September 29, 2022

Grand Beach Village Council appoints police chief as short-term rental code enforcement official PAGE 5

New Buffalo school board chooses option for elementary kitchen project PAGE 8

‘Apple Cider Century’ celebrates 49 years PAGES 14-15

Michiana Humane Society hosts ninth night for the animals during ‘Remember Me Thursday’ PAGE 16

Huge rebound forecast for Michigan apple crop PAGE

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HARBERT

SAWYER

THE

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PHOTO OF RUNNERS OFF TO THE RACES ON COMMUNITY HALL ROAD BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

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CORRECTION

Lady Bison take match in home sweep

The New Buffalo High School girls’ volleyball team defeated Howardsville Christian at home Tuesday, Sept. 20.

The Lady Bison (11-9-2) swept the best three out of five game match but it wasn’t easy at times.

New Buffalo, which was trailing by three points midway through the second game, began marching back when Liz Schmock made a diving save of the ball soon put back over the net for a point by Amanda Jones.

The next two points were scored by the Lady Bison to even the score after a long series of volleys with tough Eagles defenders.

Difficult to return serves from Benita Puskinigus and kills from Jane Funk helped New Buffalo take the lead for good until Ava Johnson scored the

BY STAN MADDUX

decisive point with a soft over the net strike of the ball the Eagles were not able to reach.

New Buffalo was up by nine points in the final game but saw their lead dwindle to three points.

The Lady Bison regained the momentum on a score from hard spike of the ball over the net by Funk.

The Lady Bison, with Schmock serving, scored the next two points then scored again to win the match from a spike by Puskinigus.

Jones led all defenders with 20 digs while Funk and Schmock added 15 digs apiece.

The victory comes after the Lady Bison won three games and lost four other games against quality opponents in close matches in a tournament at home Sept. 17.

New Buffalo easily defeated Hartford,

Cassopolis and Eau Claire.

Two of the losses were against Brandywine and Michigan Lutheran. The other defeats were in rematches with Cassopolis.

Head Coach Bruce Molineaux said the team of mostly sophomores and seniors is competing very well against the tougher opponents.

Making a few less mistakes, getting to the ball slightly quicker on defense and a bit more confidence in striking the ball harder is all that stands in the way of the team reaching the next level.

“It’s stuff we work on in practice and hope that they learn and get better,” he said.

In the Thursday, Sept. 22, issue of the New Buffalo Times on page 10, “Bison overpowering in volleyball win” was the wrong article and was erroneously printed. Please find the correct article from the Tuesday, Sept. 20, volleyball game below, as well as the article on the Bison playing in the semi-finals tournament against Bridgman that took place Saturday, Sept. 24, on page 11. The New Buffalo Times apologizes for this error.

Local Government Meetings

New Buffalo Times

Democracy Requires Transparency

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL LOU O’DONNELL, IV. MARK ROBERTSON, JOHN HUMPHREY, ROGER LIJESKI, BRIAN FLANAGAN City Council meets on the 3rd Mondayof each month at 6:30PM

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS to be determined

NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP BOARD

PETE RAHM, MICHELLE HEIT, JUDY H. ZABICKI, PATTY IAZZETTO, JACK ROGERS

Board meets on the 3rd Mondayof each month at 7PM

NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION

Meets on the 1st Tuesdayof each month at 6:30PM

NEW BUFFALO AREA SCHOOLS BOARD CHUCK HEIT, PRESIDENT HEATHER BLACK, VICE PRESIDENT JOHN HASKINS, TREASURER LISA WERNER, SECRETARY JOYCE LANTZ, TRUSTEE FRANK MARGRO, TRUSTEE PATRICIA NEWSTON, TRUSTEE

CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP BOARD DAVID BUNTE, PAULA DUDIAK, LIZ RETTIG, RICHARD SULLIVAN, BILL MARSKE

Chikaming Board meets on the 2ndThursday of each month at 6:30PM

CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION

Meets on the 1st Wednesdayof each month at 6:30PM

THREE OAKS

THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP BOARD

Meets on the 2nd Mondayof each month at 7PM

VILLAGE OF THREE OAKS BOARD Meets on the 2nd Wednesdayof each month at 7PM

GRAND BEACH Meets on the 3rd Wednesdayof each month at 7PM MARY ROBERTSON, CLERK DEBORAH LINDLEY, BLAKE O’HALLORAN, JAMES BRACEWELL, PETER DOERR, PAUL LEONARD, JR.

MICHIANA

VILLAGE OF MICHIANA COUNCIL

Meets on the 2nd Fridayof each month at 1PM

A brand-new Sawyer envisioned during resident, stakeholder meetings

Residents and stakeholders began the conversation on how to improve the Sawyer corridor during two separate meetings at Chikaming Township Center Thursday, Sept. 22.

The corridor project will include the intersection at Red Arrow Highway and Sawyer Road all the way to Flynn Road; however, Eric Neagu, the managing principal of Antero Group, said that “how far off of that we get is up for discussion today.”

“This is the spine of the project - it doesn’t necessarily have to be the whole geography of the project,” he said.

Neagu said the Berrien County Road Department will be doing a resurfacing project with some other improvements, such as improving the drives, the crosswalk and sidewalk improvements for ADA, and that what’s driving the Sawyer corridor project is the county’s big investment for over half a million dollars in the corridor to improve the pavement.

He added that there’s “opportunities to leverage those dollars because it is county money, and we could potentially use it as a match for other grant funding for that corridor.”

The county’s improvements will stay “curb to curb” and will happen either before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.

Opportunities for connectivity were discussed. Neagu said that there are “natural barriers” that exist within the

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

corridor, such as Interstate 94 and the railroad tracks. He drew attention to the areas of Sawyer Road to I-94 and I-94 to the railroad tracks and then downtown Sawyer and asked if there are “opportunities to connect those in different ways.”

A diagram showed areas of “disjointed sidewalk” along Sawyer Road that are broken and not connected as well as areas where there exists no sidewalk. Neagu said that the county “enjoys a healthy right of way” within the corridor and there’s opportunity to work with them and improve connectivity.

Getting motorists to come off the interstate into Sawyer is also a goal. Per a map with published data, 43,000 cars a day going down the interstate and that they “want to try to draw people off that” so they come in the region more to spend money and see “there’s more to offer” in the area.

Per the report, Neagu said while roughly 5,000 people were getting off the interchange, only 2,500 cars were reported on Sawyer Road, with several probably heading for the truck stop and then getting back on the road.

Neagu saying that the parking configuration may need to change if there were to be more traffic in the area. Neague said a count of total street parking revealed that there are 31 spaces for street parking in downtown Sawyer and the largest stall

is 44 feet and the smallest is 19 feet. There are also 215 private parking stalls.

Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte said that Sawyer is a “mess half the time because it’s half gravel and half asphalt, you got gravel on the roadway all the time, you got it on the sidewalks – visually, aesthetically it looks terrible.”

He added that they have a “pedestrian and traffic and crossing and safety issue” with this project and “that is that funneling at Sawyer Garden Center between Greenbush and the Flynn building – is so much walking and cars coming in and out and trying to turn and everything, it’s a cluster.”

“We’re hopefully going to propose that we look at that as potential one way in and one way out by the post office to keep the traffic flow going that minimizes that horrible congestion there at that one entry,” he said.

Residents and stakeholders were also invited to look at photos of amenities from different downtowns and indicate which ones they like as well as to indicate which parts of the corridor have problem areas with sticky notes.

Neagu said they’ll be holding future public meetings, during which they’ll come back with more specific ideas that have come out of the two meetings that were held that day.

Power is dangerous unless you have humility. — Richard J. Daley

Grand Beach Village Council appoints police chief as short-term rental code enforcement official

HEAR OVERVIEW OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROCESS

BY FRANCESCA SAGAL

Members of the Grand Beach Village Council approved appointing Ryan Layman, police chief for villages of Grand Beach/Michiana, as the shortterm rental code enforcement official at their Wednesday, Sept. 21, meeting.

They also approved paying Layman $200 for the inspection of each property and a billable court time fee at $150 per hour.

Council president James Bracewell said having a code enforcement official is part of the structure of the code of the short-term rental ordinance.

Letters from anyone who will be affected by the ordinance were forwarded to Layman.

Regarding the inspection fee, Layman said that this isn’t an “extra fee” and that a three-bedroom home is $900 and his $200 would come out of that $900.

The village adopted a short-term rental ordinance in the spring that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023.

Layman gave an overview of the village’s short-term rental ordinance.

He and the property owner or a local agent will meet at the property to get the inspection done. If no reinspection is necessary, the documents will be signed, and the fee will be paid to rent the property.

If a reinspection is needed, Layman will let the owner know what wasn’t in compliance and then schedule a time to come out and recheck it.

A rental must be registered annually. Each time the home is rented, a new registration form must be submitted to the police department email. All the owners of the home shall sign a waiver and indemnification form.

All rental homes shall have a local agent assigned. The owner can be the local agent, but they must be able to respond within one hour to the property. The agent must inspect the dwelling 30 days while all rentals occur.

Contact information for the local agent shall be posted in a prominent location in the home. The maximum occupancy should also be posted inside the dwelling.

The property must have a working landline.

Maximum occupancy is 16 adults (anyone over the age of 2). The owner must maintain short-term rental liability insurance, which includes coverage for all amenities of the dwelling. Smoke detectors shall be in each bedroom and tested every 90 days by the local agent. A CO carbon monoxide detector must be on each livable floor and tested every 90 days.

Any rental property registered for more than eight people must have two recycling cans and two garbage cans.

No attic or basement can be counted toward maximum occupancy unless it meets the building codes or egress.

Two parking spaces must be provided for every rental and one additional space for every four occupants.

A violation is a municipal civil infraction and each day that a violation continues is a separate violation.

If a property owner fails to register the property as a short-term rental, the fine is the annual registration fee times three for the first offense, and a subsequent offense is the registration fee times six.

If the maximum occupancy is exceeded, the fee is the annual registration fee times five the first time and times 10 for each subsequent offense.

The village may revoke the registration for a dwelling which is the site of at least three separate incidents occurring on three separate rental periods within a calendar year “resulting in a plea of responsibility, a plea of guilty, a plea of no contest or a court’s determination of responsibility or guilt by the owner, local agent or any renter or a violation of two or more of village’s code of ordinances,” Layman said.

It will be determined if a dwelling is a rental property if it’s occupied by someone other than the owner or his or her immediate family or friends of the owner’s family; persons residing in a dwelling represent they pay rent to occupy a premises or a dwelling or dwellings that has been published as being available for rent or lease.

Upon revocation of registration, a dwelling can’t be reregistered for a period of one year and can’t be used for short-term rentals until reregistered. A dwelling

may be reregistered after the one-year period “if all the registration requirements of this ordinance and the zoning ordinance are satisfied and if short-term rentals are still permitted under the zoning ordinance,” Layman said.

For issues with rentals, people can call the dispatch center and an officer and will investigate. The complainant must sign a citation for the owner to be cited if the complaint is noise related.

Layman said he has a Google document for the Michiana homes that are rentals and that he’ll share it via a link with officers, so they can access all rental homes on their phones.

“So, if they have a call somewhere, they can see if it’s registered or not,” he said.

The information will include the address for the rental, the name and a phone number of the local agent and how many people are authorized to stay there.

Councilmembers approved extending an offer to Keith Kehoe as the new full-time maintenance employee at $21 an hour, with benefits.

Bracewell said the new hire will bring the maintenance crew up to four members.

He said that the village has “21 homes on paper being bult” and an “incredible increase in demand for village service.”

Bracewell added that it also helps deal with the “very basic economic challenge at the council level” that involves getting to the point where the maintenance employees can’t take vacation time “over the full extended period that they’ve earned it.”

Latest census numbers also show that the village has seen an increase in senior citizens, who “ask our maintenance employees for a whole world of help.”

Superintendent Bob Dabbs said Kehoe lives close by on Wilson Road and was employed at Corvette Central in Sawyer for 13 years.

Councilmembers approved the village passing through to the residents any cost increase that it receives for water and trash.

OPEN HOUSE MARKET AT MANJUSHREE HERMITAGE SATURDAY, OCT 1

Manjushree Hermitage in Michigan City, Indiana is inviting all to join them for a day of community and fun. While there, you can learn about the programming they offer, explore the grounds, purchase a delicious lunch, and shop their vendors for unique and handmade gifts and treasures.

The open

house market will take place Saturday, October 1, from 11 am - 4 pm CST, (12 - 5 EST). Manjushree is located on US 12 (just over the Indiana border) at 10303 E. US

Highway 12, Michigan City, IN 46360. Everyone is welcome. Please email manjushreehermitage@ gmail.com if you have any questions. — STAFF REPORTS

Students are schooled on train safety during presentation

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

According to Curtis A. Stewart, state coordinator for Michigan Operation Lifesaver, every three hours every day, someone is hit, killed or injured by a train.

“What belongs on train tracks? A train. What doesn’t belong on train tracks? You or anything else,” Stewart said to kindergarten through fifth grade students at New Buffalo Elementary School Friday,

Because trains don’t have steering wheels, they can’t steer but must “follow the tracks,” he said.

A train hitting your car is just like a car running over a pop can because a train weighs about 12 million

TCU

certain borrower benefits from your original loans, including interest rate discounts, principal rebates, or some cancellation benefits that can significantly reduce the cost of repaying your loans.

If a car is stalled or you see something wrong with a crossing, you can call an 800 number (which also lists the address of the crossing) that’s on a sign at the crossing, Stewart said.

Stewart reminded students that there’s a line where cars must stop and wait for a train to pass through. If you’re riding a bike or walking and you come to a crossing with lights blinking and the gates going down, he told the students, you must “stop and wait for the train.”

Some places have “quiet zones;” however, when the flashing lights come on

and the gates go down, don’t go through the tracks.

New Buffalo Mayor John Humphrey, who drove a school bus for the district for five years, said that, whenever they ride a bus throughout the district, they will cross railroad tracks (on the way to one place for a field trip, the bus has crossed tracks seven times).

“Make sure when you’re on the school bus and you come to a railroad crossing, stop, be quiet, listen to your teachers on the bus, listen to your bus driver and make sure there’s not a train coming so the bus can cross the railroad tracks,” he said.

Friday’spresentation

was arranged by the New Buffalo Railroad Museum.

Michigan Operation Lifesaver is an active, continuous public information and education program designed to help prevent crashes at highway/rail gradecrossings. According to www.community. oli.org/state/mi, the three “E’s” of Operation Lifesaver are: Education, Engineering and Enforcement.

“Each has a role in our attempt to reduce the over 500 fatal crashes and over 600 trespasser fatalities that occur each year,” the website states.

NBES SRO Deputy Michale Troup, principal Adam Bowen, Curtis Stewart, Lt. Ryan Sullivan, New Buffalo Township Supervisor Michelle Heit, Vannessa Thun and Paul Brady

New Buffalo Mayor John Humphrey discusses railroad safety while riding the bus

Vanessa Thun, president of the NBRRM Board, opens the presentation

www.newbuffalotimes.com6 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 Paul Brady, special agent for CSX Railroad Police, and Curtis Stewart, Michigan Operation Life Saver coordinator, speak about railroad safety

City tackling zoning map revisions

BY STAN MADDUX

The process of updating the City of New Buffalo’s zoning ordinance is well underway.

The first of three public meetings to go over the proposed new ordinance was held Monday, Sept. 26, before the New Buffalo City Council and New Buffalo Planning Commission at City Hall.

Mayor John Humphrey said a rezoning is supposed to happen every 10 years but the last official update to the zoning ordinance in the city was in 2001.

Humphrey said one of the objectives is to eliminate the many inconsistencies now contained in the current zoning ordinance.

“We need an updated, concise and streamlined plan with a vision that meets the expectations of the growth and future use of the city,” he said.

Ruben Shell from the Chicago based urban planning and design firm, Houseal Lavigne Associates, presented a draft of the revised zoning ordinance based largely on input from the community and diagnosis of the existing zoning that began in April.

In some zoning districts, few changes were made to existing boundaries.

Shell said one of the goals where changes are more noticeable is to promote more seasonal housing north of U.S. 12 and more year round housing south of U.S. 12.

Other desires reflected in the proposed adjustments to the zoning map include improved parking, walkability

and aesthetics in areas like U.S. 12 and Whittaker Street.

There was some concern expressed about the impact on property owners whose structures are on land where changes in zoning are proposed.

Officials said there would be no changes in existing use unless the building is torn down.

Councilman Mark Robertson emphasized there are two more meetings for members of the public to ask questions and voice any opposition to the revised zoning ordinance being proposed.

He said changes in the proposal could be made in response to concerns before a final vote on the final draft is taken by the city council.

“Nothing is set in stone,” he said.

Planning Commission Chairman Paul Billingsley said the draft is a working document open for adjustments during the approvals process.

“You can’t do this and not offend somebody. You just have to deal with it as it comes up,” he said.

The updated zoning also contains proposed changes to promote the creation of businesses and professional office space serving citizens and members of the vacationing public.

Other matters, like standards for storefronts and setback requirements, are also contained in the draft.

Work release center at risk of closing

BY STAN MADDUX

The work release center in LaPorte County might have to shut down from a shortage of correctional officers seeking better pay elsewhere.

LaPorte County Corrections Interim Director Mericka Beaty said five male correctional officers plan on quitting after submitting two week notices.

She said the facility housing more than 50 male offenders and nearly a dozen female offenders would have just one male correctional officer if all of the employees leave once their notices expire Oct. 7.

“I have some female workers who are considering doing the same thing,” she said.

Beaty also said there are no job applicants for openings at the already short staffed facility near the fairgrounds.

She cited low pay and having to work a lot of overtime for an extended period as major factors in the latest departures.

Beaty said correctional officers are also not paid cash for overtime. They receive compensatory time but are not able to utilize their earned time off from work because of the low staffing numbers.

In response, the LaPorte County Council Monday, Sept. 26, agreed to support a 10% increase in pay for correctional officers at the facility.

That would bring their wages to just over $20 an hour.

The proposed increase in pay is expected to come up for a formal vote by the council in a month.

LaPorte County Commissioner Sheila Matias said there might not be no other choice but to temporarily close the facility until enough job applicants are found and trained to become correctional officers.

“That program needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. There’s some really good staff there but it’s going to take some time,” she said.

Any decision to close the facility would have to be made by the LaPorte County Community Corrections Advisory Board.

One of the advisory board members is LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd, who said there are options for the offenders should the work release center have to close until staffing levels are restored.

He said the options include judges ordering offenders to continue serving their sentences in the county jail or on home detention.

Boyd said work release allows non-violent offenders to financially support their families by allowing them to be employed and stay at the facility until returning to their jobs.

He said the facility also helps prevent jail overcrowding.

“I’d hate to see it go by the wayside,” he sa

HIKERS DONATES TRAIL BENCHES TO CHIKAMING OPEN LANDS, LOCAL PARK DISTRICTS

The Harbor Country Hikers has donated 10 trail benches that will be installed along trails maintained by Chikaming Open Lands, Chikaming Township Parks and Three Oaks Parks.

The benches follow a design by Aldo Leopold, an early 20th Century American conservationist, environmental ethicist and author. Leopold benches are popular for their ease of construction, durability and relatively low cost.

Providing trail amenities is a key item in the Hikers’ statement of purpose, according to President Pat Fisher. Fisher points to the uniform trail markers installed at many local preserves and parks as another example of how the Hikers is helping to improve local trails.

An additional 12 benches have been requested and are under construction. The benches were built by Hikers members Bob Fournier and Bob Mueller. — STAFF REPORTS

SCHOLASTICS

New Buffalo school board chooses option for elementary kitchen project

\BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Members of the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education approved the second option for the New Buffalo Elementary School kitchen project at their Monday, Sept. 26, meeting.

Food Services Director Patty Iazzetto said the kitchen was built in 1974. Over the years, the district has added free breakfast for all students and an afterschool snack program and offers field trip lunches and special food events.

“Without all of the add-ons, we haven’t had any space added for storage or preparation - with more food to prepare and the menu guidelines that changed in 2012, we have more than outgrown this space to offer a safe and efficient kitchen workspace,” she said.

Board members reviewed three options for designs. Mike Galovan of Tower Pinkster said that the board would hopefully be reviewing a design development package by late November.

Option Two includes a cafeteria remodel and a new servery area, a new office addition, a new entry canopy. The current kitchen would remain unchanged.

The kitchen prep area would be 850 square feet, the storage area would be 800 square feet and then the special serving area would be 425 feet.

Iazzetto said her favorite part of the option was the space.

“If you break the space down in the storage, prep space and serving area, it gives everyone room to work and the luxury to spread out dedicated space for everyone to do their job,” she said.

The plan was to go out to bid in February and conduct post bid interviews and awarding contracts in March and then go into the procurement phase.

Mike Kounelis of The Skillman Corporation said kitchen equipment is “plagued by instability” and most new equipment has a 10–12-month lead time on equipment procurement.

Option Two would have a seven- or eight-month construction schedule, he said, adding that construction work would commence in spring of 2024 and be completed by Sept 1, 2024. The second option is projected to be just under a $4.3 million program.

Currently, the interior portion of the STEAM building being constructed across from the middle/high school is in final finishes, with the scheduled completion date right before Thanksgiving on that project. The pickleball courts have been

finished and the pavilion has been turned over and completed (with a couple of punch list items left in some of the exterior component of that project). Regarding the exterior of the STEAM building, the concrete’s been laid, and the court surfacing is scheduled in the next couple of weeks. There’s been 95% of all the underground utilities that have been put in place.

Kounelis said there’s been a series of meetings with the district staff on technology and the shop equipment “to coordinate final opinions of those pieces and parts and also to coordinate utilities to connect those pieces of equipment.”

Regarding the skate park, the concrete pad is in place and the contractor’s scheduled within the next weeks to start putting the cast in place concrete. The equipment is all on site.

Board members accepted the 2021-2022 audit as presented from Kruggel Lawton & Company, LLC.

Regarding the General Fund, the end of year fund balance was $4.7 million, which represents 33% or 40% of the general fund’s operation. Total revenues were $18 million this year with expenditures at $15.4 million, resulting in a net change in fund balances of $316,144.

This year, the district underwent a uniform guidance single compliance audit, of which there were no findings. The audit is required for districts that have spent $750,000 on federal dollars that it’s received to ensure that there’s proper compliance for the rules for which those funds are supposed to be spent.

Board members approved the purchase of machine shop equipment for the STEAM building.

The following winter coaches for 2022-2023 were approved: middle school boys’ basketball – eighth grade, Nate Jones and seventh grade, Conner Lijewski; middle school girls’ basketball – eighth grade - Jessica Conrad-Voss and seventh grade, Natalie Walter; high school boys’ basketball – varsity, Nate Tripp; high school girls’ basketball – varsity, Dave Kelly and junior varsity, Lisa Price.

Board members approved the conference attendance for Patricia Newton at the MASSP Women’s Summit in Grand Rapids Nov. 6 – 7 (Newton abstained). The conference attendance for Lisa Werner at the MASSP Women’s Summit wasn’t approved, as Chuck Heit and John Haskins voted “nay” and Newton and Heather Black voted yes (Frank Magro and Joyce Lantz were absent).

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES FORUM ON TAP FOR NEXT WEEK

The New Buffalo Education Association (NBEA) will be holding a forum for the school board candidates to share their platform before elections this fall.

The School Board Election Candidate Night will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the Middle/High School Performing Arts Center. Following the forum, there will be a meet and greet in the cafeteria from 7:30 - 8 p.m. The NBEA hopes the public will join them, so they can be informed about their local representatives in November.

— STAFF REPORTS

Raiders stumble in bid to extend winning streak

BY STAN MADDUX

The Red Arrow Raiders following two consecutive impressive victories couldn’t have looked worse, perhaps, in a 52-12 loss in high school football Friday, Sept. 23, at Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian.

Head Coach Matt Johnson said it was game he thought his team could win but the players didn’t perform to his expectations.

“Bad snaps. Bad timing. Bad reads. Bad blocking. We just played poorly,” he said.

On the positive side, he praised Juquan Pierce and Peyton Lijewski for their level of play on defense.

He also gave high marks to Josh Seifert for long gains on a couple of kick-off returns.

Johnson said he felt the team was hurt by several players not being fully prepared for the game from missing practice due to illness.

He also believed some of the players were too confident from the team’s success the past two weeks and took the Defenders for granted.

Johnson said the Defenders have some talented players but no more than Eau Claire, which his

team outscored in a shootout at home the previous week.

Offensively, the Raiders (2-3) had difficulty moving the ball for much of the game and committed five turnovers.

Johnson said the lackluster play on offense stretched from the quarterback to the offensive line.

“We really couldn’t gain any traction. A lot of it was due to the fact that we had some miscues early that mentally we just didn’t recover from,” he said.

Defensively, players were sometimes out of position opening the door for big gains.

Johnsonalso accepted part of the blame.

“Guys that normally take care of the football, fumbled the football. Passes that we normally make, we didn’t make. It was just a culmination of everybody just having a poor game,” he said.

The Raiders trailing 16-0 after the first quarter still had plenty of time to make a game of it, but things didn’t get any better.

“The second quarter was really kind of where the wheels fell off on our end,” Johnson said.

SPORTS

From the Bleachers

COLUMN BY KURT MARGGRAF IN CHICAGO

With my apologies to the Beatles, “Woke up, got out of bed, Dragged a comb across my head”. Today I am going to attempt to recreate a day in the life of a football fanatic, and unless you’re one yourself, it’s not very pretty.

First of all I have to admit that in my haste to get to my computer, I skipped the part about dragging the comb across my head. Instead, I grabbed my pills and my iPad and headed straight to the sofa. You see, not only do I have my Bears to worry about, but I also have my fantasy team. The first thing I read was that one of my running backs was ill and might not play. While the Bears are doing better than expected with a record of 1-1, my fantasy team has really struggled and has a record of 0-2. I turned on the television and was gone for the day. A show about fantasy football was first, and I found out my running back would be playing, so the day started well. Next, I watched a couple of pre game shows, grabbed some toast and a soda, and settled in for the Bear game. The Bear game had its share of ups and downs. The game started well, but like so many Bears games over the years, everything didn’t go smoothly and by halftime, the fans were booing. I didn’t have a very good feeling about the game because our former coach, Lovie Smith, was coaching our opponent, the Texans. When Lovie coached the Bears, we often

won but were almost always boring. To top it off, former Packer great James Lofton was one of the announcers. I was beginning to think a curse was upon us. But wonder of all wonders, today the Bears slayed the dragon, winning the game on a field goal as time ran out. While the Bears game plan left a lot to be desired, and the quarterback play wasn’t acceptable, when the day was done they were tied for first place with a 2-1 record. The Bears are supposed to struggle this season, so it’s nice to see them win some games. Hopefully, it’s a sign of future success.

Back to today. I actually stopped watching football to eat some dinner. Then, back to the sofa to watch the Sunday night game. Denver won a barn burner over San Francisco to finish Sunday’s action, but fear not, we still have Monday nights game.

For those of you wondering how my fantasy team did, I lost big to fall to 0-3, but at least I lost to one of my grandsons. Speaking of grandkids, they sure are great. Have a great week everyone, be happy !

I found this anonymous quote and wanted to share it with you today. “On this day, remember that you are beautiful. You are worthy, you are important, you are special, you are unique and wonderful. You are talented and irreplaceable.”

Be careful out there. Talk to you next week. Peace, love, and happiness.

Anything you do in your life, you have to be a professional. — Charles Oliveira

Strong showing by Lady Bison in tournament

BY STAN MADDUX

The New Buffalo High School girls’ volleyball team made it to the semifinals in a tournament at Bridgman Saturday, Sept. 24.

The Lady Bison lost to Sturgis, which advanced to the finals and won the tournament.

New Buffalo defeated River Valley 25-18 and 25-15 then lost both games to Sturgis 25-18 before splitting two games with Cassopolis 25-12 and 2522.

The Lady Bison later defeated Cassopolis 25-22 and 25-17 before losing again to Sturgis in the semi-finals 25-17 and 2519.

Head Coach Bruce Molineaux said he was pleased with the performance of his team striving to be a major factor in the post season.

He was also encouraged by how well his players competed against a much larger school like Sturgis.

“We played them tough. We came up short to them but they’re a pretty good team. They had a couple of really good hitters,” Molineaux said.

Sophomore Jane Funk was again the dominant player for the Lady Bison with 44 kills on offense and 24 digs on defense for the whole tournament.

Junior Ava Johnson was the tournament leader in assists for New Buffalo

with 38.

Sophomore Benita Puskinigus was also a major contributor on offense with 15 kills and six aces.

Ellie Cybulski, Cassidy Saunders and Josie Humphrey added a combined 17 kills while Humphrey also recorded five aces.

On defense, the Lady Bison were led by senior Amanda Jones with 48 digs while Liz Schmock and Lyn Jones had 20 digs and 10 digs respectively.

The Lady Bison are now 14-11-3 on the season.

New Buffalo swept Grace Christian 25-11, 25-9 and 25-10 Wednesday, Sept. 21.

The best three out of five games match was at home for the Lady Bison led again by Funk with 16 kills and Johnson with 19 assists.

Puskinigus added 7 kills and 4 aces.

Schmock was the leader on defense with 12 digs.

Recently, Molineaux moved sophomores Humphrey and Saunders into the starting line-up to try and generate what’s needed to reach the next level during the balance of the regular season and make a good post season run.

“You never know. We got some tough matches yet to come,” he said.

FRIENDSHIP BOTANIC GARDENS TO HOST HAUNTED TRAILS AND FAMILY FALL FEST

Friendship Botanic Gardens will host its annual Haunted Trails and Family Fall Fest from 2 to 4 p.m. CDT Sunday, Oct. 16.

To get into the holiday spirit, children are invited to wear their Halloween costumes for an afternoon of family-friendly scares set in the winding nature trails of Friendship Botanic Gardens. There will be trickor-treating stations located along the Haunted Trails loop, temporary tattoos and games. A Best Costume Contest for kids will be held near the Symphony Garden at 3 p.m. Special prizes will be given out for the 10 best costumes.

Admission is $5 for adults and children ages 13 and over and $2 for children ages 2 to 12. Kids ages 0-1 are free. Tickets are available at the door the day of the event, cash or card. Cash is preferred for speedier entrance. Please use the main entrance off Highway 12.

Lochner Engineering has partnered with Friendship Botanic Gardens to make this event possible.

Friendship Botanic Gardens (a volunteer-based, not-for-profit organization) is a community treasure and an oasis of formal gardens and wooded nature trails tucked in an old-growth forest surrounding Trail Creek. It is located at 2055 East U.S. Highway 12 in Michigan City. For more information, contact (219)-878-9885, info@ friendshipbotanicgardens. org or visit www. friendshipbotanicgardens.org.

REPORTS

Runners, walkers fired up about raising funds for New Buffalo Township Fire Department

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

New Buffalo Township Supervisor Michelle Heit said the township has “the very best firefighters, hands down.”

A little over 100 runners/walkers from the surrounding area and beyond agreed, as they showed up the early morning of Saturday, Sept. 24, for the first New Buffalo Township Fired Up 5K.

Proceeds for the 5K went to Friends of New Buffalo Township Fire, with Heit saying the funds will be used to provide some extra equipment for the township’s firefighters that “taxpayer dollars can’t necessarily provide.”

“They are the ones who put on this great event, and I thank them for their service to our community and I thank you for supporting them,” Heit said.

She also thanked the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, MAC Sports Timing and Julie Flick, treasurer of the Friends of New Buffalo Township Fire, who was instrumental in revitalizing the group.

New Buffalo Township Fire Chief Jamie Flick said the fire department will continue to grow from that day’s support.

“The funds raised today will help us get some equipment and just help

further the fire department along,” he said, adding that “hopefully, next year, we can grow this even bigger.”

Runners and walkers began on Community Hall Road in Union Pier, running along the nonmotorized path along Red Arrow Highway and the meandering paths throughout Union Pier before returning to the finish line on Community Hall Road.

Participants over 21 enjoyed a beer at Seedz Brewery afterward.

The overall winner of that day’s 5K, as well as the overall female winner, was Jessie Armstrong from St. Joseph, Michigan, with a time of 19:00.5.

She said she raced in high school and college and was looking to get back in shape after giving birth last summer.

“I’ve been training all summer –I had a baby last year, so I’ve been getting back in racing and trying to juggle that with motherhood,” she said.

Armstrong added that her fiancée was also running that day.

“We wanted to support the fire department - I used to train as a firefighter, so this was an important race we wanted to be involved in,” she said.

Runners are off to the races

Benjamin Holland races down Lakeshore Road

Meredith Johnson crosses the finish line

New Buffalo Township Supervisor Michelle Heit thanks the crowd at Seedz Brewery

Members of the fire department

Berrien County Undersheriff Chuck Heit leads the 5K

Gathering at Seedz Brewery for beer and camerderie

Fire chief Jamie Flick thanks the crowd while Julie Flick looks on Hazel and Alli Hoskins cross the finish line

Second place overall, as well as overall male winner, went to Jay Fast of Bridgman with a time of 19:03.0.

Fast, who’s done some 5Ks, including the Chicago Marathon last fall, credited Armstrong with helping him “run my fastest 5K run.”

His children are also avid runners, and he’s often busy on weekends with their meets.

“With my kids running cross country, I didn’t have many Saturdays but this one was open,” he said.

Whole families could also be seen running throughout the course.

Jennifer Brannigan Ward said it was the first time the family could run together – except for the youngest one, Juliette.

“She was in the jogger here but maybe next year, she can run,” she said.

The family, who’s from Roscoe Village in Chicago had come up for the 5K and planned on doing the Apple Cider century the following day, so it was a big athletic weekend.

Daughter Brooks said it was her second 5K.

“This was probably my favorite one because I didn’t know anyone and I competed against strangers, so there was way less pressure,” she said.

The following is a list of the overall winner in each age category and their corresponding times: 14 and under, male - August Johnson, 20:40.7; 14 and female - L. Drexler, 29:56.5; 1519, male – Ladyn Hunt, 20:23.3; 2029, male – Patrick Tovar, 20:50.3 and female – Victoria Graham, 29:32.1; 30-39, male – Benjamin Holland, 27:30.8 and female – Amanda Brunke, 27:44.1; 40-49, male - Scott Williams, 22:06.4 and female – Erica Johnson 21:45.9; 50-59, male – Scott Wills, 24:57.4 and female – Stacy Gorsuch, 38:45.6; and 60 and Over, male – Howard Speizer, 24:28.2 and female – Judith Martin, 38:59.2.

Jessie Armstrong runs along Lakeshore Road with Jay Fast

Taking pictures from the fire truck on Community Hall Road

Erica Johnson runs along Lakeshore Road

Tabitha Hashbrouk and Elisabeth Reinks cross the finish line

‘Apple Cider Century’ celebrates 49 years

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

In January 1974, 12 people joined a bike club that was started by Bryan Volstorf.

“I first rode around Lake Michigan a couple times and some local guys said, ‘Let’s form a bike club so we can all go for rides all the time,’” Volstorf said, adding that none of them ended up joining his club.

One of the first events the club had was a heart fundraiser, which cost $1000 to put on. Over $4,000 was raised, which Volstorf, not realizing that he could use some of that money to pay for the expenses, sent to the organization. This left the group with $300 in the

bank account.

“I said, ‘Why don’t we have another ride in the fall?’” Volstorf said, adding that he’d been on 100-mile rides and observed what was “done right” with them.

When he asked a local orchard when he could get apples and cider, he said “not until the end of September.”

“I said, ‘Okay, we’ll have the ride in September – and it just evolved from there,” Volstorf said.

On this year’s 49th annual Apple Cider Century, which took place Sunday, Sept. 25, there were a little over 3,200 registered cyclists.

Having been around for so many decades, the annual ride is known by cyclists across the country. Volstorf said 33 states represent the ride every year, and that Canada and European countries are also represented (although not so much in the past couple years due to Covid).

This year, he said they had 15 cyclists from California and another 15 from Colorado. Usually, 70% come from Illinois, while 500-some cyclists are from Michigan, and 400-some come from Indiana.

Migs and Kevin Murray of the New Buffalo Lions Club hand out refreshments at Oselka Park

Cyclists leave the start and finish line and hit the road

Directng traffic on Elm Street

Cyclists do some quick exercises before hitting the road

Bicycles crowd the lawn across from the elementary school

Cyclists hit the road for the famed Apple Cider Century

Keary and Valentina Hall and Paul Neidhardt are ready to hit the road

Cyclists are ready to ride the morning of Sept. 25

Cyclists head down the country roads in Three Oaks

Ellianna and Erika Wilson and Tim Hardon enjoy pancakes in the fire station

Cyclists head down South Whittaker Street

Cyclists gather at the start and finish line the morning of Sept. 25 Taking a break at Oselka Park

After meeting at Three Oaks Elementary School at the start/finish line and fueling their bodies with a pancake breakfast put on by the Three Oaks Fire Department, cyclists then strap on their helmets and head out on a tour of the meandering backroads of southwest Michigan.

The ride is put on by the Three Oaks Spokes Club (of which Volstorf is president) – the evolution of that 12-member bike club that Volstorf formed so many years ago.

After Covid, everything was pretty much business as usual, although Volstorf said the prices on items for the ride went up “astronomically” this year.

“Instead of $120,000 to put it on, it was more like

$180,000 to put it on,” he said.

The route, which is marked by Volstorf and one other volunteer, takes two and a half days to set up. This year, there was a 15-mile route (for families and kids), 25 miles for those who are a little more advanced and then a 50-, 75- and 100-mile route for the advanced set.

Cyclists could stop at designated SAG stops, where they could refuel themselves with a snack of bananas, apple cider, Gatorade and water served by a hired nonprofit group. A bike repair man can assist them with any repairs, and an EMT and HAM radio operator is also present in case of emergencies.

Policemen are hired to direct traffic at dangerous

intersections.

Once they’ve completed their ride, cyclists celebrate with an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner at the elementary school.

Of course, the 78-year-old Volstorf still makes time to hit the road himself.

“I go every Wednesday and Saturday – the club rides 20-25 miles,” he said, adding that he used to do centuries, but 25 miles is fine for him now.

Next year, the Apple Cider Century will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, during which Volstorf said that the club will be doing “some special, special things” to mark the occasion.

Kayla Brahm and Peter Harris ready for their 100-mile ride

Cyclists take a break at Oselka Park

Lt. Mark German and Matt Keller cook sausages at the pancake breakfast

Cyclists refill their water bottles at Oselka Park

Cyclists take a journey through the country in Three Oaks

Cyclists depart from the elementary school Sunday morning

Young cyclists enjoy ice cream at the ice cream social in Dewey Cannon Park Saturday

Cyclists are ready to ride at the start line Sept. 25

Roy Brown, Dan Dunham, Cindy Melchor and Brian Aschenbrenner serve ice cream at Saturday’s ice cream social

Cyclists head down North Whittaker Street Cyclists take the country roads in Three Oaks

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

For the ninth Remember Me Thursday at Michiana Humane Society (MHS) in Michigan City Thursday, Sept. 22, MHS Executive Director Johanna Humbert wanted to draw attention to the shelter’s animal care staff.

“They are here 365 days a year - taking care of our animals, making friends with them, building trust with them and giving them not just the essentials of daily life but some warmth, some attention, some comfort and some exercise,” she said.

This makes it especially hard for staff members when one of the animals with whom they’ve invested so much time passes away.

“One of the main reasons we decided to do Remember Me Thursday nine years ago was to give them a place where they could feel safe expressing their grief for the animals that have died over the past year,” Humbert said.

Humbert also asked everyone to give “quiet applause” to the shelter’s volunteers, some of whom were strolling among that evening’s crowd with adoptable dogs on leashes.

“The volunteers are also essential for picking up the

slack - where the staff can’t get everyone out for an hour in the park, volunteers step up to get dogs out or to spend an afternoon in the cat room, so that all the cats get some exercise also,” she said.

More than 300 luminaries had been set up in the shelter’s front yard. Guests could purchase a luminary for $5 to decorate it in memory of a beloved furry family member who’d passed away. Those who couldn’t be there dedicated a candle online.

“Take few moments of silence while the animal care staff comes down and lights all the candles and then once everything is glowing, we’ll invite you to get up and wander through the glowing luminaries,” Humbert said.

Remember Me Thursday is a nationwide event that not only shines a light on animals who’ve passed away, but also orphan pets who are waiting in shelters and rescues.

According to its website, since its inception in 2013, Remember Me Thursday has made more than 2 billion impressions on social media.

This year’s MHS event was sponsored by Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City.

Luminaries were decorated in memory of pets who have passed

Guests interact with adoptable dogs on Remember Me Thursday

Lisa Van Plew-Sid with 9 and a half year old Mia The MHS animal care staff

Lighted luminaries glow against the onslaught of darkness

Bob Kasarda walks Haggard, who is available for adoption

Animal care staff light the luminaries in front of the shelter Remembering the pets in front of MHS

Michiana Humane Society hosts ninth night for the animals during ‘Remember Me Thursday’

OBITUARIES

Ralph Rufus Brotherton

1937-2022

Ralph

Rufus Brotherton, 85, of Lakeside, Michigan died peacefully Saturday September 10, 2022 in the presence of his family.

His life began April 5, 1937 in Howell, Missouri the youngest of twelve children born to Gerdine and Velma Brotherton. He married Carol J. Payne February 6, 1960 in Groton, Connecticut.

Ralph served honorably in submarine service with the United States Navy for twenty years. He retired from the Navy and then began working for NIPSCO in Michigan City, Indiana. He worked for them until his retirement. He was a member of the New Buffalo American Legion Post #169. He would strike up conversation with anyone and he was generous and well-liked person.

Ralph will be greatly missed by family and friends. He is survived by his wife of sixty-two years, Carol of Lakeside; sons, Robert Brotherton of Lakeside; one daughter-inlaw, Mary Brotherton of Sawyer, one grandson, Adam (Sarah) Bucher; great grandchildren, Kole, Kelsey; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Kenneth Brotherton, Stephen Brotherton; five sisters; and six brothers.

Family and friends will gather for a graveside service at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, September 29, 2022 in Glendora Cemetery, 13266-13088 Cleveland Avenue, Buchanan, Michigan 49107, where he will be accorded Military Honors.

Mr. Brotherton will be laid to rest with his sons in Glendora Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Wagner Family Funerals Pobocik Chapel, Three Oaks. Please share a memory or a message online at www.wagnercares.com.

HOR0SCOPE

29-OCTOBER 5, 2022

AS INTERPRETED BY SANDY “STAR” BENDT

ARIES MARCH 21—APRIL 19

This is a very bright and vibrant week for relationship building and getting together with friends. There may be some attitude adjustments you need to make or some philosophical differences you may need to overcome but now is the time to have fun and get closer with others.

TAURUS APRIL 20—MAY 20

You will be feeling very secure and stable with your career and daily routines this week. Staying on track will come easy now and turning out good work will get you noticed. Getting chores done and making adjustments as needed will be done much smoother now.

GEMINI MAY 21—JUNE 21

You will be feeling fired up and ready for adventure this week. Healing and active recovery will certainly be felt emotionally as well as physically now. There may be some adjustments made to your public image, but it will be positive. Intimate relationships will improve also.

CANCER JUNE 22—JULY 22

If you have been needing to make changes with your living situation or have been putting off a costly repair, good news is coming your way. This week there is a wonderful stellar energy that will help you make those changes and repairs at little to no cost. Don’t give up yet!

LEO JULY 23—AUGUST 22

There is a nice ray of energy coming your way. Use it to open up conversations with loved ones. There may be some serious matters you need to discuss and the vibe this week will help to lighten up the conversation. You can expect good news of all kinds.

VIRGO AUGUST 23—SEPTEMBER 22

Attracting money and things of value will come easy for you this week. Hit the flea markets or resale shops now because this is when you’ll find that perfect piece or that one special item to complete your collection. If nothing else early holiday shopping can’t hurt.

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23—OCTOBER 22

This is a very positive week for you personally. You will feel good about who and what you have accomplished. Any aches and pains you may be experiencing will dissipate now and you can be sure that your home environment will feel much cozier as well.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23—NOVEMBER 21

You will feel much more at ease with your homelife this week. Any chaos or ill feelings with others will heal and mend now. You may have to swallow your pride or eat a little crow but you will have a very rewarding and peaceful relationship if you do.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22—DECEMBER 21

Social gatherings are a must this time of year for the Archer. This week will be full of lively conversations and get togethers with friends will be heartwarming. Seeing old friends will bring back some good memories and ideas for future gatherings will take shape.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22—JANUARY 19

Public speaking or engaging in political debates will attract you this week. The only issue is that you may become overly emotional about the topic, which may surprise you or your audience. Own your passion and speak your truth. Your identity or image will only be enhanced.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 20—FEBRUARY 18

Your mind will be very active and ready to research and explore topics and ideas that are beyond everyday experiences. Traveling and exploring new cultures or embracing a new philosophy may cause you to spend more money than you had planned, but if it’s for educational purposes…

PISCES FEBRUARY 19—MARCH 20

You will be getting very personal and up close with others this week. This is the time to embrace others and open your heart to their stories and life experiences. Being quiet and simply listening to others will open you up to a different experience or an alternative side of life.

New

Learning and attention issues can look different to parents and kids. That’s why there’s Understood, a free online resource with answers, advice and tools to help your child thrive. Go from misunderstanding to understood.org.

Brought to you by 15 nonprofit partners

SOME PARENTS WANT THEIR KIDS TO TRY HARDER. SOME KIDS ARE TRYING AS HARD AS THEY CAN.

Huge rebound forecast for Michigan apple crop

BY STAN MADDUX

near doubling of last year’s apple crop in Michigan forecast by USDA seems right on the money judging from growers in the southwest part of the state.

“Everybody in the area has a huge apple crop,” said Annette Bjorge, owner of Fruit Acres Farm Market and U-Pick at 3452 Friday Road in Coloma.

Bjorge estimated her 20 acres of apple trees doubled their production from last year when the crop was hurt mostly by early season bud killing frost.

She said there was no early season frost or freezes this year and weather during the growing season was ideal.

Bjorge wasn’t sure if the size of her crop will set any personal records considering the

orchard has been in her family since 1846.

However, she said her apple crop this year will be one of the best at her farm, which also raises peaches, cherries, pears and other fruit on about 200 acres.

USDA estimates 26.1 million bushels of apples will come out of Michigan this year compared to 15.6 million bushels in 2021.

According to USDA, many growers in Michigan are also expecting some of their best yields since 2016.

Michigan is the third leading apple producer in the country with an average five year crop size of 22 million bushels, according to USDA.

Agnes Cielbauer predicted her apple crop this year will be about 40% larger than last

year.

Cielbauer and her husband, Joseph, have owned Twin Maple Orchards at 15352 Cleveland Avenue near Galien for 58 years.

She also wasn’t sure if any production records will be set for apples at her orchard but left it open as a possibility.

Cielbauer was certain, though, this year’s crop will be one of her best not just in terms of volume but also the size and quality of her apples.

“There are no bad apples on the trees,” she said.

Cielbauer also described the weather as “just right” for pollination.

“We did have our bees working,” she said.

Doug Forraht described his apple crop as above average

and estimated production at his two growing locations at roughly 25% above 2021.

“I don’t know if it’s a record year but it’s pretty good. A very heavy crop,” he said.

His family owns Forraht Fruit Farms at 960 E. Lemon Creek Road at Berrien Springs and The Shafer Farm at 9800 Hartline Road in Baroda.

There’s close to 40 acres of apple trees at both sites combined along with 16 acres of peach trees and one acre of pear trees.

He also credited no early season frost and what could be viewed as perfect weather conditions during the growing season for an abundant crop.

“We had a lot of timely rains and enough heat but it wasn’t excessive,” Forraht said.

According to USDA, the highest apple producing state in the U.S. is Washington followed by New York.

USDA is projecting 154 million bushels of apples coming out of Washington this year or about six million bushels less than 2021 because of a wet, windy and colder than normal spring in the state.

Apple production in New York is expected to climb from 31.9 million bushels to 34.5 million bushels in 2022, according to USDA.

USDA estimates this year’s apple production nationwide will be up by 3%.

Body recovered from Lake Michigan

Authorities were investigating the discovery of a body in Lake Michigan near the Indiana-Michigan state line.

According to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office, emergency responders about

BY STAN MADDUX

12 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26, were called to the 4000 block of Lakeshore Drive in the Village of Michiana on a report of a body floating in the water.

Police said efforts were being made to identify the victim described as a white or light skin black male in his

30s. The victim was further described as about 6 feet tall with a medium build.

Police said the body was recovered with help from the New Buffalo Township and Michiana

Shores fire departments. An autopsy was scheduled at the Western Michigan University School of Medicine.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Grand Beach/Michiana Police Department at 269469-1884.

CHASE TRIGGERED BY IDENTITY THEFT IN SPORTS CAR PURCHASE

It appears identity theft was involved in a high-speed chase ending with a crash in LaPorte over the weekend.

Charged with fraud and other counts like resisting law enforcement is 29-year-old Anteis Robinson.

According to court documents, Robinson came here Saturday from Indianapolis.

Police said personal information stolen from a downstate woman was used to purchase a 2020 Dodge Charger from LaPorte Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram on Pine Lake Avenue.

According to court documents, Robinson fled from the dealership at high speeds in the car when the fraudulent purchase was detected.

He was chased by police down Pine Lake Avenue and Lincolnway before crashing on J Street outside the Family Express.

Robinson was being held in the LaPorte County Jail on $15,000 bond.

No serious injuries resulted in the crash involving two other vehicles.

A LaPorte man on foot was nearly hit by the sports car during the pursuit.

Twenty-four-year-old Tommy Sosinski said he was walking beside Pine Lake near Indiana 39 when the fleeing orange colored Dodge Charger veered around vehicles stopped at the traffic light and was in the grass coming toward him.

“He had to be going like 100 miles per hour and, luckily, I jumped out of the way,” he said.

— STAN MADDUX

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8 kids a day are accidentally killed or injured by FAMILY FIRE.

FAMILY FIRE is a shooting involving an improperly stored gun, often found in the home.

ENDFAMILYFIRE.org