HOWELL — An agreement has been reached between a Holland-based recycling company and the city of Howell over a new industrial shredder.The resolution was reached during an executive session of the Howell City Council during its regular meeting Monday, Jan. 25.According to a release from the city, Padnos agreed to dismiss its lawsuit filed in Livingston County Circuit Court against the municipality regarding its recycling operation at 645 Lucy Road in Howell.The metal recycling company
January 28, 2021
A lawsuit has been dropped against four former employees of a Howell-based restaurant group.
Adam Merkel owns Diamonds, Cello, and the Silver Pig in downtown Howell, as well as a Royal Oak venture. In May of last year, he filed a lawsuit against four former employees for defamation and comments they made on social media concerning how his restaurants handled the COVID-19 shutdown.
The suit, which had sought a minimum of $25,000 in damages, was dismissed earlier this month by Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty. Merkelâs attorney Bryan Marcus tells WHMI that the decision to drop the litigation was made because no further public statements had been made by the former employees. However, he noted that it was dismissed without prejudice, which means it can be refiled any time.
January 26, 2021
A lawsuit filed by a recycling company against the City of Howell has been withdrawn.
According to a release from the city, Padnos Howell Inc., a metal recycling company, has agreed to dismiss its appeal filed in Livingston County Circuit Court against the City of Howell regarding its recycling operation at 645 Lucy Road. The suit was filed after the cityâs Board of Zoning Appeals denied two variances, one of which would have allowed the company to operate an open-air metal shredder, as opposed to placing it inside an enclosure.
The Howell Planning Commission had previously approved the plans for the operation, including the shredder, subject to the approval of the variances by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
January 14, 2021 By Jon King / jking@whmi.com
Sentencing has been handed down to a former bookkeeper for a Livingston County-based religious denomination who admitted to embezzling from the organization.
76-year old Judy Murray of Wyandotte formerly worked for the Assemblies of God Michigan District, located in Brighton Township. She was accused to have stolen $205,000 and was charged in October with embezzlement of $100,000 or more. Murray pleaded guilty in December to a reduced embezzlement count of between $20,000 and $50,000.
In court Thursday morning, Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty ordered Murray to serve a term of probation of 18 months. It was noted that Murray had no prior criminal record and had already repaid all of the money that had been taken.
January 11, 2021 By Jon King / jking@whmi.com
Sentencing has been handed down to a Hartland Township man convicted of setting a large barn fire in September.
33-year-old Michael Paul Nester pleaded no contest last month to charges of arson and malicious destruction of property stemming from a suspicious fire and property damage that occurred at a property located off of Clyde Road, east of Hartland Road, in the early morning hours of September 8th. Last week, Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Michael Hatty sentenced Nester to serve concurrent terms of 38 months to 20 years on the arson conviction and 38 months to 10 years for the count of property destruction. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such at sentencing. Nester was arrested after he was identified as a person of interest in the barn fire and was taken into custody on a probation violation for a previous larceny conviction. Responding Livingston County She