A former Ionia County Intermediate School District (ISD) teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing was sentenced to probation and community service after being convicted by a jury of assaulting a 5-year-old student by spitting in the boy’s face.
Jill Burt-Spoelma was charged with two counts of fourth-degree child abuse (which carries a possible one-year in jail penalty) and two counts of assault and battery (which carries a possible 93 days in jail penalty). The assault and battery charges were added against her on the morning of the Aug. 22 trial in Ionia County District Court.
A man was sentenced to prison time after drunkenly causing a traffic collision which injured two people in Ionia County’s Portland Township.
Ray Jay Hoogeveen, 41, of West Olive (located just south of Grand Haven) pleaded no contest on July 19 to second-degree fleeing police, failure to stop at the scene of a serious personal injury accident, operating under the influence of liquor and reckless driving. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.
A Portland woman was sentenced to 60 days jail after driving drunk at more than three times the legal limit for alcohol and causing an accident while she had two children in her vehicle.
India Skye Schafer, 32, pleaded guilty on Aug. 12 to operating while intoxicated with an occupant less than 16 years old/child endangerment.
A redbone coonhound was euthanized by its owner after the dog was documented to have attacked and bitten at least three people in the village of Lakeview — including a police officer, a mail carrier and a child.
The dog’s owner, Kaelynn Eitniear of Lakeview, was due to appear in Montcalm County District Court on Sept. 30 for a hearing on the matter after village officials sought to have the dog put down. However, the court hearing was canceled after Eitniear finally handled the matter herself.
Central Montcalm’s cross country team has been off to a blazing start, one of its best in two decades. The Green Hornets have a young program with just one senior on each the boys and girls teams.
So when the Hornets jumped out to the start they did, winning Central State Activities Association jamborees, first-year coach Austin Sargent said he was excited for the season. Now, the girls team is in a prime position to win the conference title after earning a team win during Tuesday’s meet at Lakeview.
This summer, a local motorcycle club raised and donated $5,472 to Ionia Area Hospice. That puts the total raised by the club over $55,000 since 2005.
The Loyal Riders M/C North Plains Chapter, with assistance from Ventra, Metcor, Meir Transport and Muir-Lyons VFW Post 4646, hold a “hospice run” every June to raise funds for Ionia Area Hospice.
Justin Zimmer was added to the Buffalo Bills practice squad on Tuesday.
The free agent defensive tackle previously played for the Bills in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Having played previously for the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns, Zimmer saw his most plentiful and productive playing time with the Bills, appearing in 18 games over two seasons for the franchise and recording 29 tackles, two sacks and a game-winning forced fumble against the New England Patriots in 2020.
