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May 3 – 10, 2023 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 18 www .associatednewspapers.net

Videos prompt resignation of Westland police chief

Westland Chief of Police Jeff Jedrusik said that he was a
Vol. 138, No. 18 Jedrusik resigned last week as ” young officer at the time and
Two men accused in the controversial video tapes of his while he did not recall his exact
2017 death of a Sumpter interactions with citizens while involvement in the incidents
Township woman will face a patrolman were made public. I would never depicted, he was embarrassed
trial on first-degree and pre- The 25-year-old videotapes by his behavior. “I would never
meditated murder charges show Jedrusik requesting act that way today act that way today and I would
beginning July 24. offenders to perform particular and I would not expect my officers to act that
See page 4. tasks such as such as break would not expect way,” Jedrusik said in a pre-
dancing, performing a head- pared statement.
stand or singing Yankee Doodle my officers to Jedrusik, 50, has been with
Dandy to avoid arrest. The act that way. the Westland Police Department
videotapes were referred to the for more than 25 years. He is
office of Wayne County currently collecting partial
Vol. 76, No. 18 Prosecutor Kym Worthy after retirement benefits as part of a
Canton Township recently being investigated by Michigan 2020 agreement with the city.
installed innovative nonver- State Police. Worthy declined to His tenure with the department
bal communication boards at prosecute based on 25-year-old released by Jedrusik's former was scheduled to end in 2025 Chief of Police Jeff Jedrusik
popular Heritage and videotapes, according to a state- wife and the city attorney found after he had trained a replace-
Independence parks in the ment from her office. no basis for criminal charges. ment. along with at least four others,
community. Deputy Chief of Police Kyle Londeau said he was initially The issue has now become have declared their candidacy
See page 3. Dawley has been named as hesitant to interfere in any the topic of political rhetoric for the mayor's office. Coleman
interim police chief according to employee's personal life. with State Rep. Kevin Coleman, failed in his first attempt at elec-
Mayor Michael Londeau, who When the publicity surround- D-Westland, commenting on the tion to the seat, losing to former
had been aware of the video- ing the issue became a deterrent issue on his personal and offi- Mayor William Wild in 2017. He
tapes since February. The situa- to conducting city business and cial Facebook pages. Coleman then went on to seek his current
tion, Londeau said, was immedi- the issue became political, characterized the delay in term in the state Legislature.
Vol. 76, No. 18 ately referred to the city attor- Londeau said Jedrusik's deci- Jedrusik's resignation as a fail- In his prepared statement
Opportunities for volun- ney for an opinion. The tapes sion to step down was in the best ure of Londeau's administration.
teers to join the effort to were apparently edited and interest of the city. Both Coleman and Londeau, See Chief, page 6
plant trees and protect the
Lower Rouge River flood-
plain have been scheduled Gearing up
all summer.
See page 5.
District now offering

electric vehicle classes

Vol. 23, No. 18 Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
Members of the is poised to take a top position in a rapidly
Northville Township Board evolving, fast-growing automotive field:
of Trustees have approved electric vehicles.
the design for Unity Park, a In the upcoming school year, the district
skateboard facility to be will offer classes focused on electric vehi-
located in Millennium Park. cle technology and manufacturing, becom-
See page 5. ing the first in Michigan to teach a full
design-to-drive high school curriculum.
“All over Michigan and the world, we're
seeing an extremely high demand for
trained employees in this new automotive
technology,” said Gerald Lickey, Career
Vol. 23, No. 18 and Technical Education automotive
Members of the Plymouth instructor and teacher leader at Canton
Township Board of Trustees High School. “With our new EV curricu-
approved a feasibility study lum, Plymouth-Canton Community
last month regarding the Schools is on the cutting edge of ensuring
replacement of Fire Station we prepare students for careers in this
No. 2 in the community. important new phase of the automotive Gerald Lickey, CTE automotive instructor and teacher leader at Canton High School,at
See page 4. left, Plymouth High School senior Owen Moline-Freeman, Canton High School senior
industry.” Liam Pfeifer and Salem High School senior Jack Novak admire the electric vehicle.
In the electric vehicle program at
Plymouth-Canton, students will learn chase of Switch Lab electric vehicle parts auto industry is going now.”
about electric vehicle technology and and components as well as resources to “Incorporating electric vehicles into our
design. Course work will include building build a curriculum. Career and Technical Education curricu-
Vol. 138, No. 18 an electric vehicle, testing and repairing it, “Electric vehicles are the big leap for- lum is another way Plymouth-Canton
and driving the vehicle on the road once ward in automotive technology, like the Community Schools is preparing our stu-
Following a police raid at
a Romulus home earlier this all technology, design and safety details monumental change that took place when dents for job opportunities of the future,”
year, a federal complaint have been nailed down. we switched from horses to the horseless said Dr. Monica Merritt, superintendent of
against the resident has been The Margaret Dunning Foundation, carriage more than 150 years ago,” said Plymouth Canton Community Schools. “We
filed in the Eastern District which supports educational programs Lickey, who has spent 40 years teaching are so grateful to the Margaret Dunning
Court of Michigan. focused on the automobile and transporta- and working in the auto sector. “Our stu- Foundation and our partners who extend-
See page 2. tion industries in Michigan, provided a dents are just as excited about them as I ed such generous support for our students
$58,000 grant to the district for the pur- am. This is the direction that the entire and their success.”

Expert warns Sumpter Township trustees of cybercrime

Vol. 76, No. 18 Sumpter Township officials vate and public sector for more Small and medium organiza-
Students from Wayne received some strong words of than 20 years. He spent six years tions are being completely
Memorial and John Glenn warning during a recent meeting as a cabinet member for Gov. ignored by the cyber security
high schools were recently of the board of trustees. Rick Snyder as the director of industry, he said, while there has
selected to participate in the David Behen, an executive the Department of Technology, been a 424 percent increase of
youth robotics competition, with SenCy, a cyber security Management and Budget, and cyber attacks on small and medi-
the 2023 FIRST Robotics company based in Ann Arbor, Chief Information Officer for the um organizations.
Championship. was invited to speak to the board State of Michigan. Under “This is happening in your
See page 6. members by Deputy Behen's direction, Michigan community, across the State of
Supervisor/Trustee Tim Rush. established itself as the national Michigan and the United
Rush, the township delegate to leader in the IT and cybersecuri- States,” he told the board and
the Conference of Western ty arena, he said. Snyder is also emphasized that his appearance
Wayne, heard Behen's presenta- an executive with the SenCy was in no way a sales pitch. “If
tion at a recent meeting and said company after serving two terms you walk away with a few things
Vol. 76, No. 18 he thought it was crucial to pro- as governor. to keep in mind about not only
A 26-year veteran police vide Sumpter officials with the After explaining his creden- your organization, not only about
officer was arrested last information Behen presented. tials, Behen told the board that Sumpter Township, but your
week in Wyandotte after he Behen told the board mem- many states use Michigan as a community and what you need
allegedly threatened to shoot bers that he has been deep into model for cyber security and to be talking about with con-
a man in the face. cyber since 2011and previously noted that SenCy provides sensi-
See page 6. filled leadership roles in the pri- ble solutions to cyber security. See Cyber, page 4 David Behen

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