U.S. Coast Guard boat crews throughout the Great Lakes region saw thousands of vessels on the water during the Independence Day weekend and responded to several hundred distress calls.

An Ottawa County man who authorities said slit the throats of two horses belonging to his wife and a stable owner, as retribution for his belief that the two were having an affair, was sentenced today to 60 days on an electronic tether. An Ottawa County Circuit judge in Grand Haven also sentenced 47-year-old Dennis Finkler to two years probation, about $20,000 in restitution and fines, and community service. The Conklin man pleaded no contest in May to torturing and killing an animal, and malicious destruction of property.

Two men are recovery from gunshot wounds suffered shortly after Fourth of July festivities wrapped up in downtown Grand Rapids. Both men were shot in their legs just before 11:30 p.m., near Rosa Parks Circle. Police immediately began to evacuate people still in the area. "It is my understanding that there was some sort of fight or some sort of event occurring in the parking lot, some sort of commotion and struggle,' Grand Rapids Police Chief Kevin Belk said. "It was during that event that someone pulled out a firearm and fired at least two shots.'

A carnival worker was killed early today after coming into contact with a power line in Sand Lake. It happened at a Fourth of July carnival around 3:15 a.m. "The ride was being dismantled at the time,' Sand Lake Police Chief Ken Williams said. "It is still under investigation at this time, but it appears contact was made with an electrical wire.' Police said it's not clear if the power line was down before the accident or because of the accident.