Higgins and Drew win 2012 Sno*Drift Rally
David Higgins and his co-driver, Craig Drew, have won this year’s Sno*Drift Rally in a 2011 Subaru. Sno*Drift is the first of six stops on the Rally America national circuit.

Higgins, from the United Kingdom, was last year’s overall national winner. He said this year’s conditions for Sno*Drift were challenging.

“I think this year, without a shadow of a doubt, was probably the most difficult of all the years I’ve done it before,” Higgins said.

He said the rally is always tough because of the conditions, but the ice on the first day this year was a hurdle.

“It’s not meant to be easy, but it could have been a little bit easier than what it was yesterday,” he said.

There were a record-breaking number of entries this year with 67 cars and an additional four stages. Higgins said the turnout is great for the championship, but, even better, was the amount of spectators that braved the conditions to watch the event.

“The last few spectator stages were some of the best I’ve seen,” Higgins said.

Bonfires spaced every 500 meters, he said, were stoked into explosions as the drivers passed.

“It was pretty cool driving through that,” he said. “I’m sure the organizers didn’t like it as much, but it was quite a bit of fun for us.”

Higgins said he credits his sponsors and the team on the whole for the recent victory as well as last year’s championship. He said it’s not just the guys in the car, and luck plays a significant role.

The plan, of course, he said, is to take another national victory.

“It’s a long way to come to finish second,” Higgins said. “One down, five to go.”

Taking second place this year was Antoine L’Estage of Quebec, Canada, and his co-driver, Nathalie Richard in a 2009 Mitsubishi.

Third place went to Leonid Urlichich of Ontario, Canada, and his co-driver, Carl Williamson, in a 2007 Subaru. This year was Urlichich’s first time entering an event in the United States.

Tax collection by Village of Hillman is legitimate according to Department of Treasury
A request for authorization to collect enough taxes to pay off a debt in Hillman spawned questions in the mind of Commissioner Brock Baggett. At the regular county board meeting, Jan. 25, Baggett questioned whether the Village of Hillman should be collecting taxes at all.

The village collects taxes from a variety of entities, including the school district, in order to pay a debt incurred in the construction of the power plant in Hillman. A Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan within a Downtown Development Authority is used to obtain the revenue.

Baggett said DDAs are not allowed to collect taxes from school districts since the implementation of Proposal A, but David Post, village manager in Hillman, told him TIF plans in place prior to Proposal A are allowed to continue.

The village will capture a total of $5,800 from all entities this year. Post requested authorization to collect the total amount of debt remaining, $15,000 plus interest, in order to eliminate the debt and future tax collection.

With increased property value because of the existence of the power plant, the school district currently receives about $50,000 in revenue each year.

Baggett said he was unwilling to authorize the collection of taxes in the remaining debt amount without verifying the collection is legal. Terry Stanton, director of communications for the Michigan Department of Treasury, said the village is entitled to continue.

“It is legitimate and the village can continue to capture to pay off the remaining debt,” Stanton said in an interview after the meeting.

Stanton said, because the village TIF plan existed prior to the implementation of Proposal A, it is considered “grandfathered in.”

Post said all of the taxes collected are applied to the debt. He said the village pays for all of the paperwork associated with the power plant debt.

Cheek enters guilty plea
Jessica Cheek, former employee of the equalization department in Montmorency County, pled guilty on Jan. 20 of embezzlement of more than $200 and less than $1,000 for using the county credit card to pay for personal fuel expense.

The embezzlement charge is a misdemeanor, and a sentencing date is expected by Feb. 3. The charge carries a maximum fine of $2,000 or three times the amount embezzled, whichever is greater. The charge also carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

J-L Cardinals peck away at Onaway, emerging victorious after close game
The feathers flew when the Cardinals from Johannesburg-Lewiston took on the Cardinals from Onaway on Jan. 25 in what would prove to be a close battle throughout.

Onaway’s Andrew Perry started things out with a triple. Joe O’Bradvich chipped in but Joburg’s Gunnar Owens hit from the line, and hoops from Justin Newell and Brian Van Coillie put Joburg in the lead.

Onaway sizzled with three more triples from Perry, O’Bradvich and Jason Sigsby, but Joburg team effort, including six points from Sean Aisthorpe, gave JL a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

A bucket from Onaway’s Justin Gedda tied the game early in the second. With both teams in foul trouble, much of the second quarter was a contest from the line, save a triple from Joburg’s Owens, and it was Onaway up by one going into the half.

Two free throws from Joburg’s Newell gave JL back the lead. Jake Newell traded buckets with Onaway’s Sigsby, and four free throws from Owens helped the Joburg team to a three-point lead going into the final quarter.

Owens and Justin Newell stayed hot for Joburg in fourth quarter play. Onaway answered with another triple from O’Bradvich, but free throws from Joburg’s Bradley Kussrow helped stretch the JL lead.

A bucket from Joburg’s Aisthorpe and free throws from Cole Nagy helped clinch the win for Joburg in the game that ended 49-40, JL.

Death Notices

Hazel Belle Teets, Atlanta
Allison Faye Baur, Herron
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