Page 2 — Thursday, August 24, 2023 — The Hastings Banner
McCracken attempted to untie the socks, but
was unable to do so because they were tied in
several double knots.”
The statement continued on to say that
McCracken used a tool to cut the socks
away from the inmate’s neck and performed
CPR. Following 10 to 15 chest compres-
sions, the inmate started to breathe and had
a strong pulse while normal color returned
to their face.
“Deputy McCracken’s actions during his
emergency being diligent in her observations
and quick to respond to her instincts and
training save the person’s life,” the statement
said.
In an interview with the Banner , Leaf said
that the inmate did go on to make a full
recovery and was no longer housed at the
county jail.Leaf explained that the jail has three hold-
ing cells that are designated for inmates that
might be suicidal or detoxing. They are used
as a precautionary measure, as it allows cor-
rections officers to keep a closer eye on those
inmates. The inmate in question was in one of
those cells when they attempted suicide,
which staff are trained to spot and react to.
“They’re actually more frequent than you
might think,” Leaf said. “This one here just
went a lot of further. He had a blanket over
his head and that’s not uncommon inmates
who are in there. They’re depressed.
(McCracken) trusted her instinct and went
back there and saved him.”
The Sheriff’s office has had to contend
with a short corrections staff, but Leaf said
that the situation has improved and that the
jail is almost fully staffed.He pointed to an instance like this to high-
light the necessity of a full corrections staff.
“When you’re short staffed you might be
tied up doing something over in another cell
and not being able to go back to the monitors.
We have someone sitting back there but we
have a lot of cameras (to monitor) back there.”
While staff was able to save a life in this
more recent instance, other situations, like
one that played out three years ago, under-
scores the importance of remaining vigilance.
On the evening of May 1, 2020 sheriff’s
deputies and emergency personnel responded
to an unresponsive inmate, who eventually
died due to an apparent suicide attempt.
Even before that, in 2016, another instance
grabbed headlines when deputies rescued a
suicidal inmate who attempted to hang them-
selves from a bunk using a bedsheet.ley in Afghanistan. He returned home in 2009
and embarked on his journey to heal both
physically and mentally. Throughout that pro-
cess, he found that he had a passion for serv-
ing injured veterans who found themselves on
that same journey, leading him to volunteer at
his local Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.
VandenBerg was diagnosed with PTSD
and he made an effort to learn all about the
ailment and what might help him overcome
it. He found that riding his motorcycle was
therapeutic and effective in helping to stave
off his symptoms. He is eager for other dis-
abled veterans to reap the same benefits, but
many can’t ride traditional motorcycles
because of their disability.
And that’s the impetus behind Vanden-
Berg’s non-profit organization.
Wheels for Warriors is a one-man opera-
tion where VandenBerg selects a worthy,
disabled veteran and customizes a motorcy-
cle for them so that they can enjoy the same
therapeutic benefits of riding as he has. These
projects are funded by donations and he has
completed three of them. He’s embarking on
another one and will be teaming with the
American Legion Riders Post 45 in Hastings
to help raise some of the necessary funds.
VandenBerg selected Pamela Murray, a
disabled veteran from Youngstown, Ohio, as
the recipient of his next build. Murray served
active duty in the United States Navy from
1980 to 1993.
In 1981, she was serving on the USS Nim-
itz when a pilot crashed his EA-B6B Prowler
as he came in to land on the flight deck. The
accident injured many crew members and
caused dozens of casualties. The traumatic
experience caused Murray to develop PTSD.
“Part of the reason that I picked Pam, too,
is that the truth is that female veterans often
get overlooked,” VandenBerg said. “I really
want to do something that raises awareness
for our female veterans.”
But, to get Murray comfortable on her new
bike, VandenBerg must overhaul the 2006
Harley Davidson 883 Sportster and convert it
into a trike, an effort that will cost well north
of $10,000.
Like with his other projects, he is seeking
donations, and this includes a fundraising
effort at the annual Hastings Summerfest,
which kicks off on Friday.
The American Legion Riders Post 45 will
match donations from the general public upto $2,000. So, if VandenBerg can reel in
$2,000 in donations from the public, he’ll
double it to $4,000 immediately, which will
help get the ball rolling on the project.
“The American Legion Riders, I’ve always
had a good rapport with them,” VandenBergsaid. “They’re a great resource to find veter-
ans that need the help to find a bike.”
VandenBerg is also careful about who he
selects to build a bike for. He knows all too
well that many veterans face a dark period
when they return home – many grapple with
a dependency on drugs or alcohol. He wants
to make sure that when he invests time and
donations into a bike, the recipient will enjoy
it and use it for its intended purpose.
“It should be a reward for not only their
service but also for the work they do after
they serve,” VandenBerg said. “They’re tak-
ing a disability and making it an ability.
Those are veterans I choose to build my bikes
for. Pam, she volunteers at the Y(MCA) and
she was the first female post commander for
her American Legion.”
Hastings Summerfest is the city’s annual
three-day celebration featuring a variety of
events, from an arts and crafts fair that over-
takes the Barry County Courthouse lawn to a
parade, 5K/10K races, musical entertainment
and a variety of athletic competitions.
A full schedule of events can be found at
hastiNew 4-H coordinator brings love
for horticulture to Barry County
Lindsay Patton
Contributing Writer
When LilyRose Arriaga kicked off her role
as Barry County 4-H’s second full-time pro-
gram coordinator, it was July 17 – the week of
the Barry County Fair. Arriaga quickly found
out why the organization created the position.
“I describe it as a ‘good’ overwhelming,”
she said.
Arriaga recognized something special
about the Barry County Fair during that
week. Prior to starting her role at 4-H, she
visited other county fairs that now seem small
in comparison to Barry County’s.
“The fair is something so important to
Barry County.”
It has now been six weeks since Arriaga’s
first day, and she has since found a home at
Barry County’s office of the Michigan State
University Extension.
“It has been an amazing time so far,” she
said. “Here in Barry County, we are a very
tight-knit community.”
That tight-knit culture is also present at the
Barry County 4-H office, where there are five
employees that work in different areas. The
intimate environment has been especially
helpful to Arriaga as she onboarded.
“It makes it more comfortable to come into
this position, and since we’re all female, we
get along well,” she said.
A Chicagoland native, Arriaga was attend-
ing community college when an adviser
changed the course of her life and suggested
horticulture as a potential interest.
“She was telling me she teaches a horticul-
ture class and that I should be a part. From
there, I fell in love with it,” Arriaga said.
Through that intro class, Arriaga was intro-
duced to horticulture as a whole, as well as all
its different parts. Immediately, she discov-
ered a new passion.
“Horticulture is a whole bubble of indus-tries put together,” she said. “There’s land-
scaping, there’s gardening, there’s public
gardening, and learning all the different parts
of horticulture is what got me hooked.”
Arriaga began working at her community
college’s student farm, where she found
another passion in organic farming. The stu-
dent farm also participated in community-sup-
ported agriculture, which is a crop-sharing
system that puts food directly into the local
community.
“It showed me how horticulture can actual-
ly support a community and provide so much
more,” she said. “And I really loved that.”
As Arriaga’s involvement in horticulture
grew, she became serious about making it a
career path. A supervisor recommended
Michigan State University for its strong hor-
ticulture program.
Arriaga was on her way to becoming a
Spartan.
On the drive to her new home in East Lan-
sing, Arriaga noticed something after cross-ing state lines.
“My very first time visiting Michigan I fell
in love with the trees,” she said. “I was driv-
ing with my parents and I remember just
looking out the windows and I honestly felt I
could see the difference between the trees in
Michigan and Illinois.”
As she settled into MSU, that love only
grew as she got to know her new home state
and its natural resources.
“Being in horticulture, I feel there are more
opportunities in Michigan. I knew Michigan
was a big agricultural state and ... I wanted to
be a part of expanding agriculture. I just felt
right at home coming to Michigan.”
In her new role as Barry County 4-H pro-
gram coordinator, Arriaga will be a big part
of expanding agriculture. Some of her respon-
sibilities include building relationships with-
in the community and implementing more
diverse programs in the organization.
“Barry County is centered around tradi-
tional 4-H and livestock,” she said. “In my
position, they want me to bring more natural
resources and outdoor education to 4-H. ...
I’m trying to bring in something new to the
county, something more diverse.”
Currently, a dream project for Arriaga is
the children’s garden at the Barry County
Fair. During her first week, she struck up a
conversation with a few Master Gardeners,
who shared the garden’s challenges. Over the
past few years, the garden hasn’t been tended
to appropriately and Arriaga is hoping to get
the garden back up and running for the com-
munity’s children to enjoy.
“I’m hoping that’s an area I can touch on.
It really hits home.”
As she settles into her role, Arriaga is look-
ing to build connections and learn more about
Barry County. She welcomes suggestions
from the community and can be reached at
[email protected].Volunteers being sought for United Way Day of Caring
Volunteers for the Barry County United Way will be out in droves for Day of Caring
activities on Thursday, Sept. 14 and Saturday, Sept. 16. Over 500 volunteers are expect-
ed to be working in Barry County on those days, and those interested can still sign up
to volunteer.
Volunteers can choose from a myriad of projects to help out with, including oppor-
tunities in the morning and afternoon on Thursday, Sept. 14, and in the morning on
Saturday, Sept. 16. In addition to the in-person volunteering, there are opportunities for
volunteers to help out virtually with “Caring in Action.” Each volunteer will receive a
T-shirt.
All volunteers are invited to join the United Way at the YMCA Camp Algonquin,
2055 Iroquois Trail, for the annual Day of Caring Luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 14 from
noon to 1:30 p.m.
Those interested in volunteering during the Day of Caring can sign up at the Barry
County United Way’s website, bcunitedway.org.Hastings Nazarene hosting community worship and picnic
The Hastings Church of the Nazarene will host a community worship and picnic at
Thornapple Plaza, 301 E. State Street in Hastings, on Sunday, Sept. 17.
The worship will begin at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday and the picnic will commence at
noon. All are welcome to join the community-wide worship and picnic, which is
planned to conclude around 2 p.m.
Hastings Church of the Nazarene credits the generosity of local businesses for facil-
itating the community picnic. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and yard
games.
More information about the picnic and worship can be found by contacting Hastings
Nazarene’s Bikram Ranapheli, connections pastor, at 616-500-4317.Pleasant Valley Baby Pantry celebrates 20 years
The Pleasant Valley Baby Pantry celebrated its 20th anniversary last month, celebrat-
ing two decades of helping local families care for small children.
The pantry, located at the Pleasant Valley United Brethren Church, 13120 Bell Road,
was created to help anyone caring for children with clothing, food and furniture.
Though the mission has stayed the same, there have been some changes to the pantry
over the years. The pantry moved out of the old church sanctuary, which was not hand-
icap accessible, to the basement. Dry food staples have been added to help with needs
for the whole family.
Over the past 20 years, the pantry has helped nearly 400 clients with their needs.
There are no income or residency requirements to use the pantry. “If we have some-
thing you need, it is yours,” say organizers.
Pleasant Valley’s baby pantry is open Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. and Friday from
11 to 1 p.m. The church can be contacted at 616-693-2265.DNR to offer oil and gas lease rights
in Barry County during online auctionApproximately 3,000 acres of state-owned oil and gas lease rights in 12 Michigan
counties will be offered during a Department of Natural Resources online auction Tues-
day, Oct. 24.
The counties included in the auction are Allegan, Arenac, Barry, Cass, Cheboygan,
Grand Traverse, Ionia, Kalkaska, Manistee, Missaukee, Saint Clair and Washtenaw.
More information about the auction can be found on the DNR oil and gas webpage,
bit.ly/3QJTPBf, or by emailing [email protected] (subject line
should read AUCTION).National Depression Screening Day is Thursday, Oct. 5
The Barry County Community Mental Health Authority (BCCMHA) continues to
promote awareness of National Depression Screening Day. This year, National Depres-
sion Screening Day falls on Thursday, Oct. 5.
If you are having a difficult time and are not currently receiving mental health ser-
vices, BCCMHA asks that you call 269-948-8041 or stop in at Barry County Commu-
nity Mental Health, 500 Barfield Drive, in Hastings. They would like to assist you in
connecting with appropriate services.MSP sports new look to iconic bubble
Michiganders may soon notice a different look to Michigan State Police cars’ iconic
bubble light.
MSP announced last week a redesigned beacon for their Chevrolet Tahoe PPV fleet
with new and innovative technologies that increase visibility for added officer safety.
New features include:- 360-degree scene, front takedown, alley and reverse lighting: White lighting
around the entire vehicle for additional visibility during incident management, investi-
gations and search and recovery efforts. - 360-degree warning light: Reflectors provide for a full 360-degree coverage of
emergency lighting, providing better off-angle coverage during traffic stops and clear-
ing intersections. - Additional visibility: Although the new modernized beacon is three inches shorter,
the new beacon boosts 144 light-emitting diodes (LED), a 42 percent increase in bright-
ness from the previous model. - Synchronized flash patterns: Designed to increase officer safety during traffic
stops, scene investigations and provide less distraction and more clarity for approach-
ing motorists. - Lower profile: Allows members to enter facilities with standard garage door open-
ings.
NEWS NEWS BRIEFSBRIEFS
The Barry County Conservation
Easement (BCCE) Board is pleased to
announce the 2023 application cycle
for the Barry County Conservation
Easement Program. Deadline for
submission is Monday, October
30, 2023 at the Barry County
Administration Office.The BCCE program was created to
help landowners place conservation
easements on their parcels to
permanently preserve important
farmland and natural land.
Landowners retain ownership of theirland and may receive compensation for
their conservation easement based on
a state approved appraisal of their land.
Participation is completely voluntary.
There are also tax benefits to donating a
conservation easement to the county.Interested landowners may obtain an
information packet and application
for this voluntary program by
contacting
Heather Wing at 269-275-
or
[email protected].LEGAL NOTICE FOR 2023 BARRY COUNTY
CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM APPLICATIONThe Barry County Conservation Easement Program will be hosting
two landowner workshops to discuss the Conservation Easement
Program.- Thursday, September 7, 2023, 7:00 pm, Tyden Center Community
Rm., 121 S. Church St., Hastings - Thursday, October 12, 2023, 7:00 pm, Tyden Center Community
Rm., 121 S. Church St., Hastings
SUMMERFEST, continued from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Pamela MurrayThis 2006 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster is Brad VandenBerg’s next project, as he
looks to convert it to a trike and gift it to Youngstown, Ohio-based disabled veteran
Pamela Murray.SAVING LIFE, continued from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
LilyRose Arriaga