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Police chief wins First Responder of the Year award
SOUTHFIELD — On Jan. 18, Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren was awarded the 2023-2024 Law Enforcement First Responder of the Year award by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2645. The award recognized Barren’s excellent leadership and dedication to the city of Southfield.
Barren was appointed Southfield’s chief of police in 2019, after serving 21 years with the Detroit Police Department, where he retired as a deputy chief. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and served eight years as an operations specialist.
He holds a Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science from Bowling Green State University. He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police and the Leadership in Counter-Terrorism Program, sponsored by the FBI.
During his time as chief, he changed the direction of the force with innovative initiatives such as the Community Harms - Directed Policing Model, which puts violent and property crimes at the forefront while also focusing on community input to promptly address quality-of-life issues. An example of this approach is the Domestic Violence - High-Risk Response Team, which is a group of public safety officials, court representatives, school officials, elected officials and nongovernmental community advocate organizations. HRRT is dedicated to identifying high-risk domestic violence cases, as well as providing community education to help prevent and respond to domestic violence.
Brenda Lawrence awarded MLK Community Service Award
SOUTHFIELD — Former U.S. Rep. and Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence was awarded the 2024 MLK Community Service Award by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Task Force at the 39th annual celebration following the Martin Luther King Day Peace Walk Jan. 15.
The MLK Community Service Award honors one individual each year who displays MLK’s qualities and is committed to advancing human and civil rights, is active in community service, and resides or works in Southfield or Lathrup Village. Lawrence had a 30-year career with the United States Postal Service before her full-time service as an elected official. She served as president, vice president and secretary of the Southfield Public Schools Board of Education before being elected to the Southfield City Council in 1989. In 2001, she was elected Southfield’s first female and African American mayor and served until 2015. Lawrence was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014 to represent Michigan’s 14th district as Michigan’s only Black member of Congress. She retired from Congress upon the expiration of her fourth term in January 2023.
Secretary of State pools resources with Oakland County to attract employees to the water industry
OAKLAND COUNTY — The office of the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner is collaborating with the Michigan Secretary of State to hire full-time maintenance laborers, which requires a commercial driver’s license or obtaining a CDL within the first six months of employment.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a press release that the partnership will connect current and prospective CDL drivers with career opportunities in the water industry. For more information on the process to obtain a CDL, visit Michigan.gov/SOS.
This is the first time a water utility in the state has worked with the Secretary of State’s office in this capacity. The “Explore the World that Makes Water Work” informational campaign was developed to emphasize the connection between the Secretary of State’s office’s CDL services and the need for drivers with these special licenses.
Since November, the recruitment promotional recording has been playing at 10 Secretary of State Oakland County branches.
Julia Ruffin, WRC community liaison, said, “We do take the time to train new employees during their six-month probationary period to obtain their CDL license, at our expense, if the employee does not have it when they are hired.”
To apply for a job at the WRC, go to oakgov.com/jobs, and for more information, call Oakland County Human Resources at (248) 858-5214.
Library to host ‘The Underground Railroad in Southfield and the Extraordinary Story of John Sella Martin’
SOUTHFIELD — Southfield Public Library and Birmingham Museum researchers are kicking off Black History Month with the story of freedom seeker John Sella Martin at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Road. Leslie Pielack, the Birmingham Museum director, and African American genealogist Joy Young will present the program. It is the first of a yearlong series sponsored by the Oakland County Historical Society to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2024. Advanced registration is not required but is recommended to ensure a spot. To register, visit events.getlocalhop.com and search the program name.
MSGCU accepting scholarship applications
METRO DETROIT — Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union is accepting applications for its annual scholarship program now through Tuesday, Feb 27.
The credit union plans to award 47 scholarships this year with 33 $2,500 scholarships going to college, trade school and continuing education students and 14 $2,000 scholarships for first responder academy students.
“MSGCU was founded by teachers and we’re proud to honor our heritage by advancing educational journeys through our scholarship program,” MSGCU President and CEO Steve Brewer said in a statement from the credit union. “We’ve provided over $1.1 million in scholarships since the inception of our program 20 years ago, helping 575 recipients in the communities we serve further their educational dreams.”
Scholarship applications are accepted from nonmembers, but all winners must become members of MSGCU. More information can be found at msgcu.org/scholarships.
