1:39 PM Aug 19, 2011
Grand Haven City Councilman Ed Nieuwenhuis, 69, and his wife Sandra, 68, were injured Thursday morning in a chain reaction crash on Interstate 96 near Marne. Sgt. Dennis Luce of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department said the incident occurred at about 9:15 a.m. when Nieuwenhuis' vehicle, which was sitting in a traffic back-up on eastbound I-96, was rear-ended by a Lincoln Navigator driven by 65-year-old William Krause of Spring Lake. "The traffic was backed up due to an unrelated vehicle fire,' Luce said.
1:34 PM Aug 19, 2011
As the stock market continued its roller coaster ride this week, a local investment expert said it is important for investors to make sure that their investment strategies and allocations are appropriate for their life situation and risk tolerance.
11:00 AM Aug 19, 2011
Many residents and tourists of Grand Haven drive by the Pere Marquette train on Jackson Street several times a year. While it generally remains closed to the public, officials with the Tri-Cities Museum on Thursday opened the train's doors for a tour and ice cream social. Shirley Lees, member service coordinator at the Tri-Cities Historical Museum, said the train is opened once a year to give the public an opportunity to see how a steam locomotive works and get some free ice cream.
10:39 AM Aug 19, 2011
The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety has recently recovered property stolen from motor vehicles during the months of June, July and August. These types of incidents often go unreported because the victim does not feel there is a chance to recover the property or be compensated for the loss by their insurance company. Because so few are reported, GHDPS is unable to return recovered property to the rightful owner, said Lt. Renee Freeman.
10:30 AM Aug 19, 2011
The Hope College men's basketball team is a welcoming a 6-foot-10 NCAA Division I transfer in October. Center Nate VanArendonk is leaving Central Michigan University to join the Flying Dutch-men. Hope coach Matt Neil confirmed Van-Arendonk's decision on Thursday. He said the Grand Haven native will be one of several incoming freshmen at Hope this fall, but declined further comment. VanArendonk would have four years of eligibility remaining. He missed the final 28 of CMU's games last season due to mononucleosis and received a medial redshirt.
10:24 AM Aug 19, 2011
Storms and cooler weather have once again changed the dynamics of fishing, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said in its weekly fishing report. The DNR says panfish are still there, but the bite was slow. Bass fishing remains good in the early morning or late evening. More salmon were caught but lake trout fishing was fair, it says. SOUTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA
10:22 AM Aug 19, 2011
Fruitport's top three singles flights each went unbeaten on the day as the Trojans placed second at their own tennis invitational. Kenowa Hills was first with 18 points, followed by Fruitport with 12, Reeths-Puffer with 10 and Western Michigan Christian with five. The Trojans' John Sullivan went 3-0 at No. 1 singles, as did Nolan Clark at No. 2 and Alex Bowen at No. 3. Blake Hutson was 1-2 at fourth singles for the Trojans.
10:22 AM Aug 19, 2011
What was once a major project at the corner of U.S. 31 and Jackson Street is in receivership as officials wait for buyers for the Grand Landing properties. Dave Distel, managing director at O'Keefe & Associates, said the Grand Landing property was placed in receivership care in November 2010. According to Distel, the bank didn't foreclose on the property and the project isn't in bankruptcy. Instead, Grand Landing LLC and its lender, Comerica Bank, entered into an agreement to put the property into a receivership.
7:01 PM Aug 18, 2011
Looking for some fun things to do before summer vacation ends? Visit Spring Lake District Library on Friday, Aug. 26, for a free screening of "Mars Needs Moms' at 2 p.m. The animated action adventure movie is 88 minutes long and rated PG. Children age 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call the library at 846-5770, ext. 134. The library is located at 123 E. Exchange St. in Spring Lake.
4:00 PM Aug 18, 2011
The Pinta and Nina, replicas of the Columbus ships, are scheduled to arrive at the Great Lakes Marina in Muskegon on Wednesday, Aug. 24. The Nina was built completely by hand and without the use of power tools. Archaeology magazine called the ship "the most historically correct Columbus replica ever built.' The Pinta was recently built in Brazil to accompany the Nina on its travels. It is a larger version of the archetypal caravel, which historians consider "the space shuttle of the 15th century.'
2:00 PM Aug 18, 2011
The Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan State Police have released a new YouTube video to help motorists understand how speed limits are established. The minute-long video is available on MDOT's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/michigandot. "We work closely with our partners in law enforcement to establish the safest speed limits possible for the benefit of all motorists,' said State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle.
12:00 PM Aug 18, 2011
A 22-year-old Grand Ledge man has been charged with murder and child abuse in the May death of his former girlfriend's 3-month-old daughter. Joshua Piercefield was arraigned Wednesday on the charges in the death of Olivia Faith Truax. He faces life in prison if convicted, and was ordered held without bond. Prosecutors didn't detail how Olivia died. Court documents said the girl, who lived in Eaton Rapids, may have been dropped May 6. She died four days later.
11:28 AM Aug 18, 2011
Spring Lake seniors Nic Parnell and Michael Hartliep started their 2011 season the same way they finished a majority of their matches during the 2010 campaign, winning easily. The pair play No. 1 doubles for coach Charlie Bassett's Spring Lake varsity tennis squad, and after winning the Lakes Eight Conference championship and finishing runners-up at regionals last year, they entered the current season with lofty expectations.
11:27 AM Aug 18, 2011
Spring Lake's varsity girls golf team started on the right foot on his goal at winning a seventh-straight championship in the Lakes Eight Conference on Wednesday, as the Lakers won the opening league jamboree at Whitefish Lake Golf Course. "We stunk up the couse, but we still managed to win,' Spring Lake coach George Bitner said. "The girls are talking about reaching state this year, but if that's the case, we've got a lot of work to do.'