Grand Haven Tribune

9:54 PM Aug 3, 2011

GH Twp. voters say yes to fire/rescue millage renewal

Voters in Grand Haven Township approved a fire/rescue millage renewal on Tuesday. The three-year, 1.5-mill tax was passed 741-256. Of the 997 total votes, 811 were made with absentee ballots, Township Clerk Sue Buitenhuis said. The millage renewal means a home with a taxable value of $100,000 will see an increase of about 66 cents, according to Township Manager Bill Cargo. The millage is expected to raise $882,960 in the first year of the Township Fire/Rescue Department's operational budget, Cargo said.

8:00 PM Aug 3, 2011

Library to close Saturday for parade

Loutit District Library will be closed Saturday for the Coast Guard Festival Grand Parade. The Grand Haven library will re-open on Monday. The library's normal summer hours are: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit www.loutitlibrary.org; or call 842-5560, ext. 214.

4:00 PM Aug 3, 2011

50th anniversary of ‘Runaway’ to be celebrated at Coopersville’s Summerfest

The 50th anniversary of "Runaway' - the No. 1 hit by Del Shannon - will be celebrated at this year's Summerfest and Del Shannon Car Show in Shannon's hometown of Coopersville. The festival is Aug. 8-13. Del Shannon, known to locals as Charles Westover, was a significant rock'n'roll singer and songwriter, and producer to many well-known artists - such as Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. The Beatles were once Shannon's opening act. Westover died in 1990 at the age of 55.

2:00 PM Aug 3, 2011

Coast Guard Festival

Surfboard Rescue Techniques class is Sunday

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project will be host its third "Surfboard Rescue Techniques' class on Sunday in support of its summer-long "Third Coast Ocean Force' rip current awareness campaign. The class will be held in the Grand Haven State Park Pavilion. There will be a meet and greet at 9:30 a.m., classroom session at 10 a.m., and water session at 11:15 a.m. The class is free and open to the public.

12:07 PM Aug 3, 2011

Golf tournament honors Coasties

Members of the United States Coast Guard are very good at what they do, and it's a good thing, according to Rear Adm. David Parks. "It's great that we're busy saving lives and enforcing treaties, because we're not going to have careers as professional golfers,' Parks joked after completing his round at the Coasties Golf Tournament at Grand Haven Golf Club.

12:01 PM Aug 3, 2011

Phragmites treatment on Harbor Island set for Sept.

An effort to eradicate invasive phragmites on Harbor Island will begin next month. "We got permission from Grand Haven to do that, and that will start in September,' said Leslie Newman, president of Wetlands Watch, a local environmental group. The eradication effort will be a two-pronged approach that will result in helicopter spraying for large stands of phragmites on Harbor Island, as well as a more hands-on approach for smaller stands.

11:37 AM Aug 3, 2011

Rain holds off for wet and wild Kids Day

The threat of rain might have postponed the evening's Coast Guard Festival events, but it didn't dampen the crowd at Kids Day earlier Tuesday. An overcast sky loomed over the throngs of people at Mulligan's Hollow - but the only water droplets that fell during the four-hour event were the ones shooting down from the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety aerial fire truck in the parking lot of the local YMCA.

11:30 AM Aug 3, 2011

Downed tree closes one lane of Apple Avenue

Firefighters were called to the intersection of Apple Avenue and Hickory Street just before 5 a.m. today when a tree fell on some power lines and partially blocked the road. Crockery Township Deputy Fire Chief John Kriger said the tree was about a foot and a half in diameter. Firefighters cleared the tree from the road once the lines were removed by Consumers Energy, Kriger said. The Ottawa County Road Commission was called to remove the tree.

11:19 AM Aug 3, 2011

Mackinaw change of command takes place at Escanaba Park

10:51 AM Aug 3, 2011

GH Township voters approve fire/rescue millage renewal

Voters in Grand Haven Township on Tuesday approved a 1.5 fire/rescue millage renewal. The three-year millage was approved by 741 yes votes, compared to 256 no votes. The full story will be published in Wednesday's Grand Haven Tribune.

10:41 AM Aug 3, 2011

Sentence next for man in online sex abuse case

Federal prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a Detroit-area man who went online to persuade mothers to sexually abuse their children. Authorities said seven mothers sexually assaulted 12 children at the direction of Steven Demink of Redford Township, a former car salesman. Demink was due in federal court today for sentencing, five months after pleading guilty to charges related to sexual exploitation.

10:40 AM Aug 3, 2011

26 people indicted in Detroit in painkiller scheme

A Detroit-area pharmacist who controls more than 20 Michigan pharmacies conspired with doctors and others to illegally bill the government for painkiller prescriptions worth millions, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday. Babubhai "Bob' Patel of Canton Township was among 26 people, including four doctors, indicted in a scheme to reap millions from Medicaid and the government's five-year-old Medicare drug program.

10:37 AM Aug 3, 2011

Place for breast-feeding mothers offered

A Rock-n-Rest opportunity for breast-feeding mothers is being offered for four hours across the street from the Coast Guard Festival Craft Show on Friday and Saturday. InterCare WIC will provide a place for mothers to relax and breast-feed their babies from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grand Haven Community Center, 421 Columbus Ave. WIC (Women, Infants, Children) is an agency that provides food assistance for young families. The Rock-n-Rest event is being provided to celebrate Breast Feeding Awareness Week. For more information, call 844-0097.

10:36 AM Aug 3, 2011

Local depression group introduces Family and Friends

The Grand Haven chapter of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance has been offering support to people who struggle with these mood disorders since 2002. The chapter, also known as Odyssey, recently kicked off a new Family and Friends group. Family and Friends offers face-to-face support and education for the friends and family members, and any support people who love or care about a person living with depression or bipolar disorder.

10:31 AM Aug 3, 2011

CHERETTE: Coast Guard Week: Why do we love the madness?

7:36 AM Aug 3, 2011

Coast Guard Festival Carnival opening night

6:58 AM Aug 3, 2011

Today's forecast

Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8 am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Breezy, with a north-northwest wind 7 to 10 mph, increasing to 18-21 mph. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Tonight: Patchy fog after 2 am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 66. North-northwest wind between 11 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.