State Rep. Gina Johnsen has served in the Michigan Legislature for the past six “fast and furious” months. This week, Johnsen, R-Lake Odessa, sat down with the Daily News on Monday in downtown Ionia to talk about her legislative activities since she took office in January.
Lake Odessa
A life dedicated to public service
Jim Banks, former prosecutor, judge and county commissioner, dies at age 80Shortly after he was admitted to the bar, a young Robert Sykes Jr. had a court hearing in the late 1980s before Ionia-Montcalm Circuit Court Judge James “Jim” Banks. Sykes asked the judge to enforce a provision of the parties’ divorce judgment while Greenville attorney Jim Mullendore made the argument that the parties had orally amended the judgment, which Sykes’ client denied.
Faulty wastewater valve causes Lake Odessa leak
The Lakewood Wastewater Authority reported that approximately 50 gallons of wastewater leaked onto an Ionia County road on Wednesday. According to Doug Suntken, superintendent of the Lakewood Wastewater Authority, at approximately 1:50 p.m. it was observed that an air release valve was leaking wastewater near 1551 Tupper Lake Road in Lake Odessa
Lake Odessa man pleads no contest to Proposal 3 shooting
A Lake Odessa man pleaded no contest on Monday to shooting an 83-year-old woman over a Proposal 3 dispute. Richard Harvey, 74, shot Joan Jacobsen, 83, of Lake Odessa in the shoulder outside Harvey’s home on Bipley Road on Sept. 20, 2022 after Harvey’s wife Sharon Harvey and Jacobsen got into a verbal altercation about Michigan’s Proposal 3, which was set to be on that November’s general election ballot to determine the future of abortion legality.
‘I didn’t shoot her on purpose … she was a right wing nut’
Lake Odessa man bound over for trial on alleged Proposal 3 dispute, shooting“I didn’t shoot her on purpose. She was a right wing nut. I’m sorry I shot her.” These were among the comments made by Richard Harvey, 74, of Lake Odessa while speaking to a 911 operator just moments after allegedly shooting Joan Jacobsen, 83, of Lake Odessa in the shoulder after an alleged dispute over Michigan’s Proposal 3 ballot proposal.
JUST IN: Lake Odessa man charged with shooting Right to Life volunteer
A 74-year-old Lake Odessa man was arraigned and charged with three crimes Friday for allegedly shooting an 84-year-old Right to Life volunteer who came to his house. Richard Alan Harvey is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault using a rifle), a possible four-year felony; weapons firearms careless discharge causing injury, a possible two-year high court misdemeanor; and weapons firearms reckless use, a possible 90-day misdemeanor.
Police investigating shooting of 84-year-old woman after ‘heated conversation’ about Michigan’s Proposal 3
FREEMichigan State Police Lakeview Post troopers are investigating a shooting that occurred at an Ionia County residence after an alleged “heated conversation” about Michigan’s Proposal 3, which will be on November’s general election ballot to determine the future of abortion legality.
Leeward Renewable Energy working to bring wind facility to Ionia County
A Canadian-owned developer is continuing to work on bringing a wind turbine facility to Ionia County, a project which has been pending for well over a decade now. Leeward Renewable Energy confirmed with the Daily News that the company is still actively working on the project.
Lake Odessa man to face trial on charges of brutally murdering girlfriend
After hearing several hours of disturbing testimony Thursday afternoon, an Ionia County judge bound over a Lake Odessa man for trial on charges of brutally murdering his girlfriend. “I feel like the evidence is overwhelming,” Ionia County District Court Judge Raymond Voet said. “I feel like the evidence is very strong in support of first-degree murder.”