On Saturday at 1:30 P.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to 215th Ave. and 14 Mile Rd. in reference to a personal injury accident involving a one vehicle rollover.
The vehicle lost control on the snow and ice covered roadway, went into the ditch, and over turned. The driver, a 30-year-old female, was transported to Corewell Health for non life threatening injuries. The minors in the vehicle were taken by a private car just to be checked out.
Deputies were assisted by Big Rapids Township and Fire and Meceola Central Dispatch.
The most unlikely of matchups is set to take place this Sunday at Ford Field, as the Detroit Lions play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From a Lions team that made history last week with their first playoff win in over 30 years, to a Tampa Bay squad who snuck in by the grace of winning a less than competitive NFC South, it’s bound to be an animal house with the “OnePride” faithful set to show in full force. In a rematch of week six, the Lions look to continue their success into round three while the Bucs push for another win against a heavily favored opponent.
Detroit battled every second of round one when they took on the Los Angeles Rams. With two quarterbacks facing off against their former teams, it made must see television. The Lions started off hot but had their usual drop off in the second half, in which the Lions’ defense had to step up and secure the victory. A huge factor in that game was the crowd, which was able to reach 133 decibels at one point. This was a new Ford Field record and forced Los Angeles to use two timeouts early in the second half, which proved to help win us the game late in the fourth quarter.
Tampa Bay on the other hand was a team who was technically ranked higher than their opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, but had a worse regular season record. Despite the Eagles being 3.5-point favorites, the Bucs dominated this game 32-9 with an absolute onslaught of passing that caught the Eagles’ secondary off guard. Their quarterback, Baker Mayfield, ended the game with a 119.8 passer rating, one of his best so far this season.
What is it going to take for either one of these teams to be successful? The proof is in their performances from round one.
Lions quarterback, Jared Goff, is on back-to-back games with at least a 110 passer rating, which can bring trouble for the Bucs secondary. Back in week six when these two teams met for the first time, he had a 107.5 passer rating. If the Buccaneers want to stun Detroit, they’ll need to disrupt Jared Goff with an early interception. Goff did have a tough stint in the middle of the year with the turnover bug, he has since cleaned it up but the Buccaneers will try to trigger it again.
That won’t be an easy task though, as Tampa’s pass defense ranks 29th in opponents yards per game with 248.9 and opposing quarterbacks finish with an average passer rating of 92. If Goff and Amon Ra St. Brown can heat up quickly, the yards will start to rack up quick and the Bucs won’t be able to keep up. Don’t forget about Josh Reynolds, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, or Jameson Williams, because just when you think you got one guy locked down, any of these players could have an impact on the game.
Speaking for Jahmyr Gibbs, he and David Montgomery have been the one two punch that has rocked the NFL this year. They’ll have a tough bout against Tampa, as the Buccaneers have held opponents to just 3.9 yards per carry on average, which is tied for 8th in the NFL, and 95.3 rushing yards per game, which is 5th in the NFL.
Detroit’s secondary needs to find an identity soon other than being bad. They gave up 367 yards to Matthew Stafford last week and two touchdowns, with 181 yards and a score going to Puka Nacua. They’ll have their hands full with Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans this Sunday who is tied for the most touchdowns this season with 13.
Look for Aidan Hutchinson in the backfield this week. He’ll be matched up against Luke Goedeke, who has allowed seven sacks this season. James Houston will also be back in the lineup in return from injury, so that can ease the load for Hutchinson if he finds himself double teamed.
Don’t be fooled by the disparity between the records of these two teams. The ‘Bucs’ have a high rated run defense, and a lethal receiver combo in Evans and Chris Godwin. Mayfield has also shown poise in his new home in Tampa after his journeymen stint with a few teams for the past few years.
The Lions have a plethora of guys in their offensive group that will be impact players, but the biggest impact in this game will be the crowd. “One Pride” fans were as loud as a jet engine from start to finish. Seeing how much the city loves this team, I think a new NFL record could be seen on Sunday. If the Rams had to spend two timeouts because of the Detroit faithful, I can only imagine what woes the Bucs will have to go through with the atmosphere at Ford Field.
Hundreds of analysts have sided with the Lions for this game and its foreign territory for Detroit to be the favorite. Even with the newfound backing from the masses, this Lions group hasn’t forgotten that it’s Detroit versus everybody. I believe that mentality will win the Lions this game. It’s a 6.5-point spread for this game, so the oddsmakers think it’s going to be a close one.
Sunday at 3:00 P.M., we could see history as the Lions could return to the NFC Championship game after 32 years. Either way, it’s two quarterbacks who have had similar, but unique journeys to where they find themselves today. Jared Goff and the Lions. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers. Two wild season stories but one will end Sunday. Who will come out on top?
Lexi Wierenga’s artwork usually stays in a small corner of her apartment. But that’s all set to change for the Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University student following a first-place finish in the 2023 Creative Outlook Magazine Cover Contest.
Wierenga’s self-portrait painting, “Blindsided,” was chosen by Creative Outlook’s art panel out of a pool of more than 160 entries from high school and college art students across the country. The piece is now featured on the cover of the magazine’s recently released 2023 issue, which also includes a profile on Wierenga.
While the KCAD Fashion Studies major has her sights set on a career in the fashion industry, she’s harbored a love and talent for painting from a young age. Wierenga has always seen her art as a personal passion, and lately she’s feeling inspired to make it a more meaningful part of her life—a desire that recognition on a national stage has fueled even more.
“Winning felt like a big high five,” she said. “It gives me confidence to pursue painting more in the future.”
Wierenga’s artistic skill was evident as early as preschool. She was constantly painting and rarely without a sketchbook, something her parents and teachers were quick to nurture.
“I would make these extravagant paintings and was always creating in general,” she said. “I continued doing that all through childhood because my parents and so many teachers saw how much I loved it and encouraged me to keep exploring and making.”
By high school, Wierenga was painting and screen-printing on jeans and selling them to her classmates. When it came time for the Byron Center native to chart a course for after graduation, KCAD was at the top of her list. As it turns out, applying would inadvertently be the catalyst for her Creative Outlook win.
Wierenga was prepping for her KCAD portfolio review when she realized she didn’t have a piece that showcased her technical skill. So, she decided to make what would eventually become “Blindsided.”
“During that time, I was making a lot of self-portraiture, so I thought ‘why not just do a fun, colorful self-portrait,’” she recalled. “I typically work large-scale, and I painted this at 3 feet by 5 feet almost nonstop over the course of a few days.”
It wasn’t Wierenga’s initial intent for half of the vividly rendered figure in “Blindside” to be cloaked in shadow, but that ultimately became the piece’s defining characteristic.
“Every artist has this phase of painting themselves, and mine stopped right in the middle of making this piece,” she said. “I liked it that way, so I decided to lean into it, and the name comes from that realization coming out of the blue.”
“Blindsided” is one of five paintings Wierenga submitted to Creative Outlook. Another, “Dive,” will be included in her profile in the magazine and reflects a deft balance between realism and abstraction that is far from easy to achieve.
Wierenga attributes the growing maturity of her painting in part to the influence and mentorship of Laurel Dugan, a fellow painter and 2023 graduate of KCAD’s Master of Fine Arts program. Seeing Dugan’s thesis work in an on-campus exhibition last spring was something of a revelation for the younger creative.
"Laurel’s work has made a huge impression on me, and it’s given me a ton of inspiration,” Wierenga said. “She utilizes a lot of underpainting with these beautiful almost neon orange and red colors. I went right home after seeing her exhibition wanting to be more expressionistic with my paintings, and I sat down and created ‘Dive’ in less than an hour.”
As for what’s next, Wierenga says she’s loved her experience in the KCAD Fashion Studies program thus far and is excited about building a career in an industry that she sees as “the perfect middle ground between fine art and design.”
And her Creative Outlook win and widening creative network have shown her that there is a higher place for art in her future.
“Fashion is what I want to dedicate my work life to, but this is a push to keep making art and painting,” Wierenga said. “I have a goal to be a gallery artist and exhibit my work, and I want to keep nurturing this love of painting throughout my whole life.”
The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team will host Lake Superior State for Star Wars Night on Friday at 7:07 p.m. (ET) inside the Ewigleben Ice Arena as the two longtime league rivals begin a weekend home-and-home series.
The first 200 fans and first 100 FSU students will receive red glow sticks as part of the Star Wars evening theme. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite Star Wars themed attire.
Following Friday's game, FSU then heads to Sault Ste. Marie for Saturday's weekend finale at 6:07 p.m. (ET).
Fans can purchase digital tickets for all Bulldog home hockey games in advance to guarantee a seat by visiting FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.
The FSU Athletic Ticket Office's normal business hours are Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) with extended hours on Wednesday until 7 p.m. (ET). A complete pricing structure, ticket office hours and additional information is available online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com and can be found by visiting the "tickets" tab. For additional ticket information, please call (231) 591-2888.
The Bulldog Sports Network and flagship radio station Sunny 97.3 FM will carry all of this weekend's action live with online coverage also available at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. Live video coverage will also be provided on a pay-per-view basis via CCHA TV on FloHockey.com.
Opening Statement: “I’ll just start with – look, the fans, again, yesterday, I can’t stress enough how awesome that was. And really happy for everybody here. I know that’s been a long time coming, and man it felt good to deliver that, but we’re not done. That’s the beginning, so we got one, we’ve got another one coming up, got work to do. We’ll find out tonight who that is. As far as the game yesterday, it’s what we talked about last night, man red zone offense, red zone defense, we complemented each other really well. Offense came out striking and then defensively we were able to keep them out, hold them to three instead of them getting seven and between (Lions K Michael) Badgley’s field goal, which was huge and then (Lions P Jack) Fox flipping the field for us, it was just – it took all three phases, and everybody had a part in that. Coordinators did a heck of a job just making adjustments and we found a way to win that game, that’s what it’s about. So, obviously (Lions QB Jared) Goff and (Lions WR Josh) Reynolds were the – really, our game ball winners on offense. (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown had a monster game again. (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta, it was good to see him, what a tough kid. I mean, to be a rookie and to do what he was able to do, was confident enough to get out there and help us. (Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch on defense really showed up his last two rushes, man the one where he drew the penalty, that was huge. I thought (Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin) Germ and (Lions S) Kerby (Joseph) really showed up and then we talked about on special teams, Fox and Badge, (Lions CB Khalil Dorsey) Dorse, man was smoking as a gunner on punt. That helped those – you get them pinned in the 10 twice and the eight once and (Lions LS Jake) McQuaide, just been steady all year for us since we’ve gotten him on the snap, so – but certainly, a lot of guys did a really good job for us and it was a heck of a win.”
On how they start preparation for this week not knowing who they will play until tonight: “Yeah, I think, well, for us, we’re onto Philly a little bit only because we have – we played Tampa, so we have an idea. We have things that we know about them and so just take a peek at Philly, so that at least we’re – we somewhat have a head start, but we’re not all in and it’s really going to be more on we’ve got to see what happens tonight.”
On if there is any benefit to watching the Eagles and Buccaneers game live tonight to see how the teams play in real time versus watching film when the game is over: “Yeah, I think you get a benefit from watching it every way you can watch it. The feed that we have, the different cut-up feeds that we have, but also the TV copy. I think you can always find pretty good nuggets.”
On how Lions LB Alex Anzalone came out of the game against the Rams injury-wise and how valuable he is to the team battling through injury: “Yeah, I think he’ll be alright. It doesn’t feel great, but he’s going to be – I know he left here after getting some treatment on it better than he walked in and that’s what you’re looking for. Look, Alex is tough. He’s been through this. And it does, it means a lot. I mean, that’s really what we’re built off here and it – and ultimately, it comes down to what the player believes they can do. If they believe they can still produce not being 100 percent, then that’s the difference and we have a ton of guys that are that way.”
On changes they have made to the defense the last few weeks that has led to improvement: “Yeah, I really don’t want to get into that. I think there’s things on tape, but I don’t want to get into schematically what we’re changing and what we’re doing. We’re doing a good job though. It’s a good job by (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG. So, I just don’t – I don’t want to get into all that.”
On when he noticed he and Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes had good chemistry and if he could have imagined the type of relationship they have now: “Well, I knew it felt right, the first phone call we ever had after he had been hired and then I got hired and so really before that, we had a phone call. It was really right before I was – that I took the job, and it was just kind of an intro. And man, I could tell there’s – for a first phone call for somebody you don’t know yet, we had mutual contacts. We have people that both of us, we have mutual friends that we have a lot of trust in and it was – I could tell it was – it felt like it was going to be right. And then once I got around him, it was, man I – you could – I could feel that early. It’s one of those, well if this is who he is and this doesn’t change, we’re going to be just fine. And sure enough, he’s everything that I thought he was going to be from those first meetings, everyth9ing that I had heard about him and it’s just – we’re fortunate, but it’s also – it’s a great job by (Lions Principal Owner and Chair) Sheila (Ford Hamp), (Lions Special Assistant to President/CEO and Chairperson) Chris Spielman, (Lions President) Rod (Wood), those guys identifying that they felt like we would be compatible and that we saw things very much alike and we are, we do. We see – we’re very similar in the way that we view players, view a team, how we want to build it. And I have things and I have a certain vision and Brad has helped me by the type of players we acquire and what we look for, I mean he’s given me that. He’s helped me. So, listen, that’s – the GM and head coach have to have a healthy relationship and it starts with ownership, but then that’s the next most important by far. And if you don’t have that, you just can’t sustain success.”
On how he manages the coordinators’ time to make sure they have the opportunity to explore interviews with other teams this week while also preparing for Sunday’s game: “Yeah, I mean, the best we can do is it’ll have to be Friday and a little bit of Saturday. So, Friday afternoon after practice is done, they’re going to have to crunch them in there. They’re already working on scheduling it. And then Saturday, there’ll be a small window in there after practice, before night meetings and that’s it. I mean, it’s – we’re in one of those crazy years. Well first of all, they’re both – like I said, those are worthy candidates and I think they’re, both of them, should be at the top of everybody’s list, but we’re in one of these unique years where there’s a ton of jobs available. And so, that’s also why they all want to speak to them, and they should. But that does, that puts a stress on them, on us. But they’ll do the best they can with it, make the most of it, which they should. And then – but they’ll be prepared for us to get ready (for) the next game.”
On if he has come down from the emotional high of last night’s game and how he gets back into normal game planning: “I didn’t sleep very much at all. I couldn’t sleep, but I think – I don’t know – look, it’s like I said last night, believe me, it feels good to win. It feels good to do that, but I’m so much into right now, the next one, the next thing here. It’s right in front of us and it’s all about the next one. And how do we stay right where we’re at, make some corrections and get ready for this next one, the next home game because I just know the opportunity we’ve got here. And so, I don’t &ndas
An officer was dispatched to a residence regarding a domestic argument over text message. The caller was advised to call back if the individual actually showed up at the residence.
An officer was dispatched to an apartment complex regarding possible threats and loud noise. It is believed mental health was a factor.
Tuesday, January 9
Nothing reported.
Wednesday, January 10
An officer was dispatched to an apartment complex regarding loud and breaking noises coming from inside an apartment. A warning was issued. Mental health is believed to be a factor. An officer was requested to assist CPS with a well being check on a child. The residence was vacant. An officer was dispatched to a location in reference to a female subject screaming from with-in the apartment. Family members were notified and the individual was referred to mental health services.
Thursday, January 11
An officer was dispatched to a business location regarding someone walking between the cars looking suspicious. The man was awaiting his coworker who had the keys to the company vehicle.
An officer was dispatched to a single vehicle accident due to bad weather conditions. No injuries and just minor damage to the vehicle was reported.
An officer was dispatched to do a welfare check on a six-month old baby. Upon arrival, the baby was just waking up from a nap, he was ok. No issues.
An officer arrested a 59-year-old male for violation of probation, resisting police as well as attempting to damage police property.
Friday, January 12
Nothing reported.
Saturday, January 13
Officers were dispatched to someone screaming. Upon arrival the only thing that could be located was a plow truck driver coughing.
Sunday, January 14
Officers took a complaint regarding a parking dispute between tenants at an apartment house.
Officers assisted an elderly female who was having difficulty getting up.
Officers were alerted to the suspicious behavior of a customer by a business employee. Upon further investigation it was determined the man did not have a driver’s license and was trying to avoid police in the store. The 29-year-old male was arrested on a parole violation, no valid license, possession of a stolen license plate, no vehicle insurance, and on an outstanding warrant from another county for receiving stolen property.
Officers spoke with a resident about burning trash in their bonfire. It was determined the individual had used a piece of cardboard to start the fire but was not burning any other prohibited material. A verbal warning was issued.
The nationally 12th-ranked Ferris State University men's basketball squad had its seven-game winning streak snapped on Saturday (Jan. 13) as the Bulldogs fell to Northern Michigan 75-71 at the Berry Events Center.
The Bulldogs led most of the game, but NMU shot 30 free throws, making 24 in rallying late for the triumph. The Wildcats got a big three-point shot from Max Weisbrod on their final possession to bounce in and a pair of Bulldog long range attempts in the closing seconds rimmed away as the NMU prevailed.
Ferris State jumped out to a 38-36 halftime lead thanks to 16 points in the opening 20 minutes from junior guard Ethan Erickson, but he was held scoreless in the second half.
Erickson paced FSU with 16 points while former Wildcat Dolapo Olayinka had 13 points for the Bulldogs. Both Jack Ammerman and Reece Hazelton chipped in 10 points each.
The Bulldogs shot 50% from the floor and went seven-of-16 (43.8%) from three-point range to go with a 10-of-17 (58.8%) showing at the free throw line.
Northern Michigan made 14 more free throws than Ferris State while shooting 13 more, hitting 24-of-30 (80%) overall. The Wildcats shot 41.2% from the floor and were nine-of-22 (40.9%) from long range.
Additionally, NMU held a 35-30 rebounding advantage and pulled down 11 offensive boards to eight for FSU. The Wildcats also had only nine turnovers with the Bulldogs totaling 12 in the game.
Weisbrod paced Northern Michigan with a game-high 18 points as NMU improved to 13-5 overall and 6-0 atop the GLIAC. Carson Smith and Riley Brooks each added 15 points apiece.
With the setback, the Bulldogs closed their trip to the Upper Peninsula with a split following a 69-68 win at Michigan Tech on Thursday. FSU is now 13-3 overall and 3-2 in conference action.
The Bulldogs return home to host Davenport on Thursday (Jan. 18) at 7:30 p.m. (ET) in Big Rapids before taking on rival Grand Valley State on Saturday (Jan. 20) at Wink Arena beginning at 3 p.m. (ET).
Today, Corewell Health™ announced changes to its board of directors, including the introduction of two new members, the appointment of a new chair and vice chair, and the departure of three founding board members.
Two new directors began three-year terms on Jan. 1, 2024: Joseph J. Fifer, former president and CEO of the Healthcare Financial Management Association; and Robert Williams, M.D., retired family physician and health services researcher.
Julie A. Fream, president and CEO of MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers, concluded her term as board chair on Dec. 31, 2023, and will remain actively engaged on the board, including on the executive committee. Named the inaugural Corewell Health board chair in 2022, she successfully led the board through many of the integration milestones and focused on developing a strong unified culture of the board. She joined the Beaumont Health Board of Directors in 2014 and was appointed chair in 2021.
Sean P. Welsh, regional president for PNC Bank, succeeded Julie A. Fream as board chair. Welsh joined the Spectrum Health Board of Directors in 2015 and was appointed vice chair of the Corewell Health board in 2022.
The board of directors also appointed a new vice chair, Michael (Mike) Todman, current Corewell Health board member and former president of Whirlpool International and Whirlpool North America. Three members departed from the board:
Robert (Bob) W. Roth, who retired after a nearly 20-year term of service to the Priority Health, Spectrum Health and Corewell Health boards; Christopher (Chris) F. Carpenter, M.D., who took a new role as interim dean of the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine; Angel W. Hernandez, M.D., who relocated out of state.
“During this transformative time in health care, we are thrilled for Joe Fifer and Dr. Robert Williams to join our board to lend their expertise, insights and advice,” said Tina Freese Decker, President & CEO, Corewell Health. “We have made great strides toward achieving our vision of a future where health is simple, affordable, equitable and exceptional thanks to the support of Bob Roth, Dr. Chris Carpenter and Dr. Angel Hernandez. As members of our founding board, we will always be grateful for their service and contributions to our organization.”
About Joseph J. Fifer
Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA, is the former president and CEO of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). HFMA’s mission is to lead the financial management of health care. Prior to his position with HFMA in June 2012, Fifer spent 11 years as vice president of hospital finance at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich. He also spent time with McLaren Health Care Corporation in Flint, Mich., as vice president of finance, and with Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, Mich., as senior vice president of finance and CFO. Fifer started his career at Ernst & Young, also in Michigan.
About Robert Williams, M.D.
Robert Williams, M.D., MIS, recently retired from professional services. Dr. Williams enjoyed a 20-year career as a practicing and teaching family physician and health services researcher. During his career, Dr. Williams was a principal investigator with the National Institutes of Health, and vice chair and director of research for a medical school department. In 1996, Dr. Williams left academics at the Medical College of Virginia/VCU and joined the consulting world. During the following 22 years, Dr. Williams served as a senior consulting executive at Ernst & Young, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, IBM, Deloitte Consulting US and Deloitte Consulting UK.
On Friday, Jan. 12 at approximately 2:58 P.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a two-vehicle accident on 9 Mile Rd. and 30th Ave.
The investigation revealed that a 31-year-old female from Mt. Pleasant was north bound on 9 Mile Rd. when another vehicle struck her vehicle. There were also three juveniles in the vehicle along with a 54-year-old male from Mt. Pleasant. The male and female were transported to McLaren Hospital with non-life threating injuries. The juveniles in the vehicle were not transported to the hospital and were turned over to their grandmother.
Deputies were assisted on scene by, Mecosta EMS, MMR EMS, Huff's Towing, Hilltop Towing, Michigan DNR, and Meceola Central Dispatch.
Portland 139-77 last night, af 2-point margin of victory that matched the fifth largest in nba history. the thunder s blowout win headlined a night of lopsided scores in the nba including milwaukee where the celtics with all five starters back in action had nothing against the bucks. this was supposed to be a marquee matchup between the two top teams in the east. the second half of the back-to-back they won a tough home overtime game the night before. in dallas the mavericks led the knicks. they did allow to cut the advantage by one in the final minute but escaped to a 128-124 win. the league s third ever regular season in paris saw the cavaliers leading the brooklyn nets by half time. they went onto coast 111-102