Robert Semple Word has been received of the death of former Blissfield area resident Robert Semple, age 86 of Zeeland, who passed away Monday, December 9, 2013, at Oak Crest Manor. Arrangements were handled by Lakeshore Memorial Services, Inc., Holland.
The Blissfield wrestling team hit the road for the Dave Elliott Memorial Invitational in Clinton. Despite a strong start, the Royals finished in ninth place, with Manchester taking the top spot for the tournament.
While the Royals were coming off the holiday and break and attempting to shake off the rust as a team, several individual wrestlers for Blissfield had no trouble putting the competition on ice.
Cavin Beckey, who along with Dakota Underwood brought home second-place finishes for the Royals, gets a grip on his opponent. Copyright 2014, River Raisin Publications, Inc./Photo by Chad Hutchinson
Blissfield’s Dakota Underwood
Leading the way for the Blissfield mat men were Cavin Beckey in the 130-pound division and Dakota Underwood in the 215-pound class. Both Beckey and Underwood finished in second place on the day.
The new year came stomping in with a vengeance, leaving the area to battle heavy snow, winds and extremely frigid temperatures. Officials have estimated as much as 20 inches of snow has fallen in the area since between Jan. 1 and Jan. 6 that sent residents scurrying to local grocery stores over the weekend and has given snow plow drivers trouble keeping rural roads clear.
Already today (Tuesday, Jan. 7), Britton Deerfield Schools and Blissfield Community Schools have announced they will have no school Wednesday. Blissfield has announced its competitive cheer meet scheduled for Wednesday will take place Monday at Columbia Central instead. The home Blissfield varsity wrestling meet scheduled for Wednesday has been moved to Thursday, 5:30 p.m., according to Steve Babbitt, athletic director, and Thursday’s Blissfield freshman basketball game will be played in the middle school gym.
The mercury dipped as low as -17 Monday evening.
This snow-caked SUV lay on its side off U.S. 223 after a mid-day rollover on the icy, snow-covered highway. Copyright 2014, River Raisin Publications, Inc. Photo by Eric May
Lenawee County Road Commission operations manager Jason Schnaidt estimated six to eight inches of snow fell in the county on New Year’s Day. The area got a bit of a reprieve but were warned by weathermen of a massive storm that would blanket the area with more than a dozen of inches of snow and send the thermometer plummeting below with wind chill factors of -40 F and below. As of Monday evening most of the predictions were very accurate.
For Melissa Burnor’s complete storm story and many photos by Eric May, please see the Jan. 8, 2014, edition of The Advance, on newsstands now!
Two-way traffic on U.S. 223 near County Line Highway in Riga Township has been restored. Police and fire crews were called to the scene of a jackknifed semi trailer shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Police also discovered a Jeep rollover accident east of the semi’s location.
Traffic was shut down as wrecker crews removed the semi trailer. As of 4 p.m. the Jeep had not been removed.
Police have been responding to stranded motorists locations in both Lenawee and Monroe counties Monday and Tuesday. With record low temperatures and wind chills officials in both counties have issued advisories. Lenawee County Sheriff Jack Welsh and the county emergency management office has issued a travel advisory recommending people stay off the roads. Monroe County Sheriff and the Monroe County Emergency Management Office have requested people not drive on county roads until 7 a.m. Wednesday.
High winds continue to blow and drifting across secondary roads is still a hazard.
OTTAWA LAKE — U.S. 23 is currently open in both directions according to the Michigan State Police. An accident shut down the southbound lane at approximately 11:30 a.m. The accident allegedly injured a state trooper and at least five vehicles were involved in one crash. No other known injuries are reported at the time.
The road was shut down for a significant amount of time. According to the Michigan State Police the road was open at 1:30 p.m. However, police said they have had numerous problems in both directions on the freeway throughout the day.
The Riga Township Hall is open to Lenawee County residents as a warming station. With frigid temperatures, residents may need some place to go to keep warm, Riga Township Fire Chief Mike Norman said. The hall located at the south end of the village of Riga on Riga Highway will be open through Wednesday.
Lenawee County Sheriff Jack Welsh and emergency coordinator, Curtis Parsons issued a dangerous weather advisory for the county Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Detroit has issued a winter storm watch for the area and is predicting accumulation of between six to 12 inches of snow to begin falling in southeast Michigan Saturday afternoon, overnight and into Sunday. In addition, blowing and drifting winds are expected to add to hazardous road conditions.
According to a press release from Welsh and Parsons, frigid temperatures will move into the area beginning Sunday evening with wind chills expected to be in the -25 to -35 F range.
“These weather conditions can be dangerous to area residents should you become stranded out of doors,” the release said.
The pair warned of frost bite and hypothermia as potential possibilities if outside without proper protection. Officials are urging residents to be aware of the potential risks associated with this significant weather event expected to remain in place from Sunday until Tuesday.
The Blissfield wrestling team went 2-3 and finished in fourth place at the Sand Creek Tournament Dec. 21. The host Aggies dominated the field to go 5-0 and claim the crown.
For the complete story, please pick up the Jan. 1, 2014, edition of The Advance.
“It was an ugly game but a win nonetheless,” Britton Deerfield varsity coach Craig Tanis said of his team’s 52-32 victory over rival Summerfield. The Britton Deerfield Lady Patriots remain undefeated with a 6-0 record.
For the complete story, please see the Jan. 1, 2014, edition of The ADVANCE.
