Falcons blow by Walkerville
Shelby advances, Hesperia bounced in pre-districts Page B1
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Two sections 22 pages
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Michigan presidential primary 5 days away Hart, Weare twp. road millages also on ballot
Just five days remain for Oceana County and Michigan voters to make up their minds as to who they would like see in the final running for president of United States. The Michigan Presidential Primary election is next Tuesday, March 8. Even though some of the Republican candidates have suspended their campaigns, the names of all the previously announced candidates will appear on the ballots as the ballots have already been printed. Republican candidates include:
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY continued on 6a
Springport nips Panthers in state quarterfinal thriller Page B1
Sheriff announces retirement
Nominating petitions trickling in
Mast, Strait file to be next Oceana County Sheriff
With Oceana County Sheriff Bob Farber announcing he will not seek a third term, two men have announced they will seek the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office in this year’s elections. Current road patrol Lt. Craig Mast of Hart and long-time Deputy Leroy (Roy) Strait of Montague have announced their candidacies to be the next Oceana County Sheriff. Both will run as Republicans, setting up a primary race in August. Mast also announced that Deputy Ryan Schiller will run with him for the undersheriff Farber Strait position currently held by Tim Priese. “I will not seek a third term for the office of Oceana County Sheriff,” Farber said. “I am so happy to say that I will retire at the end of my term, Dec. 31, 2016 after 36 years of a law enforcement career. I am looking forward to my new phase in my life at the end of 2016.” Mast and Schiller met with the Herald-Journal editorial staff Monday morning to make the formal announcement. “We believe this is the best working combination for the office and the county,” Mast said. “We compliment each other nicely, we believe, and would make a strong administrative team, etc.”
Nominating petitions for other county offices have also started to trickle in. Philip Carter of New Era, Allen Blohm of Shelby and Gary Tate of Hart have filed to run for the two vacancies on the Oceana County Road Commission. All three are running as Republicans, setting up a primary election showdown. Blohm is an incumbent whose term will expire at the end of this year. The other seat was previously held by Russ Eilers, who passed away last month. The
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Oceana County Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol Lt. Craig Mast, left, recently announced his intentions to run for sheriff this summer following the announcement that Sheriff Bob Farber plans to retire at the end of the year. Deputy Ryan Schiller, right, will run with Mast for the undersheriff position. New Era Police Chief and Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Strait also announced his plans to run for sheriff.
NOMINATING PETITIONS continued on 6a
Sun sets on February
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Ice hanging from rocks along the Pentwater Channel frames the south pier head marker as it melts Saturday evening, Feb. 27 following an unseasonably warm day. Oceana County saw the return of winter weather earlier this week but forecasters were predicting another warm-up to start off next week.
Hart woman treated after strangulation
Safety concerns prompt Shelby to cancel games at Muskegon Heights
By Andy Roberts
Herald-Journal Writer
“We
SHELBY — Safety concerns scuttled what was to be the regular-season finale for both Shelby basketball teams in the last week, as the Tiger teams did not make their scheduled trips south to Muskegon Heights. The Shelby girls had been Bauer scheduled to play at Heights Thursday, Feb. 25 while the Tiger boys were slated for a Tuesday night game, March 1. Heights was the site of a shooting back on Feb. 9 after the Muskegon Heights Tigers’ boys team had hosted Ottawa Hills, sparking concerned calls from Shelby parents. Shelby Public Schools Superintendent Dan Bauer — Dan Bauer said he fielded several calls Shelby Public Schools Superintendent in the week following the incident at Heights from parents concerned about safety issues regarding the scheduled games. The calls came in such volume that he felt there was no choice but to pull the Shelby teams from the games. “I had concerned parents contacting me on Thursday the 11th,” Bauer said. “I didn’t really put anything into it until probably the 15th, when I started talking with the A.D. (Chuck Persenaire)
had a parent saying, ‘If that game is scheduled, my kid will be home sick that day.’ I reached out to our coaches and they expressed concerns as well,”
GAMES CANCELLED DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS continued on 6a
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Former boyfriend faces charge
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal file photos
Vintage vehicles are parked along side of the Sackrider United Brethren Church, built in 1897, during a past Hart Heritage Day at the district. Below, a doe and buck mount are displayed in a humorous pose at the district’s Mudget Wildlife Fur & Mount Collection display.
Michigan bill could jeopardize local State Historic Districts By Anne Pawli OHJ
contributing Writer
Proposed legislation making its way through the Michigan House and Senate could jeopardize the standing of Hart’s State Historic District and Little Point Sable Lighthouse, near Silver Lake State Park. House Bill 5232, cosponsored by 100th District Rep. Jon Bumstead, was introduced Jan. 27
mittee. The House bill, and its companion, Senate Bill 720 pertain to local historic districts only, so will not impact Hart’s recently earned National Register of Historic Places designation for portions of its downtown district. The bills and referred to the Local could, however, impact the Government Committee. If STATE HISTORIC constituent response to the DISTRICTS onerous bill is any indicaJEOPARDIZED tion, it will die in that comcontinued on 6a
INDEX Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8a Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9b Court, Cops, Gov’t . . . . . . . 5b Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . 10a Outdoor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12a
School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4b Social . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9a Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-3 Stuff to do . . . . . . . . . . . 11a Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4a
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A 22-year-old Hart woman was treated and released from Mercy Health Partners Lakeshore Campus in Shelby for non-life threatening injuries after she was allegedly strangled multiple times to the point of unconsciousness by her former boyfriend who now faces a felonious assault charge. Police arrested Wilson Jacob Allen Wilson, 27. The arrest complaint shows his address as 5215 W. Fox Rd., Mears. He is charged with one count of assualt by strangulation and habitual offender, third offense notice. He was arraigned in 78th District Court and bond was set at $50,000 cash surety. Wilson remained Oceana County Jail Monday. According to Oceana County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Craig Mast, the alleged incident occurred at 12:25 a.m. Feb. 27 in the 5500 block of West Cherry Court in Golden Township in the Golden Pond Estates subdivision. Mast said the woman of slight build went to her Wilson’s
STRANGULATION CHARGE continued on 6a
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