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May 7 – 13, 2020 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 19 www .associatednewspapers.net

THE BELLEVILLE Westland, Canton furlough, lay off employees
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE
Vol. 135, No. 19 Both Canton Township and the City of
In response to the exten- Westland have been forced to furlough
sion of Gov. Gretchen employees as the financial impact of the
Whitmer's executive order, coronavirus wreaks havoc with municipal
Van Buren township offices revenues.
will remain closed through Canton Township has officially laid off
Friday, May 15. 350 part-time employees and put full-time
See page 2. township workers on a partial furlough
last week. The decision was made during
an online meeting of the board of trustees
early this month.
THE CANTON Revenue from building permits and
EAGLE anticipated state revenue sharing of state
EAGLE
Vol. 73, No. 19 sales tax have sharply declined as people
stay home and nonessential businesses
Pheasant Run Golf Club remain closed in response to the Stay
opened for business with the Home Stay Safe executive order of Gov.
first tee time on the 27-hole Gretchen Whitmer.
championship course set for Township officials have reduced the
9 a.m. last Monday. work schedule for full-time employees to
See page 3. two days each week.
The employees will be furloughed from Canton Township Hall
their jobs for two days each week and will
THE INKSTER be required to use one paid day off each
LEDGER STAR In Westland, officials furloughed 66-
LEDGER STAR
week through May.
Vol. 73, No. 19 percent of city employees as a result of the
impact the COVID-19 pandemic has
Michigan State Police effected on city revenue. The city laid off
have arrested one man in 77 employees in an effort to contain costs.
connection with a shooting “The lack of business being conducted
in Inkster last Tuesday, April at city hall and other Westland entities has
28. led to a drastic reduction in our current
See page 6. revenue stream,” Mayor William R. Wild
said. “This includes building permits,
licenses and other over-the-counter trans-
THE NORTHVILLE actions. The city's finance team is also
EAGLE forecasting potential decreases in state
EAGLE

Vol. 20, No. 19 shared revenue. These factors have led
me to make one of the most difficult deci-
While residents in sions I have ever had to make as mayor.”
Northville Township have Department of Public Service staff
received their April water members, clerical workers, department
bills in the mail, officials heads, the mayor's staff and part0time
have agreed to allow a little workers in Westland have all been fur- Westland City Hall
extra time to make the pay- loughed indefinitely. The city will not hire on water and sewer services will continue the State of Michigan. She urged those
ments. the usual 60 employees who comprise the in Canton. Every other township depart- experiencing the problem to call their
See page 4. summer staff working in the parks, offi- ment will be affected by the furloughs and state representative in Lansing.
cials said. The layoffs became effective layoffs. In Westland, Wild said he anticipates a
last Friday. During the Canton Township Board of savings of $250,000 if both the 18th District
THE PLYMOUTH Both the Canton Township and City of Trustees electronic meeting, Trustee Court and the William D. Faust Public
EAGLE Westland public safety departments will Anne Marie Graham-Hudak expressed Library furlough employees, a plan cur-
EAGLE
Vol. 20, No. 19 continue to operate at full strength, offi- concern regarding the reported problems See Furloughs, page 6
in filing for unemployment benefits with
cials said, and critical infrastructure work
Raychel Rork, president
of Art In The Park, Beaumont plans to reopen shuttered Wayne hospital
announced the cancellation
of the traditional event set
for July 10 through 12 this Beaumont Hospital, Wayne ” Beaumont carefully reconfigures
year. may resume operations as early As additional services come online critical staffing and resource
See page 5. as this week according to an offi- needs across the organization as
cial statement from the largest and are approved by regulators, COVID-19 and non-COVID-19
health care system in the state. volumes change.
THE ROMULUS The hospital will serve both Beaumont will notify the community. “Many factors that could
ROMAN COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 affect health care are beyond
ROMAN
patients after receiving required
Beaumont's control, such as gov-
Vol. 135, No. 19 regulatory approvals and recently, it is now appropriate to operations are both observation ernment orders and the public's
reopening, according to officials begin re-opening the Wayne cam- and inpatient medical surgical willingness to observe social dis-
Nearly 200 residents in
need received dry and who said the campus will reopen pus in phases as we carefully beds and support services tancing protocols. Therefore, all
plans are subject to change,” a
in phases as the health system
including the pharmacy, labora-
prepare for another potential
canned goods last Thursday brings staff back. COVID-19 surge,” Beaumont tory, food services and environ- hospital spokesman noted.
during a commodities distri- “Beaumont Health has cared Health Chief Operating Officer mental services, according to a “As additional services come
bution organized by the City for more COVID-19 patients than Carolyn Wilson said. prepared statement. online and are approved by regu-
of Romulus. any other health system in the The current plan includes the In addition, some outpatient lators, Beaumont will notify the
See page 2.
state. We've proudly responded reopening of the Emergency surgical and diagnostic services, community,” officials concluded.
to the community's needs during Center during phase one along including the infusion center, There was no comment about
THE WAYNE this pandemic and reconfigured with obstetrical services that will be offered, in compliance the possibility of returning any of
EAGLE our hospitals and redeployed were offered prior to converting with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's the 2,375 laid off employees to
EAGLE
Executive Orders, to meet the
work or the reinstatement of 450
staff to provide high quality and
the Wayne facility to a COVID-19
Vol. 73, No. 19 safe care. With the number of exclusive treatment facility. Also time sensitive needs of patients. full-time positions the health
Students at the William D. COVID-19 patients seeking care scheduled to be reopening dur- Phase II will add more inpa-
Ford Career-Technical at Beaumont decreasing a bit ing the first phase of resuming tient and critical care capacity as See Hospital, page 6
Center swept the recent con-
test to design the cover page The Eagle to suspend print editions, publish online
for the Third Judicial Circuit Editions of The Eagle, the have been in my family for Mail subscribers of the news- “We consider what we do an
Court Annual Report. award-winning local newspa- more than 75 years, and in 150 paper will have subscriptions integral part of our communi-
See page 6.
pers serving 12 area communi- years, we have never missed a extended for the length of time ties and we do not take our
ties, will now be online only. publication. We will continue the editions are published on committment to that responsi-
The electronic editions can online and resume publication line and all legal notifications bility lightly. This was a heart-
THE WESTLAND be accessed at associatednews- as soon as feasible,” said David will appear in the electronic breaking decision for all
EAGLE
EAGLE papers.net. J. Willett, owner and president versions each week and will, as involved,” Willett concluded.
The move is necessary due to
The Eagle serves the
Vol. 73, No. 19 the economic impact the coron- of Associated Newspapers, pub- usual, be permanently Belleville area, including Van
archived.
lishers of The Eagle.
Westland officials have avirus has inflicted on local “To protect the health and “Like so many others, this Buren and Sumpter townships,
offered their congratulations businesses, which support the safety of our employees, this worldwide pandemic has Canton Township, Inkster, the
online to retiring police Sgt. newspaper by advertising their move to temporarily suspend forced me to make one of the township and city of Northville,
Patrick Boucher and newly- individual goods and services. the print editions is necessary. most heartbreaking and diffi- both the township and city of
promoted Sgt. Cale Furney. “This decision was more We have to be confident of our cult decisions of my life,” Willett Plymouth, and the cities of
See page 4. than difficult. These papers employees’ safety,” Willett said. said. Romulus, Wayne and Westland.

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