• Related story: Teacher firing upheld: Former Huron orchestra teacher Chris Mark's appeal denied

The idea that "boys will be boys" didn't fly in William Harris' gym class.

Haisley Elementary School

From AAPS

But when the students arrived at the gym at Haisley Elementary School in Ann Arbor the following day, their punishment had changed.

Harris had placed three chairs in a dimly lit, windowless room behind the gym teacher's office. Harris herded the fifth-graders into the room and shut the door. Depending on whom you believe, he may or may not have put a chair in front of the door. He also shut the door to his office, resulting in two doors separating him from the boys.

Former University of Michigan football player William "Billy" Harris waits outside St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor to pay his respects to former U-M coach Glenn "Bo" Edward Schembechler at a public tribute Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006. Harris was employed as a physical education teacher in the Ann Arbor Public Schools at the time.

Ann Arbor News file photo

Ultimately, Harris' decision to shut the boys in the room led the Ann Arbor Public Schools to fire him, and after more than three years of investigations and tenure hearings, multiple courts now have ruled the district was justified in dismissing him, though Harris said he did nothing wrong.

History of problems

The day in October 2009 when Harris shut the boys in the closet was not the first time he had run afoul of district policy.

William "Billy" Jerome Harris came to Haisley Elementary for the 2008-09 school year after running into trouble while working as a coach at Huron High School.

The district hired Harris prior to the 2003-04 academic year to serve as head football coach and physical education teacher at Huron. Court documents show Harris had a history of disciplinary problems while employed at the Ann Arbor Public Schools — including the alleged assault and battery of a student, which resulted in criminal charges in November 2004.

Harris went to jury trial on the charges and was found not guilty, said officials with the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office.

The details of the alleged assault and battery are not known. Officials with the prosecutor's office said the file on the case has been purged. AAPS spokeswoman Liz Margolis declined to comment for this story. Neither Harris nor his lawyer returned phone calls seeking comment.

Although Harris was acquitted of the criminal charges, the district suspended him for three days without pay in April 2007 for his misconduct in the 2004 incident, according to court documents.

Harris' coaching contract was not renewed after the 2004-05 school year and his physical education teaching assignment was changed to Pioneer High School for 2006-07. Harris, who was a former University of Michigan football player and coach at U-M and Eastern Michigan University, was transferred to Haisley Elementary School in 2008-09. He had never taught elementary physical education before.

'Disturbed' and 'Furious'

When the school day ended on Oct. 8, 2009, one of the boys Harris had shut in the small room went home and told his mother. She was immediately "disturbed" and complained to both Haisley Principal Mary Ann Jaeger and the superintendent. When the father of another boy found out what happened, he was "furious," and the investigation into Harris' discipline methods began.

The district put Harris on administrative leave in late October. During their investigation, district officials discovered he had disciplined at least one other student in the same manner, by shutting the boy in the supply room behind his office. The first student was punished for yelling "four" on the fourth step of a dance routine that Harris was teaching the class and was exiled to the room for 10 to 20 minutes.

Harris was accused of shutting a fourth-grade student in the room as a punishment during the previous year.

Harris admitted to placing students in the "back room" or the "dark room," as he referred to it, for unsupervised confinement, but he argued there was nothing "obviously inappropriate" about it, court documents say.

The supply room is out of sight from the gym and approximately 8-by-8 feet in size with no windows and four doors, one door on each wall. There is a door between the back room and Harris' office, one between the back room and a computer lab, one between a bathroom and the back room and one between the back room and a storage closet.

There is an unlocked cabinet in the back room that houses poisonous chemicals and cleaning supplies, gym equipment and a vacuum, according to reports.

The district said Harris placed a chair in front of the door to the supply room while the students were inside. But Harris denied those allegations, court documents show.

Jaeger had previously told Harris that he had been sending students to the main office too frequently for minor infractions, such as forgetting to bring their gym shoes to class. Jaeger said Harris should handle these infractions on his own by having the child sit on the sidelines or in Harris' office, which is connected to the gym, for a timeout. But according to court documents, Jaeger said the students should remain in his view.

Tenure charges

The Ann Arbor Board of Education voted on Dec. 15, 2010, to pursue tenure charges against Harris. Harris' case went before an administrative law judge for a tenure hearing in May and June of 2011.

Three of the four students punished in the room testified, as did at least one parent of each boy, court documents show.

The first boy said he told no one about the incident because he did not believe it was a big deal and he did not want to get into more trouble. One of the students testified he was not afraid while in the back room, but rather he was angry because he thought he just would have to do push-ups and then would be allowed to rejoin the activities. The third boy said he was relieved to miss gym class.

The judge ruled Harris had been wrong to punish the students by shutting them in the room.

"Mr. Harris failed to supervise his students, the judge wrote. "The failure to supervise students results in an increased risk of harm to students."

The court documents also contain testimony from teachers, Jaeger, other students and a paraeducator. Some of those who testified said Harris picked on special needs children and singled out students who were not athletic in his class.

They said Harris made negative and inappropriate comments about special education students, calling them "mindless." The paraeducator said Harris frequently had students perform exercises in the middle of a large circle of their peers until the students did the exercises correctly. She also said Harris' created an atmosphere in which students hated coming to gym class and were fearful of him.

Paul Morrison, the former executive director of the Ann Arbor Education Association, testified in Harris' defense, stating the gym teacher was treated more harshly than other teachers who were being investigated by the human resources department at the time.

His testimony referenced a teacher accused of giving a student a wedgie, a teacher who reported that she lost 70 Vicodin pills and an art teacher who emptied a wet sponge over a student's head, court documents say. Morrison said the most severe punishment these teachers received was a single day without pay.

William "Billy" Harris was hired as a Huron football coach and gym teacher in 2003-04.

Huron yearbook photo

The judge was unimpressed.

"Mr. Harris engaged in a pattern of intentionally embarrassing and degrading students," the administrative law judge wrote. "There are numerous instances recounted where Mr. Harris humiliated students because they were unable to perform the physical activities, such as 'donkey kicks,' dribbling a basketball, jumping rope and dancing.

"Mr. Harris also made a demeaning comment regarding POHI (physically and otherwise health impaired) students. (His) conduct in this regard violates common decency. This conduct is unacceptable and so obviously inappropriate that it is unnecessary to give Mr. Harris warning or an opportunity to correct his behavior."

The State Teacher Tenure Commission, to which Harris appealed, agreed with the judge, ruling that the incidents Morrison cited could not be "reasonably characterized as the same as or substantially similar to" Harris' actions, court documents say.

Cases resolved

The same night the school board unanimously approved tenure charges against Harris, it also pursued charges against former Huron orchestra teacher Christopher Mark, who was accused of "grooming" a female student for a romantic relationship.

Mark's tenure case also recently came to a close when, in March, he — like Harris — was denied an appeal of his dismissal by the Michigan Court of Appeals. The court cited a "lack of merit on the grounds presented" as the reason both Harris and Mark were denied a hearing.

In teacher tenure cases, an administrative law judge with the Michigan Department of Education serves as the initial decision-maker, and he or she issues a preliminary order on all cases, granting or denying the district's request to discharge the tenured teacher.

It is the judge's responsibility to determine whether the school district had a reasonable and just cause for firing the teacher in question.

The teacher can then appeal to the State Teacher Tenure Commission. In Harris' case, the commission upheld the administrative law judge's ruling and the Michigan Court of Appeals decided not to hear his case, letting his firing stand.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

A year and a half after Borders shuttered its bookstores, one of its competitors is finding opportunity in Michigan, the Detroit News reports.

Alabama-based Books-A-Million, which opened 41 stores in 2012, believes there is still opportunity for additional brick-and-mortar book stores in Michigan.

It’s a sentiment echoed by Ann Arbor’s Literati Bookstore co-owner Hilary Lowe, who told the Detroit News that consumers are longing for books, and many people are eager to support a community-driven book store. Literati, an independently owned book store, opened at 124 E. Washington St. in April.

Meanwhile, Books-A-Million recently opened two stores in the Metro Detroit area — including one store in an ex-Borders building in Beverly Hills — and the company is “actively pursuing” other real estate opportunities in Michigan, the report says.

• Read the Detroit News report.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

Ypsilanti City Council members remain divided by a decision to not allow firefighters and state fire officials make a public presentation against the creation of a hybrid police and fire department.

The issue was brought back into the spotlight after Ypsilanti Fire Union President Ken Hobbs spoke during council's Tuesday public participation portion of the meeting.

.Courtney Sacco I AnnArbor.com

"Shame on you for not allowing us, the city of Ypsilanti firefighters on the agenda to present documentation strictly from a budget standpoint," Hobbs said. " The city manager claims there will be $2.1 million in savings to implement his PSO hybrid public safety plan. We have facts to counter this assumption."

AnnArbor.com reported last week that City Council Member Susan Moeller requested the presentation be added to a future council meeting after being approached by Hobbs. Moeller stated the possible creation of a hybrid model should be discussed more in-depth in the public, since it would affect citizens.

In order to have a presentation added to an agenda, a council member must first propose the addition and it must be seconded by another council member. Moeller failed to secure a second.

Moeller said council members cited union negotiations as their reason for not being interested in the public presentation, but Moeller and Hobbs said the presentation would not have discussed negotiations.

"It is not illegal for them to be on the agenda because there are negotiations," Moeller said, while addressing council. "It was decided that you folks didn’t want to hear them while there were negotiations."

Mayor Paul Schreiber said negotiations have been going on for awhile and slow-moving.

"Any discussion with council is really hopping over the city manger and going to council," Schreiber said. "And certainly there’s going to be no final decision made on public safety until we have the union contract settled with the fire department. We need to get the contract done first and then we can talk about public safety. Once we get the contract negotiated with the fire union, I would personally welcome a presentation by the firefighters."

Council Member Daniel Vogt

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

Moeller interrupted Schreiber saying she couldn't let him continue with a statement she believed to be false and "misleading" because she believes there would be no point for a presentation once the contract is approved.

"Paul, I can’t let you continue like that," Moeller said. "If you already have a contract with them, I don’t get how you can listen to PSO after you already tried to put PSO in their contract. It's not making sense to me. I understand you folks don’t want to hear from the firefighters and they are employees of the city and we are the council and I think you should hear them but if you don’t, that’s your right. Why wouldn’t you want to hear their view before the contract?"

In April, council approved the Police Officers Association of Michigan contract, which contains language related to the possible creation of a hybrid department.

The contract allows the POAM to incorporate the position of public safety officer into their union. In the event that the city elects to create the classification of a public safety officers, unit members who become PSO's will receive seven percent above the police officer wage scale.

Earlier this year, City Manager Ralph Lange announced the city would pursue creating a hybrid police and fire department. Lange said the two departments would be stand-alone, but supplemented with cross-trained public safety officers who would be equipped to do both jobs.

The Ypsilanti hybrid model would cross-train police officers and firefighters to perform both duties. Officials said present city employees would have the option of being cross-trained.

Several firefighters and former Fire Chief Jon Ichesco have openly voiced their opposition to the hybrid model and urged the city to move forward with regionalization.

Hobbs cited Kalamazoo as an example, saying if the city were to convert back to traditional police and fire departments, it would save $7.9 million in personnel only. Kalamazoo has the state's largest public safety department with more than 200 cross-trained public safety officers.

"We use Kalamazoo as an example because Kalamazoo keeps being mentioned as this place where PSO works," Hobbs said. "These facts and the rest of the information we have, we weren’t allowed to present."

Council Member Daniel Vogt said he believes there is a misconception that council isn't considering the pros and cons of the creation of a hybrid police and fire department.

"That’s absolutely false," Vogt said. "I think that the purpose here is to save the city financially and to protect basic services. We need to find whatever method may work for our city. The pros and cons that other cities have faced are based upon their particular circumstances, their political circumstances, political will, their finances and their particular history.

"So its very difficult to make generalizations about public safety as it applies to this city because we have to pick a model that works whether it includes public safety on not. What has been discussed is a model that’s been fine tuned to fit our particular financial and social need."

Vogt said council welcomes anyone who may have an opinion about an issue affecting the city.

"Formally or informally, you don't have to make a formal presentation to send something in the mail or by email," Vogt said. "If you have something you want to talk about you're welcome to do it. You can come twice during public participation."

Hobbs said regardless of council's opinion, the public should be allowed to hear both sides.

"PSO needs to be discussed in an open forum and have input from residents," Hobbs said. "A prior decision that the Ypsilanti city council thought would be best for citizens, resulted in Water Street. If this council continues on the path it's going on, you’re going to have your own Water Street and it's going to be PSO."

Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.

A 16-year-old Superior Township boy accused of robbing and then shooting a 39-year-old man was sentenced in the Washtenaw County Trial Court Tuesday.

Bertel Gibbs was convicted as an adult, but sentenced as a juvenile.

Judge Donald Shelton sentenced Gibbs to complete juvenile probation. Violation of this sentence will bring Gibbs back to court to be sentenced as an adult with a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

Gibbs will be receiving treatment from Wolverine Human Services. His progress will be reviewed by the Washtenaw County Trial Court on Nov. 19 and he will return before Shelton every six months until his probation is complete.

No further information on his sentencing was given.

Gibbs was charged with six counts; three weapons felony firearm counts, assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, and assault with bodily harm less than murder. On April 22 Gibbbs accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty. All of the counts were dismissed except count five: assault with bodily harm less than murder.

Shelton told Gibbs that being sentenced as a juvenile is a second chance. Gibbs apologized to the victim, the victim’s family, and his own family for what he has put them through.

A news release from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office said that Gibbs was charged as an adult because of the seriousness of the crimes, AnnArbor.com reported.

The 39-year-old Ypsilanti Township citizen robbed and shot by Gibbs told police that he was at an apartment complex in the 110 block of South Harris Road when the incident took place. The victim told police that Gibbs had a handgun and told him to hand over his money. Gibbs then shot the man in the leg, according to the report.

Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.

When Rolling Hills Water Park in Ypsilanti Township opens for the first unofficial weekend of summer this Saturday, visitors will be greeted by brand-new facilities and a three-story water slide.

Since the park closed last Labor Day, about $4.5 million in upgrade work has progressed rapidly.

The former bath houses and entryway have been completely torn out and replaced with new buildings, and the parking lot has been expanded from 250 spaces to 450 spaces.

Rolling Hills Water Park is known for its wave pool, lazy river, “Slide Mountain” water slides and a splash pad. It’s a part of the greater 365-acre Rolling Hills County Park at 7660 Stony Creek Road.

A three-story waterslide named “Plunge Peak” has been added at the rear of the park that has three different slides. There’s a possibility for a fourth slide to be added in the future.

The entry gates to the park have been shifted so that the new focal point of the park is the wave pool.

The park’s administrative offices have been moved to the water park facility from the lodge at Rolling Hills, and are housed in the main building where visitors purchase admission to the park.

New bath houses have separate showers, changing stalls and coin-operated lockers. Family changing rooms are also a part of the facility.

A number of sustainable features are a part of the design of the new bath houses, including numerous windows near the roof line of building that allows natural light to stream in to the locker room area.

The sinks and toilets are all equipped with infared sensors to make the facility more water efficient, said Jeff Dehring, principal planner for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission.

Water from the sinks and the showers in the building is re-processed in an in-site facility for use in the toilets in the bath house. The gray water system was installed as a water conservation measure, Dehring said.

The expansion of the bath house and the upgrades to the park has increased the park’s capacity by 400 people, Dehring said.

More outdoor amenities have been added to the park, including coin-operated lockers and outdoor showers.

The northern boundary of the park has been expanded outward to create more grassy lawn space for visitors to sit and enjoy the sun.

Construction on the $4.5 million park is being done by Sorenson Gross Construction Services of Flint. The project is funded through the county's parks millage.

Admission rates to Rolling Hills Water Park have been raised by $1 this year, and been increased by 50 cents for weekdays after 5 p.m.

Rates are now set as follows:

• Weekdays: $7 for residents and $9 for non-residents
• Weekdays after 5 p.m.: $4.50 for residents and $5.50 for non-residents
• Weekends and holidays: $8 for residents and $10 for non-residents

The park will open the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Saturday also marks the grand opening of a brand-new water park that's been under construction for the past two years.

The $4 million Blue Heron Bay splash park at Independence Lake County Park at 3200 Jennings Road in Webster Township will open to the public Saturday.

The park features a new splash pad with separate areas and special water features for toddlers, families and tweens, as well as a two-story water slide.

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

Ann Arbor school board members reluctantly voted Wednesday night to send layoff notices to 233 members of the Ann Arbor Education Association.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com file photo

Previous stories:

• Budget cuts: Ann Arbor schools to cut high school busing, charge kids for 7th hour
• Ann Arbor schools administration's budget proposal could result in teacher layoffs

The Ann Arbor Board of Education voted unanimously to issue pink slips to 233 teachers at Wednesday's board meeting to prepare for a possible reduction of about 50 teaching positions in next year's budget.

The Ann Arbor Public Schools district is facing a projected shortfall of $8.67 million for the 2013-14 academic year. That's on top of a current-year deficit of $3.8 million and a depleted fund balance, or primary savings account, of just $6.8 million.

Cuts to fix the financial situation at AAPS are accelerating, with every cut carrying weight and significant pain to those affected. And especially to the teachers, who gave $3.4 million in concessions less than two months ago, said union president Linda Carter during the meeting, expressing members' "anger and frustration" with the process.

She said the union was notified Wednesday morning that the layoff vote would be taking place later that night. However, Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources and Legal Services David Comsa said district administrators have been working with the AAEA to come up with the final list of staff to receive pink slips.

Contractually, the district is obligated to notify teachers prior to the last day of school, which is June 14. The next regular Board of Education meeting is not until June 12, so school officials said they did not feel that was sufficient time for informing people.

"We hope that this is a resolution that would not impact 233 people, but in order to be able to have the appropriate notification, we have to cast a wider net than we would like to in order to make sure we have the appropriate coverage of all those that might possibly be affected," said Superintendent Patricia Green.

Linda Carter

"The math is yelling in our ears that we have given 5.2 percent over the last three years," she said.

"We believed that the salary concessions we made in March would have been enough to take care of our part and that the drastic number of layoffs — 233 — would not be necessary. We also believed that other bargaining units and employees in the district were going to participate in the salary concessions so that others could maintain employment."

The non-union affiliated employees, mostly cabinet members and central administrators, took a 3 percent pay cut for a total cost savings of $114,290. There has been no word yet on whether the 48 members of the Ann Arbor Administrators Association will take the same cut. Negotiations with this union — comprised of principals, assistant principals and some department directors — have been ongoing, officials said.

There are 1,158 members of the AAEA, so about 20 percent of them will be receiving layoff notices.

The list of 233 staff was compiled based on seniority. Officials said building principals will be notified immediately of those staff members in their schools that will be receiving pink slips. The layoffs will be effective June 30, 2013.

If the board goes through with cutting the approximately 50 teaching positions in the proposed budget, this would be the first time in the history of the Ann Arbor Public Schools that the district has laid off teachers. In the past, instructional staff reductions all have been able to be achieved through attrition, either retirements or resignations.

"It is not lost on us the emotional impact of that — and any other layoff that might happen as a result of this budget," said Vice President Christine Stead. "We all know. This is exactly what we're trying to avoid. We're working as hard as we can to reduce operations, and we'll continue to do that until the very last second."

This year, AAPS only has had about 15 teachers submit retirement notices so far. Typically, the district sees 40 to 50 retirements a summer. Comsa said this could be the result of AAPS eliminating its early notification incentive, which rewarded people for submitting their retirements at the beginning of the spring.

Whatever number of the 233 staff is not needed to balance the budget will be called back prior to the start of school in September.

Board President Deb Mexicotte said previously that the process of laying off staff is "astonishingly complicated." More teachers must be issued layoff notices than actually are needed to be reduced in order to appropriately staff the buildings for enrollment and the correct number of grades or course sections, based on teachers' certifications and the grade levels and classes they can legally teach.

"I agree this is a piece that we hope we will not have to implement either fully or at all," Mexicotte said Wednesday. "And we have indeed passed a resolution like this in the past and did not need to implement any part of it at that time, and it is hopeful that will be the case at this time as well."

On the chopping block for the 2013-14 academic year are 32 undesignated full-time teachers, 5 FTE for eliminating the seventh-hour option at Huron and Pioneer high schools, 3 FTE for moving Skyline from a trimester to a semester schedule, 3 FTE for fine arts and physical education across the district and 5 FTE for reading intervention specialists in grades 1 and 2.

There also are one grounds employee, 15 custodial staff, one crew chief, the Pioneer High School theater technician and six central office positions slated to be cut for next year.

School board members also sought additional information Wednesday night about possibly reducing office personnel or secretary positions, as well as special education and pupil support services staff.

Glenn Nelson

District administrators said at each comprehensive high school (Huron, Pioneer and Skyline) there are 11 office professionals. The elementary schools have one office professional each and the middle schools have three, one secretary to the principal and two class secretaries. Green said the Ann Arbor Preschool and Family Center also has 0.5 FTE for records.

She said she could not recommend any reductions to the elementary or middle school office personnel due to the workload each person has and the small number of them already at each school. She said if the board were to reduce the preschool secretary and two at each comprehensive high school, it would be a cost savings of approximately $300,000.

However, Green said she and her team could not support this action with their recommendation without further vetting at the building level and getting significant feedback from principals on the possible side effects this reduction could have on the overall operations of the school.

For Stead, the suggestion was made to try to preserve classroom teachers. She said her No. 1 priority is keeping what makes the district distinct and competitive, which she believes is teachers and the courses and programs AAPS is able to offer.

Nelson said he targeted special education and pupil support services for some potential savings because in looking back at the district's budget information from 2006-07, AAPS employed fewer staff in these categories than it does today.

According to documents, in 2006, there were about 475 FTE in the district in the areas of special education and pupil support, which includes: special education teachers; teacher consultants, who help with Individualized Education Plans; health services staff; psychologists; speech and language pathologists; guidance counselors; school social workers; teacher assistants; and career and technical education instructors. Also in 2006, there were 853 FTE general education or instructional staff members.

Today, the number of general education teaching staff has declined, while the number of special education and pupil support services staff has increased. There are about 810 general education FTE employed in the district currently, compared to about 534 FTE in special education and student support positions, documents show.

Upon Nelson asking the district administration to look into this, school officials said a reduction of 8 to 8.5 teacher consultant FTEs, 4 to 4.5 teacher assistant FTEs and 2 speech and language pathologist FTEs could be reduced, for a savings of $250,000.

There was no formal action taken Wednesday to make these reductions part of the budget proposal for next year. The board decided to continue to weigh the possibility.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

I have spent most every summer of my life on or near a lake. I love the water, but I have always had a very deep respect for it as well. It is with that respect I offer advice and safety tips.

First and foremost — learn to swim! Two-thirds of our planet is covered by water. In Michigan we have 11,000 inland lakes, more shoreline beaches than any other state in the continental United States, and our two “pleasant peninsulas” are surrounded by the Great Lakes.

It is said that you can not travel five miles in a straight-line in Michigan without running into a body of water. Therefore even it you are careful, chances are at some point in your life you will fall into the water— so learn to swim. Parents, teach your children how to swim early in their lives.

Zukey Lake, pictured here, is one of the many bodies of water Michigan offers residents to enjoy during the warm summer months.

File photo

It's never too late in life to learn and it's incredible how early children can be taught to swim. The American Red Cross, the YMCA, Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation and other health clubs and private facilities provide swimming lessons for the young and old alike. If you are embarrassed by your age, private lessons can be procured, but please, I can't say it enough, learn to swim.

Whether you can swim or not, Personal Flotation Devices, or PFDs, save lives. PFDs or life jackets, buoyancy vest and life preservers are a must-have around the water. Whether we are talking about pools, ponds, lakes, rivers, beaches or oceans PFDs should be available — especially when children are around the water or when boating, canoeing, sailing, fishing or kayaking take us away from shore.

According to the United States Coast Guard, 90 percent of those who drown, in boating and water accidents, would have survived if they had been wearing a PFD. PFD’s assist those who can not swim to keep their head above the water. For those who can swim PFD’s provide precious time for a person to be rescued.

My youngest son, who is a mariner and currently “up-bound” on Lake Huron on a 770-foot iron ore carrier, taught me the rule of thumb for surviving a fall into cold water. Great Lakes mariners call it the “1-10-1 Rule” which he told me meant: “You have one minute to control your breathing, 10 minutes that your body can actually function and swim and one hour to survive if you are supported by a PFD.”

Not to be outdone, I gave my son some interesting and perhaps lifesaving advice for his vocation. I learned in a death investigation seminar that clothing and autopsy evidence of recovered drown sailors indicated almost half of them fell or were swept overboard while trying to urinate “over the rail.”

In my own experience, I recall two individuals who drown in the Huron River after sliding down slick riverbanks and one who fell off the third floor roof of a building on North Main Street who appeared to have died attending the same call of nature. Using a bathroom — or for those nautically inclined “the head” — is a much safer and socially acceptable alternative

Boating season is just getting underway so it is a good time to review some of the laws about PFD’s. It also is a good time to remember that this is a dangerous time of the year to fall overboard because although the air temperatures are in the 70s or soon, the 80s, water temperatures are in the 50s. Water robs a human body of heat up to 32 times faster than the air, therefore falling overboard, even in an inland lake right now, can be life-threatening even for strong swimmers.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Coast Guard Approved PFDs come in four types.

A Type I PFD provides the most protection and is an off-shore life jacket. These are the best and can turn and maintain most unconscious victims faces out of the water even in choppy water.

Type II is a near-shore buoyancy vest, which can turn and hold some unconscious person’s faces out of the water. These are the common orange “horse collar” life jackets.

Type III PFD’s are floatation aids and are designed for conscious persons. These also include most ski vests.

Type IV PFD’s are “throwables”, such as life-rings or buoyant seat cushions. Approved and allowable PFD’s do not include plastic toys like water wings, pool noodles or inner tubes.

According to the DNR If you are on a boat less than 16 feet long, you must have a Type I, II, III or IV U.S. Coast Guard Approved PFD for every person on board the vessel. For boats larger than 16 feet long — excluding canoes — each person on board must have a Type I, II or III PFD available and one extra Type IV PFD or throwable for rescue. Children less than 6 years old must be wearing a Type I or II PFD if riding on the open deck of a boat.

From personal experience with small children on boats, I suggest a PFD with the easy-to-grab handle. This handle on the life jacket makes your child really easy to scoop out of the water when —not if— they fall in and the crotch strap keeps them in the life jacket as you are fishing them out. Careful mom and dad, this can become a fun “game” for toddlers who like the water and will jump in on purpose … like my sons.

Michigan affords us some great opportunities in our water wonderland, so please be safe and wear PFD’s on the water — especially if you can't swim.

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

A rendering of the soon-to-be-built Wall Street Parking Structure.

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan

After five years of planning and receiving complaints from Lower Town residents, the University of Michigan will break ground on a 725-space parking structure on Wall Street next month.

Crews are expected to finish the garage by spring 2014. The garage will be located between Maiden Lane and Wall Street in Ann Arbor, near the Kellogg Eye Center.

On Wednesday U-M officials met with roughly a dozen nearby residents to discuss the structure and the school's construction plans. The residents in attendance have spent years protesting the garage, criticizing it at a handful of meetings and even submitting a formal petition five years ago.

The structure was initiated in 2008, then dropped in favor of the Fuller Road Project, a proposed parking structure and transit area that would have been funded jointly by the City of Ann Arbor and U-M. Yet when that project didn't gain traction as quickly as U-M wanted, it abandoned the partnership and in April 2012 revisited plans for a garage along Wall Street.

Jim Kosteva, University of Michigan's director of community relations, says the school is prepared to fire construction workers who are inconsiderate of Wall Street residents.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Residents worry the garage will bog down the flow of traffic in the area and create noise and pollution. For residents who live in the Riverside Park Place Condominium Complex on Wall Street, the new six-story garage will essentially be in their front yard— an eyesore, many say.

But university planners contend that building the garage is necessary to ease a growing and pressing parking shortage on campus. Many of the school's 14,700 commuters with 'blue' parking passes complain of having to arrive early to work and hunt for a parking spot. Some jokingly refer to their parking permit as a 'hunting license.'

U-M officials say that the university, by seeking resident feedback and tweaking certain aspects of the construction process to produce less dust and noise, has tried to be considerate of neighbors who are outspoken against the garage.

"Hopefully we've been able to demonstrate a really responsive and sensitive design, and now a construction plan that's equally sensitive with a lot of mitigation of noise, mitigation of vibration and added efforts to minimize disruption in the neighborhood," said Sue Gott, U-M's lead planner.

Yet residents remain resentful of the garage and many are concerned that, despite promises otherwise, the construction process will be disruptive to their daily lives.

"One thing I want to reiterate and reemphasize is that putting a garage here is really a bad idea. It's the worst of both worlds... With a parking structure here, you're basically requiring single occupancy vehicles to come almost all the way to their destination and then, on top of that, most of them will still have to take bus transportation [to their workplace]," said Tim Mortimer, president of the Riverside Condo Association. "This should have been placed on the periphery of the university."

He added:

"The university has done a few good things [in working with the community on the garage], but it's mostly lipstick on a pig.... Around the edges they've done a good job and they've tried to be responsive, but not in terms of their major decisions."

During the Wednesday meeting, residents expressed concern that construction crews would begin earlier than their official 7 a.m. start time and worry that construction vehicles would idle along Wall Street. Similar infractions, residents said, have occurred in previous construction projects.

Eliana Moya Raggio during a May 22 meeting where the University of Michigan's imminent Wall Street parking structure was discussed.

Riverside resident Eliana Moya Raggio said that during a previous U-M construction project along Wall Street she was awakened at 5 a.m. by construction crews.

"We are finding that there is a tremendous difference between what is said here and what really happens," she said, adding that she is concerned about traffic congestion along Maiden Lane and Wall Street both during the construction process and after the structure is operational. "The traffic is and will be a problem. You might say that the parking structure will only have a small impact...but this is going to be quite difficult."

A traffic study commissioned by U-M found the garage would likely increase area traffic by 1,500 trips per day, amounting to an overall traffic increase of less than five percent.

Jim Kosteva, U-M's community relations director, said U-M will be considerate of neighbors during construction. If construction workers break rules, there will be consequences.

"We're prepared to fire people," he said. "We're expecting that there will be people fired and released in the early goings of construction activity until they get the message," he said. "When it says 7 a.m. is the start time, 7 a.m. is the start time."

In the school's master plan are drafts for another parking garage to go alongside the soon-to-be-built $34 million parking garage on Wall Street, which regents approved in April 2012; however, Gott says the school has no imminent plans to build a second garage on Wall Street.

A side rendering of the soon-to-be-built Wall Street Parking Structure

University of Michigan rendering

Construction timetable:

• June: Construction crews arrive and prepare the site for construction throughout the summer. Utility and engineering work will take place during this time. The drilling that takes place during this phase makes it the noisiest time of construction.
• Fall: The foundation will be laid and pre-cast material erected.
• Winter and Early Spring 2014: Construction will continue as the garage is finished.
• Spring 2014: The garage will open and U-M will begin landscaping the area.

Construction logistics:

• Construction will take place Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., with building also occurring during some Saturdays and one Sunday.
• As the construction site sits low geographically, crews will monitor ground water and remove excess water.
• Crews will spray water around the construction site to control dust. There will be a full-time street sweeper on the construction crew.
• There will be up to 50 construction workers working the site during peak building months in the winter and early spring of 2014.
• Construction trucks and vehicles will arrive on the site from Maiden Lane and exit via Wall Street.
• U-M is trying to avoid loud noises by using certain construction techniques, such as drilling land and not pounding it and using an electric water pump instead of one fueled by diesel.

Closings:

• The eastbound lane of Maiden Lane, from Nielson Lane to Maiden Lane Court, will be closed and the current center lane, which is now used for turning, will be used as an eastbound lane.
• During one yet-undetermined weekend during the fall Wall Street will be closed as the university dismantles a crane. Riverside Park Place Condominium residents will maintain access to their building.
• Street parking along sections of the north side of Wall Street that abut the project area will be eliminated during the construction.
• Island Drive, from Maiden Lane to Wall Street, will be a two-way road during construction. It's normally one way.
• Sidewalks along the north side of Wall Street and the west side of Maiden Lane Court will be closed during construction.
• The 200-plus cars that park in the surface lot where the garage is being erected have been redirected to other lots for 'blue' permit holders.

Parking structure details:

• U-M regents have approved the project budget at $34 million.
• 'Blue' U-M permit holders should be able to park in the structure.
• With roughly 725 spaces, the structure adds 530 net vehicle spaces to U-M's parking portfolio, which currently includes more than 23,000 spaces in Ann Arbor.
• Vehicle spaces will be 16.5 feet by 8.5 feet, smaller than most parking structure vehicle slots.
• At six floors, the structure will be elevated roughly 70 feet above ground-level.
• Exterior wall openings will be high enough to avoid headlights shining through the structure and bothering residents.
• New lighting will be installed around the structure. All lighting in the structure will be motion activated.
• A rain garden will be planted on the east side of the structure to collect surface stormwater runoff.
• The university is creating a public walkway along the north end of the parking structure, where the side of the structure abuts Maiden Lane. This sidewalk will go through the garage.
• There will be two ways to exit and enter the structure, one off of Maiden Lane and another off of Wall Street.
• The university is extending Neilson Court, which currently ends at Maiden Lane, to Wall Street.

U-M display

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Greg Lobdell, Chet Czaplicka and Jon Carlson are opening the Old German in the basement of downtown Ann Arbor's Grizzly Peak.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

The owners of more than a dozen Michigan restaurants and bars are hoping to revive a long-lost piece of Ann Arbor when they open the Old German on West Washington Street this summer.

The owners of Grizzly Peak doubled the restaurant's brewing capacity to prepare for the Old German. Pictured here: Assistant brewer Mike Bardallis.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Renovations are underway on the roughly 2,400-square-foot basement space below Grizzly Peak, where crews started installing lighting and trim work this week. Grizzly Peak’s brewing capacity was doubled to prepare for the new bar.

The Old German will have a bar and lounge atmosphere that emphasizes German beer culture, Carlson said. It will have about 14 beers on draft.

“This is a tribute back to the Old German and that heritage of Ann Arbor,” Czaplicka said. “Bud (Metzger) was a really nice guy.”

The Old German, pictured from South Ashley Street, closed in 1995 when it was sold to Carlson and Czaplicka.

Ann Arbor District Library archives

Carlson and Czaplicka replaced the Old German at 120 W. Washington St. with Grizzly Peak in 1995.

“(Bud Metzger) and I shook hands. I was only 24-years-old and it was my first real business deal,” Carlson recalled. “(Bud) gave us the price of the building and the business and we didn’t negotiate. It was fair.”

The new Old German bar will pay homage to the original, and Carlson said they have been working to collect pictures of the original restaurant and of Bud Metzger to hang on the wall. A wrought iron Old German sign will mimic the old one, and stones from the original restaurant are being used to build booth areas.

Stones from the original Old German are being used to build booth areas in the new bar.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

“We are kind of pack rats and we do save everything,” Carlson said. “Although, when (Grizzly Peak) opened up, we never thought we were going to do a basement concept. As Ann Arbor continued to grow, we realized basement concepts do well.”

In addition to reviving the Old German, Carlson and his partners recently opened two basement concepts: mash below Blue Tractor, and the new Cafe Habana underneath Lena.

Carlson said the Old German’s food menu will be limited, although it will include the potato salad recipe from the original restaurant. The bar will have its own entrance off South Ashley Street.

The goal is to open the Old German before July 4, Carlson said.

See also: For more information on the Old German, check out this 1995 article from the Ann Arbor Observer.

There are some copies of an Old German cookbook collection, made by a former server and the chef, available on Amazon.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

From left to right, Circuit Judge Carol Kuhnke, District Judge Elizabeth Hines, City Attorney Stephen Postema and Senior Assistant City Attorney Kristen Larcom listen during speeches at the National Drug Court Month rally on Wednesday.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Now sober thanks to that same program, which forced him to confront his underlying drinking problem, his outlook has changed.

Jon G. is one of three graduates of the sobriety court who shared their personal stories of getting clean and sober Wednesday at a rally as part of National Drug Court Month.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

"Now I look out at the smiling faces around me, and I see God's creation," he said. "The ability to look at life like that is something sobriety court gave me. I cannot thank sobriety court enough. I owe my life to the team that was patient with me and beat me over the head when necessary."

Jon G. is one of three graduates of the sobriety court in Ann Arbor's 15th District Court who shared their personal stories of getting clean and sober Wednesday at a rally as part of National Drug Court Month.

"I do know that without sobriety court, I wouldn't be here today — certainly not like this," he told the crowd. "Sobriety court provided me with a fresh start in life."

The National Association of Drug Court Professionals has decided to celebrate National Drug Court Month with a 3,500-mile tour from California to New York City — with 26 stops along the way — and the rally in front of the 15th District Court served as one of those stops.

The event highlighted both the sobriety court Judge Joe Burke oversees, and the new veterans treatment court Judge Chris Easthope oversees.

Court officials said the two specialized courts, which they call "problem-solving courts," were selected because of their success at transforming the lives of seriously addicted individuals.

Molly W. appeared alongside her daughter Grace and fiance Paul. "When I entered sobriety court, I'm not entirely sure I wanted to get sober, but sobriety court basically made me get sober, and I couldn't be more grateful for that," she said.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

"Sobriety court has been a blessing for me," she said. "I'm clean and sober today. It's been two years and six months, so it's a blessing, and I like being clean and sober.

"It's something that I needed — I wanted the help," she added. "My family really appreciates it because I'm not laying in the gutter dead somewhere."

Molly W., a new mother and graduate of the University of Michigan, appeared alongside her daughter Grace and fiance Paul. She spoke about her life before sobriety court when she admittedly was "a mean, miserable person."

"I had pretty much been on probation for 10 years — in and out of jail, in and out of rehab, and it had absolutely no impact on my behavior," she said.

Every program she went through before sobriety court involved drug testing and suggested going to meetings, she said, but it wasn't the kind of structure she needed. She wasn't effectively instilled in the AA community before, but sobriety court facilitated that — and that's been crucial.

"When I entered sobriety court, I'm not entirely sure I wanted to get sober, but sobriety court basically made me get sober, and I couldn't be more grateful for that," she said.

She said she finally has graduated from the University of Michigan after nine years, and she now enjoys a "beautiful life" for which she thanks the court.

"Sobriety court has been a blessing for me," said Val C. "I'm clean and sober today. It's been two years and six months, so it's a blessing, and I like being clean and sober.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

According to information provided by organizers of the rally, there are more than 2,700 drug courts in the United States, and more than 75 percent of people who go through drug court are never arrested again. They estimate that saves $13,000 for every individual served.

Burke argued drug courts demonstrate how society can reduce drug use, crime and save money at the same time by offering treatment instead of incarceration for those suffering with addiction.

For a long time, Burke said, the country has engaged in a war on drugs. And if the drugs weren't winning the war, he said, they were at least doing a good job of fighting.

"So what do you do in a war when normal means don't work? You find different tactics," he said, suggesting drug courts address both the crime and the individual.

"They hold people accountable, but they also battle the addiction," he said. "They fight crime, they save money, they save jail beds for people who truly have earned them."

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Michigan Stadium, across from Pioneer High School, as seen from downtown Ann Arbor as the Wolverines played their first night game under newly installed lights in 2011 against Notre Dame. The Big House billboard could have some competing lights this fall if a digital billboard is installed at Pioneer for some additional revenue for the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Steve Pepple | AnnArbor.com file photo

• Related article: Budget crisis: Ann Arbor schools issues layoff notices for 233 teachers

Digital billboards similar to one along Interstate 94 outside Ypsilanti could be erected at Wines Elementary and Huron and Pioneer high schools come fall.

The Ann Arbor Board of Education voted Wednesday to place the digital billboards onto the revenue side of the budget proposal for the 2013-14 academic year.

The plan for the billboards would not be official until the budget is approved in June. However, despite their initial concerns about the light emission and ugliness of the structures, board members agreed in these tough financial times, the extra $100,000 in annual revenue that the boards would bring in was worth it.

"When I first thought of putting billboards up ... it just didn't feel right," said Treasurer Glenn Nelson. "It felt like selling our souls, to use the phrase."

But, he said, now the tradeoffs are worse, and the district is struggling to maintain excellence in its schools.

"We have just gotten to the point where there are going to be some costs in the community in order to take care of our children," Nelson said.

The Ann Arbor Public Schools is facing an $8.67 million budget shortfall for the 2013-14 academic year and considering drastic cuts, such as eliminating the seventh-hour option at Huron and Pioneer; cutting busing for high school students; reducing the number of staff by 80 employees, including 50 teachers; and closing middle school pools.

Adams Outdoor, the same company that erected the billboard off I-94, approached the Ann Arbor Public Schools a few years ago about these three locations, hoping to work with the district to install the signs. The school board members turned down the advertising revenue last year when district Communications Director Liz Margolis brought the proposal to them. Adams Outdoor also currently has two digital billboards on Whitmore Lake Public Schools property. The one most notable is located at the high school and can be seen going north on U.S. 23.

The Pioneer High School digital billboard would be erected near the spot where the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority park-and-ride lot is, but closer to Main Street and Stadium Boulevard, Margolis said. This sign would be 10 feet by 30 feet, two-sided and on a monopole structure.

The Huron High School billboard would also be two-sided (digital on both sides) and 10 feet by 30 feet. However, it would be lower to the ground and installed in a brick enclosure to be more aesthetically appealing for the area. It would be installed on Huron Parkway west of Geddes Road.

The Wines Elementary digital billboard would on the highway ring on M-14, west of Newport Road, Margolis said. She said this one would be most similar to the billboard at Whitmore Lake High School off U.S. 23. This billboard right now is expected to be just one-sided, but larger: 14 feet by 48 feet. Logistically, Adams Outdoor engineers are not sure they could have two sides on the sign. If they could, the extra side would bring in an extra $17,000 per year in revenue for AAPS.

An Adams Outdoor official attended Wednesday's regular Board of Education meeting to answer questions from trustees. Vice President Christine Stead asked about the brightness of the billboards and whether they could be dimmed at all at night. She also asked about safety risks.

The Adams Outdoor representative said the digital billboards have 256 dimming levels and an automatic dimming device, so the signs are the brightest during the day and are at their lowest levels at night.

He also said the company recently conducted a safety study on all three digital billboards it has in Washtenaw County using Southeast Michigan Council of Governments traffic data. He said Adams Outdoor compared traffic crashes near the signs from three years before they were erected to data from three years after. There were no increases in accidents around the boards, the representative said. One area stayed virtually the same, while the other two saw a decrease in the number of accidents.

He did not suggest the decline in accidents was due to the billboards, but said the company did look to see whether traffic volumes were down. But he said there was a margin of about a 3-percent swing when executives looked at the volumes in those areas, so nothing significant traffic-wise appeared to have changed.

The district would sign a 20-year lease with Adams Outdoor, and the $100,000 to $117,000 in annual revenue is expected for each year of the lease.

AAPS also will be permitted to place district advertising and information on the signs.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Students traverse the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus.

Joe Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Correction: The figuring representing U-M's acceptance rate has been fixed. U-M accepted approximately 1/3 of applicants.

The University of Michigan received more than 46,730 applications for entry to its 2013 freshman class- and 33 percent of applicants were admitted.

University of Michigan's campus

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

The uptick in applications marks a 10 percent increase over last year, when the school received 42,480 submissions. The year before, in 2011, U-M received 39,570 applications.

The increase is due in part to U-M's growing international profile and also its switch to the Common Application in 2010. The Common Application allows students streamline their college application process and submit near-identical applications to participating schools, provided applicants tailor personal essays for each school.

U-M said this year is the seventh consecutive year the number of applications has broken the previous record.

Final enrollment figures will be available in October.

University of Michigan's downtown Ann Arbor campus.

Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com

U-M enrolled about 6,170 freshmen this year, down from roughly 6,250 in 2011 and 6,500 in 2010.

The school's sweet-spot for freshmen enrollment is just under 6,000 students.

"Most of our applicants are qualified to be U-M students. Our job in admissions is to select from this amazing applicant pool the best possible freshman class — students who will flourish at the university and also complement the community as a whole during their years here," Ted Spencer, associate vice provost and executive director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, said in a release.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Christopher Hobbs

Courtesy of Washtenaw County Jail

A 35-year-old Ypsilanti man faces federal charges after police recovered a gun he allegedly pointed at his girlfriend and found drugs in his vehicle earlier this month, authorities said.

The state charges against Charles Curtis Hobbs will be dropped and he will instead be arraigned on federal counts of felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to deliver marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to court records.

Hobbs was taken into custody Tuesday by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) at the 14A-1 District Court, where his preliminary hearing on state charges of carrying a concealed weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence, third offense, was scheduled.

The district court hearing was adjourned and records show Hobbs appeared in federal court for a detention hearing Wednesday.

Ypsilanti police Sgt. Thomas Eberts said Hobbs was arrested the night of May 12 after officers were called to a residence in the 10 block of North Normal Street for a domestic dispute involving a gun.

A 31-year-old woman called 911 around 11:20 p.m. and told dispatchers Hobbs threatened her with a gun, according to an affidavit signed by ATF Special Agent Scott Toth.

The woman called back a few minutes later saying Hobbs left and asked police not to respond. Eberts said Hobbs and the woman lived at the residence together, had been together for about a year and a half and had a child together.

Ypsilanti police continued to the residence where Hobbs was loading property into a purple sport utility vehicle parked in the driveway, according to the affidavit. He was detained and asked if he had pointed a gun at the woman, who fled from the residence in her bathrobe, court records indicate.

“Hobbs denied any firearm being involved and said that he was moving out of the house,” the affidavit states.

Hobbs also denied having a gun in the vehicle. Police, who smelled marijuana smoke as they approached the vehicle, asked for and obtained permission from Hobbs to search it, according to the affidavit.

A loaded 9mm Glock with nine rounds of ammunition was found in a large plastic storage container, along with digital scales, prescription medication bottles and six glass Mason jars containing 85 grams of marijuana, according to authorities.

A bag of clear plastic sandwich baggies, “which are frequently used to package narcotics for sale or distribution were also found in the container in Hobbs’ vehicle,” the affidavit states.

The woman told police Hobbs sold marijuana, according to court records.

Hobbs was placed under arrest and arraigned the next day on the state charges. Magistrate Thomas Truesdell set his bond at 10 percent of $5,000, or $500, which he posted a few days later and was released from jail, court records indicate.

A person’s criminal history is one factor when federal authorities decide to take on a case, as are variables such as having guns manufactured outside the state or country and drugs found at the same time, said Donald Dawkins, of the ATF’s Detroit office.

A check of Hobbs’ criminal history turned up at least two felony convictions, both in Washtenaw County: one for criminal sexual conduct in 2000 and the second for domestic violence, third offense, in 2001, according to the affidavit.

At a detention hearing Wednesday, a federal magistrate ruled Hobbs was to remain in custody until at least his next court date, which was not specified in court records, but will likely be his arraignment, which has to take place within 10 days.

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John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Celebrate 40 years of Dawn Farm at its Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday. The event will be held at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center.

The presentation will "describe the evolution of the treatment field over the past 40 years, discuss what can be learned from Dawn Farm's successes and failures, illustrate how mission-driven choices have allowed Dawn Farm to survive and thrive, and explain the power of rejecting fear-based program management," according to the press release.

Dawn Farm is a non-profit organization that provides services for men and women with drug and alcohol problems.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013. Reception: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Presentation: 7:30-9 p.m. Free. is located at 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti. 734-712-3456. For more information about Dawn Farm, call 734-485-8725 or visit www.dawnfarm.org.

Twenty-five students within the Ann Arbor Public Schools have confirmed cases of whooping cough, according to a Washtenaw County Health Department official, and more are expected before the end of the school year.

AAPS spokesperson Liz Margolis said the whooping cough cases. also known as pertussis, have occurred during a month-long period. The cases have been reported at Pioneer High School, Slauson Middle School and Skyline High School.

File photo showing a young man receiving a whooping cough vaccination.

Jae C. Hong | The Associated Press

"Public health is working very closely with us on that," Margolis said. "Most of the students have gone through their rounds of medication."

AnnArbor.com reported Saturday five students at Pioneer High School were diagnosed with pertussis.

Margolis said the county has told AAPS not to do anything out of the ordinary or in addition to their normal cleaning procedures.

"Most of the kids had some kind of connection where they had been near each other," Margolis said. "One of the large frustration for public health is that doctors haven’t been testing for this... They’re encouraging doctors to test for it. Our school nurses are really working and we're doing a lot of communicating to families. At this point, we're taking all of our leads from public health. We're sending information sheets home as we continue to hear cases."

Laura Bauman, epidemiologist at the Washtenaw County Public Health Department, said countywide including the AAPS cases, 32 have been confirmed. Bauman said that number is from a period between January 1 up until May 23.

In all of 2012, there were 28 cases, and in 2011 there were 26. Bauman said the county is expecting more cases before the end of the year. However, Bauman said it's too early to tell whether the numbers will reach the height of 2010 when the county had 232 confirmed cases.

"Once pertussis gets circulating, it gets going for awhile," Bauman said. "We certainly expect more cases during this school year, but we may see a dropoff during summer."

Bauman said pertussis can still spread during the summer due to a large number of children attending summer camps and other activities. Bauman said the numbers could spike again when children return to school in the fall.

Skyline principal Sulura W. Jackson sent an email out to parents Tuesday, informing them a student was diagnosed with pertussis and that can spread easily in schools.

Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that can be severe, particularly in young children, Bauman said.

Bauman said since 2009, the county has seen an uptick in cases.

"In 2009 there were 89 cases and we had no idea that the next year was going to be four times that," Bauman said. "It seems to go in waves. Part of what's going on is 10 to 15 years ago, we switched over to a new vaccine called acellular pertussis. It's a good vaccine, but it doesn't look like it's as protective as the old vaccine."

Bauman said the old vaccine caused a lot of reactions in patients who received it.

Bauman, said the new vaccine is 80 percent effective, leaving room for 20 percent of people to still get sick despite receiving it. Some of the students diagnosed had received the vaccine.

"We definitely are seeing fully-vaccinated kids," Bauman said. "That's certainly frustrating for families who have done the right thing and vaccinated their kids and for us in public health. What we saw in 2010 is that once it gets a foothold, it can affect a lot of different people."

Bauman said having a well-vaccinated population will help curb the spread, but an occasional breakthrough will occur.

Bauman said those who are diagnosed with pertussis should stay home for the five days they're on antibiotics and often, family members are prescribed medicine as well to prevent a further spread.

Pertussis can affect anyone, ranging from infants to the elderly, Bauman said.

People of all ages are advised by the health department to call their physician if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Unusual cough lasting 7 days or more (with or without the signature "whooping" sound)
• Sporadic bursts of coughing
• Coughing-induced vomitting

The health department also is suggesting antibiotics for individuals exposed to the disease in the following categories:

• All children sharing a childcare classroom with a preschool child who has pertussis
• Anyone sharing a classroom or work space with someone with the disease
• Infants less than 1 year old exposed to pertussis
• Pregnant women exposed to the disease
• People living with or working with infants and pregnant women who have been exposed to the disease
• Immune-compromised people (those on chemotherapy or other drugs that affect one's immune system) who have been exposed
• Anyone with a chronic respiratory disease, including asthma, who have been exposed
• Anyone experiencing cold-like respiratory symptoms and that have been exposed to a person with pertussis are advised to stay home from school and work until they have completed at least five days of antibiotics.

The Washtenaw County Health Department's website has more information on pertussis and its symptoms. Bauman said the website likely will be updated once a week with new diagnosed cases.

Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.

Police believe speed may have been a factor in Wednesday's fatal accident at Liberty and Zeeb.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

The 28-year-old Van Buren Township woman who died in a car accident Wednesday afternoon may have been speeding, police said.

“The car was moving at a pretty high rate of speed,” said Derrick Jackson of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. “We’re not sure why she went into oncoming traffic.”

Scio Township Fire Chief Carl Ferch said Wednesday, the vehicle was traveling south on Zeeb Road when it crossed the centerline and collided with a gravel hauler traveling north about 2:10 p.m..

Jackson said authorities are still attempting to contact the woman's extended family and her name wasn't expected to be released until Thursday evening.

Police weren't immediately releasing whether the woman was wearing a seatbelt. The car was still registered to a dealer because the woman had recently purchased it and was waiting for paperwork to be transferred into her name.

This detail made it a little more difficult to identify the woman, Jackson said.

Police continue to investigate the crash.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

After a stretch of summer-like days, temperatures are on a downward spiral in the Ann Arbor area.

We've already enjoyed the high for Thursday, a mere 62 degrees. High winds with gusts as high as 30 mph will continue through the day. Showers are expected until 8 p.m. with the chance of precipitation at 80 percent. Up to a quarter inch of rain is possible.

A cold front brings the potential for patchy frost for some areas in southeast Michigan Thursday night..

MLive photo

Temperatures are expected to be in the 50s Thursday afternoon, then drop to around 38 Thursday night.

Some parts of Washtenaw County may experience patchy frost after midnight, but the National Weather Service in White Lake Township said no frost advisory has been issued for Ann Arbor.

Although the sun will be out this weekend, temperatures won't climb back into the 70s until Tuesday. Friday’s high will be near 62 with a low of 41. Saturday will be sunny with a high near 64 and a low of 43. Sunday’s high will be near 65 with a low of 43.

Temperatures will begin to climb early next week with a high of 71 expected Tuesday and Wednesday's high near 77 degrees.

For updated forecasts and conditions anytime, check AnnArbor.com's weather page.

Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.

It's official: Ann Arbor is growing.

Tree Town's population climbed above the 116,000 mark last year — up almost 2 percent from 2010, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Census estimates suggest Ann Arbor is a popular place to live.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Ann Arbor's population sat at 113,934 as of the 2010 census, a slight decrease from the decade before. Later estimates from July 2010 put it at 114,112.

By July 1, 2011, Ann Arbor's population was estimated at 115,167. And as of July 1, 2012, the timeframe for the new estimates, it went up again to 116,121.

With an extra 2,000-plus people calling this college town home, Ann Arbor is now the fifth-largest city in Michigan, trailing only Detroit (701,475), Grand Rapids (190,411), Warren (134,141), and Sterling Heights (130,410).

Since the 2010 census, Ann Arbor has traded places with Lansing, which used to have a slightly higher population. Based on the new estimates, Ann Arbor is now bigger than the state's capital city, which has seen its estimated population tick down to 113,996.

MLive reported on Thursday the new data shows Michigan's population is growing, but a state demographer said the estimates may be of little value for identifying local population changes. MLive reported the estimates look just at changes in the housing market.

The new estimates put the state's population at 9,883,360 — up 6,559 people from 2011. Washtenaw County's gain of 2,309 last year accounted for more than a third of that.

Washtenaw County's population clocked in at 350,946, up 0.7 percent from 2011. The county gained an estimated 5,596 residents from 2010 to 2012.

The new estimates show every single municipality in Washtenaw County saw at least some increase in its population last year.

• Download the chart

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

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• Budget crisis: Ann Arbor schools issues layoff notices for 233 teachers
• Budget cuts: Ann Arbor schools to cut high school busing, charge kids for 7th hour

Despite a second attempt Wednesday from Board Secretary Andy Thomas, the Ann Arbor school board remained largely unwilling to budge on a $5,000 food allowance for board meetings.

Andy Thomas

The Board of Education decided last week to eliminate a $70,000 line item for discretionary spending on food for meetings and events districtwide in next year's budget. However, $5,000 was spared from the cut to preserve spending on food for board meetings and other board-related events.

Vice President Christine Stead said the $5,000 fund also allows the board to provide cookies for student performers at the regular Board of Education meetings, as well as items for legislative panel discussions that the board hosts with state senators and representatives. She said eliminating the food budget "is like saying we're not going to do that anymore."

She said she sees the legislative panels as an important piece of community service that the board and the school district provide because the panels help residents stay informed.

"And I would like to see (the community) stay engaged in this conversation (about the lack of state funding for public education) and not just as a reaction to budget reductions," Stead said, adding some of the money from the $5,000 food budget is used to support the board's role in facilitating that engagement.

Information provided by Communications Director Liz Margolis says for each student performance, the district orders two to six dozen cookies at a cost of $12 to $40. A legislative panel event costs $65 for linen rentals and bottled water. The information also showed some of the funding goes toward an employee recognition program, Celebrations of Excellence, which requires the purchase of a $100 fruit basket for each occurrence.

Stead said the food — which, for 15 people for a regular board meeting costs $80 — is provided by Chartwells and is "about the most cost efficient way" to serve the group. At $80 per regular meeting, the cost per person is about $5.33.

"... It doesn't mean there aren't cheaper options," said Treasurer Glenn Nelson.

Nelson was the only trustee to express a wavering opinion from the first discussion the board had on the topic on May 15. He said after some thought, he changed his mind and would be willing to support some reduction to the $5,000 food fund, but not an elimination.

"I'd be interested in some cut but not to zero," he said.

There was no further discussion on the $5,000 food allowance at Wednesday's meeting.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Jeremy Abston

Courtesy of YPD

Raymond March

Raymond March

The 27-year-old man accused of abducting his ex-girlfriend in an Ypsilanti parking lot earlier this month is now in custody, police said.

Jeremy Abston was arrested Thursday at a residence in Detroit, according to a release from the Ypsilanti Police Department.

Abston was located and taken into custody without incident by police with the assistance of the 2nd District Fugitive Team, the release states.

He will be held at the Washtenaw County Jail until he is arraigned on charges of unlawful imprisonment, conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment, interfering with the reporting of a crime, assault with a dangerous weapon, larceny in a building, three charges of interfering with electronic communications, aggravated domestic violence, assault and battery and malicious destruction of property worth less than $200.

Court records indicate those are the counts authorized on the arrest warrant.

Police say Abston and 21-year-old Raymond March, of Belleville, forced 25-year-old Farrah Cook into a car in the parking lot of an Ypsilanti apartment complex on May 6. Cook eventually broke free of her captors that same day at a different apartment complex in Ypsilanti Township and suffered a sprained ankle.

March was arrested May 10 at an Inkster home. He is charged with unlawful imprisonment, conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment and interfering with the reporting of a crime and aggravated assault for his alleged involvement in Cook's abduction.

March waived a preliminary examination Tuesday. He continues to be held in the Washtenaw County Jail on a $250,00 cash bond, jail records indicate.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.