Hart City re-badges treatment facility Page 3a
Book recounts immigrant’s journey to and life in America
Remains found in Wexford County woods believed to be James Hepworth
Page 3a
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Two sections 24 pages
Pentwater area man went missing 8 months ago
Oceana’s
By Colton Mokofsky
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Pirates pound Reed City to open soccer season Page B1
Missing Shelby man located Monday morning following 12 hour search
Andrew Skinner• Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Deer Road west of 56th Avenue in Golden Township is closed as Oceana County Road Commission begins one of its many road improvement project slated for 2017.
OCRC outlines 2017 projects
Oceana County motorists might need to begin planning alternate routes as a number of road improvement projects will be on tap for the next several months. The following is a list of improvement projects by township for this summer and beyond provided by the Oceana County Road Commission. Benona Township • Woodrow Road west of Scenic Drive to Sable View; paving. • Baker Road from 40th Avenue to just
beyond the township hall parking lot; fit and pave. • Baker Road west of 40th Avenue for at least one-half mile; ditch and gravel. • 48th Avenue from Shelby to Johnson roads (low spot); pave the dip. Claybanks Township • Wilke Road from 48th to 56th avenues; chip seal/fog seal.
2017 OCEANA COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION PROJECTS continued on 6a
An Alzheimer patient who went missing Sunday night from the Shelby area was located by Oceana County Sheriff’s Office deputies Monday morning just after 8:30 a.m. Arnold Leroy Merrill, 76, of West Shelby Road walked away from his residence Sunday evening and was located by sheriff’s office deputies Mark Hiddema and Jeremy Swihart Monday morning. He was found Merrill in a valley along a snowmobile trail in the vicinity of 112th Avenue and Woodrow Road. Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast said Merrill was cold and wet and was being treated at the scene by Oceana County Emergency Medical Responders. Other responding agencies included Shelby-Benona Fire, Walkerville Fire, Ferry Township Fire, the Mason County Search and Rescue Team, Michigan State Police helicopter, Oceana EMS and many other volunteers.
James Hepworth’s wife, Amanda, is finding closure in hearing police have found a body that appears to be James. The 38-year-old Pentwater area man has been missing since August of 2016, after leaving voluntarily from work at Haworth in Ludington during his shift. Amanda reported that he had been dealing with depression for a few months and his phone was off. James was driving a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country minivan that was found during the investigation near public land where there are rows of planted mature red pines that led law enforcement officials, Amanda and members of the community on searches throughout the area. Hepworth Amanda said Michigan State Police officers told her a body was found about 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 about a mile from where his vehicle was located, three days after he went missing, near Dobson Bridge in Wexford County. Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Travis House confirmed today that human remains were found. “We found human remains, but we haven’t scientifically identified him as Mr. Hepworth,” he said. “I think that there’s some logical belief that it probably is him, but we can’t say for sure.” The remains are being sent to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. “We will probably end up with a DNA test,” he said. “(To give) scientific confirmation to make sure it’s his remains. Unfortunately, if we have to rely on DNA, it could take months.” Amanda is now beginning to feel at peace. “We’re just shy of eight months that he has been gone. There’s a lot of closure. There’s a lot of peace,” she said. “There will be a lot of unanswered questions (but) we are
HEPWORTH REMAINS LOCATED continued on 7a
Up stream battle A steelhead flies through the air as it tries to make its way over the rapids at the White River Dam Wednesday afternoon, March 29. A number of anglers lined the river’s edge and waded in the fast moving water as they tried to land one of the many fish swimming up stream. Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Longbridge Road bike path explored by Pentwater Twp.
Living memorial continues to pay homage 15 years later Star Hill 2 honors those who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001 and in the subsequent war on terrorism
By John Cavanagh Herald-Journal Writer
By Andrew Skinner Herald-Journal Editor
Fifteen years ago today (Thursday, April 6), 20 volunteers from across Oceana County, many police and firefighters, planted pine seedlings along US-31 as a way to pay homage to those who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001 and in the subsequent war on terrorism.
LIVING MEMORIAL continued on 7a
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Andrew Skinner• Oceana’s Herald-Journal
The development of a bicycle trail to follow Longbridge Road in Pentwater Township is being explored by Pentwater Township. Township officials and several members of the public heard a presentation from engineers Flies and VandenBrink about the concept at a special township board meeting March 29. “It was kind of a mini public forum type meeting,” Pentwater Township Supervisor Chuck Smith said. Smith said the meeting was scheduled so the engineering company representatives could present the feasibility study and cost factors regarding the concept. Smith said the concept presented showed any project being developed in two phases with the first phase estimated at $2.1 million and the second phase costing $2.4 million to develop the 2.25-mile trail from Ridge Road on the south side of Pentwater Lake to Monroe
A truck travels past Star Hill 2 located along southbound US-31 just south of Shelby Road Saturday, April 1. Star Hill 2 was planted 15 years ago today (April, 6) as a living memorial for those who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001 and in the subsequent war on terrorism.
INDEX Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8a Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11b Court, Cops, Gov’t . . . . . . . 6b Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . 10a Outdoor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3b
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LONGBRIDGE BIKE PATH EXPOLORED continued on 6a
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