Tag: michigan

She Got a Permit for Her Chickens. Now the City Is Fining Her $80,000.

The city of Douglas, Michigan, is determined to take the “free” out of “free range.” In 2023, Kathryn Sarkisian, a resident of the Lake Michigan tourist town, wanted to do something that seemed simple enough: raise chickens in her backyard. She then sought—and received—a permit directly from the city, authorizing her to do so. Barely a month later, the city pulled an about-face, telling Sarkisian that she would have to get rid of her chickens on account of a neighbor’s complaint.

Douglas originally passed its chicken ordinance in 2020, which gives neighbors a 21-day period within which to object to nearby chicken permit requests. This process wasn’t followed, though, since the neighbor’s complaint came after the city had already issued Sarkisian’s permit. The city claimed that it had forgotten to notify the neighbors of their right to object during the review process and had therefore done so retroactively. Since one neighbor ended up objecting, Sarkisian was told she’d have to get rid of her chickens.

In the meantime, Sarkisian had spent $23,000 building a chicken coop and a privacy fence to shield the chickens from view. When Sarkisian refused to budge, the city began assessing a $300-per-day fine in November 2024. This means she is currently facing nearly $80,000 in fines for her refusal to comply with the city’s demands. Worse yet, the city hasn’t even clarified when the tolling period for the fines started—if it started from the time she began raising the chickens, the fines would now total over $200,000.

Despite the immense financial penalties at play, Sarkisian’s six plucky chickens still stride outside her back door. “I was raised in a family that loves this country, that believes in our freedom, that’s grateful for people who fought and who still fight for our freedoms,” Sarkisian told MLive in a recent interview. “And those freedoms and rights are very near and dear to me.”

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Authorities Identify Michigan Church Shooting Suspect

Police have identified the gunman who opened fire outside CrossPointe Community Church on Sunday, during a morning service attended by about 150 people.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, a 31-year-old man on Sunday opened fire outside the CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan.

Churchgoers first noticed the gunman driving erratically in the parking lot, and as he exited the vehicle, several parishioners noticed he was wearing a tactical vest and wielding a rifle.

Police Chief Ryan Strong, in a press conference, revealed, “A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot the vehicle repeatedly.

Strong later noted, “At least two staff members shot the gunman, causing the fatal wounds.”

Now, authorities have revealed the 31-year-old gunman has been identified as Brian Anthony Browning, from Romulus, Michigan.

Per NBC News:

A man was shot dead by a security guard on Sunday after he opened fire outside a Michigan church during a service has been identified as a 31-year-old who attended the church with his mother.

Brian Anthony Browning, from Romulus, Michigan, was armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle with more than a dozen magazines of ammunition, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, Wayne Police Department said in a statement.

“The suspect’s mother is a member of the church, in which he has attended church services two or three times over the course of the last year,” the statement said.

Police said their ongoing investigation suggests “he may have been suffering a mental health crisis” and had no prior contact with law enforcement officers.

There have been no details on the possible motive for the shooting, but police pointed out there was no evidence to suggest it was linked to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as has been the case in recent attacks across the U.S. The suspect had no previous contacts with the Wayne Police Department or a criminal history.

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America’s Dirtiest Sec of State and Dem Candidate For MI Governor Pulls A “Kamala” and DESTROYS Her Political Career With One Stupid “X” Post About LA Rioters

On any given day, America’s dirtiest secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson (MI-D), is potentially the most unpopular elected official on “X.”  It doesn’t matter which woke, or anti-Republican message she’s sharing on “X,” Michigan’s crooked secretary of state is consistently called out for her dishonestly and her ridiculous, anti-American views.

Yesterday, while defending the violent rioters in Los Angeles, CA, Michigan’s Democrat SOS Jocelyn Benson potentially ended her political career with a ridiculous post on “X” where she claimed she was praying for the safety of the rioters. Kamala Harris likely helped to end her political career in June 2020, when she foolishly asked her supporters on “X” to “chip in” to help bail out criminals who were destroying the city of Minneapolis over the drug overdose-caused death of George Floyd.

Thanks to Kamala’s promotion of the bail fund, George Howard, an alleged domestic abuser, was released from jail on a $1,500 bond that was paid by the organization Kamala was touting. Two weeks later, Howard was involved in a road rage incident where he was arrested and charged with the murder of a 38-year-old man. He would have still been in jail had it not been for Kamala Harris trying to publicly flaunt her support for the BLM rioters by asking people to bail them out of jail. This serious issue repeatedly surfaced during Kamala’s failed 2024 presidential campaign.

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Michigan Senate Dems Pass Bump Stock Ban, ‘Ghost Gun’ Regulations

Michigan Senate Democrats in the Judiciary Committee passed bills Thursday that will ban bump stocks and require serialization on so-called “ghost guns.”

WVNEWS reported that state Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D) sponsored SB 224, which is the bump stock ban.

Polehanki described bump stocks as “destructive weapons of war,” adding, “And let me be clear: these are not tools for sport or self-defense. Bump stocks are used to inflict maximum harm in seconds, and their continued availability puts every one of our communities at risk. That’s unacceptable, and it’s time for a change.”

The bills related to so-called “ghost guns” were sponsored by state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D). These pieces of legislation ban “the purchase, possession and distribution of firearms without valid serial numbers.”

McMorrow contended that gun control laws must change as quickly as does the technology to build guns, saying, “Just as rapidly as new weapon production methods emerge and evolve, so too must our laws and public safety efforts. Our communities deserve nothing less.”

More gun control, pushed by state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D), would ban open and concealed carry on Michigan Capitol grounds and in the Anderson House Office Building.

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Michigan House Sues Secretary of State Over Subpoenaed Election-Worker Training Materials

The Office of Legal Counsel for the Michigan House of Representatives filed a lawsuit on June 4 against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, over her refusal to turn over subpoenaed election materials to the House Oversight Committee.

The lawsuit, filed in the Michigan Court of Claims, requests a declaratory judgment from the court that the Michigan House has issued a valid subpoena and that Benson must comply with it. The lawsuit also requests an injunction prohibiting Benson or the Michigan Department of State from modifying any relevant records.

The House Legal Counsel filed the verified complaint for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief under the authority of House Resolution 117, which states that the “House Office of Legal Counsel is directed to take steps necessary and proper to ensuring compliance with the House’s subpoenas, including the initiation of legal action.”

The filing also requests immediate and expedited consideration by the Court of Claims, the judicial body that resolves all disputes where the state or its agencies are the defendant.

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Chinese Student Who Voted in 2024 Elections Illegally Flees From United States

A Chinese national residing in the United States who was charged with voting illegally in the 2024 U.S. general elections has fled the country, federal authorities said on Friday.

The individual—a student at the University of Michigan—had registered to vote in Michigan on Oct. 27, the office of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told The Epoch Times in October. He established residency in Ann Arbor by utilizing student identification and other documents while also signing a document claiming to have U.S. citizenship.

The student had surrendered his Chinese passport in November and was told not to leave Michigan. But he traveled to China from Detroit in January by showing another passport, the FBI said in a court filing.

An arrest warrant was issued in April after he failed to appear at two court hearings in Ann Arbor. He was facing charges of perjury and attempting to vote as an unauthorized elector, a felony.

He now faces a federal charge, though the United States does not have an extradition treaty with China.

After casting his vote, the student had contacted the city clerk’s office to retract the illegal vote, according to Benson’s office. By this time, the vote had already been processed through the tabulator.

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Pervy middle school teacher accused of sexually abusing student, 12, caught sneaking into school dance disguised as an old woman

A Michigan teacher was busted for allegedly sexually abusing his 12-year-old student — after police caught the disgraced educator using a bizarre elderly woman disguise to sneak into a school function, according to police and reports.

Vincent Weaver, a 29-year-old fine arts teacher and dance coach at George Washington Carver Academy, was hit with criminal sexual conduct charges on May 16 for engaging in repeated sick acts with the youngster on school grounds over four months, according to the Highland Park Police Department.

The depraved worker — who has since lost his job — was initially suspended on May 2 after a sex toy fell out of his bag in a classroom, which prompted the victim to report the disturbing abuse on May 15.

But the next day, Weaver sported a surgical mask and dressed up as an elderly woman to attend an off-campus student dance show he was barred from attending, police said.

“We had information that he had choreographed a show that was due to take place at a local college,” Interim police chief James McMahon said at a press conference, WXYZ reported.

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Michigan Judge Fights Lipreader Evidence which might prove she Lied to Cops after Assaulting Shopkeeper, Alleging Hate Hoax

In a misconduct saga that’s dragged on longer than most felonies, a Michigan judge accused of faking an assault allegation and charge of racism against a small businessman, wants key evidence thrown out, including silent surveillance footage and expert lip readers that might prove she lied to police.

Judge Demetria Brue of Detroit’s 36th District Court is fighting misconduct charges from the state’s Judicial Tenure Commission over a 2019 dispute with a Mackinac Island bike shop owner that she accused of being a racist. The Commission has said they are upset about two things: 1) that the judges lied about the encounter, and 2) that they attempted to use their status as judges to evade prosecution, both of which are against the rules for judges.

Documents reveal that the significant delay has been caused by repeated motions filed by the two judges challenging the process and power of the commission to censure them.

The shop owner, Ira Green, operates a bike rental business on Michigan’s Mackinac Island, and rented to two judges who were sightseeing during a judicial conference being held on the island.

The JTC says Brue falsely claimed the shop owner assaulted her during what was supposed to be a $23 sightseeing trip along with another Michigan judge, Judge Debra Nance of Southfield, Michigan. The Detroit Judge Brue wanted half off the price of the bike rental because of a complaint about how the bike handled, and then grabbed the receipt after, allegedly, calling the shop owner racist.

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EPA declares Flint water emergency over after more than $100 million in taxpayer-funded grants

Anearly decade-long fight for safe drinking water in Flint is over.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Monday the city met all of the requirements of a Safe Drinking Water Act emergency order, which has been lifted.

The EPA issued the order in January 2016.

“Today we celebrate a decade’s worth of hard work and partnership at the local, state and federal level to ensure the residents of Flint, Michigan have access to clean, safe drinking water,” Zeldin said in a statement Monday. “Lifting this emergency order is a cause for great celebration for residents of Flint who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to get to this point.”

Zeldin said water sampling shows the city’s water system is in compliance with lead standards.

Since the order was implemented, the city has replaced more than 97% of its old lead pipes, and the water system has tested below the acceptable limit since July 2016.

The EPA has given more than $100 million in taxpayer-funded grants to the city and the state since 2016 to address the issues.

“The lifting of the EPA’s emergency order is a powerful testament to the strength, and advocacy of Flint residents,” Flint Mayor Sheldon A. Neeley said. For nearly a decade, we have worked tirelessly to restore trust and integrity to our water system, as well as meeting rigorous standards. While this milestone marks progress, our commitment to clean, safe drinking water remains unwavering. We will continue to advance infrastructure, strengthen safeguards, and ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated. Flint families deserve nothing less.”

The city’s water crisis began in 2014 when it switched from Detroit’s system to the Flint River to save money. Without proper treatment, that water corroded lead pipes that led to lead contamination and a declared public health emergency.

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Former Member of Michigan Army National Guard Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said Arrested For Plotting Mass Shooting at Military Base on Behalf of ISIS

The Feds arrested former member of Michigan Army National Guard Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said for plotting a mass shooting at a military base in Warren, Michigan.

The DOJ announced that Said, 19, was charged in a criminal complaint with “attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device.”

“According to the complaint, Said informed two undercover law enforcement officers of a plan he had devised and formulated to conduct a mass-shooting at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan. In April 2025, the two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of ISIS. In response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target,” the DOJ said.

“On May 13 – the scheduled day of the attack – Said was arrested after he traveled to an area near TACOM and launched his drone in support of the attack plan. He will make his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Michigan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will be asking the court to hold Said in pretrial detention because of his danger to the community and the risk that he will flee,” the DOJ said.

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