ADVERTISE HERE!!!!     ADVERTISE HERE!!!!       ADVERTISE HERE!!!!   

THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA

Kimball Firefighters would like to thank the residents of Kimball Twp. for supporting us with all of are fun raisers for the 

Thermal imaging camera. 

We now have two camera's one for each Station, Once again 

                          THANK YOU!!!

 Local News

02/23/08

By BOBBY AMPEZZAN

Times Herald  

Man dead in Kimball crash

Robert Edward Laturno Jr. of Port Huron died just after 2 a.m. Sunday when he lost control of his car and slammed into two mobile homes in Somerset Meadows mobile home park in Kimball Township.

Accident investigators from the St. Clair County Sheriff Department were at the scene at 1900 block of Meadowlark Sunday investigating a fatal accident that happened that morning.

Laturno, 22, and another man were visiting Laturno's sister at her boyfriend's house, and they were drinking. They left to pick up food at a nearby, late-night restaurant, and Laturno was driving at an unusually high rate of speed through the subdivision when he lost control of the car and caromed off the corner of one mobile home parallel to the street, then another, before the car came to rest in front of a house on the other side of the street. His body had been partially ejected out the driver's side window of the vehicle after the first strike when he hit the second house.

St. Clair County Sheriff Lt. Tim Donnellon said the passenger was a younger man who also had been drinking and may have panicked and fled after the accident. He made contact with family members, and police will not release his name pending an interview, Donnellon said.

Laturno was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sunday, accident reconstructionists took measurements, and Donnellon said Sunday morning that an autopsy likely will be performed and toxicology reports made out, despite the fact that the deceased is the responsible party in the incident.

"It's a private-property fatal accident," he said. "It's not a normal accident by any means."

Sunday morning, Tony Porritt and Wayne Webster, both 42 and from Port Huron, drove to the accident scene to see first-hand what had happened to their friend.

"Whatever happened here last night was not indicative of what (Laturno) was about," Porritt said. "He was a good and caring young man."

Porritt said Laturno had been living with him recently. A 2004 graduate of Port Huron High School, the 22-year-old was employed in Richmond at one of his family's adult-care homes, Porritt said.

Known as 'Ralphie' to people close to him, he was a hunter and fisherman loyal and attentive to his friends who was quick to help out.

"He was mechanically inclined, and ... more times than he wanted, his phone rang (from friends) needing help," Webster said.

01/31/08

By CRAIG DAVISON
Times Herald  

Fire burns at county landfill  

KIMBALL TWP. — Firefighters from multiple fire departments were battling a blaze early this morning at the Smiths Creek Landfill. The fire was reported at about 11 p.m. by Richard Meinhardt, who lives across the street from the landfill and works there on Saturdays.

Billowing smoke blew west from the landfill as firefighters from departments as far away as Memphis helped fight the blaze on the top of a hill at the landfill on Smiths Creek Road. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Meinhardt said it was the same hill that burned in the last fire at the landfill.

In May of 2006, it took eight fire departments to put out a fire at the landfill. Meinhardt estimate this fire was larger than the previous one. He estimated its size at 500-by-500 feet. He said he moved one piece of equipment on site out of the way for fire trucks but said none of the equipment is in danger.

Meinhardt said it appeared the firefighters had the fire contained by about 12:30 a.m. Firefighters continue to battle blaze

Firefighters from departments as far away as Memphis are fighting a blaze on the top of a hill at the county landfill on Smiths Creek Road.

The fire was reported at about 11 p.m. by Richard Meinhardt, who lives across the street from the landfill and works there on Saturdays.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

10/02/07

By CRAIG DAVISON and MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

Fire destroys Kimball Township home

KIMBALL TWP. - Local firefighters and an official from the Michigan State Police are investigating a fire that left little standing of a house at 5246 Dove Road.

Neighbors reported the house was engulfed in flames about midnight Tuesday.

Kimball Township Assistant Fire Chief Ed Gratz said the fire at the 2,200-square-foot home had been burning for quite some time before it was he home's owner, whom authorities have not identified, was out of town when the fire happened and has not yet returned. Gratz said the man lived in the home by himself.

Sgt. Jim Bush of the Michigan State Police said he will be at the scene today. He said it is not yet known if the fire was suspicious.

The house sat nearly 2,000 feet away from Dove Road and was surrounded by trees. Some neighbors reported that part of the surrounding woods caught fire during the blaze.

One neighbor reported hearing what seemed to be an explosion.

"The house, garage, everything's gone," John Swinson, who lives west of the house, said early Tuesday morning.

Twenty-four firefighters from Kimball Township, Marysville and Port Huron Township fire departments responded to the fire.

One of the Port Huron Township firefighters suffered either a pulled muscle or strained a ligament, Gratz said, but it appears to be minor. reported.

8/22/07

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

An overturned truck blocks traffic Wednesday morning on eastbound I-69 just west of Taylor Road.

KIMBALL TWP.- Traffic was blocked briefly Wednesday morning while crews righted a tractor-trailer that tipped on eastbound Interstate 69 about a mile west of Taylor Road.

The tractor-trailer, hauling pancake mix, syrup and barbecue sauce, rolled on its side about 7:45 a.m. and slid about 100 feet down the shoulder of the highway. None of the products inside spilled but emergency crews cleaned up a small fuel leak.

Police said the driver, Zacharias Sakellis, 64, of London, Ontario, overcorrected after he swerved onto the right shoulder while reaching for a water bottle. Sakellis said he was taking a load of food from Chicago to Toronto. He owns an independent food-distribution business in Ontario.

"I tried to reach my water bottle, and I just hit the grid on the side of the road," he said.

The left lane of I-69 near the accident was closed for most of the morning because the tractor-trailer had to be emptied before crews could clear the truck from the scene. Both lanes were closed as the tractor-trailer was hauled away.

St. Clair County sheriff Deputy Mike Berger Jr. said the driver most likely will not be cited. No one was injured.

06/28/07

Officials still investigating suspicious fires

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP.- The Michigan Arson Prevention Committee is offering up to $5,000 for information about suspicious fires at a former adult foster-care home at 6531 Lapeer Road.

An April 22 fire destroyed the home on the property, and a June 6 fire destroyed a cinder-block garage behind it.

The home, which used to be Pine Hill Adult Foster Care, was vacant at the time of both fires. The state Department of Human Services ordered that residents of the foster-care home be removed on Feb. 9 after police discovered a methamphetamine lab in the garage.

Raymond Archie Laturno, 41, of Kimball Township was sentenced earlier this week to 56 months to 30 years in prison for operating a methamphetamine lab in the garage. He was dating the home's owner at the time of his arrest.

Arson evidence found at the scene of the garage fire has been sent to the Michigan State Police's forensic lab in Sterling Heights.

St. Clair County Sheriff Department Detective Colleen Titus said it's unknown when test results will be available.

Few details about the fire, including where it started, have been released.

While officials still believe the house fire was suspicious, extensive damage at the scene prevented state police investigators from determining a cause.

06/27/07

House 'unlivable' after kitchen fire

Times Herald

Firefighters put out a kitchen fire in the 5100 block of Lapeer Road in Kimball Township Tuesday afternoon that left the house unlivable. 

Fire officials said the cause of the 3:52 p.m. fire was accidental. 

There was smoke damage, as well as fire and water damage, mostly to the kitchen. 

Residents were home at the time but no one was injured in the blaze. 

Kimball Township firefighters will be at the scene today to continue the investigation. 

Port Huron and Clyde townships and Marysville firefighters assisted Kimball Township Fire Department.

06/18/07

Family saved in fire

By SHANNON MURPHY

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP. — Firefighters continued to battle a blaze early this morning at 345 Lincoln Ave. The fire started at about 12:45 a.m. today.

Kimball Township Fire Chief John Gorski said the cause of the fire is not yet known, but 

believes it began in the roof or the second story of the home. Gorski said firefighters will continue to investigate today to try and determine a cause.

The homeowners, James and Andrea Vail, were able to escape the home. Their two children were camping in a tent outside the home when the fire began.

“The smoke alarm didn’t go off until the fire was well under way,” Andrea Vail said.
Heather Priestman of St. Clair was driving west on Interstate 94 when she saw the flames shooting from the roof of the home, which sits just off of the highway. Priestman pulled over and called 911 and drove to the home.

“I started banging on doors and windows,” she said. “I kept yelling ‘Wake up, your house is on fire.’”
Priestman was able to wake up the Vails, who came running outside.

“I saw bikes in the yard, so I knew there were kids there,” Priestman said. “I just wanted to make sure everyone got out OK.”

The fire destroyed the top floor of the home and spread to parts of the bottom floor.

“All our stuff is in there, everything we own,” James Vail said as he watched firefighters battle the blaze.

Kimball Township was assisted by fire departments from Marysville, Port Huron Township and Clyde Township.

02/10/07

Residents of home removed

State agency acts after raid finds meth lab

By SHANNON MURPHY

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP.- A state agency moved all residents out of an adult foster-care home Friday after police said a meth lab was found on the property Wednesday.

The state Department of Human Services ordered residents be moved while an investigation continues into Pine Hill Adult Foster Care home, 6531 Lapeer Road.

Raymond Archie Laturno Jr., 41, of Kimball Township was arraigned Thursday for operating the lab from a garage on the property. He also faces weapons charges.

"To ensure the safety of the residents, all of them will be moved out today," said Maureen Sorbet, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Human Services.

She said the agency has had people at the home for the past few days conducting an investigation and working to find other places for the residents to live. Pine Hill is licensed for 14 people. Sorbet was not sure how many people were living there Friday.

Pine Hill owner Kellie Lauer on Thursday said Laturno was her boyfriend and that she and residents did not know anything illegal was going on in the garage.

She could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. People at the home declined to comment.

Sorbet said Lauer's license has not been revoked. This is the fourth time in about a year Pine Hill has been under state scrutiny.

The Department of Human Services investigates foster-care homes any time a complaint is filed.

Since January 2006, the department has investigated several allegations at Pine Hill, including claims that a member of the household had a criminal record. According to the complaint, an investigator found that a member of the household with a criminal record failed to notify the state that he or she was living at the home. The complaint does not state who the person was.

In November, Pine Hill again was investigated after a complaint was filed saying a resident was not being cared for properly. The investigation found no violation.

In September, a complaint was filed that stated Lauer and a live-in friend were drinking and using illegal drugs and the home was unclean.

The inspector found no evidence of drinking or drugs but found violations of some unsanitary conditions, such as a dirty bathroom and a yard with broken equipment, unused cars, refuse and litter.

Sorbet said during an investigation the owner typically is asked to put forth an action plan to fix any problems. An investigator then follows up at the site.

"We have licensing people that go in and investigate specific complaints to see whether or not the provider is out of compliance with program rules and regulations," she said. "Depending on what they find, they can take any range of action, up to suspension or revocation of the license."

02/09/07

Man faces charges in meth bust

Kimball resident charged with running lab in garage of adult foster care home

By SHANNON MURPHY

Times Herald

A 41-year-old Kimball Township man was arraigned Thursday on charges he was operating a meth lab from a garage at an adult foster-care home.

Raymond Archie Laturno is charged with possessing a controlled substance, second offense, two counts of carrying a concealed weapon and driving with a suspended license. He was arraigned by St. Clair County District Court Magistrate Stephen Thomas.

A preliminary examination is scheduled Feb. 20.

Police discovered the methamphetamine lab about 3 a.m. Wednesday in the garage outside Pine Hill Adult Foster Care, 6531 Lapeer Road. The Times Heraldlearned the lab was on the foster-care home property through a post in the StoryChat forum at thetimesherald.com.

Police found the lab after Laturno was arrested Tuesday on outstanding warrants for possession of methamphetamine and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Laturno had meth ingredients and a gun in his possession when he was arrested. Police said they don't expect to charge anyone else at the home in connection with the meth lab.

Kellie Lauer, owner of Pine Hill Adult Foster Care, said Laturno was her boyfriend, but she didn't know he was doing anything illegal in the home's garage. She said he didn't live there, although he listed Pine Hill as his address in court records.

Lauer said she let police into the garage early Wednesday. Inside the garage, Lauer said police found a small padlocked toolbox from which they took items. She said she didn't know what was in the box.

Lauer said the state Department of Human Services now is investigating the foster home. Department officials did not return a phone message left Thursday afternoon.

Lauer said she has operated the foster home for about two years, but elderly people, some with mental illnesses, have lived there for several years.

"These people (that live here) are just as innocent as I am," Lauer said. "I'm real worried about it."

02/08/07

Task force busts second meth lab

Man arrested in another Kimball drug investigation

By CRAIG DAVISON

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP.- A 41-year-old township man will be arraigned today in St. Clair County District Court on multiple felony charges after police found a working meth lab in a garage behind his home.

Police discovered the meth lab at 3 a.m. Wednesday in the 6500 block of Lapeer Road.

The lab was found after police arrested the man Tuesday evening on outstanding warrants for possession of methamphetamine and assault with a dangerous weapon, said Lt. Ronald Muxlow with the St. Clair County Sheriff Department Drug Task Force.

The man's name has not been released pending his arraignment, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. He is being held in the St. Clair County jail in Port Huron Township.

Police said the man faces charges of felony firearm possession, carrying a concealed weapon, transporting a loaded firearm, operating or owning meth-lab chemicals, committing a felony while possessing a firearm, driving with a suspended license and violating his probation.

When police arrested the man on the warrants, they found chemicals used to make methamphetamine and a rifle.

Police went to the man's house where they got permission from another resident to search the garage.

"We searched that garage, and we did find a meth lab and several other firearms," Muxlow said.

The chemicals present in the lab and the man's car were enough to make between 2 and 5 grams of meth, Muxlow said. Muxlow said police did not know how long the lab had been in operation.

He said the lab produced meth using red phosphorus.

According to a Web site from the International Association of Firefighters, the method reduces ephedrine or pseudoephedrine using red phosphorus and hydriodic acid. Red phosphorus is highly unstable and, once ignited, can release a deadly gas, according to the site.

Police found a similar meth lab Jan. 5 in a Kimball Township barn at 4737 Griswold Road.

Almyron Dobson, 50, has been charged with operating the lab. His brother, Timothy Dobson, was charged with frequenting a drug house.

02/04/07

Firefighters brave heat, cold

Officials aren't sure what caused fire at vacant house; no one hurt

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

ST. CLAIR TWP. - Firefighters will be seeking help from Michigan State Police fire investigators to determine the cause of a Sunday afternoon fire that destroyed a house at 7373 Frith Road.

Kimball Township Fire Chief John Gorski said firefighters have not determined a cause of the fire, which was reported at 1:26 p.m. by neighbors.

Crews from Memphis and St. Clair joined Kimball firefighters at the scene, fighting bitterly cold temperatures as well as the fire.

No one was home at the time of the fire, Gorski said.

Firefighters were told the house was vacant, although debris was inside the house, and some cars were parked in front of the garage.

"We're not really calling it suspicious yet, because we haven't had the chance to talk with a homeowner," Gorski said. "He can't be reached at this time."

He expected a state police fire investigator would visit the scene today to determine what caused the blaze.

At this point, Gorski said burn patterns indicated the fire started in the southwestern or western side of the house.

"Due to the extensive burning at that end of the house, we've determined that's probably where the fire started," he said.

Temperatures hovered around zero Sunday afternoon, making extra precautions necessary in the extreme conditions.

Gorski said firefighters' gear offers some protection, but a rescue truck was parked and left running so the firefighters could climb inside and warm up.

1/17/07

SUV crashes into farm agency; no one hurt

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP.- No one was injured Tuesday when a sport utility vehicle veered off Wadhams Road about 1 p.m. and crashed into an office building.

Police said a medical condition caused Stuart H. Coleman, 71, of Kimball Township to black out and crash his GMC Yukon into the U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center at 2830 Wadhams Road.

The center houses the Farm Service Agency and the National Resources Conservation Service. The Farm Service administers programs that include federal loans for farmers.

The SUV broke through the northwest wall of the service center and careened into a Farm Service Agency office, knocking an employee's desk 5 feet and hurling a filing cabinet out of the office, said Dean Forrester, executive director for the Farm Service Agency in St. Clair and Macomb counties.

The vehicle hit the building at a slant, Forrester said, with about 10 feet of the SUV inside the employee's office. The impact split the door in two. "It shoved (the county director's) desk five feet and threw books and wood all over the place," Forrester said.

Forrester credited a heavy file cabinet and a pine tree for minimizing damage and injury. "I think that tree slowed him down, plus the file cabinets were pretty heavy," Forrester said.

1/15/07

Police seek arson charges Capac man, Kimball woman 

suspects in fires

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

Police have requested felony arson charges against two St. Clair County residents for unrelated fires in Capac and Kimball Township .

Michigan State Police Fire Investigator Sgt. Mike Waite said a Capac man is expected to be charged with arson of an occupied dwelling in the Capac area. A Kimball Township woman is expected to face multiple charges for an unoccupied structure fire in Kimball Township .

The woman could face charges of arson of real property and arson of insured property.

Waite would not identify the fires or the suspects because those responsible have not yet been arrested. Both fires occurred in late 2006, he said.

"I don't want to say anything until after they've been arrested," Waite said.

Neither of the two suspects has a history of arson crimes. Waite also believes they acted alone.

One of the suspects is expected to turn himself or herself in Tuesday. Police are searching for the second suspect.

No one was injured in either of the fires.

Waite said he did not believe the suspects were involved in any of the other unsolved St. Clair County arson fires he is investigating.

He and other authorities are investigating several arson fires that happened last year in St. Clair County and in the city of Port Huron .

Rewards still are being offered for a pair of December arson fires in Port Huron .

# A $5,000 reward is being offered for information about a Kern Street home that was firebombed Dec. 29. Fire officials said Molotov cocktails were thrown against the front of the house.

# A $10,000 reward is being offered for information about a pair of vehicle fires set Dec. 23 inside the AT&T vehicle storage facility at 2020 Bancroft St .

1/8/07

Man arraigned in meth-lab bust Police believe illegal facility was producing

By CRAIG DAVISON

Times Herald

A 50-year-old Kimball Township man was arraigned Sunday after authorities found a meth lab Friday in a barn on Griswold Road.

Almyron Dobson is charged with possession and intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, drug manufacturing, felony firearms violation and maintaining a drug house, St. Clair County Sheriff Sgt. Tom Buckley said.

Dobson's preliminary examination is scheduled for Jan. 16 in St. Clair County District Court.

Dobson's brother, a 53-year-old Kimball Township resident, was questioned and released pending issuance of warrants.

"We're going to do more checking to see if he had any involvement," Buckley said.

Buckley said he at least will be charged sometime this week with frequenting a drug house .

Dobson's brother lived in the house with his sister, while Dobson lived in the barn where the lab was set up, Buckley said.

This is the first working lab discovered in the county in two decades. A lab was discovered in 1986 in Greenwood Township.

The lab was set up to produce a batch of about $2,800 of the illegal drug, which police believe was happening at least every other day.

The department's drug task force found methamphetamine, marijuana and drug packaging materials.

The task force also found products, including hazardous materials, used to make meth, such as camping fuel, gas-line antifreeze and muriatic acid.

Neighbors told police they suspected the men had been producing meth for about a year.

1/7/07

Kimball meth lab busted

  By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP. — A 50-year-old township man is expected to face multiple drug charges today after authorities discovered a meth lab Friday afternoon in a barn on Griswold Road.

St. Clair County Sheriff Lt. Ron Muxlow said the discovery was significant, because it was the first working meth lab discovered in the county. The lab was set up to produce a batch of about $2,800 of the illegal drug, which Muxlow believes was happening at least every other day.

The 50-year-old man will be charged with possession and intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, drug manufacturing, felony firearms violation and maintaining a drug house.

He is set to be arraigned today in St. Clair County District Court in Port Huron.

Authorities plan to seek charges against a second man, a 53-year-old Kimball Township resident. The man was questioned and released pending issuance of warrants.

The department’s drug task force found methamphetamine, marijuana, drug packaging materials and hazardous chemicals used to make methamphetamine. Task force members also found several products used to make meth, including camping fuel, gas-line antifreeze and muriatic acid.

After the raid, neighbors told police they suspected the men had been producing meth for about a year.

The raid is part of an increasing methamphetamine presence in St. Clair County, Muxlow said.

“We’ve been receiving recent intelligence on increasing methamphetamine use in St. Clair County,” he said.

Muxlow said the lab produced meth using the red phosphorus method.

According to a Web site from the International Association of Firefighters, the method reduces ephedrine or pseudoephrine using red phosphorus and hydriolic acid. Red phosphorus is considered highly unstable and once ignited can cause a deadly gas, according to the site.

“Some of the chemicals and the gases that they produce could kill you,” Muxlow said. “If it ignited, you could have a huge explosion.”

Meth lab chemicals are so dangerous local police called in a Drug Enforcement Administration crew from Kalamazoo to clean up the site.

10/11/06

Blazes destroy garage, damage home's roof Kimball fires not considered suspicious

By CRAIG DAVISON

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP.- Firefighters are expected to continue investigating the causes of fires Tuesday and Wednesday in a garage attached to a home at 191 S. Allen Road.

The first fire started about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, destroying most of the garage and causing minor damage to the house's attic, township Fire Chief John Gorski said.

At 8:21 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters received a call to return to the house for another fire that started in the garage and damaged the home's roof.

Gorski could not confirm if the original fire rekindled Wednesday. The fires are not believed to be suspicious. No one was hurt.

"It's just one of those sparks," Gorski said. "It could have been something electrical that caused today's problem, we don't know that yet."

The homeowners were at the house when both fires started. They will not be able to return to the house immediately because of damage, Gorski said

"There's some damage to the house and smoke damage," Gorski said. "When they had the fire (Wednesday), there was some damage to the roof of the house."

The Marysville Fire Department assisted at both fires. The St. Clair Fire Department also was at the scene Wednesday.

9/22/06

Man faces 9 charges in arsons

Accused tells magistrate, 'I don't think I'm a danger to the people'

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

A 23-year-old Marysville man was arraigned Thursday on nine criminal charges, including assault with intent to murder, for setting six Sept. 9 fires in Clyde Township.

  While about 30 people watched via closed-circuit television, John Jay Searles was arraigned in

Searles, who was arrested Wednesday, faces up to life in prison. He was charged with seven felonies and two misdemeanors.

The fires on McLain Road included a barn fire that killed 18 horses at Classic Quarter Horses, a porch fire set while a family slept and one that burned a pick-up truck.

Magistrate Stephen Thomas set Searles' preliminary examination for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 3. He is in the St. Clair County jail in Port Huron Township on $750,000 bond.

"I don't think I'm a danger to the people and the community," Searles said when Thomas asked him what bond amount should be set.

County Prosecutor Mike Wendling asked Thomas to set a high bond, saying Searles received fire training while in the U.S. Coast Guard and could set more fires if not in jail.

Petty Officer Matt Scholfield, with the U.S. Coast Guard's district headquarters in Cleveland, said Searles is not in a database of active servicemen. Scholfield did not have access to past records, but said some servicemen are trained to fight fires on boats.

Beverly McCollum, owner of Classic Quarter Horses, said she had mixed emotions after the arraignment.

While she is glad Searles has been caught, McCollum said the fire ruined the horse-breeding program she'd been nurturing for 18 years.

Among the horses that died in the fire was Lets Go First Class - a 14-year-old stallion that was a two-time reserve national champion. The fire also killed a promising young stallion, XS Class, who was 6.

"There was a breeding program out there in that barn that I've been working on for 18 years," McCollum said. "Three generations have been wiped out."

Wendling said Searles later could be charged with animal cruelty. The horses' monetary value was taken into consideration when assessing the damage done to McCollum's barn, he said.

Rachel Leveille, who lives on McLain Road, said she was disappointed Searles wasn't charged with animal cruelty.

When the barn caught fire, she and her daughter rushed across the road, desperate to free the horses.

"It was just cold and calculated and terrorism of a neighborhood," Leveille said

9/21/06

Arson suspect arrested

Marysville man expected to be arraigned today

By SHANNON MURPHY and MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

A 23-year-old Marysville man is expected to be arraigned today in St. Clair County District Court on charges of setting several Sept. 9 fires in Clyde Township, including one that killed 18 horses.

The man, whose name has not been released, was arrested late Tuesday, after the St. Clair County Sheriff Department received an anonymous tip, Sheriff Dan Lane said. Police believe the man, who was arrested in Clinton Township, set several fires on McLain Road, including garbage cans, a truck, a dog kennel, a porch and a barn at Classic Quarter Horses farm.

The Michigan Arson Prevention Committee and private residents offered an $8,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the fires.

"We're still in the infancy stage of interviewing him," Lane said. "We don't have a motive yet."

Police still are searching for suspects in several other area arsons, including those in Wales and Kenockee townships on Sept. 4.

and others affected by the fires said they're relieved the man was arrested. However, many, such as Classic Quarter Horses farm worker Kelly DeJean, said the arrest can't take away the horror of the fires.

DeJean cared for the horses that died in the fire and had to take firefighters and investigators through the burned barn.

St. Clair County Prosecutor Mike Wendling said the suspect could face assault charges and several arson charges, including arson of a dwelling, arson of a building and arson causing damage. He also could be held responsible for the value of the 18 horses that died.

Depending on the charges, the man could face up to life in prison, Wendling said.

McLain Road resident Rebecca DuChene, whose truck was burned in the fires, said she's glad the suspect will have to answer for the damage he committed.

"They're going to need a ruler and a calculator for all the counts against him," she said.

DuChene said she hasn't been able to sleep well since the arsons and probably still will have problems. She said she expects several of her neighbors feel the same way.

Lights shine all night from windows in almost every nearby house, DuChene said.

"We don't feel secure," she said. "I probably never will."

Relief is still tinged with anger for horse owner Dave Campbell of Wales Township. Snickers, a horse that belonged to his 15-year-old daughter, died in the fire.

"If it is the person, it's a big relief," Campbell said. "I kind of wish we would've caught him first, but I'm glad he was found."

09/09/06

Arson string turns violent

Barn blaze kills 18 horses as 6 fires hit Clyde Twp. road

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

CLYDE TWP. - Authorities are investigating six fires Saturday morning on a short stretch of McLain Road, including one that killed 18 horses.

Firefighters were called at 4:30 a.m. to the 3100 block of McLain Road, where they found a barn at Classic Quarter Horses in flames. While en route to the farm, firefighters also received calls to vehicle, garbage can, shed and porch fires farther down McLain Road.

St. Clair County Sheriff Lt. Tim Donnellon called the string of fires "suspicious." He said they could be related to several other suspicious fires set in recent weeks in Wales, Kenockee and Kimball townships.

The McLain Road fires were more dangerous and brazen than the prior arsons, Donnellon said.

"(Burning) abandoned barns are a lot different than burning a barn full of animals or somebody's porch," he said.

Sgt. Mike Waite, a fire investigator with the Michigan State Police, wouldn't speculate Saturday about a possible cause, but agreed the fires were suspicious.

"Any time you have more than one fire in the same area, it's suspicious," he said.

Authorities used an arson-detecting dog to check for accelerants at Saturday's fires. A string of fires

Clyde Township Fire Chief Gary May said the barn fire was so intense firefighters could not get inside to free the horses.

"There was no saving the horses," he said. "We just put the fire out."

The fire was most likely started inside the barn, May said.

One horse did escape the barn but was so badly burned it had to be euthanized. It is unclear how the horse escaped.

Horse owner Kay Lehvonen was devastated when she learned of the news. Her horse, Nick, died in the fire. "We came over and it was gone," she said. "It was just gone. No horses ... no everything."

Family and friends said Bev McCollom, longtime owner of Classic Quarter Horses, was too distraught to speak.

Farm worker Kelly DeJean and several others expressed sympathy for a woman they say was always willing to help other people.

"(McCollom's) a wonderful person and she doesn't deserve this," she said.

In addition to breeding her own horses, McCollom boarded horses for other horse owners. Many of the owners were at the scene Saturday, doing their best to comfort each other.

Sue Campbell of Goodells had to wake up her 15-year-old daughter to tell her that Snickers, her quarter horse mare, was dead.

It was one of the hardest things Campbell said she'd ever had to do. She said her daughter visited the farm almost every day and had planned to ride Snickers in the homecoming parade.

  "This is her life," Campbell said. "If you don't own a horse, you don't understand." Hitting home

Several other neighbors were affected by fires, including a porch fire burning outside a teenager's bedroom.

Smoke drifting through a window set off a fire alarm and allowed the family to escape.

Sixteen-year-old Jeremy Heath and his father used a garden hose and shovels to put out the fire and keep the rest of their house from burning.

After they doused their own fire, the Heath family's attention moved across the road, where their neighbors' truck was engulfed in flames.

The truck, owned by Rebecca and Jeff DuChene, was for sale and had been parked next to the road at the end of their driveway. The vehicle was completely burned out.

The neighbors couldn't imagine who would set the fires but hoped they were caught soon, before somebody gets hurt. "We've got a freak on our hands," Jeff DuChene said. "Somebody that's really sick in the head." 

SUSPICIOUS FIRES

·  AUG. 30: Firefighters battle a fire about 12:29 a.m. at the empty former Victorian Inn, 1229 Seventh St., Port Huron. Police suspect arson.

·  MONDAY: About 24 Kimball and Port Huron township firefighters battle a fire in an abandoned house at 4725 Lapeer Road in Kimball Township. Firefighters received the call at about 5:40 p.m. and were at the scene for almost five hours. The house was destroyed and the fire was deemed suspicious.

·  TUESDAY: Police believe a barn was set on fire at 9505 Sparling Road in Wales Township. At 7:04 a.m., a barn at 8817 Bryce Road in Kenockee Township caught fire, causing two other barns also to burn. About 10 minutes later, the Wales Township Hall at 1372 Wales Center Road began burning. Each of the barns were destroyed. The fires are being called arsons.

·  SEPT. 5: Firefighters respond about 11:16 a.m. to heavy black smoke and flames in a vacant home at 2036 Goodells Road. It is being called suspicious.

   

09/06/06

Officials: House fire may be arson

Damage to abandoned structure the 4th suspicious blaze in 2 days

By DANIELLE QUISENBERRY and MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

WALES TWP.- Police and firefighters are continuing to investigate a suspicious fire Tuesday at an empty house on Goodells Road, not far from the sites of three suspected arsons Monday morning.

Firefighters responded at 11:16 a.m. to a report of a fire at 2036 Goodells Road, south of Sparling Road, said Ed Gratz, Kimball Township assistant fire chief.

A south corner of the long-unoccupied and dilapidated house was black from flames that were quickly squelched by firefighters from several departments. The blaze was contained to a front room of the house.

The fire broke out the day after firefighters battled three fires at empty barns in Wales and Kenockee townships and at the Wales Township Hall on Wales Center Road. Each of the fires is being investigated as an arson.

As a result of the township hall fire, township employees on Thursday will move operations to the Memphis City Hall.

Michigan State Police Sgt. Mike Waite, who is with the state police's fire investigation unit, was at the Goodells Road fire Tuesday afternoon.

He also is investigating the Monday fires but said it's too early to tell if the incidents are related.

"There have been a rash of (suspicious fires) in this area," he said, as he packaged two small, plastic containers he found in the home.

The place, time and circumstances surrounding the Tuesday fire are similar to the Monday fires, said St. Clair County Sheriff Lt. Tim Donnellon.

The Monday fires were within six miles of the Tuesday fire and were set in vacant buildings sometime before noon.

Michelle Bailey of Wales Township, who owns the Goodells Road house with her husband, said she was "definitely suspicious" about the fire's origins.

She said the house, which sits out of sight from nearby homes, probably is a good target for arsonists.

Bailey said she and her husband were trying to sell the house. If it didn't sell, they were going to build on the property, she said.

"The house isn't worth a lot, so this is more irritating than heart-breaking," Bailey said.

TO REPORT INFORMATION

# Anyone with information about recent fires in Wales, Kenockee and Kimball townships can call the St. Clair County Sheriff Department at (810) 985-8115, the Michigan State Police Richmond post at (586) 727-0231 or the arson hot line at (800) 44-ARSON.

# Anyone with information about a suspected arson Aug. 30 at the former Victorian Inn, 1229 Seventh St., is asked to call the Port Huron Police Department's CAPTURE secret-witness tip line at (810) 987-6688 or (800) 44-ARSON.

RECENT FIRES

# AUG. 30: Firefighters battled a fire about 12:29 a.m. at the former Victorian Inn, 1229 Seventh St., Port Huron. The fire is being investigated as an arson.

# FRIDAY: About 24 Kimball and Port Huron township firefighters battled a fire in an abandoned house at 4725 Lapeer Road in Kimball Township. Firefighters received the call about 5:40 p.m. and were on the scene for almost five hours. The house was destroyed, and the fire has been deemed suspicious.

# MONDAY: Police believe barns at 9505 Sparling Road in Wales Township and at 8817 Bryce Road in Kenockee Township, along with the Wales Township Hall, 1372 Wales Center Road, were set on fire about 7 a.m. The fires are being investigated as arsons.

# TUESDAY: Firefighters responded about 11:16 a.m. to heavy, black smoke and flames in a vacant home at 2036 Goodells Road in Wales Township. The fire has been deemed suspicious.

09/01/06

Suspicious fire destroys vacant house in Kimball

By MOLLY MONTAG

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP. - Officials are investigating a suspicious fire that destroyed an abandoned house Friday evening on Lapeer Road in Kimball Township.

Assistant Kimball Township Fire Chief Ed Gratz said Kimball will work with the state fire marshal to determine the cause of the fire at 4725 Lapeer Road. The fire's cause has not been determined.

Flames were already shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived on scene. Gratz said the house was completely destroyed.

More than 24 Kimball and Port Huron Township firefighters responded to the fire at about 5:40 p.m. and were at the scene for almost five hours.

Gratz said the house's abandoned nature and construction style made the fire harder to control. Firefighters do not enter abandoned houses because they don't know if the structure is secure, he said.

"It's a safety issue, because there could be holes in the floor or other unsafe conditions," Gratz said.

The fire forced many motorists to find a detour, because Lapeer Road was closed to through traffic for several hours.

Harold Grice of Port Huron was driving by when he saw the the house burning and dialed 911. Grice was concerned somebody might be in danger.

"We didn't know if there was anybody in there," said Grice, 37.

No one was injured by the fire.

05/27/06

Firefighters battle county dump blaze

By DANIELLE QUISENBERRY
Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP.- Firefighters from eight St. Clair County departments responded to a fire Saturday at the St. Clair County landfill.

The blaze began about 10:30 a.m. and consumed about three acres of garbage at the landfill on Smiths Creek Road. Smoke rising from the burning garbage could be seen miles away.

Firefighters had the blaze under control by noon and quenched by 1:30 p.m., said Kimball Township Assistant Chief Ed Gratz.

"It didn't take long to get it knocked down once we had an established water supply," Gratz said.

Because of the holiday weekend, Gratz called in extra departments to ensure adequate manpower.

He said he had no idea what started the fire, which was contained to the surface of the landfill.

Once the fire was out, a landfill worker used an earthmover to check for hot spots, Gratz said.

Darlene Sylvia, who lives across from the landfill, said she didn't notice the fire until she saw about a dozen fire trucks pass her house.

"I didn't know what was going on out there." 

10/29/05

Pilot burned in small-plane crash  

By SHANNON MURPHY

Times Herald

Home-built craft destroyed at county airport

KIMBALL TWP.- A 63-year-old Southfield man was badly burned Saturday afternoon after his plane crashed and burst into flames at the St. Clair County International Airport.

Robert May was attempting to land his home-built single-engine plane when he encountered difficulties about 1:20 p.m., St. Clair County Sheriff Lt. A.J. Foster said.

May tried to get the plane back into the air, but the left wing touched the ground, causing the plane to roll several times.

Foster said the plane then exploded into flames on the main runway, about 100 feet from the airport's main terminal building.

May was able to get out of the plane, but his clothing was on fire. Foster said an airport employee helped the man to a grassy area and put the flames out with a coat. May was the plane's lone occupant, and no one on the ground was injured.

Airport employees declined to comment Saturday.

May was taken to Mercy Hospital in Port Huron, then flown to a University of Michigan Health Systems hospital in Ann Arbor, where he was in critical condition Saturday night. Police said he sustained burns over about half of his body.

The airport was closed for about two hours and planes were diverted to other airports while crews cleaned up the runway.

Ed Gratz, Kimball Township's assistant fire chief, said it took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the plane, then about an hour to clean up and make sure there was no fuel spilled on the runway.

Foster said the Federal Aviation Administration was called to investigate, but he wasn't sure when that would happen. The plane was not registered with the FAA since it was a home-built model.

The last reported local plane crash was Aug. 26 when a Croswell-area man crashed his home-built plane near a private landing strip in Lexington Township. He suffered head injuries.

On June 26, a twin-engine Piper was forced to ditch in Lake Huron near Fort Gratiot, slightly injuring the pilot. The five passengers weren't hurt.

Contact Shannon Murphy at (810) 989-6274

3/28/05

County landfill to harvest methane

$1.5 million project first in nation to turn septic waste into energy
By CHRIS SEBASTIAN

Times Herald

KIMBALL TWP.- Sarah Sylvia and her family for the past few years have watched Smiths Creek Landfill workers burn off methane gas collected from decomposing trash.

The family lives directly behind the St. Clair County-owned landfill and Sylvia, 24, always has wondered why the methane isn't collected and used for energy.

Construction will begin this spring on a $1.5 million system to do just that: harvest the methane so the county can sell it to developers for a profit.

While collecting landfill methane isn't new, the Smiths Creek site will be the first in the nation to add residential septic waste to the garbage to crank out more gas.

Accepting liquid waste also gives septic haulers another place to deposit residential waste, and environmentalists hope it cuts down on illegal septic dumping. No facilities exist in St. Clair County to handle septic-tank solid waste or septage. The closest plant is in Mount Clemens in Macomb County. Septic