State Roundup

Manistee Murder charge filed in Manistee County cold case MANISTEE, Mich. (AP) -- A woman has been charged with murder in the disappearance of a northern Michigan man who hasn't been seen since 1995. The Manistee County prosecutor says 61-year-old Rosemary Skrzycki (SKRITZ'-key) is in jail, 120 miles northwest of Grand Rapids. She's due in court on Sept. 14 to determine if there's probable cause to send her to trial. The victim is Vincent Adamczak, a 41-year-old man from Wellston. Prosecutor Ford Stone tells TV station WWTV it's the oldest cold case he's ever worked on. The name of Skrzycki's attorney wasn't immediately available. Boyne City Health officials warn of fake food inspector scam BOYNE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- Health officials in the northwestern Lower Peninsula are warning restaurants about a scam involving fake food inspectors. TV station WWTV/WWUP reports that Red Mesa in Boyne City was targeted recently by people telling the restaurant that they planned an inspection and needed to have a phone number called to register. Turns out the number racks up phone charges by the minute. The Health Department of Northwest Michigan issued the warning. Red Mesa didn't fall for the scam and contacted the health department. Detroit Run, walk for city's homeless adds bicycle tour DETROIT (AP) -- Hundreds of runners and walkers are expected to take to the Detroit riverfront Saturday morning in an event to raise money for the city's homeless. There's a new feature for this year's RiverRun and Walk, sponsored by the Neighborhood Service Organization. It's called "Handlebars for the Homeless," a 13- to 15-mile, non-competitive bike tour. The RiverRun and Walk has raised more than $200,000 since 2007. Some of the city's homeless have been in training to participate in the 3.1-mile run and walk portion of the event. The event begins on the Detroit RiverWalk at Rivard Plaza. Detroit Owners rebuy foreclosed homes, escape tax debt DETROIT (AP) -- Some Detroit homeowners and landlords are escaping property tax debts by rebuying their foreclosed properties at auction. The Detroit News reports Wednesday that it identified about 200 of nearly 3,700 Detroit properties sold at auction last year that appeared to be bought back by owners. In some cases, the names of relatives or different companies were used. The total in taxes and other debts wiped away was about $1.8 million. The practice is legal under a loophole that's being looked at by city and Wayne County officials. Some defend the practice, saying it allows people to keep their homes. Nearly 14,300 properties are due to be auctioned this fall. Democratic state Sen. Tupac Hunter of Detroit has introduced legislation to ban buyers who owe back taxes. Calumet Beaver blamed for loss of 911 service in north UP CALUMET, Mich. (AP) -- A beaver is getting the blame for the loss of 911 service for several hours Tuesday in parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The beaver chewed through a phone line about three miles south of Calumet, local emergency management officials told WLUC-TV. The outages affected all of Keweenaw County and northern Houghton County on Tuesday morning, but service was back by afternoon. And the beaver may be a repeat offender. Officials said there was a phone outage in the area two years ago, and the beaver is a suspect. Authorities said people in the 337 telephone exchange, which are the three numbers following the area code, were asked to call the Keweenaw County sheriff's department for emergencies. People in the 289 exchange were asked to call the Copper Harbor Fire Department for emergencies. "The phone system was compromised. That happens when this happens, and we've worked with AT&T in the past to try and resolve this issue," said Houghton County Emergency Manager Jack Dueweke. "And I think we've come up with the only way to do it, to have a little halo, a little secondary point of entrance into the system and we're all hoping that happens." Mount Clemens Man held on $1M bond on sex assault charge MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (AP) -- A 28-year-old Macomb County man was being held Tuesday on a $1 million bond on charges that he sexually assaulted and impregnated a girlfriend's 11-year-old daughter. Trevaun Brooks was arraigned in Mount Clemens District Court on first-degree and second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges. Members of the Macomb County sheriff's enforcement team arrested Brooks on Monday afternoon at a home in Warren, just north of Detroit. A warrant was issued last week after he failed to meet with investigators, Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said. "The sheriff's enforcement team began looking for him; talking to friends, family, relatives and following up on leads," Wickersham said. "We had good information that he was still in the area." The girl, who now is 12, gave birth Aug. 9 at a Macomb County hospital. She and the newborn are in the care of state Child Protective Services. Brooks and the girl's mother had been in a relationship and he worked two months over the summer as a contract janitor at her Mount Clemens charter school. "We don't know how long this relationship was, how long he lived in house with the mother and the victim," Wickersham said. The girl originally told authorities the baby's father was a 15-year-old acquaintance. Brooks was arrested at the home of another girlfriend, Wickersham said. A preliminary examination has been scheduled for Sept. 19. Brooks' attorney Chris Aiello said he can't fully comment until he reviews police reports and other evidence. "They're just charges right now," Aiello said. Published: Thu, Sep 8, 2011