St. Clair Shores Sentinel

Published June 30, 2015

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Donna Scrivo was sentenced June 30 to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the death, disinterment and mutilation of her son’s body.

Scrivo, 61, of St. Clair Shores, was found guilty May 18 of first-degree premeditated murder, disinterment and mutilation of a body; and removing a body without medical examiner’s permission in the January 2014 death of her 32-year-old son, Ramsay.

Published June 29, 2015

Local teen wins state pageant title

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Before Vanessa Chambe began competing in local Miss America’s Outstanding Teen preliminary competitions, she was shy and somewhat insecure, her mother said.

But now, the 17-year-old former Miss Teen St. Clair Shores walks with poise, has no problems speaking to large groups, and was just crowned Miss Michigan’s Outstanding Teen at the state competition in Muskegon on June 17.

“It’s been a really exciting week for me,” said Chambe, who will begin her senior year at Lake Shore High School this fall.

Published June 29, 2015

Summer meal program available at Masonic Heights

ST. CLAIR SHORES — While plenty of families get help feeding their students during the school year, oftentimes that assistance stops when the last bell of the year rings.

Lake Shore Public Schools is hosting a summer food service program at Masonic Heights Elementary School through mid-August, providing free breakfast and lunch to children each weekday.

“Summertime isn’t a time to be hungry,” said Tina Morris, dining services director for Lake Shore Public Schools. “We try to outreach to everybody that we can.”

Published June 29, 2015

City battles storms to keep roads clear, homes dry

Sustained strong winds and heavy rain kept St. Clair Shores residents inside their homes Saturday, while forestry and sewer workers from the Department of Public Works were hard at work, said DPW Director Bryan Babcock.

“We had three trees that we had to respond to,” Babcock said Monday. One tree had to be completely removed and the other two lost large limbs, he said.

“The big concern on Saturday were the lake levels. The storm front was pushing from east to west ... it tipped the lake toward us.”

Published June 29, 2015

Know your limits when it comes to speed

The urge to hurry can put a driver at risk of a speeding ticket or even a traffic accident. But even if a speed limit seems like an inconvenience, there is often a carefully considered reason behind the numbers, according to road and safety experts.

According to a document from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning called “Establishing Realistic Speed Limits,” speed limits are designed to keep all drivers as safe as possible while staying within realistic boundaries of “reasonable and proper” public driving habits.

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Published June 27, 2015

Teen academies foster student learning

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Although their eyes were stinging a bit and the smell wasn’t the most appealing, Rochelle Niemiec and Justin Updyke got the job done.

The pair chopped up a tray full of onions on the morning of June 23 as they prepared a delicious lunch from scratch alongside their classmates in the culinary/pastry arts summer teen academy at Macomb Community College’s Center Campus.

Every summer, the school offers a number of week-long academies in different fields to give local teenagers the opportunity to explore various careers.

Published June 26, 2015

Lake Erie toxic algal bloom may be smaller than last year’s

According to researchers, the annual bloom of harmful algae on Lake Erie is on track to be on par with the 2009-10 blooms, though still smaller than last year’s bloom that saw the shutdown of the Toledo water system.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its preliminary report June 15 on what it expects from Erie’s bloom this year, with a more accurate one coming in early July.

Published June 24, 2015

Guard against Lyme disease this summer

METRO DETROIT — Tick bites can have long-lasting consequences.

A specific species of the bloodsucking arachnid, the blacklegged tick — also known as the deer tick — can spread Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that, if left untreated, can cause issues for months or years after the initial bite.

Published June 24, 2015

Demand for new construction, higher interest rates could make housing market tougher for sellers

METRO DETROIT — The housing market in metro Detroit is still flooded with buyers and sellers, but things may get a little more difficult for sellers as interest rates have started trending upward and more buyers are looking to get into new builds.

Keller Williams real estate agent John Kurczak, based in Sterling Heights, said that just as things have changed in the types of homes that buyers are looking at, so too has the way that homes are sold.

Published June 24, 2015

Prevent foodborne illness at your summertime picnic

METRO DETROIT — Hot, humid days spent sizzling under the summer sun are one of the few antidotes to a long Michigan winter.

Soaking up the heat is fine, of course, as long as it’s not your food that’s doing the sweating.

The Oakland County Health Division recently released a list of food safety reminders as residents get ready to head out for summer picnics. Tony Drautz, environmental health administrator for the division, said they like to give cooks a brush-up on the basics this time of year, when meals tend to migrate outdoors.

Published June 24, 2015

Homes, properties sold by city

ST. CLAIR SHORES — The city of St. Clair Shores has three more properties off its books and on the tax rolls, in part due to the Community Open House event held at the end of May.

A condominium in the 21000 block of 11 Mile Road that the city purchased as part of the 2014 tax foreclosure listings from Macomb County was listed for sale May 29.

Published June 24, 2015

Bill would mandate insurance coverage of wigs

LANSING — Although Wigs 4 Kids provides wigs and other services, free of charge, to children who lose their hair because of a medical issue or through treatment for a medical issue, there are so many more children in need of wigs than are cared for by the St. Clair Shores-based charity and salon.

“Everybody can’t get access,” said Wigs 4 Kids founder and CEO Maggie Varney. “Some of our kids and families that want to come here, we have to send them gas cards so they can come here and pick up a wig for free.”

Published June 24, 2015

Local nonprofits dive in to set record, save lives

METRO DETROIT — After the YMCA helped set a Guinness World Record last year for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson, you’d think they’d take a year off.

Think again.

Last week, the nonprofit teamed up again with World’s Largest Swim Lesson — a coalition of national water safety experts and trainers — to try to set the record for the world’s largest swim lesson in 24 hours. Currently, Team WLSL holds the Guinness record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson, with 36,564 participants in 22 countries around the world.

Published June 22, 2015

16 fall in massive Medicare fraud sweep

METRO DETROIT — Sixteen people around metro Detroit have been charged in what the federal government is calling the largest Medicare fraud takedown in history.

Nationwide, 243 arrests were made as part of the investigation, including doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals for their alleged participation in schemes to defraud Medicare of $712 million through false billings. The investigation also led to the suspension of a number of health care providers.

Published June 22, 2015

GM, local dealership plan new investments in Warren

A stretch of Van Dyke Avenue in Warren is seeing signs of redevelopment as General Motors and a local dealership have committed to investing in the area.

In May, GM announced that its Warren Technical Center in Warren is poised to undergo an estimated nine-figure investment toward renovation and expansion.

GM spokesman Dan Flores said the automaker opened the Tech Center in the 1950s, and it has served as a core hub of vehicle development and design as well as research and development.

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Published June 19, 2015

Officials gather for State of Lake St. Clair

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — With the Pride of Michigan floating in the background, local officials and business leaders touted the impact that the lake continues to have on the local economy during the second annual State of Lake St. Clair address on June 10.

County Executive Mark Hackel said Macomb County’s Blue Water Economy initiative is the reason for numerous accomplishments since its inception in 2013.

Published June 18, 2015

Jail inmates released due to overcrowding

MOUNT CLEMENS — Dozens of prisoners at the Macomb County Jail were released the evening of June 17 and the morning of June 18 due to overcrowding, sheriff’s officials reported.

According to Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, an overcrowding state of emergency was declared on June 2 after the jail population exceeded the rated design capacity (RDC).

Published June 17, 2015

New technologies improve flooring options

METRO DETROIT — The flooring scene has changed drastically in the last few years, according to flooring experts in the area.

New types of flooring are available, such as luxury vinyl, which can resemble any other type of floor. And other timeless types of flooring, such as hardwood and carpet, have advanced leaps and bounds in terms of stability, finishes, style and softness.

Matt Pfeiffer, owner of Northern Flooring in Lake Orion, said that hardwood is the No. 1 type of flooring in Michigan and the best investment in terms of resale factor.

Published June 17, 2015

In the summer, families opt for movie nights under the stars

METRO DETROIT — With winters that seem to last most of the year, Michiganders know how to take advantage of the warm weather once it finally rolls around.

Dinner time, exercise routines and daily play all seem to migrate outdoors in the summer months. It should come as no surprise, then, that many families in metro Detroit like to relocate movie night to the open air, too.

Published June 17, 2015

School hosts local Wigs 4 Kids cut-a-thon

ST. CLAIR SHORES — After months and, in some cases, years of growing it out, a dozen local students took the plunge and gave up their locks for children in need.

This is the third time that Rodgers Elementary has sponsored a cut-a-thon from Wigs 4 Kids at the school, and 12 students and one teacher had at least 10 inches cut June 3.

Seven-year-old first-grader Reece Heier said she was looking forward to having the haircut “because it’s going to be really hot this summer.”