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[ "Mitchell Boatman" ]

[ "SAUGATUCK — The new nickname and mascot for Saugatuck Public Schools has been narrowed to three finalists.\nDuring the Monday, Jan. 18, SPS Board of Education meeting, the district’s rebranding committee presented, in alphabetical order: Lakers, Storm and Trailblazers as finalists.\nThe board will discuss the finalists during a workshop meeting Feb. 1 and a decision is expected during the board’s regular meeting Feb. 22.\nBoard members will analyze the options in relation to the position statement that was created to guide the process.\n\"The new Saugatuck Public Schools mascot will be locally relevant, relatable to both current students and alumni, and will portray a positive, uplifting image,\" the statement reads.\n\"This mascot will tell a story, inspire our students and community, and portray strength. The new mascot will not reference any groups of people or specific cultures.\"\nBoard members will be presented with student-created graphic concepts of the finalists during the workshop meeting. While the final design work will be done professionally, the student concepts are intended to help the board visualize the concepts.\n\"Selecting a new symbol of our schools is one of the most important undertakings this board has had,\" stated board member and mascot committee liaison Frank Marro in a press release.\n\"We have been thrilled with the level of engagement from the community in this process and look forward to arriving at a new identity for our district that captures the best of us.\"\nBoard members voted unanimously in August to stop using \"Indians\" as the school nickname and mascot, beginning a process to select a new one.\nThe board received 90 unique submissions from members of the community. The 90 suggestions were narrowed by the rebranding committee to 24 that fit the position statement.\nFrom there, eight contenders were identified through a community advisory group. Those eight were presented back to the whole community for a ranking of top choices, in which Lakers, Storm and Trailblazers emerged as the finalists.\nThe board has maintained throughout the process that orange and blue will remain the district colors and the block \"S\" logo will remain part of its \"visual identity.\"\n— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.", "Saugatuck schools mascot down to three finalists", "SAUGATUCK — The new nickname and mascot for Saugatuck Public Schools has been narrowed to three finalists.During the Monday, Jan. 18, SPS Board of Education meeting, the district’s rebranding committee presented, in alphabetical order: Lakers, Storm and Trailblazers as finalists.The board will discuss the finalists during a workshop meeting Feb. 1 and a decision is expected during the board’s regular meeting Feb. 22.Board members will analyze the options in relation to the" ]

[ "Evan Sasiela" ]

[ "IONIA — The total number of incidents the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office handled in 2020 decreased by nearly 1,000 from the previous year, according to the sheriff.\nThe Ionia County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 handled 7,160 incidents, which comprise a call for service and a filed report, said Sheriff Charlie Noll. It’s 995 less incidents for the sheriff’s office than in 2019, when it handled 8,155 cases.\nNoll believes the decrease in the number of incidents for the sheriff’s office can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March 2020. He said the more people stayed home, the less his office had to deal with. The effects of the pandemic also presented changes for the sheriff’s office, Noll said.\n\"We were still out there providing the best service we could for the county and for the citizens but under different circumstances — wearing masks, being more cautious and handling more calls over the phone than we normally would,\" Noll said. \"I’m a big proponent of sending people out and meeting face-to-face with the citizens and dealing with their issues. Based on some of the things we had to do, we had to change that a little bit. More complaints were handled over the phone than normal.\"\nThe Ionia County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 dealt with 74 assault cases, 45 breaking and entering cases, 52 child abuse or neglect cases, 140 domestic cases, 47 operating while intoxicated cases, 97 larcenies, 21 retail fraud cases and 58 drug crimes.\nThe office also had 27 resisting and obstructing arrests in 2020 and handled 29 suicides or attempted suicides. The department responded to 763 crashes in 2020 and dealt with 644 civil matters.\nThe Ionia County Sheriff’s Office investigated a home invasion and stabbing of two people last February in Hubbardston. Carl Harbenski was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison for first degree home invasion. The office is investigating a homicide case in September in Clarksville resulting in the death of Colton Sceviour, 2. Matthew Ryan Rademacher has been charged with homicide-felony murder and first-degree child abuse.\nDinar, the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office K-9, died in January 2020. Noll said a new K-9 completed training at the end of November. The office also modified its Shop With a Hero and Shop With a Cop events in December — distributing gift cards to children for the holidays due to the pandemic.\n\"There were a lot of things that have been normal as far as how our operations are but there are many things that are handled differently and a little slower as far getting things done because of some of the precautions that we have to take,\" Noll said.\nGoals for 2021 at the sheriff’s office is to continue to maintain staffing levels and continue with the protocols put in place, Noll said.\n\"Based on the overall picture, our biggest goal is to continue those safety measures and make sure we can provide the service to the citizens as best we can,\" he said.\nNoll also hopes to eventually return jail programs that were shut down due to COVID, including for substance abuse and West Michigan Works to help inmates find jobs.\n\"That’s going to be something on my plate that I want to get back and going,\" Noll said. \"At this point right now, we’re just not able to do that.\"\nThe sheriff’s office completed mandatory training in 2020, but Noll hopes to conduct some specialty training this year.\n\"I’ve got a very young staff and training’s been very hard to come by,\" he said. \"There is training online and we have done some of that but I do think in-person training is more beneficial than sitting at a computer.\"\n— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.", "Sheriff’s office incidents decreased by nearly 1,000 in 2020", "IONIA — The total number of incidents the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office handled in 2020 decreased by nearly 1,000 from the previous year, according to the sheriff.The Ionia County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 handled 7,160 incidents, which comprise a call for service and a filed report, said Sheriff Charlie Noll. It’s 995 less incidents for the sheriff’s office than in 2019, when it handled 8,155 cases.Noll believes the decrease in the number of incidents for the" ]

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[ "By Lynn Eckerle\nDear Lynn,\nPlease see if anyone has some good pancake recipes that would be good for supper or breakfast.\nJeff from Hastings\nJoan from Hillsdale created her recipe for Peanut Crunch Slaw. Kathy from Auburn says her favorite all-time salad is Pineapple Waldorf Salad. Lisa from Lapeer sent in her low-carb recipe for Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing.\nPEANUT CRUNCH SLAW\n4 c shredded cabbage\n1 c sliced celery\n1/4 c sliced green onion\n1/4 c diced green pepper\n1/2 c diced cucumber\n1/2 c sour cream\n1/2 c mayonnaise\n1 t salt\n1 T butter\n1/2 c salted peanuts, chopped\n2 T grated Parmesan cheese\nDIRECTIONS: Toss cabbage, celery, green onion, green pepper and cucumber together in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Meanwhile, to make dressing, mix sour cream, mayonnaise and salt together. Just before serving, melt butter in a small skillet. Add peanuts and heat until lightly browned. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat. Toss cabbage mixture with dressing and sprinkle peanuts over top.\nPINEAPPLE WALDORF SALAD\n1 1/2 c diced red apples\n1 T lemon juice\n1 1/2 c diced celery\n3/4 c chopped walnuts\n1-8 oz can pineapple chunks, well drained\nMayonnaise\nMixed salad greens\nDIRECTIONS: Place diced apples in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add celery, walnuts and pineapple. Cut pineapple chunks in half if too large. Add just enough mayonnaise to bind and toss lightly to evenly coat. Cover and chill. Serve on a bed of salad greens.\nSPINACH SALAD WITH HOT BACON DRESSING\n12 slices of bacon\n1/4 c plus 2 T bacon grease\n1/2 c plus 1 T vinegar\n1 T water\n3 egg yolks, lightly beaten\n3 t flour\n1/4 c plus 2 T sour cream\n1/2 t salt\n2 T sugar\n2-10 oz pkgs fresh spinach\nDIRECTIONS: Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Fry and drain reserving grease. Measure bacon grease and return to frying pan. Add vinegar, water and egg yolks. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until thickened. Add sour cream, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle bacon over spinach. Pour hot dressing over all and serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.\nStop by for a visit on Lynn’s blog, Lynn’s Musings From a Deep Well at www.lseckerle.wordpress.com. Send recipes and requests to The Recipe Exchange at [email protected].", "Sharing some favorite salad recipes", "By Lynn EckerleDear Lynn,Please see if anyone has some good pancake recipes that would be good for supper or breakfast.Jeff from HastingsJoan from Hillsdale created her recipe for Peanut Crunch Slaw. Kathy from Auburn says her favorite all-time salad is Pineapple Waldorf Salad. Lisa from Lapeer sent in her low-carb recipe for Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing.PEANUT CRUNCH SLAW4 c shredded cabbage1 c sliced celery1/4 c sliced green onion1/4 c diced green pepper1/2 c diced cucumber1/2 c" ]

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[ "Beryl K. Preketes trust estate\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nNOTICE TO CREDITORS\nTRUST ESTATE\nTO ALL CREDITORS:\nThe Settlor, BERYL K. PREKETES (date of birth) 11-27-1923, who lived at 7515 SECOR RD., LAMBERTVILLE, MICHIGAN, died 12-30-2020. There is no personal representative of the settlor’s estate to whom Letters of Administration have been issued. Creditors of the decedent are notified that all CLAIMS against the BERYL K. PREKETES REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST dated, 10-13-2004, as amended, will be forever banned unless presented to PAUL N. PREKETES, Successor Trustee, within four months after the date of publication.\nNotice is further given that the Trust will thereafter be assigned and distributed to the persons entitled to it.\nDated: 1-26-2021\nPaul N. Preketes\nPaul N. Preketes\nSuccessor Trustee\n15820 Catalpa Cove Dr.\nFort Myers, FL 33908\n248-877-5800\nJANUARY 30, 2021", "Beryl K. Preketes trust estate" ]

[ "Evan Sasiela" ]

[ "IONIA — The first meeting of 2021 for the Ionia County Board of Commissioners set the organizational structure for the year.\nDistrict One Commissioner David Hodges was reelected as chair of the Ionia County Board of Commissioners, while District Two Commissioner Larry Tiejema was reappointed as vice chair.\nThey were reelected in unanimous 7-0 votes Tuesday, Jan. 12, during the county board’s organizational meeting on Zoom.\nIonia County Clerk Greg Geiger presided over the meeting until Hodges’ reelection, per state law.\nTiejema nominated Hodges to again serve as chair, with District Six Commissioner Jack Shattuck and District Seven Commissioner Georgia Sharp also praising his work.\n\"I want to thank the board for trusting in me for another year. But the way I look at it, this board is obviously not a one-person board,\" Hodges said. \"It functions very well together as a whole. You make my job much easier.\"\nShattuck nominated Tiejema to again serve as vice chair, with support from District Five Commissioner Scott Wirtz.\nThe board again will meet at 3 p.m. the second and third Tuesdays of each month and at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of the month.\n\"We’ve had a lot of discussion about moving all our meetings to evenings but we had to explain to people a lot of us on the board also attend township and city council meetings on Tuesday nights where unfortunately they start at (7 p.m.), too,\" Hodges said. \"That’s where (3 p.m.) meetings are beneficial to everybody.\"\nCommissioners spent most of the meeting deciding who will serve on various committees and boards. The board voted to appoint two commissioners to the Road Advisory Board — Tiejema and Shattuck — with Wirtz stepping aside.\nHodges told commissioners this year he wants to work on the county’s strategic plan.\n\"We haven’t chipped away a lot on it,\" Hodges said. \"There may be some additions we may want to add.\"\nHodges added he wants the county’s Personnel Committee — comprising Wirtz, Sharp and Tiejema — to review Ionia County Administrator Stephanie Fox in April.\nThe meeting marked the first for District Four Commissioner Ally Cook, who won in the November 2020 election. She replaces former Commissioner Chris Bredice. Cook is the lone Democrat on the board.\n\"I’m just really glad to be here and looking forward to working with all of you,\" Cook said.\n— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.", "Ionia County board hosts 2021 organizational meeting", "IONIA — The first meeting of 2021 for the Ionia County Board of Commissioners set the organizational structure for the year.District One Commissioner David Hodges was reelected as chair of the Ionia County Board of Commissioners, while District Two Commissioner Larry Tiejema was reappointed as vice chair.They were reelected in unanimous 7-0 votes Tuesday, Jan. 12, during the county board’s organizational meeting on Zoom.Ionia County Clerk Greg Geiger presided over the meeting until" ]

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[ "What have we learned from 2020 – a year like no other?\nWe learned we are better when working together, putting politics aside to face challenges and solve problems.\nWe learned that even in a year of unfathomable loss, there also is accomplishment. And, above all, we learned there is hope for a brighter future.\nCOVID-19 won’t defeat Lenawee County. Our families, friends and neighbors are too strong to let that happen. Our community has risen to every challenge – it’s clear as we look back on this past year and look ahead to a better 2021. Your courage, perseverance and care for each other inspire me as I continue to work as your representative in the Michigan House – promoting the Lenawee values of honesty, common sense and hard work.\nAs soon as the virus hit, my colleagues and I began fighting for you. The Legislature has appropriated more than $6 billion for COVID-19 response from all sources –state and federal – since this pandemic began.\nWe started with investments in March to ramp up testing and help hospitals and communities respond quickly to the virus. These investments continued throughout the year, including a recent measure that the governor accepted in part and rejected in part. Investments were approved to support small businesses, boost vaccine distribution efforts, and support direct care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. But the governor inexplicably vetoed an appropriation that would have permitted a six-week extension of unemployment benefits that Michigan families desperately need.\nThe measure, as signed by the governor, does include additional support to boost virus testing efforts – with a special focus on nursing homes.\nA third of the more than 12,000 Michiganders who have died from COVID-19 lived in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. That’s why I fought to change the governor’s reckless policies that were needlessly endangering lives.\nA reform approved by the Legislature in mid-December will streamline the approval process for care centers where elderly COVID-19 patients who don’t require hospitalization can comfortably recover – without exposing healthy nursing home residents to the virus.\nWhile I acknowledge Gov. Whitmer faced unprecedented and unexpected challenges, I have had disagreements with her during this pandemic. We have proven our state response is at its best when she’s listening to the people and working as a partner with the Legislature – not going her own way.\nWe are all in this together – each and every Michigander. That is why our mission must be to protect both lives and livelihoods, while we rebuild a healthy economy. We can and must resume our daily lives safely and sensibly.\nCOVID-19 rightfully dominated discussion at the state Capitol in 2020, but there were other important accomplishments that will make Michigan an even better place to live, work and raise a family for years to come.\nOur effort to reform car insurance already is paying dividends for Michigan drivers. The per-vehicle assessment from the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association was $220 before the Legislature approved changes in 2019. In July 2021, the rate will have dropped all the way to $86 per vehicle. The lower MCCA fee comes on top of guaranteed rate reductions written into state law through the 2019 reforms.\n2020 will also be remembered for criminal justice reform. Many low-level, non-violent crimes will be erased from the records of rehabilitated Michigan residents – giving them new opportunities to provide for their families. Many of these reforms are signed into law already, and other measures I sponsor – eliminating license suspensions for violations unrelated to dangerous driving, and reclassifying low-level traffic misdemeanors as civil infractions – await the governor’s signature.\nI also continued important work to prevent human trafficking, support our most vulnerable, and add to record financial support for our schools.\nIt’s a privilege to be part of such a caring community and to be your voice at the state Capitol. When people lay their head on the pillow at the end of a long day, they want to know they are safe. They want to know they have financial security and opportunities to realize the good life freedom makes possible.\nThat will continue to be my mission in 2021.\nBronna Kahle represents District 57, which includes Lenawee County.", "Rep. Kahle: Working together for better days ahead", "What have we learned from 2020 – a year like no other?We learned we are better when working together, putting politics aside to face challenges and solve problems.We learned that even in a year of unfathomable loss, there also is accomplishment. And, above all, we learned there is hope for a brighter future.COVID-19 won’t defeat Lenawee County. Our families, friends and neighbors are too strong to let that happen. Our community has risen to every challenge – it’s clear" ]

[ "Mitchell Boatman" ]

[ "HOLLAND — For the second time this school year, Holland High School was added to the state’s School-Related Outbreak Reporting on Monday, Jan. 11.\nThe outbreak at Holland High involves just two cases of COVID-19, according to the district and the state website.\nThis is the second consecutive week a local school has been added to the report, after Zeeland’s Lincoln Elementary was added with a pair of cases last week.\nHolland Public Schools posted Friday afternoon that HHS would be added to the report, stating that there was one student and one staff case linked through an exposure at school in December.\nIn the update Friday, HPS reported nine active cases in the district, all students. Seven of those cases were at HHS and two were at Holland Heights Elementary. There have been 68 student and 33 staff cases this year in the district.\nWest Ottawa updated its COVID-19 dashboard Monday for the first time since Dec. 21. The update showed 18 current cases among students and two among staff members. Eight of the cases were at West Ottawa High School and six at Harbor Lights Middle School.\nThere have been a total of 136 student COVID-19 cases at WOPS this year.\nHolland Christian updated its case numbers Monday and reported five active cases — four students and one staff member. There have now been a total of 54 student and 15 staff member cases at Holland Christian.\nIn an update Sunday, Zeeland Public Schools reported 18 active cases, bringing the school year total to 103. There were 137 people in quarantine in the district according to the update.\nFennville Public Schools, which returned to in-person learning Monday, reported two student cases and one staff case in a Jan. 8 update. There have been 49 student and 15 staff cases at FPS this year.\n— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.", "Holland High added to outbreak report", "HOLLAND — For the second time this school year, Holland High School was added to the state’s School-Related Outbreak Reporting on Monday, Jan. 11.The outbreak at Holland High involves just two cases of COVID-19, according to the district and the state website.This is the second consecutive week a local school has been added to the report, after Zeeland’s Lincoln Elementary was added with a pair of cases last week.Holland Public Schools posted Friday afternoon that HHS would be" ]

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[ "The Bedford Township Fire Department is now accepting applications for part-time firefighter/ EMTs and part-time firefighter/paramedics to start this spring.\nThe Bedford Township Fire Department is now accepting applications from Bedford Township residents for part-time firefighter/EMTs and part-time firefighter/paramedics to start this spring.\nRate of pay is between $16.50 and $18.50 an hour depending on qualifications.\nAll applicants must have State of Michigan Firefighter II and State of Michigan EMT or Paramedic licenses. Training will be provided to successful candidates upon hire.\nApplications are due by Jan.14 and can be obtained online at www.bedfordmi.org or by emailing Doug Steinman at [email protected].", "Bedford Fire Department accepting applications" ]

[ "Charlene Peters More Content Now" ]

[ "Barely 10 miles from the Continental Divide and a spectacular 8,000 feet above sea level, my travel pal Maureen and I drove north along the Roaring Fork River, stunned by the breathtaking scenery as we passed trails of evergreens and spied numerous snow-dusted peaks. The best of the Rocky Mountains’ Sawatch and Elk ranges can be enjoyed on this ride to Aspen, Colorado, a former silver mine camp and mountainous town better known today as a ski resort destination. Its namesake hails from the distinctive, golden-leafed Aspen trees that blanket millions of acres in these high elevations.\nAspen’s posh, you-have-arrived resort vibe is evident the minute you pull into town. It’s no wonder the place lures the well-heeled and often famous. This is clearly a town for all seasons, but not for all pocketbooks. The downtown shops are lined with storefronts that include Gucci, Prada, Dior and Ralph Lauren, but also available is regionally produced western wear for those who prefer high-end cowboy boots and animal hides.\nWe allotted an entire afternoon to take in the sights of beautiful Aspen, although one could easily spend several more. It wasn’t quite ski season, so we headed to the famed Maroon Bells mountain peaks, the most photographed in the country. Unfortunately, social distancing measures and mandatory pre-ordered tickets thwarted our efforts to stop in for a peek. Instead, we stopped to view the John Denver Sanctuary, a sweet tribute to the Aspen native and dearly beloved activist/crooner who perished in an aircraft crash over 20 years ago. The area boasts a large wildflower garden, wetlands, trails, streams and rocks with classic John Denver lyrics etched on them. It’s a lovely space for meditation.\nThe rest of the afternoon was spent strolling the downtown shopping scene. These walkable few blocks are nestled at the bottom of the ski mountains; one can watch the slope-side action from any viewpoint, and you can stop for sustenance at countless outdoor restaurants thoughtfully heated by propane heat lamps.\nThe French Alpine Bistro looked especially promising, with cozy shearling coverings on its outside chairs. Perusing the wine and beer list, we took a pass on the $1,300 bottle of Cristal and opted for a local microbrew. We split the signature Umami Bistro Burger, which was crowned with Alpine cheese and black truffle aioli but seemed somewhat meager in size, given its $32 price tag.\nOur digs for these few days were at The Limelight, a spacious and welcoming hotel a few minutes’ walk from the center of town and near the Aspen Art Museum. It’s pet-friendly, has a roster of activities and amenities, and its expansive lobby is ideal for social distancing. Its sister property is in Ketchum, Idaho, but this location has a colorful history that began as a hangout for Wild West outlaws and ski buffs when it was known as the Ski and Spur Bar. It was purchased by folk singer Glenn Yarborough in 1950 and celebrity singers Judy Collins and The Smothers Brothers performed in its nightclub for the next dozen years. It was then sold to a family who lovingly grew and improved it over 50 years until it became part of a corporate family in the 21st century.\nWe settled ourselves on sofas set before a roaring fireplace and ordered cocktails and superb truffle fries that came with a mysteriously addictive dipping sauce. When asked, “What’s in this magic elixir?” our server handily provided the recipe: simply garlic, chopped parsley, EVOO, salt and pepper.\nNext, over a bottle of excellent Rhone wine, I delved into The Limelight’s unique version of chicken piccata with house-made pasta ribbons tossed with bite-sized chunks of chicken and delicately torn sheets of prosciutto — all under an avalanche of Parmesan cheese. There was a chill in the air, so a fresh baked cookie served in a miniature cast iron pan seemed an ideal dessert.\nChilly winds during our last evening in Aspen brought us right back to The Limelight Lounge, where we gravitated to its blazing outdoor firepit. Aaah, much better. After another local microbrew — did you know Colorado has 500 breweries, five of which are in Aspen? — we craved some food, and the Rosemary Margarita Pizza fresh out of the stone oven in the Limelight hit the proverbial spot.\nWhen we departed the next morning, I felt some regret that I hadn’t visited all that I’d hoped to — especially those Maroon Bells. But I look forward to retracing this route through the magnificent Rockies another time.\nCharlene Peters is a longtime travel writer who recently published her first book of travel stories, “Travel Makes Me Hungry.” Email [email protected].", "Rocky Mountain highs: Aspen is peak ski resort luxury", "Barely 10 miles from the Continental Divide and a spectacular 8,000 feet above sea level, my travel pal Maureen and I drove north along the Roaring Fork River, stunned by the breathtaking scenery as we passed trails of evergreens and spied numerous snow-dusted peaks. The best of the Rocky Mountains’ Sawatch and Elk ranges can be enjoyed on this ride to Aspen, Colorado, a former silver mine camp and mountainous town better known today as a ski resort destination. Its namesake hails from" ]

[ "Caitlin Taylor Boron" ]

[ "All learning labs, the in-person arrangement at Monroe Public Schools, will resume Tuesday in response to a decrease in COVID-19 cases.\nMonroe Public Schools will resume in-person learning labs on Tuesday and gradually reintroduce a more traditional school routine after several weeks of remote learning prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.\nAll learning labs, the district’s in-person learning model, initially were suspended through today, but will resume Tuesday following a decrease in positive virus cases in Monroe County, according to Supt. Julie Everly. Winter sports also will resume.\nThe district remains closed today, Monday, Jan. 18, in observation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.\n“Monroe Public Schools is very eager to safely welcome students back to increased in-person instruction,” Everly said in a statement to the community. “Given that public health conditions continue to improve, we will incrementally transition back to more familiar school routines while maintaining choices for families.”\nLocal COVID-19 cases appear to mostly be declining, with 65 new cases reported Thursday and 40 on Friday, according to the Monroe County Health Department. That’s a stark contrast from the county’s daily record high of 211 new cases reported by the county Nov. 23.\nMichigan K-12 educators and other childcare providers included in Phase 1b of inoculations also became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine effective Jan. 11, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she expects will reduce virus outbreaks in schools.\nWith the decrease in local cases and new vaccine eligibility, the health department and ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital advised that it would be safe to return students to school, Everly explained, so long as other mitigation efforts, such as social distancing and masks, continue to be followed among students.\nBoys and girls basketball and bowling, competitive cheer, boys swimming, gymnastics and ice hockey also may resume, she said.\nTuesday will mark the district’s first attempt at resuming in-person learning and athletics since it suspended most operations Nov. 9.\nAs new case numbers climbed late last year, other local districts also transitioned to fully-remote learning, with the state ordering all high schools to pause in-person instruction Nov. 18 and keeping the ban through mid-December.\n“Providing students with the best educational opportunities while ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment is the highest priority in Monroe Public Schools,” Everly said. “Throughout the pandemic, we have been carefully monitoring local health data ...\n“As we look back, the data makes it clear that we have made the best choices to protect our school community.”\nAs part of the district’s mitigation strategy, Monroe Public Schools began the 2020-21 school year with three academic options: self-paced virtual learning (virtual academy); remote learning with teacher instruction; and socially-distanced learning labs which used a cohort model to limit virus exposure.\nThere were more than 1,000 students enrolled in learning labs as of late last year, according to previous district reports.\nPrior to halting in-person school, learning lab students underwent daily temperature checks, sanitized before entering school buildings and were asked to keep eight feet of social distance from their peers, mitigation strategies that are expected to remain in place as students return to school this week.\nIn previous cases of COVID-positive students or staff, affected buildings were disinfected, families from affected learning labs were notified and contact tracing began to identify possible exposure.\n“Please continue your vigilance in following the mitigation strategies,” Everly said. “It is because of the hard work of this community that we are able to look forward to these next steps.”\n***\nMonroe Public Schools regularly updates the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, which includes active and past COVID-19 cases, at monroe.k12.mi.us/District/Portal/covid-19-information.\nAll school-related outbreak reporting of two or more positive COVID-19 cases is documented at Michigan.gov/coronavirus.\nMany other local districts also have building-specific numbers available on their respective websites.", "Monroe schools to resume in-person learning" ]

[ "Anna Liz Nichols Associated Press Report For America" ]

[ "LANSING — Michigan survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families will have an added level of privacy through a confidentiality measure signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.\nThe act, which had bipartisan support, allows victims of crimes and their children to apply for identification numbers and substitute addresses with assigned post office boxes for the state to mail state documents and items such as driver's licenses. Those who apply to be a part of the program will be sent new state ID cards with a state post office box listed so participants' residential addresses are not listed.\nA participant's program ID number will be listed instead of an address in the state's Qualified Voter File and their address will be protected from Freedom of Information Act requests.\nSchools will be prohibited from disclosing participants' and their children's addresses.\nThose interested in participating must send an application to the state attorney general's office. A written statement of risk if a person's address is disclosed is required, but no criminal conviction is necessary to prove that risk.\nWhitmer signed the legislation before the new year.\nOne of the legislation sponsors, Rep. Kristy Pagan, said in a news release that offering survivors the opportunity to protect their privacy will help prevent further abuse after experiencing trauma.\n\"Michigan now joins the dozens of other states that allow survivors to keep their addresses confidential from their abusers,\" the Canton Democrat said. \"The (law) will help offer survivors in Michigan the peace of mind they deserve as we head into the new year.\"", "Whitmer signs law to protect victims’ privacy", "LANSING — Michigan survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families will have an added level of privacy through a confidentiality measure signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.The act, which had bipartisan support, allows victims of crimes and their children to apply for identification numbers and substitute addresses with assigned post office boxes for the state to mail state documents and items such as driver's licenses. Those who apply to be a part of the program will be" ]

[ "Amy Dickinson" ]

[ "Dear Readers: To mark and celebrate the start of a new year, I’m including some recent reader responses that I have found particularly touching, wise, and useful. I learn so much from my readers!\nI sincerely hope that the year 2021 is one of peace, health, and goodwill to all. We could all use a break.\nDear Amy: Your literacy campaign to put \"A Book on Every Bed\" really touched my heart.\nI am a retired teacher of 38 years and the greatest accomplishment of my teaching career was reading to my students every day.\nThe children would immediately quiet down and sit in their seats because they didn’t want to miss a word. It was magical!\nThe best crowd control and discipline is a good book.\nI taught special needs children, first, third, and fourth grade during my career, and a good book never failed.\nI also read to my own three children almost every night through their elementary years. Now that they are in their thirties, they have often said that these were some of their favorite childhood memories.\nThank you so much for raising awareness about the power of books. — A Life-long Reader\nDear Reader: This is beautiful!\nDear Amy: Here’s a suggestion for children who feel their parents prefer one of their siblings over them.\nI remember as a 13-year-old once telling my dad that I felt that he treated me differently than my younger siblings.\nThis was his response: \"You are absolutely right. I do treat you differently and I realize that sometimes it may seem like I expect more from you than I do your sister or brother. That's because you have different skills, talents and needs than they do. In some areas, you are stronger and more capable than your siblings, and in other areas your siblings are. And you may not notice when I try to help you through those. But I do not love you any less and you are just as important to me.\"\nEven more capable, successful and financially comfortable children need to hear that they are equally loved by their parents. — Loving Daughter (and Loved) Big Sister\nDear Daughter: Dad was wise.\nDear Amy: A reader complained about being left to clean up alone after Thanksgiving.\nMy family handles it in a way that’s fun and fair.\nBefore dinner, each guest draws a folded piece of paper from a jar with a clean-up chore written on it. There are two identical papers for each job. (Clear table, rinse dishes, put away leftovers, etc.)\nWhen dinner is finished you find the person who has the same job as yourself and complete it together.\nIt’s actually great fun because you are usually with someone you haven’t had a \"working relationship\" with.\nLots of laughing and casual conversation takes place over each segment of clean up. And the person who hosted does NOT set foot in the kitchen until it’s all spic and span. — We \"Clean up\" Well\nDear We: \"Gamifying\" chores makes you forget that they are chores. This is genius.\nDear Amy: We tried your suggestion for asking for help from family at holiday meals. We lived in Yosemite and our large family (seven young adult kids and assorted friends, plus in-laws), and as chief cook and bottlewasher I was ready to literally take a hike.\nMy husband solved the problem by creating a list of all the chores involved in meal prep and cleanup and then had people sign up. It worked.\nEveryone knew what they were supposed to do, and my husband did the supervising, leaving me free to enjoy another glass of wine. — Ann\nDear Ann: Yosemite?! I’d gladly hike over to your house for the holidays.\nDear Amy: My partner of 28 years and I have shared expenses most of the time we've been together, even though we've maintained our own separate bank accounts.\nShe pays the bills, and we settle up once a month. Almost since the beginning we've kept a record of expenditures in a little bound ledger book.\nAt the end of the month, we total up the book and I write her a check for my part.\nThis has been very handy because we've often had children or grandchildren living with us and the percentage of the split has changed from time to time.\nIt has worked well for us and I highly recommend it. — Tom\nDear Tom: This works when you are both organized and cooperative, which you obviously are.\n— Amy Dickinson is a Tribune Media Service national columnist. Send questions via email to [email protected] or by mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068.", "Ask Amy: Wisdom from readers starts the year off right", "Dear Readers: To mark and celebrate the start of a new year, I’m including some recent reader responses that I have found particularly touching, wise, and useful. I learn so much from my readers!I sincerely hope that the year 2021 is one of peace, health, and goodwill to all. We could all use a break.Dear Amy: Your literacy campaign to put \"A Book on Every Bed\" really touched my heart.I am a retired teacher of 38 years and the greatest accomplishment of my teaching career was reading to" ]

[ "Dean Cousino", "Dean Cousino Monroe News Staff Reporter" ]

[ "Apex Clean Energy, which is planning to build the Azalia Solar Energy farm in London and Milan townships, is launching a program to support public health, economic development, sustainability and education.\nApex Clean Energy, which is planning to build the Azalia Solar Energy farm in London and Milan townships, is launching a program to support public health, economic development, sustainability and education.\nThe Azalia Solar Community Grant Program will award funds to organizations and projects supporting residents throughout the Greater Milan area, according to Brian O'Shea, Public Engagement Manager with Apex Clean Energy.\nGrants will be awarded on a quarterly basis throughout 2021 with up to $4,000 available per funding cycle.\nApplicants should be non-profit organizations that are making an impact in four listed focus areas.\nWhen to apply for a grant\nThe application period for the first round of community grants will close Feb. 28, although grants may be awarded prior to that date based on need.\nWhile not all applicants will receive support in the program’s first cycle, priority will be given to grants that demonstrate meaningful ways of achieving their stated objective and make a positive difference in the lives of the greatest number of area residents, O’Shea said.\nTo apply, visit azaliasolar.com/grant or call 294-5659 with questions.\nCommunity organizations and Milan-area residents are encouraged to apply, he said.\nGrants will be available to any individual, group or organization servicing people in the City of Milan and Milan and London townships to make a positive difference in one or more of the following areas:\nBuilding healthy communities – Programs that support public health, good government, open communication, citizen resources or enhance the quality of life in the community.\nEconomic development – Programs encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit and serving as a catalyst for economic opportunity and development within the community.\nEnvironmental sustainability – Programs that possess a strong link to environmental revitalization, sustainability or education; empower residents to be stewards of the environment or encourage partnerships to address environmental concerns and sustainability.\nPromoting education – Programs that support educational institutions, the advancement of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and vocational training programs. This may include curriculum development, literacy, school readiness and other initiatives that help students grow into young leaders.\n“These four categories align with the core values of Apex Clean Energy,” he said.\nProject goals\nOne of the primary goals of the Azalia Solar project is to be a “strong community partner and establish long-term relationships with residents and community organizations in Milan and London townships and the broader Monroe County community,” O’Shea said in a press release.\n“At a time when many residents and businesses are struggling and community organizations are seeing an increased need for supportive services, the Community Grant Program will enable Azalia Solar to immediately contribute toward pressing community needs and make a meaningful impact.”\nHe said Azalia Solar will be a “long-term fixture in the area, and we plan to be a long-term community partner” in both townships and the Milan community.\n“We hope that these funds will help community organizations make a direct impact for those with immediate needs while also investing in projects that help strengthen the region for the future,” the manager said.\nAbout the solar farm\nA project of Apex Clean Energy, Azalia Solar is a proposed utility-scale solar energy project that is expected to have the capacity to generate up to 150 megawatts of homegrown-Michigan clean energy, enough to power close to 26,000 American homes while diversifying the local economy and supporting jobs in the community, O’Shea said.\nSituated in Milan and London townships, the location has access to existing transmission lines on open private land and is highly suitable for a solar energy project.\nIf approved by the townships, the project would create tens of millions of dollars in construction spending and millions of dollars in personal property tax payments to township governments, local school districts and the county over the 30-plus-year lifetime of the project, he said.\n“We are still in what I would call the preliminary conceptual design phase of the project, which includes working with interested landowners, studying the land (wetland delineations, geology, etc.), and identifying areas that would be appropriate for solar panels,” he said in an email Wednesday.\nFor more information, visit AzaliaSolar.com.", "Solar energy project launching grant program" ]

[ "Susan Tompor", "Detroit Free Press" ]

[ "Anyone who is looking to pay bills and get a tax refund in early February is out of luck. Expect some significant delays.\nThe Internal Revenue Service announced Friday that it is going to only begin processing 2020 income tax returns as of Feb. 12. The Feb. 12 delay is about three or four weeks later than the usual kickoff for the tax season, which often begins in late January.\nThe tax season was likely to be delayed, given the latest stimulus rollout and tax rule changes that took place in late December.\nSuch a delay will impact those who depend on the Earned Income Tax Credit, too.\nThe IRS noted online earlier this year that the EITC refund can be expected \"as soon as the first week of March if you file your return online, you choose to get your refund by direct deposit and we found no issues with your return.\"\nTypically, many of those tax filers had received money in late February.\nThe IRS confirmed that it will process the 2020 tax returns beginning on Feb. 12. People can still prepare and file returns electronically but the IRS isn't going to move the returns through the system until much later than usual.\nAnd that means you won't get your tax refund as quickly as last year.\nThe IRS blamed additional programming and testing of the IRS tax systems \"following the Dec. 27 tax law changes that provided a second round of Economic Impact Payments and other benefits.\"\nSeveral important tax changes were made late in the year, including how the Earned Income Tax Credit could be calculated. The economic relief package, passed by Congress in late December, also provided a second round of Economic Impact Payments — which the IRS has been rolling out in January.\nTax filers continue to complain this week that they are not seeing their stimulus checks quickly, though millions of consumers already have received their money.\n\"This programming work is critical to ensuring IRS systems run smoothly,\" the IRS said.\nThe IRS said more trouble would take place if the season wasn't delayed.\n\"If filing season were opened without the correct programming in place, then there could be a delay in issuing refunds to taxpayers,\" the IRS said.\n\"These changes ensure that eligible people will receive any remaining stimulus money as a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 tax return.\"\nTaxpayers are urged to file electronically to avoid the massive troubles that took place last year when mailed returns sat in truck trailers and could not be processed during the pandemic.\n\"Given the pandemic, this is one of the nation’s most important filing seasons ever,\" said said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in a statement.\n\"This start date will ensure that people get their needed tax refunds quickly while also making sure they receive any remaining stimulus payments they are eligible for as quickly as possible.\"\nThe IRS said last year’s average tax refund was more than $2,500. More than 150 million tax returns are expected to be filed this year, with the vast majority before the Thursday, April 15 deadline.\n— Contact Susan Tompor via [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @tompor.", "Tax returns won't come as quickly this year. Here's why.", "Anyone who is looking to pay bills and get a tax refund in early February is out of luck. Expect some significant delays.The Internal Revenue Service announced Friday that it is going to only begin processing 2020 income tax returns as of Feb. 12. The Feb. 12 delay is about three or four weeks later than the usual kickoff for the tax season, which often begins in late January.The tax season was likely to be delayed, given the latest stimulus rollout and tax rule changes that took place in late" ]

[ "Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now" ]

[ "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.\n*****\nParents’ wish to protect children from exposure to certain material has become a more pressing issue in today’s world of the internet and cable television. The anthropologist Margaret Mead, once said that when she was growing up her mother censored Horatio Alger stories because the grammar was bad. She used to read the prohibited material under the quilt at night with a flashlight.\nMead’s point was that children will always find a way to subvert adult rules, but that is far different than a newsstand displaying magazines with sexual material on its covers that children passed on their way to school. The distinction she made was that in one instance a parent’s values are made clear, in the other society seemingly gives approval to those kinds of displays.\nThis issue has become even more pressing as a result of the mob assault on congress by those seeking to stop a legal certification of the new president. In the days since, investigators have identified many who are guilty of breaking laws and using violence to threaten physical harm to those in authority whom they blame for upholding laws against which they rebel.\nThe controversy about this brings to mind the question parents face about setting limits on children’s behavior. Often the issue becomes one of parental authority, concern about enforcing limits that have been set, how to do this and whether failure to do so will diminish parents’ authority. This is just the point made now about the need to hold those breaking laws accountable for their behavior.\nMead’s point about conflicts between parental values and society’s seeming approval of certain behavior has relevance here because of just this question. There are those in authority who justify or diminish the gravity of the assault in defense of an opposing point of view. Legal authorities, however, clearly define the law-breaking aspect of the behavior in question.\nThe question becomes more intense when safety issues are involved. Little children will often reach for that which is beyond their grasp with limited understanding of the dangers parents perceive, requiring parents to intervene physically.\nThe situation is more complicated when children get older and rebel, disagreeing with the parental assessment of danger in what they want to do but are beyond the kind of physical control that was appropriate when small. Parents often consider the threat of punishments as a means to limit behavior.\nA familiar outcome is parents setting limits on children’s plans and children seeming to accept the rules then finding ways to circumvent the parental limits. An example is a child being told to return home at a certain time which then doesn’t happen, followed by a range of excuses such as the bus was late, impossible to call.\nChildren’s evasive behavior in response to parental limit setting is part of the normal process of growing up, spreading one’s wings and testing the parameters of independent functioning. Children pushing back is part of a process that ultimately leads to independence.\nThrough this process children are learning parent’s values even when they seem to be ignoring them. While seeming to rebel, they nevertheless internalize the standards for behavior that are being set and hopefully, at some point those standards will become their own.\nThose involved in the assault on Congress were adults with standards for behavior justifying violence and law breaking as an expression of rebellion. It is such extreme forms of rebellious behavior that concern parents setting limits for children as they develop.\nThe major breakdown in respect for limits now confronts our society as a whole.\nElaine Heffner, LCSW, Ed.D., has written for Parents Magazine, Fox.com, Redbook, Disney online and PBS Parents, as well as other publications. She has appeared on PBS, ABC, Fox TV and other networks. Dr. Heffner is the author of “Goodenoughmothering: The Best of the Blog,” as well as “Mothering: The Emotional Experience of Motherhood after Freud and Feminism.” She is a psychotherapist and parent educator in private practice, as well as a senior lecturer of education in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Heffner was a co-founder and served as director of the Nursery School Treatment Center at Payne Whitney Clinic, New York Hospital. And she blogs at goodenoughmothering.com.", "Heffner column: What do our children learn?", "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.*****Parents’ wish to protect children from exposure to certain material has become a more pressing issue in today’s world of the internet and cable television. The anthropologist Margaret Mead, once said that when she was growing up her mother censored Horatio Alger stories because the grammar was bad. She used to read the prohibited material under the quilt at night with a flashlight. Mead’s point was that" ]

[ "Cassandra Lybrink" ]

[ "HOLLAND TWP. — For Priscilla Potter, this holiday season was particularly special.\nHer consignment store, Priscilla’s Boutique, is celebrating 15 years.\n\"We haven’t done anything yet because of the pandemic,\" Potter said. \"We didn’t have a celebration. But we’re hoping to do something over the summer.\"\nPotter was looking for a career change when she started her business.\n\"I got married and my husband was incredibly supportive,\" she said. \"He came home one day and said, 'Why don’t you start investigating consignment stores?’ It didn’t take long after that.\"\nPriscilla’s Boutique opened its doors in December 2005. The store was first location on James Street in the storefront adjacent to Friends Salon and Spa.\n\"I’ve moved a couple of times since then,\" Potter said. \"First to Riley Plaza. By that time, we had three stores. One in Holland Township, one in Washington Square and one in Byron Center.\"\nBut five years later, when her leases ended, Potter decided to consolidate operations into a single storefront in Holland Town Center at 12330 James St., Suite B100.\n\"The gentleman that ran the center at the time had been trying to get me to move there for a couple of years,\" she said. \"We just decided to go for it. And it’s been the best move.\"\nThroughout its history, Priscilla’s Boutique has partnered with local nonprofits.\n\"We’re very community-oriented,\" Potter said. \"We like to be involved. We’ve worked with Grant Me Hope, which works to get teens adopted before they age out of the system. We also do bag sales each year, and every cent goes toward an organization.\"\nLike most small business owners, Potter has struggled with the ongoing pandemic.\n\"It’s been pretty slow, but we’re surviving,\" she said. \"Right from the beginning, we’ve been Christian about this. We’ve always said this is a God thing, and if it becomes about us, God needs to put us in our place. We’ve always trusted him and he’s never failed us.\"\nPotter also advises small business owners to trust themselves.\n\"Trust your gut,\" she said. \"You know your business.\"\n— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.", "Priscilla’s Boutique in Holland Town Center celebrates 15 years", "HOLLAND TWP. — For Priscilla Potter, this holiday season was particularly special.Her consignment store, Priscilla’s Boutique, is celebrating 15 years.\"We haven’t done anything yet because of the pandemic,\" Potter said. \"We didn’t have a celebration. But we’re hoping to do something over the summer.\"Potter was looking for a career change when she started her business.\"I got married and my husband was incredibly supportive,\" she said. \"He came home one day and said," ]

[ "Lydia Seabol Avant More Content Now" ]

[ "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.\n*****\nI’m not sure when I first noticed it.\nIt could be when my 11-year-old daughter hung Christmas lights and flashing LED around her room, making her room look part holiday, part seizure-inducing disco. It may have been when I started finding empty chip bags or cookie containers thrown carelessly under her bed - she knows she’s not allowed snacks in her room. It may have been when my daughter carefully hung a Bob Ross poster over her bed, a poster that says “No mistakes. Only happy accidents.”\nOr it could have been the pile of dirty laundry stuffed in the corner of her room, or the fact that she sneaked my makeup, piece by piece, into her own bathroom drawer.\nBut last week, as I went to find my oldest child in her room, it hit me like a gut punch, as I saw she had made a label with her dad’s label maker and stuck it on her door. “KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING.”\nOuch. It was then I realized - I am the mother of a middle-schooler. My once giddy, curly-haired little girl has somehow morphed in the last year into a lanky, still giddy, but also sometimes moody pre-teen. Bows and monogrammed dresses of her younger years have evolved into hoodie sweatshirts and skinny jeans. Her social world, especially during the pandemic, has turned to messaging with friends from school on an app or playing on a virtual reality headset.\nOur daughter, the one who used to sneak in my room at dawn on the weekends, put her round face up to mine while I was sleeping and say “Mommy … Mommy … I’m awake, Mommy …” is now the last person in the house to wake up, often not before 10 a.m. when she doesn’t have school.\nSuddenly, I find myself lost as what is next.\nI know how to parent babies, pre-schoolers and elementary-age kids. We’ve gone through those stages before. But this, the land of messy rooms and walls covered with posters, of an almost-teenage girl who dresses how she wants and has her own views, her own passions, her own dreams that are inching closer into grasp - I feel lost as to how to raise a teenager.\nI’ll admit, my own teenage years are a bit fuzzy. I was a “goody two shoe,” someone who was terrified to get in trouble or do anything wrong, and for the most part stayed to myself. In sixth grade, I loved to draw and paint. I spent my spare time writing stories. It was at that age that I first decided I wanted to be a writer. I loved to ride bikes and spent the summer swimming with friends at our neighborhood pool. I was shy, introverted, and seemingly somewhere in the no-man’s-land between childhood and the teenage years.\nBut when I see my daughter now, I don’t see the awkward, painfully quiet girl that I was at that age. I see a determined, headstrong girl who knows what she wants, what she likes, and doesn’t listen to much else. In a way, the teenage years terrify me. But at the same time, I’m quietly rejoicing, because I’m catching a glimmer of the strong woman that she will become.\nI also get glimpses of the little girl, too. Last week, as rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington D.C., I sat on the couch, stunned. As I stayed glued to the TV, fearful for our country and our future, my daughter sat next to me, childlike, curled up next to one of our dogs. I could tell she was as worried as I was. But I reached out for her hand, and she reached out for mine, and squeezed.\nNo, I don’t know how to mother a teenager, but I have a feeling we’ll figure it out, my daughter and I, together.\nLydia Seabol Avant writes The Mom Stop for The Tuscaloosa News in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Reach her at [email protected].", "The Mom Stop column: So how do you raise a teenager?", "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.*****I’m not sure when I first noticed it. It could be when my 11-year-old daughter hung Christmas lights and flashing LED around her room, making her room look part holiday, part seizure-inducing disco. It may have been when I started finding empty chip bags or cookie containers thrown carelessly under her bed - she knows she’s not allowed snacks in her room. It may have been when my daughter carefully hung a Bob Ross poster" ]

[ "Blake Bacho" ]

[ "The audio visual equipment update includes installing new overhead microphones and cameras.\nThe Village of Dundee's council chambers is getting a much-needed technological upgrade.\nThe village’s council of trustees on Dec. 15 unanimously approved a contract with Toledo-based ProVideo Systems to update the chambers’ sound and video systems to improve the in- person viewing experience as well as allow for better live broadcasting of meetings through platforms such as Zoom and Facebook Live.\nThe roughly $34,000 project is expected to be completed by council’s second meeting of the new year, and includes installing new overhead microphones and cameras. The current system is more than a decade old.\n\"Everything is just old and not working correctly,“ said village manager Dave Uhl. ”The mixer board is terrible... People were complaining that they couldn’t hear in the chamber, and then we’ve been having issues (with) Facebook Live.“ The upgrades will coincide with work currently underway to install plexiglass partitions between council member seats in an attempt to allow for in-person meetings without the social distancing needed to curb the spread of COVID-19.\nUhl said the spirit behind all of the improvements is to modernize the chambers while also offering both council members and residents a choice in how they want to participate in meetings during the ongoing pandemic.\n“A lot of municipalities just leave it up to everybody and what they feel comfortable with,” Uhl said. “Somebody might want to wear a mask and still have the plexiglass on either side of you, and some council members I know don’t feel comfortable coming in and will Zoom in from home.\n“It’s up to council, but my feeling is whatever everybody is comfortable with. And that’s what this will help them do.”", "Dundee to upgrade council chambers" ]

[ "David Eggert", "David Eggert The Associated Press" ]

[ "LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sought \"common ground\" with the Republican-led Legislature in her State of the State address Wednesday, calling for quick passage of a multibillion-dollar relief plan that would prioritize coronavirus vaccinations and additional aid to Michigan schools and businesses to help end the pandemic.\nThe $5.6 billion spending proposal, first announced last week, was among several policy initiatives outlined in the Democrat's third annual speech — a virtual one in which she touted residents' grit in a grueling crisis that has claimed thousands of lives.\n\"The state of our state is resilience,\" the governor said.\nThe address came hours after GOP lawmakers stepped up opposition to her administration's COVID-19 restrictions, rejecting 13 of Whitmer's appointees and saying the funding should not be approved unless she cedes her administration's power to prohibit activities such as high school sports to local health departments.\n\"While common ground seems less and less common these days, it's never been more important that we work toward it,\" Whitmer said. \"I know you're used to me saying 'fix the damn roads.' This year, let's also fix the damn road ahead — find common ground to grow our economy and get families and businesses back on their feet. That starts by ending the pandemic.\"\nThe virus, which has resulted in 600,000-plus cases in Michigan and contributed to the deaths of more than 15,300 residents in 10 months, continues to dominate the governor's attention. She delivered the 24-minute speech virtually from her office inside the Capitol rather than in person to protect hundreds of legislators and dignitaries who typically would gather in a packed House chamber.\nThough a majority of the public has backed her handling of the pandemic, she has faced GOP criticism, a lawsuit and protests — egged on by then-President Donald Trump — over restrictions such as mask mandates and indoor restaurant dining bans. The speech occurred the same day one of six men accused of plotting to kidnap her last week pleaded guilty. The FBI has said the armed anti-government extremists were upset over her orders.\nWhitmer said the rules have saved lives, but she acknowledged the toll on small businesses and asked the Legislature to help enact the next round of pandemic aid, including federal vaccine distribution funds.\n\"Every eligible Michigander who wants a vaccine will get one,\" she said, asking for patience and noting the objective is to inoculate at least 70% of people age 16 and up. \"This process is like a locomotive. It will be cumbersome and slow in the beginning, but it will get faster and smoother as we go.\"\nHer proposal would spend $575 million in state funds along with $5 billion in federal relief authorized before Trump left office. The state funding would help K-12 schools offer face-to-face instruction and include grants to restaurants and other \"placed-based\" businesses hurt by the outbreak.\nRepublican legislators do not necessarily oppose such spending, having backed grants to workers and businesses as recently as December. But they contend Whitmer's governing style has been unilateral and not bipartisan. They oppose the state's 25% capacity limit for restaurants that will resume indoor dining next week after a 2 1/2-month ban, as well an ongoing prohibition against youth contact sports.\n\"The people we represent did not consent to Gov. Whitmer's continued closures. The people of Michigan want and deserve answers,\" Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Jason Wentworth said in a statement.\nThe governor said her administration this year will aggressively focus on economic growth and getting people back to work. She asked the Legislature to renew expired tax incentives to support large-scale business expansions, though similar legislation died last term.\nShe also returned to a pre-pandemic priority that she pledged to address while campaigning for governor: fixing the roads and other infrastructure. At last year's State of the State, she announced that Michigan would borrow $3.5 billion to rebuild the state's deteriorating highways and bridges over five years after her proposed 45-cents-a-gallon fuel tax hike was rejected. The bonding is not being used to repair local roads.\nMichigan is one of few states with a restrictive local road-funding structure, according to the governor's office. Legislation that would have let counties seek voter approval of local gas taxes and registration fees stalled last session. It should be passed, Whitmer said, so local communities \"can move some dirt, too.\"\nThe governor also urged legislative approval of a $500 million water infrastructure plan that was unveiled in the fall, a permanent $2 hourly raise for direct care workers, and bills to lower prescription drug costs and require price transparency. Whitmer, who is up for reelection in 2022, said this year she will launch a \"fixing the damn road ahead\" tour to engage with residents.\nShe also announced that teachers next month will receive up to $500 each for their work transitioning to remote instruction last spring. K-12 support staff will get up to $250. The state enacted the funding last summer.", "Whitmer seeks common ground with Legislature to end pandemic", "LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer sought \"common ground\" with the Republican-led Legislature in her State of the State address Wednesday, calling for quick passage of a multibillion-dollar relief plan that would prioritize coronavirus vaccinations and additional aid to Michigan schools and businesses to help end the pandemic.The $5.6 billion spending proposal, first announced last week, was among several policy initiatives outlined in the Democrat's third annual speech — a virtual one" ]

[ "Jared Greenleaf", "Jared Greenleaf Sports Editor", "Cdtjared" ]

[ "CHEBOYGAN — It might be the middle of January, but that hasn't mattered to Cheboygan varsity girls basketball coach Barry Salter over the last few days.\nAt long last, Salter has been back at work on the court with his players, preparing for what they both hope will be game action very soon.\nAfter over two months away from the court, it's been a special feeling this week for the Lady Chiefs, who were able to officially restart their season with their first practice back — under COVID-19 guidelines — on Saturday, Jan. 16.\nSince then, it's been about getting ready — and doing so in quick fashion — for the upcoming season that's now expected to begin in early February.\n\"It felt really good to be in the gym again, to be coaching again, to be around the girls again,\" said Salter, following practice on Tuesday. \"The feeling was really good, but there's always that feeling in the back of your mind that, 'I just hope (the MHSAA doesn't) take it away from them.' You just hope that doesn't happen, but just getting in there and shooting around, obviously the practices now are so different than when we were able to go full scrimmage or go 1-on-1, 2-on-2. Having the six-foot (social distancing) rule, as a coach it's challenging because your whole career you've never done that before, and now it's like all the drills we do, we kind of try to modify them to keep the spacing.\"\nThe Lady Chiefs were among the Cheboygan teams, as well as tons of high school teams in Michigan, to return to practice over the weekend. While the Lady Chiefs can now practice, the practices have been non-contact due to COVID-19 rules, meaning players and coaches have to wear masks and socially distance 6 feet apart.\nBeing creative has been key for Salter, who's already mixed in conditioning, shooting, passing and defensive drills during the early practices.\nWhat has Salter liked about his team so far?\nIts energy.\n\"The energy we've brought to the floor every practice so far has been really good,\" Salter said. \"We're trying to play at a faster pace than we have in the past. With the kids being with me — I've got seven returning players from last year — they pretty much understand the system, and I think they're able to play faster and do a lot less thinking, everything's a little more natural for them.\"\nAt the same time, there's still a lot of catching up to do for the Lady Chiefs, especially on the offensive side of things.\n\"The shooting part was definitely not in season form, it was kind of like preseason practices you would normally see,\" Salter said. \"It's hard to tell because we're not really scrimmaging at all. We're seeing them shoot, we're trying to simulate defenses on them, but it's difficult. It's really difficult. They've gotta have a good imagination. Without actually having a defense on you, it's like you're trying to teach them exactly what they would see in a game or what they would see when there's a real defense on them. I can't put them in situations where they can gain experience on how to read a defensive player, how to read the rotation on the back side, so it's a lot of the use of the dummies that we have and just saying, 'Kind of imagine this, this is where he's at. (The dummy) can come over and help off of her and that's going to open this girl up,' so it's a lot of mental talk to get ready for games.\"\nThe season can't come soon enough for the Lady Chiefs, an experienced team hoping to make some noise.\n\"I'm really excited for this season,\" Salter said. \"The kids are really excited. We're no longer young. We've been playing young for the last year or two. We've had what we'd consider a young team with juniors and sophomores, and now we're seniors and juniors, and I know the kids have been looking forward to this season. A lot of bumps in the road when they were younger, playing against seniors when they were sophomores and freshmen, and now it's their time. They're really excited, they really want to compete with the tougher teams on their schedule. This team's got really good chemistry, a lot of great kids on this team. They're a fun group to be around.\n\"They're excited for the season as much as I am.\"", "Salter, Cheboygan girls hoops excited to be back", "CHEBOYGAN — It might be the middle of January, but that hasn't mattered to Cheboygan varsity girls basketball coach Barry Salter over the last few days.At long last, Salter has been back at work on the court with his players, preparing for what they both hope will be game action very soon.After over two months away from the court, it's been a special feeling this week for the Lady Chiefs, who were able to officially restart their season with their first practice back — under COVID-" ]

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[ "I agree with the article written by Dale Wyngarden (\"Letter: Direct checks just political pandering,\" Jan. 2). There are some of us who are able to survive the pandemic for now. The last stimulus check we received we donated most of it to nonprofit organizations that provide food and emergency assistance.\nThe stimulus check should be given to those in most need, for example low-income families who are barely able to pay for rent, buy food and pay their bills. Also, the stimulus check should be given to small businesses, not to corporations that are able to survive the pandemic.\nCongress should look critically at the next round of stimulus checks to ensure that those who need it the most receive a check. Some families have said they have never received a stimulus check before.\nCelestino Reyes\nHolland", "Letter: Direct aid should go to those in most need", "I agree with the article written by Dale Wyngarden (\"Letter: Direct checks just political pandering,\" Jan. 2). There are some of us who are able to survive the pandemic for now. The last stimulus check we received we donated most of it to nonprofit organizations that provide food and emergency assistance.The stimulus check should be given to those in most need, for example low-income families who are barely able to pay for rent, buy food and pay their bills. Also, the stimulus check should be" ]

[ "Todd Spangler", "Detroit Free Press" ]

[ "At least three of Michigan's Republican members of Congress seem prepared to support objections to the Electoral College vote from several states — including Michigan's apparently — being awarded to President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday.\nOthers may join them in the attempt, though it's almost certain to fail to keep the vote from being finalized for Biden, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.\nEven so, early Monday, one of Michigan's two new members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, said she was prepared to support an objection to the state's Electoral College vote being awarded to Biden, who beat President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 election in the state by more than 154,000 votes.\nThen, on Monday afternoon, two others — U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman of Watersmeet and Tim Walberg of Tipton — said in a joint statement they would object to the Electoral College count in \"disputed states\" as well, citing unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and so-called \"irregularities\" that have been broadly dismissed as not credible.\nWhile they weren't specific, it appeared Bergman and Walberg would object to Michigan awarding its 16 electors to Biden, along with those from a list of states which that Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, saying \"Americans deserve to know only legal votes are counted and reports regarding irregularities, fraud and failure to follow election laws are thoroughly investigated.\"\nThey called, as have some Republican senators, for an \"emergency audit\" of election results before the Jan. 20 inauguration, though the date for counting Electoral College votes is set by law.\nMeanwhile, any effort to deny the votes for Biden is doomed because even if it were approved in the Senate — where Republicans hope to remain in control after Tuesday's two runoff elections in Georgia — it won't be approved by the Democratic majority in the U.S. House.\nBoth chambers must approve objections to the Electoral College count for votes to be denied the winner.\nMcClain, a political newcomer elected Nov. 3 to replace U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Dryden, said she's ready to \"vote accordingly\" if what she learns during Wednesday's count of the nation's Electoral College vote \"further confirms the concerns voiced to me by folks in the 10th District.\"\nThe 10th District includes northern Macomb County and Michigan's Thumb and is a deeply conservative district.\nMcClain suggested that election officials in some states \"and even some courts\" made decisions based on \"political bias and drifted from the rule of law,\" though she wasn't any more specific about the claim.\" But there have been no substantiated legal claims that have shown widespread corruption or voter fraud in Michigan or elsewhere.\nIt's also notable that those members of Congress, including McClain, who appear ready to support an objection to finalizing Biden's victory also won in that same Nov. 3 balloting, a point that Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, brought up on Sunday.\nHe argued that legislators from the states in question shouldn't be seated if there were such widespread problems. His questions forced a nearly unanimous vote that all members should be seated.\nMeanwhile, a number of Republicans, including Roy, have joined with Democrats in saying the decision of the electors awarded on the basis of the popular vote in the states is final and that Biden is the president-elect.\nThat includes a group of U.S. senators including Mitt Romney of Utah — who was born in Michigan and is the son of a former governor and was the Republican nominee for president in 2012 — and former House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who called the effort \"anti-democratic and anti-conservative.\"\nAnother Michigan Republican, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, also has denounced the effort to overturn the results of the election. On Monday, he put out a statement reiterating that stance and saying he won't support objections to the Electoral College count.\n\"Voters — not judges or politicians — must decide elections,\" he said. \"These objections would establish a new precedent allowing the Congress to supersede the will of the people. There have been no cases of fraud discovered that would overturn President-elect Biden’s 154,000 vote victory in Michigan.\"\nWhere courts have looked into the claims raised by Trump, they have been thrown out as not credible, including by Republican judges. And where hand tallies have been done of the results, such as in Georgia — a state with a Republican governor and secretary of state who both supported Trump — Biden was still shown to be the winner.\nIn Michigan, the Board of State Canvassers voted in late November to certify the victory for Biden; the state's 16 electors cast their votes for Biden as the winner of the popular vote in the Nov. 3 election on Dec. 14.\nWednesday's count by Congress is generally a foregone conclusion, though there is a legal process for objecting to the seating of electors in cases of controversy or where the outcome of an election is doubt.", "At least 3 Michigan Republicans appear ready to object to vote for Biden", "At least three of Michigan's Republican members of Congress seem prepared to support objections to the Electoral College vote from several states — including Michigan's apparently — being awarded to President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday.Others may join them in the attempt, though it's almost certain to fail to keep the vote from being finalized for Biden, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.Even so, early Monday, one of Michigan's two new members of Congress, U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain," ]

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[ "By Everett Henes\nLaughter is a universal language that no one has to learn. When God appeared to Abraham and told him that he would have a son, after 24 years of trying and his wife being barren, he laughed. It was most likely incredulity that caused the laughter. It is not uncommon to laugh at the impossible. For Abraham and Sarah, their laughter will end in the birth of a child, Isaac, whose name means ‘he laughs.’\nWe serve a God who makes the impossible come true. Not impossible in the sense of improbable. It is not just improbable that a barren woman and an old man would have a child; it was physically impossible. It is not just improbable that a people would come to the edge of the Red Sea, with their enemies pursuing them, and the sea splits open to allow them to cross over on dry land while crashing down on the enemies who pursue them; it’s impossible.\nWe do no favors to God when we attempt to come up with rational explanations of the miracles he performs. Faith and reason are only reconciled when reason is made a proper servant of faith. Stories like we find in Genesis 18, recorded and preserved for us by God’s Holy Spirit, are meant to point us to the truth that nothing is impossible for God.\nThat sort of statement brings up all kinds of challenging questions. Can God make a stone so large that he can’t lift it? If he can, then there is something he can’t do; namely, lift the stone and if he can’t then there is something he can’t do. Scripture is not concerned with such hypothetical questions; it is concerned with the truth. Scripture offers reassurance and hope, not opportunity to try and catch God in a contradiction. God’s grace to Abraham and Sarah, in Genesis 18, is clear. He wants them to believe and so he makes a promise to them: \"I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.\" (Genesis 18:10)\nIt is not just in the Old Testament, for consider that this story points us to the Incarnation, an impossible circumstance. God promises that a virgin will conceive and bear a child and that this child will be \"God with us.\" This is not something that is improbable – it is impossible. This is not something that you somehow construct a logical argument to prove that it is possible for a woman to conceive a child completely without any male presence. Likewise, you do not somehow figure out the proper defense of the resurrection by showing that some people really do rise from the dead; these things are not merely improbable they are impossible.\nGod calls us to believe in the impossible. If you start with rationality as your ultimate presupposition and try to prove God’s existence, the incarnation, the resurrection or even something as simple as Christian prayer, you will fail. That is because we don’t start as though we need to prove it. God himself has declared it and the question always turns on the truth of his Word. We do not begin with our rationality and try to prove God’s existence or that his promises are true; we begin with God’s existence and the promises he has made as the basis for our rationality. Apart from him, nothing makes sense.\nThis matters because God didn’t stop making promises with Abraham and Sarah and he didn’t stop with Israel or with Mary and Joseph. He makes wonderful promises of salvation to all who have faith – the promise is that he will not turn away any who call to him. The promises are that God will credit Christ’s righteousness to all who believe. This is not merely improbable – but impossible. We are those who were dead in sin, unable to come to God on our own but he has called us from death to life and has promised us that he will deliver us on that last day. We are in the same place as the Psalmist, \"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.\" That is why the Christian faith is just that, true faith. It is not contrary to reason, but our faith is ultimately based upon God and his Word. The truth that this passage commands us to believe is that nothing is impossible for God – that is the only basis for our hope.\nPastor Everett Henes, the pastor of the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at [email protected].", "Nothing is impossible with God", "By Everett HenesLaughter is a universal language that no one has to learn. When God appeared to Abraham and told him that he would have a son, after 24 years of trying and his wife being barren, he laughed. It was most likely incredulity that caused the laughter. It is not uncommon to laugh at the impossible. For Abraham and Sarah, their laughter will end in the birth of a child, Isaac, whose name means ‘he laughs.’We serve a God who makes the impossible come true. Not impossible in" ]

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[ "Some Americans might remember the brouhaha when Brooklyn Dodger baseball owner Branch Rickey decided to put Jackie Robinson, an African American player on the team. It was April 1947.\nThe same thing is now happening in Israel. Last year, Beitar Jerusalem, a major Israeli soccer team hired Ali Mohamed, a Muslim from Niger to the team. It was controversial to say the least.\nThe Sentinel carried the story in its Dec. 30 edition.\nThe owners want to show \"everyone that Muslims and Jews can work together and build beautiful things together.\" They intend to recruit A-class Arab players.\nHardcore supporters are aghast. They wonder how an Arab player can wear the team’s Jewish logo and sing the Israeli national anthem yearning for a Jewish homeland. Will those who object be out-shouted by those who support multi-ethnic players?\nWill \"normalization\" with surrounding Arab nations lead to a change of attitude and behavior toward Israel’s Arab neighbors? Will Arab Israelis (20 percent of the population), seek greater integration and greater \"rights\" in the Israeli State?\nAfrican-Americans started being elected to Congress following the Civil War. In 1871, Joseph Rainey was the first person of African descent to be elected to the House of Representatives, from South Carolina. In a speech on the House floor in February 1875, Rainey said, \"We do not intend to be driven to the frontier as you have driven the Indian. Our purpose is to remain in your midst as an integral part of the body-politic.\"\nArab Israelis have representation in the Israeli ruling body. Some seek greater integration into Israeli society. Others still seek recognition in a state of their own.\nWill sport provide an example for Israelis and Palestinians to change its ways?\nRev. John Kleinheksel\nPark Township", "Letter: Israeli attitudes to Arabs fully exposed", "Some Americans might remember the brouhaha when Brooklyn Dodger baseball owner Branch Rickey decided to put Jackie Robinson, an African American player on the team. It was April 1947.The same thing is now happening in Israel. Last year, Beitar Jerusalem, a major Israeli soccer team hired Ali Mohamed, a Muslim from Niger to the team. It was controversial to say the least.The Sentinel carried the story in its Dec. 30 edition.The owners want to show \"everyone that Muslims and Jews can work" ]

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[ "Monroe Township 1/19/2021 meeting synopsis\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nMONROE CHARTR TOWNSHIP\nMONROE COUNTY, MICHIGAN\nINSERT LOGO HERE\nSynopsis of a Regular Meeting\nVia Zoom\nJanuary 19, 2021\n7:00 p.m.\nCALL TO ORDER\nA meeting of the Monroe Charter Township was called to order by Supervisor Alan Barron at 7:02 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, via Zoom from the Monroe Charter Township Hall, 4925 East Dunbar Road, Monroe County, Michigan.\nROLL CALL\nPresent: Supervisor Barron, Clerk Smith, Treasurer Barton, Trustees Howe, Janssens, Raymo, Manor.\nOthers Present: Chief Cherney, Attorney Patricia McCormick and twenty four (24) attendees.\nPLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE\nAPPROVAL OF MINUTES (Regular Meeting Minutes of December 22, 2020).\nMotion #1. Motion by Manor, supported by Howe, to approve and place on file the regular meeting minutes of the December 22, 2020, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Manor yes, Howe yes, Janssens yes, Raymo yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nAPPROVE PAYMENT OF BILLS/INVOICES\nMotion #2. Motion by Janssens, supported by Raymo, to approve payment of bills/invoices as listed by the Clerk.\nRoll call vote: Janssens yes, Raymo yes, Howe yes, Manor yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nFIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT\nMotion #3. Motion by Howe, supported by Janssens, to accept and place on file the December 2020 Fire Department Report, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Howe yes, Janssens, yes, Barton yes, Raymo yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nSHERIFF DEPARTMENT REPORT\nMotion #4. Motion by Raymo, supported by Janssens, to accept and place on file the December 2020 Sheriff Department Report, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Raymo yes, Janssens yes, Howe yes, Manor yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nPLANNING COMMISSION REPORT\nTrustee Manor advised that there was no Planning Commission meeting to report on but that the Marihuana Advisory Committee will be doing a walkthrough of Lume marihuana dispensary on January 27, 2021.\nCONSENT AGENDA\nMotion #5. Motion by Manor, supported by Raymo, to accept the Consent Agenda and place on file, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Manor yes, Raymo yes, Smith yes, Barton yes, Howe yes, Janssens yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nRESOLUTION\nMotion #6. Motion by Howe, supported by Janssens, to adopt Resolution #21-01, Resolution authorizing the Fire Chief to establish and maintain a Cadet Program within the Monroe Charter Township Fire Department, comprised of individuals from 14-18 years of age, as presented.\nRoll Call Vote: Howe yes, Janssens yes, Raymo yes, Manor yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nNEW BUSINESS\nMotion #7. Motion by Manor, supported by Raymo, to approve purchase of Pierce Manufacturing Velocity Chassis 100 foot mid mount platform, for a total cost of $1,447,564.00. At this time, approve payment of Chassis only for a cost of $466,897.00, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Manor, Raymo yes, Howe yes, Janssens yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #8. Motion by Barton, supported by Janssens, to approve purchase of new sound system and digital recording system for the Board Room, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Barton yes, Janssens yes, Smith yes, Manor yes, Howe yes, Raymo yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #9. Motion by Barton, supported by Janssens, to approve payment of $100.00 annual dues to River Raisin Watershed Council, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Barton yes, Janssens yes, Howe yes, Raymo yes, Manor yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #10. Motion by Manor, supported by Raymo, to adopt revision to Covid-19 Preparedness and Response Plan, as required by MIOSHA, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Manor yes, Raymo yes, Howe yes, Janssens yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #11. Motion by Smith, supported by Howe, to authorize payment of 2021 Annual membership dues to SEMCOG in the amount of $1,662.00, as presented.\nMotion #12. Motion by Smith, supported by Janssens, to authorize payment of 1st quarter 2021 service agreement to Monroe County Business Development Corporation in the amount of $750.00, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Smith yes, Janssens yes, Howe yes, Raymo yes, Manor yes, Barton yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #13. Motion by Barton, supported by Manor, to authorize Supervisor and Clerk to sign 2021 Monroe Charter Township Firefighters Agreement, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Barton yes, Manor yes, Raymo yes, Howe yes, Janssens yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #14. Motion by Manor, supported by Barton, to Authorize Supervisor and Clerk to sign Lake Erie Transit Agreement for bus service to be provided to the township for the period of January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, in the amount of $31,854.00, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Manor yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Howe yes, Janssens yes, Raymo yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #15. Motion by Howe, supported by Janssens, to approve a forbearance pursuing default against Nazar Holdings for 14 days in order to negotiate a six-month extension with Nazar Holdings that would extend their loan payment to Monroe Charter Township that was due on January 1, 2021 to July 1, 2021, on terms to be negotiated by the Supervisor, Clerk and Treasurer but to include (1) payment in full by July 1, 2021; and (2) interest at a minimum of 5% not to exceed 7%, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Howe yes, Janssens yes, Raymo yes, Manor yes, Barton no, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #16. Motion by Raymo, supported by Janssens, to approve presented end of year 2020 Budget adjustments, as approved on November 17, 2020, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Raymo yes, Janssens yes, Howe yes, Manor yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nMotion #17. Motion by Smith, supported by Howe, to approve office closure on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, for School Election, as presented.\nRoll call vote: Smith yes, Howe yes, Barton yes, Manor yes, Janssens yes, Raymo yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nPUBLIC AND BOARD COMMENTS\nPublic and Board comments began at 7:41 p.m. Wayne Blank resident asked what the cost of the new sound system would be. Clerk Smith responded that we would not be purchasing a camera so that will adjust the initial quotes, however, the cost was $4095.00 and that we may need a new computer if the extra ones we have won’t work. He also asked if the township does drug testing on employees. Supervisor Barron stated we do not, however, we do have a drug and alcohol policy in place for all township employees. Chief Cherney also confirmed that the fire department does not do random drug testing.\nHarrison Carter, Katybeth Davis, Banty Hill and Tony Cusumano Monroe Charter Township residents all expressed support for Marihuana business within Monroe Charter Township citing revenue and the will of the people who voted for the legalization of Marihuana.\nDeputy Danny Greenwood introduced himself to the Board.\nKurt Darrow, Jerry Oley, David Swartout and Vicky Loveland stated opposition to the potential 25 businesses under a proposed ordinance. The coalition is not disputing the legality of Marihuana but the amount of businesses. One feels that the Committee that was formed is one sided. Supervisor Barron stated that he has three individuals each that are for, neutral and against Marihuana.\nPublic and Board comments ended at 8:24 p.m.\nADJOURNMENT\nMotion #18. Motion by Howe, supported by Janssens, to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 p.m.\nRoll call vote: Howe yes, Janssens yes, Raymo yes, Manor yes, Barton yes, Smith yes, Barron yes. Motion carried.\nChristina Smith\nChristina Smith, Clerk\nMonroe Charter Township\nAttested:\nAlan Barron\nAlan Barron, Supervisor\nMonroe Charter Township\nJANUARY 25, 2021", "Monroe Township 1/19/2021 meeting synopsis" ]

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[ "By Shayne Looper\nWe are normally not aware of our own assumptions. It they show up, it is usually someone else who notices them first, like a shirt collar tag or the spinach in your teeth. Human beings cannot function without assumptions any more than a body can function without a skeleton, but their assumptions are normally as invisible as their bones.\nThere are times, however, when people’s arguments are so thin that their assumptions show through, like the ribs of a famished child. This has frequently been the case during this past election cycle. When people engage in thinly veiled ad hominem arguments, their assumptions show right through.\nAssumptions may be true or false, solid or porous, a helpful support or a useless frame. The beginning of 2021 is a good time to check our assumptions, make sure they are solid and are where they should be. To do this will almost certainly require a friend to look us over and tell us if our assumptions are showing. An enemy might be even better.\nInaccurate assumptions can lead to improper actions, painful emotions, and harmful results. A woman was stuck in the airport, waiting for a delayed flight. As her layover stretched into hours, she got hungry. Because she had pre-purchased an inflight meal, she bought only a bag of cookies, hoping they would tide her over. She sat down at a corner table in a crowded snack bar, opened a newspaper, and began to read.\nShe scanned the world and national news, then flipped through the lifestyle section. Just as she took up the business section, she heard the rustling of plastic. She lowered her paper to find a well-dressed man sitting across from her eating one of the cookies. She couldn’t believe her eyes.\nShe glowered at him, pulled the cookies to her side of the table, and conspicuously ate one. She then raised the paper to check what was happening in the markets. Almost immediately, he was back into the cookies. She lowered the paper again and glared at him but, the moment she raised it, he was at it again. This time she stared long and hard at him. In response, he broke the last cookie, slid half across to her, put the rest in his mouth and walked off.\nShe bristled with anger until her flight was called. At the gate, she reached into her purse for her boarding pass and found the package of cookies she had purchased earlier, unopened.\nUnexamined assumptions can lead us to misjudge others’ motives, think ourselves superior, and create unnecessary conflict. Such things have been the hallmark of 2020. Democrats are naïve. Republicans are stupid. Mask-wearers are cowards. Mask-less COVID-deniers care only about themselves.\nIf, while reading that last paragraph, you thought, \"But that one is true,\" your assumptions are showing – and they are about as attractive as spinach between your teeth. But what if we were to challenge our assumptions, to hold them provisionally until they were confirmed? Such a change could transform our relationships and our country. If, instead of assuming people from the other party are naïve or stupid, we were to question whether there might be something they see that we have missed, our attitude toward them would change.\nThis is not only true when we are considering other people. It is also true when we are considering God. For example, some people run from God because they assume that his demands on them would be unreasonable and would spoil their lives. Yet the testimony of both Scripture and people throughout history suggests the opposite: that God wants people to be joyful and fulfilled.\nTo look at our circumstances, we might assume that God has forgotten or forsaken us, or even that he opposes us. Even saints have at times struggled with such thoughts. But if we challenge that assumption and provisionally substitute the supposition that God intends to bring good to us and to the world, we might discover divine activity even in the midst of great difficulty. And once we find it, we might become part of it, and that would change everything.\n(Disclaimer: This article was started long before this week’s riots in Washington, D.C. Though motives cannot be fairly judged, acts of lawlessness and violence can and should be fully condemned.)\nShayne Looper is the pastor of Lockwood Community Church in Branch County. Read more at shaynelooper.com.", "Ahem, your assumptions are showing", "By Shayne LooperWe are normally not aware of our own assumptions. It they show up, it is usually someone else who notices them first, like a shirt collar tag or the spinach in your teeth. Human beings cannot function without assumptions any more than a body can function without a skeleton, but their assumptions are normally as invisible as their bones.There are times, however, when people’s arguments are so thin that their assumptions show through, like the ribs of a famished child. This" ]

[ "Greg Zyla More Content Now" ]

[ "Entry price: $19,410\nPrice as tested: $25,560\nThis week, we’re driving the 2021 Nissan Sentra, completely redesigned in 2020 and now listed by the EPA as a five-passenger midsize sedan instead of a compact class sedan. This new Sentra still offers its low entry price, lots of safety features and its impressive new generation styling.\nNow in its eighth generation after a 1982 debut as a subcompact, the popular Sentra grew over the years in both popularity and sales numbers and today is available in three trims ala the entry level S at $19,410, midline SV at $20,470 and top line SR at $21,750.\nOutwardly, it’s hard to find fault with Sentra’s fresh, new generation styling. Our SV offers a sporty theme thanks to new front and rear designs and some special paint offerings that make the layout easy on the eyes. Sentra’s exterior now features a new grill layout and standard Halogen headlamps that replace the former dated pattern. Additionally, Sentra now sits lower for ease of entry along with wider than the last generation dimensions making for additional room inside.\nThe biggest improvement for the new generation 2020 Sentra leftovers and 2021 models is a new, larger 2.0-liter four cylinder that replaces the previous generation’s 1.8-liter design used in 2019. This upgrade results in better acceleration and more torque throughout the RPM range. Surprisingly, this bigger 2.0 delivers better fuel mileage at 29 city and 39 highway than the 1.8 engine as the 2019 Sentra is rated at 29 city and 37 highway with the automatic and even less at 27 city and 35 highway with the six-speed manual. A manual transmission is not available on 2020 and 2021 Sentra models as both now rely on the Xtronic CVT automatics with three selectable modes of Eco, Sport or Normal.\nNissan was an early adopter of CVT transmissions, and went through several years of growing pains. Early on, its CVT was the only real Achilles Heel that plagued the noted manufacturer but thankfully, Nissan addressed the problem as today’s CVT is an overall more reliable, sturdy unit and improved to deliver a subliminal “gear change” feeling.\nOn the safety side, Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 is standard across the line and worthy of special note. Included are standard features like intelligent forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure and blind sport warning, rear cross traffic alert, rear braking, high beam assist, and even intelligent driver assist is now standard even on the entry S. All Sentra trims also receive door guard beams, at least one USB port, 10 airbags including roof mounted curtains, ABS anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force, traction control, vehicle dynamics control and a vehicle security system. Apple and Android compatibility is also standard across the trim line as is streaming audio via Bluetooth. The S comes with a four-speaker stereo.\nHowever, when you move up to SV, things improve from an amenities standpoint as SV adds a second USB port up front with a third USB-charge only port in back. SiriusXM Satellite is also standard and offers advanced features and three months free. Other SV notables are Intelligent Key with two FOBs, remote engine start, push button start, tilt and telescopic steering, and intelligent cruise control. Your dealer will explain everything when you visit including current incentives on new generation leftover 2020 and new 2021 models.\nInside, Sentry is very roomy with lots of new additions. Standard fare includes Nissan backup safety camera, all the powers, cloth seats, a six-speaker AM/FM stereo, steering wheel controls, 60/40 split rear seat, 8-inch color touch display, rear seat armrest with cup holders, remote fuel door and trunk release and more. The gauges and all buttons and switches are easy to operate and seating is comfy.\nIn addition to 16-inch tires that are standard on the SV, power mirrors, chrome V-motion grille, dual zone automatic climate control, and SV grade emblem are noteworthy. Overall, we like the 2021 Sentra as much if not better than the 2020 model (more MPG) as it really is a big improvement over the generation seven Sentra effort that ended in 2019. It handles great thanks to an improved independent suspension and acceleration is just OK as zero to 60 arrives in about 8.5 seconds. It’s no speedster, but does well overall although a turbo would really pep things up\nOur Sentra featured a Premium Package for $2,270 that adds 17-inch Michelin tires on nice alloy wheels, quilted leather style stitched seating, power sliding glass moonroof with tilt, heated front seats, six-way power and lumbar driver seat, and a leather wrapped shifter.\nA lighting package for $500 (not necessary), $395 for special premium paint (yes), $345 for a rear spoiler and $215 for carpeted floor and trunk mats rounded out the options. With $925 destination, the final retail comes in at $25,560 for a midsize car loaded with everything.\nImportant numbers include a wheelbase of 106.6 inches, 3,038 pound curb weight, 12.4 gallon fuel tank and 14.3 cu. ft. of cargo space.\nI’ve always liked Nissan for its progressive styling and return for money spent. These new 2021 Sentras in any trim are most impressive over and above what many competitors offer for the same dollar. Even the $19,400 entry S has more high-tech safety than cars that start elsewhere for $25K or more.\nDealers are awaiting your call to explain current lease and purchase incentives, be it new or leftover. If it’s real value you seek, you can’t miss the new Nissan Sentra.\nLikes: Looks, standard safety, great fuel mileage, very affordable.\nDislikes: SiriusXM unavailable on entry S, not a CVT fan, could use more horsepower.\nGreg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now and Gannett Co. Inc. Contact him at [email protected] or at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, PA 18840.", "Test Drive column: 2021 Nissan Sentra SV CVT", "Entry price: $19,410Price as tested: $25,560This week, we’re driving the 2021 Nissan Sentra, completely redesigned in 2020 and now listed by the EPA as a five-passenger midsize sedan instead of a compact class sedan. This new Sentra still offers its low entry price, lots of safety features and its impressive new generation styling.Now in its eighth generation after a 1982 debut as a subcompact, the popular Sentra grew over the years in both popularity and sales numbers and today is" ]

[ "Don Reid", "Don Reid Dwreid Aol.Com" ]

[ "Branch County Road Commission plow trucks are ready with another winter storm on tap for tonight and tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service, but the brunt is expected to stay south of the state line.\nRoad Commission Manager Jay Miller said his 30 trucks are loaded with salt and sand, ready to hit the road when the first snow starts to accumulate.\nNWS said up to nine inches of snow will fall Saturday night into Sunday in northern Indiana and Ohio.\nHere new snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches is possible, with a low around 25. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph will hit the area.\nFor Sunday, more snow with up to an inch or two of new accumulation is expected. The high is expected near 30.\nThe winds will shift northeast still around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Sunday night there is still a 30 percent chance of snow before 1a.m. it will be cloudy with a low around 20 degrees.\nThe county contracts for continuous coverage of M-86, U.S. 12, and I-69 during bad weather.", "Road Commission ready for weekend storm", "Branch County Road Commission plow trucks are ready with another winter storm on tap for tonight and tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service, but the brunt is expected to stay south of the state line.Road Commission Manager Jay Miller said his 30 trucks are loaded with salt and sand, ready to hit the road when the first snow starts to accumulate.NWS said up to nine inches of snow will fall Saturday night into Sunday in northern Indiana and Ohio.Here new snow accumulation of 3 to 5" ]

[ "Matthew T. Mangino More Content Now" ]

[ "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.\n*****\nAs Americans have come to accept more than 2,500 deaths a day as a result of COVID-19 - it is no wonder that little attention is being paid to the dramatic increase in homicides nationwide.\nFrom the east coast to the west the numbers are astounding. As December drew to a close, New York City’s 447 homicides made 2020 the city’s bloodiest year in nearly a decade, according to The New York Times.\nThe Chicago Tribune reported that through the last week of 2020, Chicago had recorded 762 homicides, a 55% jump over the same period in 2019. It is one of the largest annual increases in recent city history.\nAcross the city of Houston, 400 people were murdered as of Dec. 29. That’s a spike of at least 42% over 2019, according to KTRK-TV 13 the ABC affiliate in Houston.\nIn Los Angeles, 2020 saw killings rise sharply. As of mid-December homicides had risen by 30.4%, their highest level in a decade. According to the Los Angeles Times, in one week this summer, from June 29 to July 5, 29 people were murdered in Los Angeles County.\nThere are several suggested reasons for increasing violence in big cities - the mounting tension associated with the pandemic, a tumultuous presidential election and the nationwide protests associated with police treatment of blacks.\nHowever, the increase in homicides is not just a big city problem.\nAccording to the Washington Post, FBI data indicates that small cities with fewer than 10,000 residents saw more than a 30% increase in killings in the first nine months of the year.\nThe nation as a whole has experienced the largest single one-year increase in homicides since the country started keeping records.\nMurder is probably the best indicator of crime. Unlike robbery or aggravated assault, homicide cannot be manipulated or negotiated to look like a different offense. Police can charge an individual with felony assault and then plead the charge down to disorderly conduct or a charge of robbery, a felony, can be reduced to a misdemeanor theft.\nMurder is murder - investigators cannot ignore a dead body.\nWhy is murder on the rise? Some suggest that the confluence of the pandemic and social unrest have left police departments depleted.\nSome will argue that as police officers became infected with COVID-19 there were fewer officers on the street. As the public became infected there were fewer witnesses. Some will argue as protests increased more officers were assigned to manage the unrest instead of investigating and fighting crime. Disputes were being settled in the streets.\nHave police officers pulled back on their influence with regard to community safety as a result of movements like Black Lives Matter and “Defund the Police?”\nThe New York Times looked at preliminary reports of violent crime mid-year and found that while murder was soaring, violent crime was generally down. The Times asked, “How often do murder and other types of violent crime move in opposite directions?”\nOnly four times since 1960. Over the last 30 years the difference nationally between murder and violent crime has been just 2.2%, so a “big increase in murder nationally while violent crime falls is almost unheard of.”\nThis anomaly points to either underreporting or under-investigating. Another key indicator of police pull back are clearance rates - the number of cases solved by police departments. For instance, in Minneapolis where George Floyd was killed by police, the clearance rate has dropped to about 41% this year - four in ten murders were solved in Minneapolis. New York City’s clearance rate has fallen as has Houston’s, after three years of improvement.\nPolicymakers will not have a clear picture of the role of policing in the increase in homicides until after the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report and the Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey are released later this year.\nHowever, the preliminary numbers are a harbinger of difficult times for communities across the country.\nMatthew T. Mangino is of counsel with Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George P.C. His book “The Executioner’s Toll, 2010” was released by McFarland Publishing. You can reach him at www.mattmangino.com and follow him on Twitter at @MatthewTMangino.", "Mangino column: Homicide rates soar nationwide", "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.*****As Americans have come to accept more than 2,500 deaths a day as a result of COVID-19 - it is no wonder that little attention is being paid to the dramatic increase in homicides nationwide.From the east coast to the west the numbers are astounding. As December drew to a close, New York City’s 447 homicides made 2020 the city’s bloodiest year in nearly a decade, according to The New York Times.The Chicago Tribune reported" ]

[ "Niles Kruger", "Niles Kruger Monroe News Sports Editor" ]

[ "We’ve been bombarded by bad news over the past few months.\nA virus that has put lives at risk and disrupted our way of life.\nA nasty election.\nPolitical and social divides that seem to be widening each day.\nSometimes you just need step away from it all.\nThat’s where sports come in.\nThey are our escape, a way to put the real world aside for a little while.\nSo perhaps there is no better time to launch the I AM SPORT Award.\nOur parent company, Gannett, has started this nationwide initiative to honor the athletes and teams that make a difference.\nDo you know a high school student-athlete who has been an all-star beyond the box score?\nIf so, we want to hear from you.\nThe Southeast Michigan High School Sports Awards, which will honor athletes from The Monroe News and Adrian Daily Telegram coverage areas at the end of the school year, is now taking nominations for the I AM SPORT Award.\nIt will recognize student-athletes who give back to their communities through volunteerism. The winner will be announced during the on-demand streaming awards show on July 1 on the event website. The show is free to watch.\nAny athlete in any sport from the coverage area of The News and Telegram is eligible to be nominated for the I AM SPORT Award.\nPerhaps you noticed a local high school soccer player delivering meals in your neighborhood during the pandemic, or were greeted at your door by a football player offering help with yard work.\nMaybe you were touched by a student-athlete offering virtual tutoring services, or noticed a group of athletes cleaning up the local park or beach.\nThis is your chance to ensure that a deserving student-athlete is recognized for what he or she accomplished in the community.\nNominations may be submitted now through March 9. The voting period starts March 10 at 11 a.m. and concludes April 7. To nominate, email your athlete’s story for Lenawee County, email sports editor Kristopher Lodes at [email protected].\nIf the student-athlete you wish to nominate is already shown on the contest page, you do not need to nominate him or her again. Simply wait for the voting period and show your support by voting for your favorite community all-star up to once per day.\nThe winner of the I AM SPORT Award will be revealed during the Southeast Michigan High School Sports Awards Show and a trophy will be mailed to the winner following the show.", "Daily Telegram, Monroe News looking for sports nominations", "We’ve been bombarded by bad news over the past few months.A virus that has put lives at risk and disrupted our way of life.A nasty election.Political and social divides that seem to be widening each day.Sometimes you just need step away from it all.That’s where sports come in.They are our escape, a way to put the real world aside for a little while.So perhaps there is no better time to launch the I AM SPORT Award.Our parent company, Gannett, has started this nationwide initiative to" ]

[ "Peter Becker More Content Now Usa Today Network" ]

[ "Look straight up the next clear night, around 9 p.m. If you live in mid-northerly latitudes you will be gazing upon the beautiful, bright yellow star Capella and its interesting constellation, Auriga the Chariot Driver.\nWe can think of it as a star pattern for the fellows who make a living running a chariot. Next, it will be taxi and bus drivers.\nThis extremely ancient constellation, according to Greek legend, represents Erichthnoius, fourth King of Athens, the son of Vulcan and Minerva. He had trouble walking, so he invented a four-horse chariot.\nTraditionally, Auriga is illustrated as a chariot with the driver who is holding a goat and her kids. Three of the dimmer stars in the constellation’s outline are nicknamed as the “kids.”\nCapella is the third brightest star visible (magnitude 0.08) in the Northern Hemisphere and is so close to the pole that north of 44 degrees latitude, Capella is circumpolar, never setting below the horizon. Where I live in northeastern Pennsylvania (just shy of 42 degrees), Capella briefly goes below the flat northerly horizon every day.\nCapella is actually a group of four stars, in the same system, and is about 43 light-years away.\nJust south of Capella are the “kids.” One of these stars, Epsilon Aurigae, is an unusual eclipsing binary star. About every 27 years, the star dips in brightness almost a whole magnitude, from +2.92 to +3.83, and stays at its dimmest for 640 to 730 days.\nIts last fainting episode ended in 2011.\nTheories have raged in astronomical circles over this star’s behavior. Since 2008, the most popular model says that the brighter star of this system is orbited by a companion that is shrouded in a massive, opaque disc of dust.\nThe moon reaches full stage this week on Thursday, Jan. 28, so the dimmer stars of Auriga will be quite hard to see with unaided eyes.\nAfter Jan. 28, the moon will be rising later and later, giving us an increasingly long evening window of relative darkness, letting more starlight be seen.\nOnce the sky is dark enough, be sure to scan the stars of Auriga with a pair of binoculars.\nThe Milky Way band passes through Auriga and is faintly visible on clear, moonless nights away from city lights. The Milky Way band, made up of neighboring, overlapping arms of our great Milky Way spiral galaxy, presents a multitude of stars and open star clusters.\nA telescope will show even more, but binoculars are plenty to show you the three brightest star clusters in Auriga. French astronomer Charles Messier (1730-1817), who was making a catalog of deep-sky objects that he could rule as being comets, listed these clusters as M37, M36 and M38 - in that order.\nNo two star clusters are alike, in richness, configuration or in how easy they are to see. The Pleiades is surely the most well known open star cluster, being bright and compact. The Pleiades is to the lower right (southwest) of Auriga.\nM37, M36 and M38 are all rich in stars, but M37 leads the other two and is the brightest.\nM37 shines at magnitude +6.2, visible as a fuzzy “star” to unaided eyes on a very dark, rural night.\nThe Pleiades is so prominent to our eyes because the cluster is relatively nearby, 444 light-years away.\nM37 is listed as 4,200 light-years away and M36 and M38, both around 3,900 light-years from the sun. Imagine our sky if these clusters were as close as the Pleiades!\nThe Auriga clusters will appear as fuzzy patches in binoculars, partly resolved into stars, depending on your binoculars and sky conditions. A small telescope is needed to show them in their glory.\nAuriga’s outline is shaped like an uneven pentagon, depending on how you connect the dots (I mean, stars). If you think of Capella as the chariot driver’s eye, the “kid” stars nearby can be imagined as the nose. A dimmer star can also be connected to form a cap for our driver.\nThe star pattern is also interesting because one of the corner stars is not in Auriga at all. The star on the opposite end of the pattern from Capella is Beta Tauri, a star in the adjacent pattern, Taurus the Bull.\nAuriga and Taurus both ride higher in the sky than winter’s most famous constellation, Orion.\nKeep looking up at the sky!\nPeter Becker is managing editor at The News Eagle in Hawley, Pennsylvania. Notes are welcome at [email protected]. Please mention in what newspaper or website you read this column.", "Looking Up column: Auriga the Chariot Driver riding high", "Look straight up the next clear night, around 9 p.m. If you live in mid-northerly latitudes you will be gazing upon the beautiful, bright yellow star Capella and its interesting constellation, Auriga the Chariot Driver.We can think of it as a star pattern for the fellows who make a living running a chariot. Next, it will be taxi and bus drivers.This extremely ancient constellation, according to Greek legend, represents Erichthnoius, fourth King of Athens, the son of Vulcan and Minerva. He had" ]

[]

[ "I am writing on behalf of Christians Uniting in Song and Prayer (CUSP), which has been organizing opportunities for community-wide worship since 2018. In light of the need for healing of the divisions that scar the Christian family, one of the most important weeks of the year is upon us: the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18-25).\nThis occasion is a global initiative sponsored by the World Council of Churches (Protestant and Orthodox) and the Roman Catholic Church. This year’s materials were prepared by the Sisters of Grandchamp, a monastic community based in a small village on the shores of Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland. The theme selected for 2021 is: \"Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit,\" based on John 15:1-17.\nIn prior years, CUSP has worked with local churches to conduct a worship service to mark this special week. While the pandemic prevents us from holding an in-person service this year, world and national events make prayer for Christian unity as important as ever.\nSo, on our website (CUSPholland.org) and our Facebook page, CUSP will provide videos of devotionals for each day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Also, a video of a special prayer service will be posted for Sunday, Jan. 24. Please use these videos to join us in ardent prayer for Christian unity in a divided, troubled world. May we together abide in God’s love, so that together we bear much fruit!\nMary Johnson, CUSP secretary\nHolland", "Letter: Let us pray to heal divisions", "I am writing on behalf of Christians Uniting in Song and Prayer (CUSP), which has been organizing opportunities for community-wide worship since 2018. In light of the need for healing of the divisions that scar the Christian family, one of the most important weeks of the year is upon us: the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18-25).This occasion is a global initiative sponsored by the World Council of Churches (Protestant and Orthodox) and the Roman Catholic Church. This year’s" ]

[ "Greg Zyla More Content Now" ]

[ "Entry price: $61,750\nPrice as tested: $77,935\nThis week, we’re driving the BMW 540i xDrive sedan, the company’s 2021 version of one of the most popular BMW sedans ever built. Introduced in 1972, the 5-Series was then the darling of the college crowd and through the years evolved through seven generations to its lofty position today as one of the world’s top luxury performance sedans.\nBeing that I had personally owned a 1999 BMW 540i that was in the family since brand new, (recently sold) I can speak from an extra bit of BMW experience about all these incredible models right on through this 2021 example of automotive brilliance.\nOur tester arrived with xDrive mechanicals, meaning it featured all-wheel-drive (AWD) underpinnings. And, being that this scribe lives in the volatile weather northeast, where we’ve already endured a 38-inch snowfall, any sedan delivered with AWD is most appreciated.\nThese modern day 2021 540i sedans, be it rear drive or AWD, feature many amenity upgrades over and above features from just five years ago let alone back into the 1970s. Back then, roll up windows were prevalent, door locks were mostly manual and an airbag was someone who talked too much.\nOne thing that stays constant, however, is BMW’s powerful four-door sports car legacy, which in my opinion outweighs even its respected luxury DNA. Although still a very capable version of the 540i series in both performance and opulence, the new motif finds BMW sharing some 7-Series platform enhancements to perhaps better adapt to the aging baby boomer consumer without hurting its dedicated millennial generation customer. All of these combined sales come thanks to the 5-Series dazzling ride and power, regardless of age demographic.\nAs noted, our tester arrived in AWD dress powered by the TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 cylinder. Notable again is that Twin Power Turbo does not mean two turbos, as the 540i turbo relies on a bit of electrical assistance to completely dampen out any low speed turbo lag and enhance sport mode performance.\nBuilt in Dingolfing, Germany, the 2021 540i is now in its seventh generation and its inline-6 engine is peppier than ever. Specifically, the 335-horse, 332 lb. ft. of torque engine delivers an extra burst of low end power that results in zero to 60 times in an amazing 4.6 seconds. This is the exact same engine that powered our 2020 X7-series convertible we tested back in November and is worthy of extra praise. Included in the engine specs is an 11-hp “mild hybrid” 48-volt electric motor that assists along the way. (Your dealer will explain).\nPerhaps the biggest change over the years has been 540i’s mass. The wheelbase now is 5.7 inches longer than the early generation 540i models (like my 1999) with some additional 300 pounds to move along. Considering the performance advantage the turbo inline-6 offers, I’d say BMW did a great job in both the acceleration and MPG categories and then ups the ante by delivering more spacious interior dimensions. The outstanding fuel mileage comes in at 23 city and 31 highway EPA estimates for the 2021 models.\nAnd what about the M550i xDrive with the BMW V8 you might ask?\nThe answer is zero to 60 in 3.6 seconds from a 523-horsepower design that starts at $76,800, or, the ultimate 600-horsepower M5 with a starting price of $101,000 and zero to 60 in 3.2 seconds. These are the ultimate 5-series BMWs, and nothing to scoff at.\nAs for the biggest 540i drawback, it’s clearly the BMW extra cost options. From a base price of $61,750, our BMW xDrive came in at a final retail of $77,935 which means along the way this particular 540i tacked on over $16,000 in optional equipment. To me, that’s an incredible amount and worthy of some extra explanation.\nSome options are worthy while others are questionable. Included are the $3,300 M Sport package with variable sport steering; a Driving Assistance package for $1,700; a Dynamic Handling package for $3,200; Mocha Napa Leather is $2,500; Luxury Seating is $1,000; a Premium Package is $1,850; and a Parking Assist Package costs an additional $800; I do like the M Sport brakes with red calipers for $650 and heated steering wheel for $190, but you would think that when you pay $3,300 for the M Sport package, that $650 for the M Sport brakes would be included.\nGranted, our BMW 540i did come with some impressive standard features. Included are 19-inch Pirelli tires on special M-Sport wheels, dual power moonroof, Apple and Android compatibility, a “live Cockpit Pro” amenity suite with navigation, high-end stereo and a full year of SiriusXM.\nMechanically, all 540i models come with driving dynamics control with three modes of economy, comfort and sport; paddle shifters; all expected modern safety and airbags; dynamic stability and traction controls; and much more.\nOption pricing aside, let’s talk driving. On the road, this 540i is terrific on any road thanks to the Pirelli tires that glue the high-end sport suspension traction attributes to the road. As per German built cars, BMW’s steering wheel gives great feedback and the car adheres well in every category to its 540i performance/luxury dogma. The interior, meanwhile, is one of the overall high points excelling in quality build, quiet surroundings and comfort.\nWhen you push the new 540i in a tighter corner, the results are impressive and when you need to stop quickly, the $650 extra brake upgrade is one of the best in the business. Safety, too, is a BMW high priority, and your area dealer is waiting to explain everything from forward collision warning to smart cruise to other driver awareness controls that the modern BMW’s feature as standard fare.\nIn summary, when you put all of this together, even with the expensive options, you end up with a pretty nice if not outstanding $77,935 BMW 540i with $995 delivery included.\nHowever, knowing $77K isn’t cheap by any means, remember that the BMW 5-Series starts with the 530i four-cylinder starting at $54,200 in rear drive trim and $56,500 for the xDrive AWD.\nImportant numbers include a wheelbase of 117.1-inches, 4,159 lb. curb weight, 18-gallon fuel tank, 39.5 ft. turning circle and 18.7 cu. ft. of cargo space.\nIn summary, this 2021 540i is another outstanding example of BMW’s leadership in motor car building. It is a world class car that will please drivers and passengers from all age groups.\nLikes: Turbo power, outstanding build, looks.\nDislikes: Options very expensive, need a fat wallet, not much else.\nGreg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now and Gannett Co. Inc. Contact him at [email protected] or at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, PA 18840.", "Test Drive column: 2021 BMW 540i xDrive", "Entry price: $61,750Price as tested: $77,935This week, we’re driving the BMW 540i xDrive sedan, the company’s 2021 version of one of the most popular BMW sedans ever built. Introduced in 1972, the 5-Series was then the darling of the college crowd and through the years evolved through seven generations to its lofty position today as one of the world’s top luxury performance sedans. Being that I had personally owned a 1999 BMW 540i that was in the family since brand new," ]

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[ "Leonard E. Palmer trust\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nNOTICE TO CREDITORS\nDecedent’s Trust\nLEONARD E. PALMER\nIRREVOCABLE TRUST\nDATED 12/3/2015\nDated 12/3/2015\nDate of birth: May 7, 1928\nTO ALL CREDITORS:\nNOTICE TO CREDITORS: The decedent, Leonard E. Palmer, who lived at 2590 North Monroe Street, Monroe, Michigan 48162, died on October 26, 2020.\nCreditors of the decedent are notified that all CLAIMS against the Trust will be forever barred unless presented to Scott M. Graeff, Attorneyfor the Leonard E. Palmer Irrevocable Trust dated December 3, 2015 at 2727 N. Holland Sylvania Rd., Suite E. Toledo, Ohio 43615 within four (4) months after the date of publication of this Notice.\nDated: January 8, 2021\nCheryl A. Smith, Trustee\nTrustee’s Name\n4050 Albar Drive\nToledo, Ohio 43623\n(419) 902-4814\nScott M. Graeff, Esq. P66296\nAttorney-at-Law\n2727 N. Holland Sylvania Rd., Ste. E\nToledo, Ohio 43615\n(419) 535-1840\nJANUARY 16, 2021", "Leonard E. Palmer trust" ]

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[ "Landgren cartoon: McConnell won’t shell out", "Don Landgren cartoon on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell." ]

[ "Corey Murray" ]

[ "LITCHFIELD — Despite the lack of safe ice across many lakes and ponds throughout the county, many hard water anglers still found success through the ice and entered decent-sized panfish and great northern pike into Litchfield’s 13th Annual Tip-Up hosted by Litchfield Outdoors.\nDave Tefft, the owner of Litchfield Outdoors, said Sunday afternoon at the close of weigh-in scales that this tip-up festival may have produced new records in Litchfield with around 100 raccoons turned in and a decent turnout Saturday for the squirrel derby.\nThe blue-gill category was tied across three top spots for length all measuring 10 and an eighth inch. Winners were determined by weight.\nA number of black crappie and perch each measured over 13 inches and beavers weighing between 40 and 50 pounds held top positions.\nWarmer temperatures over the last few weeks and a mild start to winter have left most lakes with unsafe ice. Still, anglers managed to find as much as five inches of good ice in small parts of larger lakes like gravel pit cove on the Baw Beese chain of lakes.\nThe Hillsdale County Conservation Club’s annual tip-up festival will take place this upcoming weekend.", "Litchfield Tip-Up success benefits local school", "LITCHFIELD — Despite the lack of safe ice across many lakes and ponds throughout the county, many hard water anglers still found success through the ice and entered decent-sized panfish and great northern pike into Litchfield’s 13th Annual Tip-Up hosted by Litchfield Outdoors.Dave Tefft, the owner of Litchfield Outdoors, said Sunday afternoon at the close of weigh-in scales that this tip-up festival may have produced new records in Litchfield with around 100 raccoons turned in and a" ]

[ "West Michigan Works" ]

[ "Are you looking for a career that will make a difference in the lives of others? Or are you interested in a medical career but not sure how to get started?\nA group of Barry County organizations have teamed up to offer Basic EMT training along with additional services, like financial aid and job placement assistance, for students.\nEMT is one of the top 100 fastest growing, high-demand jobs in West Michigan, earning a median wage of $16.76 per hour.\nJoseph Huebner is an EMT, the continuous quality improvement director at Mercy Ambulance and an adjunct professor at Kellogg Community College.\nAccording to him, the need for EMTs is at an all-time high. The potential for employment and advancement within the ranks of emergency medical services (EMS) has never been better.\n\"Many choose to become an EMT as an entry into the medical field,\" said Huebner. \"Medical first responders, EMTs and paramedics may choose to remain in EMS or continue to other medical specialties such as nursing, physician assistants or even doctors.\"\nThe Basic EMT course will be offered through Kellogg Community College at the Fehsenfeld (Hastings) Campus. The training will use a combination of online lectures and in-person clinicals and simulations.\nIt is scheduled to begin mid-February and will last approximately six months. Individuals who complete the training will receive college credit, a certificate and have all the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare for the national EMT license.\nAdditional services start before an application is submitted and continue after the training is complete.\n\"West Michigan Works has a dedicated career coach who will walk interested individuals through the application and enrollment process for Kellogg Community College,\" said Emily Gary, talent solutions manager at West Michigan Works in Barry County.\n\"They will also provide guidance and support to secure financial aid so that funding is not a concern.\"\nThe support does not necessarily stop once training is complete.\n\"We have a team of staff ready to help participants find employment that matches their new skill set,\" said Gary. \"The goal is to ensure that each person is set up for success and reaches their employment goals.\"\nIf you’re interested in learning more or want to start the application process, visit westmiworks.org/emt. The deadline to apply is January 29.\n\"EMTs make a difference when it matters most,\" said Huebner. \"When a patient's suffering is eased, or a life is saved, the feeling of achievement and knowing you were a part of that gives EMT personnel a sense of accomplishment and pride unlike any other.\"\n— Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works. Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.", "Employment Expertise: Get started on path to career as EMT", "Are you looking for a career that will make a difference in the lives of others? Or are you interested in a medical career but not sure how to get started?A group of Barry County organizations have teamed up to offer Basic EMT training along with additional services, like financial aid and job placement assistance, for students.EMT is one of the top 100 fastest growing, high-demand jobs in West Michigan, earning a median wage of $16.76 per hour.Joseph Huebner is an EMT, the continuous quality" ]

[ "David Eggert", "David Eggert The Associated Press" ]

[ "LANSING — A small group of gun-toting demonstrators rallied Sunday outside of Michigan's Capitol building near a sizable presence of law enforcement officers on high alert after this month's deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol.\nAbout a dozen protesters openly carried guns, including some who promoted the anti-government \"boogaloo\" movement, a slang term adopted by the pro-gun extremist movement that is a reference to a sequel — in their case, a second U.S. civil war.\nSome boogaloo promoters insist they are not genuinely advocating for violence. But the boogaloo has been linked to a recent string of domestic terrorism plots, including the arrests of three Nevada men accused of conspiring to incite violence during protests in Las Vegas.\nA few other protesters, who were not openly armed, wore hats supporting President Donald Trump or falsely claimed the election was stolen. Trump's term will end Wednesday when President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated.\nAs snow fell, state police, the National Guard and local law enforcement provided a heavy security presence at or near the 142-year-old Statehouse and other government buildings. Adjacent roads were closed. A police helicopter flew overhead. The Capitol was surrounded by a 6-foot fence. Ground-level windows on several downtown buildings, including the governor's office, were boarded up.\nThe demonstration was peaceful and drew more media members than protesters. It came after the FBI warned of the potential for armed protests at the nation’s Capitol and all 50 state capitol buildings beginning this weekend.\nTimothy Teagan, a boogaloo backer who was at the Michigan Statehouse, said the purpose was \"to urge a message of peace and unity to the left and right, to the members of BLM, to Trump supporters to Three Percenter militias to antifa,\" referring to Black Lives Matter.\nState police Lt. Brian Oleksyk, who estimated that about 20 protesters had turned up, said such demonstrations are nothing new.\n\"It’s a different topic and it’s a serious topic, but we won’t tolerate criminal behavior,\" he said.\nMartin Szelag said he had hoped for a better turnout.\n\"I was hoping the militia would be here,\" he said.\nBut the 67-year-old semi-retired window salesman from Dearborn Heights did not want to see any violence, just more attention for his cause: that Biden’s victory in November was tainted by election fraud.\nSzelag wore a sign around his neck that read, in part, \"We will support Joe Biden as our President if you can convince us he won legally. Show us the proof! Then the healing can begin.\"\n\"I don’t trust the results of the election,\" he said.\nBiden won Michigan by 154,000 votes, or 2.8 percentage points. Various election officials across the country and Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud.", "Small group of armed protesters dwarfed by police at Capitol", "LANSING — A small group of gun-toting demonstrators rallied Sunday outside of Michigan's Capitol building near a sizable presence of law enforcement officers on high alert after this month's deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol.About a dozen protesters openly carried guns, including some who promoted the anti-government \"boogaloo\" movement, a slang term adopted by the pro-gun extremist movement that is a reference to a sequel — in their case, a second U.S. civil war.Some" ]

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[ "Nevaeh O'Brien 2/16/2021 hearing\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nSTATE OF MICHIGAN\n38th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT\nFAMILY DIVISION\nMONROE COUNTY\nPUBLICATION OF HEARING\n(NOTICE TO PUTATIVE FATHER)\nCASE NO. 20-025021-NA\nIN THE MATTER OF:\nNEVAEH O’BRIEN\nDOB: 05/31/2020\nTAKE NOTICE:\nA petition has been filed with this court regarding the following minor(s): Nevaeh O’Brien, who was born on 05/31/2020 at Promedica Regional Hospital Monroe, Monroe, MI 48161.\nThe mother of the minor(s) is Kassandra Bonello DOB: 03/10/1986. If you are or may be the natural father, you should appear at 125 E. Second St., Monroe, MI 48161 3rd FL on 02/16/2021 at 1:45 p.m. to state any interest you may have in the minor(s).\nFailure to appear at this hearing is a denial of interest in the minor(s), waiver of notice for all subsequent hearings, and a waiver of a right to appointment of an attorney. Failure to appear at this hearing COULD RESULT IN PERMANENT TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS.\nJANUARY 25, 2021", "Nevaeh O'Brien 2/16/2021 hearing" ]

[ "Sentinel Staff" ]

[ "IONIA — Residents can obtain a free radon test kit this month at the Ionia County Health Department in exchange for a donation.\nThe Ionia County Health Department is giving away free short-term radon test kits during January in exchange for a nonperishable food item, according to a press release. January is National Radon Action Month.\nRadon is described by the health department as \"a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas found naturally in the environment.\" It’s the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall.\nRadon gas is released from rock or soil and may seep into homes through the foundation, cracks in floors and walls, org gaps around service pipes — according to the health department.\nA high level of radon in the home can increase exposure to radiation, which increases the risk for lung cancer.\nThe ICHD recommends homes be tested. Testing homes is the only way to know if a family is at risk from radon since there are no warning signs or symptoms of exposure, per the health department.\nThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates one out of 15 homes in the country have elevated radon levels.\nThose with questions can contact the ICHD at 616-527-5341.", "Health Department giving away radon test kits", "IONIA — Residents can obtain a free radon test kit this month at the Ionia County Health Department in exchange for a donation.The Ionia County Health Department is giving away free short-term radon test kits during January in exchange for a nonperishable food item, according to a press release. January is National Radon Action Month.Radon is described by the health department as \"a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas found naturally in the environment.\" It’s the leading cause of" ]

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[ "Frenchtown Township 1/25/2021 meeting minutes\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nFRENCHTOWN\nCHARTER TOWNSHIP\nREGULAR TOWNSHIP\nMEETING MINUTES\nJANUARY 12, 2021\nA Regular Meeting of the Frenchtown Charter Township Board was held via ZOOM on January 12, 2021 at 3:00 PM.\nPRESENT: SUPERVISOR-Al VanWashenova, CLERK-Kyle Bryant, TREASURER-Julie Ellison, TWP ATTORNEY-Kerry Bondy, TRUSTEE-Matt Rimel, TRUSTEE-Chris Collins, TRUSTEE-Christiaan Carlton, TRUSTEE-Gary Klemz.\nDeputy Clerk, Jessica Burt; Utility Director, Rich Weirich; Fire Chief, Wendy Stevens; Township Assessor, Justin Prybylski; Human Resources Generalist, Meagan Russell; Township Engineer, Mark Mathe; Recreation Director, Phil Coyle; Township Constable, Steve Hyder and 8 other persons were in attendance.\nSupervisor VanWashenova declared there was quorum at 3:00 PM.\nCHANGES TO THE AGENDA: Add 8a, Job Description for Part Time Maintenance position.\nMOTION #21.01 – AGENDA APPROVAL: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mrs. Ellison to approve the January 12, 2021 as amended. A voice vote was taken. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #21.02 – APPROVAL OF JANUARY 12, 2021 CONSENT AGENDA: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Klemz to approve the consent agenda as presented. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nCONSENT AGENDA:\na. December 22, 2020 – Regular Board Meeting Minutes\nb. Invoices Paid between December 23, 2020 to January 8, 2021\nc. Invoices Paid on January 12, 2021\nPUBLIC COMMENT: None\nMOTION #21.03 – DISCUSSION – RECREATION COMMISSION PROPOSALS: Motion made by Mr. Rimel; seconded by Mr. Klemz to amend the Kiwanis Hall Leasing Policy and to eliminate the option of renting the Kiwanis Hall ball fields Mondays through Fridays and approve the request of the Director to allow the rental of the ball fields if the hall isn’t rented on the weekends at the ballfield pricing proposed by the Director. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. VanWashenovaYes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #21.04 – NEW HIRE DRUG TESTING: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Carlton to establish drug testing for all new employees effective January 12, 2021. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #21.05 – JOB DESCRIPTION FOR PART TIME MAINTENANCE: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Collins to approve the job description for the Part Time Maintenance of less than 24 hours per week and to advertise the position and include a drug testing requirement for this new position. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #21.06 –2021 BOARD APPOINTMENTS: Motion made by Mrs. Ellison; seconded by Mr. Bryant to approve the 2021 Board Appointments with the changes as discussed. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nPUBLIC COMMENT: None\nMOTION #21.07 – SWITCHING .GOV EMAIL ADDRESSES AND WEBSITE: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Bryant to approve switching Township email addresses and the Township website to a .gov domain for all Departments as discussed. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. KlemzYes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #21.08 – PURCHASE REQUEST – FIRE DEPARTMENT CARGO CONTAINMENT SYSTEM: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Rimel to purchase a cargo containment system for the 2018 Ford Expedition at a cost of $3,240.00. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #21.09 – ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Rimel to have the Township Attorney and Zoning Ordinance Committee prepare amendment to Zoning Ordinance Section 4.45.1 (f) and other relevant sections to provide options to allow storage containers or shipping containers as accessory structures with certain modifications and to bring back to the Township Board. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #21.10 – ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Klemz to adjourn the January 12, 2021 Regular Board Meeting at 5:31 PM. A voice vote was taken. Motion carried 7-0.\nKyle Bryant, Township Clerk\nAl VanWashenova\nTownship Supervisor\nJANUARY 25, 2021", "Frenchtown Township 1/25/2021 meeting minutes" ]

[ "Sentinel Staff" ]

[ "ZEELAND TWP. — Three cows were killed early Friday after a vehicle crashed into a small herd that had wandered onto Chicago Drive.\nThe Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office responded at 3:30 a.m. Jan. 29 to the area of Chicago Drive near 76th Avenue to investigate a report of vehicles striking cows loose in the roadway.\nEight cows were found in the westbound lanes of Chicago Drive with one vehicle crashing into three of them. The vehicle sustained significant front end damage, but the driver was not injured.\nChicago Drive was closed for more than 90 minutes as the cows were cleared from the roadway and secured on a nearby farm.\nZeeland Police and the Ottawa Road Commission also responded to the scene of the crash.", "Three cows killed in Zeeland Township crash", "ZEELAND TWP. — Three cows were killed early Friday after a vehicle crashed into a small herd that had wandered onto Chicago Drive.The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office responded at 3:30 a.m. Jan. 29 to the area of Chicago Drive near 76th Avenue to investigate a report of vehicles striking cows loose in the roadway.Eight cows were found in the westbound lanes of Chicago Drive with one vehicle crashing into three of them. The vehicle sustained significant front end damage, but the driver" ]

[ "Dave Paulson More Content Now Usa Today Network" ]

[ "“Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you/ When you get where you’re going, don’t forget turn back around/ And help the next one in line/ Always stay humble and kind.”\nBefore it was a Grammy-winning country song cherished by millions of listeners, “Humble and Kind” was written for five very specific people: Lori McKenna’s children.\nAfter dropping McKenna’s youngest kids off at school, the songwriter sat at her dining room table and wrote out the principles she wanted all of them - from ages 10 to 25 - to live by.\nIn the hands of Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind” became a reminder for millions more. McKenna told the story behind the song to Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association International.\nBart Herbison: I’m going to be 100% honest with you. Somebody told me about the song before I heard you do it - and I heard you do it before I heard McGraw’s (version). When I heard the title, I’m like, “Man, really? ‘Humble and Kind’ on country music (radio). What is this?” Because it was very narrow, how that song could be written with the integrity that it held, and also be commercial. I think it had to get with the right artist. What is the story behind “Humble and Kind?”\nLori McKenna: You are 100% right. It had to get with the right artist, and I’ve talked to Tim a couple of times about this.\nThat song is a selfish little poem/lullaby that a mother of five wrote for her kids one day. At that point, my oldest is 25 and my youngest is 10, when I wrote it five or six years ago. I dropped off the kids at school, and I sat at my dining room table with my coffee and started thinking about all the things that Gene and I wanted to make sure we told the kids.\nThere’s so much information there. A parent can go on and on and on forever about what they want their kids to know. I know there was a lot of information going in. I did worry about getting preachy and I stopped myself really quickly and remembered I wasn’t writing this for anyone else. I was writing this for myself and for my kids. I sort of thought of it that way. If someone gives me trouble, oh well. I literally kept them in my focus.\nI sent it to Tim and he had a melodic change in the chorus that he did that took me a long time to figure out what the subtle change is. It was just enough to make it commercial. He brought it to a place I still can’t believe.\nBH: How close was the song to that point, lyrically?\nLM: Lyrically, the song is exactly the same.\nBH: A poem doesn’t always translate into a song.\nLM: I wrote it with a melody. When I think of it, it’s a three-chord progression that hardly changes and everything has to rhyme with the word “kind.” It’s an easy rhyme. It’s a very simple song. I did luck out with the chorus. At that point, I had a 10-year-old, so saying, “Hold the door” and “Say ‘Thank you’” - I know that sounds so elementary, but there’s so much of that in parenting.\nThe other thing that I lucked out on that song is that I have five kids that span 15 years. At that point, I needed to make sure every kid had something that spoke to them. If I was a mother of two small children and tried to write that song, it would have been a very different song.\nI think there was a lot of luck that was granted me that day. Mostly, it’s Tim. He really saw something in it, and I think he’s done this with other songs in his career because he’s really good at finding hit songs and he’s good at bringing something somebody else might pass on by. He can see something in it. He can see the diamond in the rough and he did with this song.\nI think, because our kids are at similar ages and because I’ve seen them with their kids a bunch and I know how they parent, that I knew he and Faith kind of think the same way as Gene and I in that regard. So I sent it to him and he just went with it. There are so many pieces of blessings in that story. I can’t even pick them all out.\nBH: What are some of the stories you hear from people (about this song)? It’s a very specific song, yet personal to every listener. They make it their own. That’s very uncommon and genius.\nLM: That’s what I love about songs, though. I love songs that tell you what the room looks like but don’t exactly tell you what the guy in the room looks like but you can feel it. … As far as stories, on the weekends, I would get a text saying someone was at a wedding and the groom is dancing with his mom to this song! I would always hope it would be Tim’s version and not mine!\nBH: I love your version!\nLM: Thank you! That was Tim, you know. When you have a song that could sort of work in both ways, where it can be at a funeral or a wedding, that’s why we love country music.\nBH: So finally, it’s about the kids. What do the kids think about it?\nLM: This one was special in the beginning, even before they heard Tim. I played the Opry with my guitar player, Mark. All my kids were there except for my oldest, Brian. … I sang that song. You get two or three to play and I sang that song. The kids all knew it was their song. ... When Tim plays it, it’s off the charts for us. I have this great picture that my friend Becky took of us all at the Boston Garden the year that “Soul to Soul” was here and Tim played the song and we’re all just holding each other. The McGraws have been so good to me. The kids know it’s their song.", "Behind the Song column: Tim McGraw’s ‘Humble and Kind’", "“Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you/ When you get where you’re going, don’t forget turn back around/ And help the next one in line/ Always stay humble and kind.”Before it was a Grammy-winning country song cherished by millions of listeners, “Humble and Kind” was written for five very specific people: Lori McKenna’s children.After dropping McKenna’s youngest kids off at school, the songwriter sat at her dining room" ]

[ "Jef Rietsma" ]

[ "Pam Riley of Centreville has been named executive director of St. Joseph County Commission on Aging.\nThe announcement was made Tuesday by Teresa Doehring, county administrator.\nRiley, whose first day on the job was Monday, succeeds Tim Stoll, who resigned in November to oversee Thurston Woods in Sturgis.\nRiley, 49, was hired from among about a dozen candidates, Doehring said.\n\"I was very pleased with the recruitment and the applicant pool,\" Riley said. \"There were several steps within the process and we got a lot of folks involved, and Pam really rose to the top … I’m very excited that we were able to snag her.\"\nDoehring said Riley has a strong background in leadership, her experience is conducive to the role and she is passionate about serving older adults.\n\"She’s going to be a great fit for the Commission on Aging in general … she has a great vision for future things to come and to keep building on the success we’ve had (at COA),\" Doehring said.\nRiley, a newly elected member of Centreville Public Schools Board of Education, previously was an audiologist who owned a private practice for more than 20 years.\n\"I am very excited to continue my work with older adults and it has been a fabulous first two days,\" said Riley, who has stepped foot on all seven continents after visiting Antarctica in 2019.\nHer starting salary is $72,000.", "Riley named executive director of COA", "Pam Riley of Centreville has been named executive director of St. Joseph County Commission on Aging.The announcement was made Tuesday by Teresa Doehring, county administrator.Riley, whose first day on the job was Monday, succeeds Tim Stoll, who resigned in November to oversee Thurston Woods in Sturgis.Riley, 49, was hired from among about a dozen candidates, Doehring said.\"I was very pleased with the recruitment and the applicant pool,\" Riley said. \"There were several steps within the process" ]

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[ "We are lifelong residents of Holland. Our community has always been a quaint, beautiful city that attracts lots of tourism.\nIf the rezoning is passed, we believe this will be detrimental to our city. Please do not pass this proposed zoning change.\nThere is plenty of growth taking place in our community and this rezoning does not fit with Holland’s identity.\nDeann Baumann\nHolland", "Letter: Don’t make any changes to zoning laws", "We are lifelong residents of Holland. Our community has always been a quaint, beautiful city that attracts lots of tourism.If the rezoning is passed, we believe this will be detrimental to our city. Please do not pass this proposed zoning change.There is plenty of growth taking place in our community and this rezoning does not fit with Holland’s identity.Deann BaumannHolland" ]

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[ "Dundee Village 1/26/2021 Public Hearing\nVIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE\nDUNDEE VILLAGE\nZONING BOARD OF APPEALS\nPlease take notice that there will be a virtual Dundee Village Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing on Tuesday January 26, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. through Zoom Platform to consider the following variance request from Christian Freshour 457 Corinth Circle (Tax ID: 42-170-018-00) Applicant is requesting the following:\nApplicant is requesting variance from Section 3.19.02 Setbacks from property line. Applicant is seeking a variance of 4.6’ from the required 10’ setback to construct an inground swimming pool.\nThe purpose of this public hearing will be to receive public input on the variance requests. This notice will be mailed to all real property owners within 300 feet of the applicant property. All related documents can be requested by contacting the Village Office during business hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Written comments can be addressed to Gary Dahl Zoning Administrator at 350 W. Monroe St. Dundee, MI 48131.\nA virtual meeting is allowable through Michigan Senate Bill 1108 that amended the Open Meetings Act to allow public bodies to conduct electronic \"virtual\" meetings with remote participation for any reason through the end of 2020. Due to the current Covid 19 outbreak levels in the Village of Dundee and Monroe County the Dundee Zoning Board of Appeals will meet electronically via the web-based application “Zoom”. The public may attend the Dundee Zoning Board of Appeals virtually at the following web address\nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/82331118565?pwd=SHhyaG1SZnltRUtZZGhZNUJ1YzVMdz09\nPasscode: 447921 Or via Telephone: 1-646-558-8656 Webinar ID: 823 3111 8565 Passcode: 447921\nIf you are an individual with a disability who is in need of an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting, please contact David Uhl, Village Manager, at 734-529-3430 ext 1032 for voice and TDD call or email [email protected] prior to the meeting.\nPublic Participation: Members of the community are invited and encouraged to address the Zoning Board of Appeals during the public comment portion of the agenda through Zoom by pressing *9 via telephone or using the hand raise function within the Zoom App.\nJanuary 11, 2021", "Dundee Village 1/26/2021 Public Hearing" ]

[ "Bill Laitner", "Detroit Free Press" ]

[ "Although the official U.S. Census is incomplete, population estimates released last week point to Michigan likely losing a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.\nIf that happens, the state would also lose one of its 16 Electoral College votes, which are based on the number of Congressional districts in each state, plus the two senators.\nThe state’s population grew in the last decade but only slightly — less than 1% — while the nation as a whole grew by more than 6%, according to the new estimates. That puts Michigan on course for dropping from 14 to 13 House seats and from 16 to 15 votes in the Electoral College for the 2024 presidential election.\nIt’s unclear where changes to the state’s district lines — and the loss of a seat — would take place, but the impending loss of influence in Washington, D.C., might well occur in metro Detroit because the city lost 6.1% in population during the last decade, according to the estimates.\nThe lines for the state's Congressional districts will be redrawn next year by Michigan's Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, formed as a result of a 2018 ballot referendum amending the state constitution. The commission is composed of 13 randomly selected Michigan registered voters — four who affiliate with the Democratic Party, four who affiliate with the Republican Party, and five who do not affiliate with either major political party.\nMichigan should expect to lose a Congressional district even though the state did a fine job of trying to count every resident, demographer Kurt Metzger of Pleasant Ridge said.\nNon-profit groups pitched in millions of dollars and the Legislature added millions more, all of which raised awareness and prompted a much fuller count than in 2010, said Metzger, the retired founder of Data Driven Detroit.\nHe is a census consultant to the Lansing-based Michigan Nonprofit Association. Metzger also is the part-time mayor of Pleasant Ridge, whose residents were lauded last summer by SEMCOG for their lofty Census response rate: 89.1%, ranking it the 21st city in the nation for participation.\nIn an email, Metzger said: \"As you know, the 2020 Census was a total mess due to the pandemic delays, and the Trump administration’s efforts on a citizenship question, and then a hurried shutdown as of October 15,\" cutting off the count unexpectedly.\nIn spite of the many obstacles, Michigan had a 71.3% response rate to the Census questionnaires, up 3.6 percentage points over 2010, \"placing our state at 8th highest\" nationwide, he said.\n\"Low response rates in many of our major cities with high minority populations — Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Muskegon and Highland Park — initially led to worries of an undercount, but the Census Bureau has stated it believes that 99% of Michiganders were counted,\" Metzger said.\nMichigan’s population was estimated at 9,966,555 as of July 1 this year. Detroit’s estimate came in at 670,031.\nFlint was the state’s biggest population loser among cities over 50,000 in population. It lost 6.6% of its residents over the past decade. The biggest gainer in residents was Novi at 10.3%, followed by Grand Rapids at 6.9%, Ann Arbor at 5.3% and Rochester Hills at 5.0%, among major cities.\nIn other estimated population gains since 2010, Troy went up 3.9%, Royal Oak climbed 3.6%, Sterling Heights rose 2.1% and Southfield gained 1.4%. Going the other way, Warren lost a mere 1/10th of a percent but Westland dropped 3.1%, as did Livonia. Taylor slid 3.5%, Dearborn Heights fell 4.2% and Dearborn lost 4.3% of its population.\nNationwide, the decade’s biggest population gainer among cities over 50,000 — at a stunning 71.1% — was Frisco, Texas, a bedroom community for professionals who work in Dallas or Ft. Worth.\nThe biggest loser was Charleston, West Virginia, which lost 9.4% in population.\n— Contact Bill Laitner at [email protected].", "Census: MI likely to lose congressional seat, Electoral College vote", "Although the official U.S. Census is incomplete, population estimates released last week point to Michigan likely losing a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.If that happens, the state would also lose one of its 16 Electoral College votes, which are based on the number of Congressional districts in each state, plus the two senators.The state’s population grew in the last decade but only slightly — less than 1% — while the nation as a whole grew by more than 6%," ]

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[ "Centreville junior Tyler Swanwick does his best to make mom, who died in August, proud\nBy BrandonWatson\nTwitter:@BwatsonSJ\n\"TheStar-Spangled Banner\" completed and Tyler Swanwick pointed to the sky.\nThe Centreville junior was doing his best to keep his emotions in check prior to the Division 8 state football finals inside Ford Field on Friday morning. Keeping those emotions in check is something he’s had to do since him mom Tonya passed away back in August.\n\"I told myself I’m doing this for her,\"Swanwick said following the Bulldogs’ 22-0 state championship win over Ubly onFriday inside Ford Field. \"So, I kept going with that. After the national anthem today, I kissed my finger and pointed up to her.\"\nSwanwick’s impact this season has clearly been noticed. Often times he was the best player on both sides of the football and he was a major significance in special teams as well.\nSam Todd, senior quarterback for the Bulldogs, said Swanwick has been instrumental in the team’s success this season.\n\"That kid is going to be special, no matter what he does,\"Todd said. \"He showed up today in the state championship game. I think this was a big game for him to break out.\"\nCentreville was a team that ran the football as often as possible this season en route to an 11-0 mark. From a dominant offensive line to a handful of backs rushing the football effectively, Centreville loved to line up and run the football.\nOften times Swanwick, a wide receiver mostly taller than anyone lined up against him, would not get a pass thrown his way. It was just part of the deal and he knew that. Todd understood as well.\n\"We haven’t had to throw it a lot, but when we did today he showed up,\"Todd said following the Division 8 state finals at Ford Field. \"He’s not afraid of anything.\"\nSwanwick caught four passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Three of his catches were highlight reel stuff — one of his touchdowns saw him soar over an Ubly defender and literally take the football away from him in the end zone. Another, which happened to be directly prior to his touchdown catch, was on a deflection well into Ubly territory as time was running out in the first half.\nHis first touchdown on the day gave Centreville a 14-0 advantage before the 2-point conversion made it 16-0 Bulldogs heading into halftime.\nThe second touchdown proved to be the only points scored in the second half. Swanwick ran a route toward the pylon and caught a one-handed pass that he tipped to himself before reaching out over the goal line to secure the touchdown.\n\"I knew if we ran the ball the whole game and won, I’d be fine with it,\"Swanwick said. \"This is just so nice to have. Passing the ball, I like that more. It gets me making plays, gets me in the game. It also helps keep the other team honest to the run and the pass. If we are passing, they will back up and it makes passing better.\"\nCentreville threw the football seven times in the game, completing six passes.\nSwanwick hauled in four of those passes and finished with a combined 123 all-purpose yards, including 14 on a kick return and 12 on a punt.\n\"I’m just proud of the kid he’s become, that’s tough,\" Centreville coachJerry Schultz said. \"I’m not surprised by the game he had, he does this kind of stuff all the time. It shows the type of character he has. It shows his parents raised him right. I’m glad he’s on our team, he’s a great kid.\"\nTodd feels like the entire team has been there for Swanwick when he needed them the most.\n\"This whole team has been here for him, especially to have to go through what he’s gone through,\"Todd said. \"Swanwick is like a little brother to me. We grew up together playing sports.\"\nWhether Swanwick finds himself on the football field or potentially on the basketball court at some point this year, he’s always going to keep his mom in mind. She’s in his thoughts every minute of every day and he’s doing his best to make her proud.\n\"Whenever I make a decision, I think about her and what she would want me to do, that’s what I go off of,\"he said.\nThe community of Centreville has also helped him as much as they can.\n\"They have all helped me so much with it, the community has helped me a lot,\"he said. \"It’s such a great feeling to have this, to know they have my back.\"", "Playing for mom" ]

[ "Nancy Hastings", "Nancy Hastings Nhastings Hillsdale.Net" ]

[ "HILLSDALE – Those who still need to ready their snow throwers for wintry weather can be assured they aren't the only ones who may have been unprepared for the wintry weather that came with the new year.\nTeam Member Colin Cavanaugh, from the Tractor Supply Company store in Jonesville, said when he sells snow blowers, he offers manufacturers' information and products to customers.\n\"We try to have a decent dialogue with them because we'd rather not hear about injuries or see returns,\" Cavanaugh said.\nAt Family Farm and Home in Hillsdale, Team Member Stacey Hartman said the store has seen quite a few customers since the New Year's day snow and ice storm.\n\"We're selling a lot of salt,\" Hartman said. \"I sold one blower today (Monday). The equipment comes with a manual that I encourage people to read. It runs over everything like safe operating procedures.\"\nAlong with area businesses that sell winter equipment, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute encourages home and business owners to ready their snow throwers (often referred to as snow blowers) and other winter equipment.\n\"Weather is more unpredictable now than ever,\" OPEI President and CEO Kris Kiser said in a release, noting it is important to get snow throwers serviced early. \"Now is also the best time to review your owner’s manual and operating procedures. You should know how to operate the controls and how to quickly shut off the snow thrower.\"\nOPEI offers the following questions to help home and business owners get ready and review safety practices:\nHave you read your owner’s manual?\nReview safe handling procedures. Know how to operate the controls. If the manual cannot be found, look it up online, and store a copy on your computer.\nHave you checked your equipment since storing it?\nMake sure all equipment is completely powered off when checking it over. If you forgot to drain the fuel last winter before storing your snow thrower, empty the gas tank. Adjust any cables and check the auger when the equipment is powered off.\nHave you purchased the right fuel?\nBe sure to use the correct fuel, as recommended by your equipment's manufacturer. Fuel that is more than 30 days old can phase separate and cause operating problems. Buy gasoline ahead of a storm, as driving may be treacherous during storms and stations can be closed. For more information on fueling properly see www.LookBeforeYouPump.com\nIs gasoline being used safely?\nBefore you start the engine, fill up the fuel tank on your snow thrower while the engine is cold and outside your home or garage. Never add fuel to a running or hot engine. Store the gasoline in a fuel container and label with date purchased and the ethanol content. Make sure fuel is stored safely and out of the reach of children.\nAre batteries charged?\nIf using a battery/electric-powered snow-thrower, make sure batteries are fully charged, in case electricity goes out during a winter storm.\nIs the yard free of obstructions?\nSnow can hide objects. Doormats, hoses, balls, toys, boards, wires, and other debris should be removed. When run over by a snow thrower, these objects may harm the machine or people.\nAre you dressed properly?\nLocate safety gear now, and place it in an accessible closet or location. Plan to wear safety glasses, gloves and footwear that can handle cold and slippery surfaces.\nFor operating snow throwers safely:\nIs your clean out tool or stick ready?\nNever put your hands inside the auger or chute. Use a clean out tool (or stick) to unclog snow or debris from your snow thrower.\nDo you turn off your snow thrower if you need to clear a clog?\nAlways turn off the snow thrower and wait for all moving parts to come to a complete stop before clearing any clogs or debris.\nIs your snow thrower operated only in visible conditions?\nNever operate the snow thrower without good visibility or light.\nCan you aim your snow thrower with care?\nNever throw snow toward people or cars. Do not allow anyone to stand in front of your snow thrower.\nWill you use extreme caution on slopes and hills?\nDo not attempt to clear steep slopes and use caution when changing directions on slopes or inclines.\nAre pets and children inside while the snow thrower is operating?\nKids and pets may love to play in the white stuff, but it’s best to keep them inside your home and supervised (by someone else) while a snow thrower is operating. Do not allow them to play in the snow as it is tossed out of the chute.\nFor more information about OPEI, visit: www.opei.org.", "Safety encouraged during winter", "HILLSDALE – Those who still need to ready their snow throwers for wintry weather can be assured they aren't the only ones who may have been unprepared for the wintry weather that came with the new year.Team Member Colin Cavanaugh, from the Tractor Supply Company store in Jonesville, said when he sells snow blowers, he offers manufacturers' information and products to customers.\"We try to have a decent dialogue with them because we'd rather not hear about injuries or see returns,\"" ]

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[ "Sturgis opens season with victory over Coldwater\nBy BrandonWatson\nTwitter:@BwatsonSJ\nThe Sturgis swim team opened its season on Thursday night.\nVisiting Coldwater was in town and the Trojans picked up a victory in the event, 110-57.\n\"I’m very pleased with their performances tonight considering we are just into our second week of practice,\"Sturgis swim coachLisa Gottschalk said. \"As a team, we are just very thankful to be back in the water.\"\nSturgis took first place in nine of the 12 events.\nThe meet started with Sturgis’ 200 medley relay team of Rylee Cain, Luc VanDer Hulst, Charles Frost and JustinHerblet taking first place at 1:53.57. Sturgis’ team of Matt Toner, EJMiller, Dalton Tisdel and Lucas Tollefson placed second at 2:05.22.\nToner paced the 200 freestyle race, winning with a time of 2:17.91. Wyatt Dudek came in third place at 2:41.46 while Tristan Clark took fifth at 3:24.18.\nFrost narrowly won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:34.31, beating Coldwater’s Lucas Wischmeyer’s time of 2:34.71. Miller came in third position at 2:42.23.\nThe 50 freestyle saw an interesting finish as both Herblet and Tisdel finished with exact times of 25.27 seconds for first place. Tollefson finished fourth at 30.05 seconds.\nThe 100 butterfly race was won by Wischmeyer at 1:14.58. Frost led Sturgis in second at 1:19.67 while Van Der Hulst was third at 1:36.51.\nCain raced to first place in the 100 freestyle, swimming a time of 54.58 seconds. Herblet came in second position at 59.75 seconds while Damian Avila Mejia was fifth at 1:14.84.\nIn the lengthy 500 freestyle, Toner had a time of 6:36.05 to win the race. Hunter Diethrich placed second overall at 7:59.49.\nTisdel, Toner, Herblet and Cain teamed up to win the 200 freestyle relay. The Trojan team finished with a time of 1:42.86, besting the second-place Coldwater team by eight seconds.\nThe Sturgis team of Miller, Van Der Hulst, Tollefson and Frost was third at 1:57.59 while the team of Dudek, Clark, Diego Lara Flores and Avila Mejia was fourth at 2:14.28.\nCain won the 100 backstroke as well. His time was 1:06.47 in the event. Dudek came in third place at 1:31.22 while Tollefson finished fourth at 1:36.23.\nWinning the 100 breaststroke race was Miller, his time was 1:21.05. VanDer Hulst came in second at 1:23.01 while Lara Flores finished fourth at 1:42.61.\nThe final race of the night was the 400 free relay. The team of Dudek, Lara Flores, Diethrich and Avila Mejia were second at 5:28.39. The team of Max Scheske, Aaron Benac, Clark and Blaine Hamlin was third overall with a time of 5:49.07.\nSturgis is back in the pool on Tuesday at Marshall.", "Trojans swim to win" ]

[ "Amy Dickinson" ]

[ "Dear Amy: I just got out of a nine-year relationship with a man I'm just now realizing was manipulative and mean. Unfortunately, he developed a drinking problem during our time together.\nHe broke things off twice (against my wishes), and I was the one who had to move out and lose my home and my dog, etc.\nAfter being apart this time, I started to see some things I had ignored before because I loved him so much. He is emotionally abusive at times, as we try to separate our items and as I try to purchase the house from him. He has said things like, \"If you don't drop this, I will take everything, and you'll get nothing.\" Or throwing it in my face that he's glad we never got married.\nI started therapy and have been going now for two years.\nDuring that time, my therapist has tried to guide me toward what's healthy, but I think she knew I wasn't ready to hear it. I was so in love.\nI know now that breaking up is a blessing in disguise, but I'm struggling with his behavior because I loved this man for nine years, unconditionally.\nHow do I navigate this? How do I handle his behavior toward me while we figure things out? And how could I have loved a man who treated me this way? — Struggling and Hurt\nDear Struggling: Like the old song says, \"breaking up is hard to do,\" even when you know in your bones that it is the right thing to do.\nImmediately post-breakup, your thoughts are still anchored to your ex, because being with him for nine years has conditioned you to automatically consider his thoughts and feelings before your own. That’s why your relationship was so imbalanced, and why he has disrespected you. Your unspoken pact was that he mattered more than you do.\nThat impulse on your part is why it is important for you to learn to differentiate between his needs, and your own.\nYou should now work hard to stop \"handling\" him at all.\nIf you are splitting up your household, think of these encounters as negotiations, not emotional relationship encounters.\nWhen your encounters and negotiations veer into name-calling or emotional manipulation, you should steer it back to the bloodless practicality of who gets the bookshelf.\nIn terms of the future: when you know better, you do better. And now you know better.\nDear Amy: I participate in a number of Zoom-based discussion groups. They have been a great way to remain in contact people and to gather in people from near and far. Zoom did not take off until COVID hit. But what happens when things return to \"normal?\"\nI posed this question to one of my Zoom groups. The group had met for years in the back room of a local restaurant. With COVID’s arrival we switched to Zoom meetings. Most, but not all the former attendees joined. However, over time a number of out-of-towners joined the Zoom group, some from outside the U.S.\nMy question to the group was, \"What do we do as a group after COVID is gone, do we cease using Zoom and abandon the group members who can’t meet with us?\"\nDo we have parallel meetings, one in person and another on Zoom? Do we resort to in-person meetings with some Zoom connection that brings everyone back together in a hybrid manner?\nWhat’s the next normal? — Zooming By\nDear Zooming: This is a great question. In my own community, where in-person worship service numbers have been greatly reduced by state mandates, we have developed a \"hybrid\" model of in-person meetings which are also accessible via Zoom.\nI believe that this will become the \"new normal,\" which is ultimately a good thing! Bringing disparate groups together via teleconferencing is one welcome consequence of navigating our \"new normal.\"\nDear Amy: I was disappointed by your response to \"Distressed,\" when you described 12-step groups as \"God focused.\"\nTwelve-step groups suggest finding and relying on a power greater than yourself, of your own understanding, it doesn’t have to have anything to do with \"god.\"\nA higher power can be anything from nature to a doorknob to the more traditional religious deities. Whatever works! — Agnostic 12-Stepper\nDear Agnostic: I believe that 12-step programs work, which is why I recommend them. However, Debtors Anonymous, the 12-step program I recommended to \"Distressed,\" mentions \"God\" specifically multiple times in their 12-steps, which is why I mentioned it.\n— Amy Dickinson is a Tribune Media Service national columnist. Send questions via email to [email protected] or by mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068.", "Ask Amy: Break-up encounters should be negotiations", "Dear Amy: I just got out of a nine-year relationship with a man I'm just now realizing was manipulative and mean. Unfortunately, he developed a drinking problem during our time together.He broke things off twice (against my wishes), and I was the one who had to move out and lose my home and my dog, etc.After being apart this time, I started to see some things I had ignored before because I loved him so much. He is emotionally abusive at times, as we try to separate our items and as I try to" ]

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[ "If you aren't very familiar with the saying \"to get religion,\" you may want to browse that phrase to understand what is referred to here (and there are multiple meanings).\nIt is unbelievable to me that even after the riotous insurrection at our nation's Capitol, a large number of people, legislators and public citizens — many Christians! — still haven't \"gotten religion.\"\nA somewhat related saying is defined this way in a dictionary of idioms: \"A 'come-to-Jesus moment' may refer to that point in time when someone has a realization, becomes enlightened, understands the core values that must be preserved in a situation. The phrase 'come-to-Jesus moment’ is often used when describing the moment when a politician, employee or child understands that he is on the wrong path and must change direction; it is often considered a positive development.\"\nLou Wagenveld\nHolland", "Letter: Riot a wake-up call to turn to God", "If you aren't very familiar with the saying \"to get religion,\" you may want to browse that phrase to understand what is referred to here (and there are multiple meanings).It is unbelievable to me that even after the riotous insurrection at our nation's Capitol, a large number of people, legislators and public citizens — many Christians! — still haven't \"gotten religion.\"A somewhat related saying is defined this way in a dictionary of idioms: \"A 'come-to-Jesus moment' may refer to" ]

[ "Daily Telegram Staff" ]

[ "2020 was an extraordinary year during which many in Lenawee County undertook extraordinary efforts to help others or achieve new goals.\nWhen Lisa Gentry lost her daughter, Sara Lee-Ann Gentry-Dorris, to an undiagnosed heart condition, she decided she had to keep her daughter’s memory alive.\nSara was only 29 years old and nine months pregnant. Gentry lost both her best friend and granddaughter, Lily, the same day.\nSara, her mother said, was always happy and lived life to the fullest. So the Clayton woman created a Facebook group, \"What Would Sara Do? Pay It Forward!\" to honor her daughter. She also had pocket-sized cards made. On the front is a picture of Sara and on the back is information about her, Lily and the Facebook page.\n\"I was trying to think of something I could do to help people but to also keep their names out there,\" Gentry said. \"My biggest fear is they will be forgotten.\"\nThe cards are meant to be left when one pays forward an act of kindness. Leave one after doing something nice, then that person takes the card and passes it along when they do something nice.\nThe cards have gone global.\nThat is one of many beautiful stories that have brightened a dark 2020. Yes, it was an awful year for most, but that didn’t stop scores of Lenawee County residents from caring or taking action. The kindness, generosity and compassion showed by many helped the community be a better place.\nThere were many organizations whose assistance were appreciated. And there were parades for birthdays and graduations. And plenty of others — from health care workers, paramedics and firefighters to grocery store clerks and business owners — who made life bearable during the pandemic.\nAnd then there were the individuals, those who sprang into action with an idea or concept just to help or think of others.\nHere are a some of those men and women, young and old, who did good in 2020 and were featured in The Daily Telegram.\n• Adrian High School cheerleader Nicole Walkowe was the star of the show during a cheer competition on Feb. 6. Affectionately known as Coco, the cheerleader with Down syndrome performed in her first competition at Tecumseh High School. Adrian cheer coaches planned to have the heart and soul of the cheer team perform at the Tecumseh competition as her sisters cheer for the Indians. The performance lasted not even two minutes but for Coco, her family and the Adrian Maples cheer team, the moment will last a lifetime.\n• Andrew Wheeler was shot in February in Toledo and died. He was only 18 but knew since he was 12 that he wanted to be an organ donor. He made the decision at an early age because of his uncle, Travis Ott, who needed a heart transplant.\nDoctors carried out Andrew’s wish and matches were found quickly because of his rare AB blood type. A man in his 60’s would receive Andrew’s heart, another received his lungs. A man in his 20’s received his liver. A father of two received one of his kidneys. The other kidney went to a toddler. In all, Andrew’s organs gave life to five others.\n\"It’s the one thing that gets me through the day, knowing the people he helped,\" said his mother, Renee. \"There are five different families that would have went through the same thing I went through had Andrew not been an organ donor.\"\n• Blissfield Township Fire Department Capt. Joseph Gallo was responding to an emergency call when he died in a car crash. He received a hero’s ceremony for his commitment to the community.\nGallo, 34, was responding to assist at a barn fire on Garno Road when his car went out of control and crashed in Deerfield Township. He had been a member of the Blissfield Township Fire Department since 2014 and was promoted to captain in 2017. He also served with the Madison Township Fire Department since October 2018 as a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT). Gallo spent his entire fire service career building a reputation as a dedicated and ambitious member.\n\"He was always ‘that guy,’ the one you knew you could count on,\" Blissfield Township Fire Chief Dale Fruchey said. \"He would regularly work at least two shifts on both departments each week.\"\n• August longtime Lenawee County dentist Dr. Richard \"DY\" Youngs was honored for his 60 years of service to the Adrian Kiwanis Club. At age 98, he has made an impact on many lives during his time with the service club. Doc Youngs was presented with a Distinguished Service Award for his many, many years of service and membership.\n• Oliver Hill was only 9 years old at the time, but he was clearly aware of how important it is to help others in the community. Oliver donated his prized 4-H steer named Batman to be used locally as meat for needy families. His considerate donation produced more than 1,000 meals in Monroe and Lenawee counties.\n• Bethany Assembly in Madison Township and Blissfield disaster relief organization Hope and Encouragement for Humanity came across 16,000 N95 masks at the latter's warehouse in late March. The operators of HEH were unaware of the masks. They were soon put to good use, though, as Bethany Assembly founded For Lenawee, a nonprofit to address the needs of the county, and donated the masks to ProMedica.\n• At the height of the mask demand in April, it was hard to scroll through Facebook without seeing someone in need. Grace Dietrich of Onsted saw the posts and dusted off her grandmother's sewing machine. She made a few masks for local firefighters, then made a post on Facebook. Soon, Dietrich was sewing masks for upwards of 17 hours a day with her aunt, sister and neighbor. Masks went to Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit and the Jackson Police Department.\n• Shar Ann Packard considered making masks until her daughter, who is a nurse, asked her to make some. Then she got another request, and another, and another. A Facebook post of hers spread across the country. By the end of April, Packard, who resides in Seneca Township, had made more than 3,000 masks for people in 13 different states.\n• Melissa Cole of Hudson also has her own sewing machine, so she wasn't surprised when a local hospital worker asked her to make a few masks. Soon after, Cole had a full-time gig sewing masks for dentist offices, factories, hospitals and even the Veterans Administration in Ann Arbor. Unlike other mask makers, Cole never posted about it on Facebook. People found her through word of mouth. With the help of her 5-year-old daughter, Tilly, Cole made more than 1,000 masks.\n\"It feels good teaching the little one to help people,\" she said. \"I think that's the most rewarding part.\"\n• Sue Wilson began the morning of March 5 by dipping the tires of her bicycle in the Pacific Ocean. It was the start of a 3,100-mile bike ride from San Diego to Florida. Wilson joined 20 other women on the ride that would average 58 miles a day. The ride serves as a fundraiser for the participants. Wilson, who owned Adrian Locksmith and Cyclery with her husband, Tim, chose to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association in honor of her mother, who she lost to the disease. Her journey would be cut short, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic.\n• Scott Forrest experienced tragedy before 2020 truly unfolded. His mother, Linda Forrest, died on Feb. 24. A day later his house burned down while he was making funeral arrangements. Scott served as his mother's caretaker at the end of her life, repaying her for the years she spent caring for his father and him. Linda was known for years as \"the old lady in the woods\" as she spent time living off grid. While Scott suffered heavy losses, he found solace in how the Madison Township community rallied around their own. The fire department waived the ambulance fee, the funeral home helped make the service more affordable and someone else donated the casket for Linda.\n• Cindi and Gary Gray were named the 2020 Lenawee Leadership Award recipients for their volunteerism in helping the community, particularly children. The couple have lived in Lenawee County for about 45 years and are known for projects such as the Hot Rock basketball and life lessons camp and other volunteer work they do individually.\n• Students at Alexander and Michener elementary schools in Adrian delivered 140 handmade thank-you cards to the Adrian fire and police departments in appreciation of their service. Each firefighter and police officer also received a $10 gift card from Culver’s of Adrian.\n• The Devils and Round Lake Men’s Club purchased 591 toys during a Toys for Tots shopping spree. A total of $6,388.85 was spent on the toys that were distributed by organizations throughout Lenawee County, such as Associated Charities of Lenawee County, Hudson Area Schools, the Salvation Army and the Tecumseh Service Club.\n• Many kids spent this spring cooped up at home with little to do. Brittany Stoddard's kids were no different. With Easter around the corner, the Adrian woman asked her kids about making Easter baskets for those who might not receive one. A Facebook post later, Stoddard had the addresses of 100 kids and lots of donations. Stoddard and her four kids spent their Easter morning delivering baskets to children in Adrian and Tecumseh. Their humanitarian efforts weren't done though, as they donated gift bags to staff at ProMedica Bixby Hospital in Adrian.\n• Two Adrian businesses launched a fundraiser in April to help support local businesses. Gear Up Adrian and Next Step Creative Image Solutions sold T-shirts with $10 going to a local Adrian business of the buyer's choice. More than $2,000 had been raised when The Daily Telegram caught up with Jason Preston and Joe Long, owners of Next Step and Gear Up, respectively, in mid-April. The shirts featured a picture of the state of Michigan and the phrase \"We Have Heart.\"", "Well done, Lenawee" ]

[ "Paula Wethington", "Paula Wethington Monroe News Staff Reporter" ]

[ "The programs that are part of the State of Michigan COVID-19 relief bill complement a recently approved federal relief package that continues expanded unemployment eligibility.\nUnemployment benefit extensions, grants for live entertainment venues and direct payments to Michigan residents who have been laid off or furloughed are starting to fall into place or be introduced.\nThose details are part of a $106-million State of Michigan COVID-19 relief bill that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Tuesday. They complement a recently approved federal relief package that includes a second round of economic stimulus payments to taxpayers and continues expanded unemployment eligibility.\nWhitmer gave an outline of the state relief package Tuesday as part of a press conference that she and Dr. Joneigh Khaldun hosted Tuesday. Khaldun is the chief medical executive and chief deputy director for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and normally participates in the state’s COVID-19 press conferences.\nMichigan is currently under a set of pandemic restrictions that were issued in mid-November and updated Dec. 18 with the intent of limiting large indoor gatherings of people from different households. One of the most controversial pieces of the current health department order involves no indoor dining at bars and restaurants.\nDespite repeated questions during recent press conferences as to when current rules will be lifted or amended, state officials refuse to give a date and say they are monitoring trends in case numbers, death numbers, hospitalizations and travel patterns.\n“We are cautiously optimistic about the data we are seeing in the state,” Khaldun said.\n“Our numbers are better than all of our Midwestern neighbors,” Whitmer said.\nAt the same time, Whitmer said she has not been able to get the legislature to approve a rule she has asked for repeatedly: mandatory face mask or covering when in public.\nAs explained during the press conference, the steps taken this week are primarily meant to financially assist specific groups of people who have been hit economically by the pandemic and the resulting closures or restrictions. It is also meant to help address expected needs during coming weeks and months, while the vaccination effort ramps up.\nThe vaccination effort in Michigan, as of this week, is starting to move to longterm care residents and staff. But given the logistics of an unprecedented effort, it is widely expected to be spring before everyone who wants a vaccine can get one.\nSignup deadlines and other details for each new resource or program will be announced as they are available, Whitmer said. But Michigan’s bipartisan relief bill includes grants of up to $20,000 for small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Grants of up to $40,000 each will be available for live music and entertainment venues. There also is money set aside for “direct payments to workers who have been laid off or furloughed as a result of the virus,” the announcement said.\nWhitmer said she used line item veto on any items that she said were not part of the “negotiated agreement” on the package. This includes designating money to the employer-owned Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which is designed to help businesses fund benefits for laid off workers. Whitmer said the line item veto does not impact individual workers who are unemployed; and allowing that request to stay intact would eat into the state’s general fund.\nAlso signed by the governor this week: bipartisan Senate Bill 604, extending unemployment benefits for Michigan residents who have lost work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic from 20 to 26 weeks through March. Whitmer said most other states automatically provide at least 26 weeks.\nFor the latest State of Michigan data on case numbers, hospitalizations and current restrictions, go to michigan.gov/coronavirus.", "Michigan COVID-19 relief package signed" ]

[ "Carolyn Muyskens" ]

[ "HOLLAND — Broadband internet, civic engagement and housing emerged as top priorities for the Holland City Council during a special Saturday goal-setting meeting.\nThe council met to look ahead at 2021 at its annual Council Advance, where council members reviewed the city's mission and vision, looked at the results of a survey of Holland residents and voiced their own priorities for the city moving forward.\nThe city staff uses the council’s priorities to put together the budget for the 2022 fiscal year, which runs July 1 through June 30, 2022. The budget is typically adopted in May.\nIn light of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the economy, Mayor Nathan Bocks stressed the city would have to be \"very, very careful\" about additional spending as it looks at what projects they want to take on.\n\"This year was definitely what I'd refer to as a rainy day year,\" Bocks said, \"where we had been hopefully saving for a rainy day. I'm not sure that we're out of the rain yet, and we need to make sure that we're ready for future rains that may come.\"\nAccess to broadband internet — likely through the expansion of the Holland Board of Public Works' fiber infrastructure to more of the city — made priority lists of a majority of the council's members.\nA fiber task force assembled by the city in 2019 has been working on how such an expansion might be funded, including the possibility of a millage ask or special assessments on homeowners.\nCouncil member David Hoekstra said the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how critical the internet has become for school, work and play.\n\"If there's ever a time when it's necessary, it's now,\" Hoekstra said.\nMost council members also said they'd like to work on getting more citizens involved with — and informed about — Holland's government.\nCouncil member Nicki Arendshorst lamented that the public only pays attention to city issues \"when we step on their toes,\" and Council member Raul Garcia said the growing distrust in all levels of government is a concern for him.\n\"A lot of people aren't excited about what we do,\" Garcia said, \"and I think there is that distrust, but [also] a lot of them aren't engaging. They aren't coming to city council meetings. They're not reaching out.\"\nCouncil members suggested exploring holding community meetings, such as the ward meetings regularly held by Council member Scott Corbin, and looking for ways to reach Holland's 18-to-30-year-olds, who are increasingly leaving Facebook behind for other social media platforms.\nHousing topped several council members' priority lists as well. Council members said they wanted to grow Holland's housing stock and look for opportunities to encourage affordable housing, in particular.\nA Hope College Frost Center survey of 486 Holland residents presented to the council at Saturday's meeting found affordable housing was the number one issue residents want the city to devote more resources toward. Environmental issues and sustainability was the second.\nHoekstra suggested the north downtown area, from Sixth Street to the waterfront, could be a site for new housing. With multiple city-owned properties in that area, the city has the ability to exert more control over how that area develops, encouraging \"affordable\" or lower-income housing if they choose to, Hoekstra noted.\n\"The city can act as a catalyst for development there,\" Hoekstra said.\nDiversity, equity and inclusion — the council's top priority last year — was also a priority this year for several council members.\nIn the Frost Center's open-ended survey question asking Holland residents what they would like to see change about the city, lack of diversity, equity and inclusion was the most common response.\n\"We've come a long way, we've been working really hard on this,\" Bocks said, noting the non-discrimination ordinance's passage last year was a step forward. \"I want to continue to foster an environment in this community of equity and inclusion and make sure that everyone knows that Holland, Michigan celebrates the value of everybody that calls this place home.\"\nCouncil member Jay Peters suggested a diversity goal for municipal hiring could help create that environment, ensuring the people serving the city in fire department, police department and other public service areas reflect the demographics of Holland.\nOther council priorities include the review of the city's long-term energy efficiency and sustainability goals in the Community Energy Plan, already underway by a task force called the Strategic Development Team (mentioned as a priority by Garcia, Arendshorst, Bocks and Peters); the rollout of a new recycling method with carts replacing recycling bags this spring (Mayor pro tem Myron Trethewey); developing plans for a municipal ice rink (Trethewey); continuing to invest in public safety (Corbin); and greater regional collaboration with both Allegan and Ottawa counties and surrounding cities and townships.\n— Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens.", "Holland sets priorities for 2021 year", "HOLLAND — Broadband internet, civic engagement and housing emerged as top priorities for the Holland City Council during a special Saturday goal-setting meeting.The council met to look ahead at 2021 at its annual Council Advance, where council members reviewed the city's mission and vision, looked at the results of a survey of Holland residents and voiced their own priorities for the city moving forward.The city staff uses the council’s priorities to put together the budget for the" ]

[ "William Cooper" ]

[ "Among the many lessons from 2020 is this one: People need people.\nWe need each other in ways, big and small, that many took for granted before the coronavirus transformed the basic structure of human life.\nWe need teachers to teach our kids. We need bartenders to pour our drinks. We need stylists to cut our hair. We need our fellow fans — sitting next to us, hot dogs in hand — to help cheer on our team.\nPeople, indeed, need people. Not from a distance, but up close. From less than six feet apart.\nBefore 2020, this elaborate structure of human interdependence often went unappreciated. Many of the ways we benefited from physical interaction with other people simply blended into the mundane mechanics of everyday life. Before 2020, human interaction often felt little different from interaction with the modern machinery and electronics that surround us.\nBut humans are not machines. And the deprivation of 2020 — the disappearance of so much human-to-human contact — brings into focus the fundamental role other people play in our daily lives.\nWhat does this lesson, this realization of the extent to which people need people, teach us? How might it impact our lives after the virus subsides?\nThe recognition that a core need was taken away and then came back should lead to one thing above all: Appreciation for other people.\nFor all of the strife and discord among Americans today, this lesson of 2020 is that we need each other — and that irrespective of political, philosophical or religious differences we are one, interdependent nucleus of human life.\nIt doesn't really matter if the local teacher is a Republican or a Democrat; what matters is that she can soon teach our kids again. It doesn't really matter if the local barber is religious or not; what matters is that he can soon cut our hair again. And it doesn't really matter if our favorite baseball player is liberal or conservative; what matters is that we can soon high five after his home runs again.\nWe need each other. And the sustained absence of this core human need teaches us to appreciate the many human hands that quietly shape our daily experience.\nSo much of the essential interaction among humans has been gone for too long. But it will be back again, in a form similar to the way it was before. Yet this lesson of 2020 — that people need people — should compel us, going forward, to no longer take for granted the myriad ways we sustain each other each day.\n— William Cooper, an attorney based in Walnut Creek, California, has written for publications including The Wall Street Journal, Baltimore Sun, New York Daily News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and USA Today. Contact him at [email protected].", "My Take: One lesson from 2020: People need people", "Among the many lessons from 2020 is this one: People need people.We need each other in ways, big and small, that many took for granted before the coronavirus transformed the basic structure of human life.We need teachers to teach our kids. We need bartenders to pour our drinks. We need stylists to cut our hair. We need our fellow fans — sitting next to us, hot dogs in hand — to help cheer on our team.People, indeed, need people. Not from a distance, but up close. From less than six" ]

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[ "By Kristy Smith\nEver since the television show \"Gilligan’s Island\" debuted in 1964, there’s allegedly been an ongoing, unofficial rivalry in male viewers’ hearts between the show’s two single female characters, Mary Ann and Ginger. By reality TV show standards, the issue may have been decided for posterity.\nDue to Mary Ann (played by Dawn Wells) dying in real life on Dec. 30, 2020 at the age of 82 of causes related to COVID-19, Ginger (Tina Louise) appears to have won the competition by being the last competitor standing.\n\"The presence of Ginger and Mary Ann — the first a sexpot, the second a wholesome beauty — gave rise to an ongoing debate over who on the show best represented the male fantasy of womanhood. Ms. Wells embraced the rivalry,\" said the Washington Post in its December 31, 2020 article reporting Wells’ death.\nI checked with a friend of mine, who since childhood has harbored what’s seemed an unhealthy preoccupation with Mary Ann’s short shorts and mid-drift-revealing tops. He was amused at my phone call for his reaction to her death.\n\"Nah, dead or alive Mary Ann still wins, hands-down, over that sleaze Ginger. Did I ever tell you that Mary Ann was the hottest character I’ve ever followed on television? Why, she continued to be a hottie straight into old age. Sometimes, I’d look her up on the Internet and she was still smokin’ hot. Why just the other day . . .\"\nI suddenly remembered something hot on the stove that needed stirring more than his lingering adolescent juices and exited the phone conversation before it boiled over into uncharted island territory I’d rather not enter. It will suffice to say there may be other former latch-key kids out there whose parents got more than they bargained for when they relied upon \"Gilligan’s Island\" to after-school-babysit in their absence.\nFor my part, please forgive me for not writing sooner about this landmark celebrity death, but we’ve had a few other pressing issues to deal with here on the mainland. Being marooned at home, surrounded on all sides by political pandemonium and pandemic parsimony, truly makes a person want to escape to an uncharted island where it’s possible to sit right back and hear a tale, a tale of someone else’s fateful trip, that seems somehow more comforting today than the fiction brought to us from 1964-67 by Sherwood Schwartz.\n\"We were part of the wonderful show that everyone loves and has been a great source of comfort, especially during these times,\" Tina Louise (aka \"Ginger\") told the New York Post in response to Wells’ death. Amen, sister.\nImplausible as their premise was, the misadventures of the seven people aboard a small, chartered boat that capsized in a storm on a three-hour tour and washed up on the shore of an uncharted South Pacific island, remain emotional comfort food to many people my age. They bring back happy memories of a time when we had nothing more responsible to do than park our butts daily in front of the TV after school.\n\"Don’t sit too close to the television set or you’ll ruin your eyes,\" my mom warned every time she’d walk through the living room where my sisters and I spent our formative years memorizing the formulaic episodes of the syndicated comedy sitcom. Once, my cousin and I listed, from memory, descriptive titles of all 98 episodes, presumably while we could still see well enough to do it.\nFollowing Mom’s predictable comments about the show’s stupidity, we’d argue \"Gilligan’s Island\" was educational (she’d already watched her own \"highly-educational\" daily TV program, \"The Guiding Light\"). She’d return to the kitchen, where she was grading Shakespeare essays from the high school English literature classes she instructed.\n\"Mom, they’re doing Shakespeare,\" we shouted toward the kitchen during the episode when Gilligan’s Island temporary strandee Harold Hecuba (Phil Silvers) stages a musical production of \"Hamlet,\" set to the musical score of Bizet’s \"Carmen.\" We did the same when Mary Ann portrayed Eliza Doolittle in a \"Pygmalion\" dream segment.\nThere’s no denying the lingering cultural influences from \"Gilligan’s Island.\" Tonight, for instance, I’m fixing Corny Hamlet Chowder from Mary Ann’s Gilligan’s Island Cookbook. Inspired comfort food.\nKristy Smith’s Different Drum humor columns are archived at her blog: diffdrum.wordpress.com.", "Down to last castaway standing on the island", "By Kristy SmithEver since the television show \"Gilligan’s Island\" debuted in 1964, there’s allegedly been an ongoing, unofficial rivalry in male viewers’ hearts between the show’s two single female characters, Mary Ann and Ginger. By reality TV show standards, the issue may have been decided for posterity.Due to Mary Ann (played by Dawn Wells) dying in real life on Dec. 30, 2020 at the age of 82 of causes related to COVID-19, Ginger (Tina Louise) appears to have won the" ]

[ "Daily Telegram Staff" ]

[ "ADRIAN — Lenawee County officials said Friday that local and state partnerships will allow the county health department to begin vaccinating more people beginning Monday, Jan. 18.\nThose partnerships include the Michigan National Guard, a news release said.\n\"The best way to ensure you are scheduled for an appointment as soon as it is available is to register on our website,\" the release said.\nWhile continuing to vaccinate those in Phase 1A, such as frontline health care workers, vaccinations began in Lenawee County this past week for those age 65 and older and some essential workers in Phase 1B. A list of those jobs considered to be essential that are included in Phase 1B is on the county’s website at tinyurl.com/LenaweeCOVIDVax.\nSince the vaccine became available, more than 3,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Lenawee County. Thousands more have registered to be notified when vaccinations are available.\nThere are separate registration forms on the county’s website for individuals and businesses. The form for individuals asks for information such as name, phone number, mailing and email addresses and employment status. For people who work in health care, it asks what field they work in. In another employment category, it includes a long list of jobs in critical infrastructure industries. Some of the jobs included in the list are law enforcement, firefighting, communications and information technology infrastructure, food and agriculture, water and wastewater, child care, and public works.\nThe form also asks for the person’s age and if they have any health conditions that put them at high risk of serious illness if they should become infected with COVID-19.\nThe form for businesses asks for the business name, people to contact and their contact information, the total number of employees in Lenawee County and how many of them are interested in being vaccinated. It also includes a long list of categories to choose from to describe the kind of work the business does.", "Lenawee County says more COVID-19 vaccinations coming", "ADRIAN — Lenawee County officials said Friday that local and state partnerships will allow the county health department to begin vaccinating more people beginning Monday, Jan. 18.Those partnerships include the Michigan National Guard, a news release said.\"The best way to ensure you are scheduled for an appointment as soon as it is available is to register on our website,\" the release said.While continuing to vaccinate those in Phase 1A, such as frontline health care workers, vaccinations" ]

[ "Charlene Peters More Content Now" ]

[ "Barely 10 miles from the Continental Divide and a spectacular 8,000 feet above sea level, my travel pal Maureen and I drove north along the Roaring Fork River, stunned by the breathtaking scenery as we passed trails of evergreens and spied numerous snow-dusted peaks. The best of the Rocky Mountains’ Sawatch and Elk ranges can be enjoyed on this ride to Aspen, Colorado, a former silver mine camp and mountainous town better known today as a ski resort destination. Its namesake hails from the distinctive, golden-leafed Aspen trees that blanket millions of acres in these high elevations.\nAspen’s posh, you-have-arrived resort vibe is evident the minute you pull into town. It’s no wonder the place lures the well-heeled and often famous. This is clearly a town for all seasons, but not for all pocketbooks. The downtown shops are lined with storefronts that include Gucci, Prada, Dior and Ralph Lauren, but also available is regionally produced western wear for those who prefer high-end cowboy boots and animal hides.\nWe allotted an entire afternoon to take in the sights of beautiful Aspen, although one could easily spend several more. It wasn’t quite ski season, so we headed to the famed Maroon Bells mountain peaks, the most photographed in the country. Unfortunately, social distancing measures and mandatory pre-ordered tickets thwarted our efforts to stop in for a peek. Instead, we stopped to view the John Denver Sanctuary, a sweet tribute to the Aspen native and dearly beloved activist/crooner who perished in an aircraft crash over 20 years ago. The area boasts a large wildflower garden, wetlands, trails, streams and rocks with classic John Denver lyrics etched on them. It’s a lovely space for meditation.\nThe rest of the afternoon was spent strolling the downtown shopping scene. These walkable few blocks are nestled at the bottom of the ski mountains; one can watch the slope-side action from any viewpoint, and you can stop for sustenance at countless outdoor restaurants thoughtfully heated by propane heat lamps.\nThe French Alpine Bistro looked especially promising, with cozy shearling coverings on its outside chairs. Perusing the wine and beer list, we took a pass on the $1,300 bottle of Cristal and opted for a local microbrew. We split the signature Umami Bistro Burger, which was crowned with Alpine cheese and black truffle aioli but seemed somewhat meager in size, given its $32 price tag.\nOur digs for these few days were at The Limelight, a spacious and welcoming hotel a few minutes’ walk from the center of town and near the Aspen Art Museum. It’s pet-friendly, has a roster of activities and amenities, and its expansive lobby is ideal for social distancing. Its sister property is in Ketchum, Idaho, but this location has a colorful history that began as a hangout for Wild West outlaws and ski buffs when it was known as the Ski and Spur Bar. It was purchased by folk singer Glenn Yarborough in 1950 and celebrity singers Judy Collins and The Smothers Brothers performed in its nightclub for the next dozen years. It was then sold to a family who lovingly grew and improved it over 50 years until it became part of a corporate family in the 21st century.\nWe settled ourselves on sofas set before a roaring fireplace and ordered cocktails and superb truffle fries that came with a mysteriously addictive dipping sauce. When asked, “What’s in this magic elixir?” our server handily provided the recipe: simply garlic, chopped parsley, EVOO, salt and pepper.\nNext, over a bottle of excellent Rhone wine, I delved into The Limelight’s unique version of chicken piccata with house-made pasta ribbons tossed with bite-sized chunks of chicken and delicately torn sheets of prosciutto — all under an avalanche of Parmesan cheese. There was a chill in the air, so a fresh baked cookie served in a miniature cast iron pan seemed an ideal dessert.\nChilly winds during our last evening in Aspen brought us right back to The Limelight Lounge, where we gravitated to its blazing outdoor firepit. Aaah, much better. After another local microbrew — did you know Colorado has 500 breweries, five of which are in Aspen? — we craved some food, and the Rosemary Margarita Pizza fresh out of the stone oven in the Limelight hit the proverbial spot.\nWhen we departed the next morning, I felt some regret that I hadn’t visited all that I’d hoped to — especially those Maroon Bells. But I look forward to retracing this route through the magnificent Rockies another time.\nCharlene Peters is a longtime travel writer who recently published her first book of travel stories, “Travel Makes Me Hungry.” Email [email protected].", "Rocky Mountain highs: Aspen is peak ski resort luxury", "Barely 10 miles from the Continental Divide and a spectacular 8,000 feet above sea level, my travel pal Maureen and I drove north along the Roaring Fork River, stunned by the breathtaking scenery as we passed trails of evergreens and spied numerous snow-dusted peaks. The best of the Rocky Mountains’ Sawatch and Elk ranges can be enjoyed on this ride to Aspen, Colorado, a former silver mine camp and mountainous town better known today as a ski resort destination. Its namesake hails from" ]

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[ "I realize I’m \"preaching to the choir,\" but we’re all well aware that a majority of Republicans believe that there are thousands of signed affidavits claiming fraud in our election process. And they’re right.\nRudy Giuliani has an entire, white notebook full of statements signed by workers and spectators of the voting process. (A signature doesn’t mean an affidavit is true. Only that the writer thinks so.)\nInstructed to report \"fraud\" of any kind, they proudly did and Rudy’s notebook is full of things like the following:\n\"More Black people than white people voted,\" \"I don’t like Black people because they wear rhinestones,\" \"I saw votes for Biden on military ballots and found that strange,\" \"Voter IDs aren’t good because all Chinese people look alike.\"\nThere were trumped (!) up causes for concern such as late submissions of vote totals, (fewer election workers); precinct totals (ex. 435) interpreted as population percentages (ex. 435 percent); voter machine tampering (rectified human error), all investigated thus dismissed by courts including the Supreme Court.\nI suspect that some of the confusion can be explained by the Florida woman who went to bed election night believing Donald Trump won and waking up to a Joe Biden victory. Her news stations never reported that in-person votes would be counted before mail-in votes.\nIt all started with Donald Trump programming his people to believe if he lost, the Democrats stole.\nI must admit, I do understand the susceptibility of his followers. I married a man like Donald Trump. I loved his confidence, accomplishments and amazing intelligence. As the years went by, I realized that everything was a lie. Lie after lie, after lie fueling fear and submission. I got out. They should, too.\nElizabeth DeWaard\nHolland", "Letter: 'Massive fraud' sadly explained", "I realize I’m \"preaching to the choir,\" but we’re all well aware that a majority of Republicans believe that there are thousands of signed affidavits claiming fraud in our election process. And they’re right.Rudy Giuliani has an entire, white notebook full of statements signed by workers and spectators of the voting process. (A signature doesn’t mean an affidavit is true. Only that the writer thinks so.)Instructed to report \"fraud\" of any kind, they proudly did and" ]

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[ "During the holidays, in a period of about two hours, I experienced a miracle, a revelation and a conversion. Let me explain.\nI bought a 12-pack of one of my favorite beverages I use for celebratory purposes. I drank those bottles of smooth golden liquid at my leisure. Having finished the last one, I went to deposit that empty and found the carton was already full!\nPerplexed by that minor miracle, I prepared to return them to the store to get a case in the hopes I would end up with maybe 25 or 6. I went outside, glanced up at the sun, got down on one knee, bowed my head and started loosening my lug nuts because I had a flat tire.\nAs I started turning that first nut, spinning to the left, spinning, spinning I fell into a daydream. I wondered why would an all-loving god create COVID-19? I mean, if Jesus could wake up the dead and cure lepers and make the blind see, why would he kill 400,000 innocent people today?\nI wondered why he’d turn water into wine for a party he attended but allow millions of people around the world to die from a lack of clean drinking water today?\nWhy are the rich allowed to hide their money in the Cayman Islands as millions of children suffer from malnutrition here in the land of milk and honey?\nWhy do ultra right Christians believe their military grade weapons will win converts but they have no words to explain why. Does the Christian left have nothing to say about this? Don’t they consider this outrageous?\nAs food lines stretch for miles these days, the Pentagon tries to figure out where to waste a trillion-dollar budget. Why would god allow people to sleep in cardboard boxes when we have enough nuclear weapons to end human civilization on planet Earth? This is the essence of insanity.\nI daydream but do understand all of this. It’s a very confused world because modern men use ancient road maps in a modern world. Tribal warfare is the dividing ideology and greed is the prime mover; that’s biblical.\nTruth is, the Old Testament is the accumulation of plagiarized wisdom from previous, diverse cultures. The New Testament is a set of documents manufactured by the Romans as a wedge issue.\nThere is simply no proof Jesus Christ was a historical character. Everything written about him arrived many decades after he supposedly existed and those authors lacked imagination. If the Romans had manufactured some physical evidence to solidify their deception, Christianity might thrive rather than just survive today.\nFor example, imagine the intro to the Simpsons show. Every week Marge pulls into the garage doing about 40 mph and poor old Homer gets plowed thru the door leaving the outline of his manly physique.\nIf the Romans would have chiseled out the outline of a man’s body into a round stone door and planted it at a tomb as evidence, it would have implied the spirit of Jesus didn’t have to roll a physical door out of the way for him to exit to resurrection.\nSome ancient wisdom is just modern mythology. It won't work if you take the time to question it. Of course, you would then have to think and that's blasphemy.\nMaybe you remember Stephen Hawking, the theoretical physicist who died a couple years ago. When asked if God existed, he said he didn’t know as there is a lack of evidence either way. However, he did say all theology is a meaningless concept.\nThe self-serving ramblings of ancient uneducated people is the self-serving ramblings of educated people today. There are no answers in the Bible, only questions.\nAs I spun that last lug nut to the right I stumbled back into reality, got in my vehicle, took that magical carton of bottles to the store and converted them into a dollar thirty.\nMark Farris lives in Monroe. He can be reached at [email protected].", "Mark Farris: Why is there COVID and hunger and thirst?", "During the holidays, in a period of about two hours, I experienced a miracle, a revelation and a conversion. Let me explain.I bought a 12-pack of one of my favorite beverages I use for celebratory purposes. I drank those bottles of smooth golden liquid at my leisure. Having finished the last one, I went to deposit that empty and found the carton was already full!Perplexed by that minor miracle, I prepared to return them to the store to get a case in the hopes I would end up with maybe 25 or 6." ]

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[ "Melvin Douglas Turner, Sr. notice to creditors\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nSTATE OF MICHIGAN\nPROBATE COURT\nCOUNTY OF MONROE\nNOTICE TO CREDITORS\nDecedent’s Estate\nFILE NO. 2020-566-DE\nEstate of\nMELVIN DOUGLAS TURNER, SR.\nDate of birth: 1/6/1951\nTO ALL CREDITORS:\nNOTICE TO CREDITORS: The decedent, Melvin Douglas Turner, Sr., died 10/6/2020.\nCreditors of the decedent are notified that all CLAIMS against the estate will be forever barred unless presented to Deborah Turner, personal representative, or to both the probate court at 106 East First Street, Monroe, MI 48161 and the personal representative within 4 months after the date of publication of this notice.\nDated: 1/5/2021\nDeborah Turner\nPersonal representative\n14934 Wildwood Drive\nMonroe, MI 48161\n(734) 241-6780\nBilly R. Jeffers P83914\nAttorney-at-Law\n19 East Front Street, P.O. Box 587\nMonroe, MI 48161\n(734) 242-3434\nJANUARY 11, 2021", "Melvin Douglas Turner, Sr. notice to creditors" ]

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[ "I was in elementary school the first time I remember being immunized and it involved a nurse the size of Dick the Bruiser with the compassion of a prison guard. She showed up at our Catholic school with a scowl and a gun that looked like it was used in a \"Star Trek\" episode.\nThe nuns herded us toward the front of the class, and we stood in line like cattle about to get branded. It was horrifying. There was another lady who accompanied Nurse Ratched and her job was to assist us afterward. She was much nicer. She had treats.\nThe nuns told us that we needed to act like big boys and girls and had to take the shot so our parents would be proud of us. In other words: Don’t even think of crying. I still have the scar today.\nThe vaccination could have been for tetanus or smallpox or black plague for all I know. But I do remember that futuristic metal gun. And it was scarier than any paddle hanging on the classroom wall.\nAs loudly as we cheered when Hot Dog Day was announced, we howled in horror just as loud when told it was immunization day.\nBut it got a lot easier when the government finally got rid of that nurse with the Lost in Space gun.\nAfter that, we lined up and got sugar cubes. The contrast could not have been more stark. We went from painful jolts in the arm that lingered for days to a sweet treat.\nI remember thinking after eating that sugar cube that something bad was gonna happen because it couldn’t have been that easy. But it was.\nThose were the last days I recall ever getting vaccinated. Until now. I never got the flu, so I never got the flu shot. Until now.\nWhen I got sick last year around this time, I later self-diagnosed myself with having had COVID. But a simple blood test proved me wrong. It was just the flu.\nThis year, with everything else going on in this world, I decided I would avoid that sick feeling again because it was not very pleasant. So I got the flu shot.\nAnd it was a piece of cake, er, sugar cube to be more accurate. I’m no expert on medical matters, but the way I understand inoculations, you get a little bit of the bad stuff inside you so your body knows how to fight it off in case the disease comes at you in the vile form of someone else’s bodily fluids that are spewed in your direction.\nI thought I would get a touch of the flu with the shot. But that wasn’t the case at all. There was nothing afterward. I barely felt it, and I hate needles. Knock on wood, it seems to have worked.\nSo when this new vaccine finally becomes available, I’m all in. But if it involves facing a large, mean nurse armed with a space gun, someone better hold me down.\nRay Kisonas is the regional editor of The Monroe News and The Daily Telegram. He can be reached at [email protected].", "Hopefully vaccine doesn’t involve a ’Star Trek’ phaser", "I was in elementary school the first time I remember being immunized and it involved a nurse the size of Dick the Bruiser with the compassion of a prison guard. She showed up at our Catholic school with a scowl and a gun that looked like it was used in a \"Star Trek\" episode.The nuns herded us toward the front of the class, and we stood in line like cattle about to get branded. It was horrifying. There was another lady who accompanied Nurse Ratched and her job was to assist us afterward. She was" ]

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[ "Victoria Elizabeth Adam name change\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nSTATE OF MICHIGAN\nPROBATE COURT\nMONROE COUNTY\n38th Circuit Court – Family Division\nPUBLICATION OF\nNOTICE OF HEARING\nFILE NO. 2021-828-NC\nHonorable Frank L. Arnold\nIn the matter of\nVICTORIA ELIZABETH ADAM\nTO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS including:\nwhose address(es) are unknown and whose interest in the matter may be barred or affected by the following:\nTAKE NOTICE: A hearing will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 09:00 a.m. at 106 E. First Street, Monroe, MI 481671 before Judge Frank L. Arnold P-52771 on the petition of Angelina Johnson requesting a Change of Name for Victoria Elizabeth Adam to Kai-Elle Parker Adam\nDated: 1/4/2021\nAngelina Johnson\nPetitioner\n101 W. Madison St., Apt. A-12\nPetersburg, MI 49270\nJANUARY 7, 2021", "Victoria Elizabeth Adam name change" ]

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[ "Monroe County Community College bids wanted\nMonroe County Community College\nACCEPTING BIDS\n2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited – Minimum Bid $3000\nVehicle will be sold AS-IS and can be seen at:\n1555 S. Raisinville Rd.\nMonroe, MI 48161\nSealed bids must indicate item(s) being bid on and can be mailed or hand delivered to:\nKelly Heinzerling, Director of Purchasing & Auxiliary Services\n734-384-4275\nBids will be accepted until 2:00pm on January 29, 2021 and will be publicly opened in the Audrey Warrick Administration Building Rm A173b\nMonroe County Community College reserves the right to accept or reject any/all bids.\nJanuary 25, 26, 27, 2021", "Monroe County Community College bids wanted" ]

[ "Ryan Loren", "Ryan Loren Monroe News Staff Reporter" ]

[ "SMCC's volleyball team swept Schoolcraft Saturday to capture its seventh state championship.\nBATTLE CREEK – D.Y.N.H.I.M.\nYou may have seen those letters on shirts, masks, and other spirit wear during St. Mary Catholic Central’s volleyball season.\nEvery year, the team comes together and creates a new slogan, shortened to an acronym, to help guide the team through the season.\nBut it’s a secret. A code among sisters.\n“It’s a tradition that the seniors do it over the summer,” SMCC coach Karen O’Brien said. “It’s just something for us to know.\n“Until now.”\nDefend Your Name, History Is Made.\nFor SMCC that meant one thing: becoming the first team in the Monroe County Region to win back-to-back state championships.\nThe top-ranked Kestrels accomplished their goal Saturday afternoon as they swept No. 2 Schoolcraft in three sets, 25-19, 25-16, 25-8, to win the Division 3 state title at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.\nThe state title is the seventh in school history for SMCC volleyball. The Kestrels are the first team in Region history to go back-to-back – an impressive feat considering the prominent local history of the sport.\nRegion teams have captured 10 combined titles and have played in the state finals 20 times. Between 2010-2015, SMCC made the finals five times and won three titles but never managed to win two in a row.\n“Right after last year, the girls knew that in Monroe County there had never been a volleyball team go back-to-back, so they set that as their goal right away,” O’Brien said. “It’s nice to be able to say we’re the first to do it.”\n“It was our goal ever since last year, this was our ultimate end goal,” added senior Mikayla Haut. “Everything we did, every game, we constantly strived for this.”\nThe final against Schoolcraft was a rematch of last year’s state championship, which SMCC won in five sets.\nWhat a difference a year makes.\nSMCC dominated from the opening whistle, riding four straight kills from senior Abbie Costlow to a 4-0 lead. Kills from Haut and senior Kylie Barron stretched that to 9-3 before Schoolcraft turned it around.\nThe Eagles had a four-point run to close within 10-8, but the Kestrels pulled away with two kills each from Haut and junior Audrey Cousino.\nAn ace from junior Kate Collingsworth and a kill from senior Anna Dean brought a competitive first set to an end.\nBut the Kestrels were just getting warmed up.\nSMCC ran out to a 13-5 lead quickly in the second set and never let Schoolcraft string together a run of more than three points.\nSchoolcraft players took the court with tears in their eyes as they started the third set. Like SMCC, the Eagles are loaded with a strong senior class that put together a 33-6 record.\nBut Schoolcraft was simply outmatched.\n“In the first set, we started off so strong,” O’Brien said. “Then we started to mix up our offense. Our passing and our defense was so good, we could have any option we wanted, the setters could have any option.”\nSMCC pulled out of an early 5-5 tie in the final set, outscoring the Eagles 20-3 to run away with the match. Haut served eight straight points to start the streak and Collingsworth served the final seven.\n“When it got to the third set we were feeling very, very confident,” O’Brien said. “When you feel confident, you can do anything.”\nHaut said the Kestrels reached a new level in the third set.\n“With the season being so uncertain if we would even be able to finish, the third set we came out with a motivation we’ve never played with before,” Haut said. “When you get on a that kind of a roll, everyone starts to make plays. When you’re on that kind of streak, it’s hard to stop.”\nThe finals stats told a clear story.\nSchoolcraft had just 22 combined kills and finished with a team hitting percentage of .070. The Eagles hit just .033 in the final set.\nOn the other side, the Kestrels only got stronger as the game went on. They hit .140 and made nine errors in the first set, but then hit .419 in the second set and a dominating .516 in the third.\nSenior Jaydin Nowak played a key role in SMCC’s suffocating defense. As the team’s libero, she was kept busy by Schoolcraft All-State middles Maggie Morris and Anna Schuppel.\n“I knew I was going to be getting a lot of big swings coming my way,” Nowak said. “I just had to stay strong and focus for my team and making sure I was getting in the right positions for them.”\nNowak finished with a match-high 23 digs. Haut added 12 digs, Grace Lipford had 8, and Collingsworth contributed 7.\n“We knew with Schoolcraft that their attack is based on two middles and a very good setter and a good libero,” O’Brien said. “We knew to get them out of any type of system, we had to be very aggressive attacking wise.\"\nSchoolcraft’s best run was a 6-2 stretch late in the opening set that cut SMCC’s lead down to 21-18, but consistency was hard to come by for the Eagles.\nSchoolcraft’s only lead of the match was 2-1 to start the third set.\n“All in all, we got beat by a great team who had a great day,” Schoolcraft coach Erin Onken said. “We couldn’t come back from little mistakes. We came out kind of flat and that’s hard to recover from.”\nHaut led SMCC with 17 kills and a .394 hitting percentage, Costlow hit .355 with 14 kills, Collingsworth had 28 assists and 2 aces, and Lipford added 12 assists.\n“I’m so proud of the way they played all weekend,” O’Brien said. “We really put two of our best matches together.”", "SMCC makes volleyball history" ]

[ "Paula Wethington", "Paula Wethington Monroe News Staff Reporter" ]

[ "Monroe County can expect a total 1-3 inches of snow, along with some freezing drizzle, by this afternoon.\nAs of 10 a.m.\nFreezing drizzle and light freezing rain will continue this morning. Here is the latest weather update:\nSpecial Weather Statement\nNational Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI\n951 AM EST Tue Jan 26 2021\nWashtenaw-Wayne-Lenawee-Monroe-\nIncluding the cities of Ann Arbor, Detroit, Adrian, and Monroe\n951 AM EST Tue Jan 26 2021\n...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT...\nPockets of freezing drizzle and brief periods of light freezing rain will be possible through the noon hour across the greater Detroit metro region, Ann Arbor, and south to the Ohio border. The freezing drizzle and freezing rain will occur on top of already accumulated light snowfall, which will lead to further slick roadways and surfaces, especially those that have been left untreated. Where freezing drizzle and freezing rain persists the longest, a light glazing of ice is possible as temperatures hover in the upper 20s to near 30 degrees. Motorists are continued to urge extra caution if traveling this morning and to anticipate longer travel times.\nEARLIER REPORT:\nMonroe County can expect a total 1-3 inches of snow, along with some freezing drizzle, by this afternoon. Here are the latest weather bulletins from the National Weather Service.\nWinter Weather Advisory\nURGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE\nNational Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI\n305 AM EST Tue Jan 26 2021\nLivingston-Oakland-Macomb-Washtenaw-Wayne-Lenawee-Monroe-\nIncluding the cities of Howell, Pontiac, Warren, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Adrian, and Monroe\n305 AM EST Tue Jan 26 2021\n...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON...\n* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches (with 2 to 4 across Livingston and northern Oakland Counties). As the snow diminishing later this morning and early afternoon, periods of freezing drizzle are possible into mid afternoon.\n* WHERE...Livingston, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Wayne, Lenawee and Monroe Counties.\n* WHEN...From 4 AM to 4 PM EST Tuesday.\n* IMPACTS...Plan on low visibility and hazardous road conditions. The hazardous conditions likely impact the morning commute.\n* ADDITIONAL DETAILS... Snow will overspread the region during the pre dawn hours and peak between 7 AM and 11 AM. The axis of snow will exit to the north during the course of the morning and early afternoon, allowing some freezing drizzle to impact the area into mid afternoon.\nPRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...\nSlow down and use caution while traveling.\n***\nSpecial Weather Statement\nNational Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI\n457 AM EST Tue Jan 26 2021\nLenawee-Monroe-\nIncluding the cities of Adrian and Monroe\n457 AM EST Tue Jan 26 2021\n...Winter Weather Advisory in Effect...\nDuring the pre dawn hours, there will be intervals of light snow and light freezing rain. After 7 AM, precipitation will transition over to freezing drizzle. While total snow accumulations through daybreak will likely be an inch or less, some light icing is possible on untreated surfaces. Drivers should be prepared for slippery conditions this morning.\n***\nWeather history: Jan. 26 and 27, 1978, was a storm that for years was called the Blizzard of 1978 or the Great Blizzard of 1978. Monroe County got 10.1 inches of snow from that storm, and a federal disaster declaration was issued for the area.\nIn this video recorded in 2018, Monroe News reporters Dean Cousino and Paula Wethington talk about the impact of the 1978 blizzard and other notable winter storms that have struck Monroe County over the years.", "Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 4 p.m. today" ]

[ "Cassandra Lybrink" ]

[ "HOLLAND — A downtown business has been listed for sale.\nPoppin Huis — a popcorn, candy and gift shop at 224 S. River Ave. — made the announcement on social media Saturday, Jan. 2.\n“We are kicking off 2021 with the sale of Poppin Huis,” the business wrote. “The operating owner of our family-owned shop is relocating out of state.”\nBusiness For Sale Announcement: We are kicking off 2021 with the sale of Poppin Huis! The operating owner of our...\nPosted by Poppin Huis onSaturday, January 2, 2021\nThe sale of the business will include all necessary equipment, fixtures and inventory, as well as the established brand.\nPoppin Huis was opened in May 2015 by Randy Schaap and his late wife, Darlene.\nThe business quickly became known for gourmet popcorn and vintage candies — featuring flavors like caramel, garlic herb, two cheese, bloomin’ tulips, snickerdoodle and chocolate.\nBut running a storefront eventually became too much for Schaap. It was listed for sale in January 2019.\n“It was more of my wife’s dream to have a popcorn and candy store,” Schaap told The Sentinel in 2019. “And she passed away in 2016, so I was working full-time and trying to run a store.”\nJust weeks later, Poppin Huis was purchased as a joint venture by three couples — Ashley and Ryan Nelson, Katelyn and Ben Herrygers, and Lisa Sandor and Craig Van Melle.\nAfter assuming ownership, the new team developed a website for Poppin Huis, which is still operational.\nThe sale of the business is separate from the storefront, which is currently available for lease. The building is owned by Brett and Jennifer Zeerip, who also own and operate Salon Cheveux.\nAccording to a representative from Poppin Huis, the business will be closed for most of January — but may be open on the weekends.\n“The Holland community has been amazing to us and our family, and we are confident new ownership will be greeted and supported in the same fashion,\" the business wrote on social media.\n— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.", "Poppin Huis business listed for sale", "HOLLAND — A downtown business has been listed for sale.Poppin Huis — a popcorn, candy and gift shop at 224 S. River Ave. — made the announcement on social media Saturday, Jan. 2.“We are kicking off 2021 with the sale of Poppin Huis,” the business wrote. “The operating owner of our family-owned shop is relocating out of state.”Business For Sale Announcement:We are kicking off 2021 with the sale of Poppin Huis! The operating owner of our...Posted by" ]

[ "Don Reid", "Don Reid Dwreid Aol.Com" ]

[ "JACKSON — Consumers Energy now has three large wind farms supplying power to its customers in southern Michigan with its Gratoit wind farm now online.\nThe Jackson-based company which supplies power to parts of St. Joseph, Branch, and Hillsdale counties announced Gratiot Farms Wind Project is operational and contributing 150 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to its 6.7 million customers in Michigan.\n\"We are excited to have completed construction and bring Gratiot Farms online to serve customers. Each kilowatt we generate from renewable sources such as the wind gets us closer to our Clean Energy Plan goal of a net-zero carbon energy future,\" said Dennis Dobbs, vice president of enterprise project management, engineering and services for Consumers Energy. \"We are committed to be good neighbors in Gratiot County, where our project is providing substantial local tax revenue and well-paying jobs,\" he said.\nGratiot Farms Wind Project went online Dec. 16. It features 60 turbines with a 150-megawatt capacity, enough to power about 58,000 residents.\nThe project covers 2,400 acres with 59 m iles of underground power cables to tie it to the grid. The rotors and blade have a diameter of 417 feet with each tower at 160 tons.\nCE acquired the project from Enel Green Power America, which started the development of the wind farm. Consumers Energy took ownership and responsibility for completing construction of the project in September 2019.\nGratiot Farms represents a $260 million investment in Michigan's clean energy infrastructure. It joins Lake Winds Energy Park in Mason County and Cross Winds Energy Park in Tuscola County as wind energy projects Consumers Energy owns and operates.\nCombined, the three Consumers Energy wind energy parks produce enough clean, renewable energy to power about 185,600 residents.\nAnother wind farm spread across Adams, Moscow and Wheatland townships on 25,000 acres in Hillsdale County will soon be added to the Consumers Energy grid once construction is complete.\nIllinois-based Invenergy is building the 166-megawatt wind farm called Crescent Wind. In 2019 CE announced it would buy the $250 million farm once it is completed in coming months.\nThe Consumers Energy Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers' energy needs through clean sources like renewable energy, energy waste reduction and energy storage.\nThe three wind project in place brings CE up to its goal of having 15% of its power from renewable energy by 2021.", "Consumers Energy puts third wind farm online", "JACKSON — Consumers Energy now has three large wind farms supplying power to its customers in southern Michigan with its Gratoit wind farm now online.The Jackson-based company which supplies power to parts of St. Joseph, Branch, and Hillsdale counties announced Gratiot Farms Wind Project is operational and contributing 150 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to its 6.7 million customers in Michigan.\"We are excited to have completed construction and bring Gratiot Farms online to serve" ]

[ "Daily Telegram Staff" ]

[ "New laws to eliminate unnecessary license suspensions and end the over-criminalization of low-level traffic offenses in Michigan\nLANSING — Residents in Lenawee County and throughout Michigan will soon experience a fairer and more rational criminal justice system, thanks to a plan spearheaded by state Rep. Bronna Kahle, that was signed into law this week.\nKahle, R-Adrian, said her new laws eliminate unnecessary driver’s license suspensions and end the over-criminalization of low-level traffic offenses in Michigan. Both pieces of legislation received unanimous bipartisan support in the House and Senate before being signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.\n\"Our criminal justice system has been broken for far too long. These common-sense reforms represent a big step in the right direction,\" Kahle said in a news release. \"No longer will our state laws strip people of their driver’s licenses because they miss a court date or can’t afford to pay a fine. It was a counterproductive practice that made the lives to already struggling Michiganders even harder with no benefit to public safety.\"\nThe Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration, was formed last year to study the state’s criminal justice system. The task force found Michigan’s jail population had tripled in just 35 years, and most admissions were for misdemeanors and low-level offenses.\nDriving on a suspended license was the third-most common reason for someone to be admitted to jail.\nIn 2018, Kahle said Michigan suspended nearly 358,000 driver’s licenses for failure to appear in court or failure to pay court fines and fees. Thousands more suspensions occurred for other violations completely unrelated to driving safety, such as failure to pay child support and possession of a controlled substance.\nKahle helped lead a bipartisan coalition of state legislators who developed a plan of action based on the task force’s recommendations, with a goal of reducing barriers to employment for people who commit minor infractions and refocusing the use of jail and other public resources on cases that truly involve a danger to the public.\nSpecifically, House Bill 5846 will eliminate license suspensions for violations of state law unrelated to dangerous driving. House Bill 5853 will also reclassify many traffic misdemeanors as civil infractions, so people would have the option to pay a ticket rather than making an appearance in court. Both measures are sponsored by Kahle.\n\"Taking a smarter approach to low-level crimes is going to benefit every community in our state,\" Kahle said. \"These reforms will save time for residents, law enforcement and court staff, and free up resources so our law enforcement can focus time and attention on more serious issues that threaten public safety.\"\nSaid Gov Gretchen Whitmer:\n\"As a former prosecutor, I recognize how critical it is to take steps toward a smarter and more equitable justice system that not only saves taxpayer money, but keeps people in their communities,\" she said. \"Over the last two years, we’ve worked with leaders on both sides of the aisle to make Michigan a national leader on criminal justice reform. \"\nSaid Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack:\n\"Our courts and justice system belong to the people, and these reforms reflect a consensus-based process that brought together all who share our commitment to fairness, accountability, transparency, and efficiency. We have more work to do to continue making Michigan even safer, but we are now a national leader in implementing criminal justice reform that is data-driven, informed by research, responsive to community input, and committed to building public trust.\"\nThe 20 bills passed by the legislature form a complementary approach that aims to shift individuals away from jail unless they pose a threat to public safety. Throughout the last year, the bills were vetted by lawmakers and refined with extensive input from prosecutors, judges, sheriffs, crime victims, reform advocates, and members of the public.\nThe Task Force started working in July 2019 on measures the state of Michigan could take to safely reduce jail populations and expand alternatives to incarceration. Their recommendations and the resulting bipartisan package of bills were informed by dozens of stakeholder interviews and roundtables, testimony from hundreds of people across the state, 10 years of statewide arrest and court data and three years of individual-level data from a large and diverse sample of county jails.", "Whitmer signs Kahle plan into law" ]

[ "Chandra Bozelko More Content Now" ]

[ "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.\n*****\nI lived for more than six years in a high-security environment. I saw what that takes to minimize violence and risk. People can’t be allowed to carry items with them; they could include contraband and weapons. Barriers must be immobile to work. Too many people in one area is dangerous.\nBut none of these traditional high-security procedures operate in the U.S. Capitol, as the entire world witnessed on Jan. 6.\nMy biggest takeaway from the electoral vote count riot was this: It’s really easy, too easy, to crack the Capitol. Prisons are safer than that building.\nI worked in D.C.’s Cannon House Office Building in 1993 - 27 years ago, when security was pretty high. After Sept. 11, 2001, it beefed up, understandably. It seems like, since then, security personnel’s vigilance directed itself toward the one or two people who could evade detection and cause major damage. It’s as if no one ever conceived that a crowd of several thousand people would pose a risk. In prisons, though, that’s the only thing that does.\nA few other breakdowns in security revealed themselves in the footage of the event. For one, breaking glass shouldn’t be that easy. It’s almost impossible to break a window in prison - and not because they’re bulletproof. There’s little need for bulletproof glass in a prison because there are so few (if any) guns inside. Instead they use what’s called detention glass because it can absorb punches and knocks without breaking. A video from a Slate journalist Jan. 6 showed rioters banging on a window in a door to the Capitol and eventually cracking it open. That never would have happened in a prison. The same is true for the burglar who used a police riot shield to break the Capitol’s windows and crawl inside, but he’ll learn about that when he’s incarcerated; rioters will continue to be arrested in the coming days.\nThe big desk dragged in front of the entrance to the House of Representatives chamber is also problematic. Those doors, too, had broken windows, but if it takes hauling a piece of furniture to block a door to keep out the bad guys, then the federal government has officially entered television trope territory. Quite frankly, it’s more like a plot device from “Laverne & Shirley” rather than a planned way to protect the Speaker of the House, who’s always third in line for the presidency.\nIn correctional settings, neither prisoners nor guards can move furniture; almost all of it’s bolted to the floor. But they also don’t need to. Doors will unlock or lock en masse remotely from a control center. They’re steel and no one’s going to break them down. The person on one side stays quite safe from the person on the other.\nA man who’s since been identified as Richard Barnett of Gravette, Arkansas, sat in front of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s computer. In a photo from behind the desk, the black box of the Capitol security notice hangs in the screen’s lower right corner next to her open Microsoft Outlook email account. It’s shocking that there isn’t a central switch to turn off all mainframe computers so that protected information stays that way: protected. In fact, it’s almost too shocking.\nSpeculation that the United States Capitol Police department was complicit in the riot circulated on social media - U.S. Rep. Tim Cooper (D-TN) articulated this fear himself. Without further investigation, it’s impossible to say whether they were or not. It’s probably better for our security if there are a few embedded Proud Boys in that force. Investigators can find them and cull them. When they’re gone, safety can return.\nBut if there’s no complicity with the rioters, then that means the Capitol Police haven’t even envisioned what can go wrong. They haven’t even borrowed the practices of control from a prison, the one place in the United States that routinely preps for riots and has the infrastructure needed to stop one, or at least minimize it. Starting immediately, the Capitol Police should consult with prison architects and designers to prevent the next attack.\nThere’s so much to say about the Capitol insurrection. For now, I’ll stick with this: Something’s wrong when it’s easier to breach the People’s House where lives are prized than it is to breach the Big House where they’re not.\nChandra Bozelko writes the award-winning blog Prison Diaries. You can follow her on Twitter at @ChandraBozelko and email her at [email protected].", "Bozelko column: Prisons more secure than the United States Capitol", "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.*****I lived for more than six years in a high-security environment. I saw what that takes to minimize violence and risk. People can’t be allowed to carry items with them; they could include contraband and weapons. Barriers must be immobile to work. Too many people in one area is dangerous. But none of these traditional high-security procedures operate in the U.S. Capitol, as the entire world witnessed on Jan. 6. My biggest" ]

[ "West Michigan Works" ]

[ "The COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the economy and changed how we live and work. The unexpected dive into virtual services, remote work and new technologies have challenged employers and job seekers to adapt.\nAndrew Davidson is a career coach at West Michigan Works. He works one-on-one with job seekers to prepare them for a successful job search, including interview and resume assistance, referrals to support services and skill assessments.\n\"Many job seekers are struggling going virtual in almost every aspect of their lives because they don't have the knowledge or skill when it comes to modern technology,\" said Davidson.\n\"They may not have had to use computers or other hardware and software at past jobs or in their personal lives.\"\nDavidson advises job seekers to learn the basics of the new technology employers are using. Learning new technology can be challenging, but dedicating time now will pay off post-pandemic.\nWave Burns, a career navigator, is one of the first people you might talk to when you call the WMW service center in northwest Grand Rapids. Wave assesses a job seeker’s needs and determines what information or services would help them meet their employment goals.\n\"Virtual job fairs and interviews are our reality right now,\" said Burns. \"Practice using equipment like web cameras, headphones, lighting, etc.\"\nThe demand for workers is currently high in essential industries such as health care, manufacturing, and customer service.\nFor job seekers who might be considering a move to one of these industries, Burns suggests they focus on transferable skills — skills and abilities relevant across occupations or industries.\n\"Look for high-demand jobs in your area that you think you'd feel comfortable working in and that suit your skills,\" said Burns. \"Freshen up your resume to be relevant with the high-demand job opportunities you'll be applying to.\"\nThe pandemic also introduced considerations for the work environment. Job seekers want to know what safety precautions employers have in place to keep employees and their families safe.\n\"Most people don’t want to be too close to others in a work environment,\" said Kesha Sain, a career navigator in the Muskegon service center. \"Research. Don’t be afraid to ask employers what safety precautions are in place to keep everyone safe.\"\nWhile West Michigan Works service centers are open limited hours for appointments only, all of their services are offered virtually. Call a service center near you to get started!\n— Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works. Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.", "Employment Expertise: Searching for work during pandemic?", "The COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the economy and changed how we live and work. The unexpected dive into virtual services, remote work and new technologies have challenged employers and job seekers to adapt.Andrew Davidson is a career coach at West Michigan Works. He works one-on-one with job seekers to prepare them for a successful job search, including interview and resume assistance, referrals to support services and skill assessments.\"Many job seekers are struggling going" ]

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[ "Since Donald Trump decided to run for president, large social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter stopped all discussion regarding whether what the president said or wrote were true. Instead of allowing honest discussion about wrongful allegations, Facebook, Twitter and most print media, blocked people before the election rather than reviewing the claims. Because print and social media stifled discussion, people voted without all the facts.\nGaslighting is a form of psychological abuse where a person or group makes someone question their sanity, perception of reality, or memories. People experiencing gaslighting often feel confused, anxious and unable to trust themselves. What can happen interpersonally can happen nationally.\nI believe America's news organizations aligned themselves with one political party. Slanting the news resulted in America being more divided and mistrustful of our government, family and friends. I believe organizations that reported that President Trump colluded with Russia will find other news organizations replace them — such is the practice of the free market. Investigative journalism needs to return and \"let the chips fall where they may!\nDavid J. D'Arcy\nWest Olive", "Letter: Prove Trump wrong", "Since Donald Trump decided to run for president, large social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter stopped all discussion regarding whether what the president said or wrote were true. Instead of allowing honest discussion about wrongful allegations, Facebook, Twitter and most print media, blocked people before the election rather than reviewing the claims. Because print and social media stifled discussion, people voted without all the facts.Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse" ]

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[ "The Ionia County Democratic Party rejects the faulty criticism of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic made by Second District Ionia County Commissioner Larry Tiejema in a recent Sentinel-Standard opinion.\nPresident Donald Trump’s and Tiejema’s solution to end the pandemic rests on the Republican version of a \"death panel:\" it is the cruel, scientifically debunked \"herd-immunity\" strategy where the virus runs rampant under the unproven assumption that enough recovered younger people will have sufficient long-term immunity, combined with vaccinations for most, to end the virus’s spread.\nTrump’s and Tiejema’s priority is to keep the economy functioning at pre-COVID levels no matter the human cost, but, realistically, until the pandemic is controlled, the economy cannot recover to full strength.\nTiejema argues that instead of using measured business lockdowns and loosenings depending on the number of cases, the governor should have allowed \"all normal activities to resume including schools, colleges movie theaters, fitness centers and other personal services along with the use of (unspecified) rational personal protective measures.\"\nCompulsory masking and social distancing, anyone? While conceding this will increase COVID-19 cases, \"so would the number of persons who recover and have a natural immunity,\" especially younger, healthy people.\nSupposedly, there should be some unspecified protection for older people, for those with comorbidities and for recovered victims with long-term side effects. Otherwise, the rest of us are on our own, including the growing number of ill and dying younger victims.\nHe graciously concedes that since only about three percent of infected people will die, this is an acceptable loss under the unacknowledged assumption it will mostly be among the old or ailing grandmas and grandpas. One assumes that people who support this sacrificial-lamb strategy probably don’t expect it will harm them, their family or friends—it’s just those others.\nThis let-it-spread \"herd-immunity\" strategy requires suffering and deaths for millions. While epidemiologists believe the pandemic cannot be contained until up to 90 percent of the population has possible natural immunity or vaccinations, reaching this level will probably take until at least the fall of 2021.\nAs for bad timing, Tiejema’s criticism of our governor comes in the midst of a national explosion in infections and deaths since Thanksgiving, even with the selective restrictions.\nConsider the increased human toll if all governors were foolish enough to adopt Tiejema’s so-called \"scientific\" strategy.\nSo far, there are about 22 million reported cases nationally resulting in about 350,000 deaths. While in the spring deaths reached a peak of about 1,000 a day, during this current surge-upon-surge-after-Thanksgiving the death toll has reached up to 3,000 per day, overwhelming the healthcare system in many places—and this is with just some partial lockdowns. Just think of how the cases and death toll will rise dramatically if Tiejema’s scheme was adopted.\nThe population of the U.S. is about 330 million. If before \"herd immunity\" is reached, say 100 million are infected, that would result in 3 million deaths. Obviously, other assumptions are possible: it could be worse.\nEnding the pandemic will require meeting several months of difficult challenges. President-elect Joe Biden will need to encourage governors to enact protective measures, including strong incentives for masking, for social distancing and for selective restrictions on public gatherings. He will also have to provide more resources and infrastructure to speed mass vaccinations because the current level is pathetically inadequate.\nInstead of carping, Commissioner Tiejema and all Michiganders should thank their lucky stars that Gov. Whitmer has taken responsible measures already to protect us the best she can under tough circumstances. That is called leadership, a commodity in short supply for four years.\nNelson Brown Jr., Ionia County Democratic Party Vice Chairperson\nClarksville resident", "Letter: Ionia County Democratic Party’s response to Larry Tiejema", "The Ionia County Democratic Party rejects the faulty criticism of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic made by Second District Ionia County Commissioner Larry Tiejema in a recent Sentinel-Standard opinion.President Donald Trump’s and Tiejema’s solution to end the pandemic rests on the Republican version of a \"death panel:\" it is the cruel, scientifically debunked \"herd-immunity\" strategy where the virus runs rampant under the unproven assumption that" ]

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[ "By Doug Donnelly\nHillsdale Daily News\nHigh school football in Hillsdale County is over for the season, but there are still teams with connections to the county alive and well in the prep football playoffs.\nPittsford is in its first season as a member of the Tri-County Conference. Two league foes are still playing – Sand Creek and Summerfield – in Division 8. Centreville, the champion of the Southwest 10 Conference and the team that eliminated Reading, will play Sand Creek Saturday. In the Lenawee County Athletic Association, Clinton – one of the teams to beat Hillsdale this season – will play Saturday in the Division 6 playoffs, as will Cascades Conference runner-up Michigan Center. Another Jackson County, school, Jackson Lumen Christi, is still playing in Division 7.\nIn the 8-Player semifinals, Adrian Lenawee Christian will play Martin for a spot in the state finals, which will be played Jan. 16 in Brighton.\nHere’s a quick look at each of the games involving teams with Hillsdale County connections:\nDivision 8\nSand Creek (8-1) vs. Centreville (9-0), 4:30 p.m. at Portage Central\nThe Aggies have a high-powered offense, averaging 50 points a game, with a running back that has ran for more than 1,650 yards and passed for more than 600 yards in Will Alexander. Yes, he’s a running back, playing in the single wing offense.\nCentreville is led by quarterback Sam Todd, who is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing for the season.\nConnection: The Aggies beat Pittsford twice this season, 52-7 and 54-0. Centreville beat Reading, 32-14, in the district final.\nPetersburg-Summerfield (4-5) vs. Clarkston Everest Collegiate (9-0), 6:30 p.m. at The Legacy Center, Brighton\nSummerfield closed the regular season with four consecutive losses, but that didn’t stop them from producing three straight playoff wins and a district title. The Bulldogs are one of two teams (Oak Park is the other) in the state still alive with a sub-.500 record. Everest Collegiate launched its football program in 2013 and has never missed the playoffs.\nThe winner of this game will win a regional championship for the first time in school history.\nConnection: Summerfield finished one game ahead of Pittsford in the TCC standings. In fact, Pittsford was the only team that Summerfield beat in the regular season.\nDivision 6\nMichigan Center (6-1) vs. Constantine (8-1) at Gull Lake, 2 p.m. Saturday.\nMichigan Center is somewhat of a Cinderalla story. The Cardinals opened the season a week late with a loss, then had two weeks off due to Covid. Since they returned to the field Oct. 2, they haven’t lost, including a district final win over Jonesville.\nConstantine, which was eliminated by Hillsdale last season, is in familiar territory. The Falcons have missed the playoffs just once since 1999.\nLocal connection: Michigan Center beat Big 8 champ Jonesville, 28-22, in the district final.\nClinton (8-1) vs. Warren Michigan Collegiate (9-0), 5 p.m. at Bishop Foley\nThe Redskins returned to the LCAA this season after more than a decade in the TCC. It was a successful return as they won eight games and captured a district title by beating league champion Blissfield on a last-second field goal to win the district.\nCollegiate has been dominating opponents this season, outscoring them 414-18. The Cougars have six shutouts on defense.\nLocal connection: Clinton beat Hillsdale in Week 6.\nDivision 7\nJackson Lumen Christi (5-4) vs. Schoolcraft (8-1), 11 a.m. at Portage Central High School\nThe fact that the Titans are in the regional final should surprise no one. They have reached the state fianls four straight seasons. The surprising thing is they have won just 5 games this season, the fewest for the program since 1991.\nSchoolcraft’s only loss this season was the Southeastern Conference member Chelsea. They opened the season by beating Constantine.\nLocal connection: Lumen Christi finished sixth in the Insterstate 8 Athletic Conference.\n8-Player\nMartin (8-1) vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian (9-0), 1 p.m. at Adrian College\nLenawee Christian closed the season as the No. 1 ranked team in 8-Player football according to the Associated Press. They have the state’s No. 1 8-Player player in Jameson Chesser, a do-everything running back/receiver. The Cougars lost to Reading last season in the regional final in their final 11-player game.\nLocal connection: The Cougars are playing 8-man football for the first time and won the Southern Michigan 8-Man Football League A Division, which includes Camden-Frontier.\nEvery game will be livestreamed from one source or another. Visit www.mhsaa.com for links to watch the 11-player regional final and 8-player semifinals.", "Football playoff games ahead", "By Doug DonnellyHillsdale Daily NewsHigh school football in Hillsdale County is over for the season, but there are still teams with connections to the county alive and well in the prep football playoffs.Pittsford is in its first season as a member of the Tri-County Conference. Two league foes are still playing – Sand Creek and Summerfield – in Division 8. Centreville, the champion of the Southwest 10 Conference and the team that eliminated Reading, will play Sand Creek Saturday. In" ]

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[ "Bruce Petush: Happy New Year 2021", "Have a happy and prosperous new year!" ]

[ "Michael Huggins" ]

[ "Michael Huggins shares this look back at Monroe County’s history.\nIt was 1828 when the first German settler arrived in the Michigan Territory and Monroe County, nine years before statehood. The selection of his destination was quite by accident.\nIn Germany, there were many hard-working families that tended the vineyards along the River Rhine. In one small village, the young men dreamed of going to America in search of land and opportunity. They obtained a map of the Michigan Territory. On that map they found in French \"Rivier Aux Raisiennes.\" One adventurous young man set out to see this river where he assumed there were vineyards they could work.\nWhen Simeon Knab arrived at the River Raisin, he found a small, mostly French settlement and no vineyards. He inquired about purchasing land and found a small tract of fertile soil south of the early Monroe settlement on Otter Creek in present day LaSalle Township. He sent word back to Germany; \"The land is cheap and fertile; COME.\"\nOver the next few years, 10 families came. They all settled between LaPlaisance Creek and Otter Creek in present day Monroe and LaSalle Townships. They cleared virgin forest and built log homes and barns.\nThey farmed between the stumps of giant trees. In 1833 they heard that a German preacher had arrived in Ann Arbor. They sent two men at once to ask him to come to Monroe to preach. He arrived on December 8, 1833, after a two-day horseback ride from Ann Arbor. It was then that they first heard a sermon in their new land in their native tongue. The preacher would come every six to eight weeks to serve them in Monroe. He was Freiderich Schmidt, the circuit riding minister who founded 16 Lutheran churches in Southeast Michigan.\nBy 1838, 16 families had arrived and settled there. Pastor Schmidt permitted them to incorporate and a constitution was drawn up. The newly formed church was given the name \"Zoar Evangelical Lutheran Church.\" In 1839 the congregation built a log church on the present site of the Monroe Township Cemetery on West Albain Road. This edifice served them until a brick church was built across the road in 1860. This little church served them until 1973, when a new, larger facility was built. The 1860 historic church still stands and is the oldest Lutheran Church structure in Michigan. It is still used for special occasions such as candlelight Christmas Eve services.\nIn 1844 there were so many German Lutheran families across Monroe County that Schmidt suggested forming three separate parishes. The families north of Monroe formed Holy Ghost Lutheran Church. The Monroe City families formed Trinity Lutheran Church. The families south of Monroe retained their Zoar identity and the log church. In 1848 there was another division, and Zion Lutheran Monroe was formed, and East Ida Immanuel at Ida was formed.\nIn 1858, it was learned that another church in the area was using the name Zoar. To avoid confusion, Zoar Lutheran congregation changed its name to St. Paul's Lutheran. In 1904 there was an 800-pound bronze bell installed and new stained glass windows were also added. Electric lights did not come until the 1920s, and German was still the language used until 1921. In 1938 the congregation celebrated 100 years of continuous ministry. A church social hall with Sunday school rooms and restrooms were added.\nDuring the long history of the congregation, 25 pastors have served at St Paul’s. It is estimated that 315 weddings, 190 funerals, 430 baptisms, and 396 confirmations have been performed at the church. There are descendants of the pioneer families who can now count eight generations of continuous membership at St. Paul's Lutheran.\nMichael Huggins is 1st Vice President of the Monroe County Historical Society. He is a Monroe County Historian and author.", "When German Lutherans settled in Monroe County" ]

[ "Paula Wethington", "Paula Wethington Monroe News Staff Reporter" ]

[ "The Michigan State Police issued an Endangered Missing Advisory for a man missing in Lenawee County described as “not currently mentally stable.”\nUPDATE: The Michigan State Police issued an update at 4:05 p.m. today that the missing person alert has been canceled, Derek Christian Whiting was located and is safe.\n***\nUpdate:\nThe Lenawee County Alert System sent both an email and a text about 1:25 p.m. today regarding this case. Whiting is still considered missing.\n***\nPrevious report:\nThe Michigan State Police have issued an Endangered Missing Advisory for a man missing in Lenawee County described as “not currently mentally stable.”\nDerek Christian Whiting, age 23, is described as a white man with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5’10” tall, and weighs about 155 pounds. He may be wearing a white sheet wrapped around him as a robe; along with a camo ski mask.\nWhiting was last seen by a family member about 3:30 a.m. today, walking away from his home on Tyrrel Street in Clinton.\n“Derek is diagnosed bipolar/schizophrenic and has not been actively taking his medication,” the police report said. “Derek believes he is a priest of some sort and is highly religious. Derek left behind a note that simply was labeled as his will and advised to sell all his belongings and donate the money to the poor. Derek is not currently mentally stable and should be approached with caution.”\nAnyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911 or contact the Michigan State Police, Monroe post, at 734-242-3500.\nMichigan’s procedures for missing persons allow law enforcement agencies to issue an Endangered Missing Advisory in cases that do not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert. An EMA usually includes notices to area media outlets and postings on social media; but not normally a cell phone broadcast.\n***\nWhat's the difference between an Amber alert and Endangered Missing Advisory in Michigan, and when might each be used? This podcast gives the explanation:", "UPDATE: Missing person alert canceled for Lenawee County man" ]

[ "Mitchell Boatman" ]

[ "HOLLAND — As part of ongoing initiatives to address equity in the district, Holland Public Schools has created and filled the position of director of equity and inclusion.\nDuring its meeting Monday, Jan. 18, the HPS Board of Education approved a contract for Taran McZee to fill the position. McZee, who will start March 1, is the associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Bluegrass Community and Technical College and has worked in the DEI field in higher education since 2005.\nHolland Superintendent Brian Davis said the district began \"strategic equity and inclusion work\" in 2014 by completing an equity audit and creating this position is one step in continuing that work.\n\"We have a commitment to move beyond core values and public statements, to building a system that systemically addresses inequities in our community; in a system that by its very design is inequitable,\" Davis said in an email to The Sentinel. \"While we have made considerable progress, there is much more for us to do. Current events illuminate our responsibilities to do this work. Student agency and voice matter. Parent agency and voice matter.\n\"Our commitment to hire an individual with specific background, training and experience is the next step to ensure that our work is focused, strategic, intentional and allocates the necessary resources to do so. Mr. McZee's background and experience matches our needs and we are excited to welcome him not only to Holland Public Schools, but to the greater Holland community as we collaborate together on this very important work.\"\nMcZee, a Flint native, was drawn to HPS because of the district’s ongoing DEI initiatives and the chance to return to Michigan.\n\"My wife and I have always said if a great opportunity back home in Michigan came along, we would look into it,\" McZee told The Sentinel. \"I started researching Holland Public Schools, the Holland area and Dr. Davis and I found out HPS had an Equity Alliance team.\n\"When I did research on the work that the Equity Alliance was doing and saw how serious Dr. Davis was about DEI, it confirmed to me that HPS has a very serious mission and wants to see DEI at the forefront for the community.\"\nHe said equity work in schools is important to ensure all students have equitable opportunities and to prepare them for life in \"a forever growing global society.\"\n\"Students don’t know the ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender of who they’re going to work with or work for,\" McZee said. \"If we work from a DEI lens, they have a better chance to transition to any career endeavour. They’ll be able to work with anyone, from all different backgrounds.\"\nIn regards to HPS’ ongoing discussions about the use of \"Dutch\" as the district mascot, McZee said he looks forward to having discussions to listen to and understand people’s thoughts on the mascot.\nWhile his position will be with HPS, McZee said he looks forward to working with the city of Holland as well to collaborate on DEI events and initiatives in the community.\n\"I do know the importance of a school district and a community working as one,\" he said. \"I think this position can make those connections stronger from a DEI lens, that’s what I intend to do.\"\n— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.", "Holland Public Schools hires diversity, inclusion chief", "HOLLAND — As part of ongoing initiatives to address equity in the district, Holland Public Schools has created and filled the position of director of equity and inclusion.During its meeting Monday, Jan. 18, the HPS Board of Education approved a contract for Taran McZee to fill the position. McZee, who will start March 1, is the associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Bluegrass Community and Technical College and has worked in the DEI field in higher education since" ]

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[ "Frenchtown Township 12/15/2020 meeting minutes\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nFRENCHTOWN\nCHARTER Township\nBOARD WORKSHOP\nMEETING MINUTES\nDECEMBER 15, 2020\nA Regular Meeting of the Frenchtown Charter Township Board was held via ZOOM on December 15, 2020 at 10:00 AM.\nPRESENT: SUPERVISOR – Al VanWashenova, CLERK-Kyle Bryant, TREASURER-Julie Ellison, TWP. ATTORNEY-Kerry Bondy, TRUSTEE-Matt Rimel, TRUSTEE-Chris Collins, TRUSTEE-Christiaan Carlton, TRUSTEE-Gary Klemz\nDeputy Clerk, Jessica Burt; Utility Director, Rich Weirich; Fire Chief, Wendy Stevens; Township Assessor, Justin Prybylski; Human Resources Generalist, Meagan Russell; Township Engineer, Mark Mathe & Barry Buschmann; Building Official, Joe Lehmann; Recreation Director, Phil Coyle and 9 other persons were in attendance.\nSupervisor VanWashenova declared there was quorum at 10:00 AM.\nCHANGES TO THE AGENDA: There were no changes to the agenda.\nMOTION #20.256 – AGENDA APPROVAL: Motion made by Mrs. Ellison; seconded by Mr. Bryant to approve the December 15, 2020 as presented. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.257 – APPROVAL OF DECEMBER 15, 2020 CONSENT AGENDA: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Rimel to approve the consent agenda as presented. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nCONSENT AGENDA:\na. December 8, 2020 – Regular Board Meeting Minutes\nb. Invoices Paid on December 15, 2020\nPUBLIC COMMENT: None\nMOTION #20.258 – REMOVE FROM TABLE – 2021 MEETING SCHEDULE: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mrs. Ellison to remove this item from table. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.259 – 2021 MEETING SCHEDULE: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Carlton to approve the 2021 Meeting Schedule with a change in the Board meeting time from 10 am to 2 pm for the 3rd Tuesday meeting of every month. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.260 – REMOVE FROM TABLE – WEEKLY SANITIZATION OF TOWNSHIP HALL: Motion made by Mrs. Ellison; seconded by Mr. Collins to remove this item from table. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.261 – WEEKLY SANITIZATION OF TOWNSHIP HALL: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Bryant to approve purchasing a fogger and the necessary chemicals for the fogger for the Township Hall at a cost not to exceed $1,000.00. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.262 – CLEANING SERVICES: Motion made by Mr. Rimel; seconded by Mr. Klemz for the Township Supervisor to provide a list of responsibilities for a janitorial cleaning business and the Township maintenance person and request for proposals for a janitorial cleaning service for the Township and Township Libraries; and to add COVID related materials, carpet cleaning (would not include the fogger) if required the Township would provide the fogger and chemicals to the janitorial cleaning business at a cost not to exceed $3,000.00 a month. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.263 – DISCUSSION – CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS 2021: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Carleton to approve the Capital Improvement Plans for 2021 as presented. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.264 – 2021 BOARD APPOINTMENTS – PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS, BOARDS, COMMITTEES & COMMISSIONS: Motion made by Mr. Rimel; seconded by Mr. Bryant to request that the Supervisor make the corrections discussed and any other necessary corrections and bring back it to the Township Board for approval. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.265 – DISCUSSION – FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUE BOAT REPORT 2020: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Bryant to accept and place on file the Fire Department’s Rescue Boat Report for 2020. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.266 – REMOVE FROM TABLE – DISCUSSION – CELLPHONES & COMPUTERS FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENT: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Rimel to remove this item from table. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.267 – DISCUSSION – COMPUTERS FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENT: Motion made by Mr. Klemz; seconded by Mr. Bryant to purchase 3 Surface Pro I7’s with 16GB/256G and to include Microsoft Office and keyboards from Tech Experts which includes set up from Tech Experts at a cost not to exceed $4,838.25. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.268 – DISCUSSION- REQUEST TO SELL LOT 10 FRENCHTOWN INDUSTRIAL PARK LOT: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Klemz to authorize the Township Attorney to make the necessary changes to the purchase agreement and authorize the Township Supervisor to sign the purchase agreement. A roll call vote was taken. Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.269 – EXTENSION OF MEETING DURATION: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Klemz to approve extending the meeting beyond the Board’s 3 hour limitation. A roll call vote was taken. Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nMOTION #20.270 – DISCUSSION – PURCHASE REQUEST – SHERIFF’S VEHICLE: Motion made by Mr. Collins; seconded by Mr. Klemz to table this item for more information until the December 22, 2020 Board meeting. A roll call vote was taken. Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes. Motion carried 7-0. PUBLIC COMMENT: None\nMOTION #20.271 – ADJOURNMENT: Motion made by Mr. Bryant; seconded by Mr. Klemz to adjourn the December 15, 2020 Regular Board Meeting at 1:41 PM. A roll call vote was taken. Mrs. Ellison-Yes; Mr. Bryant-Yes; Mr. VanWashenova-Yes; Mr. Collins-Yes; Mr. Carlton-Yes; Mr. Rimel-Yes; Mr. Klemz-Yes. Motion carried 7-0.\nKyle Bryant, Township Clerk\nAl VanWashenova,\nTownship Supervisor\nJANUARY 14, 2021", "Frenchtown Township 12/15/2020 meeting minutes" ]

[ "Melissa Crawley More Content Now" ]

[ "This week’s debuts include an Israeli psychological drama, a painter who meditates on life, and an anxiety-filled thriller about how far a man will go to keep a secret.\nDispatches: Weekly TV news\nThe multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi will not happen during this year’s broadcast of the big game. Coke announced that it will not run any advertisements during Super Bowl LV, a decision that follows a similar one made by Pepsi, which has stated that it will focus on its yearly halftime show instead. (PepsiCo will run a commercial for Mountain Dew soda, however).\nDisney+ announced its lead for the upcoming “Doogie Howser” reboot. Former “Andi Mack” star, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, will star in the remake as Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha. Set in Hawaii, “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.” follows Lahela, a mixed-race 16-year-old girl who is balancing a medical career and teen life. The series is scheduled for release this year.\nHasbro/eOne is looking to create a television series based on the fantasy role-playing game, “Dungeons & Dragons,” and has tapped Derek Kolstad, the creator and writer of the “John Wick” franchise to write and develop a pitch for a live-action show.\nContenders: Shows to keep on your radar\nIsraeli series, “Losing Alice” (Jan. 22, Apple TV+), focuses on Alice (Ayelet Zurer), a 48-year-old filmmaker who is feeling irrelevant until she meets Sophie (Lihi Kornowski), a young female screenwriter with a provocative script. Obsession and a dangerous desire for power and success soon lead Alice down a dark path.\nPast and present secrets threaten to destroy a married man in the U.S. debut of British thriller, “The Sister” (Jan. 22, Hulu). When an old acquaintance shows up on Nathan’s (Russell Tovey) doorstep, he is forced to confront the worst night of his life - a long ago party that led to the death of a young woman and decide how far he will go to keep a secret.\nIn “Painting With John” (Jan. 22, HBO, 11 p.m. ET) John Lurie, the co-founder of music group The Lounge Lizards, practices his watercolor skills while sharing his thoughts on life. Think of it as an unscripted meditative painting class.\nThe NFL’s conference championship games are split between two networks on Jan. 24, with Fox airing the NFC game at 2 p.m. ET and CBS broadcasting the AFC game at 5:40 p.m. ET.\nEdward Burns’ new half-hour dramedy series, “Bridge and Tunnel” (Jan. 24, Epix, 8 p.m. ET) is set in Long Island in the early 1980s and follows a group of long-time friends on the verge of adulthood.\nThe train that never stops is back for a second season. “Snowpiercer” (Jan. 25, TNT, 9 p.m. ET) picks up the action with a post-revolution Layton (Daveed Diggs) struggling to maintain a shaky peace as the train’s new leader. Meanwhile, Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) is dealing with Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean), who is not only not dead but heading straight for them on a rival train, the shocking news that her daughter (also suddenly not dead) has become Wilfred’s loyal protegee, and a surprising discovery that could change humanity’s fate.\nReport Card: Ratings winners and losers\nWinners: Disney Channel ordered a third season of animated comedy series, “Big City Greens.”\nLosers: “Star Trek: Discovery” drew its second-smallest broadcast audience.\nMelissa Crawley is the author of “Mr. Sorkin Goes to Washington: Shaping the President on Television’s ‘The West Wing.’” She has a Ph.D. in media studies and is a member of the Television Critics Association. To comment on Stay Tuned, email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @mcstaytuned.", "Stay Tuned column: Secrets and lies in suspenseful thriller ‘The Sister’", "This week’s debuts include an Israeli psychological drama, a painter who meditates on life, and an anxiety-filled thriller about how far a man will go to keep a secret.Dispatches: Weekly TV newsThe multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi will not happen during this year’s broadcast of the big game. Coke announced that it will not run any advertisements during Super Bowl LV, a decision that follows a similar one made by Pepsi, which has stated that it will" ]

[ "Alicia J. Clark" ]

[ "EDITOR’S NOTE: In a series of decisions since 1962, the Supreme Court has ruled that school-mandated prayers in public schools are unconstitutional. Students are still allowed to pray privately and join religious clubs in after-school hours.\nAt midnight on Dec. 31, the calendar marked the start of a new year. In every time zone around the world, people said goodbye to the old year and welcomed in the new. For some, the new year will be cause for great trepidation. Who can blame them?\nEverywhere you look, there is evidence of a culture in crisis: Democrats vs. Republicans, traditional values vs. progressive political correctness. Even the weather has been weaponized by dire warnings of impending mass destruction due to climate change. Add to that the very real concern regarding America’s national security and the geopolitical unrest taking place throughout the world.\nAs if that weren’t enough, for almost a year the world has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Could it be that God is trying to get people’s attention?\nAmerica was founded on a belief in God and biblical principles that have been under attack for years now. For all practical purposes, America allowed nine justices of the Supreme Court to rewrite the Constitution when they removed prayer from schools. The justices based their decision on the constitutionality of prayer being offered in schools on a clause that to that point had only been seen as a way to keep the state (aka government) from dictating how people of faith were to worship.\nObviously, political changes can lead to changed perspectives on moral behavior. I wonder if the justices had any idea what a Pandora’s Box their decision opened up? Following that decision, \"free love\" openly stepped onto the scene. Then the Supreme Court ruled that Hustler and Playboy magazines were expressions of free speech. Did that decision give rise to the crisis in human trafficking?\nNaturally, \"free love\" was not without consequences and once again, nine men robed in black found another obscure meaning to the Constitution ruling that abortion was a woman’s right. Forty-eight years after Roe v. Wade, almost 65 million innocent lives have suffered the bloody consequences of a \"woman’s right to choose.\" For those who believe that man was created in the image of God, abortion became the signature attack on the the image of God in the world. For those who don’t hold to that worldview, the procedure has been sanitized and is now strictly marketed as a \"women’s health issue.\"\nThese days, #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements are headline makers. Has anyone connected the dots between these issues and the true state of the union? America turned her back on God. The evidence is written in her laws and \"we the people\" have allowed it to happen.\n— Alicia J. Clark is a resident of Zeeland.", "My Take: We turned away from God", "EDITOR’S NOTE: In a series of decisions since 1962, the Supreme Court has ruled that school-mandated prayers in public schools are unconstitutional. Students are still allowed to pray privately and join religious clubs in after-school hours.At midnight on Dec. 31, the calendar marked the start of a new year. In every time zone around the world, people said goodbye to the old year and welcomed in the new. For some, the new year will be cause for great trepidation. Who can blame them?" ]

[ "Ryan Loren", "Ryan Loren Monroe News Staff Reporter" ]

[ "A stuffed lion named Fredi helped inspire SMCC’s run to the volleyball finals.\nBATTLE CREEK – There are 14 players on St. Mary Catholic Central’s volleyball team.\nBut it’s the 15th that binds them all together.\nHis name is Fredi.\nHe’s a lion. A stuffed lion, to be exact.\nFredi is filled with more than just cotton and wool.\nHe holds all the emotion, the fears, the joys, and the hopes of a team that has battled everything to get back to the top.\nOn Thursday, Fredi took a prominent seat on the sideline at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek as the Kestrels swept Beaveron, 25-15, 25-14, 25-19, in the Division 3 state semifinals.\nThe victory moved SMCC into the state championship match with a chance to become the first team from the Monroe County Region to win back-to-back titles.\nFredi has been a big part of the journey.\n\"The lion this year is a symbol for us,\" senior Mikayla Haut said. \"The lion is a symbol of strength. Today, we had a ceremony with our deacon and he brought up that in the Bible, the lion provides strength and is a leader. They travel in packs and we’re also a pride together.\"\nThat only scratches the surface of Fredi’s role.\nSMCC coach Karen O’Brien is a three-time ovarian cancer survivor. In November, O’Brien learned that her battle is not yet over. She must fight cancer for a fourth time.\nO’Brien has never been shy about making her cancer fight public.\nOver the years she has raised awareness and brought the community together to help fight the disease. She has approached every harrowing setback with an even greater strength and resolve.\nFor her fourth battle with the disease, O’Brien adopted the symbol of the lion as her inspiration to keep fighting.\nIt’s no wonder her volleyball players have followed her example.\n\"After we heard the news, we came together as a team and said that everything we do is going to be for Coach O’Brien,\" Haut said. \"She’s been through so much and she’s done so much for us that all we can do in return is play our best for her.\"\nIt hasn’t been an easy path.\nThe season got a late start thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and then was put on hold and resumed twice during the state tournament. For a long time, SMCC’s players weren’t sure they’d even have the chance to finish the season. They went over 60 days between games.\nNow they’re on the prowl again.\nThe Kestrels have not dropped a set since the postseason tournament began and showed little sign of breaking that streak on Thursday against Beaverton. They pounced in the first set with a 14-5 lead, led by early kills from Haut and seniors Abbie Costlow and Anna Dean.\n\"This is one of the first matches where we actually came out strong in the first set, which was good to see,\" O’Brien said. \"I thought we played with a lot of energy. We had the momentum for the majority of the match and it was just good to see us play at that level right from the beginning because we typically don’t.\"\nBeaverton rounded into form later in the set and played more competitively with the Kestrels the rest of the way.\nBeaverton was within 5 points of SMCC late in the first set before the Kestrels roared back. In the second set, the Beavers trailed just 17-13 before SMCC again sprinted away.\n\"After our good start, we started to get complacent,\" Haut said. \"At the start of the second set, we knew we had to bring that same energy in order to pull out the next set. ... I was expecting them to be competitive because this is such a big match. We know when you get this far in the tournament, every match is going to be a battle.\"\nSMCC never failed to respond to each burst of momentum from Beaverton.\nWhen the Beavers inched closer in the first set, the Kestrels bared their teeth and finished on a 7-2 run. Haut had a pair of kills and a block to account for the last three points.\nIn the second game, SMCC turned a close fight into a rout with an 8-1 streak at the end, spreading the offense between Haut, Dean, Costlow, and Kylie Barron.\n\"For us offensively, we have six hitters who can hit,\" O’Brien said. \"For their defense, they don’t know where it’s coming from.\"\nSMCC never trailed in the final set and only faced resistance when the Kestrels started rotating their bench onto the court.\nCostlow, who opened the match with a kill in the first set, ended it with another kill. She led the pack with a .667 hitting percentage, 12 kills, no errors, and 3 digs.\nHaut finished with 14 kills, 17 digs, and 5 aces, Dean had 9 kills and 3 digs, and Barron added 5 kills and 3 blocks. Setters Kate Collingsworth and Grace Lipford each recorded 20 assists.\nSMCC advances to the championship match on the hunt for the school’s seventh state title. The Kestrels will face No. 2 Schoolcraft today at noon in a rematch of last year’s final which SMCC won in five sets.\nSchoolcraft accepted a forfeit in the semifinals after Saginaw Valley Lutheran was forced to withdraw following a positive COVID-19 test earlier in the week. O’Brien said her team had hoped to watch Schoolcraft’s match in anticipation of a rematch, but she has no doubt the unfortunate situation benefits the Kestrels.\n\"One of my assistants asked me, ’With Schoolcraft not playing, do you think we have the advantage?’\" O’Brien said. \"Before he even finished his sentence, I was like, ’Absolutely, definitely, 100 percent we have the advantage.’\n\"One, we get to play under the lights. We have some players that didn’t play here last year, so that helps. And two, with 60 days off, having a second match under our belt is huge.\"\nHaut said the team is excited to achieve its goals and finally win the fight.\n\"We know we have to bring that willpower,\" she said. \"We have to bring all our energy.\"", "The lion-hearted SMCC volleyball team" ]

[ "Alan Babbitt", "Special To The Sentinel" ]

[ "Close-knit. Shared love of sport. Competitive. There are many ways to describe families, but these words aptly describe each of the three unique families involved with Hope College Athletics this school year.\nThe Coles, the Fritzes and the Morehouses all feature fathers as head coaches and one of their children as student-athletes on their teams.\nKevin and Jacinda Cole (women’s track and field), Stu and Tucker Fritz (baseball), and Brian and Meg Morehouse (women’s basketball) are relishing a special time together. They’re all hopeful more memories can be made next semester when competitions can resume amid the COVID-19 pandemic.\nKevin and Jacinda Cole\nWomen’s Track and Field\nClose-knit. Kevin Cole finds joy in every opportunity he has to see his daughter, Jacinda, run, whether at practice or at a meet in 800 or 1,600-meters events.\n\"I’ve always liked to watch all of my kids’ sporting events as often as I can. Once they got into college, I thought it might be a little more difficult,\" Kevin said. \"I obviously can see every single race of hers; I’m always right there. Plus, I get to watch her in practice. It’s kind of a dad’s dream come true that you get to spend more time with your kid.\"\nJacinda Cole relishes the opportunity as well.\n\"We’re in a unique position when we’re actually in practice since I am a distance runner and he coaches more of the sprinters,\" Jacinda said. \"I can have two different coaches that I can go and talk to; it’s exciting to talk to someone else about my races. When he was in college, he ran some of the same events. It’s cool seeing that perspective, too.\"\nKevin Cole is a two-time MIAA Field Day champion in the 800-meter run (1986 and 1987) who set Hope and MIAA records in the event. He earned All-MIAA honors four times between track and field and cross country. Since 2006, he has coached the Flying Dutch women’s track and field team to two indoor and two outdoor titles, and the Flying Dutchmen to a co-championship in outdoor track and field in 2011.\n\"It’s been fun watching him as a coach to other people instead of just my dad,\" Jacinda said. \"It’s a different interaction with everyone, especially the sprinters who he spends a lot of time with, but I’m proud to see how comfortable they are with him and how willing he is to be a coach for them.\"\nJacinda Cole is an accomplished student-athlete in her own right who has flourished as a runner since deciding to focus on it during his junior year in high school at West Ottawa. The education major, with a focus on English language arts, earned All-MIAA honors in cross country as a junior in 2019 while helping the Flying Dutch claim their school-record fifth consecutive league championship.\nShe also was a member of track and field team’s MIAA title-winning teams in 2018 (indoor and outdoor), 2019 (outdoor), and 2020 (indoor).\n\"If she ever gets to race this year, she’s going to turn in some amazing times because she’s really, really put in the effort for it,\" Kevin said. \"She’s also a leader. She’s just somebody that people always look to for answers.\"\nStu and Tucker Fritz\nBaseball\nShared love of sport. Tucker Fritz found his own passion for baseball while playing Little League while he was growing up. Stu Fritz introduced his son to the game, of course. Now Tucker Fritz runs with it, glove, bat, cleats and all.\n\"I met some of my best friends playing baseball. I started forming solid connections with kids and really making friendships,\" Tucker said. \"That’s when baseball started hitting at my heartstrings.\"\nStu Fritz, too, was introduced to baseball by his family in Iowa, namely his father, Darwin, and brother, Scott — both accomplished athletes in their own right. Stu Fritz went on to letter four years in baseball and football at Wartburg College (Iowa).\nIn 1994, he became Hope’s baseball coach and has led the Flying Dutchmen to 579 career wins and nine MIAA championships over 27 seasons. He has also been the president of the American Baseball Coaches Association.\nThe game of baseball obviously means a lot to Stu Fritz. Yet, he is glad Tucker Fritz has made it his own game.\n\"He’s really done a great job of becoming his own person,\" Stu said. \"People will say when they hear our voices, we sound exactly alike. We have a lot of similar interests. We have a lot of different interests, too.\"\nA business major, with a communication minor, Tucker Fritz is an outfielder for the Flying Dutchmen. The West Ottawa High School graduate is looking forward to competing with his teammates this spring. Hope played only three games during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\"Selfishly for me, baseball allows me to see him every day,\" Stu said. \"We’re best friends, but at the same time, we don’t talk a lot about [baseball] stuff off the field. It means the world to me to watch him interact with his teammates and to see his work ethic.\"\nTucker Fritz is grateful for the support he received from teammates immediately his freshman year, a sign of the healthy program his father has built.\n\"I tried really hard to gain the trust of my teammates, but I didn’t have to; the guys here were extremely accepting of me,\" Tucker said. \"I don’t call him ‘Dad’ on the field. It’s more of a respect relationship. I don’t want him to treat me any different as a player. If that means I’m not good enough to play, I want to know.\n\"But it has meant a lot to me seeing my dad compete, be emotional with his players and relate to college students. It’s been an awesome experience.\"\nBrian and Meg Morehouse\nWomen’s Basketball\nCompetitive. Brain Morehouse laughingly admits family board games happen \"on a very limited basis\" in his household because of how much everyone wants to win, himself and daughter, Meg, included.\nThe Morehouse-compete gene came in handy for his basketball team, though, during last season's memorable drive to a 29-0 record and postseason run.\nAt his assistant coaches’ insistence, Meg Morehouse was plugged in and quickly became a harassing, shut-down defender for the Flying Dutch as a freshman guard. She helped Hope win the MIAA Tournament and two NCAA Tournament games before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the tournament. The Flying Dutch finished ranked No. 1 in the nation and were Division III’s lost remaining unbeaten team.\n\"Freshmen don’t understand our defense for most of their freshmen year, if they ever get it. Meg kept battling and battling, though,\" Brian said. \"For her to earn our coaching staff’s trust to be put in in the biggest moments, with less than two minutes and we have to have a stop, was an incredibly cool Dad moment. It was also a really cool coaching moment to say, ‘Hey, a freshman has earned our trust to play in the biggest moments.’\"\nMeg Morehouse’s drive to play basketball came from watching her dad’s Hope teams while she was growing up. She made it her own game to love while in middle school, though.\n\"I just realized this is just so much fun. I love playing. I love being around my teammates,\" Meg said. \"Before it was ‘I’m going to the gym because Dad wants me to go.’ (Then) the switch kind of flipped and I wanted to go to the gym. I want to get better.\"\nAfter choosing to enroll at Hope and play basketball, Meg Morehouse is enjoying the opportunity to be on the same team with her dad.\n\"It’s definitely been a really good bonding experience for us. When I was in high school (at Zeeland East), he would have to miss some games, just recruiting, having his own games,\" said Meg, who’s pursuing a physical and health education major. \"It’s nice to be learning more about each other. I’m seeing everything that goes into his coaching from a player’s perspective. That’s something I never realized until I was a player here.\"\nThe 2020-21 season is Brian Morehouse’s 25th season. He is one of the most successful women’s basketball coaches in the country, reaching the 600-win mark in NCAA-record time, claiming a national championship in 2006, and owning 15 MIAA titles in 24 seasons.\n\"I did miss things when she was growing up,\" Brian said. \"I’ve done Hope Basketball with my dad (Dean Morehouse) for 20 years, seeing him every day. Now I see Meg. I really appreciate the chance to see my kid every day and have this new connection point.\"", "‘A Dad’s Dream’ for Hope’s Cole, Fritz, Morehouse", "Close-knit. Shared love of sport. Competitive. There are many ways to describe families, but these words aptly describe each of the three unique families involved with Hope College Athletics this school year.The Coles, the Fritzes and the Morehouses all feature fathers as head coaches and one of their children as student-athletes on their teams.Kevin and Jacinda Cole (women’s track and field), Stu and Tucker Fritz (baseball), and Brian and Meg Morehouse (women’s basketball) are" ]

[]

[ "I am writing in response to the UDO up-zoning proposal.\nWhile I believe that creating affordable housing in our city is crucial, I do not believe this set of changes will address this, and am not sure if that is even the intent. Building housing on a smaller blueprint will just cram more people into a smaller space and does not address the new problems it would create of parking, traffic, and infrastructure.\nPlease continue to come up with potential solutions to fix our city’s problems.\nThanks for your careful consideration to this important matter!\nKevin and Laurie Muntter\nHolland", "Letter: UDO the wrong way to go", "I am writing in response to the UDO up-zoning proposal.While I believe that creating affordable housing in our city is crucial, I do not believe this set of changes will address this, and am not sure if that is even the intent. Building housing on a smaller blueprint will just cram more people into a smaller space and does not address the new problems it would create of parking, traffic, and infrastructure.Please continue to come up with potential solutions to fix our city’s problems." ]

[]

[ "ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — This was the first time No. 7 Michigan had to respond to a loss this season.\nCoach Juwan Howard liked what he saw.\n\"When you have that type of positive mindset, looking for solutions, it didn’t surprise me how this team was ready to play today,\" Howard said.\nMike Smith made three early 3-pointers as Michigan raced to a 17-3 lead, and the Wolverines had little difficulty beating Maryland 87-63 on Tuesday night.\nMichigan made its first five 3s — Isaiah Livers had the other two — in an opening flurry that put the Wolverines (12-1, 7-1 Big Ten) in immediate control. Michigan led 42-25 at halftime and stretched its advantage to as many as 25 points in the second.\nLivers led Michigan with 20 points and Franz Wagner contributed 15. Smith had 11.\n\"Playing our game and not letting anybody take us out of it,\" Smith said. \"Coach preached that, and we watched film, and we learned from our mistakes.\"\nThe Wolverines were coming off a loss Saturday at Minnesota. Eli Brooks missed that game with a foot injury. He returned Tuesday and scored seven points.\nMaryland (8-7, 2-6) was led by Donta Scott's 13 points, but the Terrapins couldn't keep up with Michigan's terrific outside shooting. The Wolverines went 12 of 24 from 3-point range and Maryland was 4 of 19.\n\"I thought Michigan was terrific. They’re really hard to guard,\" Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. \"They shot the ball terrific tonight and moved the ball great.\"\nMichigan swept the regular-season series. The Wolverines won at Maryland 84-73 on Dec. 31.\nBIG PICTURE\nMaryland: The Terrapins have won only two Big Ten games, but they were both against ranked teams on the road. They've never beaten three Top 25 teams on the road in one season, and they didn't come particularly close against Michigan.\n\"Give them credit. They were dialed in and pressured us out of everything,\" Turgeon said. \"We weren’t tough enough to fight through that and take what the defense gives you.\"\nMichigan: The Wolverines made their loss to Minnesota look like just a bump in the road, putting Maryland in a big hole early and not letting up. This looked a lot like a number of other games Michigan has played lately. The Wolverines beat Minnesota by 25 and Wisconsin by 23 before losing the rematch with the Golden Gophers.\nNOT THIS TIME\nMaryland either led or was tied during the second half of six of its first seven conference games. But against Michigan, the Terrapins were never closer than the halftime deficit of 17.\nMaryland's Darryl Morsell said the start of the second half might have been more disappointing than his team's shaky beginning to the first.\n\"The opening of the second half was probably more frustrating,\" said Morsell, who scored eight points. \"I feel like we could have fought more and just gave a little more effort, regardless of the score.\"\nQUIETER NIGHT\nFreshman big man Hunter Dickinson had 26 points and 11 rebounds in last month's game against Maryland. He scored only three points Tuesday, but the Wolverines can win in many different ways.\n\"Hunter didn’t force it,\" Howard said. \"Understood that when he saw the double team, made plays out of the double team. ... The unselfish play of this entire group is great to see.\"\nPOLL IMPLICATIONS\nMichigan didn't drop at all after splitting last week's games against Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Wolverines justified that confidence from the voters Tuesday.\nUP NEXT\nMaryland: The Terrapins play at No. 17 Minnesota on Saturday in another chance to beat a ranked team on the road.\nMichigan: The Wolverines play at Purdue on Friday night.", "No. 7 Michigan back on track after 87-63 rout of Maryland", "ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — This was the first time No. 7 Michigan had to respond to a loss this season.Coach Juwan Howard liked what he saw.\"When you have that type of positive mindset, looking for solutions, it didn’t surprise me how this team was ready to play today,\" Howard said.Mike Smith made three early 3-pointers as Michigan raced to a 17-3 lead, and the Wolverines had little difficulty beating Maryland 87-63 on Tuesday night.Michigan made its first five 3s — Isaiah Livers" ]

[ "Ken Kuipers" ]

[ "For those who claim that this opinion page is full of animosity and vitriol, I wish to differ and express an opinion on the matter. I find the discussion on this opinion page to be mostly honorable and the difference of opinion also done mostly in a respectful manner.\nHaving a difference of opinion has always been a freedom enjoyed in this country. I would go further and say that it is a necessary ingredient in a healthy democracy. Our problem in America today is that we do not listen to each other or respect each other's opinion enough to make room for each other. Historically, America's strength has been built on listening and compromising to move the country forward. Healthy exchange of ideas and opinion is what we need more of, not less.\nMy second reason for writing is to defend those of us who differed with our congressman as he signed on to the Texas lawsuit against the legitimacy of the results of the election in Michigan. Gratefully, Bill Huizenga is now of the opinion that he believes the election results are trustworthy and he will not challenge them in the future. I am also happy to say that the Supreme Court concurred by saying that Texas had no standing in our election process as run in the state of Michigan.\nJeff Polet writes in the opinion page of Jan. 5, that he cannot understand why some of us are differing with those who are challenging the election. In response to his letter, I offer the following defense.\nOver 50 courts in our country could find nothing illegal in the November election of 2020. Almost every imaginable charge was brought to the courts, like never before, and were found to be without evidence. That by itself should be enough for us and our representatives to move on and accept the results of this election. But no, a poisonous atmosphere has been sown like never before from the top down. A distrust in our election processes is now rampant in some parts of our country. More than ever we need our representatives to support this voting process when the courts have found them to be legally conducted.\nAs if the court's support was not enough, the Homeland Security official in charge of cyber security came forward and declared this election to be more secure than any in recent history. Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr claimed that no fraud was found — at least not enough to change the outcome of the announced results.\nFifty states had their election boards certify the results. Fifty states have had their electors cast their ballots. And yet conspiracy theories and shadowy rumors continue to abound ... much of it fueled by our president. \"The Bridge,\" a nonpartisan news outlet, looked into every allegation of mismanagement and found there to be no intentional fraudulent activity.\nIn response to Mr. Polet, \"When is enough, enough?\" Many of us felt it had gone on too far and expected our representative to be more supportive of our votes in Michigan. How long must it take for reasonable people to be persuaded?\nOn a side note, it could not be missed that Mr. Polet signed himself as a professor of political science at Hope College as though this adds authority to his opinion. If I am not mistaken, he is a Burkean conservative and that would hardly qualify him to be an objective scientist, even with a political focus. He might more honestly sign himself as a political theorist of a conservative bent. This is not an ad hominem attack, just a call for clarity.\n— Ken Kuipers is a resident of Holland.", "My Take: Embrace diversity of opinion", "For those who claim that this opinion page is full of animosity and vitriol, I wish to differ and express an opinion on the matter. I find the discussion on this opinion page to be mostly honorable and the difference of opinion also done mostly in a respectful manner.Having a difference of opinion has always been a freedom enjoyed in this country. I would go further and say that it is a necessary ingredient in a healthy democracy. Our problem in America today is that we do not listen to each" ]

[ "Randy Baron" ]

[ "Everyone is wrong sometimes, but I was really wrong about Joe Biden in my past Sentinel commentary and I am man enough to admit it. Take a moment to gloat anti-Trumpers.\nThe 20th century's most influential atheist thinker, Antony Flew, announced at a 2004 debate he had moved from atheism to deism. When asked why the dramatic shift in philosophy, Flew said, \"My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads.\"\nHow to NOT find truth: Hide, suppress and spin the evidence because where it leads is a historic popular vote of 81,283,485 for the winner, Joe Biden.\nStrategy 1: Disregard the Constitution\n\"Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress\" (U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 2). \"The state legislature’s power to select the manner for appointing electors is plenary.\" (Bush v. Gore).\nFrom the National Constitution Center’s article, \"Interpretation: Elections Clause,\" \"the Supreme Court has construed the term \"Legislature\" extremely broadly to include any entity or procedure that a state’s constitution permits to exercise lawmaking power.\"\nYet, we have non-legislative entities like courts and the secretaries of state changing election laws outside the bounds of what the framers of the Constitution intended. Hence, why there is the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.\nOn Sept. 11, Kathy Boockvar, the Pennsylvania secretary of state — not the state legislature — quickly issued guidance to establish uniform processes across counties for counting mail-in ballots after the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit a month earlier seeking \"a declaratory judgment that Pennsylvania’s existing signature verification procedures for mail-in voting\" were unlawful.\nThe Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled — not the state legislature — that it is up to each individual voter to determine for themselves whether they are \"indefinitely confined\" and therefore able to request and submit an absentee ballot without showing photo identification.\nStrategy 2: Allow more voting\nUnder the guise of COVID-19, have former President Jimmy Carter, recant findings and recommendations he made in 2005 regarding the risks associated with mail-in voting such as voter fraud, especially if political party activists are allowed to handle mail-in and absentee ballots.\nStatistics from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission show the number of mail-in ballots/absentee sent to voters nationally increased from 28.5 million to 42.4 million for elections between 2008 and 2018, while returned ballots rose from 23.1 million to 30.4 million. In 2020, returned mail-in/absentee ballots skyrocketed to more than 100 million.\nNot only did the 2020 presidential election see an increase of 57 million more returned mail-in/absentee ballots, but also most states saw a miraculous decrease in rejection rates. Look at Georgia; in 2016, the rejection rate was 6.42 percent and in 2020 the rejection rate was a stellar .35 percent. Amazing statistic, considering the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, said, \"It is expected that the rejected ballot percentage will increase in 2020 as more voters are expected to vote by mail, some for the first time.\"\nStrategy 3: Forget your own claims\nDemocrat Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar need to remember voting machine security issues and concerns they addressed in a 2019 letter to Dominion Systems.\n\"These problems threaten the integrity of our elections and demonstrate the importance of election systems that are strong, durable, and not vulnerable to attack,\" the letter said.\nExcerpt:\nIn 2018 alone \"voters in South Carolina [were] reporting machines that switched their votes after they'd inputted them, scanners [were] rejecting paper ballots in Missouri, and busted machines [were] causing long lines in Indiana.\" In addition, researchers recently uncovered previously undisclosed vulnerabilities in \"nearly three dozen backend election systems in 10 states.\" And, just this year, after the Democratic candidate's electronic tally showed he received an improbable 164 votes out of 55,000 cast in a Pennsylvania state judicial election in 2019, the county's Republican Chairwoman said, \" [n]othing went right on Election Day. Everything went wrong. That's a problem.\"\nJust think about what could have happened if the Department of Justice, FBI and Supreme Court would have had the courage to \"follow the evidence wherever it leads?\"\n— Randy Baron is a resident of Holland. He can be reached at [email protected].", "My Take: I was wrong about Joe Biden", "Everyone is wrong sometimes, but I was really wrong about Joe Biden in my past Sentinel commentary and I am man enough to admit it. Take a moment to gloat anti-Trumpers.The 20th century's most influential atheist thinker, Antony Flew, announced at a 2004 debate he had moved from atheism to deism. When asked why the dramatic shift in philosophy, Flew said, \"My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato's Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads.\"How to NOT find truth: Hide," ]

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[ "Luna Pier Housing Commission documents for review\nPUBLIC NOTICE\nLuna Pier Housing Commission has developed documents related to the Annual Agency Plan process and Five-Year Capital Fund Program budgets for Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2021 in compliance with current HUD regulations. They are available for review at the Commission’s Office, 10885 Ellen Street, Luna Pier, MI. The office is open Monday – Thursday, 8:00 AM 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.\nDue to COVID, a virtual public hearing will be held on March 16, 2021, 6:00 P.M. at the Commission’s office. To join in the Public Hearing call (916)-233-0790, enter access code 613264#.\nJanuary 25, 2021", "Luna Pier Housing Commission documents for review" ]

[ "Corey Murray" ]

[ "HILLSDALE — A Hillsdale woman arrested New Years Eve 2020 in the city of Jonesville in a stolen car with methamphetamine appeared in the 2B District Court Wednesday for a probable cause conference.\nErica Lyn Kas, 37, charged with possession of methamphetamine, receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle and three counts of carrying a concealed weapon, attended Wednesday’s virtual court hearing where a decision was made to set the matters for a preliminary examination hearing Jan. 20.\nAside from setting the matters for an examination, Kas asked about being able to retrieve some of her property from the Morenci Police Department, who is in custody of the stolen vehicle. Kas said that the department would not return any of her belongings to her until they completed a search warrant to go through her cell phone.\nJudge Megan Stiverson told Kas that she would have to be patient and wait until the police were finished processing potential evidence to retrieve any of her property.\nKas’ arrest stemmed from a traffic stop Dec. 31, 2020, on Jermaine Street in the city of Jonesville when officers discovered the vehicle she was driving was reported stolen out of the city of Morenci in Lenawee County.\nA routine vehicle inventory search yielded methamphetamine and three folding knives.", "Hillsdale woman arrested for meth, stolen vehicle set for exam", "HILLSDALE — A Hillsdale woman arrested New Years Eve 2020 in the city of Jonesville in a stolen car with methamphetamine appeared in the 2B District Court Wednesday for a probable cause conference.Erica Lyn Kas, 37, charged with possession of methamphetamine, receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle and three counts of carrying a concealed weapon, attended Wednesday’s virtual court hearing where a decision was made to set the matters for a preliminary examination hearing Jan." ]

[ "Lydia Seabol Avant More Content Now" ]

[ "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.\n*****\nMy grandfather took care of his two antique vehicles like he maintained everything else in his life - with quiet, meticulous attention and patience.\nOne of the vehicles, a 1931 red Ford Model A truck, he spent years rebuilding from rusted wreckage that he pulled from his farm in Minnesota. The result was a glossy red truck with authentic details that he won awards for in car shows, a truck that we relished in taking rides in as kids and sounding the “ahhoooooogaaaa” of the horn.\nThe other antique car was less work, but just as pretty: a 1954 Plymouth Belvedere, with powder-blue body and a white hood. Although he did not build that car - he bought it in the 1960s - it was one he took just as much pride in. His antique vehicles represented the women in his life, in a way - the Model A was a 1931, the year my grandmother was born, and the Plymouth was a 1954, the birth year of my mother.\nIt was the Plymouth that my mother first learned to drive on as a teenager, which must have been difficult considering it has no power steering and is a stick shift. I suppose, if you can learn to drive on that, you can drive anything.\nAs a child, my sister and I rode in the backseat of the Plymouth, throwing candy out the window as my grandfather drove it in Christmas or homecoming parades. Years later, when my sister got married, the car served as her “getaway” vehicle after the wedding reception. I’ll always remember how, with a smile on his face, my grandfather stood outside the car and opened the door for my sister and her new husband as they climbed in the backseat - my grandfather with a plaid flat cap tilted on his head just slightly, the way he always wore it.\nMy grandfather died in 2011, and poetically, that Ford Model A ended up going back to Minnesota with my great-uncle, to the farm where my grandfather grew up.\nAnd for the last nine years, the Plymouth has largely sat in my mother’s garage. We’ve taken it for joy rides around the neighborhood, used it for pictures with all six of my mother’s grandchildren piled in the backseat. But more often than not, it’s been the “cemetery” vehicle, meaning a few times a year on our visits to my mom’s, we climb onto the bench seats and my mom puts on one of my grandfather’s caps, and we drive to the cemetery where my grandfather is buried.\nIt’s a drive we took in that old Plymouth for the last time last week. The day after Christmas, my mother carefully backed the car out of her garage with its sputtering engine sound. My kids climbed in the backseat, I sat in the front next to my mom as she drove, and I noted how almost a decade after my grandfather died and my grandparents’ home was sold, the inside of that car still smells like my granddad’s garage - a dusty metallic smell like a mixture of tools and oil.\nWe drove through the neighborhood where I grew up, and to the cemetery nearby. As we drove, I told my kids about how I used to ride in parades in that car, and how the Plymouth had been in the family so long. We talked about my grandfather and what he was like, since he died when my kids were very young.\n“I want you to remember this ride,” I told my kids as we left the cemetery and headed back home.\nSoon after we got back, a man with a trailer was parked out in front of my mother’s house. My mom has decided that she could no longer care for the car the way it needs to be taken care of, the meticulous way my grandfather always had. The buyer, as it turns out, wanted the vehicle because it was identical to the car his father once had. And so it was sold.\nI decided to leave before the Plymouth was loaded up on that trailer. I couldn’t watch it be hauled away. Instead, I want to remember its smell, the way it sounds, and the sight of my grandfather at the wheel, with his tilted cap just so.\nIt’s like saying goodbye to a piece of him. But I know the memories are what counts - and it’s the stories that will be easiest to hand down to my children, instead of an antique car. I just hope the buyer will appreciate the car, and perhaps it will remind him of his father, the way it reminds me of granddad.\nLydia Seabol Avant writes The Mom Stop for The Tuscaloosa News in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Reach her at [email protected].", "The Mom Stop column: Antique Plymouth Belvedere filled with memories of grandfather", "Columns share an author’s personal perspective.*****My grandfather took care of his two antique vehicles like he maintained everything else in his life - with quiet, meticulous attention and patience.One of the vehicles, a 1931 red Ford Model A truck, he spent years rebuilding from rusted wreckage that he pulled from his farm in Minnesota. The result was a glossy red truck with authentic details that he won awards for in car shows, a truck that we relished in taking rides in as kids and" ]

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[ "For four years, our local political vigilantes harassed and vilified President Trump. They have joyfully celebrated their success and his elimination. Now they are aiming their verbal guns at our local Congressman Bill Huizenga, shouting for his termination.\nSo, it looks like we will have to endure two more years of their verbal abuse. President Biden's call for unity and peace doesn't have much chance for success here.\nJ. Samuel Hofman\nHolland", "Letter: So much for unity, peace", "For four years, our local political vigilantes harassed and vilified President Trump. They have joyfully celebrated their success and his elimination. Now they are aiming their verbal guns at our local Congressman Bill Huizenga, shouting for his termination.So, it looks like we will have to endure two more years of their verbal abuse. President Biden's call for unity and peace doesn't have much chance for success here.J. Samuel HofmanHolland" ]

[ "Kris Lodes", "Kris Lodes Daily Telegram Sports Editor" ]

[ "This weekend was a great chance for team bonding within the Adrian College women’s hockey team.\nThe Bulldogs took on Concordia-Wisconsin Friday and won 9-1 and at 5 p.m. Saturday (4 p.m. Central Time) were set to take on the Falcons again, this time in Mequon, Wisconsin.\n\"The girls are going to get their treatment done, do what they have to do to cool down and get some food,\" said head coach Shawn Skelly. \"Then we’ll hit the road (Friday night). We will get a nice rest in the motel and we won’t have to wake up early to drive across the Great Lakes.\n\"Luckily we won’t deal with Chicago traffic in the early evening. Then we gain an hour in central time.\"\nWhile this weekend’s games were not counted toward the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association records, both teams are conference foes. This season, with limited time to complete a conference schedule, the NCHA has filled the schedule with back-to-back, home and home games.\nThis weekend was the first taste of what conference play is going to feel like in 2021.\n\"We’re not used to this home-and-home,\" said senior captain Brooke Schembri. \"The men usually do the home-and-homes, but it’s a first for us. We’ll see how the bus legs are, we get in around 2 a.m.\"\nSchembri, who scored goal and assisted on three others in Friday’s win, is a senior, so she’s made the trip to Mequon a few times now.\nThe trip is about 360 miles around Lake Michigan through Chicago and Milwaukee and takes about six hours by bus.\nIt gives the team a lot of time bond and the program has used it as a good chance for the freshman to step up off the ice.\n\"We make the freshmen bring a bunch of movies,\" Schembri said. \"We have six hours ahead of us here, so we’re like ’you better bring good movies’. We usually stay up, play cards and hangout on the bus.\n\"It’ll be a fun little six hours.\"\nWhat makes every road trip more enjoyable is when it comes off the heels of win.\nEspecially one where everyone got involved with Kaleigh Cadorette scoring a hat trick and getting assist and five others scoring goals along with her and Schembri.\n\"Getting this win here we have a lot of confidence going,\" Schembri said. \"We’re hoping to do the same thing (Saturday).\"\nGetting the home ice advantage to start the home-and-home might prove to be the advantage teams are looking for during this schedule.\nIt gives teams a chance to prepare for the opener at home and play on their home ice, which is always an advantage. A loss could make for a long six hours, but coming off a win will make for a happier bus ride.\n\"Tonight (having the first game at home) was an advantage,\" Skelly said. \"We’ll take that as a plus. Happy bus rides are fun. We have a lot of these where we play at home first and then we’re away. It’ll be interesting to see how we bounce back.\n\"Two games in 24 hours, hopefully we recover well (Friday) and ready to go (Saturday),\" Skelly said.\nSaturday’s game began at 5 p.m., making it too late to get in by deadline.", "Road Dogs: AC women’s hockey takes on first home-and-home", "This weekend was a great chance for team bonding within the Adrian College women’s hockey team.The Bulldogs took on Concordia-Wisconsin Friday and won 9-1 and at 5 p.m. Saturday (4 p.m. Central Time) were set to take on the Falcons again, this time in Mequon, Wisconsin.\"The girls are going to get their treatment done, do what they have to do to cool down and get some food,\" said head coach Shawn Skelly. \"Then we’ll hit the road (Friday night). We will get a nice rest in the motel" ]

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[ "By Shayne Looper\nAccording to Pew Research center, 70 percent of Americans identify as Christian. This includes evangelical protestants, who make up the largest bloc in American Christendom, along with Catholics, mainline protestants, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.\nThe next largest religious bloc in Pew’s study is Judaism, which comprises a little less than 2 percent of the population. Then Islam, which makes up less than 1 percent. Some have argued that the second largest bloc, dwarfing both Judaism and Islam, are those who identify as \"nothing in particular.\" They come in at about 16 percent of the total population.\nIt is, however, debatable that the \"nothing in particular\" folks form a religious bloc. It’s like giving an empty space on my bookshelf a catalog number. However, there is another religious group that is much larger and more influential than all those listed above, with the possible exception of Christianity.\nUnlike the \"nothing in particular\" group, this bloc clearly meets the criteria to be considered a religious group, though it is entirely overlooked by Pew and by most sociologists. This group has no official structure or hierarchy, but it invokes a god, possesses a historical narrative (or mythology, as some deem it), and reverences its saints.\nThis religion has received various labels over the years, but the one that has been around longest, given to it by Rousseau before the American Revolution, is \"Civil Religion.\" According to the sociologist Robert Bellah, Rousseau outlined the simple dogma of Civil Religion as: \"the existence of God, the life to come, the reward of virtue and the punishment of vice, and the exclusion of religious intolerance.\"\nIsn’t this Civil Religion simply Christianity by another name? Not at all. While Civil Religion recognizes a sovereign God who operates in the affairs of nations, it does not acknowledge him to be the Father of Jesus. Neither does it confess Jesus as Lord, which is the fundamental requirement of biblical Christianity. Interestingly, every American President in history has mentioned God in an inaugural speech. Not one has mentioned Jesus Christ.\nThis does not mean that none of our presidents have been Christians but it does suggest that they have seen Civil Religion as publicly acceptable but Christianity as a private affair. They freely speak of God and ask his blessing at the end of their speeches, but is it the God of Jesus they invoke?\nThe American version of Civil Religion (there are others) borrows freely from Judaism and Christianity. Its metanarrative draws on the biblical story. It features an oppressed people, like Abraham’s descendants in Egypt (think Europe), who are liberated and make their way to the Promised Land (America), which becomes \"a city set on a hill\" and a light shining in darkness, revealing a better way to the world.\nThis idea led Ben Franklin to propose that the seal of the United States feature Moses lifting his rod and parting the Red Sea. Thomas Jefferson wanted it to display the children of Israel, led by the cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. This is telling, given that Franklin was no orthodox Christian and Jefferson was no Christian at all. They believed in God, but they didn’t confess Jesus as Lord.\nCivil Religion’s appropriation of Christian themes has led to great confusion for many Americans, who assume they are Christians because they believe in \"God, the life to come, the reward of virtue and the punishment of vice.\" But Ben Franklin’s creed does not make a person a Christian. Faith in Jesus does.\nCivil Religion has often legitimized expansionism. Its providential god – the one Bob Dylan called the \"God on our side\" – has declared a \"manifest destiny\" which sanctions the removal of all obstructions, including indigenous peoples, and permits preemptive action against all threats, including people of other religions. At present, this includes Muslims. In the future, it could conceivably include Christians.\nFaith in Jesus and belief in the God of Civil Religion produce different results. Faith in Jesus leads to an all-encompassing spiritual formation that brings with it a way of life – a Jesus way of life. Civil religion lacks this coherency. Incapable of bringing a way of life, it offers only a tenuous hold on power.\nFind more articles by Shayne Looper at www.shaynelooper.com.", "America’s other religion (and it is not Islam)", "By Shayne LooperAccording to Pew Research center, 70 percent of Americans identify as Christian. This includes evangelical protestants, who make up the largest bloc in American Christendom, along with Catholics, mainline protestants, Mormons, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.The next largest religious bloc in Pew’s study is Judaism, which comprises a little less than 2 percent of the population. Then Islam, which makes up less than 1 percent. Some have argued that the second largest bloc," ]

[ "Doug Spade", "Mike Clement" ]

[ "Once upon a time in a county far, far away, an annual weeklong event brought just about everybody in the community together. Where they’d hand over their hard-earned cash and fling darts at balloons — they’d always miss — bounce ping pong balls into goldfish bowls — miss again — and get sick aboard mechanical contraptions that spun them around in a circle. Not us, of course.\nWe were way too smart for that.\nWe watched kids come staggering out of whirligigs like the Gravitron, Round-up, and Tilt-a-Whirl — their brains permanently scrambled thanks to those Close Encounters of the Centrifuge Kind — and figured it was only a matter of time before they’d plunge the nation into utter chaos. However, what happened last week in D.C. had nothing to do with 10 hours of binge-riding The Whip at the county fair. They were all shut down last year, remember? Instead, a newly discovered scientific phenomenon is to blame for the Chewbacca Apocalypse.\nThe Earth’s rotation. It’s rapidly approaching warp speed.\nYes, Ye Olde Blue Marble has begun gyrating around like a bunch of wild heathens — spinning faster than at any time in the past half century and knocking a good half second off the normal 24-hour cycle. Forget that old wives’ tale about giant windmill turbines liquefying your innards; the Earth’s whirling’s now accelerated to the point that neural impulses can no longer bridge the ever-widening gap centrifugal force has created between the cranial synapses — leaving some folks totally incapable of rational thought. How else to explain why they painted their faces like Mel Gibson in Braveheart and began parading about in furry outfits with horns on top.\nBut enough about the typical NFL fan.\nWas it really that long ago that the cry of \"Here come the Patriots\" only referred to the likes of Brady, Gronk and Belichick dashing onto the gridiron? That the Capitol building evoked feelings of such awe and reverence — the footsteps of those who once trod the hallowed hallways still echoing today — that not even the lowest and most profane would even think of marring its interior or exterior? Or that the United States flag was considered a symbol of such honor and glory that none but Beelzebub himself would dare desecrate the colors by wielding the pole to which it was attached as a cudgel upon humanity?\nOur moms were right. The world’s gone mad.\nWhat a difference 20 years makes. Within seconds of hijacked airliners slamming into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in rural Pennsylvania, the nation was united. But nine days after this generation’s version of 9/11, what do we have? Despite a few \"they did a bad, bad thing\" platitudes from federal lawmakers during their brief moments in the spotlight afterwards, there were no crestfallen faces. No mea culpas. No sackcloth and ashes. And why should there be?\nForty-five percent of Republicans responding to a YouGov poll before the dust had settled said they supported the storming of the Capitol. And 52% knew exactly who to blame for the uprising. The president-elect. How dare he mess everything up by winning.\nShame on you, Joe Biden.\nSo two decades into the new year — that’s what it feels like — we have impeachment votes in Congress, FBI warnings of armed protests at all 50 state capitols, and a Nye County, Nevada, Republican leader declaring it’s 1776 all over again. Just like that, another half second off the cycle. Like a whirlpool, it never ends — goin’ ’round in circles all the time. And making us dizzy.\nThanks a lot, Tommy Roe.\nIt’s all your fault.\nTalk Back with Doug Spade and Mike Clement is heard every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern Time on WABJ, 1490 AM, Adrian, and online at www.dougspade.com and www.lenconnect.com.", "We have met the enemy, and he is Pogo", "Once upon a time in a county far, far away, an annual weeklong event brought just about everybody in the community together. Where they’d hand over their hard-earned cash and fling darts at balloons — they’d always miss — bounce ping pong balls into goldfish bowls — miss again — and get sick aboard mechanical contraptions that spun them around in a circle. Not us, of course.We were way too smart for that.We watched kids come staggering out of whirligigs like" ]

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[ "Bedford Township 2/1/2021 BZA Hearing\nBEDFORD TOWNSHIP\nBOARD OF ZONING APPEALS (BZA)\nREGULAR MEETING (virtual)\nNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING\nThe Bedford Township Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) will hold a regular meeting (virtual) for variance hearings on Monday, February 1, 2021, at 7:00 p.m., 8100 Jackman Road, Bedford Township Government Center Board Room (Second Floor), Temperance, MI 48182 for the purpose of considering the following:\n1. The Appeal of Mark Parran, 13324 Ida West Road, Petersburg, MI, 49270, requesting a +/- 4.0 acreage variance for one parcel, to create a total of three parcels, per Section 400.1800, “Schedule of Regulations”, in an AG, Agricultural Zoning District, on land described as 5802-001-021-05, otherwise known as 744 E. Samaria Road & 762 E Samaria Road (currently two homes on one parcel), Temperance, MI 48182.\n2. Appeal of Andrew Nycz, Mulch King, 2124 Rood Street, Toledo, Ohio 43613, requesting a +/- 4-foot maximum height variance of all windrows or any other material being stored on-site, a variance of the requirement of the perimeter of the entire site utilized for composting operations be screened and buffered by means of plantings, and a variance of the requirement of the perimeter of the entire site shall be fenced, per Section 400.1502.5.n.bb.cc,“Principal uses permitted subject to special approval for Commercial Composting Facilities”, in an I-2, Light Industrial Zoning District, on land described as 5802-035-075-00, otherwise known as 110 W. Smith Road, Temperance, MI 48182.\nElectronic remote access, in accordance with the Michigan Senate Bill 1246 (PA 254), will be implemented in response to COVID-19 social distancing requirement. Members of the public will only be able to speak during the public hearing/public comment portions of the meeting/public hearing by calling the following toll-free number: 1-844-648-0752 and using the following ID number: 771 084 456# To provide for orderly public participation, a person wishing to speak must state their name and address to be recognized by the BZA Chairperson. The Planning Department may be contacted at 734-224-7331 for any inquiries regarding agenda items, or by email to [email protected]\nThe meeting is expected to be broadcast on the Buckeye Cable Government Channel or by logging into YouTube through the Bedford website: www.bedfordmi.org\nJanuary 15, 2021", "Bedford Township 2/1/2021 BZA Hearing" ]

[ "Evan Sasiela" ]

[ "IONIA — A business on Main Street in Ionia that allowed customers to smash breakable items for a fee is permanently closing after opening last June.\nSmash Room-Ionia, 317 W. Main St., is permanently closing, according to a Friday, Jan. 22, post on its Facebook page.\nRyan and Angie DeWitt owned and operated the business, with Angie writing Friday’s Facebook post.\n\"With a heavy heart Ryan and I have no other choice but to permanently close Smash Room-Ionia,\" Angie DeWitt’s post read. \"Unfortunately due to COVID and not being able to be open the majority of our first year, job changes to accommodate schooling, etc…, we have taken a huge loss as have many other small businesses. We would like to say a huge thank you to every single person who has supported our journey and wish you all well.\"\nThe DeWitts thanked Pocket Change, Auction Addict’s Attic, Matthew’s House Christian Thrift Store, Golden PC and Bert’s Glass for their donations. Angie DeWitt recommended Break Room Therapy in Grand Rapids for those who would like to visit in the future.\n\"They are wonderful people that share the same passion and purpose,\" she stated. \"They have helped guide us, checked in on us and supported us from day one. Thank you for your kindness. We wish nothing but the best for you all!\"\nThe business declined further comment when contacted by The Sentinel-Standard Monday, Jan. 25.\nSmash Room-Ionia opened last June — bringing another entertainment option and a therapy outlet to the bricks of Main Street.\nCustomers could schedule a half hour or hour session to destroy glass breakables, laptops, printers, copiers, old TVs and other electronics with weaponry.\nSmash Room-Ionia provided the safety gear, weaponry, gloves and safety glasses. Customers had to fill out a waiver before receiving a basket of glassware and electronics to start smashing.\nRyan DeWitt previously said he and his wife started the business to help people, after Angie DeWitt made an appointment at a break therapy center in Grand Rapids when she was struggling with depression.\n— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.", "Smash Room-Ionia permanently closes", "IONIA — A business on Main Street in Ionia that allowed customers to smash breakable items for a fee is permanently closing after opening last June.Smash Room-Ionia, 317 W. Main St., is permanently closing, according to a Friday, Jan. 22, post on its Facebook page.Ryan and Angie DeWitt owned and operated the business, with Angie writing Friday’s Facebook post.\"With a heavy heart Ryan and I have no other choice but to permanently close Smash Room-Ionia,\" Angie DeWitt’s post" ]

[ "Nancy Hastings", "Nancy Hastings Nhastings Hillsdale.Net" ]

[ "HILLSDALE - Trying to be the perfect parent can be both frustrating and disappointing.\nIn response to that, the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Hillsdale is bringing the Triple P Seminar, an evidence based training seminar for parents, via Zoom from 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 15, 22 and 29.\nExecutive Director Christie Campbell said clinical social worker and therapist Allie VanSickle takes an open-minded, sincere, validating and direct approach to treatment.\n\"This is the second session Allie has held of the Triple P Program,\" Campbell said. \"She held one in October as well. We heard of Allie through one of our board members.\"\nCampbell noted it's important that the program is evidence-based \"because there is research behind this program that shows positive outcomes from taking this seminar.\n\"We do not have many parenting classes in Hillsdale County, so we thought this would be a great one to bring here,\" Campbell said. \"The content helps parents build positive parenting skills.\"\nVanSickle said she believes the individual is the expert on their own lives and takes a holistic approach to supporting the individual's growth. She works collaboratively with clients and allows the individual's comfort and readiness to guide the therapeutic process.\nVanSickle specializes in assisting those struggling with eating disorders, OCD, and attachment issues. She also focuses on empowering the positive development of children, youth, and families, particularly those involved with the foster care system.\nVanSickle said she is comfortable integrating a variety of methods, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT, Solutions-Focused, Strength-Based, and play therapy techniques (integrating the whole family system). She is also currently certified and offering EMDR services to interested clients.\n\"Deciding to engage in treatment is a big step,\" VanSickle said.\nAmong tips she offers to parents in her seminars is to pay attention to the child.\n\"It is important to spend frequent, small amounts of time with your child doing things that you both enjoy,\" VanSickle said.\nCampbell noted that with the current restrictions of the pandemic orders, Zoom is \"the best way to get parents this great information. We hope once things get better to offer these in person.\"\nEach seminar is able to hold 10 participants.\nCampbell added that the program has been \"empirically proven to slow rates of child abuse and decrease hospitalizations from child abuse injuries.\n\"This program is a great tool to help us with the prevention of child abuse in Hillsdale County,\" Campbell said.\nFor more information, visit: www.triplep-parenting.net. To register, contact VanSickle at: [email protected].", "Zoom seminar to assist parents with struggles", "HILLSDALE - Trying to be the perfect parent can be both frustrating and disappointing.In response to that, the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Hillsdale is bringing the Triple P Seminar, an evidence based training seminar for parents, via Zoom from 9-10:30 a.m. Jan. 15, 22 and 29.Executive Director Christie Campbell said clinical social worker and therapist Allie VanSickle takes an open-minded, sincere, validating and direct approach to treatment.\"This is the second session Allie has held of" ]

[ "Niles Kruger", "Niles Kruger Monroe News Sports Editor" ]

[ "Monroe News sports editor Niles Kruger introduces the \"I Am Sport Award,\" honoring athletes who give back through volunteering.\nWe’ve been bombarded by bad news over the past few months.\nA virus that has put lives at risk and disrupted our way of life.\nA nasty election.\nPolitical and social divides that seem to be widening each day.\nSometimes you just need step away from it all.\nThat’s where sports come in.\nThey are our escape, a way to put the real world aside for a little while.\nSo perhaps there is no better time to launch the I AM SPORT Award.\nOur parent company, Gannett, has started this nationwide initiative to honor the athletes and teams that make a difference.\nDo you know a high school student-athlete who has been an all-star beyond the box score?\nIf so, we want to hear from you.\nThe Southeast Michigan High School Sports Awards, which will honor athletes from The Monroe News and Adrian Daily Telegram coverage areas at the end of the school year, is now taking nominations for the I AM SPORT Award.\nIt will recognize student-athletes who give back to their communities through volunteerism. The winner will be announced during the on-demand streaming awards show on July 1 on the event website. The show is free to watch.\nAny athlete in any sport from the coverage area of The News and Telegram is eligible to be nominated for the I AM SPORT Award.\nPerhaps you noticed a local high school soccer player delivering meals in your neighborhood during the pandemic, or were greeted at your door by a football player offering help with yard work.\nMaybe you were touched by a student-athlete offering virtual tutoring services, or noticed a group of athletes cleaning up the local park or beach.\nThis is your chance to ensure that a deserving student-athlete is recognized for what he or she accomplished in the community.\nNominations may be submitted now through March 9. The voting period starts March 10 at 11 a.m. and concludes April 7.\nIf the student-athlete you wish to nominate is already shown on the contest page, you do not need to nominate him or her again. Simply wait for the voting period and show your support by voting for your favorite community all-star up to once per day.\nThe winner of the I AM SPORT Award will be revealed during the Southeast Michigan High School Sports Awards Show and a trophy will be mailed to the winner following the show.\nGo to https://sportsawards.usatoday.com/southeastmichigan for more information.", "New award honors high school athletes" ]

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[ "Cindy Kay Marsh notice to creditors\nPAID PUBLIC NOTICE\nSTATE OF MICHIGAN\nPROBATE COURT\nCOUNTY OF MONROE\nNOTICE TO CREDITORS\nDecedent’s Estate\nFILE NO. 2020-0592-DE\nEstate of\nCINDY KAY MARSH\nDate of birth: 04/07/1955\nTO ALL CREDITORS:\nNOTICE TO CREDITORS: The decedent, CINDY KAY MARSH, died 08/11/2020.\nCreditors of the decedent are notified that all CLAIMS against the estate will be forever barred unless presented to JODY MARSH, personal representative, or to both the probate court at 106 E. FIRST STREET, MONROE, MI 48161 and the personal representative within 4 months after the date of publication of this notice.\nDated: 1/6/2021\nJODY MARSH\nPersonal representative\n15695 HATTER\nDUNDEE, MI 48131\n734-497-0413\nJENNIFER L. HOMRICH P69316\nAttorney-at-Law\n29 E FRONT ST.\nMONROE, MI 48161\n734-240-4900\nJANUARY 9, 2021", "Cindy Kay Marsh notice to creditors" ]