Year in Review: The biggest stories of 2023 in Livingston County
LIVINGSTON COUNTY — It's been an eventful year in Livingston County, defined largely by the political aftermath of COVID-19, impactful construction and streetscaping projects, and unprecedented storms.
In this article, we've compiled the stories we felt were the most far-reaching, the most impactful, the most interesting, and, inescapably, the most heartrending of 2023.
Brighton Streetscaping
After months of planning, construction on downtown Brighton's streetscape began in January with an approximately $1.2 million watermain replacement. The more than $6.5 million project narrowed Main Street and widened sidewalks, revamped a portion of the Mill Pond Park, and installed new crossings, lighting and plantings.
Officials said the new streetscape and narrower road will increase pedestrian safety, slow traffic, make downtown more accessible to people with disabilities, and better accommodate civic events.
But construction, which wrapped up this fall, didn't come without setbacks. Owners of two businesses, Total Cluster Fudge, a bakery that temporarily closed its retail location, and Ginopolis' Bar-BQ Smokehouse, a restaurant that closed at the end of July, said streetscape construction was a major factor in their closing.
Total Cluster Fudge reopened weeks later, despite claims the city "completely screwed" them. Ginopolis' has yet to announce future plans. Other business owners opted to "make lemonade," hosting joint events and special promotions to bring shoppers downtown.
Hartland Student Shot at MSU
A gunman opened fire at Michigan State University on February 13, killing three students and injuring five others. A 2020 Hartland graduate, Nate Statly, was among the wounded.
Family said his path to recovery would be "a long and difficult one," according to posts on GoFundMe. Statly was a junior at the time of the shooting, studying environmental biology and zoology. His family listed interests in science, skiing, fly fishing, video games, reading and running.
As of early June, WHMI reported Statly had suffered permanent injuries and was unable to speak, walk or eat whole foods. But by July, his condition had "vastly improved."
"He's been talking and laughing again, which has only reminded me how much happiness Nate can bring to a room, even in this situation," his brother, Josh, wrote in a GoFundMe update.
After an hours-long manhunt, suspect Anthony McRae fatally shot himself when confronted by police in February. The three students who died were identified as Brian Fraser of Grosse Pointe, Alexandria Verner of Clawson and Arielle Anderson of Harper Woods.
Big Boy Closings
Livingston County said goodbye to its very last Big Boy in the spring. The Hartland location at 10587 Highland Road shuttered as owners Nick and Jean Shaieb announced their retirement. It had been 41 years.
A location in Brighton at 8510 W. Grand River Ave. — built in 1976 and opened in 1977 — was slated for demolition in 2023. That location was twice remodeled to make the space more contemporary, with new menu items. But it closed early this year with little fanfare.
Howell and Fowlerville were also home to Big Boy locations, but the Fowlerville location shuttered in 2008 and the Howell restaurant at 2222 E. Grand River Ave. de-franchised in 2016.
Toddler Shooting
Tonya Lacey of Howell was charged with one count of second-degree child abuse on Monday, Sept. 18, several months after her two-year-old son accessed a gun in the family's Rolling Oaks home, which went off.
He was immediately transported by EMS to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Lacey is married to David Lacey, a corporal with the Dearborn Police Department, but he wasn't home at the time of the incident and the weapon wasn't registered to him, according to the Howell Police Department.
"This was a tragic accident caused by an adult failing to properly secure a firearm that sadly made its way into the hands of a curious two-year-old child," HPD wrote in a statement.
In April, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed what she labeled "common sense" gun legislation, requiring background checks for all firearm purchases and strengthening the requirements of safe storage at home. The safe storage law requires individuals to keep firearms unloaded and locked with a locking device or stored in a locked box or container if it's reasonably known a minor is or is likely to be present on the premises.
Those laws go into effect in 2024. Lacey, meanwhile, has a pretrial hearing scheduled for Jan. 19.
Pride Displays
School boards and the county board alike took aim at LGBTQ+ symbols of support in 2023, with Fowlerville Community Schools and Hartland Consolidated Schools passing partially identical policies limiting what flags and displays can be placed in district buildings.
The policies came amidst a nationwide push from conservatives to ban LGBTQ+ flags, displays and "safe space" stickers from schools and city-affiliated property — though many local board members argued it was simply an effort to maintain neutrality.
Parents in both districts contacted the American Civil Liberties Union.
Livingston County tightened down on communications of its own after a promotion of local Pride Month events appeared in a newsletter from its Human Services Collaborative Body. Commissioners passed a resolution saying county-appointed entities can't promote private events or activities "outside the scope of the entity's mission."
All three votes were made against vocal opponents.
Rustic Marine House Fire
"Balancing on the roof of her home with five terrified children in tow, Lindsay Rowe knew she was probably sending her husband to his death. But how could she live with herself if she didn't?"
It's a sentence that describes 2023 for one local family, whose members grappled with the loss of their 1906 farmhouse near Hartland in March.
Lindsay, her husband AJ, and six of their seven children — aged 2-13 — were sleeping in the home when the fire broke out. At one point, Lindsay sent her husband back inside to find their toddler, Gunner. They all managed to escape from the second story and were rushed to the hospital. Some had broken bones; AJ suffered burns. Two dogs died. But they survived.
The family owns and operates woodworking and home décor business Rustic Marine, which supports veteran craftspeople by selling their wares at no commission online, in a converted shed, and at markets. The Rowes are in the process of building a new home, and have used some of their free time to teach others about fire safety.
Hailstorm Wipes Out Crops
After a hailstorm swept through parts of Livingston County on Thursday, June 15, reports of severe damage poured in.
Livingston County residents saw between a quarter and a half-inch to over two inches of rain and multiple inches of hail in the late spring phenomenon. One resident described the event as "once in a lifetime." Some lost gardens, roofs, siding and cars in tandem. Trees that had just finished blooming were bare.
Farms and businesses were hit particularly hard. At least one, Bentley Lake Farms in Howell, saw its fields wiped out completely. Timber Trace Golf Club announced it would need to close for a couple of days to assess and repair turf damage.
Some residents are still awaiting repairs on their homes.
Latson Road PUD
Todd Wyett of Versa Development received PUD approval for 193 acres of industrial and commercial construction off Latson Road in 2020. But residents are less than thrilled about plans to expand the scope of the project — and some think it should start over from scratch.
Residents showed up in droves in October to oppose a 138-acre expansion request, which would've seen the development add residential units and more commercial space. Planners for the township voted to recommend denial of the request.
In response, Wyett withdrew his application, which triggered the withdrawal of a lawsuit filed by neighborhood group "Coalition to Stop the Latson PUD." That group argues the original PUD expired after two years, and therefore can't be expanded. The township and its attorney have denied that claim.
Should Wyett pursue the commercial expansion another way, the coalition could refile its lawsuit in 2024. For now, plans for the original PUD are ongoing.
Barnstormer Demo
Locals finally said adieu to Barnstormer in 2023. The nightclub entertainment venue closed in 2012 following building and fire code violations. Officials had already declared the complex a "dangerous building" after limiting occupancy and closing the second floor in 2011.
Owner Rob Cortis tried to fight the "dangerous building" designation for years but lost in the Michigan Court of Appeals, among other legal battles with the township. But in early 2023, local police discovered the site was drawing trespassers, and officials decided to move forward with demolition.
In July, Cortis asked Livingston County Judge Michael Hatty to delay demolition, giving him more time to work out an alternative. But during a hearing, Hatty said Cortis failed to justify why it took him 11 years to file a motion for relief and ruled demolition could move forward.
After a lengthy estate sale, demolition began in October.
Tornado Whips Through Fowlerville
Just two months after a devastating hailstorm left homes, businesses and farms damaged in Livingston County, a series of thunderstorms and an EF-2 tornado dug up bad memories.
Sirens blared in multiple towns after what the National Weather Service called "an extremely large and dangerous tornado" was spotted near the county line in Williamston before crossing into Fowlerville on Thursday, Aug. 24. At first, NWS expected the tornado to reach Howell around 9:55 p.m. and Brighton around 10:10 p.m. — but the threat diminished.
Communities across the state reported road and bridge closures; downed trees and power lines; damage to building structures, embankments, and road surfaces; overwhelmed stormwater and sewer systems; and deposits of silt and debris. Hundreds of homeowners reported residential flooding. Many hid in basements and crawl spaces, fearing for their lives.
Several people across the state were killed. Rob Russell, 41, a construction coordinator from Hartland, was among them. He'd just finished remodeling his dream home.
— Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Livingston Daily. Contact her at clybrink@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @CassLybrink.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Year in Review: The biggest stories of 2023 in Livingston County
