by orionontv | May 20, 2024 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Sunday May 19th at 9:05 AM
Here are the baseball districts preview.
District 15 at Novi
Novi vs. Livonia Stevenson
Novi/Livonia Stevenson vs. FARMINGTON
Novi Detroit Catholic Central vs. Northville
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This is shaping up to be a very tough district. Novi won the Division One State crown last season while Novi Detroit Catholic Central is a proven powerhouse. Northville has been a very strong program as has Livonia Stevenson and Farmington. This district could go either way with the winner likely having a deep postseason run. I don’t see anyone knocking the Wildcats in this district. PICK: NOVI.
District 21 at Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit
SOUTHFIELD ARTS AND TECH vs. Detroit Renaissance
Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit vs. FERNDALE
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This is not a very strong district when looking at the teams. Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit has had a strong season but can’t count Ferndale out despite having to face the Cubs in the district semifinals. Southfield Arts and Tech and Detroit Renaissance has been up and down. I think Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit wins this district with ease. PICK: DETROIT UNIVERSITY-DETROIT JESUIT.
District 22 at Seaholm
BERKLEY vs. TROY
BERKLEY/TROY vs. GROVES
ROYAL OAK vs. SEAHOLM
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This is a very interesting and competitive district. There are some really good teams in this district that could make some noise. Berkley, Groves, Troy, and Royal Oak are solid teams but Seaholm has been battle tested. Home field matters in a district like this and having the new facility will help. PICK: SEAHOLM.
District 23 at Bloomfield Hills
NORTH FARMINGTON vs. WEST BLOOMFIELD
Birmingham Brother Rice vs. BLOOMFIELD HILLS
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This is a very competitive district. Birmingham Brother Rice just won the Catholic League crown and is the top team in the State. West Bloomfield has been state ranked all season and has a really good pitching staff. Bloomfield Hills and North Farmington could play spoilers. If there is a team that is primed to be upset it’s the Warriors. I think the Lakers get it done behind their strong pitching staff. PICK: WEST BLOOMFIELD.
District 24 at Waterford Kettering
AVONDALE vs. Waterford Kettering
Waterford Mott vs. Orchard Lake St. Marys
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This is not a very strong district. I don’t see anyone in this district knocking off Orchard Lake St. Marys. PICK: ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARYS.
District 27 at Utica Ford II
Utica Ford II vs. TROY ATHENS
Utica Ford II/TROY ATHENS vs. Sterling Heights Stevenson
Sterling Heights vs. Utica
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This should be a very competitive district in Utica. Troy Athens has been solid all season. Utica has been very consistent all season. Utica Ford II has home field and has been solid. Utica got the best draw of the teams and the Chieftains should move on. PICK: UTICA.
District 30 at Lake Orion
STONEY CREEK vs. ADAMS
STONEY CREEK/ADAMS vs. LAKE ORION
Utica Eisenhower vs. ROCHESTER
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: Lake Orion has been a very odd team to figure out this season. They lost the season series to Rochester but bounced back against Stoney Creek and Adams. The Dragons also have two wins against Utica Eisenhower. Rochester has proven they can go into Lake Orion and win, they did it twice this season. Utica Eisenhower is also a proven team as well. This is anyone’s district to take but when in doubt go with the home team. PICK: LAKE ORION.
District 31 at Grand Blanc
Fenton vs. CLARKSTON
Fenton/CLARKSTON vs. OXFORD
Grand Blanc vs. Holly
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This is a very interesting district. Clarkston and Oxford have both been up and down all season. Grand Blanc has been very good all season. Holly and Fenton have been solid teams as well. The Bobcats have home field in their district which helps. Grand Blanc could be in line to make a deep postseason run. PICK: GRAND BLANC.
District 56 at Grosse Pointe University Liggett
Grosse Pointe University Liggett vs. St. Clair Shores South Lake
Grosse Pointe University Liggett/St. Clair Shores South Lake vs. Harper Woods Chandler Park
Detroit East English vs. HARPER WOODS
THOUGHTS/PREDICTION: This is not a very strong district. Grosse Pointe University Liggett is a proven powerhouse. Harper Woods could make some noise and get to the district finals. I don’t see the Pioneers getting by Grosse Pointe University Liggett. PICK: GROSSE POINTE UNIVERSITY LIGGETT.
by orionontv | May 20, 2024 | School News
After four years guiding LOCS through many challenges and creating opportunities as our superintendent, Ben Kirby is moving on to a new opportunity. We plan to celebrate him with a community open house on May 29 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the LOCS Administration Building (315 N. Lapeer St.)
Join us to wish him well in his new endeavor.
Sincerely,
LOCS Assistant Superintendents Heidi Mercer, Andrea Curtis, Adam Weldon
by orionontv | May 20, 2024 | Health and Wellness
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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 20, 2024
MDHHS CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, [email protected]
MAAS CONTACT: Laura Biehl, 248-921-5008, [email protected]
Governor Whitmer honors EMS Heroes by
proclaiming May 19-25 as EMS Recognition Week
EMS personnel provide life-saving health care to Michiganders 24/7
LANSING, Mich. – As a thank you for the life-saving health care EMS practitioners provide every day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed May 19-25 as EMS Recognition Week in Michigan.
EMS practitioners stand ready day or night to help residents in need of help. They provide critical pre-hospital care to Michiganders in both emergencies and other health care situations including preventative medicine, follow-up care, other transportation needs and more. The efforts of EMS workers help improve the survival and recovery rates of people who experience sudden illness or injury.
“The work EMS personnel do is essential to the health and safety of our communities,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “Paramedics and EMTs are there when we are at our worst and need them most, and we owe them so much gratitude during this week and all year round.”
Though Michigan is still dealing with an EMS staffing crisis, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services EMS workforce grants approved in the Fiscal Year 2022 state budget are helping alleviate this problem. So far, 432 Michigan EMTs have completed or are in the process of completing paramedic training programs throughout the state. Residents interested in a career in EMS can get involved or learn more at GotWhatItTakes.org.
“Michigan’s EMS heroes are proud to serve their communities and provide lifesaving pre-hospital care to residents in need,” said John Clayton, president of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services and EMS manager at MyMichigan Health in Midland. “Working in EMS is a tough but rewarding career and we encourage young people to consider serving their community and joining EMS.”
Michigan is home to 29,253 EMS providers, 798 life support agencies and 3,998 licensed life support vehicles, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Division of EMS and Trauma within the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS and Systems of Care. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/ems. |
by orionontv | May 16, 2024 | Entertainment, Feature Writers, Music, Pop Culture
Expectations can be a damning thing. If you have predisposed ideas about a person, group, idea or event, then it completely warps your idea of what that thing is and will be. This rings true for a myriad of different topics but how it primarily affects me and my music enjoyment is with hip-hop.
Every time I think that a certain artist is done with producing and releasing good music, and every time I think that there is an artist that can do no wrong, something changes – those expectations get undermined.
This is what happened last year, about six months ago, with Westside Gunn and Ken Carson, two artists who have primarily released great and poor music respectively. Ken Carson ended up releasing the better album that week by a large margin and Westside Gunn’s ended up falling short.
This week, we have two hip-hop/RnB and neo-soul legends, Chief Keef and Donald Glover (a.k.a. Childish Gambino.) Both artists have carved their own paths in music cannon in the early to mid-2010s.
Keith Farrelle Cozart (a.k.a. Chief Keef,) is a Chicago-drill artist that rose to prominence in the early-2010s with his abrasive and bombastic drill tracks such as “I Don’t Like” and “Love Sosa.” Lately though, Chief Keef’s music has been on the decline, with each release straying farther and farther from what made his music fresh and great.
However, Chief Keef’s latest studio outing, “Almighty So 2,” is a mighty beacon of hope to those who have written Chief Keef off.
To start off with genre, this was not a trend-hopping rage rap album like people have predicted, instead this is a full blown, throwback, true Chicago-drill rap album. Songs like “Jesus,” “Runner” and “1,2,3” all have triumphant production that include classic drill staples: horns, a pulsing bass line, clicking hi hats and lots of car engine sound effects.
Chief Keef is arguably the most comfortable he has ever sounded, no awkward flows, no whack-sounding bars – all precision and all skill. Boastful yet introspective lyrics are what I usually look for on the lyrical side of a modern rap record and Chief Keef effortlessly delivers.
Finally, the record is the perfect length, 16 tracks and just over an hour – the album never overstays its welcome. There are a few tracks and one skit near the beginning of the record that halt the album’s momentum for a bit, however this is short-lived as track five, “Jesus” really picks the album’s speed back up.
For Chief Keef, this album is a great moment, however, on the other side of the spectrum is Childish Gambino.
Gambino is one who usually releases great music: “Because The Internet,” “’Awaken My Love’” and the single “This Is America” all have set him up for success.
Gambino’s latest effort, “Atavista” (formerly the project known as “3.15.20”) is a revamp of his 2020 record, an album that – at the time – sounded entirely unfinished. Now, that record is complete, with one new track, re-mixed and re-mastered original tracks, and a thematic through line to tie it all together, how does “Atavista” hold up against all of Gambino’s other records?
The answer is not well.
The truth is, Gambino does not expand upon any established ideas, instead he recycles them until there is no more meaning to those original great ideas.
The meandering alternative-RnB of “Because The Internet” is present on tracks like “To Be Hunted” and “Sweet Thang,” as well as the progressive neo-soul of “’Awaken My Love’” on “Time” and even the jitter, erratic hip-hop of Gambino’s critically panned (but cult-classic nonetheless), “Camp” on “Final Church.”
All of these recycled and not-expanded upon ideas just feel tired at this point. It’s depressing that Gambino spends four years re-mixing and re-mastering all of these tracks just to end up sounding like copies of your old work.
It’s not a good look at all.
What we can learn from this journey into expectation is to just not have expectations. Go into an album blind, do not look anything up about it, do not listen to any singles or teasers – just listen!
If we all lose our expectations of what something can be, then we can really have a discussion of the merits of art and the like.
by orionontv | May 16, 2024 | Transportation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2024
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MEDIA CONTACT
James Lake
906-250-0993
[email protected] |
Mackinac Bridge repaving completion delayed
ST. IGNACE, Mich. – The first season of a two-season repaving project on the Mackinac Bridge’s north viaduct and approach truss spans, originally scheduled to be completed by May 23, will not be complete until June 7.
Citing additional patching work and an inability to field full work crews, project contractor Zenith Tech says it will not be able to meet its original completion date or reopen the bridge prior to Memorial Day as called for in the contract.
“We have not only allowed, but strongly encouraged, the contractor to work around the clock and through weekends to get this project wrapped up ahead of the surge of traffic we expect for the holiday weekend,” said Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) Chief Engineer Cole Cavalieri. “We know that having lane closures on the bridge for Memorial Day travel will result in delays and backups, so we ask customers to be patient and consider crossing at off-peak times.”
Repaving, deck repairs, and joint repairs on the two northbound lanes of the bridge began March 25. Traffic is being maintained with one lane open in each direction during construction.
Work was scheduled early in the year to help minimize delays to traffic and disruptions to special events on the bridge.
Weekend traffic peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., often resulting in traffic backups, even with all toll lanes open. Drivers should consider crossing at off-peak times or prepare for delays.
Wide-load restrictions are in place in both directions for any vehicles wider than 10 feet during construction. Wider loads will be allowed to cross once per day between 7 and 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and traffic will be stopped for brief periods for those crossings.
Work will resume in late March 2025 with repaving of the two southbound lanes. The overall project is scheduled to be completed, with all lanes reopened, by May 22, 2025.
The MBA’s sole source of funding is from tolls and fees collected, with all revenue used to maintain, operate and protect the bridge. Live traffic camera views of the bridge, updates on bridge conditions, toll rates, and information on the MacPass program can all be found on the MBA website: www.MackinacBridge.org.
