I-69 lane back open at 10:59 a.m.

**Northbound I-69 now has both lanes open to traffic**

This week's front page. Click to enlarge.

Crash closes one lane NB I-69 near Verona TODAY at 10:12 a.m.

The left lane of northbound I-69 is closed near Verona Road in Calhoun County due to a crash. Both lanes of southbound I-69 are open.



Julie A. Hurley
Southwest Region Communications Representative
Michigan Department of Transportation
hurleyju@mi.gov
269.208.7829 (Nextel)

For lane closure information visit
michigan.gov/drive

Community mourns MHS vocal music director

Former MHS vocal music director Kathryn Petrich, who had resigned June 30 to begin a new job at Walled Lake High School near Detroit, was found dead in her Battle Creek home July 6. A bus load of 50 of her former choir students attended her funeral Friday in Flint and sang pieces she had taught them to sing for concerts this past school year, according to Petrich friend, Rhonda Stepp. Another memorial service at her Battle Creek Church is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, July 26. See today's Chronicle for reflections on Petrich and her 12 year career with Marshall Public Schools.

Garage sale ordinance closer to reality

After more than an hour of debate among themselves and with input from only one city resident, Kathy Miller, at a public hearing, the Marshall City Planning Commission tonight voted unanimously to recommend that the Marshall City Council adopt an amendment to the zoning code that would regulate garage sales. The language, however, has changed from the originally proposed limit of no more than two sales per year lasting no longer than three days in residential zones. The newly proposed language now recommends allowing sales three times per year, no more than four days each with participation in a citywide garage sale set by resolution of city council not counted against the quota. This, if passed, would allow for up to a total of four garage sales per year of personal items. And, Estate sales were added and would be covered by the ordinance if approved. See this Saturday's Chronicle for more on this story.

Cemetery cleanup to last at least two weeks

The City of Marshall Department of Public Works (DPW) is asking the public to stay out of Oakridge Cemetery until the department's six workers get a chance to clean up a massive mess of fallen trees and limbs caused by the July 2 storms that caused similar problems in other parts of the city. Because crews have been working to pick up brush for the third time in recent weeks due to storms, they have little time left over to remove the fallen trees, some aged more than 150 years old, in the cemetery, said supervisor Barry McCormack. Because overtime has not been authorized to perform the work, it could take more than two weeks to complete. McCormack asks citizens to stay out of the cemetery for at least two weeks to give crews time to remove trees and branches from block the cemetery roads. Already, some drivers in the cemetery have created deep, muddy ruts while trying to drive around onto grass and even onto graves to travel through the cemetery creating even more work for the public works employees. Here, employee Terry Travis works in the front section of the cemetery.

Proposed garage sale ordinance public hearing tonight

The public will get a chance to let the Marshall City Planning Commission hear what it thinks about the panel's proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would add a section regulating the frequency and duration of garage sales on individual lots at 7 p.m. tonight in the Marshall City Council Chambers when a public hearing is scheduled to occur. Marshall City Council members expressed reservations about the proposal at Monday night's council meeting after the trustees said they received a number of comments and phone calls from citizens expressing concern that the city may limit sales to no more than two per year lasting no more than three days. The council will have the final say if the planning commission recommends the ordinance for approval. Town Hall is located at 323 West Michigan Avenue on Fountain Circle.

Court dismisses lawsuit; Moore stays on the ballot

Today Calhoun County Circuit Court Judge James Kingsley dismissed in whole the lawsuit challenging the residency of State Representative candidate Greg Moore, thereby reaffirming his spot on the Primary Election ballot in the 62nd House District.

"My opponent and her team did everything they could to make sure that Republican voters would not have a true choice in this election,” Moore said. “She tried to kick me off the ballot so she wouldn't have to face me at the polls. Hopefully my opponent will see fit to drop her legal maneuvering and let us get back to having a real conversation with voters.”

Judge Kingsley's ruling, along with Calhoun County Clerk/Register Anne Norlander's earlier decision, clears the way for Moore's candidacy.

"Fortunately for the voters, my opponent's fight to remove my name from the ballot was blocked. Now, Republican Primary voters will have a choice of who is best suited to represent their values and concerns. I'm confident my record of fiscal responsibility and common sense conservative principles will present a clear contrast and offer a real choice," concluded Moore.

Editor's Note:

From time to time we receive requests to upload the entire Chronicle each week. We would love to be able to offer a more complete representation of the paper. However, due to the more than the average difficulties we have in uploading just the one page from our Apple machines to the Windows based site (it takes anywhere from one to 10 times to get the page to successfully upload) we simply cannot take the time to repeat the effort for each page, unfortunately. Ånd, we simply have no website maintenance staff so your news staff must take the time to provide what content you do find here, free of charge. Thanks for your understand and please, as always, pick a free copy of our paper, today.
-Shelly

This week's front page; Click to enlarge

Storms rip through Marshall, again

Storms that ripped through Marshall creating more flooded basements and downed trees and power lines July 2 also caused significant damage at Oakridge Cemetery and Alwyn Downs Golf Course. City firefighters were out from 6:15 p.m. to 4 a.m. helping power line crews who were out even longer working in the aftermath. Winds reached up to 45 mph and rain amounted to about 3.8 inches in Marshall. See the July 5 Chronicle for more.

Softball player hitting home runs after 30 years

After more than 30 years of playing recreation softball, Jim Dominque hit his first home run at the age of 49 last season. Since then, he's opened a pandora's box, snagging four more home runs last year and another five so far this year. Read John Hendler's feature story on this local business owner and long time softball pitcher in the July 5 Chronicle.

Mar Lee to offer all-day kindergarten

The Mar Lee Board of Education voted at its annual organizational meeting last week to include all day kindergarten in the school's fall offerings, a press release from Supt. William LeTarte announced. See the July 5 Chronicle for more on this story.

Parents hold meeting to discuss MHS schedules

A number of music boosters and other parents of Marshall High School students concerned over their perception of a new class schedule expected this fall that creates conflicts for music students wanting to take AP courses met at the Marshall Activity Center last week to share their concerns with two board members. Dan Stulberg and Janice Darling attended the meeting in which Music Booster President Jack Reed, along with band and orchestra directors Jeremy Root and Justin Valla, rapped their observations of an apparent new rule that would force students to either choose music or advanced placement classes but not both as they have been able to do in the past. Root noted that some students will go to band camp this summer only to return to school next month to learn they are not in band. See more on this story in the July 5 edition of The Chronicle.

Night at the Louvre auction to benefit Fountain Clinic

The annual Night at the Louvre dinner and auction will be held July 12 on the home of Tom and Marsha Franke. All proceeds will benefit the Fountain Clinic, a free health and dental clinic for the uninsured. To read about items to be auctioned and participating donors, see the July 2 edition of the Community Ad-visor.

For more information about the event or the Fountain Clinic, call 781-0952.