Call it Monroe gumbo.

Organizers of the first Communities Learning About Shared Space (CLASS) community barbecue were pleased Monroe residents of all ages, colors and backgrounds came together to share in a beautiful summer afternoon.

“We have so many people from all backgrounds,” said Aaron Lavender of Monroe. “We have police, lawyers, judges, black, white, young, old. It’s like Monroe gumbo.”

Mr. Lavender, one of the founders of CLASS, was practically giddy with the turnout as several hundred people came to Hellenberg Park to eat hot dogs and popcorn, dance and play games.

“Once we have shared space, people realize what a great time we can all have,” Mr. Lavender said.

The organization formed earlier this year with the purpose of uniting Monroe residents from all sides of town.

Mr. Lavender, Monroe Mayor Robert E. Clark and Monroe police Deputy Chief Charles McCormick IV met to create the group, which initially began as a way to talk frankly about race. The group also takes a proactive approach, introducing emergency personnel to people living in the community prior to a crisis occurring.

Another purpose for the barbecue was getting people to come together to get to know their neighbors.

Davell Toles, a 17-year-old senior at Monroe High School, thought the ideas behind the day were important.

“We all live in this community, so it’s important for us to get together and get to know each other,” Davell said while playing cornhole with a group of younger kids. “I think this turnout shows that works. I think it’s a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.”

Dannielle Watkins and Wanda Montague were dancing with some younger kids and organizers Mr. Lavender and Deputy Chief McCormick to a series of songs. The women did the “Cha Cha Slide” and “Cupid Shuffle” before taking a break from the heat and chatting.

The women said an event such as the barbecue has a lot of benefits to community members.

“People can put a name to a face,” Ms. Watkins said. “It’s also a great way to have fun.”

Organizers encouraged folks to introduce themselves to someone new in an effort to get to know their community better. It seemed to work.

“I see a lot of people talking with each other,” Ms. Montague said.

Though the message of the day was important, people of all ages were having fun. Children ran through water sprayed from one of the Monroe fire trucks. Kids jumped around on inflatables. People of all ages engaged in conversations.

Ultimately, the day served its purpose as people shared the same space at Hellenberg Park for a day that will be remembered.

CLASS plans to continue its work in the community with diversity programs, additional community events and continuing conversations on how to bring folks of Monroe together for a common purpose.

“I think the goals were achieved here today,” Davell said.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The heavily funded super PAC backing Republican Jeb Bush will spend at least $10 million on television time in the earliest voting presidential primary states, the first salvo in a massive TV ad campaign to support the former Florida governor's bid for the Republican nomination.

Officials with Right to Rise USA say they will buy time in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina TV markets and on cable television in the three states. Ads are scheduled to begin in Iowa and New Hampshire on Sept. 15, in South Carolina a week later and then run continuously through the end of the year.

The plan, shared by the group with The Associated Press prior to Monday's buy, is the first evidence of Right to Rise USA's major strategic spending of the roughly $100 million it had on hand last month. It's also the first major move by the group, which was developed by longtime Bush adviser and California ad maker Mike Murphy, to run alongside Bush's own campaign organization, which is bound by federal fundraising limits.

"We believe Jeb Bush has the strongest record of conservative accomplishments in the race, and we plan to tell that story," Paul Lindsay, communication director for Right to Rise USA, told the AP.

The first ads will be positive spots promoting Bush in a field that includes 16 other major GOP candidates. They will resemble videos on the group's website, promoting Bush and his accomplishments as Florida governor from 1999 to 2007. One piece was taken from clips of Bush from the Aug. 6 Republican debate in Cleveland, Lindsay said.

That does not mean the group's ads won't turn to criticizing Republican rivals once the first contests draw near. The group has already aired one online ad that points to Bush's release of decades of tax returns and publication of thousands of emails sent during his time as governor, to draw comparisons with Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, who recently turned over her private email server to the FBI under pressure.

To date, the group, based in southern California, has spent roughly $200,000 on online advertising.

The new expenditure, which Lindsay described as an "eight-figure" buy, is significant because it's the first big expense for the group that Bush helped raise more than $103 million to finance, and which is expected to perform other campaign functions in support of the former governor.

Under Federal Election Commission rules, Bush, having declared his candidacy on June 15, is now forbidden as a candidate from directly soliciting money for the group or advising how to spend it. However, before declaring his candidacy, Bush was involved in fundraising for Right to Rise USA, while Murphy planned a long-term strategy where the super PAC would complement the campaign, which is bound by fundraising restrictions that don't apply to super PACs.

The idea of a parallel outside group that can raise unlimited sums from individuals, corporations and groups is not new. Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, attempted it later in his campaign. And other GOP candidates for the 2016 GOP nomination have formed super PACs and have begun buying advertising time in early states.

However, none has combined the planning strategy with the sums of money Bush's super PAC has been able to raise, making it a pioneering effort in the super PAC era of presidential campaigning.

In June, the group announced it had met its ambitious goal of raising more than $100 million, taking full advantage of the nation's campaign finance laws to collect $103 million over the first six months of 2015. In June, the group had a balance of $98 million.

No candidate for president has benefited from so much money so early in a campaign.

Aides to the super PAC noted that similar groups supporting other candidates have purchased advertising time in early states. Some have also aired spots aimed at bumping up a candidate's national poll numbers to help them gain entry into debates that require top-10 standing.

Right to Rise USA aides said their strategy is long-term, aimed at building sustained name identification and support heading into the Iowa caucuses, which begin the 2016 voting on Feb. 1, followed by the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries.

This story has been corrected to reflect that before declaring his candidacy, Bush was involved in fundraising for Right to Rise USA, while Murphy planned long-term strategy. Bush did not work with Murphy on a long-term ad strategy, nor were senior campaign aides Sally Bradshaw and David Kochel part of the effort, as reported earlier. It has also been corrected to reflect that Clinton turned her email server over to the FBI, she did not release it.

HOUSTON (AP) Jose Altuve has always enjoyed coming through for the Houston Astros in the clutch.

Now that every win inches them closer to their first playoff berth in 10 years, the All-Star second baseman relishes those moments even more.

Altuve hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning and the Astros, boosted by two homers from Colby Rasmus, beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 Sunday.

''Every time you do something for your team and you win you're going to feel good. You're going to enjoy it,'' Altuve said. ''Especially in the moment that we're living right now where we're in first place and we have to win.''

Miguel Cabrera homered, doubled and drove in three runs for Detroit.

Jake Marisnick tripled off Tom Gorzelanny (1-2) with two outs in the Houston ninth. Alex Wilson relieved and Altuve singled on the first pitch for his third hit of the game.

The AL West-leading Astros chased Altuve as he rounded second base and rookie Carlos Correa tackled him in jubilation. Correa was in the hole when Altuve went up to hit and said he put his bat on the rack because he knew Altuve would come through.

''He's the right guy for the right spot and we have a lot of confidence when he steps to the plate when guys are in scoring position to give us a chance to win the game and he always delivers,'' Correa said.

Will Harris (5-2) allowed two hits and a run in two innings for the win.

The Tigers had tied it on an RBI single by Tyler Collins in the eighth.

The Astros built a 5-2 lead on the homers by Rasmus. A two-run drive by Cabrera got the Tigers within a run in the seventh.

Rasmus hit a solo homer to begin a four-run second. Marwin Gonzalez had a two-run triple and Correa tacked on another run with a single.

Rasmus connected again in the third for his first multihomer game since 2012.

Cabrera, who returned Friday from a six-week stint on disabled list, hit his 16th home run.

Cabrera didn't get a hit in his first game back on Friday, but has four hits in the two games since then to raise his average to .352.

''He looks good,'' manager Brad Ausmus said. ''I think his timing's still off every now and then but he certainly took some good swings the last two days.''

Mike Fiers allowed five hits and two runs in 5 1-3 innings in his first home start for Houston since a trade from Milwaukee.

Detroit rookie Matt Boyd gave up five runs in five innings of his fifth career start.

CAN CORREA GET A CALL?

After being tackled by the 6-foot-4 Correa in the postgame celebration on Sunday, the 5-5 Altuve suggested he might be able to suit up for the Houston Texans.

''I think if the Texans see that they going to put him out there,'' Altuve said.

Correa, the top overall pick in the 2012 draft, said he played a little football in Puerto Rico for fun but never took it seriously. But he'd be willing to listen if the Texans were interested in his services after seeing the takedown of his teammate.

''If the Texans offered me something, I would like to try out,'' Correa said with a laugh.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: LHP Kyle Lobstein allowed three hits and five runs - two earned - in his third rehabilitation start and the first at Triple-A Toledo on Saturday night. Lobstein has been out since May 24 with a sore left shoulder.

Astros: OF George Springer (broken right wrist) has been throwing and catching in the last couple of days since being cleared for baseball activities on Friday. Manager A.J. Hinch said he could begin swinging a bat early next week, but the Astros still aren't sure when he'll come off the disabled list.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Detroit is off on Monday before a short, two-game interleague series with the Cubs. Anibal Sanchez (10-10, 4.95) will oppose Chicago's Jason Hammel (6-5, 3.10) in the opener at Wrigley Field.

Astros: Houston continues its 10-game homestand with a four-game series against Tampa Bay when Scott Kazmir (6-7, 2.12) faces Erasmo Ramirez (9-4, 3.59). It will be the second home start for Kazmir since a trade from Oakland. He is coming off a loss at San Francisco, but his ERA ranks second in the American League.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) A year of major heartache ended with Jason Day breaking through in a major way Sunday at the PGA Championship.

With at least a share of the 54-hole lead for the third straight major, Day never gave Jordan Spieth or anyone else much of a chance at Whistling Straits. He closed with a 5-under 67 for a three-shot victory and broke Tiger Woods' major championship record for most strokes under par by finishing at 20 under.

In tears before tapping in for par, Day hugged his son and wife and then Spieth, who earned a small consolation prize with his runner-up finish. Spieth moved to No. 1 in the world, ending the one-year reign of Rory McIlroy.

"I didn't expect I was going to cry," Day said. "A lot of emotion has come out because I've been so close so many times and fallen short. To be able to play the way I did today, especially with Jordan in my group, I could tell that he was the favorite. Just to be able to finish the way I did was amazing."

What a journey for the 27-year Australian.

He understood hard times as a youth when his father died of cancer when Day was 12. For all his talent, he was questioned for winning only one tournament in five years on the PGA Tour. With a share of the lead at the U.S. Open and British Open, he had to watch someone else celebrate.

Not on this day. Not even close.

Day started the final round with a two-shot lead and no one got any closer than that the entire day. His lone shaky moment came at the end of the front nine, when he made his first bogey on No. 8 and then chunked a wedge from the fairway on No. 9. But he saved par with an 8-foot putt and was on his way.

And he knew it at the end.

With a three-shot lead on the par-5 16th, Day hit a high draw onto the green, bit his lower lip and swatted longtime coach and caddie Colin Swatton in the arm. That two-putt birdie took him to 20 under, and two pars sealed the victory.

Woods finished at 19 under when he won the 2000 British Open at St. Andrews.

Spieth was chasing history again — Woods and Ben Hogan are the only two players to win three majors in the same season — but the Masters and U.S. Open champion had a tougher time chasing Day.

The 22-year-old Texan missed a pair of birdie putts early on the back nine, and he struggled with his driver on the front nine. But he's not sure it would have mattered. Day wasn't going to let this chance get a way, and everyone knew it.

"It was Jason's day," he said. "He played like he'd won seven or eight majors. He took it back. He wailed on it. It was a stripe show."

Spieth set a record of his own. By closing with a 68, he set a record by playing the four majors in 54-under par, breaking by one the mark that Woods set in 2000. The difference is that Woods won two majors by a combined 23 shots.

That also speaks to the depth of golf in this generation, and Day is the latest example. He moved to No. 3 in the world, meaning the top four in the world are all under 27 and have combined to win five of the last six majors.

It starts with Spieth, the second-youngest player behind Woods to reach No. 1. Spieth got there in his 77th start as a pro. Woods was 21 when he became No. 1 for the first time in just his 21st tournament.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," Spieth said. "So much work has been put in. What a year it's been."

Branden Grace of South Africa had another mistake on the back nine in a major that cost him. Grace was tied for the lead at the U.S. Open when he hit his tee shot on the railroad tracks and out-of-bounds at Chambers Bay. This time, he was two shots behind when he went long of the 10th green and made double bogey. He closed with a 69 and finished third, five shots behind.

Justin Rose got within two shots until making a double bogey for the third straight day. He closed with a 70 and finished fourth.

NEW YORK (AP) — The 17th Teen Choice Awards threw its full support behind the hit series "Empire," honored late "Furious 7" star Paul Walker and paid homage to a respected elder: Britney Spears.

The two-hour teen celebration, broadcast live Sunday night, kicked off with a victory lap for the weekend box-office hit "Straight Outta Compton." Ice Cube and the young stars of the N.W.A biopic, which earned an estimated $56.1 million over the weekend, welcomed the young crowd to Los Angeles' Galen Center.

Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, the rapper and "Furious 7" co-star, was one of three hosts, alongside "Jane the Virgin" star Gina Rodriguez and actor Josh Peck. Bridges' film, one of year's biggest big-screen hits, was one of the night's top winners, winning best action movie and best actor in an action-adventure for the late Paul Walker.

"Paul Walker is here in spirit with us," said Vin Diesel, a star in the street racing franchise. He applauded a "special, special" teen in the crowd: Walker's daughter Meadow.

The Teen Choice Awards spread awards across movies, music, TV, fashion, sports and digital media, celebrating the favorites — from Channing Tatum to Wiz Khalifa to Stephen Curry (all winners Sunday) — of one of media's most powerful demographics.

As a pop star, Spears was a regular at the Teen Choice Awards, collecting its trademark trophies — surfboards — many times over the years, including its version of a lifetime achievement award in 2009.

On Sunday, Spears, her blonde hair partially dyed blue and purple, was honored for being a style icon. She dedicated the award to her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, and niece Lexie, who were in the audience.

The Teen Choice Awards' new reigning powerhouse, One Direction, landed eight awards, bringing their "lifetime" total to 23. The British boy band, currently on tour, accepted the awards in a taped video.

The hip-hop drama "Empire" won breakout TV show and provided one of the show's most memorable moments. While Jussie Smollett and Yazz performed "You're So Beautiful," a song from the series, the show's Gabourey Sidibe made a surprise cameo, exuberantly dancing among the back-up dancers.

Ellen DeGeneres won for best comedian. Adding a Teen Choice Award to her People's Choice Award, DeGeneres requested awards from other age groups: the elderly and babies.

Several awards went to "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1," including best actor in a sci-fi or fantasy for Josh Hutcherson. He reflected on the end of the franchise, with this fall's "Mockingjay, Part 2," like a coming graduation.

"'Hunger Games' has been a huge part of my life for almost five years now. It's coming to an end and it's really sad," said Hutcherson. "So if we want to cry together, we can do that because it breaks my heart."

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of women of all ages donned blue coveralls, red socks, and red bandannas with white polka dots and gathered near San Francisco in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most Rosies in one place at one time since World War II.

The attempt was likely successful but Guinness must still review and authenticate the headcount. It will also verify all the Rosies conformed to uniform specifications, which detailed the acceptable size of the polka dots on their bandannas, the Contra Costa Times reported Sunday. (http://bayareane.ws/1gO9Dyn ).

Event organizers say they believe the record was broken because more than 800 bandannas that met the requirement were sold before the event held Saturday at Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Richmond's Marina Park.

The last record was set in May when 776 Rosies gathered in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The Rosies are credited with empowering young girls and redefining a woman's role in the workplace.

Phyllis Gould, who participated in the record breaking event, worked for three years as a welder at the Kaiser shipyards in Richmond until World War II came to an end.

"I felt like I could do anything if I set my mind to it," said Gould, 93.

Her then husband, also a welder, wasn't so supportive and their marriage broke up, she said.

DETROIT (AP) - The father of an 11-year-old boy accused in the fatal shooting of a 3-year-old boy in Detroit has been charged with manslaughter in the death.

The Wayne County prosecutor's office said Monday the man stored the weapon in a "grossly negligent manner." He's also charged with second-degree child abuse, using a firearm during a felony and altering identification marks on a weapon.

The boy is charged in Juvenile Court with manslaughter.

The Associated Press doesn't typically name minors charged with crimes and isn't naming the father to avoid identifying his son.

Police say the older boy took a handgun from a closet at his father's home Aug. 3 and tossed it out a window. Police say he retrieved the gun and fired it, striking Elijah Walker in the face.

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - AAA Michigan says gas prices statewide have jumped by about 50 cents in the past week.

Gas prices in Michigan had fallen for five straight weeks. The sharp increase follows the unexpected, partial shutdown of a large Indiana oil refinery earlier this month.

AAA Michigan says the average price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline was about $3 per gallon on Sunday, down about 50 cents from the same point a year ago.

The Dearborn-based auto club surveys daily fuel prices at 2,800 gas stations across the state. The lowest average price was about $2.92 per gallon in the Saginaw/Bay City/Midland area, while the highest average was about $3.03 in the Detroit area.

Karen O'Brien never thought cancer would find her.

The St. Mary Catholic Central volleyball coach is an accomplished athlete who has been coaching at the high school and collegiate levels for 30 years.

But after undergoing a hysterectomy in February, she was told that she had ovarian cancer. Five months of chemotherapy treatments followed.

After getting over the initial shock, O'Brien decided to make the fight not just against her own cancer.

She formed "Teal Attack," a movement using high school and collegiate athletic events to raise awareness and donations for ovarian cancer support through the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

O'Brien chose September — National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month — to launch Teal Attack games. Already a dozen Teal Attack volleyball matches involving 22 different schools are scheduled in

September or October.

Both the home and visiting varsity teams will receive free Teal Attack T-shirts to wear during warmups. More T-shirts will be sold before and during the games priced at $10 each. Ovarian cancer literature will be available at the event along with other fundraising information.

O'Brien's own Kestrels will host New Boston Huron in a Teal Attack match Sept. 23. Events will include auction baskets and a 50/50 raffle.

"We're excited about Teal Attack," said O'Brien who is Teal Attack coordinator. "Any time you can bring awareness, you have the chance to help so many people. We can tell people, 'These are the symptoms. This is what you need to look for.' "

The first symptom O'Brien had was an unusual pain in the groin area. She had the surgery and was diagnosed on Feb. 6. Her last chemotherapy treatment was June 11, and a July 9 CAT scan and blood work gave her the "all clear and good to go." She still has to go back for blood work every three months for the next two years.

"I haven't regained complete strength yet," O'Brien said. "When I

was going into surgery, I knew in the back of my mind there was a chance it was cancer. My husband Dan said, 'You never expect to hear cancer and wife in the same sentence.' You're in such good shape. Cancer isn't something you think about.

"Once you get the news it's 'What are you going to do?' You kind of take the proactive approach. As a coach, you're organized and disciplined. You stick to a regimen. Dan did a great job of helping me stay on a regimen. It can be tough, but it wasn't going to beat me."

O'Brien had six rounds of chemotherapy — one every three weeks. The third was the toughest. Her treatments were on Thursday, she felt good on Friday but terrible on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

"Everybody reacts differently to chemotherapy," she said. "During chemo, you run out of gas. You learn to take naps and rest. I would do something for a half hour, then have to rest for the next half hour. I just need to be a patient patient."

O'Brien has been head volleyball coach at the University of Toledo and Siena Heights University and was varsity coach at Erie Mason and Dundee. She was Diane Tuller's assistant when SMCC won the Class C state championship last fall and was hired as the new head coach after Tuller stepped down. O'Brien also is franchise owner of the Subway Sandwich Shops in Dundee and at the Monroe Walmart.

She wrote letters to most high school volleyball coaches in Michigan asking support for Teal Attack. She told how in February she found herself on a team she wanted no part of: Team I-Have-Cancer.

"Like many stubborn freshmen who don't like the new team rules, e.g. undergo chemotherapy, lose my hair, etc., I initially resented being chosen to play for a team on which I felt I didn't belong," she wrote.

"I didn't pick this team. I wanted no part of it. I never had a choice. But then I realized I did, in fact, have a choice. I could be the player who sat on the bench and felt sorry for myself, or I could make something of my situation, support my fellow teammates and help move the team in the right direction: commitment, common purpose, camaraderie."

The Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association also is expected to spread the word about Teal Attack to all of its member coaches.

"We're hoping to be able to add more (fundraising games) in the next couple weeks," O'Brien said. She can be contacted at tealattack@gmail.com or at 735-8289.

A schedule of Teal Attack volleyball matches follows:

Sept. 9: Northville at South Lyon

Sept. 15: South Lyon East at Novi

Sept. 16: Lourdes University at Concordia University

Sept. 17: Hartland at Pinckney

Sept. 23: Huron at SMCC

Sept. 23: Madonna University at Siena Heights University

Oct. 1: Central Michigan University at Eastern Michigan University

Oct. 20: Monroe at Bedford

Oct. 20: Sand Creek at Summerfield

Oct. 20: Tecumseh at Adrian

Oct. 22: Monroe at Ida

Oct. 22: Summerfield at Whiteford

FLINT, Mich. (AP) - General Motors says it plans to convert a historic factory building in Flint into an archive and research center.

The automaker said Saturday that it would invest millions into the Durant-Dort Carriage Co. "Factory One" building that it purchased in 2013. The company has already spent about $3 million on fixes to the 25,000-square-foot building.

The building was leased in 1886 by Flint Road Cart Company founders William Crapo Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort. Durant later founded General Motors.

Renovation plans call for an archive and research center on the building's first floor, with an automotive collection from Kettering University. The second floor would be made into a meeting area for the automaker, as well as for the community and educational groups.

General Motors says work is expected to start in early 2016, and finish in 2017.

PAID PUBLIC NOTICE

STATE OF MICHIGAN

38th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT –

FAMILY DIVISION

MONROE COUNTY

PUBLICATION OF HEARING

(NOTICE TO PUTATIVE FATHER)

CASE NO. 15-23551-NA

IN THE MATTER OF: TEHYA PHILLIPS, KADYNN SAMUELS, RYAN RICHESON-CZAIKOWSKI

TAKE NOTICE:

A petition has been filed with this court regarding the following minor(s):

TEHYA PHILLIPS, who was born on 04/02/2007 at MERCY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN MONROE, MI.

The mother of the minor(s) is NATALIE BARNETT. If you are or may be the natural father, you should appear at REFEREE PENWARDEN’S HEARING ROOM on September 15, 2015 at 10:30 A.M. to state any interest you may have in the minor(s). Failure to appear at this hearing is a denial of interest in the minor(s), waiver of notice for all subsequent hearings, and a waiver of a right to appointment of an attorney. Failure to appear at this hearing COULD RESULT IN PERMANENT TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.

AUGUST 17, 2015

PAID PUBLIC NOTICE

BERLIN CHARTER TOWNSHIP REGULAR MEETING 07/27/15

SYNOPSIS PAGE 1

The Regular Meeting of the Berlin Charter Township Board held at 8000 Swan View Newport, Michigan was called to order at 7:30 PM by Supervisor Karl Reaume, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

PRESENT FOR ROLL CALL: Supervisor Karl Reaume, Clerk Denise E. Sovey-Meyer, Treasurer Deborah Masserant, Trustees Marvin J. Reaume, Robert D. Masserant, Jerry Tomlinson and Dave Reaume.

A quorum was present the meeting proceeded. Approximately two residents were in attendance.

Additions/Changes to the agenda: ADD new business number 6 Sonoras electric Quote

MOTION # 1 carried to approve the agenda as amended.

MOTION # 2 carried to approve the regular meeting minutes (07/13/15) and receive and file the Berlin Charter Township ZBA meeting minutes (07/07/15) as presented.

MOTION # 3 carried to receive and file the letter from the Monroe County Business Development Corp.

MOTION # 4 carried to receive and file the letter from Ron Cook.

MOTION # 5 carried to approve Carleisle/Wortman proposal of services: Berlin Charter Township parks and recreation master plan update not to exceed $7880.00.

MOTION # 6 carried to adopt Berlin Charter Township Resolution regarding assignment with the City of Detroit and the Great Lakes Water Authority.

MOTION # 7 carried to sign the Monroe Conservation District contract and pay $750.00.

MOTION # 8 carried to approve the purchase requisition UIS to verify pump alarm inputs in the amount of $2296.00.

MOTION #9 carried to approve the Monroe County road Commission Contract-Excess Gradall in the amount of $30000.00.

MOTION #10 carried to adopt the Berlin Charter Township budget resolution.

MOTION #11 carried to accept the Sonoras Electric Quote to install two light poles at Brandon Rd. Park in the amount not to exceed $2000.00.

MOTION #12 carried to authorize the Township Engineer to put together a bid packet for the I-75 entrance ramp waterline repairs.

MOTION #13 carried to have the Township Attorney draw up a contract with Newport Creek New Homes LLC, based on the terms agreed upon by the board.

MOTION #14 carried to adjourn the meeting at 8:29 PM.

A copy of the proceeding of this meeting is available at the Office of the Clerk, 8000 Swan View, Newport, Michigan, Monday through Friday during regular business hours of 8:00 AM till 4:30 PM.

Berlin Charter Township

Denise E. Sovey-Meyer, Clerk CMC

AUGUST 17, 2015

IDA TOWNSHIP — A case of Bud Light and $200 in frozen meat were among the items taken during a break-in that occurred between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday in the 6100 block of Geiger Rd.

The homeowner, 43, reported finding the door to the pole barn open and a broken lock.

He reported to Monroe County sheriff’s deputies that, in addition to the beer and food, a $500 GE digital camera also was taken from the barn, according to sheriff’s reports.

By Renee Treece

Cell phones sometimes annoy us, but when you need them, they’re wonderful!

Saturday, the 7:30 a.m. blip from mine lying next to my bed announced a new text. I took one glance at the screen — “problems,” it said. I immediately leaped out of bed.

Wednesday, Tom had spent the day at Ann Arbor’s veterans hospital for blood work and an echocardiogram to prepare him for a heart ablation procedure the following day. He had been suffering from atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) the past few years, especially when his condition worsened after his last CIDP infusion in March.

“He’ll need to stay overnight and then need someone to drive him home the following morning,” we were told. “It should be just a few hours.”

Thursday we returned for what we thought would be a mildly routine procedure.

We arrived at 6:30 a.m. and he was immediately scooped up by the surgical team. Once prepped, I was invited to join him before surgery.

There, the surgeon informed us the procedure would take four to eight hours, but warned us that the odds of a positive outcome were a “flip of the coin,” or 50-50.

Tom frowned and had a panicked look I had never seen before on his face. We stared at each other for a long moment before he asked, “What do you think?”

“Considering the deterioration of the quality of your life over these past few years,” I responded, “I say, go for it!” He agreed.

I kissed my sweetheart and assured him I’d be praying for him and waved as he went out of sight.

I was pleasantly surprised when the nurse came out around 10 and gave me the thumbs up. I ran to her to see how he had done.

“So far, so good,” she replied. “The laser is in position and we are ready to begin; this is a very slow and methodical surgery!”

“How much longer will he be in?” I asked.

“Four to eight hours,” was her reply as she returned to the operating room.

Minutes seemed like hours until the surgeon appeared at 3:30 to tell me Tom’s surgery appeared to be a success, but that only time would tell.

Later I joined him in recovery intending to stay the night, but he was insistent I go home so both of us could get a good night’s rest. I drove home and slept like a log!

Then came Friday morning, and that one-word message! I immediately hit redial to hear Tom telling me he was having complications — chest and jaw pains — he couldn’t breathe.

Now, I am a law-abiding citizen, but Saturday I broke every law trying to get to him as quickly as possible!

Extensive tests, thank God, ruled out a heart attack. But, he had developed pneumonia and had inflammation around the heart, which they aggressively began to treat.

Tom is finally home, resting and recovering. But, needless to say, his “routine procedure” turned into a near nightmare as I surely thought we might lose him Friday afternoon.

We are grateful to all for your love and prayers, and especially to God who heard and answered those prayers.

I’m also grateful for cell phones that do tend to annoy us occasionally, because Saturday morning, mine was a lifesaver to me!

But, as Tom always says, “What do I know?”

uuu

Renee Treece, Tom Treece’s wife, wrote this column in place of her husband this week. E-mail them at tomtreece@monroenews.com.

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan woman who was believed to be the nation's oldest veteran at 110 has died, about a month after meeting President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

Emma Didlake died Sunday in West Bloomfield, northwest of Detroit, according to the Oakland County medical examiner's office.

Didlake was a 38-year-old wife and mother of five when she signed up in 1943 for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. She served about seven months stateside during the war, as a private and driver.

She spent time with the president in July during a trip to Washington that was arranged by Talons Out Honor Flight, a southwest Michigan chapter of a national nonprofit that provides free, one-day trips for veterans to visit monuments and memorials in the nation's capital.

"Emma Didlake served her country with distinction and honor, a true trailblazer for generations of Americans who have sacrificed so much for their country," Obama said Monday afternoon in a statement. "I was humbled and grateful to welcome Emma to the White House last month, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to Emma's family, friends, and everyone she inspired over her long and quintessentially American life."

Didlake was born in Alabama and moved with her family to Detroit in 1944. She was known to her family as "Big Mama" and recently moved to an assisted living family in suburban Detroit.

She was deemed the oldest U.S. veteran based on information gleaned by Honor Flight representatives through national outreach campaigns.

Granddaughter Marilyn Horne told The Associated Press last month that when Talons Out officials presented her grandmother with a short-sleeved shirt bearing the group's logo to wear on the trip to Washington, Didlake took a look and said: "'I don't have Michelle Obama arms — I'm going to need a jacket.'"

During her visit to the White House, Didlake wore a patriotic-themed neck scarf and sat in her wheelchair in the same spot in the Oval Office where foreign leaders sit when they meet with Obama.

A Michigan AMBER alert was issued at 6:30 p.m. today (Aug. 17) for a 3-year-old boy missing from Alpena Township.

The child's name is Keegan Elijah Waterman. According to the AMBER alert information, the boy and Christina Marie Waterman, who is his mother, may be in route to Tennessee in a 2000 tan colored Chevrolet Tahoe with a license plate of Tennessee U4758V.

Keegan has black hair, brown eyes, weighs 55 pounds and is 4 feet 3 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a diaper and sandals.

If you have any information about their whereabouts please contact the Michigan State Police, Alpena Post at (989) 354-4101, the Michigan State Police Operations Center at (517) 241-800 or call 911.

For additional information:

National AMBER Alert site.

Michigan AMBER alert site.

CHICAGO (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board on Monday blocked a historic bid by Northwestern University football players to form the nation's first college athletes' union, dealing a blow to a labor movement that could have transformed amateur sports.

In a unanimous decision, the board said the prospect of having both union and nonunion teams could lead to different standards at different schools — from the amount of money players receive to the amount of time they can practice — and create competitive imbalances on the field.

The ruling dismissed a stunning decision in March 2014 by a regional NLRB director in Chicago who said football players with scholarships are effectively school employees and entitled to organize. But Monday's decision did not directly address the question of whether the players are employees.

The face of the union drive, former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, expressed disappointment in the ruling. But he said the unionization drive pressured the NCAA to take athletes' grievances more seriously.

"Once we started this movement, within one year, things started changing," he said. "It turned out to be the right thing to do, and I don't regret it."

Northwestern welcomed the ruling, and its vice president for university relations, Alan K. Cubbage, praised pro-union players, saying the school applauded them "for bringing national attention to these important issues."

The labor dispute goes to the heart of American college sports, where universities and conferences reap billions of dollars, mostly through broadcast contracts, by relying on amateurs who are not paid. In other countries, college sports are small-time club affairs, while elite youth athletes often turn pro as teens.

The biggest factor in how it ruled, the board said, was the NLRB's jurisdiction, which extends only to private schools like Northwestern, the sole private institution in the Big Ten. The board repeatedly cited the need for standardization of rules and policies in sports and said that giving the green light to just one team to collectively bargain would disrupt that uniformity.

"Processing a petition for the scholarship players at this single institution under the circumstances presented here would not promote stability in labor relations," the ruling said.

NLRB rules do not offer the losing side a clear avenue to appeal Monday's decision. But Ramogi Huma, a former linebacker at UCLA and a union activist who worked closely with Colter, said he has not given up on bringing unions to college football.

"The door's not closed," he said.

The board seemed to leave open the possibly of taking up the unionization issue again if it involved other schools or if conditions change for Northwestern football.

Northwestern became the focal point of the labor fight in January 2014, when Colter announced plans to form the first U.S. labor union for college athletes. He appeared at a news conference for the College Athletes Players Association, flanked by leaders of the United Steelworkers union, which lent its organizing expertise and presumably helped bankroll the union drive.

Three months later, regional NLRB Director Peter Sung Ohr issued his stunning decision, saying Northwestern football players who receive scholarships fit the definition of employees under federal law and therefore should be able to unionize. A month later, football players cast secret ballots on whether to unionize. Those ballots were sealed during the appeal and will now be destroyed without being counted.

While NLRB decisions are sometimes split along party lines, the three Democrats and two Republicans on the board all agreed.

Under U.S. law, an employee is regarded as someone who, among other things, receives compensation for a service and is under the direct control of managers. In Northwestern's case, Ohr concluded that coaches are equivalent to business managers and scholarships are a form of pay.

The board's decision was welcome news for the NCAA. It has been under increasing scrutiny over its amateurism rules and has been fighting lawsuits from former athletes over everything from head injuries to revenue earned from the use of their likenesses in video games.

In a statement, the Indianapolis-based NCAA portrayed the board's ruling as recognition that it is trying to improve the lot of athletes.

"This ruling allows us to continue to make progress for the college athlete without risking the instability to college sports that the NLRB recognized might occur under the labor petition," it said.

The NCAA recently cleared the way for the five biggest conferences, including the Big Ten, to add player stipends to help athletes defray some of their expenses. Southeastern Conference schools, for example, will give some athletes $3,000 to $5,500 each on top of a scholarship that pays for tuition, room, board and books.

Northwestern, the Big Ten and the NCAA all argued against the unionization effort, saying that lumping college athletes into the same category as factory workers would change amateur athletics for the worse. At one point, Northwestern administrators sent a document to players outlining potential pitfalls, noting that player strikes could lead to the spectacle of replacement players.

The specific goals of the players association, or CAPA, included guaranteeing coverage of sports-related medical expenses for current and former players and reducing head injuries.

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (AP) — Faced with escalating aggression from Russia and China, the Pentagon is planning to increase its use of drones by about 50 percent over the next several years, using the Army and civilian contractors to put more of the unmanned aircraft in the air.

The decision to add Army and civilian-operated missions to the mix was triggered because the Air Force — which had been running about 65 combat air patrol missions a day — asked to decrease that number to 60 because of stress on the force. But 60 patrols don't come close to meeting the demands of top military commanders facing growing security threats around the world.

Senior U.S. officials said that while drones have been used largely to target terrorists and collect intelligence over combat zones, those needs may shift in the coming years.

Top military leaders, including the incoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, have named Russia as the nation's most serious security threat. And China's rising military power and island-building program in the South China Sea have increased tensions and prompted a greater demand for U.S. surveillance and intelligence across the Pacific.

One senior defense official said Pentagon leaders are taking those security challenges into account as they decide how armed and unarmed drones will be used across Europe and the Pacific. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

Pentagon leaders have been wrestling with the problem for some time, as the need for more airstrikes and surveillance by drones over Iraq and Syria to battle the Islamic State group offsets a decline in unmanned flights over Afghanistan as the war there winds down. Under the plans laid out by senior defense officials, the Air Force would continue to provide 60 daily drone missions, while the Army would conduct about 16, and U.S. Special Operations Command and civilian contractors would do up to 10 each.

"It's the combatant commanders, they need more. They're tasked to do our nation's business overseas so they feel that stress on them, and it's not getting better," said Air Force Maj. Gen. J.D. Harris, Jr., vice commander of Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. "There's just not enough of the Air Force to go around."

The civilian contractors would fly surveillance drones, not the armed aircraft. But senior defense officials said they need at least a small contractor contribution in order to reach the total of 90 combat air patrols per day.

The key unanswered questions, however, are how the Pentagon will pay for the additional patrols and how the military will sort out and analyze the growing torrent of data pouring in.

Officials said some of the costs could be borne by war funding — the overseas contingency operations in a separate account approved by Congress. The account funded some of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as some counterterrorism operations in the Middle East and Africa.

The use of the Army and contractor flights will give the Air Force time to recover and rebuild its drone staffing. Over the past decade, the Air Force had to very quickly expand the number of unmanned flights over Iraq and Afghanistan. To do that, it made fighter pilots switch to unmanned Predator and Reaper drones, and moved trainers into operations missions.

"Five, six years ago, we overmatched our system and we said we could provide more than what we were capable of providing on a sustained basis," Harris told The Associated Press in an interview at his Langley office. "We actually decimated our training units. We pulled crews that were instructors that should be training the next round of students, and we put them on the operational lines flying missions overseas just to provide everything we could to the combatant commanders."

As a result, the Air Force has trained about 180 air crew members per year, far short of the goal of 300.

Harris and other military leaders thought that the demand for drones would dip as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan waned. But the renewed conflict in Iraq, the fighting in Syria, the terror threat in North Africa, the Russian invasion of Ukraine's Crimea region and the simmering tensions in the Pacific have only increased commanders' appetite for drones.

To relieve the burden on the Air Force, the military has already begun using Army Gray Eagle drones in Afghanistan and could expand to other regions as required.

But, as the missions increase, the amount of video and other data being funneled to analysts will also spike.

Officials said they are working on ways to filter the data more efficiently so that key intelligence is identified and gets to the right people.

"The intelligence analysts who process the information coming from these flights are a critical part of this," said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. "So, as we talk about expanding the number of UAV (drone) flights, we also have to look at the workload of the analysts who process that. We have to have the supporting backbone to be able to process that information and turn it into actionable intelligence."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two women have passed the Army's Ranger School, becoming the first females to complete the grueling combat training program and earn the right to wear Ranger tabs on their uniforms.

The Army's Ranger headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia, says the women and 94 men passed the tough 62-day course that tests their ability to overcome fatigue, hunger and stress during combat operations.

Allowing women to participate in the Ranger course is part of the U.S. military's push to open more combat jobs to women. Though most of the military's approximately 1,000 occupations are open to women, some of the toughest ones remain closed to them.

A graduation ceremony will be held Friday at Fort Benning, the U.S. Army post near the Georgia-Alabama line.

"Each Ranger School graduate has shown the physical and mental toughness to successfully lead organizations at any level," Army Secretary John McHugh said in a statement. "This course has proven that every soldier, regardless of gender, can achieve his or her full potential."

"We owe soldiers the opportunity to serve successfully in any position where they are qualified and capable," he added.

The 62-day Ranger school includes three phases, each in a different part of the country: wooded areas of Fort Benning, the Appalachian mountains of north Georgia, and swamps in Florida.

The first 20 days of Ranger school focus on military skills and endurance. Then, the mountain phase near Dahlonega, Georgia, includes more small-unit operations and survival techniques. The final so-called swamp phase takes place in Florida and includes airborne assault, amphibious operations and extreme mental and physical stress.

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai investigators believe a man seen in security video wearing a yellow T-shirt and carrying a backpack set off the bomb at a central Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people and injured more than 100, police said Tuesday.

"The yellow shirt guy is not just the suspect. He is the bomber," police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri told The Associated Press.

Prawut earlier released several photos of the man, with and without the backpack, on social media. The images were apparently taken from closed-circuit video at the Erawan Shrine on Monday evening before the bomb exploded. He confirmed that the man is suspected in the bombing when contacted by The Associated Press.

A video posted separately on Thai media appeared to show the same man, with youthful shaggy dark hair, sitting on a bench at the crowded shrine, then taking off the backpack and leaving it behind as he walked away.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha called Monday's explosion at a busy intersection "the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand," and promised to track down those responsible.

"There have been minor bombs or just noise, but this time they aimed for innocent lives," Prayuth said Tuesday. "They want to destroy our economy, our tourism."

Without elaborating about possible perpetrators, the prime minister said, "Today we have seen the closed-circuit footage, we saw some suspects, but it wasn't clear. We have to find them first."

The improvised explosive device, which police say was made from a pipe and weighed 3 kilograms (more than 6 pounds), scattered body parts, spattered blood, blasted windows and burned motorbikes to the metal. The explosion went off around 7 p.m. in an upscale area filled with tourists, office workers and shoppers.

No one has claimed responsibility.

Bangkok was rattled again Tuesday when another explosive device blew up at a ferry pier often used by tourists, but no one was hurt.

"The bomb at Sathorn Pier was also a pipe bomb and it might be related to the (Monday) bombing," said Prawut, the police spokesman. Another police official, Senior Sgt. Maj. Worapong Boonthawee, said it was thrown from the Taksin Bridge and blew up at Sathorn Pier after falling into the Chao Phraya River below. "There is no injury," he said. Security camera video showed a sudden blast of water over a walkway at the pier as bystanders run for safety.

Prayuth gave his first televised address since the bombing Tuesday, saying the government will expedite "all investigative efforts to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

Monday's bomb exploded at Erawan Shrine, which is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, but is extremely popular among Thailand's Buddhists as well as Chinese tourists. Although Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, it has enormous Hindu influence on its religious practices and language.

Thai authorities identified five victims as Thai and four as Chinese — two of them from Hong Kong — along with two Malaysians and one Singaporean, and said the nationalities of the other eight victims remained unknown.

Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said authorities had no idea an attack had been planned.

"We didn't know about this ahead of time. We had no intelligence on this attack," he said.

Prayuth vowed to "hurry and find the bombers," though he noted there may be just one perpetrator. Speaking to reporters, he continued what has been a notoriously prickly relationship with the media since the former general took control of the government in a May 2014 coup.

Asked if there were leads on the suspects' identities, Prayuth bristled: "We are still investigating. The bomb has just exploded — why are you asking now? Do you understand the word investigation? It's not like they claim responsibility."

Thailand has seen many violent attacks in recent years, particularly in a more-than-decade-long insurgency by Muslim separatists that has left more than 5,000 dead in the country's deep south. Those attacks have never extended to the capital, however.

Bangkok has seen politically charged violence over the past decade; the deadliest, in 2010, killed more than 90 over two months and was centered on the same intersection where Monday's bomb went off. But none of those attacks included a bomb blast that seemed intended to produce mass casualties.

Matthew Wheeler, Southeast Asia security analyst for the International Crisis Group, said the bombing was a "new type of attack for Bangkok" that doesn't bear the trademarks of typical violence over the past decade from political instability or Muslim separatists.

"It is certainly not like politically motivated attacks we've seen in the past which have generally been designed to grab attention but not cause casualties," Wheeler said, adding that he expected it would have "major ramifications for security in Thailand."

The suspect seen in the video wearing a yellow shirt raised initial questions about whether authorities believed the violence was politically motivated, since one group of previous protesters was known to wear yellow shirts. But officials have not linked the attack to Thai politics.

Early Tuesday morning, investigators surveyed the damage as police and soldiers guarded the area, still littered with shattered glass and other debris. The normally busy intersection that was closed off to traffic and eerily empty aside from onlookers standing behind police tape to take pictures. Barricades were set up outside five-star hotels in the neighborhood and security personnel stopped cars to inspect trunks before letting them pass. The intersection was reopened by midday.

At least 20 people were confirmed dead and 126 injured, according to the Erawan Emergency Center, which revised an earlier injured toll.

Bangkok has been relatively peaceful since a military coup ousted a civilian government in May last year after several months of sometimes violent political protests against the previous government.

At the same time, the military government has tightly controlled dissent, arresting hundreds of its opponents and banning protests. Tensions have risen in recent months, with the junta making clear that it may not hold elections until 2017 and wants a constitution that will allow some type of emergency rule to take the place of an elected government.

Stirring the pot has been exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. It was his sister Yingluck Shinawatra who was ousted as prime minister last year.

Last week, Thaksin posted a message on YouTube urging his followers to reject the draft constitution because he said it was undemocratic. The draft charter is supposed to be voted on next month by a special National Reform Council. If it passes, it is supposed to go to a public referendum around January.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok issued an emergency message for U.S. citizens, advising them to avoid the shrine's area. In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby expressed deep sympathy to those affected by the Bangkok explosion.

Tourists reacted with concern.

"We didn't think anything like this could happen in Bangkok," said Holger Siegle, a German who said he and his newlywed wife had chosen Thailand because it seemed safe. "Our honeymoon and our vacation will go on, but with a very unsafe feeling."