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May 14 – 20, 2020 NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST 75¢

No. 20 www .associatednewspapers.net

THE BELLEVILLE Westland to offer financial pandemic aid
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE
Vol. 135, No. 20 Westland residents will soon ” (PPE) to be provided to small
Retired Van Buren Fire have some additional resources Our team will be working diligently enterprises and residents who
Chief David Cameron to help with the devastation cannot secure PPE. This
McInally died May 1 due to caused by the coronavirus pan- to get these programs up and running includes masks, gloves, hand
complications from COVID- demic. as quickly as possible. sanitizer, no-touch thermome-
19 impacted by other health Members of the Westland City ters and protective gowns.
conditions. Council approved a funding The remaining allocation will
See page 2. allocation plan to utilize tation of an array of program- vention and is designed to assist be used to administer the proj-
$657,944 in special Community ming to serve the community families suffering financial ect and to cover any necessary
Development Block Grant-CV which must adhere to guide- hardships due to income loss as purchases or personnel costs to
funding for a range of actions to lines issued by the Department a result of COVID-19, officials implement the programs,
THE CANTON help prevent and respond to of Housing and Urban said. according to officials.
EAGLE both the spread of the coron- Development. The proposal also includes “I am grateful to the Westland
EAGLE
Vol. 73, No. 20 avirus and the economic impact Included in the proposal, an allocation for the establish- City Council for approving this
in the wake of the pandemic. approved by members of the ment of an employee retention proposal quickly so we can get to
Michigan State Police Councilwoman Tasha Green Westland City Council May 4, grant program for local small work providing these critical
reported finding four hand- cast the only no vote on the was a provision to use $219,069 businesses that employ low to resources to those in need in our
guns, ammunition and a sup- plans to help local residents of the CDBG-CV funds to estab- moderate income employees in community,” commented Mayor
pressor during a traffic stop adversely affected by COVID-19. lish a grant program for order to promote job retention. William R. Wild. “Our team will
in Canton Township last The federal program author- Westland families to assist with The plan allocates $279,220 for be working diligently to get
week. ized by the Coronavirus Aid, rent or mortgage payments for a that program. these programs up and running
See page 4. Relief, and Economic Security period of up to six months. This In addition, the city will uti- as quickly as possible.”
(CARES) Act will provide program aligns with the federal lize $28,067 for the purchase of The target date for opening
$657,944 to fund the implemen- initiative of homelessness pre- personal protection equipment the funding program is June 1.
THE INKSTER
LEDGER STAR
LEDGER STAR

Vol. 73, No. 20 All in the family
The mother of a 3-year-
old child has been arrested
and is facing first-degree Niece donates kidney to Canton woman
murder charges in connec-
tion with the stabbing death Marcileen Pruitt of Canton Township list across the country and in Michigan,
of the boy. had a very special Mother's Day this year there are more than 2,200 patients await-
See page 2. and expects to celebrate more, thanks to ing a new kidney. On average, someone in
some help from her extended family. the United States dies every 10 minutes
Pruitt, 48, is living with renewed vigor waiting for a life-saving organ transplant,
THE NORTHVILLE after receiving a kidney from her niece according to statistics.
EAGLE last October. She said she feels better than Pruitt's older sister was one of those
EAGLE

Vol. 20, No. 20 she had in years. who did not receive a life-saving trans-
“My energy level started to increase. I
plant. Also diagnosed with Lupus, she
During a recent virtual noticed then that I really must have been died in 2011 from kidney disease, in part
meeting of the Northville dragging before,” said Pruitt, an attorney because Lupus made scheduling a kidney
City Council, officials heard for the City of Southfield. “I have lots of transplant difficult.
suggestions of ways to help energy now to do different things - to walk “Every time she would get close, she
local businesses reopen. and ride my bike and things like that. That would have another Lupus attack and
See page 2. has been great.” they would postpone the procedure until
Pruitt was diagnosed with Lupus in it was under control,” Pruitt said.
2010, but the condition didn't affect her That was part of the reason Pruitt's Marcileen Pruitt
THE PLYMOUTH kidneys right away. She had to go on emer- niece, Simone Scott, decided to get tested
EAGLE gency dialysis in 2014 because her creati- to see if she would be a match for her faith so there was a calm over me, but I
EAGLE
Vol. 20, No. 20 nine levels were so high. Her kidneys aunt. She said she didn't want Pruitt's son, was still a bit uneasy. Obviously, I wanted
Christian, to grow up without his mom.
her to be okay; I didn't want her to be hurt
responded to the treatment but were dam-
The City of Plymouth aged. About a year later they were still not “I never felt like I was doing anything or anything.”
Downtown Development improving, so her doctors suggested she out of the ordinary,” said Scott, a 35-year- The transplant was a success. Surgeons
Authority has postponed the visit a transplant surgeon and go on the old resident of Houston, Texas. “I just felt told Pruitt that her new kidney started
first four Music in the Air organ transplant waiting list. That was like it was something I should do.” working immediately. Six months later,
concerts set for May 29, June 2016. Scott decided to get tested in 2019 and both women show no adverse effects.
5, June 12 and June 19. She pre- in August learned that she would be a per- Scott called it a “blip on the radar.” Pruitt
See page 4. pared herself fect match. The transplant was scheduled said she intends to volunteer with Gift of
for a long wait. for Oct. 4 at the Michigan Medicine trans- Life Michigan, the state organ donation
It is not plant center. program, spreading the word about the
uncommon to “A lot of my friends said I was crazy, but need for organ donors among minority
THE ROMULUS wait years for it never felt that way to me,” Scott said. “I populations and helping to break down
ROMAN
ROMAN an available looked at the bigger picture.” some of the misconceptions about the
Vol. 135, No. 20 organ accord- The Pruitt's brother, Tyrone Scott, process.
ing to Gift of drove them to the hospital together and, Oftentimes, opposition to organ donor
Fish & Loaves, a non-prof- Life of when staff learned they were related, they is rooted in the family or word-of-mouth
it community food pantry at Michigan. were allowed to prepare for and recover experiences. Pruitt said her own mother
25670 Northline Road, now There are from the procedure next to each other. was opposed to it - she would not allow
offers drive-up service for more than “That was comforting. We could all be any of her father's organs to be recovered
thousands of area clients. 100,000 people in one area together before we went into
Simone Scott on the waiting surgery,” Pruitt said. “I have a very strong See Gift, page 4
See page 3.

THE WAYNE Death of area icon Theola Jones is mourned
EAGLE An icon in the City of Inkster, Aaron Jones Jr., whom she met her to write her book, “The
EAGLE
Vol. 73, No. 20 Theola McKay Jones, 91, died at Lincoln Elementary School Caregiver's Companion” which
Members of the Wayne May 1. when they were 7 years old. was published in 2000 by
City Council are scheduled Mrs. Jones was born Feb. 2, The couple were the parents of Proctor Publications.
to discuss ballot language to 1929 in the home of her pater- three children; Aaron III, Rita Mrs, Jones first job at the age
eliminate or change the nal grandmother, Sophie Denise and Dennis Keith of 13 was for the Inkster School
ward voting system during Jackson, in Hot Springs, ALA, While Mrs. Jones was the District during summer classes
their May 19 meeting. the daughter of Velma Vandalia recipient of multiple awards, at Carver School. She assisted
See page 5. Rickmon and Theodore Shaw honors and recognitions,, her with the serving of lunch for the
Jackson. primary focus in life was always students and was paid .25 cents
The family moved to Inkster her children and family. She for her work. After graduating
THE WESTLAND in 1938 and Mrs. Jones graduat- enjoyed a special relationship from high school, she took a job
EAGLE
EAGLE ed fourth in her class from with her son-in-law, Lloyd and in the meat department at

Vol. 73, No. 20 Inkster High School in 1947 and daughter-in-law, Regina. Allen's Super Market until the
was a member of the first
Mrs. Jones cared for her eld-
advent of Civil Service in
The City of Westland and Inkster High School cheerlead- erly mother for 20 years before Wayne County in 1948. She took
members of the Westland ers squad, was the editor of the her death while also caring for the Civil Service test and
Police Officers Association 1947 yearbook and was voted as her husband who became ill achieved a 91.3 score and was
have reached an agreement the “most popular girl” by her during that time. She cared for among the first African
on a new 4-year union con- classmates. her husband for more than 38 Americans to break the color
tract. She married her high school years until his death in 2014.
See page 5. sweetheart and love of her life, Those experiences prompted See Jones, page 6 Theola Jones

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