State Roundup

Laketon Twp.
Government eyes cleaning oil from western lake

LAKETON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - The government is looking into what it would take to clean up a western Michigan lake that has had oil seeping into it for more than two decades.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked consulting companies to quote a price for conducting a feasibility study on the Bear Lake project, The Muskegon Chronicle reported.

The aim is to eventually take care of the problem in the Fenner's Ditch bayou area of the lake, which is in Muskegon County's Laketon Township.

David Bandlow, an environmental quality analyst with the DEQ's Remediation and Redevelopment Division, said a study would seek to locate the source of the oil seep and assess containment, disposal or other options. Officials think the oil is from a well drilled in 1929 that was plugged in 1931.

The well was one of hundreds drilled in Laketon Township in the 1920s, but the plugging technique of the time may not have been adequate. Oil eventually started making its way to the surface and neighbors have reported oil smells and slicks since at least the early 1990s.

The state for years has tried to contain the Fenner's Ditch oil slicks with absorbent booms. The leak could be at a house, under a yard or even underwater.

Kathy Evans, environmental planner with West Michigan Shoreline Development Commission, said she is enthusiastic that plans are moving forward.

"It's been a long, long process to get to this point," she said.

The EPA made an attempt to locate the source of the leak in 2012, but that didn't work out. Documents from the 1920s and 1930s aren't precise enough to indicate exactly where the leak is and the well in question was drilled more than 2,000 feet deep.

"It gets you in the general area, but to locate it exactly you really need to encounter it in the field," Bandlow said.

Grand Rapids
District settles lawsuit tied to assault for $600K

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A Grand Rapids-area school district has settled a lawsuit for $600,000 with a former student who said officials didn't protect her from harassment after she reported a sexual assault at age 15.

WOOD-TV reported details of the settlement in federal court involving the Forest Hills district, citing agreements obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The woman must pay her attorney costs and taxes from that amount.

The former student had accused Forest Hills Central High School of violating her rights by not protecting her from harassment after she accused an athlete of assaulting her on campus in 2010.

Judge Paul Maloney found the school didn't retaliate against her but failed to train employees about responding to complaints of assault.

Separately, the athlete pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault.

Dearborn
Photographs show aging roadside attractions

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - An exhibit that looks at the vanishing landscape of roadside attractions along U.S. highways is opening this weekend at Henry Ford Museum in suburban Detroit.

"Roadside America: Through the Lens of John Margolies" starts Saturday and runs through Jan. 24 at the museum in Dearborn. A preview event, including an appearance by the author, photographer and lecturer on American architecture and design, is scheduled for Friday.

For several decades, Margolies photographed the unusual and the everyday of roadside attractions, including movie theaters, gas stations, diners and motels, providing a comprehensive study of American roadside architecture, the museum said.

The exhibit includes slides and items recently acquired by The Henry Ford from Margolies' collection of photos, diaries, pennants, postcards and luggage labels.

Inside the exhibit, viewers can learn more about the inspiration behind his collection, including the books and camera equipment he used. Visitors can view travel logs that Margolies collected via touch screen or step inside an oversized postcard for a photo.

Three vehicles from The Henry Ford's collection that are not normally on display will be part of the exhibit. At the entrance, visitors will see the 1950 Buick Roadmaster. A 1950 Chrysler New Yorker and a 1963 Studebaker Avanti also will be seen.

Henry Ford Museum is part of The Henry Ford, a history attraction that includes Greenfield Village. The exhibit is supported by

the Ford Motor Company Fund.

Detroit
Peregrine falcons banded in several southern cities

DETROIT (AP) - The state says it recently banded 15 peregrine falcon chicks that hatched in southern Michigan this spring.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the tracking of the birds is important as falcons recover from a major population decline in the 1960s.

The DNR says the chicks get bands before they can fly. The bands allow scientists to monitor and track their dispersal, migration, life span, reproductive success, behavior and population growth.

The state says birds were banded at the former Lowe Campbell Ewald/GM building in Warren, the Fisher Building in Detroit, the Whittier Hotel building in Detroit, the Jackson County Tower building in Jackson and the Old Macomb County building in Mount Clemens.

Peregrine falcons are considered endangered in Michigan. The state began its peregrine recovery efforts in 1986.

Published: Thu, Jun 18, 2015