Jeff Weiss, Williamston's new Chief of Police standing in front of the Williamston Police Department

Teenage Dream Becomes Distinguished Career: Jeff Weiss Appointed Williamston’s Chief of Police

At the age of 16, Jeff Weiss’s passion for law enforcement was ignited during a ride-along with a Meridian Township officer. Now, after a remarkable 35-year career, that same teenager who once aspired to serve and protect the city he grew up in has been appointed as Williamston’s new Chief of Police. 

On Monday, Sept. 11, the Williamston City Council appointed Weiss to fill the position that had been vacant since January. The decision was met with enthusiastic approval.

Williamston Police Department’s transition to Chief Weiss follows a lineage of leaders including Bob Young in 2010 and Jim Wolf in 2021. Young temporarily returned as interim chief before Weiss’s appointment.

Williamston High School theater wraps up first in-person performances since pandemic

The Williamston High School theater program performed its rendition of “Singin’ in the Rain” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the McGoff Performing Arts center. The show, directed by Lindsay Campbell, was the program’s first production since 2019, said Campbell. Madison KortA program from the Saturday performance of “Singin’ in the Rain.” “For me, it was a bit of remembering and relearning how to do all of the bits and pieces of a musical, but for the kids on stage, for most of them, it was their first high school show or first musical, period,” Campbell said. “There was a lot of new learning and a lot of growth right off the bat but it was just a blast from the beginning to the end.

Kiwanis Club partners with local cafe for fundraiser

The Kiwanis Club is hosting a fundraising event on Monday night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Sunnyside Cafe in Williamston to finance its support of the community. 10% of the proceeds for the night plus gratuities will go toward the club. 

“We give them 10% of sales, but we always round it up and there’s always a bucket out for gratuities and they take all of those. I’ve seen them raise like $700,” said Jeanette Ellsworth, owner of the Sunnyside Cafe. 

Kiwanis members will serve the food, and Ellsworth said there will be a limited menu full of comfort foods. Ellsworth said she “stole” the idea for the fundraiser from previous towns she had lived in, where local politicians, Boy Scouts, police chiefs and other community figures would become the servers at the restaurant to promote their events. Kiwanis Club president, Teri Nelson, said the fundraiser will be a big help for their organization.

Williamston City Council impressed by plans for digital message board

Williamston residents may see a digital message board behind the McCormick Park sign. The plans for the board, which were discussed on Monday at the City Council meeting, were met with enthusiastic responses from council members. 

Earl Wolf, Dr. Adam SpinaProposed location of the digital message board outside of McCormick Park from the informational packet at the meeting. The digital message board committee was represented at the meeting by superintendent Dr. Adam Spina and chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission Earl Wolf, who presented the motion to the council. The sign would allow for public service messages, community events and school district announcements to be better communicated, said Spina. “One of the many things I love about Williamston is that for a community of our size, there are always things going on.

Senior Center sees high turnout for Valentine’s Day party

The Williamston Area Senior Center is no stranger to holiday events; from national pizza day to Australia Day, the staff keep members busy with festivities. The Valentine’s Day party on Monday was no exception, with a packed agenda of activities. “The turnout was the biggest one we’ve had since COVID,” said senior Barbara Upleger. “Pretty soon we’ll need a new senior center.” 

The pandemic created challenges for the senior center, having shut down completely in 2020. To stay connected with their community, administrative assistant Dawn Harris said they prepared and delivered outreach baskets to the seniors, eventually transitioning to outdoor events as restrictions were lifted.