NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e p S
MARCH 26, 2025 candgnews.com
Oakland County papers
State to increase local water protections BY SARAH WRIGHT swright@candgnews.com
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S HOCKEY WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BY SCOTT BENTLEY sbentley@candgnews.com
ORCHARD LAKE — Orchard Lake St. Mary’s won the Division III hockey state championship March 8 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth. St. Mary’s is consistently competing in the state final tournament weekend and is highly ranked year in and year out, but this season the program was finally able to get over the hump and win the school’s first hockey title since 2008. “This team is very skilled and very talented,” Orchard Lake St. Mary’s longtime head coach Brian Klanow said. “But the most important component they had was their brotherhood.”
That talent and camaraderie took this program to incredible heights this season. In the run to the crown, St. Mary’s won 5-1 and 9-1 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, before a dominant 3-0 showing in the state title game against Cranbrook Kingswood. “(Cranbrook) beat us twice this year,” St. Mary’s sophomore forward Thad Raynish said. “We really wanted to beat them… 3-0 looks really good up on the scoreboard.” Raynish is right, and shutouts in state title games are very rare. The goaltending and defense that St. Mary’s got in the postseason was stellar, as the team only allowed two goals in the final three rounds of the tournament combined. See HOCKEY on page 7A
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s hockey team celebrates after winning the Division III state title at USA Ice Arena in Plymouth March 8. Photo provided by Brian Klanow
OAKLAND COUNTY — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has agreed to strengthen Oakland County’s discharge permit following months of pressure from lawmakers. Lawmakers, specifically state Rep. Tom Kuhn, who has been a leader in this effort, has expressed concerns about the impact of untreated and partially treated sewage on Macomb County waterways and Lake St. Clair’s water quality. The lawmakers last met with EGLE about this issue in September, with the department recently agreeing to schedule another meeting after multiple follow-up requests from Kuhn and other legislators. According to a press release, in response to a letter dated from 10 “House lawmakers” Jan. 16, EGLE acknowledged the need for changes and outlined several proposed updates to Oakland County’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which governs compliance under the Clean Water Act. The department also agreed to an in-person meeting with GOP lawmakers on Feb. 13 to discuss their concerns. In a letter dated Feb. 5, Phil Roos, the director of EGLE, acknowledged Kuhn’s concerns. “The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy shares your overall See WATER on page 4A