Today, the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity (LEO) and the Michigan Municipal League (MML), announced they have partnered to create the Michigan Local Capacity Enhancement Program through a $1 million grant under the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Under the new program, the League will provide local communities with a robust online resource hub (MIFundingHub.org) and technical assistance to support them in understanding, seeking and successfully deploying new grant funds for economic growth, infrastructure and other community projects.

“LEO is excited to partner with the League on this local capacity program and to develop the much-needed MI Funding Hub,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “Michigan Communities of all sizes will have the opportunity to gain knowledge on how to successfully deploy new grant opportunities that will directly impact on their community’s and help their residents thrive.”

With billions in available funding for local units of government through programs like ARPA, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act there is a significant need for communities to track funding opportunities as they become available. For many communities across Michigan, especially those small and medium-sized, navigating this process and developing projects and programs that meet their current and future needs exceeds their capacity.

“Here in Saginaw, we’ve relied on the League to help us decide how to invest our ARPA funding,” said Brenda F. Moore, Saginaw Mayor. “This partnership between with the League and the state will ensure that we can continue to depend on this assistance moving forward. It’s great news for Michigan’s communities and cities like Saginaw.”

In 2020, the League launched two programs — “ServeMICity” and “MI Water Navigator” — to help communities plan and secure new recovery and infrastructure funding for projects that address long-standing community needs. Through those technical assistance and training programs they’ve helped hundreds of communities leverage over $200 million in new state and federal funding.

“This new funding from LEO will allow the League to build on our already successful technical assistance programs that are helping communities leverage new federal funding for high impact local programs,” Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the League. “This work will provide local governments with the critical information and tools they need to capitalize on this once in a generation opportunity.”

Gilmartin explained there are billions of dollars in new federal funding available and Michigan has an opportunity to maximize access to these resources by providing support to communities in understanding, seeking and successfully deploying new grant funds for economic growth, infrastructure and other community projects.

With additional funding from LEO the League will significantly scale up its technical assistance program for communities including:

• Creating a robust online resource hub that provides information on new grants and funding opportunities as well as resources and tools for successfully managing projects.
• Providing technical assistance for local governments to assist them in understanding funding opportunities, evaluating local project options and potential grant matches, and directing them to applicable funding sources.
• Offering a variety of training and outreach efforts including funding newsletters, grant readiness training, webinars and more.

The League will act as the project lead for this initiative and oversee the project timeline, budget, strategic partnership management and continuous improvement activities. Technical assistance for communities is available now, and the online funding and resource hub is projected to be completed in January 2024.

To learn more about this program or get technical assistance in navigating funding opportunities, visit MIFundingHub.org or contact the League team at: helpdesk@mifundinghub.org.

September is Deaf Awareness Month, and the Michigan Public Service Commission is highlighting the importance of the Michigan Telecommunications Relay Service that allows deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired persons to communicate by telephone.

The Michigan House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 129 of 2023, declaring September as Deaf Awareness Month in Michigan, honoring the ways in which deaf culture and heritage have enriched life in the state.

The resolution notes that at least 7.4% of Michiganders identify as deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing, and notes the importance of ensuring Michigan’s deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing individuals have equal access to the many benefits and opportunities available to hearing individuals to live, work, play and communicate in Michigan.

One of the critical tools in that effort is Michigan’s Telecommunications Relay Service.

Michiganders not familiar with the service may not know what to do if they receive a call through Michigan Relay. If you answer a call and someone says, “A person who may be deaf or hard of hearing is calling you through Michigan Relay,” don’t hang up.

Through Michigan Relay, people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have difficulty speaking can communicate using a TTY (teletypewriter), TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) or other technology to connect with friends and family, conduct business, make or cancel appointments, order a pizza or other activities.

To learn more about how it works, you can read the MPSC’s consumer tip on the Michigan Relay. There are no extra charges for users of the Michigan Relay. Only normal telephone charges apply. There also are no limits on the number or length of calls for relay users.

For information about the MPSC, visit www.michigan.gov/mpsc, sign up for its monthly newsletter or other listservs. Follow the Commission on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) unveiled its 2023-24 preseason polls on Monday.

Ferris State, which opens the season on Oct. 7-8 at home against the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, was picked to finish seventh overall by both the league's head coaches and the media.

Overall, Michigan Tech tallied 67 points out of a possible 70, including a league-high four first-place votes, in taking home the top spot in the coaches' poll, with Northern Michigan grabbing 66 (3 first-place votes) and Bowling Green picking up 55. Bemidji State had 49 points, which was good for fourth, while St. Thomas claimed the eighth and final first-place vote and was tied with Minnesota State with 45 points apiece. Ferris State and Lake Superior State captured 36 and 29 points in the poll, respectively.

The eight CCHA head coaches competing in a full conference schedule ranked each school in projected order of finish for the regular season, excluding their own. Points were awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4 basis.

In the preseason media poll, Michigan Tech picked up 152 points in the poll with 11 first-place votes. Northern Michigan collected 133 points and was tied with third place Bowling Green (124) with two first-place votes apiece. Defending MacNaughton Cup and Mason Cup Champion Minnesota State was fourth with 114 points (1 first-place vote), while Bemidji State University (100 points), St. Thomas (88), Ferris State (72) and Lake Superior State (49) rounded out the league.

The CCHA Media Poll was comprised of 16 members of the local and national media, who cover the conference and its teams regularly. Points were awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3 basis.

The CCHA Media Day took place on Tuesday, September 19, beginning at 10:50am ET / 9:50am CT. Along with CCHA Commissioner Don Lucia and CCHA Director of Officiating Marco Hunt, all nine CCHA Head Coaches previewed the upcoming season and answered questions from local, regional and national media outlets via Zoom.

The CCHA officially drops the puck on year three of the reconfigured league on Saturday, October 7. Seven CCHA teams will be in action across opening weekend, with conference play getting underway with a pair of series on October 27.

Fans can stream all CCHA games live and on-demand, on their home televisions, computers, tablets, and mobile devices via the FloSports app. The FloSports App can be accessed on all screens and streaming devices by downloading the FloSports app on Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, the App Store and Google Play Store. Additionally, FloSports can be accessed on any smart device browser by visiting FloHockey.tv.

Single-game tickets for the 2023-24 Bulldog Hockey campaign are on sale now and can be purchased online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.

Preserving and archiving battlefield video and testimony from people who endured mass violence in El Salvador to help future generations understand the impact of such atrocities will continue at Ferris State University, supported by a Merit Grant awarded by The Ferris Foundation. 

Social Work professor Michael Berghoef said a previous Merit Grant allowed him to acquire various recorded materials of regional battles and witness accounts of the country’s civil war. About 75,000 people were killed between 1980 and 1992 when government forces conducted massacres, landmine placements, bombings and summary executions. 

Berghoef, in November, met leaders of the Shoah Foundation and the Institute for Visual History and Education at the University of Southern California. The nonprofit organization dedicated to making audio-visual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides.  

The foundation has 56,000 testimonies from El Salvador archived.  

“If we include the Salvadoran stories we have gathered, that would represent the 10th country to be archived and serve as only the second group of testimonies from Central America, joining the Guatemalan collection,” Berghoef said. 

Berghoef said Ferris State alumnus and philanthropist Mickey Shapiro gave the university access to the Shoah Archive, making Ferris State one of three universities in Michigan and among the fewer than 200 full-access sites worldwide for the video histories.  

Shapiro has been a strong supporter of the Shoah Foundation’s efforts. USC and the foundation in March announced the first Mickey Shapiro Endowed Chair in Holocaust Research is expected to be seated in 2025. 

“Many of our videos are in their original unmediated technological state, and to be included in the archive, they will require translation, transcription, captioning, time stamping, geocoding and incorporation of keywords,” Berghoef said. “We will be turning to Wes Thompson of Ferris’ Media Production team to complete the processing, which has already begun. This submission needs to move on to researchers with the Shoah Archive, who would determine whether they would be included by 2024. That would be a successful result for a process that began in Summer 2018.” 

If the USC Shoah Foundation chose not to fully include the Salvadoran video testimonies for its archive, Berghoef would exploring other archives, such as Unfinished Sentences project at the University of Washington, the El Salvador Memory project at Western University in Ontario, and the Ferris Institutional Repository. 

Berghoef appreciates the donor support that has helped make this work possible. 

“We hope to see that this material has an appropriate venue to reach scholars, students, and others who would benefit from its availability and make these important Salvadoran testimonies heard,” he said. 

Reed City High School hosted their first home meet since 2007 on Tuesday afternoon. The CSAA jamboree featured all 11 conference schools with Reed City boys and Central Montcalm girls team earning victories.

"It was a really great atmosphere and Coyote Nation came out in full force to cheer on the runners," Head coach Rich Saladin said. "The kids, as well as coaches, were pretty nervous but settled down and ran a great race."

On the girls side, junior Kyah Hoffman of Central Montcalm took home the individual victory with an official time of 18:23 followed by junior Lila Volkers of Kent City (18:54) and senior Miranda McNeil of Morley Stanwood (19:43). For team scoring, Central Montcalm paced the race with a dominant 31 points, followed by Chippewa Hills (62) and Kent City (86). Reed City placed fourth overall (115) with Tri-County sixth (135) and Big Rapids seventh (165).

"The our top two girls, Clara Smoes and Caelynn London, both ran season best times today," Saladin said. "Carly Carlson, Marlowe Walcott, Ava Hammar, and Charity Rogers were fantastic. Miriam Hunt also had a PR with a solid run. This is a tough conference and we have a very young team. The girls did great."

For the boys side, it was senior Samuel Martini of Kent City who led the field at 16:20 with sophomore Gage Hoffman of Central Montcalm (16:29) and senior Anthony Kianus of Reed City (16:37) right behind. Reed City defended their home course for the first time, earning the team title with 47 points. Central Montcalm (62) and Big Rapids (63) finished second and third respectfully with Tri County in fourth (97) and Chippewa Hills seventh (193).

"Our boys are currently ranked 4th in D3 and we continue to get tested and challenged," Saladin said. "They keep rising up to championship effort and continue to see solid progress. Anthony Kiaunis was really strong. Gus is a little nicked up but had a very strong effort along with Ryan Allen. Those top 3 have been great. Isaac Clementshaw had a PR today and Paul Saladin had a phenomenal effort to hold off some runners. Aaron Allen, Izaiah Lentz, Elijah Lentz, and Brady Dozier really complement our top 5. Central Montcalm and Big Rapids have some great teams and I'm really proud of our boys today."

Many CSAA squads will see each other next Saturday in Shepherd for the Blue Jay Invite, known as one of the fastest courses in the state of Michigan.

"We have 11 days off and won't race again until September 30th," Saladin said. "There will be a lot of the top teams (at Shepherd) and another test for our kids. I'm hoping the fans got a great taste of the excitement of cross country and continue to come out and cheer us on."

For more results and information, visit athletic.net.

On Tuesday, Aug. 19 at approximately 7:59 A.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to McKinley Rd near 120th Ave reference a two-vehicle accident involving a passenger car and a pickup truck. 

The investigation found that a 63-year-old Male from Rodney rear-ended a 24-year-old female also from Rodney. The female's two younger children were also present in the pickup truck and were uninjured. The male and his 59-year-old female passenger were severely injured during the crash. 

The male was transported to Big Rapids Corewell Health Hospital before being flown by an AeroMed helicopter to the Butterworth Hospital. His female passenger was transported directly to the Butterworth Hospital. Both had severe but non life-threatening injuries. 

Deputies were assisted by Mecosta County EMS, Colfax TWP Fire Dept., Morton TWP Rescue, Big Rapids Towing, Meceola Central Dispatch, and AeroMed. 

Big Rapids High School was recently awarded with a US News and World Report’s Best High Schools award for 2023-24, earning the highest ranking amongst area schools. 

"We owe this distinction to a variety of factors including our commitment to academic excellence in the classes we offer including AP coursework as well as dual enrollment classes; a highly qualified teaching staff who care about our kids and their success; a district and board of education committed to providing the funding and resources required to succeed; and of course students who care about their education and their families who are supportive," Principal Ron Pincumbe said.

According to the US News and World Report rankings, Big Rapids ranks around the 6,000 mark amongst all high schools in the nation. This also includes a ranking of 193 in the state of Michigan out of 651 registered schools.

After recieving the award, Principal Pincumbe made sure to give credit to the middle school and elementary staff for their work with the students before they reach the high school level.

"It is important for us to recognize as well that our students would not perform well if it were not for the work put in by our K-8 staff. They are responsible for setting our students up for success at the high school level."

Beginning this coming week, Ferris State University Athletics will debut its second podcast addition to the Bulldog Sports Network lineup. The new show, joining alongside the recently released hockey program called "Off the Ice", will be named "Behind the Bulldogs."

Co-hosted by Athletics Communications Assistant Brandon Wirth and FSU sports communication alum Joe Nagy, the new series will cover all 17 sports at Ferris State with matchup previews, game recaps, stats, analysis, and "behind the scenes" interviews with Bulldog coaches, players, and staff. "Behind the Bulldogs" is produced in collaboration with Ferris State Athletics and NewsRadio WBRN at Mentor Partners, Inc.

"This new show is going to give family, friends, and fans an exclusive inside look about life in Bulldog Athletics," Wirth said. "Whether its players in competition, coaches in the film room, or staff at a venue, this program will give Bulldog Country a chance to learn more about their favorite teams, players and coaches."

As a re-branded expansion of the popular show, "The MVSP," Wirth and Nagy are excited to return to the microphones to cover the Bulldogs all season long in 2022 and beyond.

"What this podcast has developed into is miles above what we thought we could reach when we first started our freshman year," Nagy said. "I can't be more excited to take this show to the next level professionally and have opportunities that we thought were out of reach before. Even with the change in our goal, the show is the same: showcase the athletes and coaches in a way that most don't get to see them."

Each episode will be approximately 20-25 minutes in duration and will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms. It will also be aired weekly on NewsRadio WBRN every Saturday at 3 p.m. (ET) on 1460 AM, 96.5 and 107.7 FM.

The first episode of the show is slated to be released next Wednesday, Sept. 20, on all platforms. To follow the show, check out the show's social media @BehindTheBulldogs (formerly @TheMVSP) on Instagram, X, and on corresponding Ferris State Athletics team pages.

Friday, September 15

Calls for Service: 11

Traffic Accidents: 2

Saturday, September 16

Calls for Service: 20

Sunday, September 17

Calls for Service: 18

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Gotion Inc. yesterday announced it has officially started the hiring process for its planned battery components facility in Green Charter Township and is looking for local residents to fill several key positions.

Initial positions that will be filled include: financial controlling specialist; human resources specialist; purchasing/logistics; electrical engineering; mechanical engineering; executive assistant; construction management; and IT specialist.

“In my experience, Gotion Inc. has been a wonderful place to work with a community-based, company culture that is second to none,” said Chuck Thelen, vice president of Gotion Inc. – North American Manufacturing. “As a reflection of our commitment to this community and in compliance with the requirements set forth by Green Charter Township Supervisor Jim Chapman, Gotion Inc. is first seeking to hire people from within a 25-mile radius of our planned facility."

“While we conduct our current environmental assessment in collaboration with Michigan EGLE and other local and national agencies, Gotion Inc. is filling these key positions to prepare for an exciting project kickoff in the next month.” 

Thelen said the positions will support the agreements with local and state agencies to bring large scale, safe and environmentally friendly manufacturing practices to Mecosta County.

Michigan Works! West Central, which serves employers and job seekers in Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana, and Osceola counties, will help coordinate the hiring process.

“Michigan Works! West Central is pleased to work with the team at Gotion Inc. to recruit local talent for several key positions as this long-awaited project gets underway,” said Shelly Keene, Michigan Works! West Central executive director. “Our team is working closely with Gotion Inc. to develop a recruitment strategy and timeline to fully staff the EV battery component production facility in Mecosta County.”

Those seeking more information about available positions at Gotion Inc. can visit MWWC.org/Gotion.

On Monday, September 18, 2023, at approximately 3:17 P.M., Meceola Central Dispatch received multiple calls regarding heavy smoke and then a report of a structure on fire.

Mecosta Township Fire responded to the address located in Mecosta Township on Old State Rd. as did mutual aid fire departments including Big Rapids City Fire, Big Rapids Township Fire, and Morley Area Fire Department. Additionally, as personnel were responding to the reported fire, the call was updated that a person was possibly trapped inside the fire. Mecosta County EMS and the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office also responded to assist in the report as well.

Emergency personnel arrived on scene and began attacking the fully involved structure fire. Upon arrival, personnel were hearing explosions and the roof of the structure was already beginning to
collapse. The responding fire departments were able to quickly knock down the fire and began to conduct a search of the area for the missing resident. Fire personnel were able to locate the resident
who was found to be deceased.

Further investigation at the scene revealed that the deceased, an 80-year-old Stanwood resident, had been welding in his workshop when the fire broke out. The resident had mobility issues and was not able to escape the fire. The Mecosta County Sheriff's Office Fire Investigation Team responded and assisted the fire personnel with the investigation. The fire was not suspicious and determined to be accidental.

The Mecosta County Sheriff's Office was assisted in this complaint by the Mecosta Township Fire & Rescue, Big Rapids Department of Public Safety – Fire Division, Big Rapids Township Fire, Morley Area Fire Department, Mecosta County EMS, Meceola Central Dispatch, Mecosta County Sheriff's Office Fire Investigation Team, Mecosta County Sheriff's Office Victim’s Services Unit, Mecosta Fire Chief’s Association Chaplin, the American Red Cross, Mohnke Funeral Home, and the MidMichigan Medical Examiner Group.

When is it my turn to be happy? The city of Detroit is crying through their blue ski masks, wondering when it will be our time. I shouldn’t be surprised though, it’s a familiar feeling seeing that I’ve experienced it through my whole life.

On Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, it was the first time that Ford Field would be sold out of season tickets and it showed with how loud it was as the decibels were touching the 125 mark at times. Which is equivalent to a jet engine, by the way. The Lions however, decided it would be a great time to not live up to the hype and lose the game in overtime, 37-31.

The offense was showing out Sunday. Jared Goff slung the ball around for 323 yards, going 28-35 with 3TDs, but a single interception would break his 383-snap streak without a pick. Kalif Raymond, David Montgomery, and Josh Reynolds came to play with each of them reaching the endzone, with Reynolds doubling up in the contest. But like I said last week, some of the game management decisions made by head coach Dan Cambell were questionable.

My main focus is consistency. From the jump, the Lions were going for it on 4^th downs throwing in some trick plays and they were keeping the Seahawks guessing each snap. But please, tell me why when you have two timeouts with 25 seconds left, you’re down by three, and you’re on the Seahawks 27-yard line, you opt for a three yard slant over the middle and settle for the field goal. You have two plays to get a touchdown and end the game, but instead you kick the field goal and send it to overtime where the defense has to stop Geno Smith who they haven’t been able to do all game. Ridiculous.

While I’m on the topic of defense, our secondary was atrocious. Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett could play till he’s fifty if he was to go up against the Lions’ defense each week. Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch played him so softly that I was surprised when he didn’t have more than 4 yards of separation. Lockett was on the receiving end of 8 passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns, DK Metcalf’s situation was no different, he ended the night with 75 yards on 6 receptions.

Our run defense wasn’t that much better either, as Kenneth Walker trounced around and broke tackles at will. Which was easy to do because each time they went to tackle him they were going for his upper body and not his leg. Walker had two touchdowns with 43 yards.

Now I know it sounds like I’m venting again, which I am, and it may seem like I have jumped ship already this season, but that’s not the case. This upcoming week the Atlanta Falcons are coming into town, and I am really looking forward to this matchup. Especially with the Falcons new addition in Bijan Robinson at running back, and how we’ll deal with Drake London and Mack Hollins for their receivers.

The Falcons won a tough game last week against the Packers, a Lions’ division rival, 25-24. So a convincing win this weekend could mean some good fortune for the latter part of the season.

The coaching staff for the Lions do have some maneuvering to do. With David Montgomery looking to miss a few weeks after a thigh injury, it’s Jahmyr Gibbs at RB1. Amon-Ra St. Brown is questionable with a foot injury, so that’s not great. Not to mention Halapoulivaati Vaitai is questionable as well as Taylor Decker, meaning the offensive line might be getting stretched a little thin.

I am just asking one thing though, I can’t go through another season like last year’s where we start off terrible and barely miss the playoffs, so please don’t let the happen Dan Campbell. I can guarantee one thing though, The atmosphere at Ford Field is going to be the exact same. There aren’t fair weather fans in the motor city, get the kool-aid ready.

Lions host the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at 1:00pm.

Listen to the Lions on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, and 96.5fm.

Just before 3:00 AM Sunday morning, a residence was broken into along Peterson Rd just east of Myers Lake Ave in Courtland TWP. The homeowner was able to escape the residence while the suspect stayed inside and made threats of a shootout with police.  This was not a random crime, but the suspect and victim were known to each other.

Kent County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the home and attempted negotiations, but the suspect was not cooperative and remained inside. The KCSO Tactical Team, Negotiators, and Technical Services Unit were called to the scene.

Contact with the suspect was lost until around 8:30 AM. Negotiators were able to make phone contact and the suspect was seen moving throughout the home. Firearms were known to be in the residence and the suspect's truck. The suspect came outside, tried to get in his vehicle, and was uncooperative with officers' commands. Less-lethal rounds of pepper ball and bean bag were deployed and struck the suspect. He retreated back into the garage, but after a few more minutes, he returned peacefully and surrendered.  

The suspect is a 40-year-old Muskegon man who was subsequently lodged at the Kent County Jail for Home Invasion and Aggravated Stalking.  

Monday, September 11

• At 1223 hours, deputies made an arrest for a probation/parole violation at a residence in Green TWP. A female was arrested for a violation. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office.

• At 2119 hours, deputies made a warrant arrest at a residence in Mecosta TWP. A female was arrested on a warrant out of Kent County.

Calls for Service: 11

Traffic Accidents: 4

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Tuesday, September 12

• At 1033 hours, deputies made a warrant arrest at a residence in Aetna TWP. A female was arrested on 2 warrants. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.   

• At 2131hrs, deputies made a traffic stop in Green TWP. The traffic stop resulted in female driver being arrested on a warrant out of Osceola County. She was turned over to Osceola County.

Calls for Service: 19

Traffic Accidents: 2

Wednesday, September 13

Calls for Service: 12

Traffic Accidents: 3

Thursday, September 14

• At 2150 hours deputies made a warrant arrest in Mecosta TWP. A male subject was arrested on a warrant and a bond violation. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 22

Traffic Accidents: 1

The nation's top-ranked Ferris State University Bulldogs battled one of the premier and storied FCS programs in the country to the wire on Saturday (Sept. 16) night, but fell short 17-10 to Montana in front of a near sellout crowd at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula

The Bulldogs built a 10-3 halftime lead against FCS's 11th-ranked Grizzlies, however came up short in the end by a single score.

Ferris State gave up a pair of short third-quarter scoring drives to Montana covering 40 and 30 yards before trying to rally in the final period. FSU got down inside the Montana five-yard line in the final quarter before the drive stalled and had one final possession following a defensive stop that reached the Montana 20-yard line.

The Bulldogs outgained Montana 285 to 189 yards offensively in the setback, which included 156 passing for FSU and 129 on the ground. 

The matchup was the first-ever meeting between the two programs and FSU's first contest versus an FCS school in 10 years. The loss snapped Ferris State's 28-game road winning streak dating back to 2017.

The Bulldogs will have a bye this coming week before opening GLIAC play back at home versus Northern Michigan on Sept. 30 at Top Taggart Field.

On Saturday, Sep. 16 at 4:52 P.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Department were dispatched to a private property injury accident involving a side by side vehicle. The incident took place near Jefferson Rd. and 165^th Ave. in Deerfield TWP.

Per witness statements and an early investigation, a 48-year-old male from Morley and his 15-year-old passenger were traveling westbound in a field when they hit some rocks and lost control of the side by side. The vehicle then went air born and flipped, ejecting both the driver and passenger. Neither driver or passenger were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the incident.

The driver was transported directly to Butterworth hospital in Grand Rapids for serious injuries. The 15-year-old passenger was transported to Corewell hospital in Big Rapids as precautionary measure by family.

The Mecosta County Sheriff's Department was assisted by Meceola Central Dispatch, Morley Fire and Rescue, and Mecosta County EMS. 

For the first time since 2009, the Cardinals were able to knock off the Coyotes last Friday night with a 25-14 victory at home.

Big Rapids were able to use big plays and an efficient passing game of 119 passing yards to hold off Reed City's heavy rushing attack.

After a fourth down stop defensively to start the game, the Cardinals were able to slowly move the ball up the field to the Reed City 10-yard-line on their first possession. The Coyotes were able to hold Big Rapids on three downs and force a 21-yard-field goal from Jace Heck.

Reed City would answer with a fourth down stop on the Cardinals early in the second quarter, getting the ball back on the Big Rapids 42-yard-line. Big runs by quarterback Landon Jackson and running back Zach Erickson would ignite the Coyote offense to put them inside the five yard line. At 4:12 to go in the half, it was John Ondrus who punched in a one-yard touchdown and the enusing two-point coversion to give Reed City an 8-3 lead.

With Big Rapids trying to get back with the lead before half time, they would put the ball in the hands of Garrett Foster who would cash in following a 16-yard run and a 32-yard touchdown catch to give the Cardinals an 11-8 lead going into halftime.

The Coyotes would fight back to start the second half, with Hammond forcing a Foster fumble on the first offensive play to get Reed City the ball. Reed City rode the momentum with back to back third down conversions to set up at the Cardinal 10-yard line. On fourth and five, it would be Hammond who would burst through the line and into the endzone for a five-yard score. A failed two-point attempt would keep the game at 14-11.

The Cardinals' speed would be the method to answer, as quarterback Riley Vennix would fire a perfect pass to Kaleb Dubowski for a 55-yard toudown on the following possession, retaking an 18-14 lead. 

Facing a fourth down punting scenario, the Coyotes were unable to handle the snap and would fumble at the 28-yard line of Big Rapids. The Cardinals would only need three plays to punch it in from eight yards out courtesy of Riley Vennix, extending their lead to 25-14.

Needing a stop to take over on offense, Big Rapids' defense would get it on the ensuing possession. The offense would slowly move the ball for the next nine minutes before Reed City would force a fourth down incompleton for one final shot to extend the game on offense. Unfortunately for the Coyotes and their long-time winning streak, a fourth down pass fell incomplete and would give the Cardinals their first snaps in victory formation against Reed City since 2009. 

Vennix led the Cardinals passing going 7 for 8 with 119 yards and two scores while also adding 40 yards rushing and a touchdown. Garrett Foster led Big Rapids with 137 scrimmage yards and a touchdwon on 21 touches followed by Jack Bollman with 70 yards rushing and Dubowski with 55 yards recieving. Phillip Wilber recorded a team-high nine tacles with Foster adding two tackles for loss.'

For Reed City, Jackson finished the game 1 for 4 for 12 yards as well as added nine yards rushing. Hammond led the Coyotes on the ground with 67 yards on 15 carries and a score with Ondrus following with 46 yards and a score and Erickson adding 29. Hammond recieved the only pass for a 12 yard game for the Coyotes. Ondrus paced Reed City with eight tackles followed by Ethan Powell with six. Hammond added two tackles for loss as well as a forced fumble.

Big Rapids (3-1) will face Chippewa Hills (2-2) next Friday in Remus while Reed City (1-3) will return home to host Central Montcalm (2-2) for week four action on the 23rd. For more football, be sure to subcribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at WBRN.com.

The Coast Guard has suspended the search for the missing fisherman
pending any further developments Thursday, who was reported missing in Lake Michigan Tuesday off Holland, Michigan.

Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan was contacted on Tuesday, at approximately 7 p.m., by Muskegon County dispatch reporting that the fisherman was overdue from a fishing trip that they had taken that morning.

Rescue crews collectively searched 6,553 square miles over the span of three days.

Coast Guardsmen from the following units were involved in the search; Air Stations Traverse City and Elizabeth City, Stations Grand Haven, St. Joseph, Michigan City, Milwaukee and Kenosha.

In addition, our partners Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton, Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Ottawa County Sheriff, Fruitport Police Department, and Muskegon Police Department aided in the search.

If you have information regarding the whereabouts of the missing fisherman, David Split, please contact the Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan command center at (414) 747-7182.

Some say it’s Christmas, but football season is the most wonderful time of the year. The days of kicking back, cracking open a cold one, and doing nothing but watching football for 9 hours on Sunday have returned and I couldn’t be happier. What makes it even better is that the Detroit Lions have taken the NFL world by storm.

Last week the Lions shocked 99% of the NFL fanbase by beating the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20. In what was arguably the most well-rounded game on both sides of the ball for the Lions in recent years, that was overshadowed by so many saying that some key absences from the Chiefs are the reason that they lost rather than the Lions winning.

Thanks to Mike Tirico’s comment of, “This has an asterisk because of no Chris Jones and Travis Kelce…”, referencing two stars of the Chiefs who didn’t play, many seem to think that the Lions won’t be able to live up to the hype. This is not the “same old Lions” of yesterday, this is a team that warrants opposing offensive linemen to be two yards behind the line of scrimmage before each snap, and the Chiefs are lucky that the refs were absolutely blind and didn’t call false start till the fourth quarter.

Regardless, a “W” is in the column and the Boys in Blue are headed into week two against the Seattle Seahawks. An organization who looks to have found their new quarterback in Geno Smith after the departure of Russell Wilson. Keep in mind, the Lions and Seahawks were in a heated battle for the playoffs that ended in the Lions being on the outside looking in.

The mantra of “Detroit vs. Everybody” is alive and well in the Motor City. From biting off kneecaps for the past three years to what will be over half of the stadium wearing blue ski masks in the stands, sipping the blue kool-aid. All I have to say is that the Lions are coming, and you better get out of the way.

 I’m getting too ahead of myself, let’s get into the nitty gritty of what you can expect for this game. Jared Goff shared the love in week one, passing it off to seven different receivers for 253 yards at 22/35. Favoring “Sun god” Amon-Ra St. Brown six times and getting a touchdown in the process.

The only thing that I didn’t like about Dan Campbell is that his game managing could use some heavy work. Jahmyr Gibbs looked like a seasoned vet when he got the ball, but the guy only gets a chance 7 times in the game? The duo combined for 116 yards, with Montgomery notching a TD, but Campbell has to understand that Gibbs could be a dynamic game changer if you give him the ball at least ten plus times each game.

Maybe we’ll see a little bit of a different approach when it comes to the run game in week two, especially when the Seahawks got routed by the Rams, 30-13. Geno barely broke the triple digit mark in passing with 112 yards, and their run game really wasn’t any better with 85 yards and no scores. Keep in mind, the Rams were ranked 31^st in defense coming into week one.

In my 22 years of living, the Seahawks have normally been a team that wins games they shouldn’t and loses games that should be an easy win. With that being said, this decision was a little bit harder to conclude. Now, let’s get into my prediction.

I’m really hoping to see Gibbs get at least 10 touches this game and get his first NFL touchdown. Sam LaPorta and Kalif Raymond are going to be sneaky producers in the contest, St. Brown and Goff will keep on clicking, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lions secondary comes up with two interceptions by the end of the fourth quarter.

Lions will win the game, 38-14, or at least by two scores. Aidan Hutchinson wants revenge on Kenneth Walker III, CJ Gardner Johnson is entering his villain era, and forget about Lumen Field it’s going to be Ford Field that holds the crown as the loudest stadium in the league, and I can guarantee you that.

Keep sipping the blue kool-aid people, it’s our time now.

Listen to the Lions this Sunday on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, and 96.5fm.

Kickoff at 1:00pm.

On Thursday, Sep. 14 at approximately 5:15 P.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office responded to a rollover accident with injuries on US-131 northbound near Jefferson Rd in Aetna TWP.

The accident occurred when a 19-year-old female from Grosse Pointe suffered a medical issue, went off the roadway, and rolled the vehicle. The driver received minor injuries and was transported to Corewell Hospital Big Rapids.

Deputies were assisted by Morley Area Fire and Rescue, Mecosta County EMS, and Meceola Central Dispatch.