Grand Haven Tribune

1:00 PM Sep 27, 2011

Township holds hearing to OK slight tax rate hike

The township's proposed millage rate for 2011 will be slightly above the rate levied last year, according to township officials. The Grand Haven Township Board held a public truth-in-taxation hearing Monday - a requirement under state law in which a taxing unit may not generate more revenue than it did in the prior year, unless it holds such a hearing.

12:00 PM Sep 27, 2011

Local districts react to student count changes

Spring Lake Public Schools officials said the new funding formula for state aid associated with student counts will positively impact their district. Changes are taking place this school year in how official student counts are handled to calculate per-pupil aid from the state. The number of students counted during the fall count day on Oct. 5 will be worth 90 percent of state aid, rather than 75 percent as in past years, The Detroit News reported Monday. A winter count in February will be worth 10 percent instead of 25 percent.

11:30 AM Sep 27, 2011

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Eliminating divisiveness

11:30 AM Sep 27, 2011

Hiker rescued after fall in county park

Emergency crews worked for more than an hour to get through heavy brush to rescue an injured hiker Monday evening, said Crockery Township Fire Chief Gary Dreyer. Firefighters were called to the Crockery Creek Natural Area about 6:15 p.m. after a hiker fell and hit his head on a log, Dreyer said. The Grand Haven man, in his 40s, was hiking with a friend in the Ottawa County park at the end of Wren Street off Leonard Road, Dreyer said.

11:24 AM Sep 27, 2011

Theories abound, details scarce in 5 Ind. deaths

As authorities tried to piece together the events that left five people dead, family members and neighbors spun an array of scenarios but reached no consensus about who was behind the violence that shocked a rural Indiana neighborhood where residents often don't even lock their doors. More than 24 hours after the bodies were found, police were still giving no assurances Monday about whether the danger had passed or if they believed a killer (or killers) remained at large in this stretch about 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

11:22 AM Sep 27, 2011

Community Garden meeting is Saturday morning

As the end of the first season for Community Garden No. 1 winds down, it is time to start planning and preparing for next season. There will be a meeting and work session at 9 a.m. Saturday at the garden, located behind The Salvation Army building, 310 N. Despelder St. in Grand Haven.

11:08 AM Sep 27, 2011

Mill Point sled hill gets leveled

A sledding hill at Mill Point Park Preserve is slip-sliding away - to the landfill. Village Council on Monday night approved a budget adjustment that includes hauling excavated materials from the Grand River Greenway project to a landfill. That includes the 650 cubic yards that have been mounded between Village Cove Marina and School Street in anticipation of being sculpted into a sledding hill.

10:58 AM Sep 27, 2011

College Showcase: Local volleyball players shine

During Aquinas College's volleyball match against U-M Dearborn on Sept. 14, Grand Haven graduate Sarah LeClair re-wrote the record books for the Saints. LeClair recorded her 1,777 career dig during the 3-1 victory, which established a new record at the school. The previous mark was set by Andrea Romberg (1998-2001). The win over U-M Dearborn was the second in a six-match winning streak for the Saints - a streak that was halted by Cornerstone on Saturday.

10:53 AM Sep 27, 2011

Haven soccer still unbeaten

Grand Haven's varsity boys soccer team remained unbeaten with a 5-0 win over Hudsonville on Monday. The Buccaneers (9-0-3, 5-0 O-K Red) received a boost from a few unlikely sources, including Steve Heyboer, who scored a pair of first-half goals. Defender Kevin Lacroix also scored as he put a corner kick into the Eagles' net. Nate Rose and Andrew Byrne added goals for the Bucs, while Drew Mestrom, Gerrit Schaap, Willie Bennick and Jake Vanderlaan added assists.

10:50 AM Sep 27, 2011

Prep Roundup: Olszewski paces SL golf

Spring Lake's girls golfers hosted Kenowa Hills on Monday and scored a 201-241 win over the visiting Knights. Ginny Olszewski paced the Lakers with a round of 45, followed by Chezney Peel with a 47. Tori Kihnke added a 52, and Faith Lee shot a 57 for Spring Lake. The Lakers compete in their final regular-season meet on Thursday as they take on Whitehall and Muskegon Catholic, then will travel to Big Rapids for the Division 3 regional meet on Oct. 6.

10:36 AM Sep 27, 2011

Employee hurt when hand gets caught in machine

A male employee suffered a hand injury when his fingers were caught in a milling machine Monday afternoon at Baker Engineering, 17165 Power Drive, according to Crockery Township Fire Chief Gary Dreyer. Emergency personnel were called to the business about mid-afternoon to help free the man from the trap door of the machine, Dreyer said. Firefighters worked with employees to work out a way to manually open the machine that was still in an automatic mode, trying to pull itself shut, Dreyer said.

10:24 AM Sep 27, 2011

Dogs washed to help family

Despite all the tail wagging, the proceeds from a benefit wash in Spring Lake on Saturday afternoon didn't go to the dogs. The money raised at the event will help cover medical expenses for an uninsured Spring Lake family. Zachery Bugielski, 18, suffered a closed-head injury when he fell from his skateboard on Aug. 23. Zachery's memory was affected by bleeding on the brain, but his recovering is going well - according to his mother, Amy Van Strate.

10:23 AM Sep 27, 2011

Crosswalk signs cause some confusion in Grand Haven

Crosswalk signs meant to help schoolchildren cross busy intersections have been causing some confusion, and local police want drivers to be educated on just what those signs mean. The signs, such as the one located at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Wisconsin Street near Mary A. White Elementary School, reads "Stop for pedestrians within crosswalk' - with the word "pedestrian' being illustrated by the figure of a person walking.

7:19 AM Sep 27, 2011

West Mich. woman pleads guilty in child porn case

A Mecosta County woman has pleaded guilty to a federal child exploitation charge for taking pictures of a naked child and sending them to another man. Andrea Marie Mast, 32, of Evart made the plea Monday, indicating that she will cooperate with authorities and testify against Timothy Sims, the man who received the pictures. Sims is going on trial Oct. 25 on charges of producing, receiving and processing sexually explicit images of children. Mast faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

7:05 AM Sep 27, 2011

Today's forecast

Today: Showers likely, mainly after 2 pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. East-southeast wind at 10-13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tonight: Showers likely, mainly before 8 pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind at around 12 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

8:00 PM Sep 26, 2011

Changes this year in how student counts handled

Changes are taking place this school year in how official student counts are handled to calculate per-pupil aid from the state. The number of students counted during the fall count day on Oct. 5 will be worth 90 percent of state aid, rather than 75 percent as in past years, The Detroit News reported Monday. A winter count in February will be worth 10 percent instead of 25 percent. Overall, Michigan's public schools could receive $12.6 million less in school aid this year because of the change.

6:00 PM Sep 26, 2011

Baseball card collecting program at library

Baseball fans and baseball card collectors of all ages are invited to attend a free presentation by baseball card collector Jeff Kless at Spring Lake District Library at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4. Kless has more than 40 years experience collecting baseball cards and more than 700,000 cards in his personal collection - some from as early as 1910. Kless will talk about the history of baseball cards, how licensing and logos have changed over the years, what criteria appraisers use when evaluating the value of cards, and how card collectors can buy and sell using eBay.