Suzanne Piasecki spends most of her days hunkered safe inside her Village Green mobile home. The world outside is overwhelming for the woman who said she is bi-polar and also suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. When a recent inspection of her home revealed a list of repairs needed to be done within 30 days, Piasecki said she started to panic. "I live on $668 a month and lot rent is $385,' said the 51-year-old resident as she cuddled her dog, Scruffy. Once she pays off the rest of her bills, Piasecki said she is left with about $2.

Gary Morrison will perform his one-man show, "Hi, I'm Ernie Pyle,' at Loutit District Library on Thursday. It will take place in program rooms A and B, beginning at 7 p.m. Morrison takes Pyle's most hard-hitting, poignant, relevant and comical dispatches and presents them in a way Pyle would have - if he were alive today. He is not just reading Pyle's dispatches, but relating them as if he is speaking to each audience member individually.

Another hat has been thrown into the ring for the race for Grand Haven mayor. Grand Haven resident and business owner Ken Sharkey has entered the race as a write-in candidate. Sharkey and his wife, Sandy, reside in the downtown area and own Commercial Contractors Inc. Sharkey joins former City Council member Geri McCaleb, who filed a petition to become a mayoral candidate earlier this month.

Dense fog rolling off of Lake Michigan didn't stop kite fliers from painting the sky Friday during the opening day of the 23rd annual Great Lakes Kite Festival. "Everybody keeps flying,' said Steve Negen, organizer of the Great Lakes Kite Festival. "It does take away a little bit of the color out of the sky - but really it's funny, the spectators care about it more than the kite fliers.' Negen said the kite fliers have been to so many outdoor festivals that they're used to whatever Mother Nature throws at them.