American 1 Credit Union opens second Chelsea branch
CHELSEA, MI – American 1 Credit Union will open its second branch in Chelsea later this year. It will feature teller stations, member service areas, a drive-thru lane and a drive-up ATM, officials said. The new branch is American 1 Credit Union’s 18th branch in southern Michigan and second in Chelsea, with the first branch being located inside Polly’s Country Market. “Easy access from the highway and the addition of a drive-thru lane made the new branch location perfect to better serve the Chelsea community,” Kristi Edgar, American 1 executive vice president/COO, said in a statement. Established in 1950, American 1 Credit Union today serves more than 62,000 members with branches in Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Wayne counties.
mlive.comAnn Arbor-area high school basketball schedule for Feb. 3
ANN ARBOR – Here is the schedule of Ann Arbor-area high school basketball games for Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Don’t miss any of the excitement from the season ahead. Purchase your subscription now and get full access to every story on MLive! MORE:Game ends abruptly after two spectators storm court to attack Ypsilanti basketball playerSee Ann Arbor-area high school basketball power rankings for Feb. 1New No. 1 headlines Ann Arbor-area boys basketball power rankings for Feb. 2
mlive.comNew No. 1 headlines Ann Arbor-area boys basketball power rankings for Feb. 2
ANN ARBOR – There’s a new top team in the Ann Arbor-area boys basketball power rankings after a rollercoaster night on Tuesday. Ann Arbor Huron and Chelsea each suffered losses on the road paving the way for movement in the latest Top 10 rankings.
mlive.comTrue North Jerky and Foods near Chelsea to close
True North Jerky and Foods, 12855 E. Old U.S. Highway 12, recently announced it will be closing its doors on Sunday, Feb. 12. True North Jerky and Foods is a mix of a smokehouse, meat shop and specialty food store that sells smoked meat and fish. Before the Hellers, True North Jerky and Foods was owned by Joe Wesolowski until 2018. He encourages anyone interested in shopping True North Jerky and Foods to call beforehand. For more information about True North Jerky and Foods, visit the shop’s website and social media.
mlive.comAnn Arbor basketball roundup: Chelsea girls make history, FGR girls keep rolling
Chelsea’s girls basketball team has shown all season it can put the ball in the basket, but the Bulldogs took it to another level on Tuesday. Chelsea rolled to an 89-28 win, which was a school record for points scored in a single game.
mlive.comChelsea standout Jason Skoczylas headed north for college football career
CHELSEA – Jason Skoczylas is taking his football talents to Canada. The standout Chelsea defensive back announced Monday his decision to commit to play college football for the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, vis his Twitter account.
mlive.comWestbound I-94 near Chelsea is open again after extensive debris removed from highway
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Westbound I-94 near Chelsea has been reopened Monday afternoon after being closed for 10 hours due to an early-morning multi-vehicle crash. The highway was reopened at 3:22 p.m. after extensive debris was removed from the highway, officials said. Related: Multi-vehicle crash closes westbound I-94 near ChelseaThe initial investigation determined that one semitruck lost control due to snowy roads and jackknifed, causing the other vehicles to crash, Michigan State Police said. The Washtenaw County Technical Rescue Team was on scene assisting the Chelsea Area Fire Authority with a heavy vehicle extrication, freeing a trapped motorist in less than an hour, officials said. More from The Ann Arbor News:Washtenaw County health officer joins board of Trinity Health hospitalsMaking PTO funds equitable for all schools is goal of Ann Arbor parent groupDaddy’s Chicken Shack to open first Michigan location in Ann Arbor
mlive.comMulti-vehicle crash closes westbound I-94 near Chelsea
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Westbound I-94 near Chelsea is closed Monday morning due to a multi-vehicle crash. The crash involving several vehicles was reported at 4:59 a.m. Jan. 30, west of the Old U.S. 12 exit ramp east of Chelsea, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. Due to the crash, westbound I-94 has been shut down. Michigan State Police are on scene, but additional details regarding injuries or how many vehicles are involved are unavailable at this time. More from The Ann Arbor News:Here’s what a new report says about Ann Arbor traffic crash trendsThere’s a growing demand for zero-proof cocktails at Ann Arbor restaurantsSnowstorm is over for central Lower Michigan, here’s a look at snow reports
mlive.comCould Washtenaw County establish a western government service center? Officials want input
CHELSEA, MI - Many Washtenaw County Health Department functions are based in Ypsilanti. That could one day change, with county officials seriously considering the possibility of a new western Washtenaw County service center. Read more: Washtenaw County leaders advance $4.79M Saline courthouse expansion with solar fieldThey also directed staff participating in the county facilities assessment to include recommendations on a potential western county service center, an idea vocally supported by county Commissioner Jason Maciejewski, who represents District 1, covering the northwestern portion of the county. Ahead of the Chelsea input event, county officials issued a survey they are asking residents to complete to guide the discussion. It includes questions about which county services residents use and where, as well as the opportunity to add comments.
mlive.comAnn Arbor basketball roundup: Chelsea’s Megan McCalla enters exclusive scoring club
Megan McCalla hit a milestone very few high school basketball players do on Tuesday night. The Chelsea girls basketball senior and Saginaw Valley Commit scored a game-high 26 points to eclipsed 1,000 career points in a 70-54 win over Tecumseh.
mlive.comCelebrate all things chocolate at Chelsea’s Chocolate Extravaganza
CHELSEA, MI -- Spend a day indulging in sweets while shopping downtown local businesses during Chelsea’s Chocolate Extravaganza. Some of the participating businesses include Agricole Farm Stop, The Garden Mill, Chelsea Alehouse and more. “(Chocolate Extravaganza) first started with the idea that people need something (to do) to get out of their houses,” Jennifer Fairfield, the event’s organizer and owner of The Garden Mill, said. The Chocolate Extravaganza is a part of a group called #ShopChelseaMich. For more information about Chocolate Extravaganza, visit #ShopChelseaMich’s website or social media.
mlive.comFrom ‘happy living’ to ‘fence it or close it.’ The history of a prison camp near Chelsea
Work on the Cassidy Lake camp began in September 1936 through the National Youth Administration, focused on providing work and education for young adults. The frustration bubbled over in the pages of the Standard, which reported on multiple heated meetings over the Cassidy Lake facility. The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners eventually got involved, requesting the state take action at Cassidy Lake in 1987. The Cassidy Lake camp is not the first correctional facility inside a state recreation area to be decommissioned, Olson said. And trainees from Cassidy Lake helped dismantle and cleanup Camp Waterloo, a prisoner of war camp during World Ward II in Jackson County.
mlive.comAnn Arbor basketball roundup: Chelsea boys waste little time bouncing back, Saline girls make history
After suffering its first loss of the season, Chelsea’s boys basketball team wasted little time getting back to its winning ways on Friday. The Bulldogs knocked off Ypsilanti 74-61 to move to 10-1 on the season.
mlive.comChelsea Treehouse will close in June, but could reopen later with new ownership
CHELSEA, MI -- The Chelsea Treehouse has been a go-to spot for many families during the past 17 years, but a recent announcement may put an end to the business. Although she said she is open to prospective buyers, The Chelsea Treehouse owner Michele Balaka has announced she will retire and not renew her building lease that ends in June. Even though she will close the business, Balaka said there is still a chance it could live on under new ownership since its trademark and equipment is for sale. If the person’s not the right person, I’m packing it up.”Balaka envisions the next owner will be someone who is just as passionate about The Chelsea Treehouse as she is. She said she is looking for someone who will keep its core values and continue to bring the service The Chelsea Treehouse is known for.
mlive.comFreshman Jonathan Sanderson’s big scoring night propels Saline boys past No. 4 Chelsea
SALINE – There was only one thing Andrea Cabana could tell her team after Tuesday night’s game. The Chelsea boys basketball coach had to lift the spirits of her squad after it suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of Saline in which Jonathan Sanderson had a career night offensively.
mlive.comSee photos as Saline defeats Chelsea 62-60 in boys basketball game
SALINE, MI -- The Saline boys basketball was able to secure a win after playing catch-up for the majority of the second half, nipping Chelsea, 62-60. Saline hosted Chelsea in the boys basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Check out the photos from the game in the gallery above. You can order prints of any of these photos by clicking the “Buy photo” button in the caption of every photo. More from the Ann Arbor News:Chelsea boys flex muscles late to fend off rival Dexter and remain unbeaten‘Best point guard in the state’: Leila Wells leads Chelsea girls to revenge win over DexterAnn Arbor basketball roundup: Saline girls get hot from long distance
mlive.com‘Best point guard in the state’: Leila Wells leads Chelsea girls to revenge win over Dexter
DEXTER – Tony Scheffler has no doubts about how good Leila Wells is as a basketball player. And the Chelsea girls basketball coach didn’t shy away from giving his star player recognition after the Bulldogs topped rival Dexter, 62-47, on Friday.
mlive.comHomophobic chant in English soccer deemed punishable offense
Chelsea welcomed the English Football Association's decision to make a homophobic chant aimed at its supporters a punishable offense, calling it a “step in the right direction” on Friday. The FA announced on Wednesday that chants of “Rent Boy,” which have been directed at Chelsea fans by rival supporters, are now considered a breach of its rules. It has written to all Premier League clubs and clubs throughout English soccer to enforce the point and attempt to stamp out discriminatory behavior.
news.yahoo.com96-unit condo complex with 3-story buildings sails to final approval in Chelsea
CHELSEA, MI - Developers have the green light for a new piece of an expansive subdivision in the Chelsea area, which could bring nearly 100 for-sale condominiums to the city. Chelsea City Council unanimously OK’d a final planned unit development site plan for the project on Monday, Jan. 9, almost six months after they gave the Norfolk Homes development preliminary approval. Each of the project’s eight buildings will come with 12 units, each with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and their own detached one-car garages. Chelsea elected officials voted unanimously to give final approval to the multi-family portion of the project, the only within city limits, on Monday. Plans for the project submitted to the city say site development is expected to take about six months, with construction expected for approximately four years.
mlive.comHall of famer Wayne Welton set to return as Chelsea’s interim athletic director
A familiar name will take the place of Brad Bush as Chelsea’s athletic director for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year. Wayne Welton, who served as the school’s AD for more than two decades and another 30 years as the head baseball coach, will return to the school to serve as the interim AD following the departure of Brad Bush at the end of this month, Chelsea superintendent Mika Kapolka told MLive on Tuesday.
mlive.comChelsea Burger plans to return despite its ‘hiatus’ since June, owner says
CHELSEA, MI -- As people pass by Chelsea Burger, they are met with signs that say the restaurant is on hiatus and will be back in several weeks. The burger joint at 110 W. Middle St. in downtown Chelsea currently sits with a closed sign on its front door and two pieces of paper taped to its windows. “We will be on hiatus for the next several weeks while we retool and work through plans for an upgraded version of the restaurant,” the signs read. Related: Local Eats: Chelsea Burger brings fast casual concept to historic downtown spaceRaunaq Savur, a chef with roots in Ann Arbor, and Paul Fredenberg were the restaurant’s owners when Chelsea Burger opened. On Jan. 2, he wrote on the same Facebook page to assure customers that Chelsea Burger is still hoping to reopen.
mlive.comThe Find in Chelsea has closed but another business plans to expand into the space
CHELSEA, MI -- A clothing store in downtown Chelsea recently closed its doors making room for another existing business to expand its operations. The Find at 118 S. Main St., a clothing resale store, officially closed its doors on Dec. 15. MaryAnne Thomas, The Find’s owner, said she decided to close the business to focus on her family.
mlive.comThese businesses opened all across Washtenaw County in 2022
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Shops all across Washtenaw County cut ribbons, hosted grand openings and celebrated the start of new business ventures in 2022. Highbrow & RougeA niche beauty salon moved its operation to 515 S. Main St. Suite 3 in Chelsea in October, and started taking new clients in November. Quest Cannabis at 8475 Main St. offers a range of cannabis products, including pre-rolls, flower and concentrates. Since the new ice cream shop opened, Mickey’s Dairy Twist reopened in a new locationDespite Mickey’s coming back to Saline, Christina’s Sweet Treats and More is still serving up soft serve ice cream and other dishes for its customers. The new space for the iconic ice cream shop carries the restaurant’s original recipes, equipment, tables, chairs, signage and even some of the same staff members.
mlive.comAnn Arbor hoops roundup: Chelsea girls make statement with OT win over Arbor Prep
YPSILANTI – It was clear from the opening tip that Chelsea’s girls basketball team was out make a statement on Wednesday. The Bulldogs built a 15-2 lead in the first quarter, but Arbor Prep fought back to trail 15-12 by the end of the quarter. Stacy Utomi paced Arbor Prep with 17 points and 10 rebounds, though the Gators fell to 4-2 on the year. Arbor Prep will look to rebound next Wednesday against Detroit Cass Tech in the Motor City Roundball Classic at Redford Westfield Prep. MORE:Ann Arbor-area boys basketball players to watch for 2022-23 season10 Ann Arbor-area boys basketball teams to watch in 2022-23Ann Arbor-area girls basketball players to watch for 2022 season10 Ann Arbor-area girls basketball teams to watch in 2022-23
mlive.comChelsea AD, Hall of Fame football coach Brad Bush accepts position with MHSAA
After long stints as the head football coach and athletic director at Chelsea, Brad Bush is off to tackle his next endeavor. Chelsea announced Wednesday morning via Twitter that Bush had accepted an assistant director position with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, effective at the end of January.
mlive.comGroup developing park identifies contamination at blighted Chelsea site
CHELSEA, MI - A nonprofit development group hoping to transform a long-blighted industrial site near downtown Chelsea into a public park has a better handle on the contamination issues it must surmount. “We’re not deterred by what we’re seeing here,” he said, noting other developers have confronted the contaminated site and walked away. Read more: Blighted Chelsea industrial property reimagined as public park. They now will be removed, and they are the responsibility of the current property owner, Ziolkowski said. The group envisions the project moving in two phases, the first dealing with the contamination and the second with the park design.
mlive.comAnn Arbor-area high school basketball scoreboard for Dec. 20
ANN ARBOR – Here are the final scores from Tuesday’s slate of Ann Arbor-area high school basketball games. --BOYSBritton Deerfield 67, Whitmore Lake 48Chelsea 62, Ypsilanti Lincoln 44West Bloomfield 80, Ann Arbor Skyline 71GIRLSAnn Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 58, Bloomfield Hills Marian 20Saline 52, South Lyon East 33Ypsilanti Lincoln 70, Adrian 41--If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters. Don’t miss any of the excitement from the season ahead. Purchase your subscription now and get full access to every story on MLive! MORE:Ann Arbor-area boys basketball players to watch for 2022-23 season10 Ann Arbor-area boys basketball teams to watch in 2022-23Ann Arbor-area girls basketball players to watch for 2022 season10 Ann Arbor-area girls basketball teams to watch in 2022-23
mlive.comDevin McIntyre has historic performance for Chelsea hockey in dominant win
Devin McIntyre has scored a ton of goals in his career, but none were more meaningful than the ones he recorded on Monday night. The Chelsea hockey standout recorded another hat-trick to become the program’s all-time leading goal scorer in a 7-1 win over Livonia Franklin. McIntyre surpassed Devin Brown and now has 103 career goals and eight so far this season through five games. Last season, McIntyre had his best season as he scored 48 goals including a 7-goal performance to lead the Bulldogs to a third straight regional title. If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters.
mlive.comWhat’s that being built just outside of Chelsea? New development features national chains
CHELSEA, MI -- Cranes, bulldozers and construction workers are currently working on a new development that plans to bring a Starbucks to Chelsea. The coffee shop is aiming to hire 20 employees at its Chelsea location when it opens. Brightway Development LLC chose not to comment at this time regarding the development or to confirm the other fast food restaurant. Jordan also stated that the development’s final site plans were approved to occur in two phases. Currently, construction on the property’s Starbucks and its other fast food building is being completed now.
mlive.comMember with expiring term appointed to another vacated Chelsea School Board seat
CHELSEA, MI - A member of the Chelsea School Board with an expiring term will serve another two years in an effort to bring stability to the board. Laura Bush, whose term expires at the close of 2022, was selected during the board’s Monday, Dec. 12 meeting to fill the seat of outgoing board member Tammy Lehman, who resigned last month. Following her selection, Bush took the oath of office for her new board seat, which expires at the close of 2024. Another new board member, Scott Moore, was sworn in on Monday for the partial board term he was elected to in November, filling the remainder of trustee Wayne Welton’s term. “I think my biggest thing here as a board member is being supportive of the administration and teachers,” she said.
mlive.comCross country state champ from Chelsea has strong showing at nationals
Connell Alford added All-American honors to an already memorable cross country season. Just a month removed from winning the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 boys state title, the Chelsea standout finished 14th overall at the Champs Sports National Championships to earn All-American recognition on Saturday in San Diego.
mlive.comAnn Arbor basketball: Chelsea boys get first win under new coach Andrea Cabana
Andrea Cabana started her career as Chelsea’s boys basketball head coach with a dominant performance Tuesday night. The former Grass Lake girls state champion coach led the Bulldogs to a 77-52 victory over Parma Western in the season opener.
mlive.comJackson roundup: Western girls beat Grass Lake for first win
The Western girls basketball team had losses to Chelsea and Haslett to open the season, but got things back on a winning track on Tuesday, beating Grass Lake 60-45. Rayah Hitt had a huge night for the Panthers with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and a blocked shot. Palmer Fortress had 10 points. Bayli Stewart had eight points, five rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots.
mlive.comFlower urn reported stolen from Chelsea gravesite
CHELSEA, MI – A flower urn attached to a Chelsea gravesite was reportedly broken off and stolen, police say. Police were called at 5:15 p.m., Nov. 28, to the Oak Grove Cemetery, 111 Madison Street, for a reported larceny that had occurred, according to the Chelsea Police Department. The caller met with officers and told them that shortly after arriving at the cemetery she saw that a flower urn that was permanently affixed to the gravesite she was visiting had appeared to have been broken off and was taken by an unknown suspect, police said. The victim said the flower urn was still at the gravesite during a previous visit a month prior and could not think of anyone who might have wanted to steal it, police said. More from The Ann Arbor News:Loaded gun, large amount of ammunition found during Mazi Smith traffic stop, records showAddressing teacher shortages goal of Michigan school leaders consortiumResident advised to use bottled water after dioxane discovery north of Ann Arbor plume
mlive.comSee images as Chelsea girls basketball defeats Freeland
FREELAND, MI - Freeland girls basketball hosted Chelsea in a Division 2 game on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. Check out photos from the game in the gallery above. You can order prints of any of these football photos by clicking the “Buy photo” button in the caption of every photo. Subscribers click the “Get photo” link to download high-resolution images right to their device for free as part of their subscription. To subscribe, click this link.
mlive.comMajor upgrades could bring 6 pickleball courts, trailhead to Chelsea park
CHELSEA, MI - Chelsea’s largest city park is set to get a major facelift if an ambitious upgrade project proceeds as planned. That’s in addition to upgrades to bathrooms, lighting and parking, as well as restoration of a mosaic art piece there, according to a presentation Chelsea City Manager Roy Atkinson delivered to City Council on Monday, Nov. 28. “It’s a pretty substantial public-private partnership,” Atkinson said, referencing participation from the city, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative and private funders. The park improvements would also put Timbertown on the map for cyclists and other users of the B2B Trail, Atkinson said in his presentation. “It’s only natural that we have (a trailhead) here given our points of access to the trail,” the city manager said.
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