03-08-2018 Letters and Commentary

Local school threat investigations discussed by County Prosecutor

Dear Editor, In recent weeks, there have been several statements by students in some of our local schools amounting to a threat of violence. These cases were reported to local law enforcement. In each case, law enforcement has taken considerable time and with great speed to investigate, first to determine the imminence of a true threat of violence, then proceeding to gather evidence to forward to the Prosecutor’s Office to determine if the elements of criminal charges are met and if charges are appropriate given the particular circumstances. Each of these incidents recently are very different, however, similar in that early on they create fear, caution and anxiety for students, parents, faculty, school administrators, law enforcement and the public. Let me assure you in every incident school officials and law enforcement have taken these events seriously with their primary purpose to keep our community safe. All of these recent incidents involve minors. All the situations were found to be without a real basis to believe an actual act of violence was planned. They all appear to be minors saying words regarding school shootings in order to garner attention. Despite the lack of apparent ability or intent to do an act of violence, the law still prohibits making such threats or sending this type of threatening electronic communications. In a Bridgman Schools incident from several months ago but reported recently, it appears students overheard a conversation regarding school shootings, but these facts do not meet the elements of our terrorism statute. In a Berrien Springs Schools incident, students related to authorities a conversation they overheard regarding school shootings. However, the investigation disclosed some different versions of the same conversation. Regarding an incident at St. Joseph Schools, one student posted a message attributable to another student on Snapchat, which was seen by some students who told others creating a significant amount of stress and anxiety. School officials and law enforcement determined there was no imminent threat and in fact no threat at all. In the Bridgman, Berrien Springs and St. Joseph cases, no petition will be sought because the elements of some of the relevant criminal offenses are not met. The investigations of these incidents also make it appear there was no true threat of violence. School officials are taking appropriate action with regard to these students. In a Watervliet Schools incident an electronic communication was received by one student from another which included pictures, which, if read and believed, would cause fear of an imminent assault. Law enforcement quickly determined the identity of the sender and that it was not a true threat. At the Andrews Academy in Berrien Springs, a student sent electronic communications received by others, similar to the Watervliet incident, which, if read and believed, would have also caused fear of an imminent assault. Likewise, law enforcement quickly determined the identity of the sender and that it was not a true threat. In both the Watervliet and Andrews Academy cases, a petition will be filed with the Berrien County Juvenile Court alleging threatening electronic communications. However, it is unknown whether the cases will be accepted by the court or whether they will be dealt with in a formal or informal manner, thus no further details will be disclosed at this time. While this recent activity is likely a result of the news out of Florida, it is a good time for all: students, parents, faculty, and the public, to know that our school officials and law enforcement take these situations seriously and students will be dealt with to the extent possible in the criminal justice system. On the one hand, it is extremely unfortunate that an idle, attention getting, foolish misstep could inject a minor into the criminal justice system. On the other hand, students and parents have to realize that when charges can be brought, they will be; to make sure the student does not have real thoughts of terrorism and to deter them and others from future similar conduct. The police agencies from the above jurisdictions and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department investigated these incidents, in some cases with the assistance from the FBI and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department. Michael J. Sepic Berrien County Prosecuting Attorney

Help patients rebound by giving blood

In March, while basketball teams are fighting for the chance to be crowned champions, patients battling cancer and other illnesses are fighting for their lives. The American Red Cross is asking blood donors to help patients rebound by making a lifesaving donation this spring. Donors of all blood types are needed to help ensure that the Red Cross can collect more than 13,000 blood and platelet donations needed every day for patients. Giving blood takes less time than it takes to watch a single basketball game. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). An upcoming blood donation opportunity is Friday, March 23, 12:00 noon to 5:45 p.m. at Federated Church, 65418 Red Arrow Hwy. in Hartford.

LaSata co-sponsors measure to provide better end-of-life care in hospice

Bill exempts hospice from mandated MAPS checks before prescribing State Rep. Kim LaSata (R-Bainbridge Township) cosponsored a bill to exempt hospice care providers from complying with bills introduced last year requiring health care providers to query the Michigan automated prescription system (MAPS), which was created to track controlled substances, and obtain a report from MAPS before prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance. Last year’s bills were intended to combat the state’s opioid epidemic and eliminate doctor shopping, the process of seeing multiple treatment providers, either during a single illness episode or to procure prescription medications illicitly. LaSata fully supports the efforts to put an end to the opioid crisis; however, she says the specific mandate should not pertain to hospice providers because patients there are admitted for end-of-life care. “Hospice and palliative care providers already have the delicate task of ensuring pain symptom relief for the terminally ill,” said LaSata. “The state cannot impede their ability to adequately care for their suffering patients. This legislation helps address that.” House Bill 5668 was referred to the House Health Policy Committee.

Please, no more snow!

Just the other day a friend and I agreed we’ve had enough snow for this year, thank you. Please, no more snow. But then, last night, more snow! Oh, well. Spring will rise again, I know. Hints are already there. Hints like emerging daffodils in the garden areas closest to the house. I guess I’m not the only one anxious for warmer weather. Snow is mentioned in the Bible a few times too. One of the passages is in Isaiah 55. God is explaining to Isaiah how His ways and thoughts are “much higher” than ours. He says that He sends the snow and the rain for His purposes. Verse 10 reads: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater…” So God has specific purposes for the snow. But verse 11 goes on, “…So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” That makes the promise that follows most encouraging, “For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, and it will be a memorial to the Lord, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.” We may experience difficult times when it is definitely raining (and snowing) on our parade, but God’s purposes for us are really for good. We may not be able to understand it, but God’s word is true, so we can rest in Him.

When is a good time to start receiving Social Security benefits?

After a lifetime of working, you deserve a comfortable retirement. For over 80 years, Social Security has been helping people shape their future, assisting them with a variety of benefits. It’s up to you as to when you start retirement benefits. You could start them early or wait until your “full retirement age,” or delay retirement to get extra money each month. There are benefits to either decision. Full retirement age refers to the age when a person can receive their Social Security benefits without any reduction, even if they are still working part or full time. In other words, you don’t actually need to stop working to get your full benefits. For people who reach age 62 in 2018 (i.e., those born between January 2, 1956 and January 1, 1957), full retirement age is 66 and four months. Full retirement age was age 65 for many years. However, due to a law passed by Congress in 1983, it has been gradually increasing, beginning with people born in 1938 or later, until it reaches 67 for everybody born after 1959. You can learn more about the full retirement age and find out how to look up your own at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/retire/retirechart.html. You can start receiving Social Security benefits as early as age 62 or any time after that. The longer you wait, the higher your monthly benefit will be, although it stops increasing at age 70. Your monthly benefits will be reduced permanently if you start them any time before your full retirement age. For example, if you start receiving benefits in 2018 at age 62, your monthly benefit amount will be reduced permanently by nearly 27 percent. On the other hand, if you wait to start receiving your benefits until after your full retirement age, then your monthly benefit will be higher. The amount of this increase is two-thirds of one percent for each month –– or eight percent for each year –– that you delay receiving them until you reach age 70. The choices you make may affect any benefit your spouse or children can receive on your record, too. If you receive benefits early, it may reduce their potential benefit, as well as yours. You need to be as informed as possible when making any decision about receiving Social Security benefits. Read the publication When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10147.pdf. When to start receiving retirement benefits is a personal decision based on your own situation. Check out our Retirement Checklist at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10377.pdf to learn about additional factors to consider as you think about when to start receiving your retirement benefits. Vonda VanTil is the Public Affairs Specialist for West Michigan. You can write her c/o Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 or via email at vonda.vantil@ssa.gov.

GREAT-GRANDPARENTS (AGAIN)… Anne and I were blessed last Friday with the birth of our second great-grandson, Jaxon Lee Loshbough. Jaxon is the son of Willy Loshbough and Brook Rose. His “big” brother is William Harold Loshbough V. We couldn’t be any more pleased with this latest addition to our family. I recall the arrival of our first grandbaby, William Harold Loshbough IV. At that time, I was beside myself with love and pride. Foolishly, I thought, it can’t get any better than this. Silly me, along came sister Karlianne “Q”, and later parents Bill and Amy Loshbough added Benjamin Joseph (Benny) to their family roster here in Watervliet. Meanwhile Gillian and Sergei Marchenko were making their own contribution to the KB Klan. Elaina was born in Chicago, Zoya was born in Paw Paw, and Polina “Polly” arrived in Kiev, as did Evangeline shortly after. These lovely granddaughters are gracing the St. Louis area. Justin and Kris are the proud parents of California cuties Eli Emerson Bayer and Kendall Ann Bayer. Some of our best times are visits to their home north of San Francisco, followed by the annual tradition of a summer vacation on Paw Paw Lake. Jaxon was born into a family with deep historical roots.

FAMILY HISTORY HAS DEEP ROOTS… I’m so proud of my family and the continued gathering of generations of the whole Bayer clan. Our annual Christmas party regularly draws close to 90 descendants of my parents Chris and Margaret Bayer. The 2015 summer reunion had more than 120 of the entire family of nearly 170. I wouldn’t be surprised that the 2020 summer reunion might have more than 200 members with all the new babies born recently. One of my sisters has five new granddaughters in just the past two years! Reunions have a long tradition in our family. There are photos of reunions in the 19th century on both my mom and dad’s side of the family. There are pictures of my mom’s family gatherings in Cincinnati and Des Moines. Her parents ultimately moved to Minneapolis. Mom kept on moving, and relocated to Royal Oak, Michigan. Most intriguing is a photo of the Bayer family in Germany in the early 1920s. My dad, at about 10 years old, is looking at his dad, who is recently home from a prisoner of war camp on the Isle of Mann off the coast of England. Grandpa Christian Bayer, was born and raised in Germany, but moved to England to work at the turn of the 20th century. He met his German born wife Anna in London and they promptly began raising a family. When World War I broke out, they owned a butcher shop with an apartment overhead in London. In 1914 the British rounded up all the German born men of military service age living in England and imprisoned them. Their families were ultimately deported to Germany. My father, his mother and three siblings included. Meanwhile Grandpa was shipped off to Knockaloe Camp. Even though he was a butcher, he was assigned repairing shoes in a cobblers shop. To augment his diet, he raised rabbits. When the war ended, he was sent back to Germany. Their property in London had long been looted and lost. He soon headed to the United States, arriving at Ellis Island in 1922. Managed his way to Chicago and earned enough to send for his four older children who arrived in 1927. His wife Anna remained in Germany with their youngest child, Richard; coming to the States in the early 1930s. Grandpa got work in Detroit, and as they say, the rest is history. My dad got a job at a large tavern on Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit. My mother’s uncle Paul owned the tavern and she worked there. It wasn’t long before the young cook and the young waitress were wed and the Bayer clan was born! Little Jaxon has quite a history. I hope someday he’ll read this kolumn in a family scrapbook and appreciate the folks that have gone before him.