Saturday, April 13, was not your ordinary “sleep-in day” for a large number of volunteers who spread out over Northwest Albion. It was Battle Creek Area Habitat for Humanity’s annual Rock the Block Day, where volunteers come together to clean up yards and perform minor repairs on neighborhood homes. This year, a wheelchair ramp was built, a couple steps were repaired, some painting was done on a porch, and many yards were spruced up as leaves and branches were cleaned up.
Thanks goes out to the many volunteers from Albion College, Honor Credit Union, Habitat Regulars, and Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. The church was so gracious to allow Habitat to use its facility as a base for the day. “We just wanted to love on people and help them with some projects,” stated Mike King, Executive Director for Habitat. Monika Rosas, president of the Albion College Habitat chapter, was the mastermind behind the whole day. It was her idea to give back to Albion where she has been attending school for the past few years. Her desire was to see many of her college peers also contribute to the Albion community in doing a project together.
Sponsors for the event included Honor Credit Union, The Foundry (who provided a fabulous breakfast of pastries and fruit), Stirling Books and Brew, Kellogg Community College, Albion College and Meijer.
Habitat volunteers with a rebuilt step project.
Albion College students, with Scott Avery (Habitat board president), Councilman Donivan Williams and the happy homeowner.
Monika Rosas the Albion College Habitat leader with friends in the background.
A very large ramp was constructed for the family at 405 Perry Street, Albion.
Sometimes the Past Must be Addressed Before Moving Forward
As Albion College was recovering from Mathew Johnson’s failed administration and Joe Calvaruso’s anemic and visionless post-Johnson leadership, the Albion College Board of Trustees, which finally got a handle on its leadership when Joann “Joey” Miller was named Board Chair, did one thing right: They appointed Wayne Webster its new President.
Assuming the role of the college’s 18th President on July 1, 2023, Wayne Webster was fully aware of the uphill battle that awaited him. Albion was amid a Michigan Attorney General’s (AG) office investigation, initiated by two concerned alumni, into the school’s financial practices and potential threat to the institution’s stability.
That investigation lasted for several months and concluded with a positive outcome for Albion College. Notably, no charges were filed against anyone at the school, and the college did not admit wrongdoing. Instead, Albion College and the AG office established a Memorandum of Understanding, a significant step towards resolution and future transparency. President Webster, when asked for a comment, pointed out that the document is readily available online via FOIA for anyone to access. He also mentioned that the college has agreed to three years of monitoring as a gesture of good faith regarding the spending of the Endowment.
“Our giving Tuesday in November (2023) was 517% higher than last year (2022)
Yeah, things are getting better for the school. Webster stressed the need to look toward the future, and when asked, he spoke of engagement by alums as a sign things are improving. Admissions are solid so far, and that area needed improvement. His relationships with students have also been appreciated by many. I have had the opportunity to speak with 12 different students, from frosh to seniors. Each has interacted with their President, and each says almost the same thing. He is easy to talk to and seems genuinely concerned about them and their time at Albion.
I have spoken to staff members who are happy he has been willing to include them in their students’ education decisions. Though many offer concerns about class sizes and that some positions still need to be filled, they all concede that cutbacks must happen until the school grows stronger through increased enrollment and Endowment. As one Professor said, “I see things getting a little tight for a while, but so far, the students have not had to suffer; that’s the most important thing to me.”
Tighten the Belt
Of course, increasing revenue and controlling expenses have caused him to make some tough decisions. The school had to lay off employees as part of cutbacks. Most cutbacks have come through attrition, not filling vacancies, etc., but he had to make the tough call and let people go. One thing that impressed me most was his personally meeting with all those who were let go from the school. Separating from good employees is never easy, but Webster’s personality lends to this task as he comes across as honest. When asked if more direct employee cuts are coming again, he said, “I have no plans for that, but I can not say it will never happen again.”
Leader, Family Man
Webster came to Albion via The College of Wooster, where he was the interim President. Those at Wooster who worked with him prior to the interim title and then for him said he was open and engaging. One Wooster colleague said, “He was that person that if you had an issue with something, even if he disagreed with you, you could talk to him, and he would consider your point of view.” That sentiment has followed him to Albion as students and staff enjoy his easygoing personality.
Wayne Webster in his office
He is married to his wife Sally and has a daughter, Stella (11), and he has a son, Reid (forever 6), as he succumbed to leukemia in 2020.
As we sat for two separate interviews, my entire focus changed. Yes, I had questions about the school’s financial stability, and he said it was better now than when he arrived here. I found a man who has quickly developed a love for Albion College, its students, and staff. He speaks fondly of the relationships he has started in the community and stresses that understanding the college’s success is vital to Albion’s success.
He will be installed as President on Saturday morning, April 20, 2024.
Albion, MI – Get ready to mark your calendars for an unforgettable event as Albion gears up to host its Annual Fourth of July Celebration on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. For over two decades, Albion has ignited the sky with dazzling fireworks, creating cherished memories for locals and visitors alike.
Organized by the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, this year’s celebration promises to uphold the tradition of making Albion a vibrant community where residents thrive, and visitors are warmly welcomed. The Greater Albion Chamber is calling upon the community’s support to ensure the success of this year’s fireworks extravaganza. Your generous contributions will directly contribute to the $18,000.00 needed to fund the 2024 fireworks display. By supporting the Annual Fourth of July Celebration, you are not just donating but actively participating in fostering the spirit of unity that defines the spirit of Albion.Join hands with the Greater Albion Chamber as we partner with Night Magic Displays, renowned professional fireworks display company, to orchestrate a breathtaking spectacle of pride and remembrance. Let’s paint the sky with the colors of freedom and pride!
Join hands with the Greater Albion Chamber as we partner with Night Magic Displays, renowned professional fireworks display company, to orchestrate a breathtaking spectacle of pride and remembrance. Let’s paint the sky with the colors of freedom and pride!To be a part of this momentous event and help Albion shine brighter than ever, kindly make your contributions by Friday, June 7, 2024. Your checks can be made payable to:
To be a part of this momentous event and help Albion shine brighter than ever, kindly make your contributions by Friday, June 7, 2024. Your checks can be made payable to:Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 238 Albion, MI 49224 Memo: Albion Fireworks
Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 238 Albion, MI 49224 Memo: Albion Fireworks
Cash and credit card donations are accepted at the Greater Albion Chamber’s office located at 403 S. Superior St., Albion, MI 49224. Simply look for the blue door. And remember, no donation is too small as it all adds up to an exciting night of fun!For more information, contact Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau President Billy Beers at 517.629.5533 or president@greateralbionchamber.org.
For more information, contact Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau President Billy Beers at 517.629.5533 or president@greateralbionchamber.org.
Background: State Rep. Jim Haadsma hosts coffee hours on the first Saturday of the month to give residents the opportunity to discuss the most important issues happening at the state Capitol and around the community.
The Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority (CCCDA) and Emergency Management Division of the Sheriff’s Office are collaborating to share information this week for Severe Weather Awareness Week. In a series of posts on both agencies’ Facebook pages, information will be shared about emergency alert methods in Calhoun County, preparedness techniques, the difference between watch and warning, and more.
This information is particularly relevant after a tornado touched down in Calhoun County in late February. Questions have arisen about how emergency notifications in Calhoun County work, and this week gives 911 and the Sheriff’s Office an opportunity to help residents understand the methods utilized to share critical information.
Alerts are sent regularly from CCCDA, as well as the Calhoun County Road Department, via Rave Alerts. For emergency texts, residents can text CALHOUN to 67283 to sign up. Or residents can sign up online at calhouncountymi.gov/rave and then choose their method (call, email, or text) to receive updates ranging from weather alerts, traffic disruptions, road closures, and more. Critical messages that are sent from emergency agencies through the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) are also sent via Rave Alerts, which is what makes the program exceptionally useful.
In the instance of the February tornado, a message was sent from the National Weather Service via IPAWS in a way that also pushed Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to phones that were within a specific geographic area that was determined at the most risk for tornado. This is in addition to Rave Alerts, and so some individuals who had already opted in to the County’s Rave Alerts received multiple messages about the tornado warning. Some individuals who were outside of that geographic area still received the message about the tornado warning because they had previously opted in to receive Calhoun County Rave Alerts, although they did not also receive the WEA.
This redundancy is intentional. 911 and the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management division want to ensure that critical information is delivered to residents in a timely and efficient manner. We encourage residents to sign up for Rave alerts so that they can be aware of what’s happening in the community. By signing up online, individuals can choose which alerts they’d like to receive and can choose to receive only Emergency Alerts.
This week, these agencies hope to inform residents of their options and of ideas for preparedness so that if and when an emergency strikes, whether weather or otherwise, residents can receive effective communication about what is going on. Everyone is encouraged to follow the Calhoun County 911 and Sheriff’s Office Facebook pages for more information throughout the week. Media is encouraged to do stories about this awareness week so that we can help spread this message to more people.
By planning ahead, we can reduce our risk when crises take place.
On August 10, 2023, Virgie Ammerman was fired as the Albion Economic Development Corporation (EDC) president. Since that firing, a long-drawn-out series of events has alleged illegal actions of the EDC Board, Albion City Council, and Ammerman. In short, Ammerman was reinstated even though she was under investigation by the Michigan State Police (MSP).
City Watch NEWS wrote several stories about Ammerman and what happened. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO OUR STORIES REGARDING AMMERMAN) We reported an MSP investigation and missing emails from her email account. Ammerman eventually claimed that no charges were filed and that investigators told her that the entire issue brought to them was political and that she did nothing wrong.
City Watch then started executing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) against the MSP to have them supply copies of their investigation about Ammerman. City Watch sent our initial requests on November 3, 2023, and has received multiple responses from the MSP that caused delays in sending the information we needed. On March 6, 2024, we received our FOIA information.
All the information in this story came from the reports I received through my FOIA or computer technical experts I contacted since this is a problematic case far beyond my knowledge.
The Investigation of Virgie Ammerman
It may be nitpicking, but when I picked up the report and, at the top of page one, I saw the original date of this case as reported by the officer, August 4, 2023, I went, hmmmmmmm. Why is this significant? Ammerman was fired on August 10; there was no issue before that.
It would be a month after discovering Ammermans’ actions before City officials requested an investigation. Albion Department of Public Safety Deputy Chief Jason Kern would be the officer who contacted MSP Detective Sgt Suarez (DSS). It’s hard to pinpoint the exact day this occurred as there is no clarifying date of this contact in the report from DSS except for the above-mentioned incorrect date of August 4.
We do know that interviews began on September 13, 2023, the first with a redacted name EDC employee. This employee explained how, after Ammerman was fired, they needed to access Ammerman’s emails to search for required information. They would contact the IT service that Ammerman had hired to gain permission to do so.
Missing Emails
The EDC IT tech advised the employee that after they, IT, were inside Ammermans’ email account, they found that around 38,000 emails had been deleted from her EDC email box. IT restored all the deleted emails; this would be on August 10, 2023, after Ammerman was fired. The EDC employee was then allowed access to the EDC Ammerman email account to access other emails moving forward.
The following Monday, August 14, the EDC employee again entered the former employee Ammerman’s email, and all emails had been deleted since their restoration on the 10th. The employee contacted IT for the EDC, and once again, they went into Ammerman’s account and were able to recover and restore all the deleted emails.
This time, the EDC board instructed the employee to have IT lockout Ammerman’s access to the account. It’s significant to note that according to an email sent by the IT tech, which was part of my FOIA and is where all my information regarding the emails and other items discussed later comes from, all deleted emails stay in the system for only 14 days.
Ammerman Interviewed by Michigan State Police
DSS would interview Ammerman on September 13, 2023, at the Marshall Regional Law Enforcement Center. The interview was audio and video recorded. Ammerman told DSS that she wanted to speak to him.
He allowed her to speak, and she admitted that she was terminated on August 10, 2023. However, after admitting to being terminated, later in the interview she claimed there was no indication when her employment was terminated. This writer would like to clarify her statement where she said, “no indication of when her employment was terminated.” Ammerman knew she was terminated when she left the Board meeting on August 10, as she never returned to work after it plus her admission in the interview that she was terminated. I spoke to her moments after that meeting about her being terminated. Everyone present at the EDC Board meeting knew she was terminated. This statement is the first of a few potential falsehoods Ammerman made to DSS.
Ammerman would discuss how the EDC works and its relationship to the City of Albion. She took special care in telling DSS that the email account in question belonged to the EDC, not the City of Albion.
She explained that on August 10, after being fired, she entered her email account using her phone. She created a .pst file, which she claims transferred and archived the emails in her EDC email. She told DSS that when that happens, the emails are automatically deleted and go to the deleted file in her email. She claimed she did this to make the transition easier for whoever would replace her at the EDC. She then stated that she rechecked her email on Sunday, August 13, and noticed the emails were back in her account. She said she again created a .pst and followed the same steps where she claims emails are automatically deleted.
Regarding forwarding emails to her private email account, she said she was trying to create a link to personal emails she claims were in her EDC email account but sent the entire inbox instead. Though she admitted to forwarding EDC emails to her personal email account, she claims not to have them. She stated that she again tried to access her account on August 14 and, at that time, could not get into her email account. Understand that all these actions were done after she was fired. She stated that she did NOT delete emails from her EDC account, but that was an automatic function of what she was doing.
Calhoun County Prosecutor’s Decision
Prosecutor David Gilbert’s Office
11/7/2023 (DGILBERT) Detective Suarez Decision: DENIED Defendent Ammerman, Virgie The Calhoun County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office declined to authorize criminal charges against this suspect for the following reason(s): Insufficient facts presented to prove case beyond a reasonable doubt. Cannot show a criminal intent; it was her email, she had access to it, and her explanation does not show a criminal intent in deleting her emails, which were recovered twice. There is no indication the deletion was to hide a crime or evidence of a crime, there is no evidence her access to the emails were restricted on her termination, and she was reinstated to her position.
City Watch & Our IT Professionals Discover Holes in Ammermans Interview – Prosecutor Quick Rush to Judgement.
City Watch reached out to individuals with experience in IT work. Our first is responsible for several corporations’ IT and employee training. These meetings were in person as this was a very technical case that required expert analysis. I showed them the FOIA, allowing them to read all aspects of this case and the EDC IT Tech email about what they did.
I questioned what a .pst file was. They explained it as I stated above, noting that creating the file was unnecessary. All she should have done was archive the emails in her email account; that way, anyone who used the account could easily access those emails. I asked about deleting the emails. My IT expert said these emails are not deleted while creating a .pst, which is the function she claims to have done. This is important to note. To prove this, our IT performed the same function that Ammerman claimed she did and that the emails remained in the email account. This point is critical; the emails were not deleted automatically; they were deleted intentionally, by Ammerman, twice, according to my expert. The fact that the EDC IT had to perform a “Recover Deleted Items” function twice meant that in four days, someone intentionally deleted the emails from the Ammerman EDC email, they said, and my IT agreed with that.
This was an intent to delete the emails, the “intent” that the prosecutor blew off and disregarded. The prosecutor also stated that the email account belonged to Ammerman. That statement is nothing short of a lie. Ammerman was legally fired and had no right to access anything, confidential or not, that belonged to the EDC. He claims that this doesn’t show criminal intent. It doesn’t? She deleted these emails twice in what appears to be an attempt to hide something.
Prosecutor Gilbert then points out that Ammerman was reinstated to her job, implying that it’s OK for her to break into EDC’s confidential information after being fired. Gilbert says this despite passing along an email to DSS on October 19, 2023, from a local citizen who filed a complaint with his office on August 15, 2023. The email details how the City of Albion Council appears to have conspired and broken several laws. This leads us to our next section about Ammerman creating secret links to access EDC records.
SharePoint Microsoft 365 – the Missed Crime?
During this investigation, DSS received an email from EDC IT explaining their actions after Ammerman was fired. In this, they discussed how they recovered her deleted emails twice, and that deleted emails are retained for 14 days. According to IT, it’s obvious these emails were deleted recently.
According to EDC IT, they stated, “During the recovery of the emails the second time, I also observed emails in her sent Mail Folder which were hyperlinks to Albion EDC’s SharePoint documents hosted in Microsoft 365. These emailed hyperlinks were sent from her AEDC emails address to her personal email address. It appears that at the time she sent those links, she would still have had access to the Microsoft 365 platform.” Understand this is significant as the EDC IT tech felt compelled to share this in their email.
Now, Ammerman will claim she was emailing links to her personal emails but sent her entire EDC email file. Here is the problem: Sharepoint is a storage area. Someone can upload anything. EDC files, emails, calendars, and anything on the web, and then access these files at any time, anywhere. Ammerman sent her personal email hyperlinks to this storage area. A hyperlink is needed to gain entry to this storage; a hyperlink is a key for all intents and purposes to open this storage area. What that means is, according to our IT professional, even with no access to her EDC email, Ammerman could access whatever documents she had uploaded to this storage. For all we know, she had this access for a while.
Unfortunately, EDC IT was unable to determine what documents had been uploaded to the storage area Ammerman had access to. But it is safe to say there were items in those files uploaded, and our investigation is far from over.
Albion resident Mekhi Wingfield competed at the Nike National Meet held at the Armory in New York City on March 8th. Wingfield, competing in high jump, scored 1.95 meters, or 6 feet 5 inches jump, and would finish 2nd place in the nation.
His jump matched that of winner Brycen Means of South Carolina. Means won on the basis that he had fewer misses during the competition than Wingfield had. Coach Mike Jurasek, understandably, was extremely proud of his accomplishment.
In the spirit of giving the Albion Area Philanthropic Women will meet at 11:30 am March12 at Galazio’s Restaurant at 301 N Clinton St. A $12 lunch buffet is available to be paid at the meeting by check to Galazio’s or exact cash.
Members must RSVP by March 7 to Kelly Rice by email albionphilwomen@gmail.com or in person at the Albion Insurance Agency office at 609 S. Superior St. Unless a member opts out it is assumed they will be paying for the buffet meal. Members may also RSVP to Marcia Starkey at mstarkey74@gmail.com or Gwen Tabb at tabbgwendolyn113@gmail.com.
If not able to attend drop off or mail your $100 quarterly donation check to the Albion Insurance Agency office which is open 9 am to 5 pm, Monday thru Friday. New members are always welcome. The only requirement is that women have a heart forgiving and a desire to make the Albion area a better place for all. Members need not live in the area. Many current AAPW supporters live out of town but regularly send quarterly checks to support the philanthropic group’s efforts to support local nonprofits.
AAPW was founded in 2007 by Cathy Campbell and the late Maggie Konkle. To date AAPW members have given nearly $680,000 to the Albion area nonprofit organizations. For more information contact AAPW volunteer leaders Nancy Roush at nancyroush@gmail.com; Gwen Tabb at tabbgwendolyn113@gmail.com or Marcia Starkey at mstarkey74@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: At 12:02 a.m., the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for portions of Calhoun County. At approximately 12:35 a.m., visual reports of a tornado were received from a spotter and a law enforcement officer. Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Deputies, Michigan State Police Troopers and Marengo Township Firefighters arrived in the area of L Drive North and 19 Mile Rd in Lee Township and found significant damage that included trees, powerlines, homes, and barns. The Calhoun County Road Department arrived and cleared roads to allow rescue personnel access to the area and search for injured residents. No injuries have been reported at this time.
It appears the tornado moved northeast from 17 1/2 Mile Rd toward 24 Mile Rd in Marengo Township. This is a preliminary understanding of the tornado, and it might increase as investigation continues.
Although roads are starting to open, there continues to be powerlines down along the road or on private yards. Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley urges individuals to avoid the area to give Consumers Energy time to repair the damage. CCSO is unable to deploy drones at this time due to upper windspeed to assist with the assessment process. Assessment is ongoing with multiple local agencies.
The Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Division shares this link for self-reporting property damage. This assessment tool will help determine the overall impact the storm had on our community. The link is, https://arcg.is/10ab1j.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Feb. 23, 2024 — State Rep. Jim Haadsma (D-Battle Creek) is pleased to announce that the Calhoun County Land Bank has been awarded $3 million in blight elimination grants from the Michigan State Land Bank Authority. These funds can be used for the demolition, rehabilitation and stabilization of blighted properties.
“This $3 million investment from the state shows our commitment to Calhoun County,” Haadsma said. “Eliminating blighted properties makes communities safer, improves public health, raises property values and paves the way for new homes in the area. I’m grateful for this news. It’s a great way to improve neighborhoods across the county.”
The Land Bank’s successful application includes five rehabilitation projects, primarily in single family homes or duplexes, as well as three stabilization projects for mixed-use properties, in Battle Creek and Albion. Remaining funds will be used for necessary demolitions in Albion, Battle Creek and the village of Tekonsha. These demolitions are in partnership with other organizations, such as the Albion Malleable Brewing Company who owns additional property in Albion, as well as the village of Tekonsha and the County Treasurer’s Office.
“We want to thank the State Land Bank Authority for approving our application and seeing the value in our projects,” said Krista Trout-Edwards, executive director of the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority. “Our team worked diligently with public and private partners to create a successful application that would sustainably repurpose sites, and our thoughtful partnerships allow these funds to be stretched further for greater impact. The mix of rehabilitation, stabilizations and demolitions being tackled with these funds are a great example of what happens when the state and county land banks pool their resources to uplift communities.”
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