By Judy Reed

A few weeks ago we reported that the Kent County Sheriff’s Department was investigating numerous nighttime home invasions in Cannon Township, specifically the Bostwick Lake area, where purses and wallets were stolen. Police believed the suspect was the same person they saw on video exiting a vehicle at the Marathon gas station on 14 Mile Rd (near Lincoln Lake Ave) that had been stolen in a Grandville home invasion.

Police arrested the suspect, Corey James VanSuilichem, 32, and charged him with receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle. Then, on August 3, they charged him with three counts of first degree home invasion—two for the Bostwick Lake area, and one for Grandville. According to Sgt. Joel Roon, additional victims will be included in the plea agreement.

VanSuilichem is believed to have broken into or attempted to break into over a dozen homes.

On August 9, he was also charged with being a habitual offender, 4^th offense.

He previously served nine years on prison, from 2003 to 2012, for four counts of home invasion and one count of larceny from a motor vehicle for crimes committed in Ottawa County.

In February 2017, he was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years probation for maintaining a drug house in Belding, because he was growing more marijuana than allowed on his card. And, as of June 30, he was listed as a probation absconder.

“We are proud of the tireless work our investigators put into this case and we are always grateful for the many community members who banded together and helped us, and also helped each other through a tense couple of weeks,” the Kent County Sheriff Department said in a statement on their Facebook page.

A Greenville area man died Tuesday when his vehicle hit a tree in Ada Township.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, they responded to the scene of the crash on Honey Creek Avenue, north of Knapp St., on Tuesday, January 17, at 4:53 p.m. They found that a 59-year-old man driving a black Volvo northbound on Honey Creek lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.

The driver was identified as Patrick Wayne Cardenas, 59, of Eureka Township.

Cannon Township fire and rescue assisted at the scene.

Alcohol may have been a factor in this two-vehicle crash in Cannon Twp. last week.

Alcohol may be responsible for a crash in Cannon Township that sent three people to the hospital the night before New Year’s Eve.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, the crash occurred on Cannonsburg Road, east of Blakely, just after 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 30. Police said that a Dodge Ram truck was headed westbound on Cannonsburg Rd, and witnesses reported that it crossed the center line several times. It finally swerved all the way over the centerline into oncoming (eastbound) traffic and struck a 1996 GMC Sierra head on.

The driver of the Dodge Ram, Damion James Nelmark, 39, of Spencer Township, was taken to Spectrum Butterworth with by Rockford Ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the GMC Sierra, Corbin Thomas Verdier, 19, of Grand Rapids, was also taken to Spectrum Butterworth by Rockford Ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.

The passenger in the Sierra, Noah Nathaniel Bosse, 19, of Grand Rapids, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Spectrum Butterworth by Aeromed.

All those involved were wearing seatbelts. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash, which is still under investigation.

Three young men were injured in an accident in Cannon Township last week. Photo from WOOD TV8.

Three young men from Rockford were seriously injured last Thursday when the car they were riding in crashed into a tree.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, deputies responded to a personal injury accident at 9 Mile and Young Avenue in Cannon Township about 6:02 a.m., December 4, involving a passenger car and three occupants. Police said that the driver, Jacob Taylor, 21, of Rockford, lost control of the vehicle and crossed the centerline and struck a tree.

Taylor suffered critical injuries and was transported by Aeromed to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital. The front seat passenger, Bret Bailey, 21, of Rockford, also suffered critical injuries, and was transported by Rockford Ambulance to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital. The back seat passenger, Mitchell Fabro, 22, of Rockford, suffered serious injuries, and was also transported to Spectrum Butterworth by Rockford Ambulance.

In many cases we think bugs are a nuisance, but bugs in a stream can be very useful.  Stream insects are a good measure of water quality.  Unlike fish, stream insects cannot move around much so they are less able to escape the effects of sediment and other pollutants that diminish water quality. Stream insects can also be easily identified.

Trout Unlimited National, Cannon Township and Michigan Trout Unlimited will be holding a Stream Insect Monitoring Event on Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Rockford Community Cabin, 220 North Monroe Street in Rockford. Volunteers will be assigned to a monitoring group with a team leader. Each group will collect and identify insects from different stream sites in the Rogue River and Bear Creek watersheds. You don’t need any experience with stream insects to participate and all ages are welcome.

What will you need? Please RSVP to Nichol De Mol at 231-557-6362 or ndemol@tu.org if you would like to attend.  Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.  Please bring waders if you have them and dress for the weather conditions.

Icy roads on Monday morning, February 7, resulted in a slew of accidents across Kent County, including one in Courtland Township that sent a man to the hospital with a broken pelvis.
According the Kent County Sheriff Department, Kurt Goodman, 23, of Cannon Township, pulled off Myers Lake Avenue onto Peterson near the stop sign shortly after 7 a.m. Monday, to see if his Chevy Avalanche was leaking fluid. A second man was southbound on Myers Lake and saw Goodman looking at his vehicle, and pulled his personal plow truck into the northbound lane of Myers Lake, directly in front of the Chevy Avalanche. He then turned on his flashing yellow lights to warn other drivers.
Goodman was standing outside of his vehicle and was talking with the plow truck driver at his driver door when a third vehicle heading northbound on Myers Lake tried to brake and go around the vehicles but lost control on the ice and hit the plow on the truck and then slid into Goodman and pinned him against his car for a short time.
Goodman was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital, by Rockford Ambulance, with a broken pelvis and compound fractures of the legs.
Courtland Township Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene.