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BENTON HARBOR
Lawsuit says school protected accused athlete Former
quarterback in jail for sexual assault. John Agar jagar@mlive.com GRAND RAPIDS — A former Benton Harbor High S cho ol s t udent s a id t he school district protected a star quarterback — who led the Tigers to their first playoff win — after he sexually assaulted her in a school bathroom and shared cellphone video of the incident with classmates, according to a federal lawsuit. The assault happened weeks after the 2015 football season ended. At the time, the victim, who has autism, was a 15-year-old freshman
cheerleader. After the assault, the girl said she was subjected to sex-based taunts, teasing and name-calling and had to face her attacker daily in classrooms and hallways. The victim, identified by a pseudonym, Jane Doe, filed a Title IX lawsuit in U.S District Court against the school district, Superintendent Shelly Walker, former Principal Rodger Tripplett and Title IX coordinator Patricia Robinson. The school district superintendent, as well as others named in the lawsuit, did not respond to messages seeking comment. Title IX is a federal policy designed to protect students from gender-based
discrimination in educational activities. The Benton Harbor lawsuit alleges the girl suffered sexual harassment and a hostile school environment after she filed a complaint. Timothy Bell Jr., now 18, is serving one year in the Berrien County Jail, to be followed by five years on probation, for the crime. He pleaded guilty June 27 to assault with intent to commit sex ua l penetration, records show. He w a s q u a r t e r b a c k during Benton Harbor’s 2015 season, in which the Tigers had their first winning season in 25 years and its first playoff victory before falling to eventual state champions. The assault happened
Dec. 28, 2015, during a Christmas break basketball tournament at Benton Harbor High School. Bell, described in the lawsuit as a “prominent athlete,” was a junior, just days shy of 17 at the time. Because he was a minor at the time of the offense, federal court rules require he be identified only by his initials, “TB.” But details in the lawsuit, including the time and location of the assault, Bell’s conviction and age, are consistent with criminal court records, state Department of Corrections records, state sex offender records and media accounts. At the tournament, while other teams played, Bell “lured” the victim to a boys’ bathroom, the lawsuit said.
New city-operated parking lot proposed for downtown GR Amy Biolchini amy_biolchini@mlive.com GR A N D R A PI DS — The city of Grand Rapids wants to create two temporary public parking lots across from the Downtown Market to help mitigate parking constraints downtown in the coming years. The city is planning to pave a gravel parking lot owned by Spectrum Industries to create two surface parking lots on the majority of a city block at 36 McConnell St. SW. The area is used as a Spectrum Industries parking lot now, with parking allowed by permit only. There would be 293 parking spots in those lots, according to an application the city filed with the
Planning Commission seeking a special land use permit. The Planning Commission will consider the request Feb. 23. T he slop e d prop er t y means it will have to be graded into two parking lots — an upper and a lower — with a retaining wall. Existing curbs on the surrounding streets will be used. The upper part of the lot would be used for more long-term parking needs of residents, workers and commuters, and the lower portion would be used for short-term users, such as visitors to the Downtown Market. The city plans to keep the lots open until it recoups the cost of their construction — which officials believe will take three to five years.
At that point, Spectrum Industries could sell or develop the property. However, if Spectrum Industries wants to develop the property before the city’s investment is paid off, then Spectrum has to pay the city the balance. Downtown public parking will undergo a shakeup as two city-owned parking lots between Oakes and Cherry streets south of Van Andel Arena will be developed into a movie theater and apartments. The Loeks Theatres and 616 Development project will bring a nine-screen Studio C! movie theater downtown with 187 apartments. A 900-space parking ramp a lso is pla nned w it h 38,000 square feet of retail space and a public piazza.
There, he “violently and forcibly sexually assaulted Jane Doe ... while making a video of it on his cellular telephone,” Kalamazoo attorney Marlo Bruch said in the lawsuit. On Jan. 7, the girl’s mother le a r ne d a b out a v ide o from the girl’s father and a teacher. The father had heard about the video from a school security officer. After the holiday break, teacher Keisha McKee told the victim’s mother about the video. She said the girl’s best friend brought her to see the teacher, according to the lawsuit. Bell was showing the video to other students, the suit said. T he v ic t i m’s pa rent s went to school that day. The
mother said a coach, who was an athletic department assistant, knew of the video. That coach, Kenisha Nichols, did not notify district officials, the lawsuit said. The mother then filed a report with the Benton Harbor Police Department. The victim “began to suffer a great deal of ridicule, teasing, taunting her and violent outbursts from the other athletes,” including a male athlete who wanted to fight her, the lawsuit said. The school district didn’t address that incident or others, the suit alleges. On April 28, the mother pulled her daughter out of school because of harassment, the lawsuit said. She claims her complaints to school officials were ignored.
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Haworth’s sales increase 6 percent HOL L A N D — Haworth, Inc. had global sales of $1.94 billion in 2016, a 6.4 percent increase over 2015, the office furniture-maker reported Thursday afternoon. The family-owned business doesn’t report profits in its annual sales announcement. C E O F r a nc o Bi a nch i attributed the growth to the company’s success in creating solutions for people at work, at home and on the go. “Our commercial interiors, lifestyle designs and performance technolog y busine s se s have st rong foundations and continue to position Haworth for strong
shareholder return,” Bianchi said in a statement. “The collaboration across these businesses assist our customers as they adapt to a more mobile and collaborative work style.” In 2016, Haworth completed a refresh of its Holland headquarters which h i g h l i g h t s t h e aw a r d winning furniture Patricia Urquiola has designed for the company over the years. Urquiola collaborated with Haworth’s design team on the new lighter look. The company has workforce of 6,500 employees, and a network of 650 dealers across 120 countries. Hawor t h note d some milestones accomplished in 2016:
GRAND RAPIDS — A woman in her mid-60s has died after going into cardiac arrest following a kitchen fire in her Southeast Grand Rapids home. The fire also left a 15-yearold girl with burns to her hands and face. Firefighters responded to aa fire at a home in the 1700 block of Paris Avenue SE just before 6 p.m. Thursday. They determined that heated oil splashed out of a pan and ignited the stove top and other nearby objects. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and said there was minor damage. During the response, firefighters helped a woman in her 60s onto a porch. While on the porch, she went into cardiac arrest and later died at Spectrum Health Butterworth hospital.
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CITY OF KENTWOOD ORDINANCE NO. 1 -17 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY OF KENTWOOD ZONING ORDINANCE BEING APPENDIX A OF THE CITY OF KENTWOOD CODE OF ORDINANCES, AS AMENDED, TO REZONE .25 ACRES OF LAND FROM C-4 OFFICE TO R1-D SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL THE CITY OF KENTWOOD ORDAINS: SECTION 1.
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Woman dies after cardiac arrest following kitchen fire John Tunison jtunison@mlive.com
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Shandra Martinez smartinez@mlive.com
L 72nd ANNUA
ONE WEEKDAY ADULT ADMISSION
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The Zoning Ordinance, being Appendix A of the City of Kentwood Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended to change the following described area of land from viz: 4412 Madison: N 53 FT OF S 106 FT OF LOTS 32 & 33 ALSO N 53 FT OF S 106 FT OF W 1/2 OF LOT 31 * SUN GARDEN HOMESITES 4420 Madison: S 53 FT OF LOTS 32 & 33 ALSO S 53 FT OF W 1/2 OF LOT 31 * SUN GARDEN HOMESITES 4413 Julivan N 50 FT OF S 100 FT OF LOTS 29 & 30 ALSO N 50 FT OF S 100 FT OF E 1/2 OF LOT 31 * SUN GARDEN HOMESITES 4417 Julivan S 50 FT OF LOTS 29 & 30 ALSO S 50 FT OF E 1/2 OF LOT 31 * SUN GARDEN HOMESITES SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall be effective ten (10) days following its publication. The foregoing Ordinance was offered by Commissioner Coughlin, supported by Commissioner Haas, the vote being as follows: YEAS: Commissioners Artz, Brown, Coughlin, DeMaagd, Haas, and Mayor Kepley. NAYS: None. ABSTAIN: None. ABSENT: Commissioner Redmond. ORDINANCE 1 - 17 DECLARED ADOPTED. Dan Kasunic City Clerk
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Place a Pet In Memoriam Notice by going to www.mlive.com/obit and select the Pet In Memorial package Or Call 877-253-4113 7584021-01