Bay Mills News

Student found dead at Lake State

Aug. 23, 2010

SAULT STE. MARIE – A Lake Superior State University student-athlete who was a Negaunee track and field standout as well as an exceptional high school football and basketball player, was found dead in his residence hall on Sunday, Aug. 22.

LSSU Public Safety reports that Dillon Menard, Negaunee, a member of the LSSU Track and Field team, appears to have died of natural causes. An autopsy is being conducted in Marquette. A sophomore, Menard would have been starting his second year in the engineering program.

“Our hearts go out to the members of Dillon’s family and his friends,” said LSSU President Tony McLain. “He was an exceptional student and athlete who was part of an LSSU track and field team that is very close-knit.”

An honor roll student at Negaunee High School, Menard was an Upper Peninsula Track and Field champion in several events, including the 110-meter hurdles in 2009 and 2007. He also came in second in the long jump and fourth in the high jump in 2009 and third in the high jump and sixth in the long jump in 2007.

In 2008, the 6-foot high school senior was unanimously selected as All-Mid-Peninsula Conference Defensive Back. He also played guard for the Negaunee H.S. basketball team. Menard continued showing promise on the field at LSSU, scoring well in the men’s high jump, among other events. He placed 11th in the long jump during the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Outdoor Championship last May.

Members of the LSSU counseling staff met with resident assistants, Public Safety staff and others on Sunday evening to reflect on Menard’s life and offer counseling to friends of Menard on campus. LSSU’s Student Life office urged any friends or teammates of Menard to contact any of several campus resources developed for such tragedies. Call any resident assistant in the campus residence halls, LSSU Counseling Services, 906-635-2752, Campus Public Safety, 635-2210, or Hiawatha Behavioral Health's 24-hour Crisis Intervention Services, 800-839-9443.

Funeral services are still being arranged and will be announced as soon as they are known.

Local Humane Society asks for your help

Aug. 19, 2010

SAULT STE. MARIE — Best of Friends Humane Society is seeking assistance from volunteers to help out at the shelter. If pet care is not something that appeals to you, perhaps you know someone who is an animal lover and might be willing to lend a hand.

Read the full story

Man convicted of sexual abuse, faces life in prison
Aug. 17, 2010

MARQUETTE — Donald Steven Alexander, 47, of Sault Ste. Marie a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12 after a two-day jury trial, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. The jury found that Alexander engaged in a sexual act with a 7 year-old child at his residence located on land held in trust by the U.S. for the use of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in 2001.

Alexander now faces up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8, 2010 before Senior U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar.

The case was investigated by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police, the Kinross District Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Lochner is the prosecutor.

Open house to discuss county boating access improvements

Aug. 17, 2010

     SAULT STE. MARIE — Department of Natural Resources and Environment officials invite the public to attend an open house on Wednesday, Aug. 25, to view proposed plans for improvements to two boating access sites. The Kemp's Point boating access site is located on the St. Mary's River in Bruce Township, Chippewa County, and the Pine River boating access site is located on the Pine River in St. Ignace Township, Mackinac County.
     The open house is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. (Eastern Time) at the Bruce Township Hall, located at 3156 E. 12 Mile Road in Dafter, Mich. DNRE Recreation Division staff will be available to answer questions and gather comments during this time.
     Michigan is one of the nation's leaders in registered watercrafts, approaching nearly one million. Boaters can enjoy more than 11,000 inland lakes, 36,000 miles of rivers and streams and 3,000 miles of freshwater shoreline --- more than any other state.
     These projects are financed through the Michigan State Waterways Fund, a restricted fund derived from boat registration fees and the Michigan marine fuel tax, which is used for the construction, operation and maintenance of recreational boating facilities, harbors and inland waterways, and the federal Coast Guard Marine Safety fund.
     For more information about this open house, the proposed improvements for the Kemp's Point and Pine River boating access sites or those needing accommodations to attend this open house, contact the district planner, Keith Cheli, at 231-627-4362.

Residents voice concerns about Mascoma

July 29, 2010

Shannon Jones/Bay Mills News

KINCHELOE — At a meeting designed to gather public comment regarding Frontier Renewable Resources application for an air pollution permit for a cellulosic ethanol plant, Department of Environmental Quality officials bit off more than they could chew. The audience’s tone of the night could be summed up by one woman’s comment: “We want better answers.” Read More

Lake Superior Agates Rock Show Sept. 18

NEWBERRY— Muskallonge Lake State Park will host the third annual “Rock On” with Lake Superior Agates Rock Show on Saturday, Sept. 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. – part of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment’s “GO – Get Outdoors” calendar of events.

This rock show is dedicated to Lake Superior agate collectors and enthusiasts. Visitors are invited to view collections, show off their own collections and learn about Lake Superior agates. There will be on-site lapidaries who will cut and polish, vendors selling a variety of specialty items, kids’ games and more. Experts will also be on hand to help with rock identification.

Several guest speakers are scheduled to give presentations on Lake Superior geology, agate formation, agate quality and crystals. Muskallonge Lake State Park is located approximately 28 miles northwest of Newberry on Luce County Road 407. For more information about the show, how to be a vendor, about the park or accessibility at the park, contact the park supervisor at 906-658-3338 or visit www.michigan.gov/muskallonge.

Leftover fall turkey hunting licenses go on sale 8/30

Aug. 18, 2010
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment reminds hunters that leftover fall turkey licenses go on sale online and at all license vendors at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 30. More than 30,000 licenses are available, the bulk of them in southern Michigan.
Most of the available licenses are for private land only, though there are some general licenses in some areas. A hunter may buy one license per day until the unit quota is reached.

Fall turkey season opens Sept. 15 and runs through Nov. 14.<p>
"Fall turkey season provides a great opportunity for hunters to get a bird for their Thanksgiving dinner," said DNRE upland bird biologist Al Stewart. "And because the season runs through Nov. 14, it gives archery deer hunters the chance to harvest another game animal."

Check signs before entering the water

BAY MILLS — Please check the signs at Ballpark/Riverside and Gumshoes Beaches before swimming. Bay Mills Biology Department monitors these beaches for E. coli, an indicator of fecal contamination. Current technology does not allow them to determine if the bacteria is from a human or animal source but bacteria from an animal source can still be harmful to people especially the very young, old, or those with compromised immune systems. If the bacteria is of human origin, it can be dangerous to people. There are some strains of E. coli from humans that can cause sever intestinal distress. E. coli is only one type of bacteria that can be associated with fecal contamination. It is easy and cheap to test, which is why it is the standard. There are some potentially other dangerous bacteria (e.g. Giardia), parasites (e.g. Cryptosporidium), and viruses (e.g. Hepatitis) that can be associated with E. coli and human fecal contamination.

Residents are being reminded that green signs indicate the beach is open, red, such as the one to your right, means the beach is closed. If the signs are red, the public will be informed when the beaches re-open.

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