A 59-year-old West Michigan parolee has pleaded no contest to bestiality after the sexual assault of his pet dog. Jose Sanchez entered the plea Friday in Muskegon County Circuit Court. He faces up to 22-and-a-half years in prison when sentenced on July 12. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as such for sentencing. Sanchez was convicted in 1998 of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor.

A prosecutor cleared two West Michigan law officers in the shooting death of an armed Gulf War veteran outside his home earlier this month, determining they acted in self-defense. Howard City Police Chief Steve DeWitt and Montcalm County Sheriff's Deputy Clayton Thomas fatally shot 47-year-old Matthew Speese outside Thomas' Howard City-area home on June 1. Officers were called to Speese's home after he told someone at a veterans' crisis line that he would kill himself and shoot police who came to the house.

The third day was the charm for the Spring Lake Heritage Festival after a low turnout and rain dampened Tuesday and Wednesday events. While smoke was pouring from Mill Point Park during Thursday's Wings on the Water barbecue chicken wing contest, senior citizens were heating up fun of their own at the first Senior Art Mixer at the Holiday Inn. Earlier in the day, seniors spooned up ice cream at the Little Red House as they listened to the Spring Lake Jazz Band play music from the 1940s.

Tuesday, June 21 - the summer solstice or first day of the Northern hemisphere summer - is the longest day of the year, reckoned by the length of time the sun is above the horizon. In Grand Haven on the summer solstice, the sun will rise at 6:06 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m., giving us 15 hours and 22 minutes of face time with the sun. If twilight is included, the period of time before and after sunrise and set when there is still enough diffuse sunlight to see easily, we have a little more than 16 and a half hours of play time.

A company specializing in environmentally safe cleaning products and metal-working fluids was honored by the city of Grand Haven and the local Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. "It's been a tough ride, but the last six years have been profitable,' Biosolutions General Manager Mark Lackner said.

One of the oldest women's match play golf events in the country returns to Spring Lake Country Club next week. The Spring Lake Invitational will hold its 90th tournament when this year's event kicks off with 18 holes of qualifying stroke play on Monday. Flighted match play will follow on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. According to event organizer Mary Kay Taylor, the SLIT has become so popular over the last several years that another flight was added for this year's event.

The Hurley pro surf team will be making its lone stop in the Midwest with a visit to Grand Haven on June 30, as part of the "Rip My Shred Stick Tour.' The event is held in conjunction with MACkite. The 17-stop tour, which started in Puerto Rico on Saturday, gives 16-and-under surfers a chance to hang out with the pro surfers from Hurley, test-drive their boards and compete in a no-pressure, fun surfing event.