Muskegon, Michigan

The Muskegon City Commission has approved a resolution accepting a $730,200 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to acquire several acres of waterfront land adjacent to Hartshorn Park and Launch Ramp. The property includes greenspace and a driveway running west from the marina along the shoreline to Fricano's Pizza.

The city has until July 2028 to complete the purchase. The grant requires a local match, expected to come from a land donation by the current property owner, though that owner has not yet formally agreed to the terms; if the donation doesn't materialize, the city could owe roughly $243,400. Staff are now proceeding with a Phase 1 environmental survey and reappraisal, which could adjust the grant amount. City officials, including the mayor, called the potential expansion a boost for public waterfront access. Separately, the city is working with Progressive Companies on Third Street Wharf, a new waterfront park near the Shoreline Inn, with a public engagement event planned for Oct. 20.

Muskegon Heights officials are aiming to hire a full-time city manager by the end of 2025 as the city confronts a projected $5.3 million budget deficit. Police Chief Maurice Sain has been serving as acting city manager since a federal raid on city hall in late July, but has indicated he does not plan to stay in the role long-term.

The position became vacant after the council fired interim manager Pearlette Merriweather, who had flagged a $2.5 million to $2.9 million deficit, and then fired her replacement, Fire Chief Shawnderick Roberson, following felony drug trafficking charges connected to the federal investigation. Council members have sparred over process, with one proposing a search firm and formal application parameters, and others pushing for faster action given interest from at least three candidates. A Dec. 31 deadline has been floated for hiring and onboarding. The city must also submit a state-mandated deficit elimination plan and adopt a 2027 budget by year's end to preserve its short-term borrowing ability.

Bradley S. Knoll, a former Holland, Michigan judge, has been sentenced to fines and costs after pleading to misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from a Feb. 13 courtroom incident. During a landlord-tenant dispute, Knoll became frustrated with a defendant who was loud, interrupted others and did not follow courtroom procedure. He threw three self-inking stamps from the bench, one of which struck the defendant, though no injury resulted. Knoll later told investigators he "snapped" and wasn't thinking "lawyerly" in the moment, and he wrote a letter of apology to the defendant and the investigating detective.

Knoll was sentenced Tuesday, Sept. 29, before Muskegon District Judge Geoffrey Nolan. This was not his first brush with legal trouble: he was investigated and charged in a misdemeanor domestic violence case in late 2023, later completing probation under a first-offender program. A state Supreme Court consent order issued in March, citing negative publicity for the judiciary, prompted his early retirement from the 58th District Court bench.