Hunters will now be able to kill up to 43 wolves in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

AP photo

The 6-week season will open Nov. 15 and end Dec. 31.

The seven-member Natural Resources Commission voted 6-1 in favor of the plan in Roscommon during its monthly meeting. The plan was recommended by state wildlife regulators.

Michigan becomes the sixth state to authorize hunting wolves since federal regulations were lifted over the past two years in the western Great Lakes and the Northern Rockies. About 1,100 wolves have been killed by hunters and trappers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. About 658 of the animals are believed to be roaming remote areas in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Three harvest zones were chosen in the UP because of conflicts between wolves and humans. State officials say they've received a high number of complaints in those areas where wolves have preyed on livestock.

"We anticipate that this limited public harvest could both change wolf behavior over time — making them more wary of people, residential areas and farms — and reduce the abundance of wolves in these management areas that have experienced chronic problems," said Russ Mason, DNR Wildlife Division chief. "We're aiming to decrease the number of conflicts and complaints while maintaining the long-term viability of the wolf population."

Commission chair J. R. Richardson called the commission's vote "a thoughtful, science-based decision."

It "ensures the long-term presence of wolves while providing a valuable tool for managing conflicts between wolves and human populations," he said.

A target of 16 wolves can be taken from Gogebic County; 19 from a region that includes portions of Baraga, Houghton, Ontonagon and Gogebic counties; and eight from portions of Luce and Mackinac counties.

Wolf management units will be created for each region. Once the target harvest is reached in each unit, hunting is closed in that region for the season.

Hunters and trappers are allowed only one wolf each. Firearms, crossbows and bow and arrows can be used. Hunting and trapping is allowed on public and private land.

Starting Aug. 3, 1,200 wolf hunting licenses will be available. The cost is $100 for Michigan residents and $500 for nonresidents.

• Visit Mlive's High School Sports Network for complete Thursday results

Girls Soccer

Saline 5, Dexter 0
Story | Boxscore

A Dexter High School soccer player during halftime of a game in April.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file photo

Saline hasn’t defeated Dexter in three years, according to Hornets coach Dana Restrick.

“They’re usually a very threatening offensive team, which is a credit to them,” Restrick said. “It’s a matter of pride for our defense to get the shutout.”

Dexter goalkeeper Stephanie Misevich had seven saves.

Pioneer 4, Chelsea 0
Story | Boxscore

After a narrow first half, Pioneer pulled ahead further with three goals in the second half and cruised to a 4-0 win over Chelsea in Thursday girls soccer action.

The shutout was Sofia Gambini's fourth of the season.

"It was nice to see us continue to improve on offense after struggling to score at the beginning of the year," Ann Arbor Pioneer coach Chris Coleman said. "Hopefully we can keep this consistency going into the playoffs."

Katie Matton, Julia Crowe and Audrey Park also had goals for Ann Arbor Pioneer (5-3-1 overall) as Gambini stopped two shots.

Sapp had two assists, and Sam Freshley and Jennifer Fichera recorded one apiece.

Manchester 9, Clinton 2
Story | Boxscore

Sophomore Jessica Manders led the Manchester girls soccer team (9-0) with four goals and an assist, as the Flying Dutchmen topped Clinton 9-2 on Thursday.

Sophomore Sydnie Ahrens and senior Taylor Manders each added two goals, and Ahrens had three assists.

“(Those) three phenomenal forwards just put a tremendous amount of pressure on the defense,” Manchester coach Mark Davis said. “Jessica (Manders) has 27 goals this season. Her sister (Taylor Manders) has been feeding her the ball, and Ahrens has been making it really easy to get to the net.

“I’m glad, as a coach, I don’t have to defend against them.”

Manchester goalies Kendra Beasley and Audrey Dorman had three saves each.

Baseball

Saline 5, Lincoln 2; Saline 6, Lincoln 5
Story | Boxscore

Saline's Eric Berki threw a five-hitter in his team's 5-2 Game 1 win, striking out six in seven innings, while allowing five hits, two walks and two earned runs, and the pitcher improved to 3-0 on the season.

Andrew White earned the win in Game 2, pitching a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout and one hit allowed.

Saline's A.J. Korzuck led the Hornets offense with four hits, and Joey Sweigart and John Malbone each added three hits, including a double.

Lincoln's Maverick Bristol led the Railsplitters with four hits, including a triple, and Darryl Jordan hit a home run and scored three runs.

Huron 12, Adrian 6; Adrian 5, Huron 2
Story | Boxscore

Huron's Joe Cleary took the decision in the 12-6 Game 1 win, striking out four in six innings, while allowing 10 hits, three walks and six earned runs.

Huron lost the second game 6-2, with Grant Strickler allowing three hits, two walks and four runs over 1 1/3 innings in the loss.

Max Teener and Bobby Knutilla led the Huron offense with two hits and two RBIs apiece.

Adrian's Hunter Hayes led the Maples with two hits and two RBIs, and Brett Bartels added three hits and one RBI.

Dexter 15, Pioneer 5; Dexter 12, Pioneer 1
Story | Boxscore

Jon Haley led Dexter with five hits, two RBIs and four runs scored, as Dexter baseball team defeated Ann Arbor Pioneer 15-5 and 12-1 in a home SEC crossover doubleheader on Thursday.

Greg Goffee had three hits and four RBIs, while Andy McWilliams and Cole Rize contributed two hits apiece.

“Dexter played well and hit the ball well,” Pioneer coach Jerry Holley said. “We made our usual mistakes and put too many runners on base. They handled us pretty well in both games.”

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com.

Robert Addie

Courtesy of WCSO

A 39-year-old Ypsilanti man admitted Thursday to striking a police officer while driving drunk in the parking lot of a Pittsfield Township Burger King in February.

Robert Lamont Addie pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of resisting a police officer, fourth-degree fleeing police and operating while intoxicated, third offense.

A count of assault with intent to commit bodily harm less than murder was dismissed, as was Addie's habitual offender status. It was revealed in court that he has been convicted of drunken driving in 1994, 1999, 2001 and 2006.

Judge David Swartz asked Addie to recount what he did to make him think he was guilty of the charges.

Addie told the court he had been drinking when he was driving his car at the Burger King and a police officer directed him to move his vehicle to a specific spot.

"When I pulled over the car it pretty much, kind of sideswiped the officer," Addie said.

Pittsfield Township police were initially called to the Burger King at 6190 W. Michigan Ave. — nearly right across the street from the police station -- at 1:38 p.m. Feb. 14 after receiving reports that two men inside a 2003 Ford Taurus were “causing a disturbance with employees” as they went through the drive-thru.

Officers repeatedly told Addie, who was driving, to park the Taurus.

Police say Addie accelerated at a high rate of speed through the parking lot and struck an officer before leaving.

The officer was knocked to the ground and suffered minor injuries.

The officers pursued the Taurus on a short chase west on Michigan Avenue, which ended at Saulk Trail Drive. Police say Addie resisted arrest but was eventually subdued and taken into custody.

A sentencing agreement was not part of the plea deal. Addie is scheduled to be sentenced June 13. He remains free on a a 10 percent of $7,500 bond, according to court records.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Pioneer and Saline golfers walking during a round at the Michigan golf course.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com file photo

Cool Michigan mornings bring on the greatest challenge when trying to warm up the body. Nobody likes to start the round on a Par 3 over water that’s all carry. Primarily, this is because we haven't warmed up yet, found our rhythm for the day. When the muscles are on the stiff side, that begins to play games with the mind and can chip away at a golfer’s confidence.

Nobody has more confidence going to the first tee than Tiger Woods regardless of the day and conditions. He has been up since 4:30 a.m. in the morning working out and practicing before 90 percent of the guys on tour even roll out of bed. True, it’s highly unlikely we will match his routine for a Saturday morning round with the gang, but there are a few tricks to use to help prepare us for those cool morning tee times when bragging rights are on the line.

Fellow Michigander Tom Gillis taught me the hot tub trick a few years back while we were playing the eProfessional Golf Tour together. There It was a frost delay in the morning and I was in my car with the heat cranked trying to get as warm as possible before the round. It was 37 outside and the 30 miles per hour winds weren’t helping. It feel like an ice box.

GOLF ADVICE

Golf advice columns:

• Stretching at the office will pay dividends on the golf course this spring
• 'Drive for show, putt for dough' applies to all, from Masters champs to local hacks
• Don't let the wind blow up your game
• A wet spring can make non-fairway golf a 'rough' ride
• Proper club selection and confidence key ingredients to curing ETS on the course

Wouldn't you know it, Tom won that week en route to the PGA Tour.

When you get to the course in the morning to hit a few balls, the goal is not hit them perfect or with 100 percent effort right away. I recommend starting with a wedge and finishing in the middle irons .

The goal is to feel loose, not to find the perfect swing five minutes before getting to the tee. By not trying to find your game on the range and concentrating on getting loose and finding a rhythm, it relieves the mind of potential anxiety. Don’t worry about how you hit the shot, good or bad, just a focus on warming up.

If you can't find a hot tub or don't have the time to work out before the round, when you get the course, try these steps for your warm up session.

Warm up with pitch shots while properly alligned:

If you look at professionals on the driving range before a round, you will see that almost all of them start their warm-up by hitting pitch shots with a sand wedge or pitching wedge. This lets your muscles warm up slowly, and helps you get your swing into a nice flowing rhythm. Always warm up with a club on the ground parallel to the target to ensure that you set up square every time. It’s better to hit 25 balls from a perfect set-up than 200 from a faulty position. The pitch is among the shots least practiced by amateurs, but one of the most commonly played in a round of golf.


Practice body rotations:

A good way to start warming up is to practice the body rotation. Hold a club across your shoulders and stand upright. Start rotating the club, along with your shoulders and hips, backwards and forwards around your spinal axis and in a horizontal plane, making sure your body follows through until you face forward. Once forward, lean from your hips, take your set-up position and continue to turn around your spinal axis to practice the correct body rotation for your swing. If you feel your hands are not releasing the club enough to allow the head to pass freely through the ball, take your grip and then hold the club horizontally in front of your body. Start to swing the club around you, backwards and forwards, with a relaxed rotation of your hands and body.


Practice half swings:

Once you have practiced your body rotation, take a pitch or sand wedge and hit 5-10 half swings. Then play five balls with alternate numbered irons (for example say 9- , 7-, and 5-irons) before moving on to hybrids and fairway woods, then take out the driver. Concentrate on swinging the ball away rather than hitting it.


Finish with more pitches:

Finally, you can return to the pitching wedge or sand wedge to finish off with a few more pitch shots and reinforce that relaxed, flowing motion.

For your next round of golf with your buddies or in preparation for upcoming competition, use this routine to prepare you for the day.

Contact a local golf professional and have them help you develop a warm up session tailored to your needs before rounds of golf.

Kyle Dobbs is a former professional and University of Michigan golfer. He grew up in Ann Arbor and won the individual Big Ten title for the University of Michigan men’s golf team his senior year in 1997. He can be reached at kdobbsgolf@gmail.com.

Paul A. King, CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group will take over as the new executive director of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, the University of Michigan announced Friday.

King will replace interim director Chris Dickinson in August, the university said in a press release.

Paul King will come to Ann Arbor from Los Angeles where he was the President and CEO of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group.

Courtesy UMHS

“We’ve invested in a new facility, and we wanted a strong leader to guide the strategic growth of our children’s and women’s programs and services.”

According to a U-M spokesperson, King has signed on for a five year appointment with a starting salary of $420,000. He will also receive the regular U-M Health System benefits package.

According to publically available databases, Dickinson’s salary as interim director of the hospital was $192,198 for the 2012-13 fiscal year. Former director Patricia Warner led the hospital from 2009 to 2012 and had a base salary of $287,224 when she retired.

Mott moved into its new 1.1 million-square-foot home in December 2011. The facility took five years and $754 million to complete and has already been praised as one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country.

In a statement, King said he is excited to take over the reins at Mott. He added that he believes that health care is a calling and that he loves the inherent optimism involved in taking care of children.

“I love… the idea of caring for the future, making their lives better, he said.

“There is a very talented team in place and a wonderful new facility [in Ann Arbor]. I look forward to working with them to create a plan to take health care delivery to the next level.”

The new hospital saw approximately 9,000 inpatient visits, 21,000 emergency department visits, and 290,000 outpatient visits in 2012. The health system as a whole operated at a 0.5 percent loss in 2012, in part due to costs associated with opening the new facility, but increased per-patient revenue at the children’s hospital is expected to help bring the system back into the black in 2013.

For the past eight years, King has been leading the Los Angeles-based pediatric group and serving on the executive team of the 365-bed Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He previously held a senior management position at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz..

“We are excited to have someone with Paul’s varied and excellent background join our leadership team,” Timothy Johnson, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said in a statement.

“He will bring new ideas and new experiences that will be invaluable to the Women’s Health Program at the Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.”

King was selected after U-M Hospitals and Health Centers CEO Doug Strong led a nationwide search for Warner’s replacement. Strong said in a statement that King’s prior work showed that he can help further the Mott Children’s Hospital network of partnerships for Children’s care. The hospital recently affiliated with Sparrow Children’s center in Lansing to help provide specialized care in the area.

“Paul has a prominent role in hospital operations and also in leading a large physician group,” he said.

“He understands all the partners needed to continue our efforts to serve our patients in the state of Michigan and beyond.”

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2.

A 16-year-old Milan girl was seriously injured when she fell after trying to grab on to a moving car while riding a push scooter Sunday, the Milan News-Leader reports.

Milan police Chief Gerard Scherlinck told the newspaper that the girl suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries after she fell onto the pavement. The girl lost control of the scooter while trying to have a 2010 Ford Explorer pull her, according to the story.

The paper reports a 20-year-old Saline woman was driving the SUV at a speed of about 10 mph when the teen fell. The incident occurred at 8:22 p.m. Sunday in the area of St. Louis Street and Bodley Crescent.

Read the Milan News-Leader story.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

After nearly 6,000 votes in the past three weeks of voting in the AnnArbor.com Team of the Week polls, we were bound for a down week. The 513 votes garnered in this week's poll is a precipitous drop off from previous weeks of 1,522 and 3,229.

But that's all right, the low vote turnout helped a David beat a few of Goliaths with the Greenhills girls tennis team winning the vote and securing its spot as AnnArbor.com Team of the Week for the week of May 13-18.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com file photo

The Division 4 Gryphons will take on Division 1 Saline on Tuesday in what should serve as a nice warmup for the postseason, which begins on Thursday when Greenhills will host a Division 4 regional with a berth to the state finals on the line. Greenhills also will play Grosse Ile on Monday, which will be at the regional tournament on Thursday.

The Greenhills regional is traditionally a strong one and last year included three teams that advanced to the state tournament and finished in the top 10 teams in Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (2nd), Greenhills (3rd) and Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (8th). All three teams will compete in the regional again on Thursday.

As usual, AnnArbor.com will cover Greenhills extensively throughout the week, providing coverage of competitions, feature stories and photos, just like we did for the Lincoln softball team this week.

Next week's Team of the Week poll will be the last one of the spring season. I know, it feels like we just started.

But don't cry because it will soon be over, smile while it's still happening. The new poll opens bright and early on Monday, and will pertain to competition from May 20-25. Stop by then to vote for your favorite team while checking out coverage of the Greenhills girls tennis team and more.

Susan Martin

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com file photo

The two-year extension raises her salary to $300,000, up from from $292,200, and allows her a one-year paid sabbatical upon leaving her position as president.

The contract was approved unanimously during a special Board of Regents meeting Friday. Martin said she wants to focus on increasing enrollment, graduation rates and high-demand degrees over the next two years.

"All eight board members came today to show their support, together we're working on financial planning and Eastern is doing so well with record incoming students and record graduating students," she said after the meeting. "I think we have a bright future."

Board of Regents Chairwoman Francine Parker said the board decided a two-year extension was appropriate.

"We just did two years. Five seems too long; one is never enough," she said. "This is a changing environment in terms of where we are as a university and things we want to do."

Martin was hired in 2008 under a three-year contract, which was extended by two years in 2010.

In interviews, Parker and other regents pointed to highlights of Martin's tenure, including housing improvements, upticks in enrollment and the number of students living on campus, changes in the university advising system and multimillion dollar renovations and additions to the school's science complex and largest classroom building.

Under Martin's guidance, undergraduate enrollment has increased by 9.5 percent since fall 2008, with one of the largest freshman classes in college history matriculating last fall.

Regents said EMU still has far to go.

"We're nowhere near where we need to be, but we're in a better place," said Regent Jim Stapleton. "Until we have full dorms, maximum capacity on campus, full endowments —meaning our development efforts are at a maximum— and we're winning every championship in the MAC we have room to improve."

Martin said she's committed to leading EMU for the long haul. Her contract extension, like previous contracts, allows her to be fired without cause.

Martin was reprimanded by the board a year ago for arguing with an alumnus at a bar during an event in Washington, D.C. In a letter, the Board of Regents executive committee cautioned Martin about her alcohol use.

"That's in the past, as you can see today I have the full support of the board so I'd like to talk about the future," Martin said after the Friday meeting.

Both Martin and the board said they're looking toward the future and have a good relationship. Mike Morris, chairman of the Board of Regents compensation committee, said the board "absolutely" has a positive relationship with Martin.

Martin's contract stipulates that she is required to live in the president's house on the Ypsilanti campus and that she receive use of a university car.

The contract also appoints Martin as a full professor with tenure —the highest faculty rank possible— of accounting in the business school. It grants her a 12-month sabbatical when she steps down as president, whether she retires or her contract is terminated by the board. If she returns to the university as a professor, for her first year she will make 10 percent more than the highest salaried professor in her department.

Martin will not be entitled to the sabbatical or faculty position if she is fired for just cause. Among reasons Martin can be fired for just cause is any conduct constituting "moral turpitude" and that "would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule upon the university," according o her contract.

Per her previous contract, Martin is eligible for a $10,000 performance bonus in July 2013, to be awarded at the discretion of the board.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Michigan Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, speaks with a family in Petoskey Friday via a video conference system at EMU's Autism Collaborative Center. The center is debuting the Telehealth program, which connects families and caregivers in rural areas to specialists that can help direct treatment and therapy for autistic children and adults.

Amy Biolchini | AnnArbor.com

Using live streaming video, parents, caregivers and health professionals can contact the center’s specialists to get face-to-face advice and help for their autistic children or patients.

The Telehealth system is partially funded by a $500,000 one-time grant the state of Michigan donated in 2011, as well as a $25,000 donation from AT&T that was formally honored Friday in an event at EMU.

The program seeks to confront the challenge facing those in rural communities who may not have the means or transportation to get to consultations, diagnosis or parental support.

The nonprofit Autism Collaborative Center at 1055 Cornell Road in Ypsilanti has a staff of professionals, as well as trained students, that offer a variety of therapies for autism.

Autism is a complex disorder that makes communicating, socializing, learning and behaving in traditional settings difficult. One-on-one attention and treatment is often the best course of action for children with autism.

Michigan Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, was approached by EMU several years ago as the school sought grant funding for the center.

Friday, Richardville toured the facility with EMU President Susan Martin and other officials to see the investments and programs the program has been able to develop since the 2011 grant allocation.

"I feel we're standing on the shoulders of giants," Richardville said to the faculty at the center Friday. "You don't know how much you're affecting the rest of the state from right here."

Pamela Lemerand is the clinical director of the center and one of the founding faculty members, along with Gretchen Reeves, Sally Burton-Hoyle and Roberta Justice.

Lemerand said the live video conferencing program puts the center at the cutting edge for treatment, as it's a practice that's typically found at leading medical centers.

Families who approach their doctors or other health care providers in rural areas about an autistic child or family member will now be able to get the advice and consultation from the specialists at EMU's Autism Collaborative Center, Lemerand said.

There are a select number of health care providers working together with the Autism Collaborative Center now, Lemerand said, naming McLaren Health Center in Petoskey as an example.

The center also is working to develop a relationship with Western Michigan University to collaborate training for students, Lemerand said. In time, Lemerand said she hopes more health care centers will get involved as they learn about the program.

For Kelly and Steve VanSingel of Saline, the Autism Collaborative Center has made a significant difference in their lives.

Both of their daughters -- Magdalyn VanSingel, 11, and Gillian VanSingel, 7 -- are autistic.

Before the center opened, the VanSingels said they had to drive to Oakland County for therapy for their oldest daughter.

The holistic approach between all of the specialists at the center -- from speech therapists to music therapists -- and the community feel contribute to the welcoming atmosphere that the VanSingels said they highly value.

"It's a great model that should be replicated," Kelly VanSingel said, noting that her daughters love to come to the center and have made great progress because of the therapy.

As there is no real existing framework in Michigan to connect autism treatment services together, EMU is pioneering the practice in the field, Richardville said.

Richardville took several minutes Friday to speak with a family in Petoskey with an autistic child via the Telehealth system. The family was calling in to get a consultation on potty training for their child.

"You're creating mental health solutions for people across the state," Richardville said to the center's staff members.

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

The Ann Arbor Police Department and Ann Arbor Fire Department will host an open house and an awards ceremony Saturday morning.

Courtesy of the city of Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor police Lt. Matt Lige said this is the first outdoor open house since 2005. There will be popcorn, hot dogs and temporary tattoos for kids, along with demonstrations.

“We’re going to be shutting down Fifth (Avenue) between Huron and Ann streets to show case our community engagement effort,” he said.

Running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ann Arbor Justice Center, 301 E. Huron St., the awards ceremony and open house will highlight AAPD and AAFD accomplishments, awards to private citizens and various demonstrations. Lige said there will be a demonstration of a vehicle extrication, a fire and ice rescue and fire department displays, including a new firetruck.

The award ceremony will run from 11 a.m. to noon and the open house will go from noon until 2 p.m. Life said Ann Arbor police Chief John Seto, who doubles as the city’s public safety administrator, wanted to put on the open house as a way to show the public what the departments do on a regular basis.

“This is a long time coming,” Lige said, adding that the departments are being “very responsible about resource allocation.”

For more details, visit www.a2gov.org/safetyopenhouse. If anyone has questions about the event, call Lige at 734-794-6912.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Raymond March

Raymond James March was arrested at a residence in Inkster with the help of the 2nd District Fugitive Team, according to a release from Ypsilanti police.

March is suspected, along with James Abston, in the abduction of Farrah Cook in Ypsilanti Monday.

Detectives had received information that March was at the home. Authorities located him inside and he was arrested without incident, the release stated.

The vehicle used in the abduction was also recovered.

March was taken to the Washtenaw County Jail, where he will remain awaiting arraignment on felony charges including unlawful imprisonment and conspiracy to commit unlawful imprisonment.

Abston remains at large, the release stated.

Police were first alerted to the abduction at 5:45 a.m. Monday when they were called to a residence in the 500 block of South Hamilton Street at the Hamilton Crossing Apartments after receiving a report that a man had forced a woman into a black or very dark blue Pontiac Bonneville. The incident was caught on security cameras and about 10 people witnessed the abduction, according to family members.

Cook and Abston have three children together, twin 4-year-old girls and a 3-year-old boy. Police have said Farrah and Abston dated for four years before breaking up, which seemed to be Abston's motive.

Cook escaped her abductors later on Monday and was found safe at an Ypsilanti Township apartment complex.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Abston is encouraged to call the Ypsilanti Police Department at 734-483-9510 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

• Previous article: Ann Arbor District Library to consider tax increase

The Ann Arbor District Library Board has approved a budget for next year without a proposed tax increase, the Ann Arbor Chronicle reported.

The Ann Arbor District Library in downtown Ann Arbor.

The board approved the budget for next year in a unanimous vote, the Chronicle reported.

• Read the article in the AnnArbor Chronicle.

Dajuan Roberts

Courtesy of the WCSO

A 25-year-old Ypsilanti Township man found guilty by a jury of brutally assaulting and raping his girlfriend will spend up to 90 years in prison.

Dajuan Roberts was sentenced Friday in the Washtenaw County Trial Court to 50 to 90 years in prison, according to Sgt. Geoffrey Fox of the sheriff's office.

Roberts was found guilty in April of three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and assault with a dangerous weapon, domestic violence and assaulting, resisting or obstructing police. He was acquitted on one charge of assault with intent to murder and one charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

A jury convicted Roberts on the nine counts after a four-day trial.

Roberts assaulted and raped his girlfriend on March 21, 2012, at a residence in the 500 block of Emerick Street in Ypsilanti Township. Police said Roberts and the woman were arguing about their sexual relationship when Roberts struck the woman multiple times in the face and choked her to the point she almost blacked out.

The assault lasted for several hours. Roberts forced himself on the woman and even "branded" his initials on her with a hot wire hanger, police said.

Roberts continued to assault and choke the woman until someone else in the home called 911, according to police.

State records show Roberts was previously convicted of domestic violence in 2010 and pleaded no contest to two counts of assaulting and resisting or obstructing a police officer in 2011.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

15,000 people are expected to participate in The Color Run event in Ypsilanti Saturday. Runners throw pink powder into the air in this file photo from last year's event.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com file photo

• Related story: The Color Run Ypsilanti: What you need to know about Saturday's event

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority will temporarily move its Ypsilanti Transit Center boarding location and create several detours because of The Color Run event, which is expected to bring 15,000 runners to the city.

Boarding locations at the Ypsilanti Transit Center will be temporarily moved to the U.S. post office location at 108 S. Adams St. near Ferris Street from about 7 a.m. to noon.

The Color Run is expected to detour routes 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11 in the downtown Ypsilanti area between 7 a.m. and noon. Notices have been posted at affected stops along the detoured routes, according to the AATA.

Route changes:

Route 4

To Ann Arbor:

The route will start at the temporary stop at the post office and then head down Washington Street to Woodward Street to Adams Street to Ferris Street to West Ainsworth Street. The route will then connect to Michigan Avenue and then Summit Street and Cross Street before finally connecting to the regular route.

To Ypsilanti:

Regular route on Washtenaw Avenue to Ballard Street to Michigan Avenue to Hamilton Street to Ferris Street to the temporary post office stop.

Route 5

To Ann Arbor:

The route will begin at the temporary stop at the post office and turn right onto Washington Street and take Woodward Street to Adams Street to Ferris Street to West Ainsworth Street. The route will then connect to Michigan Avenue, then to Summit Street and Cross Street before connecting to the regular route.

To Ypsilanti:

Regular route will begin on Washtenaw Avenue before taking Ballard Street to Michigan Avenue to Hamilton Street to Ferris Street and ending at the post office.

Route 6

To Ann Arbor:

The route is scheduled to start at the post office before turning right onto Washington Street and taking Woodward Street to Adams Street to Ferris Street. The route would then take West Ainsworth Street to Michigan Avenue to Summit Street before connecting to Congress Street and then the regular route.

To Ypsilanti:

The regular route would begin on Michigan Avenue before taking Hamilton Street to Ferris Street to end at the post office.

Route 10

From Ypsilanti Transit Center:

Route 10 will start at the post office before turning left on Adams Street and right on Michigan Avenue, then left on Prospect Road to take the regular route.

To Ypsilanti Transit Center:

The regular route will start west on Cross Street before turning left on Prospect Road and following Spring Street to Catherine Street. The route will then turn right onto Washington Street and left onto Ferris Street before ending at the temporary stop.

Route 11

From Ypsilanti Transit Center:

The route will begin at the post office before turning left on Adams Street and turning right onto Michigan Ave for the regular route.

To Ypsilanti Transit Center:

The regular route on Michigan Avenue will turn right onto Hamilton Street and left on Ferris Street to end at the post office.

The following streets will also be closed for the Color Run beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday:

• Cross Street from North River Street to College Place
• North River Street from Cross Avenue to Forest Avenue
• Forest Avenue from North River Street to College Place
• Lowell Street from North Huron River Drive to Forest Avenue
• College Place from Forest Avenue to Cross Street
• Hamilton Street from Lowell Street to Michigan Avenue
• Westbound Michigan Avenue from Hamilton Street to North Huron Street and North Huron Street/Huron River Drive to Lowell Street

No on-street parking will be allowed beginning at 6 a.m. and any parked vehicles will be towed. Streets will begin to reopen at approximately noon, after the runners have passed through.

Katrease Stafford covers Ypsilanti for AnnArbor.com.Reach her at katreasestafford@annarbor.com or 734-623-2548 and follow her on twitter.

The Ypsilanti Township Fire Department battled two separate blazes Friday, Capt. Larry James said.

The fire was contained to the living room and caused an estimated $5,000 in damage, James said. The cause of the fire was a fan.

“The fan motor overheated and caught debris that had been stored in front of it on fire,” James said.

There were no injuries. The elderly woman who lived in the apartment was not home at the time.

The neighbors heard the smoke alarms going off and called 911. Firefighters used foam extinguishers to put it out, which took about seven minutes, James said.

At 2:30 p.m., the department was called to the 800 block of Calder Avenue for a kitchen fire. The woman who lived in the single-family home had just left when the fire broke out, James said. A man cutting her grass noticed the fire and called 911.

The woman had been cooking, which is believed to have been the cause of the fire, James said.

“She left a pot of food on the stove," he added. "She was cooking something with grease and forgot it was there.”

Fire crews had the fire out in about 12 minutes, but remained on scene for about an hour.

The kitchen was destroyed, as well as a nearby bathroom. James estimated the damage to be around $25,000.

View Ypsi twp fires in a larger map

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Both the Huron and Skyline girls water polo teams had no trouble advancing to the regional round of the Michigan Water Polo Association state tournament on Friday.

With both teams receiving byes in the first round of the 10-team District 3 and 6 tournament, they only needed one win apiece to extend their respective seasons.

It took Skyline a little less than quarter to do all it needed to secure is spot in regionals. Huron: less than a minute.

Jamie Hibbs scored a pair of goals in the first minute of play and it proved to be all Huron (28-2) would need in its 18-1 win over Mason. The senior captain would finish with a hat trick in the first quarter, while seven other River Rats players took over the goal-scoring from there. Lucy Moran and Mary Claire Chamberlain led the way for Huron with four goals apiece.

More coverage: Huron vs. Okemos Boxscore | Skyline vs. East Lansing Boxscore | District bracket

“This game was great we had really good teamwork,” Hibbs said. “I think the communication and chemistry working up to this week was really good.”

The Huron team huddles together and cheers before the game against Mason on Friday, May 10.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Four teams advance out of each every district tournament

Huron coach Justin Thoresen said he’s not looking past Grand Blanc, but should his team advance he wouldn’t be surprised to see the crosstown rival Eagles in the finals rather than the favored Chiefs.

Okemos beat Walled Lake 17-5 and Skyline beat East Lansing 10-4. Skyline jumped to an early 6-0 lead and coasted from there. Kim Graziano led the way for Skyline with three first quarter goals.

“It’ll be interesting to watch that Okemos, Skyline game. I think it’s going to be a great game. I think it will be a one-goal game,” Thoresen said. “We’re prepared and excited to play either.”

Okemos gave Huron its only two losses of the regular season and Hibbs is excited about the possibility of facing the Chiefs again.

“We’ve been preparing for the game and I think it’ll be a great challenge for us,” Hibbs said.

Saturday’s semifinal round will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the finals scheduled for 4:45 p.m.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

Ghostly International

The label, founded in 1999 and with a roster of artists mostly in the electronica genre, has launched Gholicense, a music licensing service making it easier to place music by Ghostly artists in movies, commercials, television and video games.

It won’t make a bit of difference to consumers, but for the music industry it’s a something different, said Jeremy Peters, Ghostly Songs’ director of creative licensing and business affairs.

“Music publishers are sometime averse to technology—they’re very old school,” he said. “We wanted to put all our music out there to be able to be searched by everyone … not only music supervisors on large films but down to a small student filmmaker or someone who is making their first film project or making a pilot for something.”

Ghostly’s catalog has 14 years of music, about 1,500 songs by more than 40 artists, Peters said.

“Simply put - we manage the rights surrounding the songs our artists write, and help find great usages for those songs with companies who are in need of well-crafted and engaging independent music.”

Peters said it’s the ease of the interface that makes Gholicense unique.

“(With Gholicense) if you find a song and want to use it, just click ‘license,’ bring up a form, fill out the details and it will e-mail us and we will get right back to the person and figure out a deal.

“Most of the time, the artist wants to do it and we want to do it. It’s just a matter of balancing and keeping everybody happy,” he said.

The first wave of Gholicense material includes new projects from Shigeto, Mux Mool, Osborne, Ben Benjamin, Aeroc and Tim Koch.

The entire Gholicense catalog as well as the Ghostly Songs library of music, including material from the Ghostly International, Spectral Sound, Quite Scientific, Felte, and Non Projects catalogs (Matthew Dear, Tycho, Lusine, Chris Bathgate, Lightning Love, Telefon Tel Aviv, PVT and more) will eventually be searchable based on keywords and descriptions. By entering keywords such as “sad,” or “energetic,” or “laid back,” users can listen to music and make a playlist for their project. Searches can also be done by specifying beats per minute, instruments, lyrics or key.

“Ghostly’s always been a forward thinking brand, and we’re excited to use the power of technology to modernize the way filmmakers and creative people interact with our catalog,” added Peters. “Customer service tends to be thrown aside in the classic music publishing model, and that’s not how we do things. We want to get it done quickly and correctly, the first time—and to get people great music at a fair price, and this site helps do just that.”

He said there’s nothing wrong with artists making money from their work—even snippets that have been left on the cutting room floor.

“We look it as artists being able to make down-payments on houses, set money aside for retirement accounts, get married and have kids because we were able to help them support their lives by finding different ways to help them get paid for their music.

“It’s one of the ways we can support our stable of artists and keep them happy,” Peters added.

The Ann Arbor City Council approved the final site plan for the Summit Townhomes development at 2081 E. Ellsworth Road in what is now Ann Arbor.

The Ann Arbor City Council voted unanimously, with no council members absent, to approve the site plan and development agreement for the Summit Townhomes project at 2081 E. Ellsworth Road at its regular meeting Monday night.

The 24-unit development will be built in a 2.95-acre parcel on the south side of Interstate 94 just east of the intersection of Stone School and East Ellsworth roads by the developer, GROWWWWLEE LLC of Orlando.

The site plan for the Summit Townhomes development: 24 units in four buildings. Each unit has an attached garage.

City of Ann Arbor

Access to the development will be off of Ellsworth Road.

The Planning Commission previously had a number of concerns regarding the steep slope on the eastern half of the property, which was a result of previous dumping and filling on the site.

As a result, a large amount of soil will need to be removed from the site.

The property is vacant and contains 12 landmark trees, which will have to be cut down and removed prior to construction. A house and detached garage that formerly were on the property already have been demolished.

A vacant adjacent parcel of land directly north of the townhome site is owned by the Ann Arbor Public Schools, as the other end abuts Bryant Elementary School.

View Summit Townhomes location in a larger map

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

The intersection near Scarlett Middle School where police say a high school student assaulted a middle-schooler.

John Counts | AnnArbor.com

The 16-year-old Huron High School student accused of picking out a Scarlett Middle School student at random and punching him in the face will head to trial, according to court records.

The teen appeared in juvenile court Monday where his public defender asked for a deferred sentencing, which Referee Gail Attenberg declined and requested a bench trial, court records indicate.

A deferred sentencing would have allowed the 16-year-old to have his record wiped clean after probation requirements were met. A pretrial date was set for May 31 in the matter.

AnnArbor.com does not name juveniles involved in criminal cases unless they're tried as adults.

The teen is accused of punching a 14-year-old Scarlett Middle School student, breaking out his teeth and knocking him unconscious, at the corner of Lorraine and LaSalle streets in Ann Arbor on Dec. 12.

Police say the 16-year-old and a 15-year-old Huron student not charged in the incident called a 14-year-old over to them on the crowded sidewalks as students were let out of school for the day.

The two older boys asked the younger boy if he wanted to hang out, according to police. Before the boy could answer, the 16-year-old punched him in the face, police said.

The 14-year-old didn't know the boy and police believe he was picked at random.

The 15-year-old taped the punch with his cellphone's camera, according to the police report. A petition, the equivalent of a warrant, was signed March 8 for a charge of aggravated assault, a misdemeanor punishable by one year of incarceration or a $1,000 fine.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

The Chase Bank branch in the Kroger grocery store at 400 S. Maple St. in Ann Arbor will close after business ends on Saturday, July 27.

The branch will consolidate with the existing location at 2475 W. Stadium Blvd in the Westgate shopping center. The two branches are less than a block away from each other.

Chase will close its branch in Kroger on South Maple in Ann Arbor.

File photo

“And when we see a lot of activity at one branch and not as much at another, we have to take a look at that and make sure we’re serving our customers' best needs.”

Chase, headquartered in New York City, operates 14 bank branches in Washtenaw County. In addition to the branches that are consolidating, the bank has two branches in close proximity near the corner of Jackson and Zeeb roads in Scio Township. One branch at that location is in the Meijer store while the other is a stand-alone branch.

“Some of the issue is that when we acquired WaMu [Washington Mutual], there was a lot of redundancy, so we’re trying to cut down on that,” Holevas said.

PNC Bank also consolidated branches recently, closing its Arlington Square branch at the corner of Huron Parkway and Washtenaw Avenue in late April. PNC spokeswoman Amy Vargo attributed some bank consolidation to an increase in online and mobile banking.

“There are certainly new channels opening up all the time, but one is not replacing the other,” Holevas said.

“People want to do different things through those different channels. You can deposit your check through your smartphone but if you’re talking about getting a loan or a credit card or how much should I put in savings, when you want to have that consultative experience nothing beats the branch.”

Chase notified customers of the affected branches of the closing with a mailed notice Friday. It is unclear at this point whether an ATM will remain inside the Kroger store.

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Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2