A lightning strike may have started a fire which destroyed a Crockery Township home early Saturday afternoon. "It is appearing, with the weather data, highly likely it is lightning,' Crockery Township Fire Chief Gary Dreyer said. Firefighters from eight area departments responded to a rural home at 9878 Taft Road at 1:45 p.m. when neighbors saw smoke in the area after the storm passed through. Dreyer said a meteorologist told him there were between 20 and 30 lightning strikes in the area when the storm went through between 1:15 and 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Police in Kalamazoo have reported a string of burglaries in vacant homes in which the thieves seem to have been mainly interested in stealing copper pipes. Lt. Dave Ostrander said that "there have been 15 burglaries of vacant homes in which the property taken is primarily copper piping from the basements' since June 1.

Fire officials were investigating a small fire in a living room at 201 Barber St. in Spring Lake at about 9:30 this morning, said Sgt. Curt Theune of the Spring Lake/Ferrysburg Police Department. Firefighters were called at 7:36 a.m. after an alarm alerted a lower-floor tenant to the fire. Theune said the tenant saw the flames, then got her children out of the house. Neighbors put out the small fire with a garden hose, Theune said.

Artists from across the region flocked to the Grand Haven Municipal Marina on Saturday for the 11th annual Art on the Riverfront. Sponsored by the Grand Haven Area Arts Council, the one-day exhibit showcased the work of regional artists in a variety of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, glass, wood and metal. Brad Patterson, whose work is showcased at both Gallery Uptown and at his home studio in Grand Haven, has been exhibiting his pottery at the show for the nearly a decade.

Spring Lake's varsity volleyball team showed resiliancy in battling through a trio of three-game matches at Saturday's Reeths-Puffer Rocket Invitational, but the Lakers ran out of gas in the semifinals against Zeeland East, falling 25-22, 25-20. "We had to play three matches to stay in the tournament and the girls displayed a lot of inner drive and fight to stay alive,' Spring Lake coach Sarah Bulthuis said. "There were times when we had to scramble and we really made some great defensive plays. It was nice to see that hustle.'

Fruitport's varsity boys soccer team opened its season with a 1-0 win over Battle Creek Lakeview at the Portage Invitational on Saturday. The event was shortened to one game because of lightening. Sophomore Zach Gilson scored the Trojans' lone goal on a breakaway. Brad Edwards picked up the assist. Edwards, Taylor McLaughlin, Cody Pekel and Ryan Mason played outstanding defense in front of goalie Loghan Stong, according to coach Greg Kobylak.

Jane Ladley, a Spring Lake resident and museum educator, will be leading an historic walk through the Spring Lake Cemetery at 10 a.m. Friday. Ladley will highlight the lives of prominent Spring Lake residents responsible for developing the Spring Lake area. She will also point out and discuss gravestone symbolism. The walk is sponsored by the Tri-Cities Historical Museum. Advance registration is not necessary.