OU Alumna Tapped as Interim President and More News Nearby

Every Saturday, Patch will help you catch up with the big news happening in nearby towns, bringing you stories from Patch sites along Woodward Avenue and beyond.

Here's what's been happening nearby this week:

ROCHESTER: OU Alumna Betty Youngblood Tapped as Interim President
The Oakland University Board of Trustees has appointed Oakland alumna Betty J. Youngblood as the university's interim president effective Aug. 1, according to a news release from the university.

Youngblood replaces Gary D. Russi, who has served as president since 1996. Russi announced his retirement from Oakland in mid-June. The university fired his wife, women's basketball coach Beckie Francis, the same day.

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP: Scottish-Themed Highland Games Come to Canterbury Village
Oakland County-area residents can don a kilt and tune their bagpipes for the 20th annual Highland Games, which will celebrate Scottish heritage June 29-30 at Canterbury Village in Lake Orion.

The two-day event will feature live music, including sanctioned bagpipe solo and band competitions, full-contact jousting, Scottish and Irish dance demonstrations, children’s activities and the unique Scottish athletic events—including the caber toss and heavy stone throw—that are a staple at Highland Games events.  

ROYAL OAK: One Royal Oak Unites for Human Rights Ordinance
Mayor Jim Ellison made a special appearance to help kick off a campaign rally for One Royal Oak at Pronto! restaurant Tuesday night. 

"I am the mayor of a city that will support a human rights ordinance," Ellison said. "We are long past being ready for it."

The Royal Oak City Commission passed a human rights ordinance that was supposed to go into effect in April, but a group against the inclusive law was successful in getting the law postponed and placed on the Nov. 5 ballot.

FERNDALE: Ferndale Public Schools Approves Layoffs

The 2013-2014 Ferndale Public Schools budget approved Thursday puts the district in the black, barely, but only by laying off teachers, secretaries and others.

BERKLEY: Your Guide to DIA Inside|Out Exhibit in Berkley (With Photos)

Reproductions of five artworks from the Detroit Institute of Arts will be displayed this summer throughout Berkley as part of the fourth annual Inside|Out program. The city is among 25 Metro area communities, including Huntington Woods, that will feature Inside|Out outdoor art installations this year.

Find out which artworks are on display where this summer, as well as special events surrounding the program.

The actress popped the question Wednesday via Twitter following a pair of Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage; the pair had vowed not to wed until gay marriage became legal in California.

BLOOMFIELD: Cranbrook's Chayce Rodriguez-Gagnon Aces the ACT
The 17-year-old Rodriguez-Gagnon received a 36 on the ACT, the highest possible score on the a crucial standardized test used for college admissions. Though the number of perfect scores varies year to year, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students that take the test earn a top score, according to ACT organizers.