Mike Bergeron is the newest member of the Hastings City Council. Bergeron took the Oath of Office to represent Hastings’ First Ward at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, filling a vacant seat.

Council approved the final site plan for the Bachman Fields Planned Unit Development with the contingencies recommended by the Planning Commission, and approved an Industrial Development District for city-owned property on Star School Road for future development.

Construction engineering by Moore and Bruggink in the amount of $434,500 was approved, and by a 5 to 3 vote the low bid by Kamminga & Roodvoets was accepted to complete the Green and Market Street project for $5,812,484.55, contingent upon the city obtaining financing. Preliminary work and tree removal is underway and actual construction is set to take place in 2026.

Discussion took place concerning water and sewer hookup for a future Meijers location in Rutland township and the council passed a resolution to allow service to that location, with contingencies, as the development process moves forward.

A Thornapple Kellogg School bus was involved in an accident Wednesday morning just after 8am in Grand Rapids. There were three students, the bus driver, and two aides on board at the time of the crash.

The Kent County Sheriff’s office said the school bus was turning north onto East Beltline north of I-96 off from Bradford Street when it was struck in the left rear by a northbound car, causing the bus to roll over on its’ side.

According to the Deputies the at-fault driver of the car suffered a head injury and was taken to the hospital.

One of the school staff members also was hospitalized with a head injury but is expected to be okay. None of the students or other staffers aboard the bus were seriously injured.

The Barry County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday and among consent items approved a 36 month  contract with the Barry Conservation District for recycling coordinator services. They also approved a contract to provide emergency management and sheriff’s personnel for the June 13^th & 14^th “Rock the Country” event at the Barry Expo Center.

Commissioners received the MSU Extension Service Annual Report and Update. With 893 youth participating in year-round 4-H programs and 247 volunteers, Barry County boasts one of the most active 4-H programs in the state.

County Administrator Eric Zuzga gave an update on the status of the $12-million ARPA funds that were approved in 2022:

-The Freeport water tower is complete

-Barry Twp. is close to finishing the Delton water tower project

- The Rutland Twp. Sewer Study is in procedure

-Barry Parks and Recreation projects have been slowed by weather but the funds will be fully spent

- New 911 towers are operational

- Road Commission allocation is fully spent

-Employee Premium Pay fully spent

-Public Safety funding fully spent

-Barry Community Foundation Food Hall funds fully spent

Andrea, from New Ventures Consultants,  and Bonnie Gettys elaborated on the BCF Food Hall project:

Mill Street Market is to be located next to the planned apartments at the Royal Coach property.  Total project is about $6-million, with $3-million remaining to be raised.  Construction is beginning, with an opening date in 2026. It will include 1/3 Daycare, 1/3 Kitchen, in part, to host the HHS Culinary Arts program, and 1/3 "consignment model" farm stop and café.

Board Vice Chair Dave Hatfield reported that the Joint Planning Commission met and discussed the Meijer issue and is moving forward with discussions between the County, City of Hastings, and Rutland Township where Meijer is interested in expanding.

The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids has confirmed a tornado in Barry County from Thursday’s storms.

According to the National Weather Service, an EF1 tornado touched down in Barry County near Heron Pointe. The tornado had estimated winds around 100 miles per hour and stayed on the ground for 6.75 miles.

 A Barry County woman turned a non-winning ticket into a $100,000 second chance prize playing the Michigan Lottery’s $300,000,000 Extraordinaire second chance game!

The 80-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, won $100,000 after she was selected in a random drawing that took place May 6. She earned entries into the giveaway by scanning non-winning $300,000,000 Extraordinaire tickets on the Michigan Lottery app.

“I scanned all of my non-winning $300,000,000 Extraordinaire tickets for second chance entries, but I never expected to win,’” said the player. “When I got a call from the Lottery telling me I won a $100,000 prize I thought it was a scam. Later that day, I saw an email from the Lottery regarding the prize and knew it must be real. Winning is a blessing and will provide a nice financial cushion.”

The player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize. She plans to save her winnings.

Area Memorial Day Observances 2025

Several area communities will hold ceremonies, parades and events to observe Memorial Day and honor our nation's fallen heroes:

Hastings

The Lawrence J. Bauer American Legion Post 45 will hold its annual Memorial Day Parade at 9:30am.  The Parade will form at the corner of Boltwood and State Streets at 8:30am and travel west on State Street to North Broadway, North on Broadway to the Veteran's Memorial where two wreaths will be placed, one honoring all veterans and one a POW-MIA wreath.  A rifle salute will be followed by Taps, there will be a short presentation honoring all veterans.

Next stop will be on the Broadway Bridge to place a wreath in the Thornapple River in honor of military personnel who have served on and under the seas.  The Honor Guard will fire a rifle salute, followed by Taps.

Riverside Cemetery will be the final stop at the GAR Monument at the end of the Avenue of Flags where Memorial Day ceremonies will be held.  The grave of the most recently buried Veteran at Riverside Cemetery will receive the final wreath and honors of the event.

Those that wish to participate in the parade are asked to register with Post 45 by phone or by email. No political signs, banners, posters, sirens or horns will be allowed in the parade.

Woodland

A Memorial Day Service will be held at Woodland Cemetery on Velte Rd. at 10am. 

Lake Odessa

The Jackson Mutschler VFW Post 4461 will participate in the Clarksville Memorial Day Parade at 8:30am Monday, followed by a service at Clarksville cemetery, then the Woodland cemetery service at 10am.  At 11am a Memorial Day Service will be held at Lakeside Cemetery in Lake Odessa.

Hickory Corners

Annual Memorial Day activities will be held in Hickory Corners starting with a pancake breakfast served from 7:00 to 9:30am at the fire station.   

The Memorial Day Parade begins at 10am and is perhaps the biggest Memorial Day Parade in the area, usually with 125 to 150 participants, weather permitting. The parade has been held in Hickory Corners for over 60 years and includes bands, tractors, horses and carriages, fire trucks, floats, classic cars, scout troops, 4-H members and local children on decorated bikes.

After the parade, Memorial Services will be held at East Hickory Cemetery. 

Following memorial services, Hot Dog and Pulled Pork and Pulled Chicken baskets will be available at the Simmonds Williams American Legion Post 484 in Hickory Corners, open to the public.

Gun Lake Memorial Day Cruise

The 6^th annual Gun Lake Memorial Day Cruise, honoring all who served, is Monday May 26th.  Staging begins at Gun Lake Community Church at 9:00am.  The Cruise begins at 11:00am and ends around noon. The Cruise will end at the Chief Noonday Car Park, as they are hosting a “Cruise In” Event. This show is open to anyone who’d like to show off their ride, or who’d like to come and hang out. There will be multiple food trucks vendors on site, along with music and fun for the whole family.

Orangeville

Orangeville hosts a Memorial Ceremony annually on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend at 2:00p.m.  at the Veteran’s Memorial in Orangeville.

Middleville

The Middleville Lion's Club Memorial Day Parade is back on Monday. The Parade steps off at 10:30am and is followed by a ceremony of remembrance at the cemetery, organized by American Legion Post #140. 

Wayland

In Wayland, a bus will transport veterans between six sites for Cemetery Honors starting at 7:15am.

The Annual Memorial Day Parade hosted by Wayland VFW Post #7581 will be held Monday starting at 11:00am, beginning at the Michigan State Police Post, marching south, and concluding at the Wayland VFW Post.   Following the parade the public is invited to the VFW to a luncheon.

Caledonia

Caledonia American Legion Memorial Post 305 will hold the community’s Memorial Day Parade  on Main Street. Flags will be placed on military graves at Caledonia Lakeside Cemetery with a ceremony. Afterward a Luncheon will be held for veterans, their families, and first responders at the Legion Post.

To emphasize the importance of wearing seat belts, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning is conducting a “Click It or Ticket” enforcement campaign, running from May 19 through June 1.

During the two-week period—which includes Memorial Day weekend—the Michigan State Police (MSP), along with officers from city and county police departments across the state, will be actively conducting seat belt enforcement.

There were 223 people killed while not wearing seat belts in 2023, which accounted for 39.5 percent of all fatalities for which seat belt use was known in Michigan, according to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Michigan’s primary seat belt law allows police to stop and ticket drivers if they, front-seat passengers and/or passengers under 16 years old in any seating position are not buckled. Children must be restrained in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4' 9" tall, and children under 13 years old must be in the rear seat if a rear seat is available.

JACKSON, Mich., May 16, 2025 – Consumers Energy is starting an around-the-clock effort to restore power after a line of devastating storms rampaged across Michigan late Thursday and early this morning, delivering powerful winds and hail and toppling trees and power lines.

Some 500 crews from Consumers Energy and Michigan contractors are mobilized to help restore power to over 216,000 homes and businesses. The company also is working to secure more crews to power the restoration effort.

“We recognize that many communities will be waking up to the impact of this tremendous storm system, and our commitment is to help them recover,” said Chris Wisniewski, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for this storm. “That means we will be putting every available resource to work today, ensuring we safely and quickly restore power to customers who count on us.” 

The line of storms brought reports of 70 mph winds, tornado sightings, hail and other damage to homes and businesses. High winds should continue through the day Friday, but Consumers Energy will be restoring power as long as it is safe.

Customers should check ConsumersEnergy.com/outagemap for updates on restoration times. They can also download the Consumers Energy app.

WBCH congratulates the class of 2025!  Area High School Graduation Ceremonies include:

Cedar Creek Christian on Sunday, May 18

May 22nd ;  Hastings, Delton Kellogg, Lakewood, Thornapple Kellogg Middleville, Maple Valley, Wayland Union and Ionia.

Faith Christiam School near Lake Odessa on Thurs. May 29

Barry County Christian will hold their Graduation Ceremony Saturday, May 31^st

**UPDATE**:

On April 29, 2025 the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau located Gregory Brian Pennington’s remains in Chester Township. The case is being investigated as an apparent homicide. According to a post from the Eaton County Sheriff's Office, four suspects are in custody and charges have been authorized by the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office against the individuals in connection with Pennington’s death. They include Bradley Lance, who was arraigned and given a $250,000 bond.  Jennelle Mello was arraigned and given a 100,000 bond. Lucas Forquer was arraigned and given a $25,000 bond.  William Chaney is being held pending arraignment on Monday.

Original Story:

On December 11th, 2024, the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 4000 Block of Michigan Rd. in reference to a report of an abandoned vehicle. The vehicle was determined to have belonged to Gregory Brian Pennington, a 42-year-old male from Nashville, MI. On December 12, Pennington was reported missing. The Eaton County Sheriff’s Office detective bureau is currently investigating Pennington’s disappearance and suspect that foul play may be involved. While the investigation is still in its early stages, it is believed that Pennington was last seen November 14 in the Vermontville area, including Chester Township. Pennington is approximately 6’2’’ and weighs 230 lbs. He has brown hair, blue eyes, and wears glasses.

In the Tuesday, May 6th special election,  voters in the Delton Kellogg school district passed a $43 million dollar bond proposal by a 53% to 47% margin that will fund a long list of renovations and improvements.

The  $30.2 million dollar bond request for Lakewood Public Schools was defeated, 56% to 44%.

Caledonia Community Schools had its' millage renewal approved by district voters.

In Barry County's Woodland township, voters passed a millage renewal for fire, cemetery, and township operations.  

Ionia County's Odessa township filled a vacant seat, electing Allan Baron II as a township Trustee.

Voters in various school districts and townships will go the polls on Tuesday, May 6 to decide on millage and bond issues as well as elect local trustees. 

Woodland  township has a millage renewal request to continue funding for fire, cemetery, and township operations.  A vacant seat on the Odessa township board of trustees is up for a vote with Allan Baron II  facing former board member Patricia Caudill.

In the Delton Kellogg school district voters are being asked to approve a $43 million bond proposal at the current millage rate. The bond money if approved would fund security improvements across the district, renovations, a new cafeteria, and other improvements for the old Elementary building, and floors, ceilings and new lighting for the Middle School, as well as investments in Career and Technical Education. New school busses, improvements to playgrounds, and upgrades to athletic facilities would also be funded if the bond passes.

The Lakewood Public School District is asking its’ voters to pass a $30.2 million bond proposal to fund a variety of upgrades and improvements to the three main school buildings. If passed, the district will replace or improve heating and cooling systems, renovate main entrances, fix or replace roofs, reconfigure classroom space, add a new playground at the Middle School and improve some of the athletic facilities. The Lakewood district also wants to close the old Woodland Elementary building that has served in recent years as an Early Childhood Center.

Caledonia Community Schools has a non-homestead millage renewal on the ballot to continue the 18 mill levy on non-homestead property that is required by the state in order to receive their full per-pupil funding, which makes up a large chunk of the districts' operating budget.

Polls on Tuesday will be open 7am to 8pm.

According to reports out of Detroit, a 22 year old man from the Plymouth area is in custody, accused of luring and kidnapping a 14 year old girl from Barry County into his home for immoral purposes.

Charles Willis is reportedly being held at the Wayne County Jail on a $1-million bond, charged with kidnapping, enticing a minor and criminal sexual conduct for luring the minor into his home in Northville Township.

Willis allegedly used Snapchat to convince the girl to meet him and bought her an Uber ride from Barry County to get there. Police believe he told the victim to hide out in his basement, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her for two days  before she escaped. The girl was recovered walking along a road near Northville, wrapped in a blanket. 

The Lake Odessa Police Department and Ionia County Sheriff's are still searching for clues as to the whereabouts of missing 18 year old Devlin Tait of Lake Odessa.  Tait was last seen on the morning of April 21 at Carl's Supermarket.  He was reportedly wearing a black zip-up sweatshirt and white tee-shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots and was believed to be traveling on foot when he disappeared.

The Sheriff's Office has said they have no evidence so far of any foul play in Devlin's dissapearance. The are asking anyone with tips or who might have seen Tait to contact the Ionia County Sheriff's Office or silent observer.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and Thursday, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson kicked off the Michigan Department of State’s (MDOS) annual “Look Twice, Save a Life” safety campaign.  

“As motorcyclists return to Michigan’s roads with the warmer weather, it’s a good time to remind every driver to take extra care and watch out for motorcycles,” Secretary Benson said. “Motorcycles can be hard to see, so remember to ‘Look Twice. Save a Life’. Staying alert and being aware will help keep us safe on the road all summer.” 

There are more than 610,000 licensed motorcyclists in Michigan. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning Michigan Traffic Crash Facts (MTCF) website reports 3,056 Michigan motorcycle crashes in 2023, of which 165 were fatal. Complete data, including crash statistics for each county, is also available at the MTCF website. 

According to MCTF, 84% of motorcycle crashes with another vehicle happen on busy streets, and most crashes with motorcyclists happen when vehicles are turning left. It is important for drivers to keep a watchful eye and to look twice before turning to reduce the chance of tragedy.  

Most crashes with motorcyclists happen on the weekends, Friday through Sunday.

Secretary Benson encourages drivers to remain vigilant by slowing down, double-checking blind spots, and avoiding distractions when behind the wheel.  

Funding for the “Look Twice. Save a Life.” campaign comes from the Motorcycle Safety and Education Awareness Fund, created by the Michigan Legislature in 2017. The fund is financed by $2.50 from each original motorcycle endorsement and $2 from each motorcycle endorsement renewal. 

Driving tips and more information about the campaign are available online at Michigan.gov/LookTwice. 

LANSING, Mich. – As Michigan continues to see peak pothole season, drivers across the state are once again facing costly vehicle damage caused by deteriorating roads. To raise awareness and push for action from state leaders, Fix MI State is continuing its ‘Pothole Payback’ contest into May, offering motorists a chance to receive compensation for repairs caused by Michigan’s crumbling infrastructure.

Following a strong launch in April the contest continues through the end of May, giving even more residents the opportunity to highlight the damage Michigan’s roads are causing.

Michigan residents can submit stories and photos of pothole-related vehicle damage for a chance to win cash toward repairs. Each month, up to five winners will be selected based on the severity of the damage, with each winner receiving up to $758, the average cost of vehicle repairs due to poor road conditions, as reported in the 2024 TRIP Report.

Michigan residents are encouraged to submit their pothole photos through the entry form provided by Fix MI State. Each month, the campaign will select up to five entries showing the most severe damage to receive financial assistance for repairs.

A nine-bill road funding package passed the Michigan House of Representatives in March, and industry experts, business and community leaders, and politicians on both sides of the aisle agree that the state must pass a long-term, equitable, and sustainable road funding plan before the end of this year.

The contest submission form with more information about rules and guidelines can be found at FixMiState.org/PotholePayback.