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Man sentenced for giving GHB to Cadillac-area teens. The five young people went to the hospital in July, convulsing and unconscious, after taking gamma-hydroxybutyrate, the “date-rape” drug. Mark Dennert (age 43) of Roscommon was sentenced this week to 3-1/2 to 10 years for one count of delivery of GHB, and for being an habitual offender. He gave it to the father of one of the teens. The father pleaded guilty earlier this month to possession, and the charges of delivery were dropped.
Police confirm identity of MSU student who died in a fall in Colorado. Michael Tansy of the Upper Peninsula disappeared two weeks ago. His parents filed a missing person report on the Wednesday before Christmas. His body was discovered on Sunday on a ledge in the Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park and his car was parked nearby. One set of footprints led to the cliff, 1,800 feet above the ledge. Foul play was ruled out.
Gantos declares bankruptcy again. The women’s clothing store chain filed this week for Chapter 11 protection while it re-organizes itself. It was founded in Grand Rapids in 1932, and now has 117 mall stores in 24 states. The company invoked Chapter 11 in 1993 after losing $40-million the year before, and closed 45 stores. Headquarters moved to Connecticut but the flagship store is still here, in Woodland Mall. There’s a distribution center in Kentwood and the clearance store, Gantos Bargain Boutique, is in Eastbrook Mall.
Body found in dumpster in northern Montcalm County. Police aren’t saying much. The body was found yesterday behind the grocery store in the village of Lakeview.
Two charged in Larry Taylor homicide from last December. Taylor’s
body was found in the grass off 131 near the Sand Lake (22-Mile Rd.) interchange
at the Montcalm-Kent county line, on December 28, 1998. Michigan State
Police and Grand Rapids Police announced yesterday the arrests of Mark
Hardiman (age 27) and Heath Nelson (age 33) of Grand Rapids. They’re charged
with first-degree murder and kidnapping. You may recall police started
searching right away for the 1995 Pontiac Bonneville believed to be involved:
it was Hardiman’s. He told them he didn’t have it any more. It was found
abandoned in September in Detroit, sitting next to another car that had
been torched.
Hardiman was in Kent County jail last
month on charges of fleeing police and possession. He is the estranged
son of Kentwood Mayor Bill Hardiman, so his arrest hit the paper. Mayor
Hardiman revealed his motivation for leadership in the “value of marriage”
issue came in part from the loss of his relationship with Mark when he
was very young, when he and Mark’s mother split after a short marriage.
Detectives repeated their sympathies for Taylor’s sister and mother, and
said they were helpful in the year-long investigation.
Spring Lake bandits caught on tape. Videos Plus near M-104 was held up and the clerk assaulted last Thursday around 5:45 p.m., and it was all on the store's surveillance camera. Police say the two male suspects, one white and one black, threatened the clerk with a hammer, tied her up with duct tape and assaulted her. They took money and fled in a Plymouth Sundance or Dodge Shadow. If you know anything, call Spring Lake-Ferrysburg police at 842-1899. You don't have to give your name if you call Silent Observer, 842-1400.
Belding man killed in Montcalm Township crash. Ronald V. Wilkinson (age 41) died Tuesday evening when his pickup hit another truck head-on while traveling northbound on M-91 south of Holland Lake Rd., north of Greenville. The other driver and passenger were treated and released.
Grand Rapids' most dangerous intersections to get new traffic signals. Burton St. between US-131 and the East Beltline will get twelve new traffic lights next year, thanks to AAA of Michigan, the City of Grand Rapids and Michigan Department of Transportation. Eastern Ave. will also get a dozen new traffic lights and intersection improvements. AAA says the upgrades will reduce accidents by 30% to 40%. M-DOT will pay for half of the work and the city and AAA will split the rest. Last summer, AAA funded bigger and better traffic lights on Division Ave., and it cut down on crashes.
Late night munchies may be a problem on New Year's Eve in Grand Rapids. Hungry folks will find their favorite fast food restaurants closing early tomorrow night. West Michigan Burger Kings will close at 9 p.m. this year, for the first time ever.
Muskegon Heights plans prayer service for New Year's Day. The city council last week agreed with Commissioner Louis McMurray's idea for the prayer service, to start the year off on the right foot. The hour long service will be Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in Rowan Park. Mayor Rillastine Wilkins asks you to pray for elected officials. For more information, call city hall at 733-4082.
Southeast Grand Rapids suffers burglary epidemic. Police say there have been forty break-ins since August in an area between 28th St. and the East Grand Rapids city line, and between Calvin College and Plymouth Ave. The suspect gets in between midnight and 5 a.m. through unlocked doors and windows. Police remind you to lock your doors before you go to bed.
One killed, one injured in Allendale crash. Wintry weather contributed to several serious accidents in Kent, Allegan and Ottawa counties yesterday morning. A man was killed and a woman seriously hurt in an accident on 68th Ave. in Allendale Township. Police say a woman driving north in a Chevrolet Chevette lost control and slid into a southbound Jeep, crushing the passenger side door of the Chevette and killing the passenger.
Carter sentenced in Kentwood crash. William Jermichael Carter (age 19) was convicted last month of second-degree murder in the death of Stephanie Farquhar (age 17) in a crash in February at Breton Ave. and 29th St. Yesterday he was sentenced to 24 to 45 years, and ordered to pay the $10,000 for her funeral and headstone.
DEQ to test Jamestown township property for contamination. The township board gave permission recently for the Department of Environmental Quality to check groundwater for chemicals that leaked from an underground gasoline storage tank at the Jamestown Garage on 24th Ave. near Riley St. The chemicals may have traveled to a creek near the library and fire department, even though the tanks were taken out in 1990. The township could be held responsible for paying for the clean-up if the pollution is found in their soil.
West Michigan parents rush to have children vaccinated. Children 15 months to 5 years old must have proof of the chicken pox vaccine or immunity to the disease to be in day care as of January 1. The Muskegon County health department does immunizations Monday through Friday during regular business hours, including lunch time. According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the vaccine is causing a drop in chicken pox cases across the state.
Lakeshore millennium babies to cash in. Hospitals are planning for a busy New Year's Eve. Hackley Hospital will give a package worth $1,200 to the family of the first baby born in 2000, with a $500 savings bond, baby supplies, diaper service, a resort getaway, a newspaper subscription and massages for the parents. Mercy General Health Partners' Family Birthing Center will be celebrating the last birth of the 1900s and the first of 2000 with gift packages, too. North Ottawa Community Hospital has gathered donations for the first baby of the year born there.
Arthur meets the mayor. The character from the popular children’s books by Marc Brown will join Mayor John Logie in the Grand Rapids Public Library downtown from 11:30 a.m. to noon today. The mayor will read “Arthur” books to kids in the Zonta Forum in the Ryerson building. Enter through the Main Library.
Fatal crash north of Allendale. Two cars smashed together on icy pavement just before 7 a.m., on 68th Ave. between Warner and Pingree Sts., about a mile-and-a-half north of Lake Michigan Dr. One person was killed and another went to the ER in “critical” condition. Names will be released after the family is notified. Ottawa County Central Dispatch warned roads are slippery and visibility is down because of blown snow.
Muskegon Township trash fee may go up again. The three-year contract with Sunset Waste Services expires on April 1, and Waste Management submitted a competing bid that was almost identical. They both proposed an increase of 11 cents per month, or $1.32 per year. Residents currently pay $38 per quarter ($152 a year), of which about $2 per quarter is for curbside recycling. Last year there was a $2 per month increase, and Sunset switched recycling pick-ups from weekly to every two weeks. One difference in Sunset’s proposal: they’ll pick up recycling on the same day as regular trash, where Waste Management wanted to make it a different day. Residents have made complaints about Sunset’s recycling pick-ups, but they have new management and say things will get better. The board talked about adding performance requirements and incentives, but didn’t arrive at specifics. Last week the township board voted to pursue talks with Sunset. The actual contract vote will be in January or February.
Greenville woman killed in crash. Diana Lynn Rowley (age 45) died Sunday afternoon when her sport utility vehicle was hit while she was turning into a gas station, on M-91 north of County Farm Rd. in Eureka Township. Police said Rowley failed to yield to oncoming traffic and was smashed broadside by a pickup truck, and then hit a third vehicle. The other two drivers were not seriously injured.
Muskegon police form task force to track muggers. There’s always an increase in armed robberies around this time of the year, but it's worse than usual with 15 unsolved cases in the last two months. Muskegon Police joined with six other departments to form an anti-robbery task force to determine if it’s the same robbers or isolated incidents. The task force will meet today. If you know anything about the crimes call Silent Observer, 72-CRIME.
Grand Rapids Township regulates subdivisions, not sidewalks. The township board passed an ordinance with new rules for subdivisions, which doesn't include a mandatory sidewalk proposal that was dropped last month. The requirements regulate landscaping and sizes of lots.
What are you doing on New Years Eve? The Van Andel Museum Center canceled its $200-a-person party because of low ticket sales and will issue refunds. In Muskegon, the Holiday Inn Muskegon Harbor called off the New Years Ball because of low reservations. Nationwide, officials say that people are opting to stay home with family when the ball drops, and ticket sales for many events are lukewarm.
Dangers of Y2K generators. Many people bought electrical generators from fear of power outages on New Years Eve. Consumers Energy says they don’t expect any outage because of Y2K, but warn that portable generators improperly hooked up to a house's electrical system can be a danger to utility workers. They can send electricity out of your house, into power lines where crews may be working. Buy a “throw switch” to prevent it, or just run an extension cord from each appliance to the generator.
Allendale boy still in “serious” condition; hit by car after escaping crash unharmed. Police say Taylor Gillman (age 6) was riding in a car with his mother on Thursday night on 68th Ave. north of Pingree St. in Ottawa County, when the car was hit by another. After that collision, apparently the little boy got out of the car, tried to cross the street and was hit by another car. He is in serious condition with a head injury at Spectrum-Butterworth. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Department is still investigating the accident.
Teen killed in Calhoun County accident. Police say Bryan Burdette (age 16) of Battle Creek was killed in a rollover accident yesterday morning in Burlington Township. Two passengers were taken to the hospital.
Hamilton man killed in Christmas morning crash. Police say David Vincent Ducharme (age 46) was traveling east on M-89 west of M-40 in Heath Township early Saturday morning, when he apparently fell asleep at the wheel. Allegan deputies say his car crossed the center line and hit a tree.
Alto woman killed in car accident. Stacy Shuster (age 30) apparently lost control of her vehicle on a snow covered road and died when she hit a utility pole on East Paris Ave. in Kentwood late Thursday night. The Kent County Sheriff's Dept. is still investigating.
Don't get on thin ice. Now's not the time to try out those new ice skates you got for Christmas. The West Michigan Safety Council and recreation officials say it's not safe to walk out on icy ponds and lakes until ice is 3 inches thick, 4 inches to fish and 5 inches for snowmobiles. Many Michigan ponds are fed by springs, meaning warm water flows under that ice.
Byron Township house burns down, nobody hurt. While the Crawford family was out Christmas shopping yesterday afternoon, their house at 104th St. and Wilson Ave. caught fire. The house was totally destroyed, and they lost everything including pets and Christmas presents. Fire department is investigating. Contributions for the family will be taken at Resurrection Life Church in Grandville.
Child hit after getting out of crashed car. One car slid off the road, recovered, but then started to spin, right into the path of an on-coming car on 68th Ave. near Pingree St., between Allendale and Coopersville, around 9 p.m. One child stepped out and was struck by a third car. Three other kids were also hurt, inside the first two cars. Rescuers said one little guy is alive because he was secure in the child seat, in the rear on the passenger side, where the car got hit broadside. One child is still in intensive care in Spectrum-Butterworth, but injuries are described as “not life-threatening.” Everybody else will be released from the hospital today.
Suspect arrested in Grand Rapids a year after the murder of Larry Taylor. His body was found on December 28, 1998, in the grass near the Sand Lake exit on 131, on the Montcalm-Kent county line. It took a year to gather evidence and charge the suspect. Grand Rapids police and state troopers knocked on the door of the house on Prospect Ave. on the Southside around 4 a.m. yesterday. But he wouldn’t come to the door. Police surrounded the house, woke up neighbors and evacuated them, and finally talked him out. They won’t release his name or any details of the crime until after he’s arraigned.
Grand Rapids man pleads guilty in Value City heist. Brian Tufnell was in court this week, accused of robbing an armored car courier of $139,000 outside the store at Clyde Park and 44th in October. Federal prosecutors say Tufnell and an accomplice held up the courier, with help from a security guard at the store. He could get 20 years.
Grand Rapids food giveaway runs out. They started with 50,000 pounds of free food at the Community Empowerment Center's food giveaway yesterday. Volunteers from around the community helped many people go home with groceries for their holiday dinner. Some people who had waited in the cold came back empty handed. Anybody needing a meal is welcome at Mel Trotter Ministries in Grand Rapids, which will be offering a Christmas dinner tomorrow at noon.
Grandville elementary to become year round school. The school board this week approved the move to a "balanced calendar" plan for the 2000-2001 school year at Central Elementary. Classes will be spread out over the year, cutting down on summer vacation. Instead of the usual three months off during the summer, school will start in early August and continue through the third week in June. Students will get two weeks of vacation in both October and February, in addition to winter and spring breaks.
Tulip Time parade watchers may be restricted. Holland City Council this week asked the city manager tto prepare an ordinance to stop people from camping out along the parade route in the days before the event. Mayor Al McGeehan said the blankets, tape, and plastic with which people mark their spots detracts from the tulips along the streets, and that there have been many complaints. Council members suggested asking residents along the route for suggestions and looking into what other cities do during popular parades.
Holland Community Hospital to launch community weight loss program. According to organizers of LIFT, which stands for Life Improvement for our Town, about one in three Holland area residents are overweight. Starting January 29, the hospital will help folks shed those pounds in a healthy way. They hope to sign up 500 people for teams, classes and support groups. Corporate teams will compete for percentages of pounds lost. Call Heather at 394-3486.
Saint Mary's Hospital buys Kentwood Village Mall. About 200 workers will move next year into the near-empty structure on 44th St. east of Kalamazoo Ave., to centralize administrative and financial functions of St. Mary’s Mercy Medical hospitals in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Battle Creek. The medical system bought the building this week from its most recent owner, Per Se Inc., a medical billing company whose offices occupy about a third of the mall. The only other tenant is a JC Penney catalog order center. The two businesses will stay, taking up about half of the space. The Mercy Medical offices will take up around half of what’s left, and St. Mary’s would be happy to rent the remainder to stores or other businesses.
Suspect charged with 1998 murder in Grand Rapids. Police first thought Grant Haney (age 76) of Rockford died after accidentally falling off a ladder while working on a Shamrock St. rental property in September 1998. But after the family discovered his wallet was missing, detectives started the investigation. It took until last month to find evidence to charge Joseph Garrison (age 30) with assault with intent to rob Haney. Garrison stayed in Kent County jail on $200,000 bond while police exhumed Haney’s body. Autopsy showed death was from injuries from a blunt instrument, and yesterday he was charged with felony murder.
Three charged in gang rape of Holland teen. Tony Phatdouang (age 16), Sengathith Sybounma (age 21) and Son Van Hoang (age 23) were arrested on Tuesday, accused of raping a 15-year-old girl at a home in Holiday West Village on Butternut Dr. in October. They could get life. The girl said that she and a friend were visiting Phatdouang's home, when four men took turns raping her. Eight men who were in the house at the time could be charged too.
Runway repairs delayed at Gerald R. Ford airport. The airport expected to get federal money to rebuild the 40-year-old east-west main runway. The money is on hold now, so the project won't get started until spring of 2001.
GRATA gets money to help when the S-Curve closes. The state Transportation Commission approved $1.5-million for the Grand Rapids area bus system to handle the extra load when the downtown freeway closes for a year starting in mid-January. The funds are a combination of federal and state money, part of a $5-million package for 30 Michigan transit systems. GRATA will provide:
Rep. Hoekstra recognizes five “Local Legacies.” The Holland Republican toured the 2nd District yesterday, visiting the communities whose events he nominated as Local Legacies to the Library of Congress. The project preserves the events that have special significance to American communities. The Muskegon Air Fair, the National Baby Food Festival in Fremont, Holland's Tulip Time Festival, Grand Haven's Coast Guard Festival and Manistee's Victorian Port City Festival were chosen. Earlier this month, Grand Rapids Congressman Vern Ehlers named the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts as a Local Legacy.
Grand Rapids raises water and sewer rates. The city commission yesterday approved new rates, which will affect customers in six communities starting January 1. People on the Grand Rapids system will pay $13.95 more per quarter. Residents of Tallmadge Township were originally to pay an extra $60 per quarter but the rates will actually go down to around $12 dollars, because the township paid $14,000 to offset the rates that were proposed.
Detroit Edison buys MichCon for $4.6-billion. The new conglomerate will be called DTE Energy. It will be Michigan’s biggest utility, serving more than 1.2-million gas customers and 21-million electric customers. The deal should be done in four to six months.
Myers Lake home burns down; nobody hurt. Ashes cleaned out of a fireplace ignited the home on Olin Dr. on Monday night, and 40 m.p.h. winds made it hard for firefighters from five departments to bring it under control. The blaze apparently started in the garage and moved into the attic. Damage estimates were not available.
Grand Rapids school board okays charter school for Aquinas College. Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center will serve 75 students in Kindergarten through end Grade. It will use the Reggio Emilia curriculum, which focuses on the arts and the child's environment to aid learning in other areas. The Grand Rapids Board of Education voted to authorize the school at their meeting this week. It should open in September in central Grand Rapids.
Police catch Muskegon Mall thieves, recover loot. Police say the two thieves hid inside the mall after Sunday's closing, broke into four stores and left with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in mall strollers. Police received a tip on Monday morning that a boy was pushing a loaded stroller down Bridler St. They found the stroller abandoned at Washington Ave. and Division St. and found the suspect hiding in the basement of a nearby home, along with most of the stolen items. Police are still looking for at least two more suspects.
Tourism is at an all time high in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau logged 17,000 inquiries from out-of-town this year, more than double the previous year. They say the increase is due to their largest marketing campaign ever and the city's tourism web site.
Quixtar reaches $100-million in sales in 100 days. The Internee
“e-commerce” site was launched by the Away families in September. They
announced yesterday it’s averaging
$2-million a day in sales. About a third of that, $30-million, is paid
to its distributors who send family, friends and acquaintances to the Quixtar
web-site to shop. This means they spent practically nothing on advertising
or promotion. This is the first big holiday season for Internee shopping,
and that helped. If sales keeps going at this pace, it’ll be in the top
five consumer Web shopping sites by the end of its first year.
Death at Grand Rapids YMCA was homicide. Peter Neske (age 53) was found dead in his apartment in the downtown Grand Rapids YMCA on Saturday night. Police aren't saying how he he died but say it was definitely homicide. If you know anything, call Grand Rapids Police at 456-3400. You don't have to give your name if you call Silent Observer, 774-2345.
Muskegon hunter found dead. Roy Spencer Styles (age 42) was bow hunting in Muskegon County's wastewater treatment area on Sunday. His family reported him missing early Monday morning. State police brought in tracking dogs and found his body about five hours later off Maple Island Rd., north of White Rd. in Egelston Township. Police say Styles was a diabetic and figure he died of natural causes and exposure.
Santa Claus Girls contributions lag behind. Organizers say they're about $35,000 behind last year's donations and hope to catch up so they can reach their $175,000 goal. Last year they went over so they upped this year's goal. The volunteer-run organization raises money to buy clothes and toys for area children ages 6 months to 12 years, and hopes to serve 8,000 to 10,000 kids this year. Send cash donation to the Santa Claus Girls in care of the Grand Rapids Press.
Fate of Northeast school decided. The Grand Rapids Public Schools board voted last night to make some changes to Hillcrest Elementary School because of declining enrollment. Effective next year, Hillcrest will become part of the Lincoln Environmental Science Academy. The majority of the Hillcrest students will be able to stay and enroll there. The rest will move to Congress Elementary. Hillcrest parents are unhappy with the planned changes.
Michigan legislature wrapped-up a big session last week. Before adjourning on Friday they sent to Governor Engler’s desk a list of big items:
Firefighters fish naked man out of Grand River. Somebody called 911 on Saturday afternoon because a man wearing nothing was on the big rock in the middle of the river, south of Pearl St., just outside the window of the carousel of the Van Andel Museum Center. Two firemen got into their cold-water rubber suits and walked out to him. He told them he was training to be a Navy Seal. They talked him into coming down and walking toward the west bank, but when he got close to the police officers he started scuffling. Police helped tackle him and drag him to shore, where he was handcuffed. He probably won’t be charged but will get a psychological evaluation.
South Haven man dies in Fennville crash. William Michael Schumaker (age 21) was killed Friday morning when his car slammed into a semi-truck that was parked on the side of Blue Star Highway. Police say Schumaker's car veered off the road near 119th Ave. and hit the trailer.
Five West Michigan brothers sentenced for tax evasion. A federal judge on Friday sentenced Denver Russell to 4-1/2 years in prison. His brother Daniel was ordered to spend 2-3/4 years behind bars. Brothers Orval, Timothy and Jack Russell also were sentenced last week, convicted in September of conspiracy, failure to file returns and tax evasion. They were accused of failing to report $3.3-million to the IRS, claiming the tax system is voluntary and the government didn’t deserve any of it. The judge wants each brother to be sent to a different prison.
Watch for counterfeit money! The new bills have features to make it harder to copy, but counterfeiting technology is getting better and cheaper. Fake hundred-dollar bills popped up in several stores last week. In Lansing, they were passed at Meijer and the L & L store. The U.S. Secret Service (which is charged with protecting our currency in addition to our president) says counterfeiting is up. They confiscated about $5,000 worth of funny-money in 1995, and so far this year they’ve found almost $100,000. Part of the problem is because the new bills are still new and many cashiers and clerks are not yet familiar with the details. The fake bills found in Lansing were a lighter shade of green than the real things.
Hackley Library rape suspect identified. Muskegon police arrested Elvis Tarrease Day Jr. on Friday for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl last month in Hackley Public Library. Police say many citizens helped on the case, and in the end DNA tests identified Day as the rapist. He was already in Muskegon County jail, charged with robbing a gas station two weeks after the rape. He'll be arraigned on the rape charges today in 60th District Court. He could get life.
West Michigan warned not to ring in the New Year with the phone. Ameritech is asking us not to check for a dial-tone right after midnight on New Years Eve. They say that if too many people pick up the phone at the same time it’ll overload the system, just like it would any other time. They're confident the equipment will work fine, with no Y2K bugs, but there's no way they can provide service to every single telephone at once.
Grand Rapids cop sues restaurant over chicken wings. Officer Mark Waichum is seeking at least $25,000 from BW-3 Grill and Pub on 28th St SE, blaming a 25-cent chicken wing promotion for a fight that happened outside the restaurant in December, 1996, during which he suffered a broken jaw. He says he and 20 other officers were called to the eatery the night of the special, where there was a long line outside and 400 people inside. It’s maximum legal capacity is 250, and when police asked some people to leave, the fight broke out.
M-DOT will award S-Curve contract today. Lt. Governor Dick Posthumus will join Mayor John Logie in City Hall at 1 p.m. for the announcement. M-DOT will say which of three bidders will be prime contractor, and remove and re-build 131 between Wealthy and Pearl Sts. The bill will come to $100-million. Northbound side should open in June of 2001. Current projected start date: January 15.
“Amber Alert” system will jump on kidnappers. Grand Rapids police will today unveil plans to immediately broadcast descriptions of missing kids and kidnappers. As soon as state police or FBI verify an incident, police will pass the word to radio and television stations for broadcast. The whole community will then “be on the lookout.” The idea is named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and murdered in Texas in 1996.
Coopersville man charged with murder plot. Anthony Roper (age 30) is accused of planning to have his wife killed and was caught when the friend he asked for help went to the police. Police say the friend wore a wire on Tuesday while the two talked about the murder, which was to take place yesterday afternoon. Wyoming Police arrested Roper. Police believe the motive was a hefty insurance policy. Roper could get life.
Hope College student to plead guilty on frat party charges. Nathan Brown (age 20) is accused of supplying alcohol at a fraternity party on October 30, at which two students were treated for alcohol poisoning. Brown waived his preliminary exam yesterday in Holland District Court and will plead guilty next month to a one-year felony charge of providing alcohol without a license. His record will be cleared if he accepts responsibility and stays out of trouble. Alpha Theta Chi fraternity was temporarily suspended after the incident. It’s the third Greek group at Hope College suspended in the last two months after a drinking party.
Tree falls, Portland boy impaled. Jeff Feldpausch (age 11) was riding in a van eastbound on East Grand River Ave. on Tuesday when an old tree fell. One of its branches smashed through the windshield and stuck through the boy’s abdomen pinning him to the seat. Rescuers say the branch somehow managed to miss any major organs. The boy, a fifth grader at Westwood Elementary, was “critical but stable” at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
Harrison Park principal resigns. Grace Enlow was suspended in November after an incident in which she allegedly shoved a parent. School officials met with parents about that and other concerns. The district says that the issue is over, now that she’s gone.
Montague streaker suspended. Mitchell Grossman (age 16) is accused of running through the halls at Montague High School on December 3 wearing nothing but a cape. The Board of Education voted on Monday to suspend him for the rest of the year. He can return in August. He can get “homebound instruction” in the meantime, and enroll in Oceana High School’s alternative education program for the second semester.
Community Circle Theatre gets a half-million for new theater. The Grand Rapids Foundation announced this week a gift of $500,000 for the new complex at Aquinas College. Circle will move from John Ball Park and use the $6-million theater May through September while the college uses it the rest of the year. Both organizations are trying to raise $4-million by March and open the theater by 2001.
It’s the “Gerald R. Ford International Airport.” The Kent County commission yesterday decided they’ll change the name of Kent County airport when the big $50-million remodeling job is finished and the terminal building is dedicated in the spring. Ford declined the honor years ago, while he was still in Congress. When the airport opened in 1963 the staff considered naming it jointly, for him and long-time West Michigan aviation leader Thomas Walsh. They wanted to call it the “Tom and Jerry Airport.”
Yankee Clipper Library is closed. The northeast branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library at Leonard and Perkins will more than double in size, as part of the system’s $29-million improvement program. The building will be enlarged from 3,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet, and the entrance will move to the south side. Work started this week and should finish in just over a year. Seymour Library, at Alger and Eastern in the southeast, is also closed until next fall. The Main Library downtown is scheduled to close in March for 20 months of remodeling. They lost the use of a warehouse on the north side of downtown as a temporary home. Now the library board will consider moving the Main Library outside city limits for the duration.
What will you do with your old smoke detectors? Don’t throw them
in the garbage! They contain a small amount of radioactive material. The
final destination for most Grand Rapids garbage is usually the big incinerator
on the southwest side side, and we don’t want that radioactivity spewed
into the atmosphere.
New ordinance in Grand Rapids requires
new smoke detectorswith sealed lithium batteries, starting with rental
units after January 1. Two-family homes have to have them by July 1, and
single-family homes by the end of 2000.
So where will all the old ones go? Fire
stations and the American Red Cross will take them, and recycle them for
use in homes outside the city. You don’t
have to take down the old
ones, by the way. The fire department figures the more smoke detectors
in use, the better.
Muskegon City Hall raises prices. Next time you fall through the ice and need rescue services in Muskegon, it's going to cost you. City commissioners this week voted unanimously to update the list of fees for special services, including false fire alarms, prices for boat slips, garbage stickers and softball team registration. There are 36 new fees and 43 existing city services went up. The fee increases will generate an extra $50,000 to $75,000 next year.
Saugatuck gets early Christmas gift. Residents Eric and R.J. Peterson gave the city 9.25 acres of land with two conditions: it has to stay in its natural state and be named the Mildred A Peterson Nature Preserve. The land is near Elizabeth St. and the old interurban rail trail, and includes a pond and wetlands. This week the city council voted to accept the gift, and now it's up to the city attorney for approval.
Supreme Court appoints Buth as chief judge of circuit court. Judge George Buth will replace Judge Dennis Kolenda, who declined to be nominated for a fourth term. Buth has served for the past six years as chief judge pro tem and most recently volunteered as one of the court's family judges. Buth is only the fifth man to serve as chief of Kent County's Circuit Court in the last 40 years. He'll start his new position on January 1.
Donations roll in for Grand Rapids convention center. The Grand Rapids Foundation is giving $1-million for construction of the facility that will replace the Grand Center, expected to open by 2004. Federal, state and city money will pay for most of it.
Monroe Ave. water filtration plant, Ludington pumped storage facility honored by engineers. The Michigan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers this week announced its list of Michigan's top civil engineering feats of the century, at a ceremony in the R.E. Olds Museum in Lansing. Projects were honored for their vision, technology, ingenuity, and civil engineering talent. Tops was the Mackinac Bridge. The Monroe Ave. water plant in Grand Rapids got eighth place. Now mothballed and for sale, it opened in 1913, practically eliminated typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases in Grand Rapids, and in 1945 was the first system in the world to add flouride to reduce tooth decay. Ludington's Pumped Storage Facility, in ninth place, was built 30 years ago on a bluff above Lake Michigan south of Ludington and is co-owned by Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy. During the day and overnight, when power consumption is low, it pumps water from Lake Michigan into a big pond behind the dunes. Then during periods of peak demand, the water is released through generating turbines to make more power.
Grandville Police search for suspect in attempted kidnapping. Police got several leads from calls to Silent Observer. Yesterday they released a sketch of the man who allegedly approached a 14-year-old girl on Monday at Peck and 30th Ave. while she was walking to school. Police will patrol the area more, especially before and after school. If you know anything, please call the Grandville Police, 538-6110. You don’t have to give your name if you call Silent Observer, 774-2345.
Grand Haven man pleads guilty to murder. Anthony Krehn (age 22) admitted yesterday to murdering Rajinder Singh. Singh was behind the counter at his family’s Citgo Station in Grand Haven and was shot to death during a hold-up in September. Krehn says he wasn't the shooter, but helped plan the robbery, anticipated the killing and carried the gun. Krehn's plea was a surprise to the court. The prosecutor said it was not a plea deal. Krehn knows by pleading guilty to first-degree murder he will spend life in prison without parole. His accused accomplice, Timothy Baker (age 19), will go on trial next month.
GVSU criminal justice major helps cops save and catch the “bad guys.” Employees at the Cascade Meijer called police around 6 p.m. Monday, to report two men tried to cash stolen checks. Deputy Marc Burns spotted their car on westbound Interstate-96. When they spotted him, they hit the gas and took off. Joshua Breimayer (age 21) saw the car go off the road, roll over and catch fire. He stopped and helped the deputy get the two suspects out of the burning car. They’ll be charged with trying to elude police and cash fraudulent checks. In the trunk of the wrecked car was $1,700 worth of merchandise, believed stolen. One of the men was wanted for breaking his electronic tether, the result of a stolen check charge from Lansing. Police suspect them of cashing stolen checks at the Meijer store in Holland over the weekend.
Peter Secchia pitches city commission on putting police headquarters in the Steketee’s building. The study he helped the city pay for says it’ll save $4-million over building a new headquarters. Yesterday at the city commission meeting, he and the city manager listed the other points in favor:
GR Y2K-OK. Grand Rapids City Manager Kurt Kimball said yesterday that the city is ready for the turn of the millennium. Extra fire-fighters and police will be working on New Year’s Eve, as well as extra crews in the water, traffic and street departments in case anything goes wrong. An emergency operations center will also be ready if necessary.
GRCC names new tech center. Leslie E. Tassell (age 91), founder of Lescoa, presented a check for $1.5-million to the board of trustees at their meeting on Monday. It will help pay for Grand Rapids Community College’s technical education center planned for Godfrey Ave. south of Market Ave., near Robert Clemente Park. Trustees named the building in his honor for his generosity. It will provide education and experience to 3,500 students in manufacturing, repair, construction and mechanics. Total cost will be $11-million, with $3-million coming from Lansing and the rest from bonds and other donations. Work will start this summer and it should open for classes in September, 2001. Tassell opened a tool and die shop at the end of World War 2 with a dozen workers and when he sold it last year it had six plants and 1,500 employees, and billed $220-million a year. He surprised them all when he handed out $6-million in cash bonuses as a going-away present.
Allegan County man convicted of murder. It took the jury about four hours yesterday to find Jamasa Derring (age 18) guilty of first degree murder and felony firearms for a triple homicide last April. The conviction has a mandatory sentence of life in prison, but he will be officially sentenced in January. The defense plans to appeal.
Northeast Middle School student suspended for violent story. Another student found a violent story the boy wrote on the school bus, and took it to the principal. Grand Rapids Public Schools suspended the boy, just to be safe. They say they didn’t think there would have been a problem at the school but the student will remain suspended while the incident is investigated.
Big Boy’s on the go again. For the third time, the statue of the Big Boy Restaurant on Pearl St. was taken from his home, this time ending up in the front yard of a retired Grand Rapids police officer’ in Jenison on Saturday. A crew will come from Detroit to bolt down the five-foot tall fiberglass brawny lad.
Ottawa County schools get heart device. The Ottawa County chapter of the American Heart Association gave automatic external defibrillators to Coopersville, Spring Lake and Grand Haven schools and plans to provide one to the remaining Ottawa County districts. The $3,000 device increases survival chances for certain types of heart attacks, and will be put on standby during school events.
Rockford students make an orange juice commercial. A team of four Rockford High School students, Kyle Cannon, Zach Strope, Ryan Petrovich and Chris Smallfield, created a television commercial for the “Orange Juice for Energy” contest sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus. The commercial will air Saturday on WXMI Fox 17. The team got a digital video camera, director’s chairs and clapboards.
Grand Rapids African-American Festival gets new sponsor. The city’s Parks Department withdrew its sponsorship because of concerns over how it was being run. Yesterday, organizers of the annual summer event announced it will be sponsored by Equality Magazine. They say about 60,000 people attend the event on Calder Plaza every year.
Closing arguments expected today in Allegan County murder trial. Jamasa Derring (age 18) is accused of shooting to death three friends last April. The prosecution says he killed them to cover up another murder. Their main witness stuck them in the eye last week: he was a prisoner who was held in a cell with Derring, and said Derring told him all about it. On the stand, he changed his story, laughed about it and yelled at the court as he was carried out. Defense attorney says all the evidence is circumstantial.
Plainfield Township man killed in accident. Jason Boyer (age 24) died around 1 p.m. Friday when his southbound pick-up truck crossed the center line and hit an oncoming truck head-on, on Belmont Ave near Rogue River Dr. The other driver, Jason Welch of Rockford, wasn’t hurt. Kent deputies say alcohol was not involved, and aren’t sure why Boyer’s truck crossed the line. If you saw it, call the sheriff's department at 336-3113.
Zeeland schools not wild about Harry. Zeeland Public Schools decided they won't buy any more Harry Potter books, and fifth through eighth graders must have a parent's permission to check them out. Teachers in Zeeland aren't allowed to read the best-selling books to their classes because of complaints from some parents. Northview teachers also were told not to read the books to their students, because of parents complained they talk about wizardry. Rockford Public Schools don't have the books in their elementary libraries at all.
M-DOT looks over bids for re-building the S-Curve. Friday morning was the deadline for submitting quotes. At least three teams of contractors turned in piles of bid documents. The teams include some companies from the west half of Michigan. M-DOT has until next Monday to announce who will do the biggest, hairiest, scariest construction job of the new millennium. Destruction is scheduled to begin in just over a month.
Holland meets to talk about Windmill Island development. Folks hoping to be part of a one-of-a-kind residential area will meet tonight in the City Council chambers. The idea is to create a Dutch village with shops and homes around the 231-year-old imported Dutch windmill, DeZwaan. Details have been a long time coming in the $54-million project, with deadlines being pushed back several times. If the Holland City Council approves construction could start next year.
Grand Haven United Way campaign nears goal. Corporate fund-raising will end this month and according to the executive director of the Tri-Cities Area United Way campaign, the local campaign has raised more than 81% of its record goal. About this time last year, United Way was at the 92% mark.
“Festival” heads for Washington this morning. Grand Rapids Congressman Vern Ehlers will accept a pile of material from the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, bound for the Library of Congress. He submitted Festival to the Library’s “Local Legacies” project, which is collecting the events that define American communities. Ehlers will meet with the organizing committee of the world’s largest all-volunteer arts festival over refreshments at 9 a.m. in Alexander’s Restaurant, overlooking the Calder from the top of the Bank One-NBD Building downtown.
Greenville-area woman dies in crash in Grattan. Lorena Key (age 47) of Oakfield Township was eastbound on 5-Mile Rd. and apparently ran the stop sign at Lincoln Lake Ave. The big pick-up truck was northbound and smashed into the passenger side of her car at full-speed. She was pronounced dead on the scene. The pick-up truck was driven by Michael Karasiewicz of Belding, and his two daughters and their friend were aboard. They all went to Spectrum-Butterworth with injuries that are NOT life-threatening.
Holland area student expelled for threats. Police say the 14-year-old student at Black River School told other students on Monday she would soon bring guns, knives and bombs to kill five students and four teachers. Turns out she made threats last May at Macatawa Bay Middle School, but the charter school wasn't told. Just to be safe, Black River will be in total lockdown today. The girl has been expelled and is sitting in the Allegan County juvenile correctional facility on violating probation for the other threat. She'll be charged today.
Police have preliminary DNA evidence in Muskegon rape. Police now have a genetic profile of the man who raped a 10-year-old girl at Hackley Library last month. First results from analysis at the Michigan State Police crime lab in Grand Rapids arrived this week. After more tests are completed, police will question some suspects and draw blood to see if it matches the DNA.
Spill on Rogue River identified. Yesterday morning firefighters cleaned what appeared to be oil off the water south of Rockford near the paper mill dam. Turns out it was about 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid from an elevator at Wolverine Worldwide. Rockford's drinking water was not harmed.
Grandville jewelry store robbed twice. Police are still searching for suspects responsible for two break-ins at Talsma Jewelers last month. The robber broke the front window on November 22 and stole over $300 worth of silver jewelry and $1,000 in Citizen watches. One week later, another break-in resulted in loss of about $2,000 worth of Citizen watches. Male suspect fled in a dark vehicle, possibly a Pontiac Grand Am or Grand Prix. If you know anything, call Grandville Police at 538-6110. You don’t have to give your name if you call Silent Observer, 774-2345.
Bones found in Muskegon County field are not human. A university forensic anthropologist examined the bones found this week on Apple Ave. in Egelston Township and determined they are not human remains. The county's medical examiner couldn’t rule out the possibility they were human, so police searched the property and started digging. Turns out the bones are from a cow, as are the bones found in November.
ACLU to hold Grand Rapids forum on school vouchers. A group called “Kids First! Yes!” has been campaigning to get the school voucher issue on the November 2000 ballot. The measure would let public dollars pay for kids to attend non-public schools. On the other side of the issue is a group called “ALL Kids First!” Educators from public and private schools will voice their opinions along with folks from the ACLU this Sunday at Fountain Street Church. Grand Rapids District Judge Benjamin Logan will be the panel moderator.
Church-fire in Jenison; nobody hurt. An altar cloth caught fire from a prayer candle while no one was in the chapel at Georgetown United Methodist Church on Baldwin St. near 28th Ave., around 8 a.m. yesterday. The pastor noticed smoke in the hallway, grabbed a fire extinguisher and probably contained it until fire-trucks got there, probably saving the rest of the structure. The chapel is at the opposite side of the structure from the main sanctuary, which was not damaged. Services will be held as usual but the day care program will be closed for several days.
City Centre parking ramp may be demolished. The Grand Rapids Parking Commission today will discuss the fate of the 40-year-old structure on the southwest corner of Fulton St. and Division Ave. According to a consulting engineer it will cost $650,000 to maintain the ramp for three more years. The city’s parking director wants to knock it down and build a new one. The commission’s decision will have an effect on the proposal to convert the City Centre into state offices, which would require 800 parking spaces.
Mazda Great Lakes to close; 100 jobs will just vanish. The last independent Mazda distributor was bought out by the car maker, which plans to close the Grand Rapids operation in March. Peter Cook founded the distributorship in 1977 to introduce the Japanese car to the Midwest, and now supplies 100 dealers in five states. The automaker, like other overseas car companies, decided several years ago it wanted to deal directly with its dealerships and with this move completes the consolidation. The next-to-last Mazda distributor was in Hawaii and was absorbed several years ago. Only a handful of independent import distributors are left in the U.S. Of the 107 workers employed in the Kentwood warehouse and Forest Hills corporate office, only a few are likely to be hired by Mazda’s North American headquarters in California.
Six Muskegon townships get together to fund police coverage. The Muskegon county commission this week worked a deal with Dalton, Egelston, Fruitport, Fruitland, Laketon and Whitehall townships to be “Partners in Neighborhood Safety.” The county will hire five more sheriff’s deputies for night patrols. The townships will pitch in $5 per resident to cover 60% of the cost and the county will pay the rest. The deal will start April 1 if the township boards all approve.
Mecosta County driving instructor charged with forgery. The owner of K & M Testing, Mark Thompson, is accused of falsifying certificates for driver’s licenses and permits for commercial drivers. He faces more than 20 charges of perjury, false certification and forgery. Police say one student passed without even getting behind the wheel.
Lansing chops-up residency rules for city employees. The bill that passed the Michigan legislature yesterday would prevent city governments from requiring its workers to live within city limits, but make them to live within 20 miles of the city line. That’ll please just about everybody, for now. Governor Engler said he’ll sign it.
John Ball Zoo is “go” for chimps. Six to eight adult chimpanzees plus their kids will take up residence in a $3-million Great Apes exhibit by early 2001. The zoo has been planning to acquire apes for years, but had to build a complete medical and quarantine facility first. The $1.2-million animal hospital opened in April. This week they announced an $87,000 grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs. The rest will be paid for by the John Ball Zoological Society.
GVSU gets a gift of Mathias Alten works; will hang them in the new downtown campus. Grand Rapids Art Museum presented the first major exhibition of his work last winter. His hand captured the light and life in scenes all around West Michigan and Europe. His talent caught the passion of businessman George Gordon, who just donated 36 oils and a watercolor to the university. They range from a view of North Park from 1898 to a 1921 self-portrait, and will be on permanent display in the DeVos Center on Fulton St. when it opens next year. A few pieces from the collection will be unveiled at a press conference at noon next Wednesday at the top of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. You can see them all on-line, at www.gvnow.gvsu.edu.
Grand Rapids Township congregation carries on after church burns down. Fire investigators worked yesterday to figure out what started the fire that destroyed Orchard View Church of God at Leffingwell Ave. and 3-Mile Rd. on Monday night. They say it started near the side entrance and that the building had no sprinklers or smoke alarms. Damage totaled about a million dollars. This Sunday's 11 a.m. worship, Sunday school and Christmas party will be held across the street at the Orchard View Elementary School gym. Donations are accepted at Old Kent Bank branches for the Orchard View Church of God Recovery Fund.
Mason County Sheriff's deputy accused of sexual assault. David Laiskonis (age 48) is charged with “assault with intent to commit second degree criminal sexual conduct” for an incident involving a female officer from another department on Nov. 27. He was arraigned in Ludington district court last week. Laiskonis is a 20-year veteran and was put on leave while state police investigate. He could get five years.
Celebration to honor Orchard View team. They didn’t win the state championship but they’ll get a parade anyway. Starting at 7 p.m., the team, band and cheerleaders will step off from Orchard View Elementary School, march down Apple Ave. and up Sheridan Rd. to the high school. The runners-up trophy will be presented at the reception afterward, where fans can meet and greet the players. Orchard View lost to Detroit Country Day for the Division 5 championship in the Silverdome on Nov. 27.
Mona Shores schools hires interim superintendent. The school board voted this week to hire Terry Babbitt, who has been filling in as superintendent since Michael Holmes resigned last spring. Babbitt has done the jobs of both superintendent and assistant superintendent. His salary will stay the same until June 2000 when the board will re-evaluate.
Man offers reward to solve 25-year-old Lake County murder. Jim Barnett hopes $10,000 will jog someone's memory and help solve his brother Daniel's murder. On March 15, 1975, Daniel Barnett and Bruce McAllister were camping at Bray Creek State Forest Campground in Webber Township north of Baldwin. Someone fired 12 rounds into their tent from about 15 feet away, killing Barnett and injuring McAllister. Police had a suspect but not enough evidence to charge him. An additional reward of $1,500 is offered for information leading to recovery of the gun. If you know anything, call Reed City Police toll free at 877-441-8477.
Fire destroys northeast side church. The Orchard View Church of God on Leffingwell Ave. near 3-Mile Rd. is a total loss. Somebody smelled gas and heard a popping noise around 9 p.m., then noticed the smoke. The minister of music called 911. Fire-trucks got there fast but flames spread faster, and at one point shot 50 feet into the air from the 23-year-old building. This morning investigators will search the pile of ash and rubble to find out what started it. The first flames seemed to come from near the side entrance. The pastor said a prayer of thanks that nobody was hurt, and asked for guidance for the 135 members of the congregation. Services and the Christmas program will be held this Sunday, but they don’t know where yet.
Grand Rapids woman accused of murder plot. Victoria Payne (age 40) was convicted last year of defrauding an elderly couple out of $70,000 and police say she recently tried to hire a hit man to have the couple and their daughter killed. Payne worked as a nurse's aide for Audrey and James Jolliffe and wrote checks to herself from their account. She was sentenced to a year in jail and was out on work-release. Grand Rapids Police Detective John Bylsma discovered Payne's plot and she was arrested after paying $200 as a down payment to an undercover cop posing as a hit man. She gave detailed maps of the home of the intended victims and their schedule, and the loot would be the rest of the fee. Police figure she was mad at the Jolliffes for pursing the fraud charges. She’s back in Kent County jail on $100,000 bond, facing three counts of solicitation for murder. She could get life.
Ottawa County clerks charged with selling tobacco to underage buyers. Teen decoys working for police officers in Coopersville, Grand Haven, Zeeland, Allendale, Holland, and Park Township tried to buy cigarettes at 47 stores. Clerks from 14 stores were stung and cited on Friday for selling tobacco to minors.
Northeast Middle School plans new location for conferences. Only about 20% of parents showed up for parent-teacher conferences last year, so today’s conferences will be at Grand Rapids REACH Child Development Center on Henry Ave. from 5 to 8 p.m. They hope the closer location will make it easier for parents to attend. Thursday conferences will be held at the school on Fuller Ave. NE from 5 to 8 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
Five West Michigan companies on Forbes private 500. The top local business in the December 13 issue of Forbes Magazine is Meijer Inc., ranked as the 13th largest private company in the country. Amway ranked 37, Gordon Food Service is 71, Haworth Inc. was 104 on the list and Muskegon-based Quality Stores was number 147. Four out of the five companies moved up on the list from last year.
Hudsonville passes Internet ordinance. The Gary Byker Memorial Library just spent $24,000 on a new software filtering system but residents said it wasn't good enough. They held a petition drive for an ordinance to prevent kids from getting at questionable content on the net. Last night after much debate, the city commission voted to approve that "family friendly" ordinance. But for now the library is off-line for fear of lawsuits, so no one will be surfing the net there.
Grand Haven police officer's grave vandalized. Officer Scott Flahive was shot and killed almost five years ago by a man who escaped from jail. Over the weekend, the badge he was wearing when he was killed was pried off his headstone at Lake Forest Cemetery. If you know anything about it, please call the Grand Haven Dept. of Public Safety, 842-3460. You don't have to give your name if you call Silent Observer, 842-1400. A cash reward will be given for information leading to an arrest.
Kent County “airport noise” public meeting tonight. Neighbors in Cascade and Caledonia have been jolted out of bed in the middle of the night by low-flying jets ever since the new north-south runway opened two years ago. They charge the airport managers have tried to ignore the issue. This afternoon, the airport’s committee will update the official “Noise Exposure Map,” then present it to the public at 7 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Hotel on 28th St. near Kraft Ave.
Grand Rapids cop hurt in hit and run. The cruiser was eastbound on Wealthy St. near 131 around 10 p.m. Friday night when a car pulled out of the Greyhound bus station, into the path of the patrol car. The driver of the car bailed out. He was caught later and charged with fleeing the scene and driving without a license. One officer was taken to Spectrum-Butterworth with neck and back pain, while the other was not hurt.
Trial begins in Highland Park murder. Jury selection starts today in the trial of Mark Osborne (age 17) of Grand Rapids, charged with the robbery, rape and murder of Jessica Ledford (age 18). Her body was found in Highland Park last May by a neighbor walking the dog. According to police, Osborne confessed to stabbing and strangling Ledford.
GRR flight cancelled. The twin engine Comair plane turned around about 20 minutes after take-off yesterday because of an oil pressure problem in one engine. The pilot shut down that engine as a precaution and the plane headed back to Kent County International Airport. It landed safely and the 26 passengers were put on other flights.
Belding man says he’ll lead FBI to hidden money. Peter Scharden pleaded guilty last week to robbing the Independent Bank south of Ionia in September and the Chemical Bank in Crystal in Montcalm County in October. In an agreement with the FBI, he said he’ll lead them to where $35,000 is hidden, which FBI officials say is probably buried in a cornfield in West Michigan. Now that hunting season is over, it’s safe to go into the woods. He will be sentenced in March and could get 20 years.
Grandville teachers reach agreement. Staff members of Grandville Public Schools have come to a tentative agreement on their labor contracts, five months after the last one expired. Terms haven't been made public yet. Vote is expected this week.
Wyoming: PD Y2K OK. The Wyoming Police Department checked out their dispatch system this week as part of their Y2K preparedness plan. A few weeks ago in their initial test there were some problems, but they say everything is working fine after some adjustments.
Florida man charged in Holland crash that injured his cousin. Roberto Gorrostieta (age 20) is accused of leading police on a high speed chase in a stolen van on Tuesday morning. He crashed through a guard rail at 112th Ave. and Paw Paw Dr., critically injuring his cousin, Francisco Garcia (age 16). Police say Gorrostieta he was driving on a suspended license and that his blood alcohol level was almost twice the legal limit. He was arraigned on Wednesday and could get ten years.
Whitehall student dies during school. Andy Reister (age 15), a sophomore at Whitehall High School, collapsed in the hallway between third and fourth hours on Wednesday. Emergency rescue personnel tried to save him with CPR, but he was pronounced dead at Hackley Hospital. Students knew that Reister had a heart condition. He couldn’t play sports, and was manager of the basketball team. Counselors will be available for students today.
Great Lakes Tall Ship Challenge to sail into Muskegon. Twenty big sailing vessels will visit Muskegon County’s Heritage Landing next August. It will be one of eight stops for the American Sail Training Association tour. A festival will be centered at the county park, and include tours of the ships and a departure parade through the Muskegon Channel.
Muskegon police want to question man about library rape. Police say he resembles the man they’re looking for, a 6’2" 190 lb. black man in his 20’s or early 30’s. The security cameras in the Meijer store in Norton Shores caught him a few weeks after the November 2 incident at Hackley Library. He’s not automatically a suspect, but they’d like to find him and talk to him. If you know anything, call the Muskegon Police at 911 or 724-6762.
Police identify body found in Yankee Springs Rec Area. A family of hikers on the Long Lake foot trail encountered the partly-burned body on Sunday. It was identified as that of Sally Flynn Russell (age 47) of Delton. Medical examiner says it was suicide. Autopsy results and evidence indicate she died after dousing her body with an accelerant and lighting herself on fire.
Driver pleads no contest in fatal accident. William Robert Smith’s semi-truck slammed into the back of a car on US-131 north of West River Dr. last May, killing two. Police say he was within the speed limit but couldn’t stop fast enough. Yesterday Smith pleaded no contest to negligent homicide. Prosecutors say he probably won’t serve any jail time.
Wayland teen suspended for "spiking" teacher’s pop. Wayland-Union High School teacher Georgiann McWilliams was working with some students in her science class when a boy in her office poured liquid dish soap into her two-liter bottle of Coca Cola. McWilliams drank from the bottle the next day and got sick but wasn’t hospitalized. The boy was suspended for the semester by the board of education this week. Two other boys who watched it happen but didn’t warn their teacher got a ten-day suspension.
License your dog! Kent County dog licenses went on sale yesterday. State law requires your pooch have a current license by March 1:
Holland firebombing suspect pleads guilty. Mark Allen Campbell (age 20) confessed Monday to throwing a Molotov cocktail into a house on College Ave. last June, saying he wanted to scare the people living there. He will be sentenced on Dec.27 and could get 15 years.
Byron Center man killed in fatal accident was drunk. Christopher Mark Watson (age 21) had a blood alcohol level more than triple the legal driving limit. Watson died after the Friday night crash on Byron Center Ave. Two Grandville High School students in the other car are still hospitalized in serious condition with head injuries. Watson's license was revoked in 1994 for two car thefts.
Firearm deer season ends; Montcalm county woman shot in her bed. Linda Nygren was injured by a bullet from a high powered rifle that went right through a nearby window frame at her home. The bullet missed her head and grazed her spine, and ended up in her pillow. She was not seriously injured. The Montcalm County Sheriff's Department wants to know who fired the shot. If you know anything please call them.
Five Kent City youths face charges for building bomb. Adam Petruska (age 17), Gregg Rottman (age 19, Jerome Rybski (age 17), Noah Smith (age 20) and Jennifer Stuhan (age 18) are accused of using bomb making instructions from the Internet and setting off the bomb on the lawn of Michael Cegelli's home in Tyrone Township. Police said two explosions rattled windows and wakened nearby residents on Nov. 6. Rottman was questioned by police a couple weeks earlier about wrecking the man's mailbox but wasn't charged. All five were in Rockford district court on Monday and waived their preliminary hearings, indicating they may accept a plea bargain with the Kent County prosecutor. Each could get five years.
Grand Rapids excels in exporting. New figures from the World Trade Organization show that Grand Rapids is 43rd out of more than 250 cities in sending goods to other countries. About $3-billion worth of products are shipped over the border by small businesses here. Canada gets more than half of those exports.
Police identify man in Grand Haven coal feeder. The body found buried in hundreds of pounds of coal at the Simms generating plant Sunday night was that of Grand Haven High School graduate Michael Yedinak (age 18). His family told police he had a history of mental problems and was missing since Friday. Police figure he went on a joyride on the conveyor belt and fell into the coal feeder. Death was by suffocation. The medical examiner declared it an accidental death.
Police investigate burglary at Muskegon Mall. Thieves on Sunday night took a lot of clothing from the New Yorker store and tried to break into Athletic Attic. Police discovered a broken window on the north side of the mall yesterday morning and found the locked gated entry had been propped up by gumball machines.
Muskegon murder victim fought for her life. The badly-beaten body of Nina Beasley (age 32) was found in her apartment on Saturday. The suspect, Kenneth Jordan (age 34), was charged with murder yesterday and police are still working on his version of events. He told police that he and Beasley had a physical fight and that she fell on a pair of scissors. Her body was found stabbed with a pair of scissors, with third degree burns possibly from a nearby iron. An autopsy was performed yesterday in Lansing.
New security system backs-up Muskegon County courthouse. The metal detector went into service yesterday at the newly-named Michael E. Kobza Hall of Justice. It's a system used by most courthouses around the state, but it took citizens by surprise yesterday. Building staff spent the day directing visitors to the single way in or out, and listening to comments of people lined-up to enter. Only the east entrance will be open during business hours and the other doors will be emergency exits. At the main doors, everyone entering must walk through a metal detector and put purses, bags and packages onto the X-ray conveyor belt. Weapons are banned except for police and court officers.
Grand Rapids police consider substations, union disagrees. Chief Harry Dolan wants to open four police substations to improve on five years of community policing. The police union says it would spread staff too thin, and cost too much because some of the proposed substations are in bad shape. Police headquarters has to move to make way for the new convention center downtown and the chief wants to decentralize the department. The new headquarters, possibly in the old Steketee’s building, would cost $21-million and the additional substations would cost $14- to $15-million more.
Two arrested in Portage for passing bogus new bills. The new-style paper money is supposed to be “counterfeit-proof” but apparently a few people are getting away with it, using new graphics scanners and high-tech, high-resolution printers. The Secret Service, which is charged with protecting our currency, talked with two people in Kalamazoo County last week, busted for passing $100 and $50 bills. The security features work if cashiers look at the new bills, which have a security thread and a watermark. Hold it up to the light to see the portrait of the president at the other end of the bill.
What's on your plate? Next year, Michigan drivers will get to express their personality on license plates with 21 new designs, including universities, wildlife, and Great Lakes lighthouses. They’ll cost $35 on top of the registration fee, $25 of which goes to the organization on the license plate.
Hopkins honors football team; Creston will have a parade. Students and families packed the Hopkins High School gym last night, to watch coaches give awards to the first team in the district’s history to play in the Silverdome. Creston High School also played in their division’s championship last weekend, and will celebrate with a parade on Plainfield Ave. at 1:30 p.m. this Friday.
Body found in coal hopper at Grand Haven power plant. Workers at the J.B. Simms generating station on Harbor Island noticed the conveyor from the hopper was jammed around 7 p.m last night. They looked in through a view-hole and saw a human leg sticking out of the coal. They called 911 and started shoveling. They pulled out the body of a man, who is yet unidentified. The staff are all accounted-for, and they have no idea how someone could have gotten into the coal feeding system or into the plant. The last delivery of coal was more than three months ago. Police haven’t ruled out anything yet. They’re waiting for autopsy results to show the cause of death.
Body found on Yankee Springs trail. A man was hiking with his children on the foot trail at Hall Lake, near Gun Lake Rd., around 2:30 p.m. yesterday. They found the badly-burned body of a woman. Police and the state fire-marshal are investigating. The woman’s name is not yet known. Autopsy this week will help determine how she died, and may give some clues to her identity.
Muskegon woman murdered, suspect in custody. Police are holding a man in connection with the murder of Nina Beasley (age 32). Her unclothed body was found in her Isabella St. apartment Saturday morning. Police say it appears that the victim and the suspect had an argument and there was a struggle. An autopsy will be conducted today to determine cause of death. Anyone with information is asked to call the Muskegon Police at 724-6750. You don't have to give your name if you call Silent Observer at 722-7463.
Two men wanted for armed robbery in Holland. Police say the two men robbed the victim who was walking on 15th St. near Hope College on Saturday morning. The two men drove up, asked for directions, pulled out a gun and demanded money. The car was a black Buick Electra with Illinois plates, last seen heading southbound on College Ave. The two suspects are mid-20's to 30's. The driver is 6'4" with short hair and sideburns. Anyone with information is asked to call the Holland police at 355-1150. You don't have to give your name if you call Silent Observer at 392-4443.
Byron Center man killed in crash. Christopher Watson (age 21) died Saturday morning at Spectrum-Butterworth after an accident Friday night. His car crossed the center line on Byron Center Ave. and struck another car. The other driver, Robert Cole (age 18) of Grandville, was in serious condition at Spectrum-Butterworth. His passenger, Joshua Wyckoff (age 18), was in “critical” condition at Saint Mary's. Wyoming police say that Watson may have been speeding and alcohol could have been a factor.
Hudsonville and Holland petitions circulating for Internet filters at libraries. The American Family Association of Michigan has until tomorrow to get 20 signatures on petitions asking for filters on the computers at the Gary Byker Memorial Library. Once the petition is verified, the Hudsonville City Council can either adopt the ordinance or put it on the Feb. 22 ballot. The Holland Area Family Association is conducting a similar petition drive for filters on the computers at Herrick District Library.
Grand Rapids officials publish smoke alarm details. City and fire officials released an information sheet last week to answer questions about the new smoke alarm ordinance. It requires a smoke detector in every bedroom, hallway and floor of each home by the end of next year. The flyer listed model numbers of smoke alarms that qualify under the ordinance and those that don't, plus a web site where one can be purchased. Scratch that! Fire chief now says that web site doesn't sell the right smoke alarm after all.
West Michigan football teams fought hard in the Silverdome. The Creston High School Polar Bears lost the Division 3 state championship to Farmington Hills Harrison, 42-to-35, on Saturday at the Pontiac Silverdome. South Christian lost to Orchard Lake St. Mary's 34-to-13 for the Division 3 title. Hopkins was beaten by St. Charles for the Division 6 title on Friday night.
MALLS (individual stores may open earlier):
Adams removes billboards in Holland. The disagreement started two years ago about whether Adams needed to get building permits and follow city ordinances for nine new billboards it was building. At the time, Adams was charged with 40 misdemeanors, pleaded no contest and was ordered to remove the nine posts. Adams recently lost its appeal so workers took out the 28-foot-high posts Wednesday morning and put gravel over the footings. A judge says Adams has to remove the concrete footings by Monday, or the city will charge the company to do the work.
Holland police will be out in full force Saturday night. During "Operation Nightcap" up to ten extra officers from Holland Police, Ottawa County Sheriff's Department and Michigan State Police Grand Haven post will be on the road around Holland, Georgetown Township and Holland Township looking for alcohol violations. They'll also be out Dec. 10, 11, 17, and 18. Police expect to make an average 2.5 stops per hour for any violation to try and catch drunks behind the wheel. Last year they arrested 25 suspected drunken drivers during Operation Nightcap. Police say that free "Life Rider" taxi rides are available with a coupon in Wednesday and Thursday's Lakeshore Press or in area bars and restaurants.
Orchard View recall effort gets underway. An organizational meeting was held Tuesday night with 78 residents volunteering to circulate recall petitions. The group wants to recall school board members Richard Shaffer, Karen Tornga and Lauren Worrel, who supported the October 25 firing of high school teacher and coach Don Thomas. He was fired after administrators accused him of consuming alcohol in front of students or recent graduates at a private event and allowing them to drink beer at his house.
Muskegon honors fallen police officers with memorial. "The Protectors" was dedicated Tuesday evening on the lawn of the Michael E. Kobza Hall of Justice on Terrace St., formerly the Muskegon County Building. The memorial includes a bronze statue and a concrete wall with two plaques honoring fallen police officers, one listing the names of eight officers killed in the line of duty. They include:
State attorney general finds price scanning errors: worst store is
right here in West Michigan. Jennifer Granholm’s staff went shopping
around the state to test the accuracy of department store scanners, continuing
the tradition of her predecessor Frank Kelley. They picked up 286 items
at 19 stores. Overall error rate was 16.8%, up from 15% and 13% for the
past two years, and the mistakes were almost always in the store’s favor.
They hit RiverTown Crossings pretty
hard, since it just opened. Apparently the machines and the people haven’t
gotten to know each other well. Out of 61 items, there were thirteen overcharges
(totaling $80.46) and two undercharges ($1.30).
Worst scanning in Michigan: JCPenney
at RiverTown. Of thirteen items, more than half rang up the wrong price.
Seven were overcharged and one undercharged. Around the state, four JCPenney
stores scored an average 33% error rate. So the attorney general is suing
the chain, which could end up paying fines of $25,000 for each day they
make a mistake.
The best stores were Kohl’s and Mervyn’s,
both with 97% accuracy and all the errors were in the shopper’s favor.
Moral of the story: with 100,000 items,
stores are going to make mistakes. Make sure you know what the price is,
and check the register and the receipt. Michigan law gives you the right
to correct an overcharge in 30 days. You’re also entitled to a penalty
of 10 times the difference, up to $5.
Grand Rapids Public Library may have to look for another temporary home. The Main Library’s renovation will start in the spring, and they were hoping to relocate to a warehouse owned by Baker Furniture Co. on the north side of downtown. Now the IRS is challenging the proposed lease because the structure was rehabilitated by tax-exempt bonds that restrict its use to manufacturing. Tax lawyers are trying to figure out how to make it work. The library is again looking at other sites, but this could delay the project for three months. The Baker warehouse was attractive because it could store the entire collection on one floor and unlike other candidates it’s away from the S-Curve detour.
Grand Rapids water rates will go up. City commissioners looked at proposed rates for the year 2000 yesterday, which officials say are still lower than they were in 1997. Folks on the Grand Rapids water and sewer system would pay $13.95 more per quarter next year.
Muskegon's "Charlie Brown Christmas tree" will stay. Hearing the public outcry, city commissioners voted to save the lone evergreen tree in Hackley Park instead of following the Leisure Services Board's recommendation to cut it down. The "Cold Nights, Warm Lights" committee wanted to replace it with a decorated cut tree, saying the ancient Douglas fire is a raggedy eyesore.
Holland merchants get ready for Kerstmarkt. The holiday open air market will open Friday night for two weekends at Centennial Park, coinciding with “Lighting Up the Holidays” and a lantern parade on Friday. It's part of a series of holiday events called Dutch Winterfest, sponsored by the Holland Area Visitors and Convention Bureau.
West Michigan schools honored. Students and faculty at East Grand
Rapids High School celebrated their designation as a New American High
School from the U.S. Department of Education yesterday. It is one of thirteen
nationwide to get the award for strong involvement with parents and community
and innovation in the classroom.
This is also the fourth time the school
has been honored by the Michigan Education Department as a Blue Ribbon
Exemplary School. Byron Center High School is also among the fourteen in
the state that got the award for educational success or continued improvement.
In Comstock Park, North Kent High School is believed to be the first alternative
school in the state to get a blue ribbon.
The national Blue Ribbon evaluations
will be in the spring, and Byron Center and North Kent are in the running.
EGR won a national Blue Ribbon in 1995, and has to wait six years before
being eligible again.
Kalamazoo Central High School marching band went to Toronto last weekend. The 90-member ensemble was in the city’s Christmas Parade on Saturday. This is the first time KC made some noise north of the border.
GVSU marching band will perform at the Silverdome tomorrow. Grand Valley will march 135 strong during the pre-game show and play the “Star Spangled Banner” in a seven minute set before the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day football game. The band last played for the Lions in 1996. This will be their first appearance at the nationally televised holiday game.
Serious crime down in Grand Rapids. According to the FBI, the first six months of 1999 saw declines in every major category of crime including murder, robbery, rape, arson and car theft. Experts credit the improvement to tougher laws, a good economy and more police on the street.
Whitehall school district wants to know why voters said "no" to bond issue. Back in September voters turned down a $29.6-million bond issue for a new gymnasium and improvements to school buildings. The school board plans to send out a survey within the next week to find out why the bond issue was defeated. Those responding can choose to do it anonymously.
Muskegon health center offers free glasses. Mercy General Health Partners Family Health Center on Getty St. will give away 250 gift certificates for a free eye exam and glasses from eleven area optometrists to poor children who qualify. The Vision Services Plan, a national vision insurance company, is giving $7-million to the Sights for Students program and has developed a line of frames especially for it. To qualify, kids must be from families with an income level below twice the national poverty level, not be covered by another vision plan, and in school.
Muskegon nurse steals medical supplies to prepare for Y2K. Cheryl Lewandowski (age 42) was convicted in April of attempted embezzlement from the nursing home where she worked, and drug possession, after police found $700 to $1000 worth of supplies and marijuana in the trunk of her car. Now, the Michigan Board of nursing has suspended her license for six months because she never reported the conviction. The board will review her case and issue a final order by July. Lewandowski told police that she was stockpiling supplies because she was worried her children might die because of the Y2K computer bug.
“Toys for Tots” launches tonight. Bozo the clown will join Frosty the Snowman, Santa's elves and U.S. Marines to serve up cookies, cocoa, hot cider, candy-filled stockings and fun from 5:30 to 8 p.m. tonight at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Admission per kid is one new, un-wrapped toy for Toys for Tots. Last year 7,000 West Michigan kids got presents thanks to the work of the Marine Corps and the generosity of givers like you. Barrels are being rolled out at stores all over. Cash contributions will be taken at any branch of Bank One (formerly NBD). Pam DeVos and Bozo are co-chairs for the kick-off party.
C-Span features Ford Museum. President Ford was in town over the weekend just before C-Span got here to give the country a look at the Ford Museum. Last night, they featured Ford's biographer and the museum's curator during a live two-hour special on Ford and his presidency. C-Span is doing specials on all the presidents.
Freedom Baptist business manager arrested for embezzlement. David Scothorn (age 36) of Hudsonville was led away by the FBI on Friday as students and school officials watched. He is charged with embezzling $400,000 from East Detroit Public Schools, where he was superintendent of business services. Scothorn was arraigned in Eastpointe on Friday and held on $50,000 bond. He was placed on indefinite leave without pay at Freedom Baptist Academy while the school looks into it. He could get ten years and fined an amount three times what he allegedly stole.
Holland man sentenced in fatal crash. Troy Jones (age 28) on Friday got a year in jail, another on an electronic tether and four years probation. He pleaded no contest to negligent homicide in the January crash that killed Laurie Lamar (age 54). Police say he was driving on a suspended license and apparently passed out, crossing the median and striking Lamar's vehicle head on. Jones has a history of mental health problems and had checked himself out of Pine Rest against doctor's orders the day of the accident.
Orchard View recall petitions approved. A group of parents leading a recall of three school board members had petition language approved by the Muskegon County election committee. Board members Karen Tornga, Richard Shaffer and Lauren Worrel are targeted for the firing of teacher and coach Don Thomas. He is accused of consuming alcohol in front of students or recent graduates at a private event and serving them beer at his house. The recall group has to get 815 signatures for each board member within 90 days, then an election will be scheduled.
Fire evacuates Younkers at RiverTown Crossings. The department store filled with smoke yesterday morning and 40 employees were sent into the mall. Turns out someone left a heat gun turned on, which ignited papers and some clothes. Employees put out the fire. Luckily, there weren't any customers in the store yet. Younkers opened for business later in the day.
President Ford lights the trees. Hundreds of people watched and the Salvation Army Band played as Ford flipped the switch to light up 22 trees in the Ford Museum. It’s the closest thing to an official tree-lighting ceremony for Grand Rapids, and the kick-off for the Salvation Army's Tree of Lights campaign.
Allegan County bones identified. Anthropologists say the remains are that of John Torrence (age 38), who was last seen alive in Kalamazoo in June. The bones were found last week by a hunter in the Allegan State Game Area. Police are investigating.
Muskegon police want to know if man accused of fatal hit and run was drunk. James Sprowls (age 43) is charged in the deaths of three Orchard View teens last week. Sprowls' attorney says he fell asleep at the wheel. Given his three previous drunk driving arrests, police checked out his alibi. Prosecutors talked to witnesses who saw Sprowls hours before the accident Friday afternoon who said he "smelled like a brewery." He's in jail right now and is not expected to post bail.
Hazardous waste cleanup in Norton Shores. Crews on Getty St. north of Norton St. spent about three hours yesterday morning cleaning up medical waste dropped by a garbage truck. The truck picked up a load at a medical center, hit a bump in the road and the trash bags fell out. The road was closed while needles and blood soaked materials were cleaned up.
Saranac High School closed by fumes. Students moved into the gym yesterday morning after the smell of gas filled the school. Turns out it was a faulty boiler valve that caused the leak. School’s open today.
Ottawa and Oceana County bridges nominated for honor. The Bowen Bridge along Fruitport Rd. in Spring Lake Township and the US-31 bridge over the Pentwater River just east of Pentwater in Weare Township are among 91 bridges up for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Comments are being taken on the nominees and a decision will be made by the National Park Service in the next few months. A bridge has to be at least 50 years old and have a distinguishing feature to qualify.
Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer will be in West Michigan today. He’ll meet with his campaign workers, then speak at a fund-raiser at 6 p.m. at Zeeland High School.
West Michigan Republicans announce January presidential debate. Invited are George W. Bush, Steve Forbes, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Orrin Hatch, Alan Keyes and Gary Bauer. Governor Engler said this week George W. Bush has already lined up four other debates across the country and may not make it to Michigan. The debate will be at the Calvin College Fine Arts Center on January 10, well before the primary on February 22.
Calls flood 911 as West Michigan skies light up. The Leonid meteor shower is streaking through the night skies this week from Kalamazoo to Traverse City with colors of green, blue and red. On Tuesday night, many folks saw what looked like a fireball flying through the sky. Kent County dispatchers got between 500 and 600 calls within 15 minutes of that sighting. NASA says people saw an average of about 40 shooting stars an hour on Tuesday night.
GRATA plans new services for S-Curve construction. They’ll match up people for car pools, rent commuter vans and under certain circumstances, spring for emergency taxi rides. If your business is interested, call GRATA at 456-1941.
Hackley Park evergreen might be cut down. Muskegon's leisure services board voted to recommend cutting down the lone evergreen in front of the Civil War memorial to make room for a temporary Christmas tree. The city commission will consider the recommendation and other opinions at next Tuesday's meeting. The “Cold Nights, Warm Lights” committee will decorate the park for the holidays and says this one is an eyesore and too tall to decorate. They want it out by Nov. 27.
Meijer to help Salvation Army. A few years ago Meijer said “no” to allowing the Salvation Army to ring its bells outside their stores. They”ve come up with a way to help the charity, by donating a percentage of sales of Kimberly Clark products. Meijer expects to give around $70,000 to the Salvation Army.
First state-wide meeting of Silent Observers will be in Grand Rapids tomorrow. Forty-five managers of SO and Crimestopper programs will talk shop at the Waters Building, sharing their experiences in:
Student organizes help for victim of multiple misfortunes. Here are all the things that happened to the young woman:
Kentwood says "no" to adult store. The Kentwood zoning board of appeals decided this week that the city should not said “okay” to William and Catherine Buckley. They concluded the planning department was working with incorrect population numbers, and used the wrong number of people living near the proposed business on Ridgemoor Dr. off 28th St. The Buckleys collected signatures on a petition to get a business license based on the bad numbers, then the neighbors circulated their own against it when they found out what the store was really going to sell. The Buckleys say they won't go down without a fight.
Grand Rapids fire chief clears up smoke detector confusion. When the city passed the ordinance that requires smoke alarms, folks started buying up detectors. Many bought the wrong kind. The kind of detector that will meet the law is one powered by a sealed lithium battery. The ordinance specifies that the battery can't be removed without damaging the unit. Last week the still wasn’t sure which units would meet the standard. Assistant city attorney Mike McGuire referred folks to the fire chief, who was out of town. Two models made by First Alert meet the code: models SA 10YRCL and SA 10YR.
Future of Grand Rapids' African-American festival in question. The city commission will consider the recommendation that the city stop co-sponsoring the 6-year-old event. The parks department says folks in charge don't meet requirements for organizing and planning, and say the city should still sponsor the event if the festival gets new organizers. The commission will make a decision on the matter next week.
Cedar Springs cops will continue