News

Man sent to prison for Walmart shoplifting scheme

January 14, 2026

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor LUDINGTON — A 45-year-old man was sentenced to two concurrent prison terms of 18 months to 30 years in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Jan. 13, for two felony convictions of first-degree retail fraud. John Alex Humphrey II received credit for 175 days served in jail. He was ordered to pay a total of…

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Police news, published Jan. 14, 2026

January 14, 2026

The police news is a presentation of Smith & Eddy Insurance, serving west Michigan since 1902, smith-eddy.com. The following is Mason County Sheriff’s Office activity Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026: 7:30 a.m., car/deer crash, no injury, Fountain Road west of Stephens Road, Sherman Township. 7:49 a.m., car/deer crash, no injury, Quarterline Road north of Hoague Road, Grant Township. 1:56 p.m., car/deer…

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Historical society presents ‘The Nightmare on the Ship of Dreams’, a local perspective

January 13, 2026

It was called “the Ship of Dreams,” but for its 2,224 passengers and crew it became the ship of nightmares. The RMS Titanic was the largest ship ever built. Some even said it was unsinkable. On the fourth night of its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912 it struck an iceberg and sank, killing 1,635 people. Pop culture has often…

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Police news, published Jan. 13, 2026

January 13, 2026

The police news is a presentation of Smith & Eddy Insurance, serving west Michigan since 1902, smith-eddy.com. The following is recent police activity in Mason County: Monday, Jan. 12, 2026: 1:24 a.m., (Mason County Sheriff’s Office), one-vehicle rollover crash, no injury, Benson Road south of Hansen Road, Branch Township. 9:49 a.m., (MCSO), a 28-year-old Muskegon woman turned herself in to…

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Winter weather advisory issued in west Michigan

January 13, 2026

NWS: The greatest snow totals will be across Mason and Oceana counties. MASON COUNTY — Several west Michigan counties — including Mason and Oceana — are under a winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather service beginning at 4 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, until 7 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15. Up to 7 inches of accumulating snow is predicted with…

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