 Lake drawdown White Cloud- Photo by Bill Bowen By the White River Watershed Partnership The White River has long been one of West Michigan’s most treasured natural resources, offering miles of pristine habitat, scenic beauty, and world class fishing. Today, local conservation advocates are calling for a bold vision to ensure the White River’s future — one where the river flows freely, supports thriving fish populations, and remains a cornerstone of the region’s economy and quality of life. The Current Picture Stretching across a diverse watershed, the White River is home to extensive cold-water habitat vital for trout and salmon reproduction. However, the impoundments at White Cloud and Hesperia warm the water to levels unsuitable for reproduction of cold-water fishes. To maintain fishing opportunities, tens of thousands of brown trout are stocked between White Cloud and Hesperia annually. Upstream of White Cloud, no stocking of trout is necessary due to excellent natural reproduction. Similarly, the North Branch sub-watershed supports large, self-sustaining populations of trout and salmon — a living example of what could be possible throughout the main branch if warm water barriers were removed. The Vision for Tomorrow The proposed future for the White River is a cool, free-flowing waterway from source to mouth — a resilient ecosystem in the face of climate change. This vision includes:
This future would not only protect wildlife but also boost the local economy through tourism, enhance recreation, and preserve the river’s aesthetic and cultural value. The Challenges Ahead Achieving this vision requires overcoming four major impediments: • Impoundments that warm the water and block fish passage • Runoff from industrial, agricultural, and urban sources • Sub-standard road-stream crossings • Soil erosion from poorly managed land use The Path Forward The White River’s transformation will depend on concrete action, including: • Removing obsolete dams to restore natural flow and temperature • Implementing agricultural set-backs to protect riparian zones • Eliminating point-source pollution • Replacing inadequate culverts with fish-friendly crossings Economic and Environmental Benefits The transformation of the White River into a premier cold-water fishery is expected to generate significant economic benefits for local communities through increased angling tourism, while simultaneously providing enhanced flood protection, improved water quality, and greater ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. The vision represents a collaborative effort to balance environmental restoration with community economic development, positioning the White River region as a model for sustainable river management in the Great Lakes region. The White River Watershed Partnership has worked toward realization of this vision of the White River's future for more than 20 years. Removal of the dams at White Cloud and Hesperia is crucial to that realization. For more information or to get involved in the White River restoration vision, visit whiteriverwp.org.
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 Bill and I discussing the fragility of human relationships he so eloquently captured in "The Sound and the Fury" By Ken DeLaat Two White-hot stories are infusing local social media with levels of hatred being spewed about so rabidly that one might think they are unprecedented. Unfortunately, they're not. We’ve all seen this before when the current political climate, a curious phenomenon that allows any subject to be dragged into a them vs. us battle, seeps into an online conversation when suddenly folks local and faraway, real and disguised, anonymous or robotic, jump in to add their frighteningly short of clever comments. It is ultimately one of the most depressing aspects of who we are today. A vindictive collection of combatants with both sides claiming the highest moral ground and each falling far far short of achieving it. There is no moral high ground in this escalating conflict that is devoid of dialogue, and perhaps no solution. Not when someone has to win and each feels the other has no place in today’s world. It can only grow in its current state and sadly there exists no movement with the muscle to stop it. “Whereas democracy is founded on the negotiation of diverging viewpoints, ideology is sustained through intolerance of dissent. You are, as the saying has it, either with us or against us. This is the essence of bigotry.”-Andrew Doyle, The New Puritans: How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World  To The Editor The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a disgusting act that should not be celebrated. While I disagreed with nearly all of his views, I valued the times when people like Dean Withers debated him openly. That’s what free speech is for—airing different ideas without fear of violence. Instead of fostering calm, this tragedy has only deepened division. Trump is escalating threats to “crack down on the radical left,” floating talk of classifying progressive groups as domestic terrorists, launching racketeering investigations, and even revoking tax-exempt status for nonprofits like Indivisible and the Open Society Foundations. This has nothing to do with the shooting and everything to do with silencing dissent. Meanwhile, young men are being radicalized online—on 4chan, 8kun, and Discord—and pressured by toxic ideas of masculinity that glorify aggression, dominance, and violence. With no healthy outlets for emotion or frustration, too many are turning to violence to feel heard or in control. If we fail to confront these root causes and if we allow leaders to exploit tragedy to attack civil society we risk a future where violence replaces debate, and democracy is replaced by authoritarian rule. Peace Michelle Petz, LCSW  Back Row: Bryan Burgess (Newaygo and Lake CPS), Danielle Vandeweg (PCA Evergreen CAC), Barry Wolf (Michigan State Police), Chad Palmiter (Newaygo County Sherrif's Office), Representative Joseph Fox, Timothy Rodwell (City of Fremont Chief of Police), Nicole Klomp (City of Fremont and City of Newaygo Police Social Worker) Front Row: Rachel Robinson (Prosecutor), Nicole Skrabis (PCA Evergreen CAC), Tara Nelson (PCA Evergreen CAC), Lady (PCA and Evergreen CAC Service Dog), Amanda Wilson (Newaygo and Lake CPS) By Tara Nelson, Executive Director of Newaygo County Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect One in seven children. That’s how many will experience sexual abuse before their 18th birthday. It’s a devastating statistic…one that should shake every community to its core. This isn’t a far-off issue. It’s happening in our own backyards, in neighborhoods across Michigan, and especially here in rural counties like Newaygo and Lake. Yet while the number of child victims grows, the resources to help them are shrinking. The Evergreen Child Advocacy Center, a nationally accredited program of the Newaygo County Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (PCA), exists to prevent child abuse and neglect and support children who have been victims of crime- including sexual and physical abuse, exploitation, and neglect. It’s the only child-focused environment in the area where young survivors can tell their stories safely to a trained forensic interviewer, receive help, and begin to heal. Between January and August 2025, our forensic interviewer conducted 106 interviews with children who disclosed abuse or other trauma. That’s 106 kids, just this year, who needed immediate, expert help. Every interview is more than a conversation. It’s a crucial step in an investigation. It allows law enforcement, child protective services, and prosecutors to hear the child’s account in a trauma-informed, legally sound way. Most importantly, it protects children from having to retell their abuse over and over again. Despite the urgency of this work, rural Child Advocacy Centers like Evergreen operate on a shoestring budget. Unlike urban centers that may have access to larger funding networks, our center has relied almost entirely on local grants, community donors, and small-scale fundraisers to stay open. This creates a dangerous inequity. Children in rural Michigan are just as vulnerable as those in cities, yet they have far fewer resources. At present, PCA employs just three full-time staff and one part-time team member to cover both CAC services and K–12 prevention education in Newaygo and Lake Counties. The Evergreen CAC offers a full wraparound approach to support children and families, including:
The numbers aren’t just statistics, they’re children in your town, your school, your extended family. Statistically, the number of children in Newaygo County who have disclosed sexual abuse could fill an entire grade level. Think about that for a moment Every person, whether they realize it or not, knows a child who has experienced sexual abuse. And when we fail to fund CACs, we fail them. On September 15th, State Representative Joseph Fox toured the Evergreen Child Advocacy Center and met with our Multidisciplinary Team serving Newaygo and Lake Counties. We are grateful for Rep. Fox’s continued advocacy and support for critical state funding and legislative action to help us protect children. But we need more champions. More action. More awareness. Protecting children is everyone’s responsibility, and your support can make an immediate difference:
No child should suffer in silence. And no Child Advocacy Center should be fighting to keep its doors open. If we want stronger, safer communities, we must invest in the well-being of our most vulnerable, our children. That starts with funding services like PCA’s Evergreen, speaking out, and refusing to look away. PCA is thankful for their Multidisciplinary Team including: Newaygo County Prosecutors Office, Michigan State Police, Newaygo County Sheriff's Office, City of Fremont Police, City of Newaygo Police, City of Grant Police, City of White Cloud Police, Newaygo County Mental Health, West Michigan Community Mental Health, Newaygo and Lake CPS, and Helen Devos Center for Child Protection. This outstanding, caring team of agencies has seen the need and urgency for a unified approach for children and works together monthly to ensure safety for children. One in seven is not just a number. It’s a call to action.  MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel on House Republican budget
LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel released the following statement in response to the House Republicans’ budget proposal. The proposed House budget, which cuts $4.95 billion from MDHHS, would drastically impact our ability to protect the health, safety and prosperity of Michigan families. The House budget eliminates more than 1,600 positions. This means:
The House budget slashes funding to the state psychiatric hospitals by $6.8 million, including cuts to staffing, medical services and necessary facility maintenance. It also fails to appropriate funding for additional staffing needed to operate the new Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital in Northville, which is slated to open in 2026. This would affect vital behavioral health services and reduce the number of patients the state can care for at its hospitals, further increasing wait times and impeding progress addressing the behavioral health crisis facing the state. One-third of small town and rural Michigan residents are covered by Medicaid, and the proposed budget would result in the loss of health coverage for thousands of individuals in rural communities. As families will still need health care services, this would force hospitals and other local safety nets to absorb the costs of caring for those who have lost coverage and face potential closure as they struggle to maintain services. MDHHS urges our state legislators to continue funding to the department’s budget in order to serve Michigan families.  Statement from Col. James F. Grady II: Budget Proposed by the Michigan House of Representatives Makes Deep Cuts to MSP
The FY26 state budget passed by the Michigan House of Representatives on August 26 would severely impact the services of the Michigan State Police (MSP) in multiple ways, including:
 Voters line up at the County Administration building to vote last November. Congressman, candidates invited to Fremont
MI Barry County Indivisible has organized a Town Hall meeting for all 2nd Congressional District constituents. From the organization: “We are represented in Congress by John Moolenaar. With an area this large, it must be a challenge for him to know the needs of his constituents. While newsletters and social media posts are the quickest way to share something, having in person Town Halls have always been the best way to give and get information. "MI Barry County Indivisible has been working with representatives from roughly 8 other counties in the 2nd District and have invited Mr. Moolenaar, as well as Benjamin Ambrose and Jamie Hill, other interested candidates, to join us in a Town Hall on Saturday, September 20th @ 11am at Fremont Recreation Center (201 E. Maple St) in Fremont, a somewhat central location for his district. We are hopeful he will be there to hear our questions/concerns and to share what’s going on in Washington. We are opening this invitation to all 2nd District constituents. Our event will be moderated by former Grand Rapids mayor, George Heartwell and is open to interested parties." Near North Now reached out to Congressman Moolenaar’s office but had not heard back prior to posting this article. |
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