Latest UpdatesWinter Storm Warning01/24/2023News / Public Service / Weather...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 8 PM EST WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches. * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and northwest Ohio. * WHEN...From 4 AM to 8 PM EST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Travel will be very difficult. The hazardous conditions will impact the morning and evening commute. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS..Snow will spread rapidly north early Wednesday with rapid accumulations before noon. The heaviest snow should end by late afternoon, although some blowing and drifting snow in open areas is likely to persist into the evening. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Log onto www.radiohillsdale.com and click on Cancellations for the latest closings and delays! Like this:Like Loading... [...] Local Districts Slated To Receive SRO Funding From The State01/18/2023News / Public ServiceSix local schools districts are in line to receive more than $700,000 in state funding to hire and train a number of school resource officers– The districts are among 195 statewide that will receive a share of nearly $25 million to support the hiring of 195 school resource officers for the next three years. Camden-Frontier will be awarded just over $75,000; Hillsdale Community Schools will receive about $167,500; The Hillsdale ISD is in line to receive more than $147,000– Pittsford was awarded about $112,000. Hudson and Reading will each receive just shy of $100,000 The official funding announcement was made, Tuesday, by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. As a first step in receiving the funding, The Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners has already adopted a job description for school resource officers. The job description was drawn up by Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire. In it, a resource officer is basically a licensed law enforcement officer with special training in interacting with students and dealing with school related situations. Like this:Like Loading... [...] 911 Provider Investing Millions To Avoid Future Issues01/13/2023News / Public ServiceThe company that is responsible for a technical glitch that caused widespread 9-1-1 outages across the state, says it’s making a major investment to ensure the issue is resolved permanently. Peninsula Fiber Network (PFN) is the owner of a failed network router in the Upper Peninsula that is believed to be to blame for a Tuesday evening outage that affected 9-1-1 centers across much of Michigan, including Hillsdale County. A large portion of the state had little to no access and residents were left unable to dial 9-1-1. Hillsdale County 9-1-1 and Emergency Management Director Thomas Whitaker said local services were intermittently interrupted for about 90 minutes, before they were fully restored. Officials with PFN say the company is investing $6-million to expedite the redesign of its network and install new equipment that will improve the resilience of its 911 system. Although an exact completion is not clear, officials say the work will be completed over the next several months. Like this:Like Loading... [...] Wednesday Fire Damages Hillsdale Home01/12/2023News / Public ServiceFirefighters from two departments battled a blaze that heavily damaged a home in the city of Hillsdale Wednesday night. Hillsdale City firefighters were dispatched to 83 Union Street, just around the corner from the fire department, at 8:19 pm. Chief Scott Hephner told WCSR news, smoke and flames were coming from the home when crews arrived… The Jonesville Fire Department was dispatched to assist. Hephner said the fire apparently started in the kitchen–it burned through an exterior wall. There was smoke & water damage through much of the home, which was unoccupied, as it was undergoing renovations. There were no injuries… Hephner said the fire remains under investigation– However, authorities do not suspect foul play. About 15 firefighters were on the scene for more than two hours, clearing the scene around 10:45 pm. Like this:Like Loading... [...] Hillsdale County 9-1-1 Service Interrupted By Statewide Outage01/11/2023News / Public ServiceA technical issue with a router in the Upper Peninsula is believed to be to blame for a Tuesday evening outage that affected 9-1-1 centers across much of Michigan, including Hillsdale County. A large portion of the state had little to no access and residents were left unable to dial 9-1-1. Hillsdale County 9-1-1 and Emergency Management Director Thomas Whitaker tells WCSR News, local services were intermittently interrupted for about 90 minutes, before they were fully restored. Whitaker said the vendor is working to investigate and resolve the issue. A network provider in the Upper Peninsula is expected to review the incident and issue a report, in an effort to avoid future outages. Like this:Like Loading... [...] Police Seek Suspect In Shoplifting Incident01/10/2023News / Public ServiceHillsdale City Police are asking for the public’s help as they work to identify a suspect in a shoplifting incident at a local business. Detective Brad Martin tells WCSR News, the theft occurred Thursday morning at Gelzer’s Hardware, on Carleton Road. There’s no word on what was taken, or the value of the stolen items. Martin said the thief is believed to be driving an early 2000’s green extended cab Chevy pickup truck. Police have shared a surveillance camera photo of the suspect. Like this:Like Loading... [...] 2022 Deck the Halls Winner Announced01/09/2023ContestsLike this:Like Loading... [...] Michigan DNR Seeks Help Counting Wild Turkeys01/06/2023NewsHillsdale and Branch Counties each have solid populations of wild turkeys–and in an effort to update the state’s turkey population estimates, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking listeners to report any wild turkey sightings during the month of January. The birds disappeared from the state a century ago, due to unregulated hunting and habitat destruction. Michigan’s turkey population was restored, beginning with efforts In the 1950s to transport wild turkeys from Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Iowa to re-establish the bird here. Since then, using revenue from hunting licenses and equipment purchases, the Michigan wild turkey conservation program has been able to increase the population to an estimated 200,000. Today, wild turkeys are found in most counties in Michigan, ranging from rural areas to urban and suburban settings. But DNR officials want to update the population and range of the turkey in the state. In January, you can report where you saw wild turkeys by visiting the Wild Turkey Observation website at this link: Wild Turkey Observation Like this:Like Loading... [...] Drought Conditions Persist In The Tri-State Area01/04/2023News / Public ServiceIt remains to be seen what effect rain over the past few days will have on the drought that continues to grip much of the region. According to the Federal Government’s Drought Monitor website, much of the Tri-State area, including Hillsdale and Branch counties, is dealing with moderate drought conditions. Eastern Jackson County, along with portions of Northern Lenawee County are dealing with severe drought conditions. Most of the US, with the exception of the Mid-South and Northeast, is under some level of drought conditions according to the US Department of Agriculture. Recent rain totals may bring some improvement when conditions are updated Thursday. Like this:Like Loading... [...] Driver Escapes Life-Threatening Injury In Minivan/Tractor Trailer Crash12/28/2022NewsAuthorities say timing was the key to saving the occupants of a minivan from more serious–or possibly fatal–injuries when a tractor trailer driver ran a stop sign at a dangerous intersection in Amboy Township Tuesday afternoon. Hillsdale County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the intersection of M99 and Territorial Road, around 3:00 pm. Sheriff Scott Hodshire tells WCSR News, a truck driver, from Indiana, was westbound on Territorial Road when he ran the stop sign at M99–He collided with a minivan driven by an Ohio resident. Both vehicles left the roadway, coming to rest in field. The minivan driver was taken to Montpelier hospital with what authorities are calling non-life-threatening injuries. Hodshire said, if the van had been traveling at a slightly slower speed, the outcome would likely have been more tragic. He said he’ll reach out to the Hillsdale County Road Commission to discuss the possibility of placing lighted stop signs at the intersection to improve safety. . The Sheriff’s Department investigated a double-fatal traffic crash at that intersection, last year, that was eerily similar to Tuesday’s crash– Like this:Like Loading... [...] Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading...