— A municipal sewer leak released an upper limit of 87,400 gallons of raw sewage near Airline Hwy and S The Muskegon County Public Health Department sent out a public health advisory that day notifying and advising residents to "avoid direct contact with (or fishing in) Little Black Creek and Mona Lake for the next 48 hours." One Norton Shores man is concerned with how the situation is being handled He and his neighbor detected sewage along their Mona Lake shoreline this week when installing their boat lifts in the water living on the shoreline of Mona Lake is a dream come true for John Backus and his family and we made a lot of sacrifices in our life in order to enjoy this lifestyle.," said Backus at his home in Norton Shores Tuesday "It's something that we look forward to during the winter months...Constantly doing things on the water from water skiing to sailing and kayaking and It was through Backus's contractor that he found out about the sewage leak "My boat lift was scheduled to be put in the water last week and the contractor who was going to do it sent me the public health notice that the county put out that said that there was a spillage of sewage of over 87,000 gallons And the notice said to stay out of the water for 48 hours," Backus said "He came yesterday to put the boat lift in and the guys that he had working for him said that they stirred up the bottom with the boat and and when they were putting the lift in He said his neighbor is also dealing with a similar situation a few days ago when he had his dock put in their wet suits were filled with sewage," said Backus His next step was to reach out to officials at Muskegon County Public Health "The official told me that it's up to private residents to do testing on their own which I don't think is quite right," Backus said "Some of it was coming up through the manholes and there was the high estimate was 87,400 gallons of raw sewage," said Michael Eslick the operations manager and overseer of environmental health for Muskegon County Public Health Eslick said they sampled parts of the county the day after the sewage spill I think it was less than an hour," Eslick said which is right at the mouth of Black Creek He said as long as sampling results came under the parameters of 130 fecal coliforms I believe the city of Muskegon Heights Park That came at 9.7 and right at the mouth of Black Creek Eslick said that residents with concerns are responsible for their own samples and so we would suggest that they would get it sampled So bring it down to a reputable laboratory," Eslick added is frustrated with what he said is a lack of communication from the county "Why isn't any responsibility being taken and somebody coming out here and helping us out And making sure that what's reported is actually there how's it going to get taken care of?" questioned Backus Backus paid $142 out of his pocket to sample his side of Mona Lake The results of the test are set to come out Wednesday "If the test that we paid for shows that there's a problem "We're asking to test the lake water that 1000s of people use Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube by Ivy S. Fowler and Carter Landis | News Channel 3 — A missing Norton Shores woman was found alive After going missing from the Little River Casino under "concerning circumstances," a search began for 74-year-old Nancy Bloomquist from Norton Shores who hadn't been seen or heard from since Thursday at 5:30 p.m Mason County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) deputies were called south of Countyline Road and west of Morton Road in Grant Township for reports of a burned vehicle matching the description of the white 2024 GMC Terrain Bloomquist was last seen in eventually finding Bloomquist alive via drone next to a "downed tree" she used as shelter from the rain and cold in a "heavily wooded area" about 150 yards away from her car After leaving Little River Casino on Thursday Bloomquist got lost and ended up in the driveway of a "seasonal home." her car "became disabled and caught fire," deputies said This caused Bloomquist to leave the vehicle and she continued to become more lost until she sought shelter from the cold and rain next to a downed tree she just tried to walk and find help," Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said "She couldn't find a road to get out of there and it's not uncommon to not find a paved road up in that area." Bloomquist became cold to the point of not being able to get back on her feet and stayed lying down by the tree until she was found Sunday evening waiting to either pass away or somebody to find her and we're very fortunate that our drone team actually spotted her at about 7:00 PM [Sunday] night," Cole said This information was learned through interviews and a trail camera near where Bloomquist's car was found It was last reported that Bloomquist had been transported to the hospital for treatment related to exposure News Channel 3 has reached out for an update on her condition Cole told News Channel 3 their drone program is the reason they were able to find Bloomquist safely "That was the difference; there's no doubt that was the difference," Cole said "I don't know that she would have survived another night in northern Michigan out in the wilderness like that we're just thankful everything came to the conclusion it did." the Little River Tribal Police and Manistee County Sheriff's Office all assisted in the search for Bloomquist MUSKEGON – The Mona Shores girls track team is Back-to-Back GMAA city champs. The Sailors completed their second-straight city title by edging out host Reeths-Puffer with a team total of 110 points The Rockets’ second-place finish was accomplished with 80 points Winning four of the 17 total events and also finishing second in five events While the Sailors edged their way to the city title there were individual performances that made the day a spectator’s event The fastest sprinter in the Greater Muskegon Area belonged to Reeths-Puffer’s Raquel Walker The freshman took top honors in the 100 meter dash and 200 finished the 200 in 26.26 seconds and jumped 16-10 feet Western Michigan Christian’s Grace Vanderkooi took home the most individual titles Vanderkooi edged out teammate Morgan Lawrence in the 3200 with a time of 12:03.08 Vanderkooi topped Mona Shores’ Ellery Horness with a time of 5:20.11 Vanderkooi paced a time of 2:21.90 and topped Reeths-Puffer’s Jersi Bilek who finished in 2:23.74 Rounding out her incredible day at the 400 the WMC senior clocked in at 1:01.28 as she topped another teammate The city high jump title went to Muskegon’s Nadia Hill who cleared 5-4 feet edging out Mona Shores’ Emma DeYoung at 5-2 Hill also took the city title in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 16.32 seconds Fruitport’s Julia Smith took second in 17.07 seconds Mona Shores was able to secure the title with top spots in the 300 meter hurdles Natalie Hall won the 300 hurdles title as she ran it in 48.48 seconds Muskegon’s Hill took second with a time of 51.35 seconds Mona Shores took first place with a time of 1:48.58 and Ava Hardy beat out Muskegon’s Jennifer Price Shamari Hamilton and Goddess Foley which finished in 1:49.75 and Elena Reister won the 4×400 relay with a time of 4:20.10 Fruitport took second in 4:23.51 with the team of Bailey Garner Clearing 8-6 feet for first place in the pole vault event was Mona Shores’ Emma DeYoung Montague’s Addison Smith took second with a vault of 8-0 Fruitport’s Julia Smith won the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.34 seconds beating Montague’s Amanda Cederquist who finished in 16.52 seconds The 4×100 relay city title was won by Reeths-Puffer’s Walker and Melana Johnson as they finished in a time of 50.78 Mona Shores finished just behind with a time of 51.89 and was led by Fritz Reeths-Puffer also captured the 4×800 relay event with a time of 10:38.76 and Adrienne Fluette beat out Fruitport’s Treasure Fleese Kaylyn Pavlige and Laerie Pollock who clocked in at 10:43.48 Muskegon’s Charleah Credit won the shot put with a toss of 36-0 feet Whitehall’s Evelyn Darke took second with a toss of 32-7 Kenzie Nichols won the discus event with a throw of 91-7 feet Muskegon Catholic’s Liberty Labrenz took second with a throw of 88-4 North Muskegon (14) finished in ninth place Oakridge (2) and Holton (2) finished tied in twelfth place Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" — A 74-year-old Norton Shores resident has been found after being reported missing after visiting a casino In what police and family said are "concerning circumstances," 74-year-old Nancy Bloomquist was last seen Thursday at 5:30 p.m leaving the Little River Casino driving south on US-131 in a white 2024 GMC Terrain with Michigan license plate EJQ3184 and has not been heard from since according to Norton Shores Police Department (NSPD) officials She has since been found in northern Mason County She was transported to the hospital for treatment related to exposure The Norton Shores Police Department thanks the community for their assistance in this case — GE Aerospace announced they are investing close to $1 billion in U.S Some of that investment will support their Norton Shores factory We’re told the facility will receive $70 million to expand operations leading to the production of aircraft engine parts A timeline for the project is not yet available and it’s not certain if new jobs will be created GE Aerospace plans to add 5,000 employees throughout the nation this year to bolster manufacturing and use more innovative parts benefiting aviation’s future — Two people have died following a two-vehicle crash on Saturday in Norton Shores A Honda Cr-V driven by an 84-year-old ran a red light at the intersection of Grand Haven Road and East Sternberg Road on November 23 around 4:30 p.m The Cr-V hit a Honda Accord driven by a 71-year-old They were the only two people involved in the crash The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information on it can contact the Norton Shores Police Department at (231) 733-2691. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Silent Observer at (231) 722-7463 — Antonio (Tony) Gutierrez was introduced as Norton Shores new Fire Chief Friday morning the 26-year veteran of the fire service has lived in the city his entire life and has a wife and 2 kids He’s currently the Fire Chief for the Gerald R Ford International Airport Fire Department and two decades of his time as a firefighter have been part time for the very department he will now helm Gutierrez has also been a technician for the Muskegon County Hazardous Materials Response Team — Norton Shores’ fire chief is entering retirement after serving the public for more than three decades "After 33 years of service, Norton Shores Fire Chief Robert Gagnon is retiring from the fire department,” E.S.C.A.P.E. writes. “Congratulations on your distinguished career and for your commitment to Keep Michigan S.A.F.E." Chief Gagnon has been a firm supporter of their initiative to install smoke detectors in as many homes as possible and FOX 17 presented a plaque to Chief Gagnon commemorating his service on Wednesday — The passing of former president Jimmy Carter has touched one Norton Shores man more than most as he used to work for Carter Packingham has held several titles in life He developed an interest in art when he was a young teen and I wound up in coming out of high school with an art scholarship to Columbus College of Art and Design," said Packingham Wednesday and even spent some time as a local politician after his service "Uncle Sam came and drafted me into the Navy The Navy made me a medic and sent me to the Marine Corps," Packingham said I ran for township trustee and won by five votes and that brought me to the attention of the county treasurer." it's his time working for former president Jimmy Carter that he holds near and dear to his heart I'm going to go volunteer for Carter right now," said Packingham Packingham worked his way from a volunteer for Carter's local campaign in Ohio to working for his national campaign as the treasurer in Georgia and he was never willing to compromise his principles but he was open to different ways to get there," Packingham said He described his relationship with Carter as a working one something that made his visit to Carter's home in 1976 even more special "He had been out walking in the woods with Amy and he had his plaid shirt and jeans on and pine needles in his hair and just a ordinary person," said Packingham It does nothing pretentious about it whatsoever not what I had seen in other politicians." but his extraordinary memorabilia on Packingham's walls speaks for itself "These are prints that were gifted to staff members thank you for my service and everything," Packingham said Though the news of Carter's passing was anticipated "You're not prepared for the emotions that just just keep rolling because it brings back for a lot of us," added Packingham that Carter will forever be a part of his own life journey "Jimmy Carter changed the trajectory of my life which allowed me to influence other people in a positive way And so his legacy will live on in ways that don't get written about or anything 1 / 7Photo provided to MLive by Robert GagnonGagnonRobert Gagnon2 / 7DAVE CARLSONGagnonNorton Shores firefighters responded to a vehicle fire about 7:20 a.m There was no one in the vehicle when firefighters arrived at the scene and the cause is under investigation © 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 Benton Harbor City Commissioners have awarded a contract for demolition services to be performed as part of the city’s Community Development Block Grant program The federally funded CDBG program is used to remove blighted properties and help residents with home repairs commissioners awarded a $514,000 contract to Melching Incorporated of Norton Shores for the demolition of up to 15 properties around the city Mayor Marcus Muhammad said while he understands specific qualifications are required for some of the work he hopes Benton Harbor residents will be hired by the firm He also asked for a thorough report on the demolition program once it’s finished “That way the city council is aware moving forward what contractors see it as a priority to exhaust all means and measures to hire and include Benton Harbor residents,” Muhammad said The city received five bids for the demolitions This project will have no effect on the city’s general fund NORTON SHORES – The Mona Shores boys basketball team dominated in a 61-36 OK-Green game against Jenison on Tuesday evening The Sailors set the tone early with a 40-17 lead at halftime and never looked back Jordan Bledsoe poured in 18 points and made five assists “Opsommer was the unsung hero for us tonight,” said Mona Shores coach Louis Murray “His toughness and defensive effort set the tone 5-3) visits Muskegon for conference play on Friday Discount outdoor retailer Sierra is continuing to expand in West Michigan Sierra sells clothing pet accessories and outdoor items like camping and fishing gear there are more than 100 Sierra locations across the U.S. The fist time I went to a Sierra store it was the location at the Shops at Centerpoint in Grand Rapids -  I was impressed I love a good deal and it reminded me a lot of TJ Maxx but for outdoor gear - which makes sense as the retailers are owned by the same parent company READ MORE: Holland Christmas Market Competing for Best in U.S. Current West Michigan Sierra locations include: UP NEXT: New, Customizable Charcuterie Shop Opens in Grandville The Holland location just opened in November at the site of a former Bed Bath and Beyond According to Crain's Grand Rapids, the next Sierra store to open in West Michigan is located at 5363 Harvey St. in Norton Shores. The grand opening is Nov Interested in working there? The store is now hiring Explore Sierra's expansion in West Michigan, offering a wide range of products from clothing to camping gear. Don't miss the grand opening in Norton Shores this November!\nRead More Sierra sells clothing READ MORE: Holland Christmas Market Competing for Best in U.S. UP NEXT: New, Customizable Charcuterie Shop Opens in Grandville The Holland location just opened in November According to Crain's Grand Rapids, the next Sierra store to open in West Michigan is located at 5363 Harvey St. in Norton Shores. The grand opening is Nov Interested in working there? The store is now hiring Hudsonville scores just ahead of the tag from Sailor catcher Eli Habetler Hunter Krueger takes the throw from first baseman Grady Gawkowski and makes the put out on the attempted steal Sailor shortstop Hunter Krueger scoops up the grounder and throws out the runner at first