Man pleads guilty to larceny of church.

November 12, 2014
Man pleads guilty to larceny of church.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief. LUDINGTON — A 17-year-old Ludington man pleaded guilty to larceny of a church today in 51st Circuit Court. Marek Juergen Witkowski, of 633 Brigham, Plainwell, was arrested Sept. 26 by Ludington Police Dept. for the felonies of safe breaking and larceny. Safe breaking is punishable by a maximum of life in prison while larceny of a…

Read more »

Welcome to the world! Recent births.

November 12, 2014
Welcome to the world! Recent births.

Birth announcements are sponsored by ABC Kidz/Purple Monkey, 123 E. Ludington Ave. Check them out here on Facebook.  Welcome to the world! Anna Therese Jacobson, the daughter of Bridget and Brian Jacobson of Free Soil, was born Nov. 7, 2014 at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital. Milo John Marlan, the son of Kacey Maxwell and Michael Marlan of Ludington, was born Nov. 7,…

Read more »

Unwanted person, car/deer crashes occupy deputies’ activity.

November 12, 2014
Unwanted person, car/deer crashes occupy deputies’ activity.

The following was the activity of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office for Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014: 6:40 a.m.: Car/deer crash, no injuries, Reek and Johnson roads, Custer Twp. 8 a.m.: Car/deer crash, no injuries, Hansen and Meyers roads, Amber Twp. 1:24 p.m.: Gas drive off of $90.45, Scottville EZ Mart, 400 block of East U.S. 10, Custer Twp. 4:16 p.m.:…

Read more »

Barn, vehicles destroyed by fire.

November 11, 2014
Barn, vehicles destroyed by fire.

Video included. By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief.  RIVERTON TWP. — Cindy and Raul “Rudy” Lopez were watching television around 9 p.m. at their home at 3413 W. Anthony Rd. Tuesday night when they discovered the barn next to their home was on fire. “I was watching a movie and saw an orange glow outside,” Rudy said. “I thought at first it might…

Read more »

Former Ludington resident dies in Isabella County crash.

November 11, 2014

MT. PLEASANT — Louis Hanley, 56, died in a single-vehicle car crash southwest of Mt. Pleasant late Sunday, according to the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office. Hanley, who grew up in Ludington, was driving south on Winn road between Millbrook and Walton when his car crossed the center line, left the road and rolled over, Undersheriff John Tellis said in a press release. Hanley…

Read more »

Honoring those who served.

November 11, 2014
Honoring those who served.

SCOTTVILLE — Mason County Central Middle School students honored veterans this morning with the school’s annual Veterans Day service. The program took a hiatus last year but came back this year with much fanfare. The service included veterans and students speaking about veterans and their service to the country. It was organized by middle school teachers and students along with…

Read more »

Scottville man charged on 3 counts of CSC.

November 11, 2014
Scottville man charged on 3 counts of CSC.

RIVERTON TWP. — On Friday, Nov. 7, deputies from Mason County Sheriff’s Office and officers from Scottville Police Dept. arrested Javier Guzman-Bererra, 41, in the 3900 block of West Chauvez Rd. Guzman-Bererra was wanted on an outstanding warrant for criminal sexual conduct second degree. He was arraigned over the weekend in 79th District Court on three counts of CSC second degree…

Read more »

It’s almost firearm deer season!

November 10, 2014
It’s almost firearm deer season!

Outside the Walls, a blog written by Nick VanderWall, is sponsored by VanderHaag Car Sales, 1680 W. U.S. 10-31, Scottville; 231-757-2727; www.vanderhaagcarsales.com, Mason County’s premier car rental outlet and also Legends Taxidermy of Scottville; 231-757-9589; www.legendstaxidermy.com. It appears here on the second and fourth Monday of the month. We are less than a week away from the hunter’s holiday and…

Read more »

Maki re-elected Scottville mayor.

November 10, 2014
Maki re-elected Scottville mayor.

SCOTTVILLE — Richard Maki was re-elected mayor of Scottville Monday afternoon during the city commission’s organizational meeting. Scottville’s charter calls for the mayor and mayor pro-tem to be elected by the commissioners, rather than by the populous. Maki was first elected mayor in 2013 after the previous mayor, Joe Baxter, resigned. Jim Schiebner was elected mayor pro-tem. Maki also serves…

Read more »

10-year-old injured in car/deer crash.

November 10, 2014
10-year-old injured in car/deer crash.

PERE MARQUETTE TWP. — A 10-year-old Riverton Township girl received minor injuries after a deer ran into the vehicle she was riding in Monday about 4 p.m. The girl was riding in a Ford Taurus, driven by her 44-year-old mother, north on Pere Marquette Highway when a 4-point buck hit their vehicle just past the North U.S. 31 expressway offramp.…

Read more »

Franz named assistant speaker pro tempore of Michigan house

November 10, 2014
Franz named assistant speaker pro tempore of Michigan house

LANSING — State Rep. Ray Franz (101st District) has been selected as Assistant Speaker Pro-Tempore for the 2015-2016 legislative session of the Michigan House of Representatives. “I am honored to be selected by my peers to help lead the House next session as we work to continue Michigan’s comeback for families,” said Franz, R-Onekama.  “It’s important that our reform policies…

Read more »

Spectrum Ludington VP accepts CEO position in Montana

November 10, 2014
Spectrum Ludington VP accepts CEO position in Montana

LUDINGTON — Drew Dostal, who was promoted to vice president of operations at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital in Sept. 2013, left the hospital in October and accepted a position as CEO of a surgical center in Bozeman, Montana. Prior to being promoted to the vice president position, Dostal was director of surgical and ambulatory services at Memorial Medical Center of…

Read more »

Driver identified in Lake County crash.

November 10, 2014

WEBBER TWP. (Lake Co.) — Roy Putnam, 64, of Ludington, died Sunday morning as a result of a traffic crash on U.S. 10 about 8 miles east of the Mason County line. According to reports, the crash occurred about 10:30 a.m. near Peacock Trail, about 1 mile from the intersection of U.S. 10 and M-37. U.S. 10 between Tyndall Road (the…

Read more »

Ludington man dies in Lake County crash.

November 9, 2014

WEBBER TWP. (Lake Co.) — A Ludington man died Sunday morning as a result of a traffic crash on U.S. 10 about 8 miles east of the Mason County line. According to reports, the crash occurred about 10:30 a.m. near Peacock Trail, about 1 mile from the intersection of U.S. 10 and M-37. U.S. 10 between Tyndall Road (the Mason/Lake…

Read more »

Caritas Food Pantry, for the love of humankind.

November 8, 2014
Caritas Food Pantry, for the love of humankind.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief.  CUSTER — For the past 9 years, the joined parishes of St. Mary’s and St. Jerome’s Catholic churches have been operating a food pantry out of the now-closed St. Jerome’s Church in Scottville, more specifically out of the church’s rectory. However, the old facility had proven to be inefficient and non-handicap accessible. When Mason County Eastern…

Read more »

79th District Court arraignments.

November 7, 2014
79th District Court arraignments.

By Allison Scarbrough. Contributing Editor. LUDINGTON — The following were arraigned recently in front of the 79th District Court Magistrate: – Christine Marie Stafford, 51, of 2846 E. Madison Ave., Hart, was arrested Nov. 2 by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) for a misdemeanor of second-degree retail fraud. A pretrial is set for Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m. Bail:…

Read more »

79th District Court sentencings.

November 7, 2014
79th District Court sentencings.

By Allison Scarbrough. Contributing Editor. LUDINGTON — The following were sentenced recently in 79th District Court: – Dustin Thomas RJ Schanals, 20, of 10925 E. Haskell Lake Rd., Marion, was found guilty Nov. 3 of operating ORV – fleeing and eluding. He was sentenced to three days in jail and $480 in fines and costs. One count of fourth-degree fleeing…

Read more »

Firefighters help toddler stuck in box.

November 7, 2014

SUMMIT TWP. — Riverton Twp. firefighers are the heroes of a 2-year-old boy today. The fire department was called to a home on Pere Marquette Hwy. near Kistler Rd. about 9:50 a.m. Friday. The boy apparently had become stuck in a small plastic toy box. Riverton Twp. Fire Chief Joe Cooper said the boy had been standing up in the…

Read more »

Eats