The revelation of seeing
Easter as a way of living
See Editorial on Page 4
Hastings baseball rebounds
from rough inning to get split
See Story on Page 14
Emergency services rising costs
driving Thornapple tax request
See Story on Page 3
Garden Club to
reconvene tonight
It’s spring and time to get gardens into
shape for the season. But gardeners need
ways to avoid soreness while tackling those
projects, too.
Amy Pohja will discuss the importance of
flexibility at the Thornapple Garden Club’s
meeting Thursday, April 14. Pohja will share
some easy stretches to help gardeners be ready
and less sore as they tackle spring cleanup.
Pohja teaches yoga at the high school Tues-
day nights and has practiced yoga for 16 years.
She also is a middle school science teacher.
Membership information for the club can
be obtained through Mary Alber by calling
269-355-9895.Community Cross
Walk on Good Friday
Grace Lutheran Church of Hastings is
again inviting the community to participate
in its 50th Community Good Friday Cross
Walk April 15. The procession will begin at
9:30 a.m. from the church parking lot at 239
E. North St., Hastings.
The circular route is approximately 2 1/
miles long and takes about an hour and a
half to complete. Six devotional stations
provide brief stops in the procession to lis-
ten to passages read from the Passion Story
and a brief prayer.
People of all ages are invited to partici-
pate. Restroom facilities are available at the
church. Some bottled water will be provid-
ed to participants.
If for some reason a walker feels unable
to complete the walk, a safety vehicle will
be following the group to offer a ride back
to the church. Light refreshments will be
available at the church at the conclusion of
the walk.
Participants are encouraged to dress for
whatever weather conditions are forecast
for Friday morning.J-Ad Graphics seeks
events informationRepresentative from local organizations,
clubs, businesses, municipalities or other
groups planning summer events are invited
to contact J-Ad Graphics for inclusion in the
upcoming summer fun guide.
The special publication will list activities
throughout the area, including concerts, pre-
sentations, festivals, races, tours, hikes, art
shows, theatrical performances and more.
The booklet will be delivered with local
papers, and also will be distributed at Mich-
igan Department of Transportation informa-
tion centers throughout the state.
Organizers of special events are asked to
contact J-Ad Graphics to share information
and arrange for advertising. Advertisers also
may consider coupons and promotions in
this far-reaching publication.
For more information, call 269-945-
or email [email protected].Deadine to file to run
for office is TuesdayThere’s still time to file to run for elected
office locally.
Any candidate for partisan and nonparti-
san offices (other than judicial candidates)
may file a nominating petition and Affidavit
of Identity with the Barry County Clerk’s
office to run in the Aug. 2 primary election.
The deadline to file is 4 p.m. April 19.NEWS BRIEFSNEWS BRIEFS
VOLUME 168, No. 15 Thursday, April 14, 2022 PRICE $1.
THE
HASTINGS
Devoted to the Interests of Barry County Since 1856
Judge will decide verdict
in murder/torture case
100+ prospective jurors dismissed when
defendant suddenly opts for bench trial
Rebecca Pierce
Editor
Hunter McLaren
Staff Writer
A murder/torture trial got underway Mon-
day in Barry County, with roughly 120 pro-
spective jurors reporting for duty, when
something unusual happened.
Defendant Andrew Lafey of Nashville
waived his right to a jury trial.
“There is good news, bad news, I guess,
depending on your perspective,” Judge
Michael Schipper told the citizens gathered in
his courtroom Monday morning.
“This is the first time this has ever hap-
pened,” Schipper said. “The defendant has
decided to waive his right to a jury trial and
proceed with just a bench trial.
“That’s his constitutional right. So I will be
the one making the decision of guilt or notguilty in this case. So, for you all, this counts
as your jury duty for the year.”
Before dismissing prospective jurors Mon-
day, Schipper told them they would be wel-
come in the court during trial proceedings,
which are open to the public.
The judge also shared this parting thought,
“Just so you know, from my perspective, it’s
almost an answer to a prayer ... I’m thankful
that 18 of you don’t have to watch the video
in this case.”
The video, police said, was taken by the
22-year-old Lafey when he killed 18-year-old
Gracyn-Michael Kay-Candace Brickley of
Ionia, whose battered body was found
dumped in a wooded area of Maple Grove
Township.Royal Coach a no-go; but resolve to replace it prevails
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
It rained nearly every day last week – near-
ly every day except Tuesday, April 5. That
day, the sky opened up. The sun beamed
down on Hastings and the thermometer
reached the mid-50s – one of the warmest
days in months.
The weather was fitting for the day when
the Michigan State Housing Development
Authority was visiting the site of the pro-
posed Royal Coach Apartments. It seemed
like a good sign.
“I said, ‘I got this weather for you all so we
could have a positive outcome toward our
conversation,’” Barry Community Founda-
tion CEO/President Bonnie Gettys told
MSHDA representatives at the meeting.
In April 2021, MSHDA officially issued a
conditional “go” letter for $1.5 million in
low-income tax credits to support construc-
tion of 73 housing units in downtown Hast-
ings. For a town of about 7,000, where hous-
ing is the top priority for city officials, the
project was considered monumental. “Trans-
formational,” state Rep. Julie Calley, R-Port-
land, called it. The largest in decades. The
biggest ever, possibly, in downtown Hastings.
“This is the linchpin to open the dam to let
us be able to do more,” Gettys said.Then, four months after conditionally
approving the tax credits, MSHDA reversed its
decision and issued a “no-go” letter Nov. 30,
2021, citing concerns about the housing proj-
ect’s proximity to Hastings Manufacturing Co.
In the ensuing five months, MSHDA offi-
cials have refused to reverse that decision.
Supporters said they hoped their perspec-
tive would change when representatives from
MSHDA toured the Royal Coach site in per-
son April 5. Gettys arrived with a folder of
notes and a determination to convince
MSHDA it had made a mistake.
But as everyone stood on the Royal Coach
site, it became clear that it didn’t matter what
supporters would say. It was apparent MSH-
DA’s concerns about Hastings Manufacturing
weren’t likely to change in the future.
“Listen, we can’t go down that road
because of culpability,” Gettys remembered
them saying. “And honestly, we’re worried
about the residents. We just want a safe place
for 100 years. – as safe as possible.”
“So, we’re like, ‘OK, what’s the solution
then?’ ” Gettys said.
There’s still a slim chance the project will
go forward on the Royal Coach site.Next up for $26 million project: Finish the bridge
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
Construction is progressing on the inter-
change at U.S. 131 and M-179 near the Gun
Lake Casino.
Next up for $26 million project is the sec-
ond portion of the new bridge over U.S. 131.
When the project is complete, it will be a
single-point urban interchange that will allow
opposing left-turn movements simultaneously
from M-179 onto U.S. 131. The design is similar
to the interchanges on U.S. 131 at 44th Street in
Grand Rapids and Stadium Drive in Kalamazoo.
The interchange also includes dedicated left-
turn and right-turn ramps onto M-179.
The project is expected to be complete this
November, replacing the original interchange
that was built in 1959, said John Richard,
spokesman for the Michigan Department of
Transportation’s Grand Region office in
Grand Rapids. The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-
Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, which
owns and operates the Gun Lake Casino in
Wayland, contributed $22 million toward the
project cost, with MDOT making up the rest
of the cost.
For the time being, 129th Avenue is closed
on the west side of U.S. 131 and the center
left-turn lane is closed on 129th and M-
on the east side of the expressway. The ramp
onto southbound U.S. 131 also is closed at
this time with a detour that directs motorists
along a service drive parallel to the highway
to the next ramp in Shelbyville, Richard said.Delton Kellogg narrows superintendent search to five
Delton Kellogg Schools named five candi-
dates for first-round interviews as it continues
its search for a new superintendent.
The following candidates will interview
Monday, April 25:- Stephen Patchin, superintendent of Han-
cock Public Schools, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. - Jeremy Wright, Plainwell Community
Schools high school principal, from 6:45 to
7:45 p.m. - Herman Lartique, Jr., assistant elementa-
ry principal at Klein Independent School
District in Texas, from 8 to 9 p.m.
The following candidates are scheduled for
interviews on Tuesday, April 26: - Melissa Remillard, early elementary
school principal for Paw Paw Public Schools,
from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. - Karmin Bourdo, elementary school prin-
cipal for Delton Kellogg Schools, from 6:
to 7:45 p.m.
Interviews will take place in the Delton
Kellogg High School Cafeteria, 10425 Pan-
ther Pride Drive, in Delton. Community
members, district staff and the public are
welcome to attend these interviews.
People who attend the interviews will have
the opportunity to fill out a feedback form on
the candidates. Board President Jessica Bran-
di has assured participants that all feedback
forms will be read and taken into consider-
ation by the board.
On May 9, prior to the second round of
interviews at 6:30 p.m. in the high school
cafeteria, the top two candidates will be given
a tour of the schools and town.
Informal “meet and greet” gatherings for
the community, district staff and others to
meet the final two candidates are planned
from 4 to 5 p.m. May 9 in the high school
cafeteria and library.
School board members are hoping to make
their selection by the end of the day, May 9, and
have the new superintendent ready to take over
at the beginning of the upcoming school year.Any questions or comments may be direected
to Charles Dumas, executive search specialist
for the Michigan Association of School Boards,
at [email protected] or at 517-526-0439.
The need for a new superintendent arose in
November when Kyle Corlett, who had
served as superintendent at Delton Kellogg
since 2017, accepted the superintendent’s
post at Ludington Area Schools.
Since then, Carl Schoessel, who previously
served for more than 20 years as superinten-
dent at Hastings Area Schools and three years
at Delton Kellogg, stepped back in as interim
superintendent for the remainder of this
school year.Defense Attorney James Kinney of Hastings objects to a problem with chain of
evidence.The Royal Coach location had been viewed as ideal for a housing project with its
proximity to downtown Hastings. But the Michigan State Housing Development
Authority has concerns about the site, so other locations are being considered. (File
photo)See JUDGE, page 2
See ROYAL COACH, page 8
The multimillion-dollar interchange at M-179 and U.S. 131 is taking shape. (Photo by Scott Harmsen)