Public Safety – Page 17

Matt Miller hired as new Wayland schools’ public safety officer

March 28, 2016

Matt Miller, head of security at Crossroads Alternative High School in Kentwood for the past four years, has been hired as the Wayland Union school district’s public safety office. Miller, a graduate of Hopkins High School who has two daughters who attend St. Therese Schools, succeeds the retiring Harry Werkema,...

The Muck Starts Here: Local broadcast news part of problem

March 13, 2016

by Barry Hastings There's nothing like a tragedy (or a disaster) to bring out the shallowness of local television broadcast news. They repeat the remarks of local officials, witnesses, kibitzers, cops every half-hour, hour after hour, and are still doing it, eight days after the event. They very quickly begin...

Former Wayland City police officer running for sheriff

February 24, 2016

Stacey Browe, a former Wayland City police officer, has announced she will be a candidate for Kent County Sheriff in the Republican Party August primary. Browe, who now is a public safety officer at Davenport University, will challenge four-term incumbent Larry Stelma. She will join Stelma, Tim Lewis and John...

Fisherman rescued after falling through ice in Gun Lake area

February 23, 2016

A 64-year-old fisherman was rescued Monday by emergency responders after falling through the ice in the Gun Lake area. Barry County public safety officials said they were summoned just after 5 p.m. off Briggs Road at Gun Lake State Park, south of Middleville. First responders said they found the victim...

Columns

Army Bob: Where do candidates stand on eminent domain issue?

January 21, 2016

Let’s discuss eminent domain, a topic on which everyone has an unyielding stand on one way or the other. To understand the issue, we need to dwell on a bit of history. We all like to think our ancestors came to the new world for religious freedom, some did. The...

Democracy Tree: Emergency manager law a monstrous hoax

January 12, 2016

by Amy Kerr Hardin The very first sentence of Public Act 436, Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law — not the second or third, or some obscure subsection buried within — the actual primary legal premise of the act, is a bald-faced lie. The leading statement of the preamble has proven to...

The Year in Review: Yes, Gamrat-Courser affair put us on the map

January 1, 2016

The year 2015 certainly was eventful in this area, and it was a mixed bag in terms of positive and negative developments. Rating the top stories of the year is a hazardous task because the evaluator must consider two factors — impact and headline value — both of which are...

Best driving option in freezing rain Monday was to just stay home

December 28, 2015

As predicted by just about every area meteorologist, West Michigan was hit hard by high winds, rain, sleet and freezing rain Monday. The temperatures remained near, but below freezing and the combination of high wins and freezing rain translated into power outages for too many residents. Shown here is a...

Columns

Army Bob: Prepare yourself for the silly season and tiresome rhetoric

December 10, 2015

by Robert M. Traxler As we enter what some folks call the silly season, the presidential election season, we see politicians on both sides of the spectrum using the same old worn-out mantras. One of my favorites is the use of the word “fight;” I will fight for you, your...

Jonesville assistant City Manager Tim McLean coming to Wayland

November 14, 2015

Tim McLean, assistant city manager for the City of Jonesville, apparently will be Wayland’s next city manager. The City Council will meet in closed session Monday night to discuss terms of a contract it will offer to McLean, who turned out to be the only one of four candidate finalists...

Tag: Public Safety