Page 6 - eagle111220

PAGE 6 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN November 12, 2020

SUMPTER - ROMULUS
SUMPTER - ROMULUS

Cruelty charges against zoo owner are dismissed

Javon Stacks will have another two kangaroos, a peacock, an “Now what I want to focus on is
300 or so mouths to feed this Arctic fox and a 16-foot, 200- getting my animals back to my
month. pound reticulated python along zoo safely with me, and start
More than 300 of about 600 with more than 300 hedgehogs. building my life back together,”
animals seized by Romulus The kangaroos, placed in the cus- he reportedly said. He told one
Police in a raid on a storefront tody of the Detroit Zoo following local TV channel that he “felt
last August will be returned to the raid did not survive, along great” and that he was “God
Stacks after a judge dismissed all with about 300 of the other seized blessed.”
charges against him. Stacks was animals. Stacks said he is considering
originally charged with animal Stacks, 37, has defended him- filing a legal claim for the value
cruelty, abandonment and neg- self against the charges consis- of the animals who died while in
lect of the animals which police tently, claiming that he provided custody. He said more than 300
found in the storefront following educational entertainment at died after they were seized dur-
an anonymous tip. schools to teach students about ing the investigation. He also
Stacks was facing charges the animals and that he took very alleges that the tip which sent
when more than 600 animals good care of them. Romulus police to the storefront
were found and confiscated by Stacks said that he simply was called in by “a jealous guy, he
police, including six Flemish wanted to get his animals back wanted me out of business,” he
giant rabbits, three large iguanas, and begin to rebuild his life. said. Javon Stacks
Voters in Sumpter Township choose incumbents for board

Sumpter Township voters lot and 2,496 cast on election candidate Vincent Warren, nered 2,544 votes. lowed by incumbent Simone
elected a new supervisor and day. There were 33 unresolved although there was no total vote Candidate Peggy Morgan, a Pinter with 977 votes and
treasurer last week and reelect- ballots, according to township count available for Warren at Democrat, received 2,313 votes incumbent Susan K.
ed incumbents to the board of officials. press time. to win a seat on the board. Featheringill with 904 votes.
trustees. Esther Hurst, who was unop- Top vote getter for the board Democrat Sheena Barnes Dionne Falconer won the
Tim Bowman, a Republican, posed, received a total of 3,193 of trustees was incumbent Tim received 2,244 votes. fourth available seat on the
received a total of 2,709 votes votes and will serve another Rush, a Republican, who Voters also selected mem- board with 710 votes
for supervisor while incumbent term as township clerk. James received 3,035 votes. His total bers of the Van Buren Public Candidate Terrance C. Goff
John W. Morgan, a Democrat, C. Clark, a Democrat, received was followed by incumbent School District Board of received 646 votes.
received 2,291 votes. 2,813 votes in his bid to become Matt Oddy, a Democrat, who Education. Top voter getter was All four of the new school
There were 5,033 votes cast, the new township treasurer. received 2,457 votes and incum- incumbent Kelly Owen with board members live in Van
with 2,537 cast by absentee bal- Clark was opposed by write-in bent Don LaPorte who gar- 1,069 votes. Her total was fol- Buren Township.
Suspect is arraigned in murder of Van Buren Township woman

Michigan State Police said last felony murder, first-degree home with her job as a beer distributor believed that the killing was not a on information. But the state
week that an Ohio man has been invasion, felon in possession of a account manager. random act and that Miss detectives gave us a call that two
charged in the 2017 death of firearm and four counts of felony Her body was discovered June Covington was known to her people were arrested.”
Egypt Covington who was found firearm in the 34th District Court 23, 2017 by her boyfriend. She killer or killers. Her family mem- Miss Covington's father, Chuck
dead in her Van Buren Township in Romulus late last week. The was killed by a single gunshot bers, however, say they have no Covington, is reported to have
home. In an earlier statement, court denied bond. behind her ear and her hands idea why anyone would have said he experienced a wave of
police said that two suspects had A second suspect in the killing had been tied with a string of wanted to do her harm. emotions when he received the
been arrested in connection with was released, according to Christmas lights. Police said that Her brother, D'Wayne Turner, news that arrests had been
the killing. police, who did not provide any Miss Covington had last been told local news outlets that he is made. He reportedly said that
Police said that Timothy other information. seen at a yoga class the day glad his family is one step closer the arrests were a beginning of
Eugene Moore, 34, of Toledo, Miss Covington was 27 at the before her body was discovered. to justice. “We're definitely going closure and spoke of his late
Ohio, was arraigned on one time of her death and was a pop- Multiple reports of the investi- to have a celebration,” he report- daughter as the kind of person
count of first degree murder, ular musician and singer along gation indicated that detectives edly said. “We're pretty limited “who could light up a room.”

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