Covington said multiple organizations worked together to plan Thursday's event, including the Washtenaw County Historic District Commission and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County. "I kind of think about this project as making the invisible visible, and everyone can have a hand in that," she said. That goal rings true for Marshall, too. "To me, I'm getting a little choked up; to be able to place his headstone where it belongs would be an honor not just for my brother but for the rest of my family and my mother in particular," he said.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Police seeking tips after homes struck by gunfire in Washtenaw County
A series of property damage shootings Tuesday night in Washtenaw County, Michigan, is under investigation. The Michigan State Police, Brighton Post, reports that at least four homes were struck with gunfire in the 9000 through the 12000 blocks of Tuttle-Hill Road in Willis. No injuries were reported. There are no suspects in custody. Troopers and state police detectives are speaking with homeowners in the area, and are asking for information that might assist in the investigation. To pass on a tip, call the Michigan State Police, Brighton Post, at 810-227-1051.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Washtenaw County child dies after being hit by car, authorities say
Washtenaw County deputies spent most of their Wednesday evening working a deadly collision after a child was hit by a car while riding a bike. "How I understood it, there was a child riding his bike to the neighborhood pool," one nearby resident told CBS News Detroit. Deputies say the driver of the car was an older man. As of now, it's unclear what led to the crash. "The case is still under investigation, so no arrests have been made at this time," Commander Eugene Rush with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. The incident happened on Tuttle Hill Road, right near Merritt Road. Authorities confirmed that crashes have happened along the roadway in the past. "I've lived out here for 13 years, and there's at least one accident here a year. There was one about two weeks ago," said Noah Blank, who lives near the crash site. It's unclear the child's age, but authorities are calling him a young juvenile. They also say the driver has been left distraught. "It is a tragedy, you have a young life that is lost. It's just a tragedy," Rush said. Neighbors call that part of the road a problem. They hope this collision will spur change from the local government. "We've been trying for years to get the county road commission to help us with the intersection, neither with more police patrols, a light, or a roundabout," Blank continued.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Dump truck driver killed in US-23 crash in Washtenaw County
Michigan lawmakers appear on alleged hit list of Minnesota shooting suspect and more top stories Michigan lawmakers appear on alleged hit list of Minnesota shooting suspect and more top stories Michigan lawmakers appear on alleged hit list of Minnesota shooting suspect and more top stories A dump truck driver was killed after losing control of the truck and striking a tree Monday evening on US-23 in Washtenaw County, Michigan. According to Michigan State Police, the crash happened sometime before 6:45 p.m. on the southbound highway at the Northfield Rest Area. MSP says the 47-year-old driver from Flint was traveling in a 1994 Western Star dump truck when a tire popped, causing him to drive off the road and hit a tree. Authorities with the Ann Arbor Township and Northfield Township fire departments arrived at the scene and worked to remove the man from the truck. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to MSP. An investigation is ongoing. Authorities do not believe alcohol and drugs were factors in the crash.
CBS News
7 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Ann Arbor residents upset over decision to euthanize beavers at municipal golf course
A colony of beavers that took residence at the city-owned Leslie Park Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Michigan, met a tragic end after city and county officials decided to euthanize them. The decision caused quite a controversy, as animal rights groups advocated for a more humane option to be explored in the wake of the decision. Washtenaw County officials say the decision didn't come easily, and it didn't come out of convenience. Officials say there needed to be action due to the beavers' impact on not just the golf course, but also stormwater management, infrastructure and neighborhoods downstream. "Relocating them on any land within the state of Michigan is not legal without the DNR signing off on that, and it's not something east of Oregon, maybe California," Harry Sheehan, Washtenaw County Water Resources Chief Deputy Commissioner, said. Sheehan says an onsite meeting in May explored using a beaver pipe to regulate water flow without disturbing the colony, an outcome that wasn't guaranteed in this instance, as the beavers already started expanding their construction. "The problem is they started to move upstream already," Sheehan said. "There's a concern they would move downstream as well." The only approvable option left was removal, a death sentence for the colony. Sheehan said fostering the beavers isn't something they explored, but it's also unlikely to be approved by the DNR. It's an option the Humane Society of Huron Valley said they'd participate in if it could save future beaver colonies from the same fate. "We have actually worked for many decades with wildlife, and we have humane wildlife removal services, so we'd be happy to work with them," said Wendy Welch of the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Other advocates blame the DNR's labeling of beavers as a nuisance animal for the limited humane options available to deal with them in less rural settings. "We cannot just have the same old attitudes that whatever is better for humans goes. Deeming someone to be a nuisance dictates how we treat them," said Bee Friedlander, president of the board of directors at Attorneys for Animals. With beaver sightings becoming more common in Washtenaw County, there's a chance new colonies could move into the space this one left behind. Sheehan says the county will continue monitoring Tarver Creek for new activity as they mull more humane solutions to potentially deal with them.
