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Killer fire on the West Side was started by a 3-year-old playing with a lighter. It started around 1 a.m. and gutted the home on Third St. near Garfield Ave. in mere minutes. It killed five people: Nebin Gutierrez (age 3); his grandmother, Elizabeth Gibbs; Gibbs' daughter Nikkita (age 6); Gibbs' niece Sandra Sanchez (age 33); and family friend Gerry King (age 38). One of the home's occupants disconnected a smoke detector earlier in the day because the "low-battery" beep was bothering them. Two of the victims apparently tried to fight the fire using water from a kitchen sink. Two people escaped alive from the blaze, including a tenant from an upstairs apartment.
Snipers fire on bus leaving Wealthy St. terminal. Seventeen passengers hit the floor as three or four bullets ripped through the third window from the back of the bus on the right side. The shots rang out about 8:10 p.m. Tuesday. Police had a suspect in custody just seven minutes later. The 24-year-old Wyoming man is set for arraignment on charges of assault with intent to murder. Police say the suspect claims that he was just the "wheel man" and that two other men actually did the shooting. Police say they want to question that duo.
The iceman cometh, but not soon enough for some. Over-eager ice fishermen are keeping rescue workers busy statewide. They venture out on thin ice to claim their territory, but the territory seems to be claiming them. Some area lakes have as much as four inches of ice, enough to lure ice-fishermen into feeling safe but still short of the six inches state agencies say is considered "reasonably safe." Those who oversee such things suggest waiting another week or two before getting out there to set your tip-ups this year.
Two accidents on Tuesday; two dead. Joseph Staskiewicz (age 62)
of Rockford died after he lost control of his car on Myers Lake Avenue
and hit a tree.
Nancy Iwaniw (age 36) lost her life
in a head-on collision on 56th Ave. in Ottawa County when a car going the
opposite direction crossed into her lane. Herbert Roundhouse (age 21) of
Ravenna was driving the other car; he was listed in "serious" condition.
A fond farewell to Frank. A young democrat named John Fitzgerald Kennedy was in the White House when Michigan's State Attorney General Frank Kelley took his first oath of office. Yesterday, 37 years later, the state gave him his gold watch and sent him off into a well-deserved retirement. Kelley actually could have run for one more term before the new term limit law would have forced him to quit, but he chose to end his state career on his own terms -- pretty much the same way he ran his office. Kelley say's he's not just "going fishing." He'll open his own law office in Lansing. The end of the Kelley era is notable for a couple of other reasons:
Grand Rapids Children's Museum will hold a New Years Eve party for kids this evening. The "New Years Early Eve Party" will run from 5 to 8 p.m. so families can celebrate the change of the year together without making the little kids stay up way past their bedtimes. The museum will hand out noisemakers and re-set the big grandfather clock. While everybody counts down to "Mock Midnight" at 7:30 p.m. they'll drop the big disco mirror ball from the Mirror Magic area. The rest of the museum will be open for playing the whole time, and juice and snacks will be served. It's free, but reservations are required. Call the Grand Rapids Children's Museum this morning, 234-4726, extension 103.
Two men shoot windows out of a bus. The Indian Trails long-distance coach started to pull out of the terminal on Wealthy St. near 131 around 6 p.m. when somebody opened fire from the parking lot. One person on the bus was cut by flying glass but nobody else was hurt. Police closed Wealthy St. for a while. They got some good descriptions and followed the get-away trail. There were two men, one white and one black, and they drove away down Century Ave. in a red pick-up truck. Apparently one jumped out and went down a side street on foot. Police caught up with a pick-up that matched the description at Burton St. and Clyde Park Ave. They haven't told us much more, except that they're still looking for at least one suspect.
Crash closes southbound 131 for hours. Around 4:45 pm. yesterday a semi-truck was hauling farm equipment northbound, hit another vehicle near Ann St., crossed the median and smashed into at least three southbound cars, then fell over. At least three people went to the E-R, but all should recover. Police closed southbound 131 at 96, and blocked the ramps from 96 to southbound 131 for about three hours.
Autopsy today should confirm claw hammer as instrument of death. Billy Perry (age 39) was found dead around 1 a.m. yesterday. His widow told police she returned from her sister's house and walked in to find him on the floor of her home on Bates St. SE near Martin Luther Park. It was clear he died from "blunt trauma to the head," apparently from a hammer. The hunt is underway for a killer.
Body found near Sand Lake identified. The body recovered Monday next to US-131 at 22-Mile Rd. is that of Larry Taylor (age 23) of Grand Rapids. He was reported missing a week ago today. He had at least one head wound and appeared to have been dragged down the embankment to the where his body was found. Police are looking for Taylor's killer.
Seth Privacky ordered to stand trial; chilling confession played back in Muskegon courtroom. The teen confessed to committing patricide, matricide and fratricide in addition to killing his brothers' girlfriend and his grandfather. On the tape Privacky almost without emotion recounted the execution-style killings, one-by-one, how he surprised each of his family members from behind and put one bullet each into the back of their heads. His voice on tape cracked and he almost broke down when he started talking about killing his brother's girlfriend, April Boss, commenting that he didn't know she was invited to dinner that night. Privacky was bound over to stand trial on all five murders. On Monday Privacky's former best friend and alleged accomplice, Steven Wallace, was released on bond after the court decided his apparent involvement was merely helping to clean up the crime scene and dispose of the murder weapon. Wallace's attorneys were entertaining the notion that he might return to classes after the holiday break, but the Reeths-Puffer School District yesterday expelled him.
Federal kiddy porn sting nets another pedophile. Douglas Martz (age 29) of Ottawa County pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct with a 5-year-old girl. He videotaped the act at the home of Daniel Brown in Grand Haven last summer. If Brown's name is familiar to you it's because he was one of dozens of child pornographers busted in the fall as part of the attack on a world-wide porn ring operating on the Internet. Martz remains in custody awaiting formal sentencing.
Some Spectrum service consolidations commence today. No more overnighters for kids at Spectrum East (Blodgett). Pediatrics has moved into the DeVos Children's Hospital at Spectrum Downtown (Butterworth). Stork can't bear the extra five minute cab ride? Don't worry: Spectrum East (Blodgett) still delivers babies.
Body found at the top of Kent County. State police are investigating the death as a homicide, although they haven't declared it murder yet. A passing motorist spotted the body around 1 p.m. yesterday off 22-Mile Rd. near 131, near Sand Lake on the Kent-Montcalm county line. The man was in his twenties and had suffered a head injury. Autopsy today will show the cause of death. The man's clothing fit the general description of clothes worn by a man reported missing from Grand Rapids several days ago.
Seth Privacky will face preliminary hearing today for mass murder. Privacky's best friend, Steve Wallace, had his prelim yesterday. Authorities reduced charges against Wallace from open murder to accessory after the fact and a felony firearms charge. Testimony showed Privacky called him after the killings to help him clean up the gruesome crime scene. Wallace also allegedly disposed of the murder weapon for Privacky. The judge lowered Wallace's bond from $5-million to $50,000. His family posted the necessary 10% through a bail bondsman and Wallace is free this morning. He may even return to class at Reeths Puffer High School next week. He could get seven years in prison if convicted on both charges.
Accused kidnapper, rapist named. David Stocklin (age 32) of Belding was arraigned on kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct charges in Kent County court yesterday. Stocklin is accused of hiding in the van of his 20-year-old victim outside a Belding bar, waiting for her to leave, forcing her to drive to an area in Kentwood near the malls, tying her up and raping her four times. He was in the Kent County lockup awaiting bond.
Grand Rapids crime decline bottoms out, starts back up. Crime statistics for 1997 showed the lowest numbers in 22 years, at 14,398 reported crimes for the year, fewest since 1975. This year's report is not quite so rosy, posting a 3% rise in total incidents of crime. The Grand Rapids Police Department will have responded to about 14,830 crimes in 1998.
Two victims "critical" from Sunday crashes. Mary Ann Slatowski (age 34) of Kentwood missed a stop and a jog in the road at 8th Ave. at Wilson St. in Ottawa County. Sylvia Fortier (age 77) of Manistee was a passenger in a car that hit a culvert and went airborne over a driveway on US-31 in Mason County. Both were at Spectrum-Butterworth in Grand Rapids.
We're on thin ice. Police, West Michigan Safety Council and recreation officials say people are already walking out on the ice on some ponds and lakes, but it's just not safe yet. Winter's been very warm so far and many Michigan ponds are fed by springs, which means a constant flow of warm water under the ice. It should be consistently 3 inches thick wherever you walk, 4 inches if you're fishing, and 5 inches for snowmobiles.
Historic Coit School's fate is subject of two forums. The Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education will get a list of options for the 123-year-old inner-city school building at their meeting on January 25. The choices are:
Detroit fire kills six children. Fire department says it was accidental, and may even have been started by the kids playing with matches. It sparked in a closet beneath the stairway. When the stairway started burning the kids were trapped upstairs. They were found under the bed, which is where kids try to hide from things that scare them. The children who died ranged in age from 2 to 11 years. They were staying with their grandmother while their mother was in the hospital, having delivered her eighth child on Christmas Day. The grandmother escaped, along with a 10-year-old sister. There were also three aunts who got out, but one of them was pregnant and miscarried after jumping from the second floor. Detroit has lost 13 children to fires this month, and 35 so far this year -- double the number from 1996.
Remember, New Years is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detector. (And you don't have to wait until Friday.)
Wayland hunter "critical" after shooting himself in the leg with a shotgun. The accident happened around 7 a.m. Saturday. Terry Sterken (age 32) was hunting deer on private property just east of Wayland in Allegan County. Although firearm deer season closed on November 30, state law allows firearm deer hunting on private property through January 3. Police reports indicate Sterken was trying to get into his tree stand when he either fell or dropped his shotgun, which went off, discharging into his right leg near the knee. Two hunting buddies helped him out of the woods and took him to the Wayland state police post, then an ambulance took him to the E-R at Spectrum-Butterworth.
One "critical," one "serious" after Jeep rolls over. Nobody was wearing a seat belt and all were ejected from the Jeep as it went airborne and rolled. The driver, Nathan Deridder (age 20) of Holland, was eastbound on Chicago Dr about 2:50 p.m. Saturday when he dropped his cigarette. He bent down to try to pick it up and veered off the road, hit a culvert and rolled the Jeep. David Schamper (age 52) was in "serious" condition and Steven Schamper (age 30) was "critical" at Spectrum-Butterworth. Both men are Park Township residents. Deridder was treated and released at Zeeland Community Hospital.
Spectrum looms over the Lakeshore. The jury's still out on how well the merger of the area's two largest hospitals will serve the collective community. Now there is talk that Spectrum Health Corporation and Hackley Health Systems of Muskegon are looking at affiliation possibilities. Spectrum is the result of the merger of Grand Rapids hospitals Butterworth and Blodgett, officially culminated last year.
Christmas Eve crash sends four to hospital. Two cars collided around 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of M-82 and Baldwin Ave. in southwest Newaygo County. The police report indicates that a 24-year-old Newaygo woman with four passengers in her car turned south onto Baldwin from westbound M-82 into the path of an eastbound car, driven by a 28-year-old Caledonia man carrying three passengers. The Newaygo woman was ticketed for failing to yield right-of-way, even though the other car broadsided her. Three of the Newaygo woman's passengers and one of the Caledonia man's riders were injured, all treated at Gerber Hospital in Fremont.
Woman shot Christmas Eve, loses leg; boyfriend is chief suspect. Dawn Lu Jordan (age 24) was in critical condition after being shot around 3:15 p.m. Thursday. Leonard Burch (age 26) was arraigned on Christmas Day on attempted murder and firearms charges. Police reports indicate the shooting happened at the house the couple shares near Mears in Oceana County. Burch was picked up at a friend's house shortly after the shooting and held on a half-million dollar bond.
Michigan's holiday crash toll is a little better than last year. State police preliminary report shows at least nine people died in crashes on Michigan roads since last weekend. Last year the death toll was already 15 for the same period.
Americans in Paris. The French love a parade just as much as anyone and they want their Paris New Years parades to be the best ever. Perhaps that's why they're importing West Michigan's own Greenville High School Marching Band to march in not one, but two New Year's celebration parades in Paris. The Greenville group is one of only four U.S. bands invited to entertain the Parisians. They took off for the "city of light" yesterday.
Cass County fire claims child's life. Walton Whitaker (age 5) died when his home in Dowagiac burned down around him yesterday morning. The flames broke out around 8 a.m. Six other people were able to get out of the building with the help of passersby. Two were in "critical" condition. Fire investigators continued looking for a cause.
Some gas stations closed for non-compliance. Your favorite filling station may not be open for business today. Yesterday was the federal deadline for gasoline retailers to replace or repair old underground tanks, or close. Many couldn't afford to shell out the tens of thousands of dollars it would cost to replace their old tanks, so they simply hung "closed" signs on their doors yesterday. Some operators are hopeful for new rules from the feds, but are hanging it up for now.
Kevorkian gets another albatross. Last year, the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services told Jack Kevorkian through a warrant to stop practicing medicine, specifically helping people kill themselves. Now they are taking the legislation to a judge in an effort to get him to enforce last year's order. Violation of the "cease and desist" order could result in a fine and a month in jail for every violation. Kevorkian will face trial in March for killing a man who was suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease.
This Christmas shopping season went to the dogs for one 13-year-old and his 21-year-old uncle. They were apparently shopping for dog kennels at the Meijer store on Alpine Ave. There was a small kennel priced at $20.99 and a large kennel priced at $99.99. Somehow, when the teen got the large kennel to the checkout stand it had the $20.99 price tag on it. The teen bought the kennel for $20.99 and was immediately detained by Meijer security for retail fraud. Then police arrested the uncle after the teen allegedly spilled the beans. The teen's been referred to juvenile court and the uncle will be arraigned on misdemeanor theft charges next month.
Wyoming approves a Downtown Development Authority but there's a bureaucratic snag. The city council approved the district on Monday: it's 28th St. between Division and Byron Center Aves. Under state law, the DDA collects the property taxes in the district and can use them to pay for improvements. But the chairman of the Kent County Board of Commissioners, Pat Malone, says Wyoming failed to notify the county board properly.It faxed a letter to the county clerk, but that's not enough, Malone says. The law gives the county sixty days to decide if they want to exempt their share of the property taxes from going to the new DDA. So Malone asked Wyoming to wait, to give the county more time, but the request came just before the meeting started -- and the city commissioners didn't have time to look it over. They saw the year running out so they gave it a "go." Expect the Wyoming attorney and the Kent County attorney to be talking about this.
Allendale will get a full-service McDonald's. For years, local residents and GVSU students have had to make do with the drive-through-only McDonald's on Lake Michigan Dr. (M-45). It's the only fast-food restaurant in the township, and you have to go to Jenison, Coopersville, or Hudsonville to find a sit-down place. This week the planning board okayed a 52-seater McDonald's for Lake Michigan Dr. and Edgewater Dr., east of town. They had to issue a special-use permit for the drive-through. It still has to go before the full town board, but don't expect any hold-up.
Bil-Mar recalls meat products in wake of listeria outbreaks. The national Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta found meat products from the Borculo packing plant were the sole connection between four deaths and about 35 illnesses caused by the bacteria listeria. Bil-Mar's parent company, Sara Lee, denies the link but yesterday ordered a recall of almost everything from the plant. That includes deli product and hot-dogs under the names Ball Park, Bil-Mar, Byran Bunsize, Byran Three Pound Club Pack, Grillmaster, Hygrade, Mr. Turkey, Sara Lee Deli Meat and Sara Lee Home Roast. The product numbers "P261" and "6911" are printed on the edge of the packages of the potentially contaminated meat. If you have any, bring it back to the store where you bought it for a refund.
"Living in sin" legally! Michigan's Supreme Court ruled yesterday in a four-to-two decision that unmarried couples have the same civil rights as married couples under state law. That means landlords must rent to unwed couples the same way as married ones. The landlords won the first two rounds. A civil court found and an appeals court agreed that unmarried couples, in essence, had no legal standing or civil rights as a couple. The high court overturns the lower rulings, and says that landlords can't decline to rent to them regardless of the landlord's personal beliefs against co-habitation outside of marriage.
Kent County assistant prosecutor charged with drunk driving after surviving a car-deer crash. A month ago David Gersch got a late-night call to come into downtown Grand Rapids, to sign a warrant that would let police rush the home of a barricaded gunman. He was driving back home when the crash happened. Gersh barely survived the injuries. No one else was involved in the crash. Emergency treatment found his blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit. No word on whether he'll face other problems in addition to the drunk driving charge if he had been drinking before he signed the initial warrant.
Vanguard Charter Academy accused of violating separation of church and state. The Wyoming charter school let adult prayer groups to use a room during the day, and a church group left materials where students would have access to them. A parent filed a complaint, noting the school is chartered by government-operated Grand Valley State University. GVSU says there's nothing wrong with the school's activities.
Sunday's fatal fire was started by a kitchen stove left on for heat. Carla Hill (age 26) died in the fire. Her son Rodney (age 11) suffered severe smoke inhalation and was still "critical" at Spectrum-Blodgett. His brother Jonathan (age 5) was unhurt. Grand Rapids Fire Department investigator found burners on, and the destruction points to the stove as the place where the fire started. A downstairs smoke detector didn't have a battery. Two others apparently failed and are being examined. Damage was estimated at about $28,000.
GRATA scraps location chosen for transit center. They were going to put it in the GUS lots behind the Van Andel Arena. Businesses, developers and citizens pointed out it would kill several hundred parking spots just at the time we'll be losing a lot of parking space to the S-Curve reconstruction. So it's back to the drawing board at the next GRATA board meeting. The transit center will join city bus lines with long-distance bus service and the Amtrak depot.
Kentwood police name "officer of the year." Tom Zimmerman was selected by his fellow officers. He has been with the department for 24 years and is the "Neighborhood Services Officer" for the western part of Kentwood. He visits the elementary schools, meets with neighborhood groups and concentrates on crime prevention. He also jumps when the "Special Response Team" is called for critical incidents, and busted three bank robbers in October.
Fatal house-fire southeast of downtown Grand Rapids. The alarm came around 6 a.m. When fire trucks pulled up to the house on Jefferson Ave. south of Fulton St., it was "fully involved." Two of the three occupants got out, but one person died inside. Names are being withheld until family is notified. Fire department is investigating. This is the eighth fatal fire in Grand Rapids this year, the second this week. A mother died in her apartment on the southeast side early Sunday morning. Her 5-year-old boy walked out by himself, but the 11-year-old son is still "critical." There were NO fatal fires in Grand Rapids in 1997.
Alternate side-of-street parking regulations are in force. In Grand Rapids on streets that are marked by signs, you park on the odd-numbered side on odd days, and on the even-numbered side on even days. (City of Wyoming is just the opposite.) The restriction is from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m., so when you go to bed make sure your car is parked on the correct side for tomorrow. It's to let snow plows clear streets safely and efficiently.
Zeeland meat packing plant connected to fatal listeria outbreak by the CDC. The national Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta says Bil-Mar Foods' Zeeland plant is epidemiologically connected to food-borne listeria bacteria infections that killed four people and made at least 35 victims ill. The common thread linking cases together in the nine-state listeria outbreak according to the CDC is meat processed at the Zeeland plant. Listeria bacteria infection symptoms are similar to flu symptoms. Most at risk are those who are very old or very young as well as people with weakened immune systems. Bil-Mar says the plant is cooperating with federal inspectors.
Former Greenville pain doctor guilty on 33 federal mail fraud counts. Dr. Jeffery Askanazi could get up to 165 years in prison when he's sentenced next month. Federal prosecutors convinced a jury that Askanazi billed patients and insurance companies for procedures he didn't perform. Askanazi lost his license to practice medicine earlier this year after one of his patients died from his treatment.
Police chase ends in crash; driver jailed. Grand Rapids police tried to pull over a pickup truck with improper plates near Division Ave. and Griggs St. in Burton Heights around 2 a.m. yesterday. Instead of stopping the driver took off, leading police on a chase through city streets at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. The chase ended when the 19-year-old driver lost control of the pickup and rolled it. He and a woman passenger were uninjured. Police reports indicate that the man told police he traded crack cocaine for use of the pickup. They think the truck is actually stolen. The driver spent the rest of the night in Kent County jail.
State Police are looking for relatives of dead driver. The 34-year-old died when his car skidded off Northland Dr. north of 8-Mile Rd. in Mecosta County sometime Sunday. Investigators say the man was partially ejected as the car hit several trees, and he was pronounced dead on the scene. The dead man's name is withheld until his family is told.
Chase ends in crash on the southwest side. Around 2 a.m. a police cruiser tried to pull over a van and the driver took off through neighborhood streets. The chase didn't last long. The van rolled over on slick pavement on Century Ave. near Hall St. Police say they'll charge the driver when he gets out of the hospital.
Mother of two dies in fire; one child was "critical." Carla Hill (age 26) apparently was overcome by smoke before the flames reached her at 3:30 a.m. Sunday, as she slept in her room on the second floor of her southwest Grand Rapids apartment. One of her sons, Jonathan (age 5), walked out of the house through the front door. A friend of the family who happened to be passing by pulled Rodney (age 10) out of the burning townhouse. The child was listed in critical condition. Fire department believes it likely started in the kitchen, and the investigation continues.
Floor burns out from under two firefighters; both walk out under their own power. In all, three firemen were hurt battling a Saturday morning house fire in southeast Grand Rapids. Five-year-veteran Todd VanderWall was taken to Spectrum-Blodgett for burns on his ear. Brian Goss and Jack Johnson fell through the second floor but were able to walk out the front door. They both sustained injuries and were taken to the ER, but both should be okay. The house was vacant when the fire broke out. Damage is estimated at $45,000, which may be more than the house was worth.
Fire roars through U.S. Congressman's Detroit office; could be "pay-back" for impeachment vote. Joseph Knollenberg's office went up in flames within hours of his four votes for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Knollenberg represents a metropolitan Detroit district. Fire officials say there is no doubt that the fire was premeditated and are looking for the arsonists.
Firefighters will get a chance to help hire new boss. Grand Rapids City Manager Kurt Kimball knows how to keep history from repeating itself. The last time the city was looking for a new fire chief was in 1985. The city hired Albert Conners, then was immediately lambasted by lots of unhappy firefighters for hiring an outsider. Conners is retiring from the $93,000-a-year job this coming April 1, meaning it's time to find a successor for him. This time around, Kimball sent the city's firemen a form asking them who should be the city's next chief. Meanwhile, a nation-wide search for Conners' replacement continues.
Governor coming to town for New Year's Day inaugural gala. John Engler will be the last Michigan governor to serve more than two terms, unless the state legislature changes the rules down the road. Inaugural activities for the governor begin at 11:30 a.m. next Friday in Lansing, where Engler gets sworn into office for the third time on the capitol steps. The event will be open to the public: you're invited to watch from the capitol lawn. The big inaugural dinner will be a $100-a-plate, invitation-only black-tie affair at the Van Andel Public Museum. The guest list will include about 1,800 of the area's most influential. Fireworks on the Grand River will start at 9:30 p.m. Engler held an inaugural ball here once before in 1991, but this one is significant because Dick Posthumus of Alto is the new lieutenant governor.
Get ready to "dash around downtown" for free. Mayor Logie will snip a ribbon on one of the new "DASH-Around" buses this morning, kicking off a new service: free mid-day shuttle buses around downtown Grand Rapids. Three buses circle at three-minute intervals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on two separate loops. One connects the new West Side parking lots with City Hall, Monroe Mall and the Grand Plaza Hotel. The other runs from the GUS lots under the S-Curve, up Market, to Louis, to Ionia, to Lyon and back down on Monroe. They started running, un-announced, last week. City commission, parking department and the DDA hope it'll make downtown friendlier to lunchers and cut down congestion. They tried something like this about fifteen years ago: trolleys for 10 cents a ride, which apparently was too much. It lasted about a year with little use.
Employees of the health department donate a hundred teddy-bears. They'll be given to St. Mary's Hospital and Clinica Santa Maria to cheer little kids. Delivery will be at 2 p.m. today in the E-R off Jefferson Ave. The inspiration for a teddy-bear resource came from a long-time health department employee whose son got one in the hospital twenty years ago, and since passed it on to his own son. Like the gifts of food to local agencies and families, the money was collected from and by Kent County Health Department staff (and they're at pains to point out, none of it is from our tax money).
Ponies probably returning to Muskegon County; money squabbles begin. State law gives Fruitport Township a sixth of a percent of all racetrack profits there. The county laid claim to half of that over loud objections from the township during meetings held yesterday. They finally compromised:
Widow of Charles Prins wants out of Saranac; claims fear for family safety. At the center of the fear is the village's continuing pursuit of Nancy Prins in an effort to get her to bring her property into compliance with zoning codes. Her husband, Charles, was embroiled in the zoning controversy, prompting a landowner's-rights movement last spring. Prins shot two deputies trying to arrest him for ignoring the same order last May. A week-long manhunt ended with Prins taking his own life. The village's list of zoning violations include junk on the property, additions erected without permits, too many structures on the property and fences that are too high. Village officials were unable to get a judge to transfer complaints against Charles Prins into his widow's name so they filed new complaints Tuesday, naming her as the defendant.
Muskegon County crash kills Fremont man, hospitalizes passenger. Tuesday afternoon's wreck was north of Bailey Rd. on Squires Rd. in Moorland Township about 4:50 p.m. Tuesday. Steven Paul Terrell (age 24) was dead at the scene. His passenger, Thomas Stogner (age 20), of Ravenna, was in fair condition at Spectrum-Butterworth. In the other car, two teens were treated and released, and an eight-year-old was in "fair" condition at DeVos Children's Hospital.
Lotto fever: tomorrow's Michigan Lotto Jackpot is about as high as it's been in recent memory. About 3.75-million players lost Wednesday's drawing, pushing the pot up to $30-million. If you choose the cash-up-front option it's $15-million. Figure the government will take around half that in taxes and you'd still have a hefty $7-million payday, which would go a long way toward holiday shopping!
Grand Rapids park gets a nearly half-million dollar windfall from
Lansing. The $493,284 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust
Fund is for the Sixth Street Bridge Park on the east side of the river.
The parks department wants to bring it up to the quality of the new Canal
Street Park just north of there. The money will help pay for a new lookout
on the Grand River, upgrading picnic areas, replacing the boat ramp and
fish cleaning station and improved sidewalks in the park.
It's part of $13.8-million the fund
is handing out all over the state. Other local projects that will share
the money:
Police arrest suspect in early morning shooting. The incident was called in shortly after 3 a.m. yesterday as a suicide. When police arrived on the scene they found Rejoice Ashley (age 18) dead, sprawled on the floor with a gunshot wound in her left temple and a .22-caliber pistol in her right hand. They also found her 20-year-old ex-boyfriend, who was facing trial for allegedly beating her. Police deemed his presence there suspect, along with some of the evidence. The ex-boyfriend said he was just visiting when Rejoice started brandishing the gun. He says he turned away then heard a shot ring out. Authorities aren't buying the story and are investigating the incident as a murder.
Cedar Springs man to be tried for murder for shooting in the woods. Brian Smith (age 24) is charged with open murder for the November 29 death of Brian Hale (age 21) in the woods just south of Cedar Springs. Police say it was a drug deal gone bad. Testimony indicated that Smith and two friends binged on booze and drugs for three days before the shooting. One of the trio, Bruce Pierson, told the court that he had offered to kill himself so that Smith could take his drugs, at one point during that evening. That's when Smith went after a shot gun. Pierson backed out of his suicide offer. Police say Smith shot Hale in the chest with a shotgun from just four feet away.
Cops say duo gave booze to a minor before he drove into a tree. Two people were supposed to appear in court on Tuesday. Jason Maki (age 22) didn't show up, prompting a bench warrant for his arrest. Stacy Augsburger (age 26) was bound over for trial on charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor. Authorities say the blood alcohol level of Kyle Roberts (age 18) of Conklin was .12% when he died in a pin-in crash on September 26.
One of Metropolitan Hospital's founders dies. Owen Rice (age 82) was badly burned when his Ferrysburg home caught fire Sunday. Rice was one of a group of osteopaths who in 1942 opened Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital, forerunner of today's Metropolitan Hospital. Funeral services are set for Saturday.
Kentwood Police schedule "citizen's academy." They'll tell you what they're doing, how and why, with the goal of making you a better-informed citizen (and a more-satisfied tax-payer). Sessions will be on nine consecutive Thursday evenings starting February 4. You'll meet with people from the police department and the city attorney's office. It's free, but you'll be asked to make a commitment to attend and sign a waiver of liability. Pick up forms during business hours at Kentwood Police Department.
Toys for Tots will do "the Santa Claus thing" on Saturday. If you haven't made a donation of a toy, get to it! Several hundred volunteers and United States Marines will handle the distribution to 2,000 pre-registered families starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday. About 8,000 children will get a toy. Because there's never enough, a few collection points will accept donations of new, un-wrapped toys next week:
Cops respond to crash report, find homicide. Luis Felipe Guerrero (age 24), also known as Juan Manuel Molina, died yesterday afternoon from a gunshot wound. Police found him behind the wheel of his car around 2:30 p.m. yesterday after somebody called 911 to report a car crashed into a house on Jefferson Ave. north of Burton St. He died at St. Mary's a short time later. Police arrested a 26-year-old man who lives on Jefferson a short distance away from the crash scene. They believe the shooting came after an argument between the two. There was an all-night party at the man's home, and Guerrero refused to leave. The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon.
Natural gas build-up believed to be cause of Galesburg explosion. We really don't know a whole lot more about what started the explosion and fire that demolished two downtown businesses yesterday between 6 and 6:30 a.m., but the fire department believes "pooling" natural gas played a significant part in contributing to the fire. Only one person was hurt in the big explosion. If the explosion had happened as little as an hour later, most of the downtown business district would have been in full swing and casualty numbers would be much higher. Gas crews are replacing the line involved and the fire Marshall's investigation continues.
Off the track: CSX crew is still repairing the rail line near West Olive. There were big morning and afternoon rush hour traffic backups on US-31 yesterday after a CSX train derailed late Monday night. About a dozen cars jumped the tracks, spilling sand and baby food products and tearing up the railbed and trees nearby. The accident was on the tracks that run along the west side of US-31, just north of M-45 in Grand Haven Township. The clean-up blocked a southbound lane on US-31 until late yesterday. Repair work could last several days. CSX officials hope the line will re-open sometime today.
Abandoned cars were towed away last night. Grand Rapids police started clearing southeast-side streets of wrecks parked on city streets. Neighbors were grateful to lose the ugly and hazardous vehicles, some of which were on jacks or blocks, or missing windows. Last week police put those big orange stickers on 155 cars abandoned in the streets. They gave everybody at least four days to move them, and last night the hook came out. We don't have an exact count for last night's operation, but several dozen were hauled to the impound lot. The project will resume tonight. If your car gets towed, here's the deal: it's $90 to get it out of impound, after you pay the $15 parking ticket. After today, add $20 per day to the impound fee and double the ticket every 10 days.
Former Newaygo City Manager Randy Young admits embezzlement. He has deftly avoided a trial and ended a civil lawsuit by admitting to a judge that he embezzled about $1.7-million and that he owes Newaygo that money, in addition to some $40,000 in legal fees. Current City Manager James Hurt says the city can start to collect the funds back from Young, but there's a big hitch: his assets are a mere $36,920, with expenses and liabilities of $90,000. The Feds are reportedly also interested in talking to Young for other crimes related to the embezzlement scheme.
Speaking of getting caught with hands in the cookie jar: A Grandville party store clerk will stand trial on one count of embezzlement over $100. If convicted, Katherine Klein could get as much as ten years in prison. Klein got caught when her employer left the store's video surveillance cameras turned on longer than usual after suspicious losses kept mounting. Prosecutors estimate Klein took around $170,000 dollars in lottery tickets, cash and merchandise from the store over a three-year period. Klein, who is from Saranac, maintains her innocence. A Kent county judge ordered her to stand trail on Monday.
Burlington Coat Factory says Grand Rapids did not get any of the dog-fur coats. The story broke yesterday that a supplier in China sold coats to the chain that were labeled as being trimmed with coyote fur, but it was actually DOG fur. Burlington yanked the coats from all the stores right away, but it so happens that the store in Eastbrook Mall never got any.
Grand Rapids Police and Kent Sheriff's Department shoot to win this afternoon. It'll be cop-versus -cop at a benefit basketball game at 4 p.m. in the Van Andel Arena. The money will go into the medical fund for Max Laughrin (age 6), son of a Kent deputy. Max has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Tickets are $10 at the Kent County Credit Union and police headquarters downtown. If you can't make the game, the benefit tickets can be traded for a $10 ticket to any Hoops home game. Chief Harry Dolan stands 6-foot-7 but the sheriff's team has actually been practicing. After the law-enforcement teams shoot it out, Grand Rapids Hoops host the Idaho Stampede, tip-off 7:05 p.m.
Train de-rails, blocks a lane on US-31. Around 10:10 p.m. a freight train traveling from Muskegon to Holland jumped the tracks, next to US-31 just north of Lake Michigan Dr. (M-45). Ten cars left the rails and several overturned, ripping up the rail bed and shredding trees alongside the right-of-way. Residents nearby felt the ground shake and heard the dishes rattle. Grand Haven Township Rescue scrambled but found nobody was hurt. It could take two days to clean up the mess and fix the tracks. For at least the rest of the morning, heavy equipment will be on US-31, so coming from Grand Haven the right lane is closed between Buchanan St. and the intersection with Lake Michigan Dr.
Spring Lake man drowns. The body of John Zwarka (age 21) was found floating around 4:30 p.m. yesterday in Lloyd's Bayou east of Spring Lake. He was last seen Sunday night around midnight, when he took his canoe out onto the bayou. Apparently it overturned. In the morning somebody spotted the canoe floating about 900 feet off-shore and called police. Autopsy will be today.
Michigan's truth in sentencing law kicks-in today. If you're sentenced to 10-to-25 years for a violent crime, by golly you'll be behind bars for at least 10 years, with no time off for good behavior. The new law eliminates early release for people convicted of murder, rape and other violent crimes. And new guidelines with harsher sentences for serious crimes will go into effect next month. Of course, for non-violent offenses convicts can still build up credit for toeing the line.
GRPD sting nets nine minors trying to buy booze; kids say "so what?" What used to be a "slap-on-the-wrist" mentality has turned into a "thigh-slapper" mentality, as the majority of teens busted in the act of buying booze seem to think it's all a big joke, according to Grand Rapids police who ran Operation Spotlight. Seven of the underage would-be boozers were handed tickets for hundred-dollar fines plus community service. Two were busted for marijuana possession as well and were carted off to jail. Grand Rapids Police ran the sting Thursday and Saturday. They say they will continue targeting underage drinkers and the clerks that sell to them "indefinitely." The Kent County Sheriff's department launched a similar program county-wide last week too.
They put him on the couch to sleep it off; guest never wakes up. Big Rapids Police investigating the death of Alan Montero Hewer say the members of the Ferris State sorority hosting the party knew he was too drunk to do much of anything, so they put him to bed on the couch around two a.m. Saturday after the big party. Hewer never got up off that couch. Autopsy results came out yesterday. Hewer's blood alcohol level was about four times the amount the state would consider as the threshold for legal intoxication in a drunk driving case. He was not a Ferris student. Authorities weren't certain whether to file charges, who to file them against, or even what the charges would be.
Man's body pulled from river three weeks after first sighting. Two fishermen on a Thanksgiving day fishing expedition first reported the body in the Muskegon River, but the rescue team wasn't able to find it. The two fisherman called the Muskegon County Sheriff's Department with more detailed information on Saturday. A dive team went in and recovered the unidentified fisherman. The death is under investigation. Authorities should know more when they get results from yesterday's autopsy.
Asleep at the wheel: two are in the hospital after in one-car crash. Police reports say Clare Hainer (age 60) of Grand Rapids fell asleep while driving in Ionia County shortly after noon Sunday. She was eastbound on M-44 when her car left the road, striking several mailboxes before hitting a tree and rolling onto its top. Rescue workers removed Clare Hainer and her passenger, Betty Hainer (age 54) of Ada, from the upside-down vehicle. Clare Hainer was air-lifted to Spectrum-Butterworth where she was listed in serious condition. Betty Hainer was in "fair" condition.
Could you use a little spare Christmas cash? Say $27-million or so? We usually don't talk much about the Michigan State Lottery, but we couldn't help but notice during a too-late-to-play convenience store stop Saturday night that the pot was $25-million and wondered if we should have taken a chance on it. Good thing we didn't waste our money, because no one won and tomorrow's pot will be $27-million!
Today is "Chuck Munford Day" in Grand Rapids. Mayor John Logie will make the proclamation honoring the long-time civilian volunteer at the Grand Rapids Police Department at 9 a.m. on the 6th Floor of City Hall. Chuck was among the first in the crew of senior volunteers when the program started in 1983. Since then he's logged 9,500 hours of un-paid work in the Crime Analysis area. He's picked-up a few other honors along the way including a tour of Air Force One with President Bush in 1991, when the program was named one of the "Thousand Points of Light." And today is also Chuck Munford's birthday: he's 90 years old. Birthday cake will be served at police headquarters from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Three-year-old from Climax "critical;" step-father missing. When they find him, he'll be charged with beating and starving the little boy. Hospital people say he was close to death when he was admitted. His mother was arrested. The step-father, Donald Mikle, has disappeared. Neighbors received flyers with his photo and description, asking them to call police if they see him. If you know where he is or if you see him, call Kalamazoo County Sheriff, 385-6174. You don't have to give your name if you call Silent Observer, 343-2100.
Two accidents at same intersection just moments apart; drivers blame "icy conditions." Muskegon deputies were headed to a crash scene on Newaygo Rd. (M-37) at the crash by Half Moon Lake between Casnovia and Bailey about 10:45 a.m. yesterday. On the way, they got a call for another crash in the same place. Victims say the roads were icy. There was only one injury bad enough for a trip to the emergency room. That victim was treated for head and chest injuries, then released.
Kalamazoo fire snuffs out two young lives. Jordan Rodriguez (age 6) and his sister Sierra (age 5) died early Saturday morning when their two-story duplex burned. Three families lived there. At least five people escaped with their lives; four teens got out through a second-story window. Fire officials weren't certain what caused it but believe it started on the front porch. They're still investigating.
Belding man killed in a crash while on his way to work. William Windfield (age 43) was driving to his third-shift job at the Lear plant on Alpine Ave., westbound on Belding Rd. (M-44) when an eastbound van crossed the center line a little after 9 p.m. Friday. Windfield was airlifted to Spectrum-Butterworth, where he died. Christopher Imelmann (age 35) of Rockford was driving the eastbound van. He was taken to Saint Mary's Hospital and was discharged Saturday morning. The crash was still under investigation.
Man who killed Wayne State professor was reportedly frustrated over the math. Andrzej Olbrot was gunned down in front of students as he was handing out the final exam last Thursday. Authorities say the suspect, a 48-year-old graduate student, turned himself in to Ann Arbor police around 1 a.m. Friday, "essentially admitting" to gunning down Olbrot. He reportedly told police his motive: the math is extremely difficult and he couldn't hack it.
This one's for the birds. A wayward seagull got tangled up in power lines in Holland this weekend. The bird was snared in lines at Waverly Rd. and 16th St. for nearly three days as neighbors called the police, the local humane society and anyone else they could think of whom could help the poor bird. When no one showed up pickets took to the streets, hoping to get someone's attention. Bird handlers from Reed City finally came to the rescue yesterday. The bird had hypothermia, shock and a broken wing, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Grand Rapids tiger cubs recovering; almost "loved to death." They were born on Halloween to John Ball Zoo's very rare Siberian tiger. There are only 500 left in the wild and only 360 or so in captivity. It was the mother's first litter and the inexperience showed. She over-groomed her cubs with her tongue, scraping away the skin on their necks and heads. They developed a rash and then open sores, and one of them stopped nursing. Zoo keepers noticed an abscess forming, plus signs of kidney failure from blood poisoning. So it was time to separate them. How do you kidnap babies from a Siberian tiger? First you lure the mother away and lock her in a holding area. Zoo Director John Lewis and his staff ran in and gently retrieved the cubs. They bottle-fed them formula, and this week they're healthy again and gaining weight. They're still cute and cuddly, and fairly harmless but they already have sharp teeth and claws. They won't be reunited with their parents. Since she stopped nursing them the mother may no longer identify them as her own. And the father would immediately recognize them as a light lunch.
Wayne State professor shot dead while handing out final exam; suspect is in custody. Yesterday evening around 7:20 p.m. a man walked into a classroom on campus and shot Andrzej Olbrot (age 52), an engineering professor. The victim fell to the floor and the shooter put another round from the rifle into him, then ran. Some of the students thought it was a joke until they saw the blood. Nobody else was hurt. Police say the suspect turned himself in early this morning. They won't say anything else, other than it does not seem to be a random act.
State House passes ban on cigarette billboards. Yesterday the legislature in its last day of the session sent the bill to the governor's desk. It will outlaw tobacco advertising on outdoor signs. That big settlement between the cigarette companies and the states included something that looked like a ban on billboard advertising, but on reading the fine print we found out it only prevented tobacco companies from purchasing andowning billboards. This will close the loop hole.
Both houses also passed the tribal casino compact. It will license four newly-recognized Indian bands to build four more casinos, including two in West Michigan. The bill went to the governor yesterday, and he's expected to sign it since his office negotiated the compact. If Michigan didn't grant the license, the tribes had the right to apply for federal authorization. If that went through, it would have allowed even more casinos and Michigan would not get its 8% cut.
Former Forest Hills Northern High School teacher gets a year in jail. Paul Leavenworth (age 62) taught there for more than three decades. His career crash-landed earlier this year when a former student came forward with allegations of a sexual relationship with Leavenworth that started in 1994 when she was a 15-year-old student in his charge. Yesterday, a Kent County judge sentenced Leavenworth to a year behind bars.
Quintuple killing scene becomes target of burglars. While grim curiosity has been a major factor in increasing the traffic around the northern Muskegon County home that saw Seth Privacky execute four family members and his brother's girlfriend, greed may have been the motive for the latest crime at the scene. The police investigation is done and a bright red "no trespassing" sign adorns the house's facade. The sign was ignored earlier this week when someone broke into the house, headed straight for Seth's room and stole a pair of stereo speakers, a pager, a jacket and a ring. Authorities believe the burglars are acquaintances, since they knew what they wanted and where it was. The Privacky heirs say they will empty the home and have everything put into storage, until they decide how to dispose of the property belonging to Seth and his dead family.
Dianne Lynn Nagel's death declared "accidental." Her body was found Sunday around 8:30 a.m. under the bridge that carries Hall St. over 131. The 47-year-old woman lived on Prospect Ave. NE, and was last seen by friends at a Southside tavern. Police held two men, ages 17 and 22, on un-related charges after witnesses said they all left the place together late Saturday night. Yesterday the medical examiner and police announced she died of an accidental fall from the overpass.
Kent County deputies to buy and sell booze; two-way sting starts in one week. Minors beware: the next time you try to buy alcohol the counter clerk may be a Kent County deputy, ready to cart you off to jail. Also, the next person a counter clerk fails to card for an alcohol sale could be Kent County deputy, ready to file charges against clerk and store. The operation follows successful sweeps earlier this year by the Grand Rapids Police Department. A $10,000 state grant will cover undercover overtime expenses for deputies working the sting.
Head-on crash kills one. Yesterday around 3:45 p.m. a car and a four-by-four smashed together on Cannonsburg Rd. about a mile east of Northland Dr. The car crossed the center line for reasons unknown. The driver was dead on the scene. The driver of the four-by-four, Larry Humphrey of Comstock Park, was flown by AeroMed to Spectrum-Butterworth downtown, and admitted in "critical" condition with injuries to his legs. Deputies are pretty sure alcohol was not a factor.
Jack Kevorkian to be tried for murder and assisted suicide. Prosecutors say a videotape aired on CBS's "60-Minutes" is sufficient evidence to convict Kevorkian on both charges. It shows Kevorkian injecting a Lou Gehrig's disease patient with chemicals to make him sleep, stop his breathing and stop his heart. Lawyers for the Detroit pathologist immediately cried "foul" and tried to get one of the charges dismissed on the grounds that it couldn't be both assisted suicide and murder. Prosecutors say they'll prove it was both, because it started out as an assisted suicide and became a murder case as Kevorkian proceeded. The euthanasia happened on September 17 and was broadcast on November 22. Kevorkian dared prosecutors to charge him. Yesterday, a Detroit judge ordered Kevorkian to stand trial. Conviction would put him away for life.
State senate votes to freeze Detroit's piece of the $1.4-billion
revenue pie. Detroit has received the lion's share of the state's revenue
allocation ($333-million, as compared to Grand Rapids' $21-million) for
as long as anyone can remember. The old formula doesn't accommodate fast-growing
suburbs. Detroit's population has been dropping, but the big city gets
three times as much per capita. The bill was hammered out by Grand Rapids
Senator Glenn Steil, who has been tussling with Governor Engler for weeks
toward a compromise. They agreed to treat townships like cities, if they
have more than 20,000 residents and provide services like police, fire
fighting, water and sewers. Last night's state Senate vote would keep Motown's
piece of the pie from growing over the next eight years, as other communities
and townships could see more of the money they put in the system come back
to them.
The state House, on the other hand,
has already approved another version of the bill, one that lawmakers representing
the west side of the state generally don't like. There will be lots of
hammering-out work going on between now and holiday recess in order to
bring the two chambers closer to agreement.
Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority and public schools set a deadline on resolving the tax bill. The city (as taxing entity) acting on behalf of the DDA has been trying to collect taxes from GRPS to help pay off downtown development projects. At isssue is half-a-million dollars for the past three years, and a projected $200,000 annually. The money would go to an early payoff of the bonds that financed the Van Andel Arena. But it seems that no one has asked the DDA about their position on the subject. Yesterday members of the school board and administration met with the DDA and agreed to work something out by this time next month. Then the DDA will vote on the decision and present it as a recommendation to the city commission.
Two dead in crash near Cedar-Rock. Lynn Marie Rentsman (age 44) and her son Brent (age 18) of Wyoming) died Tuesday night while driving westbound on 14-Mile Rd. (M-57) approaching Northland Dr. Around 8 p.m. he lost control of his pick-up truck, went onto shoulder, hit a mailbox, crashed head-on into an oncoming pick-up, then burst into flames. Both had to be cut out of the vehicle with the Jaws of Life tool. The driver of the other pickup, James Klackle (age 44) of Greenville, owner of Klackle Orchard, was treated for minor injuries at United Memorial Hospital in Greenville
Cops will patrol eight Ottawa County school districts. County commissioners approved funding during Tuesday's meeting. It's an pro-active effort to help keep kids out of trouble and away from drugs and alcohol. The eight school districts are rural. The cities of Grand Haven and Holland already staff their high schools with law enforcement officers.
Need a job? The U.S. Postal Service wants you! The Grand Rapids post office needs some holiday helpers to play post office, unload trucks, sort and deliver mail and work the counters. The regular starting pay for those jobs is about $8.50 an hour, but the post office needs good help, bad, and is upping the ante to $10 an hour. They say there are a lot of hours to go around and that they plan on putting a hundred people to work temporarily, right away. If you're interested, go downtown to the main post office and fill out an employment application. They'll check you out through the police department and give you the drug test (better skip those poppy-seed bagels for the next few days). If you pass that one, in a couple of days you could be a federal employee!
Kentwood police ask your help in armed robbery. Yesterday around 5:30 a.m. the Arby's on 44th St. near Eastern Ave. was held up. The manager had just unlocked the doors when a man walked in, holding his hand in his pocket like he had a gun. He ran away with the cash from the safe and the registers. The suspect is black, 5-foot-8, medium weight. He wore a dark-colored winter coat, knit cap and knit scarf. If you know him, or anything that could help police find him, call the Kentwood detectives at 698-6580. If you don't want to give your name, call Silent Observer at 774-2345.
Two 15-year-olds are in jail on $50,000 bond for armed robbery.
On Friday morning they terrorized people in at least four incidents in
ninety minutes on the southeast side.
The first was around 6:15 a.m. A man
was riding his bike on the residential streets just west of Calvin College
when a tan-colored Volkswagen Jetta nearly ran him down. He followed to
get the license plate number, so they turned around and tried to run him
down again.
About a block away, another resident
was walking his dog when the same car screeched to a stop and the passenger
demanded the man's money. He had none so the car took off, but the resident
got the license number.
At 7:45, the two guys in the tan car apparently
tried to mug a woman going to work at the Menard's store at Eastbrook Mall.
One of them allegedly pulled out a knife but left without getting anything.
The woman was not hurt.
Grand Rapids Police say a similar armed-robbery
incident happened a short distance away, in the city of Kentwood, not long
afterwards: same tan car, same suspect descriptions.
A police officer on foot patrol spotted
the car at Union Ave. and Thomas St. on the Southside and busted the two
around 8:15 a.m. Deontay Gordon of Lyon St. NE and Melvin Sylvester of
Burton Heights (both age 15) are in Kent County jail on $50,000 bond this
morning, charged with "assault with intent to commit armed robbery" for
the mugging in the mall parking lot. They'll be tried as adults in 61st
District Court. If they get out of that one, they may end up facing charges
for the other antics in juvenile court.
Two in custody, being questioned about Nagel death. Diane Lynn Nagel (age 47) of the northeast side of Grand Rapids died late Saturday night or early Sunday. Her body was found on Sunday morning under the Hall St. bridge just east of 131. Two men, ages 17 and 22, are in Kent County jail, being held on other charges. They are described as "migrant workers" and told police they were with Nagel when she was with friends at a nearby bar. Autopsy showed her blood-alcohol level at the time of her death was 0.15%, legally intoxicated. She died of massive head trauma but it still isn't clear exactly what happened, and that's what police are trying to find out.
Meat processor plans to open a plant in Holland. Boar's Head, maker of high-end deli meats and cheeses, plans to clean-up and re-open the old Tyson chicken plant and is advertising for workers and management personnel. They promote their foods as being made without artificial colors or flavors and sell mostly to restaurants and grocery store deli departments. It's welcome news for Holland, since Sara Lee announced they're closing the Bil-Mar processing plant in Borculo. There's no word from Boar's Head on whether they'll be buying turkeys from West Michigan farmers.
Funeral services for Jerry Helmholdt will be today. City flags will fly at half-staff for the former mayor of Grand Rapids who died at his home on Saturday, less than a year after his throat cancer was diagnosed. Funeral Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew's Cathedral, on Sheldon Ave. in the Heartside. He'll be buried in Rosedale Memorial Park west of Standale.
Judge tosses out six claims against Amway. Procter & Gamble's suit against the Ada company faded a little more yesterday when the judge in Texas dismissed charges claims of unfair competition, negligence and racketeering violations of the RICO Act. Procter & Gamble, the big consumer-products maker, brought a lawsuit against Amway after a distributor repeated a rumor about Satanism (you know, that stars-and-the-moon-logo thing). Even though Amway made retractions and apologies, Procter & Gamble filed suit in Utah and Texas. The Utah judge tossed eight of eleven claims earlier this year and ordered Procter & Gamble to pay fines totaling $17,500 for destruction of evidence and violating a court order. Also, Amway has filed suit against Procter & Gamble for sponsoring an anti-Amway website. The two companies sell a lot of the same products and Amway says Procter & Gamble is trying to use the courts to stifle competition.
Get a red ribbon and "Tie One on for Safety." Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) asks you to promise to drive sober and safe through the holiday season, and to let everyone know by tying a red ribbon to your driver-side door handle, mirror or antenna. Red ribbons are standard equipment for the rest of the year on Grand Rapids Police Department patrol cars. Through October, Grand Rapids police have busted an average of 49 drunk drivers per month this year. If you want a red ribbon, you can get one free from MADD on the fifth floor of McKay Tower or at police headquarters at Michigan and Monroe.
Grand Valley State University hikes tuition in mid-year. For the spring semester, GVSU undergrads will pay about $285 more than they planned, an increase of 9% with only a few months' notice. The school explains they were caught short on state funding. They increased enrollment by a thousand students last year and another thousand this year, but the state calculates funding every two years, and the new numbers won't count until the next school year. Students (and their parents) are upset. One charged the university with "lying," another said "cheating." Still another said he'll have to work an extra night or two every week instead of studying. The student senate distributed postcards for students to mail to legislators, asking for more and fairer funding for the fastest-growing university in the state. Grand Valley State gets $4,300 per student, which is the lowest funding level for Michigan universities. By comparison, Wayne State University (near Detroit) gets $10,000 per student per year!
Your state legislators are poised to not turn down their pay raises. A special independent commission meets every two years to evaluate the pay of Michigan's top officials. Their report is released only after the elections. The legislature set up this system, so they don't have to argue about raising their own pay. Here's how it works: the commission recommends pay increases, and by law the recommendation goes into effect automatically unless the legislature turns it down by a two-thirds vote . So unless the state House and Senate agree they're overpaid, and then vote by more than two-thirds to turn it down before the end of February, we'll be paying them more money for the next two years. We haven't heard what the raise for our representatives will be, but Governor Engler will get a 9% increase and the Supreme Court justices will get 8%. By the way, the State Officers Compensation Commission also did a poll of state senators and representatives last month. They found about half who answered said their pay of $53,000 a year is inadequate, especially since term limits kicked in.
Lear plans lay-offs and plant closings. The company is one of the world's biggest suppliers to the auto makers, with more than 50,000 workers in plants in 18 countries. In the past few years they've added 200 factories, mostly by purchase, including the Delphi plant on Alpine Ave. on the north side of Grand Rapids. To help cut expenses by $40-million a year, headquarters in Southfield announced yesterday they'll be cutting 2,800 jobs and closing 18 plants. They said about half of the lay-offs will be in Europe and half in North America but other than that, there were no specifics on where or when the cuts and closings will be.
Last night at the Grand Rapids Public Schools board meeting . . . the topic was pop. The board voted to join a group of other local school districts in negotiating with soft drink suppliers for exclusive vending rights. Coke, Pepsi and other companies pay some districts big cash fees in exchange for being the only pop in the school vending machines. If all 19 school districts around Kent County get together, they can deal for real big fees and GRPS has the most customers (er, students) in West Michigan. It could mean a cash windfall of $400,000 to the district if they play their cards right. Not all the board members were in favor. One called pop "a useless product" and can't support the idea of helping a business to market, however subtly, sugar water to our children.
GRPS is still holding that tax bill from the city. School board members made the point that the DDA's move to collect a half-million-dollars from the school district's property tax revenue is NOT required by law, that it's really a choice by the local government on how to fund downtown development. One board member said the city isn't asking for the money because it "has to" or "needs to;" it wants to take the money from the schools just because "it can." The school district would like it if Grand Rapids, the biggest city in Michigan outside Detroit, with the biggest urban school system outside Detroit, would choose to let the money pay for education, instead of paying off development bonds. The DDA wants the money to redeem the construction bonds for the Van Andel Arena, which pay-back is already ahead of schedule.
M-DOT will take your comments on US-31 alternatives. Almost everybody agrees something has to be done to fix the traffic problems on the highway between Holland and Grand Haven, but tempers flare over the alternatives. We could build a big new freeway, a new boulevard with limited access, widen the road we have now, build a new bridge over the Grand River, or leave everything alone. And through whose backyard will it run? M-DOT put together proposals for all the possibilities and is now waiting for local governments to choose, or design a new one. Tonight and tomorrow you'll have a chance to see them, and tell them what you think. Public hearings will be held:
Grand Rapids Community College presidential search committee narrows the field to three. Final-round interviews start today and the board hopes to make a hiring decision by the middle of January. You can meet the three candidates and present questions at community forums at the Applied Technology Center downtown, and even attend the board's interviews:
One killed, one critical after pick-up truck crash in Walker this morning. Just before 2 a.m. one of the trucks ran the stop sign at Kinney Ave. and 3-Mile Rd. One of the drivers, Lyle Schwartz of Walker, died in the E-R. The other driver is in "critical" condition. Police think one of them had been drinking.
Body found in Grand Rapids. She was 35 to 45 years old when she died, mostly likely from a severe head trauma. Her body was found under the Hall St. overpass early yesterday morning. She wore a lavender shirt and blue jeans. Police are waiting for autopsy results to tell them whether she died from being beaten or from falling from the overpass.
Detroit police officer dies from shooting; suspects in custody. Late Saturday, three officers were pursing a van they believed was involved in a kidnapping. Heavy fire opened-up from the back and officer Shawn Bandy was shot in the face. He died yesterday, after his family asked for his life-support machinery be turned off. Another officer, Lloyd Todd, is still in "critical" condition. The third was treated-and-released. Two suspects turned themselves in yesterday a third was tracked-down and busted last night.
Truck-car crash in the fog killed two in southeast Kent County. Linda Marshall (age 50) of Caledonia and her mother, Myrtle McDiarmid (age 75) of Middleville, died instantly at Alden Nash Ave. (M-50) and 84th St. in Bowne Township, around 8:15 a.m. Saturday. They had just set out on their annual shopping trip to Frankenmuth and pulled into the intersection into the path of a semi-truck. Linda's sister, Nancy Voogd (age 45) of Middleville, was in the back seat and went to Spectrum-Blodgett in "serious" condition. The truck driver was treated and released. Kent County Sheriff's Department is still investigating the crash.
Three un-seatbelted die in crash; baby in car-seat survives. Saturday morning, Richard Van Dam (age 28), Katrina Van Dam (age 22) and Lisa Beatty (age 19) died in a head-on crash on 6-1/2 Mile Rd. south of Battle Creek. Police believe Richard pulled out to pass on the two-lane highway since the crash was head-on at high speed. None of the three who died were wearing seatbelts but the 4-month-old baby, Kayla Van Dam, was properly restrained in a car-seat. The car-seat was torn from its mounting and she was thrown 30 feet into the brush, but she just got some scratches.
Former Grand Rapids Mayor Jerry Helmholdt died Saturday. He was mayor from 1984 to 1991 and helped oversee the growth and expansion of downtown. He was also owner of Helmholdt's Decorating Center in Burton Heights and helped found the Garfield Park Neighborhood Association. He'll be remembered as a leader with a heart, who made things happen. Helmholdt died surrounded by his family at his home on Saturday afternoon of cancer, at the age of 64. Visitation will be at Alt & Shawmut Hills tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. and tomorrow from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.
On Grand Rapids' Southside, the second annual Children's Parade will step off at noon from Martin Luther King Park, march west on Franklin St. to Madison Ave. and end at the Paul I. Phillips Center. At the center Santa will hand out toys to neighborhood children. Last year he gave presents to 850 kids. Organizers expect the number to double this year and they're scrambling for last minute donations of usable toys, or cash to buy some at stores. If you can help, call Dawn Vogt at National City Bank's Heartside Branch, 347 South Division or stop by before 5 p.m. today.
Funeral for April Boss to be held this morning. She was the only victim of last Sunday's quintuple homicide in Dalton Township who wasn't related to the confessed gunman, Seth Privacky. The 19-year-old Muskegon County woman was Jedediah Privacky's long-time girlfriend. Her parents were the first to discover the massacre when they went searching for their daughter after April failed to show up for work. Funeral services for April Boss are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Muskegon. Funeral services for Jedediah Privacky, his parents and paternal grandfather are set for 11 a.m. tomorrow at the Reeths-Puffer High School.
Geoffrey Fieger, the six-million dollar man. That's how much money the Democratic candidate spent on his losing gubernatorial bid. Some of that money was his own; lots of it was from loans. Feisty Fieger says he'll get all that money back and more if he runs for office again, so he's discussing doing just that. He just can't seem to make up his mind whether he wants to be mayor of Detroit, a U.S. senator or president of the United States when he grows up. All three jobs are reportedly on Fieger's short list of campaign possibilities.
Third West Michigan company in as many days announces lay-off plans. Add Eagle Ottawa Leather Company to the list of area manufacturing businesses handing out pink slips for Christmas. They're also singing that familiar carol, "poor fourth-quarter earnings," as justification for the cuts. In all, about seventy-five employees are heading to the unemployment line after work Friday. The company says that there won't be any severance packages, but hint that some of the employees could be hired back in the spring.
"I'll see your laptop and I'll raise you a Playstation." Two teens pleaded guilty to receiving and concealing stolen property in Wyoming District Court on Wednesday. Authorities say the duo got the computer from two juveniles who stole it from a Wyoming company. Nethaniel Messlink and John Samsel apparently thought a Sony PlayStation would be more fun, so they called the business owner who lost the laptop and offered, in a very round-about way, to trade the computer back to him in return for the popular video game system. The duo ran the business owner through a pretty elaborate trade-off ritual, until police finally took the youths into custody.
Funny money is not-so-funny for Lakeshore teens. The two Grand Haven High School students and face counterfeiting charges after one gets caught with a bill allegedly created on a computer. Authorities say the fronts and backs of the phony bills were printed on separate sheets of paper then cut out and pasted together. The bogus bills got their attention because one of them had an upside down back. That bill turned up at a Wesco station in Spring Lake. Police reports indicated the bill, passed by a 14-year-old, was created by a 16-year old.
"Spiderman" robs business at gun point. Kentwood cops say a man wearing a Spiderman mask walked up to an employee of Auto Spa on 44th St. around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, pointed a gun at him and demanded money. He was last seen making his getaway in a 1970s Chevy Impala. Kentwood Police want to hear from you if you know anything about this case.
Lansing considers four more tribal casinos. The state House has a bill that would approve a deal negotiated by Governor Engler with four newly-recognized Indian tribes. It would allow each to open one casino, two of them proposed for West Michigan. Expect resistance on the House floor from representatives of two factions who would not normally work together: people who are opposed to gambling on principle and Detroit representatives who are trying to protect the three casinos under construction there. Here's something they should consider: if our legislature does not approve the tribal compact, then the tribes have the option of cutting a licensing deal with the federal government. Then they could get clearance to build more than one casino each, and the state won't get its 8% cut.
State Senate prepares to vote on de-regulating electric companies. It looks likely to pass the bills, which:
John Ball Zoo will host "Christmas with the Animals" tomorrow. Admission is free, if you bring a gift for one of the residents. The zoo will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Santa will arrive at noon. Here are some ideas for presents for zoo animals:
Accused killer takes a plea in crack-house killing case. William Libby (age 37) was charged with stabbing Jeffrey Perkins to death in early July. The southeast Burton St. apartment where the killing happened was known to police as a frequent gathering place for people to smoke crack cocaine and drink. Police say Libby and Perkins had an argument over a drug deal, prompting Libby to stab him to death. Libby pled guilty to second-degree murder on Monday. Prosecutors will recommend a fifteen-year sentence at his January 14 sentencing as part of Libby's plea deal. Libby could get life.
Steelcase to lay off 311; blames slow sales in autumn. The company says that not all of the layoffs are permanent. One hundred sixty-six of the jobs were already designated as "temporary." The other 145 folks are reportedly asked to take temporary layoffs for a month or two. They'll still be on the company payroll though; Steelcase would pay those layoff volunteers $300 a week for not coming in to work.
"Kellogg's best to you" will be delivered with 525 fewer employees. The Battle Creek cereal giant says reductions in salaried personnel will save a $105-million a year. Many of the cuts will be made through early retirement incentives.
Old Kent opens trading on Wall Street on OK's first day on an old market. "OK" is the bank's new stock symbol. We told you yesterday that CEO David Wagner rang the opening bell as the Grand Rapids-based financial institution moved from the NASDAQ stock exchange to New York. Old Kent finished its first day on the NYSE by closing up one quarter at forty-two and five-eighths.
Three more cocaine kingpins will get their Christmas cards in the pen. Yesterday a Grand Rapids federal judge sentenced Victor Owens (age 27) to 16 years in a federal penitentiary for his involvement in smuggling about $40-million worth of cocaine into Grand Rapids from California over a four-year period. Last week, accomplices Timothy Threats and Shante Price were sentenced in Lansing as co-conspirators. Threats landed a 17-and-a-half-year sentence; Price got 12-and-a-half. The case was part of a huge federal bust that broke up the infamous Wealthy Street Boys gang as well as several other local street gangs. Twenty-seven were indicted last year on related charges and most of them are already serving federal time. Only one of the original 27 indicted has not been apprehended: Devin Yolan Kyle is still at large.
Flying out from Kent County airport? The big renovation is underway and ticket counters are moving. This could cause an unpleasant surprise if you're a regular traveler on a tight schedule. According to Kent County airport people, these airline ticket counters should be at the far end of the terminal from where you're accustomed to finding them by this weekend:
Former Newaygo city manager agrees to admit taking the money, if it will end the lawsuit. The tacit admission came in a deposition given November 10, released Monday by the City of Newaygo. Randy Young admitted to funneling $1.7-million dollars into dummy consulting corporations. His deposition also stated that he would be willing to assume responsibility for the city's legal fees in addition to the $1.7-million, which the city says he embezzled. Young also said he has no idea where all that money went.
Alleged car thief leads Wyoming cops on a high speed chase. Police spotted the stolen car last night and were getting ready to arrest their suspect when the driver took off at a high rate of speed. The chase reached speeds of up to 90 m.p.h. and the fleeing car hit another on Division Ave. before the suspect crashed into a telephone pole at 84th St. and Kraft Ave.
Thanksgiving holiday traffic statistics are in, with fourteen deaths statewide. Of those, alcohol was a factor in seven. The Ionia state police post made eight drunk driving arrests. Eight others were arrested for various other reasons there as well. The post wrote 147 traffic citations and gave out 113 warnings over the four-day-weekend.
Walker police launch hunt for vandalizing burglars. Vandals struck Equity Trucking on Dykstra Dr. over the weekend, damaging ten vehicles Friday night or Saturday morning. Authorities say the unknown vandals broke out the windows of the vehicles and, at least one instance, stole a television. Authorities also believe the same vandals broke a window and ransacked a motor home at a storage facility just down the road.
Undisputed Queen of the Courts: Kristin Koetsier is "Miss Basketball." The Grandville High School senior is the first West Michigan hoopster ever to win the coveted title from the Basketball Coaches' Association of Michigan. She wowed them into a landslide, with good reason. Koetsier has averaged just under 19 points a game for the four years she's played for Grandville, dominated every court she stepped on and made it her own.
Girls basketball quarter-finals were last night. Winners and still alive for the semi-finals:
Old Kent Bank begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange today. The Grand Rapids-based financial giant will trade under the symbol "OK." CEO David Wagner will ring the bell to open trading this morning. Old Kent people were on the floor at 6 a.m., handing out giant mittens to help Wall Street people figure out where the headquarters is located.
Michigan gets ready to build a new Hall of Justice. Yesterday, our state Senate passed the bill to spend $90-million on a new home for the state supreme court and the court of appeals. If passed by the House it should open for business just west of the Capitol building in 2001.
Sunday morning killing near Cedar Springs may have been drug deal gone sour. Kent County deputies have identified the dead man as Brian Hale (age 19) of Cedar Springs. Deputies say Hale and his partner, Bruce Pierson (age 19) were in the woods selling crack to another Cedar Springs man, Brian Smith (age 21) . Smith allegedly pulled a shotgun to rob them and the gun discharged, striking Hale once in the chest at close range. Pierson says Smith shot at him as he was fleeing the scene and the shot hit his hand. There was a crack pipe and crack cocaine in the woods near Hale's body. Smith was to have been arraigned yesterday on open murder charges in Rockford District Court. It's unclear what charges Pierson will face, if any.
Allendale toddler dead after drowning in bathtub. Brandy Carr was 11 months old, and apparently crawled or toddled into the full bathtub Sunday evening at her home in the Allendale Meadows Mobile Home Park. She was dead on arrival at Spectrum-Butterworth. Her parents and three siblings, ages 9 through 12, were home at the time. Ottawa sheriff is still investigating.
Ravenna man dead following crash with big rig. Matthew Bonter (age 30) died around 9:25 p.m. Saturday after he clipped the rear end of a passing semi tractor-trailer. The truck driver wasn't injured. He was eastbound on Bailey Rd. in Moorland Township and apparently failed to yield right of way to the semi, which was westbound and turning south onto Slocum Rd. Blood test revealed yesterday that Bonter's blood alcohol level was .247, more than double the legal limit. The truck driver probably won't be charged in the incident.
1997 killing suspect may have planned Washington State getaway. Michael Cleary is blamed for killing three people in Van Buren County a year and a half ago. Cleary, a skilled survivalist, has been sighted in the Pacific Northwest. Evidence indicates Cleary visited Washington prior to the 1997 killings, perhaps to prepare for his escape.
City of Walker may ban deer hunting. It seems that Walker residents between Lake Michigan Dr. and Three Mile Rd. are tired of living in the line of fire. They've filed a petition bearing 118 signatures with the Walker City Commission. It asks for the ban because the audible gunshots and the sight of people walking around with weapons is disconcerting to many of the area's residents. There's no timetable for finalizing the bill.
Firearms deer season closed at dusk yesterday. It'll be a week
or so before all the racks and tags are counted and we find out how big
the harvest was, but hunters and DNR agree it was a very good season in
the south half of the lower peninsula.
Of an estimated 750,000 hunters who
went into the woods, five died. Three were killed by other hunters who
mistook them for deer. Two of those fatal shooting accidents were this
past Sunday. Last year two hunters were killed, and that's the current
record low. This year there were sixteen non-fatal injuries from gunshots.
At least six hunters reported injuries after falling out of tree stands.
This was the first year hunters were allowed to use tree stands during
the firearms season.
Gasoline prices are at a five-year low! AAA of Michigan says the average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded at the self-serve pump is about 96 cents.You can find it for less at lots of stations.
Committee recommends raises for the governor and his cabinet. The Michigan compensation commission says the top officials should get a 10% raise every year for the next four years. The commission is chaired by former West Michigan legislator Paul Hillegons.
GRPS says no, we won't pay (at least, not that way). Last night the board of Grand Rapids Public Schools voted unanimously to reject the payment plan proposed by Mayor Logie. The city says the school district owes a half-million dollars in back taxes. It's the DDA's share of school taxes, which are collected by the district. After Michigan voters passed Proposal A a few years ago it took the state a few years to explain how the "optional" Downtown Development Authorities around the state would get their share. A few months ago the city pressed the schools to hand over $500,000, not long after voters shot down the district's bond-issue millage proposal. The school board figures they may end up in arbitration with the city, which could mean going to court.
Grand Rapids Symphony Brass Quintet plays tonight at St. Cecilia. It's the first show of the season for the Chamber Music Society of Grand Rapids. The quintet will play works ranging from the Renaissance to jazz-pop musician Chuck Mangione. Tickets are $12, students $5, seniors $9, at the newly renovated St. Cecilia Music on Ransom Ave. near Jefferson and Fuller. Curtain at 8 p.m.
Buying a gun today? It'll probably take a minute or two longer, as federal screening begins. The FBI administers the new system that is suppose to take less than a minute to determine whether the potential purchaser has a federal record. The new law applies only to rifles and shotguns here in Michigan. People who can't buy guns are convicted felons, those under felony indictments, the mentally ill, dishonorably discharged veterans, illegal drug users, domestic violence convicts, illegal aliens, wanted criminals and people who have renounced their U.S. citizenship.
Man shot and killed early Sunday; deputies spent most of Sunday in a manhunt. Kent County Sheriff's Department has a suspect in custody. Deputies found one man dead and his friend with a gunshot wound to his hand at 4:30 a.m. yesterday, in a wooded area off Northland Dr. about a half mile south of Cedar Springs. Details are still sketchy, but the alleged shooter fled after the killing, which was sparked by a disagreement after a night of partying in the woods. Law enforcement officers spent the bulk of their day searching for the shooter, whom they found late in the day. The dead man was a 22-year-old Kent County resident; his name was withheld until cops could notify his family. The man who was shot in the hand is from Cedar Springs, as is the shooter. Authorities believe the man used a shotgun in the shootings. He should be arraigned today.
Saturday night standoff in Norton Shores forces police to evacuate neighbors. The incident started around 11 p.m. Saturday when police responding to a domestic dispute call encountered a man holding a rifle. Cops evacuated the man's wife and children and neighbors. Meanwhile, the suspect fled into the woods. Police waited until he returned and took him into custody without incident.
Greenville teen hit by truck while walking on M-57 in the dark; dies just blocks from home. Friday evening, Greg Mathews (age 16) went to the fast-food restaurant where he worked to visit some friends on his day off. The Greenville High School junior was walking home along the north side of the road around 6:30 p.m. when the truck, driven by a 35-year-old Grand Rapids woman, hit him. The investigation continues but no charges have been filed.
Seven-year-old Wyandotte boy dies Saturday after Friday collision. The afternoon crash happened on Burlingame Ave. in Wyoming just north of 52nd St. Garrit VanDenBerg was fatally injured when his mother's van was rear-ended as she waited to turn into a driveway. His mother, Donna Jean VanDenBerg (age 30), and brother Drake (age 3) both survived, but were hospitalized for treatment. A 40-year-old Wyoming woman was driving the vehicle that slammed into the van. Wyoming police are withholding her name because she could still be charged in the incident.
Grinch steals family car laden with Santa's loot. Brian Kavanagh of Grand Rapids and his wife Stacy had just finished their Christmas shopping for their three young children. The gifts were all still in the car at their home when a thief made off with it late Friday night or early Saturday morning. The stolen Buick was the family's only transportation. Grand Rapids police and the Kent County Sheriff's Department want to hear from you if you know anything about the theft.
Oh, deer! Saturday afternoon near sunseta deer smashed through a window into a home on Chatham Woods Dr., off Kraft and Burton near the village of Cascade. It thrashed, smashed and trashed the basement until the assistant director of John Ball Zoo showed up with a tranquilizer gun. The Humane Society took care of the remains. It looks like the homeowner will be making a huge insurance claim today. Michigan firearms deer season closes at dusk tonight.
Girls high school basketball quarter-finals are tomorrow night. Four West Michigan teams will tip-off:
Juvenile offender disappears, is recaptured out of state; transport driver missing. The teen was being driven from East Lansing to Bay County. A few hours after they didn't show up, the alarm went out. The civilian transport officer is missing and police fear the worst. The teen was arrested late last night in Terre Haute, Indiana. The transport car was found near the motel he was staying in, but there's no sign of the officer. The kid was located because he used the officer's credit card to check into the motel.
Feeding the multitudes: more than a thousand feast in the Grand Center for free. Mel Trotter Ministries, along with some four hundred volunteers, threw open the doors of the Grand Center ballroom to invite the homeless, the hungry, the poor and the lonely for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. This was the second year the feast was held at the Grand Center. Food, supplies and preparation services for yesterday's big banquet were all donated by area businesses.
Thanksgiving eve fire costs family all its worldly possessions, but all, including week-old twins, escape with their lives. Their mother, Shonda McClintic, her 18-month-old son and the infants moved into her grandparents' home after she gave birth last week. The grandparents, two uncles, McClintic and her children were all in the house when the fire erupted. All got out alive. It started when an uncle brought a small boat gas tank into the basement and began emptying it into another container. Plainfield fire officials believe the water-heater pilot ignited the gasoline fumes, causing the fire. The house and contents are a total loss.
Oldest building on St. Mary's campus may be spared the wrecking ball. Saint Mary's Hospital wants to demolish the old McAuley Building, portions of which have graced the boundary between Heritage Hill and Heartside since 1909. The hospital says the space would better serve its needs as a parking lot for now, and perhaps for future expansion. It's expensive to keep up. (remember the movie "The Money Pit ?") as many older buildings are, and they can't come up with any good use for the property. Enter preservationists and neighbors, who believe the historic building could be useful, possibly as apartments, and continue to lend its historic continuity and architectural charm to the neighborhood. Demolition of the grand old structure would need a green light from the city's preservation commission, because it is situated in an historic district. Saint Mary's says it is open for suggestions, but would need a solution to at least two problems before a compromise could be put into action: land for parking, and a buyer for the McAuley Building.
Dow Chemical's Midland plant under partial quarantine. Tour buses won't be allowed to drive visitors anywhere near three holding ponds inside the plant. A surprise state inspection revealed some possible problems. Samples are to be tested for dioxin. It will be about three weeks before the results are in. The ponds are used to store waste until it can be removed for incineration.
Police want help in solving 19-year-old slaying. Linda Filkins was the Courtland Township Clerk in 1979 when someone entered her office and shot her six times in the head and chest at close range with either a .38 caliber handgun or a 357-magnum. Authorities believe Ronnie John Orr (age 44) was the gunman, but have no physical evidence to link him to the killing. Orr is a career criminal and is currently serving time in a South Carolina prison. Michigan State Police believe someone here may have the guns that could connect Orr to the killing. Call them if you have information about this case.
High school state football finals are today in the Silverdome; West Michigan is represented in four classes. It's the first time ever for the Hudsonville Eagles. They'll be joined by their fans: 7,000 people live in greater Hudsonville, and 2,500 bought tickets to today's game. Belding Redskins, Rockford Rams and Fulton (southeast of Kalamazoo) will play today.
Woman injured, robbed at gun-point outside bar yesterday morning. She was hospitalized in fair condition after she was assaulted in a robbery at Dukes Bar near Michigan St. and Union Ave. shortly after 1 a.m. She and a friend were approached by two men. One hit the victim in the neck with a BB gun. Police are looking for suspects.
Newaygo County crash sends five family members to the hospital. The family was trapped in their car. It took three-quarters of an hour to extract them all. The parents were air-lifted to Spectrum-Butterworth, while three of their children got an ambulance ride to seek treatment. The crash happened early yesterday evening on M-37 near 88th St. The family was on their way to spend Thanksgiving with relatives.
Man accused of running over his neighbor with pickup truck twice. Fidel Escobar (age 31) is recovering at Spectrum-Butterworth and suffered surprisingly few injuries in the attack. Witnesses say Escobar and other residents of Dwight Ave. flagged down a 25-year-old man who they believed was driving carelessly down their street. After the confrontation, witnesses say the driver got back into his truck, slammed it into reverse and backed over Escobar, dragging him twenty feet before stopping and backing over him again. The suspect is expected to be charged with assault.
Two teens jailed after police stop nets stolen goods. The suspects are both 17-year-olds, one from Jenison and the other from Comstock Park. They were locked up in the Ottawa County Jail after deputies caught them with car stereo equipment and other stolen goods early yesterday morning. They pulled the duo over after watching their car leave the Grand Rapids Auto Auction on Port Sheldon Ct. at a high rate of speed. Deputies say that both suspects admitted to breaking into cars at the Auto Auction. They'll be held until they're arraigned, probably sometime Friday.
Chuck Yob mounts campaign to run the Grand Old Party. This will be the Ada businessman's second bid for chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. Yob ran for the post two years ago, losing to Jim Nicholson of Colorado. Yob is one of two West Michiganders currently serving on the Republican National Committee. The other is Michigan GOP Chairwoman Betsy DeVos. While she is not actively seeking the national chair, pundits say she would probably mount her own campaign for the post if the right people indicated their interest in her candidacy.
'60 Minutes' will hand over the tape of Kevorkian killing. Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca got word from CBS yesterday that they would surrender an un-edited copy of a video tape made by Jack Kevorkian, showing him going beyond the realm of "assisted suicide" into euthanasia. On the video, aired Sunday night, Kevorkian got consent from Thomas Youk (age 52), who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), on two separate occasions, seemingly two days apart, then injected him with three shots. One to put Youk to sleep, the second stopped his breathing and the third stopped his heart. In previous deaths managed by Kevorkian, the person wanting to die was hooked up to a suicide machine then given a button to push to start the injection series that would end life. CBS initially turned down requests for the tape from Gorcyca, but Kevorkian's wish is to push the right to die issue. Kevorkian told interviewer Mike Wallace that he would starve himself to death in prison if a jury convicts him of violating Michigan's laws on assisted suicide. Kevorkian has launched hunger strikes during previous prison stays.
Two teens charged with attempted murder after man sleeping in rest stop shot in the face. The victim was hospitalized in fair condition. The man was sleeping in his car at a rest stop along Interstate 75 in Arenac County on Monday. State Police say they believe at least one of the teens pointed a gun at the man and fired repeatedly through his windshield, striking him in the face. Both teens are charged with attempted murder.
Grand River yields another bo