Sam Landstra

5 days ago | fox17online.com | Sam Landstra

PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A short-term rental owner in Park Township has sold her property after a recent ruling from a township board. She's one of many, she says. "It was too risky to continue to wait and see how things played out," said Laura Opsahl, whose painted blue cottage sat less than a mile away from Tunnel Park. "We felt it was better to move on," she said. In 2021, the Opsahls, living in Minnesota at the time, bought the property as a vacation spot for their family.

2 weeks ago | fox17online.com | Sam Landstra

PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. — As we stand on the front stoop of summer with beach chairs and sunscreen packed away for sunny afternoons on the shore of Lake Michigan, let's remember the dangers of these days, too. Over the past five years, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, a total of 22 people drowned on West Michigan beaches (between South Haven to the south and Muskegon to the north), according to data from the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP).

2 weeks ago | fox17online.com | Sam Landstra

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The reporting of fair, accurate and timely news doesn't simply happen, it's the result of relationships with people and professionals. On Thursday, FOX 17 and other members of the media spent time with school communicators and public information officers, participating in a crisis media training session at GRPS University. "If a crisis occurs, the media is going to show up," said John Witkowski, the safety and security coordinator for the Kent Intermediate School District.

2 weeks ago | fox17online.com | Sam Landstra

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A number of Grand Rapids residents who live on Umatilla Street say the city should not name it after Amillier Penn, a teenager fatally shot on the stretch of road more than a year ago. On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids City Commission held a public hearing on the commemorative designation, which would not change the mailing addresses of those living on Umatilla Street between Madison and Union Avenues, but rather be marked by a differently colored street sign.

2 weeks ago | fox17online.com | Sam Landstra

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A "group of kids" likely slashed the tires of more than forty cars in Holland Township over the weekend, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office told FOX 17. In an interview on Monday, Capt. Jake Sparks said the alleged destruction of property didn't appear to be targeted, as is the case in many such incidents, but rather "young people causing mischief.""Obviously, we're talking about thousands of dollars of damage," Sparks said.