— One woman is in custody following a domestic argument that ended with a shot being fired inside a mobile home community in Cutlerville Multiple people called dispatch to report the gunshot inside the Cutler Estates Mobile Home Village around 5:38 p.m Deputies found that a woman and man had been arguing with each other when the woman fired a single shot at the man according to the Kent County Sheriff's Office The bullet missed and no one else was hit by the bullet The woman was arrested and taken to jail with pending charges connected to the incident Anyone with information on this shot being fired is asked to contact the Kent County Sheriff's Office at (616) 632-6125. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345 If you or someone you know is involved in a domestic violence situation The Michigan Domestic Violence Hotline is a free and confidential resource for victims to call or text 24/7 at 1-866-VOICEDV (1-866-864-2338) Kent County organized the Domestic Violence Action Network to provide connections to several local resources. Some of the organizations involved include Safe Haven Ministries (616) 452-6664 and YWCA West Central Michigan (616) 454-9922 You can also call 211 to be connected with other resources Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube — A 35-year-old Cutlerville man is facing charges for reportedly sharing child pornography online Zechariah Noah Hoogerhyde was charged with aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material using a computer to commit a crime and sex offender - failure to register address He was arrested after an investigation was launched by MSP Computer Crimes Unit Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) who learned the 35-year-old had been sharing files of child sexually abusive materials on the internet Hoogerhyde faces up to 10 years in prison for aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material 10 years for using a computer to commit a crime and four years in prison for the sex offender - failure to register address charge Hoogerhyde had been convicted in a separate complaint and had to register on Michigan's sex offender registry The 35-year-old is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on April 25 followed by a preliminary examination on May 2 according to court documents obtained by News Channel 3 Those who have information about possible child sexual exploitation are urged to click here to report to the CyberTipLine -- Kent County Sheriff's deputies say no one was injured during a domestic dispute Tuesday evening when gunshots were fired They took a 37-year-old woman into custody at a residence in the Cutler Estates Mobile Home Park That's in the Cutlerville area of Byron Township Deputies say the 37-year-old man she had an argument with was not struck by the gunfire "A 37-year-old female and a 37-year-old male were arguing with each other when the female fired a gun at the male The female was lodged at the Kent County Jail on charges stemming from the incident," the KCSO said in a news release There was no word on what started the squabble The KCSO added, "If you are in need of services related to domestic abuse, you can call 211 or the YWCA 24-hour Hotline and Domestic Crisis Center at 616-454-9922. You can also visit KentCountyMI.gov for more services available If you have information that could help to move the investigation forward or call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 to report information safely and anonymously." Photo: Source: Kent County Sheriff's Office — Two people received burns after a Cutlerville mobile home caught fire Thursday The fire broke out in the 100 block of Kenbrook Street according to the Cutlerville Fire Department (CFD) CFD credits fire departments from Wyoming and Kentwood for their assistance Home/Leadership Former Cutlerville Fire Chief Todd Szakacs was sentenced to 120 hours on a work crew for misdemeanor embezzlement charges Police found a generator, laptop, grill, grill accessories and a coffee maker intended for a fire department renovation project at his home. He resigned from his post in 2019 and pleaded no contest to the two misdemeanor charges in April, MLIVE reports. In addition to community service he will be responsible for restitution Visit MLIVE for more. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page — Three people were taken to the hospital after a crash along US-131 Monday A driver and their two passengers had been traveling on the highway near M-6 when they crashed into the back of a Kent County Road Construction Drivers are asked to find an alternate route around the area plays the trumpet in a previous year's Cutlerville Days parade .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Kristin Austin | kaustin3@mlive.comThe 45th annual Cutlerville Days celebration has been cancelled for this summer the Cutlerville-Gaines Area Chamber of Commerce's executive director citing a lack of community participation to plan the event This year's festival was originally scheduled for June 9 to 11 In January, Tietz said residents and business owners were needed to help lead Cutlerville Days including an immediate need for a planning chairperson and Leadership Committee members he said the effort to recruit for those roles has been unsuccessful there has been no active interest this year from the community to form an events committee for Cutlerville Days," Tietz said The chamber can no longer take on the fiscal responsibility or event coordination role without neglecting its key responsibilities to the Cutlerville-Gaines Business Community which is to 'foster the growth and development of the Cutlerville-Gaines Area businesses to enrich the community.'" While Cutlerville Days has been cancelled for this year Tietz said the Brian Diemer Family of Races is still set to take place June 10 he is still hoping to revive the event for next year Tietz said residents and business owners are needed to form a planning committee for the 2018 event and up to 100 volunteers are required to help operate it He said at least $25,000 in donations are needed as well to fund the event Tietz said residents and business owners interested in helping plan Cutlerville Days for 2018 can contact the chamber at 890-1378 Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Former Cutlerville Fire Chief Dan VanderMolen was named this year's Cutlerville Person of the Year .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Kevin VanAntwerpen | Mlive.comFormer Cutlerville fire chief Dan Vander Molen received Cutlerville’s Person of the Year award earlier this month while DeHaan Tile & Floor Covering received the town’s first-ever Business of the Year award In addition to serving 37 years on the Cutlerville fire department and formerly owned a local service station started by his father called Al’s Friendly Mobil “There isn’t much more you can do for your community to offer more service than our fire department,” Cutlerville-Gaines Chamber of Commerce president Phil Tietz said “My own personal feeling is that there are other people in the community who I would think deserve the reward more than me.” He recalled his time with the fire department in two significant memories There was the first woman to join the department – her name was Kathy Holton “It was a brand new thing for everybody and we didn’t know what to expect,” Vander Molen said Holton stayed with the department for five years before retiring due to health issues “She was an absolutely great addition to the department,” Vander Molen said “That’s one thing that I would have liked – if she’d have stayed.” The second memory Vander Molen said “touched him more than most things would.” Sometime close to Christmas approximately 20 years ago there was a call involving a burning trailer so he had some special instructions for the firefighters “I told them ‘if you can find any Christmas presents in there He still remembers a little girl with tears in her eyes thanking him DeHaan Tile & Floor Covering was given Cutlerville's first Business of the Year award Tietz said the award was based on the company’s 50-year lifespan and reputation for high-quality customer service Current owner Dave Herrema recalled stories about original owner Stan DeHaan “He started out as a tile setter and wanted to go into business for himself,” Herrema said “He originally worked out of the trunk of his car.” DeHaan Tile & Floor Covering expanded into countertops “He started with nothing and weathered the storms,” Herrema said DeHaan contributed to the community – he was a father of the Cutlerville Chamber of Commerce and instrumental in the development of Cutler Park and the Cutlerville Days festival DeHaan Floor & Tile Covering still financially supports Cutlerville Days “It’s kind of a hallmark of businesses in the Cutlerville area,” Tietz said DeHaan Tile & Floor Covering is located at 6552 S MI—The former Cutlerville fire chief has been charged with embezzlement following an investigation that showed he allegedly purchased items during a building renovation project and took them home Todd Szakacs is charged with embezzlement by a public official and using a computer to commit a crime He was arraigned Monday in 63rd District Court Kent County sheriff’s investigators say Szakacs supervised a building renovation project in 2016 the time frame of the alleged embezzlement The townships of Byron and Gaines jointly operate the Cutlerville Fire Department Szakacs resigned near the beginning of 2019 following an investigation by the Gaines Township attorney Police said an audit was conducted that showed “several pieces of property purchased during a renovation project that began in 2016 were missing.” Police said Szakacs was involved with the purchase of materials and equipment related to the project They said a search warrant conducted at his home turned up “several of the missing items.” Visit MLive.com, Walker, Mich. at www.mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. according an investigator from the Kent County medical examiner's office A skull and other bones were found by a homeowner cleaning up around a tree that was uprooted in Sunday's storm "What we found here tonight was skeletal remains of an ancient," Paul Davison said "It appears to be 100 years old as the tree is approximately 100 years old." who has lived in the home for about 18 years said he went out after dinner Wednesday to wash down the roots of the toppled tree in preparation for removal "It was quite a shock," Schreur said as his spraying uncovered a human skull Schreur said he couldn't believe it was in his backyard The Kent County Sheriff's department was called in and the backyard of the home in the 6800 block of Linden Avenue SE was cordoned off as police investigated Schreur said the property at one time was a part of the Pluger farm Davison said the bones found were from a small person and that "maybe someone was buried here and a tree planted as a memorial and the skeletal remains became entangled in the roots." He said the remains found will be taken to the medical examiner's office where an anthropologist will determine how old the bones are It will be up to the homeowners if they want anthropology students to come in and do a further search of the area for more remains E-mail the author of this story: localnews@grpress.com Family owned and operated for over 85 years Designer’s Choice Grand Vase Arrangement 616.724.1800 | Contact Us | Careers | Customer Reviews | Delivery/Refund Policy | © 2025 MKD Funeral Homes Upon completing your online flower order, our florist will immediately receive the details of your purchase. Our florist will then prepare your arrangement(s) with care and make the delivery to the location you provided during the ordering process. If you experience any problems with the product you ordered, please contact our business office by email at admin@mkdfuneralhome.com 1 / 5Cory Morse | cmorse1@mlive.comMeijer Gardens welcomes 14-millionth visitor Barbara Earl reacts after being named the 14-millionth guest at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids on Monday Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park President and CEO David Hooker talks with Barbara Earl who was named the 14-millionth guest at Meijer Gardens Members of the media document Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park President and CEO David Hooker presenting a gift basket to Barbara Earl Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park President and CEO David Hooker presents a gift basket to Barbara Earl The Gaines Township Historical Society is hosting an open house at the historic Cutler Home located on the Pine Rest property at 300 68th St Guests will get an opportunity to peek into the township’s past and learn about Cutlerville’s first family which arrived with 10 children in a covered wagon in 1852 It will also include a history of those 10 children and the events that helped form Cutlerville who built the Cutler home and who was wounded several times while fighting in the Civil War A medical doctor’s buggy dating from the same era as the home will be on display courtesy of Ron Sabin Guests will also take a tour of Blain Cemetery Many of Cutlerville’s early settlers are buried there including the Blain descendants and those of another early family guests will be invited to return to the Historical Room at the Gaines Township Library for cider and doughnut holes Children 6 and under will be admitted free Those planning to attend should be advised that 68th Street is closed between Dutton and Kalamazoo Avenue so anyone coming from west of Dutton should take 60th Street or 76th Street and use Kalamazoo or Eastern avenue to reach 68th Street For more information or to purchase tickets in advance contact Shirley Bruursema at 616-698-8464 or 616-706-0253 Joe Niewiek left this comment on an MLive.com story Friday about Joe's note at the Eastown BP gas station responsible guy and willing to negotiate on a pay rate "We would be very interested and have a position open," he said The trouble for Joe at the Eastown BP station started Thursday morning when his boss didn't show up to take over duty in the morning He left a note on the front door indicating he had waited an hour but wouldn't wait anymore learn to be on time or at least communicate when you are going to be late +1 hour with no phone call is unacceptable," the note stated but she told a FOX17 reporter Thursday her alarm clock had not sounded causing her to oversleep and be about an hour-and-a-half-late It's not clear what Joe's employment status now is at the BP station One customer said he found the note "hilarious" when he stopped by on his way to work Thursday morning for waiting around for an hour after his shift He understands employees can't wait forever without any idea when the next person might show up "I assume by his note (Joe) seems to be a down-to-earth Niewiek and his family have owned and operated a Sunoco gas station on Division Avenue in Cutlerville for the about 10 years He and his parents attended high school in the area Niewek said his family's deep community roots including owning property along Division since the 1950s when Niewiek's grandfather operated a scrap metal business they manage a used car business right next to the gas station The Niewiek family understands what it means to work hard and Joe Niewiek said gas station ownership is "a tough business." call the Cutlerville Sunoco station and ask for Jay or Joe The Cranker's Coney Island at 454 68th Street SW in Byron Township is being converted to a brewpub this summer .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Garret Ellison | gellison@mlive.comBYRON TOWNSHIP MI — After Cranker’s Coney Island in Big Rapids spent $1 million to add a brewery and taproom to their diner last spring “It had a big effect on the restaurant,” said business partner James Crank With that in mind, Cranker's Coney Island diners in Cutlerville and Mount Pleasant are converting to Cranker's Restaurant and Brewery locations this summer officials in Byron Township approved the Cranker’s at 454 68th Street SW for a special land use rezoning and microbrewery license which allowed the restaurant to install a 3-barrel nano-brewery system that will debut this week In Mount Pleasant, city officials gave the switchover a green light last week patrons in West Michigan will find the existing food and drink menu supplemented with beers like the Professor IPA Crank said that small batches of the family-owned brewery’s beer lineup will be brewed on site with others being regularly delivered from Big Rapids where Cranker’s has a 15-barrel system with six fermenters and seven holding tanks Crank said the rebranding and plans have been fermenting for about a year “We wanted to be part of the Grand Rapids ‘Beer City’ community,” he said “We also wanted to expand internally and were looking at ways to increase revenue We figured the best way was to convert our Coney Islands into brewpubs.” Related: After year in the limelight, Beer City gears up for round 2 Thursday’s soft opening will be followed later this summer by a formal grand opening Cranker’s will add more entrées to its food menu — steaks etc — but will retain some “Cranker’s Classic” items from the current menu as well The diner opened in Big Rapids in 2004 as a family venture James Crank came back from the Boston area to partner with his father and run the Mount Pleasant location while pursing a entrepreneurship degree from Central Michigan University Cranker's in Mount Pleasant would become that city's third brewery behind Mountain Town Station and its spin-off company The 3,000 square-foot Byron Township location opened in 2008 “I played junior hockey in Grand Rapids before so I was familiar with the area and figured it would be a great place for the next venture,” he said The exact remodeling is still being determined Crank said it’s possible they may install a small bartop area but that they are working with “limited space.” Crank said the Big Rapids brewery has been distributing statewide and they are expecting to do between 3,000 and 4,000 barrels of distribution this year The system capacity at full production is about 6,000 to 7,000 barrels Cranker’s has been making appearances at state beer festivals and strengthening ties in the Grand Rapids area over the last year a former Grand Rapids schoolteacher and Big Rapids native Crank is anticipating final approval on the diner conversion from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission this week Email Garret Ellison or follow him on Twitter — A 77-year-old woman is in the hospital Monday morning following a house explosion in Gaines Township Officials with the Cutlerville and Dutton Fire Departments said the call came in just after midnight for a huge boom which was followed by flames and screaming Fire crews responded to the 1500 block of Fairwood Court in the Crystal Springs neighborhood off of 76th Street SE crews rescued an elderly woman trapped inside She was taken to the hospital with injuries but it is unknown the extent of those at this time Kent County deputies helped get a waterline to the backyard of the home while firefighters rescued the woman Body cam footage released by the Kent County Sheriff’s Office shows the moments deputies helped get water to the back deck as firefighters were pulling the woman from the deck Crews stayed on the scene working to put out hotspots for around five hours Part of the home collapsed during the fire but arrived back on scene a couple of hours later to put out to tackle hotspots that had reignited DTE Energy released a statement about the explosion as they arrived on scene to investigate but a fire marshal did arrive on scene to investigate We will continue to bring you updates as they become available Follow FOX 17: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - YouTube — Crews were on the scene of a fire at Byron Lakes Apartments for several hours overnight on Thursday The Cutlerville Fire Department responded at 11:41 p.m to the complex off 68th Street SW near Clyde Park Avenue SW Captain Kurt Wierenga with Cutlerville FD said flames were 20-to-30 feet high upon arrival He said crews believe the fire began in a top floor apartment and spread into the attic Wierenga said it moved quickly through most of the roof before firefighters were able to get it under control two hours later Multiple agencies stayed on scene for several hours following to ensure all hot spots were out Maintenance staff with Edward Rose Properties All residents have been displaced due to water damage The Red Cross was on scene helping people find places to stay Cutlerville Fire Department was the leading agency and received assistance from agencies in Wyoming and Byron Township .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Barton Deiters | bdeiters@mlive.comCALEDONIA MI – An April crash between a car and a motorcycle has led to charges in Kent County District Court against a 46-year-old Cutlerville woman David Michael Longstreet was hospitalized April 26 after his motorcycle collided with a vehicle driven by Stacia Lisa Ford-Spicer on 68th Street SE near Patterson Avenue around 9 p.m died of injuries sustained in the crash 10 days later Kent County Sheriff’s Department investigators did not indicate whether Longstreet was wearing a helmet Ford-Spicer is charged with misdemeanor moving violation causing death after police say her vehicle crossed into the path of the motorcycle Related: Police dispatched to collision between motorcycle and car on 68th Street SE Ford-Spicer faces a maximum penalty of one year in the Kent County Jail but no settlement has been reached in the case Read the obituary: Dave Longstreet E-mail Barton Deiters: bdeiters@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/GRPBarton or Facebook at facebook.com/bartondeiters.5 — A garage fire at an apartment complex in Kent County destroyed more than a dozen vehicles The Cutlerville Fire Department says they got the call about the fire at Woodfield Apartments The garage had between 20 to 24 parking spaces and firefighters believe 13 cars and an ATV were lost A scene so devastating it almost looks fake… This is the aftermath of Thursday’s early morning garage fire at the Woodland Apartments in Gaines Township I’ll be speaking with the Cutlerville Deputy Fire Chief to learn more. Tune into @FOX17 at 5 for details. pic.twitter.com/vBMu87U7vS — Max Goldwasser (@MaxGoldwasser) March 31, 2022 Cutlerville Fire Department was assisted by Kentwood Fire Department Unbelievable video of the overnight inferno sent to me by a resident. @FOX17 (🎥: Brittany Roland) pic.twitter.com/qaD23GcicW — Max Goldwasser (@MaxGoldwasser) March 31, 2022 *This is a developing story and will be updated as new details come in .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Garret Ellison | gellison@mlive.comCoppercraft Distillery.JPG Coppercraft Distillery owners and co-founders Walter Catton (left) and Mark Fellwock have opened a new distillery and spirits tasting room in Holland Cutlerville and Rockford have opened recently Partners open craft distillery and taproom in Holland HOLLAND — On Nov. 4, Coppercraft Distillery opened a 9,000 square-foot distillery and 50-seat tasting room at 184 N. 120th Ave. in Holland Township Distillery co-founders Walter Catton and Mark Fellwock have spent the past year product testing the new company’s first release bottles of craft rum and vodka and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m The company will add a line of gin and citrus vodka in 2014 and is already planning an expansion into bourbon-making Cranker's brewery in Cutlerville has grand opening CUTLERVILLE — On Dec. 9, the Cranker's Restaurant and Brewery at 454 68th Street SW begins a weeklong grand opening celebration that includes special small-batch beers and other drink specials converted its Coney Island locations in Cutlerville and Mount Pleasant this year in a move to increase dinner sales The Cutlerville location houses a 3-barrel nano-brewery system making small batches with kegs on regular delivery schedule from headquarters in Big Rapids The formal grand opening follows some interior remodeling, new branding and new menu items. The location had a soft opening in May Heritage-minded winery opens in downtown Rockford ROCKFORD — In November, Kayla Rae Cellars Wine Depot opened next to the White Pine Trail in the old Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad station in downtown Rockford General manager Karen Grossman said she selects wines from the production facility at Cascade Winery in Kentwood to echo her tastes for European styles Customers can sample wine at a tasting bar or buy cider or root beer by the glass on site as well as cider or root beer in refillable glass howlers or growlers Winery hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Kayla Rae Cellars is located at 31 Courtland Drive NE Garret Ellison covers business, government and breaking news for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at gellison@mlive.com or follow on Twitter & Instagram .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Barton Deiters | bdeiters@mlive.comGRAND RAPIDS MI – Joseph Blackmer has been in an Indiana prison for 31 years of a 90-year sentence for a rape he committed there in 1982 and soon he will have another three-decade-old rape conviction added onto his record But before Blackmer is sent back to Indiana he will have to hear from the victim of the Kent County rape who says she plans to make a victim impact statement on Sept Blackmer pleaded guilty as charged last month to the Dec rape of a 23-year-old woman in the bedroom of her mobile home in Cutlerville Blackmer has spent three decades in an Indiana prison after he pleaded guilty to raping a woman in Elkhart County and was subsequently sentenced to 90 years in prison he told detectives that he also raped a woman in Grand Rapids just before Christmas of 1981 Kent County Sheriff’s Department investigators had been looking into the report of a 23-year-old who said a man had come to her door looking for directions and then attacked and sexually assaulted her Police investigated and took a DNA sample from the victim the case stalled due to a lack of leads or suspects who lived in Michigan while working as a driver for a window company was in Indiana on business when he raped another woman on June 2 The Michigan State Police Laboratory was notified in May of 2011 that the DNA sample taken from the Cutlerville assault was a match for Blackmer who was in the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). When Blackmer was confronted by investigators again this year about the 30-year-old crime argued that his client should not be subject to prosecution for the Michigan crime because there was a six-year statute of limitations under state law at the time of the crime the statute of limitations has since been eliminated and Kent County Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock ruled that the case could go forward under the new law Related: No statute of limitations for man accused of 1981 rape in Byron Township DNA and victim identification on their side prosecutors did not offer Blackmer any plea deals Blackmer was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday but the hearing was adjourned due to a paperwork delay showed up for the hearing along with friends and family members but said she intends to return in three weeks to speak to Trusock when he hands down the sentence E-mail Barton Deiters: bdeiters@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/GRPBarton .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Sheila McGrath | smcgrath@mlive.comBrian Johnson a firefighter at the Cutlerville Fire Station Mark Grooters and firefighter Eric DeGroot as a certified car seat safety inspector at the station The three are certified through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and offer a free service to area parents who would like to make sure their children’s safety seats are installed correctly Now that the station has three certified inspectors they can provide appointments at just about any time of day Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment for a car seat check may call the station at 455-7670 .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Sheila McGrath | smcgrath@mlive.comA joyful reunion was recently held at the Cutlerville Fire Station where a 5-year-old boy who was resuscitated after a near drowning last month stopped by the station to meet the two men who revived him say a federal grant the department received last fall to hire more personnel helped get them there in time to save the boy was swimming in the pool at Motel 6 off 76th Street in Cutlerville He slipped under the water unnoticed by his family and friends and was probably under for about two minutes according to Cutlerville firefighter Jordan Sheely said her family and some friends were staying at the hotel that night so their children could use the pool While her husband and her friends kept an eye on the five kids in the pool Flores went back to her hotel room to get a speaker so they could listen to some music She said the three adults at the pool had each been distracted by one of the other kids and didn’t see Micah go under While a hotel employee dialed 911 and another guest stayed with the other four children Both work in nursing and are certified in CPR They began chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation “We were getting water out of him each time but didn’t put him on his side,” Flores said “He kept going unconscious over and over about three times before the emergency (crew) got there.” When Grooters and Sheely arrived two minutes after getting the call “Then he started vomiting and they got the rest of the water out,” Flores said Micah was taken to the DeVos Children’s Hospital where he was kept overnight and released the next day he only knows what happened from hearing us,” Flores said and Sheely is one of three new firefighters hired in October through a $396,335 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant through the U.S The grant covers the cost of the three firefighters for two years and allows full-time firefighters to be on staff during evening and weekend hours that were previously covered by paid-on-call firefighters The additional staffing “has allowed for response times to a scene to be cut in half which gives us a better chance for positive outcomes just like in this case with Micah,” Grooters said Grooters said even though Micah’s mother and her friend were doing a good job the boy had taken in so much water that they hadn’t been able to get enough out to really improve him Paid-on-call firefighters would have been responding from home .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Shandra Martinez | smartinez@mlive.comPhoto courtesy Julia RoeserThe Cutlerville McDonald's recently completed a half-million dollar facelift.The McDonald's in Cutlerville expects to add another 10 to 15 jobs after completing a $500,000 renovation E-mail Shandra Martinez: smartinez@grpress.com and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/shandramartinez .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Monica Scott | mscott2@mlive.comMlive.comBuses from Kent County school districts pick-up and drop-off students at Kent Career Technical Center involved in Kent Intermediate School District's new hybrid of online outlying students enrolled in Kent Intermediate School District's new hybrid online learning options can take classes at the Kent District Library (KDL) Service Center in Comstock Park and Gaines Township branch in Cutlerville The district library and Kent ISD have teamed up to be able to offer these classes in closer proximity to where the students live in the county “This is a great opportunity to get the students and their families introduced to the library and its resources along with serving our local students in new ways,” said Michelle Boisvenue-Fox “Students will use their library cards to access KDL’s many online resources for research in all areas of study.” Kent Intermediate School District and its superintendents unveiled the new hybrid school platform offered to students this year that includes three instructor-led online learning options (MySchool@Kent MySchool@Local and SuccessLink) combined with face-to-face teaching and a success coach to mentor A fourth PK-20 option is in the works tied to college classes and credit RELATED: Kent County schools launching hybrid of online, classroom options for students "We've taken some great ideas about flexible teaching learning and what students want in their education and we're blending that into a truly personalized way to do high school,” said Bill Smith assistant superintendent of instructional services at KISD who said four core content teachers on site full-time we've kept the personal attention and positive teacher relationships Classes will take place on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 11:15 a.m next week and beyond Cutlerville classes are planned for 12:30 to 2:45 p.m Smith said 224 are enrolled in the new hybrid online program - 172 in MySchool@Kent and 52 in Success Link - from across the 20 school districts He said districts are still working implementing the MySchool@Local option for district students who need one or more online courses MySchool@Kent is for students who want to engage in an online learning environment that still has a face-to-face teacher component but on a less frequent basis They will remain in their local district but come to the Kent Career Technical Center about two days a week Internships for relevant experience are also available SuccessLink is for students who have dropped out or been expelled and geared toward those who like learning at their own pace Students are paired with an online teacher a face-to-face teacher who can be accessed and a success coach that connects daily to make sure students are on track academically "Our local districts do a tremendous job of serving the needs of learners but you have students that need a different option or believe they need to seek different opportunities," said Smith "MySchool@Kent is a personalized environment that lets them progress at their own pace any place learning and is reengaging disengaged learners." KISD Superintendent Kevin Konarska said KISD is proud of the collaborative effort with all 20 districts to meet the needs of our students "We are doing this together in partnership just trying to identify another great option for kids," he said Smith said students surveyed about why they enrolled primarily cited credit recovery and the desire to get to college and career quicker Students enrolled must still meet all graduation requirements Those involved also have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities at their local schools