(AP) – President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is set to unfold at the Capitol. On the eve of the trial, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed a condensed, two-day calendar for each side’s opening arguments.  Each side will get 24 hours over two days to make their opening statements.  Also under the proposal, House evidence can’t be admitted without a vote. The rules package will be one of the first orders of business when senators convene about midday Tuesday. Pres. Trump’s lawyers are seeking swift acquittal. The first several days of the trial are expected to be tangled in procedural […]

HOLLAND, MI –(Mlive) –  A 60-year-old man was arrested Monday evening after he allegedly rammed a sheriff’s cruiser with his vehicle. According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, the man confessed to rear-ending the deputy’s vehicle because he was “upset with police” after an incident earlier in the evening. In that incident, a different deputy responded to a “civil disagreement” involving the man at a local business, the sheriff’s office reports. The ramming incident unfolded around 6:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at the intersection of James Street and 136th Avenue in Holland Township. A deputy was stopped at a red […]

CASS COUNTY, MICH. — (Mlive) – A county park in southwestern Michigan has been recognized as an exemplary place for taking in the night sky. Dr. T.K. Lawless Park in Cass County was recently designated as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association, an exceptional distinction given to locations that offer unspoiled night-sky viewing. The 860-acre park, nine miles east of Cassopolis, is only the second park in Michigan to be honored with the distinction. In 2011, the Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City became the first such park in the state, and one of […]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — An annual fee that allows unlimited access to Michigan’s state parks is rising by $1. Starting March 1, it will cost $12 for the Recreation Passport when it’s bought with one’s license plate registration renewal. It’s the first fee increase in seven years. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources attributes the fee change to a provision in the law that ensures the funding source keeps pace with inflation. The fee will be $17 when a passport is purchased at state parks, DNR customer service centers or at a secretary of state branch outside the vehicle registration […]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A technology change is forcing Michigan’s corrections department to spend about $4.6 million to fit more than 4,000 parolees and others under state supervision with new ankle monitors. Michigan Department of Corrections Public Information Officer Chris Gautz says the change is necessary because the 3G-enabled monitors won’t work because Verizon is upgrading its network from 3G to 4G. He says the process of swapping out devices for those wearing the ankle bracelets is expected to take about 45 days. The bracelets that track the movements of parolees and others under state supervision are worn by people […]

WYOMING, MI –(Mlive) – About 1,500 Consumers Energy customers are without power Thursday, Jan. 16. The outages are near the scene of an overnight crash at 54th Street SW and South Division Avenue. The crash was reported around 2 a.m. Police remain on the scene. Consumers Energy expects to have power restored by mid morning.

MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) — A Lake Michigan community has voted to spend $20,000 to kill as many as 30 deer at two parks in western Michigan. The unanimous vote by the Muskegon City Commission is an effort to control growing herds, although there are different opinions among residents. The Muskegon Chronicle reports the cull by sharpshooters must be completed by March 31. Residents in favor of a special kill have talked about damage to vegetation and concerns about tick-borne illnesses. Some critics say the deer should be considered a community asset.

(AP) – The National Retail Federation today welcomed the signing of a “phase one” trade agreement between the United States and China but said work remains to be done to end the trade war between the two countries. “NRF strongly supports the administration’s efforts to address China’s unfair trading practices but we hope this is the first step toward eliminating all of the tariffs imposed over the past two years,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “The trade war won’t be over until all of these tariffs are gone. We are glad to see the phase one deal signed, […]

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI –(Mlive) –  State police on Wednesday, Jan. 15, arrested a man suspected of hitting Reeths-Puffer students with his vehicle and fleeing the scene. One student suffered two broken legs in the crash Tuesday, Jan. 14, at a bus stop on Russell Road. His sister was also hit but her injuries were not serious. The crash happened around 6:30 a.m., while students waited for the school bus. State police troopers worked through the day and overnight to identify a possible suspect. Early today, police found his vehicle and determined that damage was consistent with the crash, Lt. David […]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan is poised to create a permanent statewide mental health hotline under legislation going to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The Legislature took a final vote on the bill Tuesday. The telephone referral system would be available 24 hours a day, seven days of week and would refer people experiencing a mental health crisis to service providers. A spending law approved in 2018 included $3 million to develop, operate and maintain a hotline pilot program. The new legislation is intended as a way to expand that program statewide. A spokeswoman says Whitmer will review the bill.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A task force says Michigan should reclassify many traffic offenses as civil infractions, release more defendants before trial without requiring them to pay money and take other steps to reduce jail populations that tripled in under 40 years. The 21-member group was created by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with support from Republican legislative leaders. It delivered its findings and 18 recommendations to lawmakers Tuesday. Suggestions include giving police more discretion to issue appearance tickets instead of arresting people, shortening the time people spend in jail between their arrest and arraignment, and reducing maximum probation terms for […]

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan is suing 3M, DuPont and other companies for financial damages from contamination caused by potentially harmful “forever” chemicals that are turning up in drinking water across the state. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in state court alleges that 17 defendants deliberately concealed the dangers of a class of substances known collectively as PFAS. 3M made the chemicals starting in the 1950s and stopped in 2002. They were used in Scotchgard, fire retardants, nonstick cookware and other products.

(GRAND RAPIDS,MI) – Allegiant announces service from Grand Rapids to Los Angeles, Boston and Austin, Texas. To celebrate, the company  is offering one-way fares on the new routes as low as $33. Drew Wells, Allegiant vice president of planning and revenue says they are very excited to expand in Grand Rapids by offering service to three of the most in-demand travel destinations in the country. New seasonal service from Gerald R. Ford Airport includes: Los Angeles, California via Los Angeles International Airport, beginning June 5, 2020. Boston, Massachusetts via Boston Logan International Airport, beginning May 7, 2020. Austin, Texas via […]