The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and local agencies are enacting  spring weight restrictions, an annual move to protect roads.

 

The Barry County Road Commission says weight and speed restrictions will be enforced on county roads beginning on Monday, March 3, 2025 at 6am.

 

Then effective 6 p.m. Monday, March 3, MDOT says weight restrictions will be imposed and enforced on all state trunkline highways in the southern two-thirds of lower Michigan.

 

When roads that have been frozen all winter begin to thaw from the surface downward, melting snow and ice saturate the softened ground. During the spring thaw, the roadbed softened by trapped moisture beneath the pavement makes it more susceptible to damage. This contributes to pothole problems already occurring due to this winter's numerous freeze-thaw cycles.

 

Weight restrictions remain in effect until the frost line is deep enough to allow moisture to escape and the roadbeds regain stability.

State Representative Gina Johnsen will hold office hours on Saturday, March 15, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Victory Hill Church, 1674 W State Road in Hastings.

 

This session provides residents of the 78th House District—which includes parts of Ionia, Kent, Eaton, and Barry counties—an opportunity to engage directly with Rep. Johnsen. Constituents are encouraged to attend to discuss concerns, ask questions, and share their thoughts on state and local issues.

 

Rep. Johnsen remains committed to staying engaged with the community and ensuring residents have a direct line of communication with their state government. No appointment is necessary, and all are welcome to attend.

 

For those unable to attend, Rep. Johnsen’s office is available by phone at (517) 373-1796 or by email at GinaJohnsen@house.mi.gov.

Historic Charlton Park has been selected to receive a $10,000 grant from the Barry Community Foundation. The funding will offset the purchase of an all-terrain wheelchair (track chair) to provide access to Charlton Park's grounds and trails for visitors that use mobility devices and wheelchairs. 

 

The park will also embrace opportunities to loan the track chair to other units of local government to make their programming welcoming and accessible. “The purchase of the track chair will promote health and wellness for the Barry County community with a specific focus on a portion of the population that is often overlooked. Sharing this resource with other community organizations will allow for greater reach and usage,” said Dan Patton, Barry County Parks director. Action Trackchairs are also in use at Michigan DNR state parks and recreation areas.

 

There will be no charge to use the track chair, but reservations will be required. Fundraising is ongoing to cover the remaining cost, but Charlton Park anticipates accepting the first reservations this summer 2025.

 

Learn more about the project by visiting https://www.charltonpark.org/news_events/current-projects.html.

 

The Barry Community Foundation provides grant funding for projects that positively impact the lives of Barry County residents and make positive, sustainable change. 

 

For additional information or questions about HCP, please call 269-945-3775 or email info@charltonpark.org. Historic Charlton Park is located north of M-79 at 2545 S. Charlton Park Rd., Hastings, MI 49058, and is part of the Barry County Parks system.

With a break in the weather finally here, WBCH Radio extends an invitation to all to join us at the 19^th annual South Jefferson Street Saint Patrick’s Day Parade at 4pm on Monday, March 17^th.  The Hastings City Council gave WBCH approval to hold the parade at the council meeting on Monday night.  The parade is not only to observe Saint Patrick’s Day, but to welcome the arrival of spring and is the first big outdoor event in downtown Hastings of the season.  It is the only parade of the year that follows a route along famous South Jefferson Street!  You’re invited to wear lots of green, and come to watch or participate on Saint Patrick’s Day.

 

 

The Coast Guard is urging the public to exercise caution around icy waters as
temperatures fluctuate across the Great Lakes region.

Temperature fluctuations have impacts on the structural integrity of the ice and could pose safety concerns for those planning to venture out for ice fishing or other activities. Warmer air temperatures will cause frozen waters to melt at an alarming rate posing safety concerns.

Ice is unpredictable and the thickness can vary, even in small areas. Warm temperatures and currents, particularly around narrow spots, bridges, inlets and outlets, are always suspect for thin ice. Stay away from cracks, seams, pressure ridges, slushy areas and darker areas since these signify thinner ice. In addition, ice near shore of a frozen lake may be unsafe and weaker because of shifting, expansion, wind and sunlight reflecting from the bottom.

 

A cold artic air mass settled over the mid-west this week including the Hastings Michigan area, sending temperatures below zero in a number of locations.  

Tuesday morning February 18 (2025) Hastings National Weather Service Climatological  Station recorded a low of minus-10.  On this same day a year ago the temperature during night was 19 degrees.

A warming trend is expected to move in by this weekend with temperatures reaching into the mid 30s. 

Dave McIntyre

Fire broke out around 1pm Friday at Gymnastics in Motion in the 3200 block of  M-37 highway just south of Middleville near Adams Road.

 

Preliminary reports indicated the gymnastics center was unoccupied at the time and was fully involved when police and firefighters arrived. Several departments including Yankee Springs, Wayland, Caledonia, and Hastings responded with mutual aid and tankers to help Thornapple Fire Departent fight the blaze.

 

Highway M-37 was closed while crews worked the scene.  The structure was a total loss. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt has completed a review of the officer involved shooting that occurred on October 28, 2024, which took the life of Jeremiah Jacob Johnson of Delton: 

 

“It is my opinion”  Pratt wrote, “that at the time Jeremiah Johnson was shot and killed by a Barry County deputy, the deputy honestly and reasonably believed that the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent the imminent death or imminent great bodily harm to his fellow officer, Johnson’s wife, Siphwe and also himself.  This was a justifiable homicide.”

 

Pratt went on to state that in this case, The Barry County Sheriff’s deputies were responding to what they knew was a domestic situation.  When they arrived at the Johnson home they parked discreetly at the end of their driveway in order to silently approach the home due to the nature of the reported incident. When nearing the home on foot, one of the deputies learned from dispatch that Johnson’s wife, Siphwe called dispatch and reported that her husband had held a gun to her head.   The deputy drew his gun while entering the home because he was unfamiliar with the building in which a possible hostage situation was occurring. 

 

Both deputies entered the open door to the home for the lawful purpose of performing a wellness check on Siphwe.  When the deputies made their way through the home they could hear arguing and screaming.  They made their way to the Johnson’s bedroom and entered.  One of them told Jeremiah Johnson: “don’t move” to which Johnson responded by drawing his handgun.  One of the deputies observed the other deputy try to disarm Johnson and the two struggled over the weapon.

 

At one point, the deputy observed that the muzzle of Johnson’s gun was moving towards the direction of the deputy who was trying to disarm him.  The muzzle was pointing in the direction of the deputy’s chest and head and he feared for the deputy’s life so he shot Johnson.

 

Prosecutor Pratt said Deputies and emergency responders attempted life saving measures but Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. 

 

 February 10th, Craig Michael Mills  was charged by the Allegan County Prosecuting Attorney's Office with  Open Murder related to the homicide of Mable Mills on September 19, 2024 in Lee Township in Allegan County.  Craig Mills is the son of Mable Mills and was living with her at the time of the homicide.  Craig Mills was arrested by the Berrien County Sheriff's Office on September 17th, 2024, the day Mable Mills is believed to have been killed after he was involved in a traffic accident while driving her car and resisted officers.  He remains in custody at the Berrien County Jail on charges related to that incident.  No additional subjects are being sought at this time.

Consumers Energy has announced plans for a utility-scale solar project to be constructed in Kalamazoo County near Richland Township that would bring 220 Megawatts (MW) of renewable energy online by 2027. Work on the project is expected to begin in 2026.

 

Liberty Farms Solar is expected to generate enough electricity to power 52,000 homes a year. Renewable energy from the project will supply Consumers Energy’s commercial and residential customers enrolled in its voluntary Renewable Energy Program.

 

“In addition to its environmental benefits, solar is cost competitive and provides reliable energy without the use of fossil fuel plants,” said David Hicks, Consumers Energy’s vice president of clean energy development.

 

Consumers Energy works closely with local leaders interested in siting solar power plants that can deliver environmental and economic benefits for their communities.

 

“We appreciate Consumers Energy’s desire to work with us locally instead of seeking approval directly from the State,” said Bear Priest, Richland Township supervisor. “It’s important that we work together to develop a project that best fits Richland Township."

 

Richland Township will benefit from local, county and school district personal property taxes each year from the Consumers Energy investment, totaling millions of dollars over the 30-plus-year lifetime of the project.

 

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

 

Consumers Energy’s Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source in 2025, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers’ energy needs through clean sources, including wind and solar. 

A Delton woman died from injuries she sustained in a single vehicle fatal crash on Orchard Road near Kingsbury Road in Barry Township  early Sunday morning.

 

The Barry County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene at 2:10am. The initial investigation showed a 2011 Chrysler 200 was traveling east on Orchard Rd, and ran off the roadway striking a tree.

 

The driver, identified as Kaylee Ward-Justice, 25 of Delton, was pronounced dead at the scene. She was alone at the time of the crash. 

 

The accident remains under investigation.

 

Delton Fire Department, LifeCare EMS and Barry County Central Dispatch assisted at the scene.

Early Saturday morning the Barry County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in the 15000 block of North Avenue in Assyria Township just after 4:30am.

 

The adult male victim was transported to Bronson Kalamazoo with life threatening injuries and remains in critical condition. The suspect was known to the victim and was taken into custody at the incident scene.

 

Barry County Central Dispatch, Michigan State Police Wayland Post, Johnstown Township Fire Department and LifeCare EMS all assisted.

 

The incident remains under investigation.