What's Open, Closed in Farmington and Farmington Hills on Good Friday?

City offices in Farmington will be closed March 29.

The Christian observance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday will mean some public building closures in Farmington and Farmington Hills.  Farmington city offices will be closed for the day on March 29, while Farmington Hills city offices remain open until noon. The 47th District Court building in Farmington Hills closes at noon that day.  The Farmington Community Library Main Library and Farmington branch remain open on Friday and Saturday, but will close March 31, Easter Sunday.  Trash collection is not affected by the Easter holiday.  Related: Correction: Farmington Hills city offices close at noon on Good Friday. 

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Psychiatric Exam Ordered for Boyfriend Charged With Girlfriend's Death

William Michael Dhondt has also received a second felony charge of dismemberment of a human body.

William Michael Dhondt, who is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Kaitlin Elizabeth Hehir, will now undergo a psychiatric examination to determine if he is competent to stand trial, according to an article in the Observer & Eccentric. The exam of Dhondt, 28, was requested by his attorney in court on Tuesday, the article states. Proceedings are being held at the 45A District Court in Berkley because Hehir was an employee of the 47th District Court in Farmington Hills, where judges knew and worked with her. In addition to being charged with premeditated murder, Dhondt was given a second felony charge Tuesday of dismemberment of a human body, according to the Observer & Eccentric. He faces life in prison for the …

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Boyfriend Arraigned in Death of Farmington Woman

William Michael Dhondt is being held without bail and faces a charge of premeditated murder.

William Michael Dhondt, 28, faces a charge of premeditated murder in the death of Kaitlin Elizabeth Hehir, 29, whose body was discovered Saturday in the Farmington home she and Dhondt shared.  According to a Farmington Public Safety Dept. press release, Dhondt was arraigned in front of Judge James Wittenberg of the 45A District Court in Berkley at 3 p.m. Tuesday. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf, and he was ordered held without bond in the Oakland County jail.  A pre-exam conference court date is scheduled March 5, 10:30 a.m., at the 45A District Court. Proceedings are being held there because Hehir was an employee of the 47th District Court in Farmington Hills, where judges knew and worked with her.  A funeral service for Hehir…

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Murdered Farmington Woman Identified

Kaitlin Elizabeth Hehir, 29, was an employee of the 47th District Court, so the man authorities expect to charge in connection with her death will be arraigned elsewhere.

A Farmington woman whose body was discovered in a home on Colchester late Saturday night has been identified as, Kaitlin Elizabeth Hehir, an employee of the 47th District Court in Farmington Hills.  According to a press release issued by Farmington Public Safety, the man police are holding in connection with Hehir's death, her live-in boyfriend, will be arraigned sometime on Tuesday. Under normal circumstances, he would have been arraigned at the 47th District Court, but because of the victim's connection there, he will appear in a different court. The time and location of his arraignment has not yet been released.  Officers responded to a home the couple shared in the 23800 block of Colchester at around 10 p.m. on Saturday. Hehir's …

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What's Open, Closed on Presidents Day?

Government offices are closed, but the Farmington Community Library branches remain open on Monday.

Monday's celebration of Presidents Day, formerly known as Washigton's Birthday, means some – but not all – government offices will be closed.  United States Post Office branches in Farmington and Farmington Hills will be closed. Both have Automated Postal Centers, which allow customers to weigh and purchase postage for letters and packages by using a credit or debit card. But while city offices in Farmington Hills and the 47th District Court will close, Farmington City Hall will remain open. Collection of trash and recyclables will go on as usual on Monday; the holiday does not change the week's schedule in Farmington or Farmington Hills.  Both the Main Library and the Farmington branch of the Farmington Community Library will be open …

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First Thing Farmington-Farmington Hills

What Should Developers Do With the Former 47th District Court Property?

The old courthouse on 10 Mile Road is up for sale. Tell us what kind of development you think would fit in that area.

For almost 10 years, the former 47th District Court building has been sitting vacant on 10 Mile east of Farmington Road in Farmington.  Last month, Farmington city council members authorized a contract with Thomas A. Duke Company to market the 14,000-square-foot building, while sits on a 3.87 acre site. The goal is to sell the property to a private developer, so we wondered what readers would like to see built on that site.  Tell us your vision is for this property in a comment on this story. After you've shared your thoughts, check out the list of today's events on our calendar, plus events for which you'll have to register or buy tickets later in the week.  Check our calendar for more activities, classes and events happening today and …

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Sobriety Court Celebrates Four New Success Stories

Keynote speaker Val Notto shares his success story with graduates during a Wednesday ceremony held at Farmington Hills city hall.

After his second arrest for drunken driving in 2005, the last thing Val Notto wanted was to be part of the 47th District Court Sobriety Court program. But on Wednesday night, he stood in front of four new graduates at Farmington Hills city hall, telling them that while the two-year diversion program is tough, it's not impossible.  "I drank for 40 years. I drank every day. I got drunk every day," said Notto, who is a member of the first Sobriety Court graduating class. After a second drunken driving charge, he said, "I thought my world had ended ... I lost my job. My life at that point had stopped." Judge Marla Parker could have sent Notto to jail. However, he met the criteria for the diversion program, which include having a prior drunken …

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Farmington Hills Man Arraigned on Charges Tied to Monday Home Invasion

Terry Lamont Mays, 19, faces charges of armed robbery, home invasion and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

A 19-year-old Farmington Hills man has been arraigned in connection with Monday's armed home invasion on Cora St. in Farmington Hills.  According to Farmington Hills Police (FHPD), Terry Lamont Mays was arraigned today by 47th District Court Judge James Brady on one count each of armed robbery and home invasion, and two counts of possessing a firearm while committing a felony.  Brady set a $100,000 cash or surety bond; Mays next appears in court on Aug. 22, for a preliminary examination conference. According to a police report, Monday's incident began when a homeowner on Cora answered a knock at her door. She told police that she opened the front door just a crack, and a man wearing a short-sleeved shirt and faded black or gray pants asked…

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