4:00 PM Oct 5, 2011
A 56-year-old northwestern Lower Peninsula man has been sentenced to 25-47 years in prison in the 2009 bludgeoning death of his girlfriend. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reported Robert Cheek told a judge in Benzie County Circuit Court in Beulah that he doesn't remember killing Valerie Smith in April 2009. The Frankfort man blamed an addiction to prescription drugs in the hammer attack. Cheek told the court Tuesday his remorse "cannot be described in words.'
3:00 PM Oct 5, 2011
Residents can drop off unused or expired medications between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Norton Shores Fire Department, 1100 E. Pontaluna Road. Unused or expired over-the-counter and prescription medications, as well as sharps, will be accepted. "The free program is a safe and effective way to dispose of unused drugs,' said Carrie Uthe, project chairwoman for the Muskegon Area Medication Disposal Program. Uthe said her group has collected more than 3,300 pounds of unused medications since 2010.
2:58 PM Oct 5, 2011
UPDATE: Authorities have released the name of a Grand Valley State University student who died while playing basketball at an Allendale recreation center on Tuesday. They said Shane Anthony Peoples-Welch was a junior at GVSU and studying public administration. He was from the Saginaw area. The university's website said about 200 students gathered in the GVSU Kirkhof Center on Tuesday night for a memorial service.
2:00 PM Oct 5, 2011
Students at Forest Grove Elementary School were kept inside Tuesday morning after a mysterious odor was detected around the school by students and faculty. Sgt. Valerie Weiss of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department said deputies were called to the school, 1645 32nd Ave. in Hudsonville, at about 9:15 a.m. on reports of the odor. The Sheriff's Department worked with school officials and Ottawa County Emergency Management to determine the origin of the smell, Weiss said.
1:00 PM Oct 5, 2011
Through the Grand Haven Board of Light & Power's Energy Smart program, the local utility and Louis Padnos Iron & Metal have partnered to hold a recycling event for BLP customers on Saturday. It will be held at the Ottawa County parking lot on Franklin Avenue in Grand Haven, across the street from the County Courthouse, from 8 a.m. to noon. The BLP is supporting the event to help lower energy consumption while providing customers with rebate money that could be applied toward new energy-efficient appliances, BLP officials said.
12:00 PM Oct 5, 2011
Chiropractors Mike Weiss and Matt Dirkse are hoping their new community event scheduled for later this month in downtown Grand Haven raises awareness about total wellness. "This is a way to give back to such an amazing community,' said Dirkse, who owns Healthzone Chiropractic in Grand Haven. Dirkse and Weiss, who owns Weiss Chiropractic Wellness Center in Spring Lake, have been working on the event for some time and are placing an emphasis of promoting total wellness.
11:30 AM Oct 5, 2011
With the talk of alternative energy and the possibility of installing wind turbines in water becoming more frequent, Grand Haven city officials are hoping to be ready the next time a proposal comes to life. On Monday night, City Council unanimously passed a statement that would be used if offshore wind turbines were proposed along the coast of the community. "What we would like is for our voice to be heard and to be taken seriously,' Councilman Bob Monetza said.
11:18 AM Oct 5, 2011
Curtis Granderson was hugely popular player when he roamed center field and batted leadoff for the Detroit Tigers. On Tuesday, Granderson broke the hearts of all those Tigers fans who used to cheer him on as he made a pair of truly spectacular defensive plays, helping his new team - the New York Yankees - even up the best-of-5 American League Divisional Series at 2-2 and forcing a deciding Game 5 on Thursday in New York.
11:14 AM Oct 5, 2011
Spring Lake junior Brittany Beeler's speed on a straightaway on a cross country course is unmatched in the Lakes Eight Conference this fall. Unfortunately, the multiple twists and turns on the course at Rycenga Park played as an advantage to the field trying to catch the talented Laker on Tuesday in the second conference jamboree.
11:07 AM Oct 5, 2011
Grand Haven and Fruitport warmed up for Thursday's regional action with impressive non-conference victories on Tuesday. The Bucs swept visiting Zeeland West, 8-0, as each flight won in straight sets. In singles play, winners for Grand Haven were Connor Kelley at No. 1 (6-1, 6-0); Korey Searle at No. 2 (6-1, 6-1); DJ Thielbar at No. 3 (6-1, 6-0); and Varun Biddanda at No. 4 (6-0, 6-1).
11:05 AM Oct 5, 2011
Spring Lake's varsity volleyball team turned in an impressive comeback in Game 2 of its match against Newaygo on Tuesday to key a three-game sweep of the Lions, 25-22, 27-25, 25-18. "In Game 2 we were down 17-12, came back to 20-18, then 24-22 and 24-24 before finally pulling out the win, 27-25,' said Spring Lake coach Sarah Bulthuis. "That showed great focus and perseverance.'
11:03 AM Oct 5, 2011
Host Western Michigan Christian stayed in first place in the River Valley Conference (7-1) Tuesday night with a 4-0 soccer win over Hudsonville Freedom Christian. It was a replay of the game earlier this year at Hudsonville that saw the Warriors eking out a 1-0 lead at intermission and then pounding in three goals the second half. Senior Matt Wisen got the Warriors on the board eight minutes into the game off an assist from Ryan Briggs. To read more of this story, see today's print or E-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.
10:45 AM Oct 5, 2011
A Holland lawyer was named recipient of the Lakeshore Athena Award on Tuesday. Candace Dugan also works as the director of gift planning for Grand Valley State University. The announcement was made at the Lakeshore Athena Award Luncheon Celebration, held at the Trillium Gilmore Collection Banquet and Conference Center in Ferrysburg. The Lakeshore Athena Award program is a collaboration of the chambers of commerce in Grand Haven, Holland and Muskegon.
10:30 AM Oct 5, 2011
An ex-convict who killed seven people in July before taking his own life in a Grand Rapids shooting spree had pledged in a suicide note to take his mother-in-law "with me.' Grand Rapids police released new information about the case Tuesday, including video and audio recordings. Officials probably won't ever know with certainty why Rodrick Dantzler fatally shot a former girlfriend, his estranged wife, his 12-year-old daughter and four others related to them, including his mother-in law, Grand Rapids Police Chief Kevin Belk said.
10:19 AM Oct 5, 2011
Dana Kollewehr said the work of young artists for the second annual ArtWalk Youth Competition was "amazing.' Nearly 30 works of art by area youth - all under the age of 18 - were on display this past weekend at Loutit District Library. The public voted Saturday and Sunday, and awards were announced Monday in four categories for each of three age groups. The competition was part of ArtWalk 2011, as it was for last year's inaugural event in Grand Haven.
10:17 AM Oct 5, 2011
A 13-year-old Spring Lake girl was injured Tuesday afternoon when she was struck by a car while riding her bike across Savidge Street, police said. "She was conscious and alert the whole time,' said Sgt. Curt Theune of the Spring Lake/Ferrysburg Police Department. "She had an abrasion on the right elbow and her chief complaint was hip pain.' The girl, who police declined to identify, was taken by ambulance to North Ottawa Community Hospital after the 3 p.m. accident. Her condition was unknown.