by orionontv | Sep 9, 2024 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Saturday September 7th at 12:55 AM
West Bloomfield: The Lakers had a really tough outing on Friday night against Groves falling 28-13. West Bloomfield trailed 21-7 at one point but tried to battle back but the Falcons always had an answer for West Bloomfield. The Lakers have another tough matchup looming with Adams next week.
Lake Orion: The Dragons had no trouble with Stoney Creek on Friday night winning 42-13. Lake Orion used a balance attack while the defense was solid for the second straight week. The Dragons will have their home opener with Troy next week.
Clarkston: The Wolves bounced back in a big way by blowing out Southfield Arts and Tech 48-0 on Friday night. Clarkston used their balance along with a 41 point second quarter to create a running clock. The Wolves have a big one looming with Oxford next week.
Adams: The Highlanders had no trouble with Rochester on Friday night winning 28-0 but it was closer than the score indicated. Adams defense was very good all night shutting down the Falcons offense. The Highlanders have their home opener with West Bloomfield looming next week.
Oxford: The Wildcats were really impressive at home against a really good opponent in Harper Woods winning 38-0 on Friday night. Oxford was really disciplined and it showed in their game. The Wildcats have Clarkston looming next week.
Harper Woods: It was a disaster for the Pioneers on Friday night in Oxford as Harper Woods fell 38-0 to the Wildcats. Penalties were a big problem and it showed in this game. Harper Woods has been outscored 66-6 by teams that are on the M-24 corridor the last two years. It doesn’t get any easier for the Pioneers with Novi Detroit Catholic Central looming next week.
Groves: The Falcons look like they are in the drivers spot in the White after making another statement by winning over West Bloomfield 28-13 on Friday night. Groves has outscored Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit and the Lakers by a combined 63-27 in the last two weeks. They have Stoney Creek looming next week.
Stoney Creek: It was a rough night for the Cougars on Friday night in their home opener against Lake Orion. Stoney Creek fell 42-13 on their home field. The Cougars are going through a transition period and it has to happen during the season. They have another tough matchup looming with Groves next week.
Rochester: The Falcons battled tough with Adams on Friday night in the Falcon Frenzy game but they fell to the Highlanders 28-0 on Friday night. Rochester hung with Adams tough throughout but they couldn’t get enough offense against a stout Highlanders defense. The Falcons have Southfield Arts and Tech looming next week.
Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a sense of reality on Friday night when Clarkston came to Southfield. Southfield Arts and Tech had no chance with Clarkston falling 48-0. The Warriors had a ton of trouble all night with the Wolves. They have Rochester looming next week.
Farmington: The Falcons had no issue with Holly winning 33-7 on Friday night. Farmington has been rolling as of late, outscoring Oak Park and Holly by a combined 50-13 in the last two games. The Falcons have a big game looming for the Farmington Cup with arch rival North Farmington looming next week.
North Farmington: The Raiders have lost two close games which is not good. North Farmington fell 20-12 to Ferndale on Friday night at Ron Holland Field. The Raiders can’t afford to lose anymore and they have the Farmington Cup looming with arch rival Farmington next week.
Oak Park: The Knights had a bounce back win over Royal Oak winning 19-7 on Friday night in a defensive type game. Oak Park found enough offense against a Ravens defense that showed some promise especially defensively. They have Troy Athens looming next week.
Troy: The Colts had no issue with Pontiac winning 35-0 on Friday night. Troy really hasn’t been tested outscoring both Bloomfield Hills and Pontiac by a combined 70-7. The Colts should be tested when they head to Lake Orion next week.
Troy Athens: The Red Hawks got their first win of the season winning 20-0 over Berkley on Friday night. Troy Athens needed their experience to come through and they got it. They have a big one with Oak Park looming next week.
Seaholm: The Maples had a hard fought 21-7 win over Avondale on Friday night behind a very strong defensive effort. Seaholm looks like they haven’t lost a beat. They have Bloomfield Hills looming next week.
Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks had a really disappointing 42-0 loss to Dearborn Divine Child on Friday night. Bloomfield Hills has been outscored 77-7 in the last two weeks which is not good. The Blackhawks have Seaholm looming next week.
Avondale: The Yellow Jackets are really struggling on both sides of the football. Avondale fell 21-7 to Seaholm on Friday night. The Yellow Jackets need to turn things around and quick if they want to make some noise. They have Macomb Lutheran North looming next week.
Ferndale: The Eagles got back on track with a huge win at Ron Holland Field stunning North Farmington 20-12 on Friday night. This could be the start that could turn things around for Ferndale. The Eagles have Royal Oak looming next week.
Berkley: The Bears took another tough loss on Friday night to Troy Athens falling 20-0. Berkley has lost 14 straight games and they have been outscored 27-0 this season. The Bears need to bounce back in a big way. They have Pontiac looming next week.
Royal Oak: The Ravens played much better despite falling 19-7 to Oak Park on Friday night. Royal Oak held Oak Park to 19 points but the offense has struggled especially in the last two games where they have scored 20 points. They have a rivalry game with Ferndale looming next week.
Pontiac: It was a rough night for the Phoenix falling 35-0 to Troy on Friday night. Pontiac will be all right. They have Berkley looming next week.
by orionontv | Sep 9, 2024 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Saturday September 7th at 1:15 AM
The Red went 4-1 this week with some impressive wins against the White outscoring the division 171-41. Oxford had the biggest win of the week stunning Harper Woods 38-0. This was supposed to be a matchup of two different styles but it wasn’t meant to be. West Bloomfield fell 28-13 to Groves in a tough matchup that could had gone either way. Lake Orion had no issues with Stoney Creek winning 42-13. Clarkston won 48-0 over Southfield Arts and Tech. Adams had a struggle with Rochester winning 28-0. Overall the Red had a good week besides West Bloomfield which is mind boggling. It should be very interesting to watch with Clarkston/Oxford and West Bloomfield/Adams looming next week. Lake Orion will host Troy next week.
The White went 1-4 this week against the Red getting outscored 171-41 this week. Groves had the biggest win of the week stunning West Bloomfield 28-13 on their home field. Stoney Creek fell 42-13 to Lake Orion. Rochester battled with Adams falling 28-0. Southfield Arts and Tech fell 48-0 to Clarkston. The biggest upset had to be Harper Woods falling 38-0 to Oxford. Overall the White had a rough week. It should be very interesting with Rochester and Southfield Arts and Tech and Groves and Stoney Creek looming while Harper Woods has to go to Novi Detroit Catholic Central next week.
The Blue had an interesting week. Farmington was really impressive against Holly winning 33-7 in northern Oakland County. Oak Park won 19-7 over Royal Oak. Troy won 35-0 over Pontiac. Seaholm won 21-7 over Avondale. Troy Athens beat Berkley 20-0 but North Farmington fell 20-12 to Ferndale. Bloomfield Hills fell 42-0 to Dearborn Divine Child. Overall the division really hasn’t changed with Farmington and Seaholm right now ahead of Troy and Oak Park. Seaholm plays Bloomfield Hills, Troy Athens plays Oak Park, and the Farmington Cup is next week. Troy has a tough matchup looming with Lake Orion next week.
The Gold had a rough week. Ferndale had the biggest win of the week by beating North Farmington 20-12. Avondale fell 21-7 to Seaholm. Royal Oak fell 19-7 to Oak Park. Pontiac fell 35-0 to Troy. Berkley fell 20-0 to Troy Athens. Overall Ferndale looks like they are the early favorite but can’t count Avondale out after two really tough losses. Berkley has not scored a point and has lost 14 straight games. Pontiac has really improved despite falling to Troy. Royal Oak it’s really hard to trust them going forward. This division as mentioned is still wide open.
Rankings Explanation.
I’m introducing a new segment called rankings explanation explaining the rankings each week.
Lake Orion moves up to the top spot after their win over Stoney Creek. Adams was ranked ahead of the Dragons to start the season and is also at 2-0. The reason why the Dragons are ahead of the Highlanders in the poll is because Northville is 1-1 after coming back to beat Plymouth after they had a strong second half. Romeo is 0-2 after losing to Grosse Pointe South.
Clarkston goes up to three in the poll. I kept them at five after losing to Belleville in week one and that’s because they came back from two touchdowns down to tie Belleville only to see Bryce Underwood have the best game of his career. Felt the Wolves resiliency kept them at five and wasn’t right to move them down despite the loss. Clarkston moves up two spots after losses by West Bloomfield and Harper Woods.
Groves looks like they are the best team in the White after making a statement. They moved up three spots in the last two weeks from seven to four with wins over Detroit University-Detroit Jesuit and West Bloomfield. The 28-13 win over the Lakers was a stunner. The Cubs are sitting at 0-2 which is surprising to the season. The Falcons are in a really good spot to keep moving up in the rankings.
Oxford makes the biggest jump in the poll. The Wildcats started the season ranked sixth because of quarterback play and the rushing attack. I had concerns about their defense. It didn’t fair well with a 33-16 loss to Utica Eisenhower after Bryce Hurley went nuts on them. I thought of dropping Oxford out of the poll after that loss but the Eagles have been a proven powerhouse so I kept them in at nine in week two. The statement win over Harper Woods moves them up four spots from nine to five in the poll this week.
West Bloomfield started at two in the poll and retained the spot after winning 42-0 over West Bloomfield but the 28-13 loss to Groves dropped them to six in the week three poll. The Lakers have a ton of opportunities ahead of them to go up with the schedule looming.
Farmington is off to a strong start after an impressive 33-7 win over Holly. Farmington started the year at ten but has moved up three spots after beating Oak Park 17-6 and Holly as mentioned. The Falcons have a big test with North Farmington. They are at seven for this reason.
Seaholm has been really impressive. I had questions about how they would do after losing a ton of talent but Coach Jim DeWald knows how to do more with less. They moved from being unranked to eighth after two impressive wins. The Maples are at eight because of their impressive start especially against Avondale who is shockingly off to a slow start.
Harper Woods made the biggest drop in the poll. The Pioneers started at the top spot but they have been shaky as of late especially defensively. Harper Woods won 43-21 over Redford Union but was shut out 38-0 by Oxford. The Pioneers have not fared well against the M-24 corridor getting outscored 66-6 in the last two years. Harper Woods sits at nine in the poll after their loss to Oxford.
Troy comes into the poll at ten. The Colts haven’t played the most impressive schedule with Pontiac and Bloomfield Hills. They have a tough schedule coming up so we’ll see what happens.
by orionontv | Sep 6, 2024 | Regional News
Gov. Whitmer Applauds Biden-Harris Announcement Delivering Funding for Lowering Energy Costs for Michiganders, Supporting Efforts to Restart Palisades
Wolverine Power Cooperative Announced as Winner of Inflation Reduction Act Investment
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement of a grant to Wolverine Power Cooperative (Wolverine). The grant made available through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will reduce the cost of clean and reliable wholesale electricity generated by the Palisades Nuclear Plant, supporting more than 300,000 homes, businesses, and farms across Michigan.
“The Biden-Harris administration’s investment in Wolverine Power Cooperative and their ongoing commitment to reopen the Palisades Nuclear Plant will drive down energy costs, help us make more clean, reliable energy right here in Michigan, and set us up to compete and win transformational economic development projects in the future,” said Governor Whitmer. “Because of our effective collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Holtec, and Wolverine, this project has the potential to pass these savings and provide clean, reliable electricity for more than 300,000 homes, businesses, and farms in rural communities across the state. This is another critical step in our collaboration with the administration to restart the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, protecting 600 union jobs and supporting 1,100 more in the community. We are showing the world that Michigan will continue to lead the future of clean energy. Let’s keep getting it done.”
In May, the State of Michigan wrote Secretary Vilsack of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the grant application of Wolverine under the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service. The New ERA program helps rural Americans transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy and in doing so, reduces air and water pollution, improves health outcomes, and lowers energy costs for people in rural communities. The program is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and represents the largest investment in rural electrification since President Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936.
Wolverine is a Michigan-based generation and transmission cooperative that provides wholesale electricity to its member distribution cooperatives and serves retail customers throughout predominantly rural and agricultural portions of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Today’s announcement is another step in the state’s collaborative efforts to restoring the generation of electricity at Palisades Nuclear Plant, protecting more than 600 good-paying local jobs, shoring up Michigan’s energy needs, and supporting the goals of MI Healthy Climate Plan, the state’s climate action roadmap. The New ERA grant will drive economic growth and provide rural Michiganders and businesses with reliable, affordable, and carbon-free electricity for decades to come.
Palisades is a nuclear plant in Southwest Michigan that employed 600 workers making an average of $117,845 while the plant was in operation, supported over 1,100 local jobs, generated $363 million in regional economic development every year, and produced more than 800 megawatts of reliable, clean power—enough to power 800,000 homes. The Palisades plant was shut down on May 20, 2022. The plant was sold to Holtec in June 2022.
In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a decision to issue a conditional commitment for an up to $1.52 billion loan to restart the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Governor and the Michigan legislature also secured $300 million to support critical reopening activities including infrastructure upgrades, fuel purchases, workforce development, and more.
Biden-Harris Administration’s Clean Energy Investments in Michigan
President Biden’s IRA made the single largest investment in climate and clean energy in American history. Nearly two years after passage, the IRA has already led to 62 new clean energy projects in Michigan ranging from solar and electric vehicles to hydrogen and battery storage, the most across any state in the nation. These projects have spurred more than $26 billion in investment, creating or moving forward more than 21,000 jobs.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is helping Michigan fix the damn roads, bridges, pipes, internet, and so much more. The BIL’s clean energy investments are modernizing our power grid, investing in energy efficiency improvements, and helping deploy more clean energy—including nuclear energy.
Michigan’s Clean Energy Leadership
In November 2023, the Governor signed historic clean energy laws, making Michigan a national leader in the fight against climate change. The bills will lower household utility costs, create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and protect Michigan’s precious air, water, and public health.
Michigan leads the Midwest in the number of clean energy workers, with nearly 124,000 clean energy workers. The 2023 Clean Jobs America Report stated that clean energy businesses in Michigan added more than 5,400 workers in 2022, growing almost twice the rate of the overall economy.
by orionontv | Sep 6, 2024 | Regional News
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 6, 2024 |
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Grand Haven Man Sentenced to 5-20 Years for Mass mPerks Cyber Theft
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LANSING – Yesterday, Nicholas Mui, 22, of Grand Haven, was sentenced to 5-20 years’ incarceration for the systemic theft and sale of account access information tied to mPerks accounts, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Mui, who pled guilty to one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise in July, also forfeited his computer tower and approximately $611,000 in frozen cryptocurrency and cash.
mPerks is the loyalty and rewards incentive program offered by the Meijer grocery chain wherein customers accrue store-credit points into their individual accounts by making purchases at the grocer. The points accrued can be used as cash-value towards purchases. Customers establish their own individual accounts to participate in the loyalty program and these are maintained by Meijer.
Meijer customers and mPerks account holders had their mPerks accounts compromised, with login credentials sold online, and their accrued purchase points stolen and used fraudulently. Mui obtained login credentials from a separate data breach, cross referenced those credentials for access success with the mPerks infrastructure, and then sold those login credentials on the internet for the wrongful use of buyers. The purchasers of the login credentials then used the points balance to fund their own purchases from Meijer, with incidents documented for both online and in-store purchases.
Meijer was alerted to these thefts by consumer complaints to the company in April and May of 2023. The customers complained of vanishing points on their accounts, prompting Meijer to contact the Fraud Investigation Section of the Michigan State Police. A joint investigation commenced, comprised of Meijer corporate investigators, the Michigan State Police Fraud Investigation Section, and the FORCE Team. Mui was arrested and arraigned in January following the investigation.
“The tireless efforts of the FORCE team, Michigan State Police, and Meijer have not only secured a significant sentence and restitution but may have also prevented further harm to businesses and consumers across our state,” Nessel said. “My FORCE Team remains dedicated to working with retail partners to hold accountable those who commit organized retail crimes and creating an overall safer shopping experience.”
Meijer has reinstated the full previous balance of accrued points to affected customers suffering verified thefts, at a corporate loss currently calculated to exceed $1,000,000.
The FORCE Team and the Organized Retail Crime Unit were established in January 2023 by the Attorney General to target criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for a profit. Two assistant attorneys general serve the FORCE Team full-time, working with special agents within the Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police detectives to investigate and prosecute these crimes. The unit also partners with the FBI’s Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Postal Inspection Service. This is a first-in-the-nation unit, unique in the 50 states as being the first such unit with embedded, dedicated staff from the Department of Attorney General.
The FORCE Team is dedicated to working collaboratively with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime. FORCE is an acronym that stands for Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement. Recent corporate partners on investigations have included Sam’s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and Lowe’s.
Local law enforcement agencies or retailers with evidence of organized retail fraud are encouraged to email the FORCE Team.
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by orionontv | Sep 5, 2024 | Local News
| This news release is being issued on behalf of the company as a public service.
For immediate release: September 4, 2024
Customer/media contact: Quinton R. Cook, phone: 248-249-3002; email: [email protected]; address: 2950 Seymour Lake Road, Ortonville, MI 48462
Cook’s Farm Dairy Voluntarily Recalls Limited Number of Products Out of an Abundance of Caution
Ortonville, MI – Cook’s Farm Dairy based in Ortonville, MI, is voluntarily recalling specific lots of ice cream and milk due to issues related to pasteurization. This recall is being done out of an abundance of caution. There are no known illnesses at this time.
The recalled products were distributed to the following retail locations in Southeast Michigan:
- A Bean To Go in Goodrich, MI 48438
- Bueches Food World in Ortonville, MI 48462
- Sunoco Gas Station in Clarkston, MI 48348
- Neiman’s Family Market in Clarkston, MI 48346
- Tenuta’s Food Lane in Waterford, MI 48329
- Lakeview Food Basket in Clarkston, MI 48348
- Heartfelt Impressions Learning Center in Clarkston, MI 48348
- Clintonville Market in Waterford, MI 48329
- Jim’s Cracker Barrel Grocery and Liquor in Clarkston, MI 48348
- Meijer in Oxford, MI 48371
The products included in this voluntary recall include:
- Ice cream lots of 1.5 Qt. and Pint containers – All Flavors
- Batch #18 which is located by the bar code (pasteurized on 5/21/2024)
- Batch #24 which is located by the bar code (pasteurized on 7/2/2024)
- Batch #30 which is located by the bar code (pasteurized on 8/13/2024)
- Milk lots of gallon, ½ gallon, and pint containers – All Varieties
- Sell by date of 6/10/2024 (pasteurized on 5/27/2024)
- Sell by date of 6/17/2024 (pasteurized on 6/3/2024)
- Sell by date of 9/2/2024 (pasteurized on 8/19/2024)
During a routine inspection, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) found improper air temperatures in an ice cream pasteurizing vat and identified inadequate pasteurization record-keeping and chart-recording while processing.
“As soon as MDARD brought these issues to our attention, we fixed the problems immediately. We’re recalling these limited product lots out of an abundance of caution,” said Quinton Cook. “It’s important to note that we have received no reports of issues or defect complaints related to these products. Our family has been committed to quality in our dairy products for four generations.”
Customers with questions can contact Quinton R. Cook directly either by calling 248-249-3002 or by sending an email to [email protected].
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by orionontv | Sep 4, 2024 | Regional News
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 4, 2024
Contact: Ron Leix, Treasury, 517-335-2167
Enrolling in MET this month presents best back-to-school deal around with new enrollment incentives, expanded benefits
LANSING — As National College Savings Month returns this September, and with a proclamation from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declaring Michigan College Savings Month, the Michigan Education Trust (MET) is amplifying its efforts encouraging families to plan for their children’s future education.
New for 2024, the prepaid tuition program administered by the Michigan Department of Treasury is offering fresh incentives, including the 2024 College Savings Month Bonus, making saving for college more accessible than ever. Purchasers who open new Pay-As-You-Go contracts for qualified beneficiaries by Sept. 30, 2024, will receive a $100 College Savings Month Bonus.*
The bonus represents MET’s ongoing work to reduce financial barriers to postsecondary education. Families are encouraged to visit here and use the coupon code CSM24 to take advantage of this offer and to waive the $25 online enrollment fee.
“This initiative is part of our unwavering commitment to breaking down the financial barriers that too often stand as obstacles for families in achieving their educational goals,” said Diane Brewer, executive director of MET. “We want to make sure that more students can begin and complete their education without the overwhelming burden of student debt.”
Highlighting the value of early college savings, MET is looking back to early investors like Karen and David Janer-Hanson of South Lyon, who were “MET originals” and are now calling their MET investment the best financial decision they ever made.
They recently reflected on how MET has paid off for their family.
Back in 1988, as young professionals with a daughter and limited funds, they knew they had to prioritize their child’s future. The newly introduced MET program allowed them to purchase future college credits at 1988 prices, and they knew they couldn’t miss out.
“It was the smartest financial move we’ve ever made,” said Karen, a former school counselor.
Thanks to MET, their daughter, Cara, graduated from Michigan Technological University with an environmental engineering degree. Now, she works as an environmental engineer for the Grand Valley Metro Council in Kent County. Their son, Philip, also benefited from MET, earning a political science degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
Brewer highlighted the enduring impact of MET.
“Like the Janer-Hansons, every Michigan family should have the opportunity to secure their child’s future,” she said. “We’re enhancing our offerings this year to ensure more students can achieve their dreams without the shadow of student debt.”
Since its inception in 1988 as the nation’s first 529 prepaid education savings plan, MET has been a cornerstone for Michigan families. With rising concerns about student debt, MET’s role has never been more crucial in providing a pathway to a debt-free future.
The benefits of a MET plan extend beyond savings, with contributions being tax-deductible for Michigan residents and distributions for qualified education expenses being tax-free. Additionally, MET offers the flexibility of year-round contributions, making it easy for anyone — parents, grandparents, friends and even community organizations — to invest in a child’s future.
Brewer also emphasized MET’s ongoing efforts to educate families about the advantages of MET through a series of webinars scheduled throughout the year. These sessions cover various topics, including the features and benefits of MET contracts and the broader tax advantages of 529 plans.
“This College Savings Month, we want to remind everyone that MET is more than a savings plan — it’s a pledge to the future success of our children,” Brewer noted. “MET is better equipped than ever to help Michigan students reach their goals.”
For more information about MET, visit SetWithMET.com.
*View eligibility requirements for the College Savings Month bonus.
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