Recent Posts

CCW permit legislation

The Michigan Senate Tuesday on a 28-9 vote approved legislation designed to speed up the process for obtaining a concealed weapons permit in Michigan. Specifically, the bills eliminate county gun boards and transfers the permit procedure to county clerks, sheriffs and the Michigan State Police. An earlier version of the measure had been vetoed by Governor Rick Snyder, who said it also …

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Dog rescued from icy channel

A lucky Labrador has been rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after falling into an icy northern Michigan channel. The Grand Rapids Press reports that staffers at the Frankfort Coast Guard station saw the dog go into the waterway Tuesday morning between Betsie Lake and Lake Michigan. Boatswain mate Tim Putnam and others quickly tossed on ice rescue suits and …

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Out and About – Week of February 2nd

I’m one of the luckiest guys in town. I’m retired, am happily married to my best friend, and I keep busy volunteering. I love writing and am honing my writing skills by writing this column, plus a couple of other newsletters. For the past eight years, I’ve occupied a small office upstairs at LA’s Coffee Cafe. As a matter of …

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Man injured in ATV accident

An Illinois man sustained serious injuries last weekend following an accident involving an all-terrain vehicle in Colon Township. State police said Nicholas Leth, 25, of Palos Heights, Ill., was driving the four-wheel ATV on the ice-covered Palmer Lake at 5:10 p.m. Saturday when he lost control and it flipped over, landing on top of him. Leth sustained injuries to his …

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Service plans offered through Indiana Michigan Power

Indiana Michigan Power has partnered with HomeServe USA to offer optional protection to I&M residential customers on external electric lines, HVAC systems, water and sewer/septic systems, and other home items not typically covered by basic homeowners insurance. The service plans available through HomeServe, a third-party provider of home-emergency repair-service-plan programs, are priced between $5 and $11 per month depending on …

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Fire destroys garage

A standalone garage was destroyed by fire last week in Lockport Township. Fire officials said the blaze was reported shortly before noon Friday at a residence on Schweitzer Road. Cause of the blaze remains under investigation. No injuries were reported and no other building was damaged.

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Free furniture for some customers

Some furniture shoppers in parts of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are expected to get big refunds because of cooperation from a big snowstorm. Michigan-based Art Van Furniture ran a “Let It Snow” promotion at several Chicago-area stores as well as locations in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Toledo, Ohio. Purchases were made on certain days in January. If it snowed more …

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Three Rivers storm total – 12.5 inches

A winter storm dropped 1 1/2 feet of snow as it passed over Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, snarling traffic and extending the weekend for children at hundreds of schools. The National Weather Service says 16.7 inches fell at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus on Sunday and Monday. The agency says it was the No. 3 snow on record for Detroit and …

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Armed robbery on WMU campus

A warning has been issued to Western Michigan University students following an armed robbery at a campus residence hall. The Kalamazoo school says in a statement the male student was robbed at gunpoint about 4:40 p.m. Sunday in the third floor hallway of LeFevre Hall. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports police are seeking two suspects. The school says “extreme caution is …

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