License fees to increase for sterilized dogs
Warrant issued in rollover crash Page 3a
Page 3a
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Walkerville races to win county meet
Hart girls show off depth to take title Page B1
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Pirates scrape past Oakridge, into district semis Page B1
Sheriff’s deputy continues to recover following collapse
Oceana County Sheriff’s Of- one minute of being on scene, fice Deputy Roy Strait contin- Strait collapsed. Herremans ues to recover at a Muskegon immediately called for assishospital from a hearttance, Priese said, related episode sufand began performfered while on duty ing cardiopulmoearly last Thursday, nary resuscitation on Oct. 13. Strait and continued Oceana County until Deputy Mike Undersheriff Tim Fillips arrived and Priese said Strait took over. The Shelwas responding to by-Benona Fire Dea truancy complaint partment and Oceana in Shelby, and after Emergency Medical Strait getting the individual Services also arrived dressed, the indiand continued CPR. vidual ran at which point Strait Strait was transported to called for back-up. Priese said sheriff’s office Sgt. Louis HerSTRAIT RECOVERING continued on 3a remans arrived and after about
Monton to step down from bench next February Gov. Snyder to appoint successor to fill remaining 2 years of term
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Dr. Heather Headland pets Princess Buttercup, one of the many donkeys she and her husband, Chris, have saved as Moon Pie, also a rescued donkey, looks on at the Headland’s Ferry Township home.
A retirement home for donkeys
Veterinarian Dr. Heather Headland is on a mission to rescue this often misunderstood and abused breed
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Dr. Heather Headland gives a big hug to 5 month old Sprinkles. Unbeknownst to the Headlands Sprinkles mother, Sugar, was pregnant at the time they rescued her.
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By Mary Beth Crain
MONTON TO RETIRE
OHJ Contributing Writer
If you ever pay a visit to Dr. Heather Headland’s 35-acre home, you’d better be ready to mix and mingle with a real live menagerie. Dogs, cats, goats, alpacas, pigs, horses and… donkeys. Dr. Heather, whom many may know from her Shelby practice, Companion Animal Veterinary, naturally loves all of God’s creatures. But she’s always had a special place in her heart for donkeys. “I’ve loved them from the time I was a little girl,” the energetic young veterinarian reflects. “But because I grew up in a suburb of Detroit, and not on a farm, I had to wait until I was in veterinary school before I got my first one. We were castrating donkeys—there were six of us students that day—and one of them, Dozer, took a fancy to me. “We all played with the donkeys, and would leave them for a while and come back, and when I was out of the room, they told me that when I left, Dozer never took his eyes off the door. I found that hard to believe because he had everyone fussing over him, but it was true. The door had a window, and when I looked in, he was standing there watching the door. And when I came back into the room, he ran over to me and brayed right in my face. I knew then that we were meant for each other.” Heather was already boarding two horses, but as her life philosophy seems to be, “there’s always room for one more,” that didn’t deter her from adopting Dozer, who came from Crossroads Donkey Rescue in Clare, Mich. And that was the moment she became dedicated to the donkey rescue cause. “Donkeys are victims of overbreeding,” she explains. “There’s a donkey craze at the moment. Everyone wants a baby donkey. People think it’s cute to get one, but they don’t think about the long term aspects of owning it. There’s a lot of care and expense involved, because donkeys live a long time. So they’re often abandoned, or sold at auction, for meat.” Meat? “Yes. Zoos use them for meat, or they’re shipped to Mexico with USDA tags.” In 2009, after she graduated veterinary school in Lansing, Heather and her husband Chris moved to Oceana County with Dozer and their horses and bought the
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Monton
Road commission hires new manager
A new face can be seen walking the garage and corridors at the Oceana County Road Commission. Mark Timmer of Muskegon began his tenure as the new manager at the beginning of October. Clerk Sandy Griffin has been the acting clerk/manager for the past five years. With the hire of Timmer, Griffin resumes her duties, serving only as the clerk.
TIMMER HIRED AS OCRC MANAGER continued on 3a
Timmer
Write-in deadline for Nov. 8 election nears
With the November general election just over two weeks away, Oceana County potential politicians are reminded of several important dates. Friday, Oct. 28 will mark the last day write-in candidates can register with the county clerk if they are interested in running a write-in campaign. The deadline will be at 4 p.m. Early voters can also get absentee ballots from their local clerk’s office, but absentee ballots will not be available at the county clerk’s office. The general election is Nov. 8.
Don’t miss the Oceana’s Herald-Journal primary election preview section Thursday, Oct. 27 Local election guide to include biographies and questionnaires from candidates taking part in contested races during the Nov. 8 general election.
DR. HEATHER TO THE RESCUE
INDEX Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8a Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9b Court, Cops, Gov’t . . . . . . . 5b Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . 10a Outdoor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4b
After 28 years on the bench, 27th Circuit Court Chief Judge Anthony Monton announced his retirement last week. Monton told the Oceana County Board of Commissioners at its regular meeting Oct. 13 that he planned to step down at the end of next February. There will be two years remaining on the six-year term. In addition to his 28 years on the bench,
School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11a Social . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9a Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-3 Stuff to do . . . . . . . . . . . . 6a Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4a
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