Duram named emergency management coordinator Page 3a
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Pirates finish 1-2 at home soccer tournament
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Hesperia’s Cathy Forbes enters state house race
Hart downs Wildcats for year’s 1st win Page B1
Sheriff’s suit out
Sneaking past
Muslim-American woman’s claims against county dismissed
Primary election races set
The petitions are in and the races are set for the primary races in the Aug. 2 election this year. There will be races for several county offices along with races for the Oceana County Road Commission and the Oceana County Board of Commissioners. Incumbent Oceana County Road Commissioner Cathy Forbes of Hesperia once again seeks state office as she has filed as a Democrat for the 100th District State House of Representatives seat. She previously ran against incumbent state Senator Goeff Hansen, R-Hart, for the state senate seat. The filing deadline was April 19 at 4 p.m.
By John Cavanagh
Herald-Journal Writer
PRIMARY ELECTION RACES SET continued on 3a
County to drop commissioner health insurance
Health insurance will no longer be a benefit available to the Oceana County Board of Commissioners effective Jan. 1, 2017. In a move to make compensation for all commissioners more equitable, the board modified its commissioner compensation package at its regular meeting April 14. The changes can only be made in an election year unless the board agrees to reduce compensation. Any changes must be made prior to the nominating petition deadline, which was April 19.
COMMISSIONER HEALTH INSURANCE continued on 6a
Claybanks crash sends 2 to hospitals
A Claybanks Township couple was injured in a single-vehicle accident at the curve of Scenic Drive and Webster in southern Oceana County Saturday. According to the Michigan State Police press release, the couple, whose names weren’t being released Monday, was traveling south of Scenic Drive when the vehicle went off the right side of the roadway, crashed into a ditch and then a driveway embankment. The driver and passenger were initially transported to Mercy Health Partners Lakeshore Campus in Shelby before the female passenger was flown via Aeromed helicopter to Spectrum Health
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
High flying action
A steelhead, above, jumps out of the water as it tries to make its way up and over the dam along the White river in Hesperia Saturday afternoon, April 16 as fisherman Philip James Stone of Whitehall casts his line in the other direction while fishing nearby. Steelhead, below, flying through the air as they headed up stream were a common occurrence and drew a number of anglers and a large crowd of spectators to the popular fishing area.
CRASH SENDS 2 TO HOSPITALS continued on 3a
Police release sketch of Ferry assault suspect
A sketch of the suspect wanted in connection with a felonious assault of a 48-year-old Ferry woman in her driveway last February was released by the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office last week. S h e r i f f ’s office detectives recently contacted a Michigan State Police sketch artist, who then interviewed the • Michigan State victim and Police sketch sketched a drawing of what she believes is a likeness of the suspect. The sheriff’s office is asking that anyone who might have information or believe that they can identify the potential suspect to contact the office at 231-873-2121. Police said in February they were dis-
SUSPECT SKETCH RELEASED continued on 3a
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No monetary award will be received by the MuslimAmerican woman who filed a federal lawsuit against the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office late last spring, claiming her civil rights were violated during booking after her arrest on a traffic violation. T h e woman, Dakroub F a t m e Dakroub, previously of Dearborn, Mich. claimed her First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights were violated along with her rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act after she was required to remove her head scarf during booking. The case was dismissed with prejudice April 14 without cost to either party. It had been scheduled for a settlement conference April 15. “I was pleased to resolve this case without the payment of any damages, or attorney fees to the opposition,” wrote sheriff’s office attorney James Dyer in an e-mail to county Administrator Sue Johnson. “I have believed from the beginning that Sheriff (Bob) Farber’s deputies did the right thing, and took all reasonable efforts to respect Ms. Dakroub and her religious practices, under difficult circumstance that had not previously been experienced at the Oceana County Jail. The policy we have agreed to adopt is reasonable, and is the sort of action that I would have recommended as a solution, even if the lawsuit had not been filed.” The county’s legal fees through March 29 totalled $6,720. County Administrator Sue Johnson said the fees will be paid by the county’s selffunded liability insurance. In the complaint filed in US District Court in Grand Rapids last June, Dakroub claimed that as part of her religious faith and practice, she wears a head scarf, covering her hair, ears, neck and chest when in public and at home if she is in the presence of men who are not a part of her immediate family. The complaint further
CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION CASE DISMISSED continued on 6a
Walkerville residents acknowledge assets, obstacles to survival
“There is a general want and
need to make a change. There is energy in this group to move forward. If we each brought in one person (to the next planning session) imagine what we could do.We’d be like a snowball that grows and become the kind of community we want to live in,” — Megan Blount, Walkerville resident
By Anne Pawli OHJ
contributing Writer
For many people, the small hamlet of Walkerville in the northeast corner of Oceana County appears on the brink of extinction. That’s not a fate the 40-some residents who attended last week’s town hall are willing to accept. Three religious affiliates from local churches and Love INC. of Oceana County facilitated the Walkerville Thrives gathering, preceded by a community dinner in the Wesleyan Church. The focus was not on what is lacking in the small village of 247 souls; a drive down Main Street speaks for itself. Lori Ray, executive director of Love INC., instead asked villagers to focus on the assets within the small, close-knit community. Participants gathered in small groups to consider and respond to a short list of questions
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presented by Ray, Theresa Fairbanks, pastor of the United Methodist Church and Deanna Helmlinger, lay speaker at the Wesleyan Church. They asked residents to consider the assets the village and surrounding area has to offer and, for folks looking to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer, there is plenty. Residents are proud of their outstanding first-responder system of fire and emergency personnel, wildlife, national forests and wetlands, lakes, campgrounds, a school system which provides students with small class sizes and the attention they need, internet access, a history museum, churches, a marching band, and a plethora of hardworking, caring people. Additionally, the village boasts a new Dollar General and bank.
WALKERVILLE THRIVES continued on 6a
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