The Hastings Banner — Thursday, November 4, 2021 — Page 3October ranks second for Barry County COVID deaths
Taylor Owens
Staff Writer
A total of 11 people died as a result of
COVID-19 in the month of October, accord-
ing to the Barry-Eaton District Health
Department.
The month is tied with November 2020 for
the second most deaths due to COVID-
that have been recorded in Barry County. The
highest was December 2020, with 18 deaths.
There were just two deaths recorded in
October 2020.
It also was a jump up from previous
months. July, August and September of this
year recorded two deaths each, and June
recorded one.
Six deaths were reported since last week,
bringing Barry County’s total to 89 since the
pandemic came to the county in March of
2020.
There were 243 active cases of the virus
confirmed in Barry County as of Tuesday,
and 194 people were in quarantine.
The most recent seven-day average forpositive COVID-19 tests in Barry County
was 24.08 percent – the highest on record.
According to the state of Michigan, 32.
percent of all COVID-19 tests conducted on
Oct. 26 were positive, meaning about one
third of the 123 people who received a test
were positive. It is the highest single day rate
since COVID-19 tests became widely avail-
able in the summer of 2020.
Health officials warn the high positivity
rate means there are likely many more cases
which have not been accounted for.with a
SAXON SPIRIT
... let it show!
Celebrate the
SAXON SPIRIT
PRE-GAME
TAILGATE PARTY
FRIDAY, NOV. 5
To show community support for our football team
and the spirit of being a Saxon,
is sponsoring a tailgate party with free grilled hot dogs,
chips and a drink to anyone before the district finals
playoff game vs. GR South Christian at the main entrance
to Baum Stadium at Johnson Field.
START TIME FOR THIS WEEK'S GAME WILL BE 7 P.M.
vide help, such as food for a family or toys
for children.
Locations to sign up, based on home
address, include:
Hastings and Middleville residents: visit
Barry County Cares, 231 S. Broadway,
Hastings, Suite 108, or call 269-948-
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Delton residents: visit Delton District
Library, Wednesday or Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Tuesday or Thursday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., or
Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or call 269-623-8040.
Nashville residents: visit the Nashville
clerk’s office, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
(closed noon-1 p.m. Wednesday and Friday)
or call 517-852-9544.
Freeport residents: visit Freeport District
Library, Monday or Thursday 1-8 p.m.,
Wednesday or Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., or
Saturday 9-11 a.m.; or call 616-765-5181.
All other Barry County residents: call
Barry County Cares.
Anyone wishing to “adopt” a household
should call Barry County Cares, 269-948-9555.
Dr. Norris to speak to
Parkinson’s support group
The Barry County Parkinson Support
Group will host a guest speaker at its Nov. 10
meeting. Kimberly J. Norris, M.D., will
speak on the topic of “Parkinson’s Disease
and the Eye,” and will cover eye problems
commonly encountered by persons living
with Parkinson’s Disease.
Dr. Norris earned her undergraduate degree
at the University of Pennsylvania and her med-
ical degree from State University of New York
at Buffalo. She completed her ophthalmology
residency at the University of Minnesota,
achieving board certification in 1990. She for-
merly held teaching positions at the University
of Minnesota and Michigan State University.
Dr. Norris has been affiliated with
Creekside Vision and Hearing, formerly
known as Eye & ENT Specialists, since 1989.
The Barry County Parkinson Support
Group meets at 5 p.m. the second Wednesdayof each month at the Barry County
Commission on Aging, 320 W. Woodlawn
Ave. in Hastings.
Persons with Parkinson’s disease and their
care partners are invited to attend. Registration
is not necessary. Refreshments and educa-
tional materials are available free of charge at
each meeting.
Meetings are a partnership between Spectrum
Health Pennock, the Michigan Parkinson
Foundation, and the Barry County Commission
on Aging. More information is available from
Tammy Pennington by calling 269-948-4856,
or emailing [email protected].The cost would be $58,884.80, with
$49,224.66 for fringe benefits, not including
vehicle and equipment costs, he said.
The department currently has two full-time
detectives, who maintain several responsibili-
ties, including investigation of all aspects of
major criminal investigations, internal inves-
tigations, background investigations, assisting
and overseeing uniform division complaints.
Sixberry catalogued the crimes they handle
- everything from homicide and rape to kid-
napping and severe assaults.
“We also have increased violence, includ-
ing homicides, severe physical and sexual
assaults, increase in crimes related to comput-
er-based sex offenses... and extortion,” he
said.
These complaints require detectives to
assist the uniformed division because of the
technical nature of the crimes. “It’s very diffi-
cult because of the added number of com-
plaints in each of these major crimes, includ-
ing with the homicides that we have as well.”
Nakfoor Pratt is at the beginning of her third
term as prosecutor, “so I’ve had a lot of expe-
rience with the detectives here,” she said. “In
addition, I’ve had 33 years of a career involv-
ing criminal cases, criminal prosecution and
criminal defense. So I know what goes into a
criminal case.
The county’s two detectives work “tireless-
ly,” she said. “I’m not sure people can see all
the things that they do, so I wanted to high-
light it. And then I also wanted to highlight
why I think it’s not only an emergency, but
critically important that the sheriff’s depart-
ment be granted this position as soon as pos-
sible.”
Nakfoor Pratt pointed to the two most
recent homicide cases involving young peo-
ple, and two missing persons and bodies
found, one that has yet to be identified.
“So there’s a lot of emotion,” she said.
“There’s a lot of young people involved in the
witness in interviewing process. There’s a lot of
investigation that goes on; an enormous amount
of man hours has to go into the investigation of
those cases to either prove or eliminate homi-
cide as a matter of death.
“We’ve also had some very violent domestic
violence cases, I had my office run the num-
bers, and I’m going to tell you that, from 2019
to 2020, there was not a major increase, there
was a small increase in the amount of cases
that our office sees.... “What’s changed, and
what’s causing the increase in the hours, is that
these cases have become extremely violent.”
Then there are the vehicular deaths, she
noted.
“The other thing that is important is the
sheer the amount of court time, the amount of
court preparation, the amount of witnesses,”
the prosecutor said. “... It gets to a point where
they can’t get us the information as fast as we
need it to keep up with court deadlines.”
“The sheer amount of hours these take this is
very, very taxing on the body and on the mind.
And what I don’t ever want to see, for my
office and for our law enforcement, is burnout.
“I also think what’s going to become critical
is there’s going to come a time, and I would
say we’re probably going there right now,
where we have to give defense attorneys infor-
mation that they are entitled to and we want to
make sure they get it and they get it on time.
“But if things keep going the way they are- and I see absolutely no change in that kind
whatsoever in violent crime – then I’m afraid
they’re going to burn out. So I can tell you
from a prosecutor’s perspective, and I’ve been
here how many years now on and off over the
last several decades,
Cases have gotten ugly.... I think we’ve got
to a critical phase. I think it’s become an emer-
gency. And I’m asking you to consider what
I’ve said...and grant this request.”
UPTICK, continued from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––
BRIEFS, continued from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Michigan asking whether their health offi-
cers are violating the law by not taking an
oath of office.
Ibbotson said Barry County Prosecutor
Julie Nakfoor Pratt has “emphatically” told
him a health officer is not legally required to
take an oath of office, but he disagrees with
her opinion.
He was the third person to speak during
public comment at the Oct. 28 meeting and
had warned the board in advance that he
would exceed the allotted two minutes.
When he did, Geiger called for a recess.
Then, after Ibbotson told the board and
Eaton County Sheriff’s Lt. Scott Brooks that
he would not yield the floor if the meeting
was called back into session, the board
unanimously voted to adjourn.
The meeting took place at Kardel Hall at
the Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte
to accommodate a large audience.
However, slightly more than a dozen peo-
ple were in the audience, although a few
more arrived later on.
The only business the board completed
was the approval of the agenda and the min-
utes of the previous meeting.
At one point during his argument with the
deputy Thursday, Ibbotson said he planned
to issue an apology on behalf of the commu-
nity to Health Officer Colette Scrimger.
Scrimger has been a focus for much criti-
cism expressed by citizens, some of whom
have asked the board to fire her.
Geiger sent a statement to the The Banner
after the meeting.
“The board has always operated with
openness and in compliance with the law,
and will continue to do so,” he said.
The health board had several items on its
agenda it did not get to last Thursday. These
included a COVID-19 vaccine update, staff-
ing update, union negotiations, payment ofthe bills, a Michigan Department of Health
and Human Services Tobacco Grant Report,
correspondence and board member com-
ments.
“Unfortunately, there was business that
we were unable to complete at today’s meet-
ing,” Geiger told The Reminder. “I am stillevaluating the need to hold a special meet-
ing, versus waiting until November to do the
work we were elected to complete.”
The next regular meeting of the health
board is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 18 in
Hastings at the health department’s office at
330 W. Woodlawn Ave.Barry-Eaton Health Department board Chairman Ben Geiger gavels to call a
recess during last Thursday's meeting when Rutland Charter Township resident Joel
Ibbotson refuses to yield the floor during public comment. (Photo by Scott Harmsen)Planning commission meets with city
council, schedules public hearing
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
On one of the first chilly nights of the year,
members of Hastings City Council and the
planning commission sat in the second-floor
conference room of the Hastings Public
Library, ate pizza and talked housing for an
hour and 15 minutes.
Over the past nine months, the planning
commission has worked to develop a plan to
increase housing in the city of Hastings – spe-
cifically accessory dwelling units and
two-family dwellings, or duplexes.
Monday, the planning commission shared
its findings with city council and work-
shopped the details of their proposal for
accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in
Hastings.
The special meeting represented a step
toward the finish line and implementation of
the ADU zoning ordinance. Following the
meeting, the planning commission scheduled
a public hearing for its next meeting at 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 to receive feedback regarding ADUs.
“I was personally very pleased with the
discussion that we had tonight,” planning
commission Chairman Dave Hatfield said at
the joint meeting. “I think it identified a cou-
ple of issues that we do need to follow up on,
but I think, for the most part, everyone
seemed comfortable with the direction that
we’re headed.”
ADUs existed in the city for a number of
years, but were discontinued about 15 years
ago. Currently, city ordinance does not allow
for two dwelling units on one lot, making
ADUs illegal.
The goal of the ADU is to increase density
using the existing housing structure without
creating new homes.
“The real benefit is that we know that
these exist in the community currently,”
City Manager Sarah Moyer-Cale said.
“Either people are using them illegally or
they are not using them to conform with the
law, and the structures are not being put totheir optimal use.”
The decision to permit ADUs in the city
would allow residents to rent out the addi-
tional space on their property, such as base-
ments, garages or attics. The language in the
ordinance mentions three different kinds of
ADUs, including internal, attached and
detached.
But not every lot nor every attic would
qualify as an ADU. There are a number of
restrictions. One of the buildings must be
owner-occupied. It must use the same fea-
tures of the principal home, such as a drive-
way. The lot must be of a certain size, and the
ADU cannot be larger than the primary
house.
“I think the distinction or the important
point or way of remembering [ADUs] is real-
ly in the name. It is considered to be a dwell-
ing unit that is accessory to the principal
dwelling unit,” planning consultant Rebecca
Harvey said.
City council members largely respondedpositively to the proposed allowance of
ADUs.
“I mean, first of all, I think accessory
dwelling units are a great idea. We need more
like this,” councilmember Brenda McNabb-
Stange said. “But I think there are a lot of
things that need to be addressed with this.”
After Harvey walked them through the
ordinance, council members asked questions
and provided commentary about parking
space, corner lots, the sharing of utilities and
the issue of non-conforming lots. Currently,
the proposed ordinance allows residents with
non-conforming lots to apply for a spe-
cial-use permit. They would have to justify
their case to the planning commission.
Moyer-Cale said she does not anticipate
any major changes, if any, to the ordinance
text as a result of the joint meeting.
The house committee, which consists of
Moyer-Cale, Harvey, Hatfield, Community
Development Director Dan King, Mayor
David Tossava and Mayor Pro Tem JohnResseguie, will meet next Friday to tweak the
proposal before next month’s public hearing.
Moyer-Cale said she hopes to have ADUs
approved by city council around the start of
the new year.
Over the past nine months, the city also has
worked on text ordinance regarding two-fam-
ily dwellings. The topic was not discussed at
Monday’s special meeting and will be further
revised before bringing it to the city council
during another special meeting. Hatfield said
he expects the committee will need another
month or two before the two-family dwelling
unit text is ready for the city council.
During the special meeting, Hatfield reiter-
ated a common consensus among city offi-
cials: This isn’t the only solution for increas-
ing housing in the city of Hastings. Although
he noted it will create additional housing
opportunities, it won’t increase housing by a
substantial margin.
“There are bigger steps that are going to
come,” he said.BARRY-EATON, continued from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––