Kalamazoo voters will decide next month whether to write a relaxed attitude toward marijuana use into the western Michigan community's City Charter. The ballot proposal would direct police to make enforcement of laws against possession of small amounts of marijuana a low priority. Supporters gathered about 2,600 signatures to win a spot for the charter amendment on the Nov. 8 ballot. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has come out against the proposal, as have several Kalamazoo City Commission candidates.

Marcia Howe, a Grand Haven resident and retired Muskegon school teacher, will portray Mother Goose at the Tri-Cities Historical Museum on Saturday, Oct. 22. Howe's portrayal may not be the same Mother Goose your mother remembers. Howe will offer an interesting look at Mother Goose as she reminds you of the many nursery rhymes we learned long ago. This 11 a.m. program, which takes place at the museum's Akeley location, 200 Washington Ave. in downtown Grand Haven, is for children of all ages. For more information, call 842-0700.

Grand Haven Area Public Schools Superintendent Keith Konarska will hold open office hours from 5-7 p.m. Thursday. It will take place at the GHAPS Education Service Center, 1415 Beechtree St.

It looked almost like the leftovers of a demolition derby on Saturday at a field adjacent to the Spring Lake Township Fire Station on 148th Avenue, just south of M-104. But once firefighters converged on the scene, it became more obvious that the mangled vehicles were part of a set of scenarios designed to give the emergency personnel a chance to train with some specialized equipment.

A 24-year-old man died after being struck by a vehicle driven by a suspected drunken driver in southwestern Michigan, officials said. The Berrien County Sheriff's Department said in a statement that Eric Boyd of Watervliet died after being hit Sunday night in Watervliet Township. Investigators said Boyd appeared to be walking on a dark roadway wearing dark clothes and listening to music. No other injuries were reported. A 23-year-old Watervliet man who was driving the vehicle was arrested and taken to the Berrien County Jail.

Veteran basketball coach Jim Goorman, who won his 500th game as the boys varsity coach at Western Michigan Christian during last season, was recently inducted into the Basketball Coaches of Michigan Hall of Fame during a banquet in Lansing. Goorman, who has been the Warriors' varsity coach 32 years and worked at the school for 43 years, won his 400th game on Jan. 6, 2007. His overall record is 504-282.

After a disappointing loss to O-K Red Conference rival Rockford last week, Bucs' coach John Tarr said his team was angry and determined to make amends for the loss. The Bucs rebounded with a solid ninth-place showing at Saturday's Portage Invitational - a showcase of many of the best cross country teams in the state. Hartland won the Division 1 race with 97 points. Rockford was sixth with 176, while the Bucs totaled 238.