An evening snowmobile ride on Lincoln Lake with a friend turned into tragedy when one of the riders drove into open water.

A 911 call came into Kent County Dispatch on February 13 at approximately 10:25 p.m. reporting a snowmobile accident on Lincoln Lake in Spencer Township. The caller reported he was on the lake on a snowmobile riding with another person who was on a separate snowmobile. The caller believed the other rider went into open water. 

Multiple fire departments along with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area immediately. The caller was on unstable ice and was rescued by Cannon Fire Department’s hovercraft. The hovercraft was then used to search for the missing rider. The Sheriff’s Office also deployed a drone with a Forward Looking Infrared Camera to search the lake. They were not able to locate the missing rider or his snowmobile after several hours and finally called off the search. 

The search resumed at daylight on February 14. Joseph Brown, 29, of Spencer Township, was found near the bottom of the lake, not far from where his friend was rescued.

Sgt. Joel Roon said that the recovery was challenging because the water was dark, cold, and very deep—about 50-60 feet. It was near where Cedar Creek flows into Lincoln Lake. “There’s a lot of moving water under there and it’s a recipe for dangerous conditions,” he said.

Roon said it looked like Brown made an effort to get to the ice shelf because they found some of his clothing. “We believe he tried some things ice fishermen would do like shed his shoes and bulky clothing.” He noted that it looked like he made it 15-20 feet before going under. 

Roon said the snowmobile probably would not be recovered right away. He said the DNR would get involved because of the fluids in the sled, and currently it was too dangerous to try to remove it.

A gofundme account has been set up to assist with funeral expenses. Go to https://bit.ly/2GV1Qzg to donate.

A benefit is also being held this Saturday, February 23, at 3 p.m. at the Trufant hall. Dinner $5 a plate, 50/50 raffle tickets, and a live auction. Live band High Risk will be playing as well. 

Barry Arthur with the giant puffball mushroom he found in Spencer Township. Post photo by J. Reed.

Barry Arthur, of Cedar Springs, stopped by the Post this week to show us a giant puffball mushroom he found out by Lincoln Lake, off 18 Mile Road. “I was just driving around when I saw it,” he said.

Giant puffball mushrooms are whitish balls that feel like Styrofoam. They can be as small as a softball, or as large as a beach ball, with short, root-like fibers connecting it to the ground. Most giant puffballs grow to be from 3 to 27 inches in diameter, although occasionally some can be much larger.

Arthur estimated this one to be about 20 pounds, and 26-28 inches around.

“You slice them like bread, and cook them in butter over low heat until they get rubbery like other mushrooms,” explained Arthur. He also noted that if they were light green on the inside or brown on the outside, they were going bad and not good to eat.

Kylee Hall, the daughter of Todd and Mary Hall of Cedar Springs, enjoyed one of the last fall weekends of fishing at Lincoln Lake. She was so excited to have the first catch before dad and mom! This 8-year-old loves her fishing trips to the fishing hole.

Congratulations, Kylie, you made The Post Catch of the Week!

Scott Hammer, 51, the live-in boyfriend of Danielle Scholten-Linderman, 29, reportedly burned the woman’s farmhouse in Sheridan that they had been renovating, after he allegedly killed her in a struggle in Spencer Township, Wednesday, October 23. Post photo by L. Allen.

A Sheridan Township man was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with homicide in the death of his girlfriend.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, they were called about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 23, to the scene of a possible homicide on Lincoln Lake Avenue, in Spencer Township. When they arrived, they found the body of Danielle Scholten-Linderman, 29.

Danielle and her boyfriend, Scott Hammer, 51, had been staying with family at the Lincoln Lake address while their home was being renovated. Sometime early that morning a struggle had taken place between the couple that resulted in Danielle’s death.

Hammer fled the home and went to 3360 Wise Road, in Sheridan Township, Montcalm County, where he and Danielle had been renovating Danielle’s old farmhouse. Hammer reportedly set the farmhouse on fire.

This photo shows two buildings (a barn and mobile home) adjacent to the burned out farmhouse. Hammer is suspected of trying to burn one of these buildings as well. Post photo by L. Allen.

Montcalm County Dispatch received a call on the fire at 6:29 a.m. Sheridan Firefighters arrived to find the home engulfed in flames. While they fought the fire, Montcalm County Sheriff Deputies were alerted to the homicide investigation by the Kent County Sheriff Department. It is believed that Hammer attempted to burn a second structure on the property as well but was not successful. The Michigan State Police Fire Marshal’s office is assisting the Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation of the arson.

Montcalm County Sheriff’s deputies apprehended Hammer in Sheridan without incident. He was arraigned in Kent County’s 63rd District Court, on October 24, on an open murder charge. He was denied bond, and in custody at the Kent County jail.A preliminary hearing is set for November 6.

Kent County Undesheriff Jon Hess said that the cause of Danielle’s death has not yet been released, pending the results of an autopsy.

Post photo by L. Allen.

UPDATE May 13: added suspect’s name and charges

Sue and Joe Arnold’s grandchildren often spend the night at their grandparents’ campground on Lincoln Lake in Spencer Township. But Sue is glad that last Friday was not one of those nights. That’s because a hit and run driver ran off the road about 6:05 a.m. Saturday morning and hit the trailer they normally sleep in.
“If it had been Sunday morning instead of Saturday morning, they probably would have been hurt,” she said, noting that the crash hit the bathroom and the bedroom, and knocked the trailer about 5 feet off its foundation.
The campground, Outlook Pointe, is located just off 18 Mile between Hemlock and Podunk Ave. Sue said that her neighbors, Ed and Kathy Grifhorst, heard the crash and ran out to see what had happened. She said that by then the driver, reportedly a young 20-year-old male, had pulled his 1994 Toyota pickup out of the wreckage and was driving away. “I’m surprised he could drive it,” she said.
Sue explained that Ed, her neighbor, followed the truck until it quit, and the Kent County Sheriff Department arrived on scene. She said the driver told police he fell asleep, and that he was driving without insurance.
Sgt. Patty Seif, of the Kent County Sheriff Department, confirmed that the suspect, Albert James Johnson, of Greenville, had been drinking, but was not over the legal limit. He was cited for careless driving, and Minor in Possesion, both misdemeanor charges. He was on probation because of a past MIP offense. Johnson is due in court on May 18 at 8:30 a.m.