West Bloomfield Beacon

Published July 7, 2020

Automation Alley teams up to boost PPE production

METRO DETROIT — “COVID-19 was a wakeup call for the global manufacturing industry,” said Tom Kelly, executive director for Automation Alley, at a June 30 press conference at the facility.

Published July 7, 2020

Museums reopen with new safety protocols due to pandemic

DETROIT — Museums and other cultural institutions in Detroit are starting to reopen, but with COVID-19 still very much a concern, these facilities are taking steps to keep guests and staff safe.

Published July 7, 2020

Pollution down, trash up amid pandemic

METRO DETROIT — Medical experts will tell you that, as of now, it’s hard to say how each patient will react to the COVID-19 virus. But for Mother Nature, the prognosis is good.

Jacob Kubicz, 5, bursts from the tent while playing with supervisor and Registered Behavior Tech Kathleen Murphy at the Spark Center for Autism in Farmington Hills.

Published July 7, 2020

WSU, MSU professors author autism toolkit to guide centers amid COVID-19

METRO DETROIT — The novel coronavirus pandemic has, without a doubt, forced many sectors of Michigan’s workforce to adapt and change how they operate.

Published July 6, 2020

All local libraries offering curbside pickup for residents

OAKLAND COUNTY — Libraries have slowly begun to open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but it might be a while longer before they are open to the public.

Published July 6, 2020

City halls work on reopening to public

OAKLAND COUNTY — Local municipalities currently are trying to figure out how to reopen their cities, and that includes their main offices at all four city halls.

Published July 6, 2020

Henry Ford Health System resumes normal surgeries and procedures

METRO DETROIT — A tumultuous period for local and national hospitals, such as Henry Ford Health System, has been learned from and is being used to advance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published July 6, 2020

Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission applicant pool cut from thousands to 200

LANSING — On June 24, a random drawing of 200 semifinalists took place to narrow down the field of Michiganders who would like to serve on the state’s first Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Published July 2, 2020

Baby chimpanzee hand-reared by Detroit Zoo staff makes debut

ROYAL OAK — On June 25, 5-month-old chimpanzee Zane made his public debut at the Detroit Zoo’s 4-acre Great Apes of Harambee habitat, never far from his adoptive mom, Trixi, 50.

Published July 2, 2020

Local credit union helps to feed children

METRO DETROIT — Lunch is on us. That was how members of Community Choice Credit Union continued its tradition of helping local school children.

Published July 1, 2020

Pediatrician group wants to see students return to school

METRO DETROIT — One group of professionals is hoping students will head back to school in the fall, despite the COVID-19 outbreak.

‘Like Little League for mountain biking’

Published July 1, 2020

Cycling association offers kids a chance to compete on a mountain bike

WEST BLOOMFIELD — West Bloomfield resident Sean Warren is the president and executive director of the Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association, which he referred to as “like Little League for mountain biking in Michigan.”

Published July 1, 2020

WB resident has signs printed to promote peace and equality

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Like so many around the country, West Bloomfield resident Martie Lynch was dismayed by the death of George Floyd, a black resident in Minnesota who died after a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.

Published July 1, 2020

Suspect arraigned in shooting incident that resulted in one death, two injuries in WB

WEST BLOOMFIELD — A suspect has been arraigned following a shooting incident that left two men injured and one dead June 17.

Published July 1, 2020

COVID-19 causes spike in local pet adoptions

WEST BLOOMFIELD — For all the heartbreak and upheaval that has come from COVID-19, some positives have also come as a result of the pandemic.

Published July 1, 2020

Roundabout completed at Maple/Middlebelt intersection

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Life may now be easier for some motorists, after the Road Commission for Oakland County opened the Maple Road and Middlebelt Road roundabout in West Bloomfield.

Pictured are Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society President Gina Gregory, left, and GWBHS Office and Activities Coordinator Cory Taylor. The GWBHS is accepting stories of local residents’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published July 1, 2020

GWBHS collects stories of residents’ pandemic experiences

WEST BLOOMFIELD — For more than four decades, the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society has been a part of collecting history.

Published July 1, 2020

Orchard Lake Fine Art Show returns, with COVID precautions

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Now in its 18th year, the Orchard Lake Fine Art Show will stay on schedule despite the pandemic, with a variety of cautionary measures in place.

Published July 1, 2020

Places of worship adjust to pandemic

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Like the rest of society, places of worship are also adapting to a “new normal” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published June 23, 2020

Clerks prepare for elections during COVID-19 pandemic

OAKLAND COUNTY — The state of Michigan is a little more than a month out from its Aug. 4 primary election, though the preparations for that day have the unusual task of also taking COVID-19 into account.