Group donates time and money for New Year’s Eve fireworks display

December 28, 2012
Group donates time and money for New Year’s Eve fireworks display

LUDINGTON – Thousands of people are expected to be in downtown Ludington Monday night to ring in the new year. A lot of volunteer time goes into Ludington’s Light up the Lake New Year’s Eve Ball Drop celebration. Among those volunteers is a group that is responsible for the climax of the evening, the fireworks display. Bruce Pelletier, Matt Bryant,…

Read more »

Ludington school board to discuss superintendent search

December 28, 2012

LUDINGTON — The Ludington Area Schools board of education will hold a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 3 to discuss searching for a new superintendent. Superintendent Cal DeKuiper has accepted a position as superintendent of Zeeland Public Schools. LAS is working with Washburn & Associates to search for a new superintendent. Mike Washburn is expected to be at the meeting to…

Read more »

Arraignments

December 28, 2012

LUDINGTON – The following are the arraignments in 79th District Court for the previous week. David Duane Bothwell, 36, 610 E. Danaher St., Apt. 1, Ludington was arrested on Dec. 21 by Ludington Police Department for malicious destruction of property. Bail posted: $7,500. Pretrial conference: Jan. 14, 1:45 p.m. Christopher Mark Branning, 25, 1991 Cyrstal View Rd., Amber Twp., was…

Read more »

District court sentences

December 28, 2012

 LUDINGTON – The following people appeared in front of Judge Peter Wadel recently in 79th District Court. – Ernest Johan-Robert Daughtry, 28, 1798 W. U.S. 10, Amber Twp., was found guilty on Dec. 18 for domestic violence. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 93 days discretionary jail for 2 years, outpatient treatment and $580 in fines. A…

Read more »

Ludington resident receives prison time for probation violations

December 28, 2012

LUDINGTON — Harold Alan Snyder, 43, 115 E. Dowland St., Ludington was found guilty on Dec. 18 in 51st Circuit Court for a probation violation stemming from a breaking and entering conviction from Aug. 14, 2007. He was sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison and $9,167.50 in fines. He was also found guilty on Dec. 18 for a…

Read more »

Area had more air quality action days in ’12

December 28, 2012

LUDINGTON – There were 18 air quality action days issued here in 2012, after the region saw just five action days issued in 2011, according to data from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The DEQ program monitors ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution. Fine particle pollution, commonly called soot, is an air pollutant linked to premature death, heart and…

Read more »

Thanks for a great 2012, here’s to 2013!

December 27, 2012

As 2013 approaches, I wanted to take a few moments and reflect on 2012. MasonCountyPress.com was started in January 2012 with the goal of providing free news and information to the people of Mason County. I also wanted to create a news source which took advantage of social networking, giving people news now rather than 24 hours later. We started…

Read more »

Badger’s competitor owns coal mine; Sen. Durbin received financing from coal

December 26, 2012
Badger’s competitor owns coal mine; Sen. Durbin received financing from coal

Two very outspoken opponents to the S.S. Badger carferry’s use of coal seem to actually benefit financially from coal. The owner of the Milwaukee to Muskegon car ferry, owns stock in a coal plant while Illinois’ senior senator received nearly $53,000 in campaign contributions from coal-related industries. Sheldon B. Lubar, who owns Lake Express of Milwaukee with his sons, has…

Read more »

Scottville Main Street gets a new boost

December 26, 2012
Scottville Main Street gets a new boost

SCOTTVILLE — Scottville’s Main Street program got a new boost in recent weeks with the announcement that the program is being recognized as a Master program with the state. This is good news for the program, which was in jeopardy of losing its recognition with the state because it was not accredited last year. “We weren’t accredited in 2010/2011,” Main…

Read more »

Ahlgren pleas guilty to embezzlement from bank

December 25, 2012

GRAND RAPIDS – Stacy Lynn Ahlgren, a former employee of Northwestern Bank in Ludington, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement, according to Mlive.com. The longtime employee took nearly $900,000 from the bank over five years. Ahlgren made her first appearance in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan Thursday. She pleaded guilty as charged to embezzlement from an insured…

Read more »

Merry Christmas

December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas

  A story with a twist. By Pastor Henrik Lidman. I sometimes enjoy watching a movie more the second time then the first time, especially if it is a really suspense filled movie with a twist on the end. As I watch it the second time the bad parts seems more bearable because I know that the ending is going…

Read more »

Snowman season

December 22, 2012
Snowman season

CUSTER TWP. — It’s taken awhile for the snow to fall and stick, but we finally got some this week. Photographer Bonnie Chaltron found this snowman along U.S. 10 Saturday.

Read more »

OxyChem receives top safety rating

December 22, 2012

December 20, 2012 – The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) recently granted renewal of its MVPP Star Award, the state’s highest workplace safety and health award, to Occidental Chemical Corporation’s (OxyChem) calcium chloride manufacturing facility in Ludington. The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). “OxyChem’s Ludington Operations’ long-time commitment to…

Read more »

Hospitalization doesn’t stop couple from their wedding

December 22, 2012
Hospitalization doesn’t stop couple from their wedding

By Bill Kerans, Memorial Medical Center. LUDINGTON — Julia and Ravi Sharma of Ludington planned to meet at the altar on Friday—their wedding day. They just didn’t think the altar would be in the hospital. The newlyweds were to be married at the Mason County Courthouse. The wedding happened, as planned, but the ceremony took place in the Birthing Center…

Read more »

United Way reaches 75% of goal

December 22, 2012

United Way of Mason County has reached 75% of its $359,125.00 goal, with pledges now totaling $268,852.70. According to Ryan and Tracy Cox, Campaign Co-Chairs, there are still approximately 14 entities that are in the process of wrapping up their campaign, which could account for an additional $72,000.00. “Our goal is to make up the remaining amount from businesses and…

Read more »

Obit: Kenneth Ross, 73

December 22, 2012
Obit: Kenneth Ross, 73

Kenneth L. Ross, 73, of Scottville, died December 20, 2012 at Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids. He was born August 1, 1939 in Fountain to Ernest and Sybella (Brackett) Ross. Ken graduated from Custer High School in 1957 and received his Bachelor’s Degree in surveying from Ferris State University. Following graduation from Ferris, he enlisted in the United States Army…

Read more »

Obit: Marilyn Schramm, 83

December 22, 2012
Obit: Marilyn Schramm, 83

Mrs. Marilyn M. Schramm, 83, of Scottville, passed away on December 21, 2012. Marilyn was born January 14, 1929 to Crayton & Bird (Whalley) Isley in Shelby. She graduated from Shelby High School in 1947. On January 25 of that year, she married Richard Schramm. Throughout her life, Marilyn worked often as a waitress, serving at several locations in Scottville.…

Read more »

4 receive sentences in circuit court

December 21, 2012
4 receive sentences in circuit court

LUDINGTON — Four people received sentences this week in 51st Circuit Court. Two of the cases were for second degree murder, another was for a sex offender who has failed to register for the fourth time. – Lashawn Marie Whipple, 19, 2192 Beardsly Rd., Sheridan, Mich., was found guilty of Second Degree Murder (count 6), Unlawfully Driving Away a Motor…

Read more »

Area Churches