If there was a definition in Webster’s Dictionary for a bounce back game in the National Football League, the Lions’ Monday night game would’ve been it. It doesn’t matter that we got slapped around by the Ravens last week, the Lions returned to Ford Field and gave the fans a bigtime win. Once again, we’re sipping on the blue Kool-Aid.

Now as much as I am going to celebrate the 26-14 win, it’s important to note that we really did not play super well for most of this game. The offensive line was letting Max Crosby through pretty much all four quarters, they we’re lucky that Jimmy Garoppolo missed Davante Adams on what would be two touchdown passes, and we had to settle for four field goals. But with all that being said, a win is a win.

It's criminal that I waited this long in the article to mention his name, but Jahmyr Gibbs just had his statement game that all of us fans have been waiting for. A casual 26 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown with an additional 37 yards receiving for the Alabama rookie, meaning he has a touchdown for each game that he has started in this season. Loving what we’re seeing from the guy.

The rest of the offense was pretty much the same as what we’ve witnessed so far, Jared Goff had what could be classified as a slow night going 26/37 with 272 yards while double dipping the stat sheet with a touchdown and an interception. Sam LaPorta once again showed how even though it’s early in his career, he is already one of the best tight ends in the NFL by catching for 57 yards and a touchdown. Amon Ra St. Brown said forget the injury, let me pick up a quick 108 yards receiving and get some crucial first downs.

My only question for this whole team though is can Jameson Williams consistently catch a football? He won’t be getting the targets that he wants from Jared Goff if he can’t even wrangle in a football that is right in his hands. I don’t understand it, and I don’t think I ever will, how do you drop balls that consistently if that is your job that you are paid millions of dollars to do so?

Regardless of my questioning, I am glad our defense reminded everyone what they were capable of after the dumpster fire that was last weekend. Alex Anzalone and Alim McNeil notched two sacks a piece, and Julian Okwara got in the mix with a sack as well. Kerby Joseph had what some could say the easiest interception of his life when Garoppolo chucked it into double coverage and underthrew Davante Adams by a handful of yards.

Special shoutout to Riley Patterson for treating his fantasy owners to a 4/5 performance in field goals and going 2/2 for the extra points. Kickers are people too, and I think a lot of us forget that. Thank you, Riley, we needed this.

The Raiders on the other hand need to figure out what is going on sooner rather than later. They lost to the Bears last week with backup quarterback Brian Hoyer under center, they’re not utilizing Davante Adams properly, and Maxx Crosby is quite literally the only thing they have going when it comes to any defensive pressure. They’ve lost 3 of their last five games, and by the looks of it they might lose to the Giants and Jets in these next two weeks.

Keep in mind that as I write this article, the Trade deadline has not yet been closed, and in my opinion, Brad Holmes needs to make a move now to help out the defense. I mentioned it last week, but we are in desperate need of another pass rusher. We’re in luck because there are some that are available, like Chase Young and Maxx Crosby, but I doubt that Holmes and the front office will do anything as much as it hurts me to say so.

Not to mention that before this game, Crosby, who is a Michigan native and grew up a Lions fan, said before the game that he had this one circled on his calendar. Reminder that the Lions passed on him three times in the 2019 draft, so there could be some bad blood in the water.

Only time will tell if we get a new player to adorn the Honolulu Blue, and I am begging for Holmes to make a move before we take on the Chargers next week in San Diego. Because if we don’t, I have a bad feeling that the Keenan Allen and Justin Herbert connection will be just too much for us to handle.

Lions have a bye this week. They travel to LA to take on the Chargers 11/12.

All Detroit Lion football games air on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, & 96.5fm.

The Lions are brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibrations and Glass: when your windshield needs replacing, the experts at Michigan ADAS not only replace the glass, they also recalibrate the cameras your car depends on to keep you safe.

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Monday, October 23

• At 1402 hours, deputies made a traffic stop in Austin TWP. The traffic stop resulted in male driver being arrested on a warrant and for possession of methamphetamine. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail. 

• At around 1430 hours, deputies executed a search warrant at a residence in Austin TWP. The search resulted in the recovery of 2 stolen motorcycles. The motorcycles were stolen out of  Isabella County, last month. A male subject was arrested for possession of stolen property and a warrant.  He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 8

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Tuesday, October 24

• At 0900 hours, deputies made an arrest at a residence in Green TWP. A female subject was arrested for a parole violation. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.   

• At 1700 hours, deputies made a warrant arrest in Fork TWP. A female subject was arrested on a warrant and lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 12

Traffic Accidents: 1

Wednesday, October 25

Calls for Service: 20

Thursday, October 26

Calls for Service: 18

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 3

Friday, October 27

Calls for Service: 13

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Saturday, October 28

• At around 0058 hours, deputies investigated a B&E at the Mecosta County Courthouse in Big Rapids TWP. A female wearing a pink cowgirl costume broke into the courthouse. The female suspect was later identified and was arrested on 10-29-23. She is currently lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

• At 2028 hours, deputies made a warrant arrest at a residence in Fork TWP. A female subject was arrested on a warrant. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 17

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 3

Sunday, October 29

Calls for Service: 11

Traffic Accidents: 3

Car/Deer Accidents: 3

Today, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) is announcing the launch of the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship, a new career training scholarship designed to help individuals gain skills needed to prepare for in-demand jobs.  

“Through programs like the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship, we are preparing Michiganders for rewarding careers in high-demand industries while supporting businesses with the highly skilled talent they need to compete and grow,” said Susan Corbin, director of LEO. “Investments like these are critical to helping fuel the jobs that are vital to our state’s economic momentum and our goals to expand economic prosperity to all.” 

The Skills Scholarship is backed by a $10 million investment through the state budget and adds on to the Michigan Achievement Scholarship launched by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year to lower the cost of higher education for Michiganders, starting with the class of 2023. Under the program, graduating high school students will be eligible to receive up to $4,000 over two years to attend an eligible career training program in Michigan. 

Eligible career training programs were selected to ensure students will receive training and skills that will ultimately lead to in-demand jobs with high paying wages.  

“There should be a path for every Michigan high school graduate to pursue education after high school, which is increasingly a necessity for good wages in high-demand jobs. The Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship provides yet another opportunity for students to pursue their dreams,” said Sarah Szurpicki, director of LEO’s Office of Sixty by 30. “As we continue to move Michigan forward, it is also helping get us closer to the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of having 60% of adults with an industry-recognized skill certificate or college degree by 2030.” 

To apply, interested students must complete an application through the Michigan Student Aid Student Scholarships and Grants portal (MiSSG), administered through the Michigan Department of Treasury.  

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship has been a great addition to the breadth of tuition-assistance scholarships managed by MI Student Aid, reducing the costs for students to attend an eligible Michigan college or university by thousands of dollars,” said Diann Cosme, director of Student Scholarships, Grants and Outreach for the Treasury. “The Skills Scholarship offers another pathway to this program, and I encourage any student who has recently graduated with their high school diploma or equivalency to take the step to see if they qualify, view eligible programs and apply for this incredible opportunity.”   

Eligibility 

To be eligible for the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship, applicants must: 

• Be a Michigan resident for at least the immediately preceding year. 
• Have graduated from high school in Michigan with a diploma or a certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after. 
• Have not yet earned an associate or bachelor’s degree. 
• Have not yet earned a degree, certificate, or other credential with this scholarship. 

Students should review the list of eligible career training programs at Michigan.gov/CareerTraining prior to filling out their application and will need to indicate their chosen career training provider in the application.  

To learn more about how students can receive tuition assistance through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship visit Michigan.gov/Achievement. 

The Ferris State University women's soccer squad concluded its Upper Peninsula trip with a match against Northern Michigan in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, falling 1-0 on Sunday (Oct. 29) in Marquette.

The Bulldogs (5-8-4) dropped back-to-back games up North by identical 1-0 decisions.

On Sunday, Lauren Kubacki started at goalkeeper for FSU, and she made 12 saves in the setback. FSU had one shot on goal, coming from senior Payton Price. Northern Michigan attempted 24 total shots, while the Bulldogs had only four.

Hannah Kastamo scored the lone goal of the afternoon in the 63rd minute. Kenna Alexander assisted.

NMU had four corner kicks in the game. FSU had one and committed 19 fouls.

The Bulldogs will conclude the regular season Thursday, Nov. 2, at Saginaw Valley State.  Match time is set for 1 p.m. (ET) in University Center. That will be followed by the start of the GLIAC Tournament on Monday, Nov. 6.

The following was written by Mecosta County Sheriff Brian Miller in part of a monthly editorial.

What happened to holding people accountable for their actions?  Recently the pendulum has swung drastically in the criminal’s favor. On September 18^th, 2023, Illinois became the first state in the country to eliminate cash bail. While, here in Michigan, a bill package to dismantle Michigan’s Truth in Sentencing requirements by allowing “productivity credits” to be earned by prison inmates toward time off their sentences is purportedly being brought to the floor for a vote soon.

People in defense of eliminating cash bail claim that by eliminating cash bail, it would eliminate any inequities in the system. Claiming it would allow people who would normally not be able to get out of jail the ability to get out. The argument is that it would even the playing field so that like those with more resources, people with less would still enjoy the ability to return to their families, jobs, and homes.

The truth is that elimination of cash bail hurts people more than it helps.  New York City did this same thing, and they have had nothing but problems since with repetitive criminal behavior. After the implementation of the bail reform, more than 72 percent of those arrested for violent felonies were rearrested. An investigation by the New York Times showed that just among shoplifting crimes, one third of those arrested were repeat offenders. This has partially led to the organized shoplifting crews we have seen locally and more publicized on the national news in California. This is a continuing and growing trend which will continue to snowball because of left-wing policies, agendas, and the left-wing mentality. There are reasons people are flocking to get out of California. It is because of the mindset of the leadership and politicians in that state.  These shoplifting crews are responsible for stealing thousands upon thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise, only to turn around and sell the stolen goods via online marketplaces. This no cash bail reform is allowing criminals to continue to victimize the public.  This is just another example of leadership favoring the bad guys over the law-abiding citizens. 

The fact of the matter is, not having any kind of cash bail leads to more problems such as a rise in violent crime. Also, a spike in property crimes, which hurts the consumers as we must bear the brunt of higher prices for goods and services. This then effects the inflation we see, which again, lands squarely on the shoulders of American families. I fully respect the ideology of people being “innocent until proven guilty.” It protects our citizens from an over-controlling government, who, without a process in place, could throw people in prison without reason or recourse in the name of safety and security. So, I understand the need for balance, but has the pendulum swung too far left?

Bail is a time-honored way to ensure defendants released from jail show up for their court proceedings. Do we really want these violent criminals released from jail, pending trials, free to commit more crimes with nothing holding over them to keep them honest?

While all eyes are on Illinois and how things work out there, we are beginning our own fight here in Michigan. House Bills 4450-4453 would establish incentives for eligible inmates to partake in job and educational training. While I am all for jobs and continuing education for inmates, so they are in a better place when they get out and can be a positive, productive member of the communities to which they are returning, I hesitate to give them time-off credit on their sentences.

The bills being introduced do nothing to promote public safety and would in fact risk it and have the potential to retraumatize victims of crime by letting their offenders, convicted felons, out of prison early. The survivors of these violent crimes deserve to have the assurance that the person who violated them will be locked up in prison for a definitive amount of time. The victims need that time to heal and to feel as though there has been some sort of accountability enforced upon the perpetrator. 

If these Bills are enacted into law, the victims of serious crimes would no longer have the peace of mind of knowing precisely how long those convicted offenders will be held in prison or when they would be eligible for parole. This would also affect the ability to effectively negotiate plea agreements.

The elimination of cash bail and reduction in time served continue to be radical changes in our criminal justice system that take the side of the criminals, rather than the victims we should be protecting. One may ask, “When is this going to change? When are our leaders going to start looking out for us?” Probably not until one of these Democrat lawmakers who support these asinine Bills becomes the victim of a violent crime at the hands of a repeat offender. God forbid. I pray that never happens to any of them. While we are praying, let’s also pray God removes the scales from in front of their eyes so they will be able to see what they are doing to this state and our great nation.

May God richly bless the state of Michigan and these United States of America. 

Kent County Veterans Services will be activating Operation Green Light in early November to honor veterans ahead of the Veterans Day holiday.

During the week of November 6-12, area businesses and residents are being asked to replace outdoor lights with green bulbs to help support military veterans and to raise awareness about the resources available to them through the Kent County Veterans Services. Now in its second year, Operation Green Light is a national initiative of the National Association of Counties and the National Association of County Veteran’s Service Officers.

Kent County Veterans Services connects veterans and their families to earned benefits. These benefits may include emergency funds for unforeseen circumstances like rental assistance, utility payments, food grants, disability, spousal or dependent benefits, burial assistance, and more. Operation Green Light sheds light on these programs to aid veterans and their families in finding the programs that best fit their needs.

"We are excited to continue our success from the previous year when numerous businesses and residents actively participated," said Martha Burkett, Director of Kent County Veterans Services. "In this year's initiative, our aim extends beyond illuminating urban landmarks; we extend a challenge to individuals across every corner of the county to participate.”

In the weeks leading up to the initiative, Kent County Veterans Services invites businesses and residents to make a meaningful contribution by:

• purchasing green light bulbs for their homes and businesses,
• visiting accesskent.com/greenlight for a toolkit of resources to promote the cause, and
• rallying friends, family, and networks to join this initiative, together illuminating Kent County in a vibrant show of support for our veterans.

The weeklong observation ends with the annual Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, November 11 in downtown Grand Rapids. The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Division Avenue under the I-196 overpass. From there, the parade will continue south to Fulton and then east to Veterans Memorial Park where it ends with a Ceremony of Remembrance.

Please join Kent County Veterans Services in shining a green light of hope and support for the more than 28,000 veterans who call Kent County home. Click here to learn more about available resources.

Ferris State University Pharmacy students are supporting a free medical clinic on Big Rapids’ east side that helps residents who don’t have access to health insurance.

Faculty and students serving through Ferris State’s Rowe Pharmacy Care Clinic make contributions of care and managed support in a collaborative arrangement with Hope House Free Medical Clinic.

Hope House, 405 South Third Street in Big Rapids, provides limited medical care to uninsured adults.

“College of Pharmacy faculty member Jeff Bates began the collaboration in 2013,” said Michelle Kelly, an associate professor of Pharmacy Practice. “Now, as then, I believe Pharmacy students find Hope House a great educational space.”

Kelly, a Ferris alum, participated in this outreach as a student. The other faculty liaison to Hope House is Mark Young, who is also a graduate of Ferris’ Doctor of Pharmacy program.

“Dr. Thomas Wright has been with Hope House since 2006, and we established a collaborative practice agreement with their physicians,” Young said. “Disease State Management means we can dispense and provide vaccines, along with our pharmacy staff being able to write prescriptions for clients with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or those in need of support for smoking cessation.”

“The Disease State Management aspect of our service began in 2017,” Kelly said. “We supplied prescriptions that the doctors on site had prescribed before that.”

Young said College of Pharmacy and College of Arts, Sciences and Education students volunteer to join him and Kelly as part of the Hope House health support team.

“We have seen those studying Pre-Pharmacy, on up to fourth-year Pharmacy students take part in this program,” Young said. “They go from being observers of DSM plan development to creating their own treatment proposals, with approval from Dr. Kelly and myself. We are always able to make use of their abilities.”

“The Hope House Free Medical Clinic may offer students a smaller patient volume than other rotations or settings, which can be a valuable experience, especially as they begin their patient interactions,” Kelly said. “It allows our students to build relationships with faculty, as well as with local patients.”

Hope House also makes client referrals to Ferris’ Dental Clinic and University Eye Center, offering support for their care from those operations. Click here for more information on the Pharmacy Care Clinic.

Hope House provides basic medical care, lab testing, Medicaid application assistance, x-rays, spiritual support, mental health counseling, and referrals for dental exams and eye exams.

Yesterday evening after 7:30 P.M., a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle along 68^th St. at S Division Ave. 

A Jeep driven by a 30-year-old Gaines Township woman was traveling southbound on S Division Ave. and making an eastbound turn onto 68^th St.  A 48-year-old Gaines TWP woman was the pedestrian traveling northbound across 68^th St. and was struck by the Jeep in the roadway. First responders rushed the pedestrian to an area hospital, however, she was pronounced deceased. 
This incident is still being investigated by the Kent County Sheriff's Office Traffic Safety Unit as they collect more information about what led up to the crash.  

For the 4^th consecutive year, the Big Rapids Cardinal Football team has reached the post season.

Since 2000, Big Rapids has made it this far 11 times. They’re 6-10 in those games with 3 of those wins coming in the historic 2003 Semi-Final run under Coach Phil Fortier. 2 of those 6 wins have come under the current HC Mike Selzer.

Since Coach Selzer has taken the helm of the Cardinals in 2015, BR has made the playoffs 5 times: 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, and now 2023. In those games he’s 2-5 averaging 19 points a game while surrendering 32. The opponents he’s played had a combined 52-22 record and only the 2020 round 1 Newaygo Lions game has been played in Big Rapids.

This post season the Cardinals continue the trend of traveling to their opponent when they head down to Spring Lake to take on the 7-2 Lakers tonight at 7:00pm.
 

HISTORY

The 1^st time Big Rapids played Spring Lake was in 1975. The Lakers won 38-0. The last time they played was 2005. The Lakers won 48-0.

Overall Big Rapids is 3-7 versus Spring Lake. The last time Big Rapids defeated the Lakers was 2002; 28-12. That’s some of the bad news.

The good news is this is high school football and long-term trends typically mean very little when coaches change and rosters turnover at most every 4 years. So, with BR’s historic 2023 regular season which saw 8 wins for the first time since 2012 and for only the 8^th time in school history, the optimism around tonight’s game should be very high. The Big Rapids offense averaged over 36 points and 344 yards a game. The defense surrendered less than 13 points and 200 yards a game even pitching shutouts at Central Montcalm in week 3 and versus Morley Stanwood week 8.

All these efforts have led to a Selzer era best +23.8 point per game differential. For context since 2015, only the 2022 team came close to these numbers with a differential of +10.7 each game (+30.9 -20.2). Also to note, the 2023 schedule difficulty is identical to 2022.

MATCHUP

In Spring Lake we have an OK-Blue team that is tested by conference foes like D5 defending state champion Grand Rapids West Catholic (coached by former Bulldog Landon Grove), recent BR adversary Coopersville, Holland Christian, Fruitport, Hudsonville Unity Christian, and Allendale who is most known for being where Grand Valley is.

Spring Lake also included Montague and Belding on their schedule. Both these teams sound more familiar for Reed City Coyote fans as Montague is a frequent playoff matchup (they head to RC tonight; game is broadcasting on Y-102) and Belding is the home of former Coyote HC Monty Price.

It’s a tough schedule for Spring Lake, and they impressively won 7 games. Using playoff point rankings, the Laker’s schedule is about 23% tougher than Big Rapids’ schedule.

BR’s schedule included 2 1-win teams (Morley Stanwood being a D7), 1 really good non-conference opponent in Paw Paw (#7 in D4), and 1 not good non-conference opponent in Alma (#47 in D5). The key take away for Big Rapids is that they did to bad teams what good teams do: take care of business. As noted above, BR’s average margin of victory was +23.8 points.

For Spring Lake, it’s been a bit of a lucky season at times. They won the 1^st 3 games versus Montague, Belding, and Unity Christian by the exact same score of 34-28. They beat Coopersville 20-19 on 2 late game Bronco fumbles that bounced Spring Lake’s way. But lucky or not, the wins have been impressive. The Belding win in week 2 is particularly interesting considering Belding flattened Tri County in week 9 66-20.

COACHING

Big Rapids has been coached by Mike Selzer since 2015. His stability in the position is paying dividends for BRHS as he has won 15 of his last 19 games. Overall, Selzer is 43-42 and 27-24 on the road. While he has never coached BR against Spring Lake, he has coached against the man at the helm for the Lakers.

Spring Lake is commanded by 2^nd year coach Cody Mallory. Coach Mallory may sound familiar because he led the Cadillac Vikings from 2015 until 2021. Up north, h won 35 and lost 37. More notably, Mallory’s Vikings were 7-4 in the playoffs with 3 of those wins coming during the weirdo 2020 season when they lost to Detroit Country Day in the D4 Finals at Ford Field. Mallory would lead the Vikings back to the post season in 2021 winning another 2 games before falling to Unity Christian. 2021 concluded his tenure at Cadillac and he made the skip down to Spring Lake last season. In 2 full regular schedules at Spring Lake, he is 10-8 with a 7^th place and a 3^rd place finish in the OK-Blue. 2023 is his 1^st playoff appearance with the Lakers.

Sources indicate Coach Mallory has changed very little from his Cadillac days in terms of scheme.

SCHEME

The Lakers have a quarterback who can chuck it. Junior QB Reid Grimmer can use his legs to run and to extend passing plays, and he can throw on the run with accuracy. The yardage of these throws can push 35+ yards without him setting his feet. He has Senior wide receivers Jackson Lemmen and Colin Burt who work down field for chunk plays.

Despite the potential passing game, the bread of butter of Mallory’s offense will be his ground game. The Lakers will use 22 or 23 personnel, which includes 2 and 3 tight ends respectively to add edge blocking for pitches and options to senior running backs Wren Dephouse, Sam Schafer, and Bryce Collins. Collins has received offers to play at Kalamazoo College, Calvin University, and Hillsdale College (reportedly).

The strength of the Big Rapids defense is their run stopping making for a potentially favorable matchup. Almost 73% of plays against the Cardinals were on the ground yet only 59% of the total yards they gave up were rushing yards. The front line for Big Rapids, supplemented by the team leader in tackles Senior Philip ‘Cheese’ Wilber at linebacker, worked to funnel the run game into the middle of the field and contain it. If the Cardinal edges can shed blocks and contain and the front line can continue to break through in the trenches, then Coach Mallory’s system may work into Defensive Coordinator Nathan Fricke’s scheme.

The weakness of the Cardinal defense has been protecting the pass. Tyler Geer of Chippewa Hills exposed this in week 5 when he bombed 2 TD passes in the 1^st quarter. One can only wonder how that game would have ended up if he didn’t get hurt in the 2^nd quarter. Alma’s Jacoby Dunlap passed 38 times for 247 yards in week 9 as well but his individual stats were over shadowed by the most dominant 3^rd quarter of the season for the Cardinals.

KEY FACTORS

The weather and field conditions will impact how this game is played. Vennix can throw for the Cardinals. Foster and Dubowski can catch. Grimmer can throw for the Lakers. Lemmen and Burt can catch. The weather at kickoff in Spring Lake is cloudy, no chance of meatballs, and 60 degrees which would seem neutral for both sides. But less than 200 yards from Spring Lake’s Grabinski Field is a marsh. The field is grass and struggles to drain so the conditions may remain soggy through the night.

If the weather is dry, both teams may put up some serious points. If the weather is wet, the advantage goes to Big Rapids as both teams will rely by the run game.

The key for the Cardinals will be to get off to a fast start on offense. The defense will most likely do their thing as BR has only surrendered 13 points in Q1 all season. Coach Selzer ran the ball more than 70% of the time on offense which will melt clock and force the Lakers to speed up their offense. Control of the clock, as always in a timed game, will be paramount.

BRACKET IMPLICATIONS

The winner of this matchup will most likely travel to Whitehall, the region’s #1 seed. The Vikings host Allendale tonight, the #4 seed in the region. Barring the massive upset, the Vikings will hot round 2.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Tonight’s Big Rapids Cardinal football game versus Spring Lake will air on Big Country 100.9, at WWBR Big Country 100.9, and on the WWBR mobile app

The Ferris State University men's basketball program in conjunction with the Rebounders Club will open a new season as the Bulldogs host their second annual Tip-Off Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 29, in Big Rapids.

The keynote speaker for this year's event will be former Bulldog men's basketball player and longtime professional actor Jeff Hephner, who played at FSU from 1996-99. He has enjoyed a lengthy career on the big screen with appearances or major roles in show such as the Fox drama, Our Kind of People, along with the Stars series', Power Book II: Ghost, in addition to stints on Chicago Fire and Chicago Med.

The event will benefit the Bulldog men's hoops program as proceeds from the fundraising evening will go towards men's basketball. It will take place at the Big Rapids Eagles Club, which is located at 18361 16 Mile Road on the east side of town.

Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. (ET) with dinner starting at 5 p.m. The event will follow the men's basketball squad's alumni game, which tips off the same afternoon at 1 p.m. inside Jim Wink Arena.

The cost is $35 per person or $250 for a table of eight. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased via online registration using the direct link provided below. The deadline to purchase tickets is Oct. 20.

https://igfn.us/form/rIEw-g

The tipoff dinner will also include a silent auction and donations for items are currently being accepted, including items such as gift cards, gift baskets, getaway packages, golf packages, furniture and items of service or monetary gifts. Donations can be mailed, dropped off or picked up locally by Rebounders Club board member Jean Vallier. For additional information, please call (231) 592-9747 or email jean_vallier@yahoo.com.

For over nearly 20 years, Jeff Hephner has carved out his place in Hollywood with a career spanning television, film and also recently as the host of the wildly popular game show SWITCH, on the Game Show Network. He can currently be seen in theatres in Christopher Nolan's box office juggernaut, OPPENHEIMER. Next up, he will co-star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the much-anticipated Netflix limited series, ERIC.

Recent television credits include major recurring arcs on Apple's FOR ALL MANKIND, Lee Daniels' Fox drama OUR KIND OF PEOPLE, and Starz' POWER BOOK II: GHOST. Jeff was the lead of season 2 of Ron Howard's NatGeo series, Mars and spent two seasons on NBC's CHICAGO FIRE and CHICAGO MED. Recently on the film side, he played opposite Jennifer Garner in the STX/Lakeshore film, PEPPERMINT and Jamie Lee Curtis in the thriller AN ACCEPTABLE LOSS. Hephner starred as the title character in TNT's AGENT X opposite Sharon Stone and was the lead on the critically acclaimed Starz series BOSS opposite Kelsey Grammer.

A native of Michigan, Hephner currently makes his home there with his wife, Heather, and their three children.

The Ferris State University football squad returns to the friendly confines of Top Taggart Field this week, hosting American International College for the first-time ever on Saturday (Oct. 28) at Top Taggart Field.

The contest will kickoff at 1 p.m. (ET). Fans are encouraged to "come early, cheer loud and wear red!".

This Saturday will serve as Area Youth Appreciation Day and all youth ages 12 and under will receive free admission at the gate by wearing a Halloween costume and free candy will also be distributed. Kids in costume can also take part in the fan tunnel welcoming the Bulldogs to the field by meeting at the Victory Bell in advance of the team entry at 12:45 p.m.

The Bulldogs enter the game with a 5-2 overall record and are 3-1 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. It will mark FSU's first-ever matchup against the Yellow Jackets, who hail from Springfield, Mass.

Tickets for Saturday's game can be bought online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets and fans are encouraged to purchase their digital tickets in advance to avoid the gameday lines. The Wheeler Pavilion Gameday Ticket Office will also open on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. (ET). For more information on ticket sales, please call (231) 591-2888 or visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.

Football tickets for Saturday's game are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens (ages 65+) and FSU faculty/staff along with $10 for students age 5-17. Ferris students with ID will be admitted free by showing their student identification cards.

Tailgating will be permitted on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. (ET) with the gates to the stadium opening 90 minutes prior to kickoff at 11:30 a.m. (ET). All tailgating must end 15 minutes before kickoff.

Parking in lots near Top Taggart Field is $10 per car or $30 per oversized vehicle (bus, motor coach, motor home, trailer, etc.) on a first-come, first-served basis. As a convenience to fans, credit cards will also be accepted at the ticket window along with the concession stand.

The FSU-AIC football game will be broadcast live locally by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley handling the play-by-play duties and Sandy Gholston offering color commentary. The Bulldog tailgate show starts at 11 a.m. (ET) with the Johnson Automotive Pregame Show from inside the stadium beginning at 12 p.m. The contest will also be televised on FloSports and FloFootball with video coverage provided by Ferris State Television.

Eight graduates of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University have emerged as winners in the 2023 International Society of Furniture Designers Pinnacle Awards, recognized since 1995 as the highest honor for designers in the home furnishings industry.

At a gala held during the fall High Point Market in High Point, N.C., the largest home furnishing industry trade show in the world, 21 total awards were presented to independent designers and in-house design teams.

This year’s KCAD-connected winners continue the college’s longstanding track record of alumni success in the awards—and legacy of leadership in the furniture design industry. Eight of the 15 members of the ISFD Board of Directors are KCAD alumni, while numerous others hold senior design and leadership positions throughout the industry.

“We are proud to see our graduates go on to be trendsetters and change agents who are producing some of the industry’s finest work while guiding it into the future,” said KCAD professor Gayle DeBruyn, who chairs the Collaborative Design and Master of Arts in Design programs and teaches furniture design in the Product Design program. “From our roots as the design talent pipeline that helped make Grand Rapids Furniture City, USA to our widespread influence across the global industry that is furniture design today, we have always been a school that teaches students not only to make, but to innovate and lead as well.”

Alumna Annina Fremgen, lead designer for Caracole Home, was the evening’s biggest winner with two solo awards and one team award to her credit.

Fremgen, who graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design, took top honors in the Bedroom–Luxury category for the Caracole Classic Bedroom collection and repeated the feat in the Dinning-Luxury category with the Caracole Classic Formal Dinning collection.

Fremgen was also part of the Caracole team including fellow KCAD alumni Christopher Sandomenico, who graduated in 2001 with director of product development for Caracole, and Thor Tabor, a 2008 grad who is an independent designer, that won the coveted Major Collections award for the Caracole Modern Principles Whole Home collection. Both earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design.

Doug Rozenboom, a 1994 graduate is president of A.R.T. Furniture / Jonathan Charles Fine Furniture. He was part of the A.R.T. team that won the Home Office category with the A.R.T. Furniture Portico Home Office collection. Rozenboom has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design.

Doug Kreiger, a 1992 graduate and vice president of merchandising and design at Sauder Woodworking, and independent designer Nicole Kujawa, a 2017 grad, were part of the Sauder team behind the Sauder Woodworking Coral Cape Coffee Table, winner in the Occasional Tables–Broad Appeal category. Both earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design

Laura Niece, a 2003 graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design, is a senior designer for Otto & Moore. She collaborated with company President Dudley Moore and independent designer Miranda Kerr on the Universal Furniture Miranda Kerr Home Luxury Occasional Tables, which won in the Occasional Tables-Luxury category.

Hayden Westers, who graduated in 2020, product design and development manager for Jonathan Charles Fine Furniture, was part of the team from the company that created the Jonathan Charles Water Pelagic Cast Metal Bar, winner in the Occasional Storage category.

KCAD alumni Scott Coley, a 1992 graduate; Joe Dunaske, a 2020 graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Collaborative Design, and Jake Hanson, who graduated this year with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design, were among those nominated for Pinnacle Awards.

Coley is the owner of D. Scott Coley-Designs, while Dunaske, a furniture designer, and Hanson, a product engineer, are both part of the team at L & JG Stickley.

More information on the ISFD Pinnacle Awards can be found at isfd.org.

Monday, October 16

• Larceny – Officers were dispatched for a larceny at a local business. A suspect was identified and trespassed from the business.
• Criminal Sexual Conduct – Officers received a law enforcement referral regarding a CSC. The case remains open at this time.

Tuesday, October 17

• Assist CPS – Officers assisted CPS with a child abuse complaint. After investigating the complaint, the allegations were unfounded. 
• Assault – Officers were dispatched for an assault and battery complaint. Through investigation it was determined no physical contact was made, and subjects were advised to stay away from each other.
• Civil – Officers were dispatched for a civil dispute between family members.  

Wednesday, October 18

• Check Well Being – Officers were dispatched to a check well-being complaint. The subject was found to be okay and not request any additional services. 

Thursday, October 19

• Trespassing – Officers were requested to serve no trespass paperwork on a subject.

• Found Property – Officers recovered a bicycle that was left in a residents yard.

Friday, October 20

• False Alarm – Officers were dispatched for a burglary alarm at a local business. The building was cleared by Officers and it was determined to be a false alarm.

•  Domestic – Officers were dispatched to assist the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office on a domestic assault. 

Saturday, October 21

•  UDAA – Officers were dispatched to a stolen vehicle complaint. The complaint remains open at this time.

• Criminal Sexual Conduct - Officers received a law enforcement referral regarding a CSC. The case remains open at this time.

Sunday, October 22

• Nothing reported.

Just after 11:00 A.M. on Sunday, Kent County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the 6000 block of East Amber Dr. on a child custody dispute.

While on scene deputies noted several live and deceased animals. Animal Control Officers were summoned to help, where 27 live reptiles, including Boa Constrictors, Pythons, Corn snakes, Tree snakes, Tarantulas, an Apricot Pacman Frog, and a Tegu were taken from the home. 10 deceased snakes were removed also from the home. 

Animal Control Officers contacted the John Ball Zoo for help and their staff responded to help care for the remaining reptiles. Kent County Animal Control continues to investigate and will have the case reviewed for possible charges. The KCSO is very appreciative of the partnership with the John Ball Zoo and their staff assisting over the weekend. 

For the 14^th meeting between the two teams, the Coyotes look to keep their recent postseason success going against the Montague Wildcats. In preparation for the game, here’s a full in-depth look at the matchup including the history, schemes, numbers, and bracket implications for the two programs.

MATCHUP HISTORY

While Montague holds the edge with an 11-2 all-time record against Reed City, those two losses have come in the last three years against Coach Shankel’s team. The last matchup between these two teams occurred last season in the exact same spot in the bracket: the Region 2, District 1 Pre-District round. The only difference this time around: Reed City has two more losses this year at 6-3 while the Wildcats notched one more win at 4-5 entering Friday night. The Reed City 45-15 drubbing last year erased the 2021 District title loss at home when Montague took down the district favorites 35-22.

Montague won the Division 6 state title in 2020, beating Clinton at Ford Field in dominant fashion 40-14 to cement a perfect 12-0 season; however, the Wildcats have had their struggles since with only 15 wins in the next three seasons including 2023. For Reed City, their furthest marches came in 2017 and 2022, where they fell to Saginaw Swan Valley 29-14 and Negaunee 13-12 respectively in the state semi-final rounds.

SCHEME

When it comes to offense, the Wildcats and Coyotes share a commonality being run first teams. Where the discrepancy comes into play is how they run the ball. For Reed City, the classic “T” and “Wing-T” formations that were used as early as the 1920’s by the Chicago Bears are their bread and butter. The versatility of using two and even three running backs in the backfield gives the Coyotes unlimited versatility to run both between and outside the tackles from different blocking schemes. Montague does have experience against this type of attack, as they have played against two teams this year (Muskegon Orchard View and Muskegon Oakridge) that run a similar formation. Many of these games, Montague countered with a 5-2 front defensively that shifts slightly with the depth of linebackers and defensive backs.

Montague offensively has a more balanced scheme offensively out of the commonly used “Shotgun” formation. Their spread attack, often coming in a “Trips” formation with three receivers on one side, leans more to quick handoffs and passes. The Wildcats also like to run with their quarterback more than teams that use a similar scheme. For Reed City, they have experience against the spread earlier on the season against Tri-County, Big Rapids, and Cadillac. As a primary 5-2 defense, Reed City may move into a hybrid 4-3 look to account for Montague’s receiving core.

BY-THE-NUMBERS

Since 2000, both programs have been some of West Michigan’s best at collecting wins. Reed City’s 185-70 and Montague’s 205-74 tallies combine for a winning percentage of over 73% between the two schools over the past 24 seasons. Since the reinitiation of the series between the two schools, Montague leads 3-2 over their past five matchups with the average score being 31 – 23 in favor of the Wildcats.

In terms of this season, the Coyotes had their share of struggles scoring early on with only an average of 20.75 points and 224 yards in their first four games. Since then, Reed City has hit their stride with an average offensive output of 39.6 points and 399 yards per game over the past five victories.

On the other side, Montague started the season putting up an average of 26.2 points per game but have only scored 18.25 points per game over their past four games. While this is better than last year, their defense has been susceptible to having on-or-off nights. The Wildcats have given up 34 or more points in six games this year, while in the other three games they stood tall holding opponents at under 23.

BRACKET IMPLICATIONS

The winner of this matchup will have the right to face the victor between Hart and Kent City in the District Final. As the top team in District 85 and Region 22 with 46.4 playoff points, Reed City has the right to host the next four possible playoff games at Alumni Field if they were to keep their winning stretch in-tact. If Montague were to pull off the first round upset, who stands at 38.1 points, they would travel to either Hart (40.0) or Kent City (39.0) for the district title game.

Reed City has won 12 of their last 14 postseason contest at home, including going 3-0 last season with victories over Millington, Muskegon Catholic Central, and Montague. For the Wildcats’ last 14 as the visitor, they are 6-8 with their last win being against Reed City in 2021.  

BROADCAST INFORMATION

For all the play-by-play action, tune in to Y102 starting at 6:45 P.M. Listen in on 102.3 FM, WYBR.com, or the WYBR mobile app.

The 31^st is just around the corner and there are certainly some children ecstatic and parents preparing for a sugar-filled Halloween.

When it comes to the city of Big Rapids, there are lots of great neighborhoods to find sweet treats and some tips you should know before the costumed chaos begins. Here’s your holiday guide for this Halloween.

SAFETY

Frequent travelling, both on foot and by vehicle, is very common during this day’s festivities. Being aware of your surroundings on the road as well as the sidewalks and side streets is an absolute must according to Mecosta County Sheriff Brian Miller.

“It's no different than crossing the street during the day,” Miller said. “Make sure you're looking both ways and make sure that people are aware of their surroundings, following the rules and making sure you're safe.”

It is also important to travel in groups, especially for children walking house-to-house. Having adult supervision is important as well as dressing in preparation of the weather underneath costumes are key.

“Make sure that you're dressing accordingly under those Halloween outfits,” Miller said. “Last year, we had good weather but a couple of years ago it wasn't so. Stay in a group of people and have adults with them up to a certain age. Also, make sure that you're familiar with whatever area you're going to and try to stick with those populated areas.”

One last key tip is to bring a light. Whether it’s a flashlight, headlamp, glow stick, or charged phone, having a light can help with navigation as well as helping others be aware of your presence. This also applies to homeowners with porch lights, as keeping them on acts as an indicator for trick-or-treaters that the home is a green light to ring the doorbell.

BEST SPOTS

Finding candy in a larger sized city like Big Rapids isn’t too hard, but there are certainly some areas that are known for being consistent and are quoted to be safer than most.

One of those areas, recommended by Big Rapids DPS Officer Bill Sell, is ­­­near the St. Mary School. Based on map viewing, this area has many different residential streets that are very close in vicinity and have been successful stops in years past.

Another area is the Rust Ave. area near Brookside Elementary School. With plenty of sidewalks and lamp posts, travelling is safe as well as stretches of houses with lots of candy to go around.

A third area is the neighborhoods near the Big Rapids Hospital and Riverview elementary. Tucked behind the north end of Ferris State University’s campus, there are plenty of houses that are in reach of common parking areas near or at the hospital and school.

NOTABLE EVENTS

While trick or treating will begin around 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. and last until about 8:00 P.M. on the 31^st, there will also be some other fun activities throughout the evening and even on the days leading up to Halloween.

Multiple trunk or treat events will be slated for Halloween night, including one at St. Peter's Lutheran Church from 5:45 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., one at the St. Mary School from 5:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., and at the Morley Community Center from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. for the “Haunted Halls” event.

Big Rapids Township Fire Department will also be hosting the “Haunted Fire House” maze event on Oct. 27 and 28 from 5:00 P.M to 9:00 P.M. Those looking for a scare can expect chainsaws, skeletons, ghosts, and ghouls both on Friday and Saturday. The station will also be hosting an open house event from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. on Halloween night that includes coffee, donuts, fire truck tours, and more.

For those needing more scares, visit the Four Green Fields Farm Haunted Maze in Rodney from 8:00 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. on Friday and Saturday. There will also be a Halloween Extravaganza event on Friday, Oct. 27, at the Royal View Assisted Living Center. From 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., enjoy trick or treating, a cake walk, glow dance, cider, donuts, and more.

Public Notice

Currently there is a Publisher’s Clearing House scam very active in the area largely affecting the elderly. The scammers tell people they have won a car and money. They ask the victims to buy gift cards “to cover fees” and give them the information on the card over the phone. They also instruct one victim to send money to another victim for fees. It is a money laundering scam that the victims are unknowingly involved in. Investigation shows the money is likely going out of the country.

Monday, October 16

• While on patrol, an officer found the door to a business unlocked. The building was checked and the door secured.

Tuesday, October 17

• An officer noticed a vehicle at the bike park that is not open yet. After making contact it was found to be an individual working on the park.

Wednesday, October 18

• Nothing reported.

Thursday, October 19

• Officers assisted Osceola County deputies on a call, for officer safety.

Friday, October 20

• Officers took a report of litter. The homeowner’s trash bag had ripped and trash blew in the wind. The owner picked the trash up.

• Officers responded to a report of a possible suicidal individual. Upon contact the individual was not suicidal
  but had been in a verbal argument with their significant other.

• Officers took an individual into protective custody and transported them to the hospital for mental health treatment.

• Officers took a handicap parking complaint.

• Officers responded to a civil dispute regarding landlord tenant issues.

• Officers were dispatched to an ongoing dispute between neighbors at an apartment complex over noise. The matter of excessive noise was unfounded.

Saturday, October 21

• Officers transported an individual to an extended treatment facility for mental health illness.

• Officers were dispatched to an ongoing squabble between neighbors of an apartment complex over alleged excessive noise. Unfounded.

Sunday, October 22

• Officers were dispatched to an ongoing squabble between neighbors of an apartment complex over alleged excessive noise. Unfounded.

• Officers were requested to stand by for safety while a doctor spoke with an agitated mental health patient.

October 23, 2023

Opening Statement: “After watching that, thinking about it, you see what it is. We – ultimately, when you step back and you look at a number of performances that were very much subpar across the board, it’s not coincidence and so that’s where, man, I did not do a good job of getting them ready. I did not, I did not. And it’d be one thing if there were just a couple of guys here or there, but ultimately, it was that I didn’t have them ready and I’ve got to do a much better job of getting them prepared, which I will this week. We’ll be ready for the Raiders. But we just certainly didn’t play – they did everything right over there and we did everything wrong. The other thing I would say is as good as they played on that side, which they earned that win, man, we certainly helped them and served it up on a platter for them. I kind of came out of that game last night saying, ‘Man, (Ravens QB) Lamar (Jackson) single-handedly,’ – it was not the case. We took that shotgun right to the foot a number of times, so. Anyway, didn’t play good enough, didn’t make enough plays. Our guys that get one-on-ones, our dudes, the guys that we really count on, when they get their one-on-ones, they’ve got to win them. But man, I am 100 percent responsible for that.”

On what he believes he failed to do to prepare the team to play the Ravens: “Well, I have to just think about, man, are some of the things that we did on Wednesday, maybe it wasn’t. What about Thursday? I think there’s a couple of things that come up. I think we need a little – we need to get back to some of our fundamental work, our one-on-one work, our technique work, good-on-good, just one-on-one pass rush. Good one-on-one man-to-man coverage, one-on-one getting open on routes, our releases, our handwork. I think just getting back to some of that, man. Protection, tight ends, LBs, tight ends, D-ends, running backs, linebackers. Just a little bit. I think it’s – we do a number of those and as it goes, you start shaving some practice to get a little bit more of the scheme and you’re hoping you’ve gotten enough fundamentals through camp, and you know what? We’ve got to go back to it. And I know that’s where I can help. And then just a couple of things of – it’s a little more intensity, a little urgency, which I can deliver myself, so I can help these guys. I know I can.”

On if having a walkthrough instead of full practice last week could have affected the team’s preparedness: “Yeah, maybe a little bit of it. And it doesn’t mean – look, I think that was the right time to back off, but we probably needed to do a little bit more. We probably should’ve gone out and done just a little bit of full speed. We threw routes, those things, but just – when you’re playing a physical opponent and you’re playing that style of run game, some of the things they do, the eye candy that they have, you need more full-speed work. And those are some things I look back and I’m like, ‘Ah.’”

On if being considered one of the elite teams in the League and then failing to execute in a game is part of a learning curve as a coach: “I think what’s disappointing, I don’t know if I’m going to answer this, what’s disappointing is it’s – look, losing itself really stings. But the fact we were never even in that game, that’s what really burns. That’s the burn of it, that’s the burn of it. And so, that more than anything, you just want to know you’re in the fight and when you weren’t, then it’s like, ‘Oh man.’ That’s a real bitter pill. So, I think, look here’s what I know, we won our first game this season. Seattle comes in here and it’s a dog fight and they beat us, and we didn’t play well enough to win that game. And then we played pretty good football. And all I know is we’ve got to bounce back. That’s the most important thing because at the end of the day, we’re 5-2. And where we’re going to have a problem is we back it up with another loss, that’s where the problem is. To me, there’s a ton to learn of off this tape for myself, for the coaches and for these players and – but we’ve got to own it. I mean, we’ve got to own it. We’ve got to look at it and say, ‘Man, this is –’ there can’t be excuses. You can’t fight us on it. It is what it is, the tape doesn’t lie. And we will all have a hand in it.”

On if this loss against Baltimore stings more than their loss against them last season that came down to a last-minute field goal: “This one, because it just that, that to me, it’s not us. That’s not what we’re about. It’s not what we’re about and we just didn’t, we just didn’t have it, we didn’t have it. So, look, neither one of them feel good, to be honest with you. But I just – the thought that you’re not even in it, that stings.”

On if he still feels confident in the schematic gameplan they came up with for the Ravens: “Yeah, no, look, are there things we could’ve done better? Yes. But, I mean, the plan, honestly, was simple. I thought it allowed them to play fast. We needed to challenge these receivers. Make him throw in tight windows and we called those, we just didn’t execute, we didn’t execute. Look, would (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG like some calls back? Yeah, absolutely, so would (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson). Are there things I’d like to – shoot, the first fourth down of the game, I got that in so late to Ben, I mean we’re scrambling, that’s on me. Man, that’s ridiculous. We’re trying to get in the right play, and I mean, we don’t have enough time in the play clock, which is 100 percent on me. So, we’ve all got a hand in it. But as far as the plan going in and what we wanted to do, I thought it was sound, I thought it was clean and I didn’t think it over – it was too much for them. We just didn’t execute.”

On how he feels about their run game these past two weeks: “Yeah, I mean, that’s one of those things. It’s easy to say – look we came out and one of the first things (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) said to me was, ‘Man, I wish I’d run it more.’ But, OK, well when are we going to do that? You try to run it on a play, you only have three chances to get a first down, we don’t convert and before you know it, you’re down 28-0 and we tried to stay patient with it. I did think we got surged up front when we did. It’s just, I think we got put in a game we didn’t want to be in. We had to throw it more than we wanted to, and actually I liked the plan we had in the run game this week. I liked it versus Tampa, but I’ll be the first to admit I think it was a little much. And I’m as responsible as anybody. We had a little much, a little too much. Whereas this week, man we calmed it down. I felt good – we just never really were able to get in a flow of it. I mean, the only chance we were going to have was through the air to get back in it.”

On if he is surprised that these blowout games still happen despite the progress they have been making: “Yeah, I can’t say I’m surprised. I mean, here’s the thing, I’m surprised because I know us. I know the coaches. I know these players and I don’t expect that. But, when you’ve played long enough and coached long enough in this League, man, they – unfortunately, they happen. From time to time, they happen, and you just can’t get out of your own way and it’s – that was one of those games the harder we tried, the worse it got. And we started – we have one guy mess it up and he’s not doing what he's supposed to be doing and then because of that, the next time, the guy who does know what he’s supposed to be doing is going to do his job too. And because of that, then we get beat here and it’s a snowball effect. And by the time we get in the second half, we’ve got guys who are trying to be heroes. And the only way to get back in it is just do your job, just handle – and that’s not easy to do when you look up and see the scoreboard, you can’t. You’ve just got to look at it one play at a time. Just execute like we do out here at practice, versus this coverage, this opponent, this offensive look, this formation. Just play the situation and that’s the only way we can get back in it. But when everybody kind of starts getting off and we’re on the backyard, because they’re competitive, they’re competitors. I mean, that’s what comes with it. But it’s – we’ve just got to stay disciplined.”

On if Lions S Kerby Joseph suffered a concussion against the Ravens: “He’s good, he’s cleared.”

On if he believes they will use this loss to the Ravens as motivation: “We have to. Like, to me, I just go back to that. Look, losing’s bad enough, but you better not waste it. Alright, it’s here and there’s a ton to learn from and I just go back to – I just know the frustration and anger that I have, that motivates me. And I’m pretty sure it does with our players, so we will be ready for this game, we will be ready. We will physically, emotionally, we will be ready for this game.”

On if he believes this loss will be used as motivation because it comes from frustration and anger: “I just know me and I know our coaches and I know these players. We’ve got a lot of prideful players. And I just – we will be ready. I know it, 100 percent.”

On if Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr.’s personal situation will be long-term: “Hard to say on that right now. It’s just all I can tell you it’s a personal issue. Nothing serious like that, is something going – but it’s just, that’s where it is right now. (Lions RB Mohamed) Mo Ibrahim got back this morning, so he had – and really, what it was, I just want to clarify, this wasn’t some, ‘Oh my –.’ He dislocated a hip. They just needed to put him under to get the hip back in, which it did. It’s good and so, he’s obviously – he’s walking around. So, that’s good news. That’s good news.” 

On if Lions RB Mohamed Ibrahim will be able to play again soon: “It’ll be a while, still a lot of pain, but at least he can move that hip and – but that’s what it was. It just needed to g et it back in, so.”

Lions host the rudderless Raiders Monday night in Detroit. 

Game kicks off at 8:15pm on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, and 96.5fm.

Lions Football is brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibrations – Avanced Driver Assistance Systems

On Oct. 23 at 4:08 P.M., deputies from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office we’re dispatched to a one vehicle personal injury accident on Hoover Rd. near 190th Ave. in Green TWP.

The investigation revealed that a 29-year-old male from Hersey was traveling east bound on Hoover Rd. when he went off the road and hit a tree. 

The driver was then transported to the Big Rapids Hospital for his injuries. 

Deputies were assisted on scene by Big Rapids City Fire and Rescue, Big Rapids Towing, Mecosta Co. EMS, and Meceola Central Dispatch.

More than 325 organizations are ready to engage Ferris State University students on Thursday, Oct. 26, as the Fall 2023 Career and Internship Fair returns to the Student Recreation Center.

Michele Albright, Ferris State’s Career and Professional Success Career Readiness specialist and employer liaison, said a 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. program will focus on College of Engineering Technology students. The focus shifts to College of Business and College of Arts, Sciences and Education students between 3 P.M. and 7 P.M.

Albright said 217 of the 325 organizations on campus are headquartered in Michigan, including many within a 50-mile radius of the Big Rapids campus. There are also companies visiting from 30 states, plus Quebec. 

“The large multi-major fairs are a terrific way for students to make connections, observe different types of employers and occupations, and gain confidence talking in person about their career goals and aspirations with recruiters,” she said.

Albright noted that 75 percent of the participating employers have at least one Ferris State alumnus on staff.

“For the past several years, our message to students has included an appreciation of those that open doors to amazing opportunities, to be proud of your Ferris degree, and to create opportunities for other amazing Ferris students trailing behind you,” Albright said.

Preparedness, Albright added, can help students, alumni and others seeking employment opportunities to maximize the event’s benefits. 

“We suggest that our students view the employer lists from both sessions, highlighting the ones they are most interested in talking with and plan to visit them first,” she said. “There will be a significant emphasis on businesses, education, healthcare, along with federal and state jobs. It is best to follow “Ferris 360 > Career & Professional Success” for up-to-date event information including which employers are attending and how to prepare for the fair.” 

Job seekers have several online resources, such as Handshake, Big Interview, and Resume Worded, to help prepare.

Appropriate dress is another aspect of successful interaction and Albright said information is available at First Lady’s Attic. Interview and resume preparation help are also available, along with career coaching consultation on Navigate. Albright also suggests that taking a broad view of the fair could bring students their best prospects for an internship or career opportunity. 

“Employers that attend recruitment fairs are generally seeking students from various concentrations with broad competencies,” Albright said. “Serious job seekers are encouraged to review the employer and recruitment goals for each session and attend either, or both, of them to make as many connections as possible.” 

Monday, October 16

• At around 1500 hours, deputies made a warrant arrest at a residence in Fork TWP. The male subject initially barricaded himself inside the residence, and refused to come out. A short time later he came out of the residence and was arrested. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 20

Traffic Accidents: 3

Car/Deer Accidents: 3

Tuesday, October 17

• At around 1300 hours, deputies made an arrest on a parole violation at a residence in Deerfield TWP. A female subject was arrested for absconding from parole. She was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 14

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Wednesday, October 18

Calls for Service: 21

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Thursday, October 19

• Nothing reported.

Friday, October 20

Calls for Service: 12

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 4

Saturday, October 21

Calls for Service: 16

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Sunday, October 22

• At 0142 hours, deputies made a traffic stop in Millbrook TWP. The traffic stop resulted in the male driver being arrested for OWI. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

• At 1900 hours, deputies made an arrest at a residence in Big Rapids TWP. A male subject was arrested for violation of a PPO. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail

Calls for Service: 16

Car/Deer Accidents: 3

That was an absolute dumpster fire surrounded by a heaping pile of garbage type of game for the Detroit Lions. From start to finish, that was arguably what some might say these worst game of football from the Lions that we’ve seen, and I am including the 0-16 season games in that statement as well. That is how bad we played from the jump.
The Ravens absolutely trounced Detroit, 38-6, with Lamar Jackson and company making the Lions look like they’ve never even seen a football before. Yes, you could say there was a few missed holding calls that should’ve been called against the Ravens, but in all seriousness we played so bad. I mean BAD.
Jared Goff added to an interception to his total to make it four on the season, chucking the ball 53 times while only completing 33 passes for 284 yards. Amon Ra St. Brown had an alright day getting to 102 yards on 13 receptions, but it was Jahmyr Gibbs who had the only brightspot on the day when he picked up his first career touchdown, the Detroit’s only score of the day. To make things worse we couldn’t score on the conversion so that dug the knife a little bit deeper.
In all seriousness though, I think this serves as a much needed reality check for not only the team but also the fans. This is the first game where we saw the Lions’ defense go up against a very mobile quarterback who can also sling the ball around. Every time Lamar was pressured he could scoot out of the pocket and either run it, throw a checkdown pass, or do what he did most of the day and find a receiver 20 yards down field.
The secondary for Detroit was absolutely awful as well. I don’t know how you can make it to the NFL, get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions and still not cover Mark Andrews, Gus Edwards, and Zay Flowers accordingly. Andrews was on my fantasy team this week though, so I am not as mad about that if I’m being totally honest with you. Either way, this team is for sure feeling the effects of not having Jerry Jacobs on the field to help police the air attack from their opponents.
Let’s get back into this Jared Goff performance, shall we? This guy has the mobility of a 70 year old on a mobility scooter. Don’t get me wrong, I think Goff is a great fit if not the guy for the Lions offense, but oh my word can that guy not scramble away from pressure to save his life.
There were times where the guy could’ve gotten maybe a yard or two to get out of the collapsing pocket, but instead he would just sit and take the sack.
At this point, I am quite regretting the Lions not pursuing Lamar Jackson back when his contract with the Ravens was in jeopardy, I think you could see Lamar make a late case for MVP if not lead this Baltimore team deep into the AFC playoffs. Keep in mind, the guy is also 15-1 against NFC teams and 7-0 when he plays them at home. So I guess I should’ve looked at that stat before the game.

It may seem like I am counting the Lions out already this season, and that could not be further from the truth. Every team needs a game to bring the culture back into a realization of what needs to be worked on. The Lions got the game over with, they know what can be improved, and they have a good opponent in Las Vegas coming up for Monday Night Football back at Ford Field.
Keep in mind, the Raiders are still in the fog when it comes to Jimmy Garoppolo making his return from injury. Meaning Brian Hoyer, a guy who just threw two picks against the bears, or Aidan O’Connell, their fourth-round rookie draft pick, might be put under center to start the game.
If we look into this upcoming game though, I do think that the Lions are going to have a huge bounce back game. The Raiders could barely pressure Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent in their week 7 game, so Jared Goff should be looking okay. The defense especially should be able to get back in their form, seeing that Hoyer, Garropollo, and O’Connell aren’t much of runners, meaning a collapsing pocket should lead to errant throws and some turnover on downs.
If you’re a die hard Lions fan, the loss this week is a good thing. If you’re a bandwagon Lions fan, this loss is the worst thing for you, and you should totally jump ship. Seriously, get out of here.
Whip up the blue Kool-aid, put the ski masks back on, and get ready because the Lions are coming back home to Detroit this week. It’s going to be an electric factory in Ford Field come primetime.

Lions host the rudderless Raiders Monday night in Detroit. 

Game kicks off at 8:15pm on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, and 96.5fm.

Lions Football is brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibrations – Avanced Driver Assistance Systems

The nationally #17-ranked Ferris State University women's volleyball team beat rival Grand Valley State University in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest between the top two teams in the conference on Saturday (Oct. 21). 

The Bulldogs (18-4) came into the contest with the Lakers atop the GLIAC standings with a perfect 10-0 record in conference play. GVSU was in second place at 9-1. After the win Saturday, FSU remained in first place in the GLIAC standings.

Ferris State claimed the first set 25-19 despite hitting just .083 in the set. They were helped by 12 errors from Grand Valley State. The Lakers took the second set 25-20 behind a strong .414 hit percentage.

GVSU pulled ahead 2-1 with a 26-24 victory in the third set. FSU trailed 24-19 and fought their way back to a tie game, but back-to-back points from Grand Valley secured a Laker victory.

FSU rallied in the fourth set and came away with a 25-18 win thanks to a strong .286 hit percentage. For just the third time this season, FSU played into a fifth set. 

The Bulldogs ultimately topped the Lakers 15-9 and claimed a 3-2 match win. Olivia Henneman-Dallape came up big for the Bulldogs in the win, recording a match-high 25 kills on a .356 attack percentage.

Claire Nowicki had 12 kills and Emma Bleecher chipped in 11. Bleecher also had three aces. Leah Bylut had 23 digs, while Nowicki recorded 21. Kaylee Maat had 45 assists. 

In total, the Bulldogs had 13 blocks. Syann Fairfield had six block assists and two solo blocks. Chelsie Freeman had four total blocks.

The Lakers got a strong performance from Jordyn Gates with 13 kills, 20 assists and 25 digs. Sara Wight led with 16 kills.

As a team, the Bulldogs hit .178 for the game compared to .130 for Grand Valley State. FSU had nine aces and GVSU had three. 

The Bulldogs will play another home contest in GLIAC action on Monday, Oct. 23, at 12 p.m. (ET) against Lake Superior State, whom the Bulldogs topped 3-0 on the road earlier this year. Admission for Monday's noon encounter is free.

Ferris State University’s long-respected Automotive learning programs have gone into another gear in 2023 with new certificate offerings providing skills in emerging fields while promoting the Associate of Applied Science Automotive Service Technology degree to support the demand for qualified technicians in dealerships and repair shops.

Jason Kruse, a Ferris State Automotive alumnus, said an Automotive Service certificate program educates students on par with the leading trade schools and training centers nationally. 

“A ‘One and Done’ certificate allows a student to go to work in the field, where their earnings in the marketplace limit their debt-to-income ratio,” said Kruse, an associate professor and program coordinator for Automotive Science. “The rest of our Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Service Technology is available online, so they can continue their learning and build their stature in this high-demand field.” 

Another Ferris certificate, in its first stages, focuses on Electronic Vehicle Service. Patrick English is a professor in the School of Automotive and Heavy Equipment. English said this is designed for the mechanic and technician in the field. 

“Being credentialed in the skills to service electric vehicles is important to these professionals, given their significant presence in the marketplace,” English said. “The industry is very interested in bringing the learning to a wider audience, and this will allow us to put our program strength toward in-demand offerings and help develop service talent capable of addressing future technologies.” 

English will advise Michigan and South Carolina colleges and universities looking to establish programs in EV training, thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation. English said federal funding is an important resource for advanced learning, and he hopes to hear soon about a request for additional support for Ferris State’s Automotive program. 

“We would hope to create an Associate of Applied Science degree in Sustainable Automotive Service,” English said. “That would encompass electric vehicles and any other emerging technologies delivered by automakers. We are pleased that the industry’s interest in greater technician support in all phases of service is greater than ever.” 

Kruse’s duties in the Automotive department have also been adjusted to greater outreach, as it applies to program development and placement of graduates.” 

“We have always enjoyed and will continue our promotion of Ferris Automotive graduates, from those earning certificates to our bachelor’s degree recipients,” Kruse said. “We are finding great interest in these students from car dealerships, original equipment manufacturers and other corporations.” 

More information is available online to highlight learning and career opportunities through Ferris’ Automotive programs.

On Sep. 3, 2023 at around 2:00 AM, the Alpine Township Fire Department responded to a residential fire in the 200 Block of 7 Mile Rd NW.  When firefighters arrived, the residence was engulfed in flames, but the occupants were able to exit the home safely prior to fire crews arriving.  

Alpine Township Fire summoned Kent County Sheriff's Office detectives to investigate due to the suspicious nature of the fire along with the Plainfield Township Fire Investigation Team and Michigan State Police Arson Investigator. Details revealed the fire started from an incendiary device believed to be similar to fireworks or a mortar, which was launched into the home from the outside.

Kent County Sheriff's Office detectives conducted an in-depth neighborhood canvas and interviews leading to a person of interest. Yesterday, the department arrested a 19-year-old Plainfield Township man on charges of Arson in the second degree. It appears that the homeowners and suspect were known to each other.  

The case was reviewed by the Kent County Prosecutor's Office and charges of Arson in the 2nd Degree, Explosives - Placing Near Property Causing Property Damage, and Explosives - Manufacture/Possession of Explosive or Incendiary Device causing property damage were authorized. The man is expected to be arranged in the 63^rd District Court. 

CranHill Ministries is thrilled to announce the opening of registrations for the highly anticipated 2024 Summer Youth Camps, commencing on June 17, 2024. Camp enthusiasts, parents, and guardians have rushed to secure their spots for a life-changing adventure as CranHill's registration numbers skyrocket with over 400 eager campers already signed up for the upcoming camp season.

CranHill's Summer Youth Camps have been a beacon of inspiration, faith, and adventure for young people for over five decades. With a wide range of exciting activities and programs, campers can enjoy days filled with outdoor adventures, rock climbing, water sports, horseback riding, crafts, spiritual growth and much more. CranHill's dedicated staff and volunteers create an atmosphere where campers can build lasting friendships, grow spiritually, and develop essential life skills. More information about CranHill's Summer Youth Camps can be found on their website at www.cranhillranch.com/summer-camps.

"CranHill's Summer Youth Camps have made a profound and lasting impact on countless young lives over the years," said CranHill President Scott Barger. "Our camps provide a unique opportunity for young people to experience the love of Christ in an unforgettable setting. It's incredible to see the growth and transformation in these campers as they embrace the adventure, friendships, and spiritual journey that CranHill offers."

Scott Barger continued by encouraging parents to register their campers soon to ensure they secure the week that works best for their family. "Our camps are very popular, and spaces fill up quickly. Last year, there were fewer than 100 spots left for the whole summer, with many weeks filling early! We want to make sure that every kid gets the opportunity to experience the incredible summer adventure that CranHill offers, so don't wait too long to secure your spot!"

For more details and to register your campers for the 2024 Summer Youth Camps, please visit www.cranhillranch.com/summer-camps or call their office at 231-796-7669.

Ferris State University’s efforts to help students be successful and finish their education now has major help through Martin Luther King, Jr.-César Chávez-Rosa Parks Initiative, Select Student Support Services funding from the state of Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Workforce Development. 

Ferris State has been awarded $607,938, distributed in the amount of $101,323 per year over six years. The university will match a minimum of 30 percent above what the state of Michigan has offered.  

“Receiving the Martin Luther King, Jr.-Ceìsar Chaìvez-Rosa Parks Initiative, Select Student Support Services (4S) grant reflects Ferris State’s legacy as a university open to, and highly supportive of, all who seek the opportunities made possible through a college education,” said Jason Bentley, dean of Retention and Student Success. “The KCP-4S grant will help reduce equity gaps and enable more outstanding, Michigan students to achieve their career aspirations and strengthen the communities where they live and work.” 

The KCP-4S grant funding positions Ferris State to hire a program coordinator, strengthen student support, purchase supplies and offer expanded and targeted programming. 

“The program’s overall goal is to increase student success and retention, to help students choose an academic major that matches their personal and professional interests, and enable them to progress to timely graduation,” said Michael Zaborowski, director of Academic Advising at Ferris State. 

The KCP-4S grant focuses on retention programming benefiting academically or economically disadvantaged legal residents of Michigan who are enrolled at four-year public and independent educational institutions in Michigan. The KCP-4S program strives to increase graduation rates for the targeted students through seed money backing institutional change. 

The 4S funds will be awarded in a six-year grant cycle that began on Oct. 1, 2023, and runs through Sept. 30, 2029. 

“Our proposed scholars’ program will provide support through intensive, proactive, and strengths-based interventions with program staff, peer mentors, academic advisors and classroom faculty during the first year of college,” Zaborowski said. “To help advisors and program staff design appropriate interventions and connect students with resources and services, Ferris will utilize an advanced student success management system known as Navigate. Navigate will enable students the ability to easily seek out and locate assistance and provide faculty and staff the ability to share helpful feedback to encourage academic progress.” 

Ferris’ KCP-4S program serves eligible students in any undergraduate academic program of study by providing support through intensive, proactive and strengths-based interventions. 

"Students will also participate in enrichment activities aimed at social integration and engagement,” Zaborowski said. “These activities will foster a sense of belonging and community, enhancing the overall student experience.” 

The program doesn’t stop for students after the first year. 

“Sophomores, juniors and seniors who complete the program will be invited to continue participating in enrichment opportunities to build sense of community and support within the program,” Zaborowski said. “These students will be invited to serve as mentors to incoming first-year students every year to help new student transition to Ferris and the scholars program.” 

It’s harvest season in Michigan, and that means farmers are busy gathering food for families in Michigan and beyond.

Harvesting is hard work, and farmers can use large equipment to get it done. That means drivers may soon be seeing more farm machinery on the road.

The Michigan State Police 2022 Statewide Traffic Crash Data Year End Report shows crashes involving farm equipment rose from 195 in 2021 to 214 in 2022 — a nearly 10% increase year-over-year. Four of the crashes last year were fatal, with 60 injuries reported across the state.

The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) asks that drivers keep an eye out for anything that has an orange triangle on the back — which is a slow-moving vehicle sign.

"If you’re driving 55 miles an hour it only takes about five seconds to travel the length of a football field and catch up to a piece of equipment going 15 miles per hour," said Andrew Vermeesch, MFB legislative counsel. "That’s why it’s critical to be attentive and be ready to slow down."

Farmers also ask that if you’re behind farm equipment on the road, you slow down and only pass when it’s safe to do so. Remember that if you can’t see the driver of farm machinery, they can’t see you.

While farmers try their best to stay close to the shoulder of the road, keep in mind that they might have to merge over to avoid hitting something — like a mailbox.

Also remember that their machinery doesn’t turn like a car, so they may need to make a wide turns every now and then.

"We all want to get our work done safely and get back home safely to our families, and we can do it — together," Vermeesch added. 

"Thank you for sharing the road with farmers."

Road work is slated for the next several days for two major road networks in Reed City and Jenison.

For Reed City, lane closures are slated to stay in effect through 5 P.M. Oct. 24 for the continued southbound US-131 at 4 Mile Rd.

*Map provided by Michigan Department of Transportation.

Near Jenison, lane closures for bridge work are in effect through 5 P.M. this Sunday, Oct. 22 on westbound I-196 at M-121 (Chicago Dr.). During this time, the off ramp from westbound I-196 to eastbound Chicago Dr. (Exit 69A), and the on ramp from westbound Chicago Dr. to westbound I-196, will also be closed. 

*Map provided by Michigan Department of Transportation.

Both work is weather dependent.

For up-to-date information on this project and others, go to the list of statewide lane closures at: www.michigan.gov/drive. 

On Wednesday, Oct. 18 at approximately 11:23 P.M., deputies were dispatched to Northland Dr. near 22 Mile Rd. in Green TWP for a motorcycle injury accident.

The driver, a 39 year-old male from Big Rapids, was traveling southbound when a deer jumped out in front of him, causing him to crash. He was transported to Big Rapids Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Deputies were assisted on scene by Big Rapids Fire and Rescue, Mecosta County EMS, and Big Rapids Towing.

Students in Ferris State University’s Michigan College of Optometry are providing eye care services to about 65 elementary school students through an annual partnership aimed at serving the community and helping young people be successful.

Students from Fremont, Hesperia, White Cloud and Newaygo will visit the MCO’s Dow Interactive Learning Center on Tuesday, Oct. 24, between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to have complete eye exams performed by MCO third-and fourth-year students and supervised by volunteering faculty.

The Students in Need of Eyecare program was established in 2012 to support rural, high-poverty school districts in the region, providing children identified by the school as lacking access to eye care services with comprehensive, dilated eye examinations and complimentary glasses.

“Healthy eyes and good vision are critical to learning,” said MCO professor Sarah Hinkley, O.D. “The children receive a fun field-trip experience and the Michigan College of Optometry students and faculty use their skills to give back.”

Hinkley said the program started after a conversation with her father, an elementary teacher in a high-poverty rural school district, to assist children who need eye exams and glasses but don’t have access to care because of geography, finances, or parental involvement.

The elementary students also receive an opportunity to visit the university, planting the seed of a college education.

The program is funded through grants this year from the Fremont Area Community Foundation in partnership with the Fremont Lions Club.

“The program would not be possible without the leadership of the Fremont Lions Club, the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University, and the school staff who make it happen,” Hinkley said. “It would also not be possible without the generous grant funding of the Fremont Area Community Foundation.”

Members of the Fremont Lions Club and the newly formed Kiwanis Club in Big Rapids will assist the school chaperones. If a child needs glasses, he or she will be taken to our University Eye Center optical department to select them. Glasses will be hand-delivered after they are made.

Ferris State’s MCO is the only optometry college in Michigan and delivers personalized instruction that emphasizes practical experience. The program prepares doctoral and post-doctoral students for careers as optometric healthcare providers serving patients and society through its research, scholarly activity, evidence-based clinical education, and patient-centered care.

Service is a key part of the MCO mission. The on-site University Eye Center gives students early opportunities for practical experience in a busy healthcare setting. The Eye Center is a full-service clinic serving university employees, students, and the surrounding community. In addition to providing comprehensive care, the UEC has specialty clinics in ocular disease, pre-and post-surgical care, specialty contact lenses, pediatrics, and binocular vision and vision therapy.

Additional information about Michigan College of Optometry programs is available here.

October 18, 2023

On what he attributes to him playing at a high level right now: “Yeah, it’s a lot of hard work, obviously. But typically, when the team’s playing well, it makes my job a hell of a lot easier and defense is giving us short fields, O-line’s protecting really well and I’ve got receivers downfield making plays. So, all that comes together, and I do my part and it makes it a lot easier for me.”

On his touchdown pass to Lions WR Jameson Williams on Sunday not being his best throw and if it was due to adjusting to Williams’s speed: “No, it just didn’t come out of my hand great. Yeah, he just – and he made a great play, again that’s kind of what I’m referring to is I’m not always perfect and these guys are making catches down the field, making plays after the catch, like (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint did on the route underneath and makes me feel good when I’m able to do that.”

On the Ravens’ defense being among the best in the League and why he thinks their pass defense has been successful: “Yeah, it’s kind of similar to last week and how good they are defensively and two elite linebackers again. Really good backend and obviously good pass rush leading the League in sacks, or however many they have, they’ve got a bunch. So yeah, it’s a challenge on every level. I wish I could tell you what a weakness was, but I don’t know if there is one. We’ve got to come ready to play. It’ll be a challenge.”

On if he considers himself a perfectionist in the way he studies the playbook and executes plays on the field: “Yeah, you try to be. It’s never perfect. Our game is not a perfect game, but you strive for perfection and you probably try to land somewhere close to it, you never will, really. But yeah, that’s kind of my daily every day. I think a lot of us are. You strive for that and land somewhere hopefully close to it.”

On if taking less of a gunslinger approach to minimize turnovers was a mindset he adopted early in his career: “No, I’ve gone through many streaks of a lot of interceptions throughout my career and right now I’m playing better than I did then, so just trying to take care of the ball and keep it in our hands.”

On if he appreciates the level of success he has now because of the adversity he has overcome to achieve it: “Yeah, you’re always working towards this. It’s always a lot of hard work in the offseason to get to a place where we can sit here at 5-1 and say we’ve done some good things. And yeah, I think that’s what you always strive for. I don’t know if it is any different than any other time that I’ve been on a good team playing well, but it’s certainly a good feeling.”

On what Lions Passing Game Coordinator Tanner Engstrand contributes to the pass game: “Yeah, Tanner’s been awesome, man. He’s pass game coordinator, PGC is what we call him, and he’s been great and brings different ideas to (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson), brings different thoughts. I’m able to ask him questions that he can answer instead of bogging Ben down with more. I can kind of go to Tanner with some of that stuff and he’s been extremely helpful for me. I had him in the quarterback room my first year and he’s bounced around this building a couple times, but he’s doing a hell of a job.”

On the Ravens creating different gameplans for each opponent and how unique this week is because they have to play a guessing game with their defense compared to others: “Yeah, it’s – they do mix it up weekly and so we’ll see what they want for us and as time goes, when you’re a good offense, you typically get a wrinkle every week no matter what type of defense they are and right now we are a good offense and expect something that they haven’t shown yet, or some certain type of coverage or blitz or wrinkle for us and yeah, we’ll react to it and be ready when it comes.”

On how difficult it will be to compete against a defense that is strong in middle of the field where he is currently having a lot of his success: “Yeah, like I said, they’re two elite linebackers and (Ravens S Kyle) Hamilton’s playing really well. We’ll see if (Ravens S) Marcus Williams’s able to play, but yeah, they’re really good in the middle, so it’ll be a challenge, no doubt on multiple levels, but yeah. We’ll be ready for it.”

On if he has met the expectations he has set for himself: “Yeah, you’re always working. I think yeah, I’ve done some good things. It’s been six games and how many more do we have? Eleven. So yeah, I’d like to be able to look back 11 games from now and give you a better answer. It’s six games in and I’ve played well, and we’ve played well as a team and like I mentioned at the beginning of this, it’s a lot easier to play well when you’re getting short-field and turnovers and good pass protection, so. But doing my job every day and just trying to continue to get better. I’m not going to change my daily mindset because things are going well, just continue to push it and get better.”

On if he believes he is playing better now compared to when he was with the Rams: “Yeah, yeah, much.”

On if he thinks he has brought Detroit football back to prominence: “Yeah, again, it’s so early. We’ve done some good things, and yeah, we feel the excitement from the city and from the fans and it’s fun. Certainly, home games right now are on a different level than I’ve experienced and now some of the away games have been on a different level than I’ve experienced as well. So yeah, we feel that energy and we certainly feel our fans behind us right now and it gives us that wind in our sails to kind of keep going and hopefully stay on this trajectory, but it’s a lot of work, man. It’s a lot of hard work and we’re so early on and I know everyone’s so excited, as are we, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and another tough challenge this week.”

On how he believes he has evolved since coming to Detroit: “Yeah, it’s another hard question to answer. It’s – every level of the game, I’ve talked about this a handful of times in the last couple years, but I got here after four years of starting and now I’m in my seventh year starting and I wish I could give you something specific other than just reps and just seeing things more than once and being very familiar with what we’re doing on offense and settling in as a player and getting better and maturing and learning and the whole thing. That’s really what it comes down to and I’d still like to think I’m relatively young in the League. I’m, again, in my seventh year starting, still in my twenties. I’m hanging onto that for one more year, so yeah. It’s – hopefully I can look back at this point and say I’ve learned so much more five years from now.”

On starting his rookie year off 0-7 and the impact it had on him: “Yeah, certainly took my lumps and learned – I always say, learned what it took to lose and how easy it is to lose if you don’t do the right things and how good our League is and yeah, learned a lot about myself and grew through that and I was able to overcome it.”

On if getting the game ball from Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell on Sunday in front of his teammates impacts him differently than the accolades he has earned: “Yeah, it’s special. Yeah, it’s definitely cool and appreciate him for that. But, hey again, like I said it’s never me. It’s typically a combination of a lot of things on our team that allows me to play at a high level and distribute the ball.”

Lions head to Baltimore to take Harbaugh's Brother's Ravens.

Game kicks off at 1:00pm on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, and 96.5fm.

Lions Football is brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibrations – Avanced Driver Assistance Systems

October 18, 2023

Opening Statement: “So, just changed the schedule up a little bit. We’ve been going pretty good. We’ve been playing physical opponents. We’ve got another one coming up, and so I wanted to back down today. It’ll be a lot of mental work and then we’ll do a little bit of just getting their heart rate up at the very end. But, felt like that’s what we need for today and then we’re back in rhythm tomorrow, but – so with that, I’m not going to be able to tell you about injuries. I don’t know, I won’t know until tomorrow. Nothing has changed from the other day.”

On if the practice schedule change today is due to the health status of the team: “No. Yeah, just with where we’ve been going. I mean we’ve been in a meat grinder here for a while and I just felt like this was the right time. We’re responding well and I want them to have enough gas in the tank.”

On if Lions QB Jared Goff is playing at an MVP-caliber level: “Yeah, look, I don’t know what ‘MVP’ is or isn’t these days, but I know this, he’s playing at a very high level. He’s making the throws that are there, he’s seeing the field and he’s exactly what we need and he’s doing exactly what we’re asking him to do. But I’ve said this before, he is an evolving quarterback. He’s developing, he’s been developing and he just keeps getting a little bit better, little bit better. And that’s a credit to him. It’s a credit to the coaches, but it’s a credit to him. I mean he’s somebody that does believe he’s always got more to give and he’s growing. So, he’s in a good way, our line’s protecting the heck out of him and when you give him just a minute, he can see it and he can throw it and our receivers are making plays.”

On how Lions Passing Game Coordinator Tanner Engstrand has grown and what he brings to the gameplan process: “Yeah, I think exactly what we were hoping for, (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) and myself, and it’s – he’s bringing a lot more ideas to the pass game in general. And I think really from the gameplan aspect is where you really see it, as well as, man, the details of the routes with the receivers, the tight ends, the backs, because he kind of works in those rooms too. And then we go out, we do the walkthroughs, we do practice and so he’s got a hand in all that too. So, I just – I see a lot of growth and if you’re asking me what I’ve really seen over a three-year period is the growth in vison and gameplan. That to me is where, ‘OK, here we go.’ And I think he’s – he was always a bright guy. He has good ideas, but I think him being able to learn from what’s been around here but like – (former Lions Senior Offensive Assistant) John Morton, man, Johnny was – Johnny’s a superstar now and there’s a number of things that he did for us last year that are things that we’ve kept. And I really feel like that helped Tanner as well. And he took a lot of that, and he learned from that, and he’s grown from that and so, he’s in a good spot. He’s an asset for us.”

On if Lions QB Jared Goff has exceeded his expectations: “No. No, I mean I’m extremely pleased, but I never saw necessarily a cap on this guy. I didn’t see a – the only thing you know that he’s not is this tremendous running quarterback, mobile, whatever. And he’s got enough to move and maneuver and he breaks out on some runs, but everything else, it’s all a matter of, hey, here it is. He’s protected, he sees it. And so, no, I’m not surprised. I knew he was tough, knew he was resilient and he’s just – he’s grown. There’s been consistency in what we’re asking him to do. There’s been consistency in his play and there’s been growth. And he’s in a good place right now. His confidence is sky-high, and we’ve got to keep it there, we’ve got to keep him there. And that’s really on all of us, the players, the coaches, everything, but we’re in a good spot.”

On if Lions QB Jared Goff’s high level of play would speed up the clock for contract negotiations: “Yeah, no, I can’t even go there. I’m not – I don’t want to get into contract talk, this, what we have, what we haven’t. All I can tell you is he’s playing at a high level, and he needs to be with us. So, I know that.”

On the challenge of preparing for Baltimore when you cannot focus on just one defensive player: “Yeah, it always is. You get one guy, and you can turn – you can nudge one side, but when you’re getting it from multiple threats on both sides of the center, it does, it makes it a little more difficult. And inevitably, what’s going to come down – you can use some of your resources – is take away one, maybe two, but at some point, somebody’s going to have to have the one-on-one and that guy’s got to win, he’s got to win. And at times, they can force you into who’s got the one-on-one and it’s up to that guy to handle his business. And then we’ve got to play fast at the quarterback position. Our receivers have got to get out of their routes with urgency, so – but yeah, it’s a good defense, but what’s new? We’ve been playing really good defenses. I mean I feel like every week we’re getting tested here and this is the next one. (Ravens Head) Coach (John) Harbaugh’s done an unbelievable job for a long period of time here. I’ve got a ton of respect for what he does. This team is always – his teams are always physical and disciplined and it – both sides of the ball, all three phases and they don’t make mistakes. And they’re still that same team, they’re just a little bit different in some areas. Their offense is a little bit different than what it’s been. It’s not this Greg Roman run-game, per se. I expect a little more of that. There’s still plenty of it in there, but there’s more dropback pass. They have skill on the outside plus the (Ravens) tight end (Mark) Andrews, the O-line is a solid crew in there and this defense is, as always, it’s an aggressive defense. They have rushers, they have cover guys and these two backers are really good. So, we’ve got our hands full.”

On if he has relived the last time they faced Baltimore and how those close losses in years past got them to where they are now: “Yeah, I haven’t relived until you just said it, so. Honestly, I try not to go there. Of course, you have a flashback from time-to-time. I just think overall it’s – look, we’re still early in this season. There’s a ton of game left. We’ve got to go earn another one here, but I know this, is that when you look back and – I just remember thinking over and over it’s like enjoy it now, just enjoy it now because our time will come, and we’ve just got to get through the hard stuff. And here we go, man. We’ve got an opportunity. We’re in year three of this program, we’re 5-1 and we’ve got to go earn the next win, so everything that happens, happens for a reason and it helps you grow, and if it doesn’t, it’s because you don’t know how to grow. So, we’ve taken our lumps and we’re going to be better for it.”

On if Baltimore’s defense tries to make their opponent one-dimensional by taking away the middle of the field: “Well, I think they’re – when you watch them over these last five weeks, they’re different on how they play every opponent. They were different in the way they played Pittsburgh, they were different in the way they played Tennessee, they were different in the way they played Indianapolis. So, this coordinator is going to – he’ll have what he feels like is a recipe for us on how he wants to attack us. Some teams it was almost all shell, it’s all two-safety, no pressure, some it’s all man-to-man, some it’s high pressure, no two-safety looks, they’re all one-safety, there’s some zeros in there. So, he’ll have a recipe and he’s got to decide what he wants to stop for us, what’s most important. Is it the explosives or is it our run game? But we’ll be ready to adapt and adjust with whatever and we’ll know during the game what’s going on. So, I would say it’s evolving. He changes it up every week by opponent.”

On what has allowed the team to stay poised under high pressure: “Well, we’ve been talking about it for three years. So, the core group here is – this is what they’ve been bathed in. So, we talk about it, we’ve preached it, we’ve lived it and we constantly try to put ourselves in those type of situations. We talk about it. That’s when your heart rate should start to level out when everybody – the perceived pressure goes up and it’s high stress, your stress levels should go down and focus on the moment. And our guys have done a good job of that, man, they believe in that. And I think it’s one of the reasons we’re having success on the road and – but ultimately, this team is built to handle these things. I believe that. It’s built to handle adversity and anything that comes. And look, this season isn’t over. I mean we know that. We’re going to hit a tough patch at some point here. I don’t know when it’s going to be, but we’re going to hit one and we’re going to have to get back through and get back on our feet and that’s fine. We’ll be ready for that.”

On if he sees Ravens QB Lamar Jackson when he wakes up: “Well, if I was dreaming about how to stop these guys, he’d be the first one I would think of if I was coming out of a nightmare. He is dangerous, so, he is dangerous. And like I say, they don’t ask him to do as much as he did before with his legs, but there’s plenty of it still in there and he’s throwing it pretty good. They’ve made a concerted effort to do a little more dropback with him and he is, he’s throwing the ball well. And he’s got guys that are making plays for him, but if it’s not there, he’s still – he’ll take off and he gets up the middle, he gets the edge and he’s going to hurt you, get a first down and there we go or an explosive. He’s extremely dangerous as always. That’s not changing right now, so that focal point will always start with him, especially defensively.”

On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson being on pace to rush for 1,000 yards this season: “That’s just average for Lamar, right? I mean that’s all. He’s just on pace to – yeah, believe me, he’s still dangerous. I’m just saying that they’re not – that run game is not what it was. I’m not saying they don’t still – believe me he’s still dangerous. He is very dangerous. Yeah, it’s just a different style of what they do. Plenty of – there is some carryover, but there is a little different façade to it.”

On if he carries cash with him at practice or just on gamedays after pulling out a $5 after the win against Tampa Bay in the locker room: ”No, well, that was just in my pocket. I don’t know how long it had been there or where I went with that.”

Lions head to Baltimore to take Harbaugh's Brother's Ravens.

Game kicks off at 1:00pm on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, and 96.5fm.

Lions Football is brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibrations – Avanced Driver Assistance Systems

It’s the last week of the regular season for MHSAA High School Football. That means some teams in the CSAA-Gold Conference will see their seasons end, while others look forward to the excitement of playoff football.

But who is done? Who must win this week? Who gets a shot at Michigan High School Football history?

Let’s break down the standings and expected finishes:

Who plays in the CSAA Gold? (in order of 2023 standings)

1. Big Rapids Cardinals
2. Tri County Vikings
3. Reed City Coyotes
4. Central Montcalm Hornets
5. Newaygo Lions
6. Chippewa Hills Warriors
7. Grant Tigers

Who won the conference?

• Coach Mike Selzer’s Big Rapids Cardinals swept conference play (6-0) to win their 1^st outright conference championship since 2003.
  • The Cardinals outscored conference opponents 211 to 66 for an average score of 35-11.
  • Only Chip Hills scored more than 14 points on BR’s Defense, and they scored 19. The Big Rapids defense is by far the most dominant in the conference, averaging only 9.4 points a game. They even pitched a shutout at Central Montcalm.
  • The Big Rapids offense scored less than 30 points only once in Conference play. The Coyotes held BR to 25 points.
  • For only the 2nd time in CSAA-Gold history, Reed City did not win the conference. In 2019, Coach Scott Shankel’s 1^st season as HC, the Coyotes finished 4^th. Every other season since the CSAA-Gold was formed (2014), Reed City has won the conference.

Does the Conference Championship play into the MHSAA Playoffs?

• No. Playoff selection and seeding is based on 'Playoff Points'. These points are accumulated through a formula that weighs wins as well as strength of schedule. The strength of schedule uses your opponent's wins (minus any wins vs you) as well as an assigned number based on the opponents size or Division.
• Big Rapids currently leads all CSAA-Gold teams with 48.125pts. They are projected to finish with 49.444pts.
  • In 2022, Paw Paw had the fewest Playoff Points in D4 with 40.889. Grand Rapids South Christian had the most with 65.778.

Who is in the playoffs regardless of Friday?

• Big Rapids: The Cardinals are currently #22 out of 32 teams in D4. The biggest danger in losing Friday night is less that they won’t make the playoffs and more that they will drop in their predicted #3 seed to #4 (and play the #1 seed) or worse, it shakes up the Regionals so they have tougher opponents like Whitehall.
• Tri County: The Vikings are ranked 13 out of 32 in Division 5. They are actually predicted not to win at Belding Friday and would still be the #2 seed in Region 2, District 1. The #1 seed in that Region is… Belding! So while a win would be a nice boost to end the season, it would not cause any significant changes to the seedings as Belding holds a commanding 12pt lead in Playoff Points.
• Reed City: The Coyotes are ranked 11th in D6 out of 32. They are expected to down the Cadillac Vikings in Reed City Friday night. This would clinch them the #1 seed in Region 2. A loss would most likely keep them as the #1 seed in District 1 but would cap them at a predicted 41.420 points and potentially take homefield advantage away for Regional play. Clare and Chesaning, the #1 and #2 seeds from Region 2, District 2, are predicted to end with 44.667 and 42.000 points respectively giving either team home field in round 2.
• Central Montcalm: While a loss Friday at Lakeview would be unprecedented given the current state of the season, if the Hornets do loose, they risk falling out of the top 32 teams in Division 6. The risk is low as they’re currently ranked 25^th, but stranger things have happened in sports (reference The 2011 regular season concludes with an indescribable flourish - YouTube).

Who has to win Friday to make the playoffs?

• Chippewa Hills: The Warriors are currently ranked 34^th in Division 6. The top 32 teams get in. Chip hosts Pine River Friday; a 2-7 D7 team they have handled with ease in years past, but their week 7 loss vs Newaygo is looming large. Detroit Voyager Prep, Parchment, Olivet, Bullock Creek, and Ida all have to lose to give Chip a chance even with a win. The ladder 3 are currently in as the 30, 31, and 32 teams. Again, stranger things have happened in sports (reference 9/28/2011 again), but a loss Friday vs the Bucks would ensure the Warrior season ends.

What do the Playoffs look like as of 10/19/23?

• Regions could shake up and only the MHSAA experts on the Selection Show Sunday will know, but the following are the predicted playoff setups for all eligible CSAA-Gold teams. The format is the #1 Seed hosts the #4 Seed, #2 hosts the #3. Higher seeds host until the Semi's when a neutral site is chosen:

BIG RAPIDS: DIVISION 4

TRI COUNTY: DIVISION 5

REED CITY & CENTRAL MONTCALM: DIVISION 6

Once Friday's games conclude, the MHSAA will make their Playoff selections on Sunday during their Selection Show at 6:00pm. The actual selections have deviated in the Regional makeups from predictions. Last year Big Rapids was predicted to play Freeland until Selection Sunday sent them to Whitehall.

We'll update you on Big Rapids Daily News as well as on Big Country's 'The Rundown' with predictions and selections: The RunDown Week 1 - YouTube

You can listen to all Big Rapids Cardinal games on Big Country 100.9fm, WWBR.com, and on the WWBR mobile app.

You can listen to all Reed City Coyotes games on Y-102 102.3fm, WYBR.com, and on the WYBR mobile app.

As Doug Rankin looks forward to retirement in mid-December 2023, he’s also looking back, all the way back to the fall of 1976 and his arrival in Big Rapids to begin the Ferris State University PGA Golf Management program.

“I remember getting dropped off at Miller Hall and my father saying, ‘Okay, well, good luck, and I'll see you later,’” he recalled recently with a hearty laugh. “And I was excited. I remember thinking ‘Let's get going here. Let’s get to work. Where's the golf course? I want to go hit some balls.’”

Now, almost half a century later, Rankin can look back on a career spent entirely in the golf industry, including the last 33 years as head professional at the Toronto Golf Club in his native Canada, and he can point squarely to Ferris State for a big part of his success in a profession that he said got a hold of him already in high school.

The Toronto Golf Club is one of Canada’s most prestigious courses. It has hosted the Canadian Open five times, and the Canadian Amateur Championship nine times, more than any other club.

“I grew up in Sarnia,” he said. “And I got to work at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club, cleaning clubs, caddying, anything that needed to be done. And I loved it. I just loved the business of golf.”

Along the way, someone told him about a relatively new program at a place he’d never heard of called Ferris State where his dreams of working in golf could find a successful launch angle.

Ferris State’s PGA Golf Management program, which started in 1975, is the first of its kind sanctioned by the PGA, and one of just 18 in the nation. The Bachelor of Science program helps students develop expertise in every facet of golf, from the business of club management to the physics of ball flight and the biology of turfgrass.

“And so, I ended up taking the trip,” he said. “My dad drove me, and we went to Ferris in the fall of 1975 to check it out. I think they admitted me almost on the spot for the fall of ‘76. I might have been in the third class in the program coming in.”

These many years later though, Rankin still fondly remembers his time on campus.

“The program was really, really well crafted,” he said. “It was invaluable. Here's a young kid going to school wanting to be in the golf business—I think I was 17 when I started—and I’ve got a chance to learn about everything you’d need to know to be successful. It was pretty amazing.”

Beyond the specialized courses he took—things like turf grass management—Rankin said there was a host of other courses that at the time didn’t seem as applicable but in retrospect have benefitted him and his career in countless ways.

“You know, to sit in a classroom and learn about public speaking,” he said. “That’s been invaluable to this day. Creative writing, an introduction to logic class. Again, invaluable. And then on the marketing side learning about retail merchandising and retail management, things I still use today. I look back, and it all stuck with me throughout the years.”

Rankin also appreciates the way in which the program integrated internships with the classroom materials.

“The way it was crafted—with the hands-on internship for six months and then six months back at Ferris—was really, really well done,” he said. “Just a great combination.”

As a Canadian, Rankin wasn’t able to do his internships in the United States, but he did land internships at Canadian courses, and that kicked off a lengthy career in the golf course industry, north of the border, including as just the fifth professional in the history of the Toronto Golf Club, founded in 1876 and the third-oldest course in North America.

He said planning for retirement is bittersweet, but he’s had a good run and feedback he’s been getting over the past few months about the ways he’s made a difference in people’s lives has helped him ease his way into the sunset.

“I’m most proud of the number of young pros who have been with me and graduated into head professional positions in the industry,” he said. “I have heard from so many young men and women who have gone on to successful ventures, and many credit their Toronto Golf Club experience as a large part of their development and career growth.”

He’s also heard from his members, and their kind words have warmed his heart, he said.

“A female member wrote to me and told me she appreciated how much I did over the years for the women members at the Club,” he said. “She mentioned that when she attended one of my golf camps, she’d been on the verge of giving up golf. It’s been nice to hear that sort of thing.”

Rankin’s final thoughts on his career and upcoming retirement included a hockey analogy, appropriate for a native Canadian and a Ferris State Bulldog. 

“I feel like someone handed me the Stanley Cup,” he said. “I get to skate around the rink for a lap and then hand it over to our new professional. One journey ends, and a new one begins.”

Improvements are on the way for the construction of Depot Trail Head Park in Big Rapids.

Thanks to approved funding from a special Michigan Strategic Fund meeting last week, 17 projects totaling up to $41 million dollars from all over the West Michigan region will be helped by the collaborative Revitalization and Placemaking Program, or RAP.

“City staff is excited about the opportunity to develop Depot Park into a welcoming park for those visiting the City using the newly paved White Pine Trail,” Big Rapids Community Development Director Michele Stenger said. “We are also excited about the opportunity this will create for the businesses and residents of the east side.”

The $450,000 will be going towards building a trailside park, which will include a 20-foot by 40-foot covered picnic pavillion with an attached set of unisex bathrooms, a bike rack and repair station, and an improved parking lot with 31 spaces for single vehicles.

Other nearby projects being serviced from RAP funding includes $54,000 at the Stone Hatchery Park in Green TWP, $750,000 towards Canal Park in Grand Rapids, and $45,000 for Vida Weaver Park Pavilion in Hesperia.

West Michigan economic development organizations involved with the RAP include Greater Muskegon Economic Development, Lakeshore Advantage, and The Right Place, Inc., in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). RAP is an incentive program that deployed $100 million in American Rescue Plan funding to address the COVID-19 impacts in Michigan communities. This recent distribution is the second round of funding available to the region. In 2022, the region received $3.6 million to support nine projects.

For local news, subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at wbrn.com.

The Ferris State University NCAA Division I men's ice hockey squad will square off against Grand Valley State inside FSU's Ewigleben Ice Arena as the "Anchor-Bone On Ice" exhibition game takes place this Friday, Oct. 20, in Big Rapids.

The Bulldogs, who are coming off a dramatic eight-round shootout win over nationally 12th-ranked Western Michigan last Friday night, will face the Lakers' American Collegiate Hockey Association (AHCA) club team on Friday with puck drop set for 7:07 p.m. (ET). It will mark the first matchup between FSU and GVSU on the ice since the Bulldogs moved to varsity status in the mid-1970's.

The two West Michigan institutions are longtime rivals in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and compete against one another in NCAA Division II action, but have not faced each other on the ice since the 1974-75 season when Ferris State beat the Lakers five times while midst moving from the club level to the NAIA level prior to becoming a Division I member in the late 70's. Ferris went 5-0 versus the Lakers during the 1974-75 season, outscoring GVSU 41-9 over the five contests.

The Bulldogs were slated to have a bye week before agreeing to the exhibition matchup.

"We're looking forward to bringing this great rivalry to the ice and expecting a great crowd for this matchup," said FSU head coach Bob Daniels. "This game fits into our schedule well and will be a contest that should feature plenty of energy and excitement from both the players and the fans."

Tickets for the contest are on sale now and are $20 for adult reserved seats along with $15 for seniors (age 65+) and FSU faculty staff in addition to $10 for kids ages 3-17. FSU student tickets are only $5 for general admission in the Dawg Pound or $10 for student reserved seats with identification.

The "Anchor-Bone On Ice" game is also included in all Ferris State Hockey season ticket packages.

Fans can purchase digital tickets for Friday's home action and all Bulldog home hockey games in advance to guarantee a seat by visiting FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.

The FSU Athletic Ticket Office's normal business hours are Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) with extended hours on Wednesday until 7 p.m. (ET). A complete pricing structure, ticket office hours and additional information is available online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com and can be found by visiting the "tickets" tab. For additional ticket information, please call (231) 591-2888.

The Bulldog Sports Network and flagship radio station Sunny 97.3 FM will carry this week's action live with online coverage also available at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. Live video coverage will also be provided on a pay-per-view basis on FloSports coverage.

Today, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and Herco and Detroit Training Center LLC, announced the Contractor Assistance Program (CAP). This new program will grow the construction workforce and increase developer capacity for larger contracts and projects across Michigan.

The Contractor Assistance Program was created with $1.7 million in funding from the Housing and Community Development Fund. This program will help deploy training and technical assistance to individuals seeking to participate in the skilled construction trades, along with those seeking to become licensed builders. Contractors, small businesses and emerging developers who need assistance to secure and complete large projects are also eligible for CAP assistance.

“The construction workforce has experienced a persistent shortage, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.” said MSHDA Executive Director Amy Hovey. “CAP will address these shortages by encouraging individuals to learn a skilled trade and work alongside contractors and developers who are interested in working on large projects, ultimately contributing to the Statewide Housing Plan and creating more equitable housing.”

To grow Michigan’s construction workforce, CAP will prepare hundreds of builders to pass the Residential Builder’s License Exam and provide them with additional training on Fair Housing and accessible housing. The program will also bring new and existing contractors and developers together to potentially partner on new projects.

Herco and Detroit Training Center LLC, will administer CAP, which will be available statewide. The program will primarily be marketed in areas that have been identified as having a significant shortage of construction skilled trades labor.

“Herco and Detroit Training Center LLC together have combined over 30 years of experience in developing job training and job placement opportunities,” said Phyllis Loudermill owner of Herco. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring skilled trades training, builders license training, and the Contractor Assistance Program to economically disadvantaged areas across the state of Michigan. Our goal is to provide individuals new opportunities in construction and to provide contractors access to a pool of qualified skilled workers along with the tools needed to grow their business.” 

For more information on CAP, visit https://www.michigan.gov/mshdacap .

Since Oct. 1, hunters here in Michigan have been piling into the woods in hopes of filling their tags and harvesting deer.

As we have eclipsed the halfway point through the month, both local wildlife and law enforcement departments want to remind both hunters and non-hunting citizens to be aware and safe around wooded areas.

For hunters, the thrill of hunting can often times bring a “tunnel vision” effect and a lack of focus behind the intended target. Michigan Department of Natural Resources hunting education specialist, Corp. Steve Orange says, “knowing what your target is and what's beyond,” is important in consideration of their shooting area.

“You don't know who or what might be walking through the woods (at the) same time you're hunting,” Orange said. “(This is) particularly with public property and the same thing goes for those non-hunters that are walking on our public property. Just be mindful that there may be hunters in the area.”

Another crucial element of hunting safety, especially during rifle and muzzleloader seasons beginning in November, is making sure the weapon has the safety on and that it is safely transported to and from hunting stands.

“One of the biggest things that we preach in higher education is that a safety is a mechanical device that can fail,” Orange said. “Don't just rely on that when getting your firearm up and in your tree stand. If you are, make sure you use the hall line with the muzzle pointed down, not loaded, with the safety on, and making sure you're doing it all properly.”

When it comes to those not hunting, travelling in areas near the woods should also bring some caution. According to Mecosta County Sheriff Brian Miller, the number of car accidents caused by deer will increase greatly during these seasons.

“You're going to see much more movement with the deer right now and car-deer accidents are going to be going up,” Miller said. “I remind people to keep their eyes on the road and be aware of their surroundings and keep them off any media devices when they're driving down the roadway.”

Some other key tips are that hunters must identify themselves in appropriate orange safety wear, properly transporting gear and weapons in appropriate cases, and to keep all guns and bows out of plain sight and away from children.

For more rules, regulations, and hunter safety information, visit the Michigan DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Supervisor Jim Chapman announced today that his efforts to bring all the Green Charter Township candidates together was unsuccessful.

Supervisor Chapman arranged for a livestreamed debate on Thursday, Oct. 19. A venue on neutral grounds was secured. Retired Judge Susan Grant had agreed to moderate the exchange. Questions were to address the administration of the township, its needs and future.

“We had hoped to allow the voters to hear directly from the candidates how they hoped to serve the community,” Chapman said. “Unfortunately, it appears that the opposition candidates have other goals.”

The opposition candidates were given an invitation on Friday and were asked to respond by Monday. Mr. Kruse responded by asking when they would learn what the questions were. He was answered that all questions would be provided before the debate once all parties had agreed to participate. No other communication has been received from any of the opposition candidates.

Lane closures for road work are in effect through 5 P.M. this Thursday on southbound US-131 at 4 Mile Rd. 

The work is weather dependent and delays are expected with the construction.

For up-to-date information on this project and others, go to the list of statewide lane closures at: www.michigan.gov/drive. 

Monday, October 9

• An officer responded to a call regarding some tree and debris on the road, causing some damage to the road.
• An officer, while patrolling, observed some household items on the side of the road. The homeowner was notified and explained how to dispose of those items properly.
• An officer was dispatched to a residence regarding a dispute over some personal property. The case was referred to the Civil Court.

Tuesday, October 10

• An officer, while patrolling, was approached by a man uncomfortable with his children being around their mother’s boyfriend. The officer advised him to contact the Friend of the Court.

Wednesday, October 11

• An officer was dispatched to an address regarding an assault between family members. The matter has been referred to the prosecutor for possible charges.
• Officers were requested by a parent to give their child a breath test for alcohol since they could not get in touch with the child’s probation officer at that time. Since the matter happened at school, further investigation was turned over to the county school liaison officer.

Thursday, October 12

• An officer responded to a call regarding illegal dumping from a non-city resident. The case is still under investigation.
  An officer responded to a call regarding a violation of a protective order. The matter was referred to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Friday, October 13

• An officer investigated a possible identity fraud from someone that called into the department after credit cards were opened in their name. The case is still under investigation.

• Officers took a report of possible vulnerable adult abuse. The matter is under further investigation.

Saturday, October 14

• An officer arrested two individuals after receiving a tip. A 36-year-old man was arrested on an outstanding warrant for non-payment of child support and his female passenger was arrested on an outstanding warrant for felonious assault. Both were lodged at the Osceola County Jail.

• An officer responded to a call regarding someone reporting a possible break in. After investigation, no evidence of a crime was found.

• An officer responded to a call regarding a possible case of extortion. After investigating, no evidence of a
  crime was found.

Sunday, October 15

• An officer responded to a call of a money laundering scam. No money was sent and the officer assisted the caller in blocking future calls from the scammer.

• An officer assisted a resident in locating a missing dog.

Ferris State University is offering thousands of scholarship dollars to encourage high school and transfer students to complete its free admissions application by Oct. 31 and explore how a quality Ferris State education can change their lives.  

Ferris State is joining the Michigan College Access Network and participating in National Transfer Student Week as students seeking a four-year higher education home consider becoming a Bulldog and entering drawings with $9,000 in scholarship dollars up for grabs.  

Ferris State is offering one $3,000 scholarship, two $2,000 scholarships and four $500 awards to students as application completion incentives.  

“We know choosing a higher education destination is a major decision for students and their families. That process is beginning for some and continuing for others,” said Jeanine Ward-Roof, Ferris State’s vice president for Student Affairs. “This is a great collaborative initiative focused on student access and achievement. We see Ferris State as a preferred choice for many students and we are putting up opportunities for scholarship dollars to help students financially as they begin pursuing what we believe is a life-changing Ferris State University education.”  

Ferris State’s commitment to local students from the Mecosta Osceola Intermediate School District is an additional emphasis. Ferris State is making two other opportunities for $1,000 scholarships available to local high school students interested in earning their degree close to home as Bulldogs. 

“We place a high value on our local students – many of whom are already highly familiar with Ferris State University,” said Kristen Salomonson, dean of Enrollment Services. “Our students can qualify for a scholarship opportunity while minimizing costs as they earn a high-caliber college education in their backyard.”  

As part of National Transfer Student Week, set for Oct. 16-20, Ferris State will have a drawing explicitly geared to transfer students who will have an opportunity to win a $1,000 scholarship for successfully applying to Ferris State by Oct. 20.  

"Ferris State has great relationships with our community colleges, and we have worked closely with our partners to ensure a smooth transition to complete their four-year degree,” Ward-Roof said. “We’re excited about what our new Student Success Hubs, strengthening our partnerships with community colleges, will do for transfer and students looking for a first-rate education closer to home. This scholarship is an opportunity for a future Bulldog to get off to a great start financially.” 

Ferris State began the 2023-24 academic year with the start of classes on Monday, Aug. 28, with nearly 10,000 students enrolled as Bulldogs combined in Big Rapids and at our Student Success Hubs across Michigan through partnerships with community colleges.

Ferris State on Aug. 31 opened the $32 million Center for Virtual Learning on the Big Rapids campus with Michigan’s first purpose-built Esports Arena on a college campus.  

The Detroit Lions takeover is in full swing, Ladies and Gentlemen. From flooding Lambeau with
Honolulu blue to drowning Tampa Bay in dominant fashion, there really is no better fan base
than the Detroit Lions. If you haven’t gotten on the train yet, it might be too late because we’re
leaving the station.
In America’s game of the week we saw the Lions’ defense show out once again by holding the
Buccaneers to just two field goals, and the offense got everyone involved playing their third team
this season who is in the top 15 of total defense. It doesn’t matter that the Bucs have arguably
one of the worst offenses in the league, putting up that performance is a tough task to pull off.
I don’t know what has gotten into me, but I’ve just been in such a good mood for the past month.
The vibes are just going to get higher and higher as this season progresses, especially if Jared
Goff and the rest of the Lions continue this tear. Speaking of JG, the guy put up a casual 353
yards and 2 TDs while going 30-44, that’s a 107.5 quarterback rating by the way.
Goff wasn’t alone last Sunday though, as he found his favorite target, Amon Ra St. Brown, 12
times for a score and 124 yards. St. Brown got main course, but the other receivers got to eat too
as Jameson Williams hauled in a 45 yard bomb from Goff for a touchdown, Josh Reynolds
picked up a few key receptions, and Sam LaPorta averaged 9 yards on 4 receptions. The
versatility that the receiving corps has shown this season is very much welcomed.
You might be wondering, what about David Montgomery? Well, he was questionable to return in
the second quarter after a rib injury took him off the field. It looked like it was going to be worse
as the cart started to make its way on the field, but being the dawg that he is, Montgomery
walked off on his own power. It’s still up in the air if he’ll be ready to get back on the field for
week 7.
We know the offense played good, but the defense showed out once again and made Baker
Mayfield look like he’s never touched a football before. A measly 19/37 performance in the air
with an interception to Will Harris brought forth a 22.9 QB rating, tough looks for the former
number one overall pick.
In other defensive categories, I would say it was a slow day for the Lions pass rush game. Don’t
get me wrong, there was a lot of big stops that held the Bucs to just a field goal or forced the
turnover on downs, but for a team that we’ve been accustomed to seeing getting into the
backfield consistently, I just didn’t see it this week. However, Tampa Bay does have a seasoned
and talented offensive line, so you can’t knock the guys too much.
This game, along with the week one win against the Chiefs, showed people that the Lions aren’t
like what we’ve seen before. Countless NFL analysts, sports podcasters, and the average NFL
fans know that the Honolulu blue wave is coming for any city that the Lions are playing in.
When every game on the schedule is a home game, only an idiot would bet against Detroit.

This upcoming game is against the Baltimore Orioles, who have a defense that holds teams to
less than 260 yards per game and an offense that’s been crossing that 300 yard marker almost
every week. If Montgomery is out for this week, expect a heavy passing scheme from the Lions,
as well as a defensive effort that will have to contain a very elusive Lamar Jackson. It’s a tall
order, but I’m not worried one bit.
I don’t want to gate keep the Lions from anyone, but if you didn’t love us at our 0-16 season then
you sure as everything don’t deserve us at our peak. I don’t care if this team is 5-1, 1-5, or
somewhere in between. It’s Detroit grit for the onepride.

Lions head to Baltimore to take Harbaugh's Brother's Ravens.

Game kicks off at 1:00pm on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, and 96.5fm.

Lions Football is brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibrations – Avanced Driver Assistance Systems

Friday, October 13

• At 1632 hours, deputies responded to a one vehicle accident Hinton TWP. Additional investigation led to the male driver being arrested for OWI. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 12

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Saturday, October 14

• At 1510 hours, deputies made a traffic stop in Big Rapids TWP. The male driver and female passenger were both arrested on warrants. Both were lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.  

Calls for Service: 10

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Sunday, October 15

Calls for Service: 11

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Ferris State University is one of the best universities in Michigan for students looking to get the “Best Bang for the Buck,” according to a Washington, D.C.-based online publication.

Washington Monthly’s 2023 Best Bang for the Buck in the Midwest ranked 250 colleges and universities based on how they assist non-wealthy students earn a marketable degree at an affordable price. 

Ferris State ranked fifth in Michigan, and 40th in the Midwest – positioned well among its colleges and universities in the state, trailing only Lake Superior State University, Michigan State University, University of Michigan – Dearborn, University of Michigan and Kettering University.

Three equally rated criteria highlight the Washington Monthly rankings: social mobility, research, and community and national service. Factors such as the number of first-generation college students, tuition rates, graduation rate and the number of students receiving Pell grants are among those considered. 

“We take great pride in our outreach efforts toward ensuring that a Ferris State University degree is accessible and affordable to students – particularly students who may see financial hurdles as barriers toward a Ferris State degree,” said Jeanine Ward-Roof, vice president for Student Affairs. “Our work is geared toward clearing a path to higher education and quality job opportunities post-graduation in a constantly evolving workforce.” 

Ferris State started the 2023-24 academic year on Aug. 28 with nearly 10,000 students enrolled on the Big Rapids campus and at locations across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula through Kendall College of Art and Design and its Statewide Student Success Hubs, which launched in 2023. 

“These days we know, because students are talking with our recruiters about it, that the value of higher education is top of mind for high school graduates and their parents,” Ward-Roof said. 

Ward-Roof noted Ferris State’s emphasis on career-oriented instruction from faculty who bring industry experience to the classroom to help students become workforce-ready at graduation. Ferris State’s Career and Professional Success team works with students to become career-ready while bringing them face-to-face with employers for voluntary and required internships, post-college job opportunities through the Career and Internship Fair, and more. The Fall 2023 Career and Internship Fair is Oct. 26. 

She also pointed to a Ferris State emphasis on the required and voluntary internship experiences students embrace and the work of the Career and Professional Success team to help student preparation. 

“Our students come to Ferris State expecting a well-rounded experience on their way to graduating and becoming our alumni,” she said. “They want and deserve that quality. Our mission is to keep it accessible and affordable.” 

The nationally top-ranked Ferris State University football squad showed the heart of a champion on Saturday (Oct. 14) in the Anchor-Bone Classic, but the Bulldogs could not overcome a rough start and fell to rival and fourth-ranked Grand Valley State 49-28 before a sold out crowd at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale.

The Lakers jumped in front big early and held a 35-0 lead with 12:34 remaining in the first half before FSU responded. The Bulldogs scored 28 consecutive points to pull back within a score at the end of three quarters before the Lakers put together a much-needed TD drive push the margin back to two scores early in the final quarter while holding on for the win.

Ferris State outgained Grand Valley State offensively by a slim margin, totaling 438 yards compared to 433 for GVSU. FSU, though, could not overcome three turnovers and 129 penalty yards in dropping to 4-2 overall this season.

The Lakers opened the scoring in the first period as quarterback Cade Peterson found receiver Cody Tierney on a 36-yard scoring throw on GVSU's first offensive play. The Lakers added another TD throw from quarterback Avery Moore to wideout Kyle Nott with 6:10 to go in the frame, making it 14-0 after the first period.

In the second quarter, Grand Valley State capitalized on the momentum, scoring three TD's in a span of less than two minutes to extend the lead to 35-0 . Moore raced to the endzone early in the period on a 37-yard TD carry. Soon after, GVSU got the ball back and Peterson hooked up with Tierney again on a 15-yard TD connection. The Lakers also got a 20-yard pick six as part of the flurry.

The Bulldogs got it going offensively midway thru the second quarter, driving 70 yards in nine plays with quarterback Carson Gulker finding wideout Xavier Wade on a 24-yard scoring throw to put FSU on the board.

Ferris State got the ball back after a defensive stop and moved 55 yards in eight plays to cut the margin to 35-14 on Gulker's 16-yard scoring throw to Tyrese Hunt-Thompson. FSU then took advantage of a GVSU fumble late in the half to make it 35-21 at the break following a 37-yard scoring run from Deion Small.

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs trimmed the deficit down to a single score as senior quarterback Mylik Mitchell re-entered the game and engineered a seven-play, 53-yard jaunt, cutting the margin to 35-28 on a 10-yard throw to Hunt-Thompson.

The Bulldogs had opportunities in the second half to potentially cut further into the lead, but Grand Valley State finally ended the FSU scoring streak with a nine-play, 89-yard march that ended on Moore's 44-yard TD run with 13 minutes to play, pushing the margin back to two scores. The Lakers later added a 16-yard scoring pass from Peterson late in the game.

Mitchell completed 17-of-29 throws for FSU for 195 yards and a score while Gulker completed 10-of-16 passes for 188 yards and two scores. Hunt-Thompson led the FSU receivers with eight catches for 138 yards and CJ Jefferson caught seven balls for 103 yards. Wade added four catches for 95 yards and Small paced FSU on the ground with 40 yards on two carries before leaving the game due to an injury that stopped the game following a collision with a GVSU tackler.

For Grand Valley State, Moore produced 126 yards and two TD's on nine carries. Peterson completed 15-of-25 passes for 151 yards and three scores. Meanwhile, Tierney hauled in four catches for 74 total yards.

The Bulldog defensive was led by the trio of Justin Payoute, Major Dedmond and Lento Smith, who all had eight stops apiece.

Ferris State will look to bounce back next Saturday, Oct. 21, as FSU visits Michigan Tech for a 1 p.m. (ET) league encounter in Houghton, Mich.

To help students with the critical support they need to successfully enroll in classes and complete a skill certificate or associate degree, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has invested $350,000 into the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) College Completion Corps to support Michigan's adult students, with a focus on serving Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect students. This investment will help the state make progress towards the Governor’s Sixty by 30 goal of having 60% of the state’s population earn a post-secondary degree or industry-recognized certificate by 2030.  

Sixty by 30 seeks to build a better Michigan by closing the skills gap that poses the single greatest threat to the success of our businesses and our state’s prosperity, increasing opportunity for Michiganders to access the education and skills that create opportunities for better jobs and bigger paychecks and making Michigan more competitive for inclusive economic growth. Thanks to continued investments and partnerships like these, Michigan’s education attainment rate has grown from 41% when Gov. Whitmer took office to above 50% today. 

"In order to meet the Governor’s Sixty by 30 goal, we are committed to supporting students every step of the way on their journey to obtaining a certificate or degree," said LEO Director Susan Corbin. "The Completion Coaches are a critical investment in ensuring student’s success and will help our Reconnectors make informed decisions on their college journey and alleviate barriers to help them across the finish line.” 

LEO’s previous $430,000 investment into MCAN's College Completion Corps initiative helped fund 38 coaches who are supporting students across 26 campuses. Launched in Dec. 2020, MCAN trains and places AmeriCorps members on partner college campuses across Michigan to serve as dedicated Completion Coaches for students. Coaches advocate for students, foster connections and integrate into the campus support structure to address challenges that arise; facilitate group activities and meetings to boost sense of belonging and self-efficacy; and develop technology-based interaction (text, email and phone) to build focus on dates and deadlines. 

Michigan Reconnect builds on the success of Futures for Frontliners and pays the cost of in-district tuition, mandatory fees and contact hours for eligible adults who want to pursue an associate degree or skills certificate at a Michigan public or tribal community college.   

The continued expansion of MCAN's College Completion Corps will increase capacity for coaching support to Michigan Reconnect students, which now includes more than 32,000 enrolled students and is expected to grow with the temporary age expansion which lowers Reconnect eligibility to age 21. 

"We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with LEO to support student success efforts across the state," said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director. "With this funding along with AmeriCorps and additional private and public support, it is possible to extend the reach of College Completion Corps and build capacity for coaching support at more Michigan colleges. Improving persistence and completion rates for all students in Michigan -- especially low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color -- is an essential part of meeting the state's Sixty by 30 goal." 

This investment will extend coaching support to the following colleges: 

• Grand Rapids Community College 
• Jackson College 
• Kellogg Community College 
• Macomb Community College  
• Mid Michigan College 
• Mott Community College 

To learn more about Michigan Reconnect and apply visit Michigan.gov/Reconnect.  

LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET

October 13, 2023

On what happened with Lions TE Sam LaPorta’s injury and if he is expected to play on Sunday: “Yeah, he just had a little bit of a strain. Don’t know, we’ll know more today. He was out in walkthrough, so we’ll see what he looks like out here.”

On if Lions TE Anthony Firkser who was added to the practice squad this week is equipped to fill in for Lions TE Sam LaPorta if needed: “Yeah, well I mean he’s a guy that has played in this League, has done a number of different jobs. I remember when he was at Tennessee for a while, so he’s got receiving ability, he can do a little bit of the dirty work, fullback. So yeah, I think he’s somebody that can get up to speed pretty quick, if needed.”

On if there is anything particular causing the string of mid-week injuries sustained at practice: “Nope, no. It’s just nature, the way it is. I mean we backed off this week, so if anything, maybe we need to go harder. So, maybe that’s part of it.”

On the balance between pushing players to be physically ready for Sunday while maintaining their health: “Yeah, I mean, there’s always a balance, there’s always a balance. And you do the best you can with it and inevitably, it’s still – it’s a tough game and things pop up and you manage them the best that you can and then there again, man your next guy’s got to be ready to go.”

On who will fill in for Lions G Jonah Jackson if he is unable to play on Sunday due to injury: “Well, there again, I mean we’ve got guys in this building we trust. (Lions G Halapoulivaati) Vaitai’s had a pretty good week of practice. Certainly, we know what (Lions OL) Graham (Glasgow) brings to the table for us. (Lions G Kayode Awosika) Yode’s gotten better. So, I mean we’ve got options. (Lions T Dan Skipper) Skip’s back, ready to go. So, we’ve got a couple different scenarios, situations that we can go through here and we’ve kind of rolled through them so, we feel good though.”

On the importance of Lions CB Cam Sutton’s reliability as more injuries have occurred in the secondary: “He’s been great. I mean, I think that’s just what it is. He’s just been – he’s been a steady, reliable piece for us, and I mean that on the backend with the way everybody’s growing on the frontend and having (Lions S) Tracy (Walker) and (Lions S) Kerby (Joseph). (Lions CB) Jerry (Jacobs)’s been doing a good job. He just – he’s somebody that you don’t have to worry about him handling his business. You don’t have to worry about if he’s going to be in the right position or – mental errors aren’t going to show up with this guy. It’s just – he’s just dependable and he’s no different than any other player. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect, but he’s always going to strive to be perfect and we know exactly what he is. I know exactly what he is and that gives me comfort.”

On what the defense needs to do to stop the smart and consistent Tampa Bay offense: “Well, I think it’s continue – just like they’re being patient, we have to be patient, continue to give him the check down. Everything’s top-down. He wants the checkdown? Good. And then we’ve got to rally, we’ve got to vice tackle, we’ve got to get a ball out and so the longer these drives go, I think it really, in some degree, can fall into the favor of the defense. You start getting in some long ones, that’s where you have the ability to get one out. So, you can’t get frustrated. You can’t worry about they get a first down, they get a five-yarder, they get a six-yarder. Just keep playing every play, man. And it could be play 14 on the 10-yard line going in that we get one out, or we get an interception. I think that’s the most important thing with an opponent like this and the way (Buccaneers QB) Baker (Mayfield)’s playing, the way that they’re playing the game right now when they win.”

On what Buccaneers NT Vita Vea brings to Tampa Bay’s defense to make it effective: “Yeah, he – that’s a total different one-two punch. So, with Vita in there, man the ability to push the pocket is – I mean, he’s got that and then some. So, he can get an edge, he can push it and he’s a hard guy to slow down and this (Buccaneers DL Calijah) Kancey, when he was coming out, had really this dynamic rush ability, really quick first step, explosive athlete, certainly doesn’t have the length or size as somebody like Vita, not that everybody does. So, it’s a total different – it’s a changeup and a guy like that on your guards, we’ve got to be really good man. We’ve got to be good with our sets and so it does. It brings – they’re already a pretty good rush team and it brings another element inside that we’ve got to deal with.”

On how they have prepared for the 80-degree weather in Tampa Bay this weekend: “No, I think we’ll – we talked about it and certainly hydration has been big, just because it will be warmer and I don’t feel like it’s going to be hot, but it certainly will be warmer. And I think we’ll be good. I’m not real concerned about it.”

On why he thinks Tampa Bay’s third-down passing has been successful and how they can stop it: “Yeah, I would say this, because they are staying in third-and-manageable and the one game that they weren’t really able to get in those less than third-and-6s was really Philly. And that made it a little bit harder, and it would on any offense. I mean, that’s the same thing we talk about, being efficient on first, second down so that the third downs are very manageable. And that’s – I feel like they’ve had a lot of those third-and-manageables and I mean between (Buccaneers WR Mike) Evans and (Buccaneers WR Chris) Godwin, they’re finding creative ways to get those guys open and (Buccaneers QB) Baker (Mayfield)’s making those throws and moving the chains. And then they’ll run it too, they run it some on those downs. So, that’s where they’ve been good.”

On if they have an idea of what the blueprint is to stop Tampa Bay: “Yeah, look, I think there’s definitely a blueprint, but that means you’ve got to get them in long situations and that’s where – I mean I think honestly, we’ve got to be really good on. We really have to be good on first down. That’s a lot of those. The first down leads to the second-and-long and then you get into the third-and-long, so I think the base down efficiency is where we’ve got to get some TFLs, we’ve got to get some incompletions, we’ve got to stop the run and that’ll go a long way for us because we do that, then now you feel like you can open up your rush plan a little bit and we can go to work. But if you don’t, it’s going to be tough. It’s tough to get them off the field.”

On where Lions QB Hendon Hooker is in his recovery and when he is expected to come back: “He’s doing well, he’s doing well. He’s progressing very well. I would say he’s – certainly, there’s no setback. He’s doing well. I can’t really give you a true timetable right now, but he is doing good, he’s doing good.”

On if they are still hopeful that Lions QB Hendon Hooker can play this season: “Yeah, still hopeful, but there again, there’s a lot that can happen between now and, ‘OK, is it time to pull him up? Is it not?’ I mean, you never know what can happen with this roster between now and then so, but he’s doing good.”

On if Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and Lions DB Brian Branch are expected to play on Sunday after working with trainers this week: “No, I would say they’re all doing better. Gibbs had a really good day two days ago. And then we kind of gave him a breather yesterday, so he’s doing good. Branch is getting better, but I can’t say right now with any certainty whether we’ll have them this week.”

On why practice is outside today rather than inside like it usually is on Fridays: “We’ll go outdoor today since we’re playing out on the grass. But normally, I’ll you why, because I just think it’s a better teaching environment and it’s a little bit faster surface and we’re not out there long and so normally, ultimately, we do it at home because we’ve got the turf, so I want them on the turf, but we’ll go outside today since we’re playing on grass.”

Lions head to Tampa Bay to take on Baker Mayfield and the 3-1 Buccaneers

Listen to every play on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, or 96.5fm

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Ferris State University’s Graphic Media Management program is getting a $1.75 million boost from Ann Arbor Graphic Arts Memorial Foundation to support students today and long into the future.

College of Business professor Patrick Klarecki said the partnership, with support from The Ferris Foundation, will help the program keep its curriculum in line with the needs of the growing industry and provide scholarships to help attract students.

Ferris State’s program is the only one of its kind in Michigan.

Klarecki pointed to Grand View Research data that projects the global commercial printing market size, valued at $489.63 billion in 2022, to grow nearly 3 percent through 2030.

“We believe the printing industry is alive and vibrant,” Klarecki said. “Through this investment from the Ann Arbor Graphic Arts Memorial Foundation, Ferris State is going to be in an even greater position to recruit high-caliber students to train to be industry professionals.”

Securing this endowment, Klarecki believes, positions Ferris State to be a stronger player in recruiting and graduating well-trained future printing professionals.

The $1.75 million will be split with $750,000 devoted to the programmatic endowment, with an estimated $40,000 available for year one, while the other $1 million will be invested in scholarship dollars for students, with a projected $80,000 available to spend in the first year.

The $1 million dedicated to scholarships will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge, making a total endowed scholarship of $2 million.

“We’re excited about this endowment and the investment it’s going to make in the long-term stability of our program as we see positive projections for the industry overall,” Klarecki said. “This is an opportunity to get the word out, knowing it will be backed by scholarship support for students and programmatic investment. We’re looking forward to working with schools with graphic programs to help them see what we will have at Ferris State and how students can benefit, which will benefit the industry.”

Klarecki is familiar with the AAGAMF’s long-running commitment to financially assisting students in pursuing a career in the printing industry and how it aligns with the Ferris State Graphic Media Management program.

Opportunities for Klarecki, current colleagues and future keepers of the program to get into schools around Michigan and beyond will allow them to help students visualize career possibilities.

An aging workforce speaks to opportunities for young students, according to Klarecki. His program notes Bureau of Labor Statistics data reporting that 54.3 percent of the printing industry workforce is 45 or older. Retirements on the horizon, he added, will create opportunities for young graduates in the years to come.

“For more than 50 years, Ferris State’s Bachelor of Science in Graphic Media Management program has prepared students to make, sell, and distribute printed items such as packaging, brochures and catalogs, and T-shirts and textiles,” he said. “Our program gives students access to one of the most advanced printing labs in the U.S. and is the only program of its kind in Michigan.”

The education is comprehensive. Students learn completely automated production, from sales to distribution, engineering workflow, making sustainable products, and developing marketing communications solutions.

“This is a great example of the work that can be done when public and private groups get together with a shared goal in mind,” Klarecki said. “This is possible for others as we grow our industry while showing current and future students what is possible here at Ferris State University.”

LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BEN JOHNSON QUOTE SHEET

October 12, 2023

Opening Statement: “Big challenge this week. This is a really good unit we’re about to face, so I know our players are fired up about the opportunity to play them down in Tampa, and 4:30 p.m. game is right up their alley. So, good opportunity for us.”

On finding the direct snap trick play to Lions RB David Montgomery against Carolina: “Yeah, we’ve got a library of things that catch our eye whether in the NFL, college, that goes back for years now. In fact, I think one of the plays we showed we didn’t actually run was from the NFL, like 2007. Last week we had a play up, it was fuzzy film, and our guys were looking at us sideways. But no, we’ve got a group of guys, all the young guys obviously, they’re a little bit more versed in the college game having been there most recently. And (Lions Assistant Offensive Line) Steven Oliver played a critical role in that play, coming up for us. We had noticed on tape, not to give away too much information, but whenever the quarterback would get up and give some movements, the defensive line might settle back or take a knee or something to that sort. So, we were just looking to take advantage of that and drive off the ball. It was anything special about the play, but just the way to get to it was a good idea there by Steven.”

On if they first saw the direct snap trick play from watching film on Lions OL Colby Sorsdal at William & Mary or if they regularly go through film looking for unique plays: “No, we’ve got cut-ups that we can always dive back into. I mean, shoot, those guys have a million ideas each week that they bring up. They probably miss more shots than they make right now because they come up with a good 12 ideas and maybe we only take two or three each week. But, yeah, that was certainly something that he had in the archive from watching Colby’s tape.”

On how much college concepts influence his creativity on offense: “Yeah, I think it’s – I think we’re kind of in our own bubble in the NFL and you’ll see coaches in the NFL, they steal from other coaches. You’re just watching the same game tape as you’re looking to attack a defense each week. And rarely do you during the season as an NFL coach have time to go back to the college game. There are things that pop up every year when we evaluate the college prospects that, ‘Holy cow, that’s a great idea.’ Chip Kelly, back when he was in New Hampshire kind of used that as his laboratory as he came up with all these cool ideas that he was doing up there, and then as he went to Oregon, to Philly, those things kind of blew up and took the League by storm if you will. So, no, there’s a million great ideas out there and sometimes the college game, there’s – I don’t want to say there’s less at stake, but there’s maybe not as much scrutiny if something goes wrong, so you’ve got the green light to be a little bit more creative. And truthfully, that’s the wonderful thing about our head coach, is he’s not afraid to go ahead and do some things that maybe haven’t been done before in this League.”

On if San Francisco stole the same flea flicker trick play they used hours after the Lions did against Carolina: “No, I’m sure that’s something they’ve been working on for weeks. And we stole it elsewhere. In fact, that’s a play that we had with (Lions QB) David Blough in his rookie year when (former Lions Interim Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Darrell) Bevell was here. I still remember we ran it a couple times that season. I think that was 2020, 2019 maybe. Heck, (Lions TE) Brock Wright scored a touchdown on that one a couple years ago as well. We’ve been having that one – just some weeks are better than others for when we feel like it’s going to be a good one, but that’s also one we took from the college game.”

On being on the receiving end of people’s amazed reactions to the trick plays he calls: “It’s only good if it works, and I know that every time one of these gets dialed up. We spend a lot of time as a staff, the head coach, the offensive staff, on when to pull these things out to give us the best chance of them actually succeeding because if they don’t, then it’s a little bit of egg on your face. So, I can’t say the snap between the legs was really a third down call for us last week, but just within the game, it just felt right and so, ended up working out. But truthfully, we didn’t block it particularly well and (Lions RB) David Montgomery made a great play. So, when the players are believing and buying in, usually good things happen.”

On what gives him the confidence that any player can step in and still produce a successful offense: “Yeah, no it’s practice every week. They’re show team players for us right now on the offensive scout team going against our defense every week that we’re watching every single day. And I know, if they get the opportunity, I know what they’re capable of, we know what they’re capable of. And that’s all they need, is just that opportunity. There’s a million really good players and they just don’t ever get the opportunity. We have a lot of them here now on our practice squad right now. So, yeah, we don’t blink an eye. It’s not lip service when we say, ‘Next man up.’ These guys know. I told you last year, we played 10 receivers, 10 linemen, it’s going to be like that again this year at some point during the season, so they’re ready to go.”

On the stability Lions WR Josh Reynolds provides: “Yeah, I mean he’s played really good ball for a long time, even going back to L.A. Obviously, (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) has a rapport with him. They’re very comfortable together. I love, I love, how smart he is as a play-caller because we can move him to any spot on the field and he won’t blink an eye. And so, we try to take advantage of all his skills and utilize those, but the fact that he can handle being anywhere at any moment, it’s really invaluable to that room because some guys, they really – we try to just limit them to one spot, maybe two spots, he can do it all.”

On if the trick plays provide an element of fun and ease for the players’ mindsets: “I think our players – they totally understand that this game still comes down to fundamentals. Ball security, blocking, catching, run after catch, those are things that we’ve harped on as a coaching staff in the springtime, training camp. Heck, we did early last week, we came back and we spent a significant amount of time just reminding the players how important those key fundamentals are to what we do. Those are the building blocks, so everything else that we do are based on that. So, all the tricks, all the creativity, we couldn’t have it if we’re not playing with good pad level, if we’re not securing the ball properly, if we’re not looking to knife after catch the ball, those types of things. They’ve embraced that and because they have, that allows us as a coaching staff to push the limits.”

On how he would describe his play-calling style: “Calculated. I guess that’s one way to say it. Like I said, we put a lot of time as a staff into building a good plan, putting our guys in the right spots and then Friday and Saturday it just comes down to, ‘Hey, what’s the best spot to call this? Where in the game? What situation? What spot on the field?’ All those things. And then we have – as a staff we come up with plays each week. ‘Hey, we must get this off the gameplan. We must call this at some point.’ And so, we’re always looking for those opportunities to call those, so.”

On how Lions WR Jameson Williams will contribute moving forward: “He’s going to continue to get better every single week. That’s been the biggest issue with Jamo, is the fact that we haven’t been able to stack good days on top of each other since he’s been here. And so, I’m really – he had a great week of practice last week. I’m looking forward to him doing that again this week because that’s the way you get better. That’s the way you gain trust of the play-caller, the quarterback. The quarterback will play faster, have more anticipation of where he’s going to be, and we’ll be able to continue to give him opportunities to catch the ball and be the playmaker that he’s capable of being. The coolest thing that came from the game the other day is, the guy is such a big competitor, you see him block in the run game like he is. If he blocks like that, there’ll be snaps for him every week. There’s no problem there. And then the challenge is, ‘Hey, how do we get him the ball?’ And we’ll keep pushing it that way. But I have no problem with where he’s at right now and where he’s going.”

On how rewarding it has been to work with Lions TE Sam LaPorta: “Yeah, I’m trying to see what he can’t do right now because really he’s been really impressive handling it all. So, he’s done a phenomenal job. He’s a pro, as a rookie, he’s a pro. I give credit every time his name comes up to his position coach, (Lions Tight Ends Coach) Steve Heiden, he’s done a phenomenal job with him getting him ready week in and week out. And Sam is uber-talented as well. You see a lot of young guys in this League, particularly at that position, they’re either really strong pass-catchers or maybe they’re shifted the other way and they’re more in the blocking department and he’s equally good in both ways. So, another member of our unit that is really invaluable to what we’re going right now.”

On if he has found anything Lions TE Sam LaPorta cannot do: “Not yet. We’ll find out, just keep going.”

LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AARON GLENN QUOTE SHEET

October 12, 2023

Opening Statement: “Really good win last week. Looking forward to this next opponent.”

On what stands out about the Buccaneers’ offense: “I mean just like any team, the receiver position in this League is becoming one where you have at least three of these guys that you’ve got to challenge, so. And I know those guys. I’ve been going against those guys for like six years. They’re really good players, they’re tough, they go up and get the jump ball. So, it’ll be good to get a chance to go after these guys again.”

On how Lions DL Isaiah Buggs has responded to adversity being inactive the first couple games this season: “I don’t know if you want to call it adversity, but listen, you earn your right. That’s – I’ve been saying that since ’21 when I first got here and that’s not going to change, and that’s just who I am as a coach. There’s no free rides on this defense, so – and it doesn’t matter if you’re a first pick, last pick, practice squad, it doesn’t matter. Every time you go out there on the grass, you’re earning the right to go out there and play with the other men. That’s my responsibility to make sure because I have a responsibility to all the guys. I have a responsibility to the head coach, to the coaching staff, to make sure that we go out there and play the guys that are going to play to a high level, and Buggs is doing that right now, which we knew that he could do. So, there was nothing against him not doing what he needed to do, there were just other guys that started stepping up.”

On if he can sense a fire has been lit under Lions DL Isaiah Buggs: “Buggs has always had a fire. That’s not his issue. I’m sure you guys have talked to him. That’s not his issue. So, the thing is, I like exactly where Buggs is at and the good thing about it is, man, he has a way that he can continue to improve. And that’s what we’re looking forward to with that player.”

On Lions DL Brodric Martin’s progress and potential to debut in the coming weeks: “Well, I can’t say exactly when he’s going to play, but I’ll tell you what, I like where’s at and I like how he’s improving. And that’s what we talk about with that player all the time, as far as his awareness, as far as how we play defense for the most part. Excited about that player still, I mean he’s still a big body that can move, so each week him getting the chance to go against our O-line is the best thing he can ever have.”

On if Lions DL Brodric Martin’s progress is comparative to Lions LB James Houston’s last year: “Well, I don’t know about that. I think James Houston came out of nowhere to be honest with you. We knew that he had talent, but man, it just – the rise that Houston had from going against our O-line, we were just talking about with Martin, was outstanding. So, we’re looking at it somewhat similar because he’s getting the chance to go against a good O-line and be able to practice those techniques that we’re teaching him.”

On where Lions DL Brodric Martin has improved: “Lateral agility for one, and he’s working after practice on that like every day. Alright, that’s the first thing, the second thing is hand placement. That’s something that’s been different for him on where he’s putting his hands. And just understanding exactly the way that we play defense.”

On why he feels the defense’s performance through five games is expandable despite all the injuries they have endured: “Because we’re in the improvement business and every time we go to practice, we look to improve, so you’ll hear me say that no matter what. We could be the ’85 Bears, and I would tell you that we could still improve. And what you said is correct because you have guys going in and out and that’s just the nature of this League, injuries, and you have guys that have to come in and step up. And they have to end up playing to the ability of the guy that’s been playing at that spot. And our guys have been doing a pretty good job with that.”

On if he did anything different in his approach to prepare the defense this season: “That’s a good question. I would say there were times when I changed the verbiage of what I’m going to say, but for the most part, these guys know exactly where I’m headed to, so – because definitely I don’t want to get stale, so the verbiage can change somewhat.”

On how Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield has evolved: “Very impressed with how he’s looking on tape. Played against him our first year, I think we had two INTs but it was a sloppy game. I think it was raining that game. But I’ll tell you what, he is a big-time competitor. That can hurt you and that can help you, right, in his case. But you see right now, he’s able to use that and bring that time exactly where they are as far as being 3-1. And they’re doing a good job with him allowing him to manage the game. When he can get a chance to take his shots, he’s going to take his shots because he has those two big guys out there. He trusts those guys, he’ll throw it up to them.”

On how Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield is known for trash-talking: “I mean that’s not going anywhere. I mean that’s who he is, and I can appreciate that. I can appreciate that because sometimes people try to put you in this box and try to get you to be somebody else and he’s going to be himself. And that’s what I like about that player.”

On if more trash-talk fuels the defense: “We’re always fueled. Doesn’t matter who we play against, we’re always fueled.”

On if they are skeptic the Buccaneers have not showed all they can do in the run game: “I can’t answer that. I don’t think. I do know they’re committed to it and usually when you’re committed to it, that’s a really good sign for play-action. So, I think they’re doing a really good job with, ‘Listen, it’s not working. We’re going to get away from it now.’ This head coach and this coordinator is sticking with it, what I think is a really good plan on offense.”

On where Buccaneers T Tristan Wirfs ranks among the other tackles they have faced so far: “I’m not one to rank those guys, but I will say he’s a big-time player. In this League, most of those guys that’s out in the edge. Now it’s not just a left tackle, the left and the right tackle have become pretty dominant players in this League right now. So, we’re aware of him. We know what he brings to the table, so we’ll be ready for him.”

On where Lions LB Jack Campbell needs to grow in order to take the next step: “To me, it’s similar to what we were just talking about with (Lions DL Isaiah) Buggs, it’s not the fact that he’s not growing, it’s the fact that guys in front of him or behind him are playing well too and they deserve to play. (Lions LB Derrick) Barnes for example, (Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez) Rodrigo, he didn’t get as much playing time, but man, that room has a lot of talent. I mean they practice their ass off. When they get a chance to get in the game, they play at a high level. So the thing is that as Jack continues to grow, and it’s not like he’s not – playing bad or anything like that, it’s just the other guys are playing good too. And as he continues to grow, man, just like any of the other guys you can continue to get more playing time.”

On Lions CB Steven Gilmore’s progress and the potential to play soon: “Well, we’ll see. We’ll see. He’s a part of the plan that we have. We call him Gilly-Lock because he has lockdown potential, so he has some of that from (Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore) his brother. But he’s a good one to have, we’re excited about the player and at some point, he’ll be on the field helping us.”

On Lions CB Jerry Jacobs being tied for the League-lead in interceptions: “That’s good because that’s exactly what he’s done throughout his career is earn his keep. And man, I’m happy for that player because of that fact. He wasn’t a player that actually intercepted a lot of balls and now he’s worked on that this offseason and it’s starting to pay off for him. And man, he’s catching it with his hands, alright? That’s a huge deal for a defensive back to be able to go up and pluck the ball out of the air and he’s done that a couple of times. So, I’m excited to continue to see his growth as far as where he is going, as far as his interceptions are concerned.”

On how proud he is to have the trust in Lions CB Jerry Jacobs to make the right read in zone coverage: “I will say this first, any guy that we have on the field, there’s a trust factor there. So, Jerry has earned that trust once he started to play the way he’s been playing. And he actually earned that in practice. So, it’s no surprise why he’s a starter for us, it’s no surprise why he’s playing the way he’s playing. But in this League, as a corner, you just can’t be a one-trick pony. You have to be able to play multiple coverages and he’s able to do that and he’s been progressing at that level, playing zone and playing man. And I think it’s starting to pay off for him.”

On his defense’s reaction of the direct snap play to Lions RB David Montgomery in the Carolina game: “I can recall seeing that play. My mind is so into what’s going on with the defense that I really didn’t even see the play when it happened because I think I was talking to some of the DBs at the time, but it’s pretty unique, it’s pretty unique. And I forgot where he said he got it from, but I mean (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson)’s the type guy that he’s not afraid to try things and I think that’s a really good trait of his because some guys are stuck in the mode just doing one thing and he’s a guy that’s not afraid of trying things.”

On if he finds unique defensive concepts at the college level: “Well, I’ll tell you what, these concepts that these college coaches have are pretty unique, offensively and defensively and on special teams. So, man, just to be able to watch those things and see exactly how they coach, and defensively how they’re defending certain things like these RPO games because they see that a lot. It’s pretty unique and I try to, for the most part, go and visit a college coach in the offseason as much as I can. And I really do enjoy those conversations because I learn a lot just in the college game of how they see things and how those things can actually translate to the NFL because that game is actually coming to the NFL. And it’s helped me on a number of occasions of how I want to scheme some things.”

LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE FIPP QUOTE SHEET

October 12, 2023

On if he saw Wyoming’s onside kick during their game on Saturday: “Oh no, it was good? Surprise onside kick? I thought the guy last week’s onside kick was pretty good.”

On if he takes inspiration from college games to use on special teams: “Yeah, I think if I see something, I would definitely be intrigued. Obviously, things like this happen, or somebody tells me here and there like, ‘Hey, did you see that?’ And then I’ll look at it. I don’t comb as much college film as maybe some of these guys do, but yeah, it’s good. Good question, yeah. I’m going to take out Wyoming. We’ll run it next week. I didn’t win the Powerball. I still believe that I’m going to sit down with (Patriots Head Coach Bill) Belichick one of these days. And I still believe I’m going to win the Powerball.”

On if he saw USC try to throw Arizona’s punt returner on the ball during their game on Saturday: “No, I didn’t see that play, but I have been a part of a play that I feel like sounded like what you’re talking about and it’s incredible. One of the guys in the building was talking to me about all the rules and penalties and what’s on the film this week from the officials and – anyways he was talking about one of them – we had one where (Lions CB) Chase Lucas kind of got close to the returner on a fair catch, but he was also being hung up with the gunner a little bit, or the jammer, and they said that they blocked us into that guy a little bit, so I think his arm grazed him or something like that, but anyway. But there was one where it was like the guy clearly grabs us and then because we’re getting grabbed, he starts pushing back and they’re like, ‘Well, no because you were blocking him. You were pushing him back.’ But it’s crazy, anyways, so long story short, yeah that rule, I mean it is crazy.”

On if he will check out the USC versus Arizona game when USC tried to throw Arizona’s punt returner onto the ball: “OK, yeah, I’ll check it out. I’ll see Arizona. If it’s got Arizona in it.”

On how he envisions Lions CB Khalil Dorsey fitting back in on special teams when he returns from Reserve/Injured this week: “Yeah, obviously Dorsey did a great job for us on that first game. He was out there against Kansas City and really, he played in all four phases in that game. I think the first step is getting him back on the practice field. He’s been working out without us the last handful of weeks but getting him back out there and then just seeing how it goes, hopefully he progresses to the point he can play, but we’ll see how the week goes, I guess.”

On how important it is to be one of the few teams to not have punted for a touchback this season and keep teams inside the 20-yard line as a result: “Yeah, it’s a good pick up by you because it is really important to me, actually. And it’s something that we haven’t been great at the first few years I’ve been here, I don’t think. And sometimes, the snap by itself is like any of these stats. It could mean something, but it could be not as meaningful as some people think. If you’re taking a touchback and you’re punting from your own 40-yard line, then the ball was a 60-yard punt. Some people call it 60, 40, 60-yard punt, 40-yard net. Well in the old days, 40-yard net was good. 40-yard net’s a little more common nowadays, but you kick from your 35 and it’ll be a 45-yard net and you’d say that’s a great play, so even though there is a touchback on a punt like that, maybe that is a good punt. So, that number by itself is not necessarily totally meaningful, but when you’re punting in that midfield range and you’re having touchbacks, you’re obviously giving away a lot of field position. We had the one punt last week where we were punting in that plus area of the field and the guy took a fair catch, or we pinned him down on the 10, so it was a positive play. But yeah, so it’s a big deal. (Lions P Jack) Fox has done a better job with that, I think I said that to you guys a couple weeks ago, or month or so ago, when you asked about how he’s done and his progression and what he’s done better, that’ll be one thing.”

On if it is the location from where Lions P Jack Fox punts from or his accuracy that eliminates the return of a touchback: “Yeah, I think just being more consistent as a punter, accuracy, ball placement, width of the punt has a big effect on downing the punt. You can make the gunners look a lot better the wider that punt is. The more it’s down the middle, obviously they’re lined up with width. They have to come back to the middle of the field, makes it harder on them and takes longer for them to get there, obviously, they’re running a longer line. But, so, there’s a lot to the play, but yeah, mostly accuracy, consistency.”

On the areas in which he is looking for improvement: “Yeah, I think – I mean I feel like we can improve, really in all areas. And I think that’s really what this season is. I tell these guys every week, ‘You’ve got an opportunity to learn from the last game and get better and really, that’s the goal is that get better and better. And if you’re going to be a good football team, you’re playing your best football down the stretch and so you’ve gotten better every week. I mean we’ve been covering kicks well, but for example, in the last game, there was one kick that got out past the 30 and it was just kind of a little misfit, you know what I mean. And so, it was an opportunity for everybody to learn, OK, how to fit that play if you’ve become the guy who’s in that position, which may happen to somebody else this week, we don’t know. So, it’s just – there’s a million learning examples and ways to improve from every single rep. I mean I always say that game tape is gold to us, man. I mean it’s just an opportunity to teach and grow and develop and learn and it’s not only the guys out there on the field playing the plays, but as you’ve seen this happen to us, there’s been a lot of turnover and we’ve played a lot of different players due to injury and guys up and down on gameday. And so, it’s not only the guy who’s getting the physical rep learning, but it’s also the guy sitting in the chair thinking, ‘Well, yeah, I can’t wait to play, or I hope I–’ and then all of a sudden that’s you and you’re out there and you’ve got to make that play and you find out. Was he really paying attention? Were you focused? Were you engaged? Were you believing that you were going to be in that position at some point and having a chance to affect the outcome of the game?”

On where he wants the team to improve in field goal blocks and rushes: “Yeah, no, I mean, yeah, to your comment last week, what’s out there that the other team’s looking at and that’s what you’re always looking at and you say field goal, field goal block. I mean this morning, we met with field goal and field goal block and that’s kind of what I was thinking like what is on that film that they’re looking at saying, ‘Hey man, there’s a weakness.’ Or, ‘You guys aren’t doing a good enough job.’ And I think you’re always looking for that stuff. But – and that’s really what it is. You’re just trying to make sure you’ve got everything covered and you’re trying to get better and play better.”

On the starting safeties having prominent roles on both special teams and defense: “Yeah, it looks that way and it’s really much of just kind of how the game’s played out so those two safeties, really, they play – there’s really kind of what I call the ‘four-cores teams.’ So that’s your kickoff, your kickoff return, punt, punt return and then you’ve got field goal and field goal block, to me that’s a little bit separate. But anyways, those guys, the two safeties, what’s happening to them is they play on kickoff and they play kind of a lower impact position. There’s safeties for us on that kickoff. And so, it’s a little bit slower play, little bit easier play for them. So, I don’t see it as kind of as demanding, what we’re asking them to do. Obviously, it could be, but it’s definitely important, that’s why they’re out there for it. They can erase something bad that happens in front of them. But so, they’ve played on kickoff, well we’ve scored a bunch of points and we’ve kicked off a bunch, so that’s one and then two is they play on field goal block and so then their rep count, when you just look at it at the end of the game, rep count looks high and it’s like they’re not playing that many plays. But yeah, so I would say that’s the two safety things. That is two – I think the last two weeks I think is we’ve played them out there on the kickoff and that’s a little bit different, some of that’s due to who’s up, who’s down.”

On the field conditions of Raymond James Stadium that could potentially impact special teams: “Yeah, I played there a handful of times. It’s always been a nice play to play, I think. It’s supposed to be pretty nice out there, I think this weekend. Sunday afternoon, I don’t know, 80 degrees, 13 mile per hour winds, gusts in 10-20, something like that. It’s not like I don’t check it every day. If you want to know the weather, just ask a special teams coach, but yeah – or the kicker, or the punter, those guys all know. But no, it’ll be fun to play outdoors. You get totally spoiled playing inside. Everything’s just so consistent, which is nice. And there’s some advantages to that and there’s some disadvantages, but it’ll be fun to play there. I do think that every time I’ve been there, it’s been what I would say just a fairly friendly place to play in terms of conditions and weather and I think I said this to you guys the last year when we were talking about Carolina, but the ball tends to travel well both directions, the way I see it. And then when you look at the breakdown on the field goals and whatever, the one end zone versus the other end zone is pretty similar. In totality, it’s the same, basically.”

On if Lions WR Jameson Williams could potentially see action at kick returner: “We’re going to play him at gunner this week. But now we probably can’t because if you guys create an uproar, then it’s out – no, yeah, no. I think the priority for him right now is to get him up and going on offense. But I think at some point, you’re always looking to put your best players on the field, or in a position to impact a game the most you can, so I think that’s always an option. There’s something to always keep in mind, I think about him, (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs, all these guys. I know Gibbs has been down, or was down last week, but those guys you’re always looking to see if there’s an opportunity or a position you put them in. I still think it’s awkward to me because it’s like it’s one play a game, maybe. We’ve had two returns on the season and it’s like you play that guy 60 plays, you want to try to get him out in space and here’s a chance to get a guy out in space in one play and or two plays in five games and I don’t know the whole injury thing, that’s like a totally different conversation, but yeah, I mean I don’t know. I haven’t seen our returner get hurt yet, so.”

On if Lions WR Jameson Williams’s gunner days are over: “Are his gunner days over? I say never say never, yeah.”

Lions head to Tampa Bay to take on Baker Mayfield and the 3-1 Buccaneers

Listen to every play on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, or 96.5fm

Lions Football is brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibration & Glass

When you need them, find them here: Michigan ADAS Calibrations – Avanced Driver Assistance Systems

Monday, October 9

• At 2024 hours, deputies investigated  a sexual assault complaint in Big Rapids TWP. Deputies made contact with the male suspect. The male suspect resisted arrest. The male suspect was arrested on 2 warrants and additional charges. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 13

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Tuesday, October 10

• At 1510 hours, deputies made a traffic stop in Big Rapids TWP. The male driver and female passenger were both arrested on warrants. Both were lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.  

Calls for Service: 17

Traffic Accidents: 3

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Wednesday, October 11

Calls for Service: 15

Car/Deer Accidents: 4

Thursday, October 12

Calls for Service: 14

Traffic Accidents: 3

To ensure students safety when travelling to and from school, local law enforcement officers of Big Rapids and across the state of Michigan will be ramping up patrol as part of a safety initiative looking for drivers illegally passing school buses.

"Operation Safe Stop" is an enforcement campaign that will be conducted during School Bus Safety Week, which begins Oct. 16 and ends Oct. 20. Particpating law enforcement agencies will work with their local school districts provide education and enforcement for their communities.

According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, or CJIC, there were 1,041 crashes involving school buses in Michigan including 81 occuring at bus stops in 2022. From those 81, there were 38 serious injuries and even one fatality.

A one-day survey conducted by Michigan school bus drivers in May reported 864 times that a motorist passed a school bus illegally.

"Every time drivers ignore the flashing lights or stop arm of a bus, they are putting a student's life in danger," Big Rapids Department of Public Safety Chief Danielle Haynes said. "'Operation Safe Stop' will help keep students safe and will educate drivers on how to safely share the road with school buses."

Drivers should prepare to stop when they see the overhead flashing yellow lights of a school bus and stop at least 20 feet away from a bus when the overhead lights are red.

Drivers who pass a bus that is stopped may be charge with civil infractions carrying a fine up to $500. If an injury occurs during the infraction, the driver faces a misdemeanor charge and fine up to $1,000 and even a year in jail. If the injury causes death, the driver is subject to a felony with a fine up to $7,500 and up to 15 years in jail.

Accroding to the CJIC, the majority of school bus-involved crashes occured between 6:00 A.M. and 8:59 A.M. October had the highest number of wrecks with 136.

For more information about "Operation Safe Stop" and school bus safety, visit www.Michigan.gov/SchoolBusSafety.

 Ferris State University and Grand Valley State University are intense rivals on the football field, but leaders from both schools are teaming up to ask fans to remember to be respectful to each other and enjoy the game this Saturday.

The back-to-back National Champion Bulldogs square off against Grand Valley’s Lakers in the Anchor-Bone Classic at 3 p.m. at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale. The powerhouse programs both have 4-1 records, are ranked in the national top 10, and have dominated most opponents.

With passions riding high, university leaders came together to share mutual message of respect with students and fans. Ferris State President Bill Pink and GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella joined forces to film a video with mascots Brutus and Louie the Laker, reminding everyone to keep the rivalry fun and treat other fans with respect.

The video, created with staff from both universities, shows the presidents instructing the mascots to get to know each other better. The two become friends after visiting the Ferris State campus in Big Rapids and the GVSU campus in Allendale, palling around and meeting students.

“The message is delivered playfully, but it’s also serious,” Pink said. “A rivalry can be intense without being heated. We want everyone to cheer loudly and have a great time supporting their university. But once the game ends, we all shake hands and continue to do our work in changing the lives of students.”

The video was shared on Ferris State and GVSU social media platforms and will be aired at the game on the scoreboard on Saturday.

“GVSU is looking forward to hosting another thrilling game between these two elite programs,” said Philomena V. Mantella, GVSU President. “Both schools have a passionate fan base and we’re asking both Lakers and Bulldogs to create an energetic and respectful atmosphere worthy of such a great rivalry.”

The game is sold out but will be aired on WXSP-TV and online.

Ferris State’s only defeat came on the road against Division I University of Montana. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 in the latest AFCA DII Coaches Poll, responded by setting a Ferris State football record, scoring 78 points against Northern Michigan University. 

GVSU’s one loss came against the Colorado School of Mines in a close game. The Lakers, ranked No. 7 in the poll, dominated in most of their games, outscoring opponents 248-108.

GVSU holds a 30-23-1 all-time series' advantage entering Saturday's showdown between the two schools with FSU having won 11 of the past 14 overall. 

Lane closures for road work are scheduled for today for those travelling near Grand Rapids.

On Thursday, October 12, eastbound M-21 (Fulton St.) between I-96 and Forest Hill Ave will be closed from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M.

The work is weather dependent and delays are expected. 

For up-to-date information on this project and others, go to the list of statewide lane closures at: www.michigan.gov/drive.

LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET

October 11, 2023

Opening Statement: “Got a big week ahead. Tampa is playing good football right now, 3-1. I’ve coached with (Buccaneers Head Coach) Todd Bowles at Miami, known him a long time. I think he’s an excellent coach. He’s doing a great job out there. Playing good defense, they’re committed to the run on offense. (Buccaneers QB) Baker (Mayfield)’s playing good football. They’re plus-seven in the turnover ratio, which has been big for them. They’re converting on third down. Defensively, they’re stingy in the red zone, so we’ve got our hands full. This is a damn good opponent, so. But we’re looking forward to it, we’re looking forward to it. Our guys will be ready to go, and this is day one.”

On what he believes has allowed Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield to be successful this season: “Look, I just think, honestly, number one, I think what they’re asking him to do and the scheme really suits him well. They’re making a true commitment to the run. There’s a lot of boots that are involved, play-action pass and when you’re playing good defense too, man that’s right in his wheelhouse. He’s very competitive, like he’s always been, and he’s finding ways to make plays if it’s not there. He’s able to move in the pocket, eyes downfield, finds a throw, he breaks contain and then, look when he is, he’s not going down now. He’s not going, taking a knee. He’s looking to run somebody over, so he is a competitive sucker, man. So, they’re doing it right. They’re playing it right and they present a nice challenge.”

On how much overlap he sees between Tampa Bay’s offense under Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales and the Seahawks offense that Canales came from: “I would say the runs and the – the runs, play-pass boots, there’s a lot of similarities. I would say there’s not near as much drop-back as what Seattle’s doing with (Seahawks QB) Geno (Smith). Doesn’t mean they don’t have it, they still use it. But I would say there’s a lot of core principles that are very similar.”

On the challenges the Buccaneers defense presents up the middle: “Yeah, (Buccaneers NT) Vita Vea is, man this guy is a – I mean he is something else in there. He’s a big, powerful man. He’s hard to move. He can push the pocket, so it does – I think just in the run game, it starts there with him and then they’ve got length inside. That’s – (Buccaneers Head Coach) Todd (Bowles)’s always wanted to be able to do that, take away everything that you’re trying to run up the middle and then keep everything bookended with your outside backers or OLB, D-ends and then let your backers run. Cap it off and your backers are fast, they can run (Buccaneers LB Devin) White and (Buccaneers LB) Lavonte (David), so it’s a challenge, but we’ve got (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow) too, so that’s a good thing. But I think that a number of things that they do, look Lavonte David, for over a decade now or whatever that’s been, I mean he’s got to be up there for takeaways. I mean punch-outs, strips, he’s as good as you’re going to find. I mean his turnover tape over his period of his career is – you’re going to be hard-pressed to find somebody better, so he’s a takeaway machine. (Buccaneers S Antoine) Winfield (Jr.)’s a takeaway machine. And when you have guys that do it, they all start doing it, so. They’ve got long, athletic corners outside. This is a good defense.”

On the ways in which he has seen the team mature this season: “Yeah, well I just think we’re still – look, when you have a young team like we do, that you feel like is handling its business. It means they can have a good time, but when it’s time to lock in, they lock in. And so, there’s an energy about it, but yet, there’s a focus. And so, I just think that man, when it’s time to go, our guys lock in and they go and when it’s time to focus, we go. When we say that we’re going full speed, we go full speed. When it’s time to back off, it’s mental focus, they’re there. So, I think they just – they understand what it means to handle their business and I think that’s a credit to a number of guys we’ve had here, honestly. It’s not just this year, but I think that having (former Lions DL Michael) Brockers here was a big part of that. I think (Saints RB) Jamaal Williams was a big part of that. Certainly, (Lions QB Jared) Goff and (Lions T Taylor) Decker and (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow). I mean we’ve got enough core guys here that understand – (Lions LB) Alex (Anzalone) – what it’s supposed to look like.”

On any updates he has on Lions LB Alex Anzalone’s parents being stuck in Israel and what it was like for him to play through their situation Sunday: “Yeah, I mean I really was unaware until after the game. That was the first time and I actually – I didn’t – we went through the whole deal and then I call him night after the game, I didn’t even realize I’ve been in this cocoon. That’s a tough deal out there. I have not heard anything new on that. I don’t want to elaborate on anything, but he felt they were safe. It’s just finding a way out, but that can’t – I know it’s not easy. I know it’s not easy. And I know it weighs on him heavy, so that’s a tough deal out there, man.”

On his assessment of Lions LB Alex Anzalone’s performance this season: “Yeah, look, he’s versatile. He can play MIKE and WILL and you can say, ‘Well, maybe he’s better suited for the WILL.’ Look, he’s suited for MIKE too. But I think to be able to put him over there and let him go a little bit, he’s taken off, but I would say he’s had two good years here. And he’s on year three and I think – I feel like every year, he’s played his best ball and here he is in the third year with us, and I feel like he’s taken it another step, so he's an asset for us. He’s a very instinctive player. He’s an energy guy for us and he’s playing as aggressive as I’ve ever seen him and that’s a credit to (Lions Linebackers Coach Kelvin Sheppard) Shep, it's a credit to him putting the work in and it’s a credit to the room, really. I mean all those guys. We’ve got a lot of faith in every one of those guys. I’m talking about all six of them from playing on defense, to special teams, I mean there’s – it’s a great room.”

On if they expected Lions RB David Montgomery to be this much of a bell cow when they signed him in the offseason: “Yes, we did. I mean that was the reason for that. We always – to me, that type of guy is always going to be your – he carries the load. And the other one is the change-up, he’s going to get plenty of touches, that doesn’t mean those are carries, though. That could be in the pass game, that could be gadgets, that could be – but, to me, you always want a guy who you know – man, he can, if you need it, he can take on 20, 25, 30 carries. And he has been all of that and then some. He is a workhorse and he is dependable, he is tough, he is quick, he’s explosive and he’s a finisher, so I’m glad we got him.”

On if Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs is expected to play against the Buccaneers: “Yeah, we’ll see. He’s day-to-day. There’s a number of these guys. He and (Lions DB Brian) Branch are day-to-day. I feel a lot better about (Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint. I think Saint will be out there practicing, should be a little bit. But we just have to take it day-to-day.”

On the challenges that Buccaneers WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will present to the secondary: “Yeah, look, they’re – I think they’re even different than what Seattle was, and those were good receivers, but Evans is – Evans is a guy (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG and myself are both very familiar with, being in that division for as long as we were, but he’s a true jump ball guy. He’s got enough speed to get downfield, but then with that length, reach, he’s got radar, so he can locate these balls that are back shoulder, high, jump. So – and (Buccaneers QB) Baker (Mayfield) will throw it. Baker will throw it. If it even feels like it’s a one-on-one, he’ll lay it out there and give the guy a chance to go make a play, which I think is – that’s huge. So, anything down the field and he’s a problem. Any time they get a one-on-one to be able to do that. And then Godwin’s playing – to me, Godwin is back to what Godwin was before his injury, like you can see it. This guy is – he’s back to playing really good football and he’s playing a little more outside, which I think suits him well. He’s versatile, he’s tough. He’s tough in the run game too. So, the one-two punch of those guys, it’s something – we’re going to have to be able to challenge these guys. We can’t just let them run down the field. But our guys are competitive, man. (Lions CB) Cam (Sutton) and (Lions CB) Jerry (Jacobs) on him, I like it, I do. But I think it’s all encompassing. Got a challenge there, but we also – we’ve got to continue to do what we’ve been doing. We have to close this pocket in on Baker and because there’s so much play-pass, man we’ve got to transition into rush from run quickly, because this ball gets out quick.”

On how much fun the team is having with winning right now: “Yeah, I mean any time you win, it’s fun. It makes everything a little bit lighter. There’s a little more peace to it in the moment. So yeah, everybody’s enjoying it. But I think what you really enjoy – because you feel like you’re putting in the work and it’s paying dividends, so – and so yeah, I think, for us, it’s every week you come in and you want more. You want to just continue to try to stack them up and get better than you were and so it’s a good thing right now.”

On what it is like to hear conversations about teams being interested in Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn and Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson becoming their head coaches next season: “Yeah, honestly, I’m not even – I haven’t gone there yet with that in this moment. I mean I’ve thought about that before. I mean I thought I was going to lose (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG twice and (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) last year once, but that was certainly at the end of the year. So, I don’t – I haven’t really gone there in that moment. All I can tell you is they’re both very vital to us and our success and everything that, to me, that we’ve built and that I envisioned with players, to coaches, to staff, to everything, everybody’s got a piece. Everybody’s got a piece, everybody’s got a job to do and you want them to be the very best at what they’re asked to do and I feel like we have that. So, when you don’t have that, you have to – you’ve got to find the right guy that you put in those places when the time comes.”

On if the conversations about teams being interested in Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn and Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson becoming their head coaches reflects what this team is accomplishing: “I don’t – I mean. Look, I think they’re outstanding coaches and candidates and this is – we’ve got a good program going here. I’m not putting that on me. This is – we’re doing some good stuff here and everybody’s got a hand in it.”

On if Lions TE James Mitchell’s injury will be long-term: “I mean, probably not. He’s another one I’d say day-to-day. He’s probably lesser than those other two we were talking about, (Lions DB Brian) Branch and (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs.”

On when Lions CB Khalil Dorsey and Lions DL Josh Paschal will return from their injuries: “They’re day-to-day. We’ll have to see. We’re talking about starting both of their clocks, hopefully sometime this week, but we’ll see.”

LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET

October 11, 2023

On what makes the Buccaneers’ defense so effective: “Yeah, extremely well-rounded, extremely well-coached, have got a lot of veteran guys there and have done a good job at running their stuff for a long time now. It’ll be another big challenge for us.”

On how Buccaneers NT Vita Vea affects the quarterback position: “Yeah, he’s one of the best players at his position in the League and can move the pocket, can push the pocket, can play well in the run game as well. But yeah, he can get in the backfield and cause some problems.”

On one of his teammates saying opponents are now going to give their best shot against the Lions: “I don’t know, I think in the NFL you’re always getting a team’s best shot. And every week’s tough no matter who you are or who you’re playing, what team you’re on, they’re all tough and this will be no different.”

On how the team’s emotional maturity is stacking up to that of the Rams team that went to the Super Bowl: “Yeah, I don’t know. They’re all different, every team is different. It’s too hard to make that comparison. Every team’s different, but yeah, I guess early on we’ve got good maturity and have handled success up until this point pretty well and still so early in the season. So, a lot of work to do, but feeling good with where we’re at.”

On what the key is to a good play-action fake: “Yeah, well, it’s kind of everybody. It’s the O-line making sure they’re coming off the ball, making it look like a run. It’s myself and the running back getting a good mesh, is what we call it, making sure the ball is in his belly and he has a good pocket where it looks like a run. And then through the fake, show, snap, shrink is kind of the coaching point for it. And yeah, show, snap, shrink is what I’ve been told in the past. It’s a coaching point for show, snap, shrink. It’s a coaching point for it, but I think more than anything is making it look exactly like it does when you do hand it off whatever that is whether it’s show, snap, shrink or some other version of your mechanics. But yeah, making it look exactly as if you were handing the ball is the best way to describe it.”

On the times he still does a play-action fake despite an empty backfield: “Yeah, well he’s aborting for protection based on the pressure and yeah, I’ll just do it because that’s what I’m expected to do on the play and he goes the other way to pick up the protection responsibility and doesn’t get the fake. That happens sometimes.”

On if the play-action fake is an undervalued art form: “I don’t know. I think it’s just discipline. It’s just focusing on it, making it matter and putting emphasis on it and putting detail on it. And I’m very aware of it and just like every part of my game though, I don’t know if it’s something that I’m doing more than anything else. But it’s a part of my game that I am very aware of and me and the running backs are constantly trying to do our best to make it look exactly like the run. And yeah, it helps, it helps pull the defenders up and get those plays in the end.”

On what he has learned about Lions RB David Montgomery this year: “He’s a stud. He’s a stud. He’s fit in just perfectly with us and does such a great job every day. And obviously, you guys see him on gameday, the stuff he does, but his leadership, his ability both in the run and the pass, his attention to detail in protection I think is pretty special for a running back. Not all running backs typically care about that, they want the ball, they want to run. He’s very adamant on making sure I’m protected and making sure he’s doing his responsibility, which is nice to have a guy back there like that. It makes me feel good so, he’s been doing his thing and hope to continue to do it.”

On what he learned early in his career about the play-action fake: “I think in high school and college, I did almost exclusively shotgun dropback, and coming to the NFL and learning play-action, I had to learn how to turn your back to the defense. They’re going to move around, they’re going to be in a different place when you probably turn your head around. So, I have an idea of what they’re going to be in pre-snap, what covers they’re going to be in and then when you turn your head around, either confirming that or understanding that you’re wrong and finding out what it is very quickly. So, yeah, that part of the processing of it was probably the main challenge early on in my career. And as I’ve gone on, I’ve got a better grasp of the game and it’s become a little bit more practical every day. That’s something that I do to recognize the coverage, but yeah, that’s probably the hardest part early on.”

On the play he was sacked after turning his head around in the Carolina game: “Yeah, that was a keeper is what we call it, so I was getting outside the pocket. And they run a pressure, I’ve should’ve seen it and I just didn’t.”

On if recognizing the pressure on the play he was sacked in the Carolina game is a pre-snap identifier: “Yeah, oh yeah. I should’ve – I just didn’t see it. It was on me.”

On if Lions OL Colby Sorsdal had anything to do with the direct snap to Lions RB David Montgomery play idea in the Carolina game: “No, I don’t know – I don’t think Colby had anything to do it. I’ll give a shoutout, (Lions Assistant Offensive Line Coach) Steve Oliver, one of our assistant coaches here found it, very quickly. I don’t know if it was his idea or (Lions Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson)’s idea or somebody else’s but he was the one who had the clip of it and Colby just happened to be in the clip, so.”

On if there is a joy element when putting in trick plays: “Yeah, it makes it fun. I think that’s a credit to Ben and what he’s done. Obviously, 99 percent of our offense is very focused and detailed and – but here and there, he’ll throw in something that’s just fun and doesn’t really have a complete rhyme or reason necessarily, but it’s something that we expect to work. And we practice it enough that it does work and that was one of them. It’s just duo is all we ran, the run duo. And on third-and-6 are you ever going to run duo? I don’t know, you can, but we ran it with a little bit of a wrinkle on it and were able to pick up the first down based on something we saw in them in certain situations and yeah, it’s fun. It makes it fun, it makes it light. We’ll have wrinkles here and there and it keeps it light.”

On when he watched the direct snap play to Lions RB David Montgomery in the Carolina game back on film: “Thought it looked great. Thought it worked perfectly. I thought it was a great snap, it didn’t hit my legs, I ran off to the left and David broke a tackle and got the first down. It worked perfectly.”

Lions head to Tampa Bay to take on Baker Mayfield and the 3-1 Buccaneers

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Five Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University students will have their artwork adorn the Michigan House and Senate office buildings as part of the 18th annual Student Art in the Legislature program.  

The program, a collaboration between the Michigan Legislature and the Michigan Association of State Universities, each year displays and celebrates the work of student artists from Michigan’s 15 public universities. Work is displayed in the Anderson House Office Building or the Binsfeld Senate Building in Lansing. 

KCAD’s Division of Academic Affairs led the effort for student submissions, noting KCAD students have been chosen for this initiative most years since its inception. Student artwork appropriate for public display in a government building is submitted for consideration. 

This year, artwork from five students—Jenna Broderick, William Chatlosh, Salina Dally, Pamela MacDougal, and Gracie Thomas—was selected by those in the Legislature to hang in the Senate and House buildings.  

MASU leaders said feedback from policymakers, staff and those who visit the Michigan House and Senate office buildings has been positive. The student artwork has added to the aesthetic quality of the two buildings' interior and provides a venue to promote the creative talents of our state university students. 

Jenna Broderick, a senior majoring in Graphic Design, has three pieces selected for inclusion, “An Emotional Menagerie,” “An Eternity,” and “Wo? Ài N?.?” 

Salina Dally, a senior majoring in Fashion Studies, has a piece called, “Let There Be Light - Collection Illustrations.”  

Will Chatlosh, a senior majoring in Fashion Studies, has three pieces in the exhibit: “Teal Portrait;” “Marilyn Monroe,” and “Pink Portrait.” 

Pamela MacDougal, a senior majoring in Studio Arts), has two pieces, “Unfinding the Symbolic Subject (2022), ” and “Toast of Life (2020)” 

Gracie Thomas, a sophomore, has a piece called, “A Love Letter.” 

A reception hosted by Legislative Arts Caucus members will honor each selected student artist at the Michigan State Capitol on Oct. 10, when the new pieces of art will be unveiled. Each work will have a plaque indicating the name of the piece, the artist’s name, and university affiliation will accompany each piece. All work will be displayed for one year.

On Tuesday, Oct. 10 at approximately 4:30 A.M., deputies were dispatched to US-131 at mile marker 129 in Aetna TWP for a one vehicle accident.

The driver, a 33-year-old male from Luther, was traveling northbound on US-131 when a deer jumped out in front of him. The deer hit the vehicle, causing front-end damage.

The driver was transported to a Grand Rapids hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Deputies were assisted on scene by Morley Fire and Rescue, Mecosta County EMS, and Frontline Towing.

Monday, October 2

• Fraud – Officers were dispatched for a fraud complaint. A subject, who was later identified during the investigation, attempted to use a stolen credit card at a local business. A report was sent to the Prosecutor for review.
• Threats – Officers were dispatched for a threats complaint at a local business. A subject threatened to beat up several workers. The incident remains under investigation. 
• Civil – Officers were dispatched for a civil dispute regarding ownership of property.
• Harassment – Officers were dispatched for a harassment complaint involving family members. Contact was made with the suspect and they were informed to stop communication or else a PPO would be sought against them by the caller.

Tuesday, October 3

• Warrant Arrest – Officers were dispatched to pick up a subject who had a felony warrant out of the department. The subject was located and transported to the Osceola County Jail where they were lodged. 

Wednesday, October 4

• Nothing reported.

Thursday, October 5

• Traffic Stop – Officers assisted the Michigan State Police with a traffic stop. Officers assisted with questioning and investigating the incident.  

Friday, October 6

• Check Well Being – Officers were dispatched for a check the well–being on a juvenile. The juvenile was fine and did not need any services.

• Juvenile – Officers were dispatched for a complaint involving unattended juveniles. The juveniles were located and returned to their parent. A CPS referral was made and the incident remains open at this time. 

Saturday, October 7

• Personal Injury Accident – Officers were dispatched to assisted the Osceola County Sheriff Department with traffic control at the scene of a personal injury accident.

Sunday, October 8

• Malicious Destruction of Property – Officers responded to a report of malicious destruction of property. The investigation is ongoing. 

A pair of Ferris State University men's tennis standouts, seniors Benjamin Lortie (Gatineau, Quebec) and Jan Koupil (Stockholm, Sweden), have been chosen to compete as an at-large doubles selection for the 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup set for this coming week in Rome, Ga.

The duo, who reached the semifinals at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships held in late September, were among the at-large selections chosen from the group of regional finalists and nationally-ranked performers across the country. They will take part in the event Oct. 12-16 and travel to the tournament along with FSU head coach Mark Doren.

The first round of Division II doubles action begins on Thursday with action continuing throughout the weekend based on advancement in the tourney.

Four divisions of collegiate tennis will converge on the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Ga., to take part in the 2023 ITA Cup. Student-athletes will receive an opportunity to qualify for the ITA National Fall Championships, where they will compete in the same tournament as the nation's top Division I players. The ITA Cup serves as an individual national championship for NCAA Division II and III, NAIA and Junior College men and women and has been held in Rome, Georgia, since 2017. The ITA Cup format guarantees at least three matches for all competitors.

Formerly known as the Small College Nationals, the ITA Cup has history dating back to 1986, and it is the only singles and doubles national championship event for the Division II and NAIA levels. Last year, more then 8,000 players took part in nearly 60 regional tournaments to gain entry into the ITA Cup field.

Each division represented will feature between eight and sixteen singles players and eight to sixteen doubles teams, competing in their respective draws.

The Bulldog combination of Lortie and Koupil are one of only 16 doubles teams from the Division II level to receive an ITA Cup berth out of more than 500 doubles tandems that competed in regional competition.

Following a reported gas main break near Leeann’s Flowers and Vegetables, West Ave (17 Mile Rd) is closed at this time between State St and Sheridan Ave. 

The break was intially reported around 1:15 P.M. by Meceola Central Dispatch. DTE Energy, Mecosta County Sheriff's Office, and Big Rapids TWP Fire and Rescue are currently at the scene.

Further details on the cause of the break and when the road will be reopened are currently unavailable at this time.

Almost three weeks ago, Mecosta County Sheriff Brian Miller attended a retreat with Resurrection Life Church called “Heroes Return.” This four-day excursion is designed to bring men together and discover their full identity as a Christian.

“It’s a men’s retreat of faith away from the outside world for God-seeking, self-searching and spiritual training designed to unlock the pain and wounds that keep men from experiencing authentic and distinctive manhood,” Miller said. “My wife signed me up and I put time aside knowing how important it was. The experience (was) a game changer for me and how I live my life and love my family."

Near the end of the experience, the men attending were offered a chance to be baptized. When asked who he would like to have him baptized, he chose an individual that formerly served time in the Mecosta County facility and turned his life around through the experience himself.

“He had been in our facility and has been someone I’ve been able to communicate and grow closer to,” Miller said. “He’s friends with a family friend of mine.”

Miller was baptized by the individual as well as his friend Shane Fountain and was supported by many other friends and Ferris State alumni.

“My faith is something that's important to me, both my faith in God and my family,” Miller said. “We created a setting where truth replaces lies and men are restored, healed and made whole. Heroes Return is for any of our country’s veterans and first responders, no matter where or when they served our nation and communities. It is a safe place where men can get free of guilt, shame, and anger. Men get 'off the grid,' find camaraderie and answer the call to authentic manhood.

For more information on Heroes Return, visit www.theroadmap.org.

Monday, October 2

• Officers transported an individual to a mental health facility in northern Indiana for treatment.
• An officer investigated a vehicle that was violating city parking ordinances. No issues.

Tuesday, October 3

• Nothing reported.

Wednesday, October 4

• An officer assisted medical staff with an out of control juvenile.
• Officers took a report of a bicyclist colliding with a loose dog on the White Pine Trail. The bicyclist received minor injuries. The dog and owner left without providing information. The matter is under investigation.

Thursday, October 5

• Officers took a report from a local business of juveniles loitering and vandalizing behind the business. The matter is under investigation.
• Officers were dispatched to take a report on the misuse of 911. A man had called requesting an ambulance and then laughed and used foul language when they arrived stating he had pranked them. The matter has been sent to the prosecutor requesting charges.

Friday, October 6

• Officer arrested a 38-year-old man on an outstanding warrant for Threats. He was lodged at the Osceola County Jail without incident.

• Officers were dispatched to the hospital parking area for an intoxicated and disorderly individual who had been discharged from care, was refusing to leave, and was causing problems. The officer was able to locate transportation for the individual who departed.

• Officers took a report of a possible criminal sexual conduct between juveniles. The matter is under investigation.

Saturday, October 7

• Officers were dispatched to woman walking in the road. She was confused and while conversing with the officer did not make sense. She was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Sunday, October 8

• Officers were dispatched to an individual slumped over the wheel of a car. It was determined the 35-year-old female driver was only sleeping. She was arrested on an outstanding warrant for child support and lodged at the Osceola County Jail.

• Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible domestic assault. Following the investigation a 30-year-old male was arrested for Felonious Domestic Assault, an outstanding warrant for child support, and an outstanding warrant for assault. He was lodged at the Osceola County Jail without further incident.

Hundreds of high school students exploring in-demand careers will have an opportunity to go behind the wheel of big rigs and other construction equipment at Ferris State University’s upcoming Diesel Days program. 

Planned for Wednesday, Oct. 11, and Thursday, Oct. 12, Diesel Days is a collaboration with Alta Equipment Company. The event includes tours of Ferris State’s Heavy Equipment Center, a classroom experience, breakout sessions, lunch on campus and interactive opportunities in the service bays and tent. There is also an open house for all Ferris students and the public on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Our placement rates and starting salaries for graduates are certainly a reason for any student, in high school or here at Ferris, to get to know more about us,” Heavy Equipment Service Technology Program Coordinator Dan Meyers said.

Meyers, an associate professor in Ferris State’s College of Engineering Technology, said 2023’s Diesel Days will be the largest presentation yet.

“We will set up a 40x120-foot tent outside the Heavy Equipment Center as this year’s displays move beyond static trucks and equipment to a more interactive guest experience for our growing audience,” Meyers said. “Throughout the building and event space, there will be College of Engineering Technology departments and programs doing student outreach. We will have an Automotive Technology tire-changing challenge and participation from many industry partners, ready to show how this study area can lead to career success in their fields.”

Ferris’ Heavy Equipment Service Technology degree is the only Bachelor of Science program in the nation, Meyers noted. He further noted program leaders stress that point to a larger Michigan audience.

“There are school districts and regional training centers that have participated in Diesel Days each year it has been offered. We always reach out to many career centers and high schools,” Meyers said. “From Traverse City to Dowagiac, schools have joined us in the past, there are students from the east side of the state, regularly enrolling who know of our program through word of mouth and our reputation.

Meyers is also excited about Detroit area outreach.

“We are very encouraged about the prospects to give southeastern Michigan full exposure to all that we offer,” he said.

It’s another day when I can wake up happy knowing the Lions won a football game. The boys in the Honolulu blue move to 5-1 after a 42-24 beatdown of the Carolia Panthers, making it their 14th straight game where they’ve scored 20 points or more, unreal.
Now I may, or may not, have hyped up Jameson Williams too much. The guy might have a 4.4 40-yard dash, but it doesn’t matter when you can’t catch a football. I made the mistake in fantasy of starting Jamo, and I fell victim to him going 2-3 in receptions for the game with nothing else on the stat line, pitiful.
Despite Williams’ poor show of athletic ability, the Lions showed out in more ways than one on Sunday. Jared Goff posted a 132.4 QB rating, going 20/28 in the air with three TDs and 236-yards, not to mention getting across the goal line with his legs. David Montgomery was doing David Montgomery things, hitting 109 yards on the ground with a touchdown and another 20 in the air. Josh Reynolds picked up another receiving TD on 76 yards, and Sam LaPorta balled out for 2 touchdowns on 47 yards. I may be on a hill standing alone when I say this, but LaPorta is a top three tight end in the league, and it’s not ridiculous to say it since he’s only the second tight end in NFL history to log 35+ receiving yards in his first five-career games.
Long story short, we got guys, and not just guys, but dawgs. Speaking of dawgs, Aidan
Hutchinson got out to a slow start, but the guy has been balling out since week 3. Hutch has 4.5 sacks, one interception, and 15 total tackles. He has four career interceptions, and keep in mind that the guy is a defensive lineman and he has more interceptions than anyone else in his 2022 draft class, a class that included the names of Travon Walker (1 INT), Derek Stingley Jr. (1 INT), Sauce Gardner (2 INT), and Kayvon Thibodeaux (0 INT) just to mention a few names.
Panthers remain winless this season and Bryce Young is looking for the spark to make something of their terrible season. The number one overall pick added two more interceptions in this game, thanks to Jerry Jacobs and Hutchinson, but when the rebuild is just starting, what more can you do. Young has the worst QB rating out of all the starters this season with 28.8, tough looks for the young buck.
Even though it was a win against arguably the worst team in the NFL, what I am about to say has been echoed by Kirk Herbstreit, Sports Illustrated, and Pat Mcafee, it’s the brand-new Lions and they are for real.
The Lions travel down to Tampa Bay this weekend to take on Baker Mayfield and company. The Bucs are fresh off of a 26-9 routing of the New Orleans Saints in NOLA moving them to 3-1 on the season.
Will Jamo have his breakout game? Will Sam LaPorta keep his fantasy owners happy? What celebration is Aidan Hutchinson going to break out after he gets a sack? There are many questions for this week, but Head Coach Dan Campbell wants everyone to know that one thing is for certain. If you’re hunting us, you don’t have to look far because we’ll be at your front door.

The Lions are so back.

Lions head to Tampa Bay to take on Baker Mayfield and the 3-1 Buccaneers

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Friday, October 6

Calls for Service: 19

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Saturday, October 7

Calls for Service: 18

Traffic Accidents: 2

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Sunday, October 8

Calls for Service: 22

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

The Ferris State University men's ice hockey team fell 5-2 Sunday (Oct. 8) against the Miami Redhawks and came away from the regular season opening weekend with a split on home ice.

FSU (1-1) played at home in Ewigleben Ice Arena for both contests this weekend. After winning a thrilling game Saturday in overtime, the Bulldogs could not complete the sweep of the Redhawks on Sunday and fell in regulation.

Miami got on the board first courtesy of Max Dukovac. Dukovac's first of the season came from Will Hallen and Artur Turansky. The Redhawk goal at 9:32 in the first period gave them a 1-0 lead going into the second period.

FSU answered in the second period. Freshman Luigi Benincasa fed a pass to the right-wing wall where Connor McGrath ripped a shot that hit the bar and rimmed through the goal. McGrath's first tally of the season evened the game at 1-1, and Benincasa recorded his first collegiate point.

The third period had five total goals. Miami struck first at 3:42 when Jack Clement beat FSU goaltender Noah Giesbrecht for his first goal of the season. Then, at 4:50, Frankie Carogioiello scored his second goal of the weekend. Miami's 3-1 lead lasted for five minutes.

Zach Faremouth scored the Bulldogs' first power play goal of the year at 10:02. Kaleb Ergang fired a shot from the corner and Faremouth collected the rebound to beat Logan Neaton. Ergang and Travis Shoudy assisted.

Miami answered with two more goals, the first from Dylan Moulton at 13:03 and the other from Matthew Barbolini at 16:00. FSU could not overcome the deficit in the setback.

For the game, the Bulldogs outshot the Redhawks 27-26 and went 1-5 on the power play. They also killed all three penalties they committed.

Giesbrecht had 21 saves in the loss. Shoudy collected his third assist of the young season, and Ergang's first assist gave him two points on the year. McGrath also collected his second point from his first goal.

Stepan Pokorny went 14-6 on the faceoff circle, giving him an incredible 39-14 mark through two games to start the year. As a team, the Bulldogs were 36-23 from the dot.

Neaton earned the win for Miami and made 25 of 27 stops.

FSU will be back in action on the road against #12 Western Michigan on Thursday, Oct. 12. The Bulldogs will return home to face the Broncos on Friday, Oct. 13 in the Ewigleben Ice Arena. Both games are set for 7:07 p.m. (ET).

What was projected to be a gritty conference championship winning game certainly followed the mantra through the first half. What happened in the second half? The Cardinals seized their trophy outright in their most dominant second half performance of the season, outscoring Tri-County 28-0 in the second half to secure a 35-6 victory.

The Cardinals scoring started behind a strong first drive, capped off by a Jack Bollman 18-yard touchdown run three minutes into the game. Big Rapids would force a Viking punt but would come up short on their next possession, missing a 34-yard field goal on the heels of the first quarter ending.

Tri-County would answer following a long 16-play, 86-yard drive with their own 18-yard touchdown run by Chase Keller. A missed extra point would keep the Cardinal lead at one. An exchange of interceptions, a Cardinal punt, and a Viking fumble on the next four possessions would take the teams into the half with a one-point different on the scoreboard.

In the second half, Tri-County would move the ball down the field to the Cardinal 23-yard-line but would be held short on fourth and two. The Vikings would get the ball back three plays later after a fumble by Garrett Foster, but the Big Rapids defense would stand tall and get an interception by Riley Vennix.

The Cardinals would then march down the field for their second touchdown of the night, courtesy of an 11-yard run by Foster. Following a Viking punt, Vennix would take it himself on the first play of the drive 65 yards for seven more. With the lead at 21-6, the Cardinals defense would bring them home with three shut down drives going into the fourth quarter. They would also add two more scores from Foster to finish the job by a final score of 35-6.

Total offensive stats showed the Cardinals with 360 yards on the night, with 277 of them coming on the ground. The Cardinals were led by Vennix with 106 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown, followed by 105 yards and a score for Bollman and 23 yards and three scores for Foster on the ground. Vennix went 6 of 9 passing for 83 yard and one interception. Foster was the leading receiver with 39 yards on three catches with Skiera adding two catches for 20 yards.

Defensively, Bollman led with 14 tackles followed by Phillip Wilber with 11 and Vennix with seven and adding two interceptions. Jace Heck also added a pass break up for Big Rapids.

Tri-County offensively was led by Owen Behrenwald with 112 yards on 24 carries, preceded by Keller with 64 yards on 11 rushes. Behrenwald had his troubles throwing the ball, finishing 4 of 14 for 59 yards and two interceptions. Cole Plotts paced the Vikings receiving with two catches for 35 yards.

On the defensive side, Preston Piter led the Vikings with nine tackles followed by Jayden Button with five and Cole Plotts with four. Keller forced a fumble and Behrenwald picked up an interception.

Big Rapids will host Morley Stanwood next Friday while Tri-County will face Chippewa Hills at home next week. For more sports, subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News on wbrn.com.

The Ferris State University men's and women's cross country teams faced a strong challenge on Saturday (Oct. 7) as both FSU teams competed in the Lewis Crossover in Romeoville, Ill.

A total of more than 30 schools took part in the annual event with the FSU men coming in 17th overall and the women 22nd in the event.

The Bulldog men were led by Brendan Cairney, who finished 73rd overall in a time of 25:12.4 overall. FSU's Cooper Sorsen was 82nd (25:16.6) with Caleb Branch 85th (25:17.7), Brandon Wirth 117th (25:31.6) and Noah Griffith 133rd (25:40.1) for the Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, the women's squad was paced by Hanna Brock in 111th place (23:07.2) in the large field. FSU's Whitney Farrell finished 125th (23:17.1), Becci Castillo was 144th (23:27.7), Danae Feldpausch 158th (23:32.9) and Jessica Durkee 167th (23:39.4) among FSU's top five competitors in the event.

The Bulldogs are slated to take part in the GLIAC Championships on Oct. 21 in Houghton.

Complete results from the event can be found at the links below:

Men - https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/154301/TeamResults#set:24640

Women - https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/154301/TeamResults#set:24622

The nation's number one ranked Ferris State Bulldogs got off to a fast start and finished strong in a 38-17 home win on Saturday (Oct. 7) over visiting Saginaw Valley State at Top Taggart Field.

In the 48th consecutive meeting between the two longtime GLIAC opponents, the Bulldogs scored 14 points in the first five minutes of the game and built an early 14-0 lead before the Cardinals responded. FSU eventually scored 24 of the final 27 points in the game for the victory.

The Bulldogs opened strong as senior quarterback Mylik Mitchell hooked up with senior wideout Xavier Wade on a 41-yard scoring throw on FSU's initial offensive drive. Then, after getting the ball back, the duo hooked up again on a 58-yard TD completion to make it an early two-score game.

Saginaw Valley State tied the game up, though, in the second quarter with a pair of scoring drives. The first covered 80 yards and ended with Terrance Brown's 14-yard carry with the second concluding on Brown's six-yard scoring catch from Mike O'Horo with only 90 seconds left before halftime.

The Bulldogs, however, moved quickly down the field and scored just before intermission as Mitchell found Tyrese Hunt-Thompson on a 40-yard scoring play to cap a six-play, 82-yard drive, giving FSU a 21-14 lead heading into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs marched 71 yards in nine plays on their first possession with Mitchell Middleton booting a 21-yard field goal to make it a 24-14 edge. SVSU scored its only points of the second half on a 30-yard field goal five minutes later to cut the margin to 24-17.

From there, though, the Bulldogs controlled play and FSU found the endzone twice more. Mitchell found Wade again late in the third on a 28-yard scoring play to finish a 75-yard drive and then sealed the win with a six-yard TD pass to Hunt-Thompson with 2:46 left in the game.

For the day, the Bulldogs racked up 500 yards of total offense, including 279 in the air and 221 on the ground. Mitchell completed 12-of-14 throws for 262 yards and five TD's. Wade hauled in five catches for 158 yards and three scores while Hunt-Thompson had four grabs for 71 yards and two touchdowns.

On the ground, Carson Gulker ran for a game-high 144 yards on 23 carries for the Bulldogs.

SVSU finished with 256 yards of offense, which included 149 on the ground. O'Horo paced the Cardinals with 64 yards rushing and completed 11-of-16 passes for 107 yards.

Defensively, senior end Olalere Oladipo had eight stops for the Bulldogs and a sack while Major Dedmond notched seven tackles.

The Bulldogs, now 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC, head to Allendale next Saturday, Oct. 14, for the Anchor-Bone Classic at Lubbers Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. (ET).

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) is now accepting public comment on Volume 1 of Michigan’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal. Public comments will be used to help draft MIHI’s proposal for how Michigan will use the historic $1.559 billion funding allocation from the BEAD Act to expand access to high-speed internet service to more homes, businesses and community anchor institutions in the state. 

As of 2023, close to 500,000 Michigan households are unserved or underserved by high-speed internet infrastructure and another 730,000 households face barriers related to a combination of affordability, adoption, device access and digital literacy. This means approximately 30% of Michigan households do not have an affordable, reliable high-speed internet connection that meets their needs. The BEAD funding will be used to close the digital divide. 

“Michiganders who lack connectivity miss out on education, healthcare and economic opportunities. We are working to create a more digitally equitable Michigan where everyone can leverage technology to improve their quality of life and ensure Michigan can compete in the global economy,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “We want give to give all Michigan residents the opportunity to have a say in how the state plans to spend this historic funding.”  

The initial proposal complements both the BEAD Five-Year Action Plan and the State Digital Equity Plan. The two plans offer a vision of how MIHI will work to comprehensively address connectivity challenges and create a more digitally equitable state, while Volume 1 of the BEAD Initial Proposal represents the first part of MIHI’s implementation plan. Volume 2 of the Initial Proposal will be released for public comment in the coming weeks. 

“Every Michigander deserves the opportunity to improve their quality of life with access to high-speed internet,” said Eric Frederick, Chief Connectivity Officer. “The MIHI Office has and always will take a listen first approach. We encourage all Michigan residents to have their voice heard and provide feedback on Volume 1 of the BEAD Initial Proposal.” 

Volume 1 of the Initial Proposal outlines the process that MIHI will implement to identify every home, business and institution in the state that is eligible to be connected to the internet through the BEAD Program. To ensure no locations across the state are missed, the process will allow local units of government, non-profit organizations and internet service providers to supply evidence to MIHI if locations are unserved, underserved or served by high-speed internet.  

Public comment on Volume 1 of the BEAD Initial Proposal is open now through 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2023. Comments may be submitted through a webform or MIHI will also accept comments by postal mail.  

Learn more about the initial proposal and how to submit a comment by visiting MIHI’s website at Michigan.gov/MIHI. 

Energy waste reduction (EWR) programs in Michigan saved the state more than 3.43 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity and more than 12.5 million Mcf (thousand cubic feet) of natural gas savings from 2021 through 2022, according to the Michigan Public Service Commission’s Report on the Implementation of PA 295 2021 & 2022 Utility Energy Waste Reduction Programs.

The annual report, released today to coincide with national Energy Efficiency Day, shows the continued benefits of EWR efforts across Michigan. The report found that EWR programs saved more than 1.8 million MWh of electricity and 6.2 million Mcf of natural gas in 2021, and more than 1.6 million MWh of electricity and 6.3 million Mcf of natural gas in 2022. All told, the combination of minimum requirements, incentives for higher performance, and a comprehensive planning process has resulted in actual savings of approximately twice the minimum savings required by law for electric utilities, and one-third higher than the minimum savings required for natural gas utilities. 

The report found that all of Michigan’s natural gas and electric utilities spent more than $498 million EWR programs in 2021, expected to result in savings of $1.36 billion for customers over the 12-year lifecycle of EWR programs and measures. For every dollar spent on EWR in 2021, customers should realize benefits of $2.73. The utilities spent more than $517 million on EWR programs in 2022, expected to produce lifecycle savings of $1.39 billion. For every dollar spent on EWR in 2022, customers should realize benefits of $2.68.

EWR programs result in savings through benefits including delaying or eliminating the need to build new power generation and increasing fuel cost savings that factor into customers’ bills.

In 2021,?utilities spent more than $68 million on EWR programs?for income-qualified customers, reaching a statewide lifetime energy savings of 345,845 MWh for those electric customers and 3,298,842 Mcf for those gas customers.?In 2022, that number reached more than $101 million spent on programs for income-qualified customers, for a lifetime energy savings up to 592,262 MWh for electric customers and 4,962,398 MCF for gas customers.

EWR programs reduce the energy burden, improve health outcomes and strengthen the economic security of low-income customers and communities. The MPSC’s EWR Low Income Workgroup, which includes state agencies, utilities and outside organizations, continues its work to develop initiatives to reduce energy costs for low-income constituencies. More information is at the MPSC’s EWR Low Income Workgroup page.

Created in 2008 and amended in 2016, Michigan’s EWR standard requires all natural gas and electric utilities to implement customer programs that lower energy use to reduce the future cost of service.

LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET

October 6, 2023

On the level of concern he has about Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s injury: “Yeah, it’ll – I don’t think we’re going to practice him today either. We’re going to continue to work with him on the side and I think tomorrow’s going to tell us a lot. I don’t want to push it today. So, I think we’ll know a lot more after tomorrow morning.”

On if Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s injury happened during the game against Green Bay: “Yeah, happened during the game, was able to finish it and then like a lot of these injuries, man, you can get through and then the irritation begins. No different than kind of what had happened to (Lions T Taylor) Decker. He was able to get through that Kansas City game but then it’s the residual effect. So, that’s what happens with a lot of these guys.”

On Lions DB Brian Branch’s outlook this week and if there is concern about his injury beyond this week: “Yeah, there’s a little bit. Don’t feel as good about him this weekend, but there again, I don’t think it’s this long term – that’s why we didn’t put him on IR. So, we’re hopeful for Tampa but we’ll just have to play it by ear.”

On Lions WR Josh Reynolds’s injury update: “Yeah, he seems to be doing pretty good. And we’ll know a lot more about him today as well, but he felt better yesterday.”                     

On how he can use the Bears-Washington game last night as a point of emphasis for the team heading into the game against a winless Carolina: “Yeah, I think – look, we talk about it all the time and we’ve lived it. We’ve been there, we know what that’s like. There’s enough of us who’ve been here and know what it’s like when you’re trying to find that win. You’ve lost a few and you’re doing everything you can as players and as coaches to find a way to get that first one. So, we expect their best shot. Those guys are over there preparing. And for us, setting the stage early in the week was about just our own improvement. And we’re in a race to improve with everybody in this League, and the ones who can improve the fastest are the ones that begin to make a rise in October. So, it goes without saying if you don’t show up and you play sloppy football, you turn the ball over, you don’t get takeaways, you’re not where you’re supposed to be, your odds of losing go way up.”

On Lions CB Will Harris’s performance in the Green Bay game and the potential options for Lions CB Jerry Jacobs to play inside when Lions CB Emmanuel Moseley returns from injury: “Yeah, so Will, other than the one right before the fourth quarter there, he did a good job for us. Will’s somebody we’ve got a lot of trust in. He’s banked a lot of nickel reps and there again, Will not only to be able to play nickel, but also outside corner, safety in a pinch, he’s just got so much versatility for us. So, that’s good. We’ve got other options too. I don’t necessarily see the first move being Jerry goes inside. I do see us – we want to get Moseley some reps here and get him going a little bit, but certainly, that’s going to be Jerry out there most of this game. And really, it could be E-Man out there for (Lions CB) Cam (Sutton) on a couple of reps too. We’re not quite there yet, but I know this, we want to get Moseley going a little bit.”

On his level of confidence in Lions K Riley Patterson: “Yeah, he’s doing a good job. He’s doing exactly what we expect him to do. And when he’s been called upon to make those kicks, he’s been nailing them. So, have got a lot of confidence in him and he’s doing a good job for us.”

On if there is a message to the team about going into Sunday guarded against a winless team like Carolina: “No, I think as long as we approach this – which we’ve all talked about, man, we have our own standards here and it doesn’t matter who you play, it doesn’t matter what they look like, what we look like, who’s up for us, what the conditions are, we’ve got to go. We should look like a hungry team, man, we should be hungry for a win and it doesn’t matter who you play. And so, to me, that hunger should show again, offense, defense, special teams and then we should see improvement. We need to see improvement across the board from where we’ve been over the last four weeks. There’s some things obviously we did really well at Green Bay, but there’s so many little things that we needed to clean up and we shouldn’t see those again, those issues that got us a little bit in that last game. And I think that’s the trick is every week, we’re growing from those experiences. So, I – it’s just about us handling our business. Let’s handle our business and we’ve got to be patient on offense, and defense we’ve got to show up. And I think that is the point of emphasis. And let me say this, it’s going to be a dog fight. I mean this team’s not – and I say that every week. They’re not just going to come in here and give a win away. They’re coming in here to fight. I mean – and that’s why I bring up the point, we know exactly what this is, we’ve been there, done that, man. When you’re scratching and clawing for everything you can possibly get, you lost four in a row, I know exactly what they’re thinking. So, we’ll be ready.”

On how Lions WR Jameson Williams has assimilated himself back into practice this week: “Yeah, doing a good job. Man, he’s coming right in, been one of the guys putting the work in. It’s good to have him back.”

On the value of Lions Cornerbacks Coach Dré Bly’s passion and ability to connect with the players: “Yeah, Bly’s a real passionate guy and he coaches those guys up. He does – really everything he does is he gets his hands dirty, man. He gets right in there and he teaches the technique physically, shows what he’s looking for from those guys. I think they’ve got a lot of respect for him and he is, he’s a high energy, he’s a good motivator. And I think he gives those guys just some tools they can use really for each and every one of those guys because they’re all different. (Lions CB) Cam (Sutton)’s different than (Lions CB) Jerry (Jacobs), Jerry’s different than (Lions CB Emmanuel Moseley) E-Man and across the board, (Lions CB Chase Lucas) Lukey, all of them, (Lions CB) Will (Harris). So, he’s been a good asset for us.”

On how difficult it is to game plan when an impactful player like Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is dealing with an injury: “Yeah, it’s – look it’s not easy. When the potential of not having a guy like Saint – it makes it hard because he is, he’s a very productive, impactful player for us. And above all, he’s very dependable, he’s very dependable. You don’t have to worry about him being where he’s supposed to be, do the job he’s supposed to do, and that’s run and pass game. I mean there’s so many things that people don’t even notice about him that he does behind the scenes whether it’s opening up a teammate in the pass game or blocking for the running backs, I mean he’s just – he’s very productive for us. So, it’s not, but the good news is, is that we feel like, there again, man, we’re by committee here and we’re going to use all the pieces we have, all the resources if he’s not able to go, because we’ve got enough. We’ve got (Lions RB David Montgomery) D-Mo, we’ve got (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs, we’ve got (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta, (Lions WR Josh Reynolds) J-Rey, (Lions WR Marvin Jones Jr.) Marv. I mean – so we’ve got plenty here. You get (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo back so look, we’ll spread that ball around and we’ve got something for a little bit of everybody and it’s just when their number gets called they’re got to show up. And our players have got to show up this week, man. You get the ball in your hand, you’ve got to make something happen, you’ve got to secure the football.”

On Carolina’s pass rush: “Well, (Panthers DE Derrick Brown) 95, that’s part of it. (Panthers OLB Brian) Burns, that’s part of it, (Panthers LB Frankie) Luvu, that’s part of it. These guys are difference makers. They’re productive rushers, they’re explosive, they’ve got length. Burns has got speed and then moves off of it. So, I mean they’ve got some dudes. They’ve got some dude and they play hard, they play hard. So, yeah, this defense is playing good football right now and this coordinator mixes up his looks, his fronts, his coverages. You’re not going to get the same thing twice. He’s going to keep you guessing. And so, yeah, this defense is playing at a high level.”

On how emphasizing the little things for the pass rush after the Seattle game has led to recent success: “Look, I think it always helps because you can show it, and we’ve shown it in the meetings after Atlanta, after Green Bay. It’s just another lesson into, ‘Hey, man, look what happens when we all do our job and everybody’s unselfish, and you just handle your responsibility, and look what happens.’ And it’s really everybody’s in on it. And we’re getting a lot of production and the more we get inside like out of (Lions DL Alim McNeill) Mac for example, the more you really see Hutch shine. It’s taking stress off of some of these other guys and vice versa. You see (Lions DL) Charles (Harris), you see (Lions LB Derrick) Barnes, you see (Lions LB) Alex (Anzalone), you see (Lions LB Jack) Campbell, so they’re all playing off of each other, but they’re all doing their job and it’s important.”

On if Lions G Halapoulivaati Vaitai is trending toward playing Sunday: “Yeah, he’s getting better. We’re hopeful that we’ll have him for this game in some capacity.”

Lions host the 0-4 Carolina Panthers Sunday at Ford Field

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Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG), one of America’s largest home discount retailers, will host the grand opening of its “Big Lots Home” store at 750 Perry Ave., Big Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday, Oct. 7. The newly remodeled 32,541 sq. foot store features expanded selections of trendy, stylish and quality home décor and furniture with comparable values on thousands of items up to 60% less than other retailers.

On the day of the store’s grand opening Oct. 7, a free $10 gift card will be given to the first 100 customers and a free Broyhill throw blanket will be given to the first 50 customers. A brief ribbon cutting ceremony
will take place at 8:45 a.m. and members of the community are invited to attend. The Big Rapids Big Lots Home store is open daily at 9 a.m.

“We are so excited to share this new Big Lots Home store with the Big Rapids community,” said Bryan VanLoo, Big Lots district manager. “Big Lots Home is an all-new concept that blends what we know customers love about the home store shopping experience with Big Lots’ long-established expertise in finding and delivering off-price value. The result is a new whole home destination, where shoppers can get designer looks that fit their personal style at some of the lowest prices around. Whether they are new to Big Lots or have shopped with us before, we look forward to welcoming shoppers to their new Big Rapids store during our grand opening weekend.”

Big Lots Home stores offer new and exciting products for the entire home, organized by room with stylized vignettes. Many products will be exclusive to Big Lots Home and offered as limited-quantity special buys with items rotating monthly, encouraging shoppers to visit often.

The new layout features more space for furniture, décor and accessories, while maintaining a selection of popular home essentials, such as paper products, cleaning supplies, pet items and select snacks.

Exclusive to Big Lots Home locations, new and existing BIG Rewards members will receive special member pricing of 5% off every purchase every day at Big Lots Home. Instead of sales and promotions that come and go, Big Lots Home stores feature low comparable prices on every item, every day, so that BIG Rewards members can shop with confidence knowing they received the best price, backed by the
Big Lots Pricing Promise.

Shoppers can also take advantage of several delivery options, starting at $59 for total order delivery, up to $99 delivered to the room of your choice plus assembly. Shoppers will also be eligible to receive everyday 24-month extended financing when they use their Big Lots Credit Card.
For more information about Big Lots Home, visit biglotshome.com.

Monday, October 2

Calls for Service: 25

Car/Deer Accidents: 3

Tuesday, October 3

• At around 1700 hours, deputies made a traffic stop in Aetna TWP. The traffic stop resulted in the male driver and female passenger being arrested on warrants. They were both lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

Calls for Service: 20

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Wednesday, October 4

• At 1030 hours, deputies executed a search warrant at a residence in Martiny TWP. The search warrant resulted in a male subject being  arrested on a felony warrant for dangerous drugs. Deputies also found and seized methamphetamine and a handgun from the residence.

Calls for Service: 30

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Thursday, October 5

Calls for Service: 18

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BEN JOHNSON QUOTE SHEET

October 5, 2023

On Lions TE Sam LaPorta’s consistency and the next step for him: “He needs to keep up what he’s doing to be quite honest with you. I mean, we’re putting him into some challenging situations and he’s coming through in a good way, positive way for us, so we’ll continue to work him. We don’t go into a week feeling like we have to cap him in any capacity. He’s able to do everything we’re asking out of that position room, and we feel really good about his progress right now.”

On his plan for working Lions WR Jameson Williams back into the offense: “Yeah, I would say this, not just about Jamo but about all of our guys, whoever we have up on game day, we have a place for. They have a role. Some guys more than others, but every week, everyone – we’re intentional about getting everyone involved in doing things that they’re capable of doing. Whether the play gets called, or whether the coverage dictates the ball going to them, that’s a different story. But here’s what I’ll say about Jamo, if he’s active this week, then he will have plays in for him this week. It’s like that with all of our skill guys.”

On Lions RB David Montgomery’s heavy workload against the Packers despite coming off an injury: “That was probably just the flow of that particular game. Particularly in the fourth quarter, I don’t know the number of carries he got in the fourth quarter, but being up a couple scores, we knew we wanted to run the ball a little bit more and the way he was running it that game, we felt really good about keeping him going. (Lions Head) Coach (Dan) Campbell talks about it all the time, at that position, a guy can get a hot hand and that’s the guy we want to ride. It just so happened, last week (at) Green Bay that he was our guy. Will he get 30 touches every game? That remains to be seen, but thought he did a heck of a job handling that. He’s built – he’s physically built to handle that, which I don’t know how many backs are built that way anymore, but he’s got a good frame for it and he held up really well.”

On how the power Lions RB David Montgomery runs with allows him to produce big runs after contact: “Yeah, there is a physicality factor to it. But for such a big guy, he has some of the best feet I’ve been around. He finds a way to make these jump cuts and get skinny really quickly and accelerate through small holes and he finds some cracks that way. So, he’s got a nice balance between the two. You wouldn’t think it for a 220-plus pound back. And so, here’s where we’ve got to keep pushing because we haven’t – frankly we haven’t hit our stride yet offensively through four games, is he’s doing all this and yet, I don’t know that he’s averaging over four yards a carry yet, so we have to do a little better job upfront on a consistent basis. I see it coming together, I really do. We’re making progress there, but we can help him out because he’s, as (Lions Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach) Coach (Scottie) Montgomery said, ‘He was running like a man possessed.’ And that’s what we want from that position.”

On if there is anything more valuable to an offense than having possessions in the fourth quarter: “No, I think the ability to morph into whatever is needed. We can – I feel good that we can throw the ball when necessary and we can run the ball when necessary. I go back to last year, early in the season we had Minnesota, at Minnesota, and we had an opportunity to close out that game with the lead and that was a failed four-minute drive for us and that’s something I know the offensive line, they still look back and we learned a lot. We learned a lot from that week and so when we get those opportunities in the fourth quarter and we have the ball, we’re doing everything we possibly can not to get our defense back out on the field.”

On why he believes that the offense is effective late in games: “That’s a tough question right now. Four games in, you’d like to know exactly what your identity is. I do think we’re a physical group. We are detailed. We’re still figuring out maybe some nuances of some of our new guys. We’ve had some change-ups on the offensive line already through four games and so, the more we can gel, I think the better off we’re going to be. But – and I’d say we’re a little bit more complicated than we were last year also, so we’re still working through some things, but I think it’s going to come together. I know the quarterback’s really comfortable right now, so that gives me a lot of confidence that this thing is going to pull together for us.”

On reflecting on his job search and interviewing with Carolina this past offseason: “Yeah, let’s end that one right there. I don’t want to talk about that stuff during the season. We talked about it in the offseason, so I don’t mean to be rude there, but let’s – I want to keep the focus on our guys and the Panthers right now.”

On if there is something specific about the Panthers organization that drove him to turn down a job there: “No, no.”

On the confidence he has in other players being able to fill Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s position if he is unable to play against the Panthers because of his injury: “Yeah, I feel good about all of our guys up this week. We’ll see as the week goes who exactly is available, but we have plans and contingency plans based on how the week goes for us, but we know it happens every year. And last year we played nine, 10 O-linemen. Last year we played nine, 10 receivers, just so happens we’re four games in and we’re already having this circle going on, so we were prepared for it. We talked about it all of training camp. The guys that made our practice squad, we talked about at the end of training camp that they were going to play significant minutes for us at some point this season, whether that’s this week, who knows? But at some point this year, they will and they prepare like that every week.”

On his assessment of Lions WR Antoine Green’s progression: “He keeps flashing. It’s encouraging to watch him because he was – talking with (Lions Cornerbacks Coach) Dré Bly a little bit about him at Carolina, it took him some time to truly develop his craft and his route tree there. And he came on his senior year and had a big year for him. And so seeing that now, I just see a guy that’s – he is detailed, he’s hungry, he’s working every single day. At times it seems like there’s a lot of processing going on and it slows down and that’s what we’re working every single day to get out of him because when he plays fast, he is fast. It shows up and he can be a really effective player that way. So, as much as we can slow the game down mentally for him, his natural talents will come out.”

On how much adjustment is needed for Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs to produce more runs against defenses that are attacking him: “Yeah, I go back, it was the Atlanta game. Just like you said, shoot it was one of the first or second plays of the game and they do what we call ‘butch technique’ and it’s something that New England has done for years from the backfield or even tight ends to slow them down and disrupt them. It wasn’t something we had seen from Atlanta prior to this year, or really New Orleans where that defensive coordinator happened to come from, so yeah, it surprised us a little bit and so, we are more prepared for that going forward knowing that that’s a way that teams – didn’t know it was going to happen quite that early that teams were going to try to isolate him and then really last week too, Green Bay is about a quarter in and saw that they were calling the game completely different when 26 was in the game. And so, that’s a sign of respect for him that guys are looking at him and they know where he is on every single play, hell the reverse went for a major gain partly because the ball was in his hands to start the play. So, it’s a challenge for us as a coaching staff to, even though they have a plan to slow him down and stop him, we’re still creating opportunities for him and that’s a good challenge for us.”

On how they can counteract defenses trying to stop Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs’s route path: “Awareness helps, but certainly, as a coaching staff, we can help him.”

On how they can address the offense’s slow starts going into the second half of games: “No, there’s plenty of data. It’s a big deal because it was a problem last year. So, it’s one that we haven’t been able to fix yet. We’re certainly aware of it as a coaching staff. The players are aware of it and so, it’s something that we’re looking to improve. There’s a number of ways we’re tackling that right now.”

On how they can fix the offense’s slow starts going into the second half of games: “I said this last year when we had a turnover problem early in the season, just the awareness of the problem is the first step to correcting the problem and so, we cleaned up our turnovers the second half of the year and that was part of just drawing their attention to how important that is. Same thing I think as a starting point for this is, ‘Hey guys, this isn’t good enough. This is not what we’re capable of.’ So, as long as they are understanding what we’re trying to get done, I think we’ll see improvement and then there are some things that as a coaching staff we can do a little better as well.”

On when they started implementing fast motion plays into the playbook: “Shoot, we did that Chicago – at Chicago two years ago with (Lions WR) Kalif (Raymond) down in the red zone. So, we’ve been doing these fast motions for several years. I mean heck, I just showed the guys last week a clip from Miami 2013 of (former Browns WR) Brian Hartline going in fast motion, so I mean these things have been going around. They’re just becoming a more regular occurrence, I think, on first and second down and probably shoot, it feels like all the teams in the NFL are doing it to some extent right now.”

On if he thinks there is an increased volume of fast motion plays around the League: “Yeah, I think so.”
 

LIONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AARON GLENN QUOTE SHEET

October 5, 2023

Opening Statement: “Defensively speaking, excited and happy (with) where we’re at as a defense this first quarter of the season. Obviously, there are things that we’ve got to clean up and things that we want to improve on, and we will do that. But looking forward to this next quarter. Looking forward to this game and always looking forward to coaching the players.”

On the catalyst behind their success in stopping the run this season: “Players and players playing well. Players understanding exactly what we’re doing. And players have pride and for the most part, I give all the credit to those guys. Every time they go out to practice, that’s their motivation and we’re in the improvement mentality and mindset for our guys and that’s every time we step on the field, so obviously they’ve improved and they’re going to continue to improve because that’s their mindset.”

On how important the linebackers are in stopping the run: “It’s no difference. We’re in the business of improving. That’s what those guys have been doing.”

On the continuity Lions LB Alex Anzalone and Lions DL Alim McNeill bring to a young defense that helps the group through rough patches: “I think you’re going to hit that no matter what. Offense, defense, special teams, you’re always going to have a rough patch. I don’t know what people think this is. This is not a game. This is grown men out there playing and every now and then, you’re going to have rough patches and we had some. I mean hell, we had one against Seattle. But we have men that understand and again, they have pride and want to be good. That makes all the difference in the world and with the staff that we have, how we’re just beating into these guys, man this is an improvement-type business and those guys really, really understand that, probably more than any other time right now because you see it in practice. All the fundamentals, all the techniques that we talk about, those guys go out there and they really try to give us that as much as possible and to me, that’s the number one thing. The players, they deserve all the credit in the world for how they’ve been playing.”

On moving Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson around and playing in different spots more frequently this season: “We really haven’t. He’s been doing the same things, so it’s just the fact that guys around him and even him, have been executing at a high level and that’s what you have to do in this League. I come from a place where the saying was, and we even say it here, ‘It’s not what you play, it’s how you play.’ And where I was at, I mean we didn’t have a lot of calls. The guys just executed at a high level and the coaches made sure they put the players in positions to be successful and really, that’s our philosophy here for the most part. So, Hutch is going to continue doing what he does and he’s going to play at a high level because that’s just who he is, along with the rest of the players.”

On how moving Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson around allows him to be more successful: “Yeah, that’s just what we do.”

On Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson’s mental and physical endurance through his heavy workload and how they will manage his workload going forward: “Listen, I was with a guy, (Saints DE Cameron) Cam Jordan that played actually more than that and he’s a freak of nature when it comes to conditioning, when it comes to understanding. Just mentally, just on another level and Hutch is no different than that player. And listen, those players don’t come around too often. But in the first two years, he’s been that type of guy. Obviously, you want to manage him, but sometimes the player is like, ‘Listen, Coach, I can go.’ And that’s just who he is and man, you do everything you can to try to alleviate that, but man when they show you who they are, you allow them to go out there and play.”

On the discipline of the defensive line: “What have you thought about it? We’re in an improvement business, so every time we hit the field, game or practice, we’re trying to improve. So listen, I wish this was a business where everybody’s going to be perfect and you can do everything right, but it just doesn’t happen that way. But you coach your (expletive) off and you play your (expletive) off to do things the right way and our guys are doing that.”

On how happy he is with the level of discipline the defensive line has right now: “Am I happy? Absolutely. I mean guys are playing hard. We’re doing some pretty good things, so – and there’s room for improvement. I’m happy the way those guys are playing.”

On his assessment of Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson so far this season: “He’s played well. He’s played well. But listen, he knows it, I know it, his coach that’s in his room knows it, that he can improve on some things. I would say this, this player wants to be the best and there’s not a day that he doesn’t go on that practice field and try to do that. So, everything that he wants as a player, me as a coach is going to try to give it to him because that’s my job. And he can accept that, and he wants that and you don’t have a lot of players that you get like that, and we just happen to have one in him and there’s others that we have that’s right along that mentality that you really, really like.”

On how trust between the players aids in the success of stopping the run: “That’s a really good assessment because that’s another thing that’s happening with us as a defense is the trust factor. And when you have guys and when you tell guys just execute and do their job, you have to trust the man next to you is doing their job and you really see that within the players. And listen, there’s going to be ebbs and flows on how this thing goes and you just can’t get away from that, but we understand that, we really do. But every time you go out and you just think about improving, that usually takes you through the hard times of offense, defense, special teams, just understanding that and our guys try to do that.”

On what he has seen from Panthers QB Bryce Young this season: “He processes really, really well. Listen man, it’s hard for a rookie quarterback in this League, especially off the jump coming in and starting. But you see the talent, you see him process, you see him make full field reads. And I’ll tell you what, he’s an impressive young man. It’s the reason why he did the things he did in college, and you can see him being a topflight quarterback as the years go by. So, he’s doing some really good things.”

On if he has always had confidence that the defense would be able to play at the high level they are playing at right now: “Yes, to answer your question, I’ve always had confidence. Man, this League is tough and I’ve seen a lot of really, really good coaches not have success early and they’re fired or whatnot, and then they end up going somewhere where they have the time to get exactly how they want to be and get the staff they want to get in, get the players they want to get in and you see success happens. And that’s just what happens in this League and as a coach, you know that and that’s just what it is. So, you have to have confidence in what you do and you have to have confidence in the players doing exactly what you want them to do and right now, you see that with our guys and not just me, you see the staff having confidence, you see them having confidence in us as coaches and having confidence within each other to go out there and execute at a high level.”

On if he heard the outside noise of people wanting him fired and using his experience as a former player to block out the noise: “Man, I’ve been in the toughest media market in the world and a lot of times that’s just white noise to me. It’s really funny, but man, we keep going. Just as a player, I’ve played one of the hardest positions there is in this League and once you get beat, you’re the worst thing there is. Once you give up yards, or whatever, as a coach, you’re the worst thing there is and it’s just part of it. Listen, we’re in a business of criticism and that’s not going to change, and I know that and that’s just part of it.”

On if he finds satisfaction in quieting the critics: “No, for what? Man, I’m a coach, that’s all I think about is coaching.”

On the value of the support he gets from Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell: “Well, I always say that’s – I would answer the same way I just answered that question of just a man that knows and that’s been around and he doesn’t waver when things get rocky, because that’s how this League is. You take a look at, I look at – my mentor, (Broncos Head) Coach (Sean) Payton, you see what he’s going through. I could tell you right now what he’s doing, he’s standing right here and he’s continuing to coach. That’s the way we’ve been brought up in this League is man, just trusting what you’re doing and continue to coach and that’s what he’s done. That’s what I’m going to do and that’s how we were brought up in this League.”

On how important Panthers WR Adam Thielen is to a young quarterback: “I’ll tell you what, that’s a guy that I’m impressed with. I actually know him personally just from being in Pro Bowls and he’s been there and just in seeing exactly how he operates. Very smart, dependable, trustworthy, you really see that with the quarterback and Thielen and even though you can say the skills have diminished, the mentality and the smarts have continued to rise and that’s why he’s having the success that he’s having, so he’s a guy that we have to pay attention to because he’s a really good player.”

On how different the Panthers’ run game is from last season: “Listen, when it comes to the run game, I think across this League, you get a lot of the same things. Some guys might turbo-motion, some guys might regular-motion, but you can what we call bounce open, belly open, crunch and everybody runs the same thing. It’s just the players that are operating, how do they do it? How do they block it? Do you have players that do it at an elite level? So, we just have to make sure that we continue to do the things that we’re doing and doing it at a high level. And just like the question before – well the assessment before, man, make sure that we’re trusting each other and again, that’s what we’ve been doing a good job of.”

LIONS SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE FIPP QUOTE SHEET

October 5, 2023

On Lions CB Chase Lucas’s impact since stepping in from the practice squad: “Yeah, he did a nice job in the last game and the truth is, he’s done a great job really since he’s been here of being who he is, and who he is, is kind of what you’re asking about I think. But he’s just a very – he’s ultra-competitive. He wants to make a play with everything he’s got. So, every play you put him out there, he’s going to fight and scratch and claw and try to end up with the football at the end of it and it’s kind of what he did against Green Bay, I mean he forced the two penalties and then he had a couple tackles too, so he did a nice job.”

On his level of confidence in Lions K Riley Patterson: “Yeah, he’s been solid. We’re obviously happy with the way he’s played. I think the whole operation also around him has done a real nice job. The snaps have been really good, the holds have been outstanding, and he’s done a good job. The protection – I didn’t think the protection was great early on, but thought it’s improved. It hasn’t been a problem, but I thought it’s improved. So, I think the whole operation’s done a good job. Certainly, he’s done a very good job.”

On how much he looks around the League for tendencies and ideas such as New England using a rushing blocker from the sideline to block a field goal against Miami: “Yeah, it’s a good question. I mean, I think any time something like that happens, it refreshes that in your mind of like, ‘Gosh, darn. Is there anything else that we kind of neglected or forgot about?’ Those guys did a great job the way they executed that play. I feel like everyone said it had never been done before which is not true. I had seen it a long time ago, but it was one of those plays you haven’t seen for a long time. And the last time I had seen it, and I can’t remember who it was, but the last time I had seen it you felt like, ‘Oh, it was one of those gimmicks that just didn’t kind of work that well,’ and then they took it to another level, and it obviously worked real well. But yeah, it is something that obviously you could tell they were practicing. The other operation was very rhythmic which is a good thing when you’re talking about field goals but can also hurt you, and it was kind of used against them. So, it was really well done by New England. But yeah, it does bring up the point of like, ‘What’s out there on us?’ and you’re kind of always thinking that way. And early in the week, you always go back and look at your last game out and for us, we even look at that, our last game out, during the week, kind of when we install each phase. But it definitely puts a highlight on the fact that you better make sure you checked everything.”

On if he ever got a fishing trip with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick: “I’ve never gotten my fishing trip with Belichick. I’m hoping that one day – I still believe. I think I’m going to win the lottery too, but. One-point-four (million), every day I drive in, I see that sign, I’m like, ‘Wow!’ I told the guys in the meeting room this morning and they’re like, ‘1.4 (million)?’ I think I sold some tickets.”

On what he would do if he won the lottery: “Well, we had that conversation too. I would say I would be calling for more fakes. I would tell the head coach first, you can double-check everything I say. Take it with a grain of salt.”

On if he had any part in the delayed penalty called in last week’s game against Packers LB Quay Walker on the Lions’ field goal attempt that resulted in a first down: “You know it’s funny, I saw the guy go over the top. I didn’t know exactly where he came from. It’s a legal play if you come from within a yard of the line of scrimmage and you don’t touch anybody and whatnot. But, anyways, I was not sure of where he came from, and I was really past that play personally and on to the next one which for us was a kickoff. So, we were down there huddling up and then obviously they ended up getting the call right. And I’m not really sure exactly how that went down, but I do think, and I don’t know if this is the case on that play, the League uses replay and the Hawk-Eye system and all that upstairs a little bit more than ever before. And at the end of the day for me, I mean that’s really how it should be, just get it right. If there was a penalty or a foul that occurred out there, make sure you get it right. And I think it probably helps that you’re on national television, everyone’s watching, and they want to make sure they get it right, and there’s only one game on at the time. So, I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, but if it did, I really commend them for getting the call right at the end of the day.”

On if successfully executing a defensive player jumping over the line to block a field goal is off his plate: “Yeah, no, not totally off your plate, but it would take a certain look and you definitely need the field goal team to be playing very low, and then you also need a certain player. I can imagine back, long, long time ago, about 2008/2009/2010, we used a guy, Manny Lawson, who’s a big, long outside linebacker and he could jump over the top. And the hardest part about the play is it’s kind of like what happen to (Packers LB) Quay Walker, he got over the top, but in order to re-elevate in time and to get back up, you’ve got to get over the top and re-elevate to get the kick, and it takes time to do that. And actually, coming from depth, sometimes it takes longer because you’re running, then jumping and then re-elevating, than it does from the line of scrimmage. But, obviously getting over the top from the line of scrimmage is harder. So, back in like 2008/2009/2010, when I was in San Fran, Manny Lawson did it for us and blocked a couple kicks and then when I was in Philly, we had a kid, Bryan Braman who’s just very explosive, could do box jumps 40-something inches from a stand-still. I think there’s a picture of him online jumping over a car that was coming at him or something like that, but just a freak. And he went over the top, we didn’t block it though, he didn’t re-elevate in time either. Seattle’s done it a few times throughout the years. I think (Seahawks LB) Bobby Wagner might have done that. But anyways, it’s a challenging play, you need the right look.”

On if the new fair catch kickoff rule frustrates him: “Yeah, it’s – well, I did look at some of the numbers on that last week, I guess it was or the other day. Yeah, is it frustrating? There’s definitely fewer at this point in the year. I do know this, that as it gets colder outside and there’s wind and there’s weather and all that stuff, the number of returns will start to increase as the season goes along, it always does. So, even if teams are trying to kick it out. I think the other thing that’s happened though, obviously there hasn’t been a ton of fair catches, but there’s people just being smarter about when they’re returning the ball, when they’re not. And truth be told, our game last week’s probably a decent example of that. I mean they’re returning the ball five yards deep out of their own endzone, they’re not getting back to the 20, they’re getting penalties on top of it, ends up being negative field position for them. But I do think what’s happening is returners or teams are being smarter about when they’re returning kicks, where a year or two ago, you would see the ball come out minus two, minus three in the endzone, the ball would be coming out and they would return those kicks and now they’re not returning those kicks, so there’s not a huge increase in fair catches I don’t think, but there definitely is a big increase of when returners are taking the ball out of their own endzone and when they’re not. So, I think that’s the biggest thing. But like I said, I do think that as the season goes on, you’re going to see some teams – more teams have to cover kicks which is also the whole flip side of that. You guys kind of never really asked me but I was always ready to tell you is, ‘Well, why do you hit returnable balls?’ Well, I do know this, at some point you better be ready to cover those kicks and if you’re learning late in the year when everyone else is better at it, it can be a bigger challenge for you, and I think that’s happened historically. Maybe the Denver Broncos played in the Super Bowl when it was in New York against Seattle, and they hadn’t covered a lot of kicks that year because they play in Denver and there’s a lot of touchbacks and whatnot. And then all of a sudden, you get in a big game, it’s late in the year, you’re in the playoffs and you’ve got to cover a kick because the wind or weather won’t allow you to kick a touchback and now the opening kick, I think of the second half of that game, was a touchdown return against them. And the game was already a struggle to begin with, but that didn’t help matters. So, I think it pays to be able to cover kicks and at some point, it will pay more than others.”

On if the example of the Denver Broncos struggling to cover kicks late in the year was an observation he had in the moment or one he heard about: “I mean it’s just an observation I guess for doing it for a long time that you know that these things come up. I mean it’s certainly on my mind. I don’t know if it’s on everybody’s mind, but I’ve just got to worry about one guy and one team.”

On if he saw value in covering five kicks in last week’s game at Green Bay: “Yeah, I would say we got to cover, not had to, but perspective. Yeah, we got to cover five kicks which we liked, our guys like covering kicks and I think it’s good for those guys. We’ve got a bunch of good players on those units. They want to go out there and cover. I think that there’s a lot to it just psychologically also, not to mention the field position. Ultimately, you’re trying to win the game and field position’s a big part of that. But I also think just psychologically where you just keep kicking off and you’re forcing them to return it and they’re struggling and not getting where they want and they’re frustrated at the drive start, the offense takes the field, you can see their body language, they’re frustrated out there. I think that there’s a lot to that. And it’d be easy to say take the ball at the 25, but you could also say, ‘Well, don’t play third down. Just play first, second and fourth.’ You know what I mean? You can take plays out wherever you want to.”

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Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University Master of Fine Arts student Seongbae Cho has named the third-place winner in the 94th Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition, a storied and highly competitive juried exhibition.

The exhibition is one of the longest-running events of its kind in the state. Accepted and winning entries were selected by internationally recognized multimedia artist and filmmaker Etsuko Ichikawa.

Cho’s landscape painting “Mammoth Hot Springs-Upper Terraces” was one of six winning works chosen from over 200 accepted entries.

The recognition represents another step forward in a burgeoning art career for Cho, who has exhibited extensively throughout his native South Korea and began showing his work in America in 2019, including entries in ArtPrize 2021 and 2022.

“This award is a tremendous honor for me. It symbolizes an achievement in my continuous journey as an artist navigating a different language and culture,” Cho said, “I'm grateful for this recognition, which reflects my dedication and effort. I would like to express my gratitude to the individuals associated with this event and to my family for their support.”

Both “Mammoth Hot Springs-Upper Terraces” and “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone”—another landscape painting of Cho’s accepted into the exhibition—were inspired by the artist’s admiration of classic American landscape artists as well as his own adventures through America’s natural wonders.

“I was inspired by landscape paintings of Hudson River School painters such as Tomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church. Their paintings drew me to travel through the American wilderness and create landscape art,” Cho said. “I was also influenced by the ideas of American photographer Ansel Adams, who said, ‘In my mind's eye, I visualize how a particular... sight and feeling will appear on a print.’”

Taking a page from Adams’ book, Cho pulled out his camera wherever he encountered a landscape worth remembering. He then used the photographs as references to create a series of stunning paintings that immerse the viewer in both the intricate detail and awe-inspiring splendor of the scenes before him.

“I felt a profound connection to the environment, as if I was in paradise while exploring the areas,” Cho recalled. “These landscape paintings are infused with my emotions.”

The 94th Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition is on view now through Nov. 8, 2023, at the Muskegon Museum of Art, 296 W Webster Ave. in Muskegon. See more of Seongbae Cho's creativity on his artist website or on Instagram @seongbae_cho_art.

Gotion Inc. yesterday announced it has already received 350 job applications for the first nine jobs at the company and the interview process has begun.

Gotion Inc. announced nine new job openings a little over two weeks ago and clearly stated that applicants who live within a 25-mile radius of the planned facility would be given first consideration, as outlined in an agreement reached with Gotion Inc. and Green Charter Township Supervisor Jim Chapman. 

“We have received hundreds of resumes from area residents who are excited to be part of the first and most strategic positions hired by Gotion Inc.,” said Chuck Thelen, vice president of Gotion Inc. – North American Manufacturing. “The ‘Gotion effect’ is real and continues to gain momentum across our region because we are giving people an opportunity for good-paying jobs with a tremendous benefits package.”

Gotion Inc. has been conducting interviews for positions that include financial controlling specialist, human resources specialist, purchasing/logistics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, executive assistant, construction management, and IT specialist.

Michigan Works! West Central, which serves employers and job seekers in Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana, and Osceola counties, is helping coordinate the hiring process.

Area residents who are interested in learning more about available jobs at Gotion Inc. should visit www.MWWC.org/Gotion. The site is frequently updated. A financial manager position was recently added.

2023 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy visited Green TWP Wednesday evening for a local rally at Lori Brock's Majestic Friesans on 19 Mile Road.

Hundreds gathered to hear from the republican ballotee on his presidential campaign and how we would plan to overturn the project.

"We are in a war," Ramaswamy said. "The first step to win is to recognize that we are in one. I'm worried about the American dream for my two sons."

Ramaswamy throughly described the Gotion construction as the "trojan horse" tactic for the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the U.S despite a military disadvantage.

*Local supporters hearing Ramaswamy speak on the troubles of the Gotion battery plant project.

"The next president must declare war on communist China," Ramaswamy said. "We cannot depend on our enemy for our modern way of life, from the shoes on our feet to the phones in our pockets. They are putting digital fetanyl into our kids' hands and putting financial fetanyl in the form of our economy in national debt."

Also taking the stage were local Green TWP and Mecosta Environmental and Security Alliance representatives on their mission, the status of Gotion, and the Green TWP board recall.

"It's not a fight against a factory," Brock said. "It's a fight against a way of life."

*Lori Brock giving her opening statement before hundreds at the rally.

MESA also detailed the faults of the project, including the potential destruction of the Dalziel Creek watershed. This would not only affect local habitats of various endangered species of Bald Eagle, Blue Karner Butterfly, and the Rusty Patched Bumblebee, but could affect water sources as far as Lake Michigan and Saginaw Bay.

For more local news, subscribe to the Big Rapids Daily News at wbrn.com.

The nation's top-ranked Ferris State University football squad continues Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) home action against longtime counterpart Saginaw Valley State this Saturday (Oct. 7) at Top Taggart Field.

Fans are encouraged to wear black for the "Black Out" game with the Bulldogs slated to wear their black alternate uniforms for the conference contest. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (ET).

Ferris State is currently a consensus #1 team in every Division II poll and coming in at 3-1 overall after a record-setting 78-3 triumph over Northern Michigan in the homecoming game this past week. FSU's 78 total points were the most in a single game in school history and the Bulldogs racked up 705 total yards and 497 rushing yards in the triumph.

Tickets for Saturday's game can be bought online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets and fans are encouraged to purchase their digital tickets in advance to avoid the gameday lines. The Wheeler Pavilion Gameday Ticket Office will also open on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. (ET). For more information on ticket sales, please call (231) 591-2888 or visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.

Football tickets for Saturday's game are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens (ages 65+) and FSU faculty/staff along with $10 for students age 5-17. Ferris students with ID will be admitted free by showing their student identification cards.

Tailgating will be permitted on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. (ET) with the gates to the stadium opening 90 minutes prior to kickoff at 11:30 a.m. (ET). All tailgating must end 15 minutes before kickoff.

Parking in lots near Top Taggart Field is $10 per car or $30 per oversized vehicle (bus, motor coach, motor home, trailer, etc.) on a first-come, first-served basis. As a convenience to fans, credit cards will also be accepted at the ticket window along with the concession stand.

The FSU-SVSU football game will be broadcast live locally by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley handling the play-by-play duties and Sandy Gholston offering color commentary. The Bulldog tailgate show starts at 11 a.m. (ET) with the Johnson Automotive Pregame Show from inside the stadium beginning at 12 p.m. The contest will also be televised on FloSports and FloFootball with video coverage provided by Ferris State Television.

Repurposed newspaper sales boxes in Mecosta and Osceola counties could now save lives, providing emergency help for someone suffering from a drug overdose.

The Central Michigan Recovery and Education Network (CMREN), a federally funded program at Ferris State University collaborating with various regional partners, is placing dispensers containing an overdose antidote on campus and at Big Rapids and Reed City locations.

CMREN project director Gail Bullard, a professor of Health Administration in Ferris State’s College of Health Professions, said the best way to fight overdose deaths is to have Narcan (Naloxone HCl) available for emergency use.

"CMREN has provided boxes for Corewell Health, the Michigan College of Optometry Building, the Big Rapids Community Library and the Osceola County Health Department offices in Reed City,” Bullard said. “A next step to protect our campus community will be to place ‘NaloxBox’ acrylic wall-mounted dispensers wherever there is an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in place.”  

Bullard said the Naloxone nasal spray is provided for free by the state of Michigan to qualified parties, including Ferris’ CMREN program.

“Narcan saves lives, which is so necessary due to the rise of opioid use, including drugs like Fentanyl, which continues across the country, through direct or unintended means,” Bullard said. “Our area is not immune and Naloxone being readily available is essential.”  

The Central Michigan Recovery and Education Network was established in 2019 and funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration with a Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grant in 2020. Ferris’ Board of Trustees accepted a four-year, $1.2 million Rural Health Development grant from HRSA in a special meeting on June 21, and funding began July 1.

There really is nothing better than seeing a sea of Honolulu Blue fill the stands of Lambeau Field after a Lions’ win. What makes it even better is when the Packers’ front office sends out a press release that demands the season ticket holders to not sell to Lions fans.

Week four found the Lions making the trip to Lambeau, looking to repeat the win from last year when they stunned the cheeseheads at home. With the 34-20 win, I think we’re starting to see a new era of football in Detroit, with the Lions being crowned the kings of the North.

Although Jared Goff still has the interception bug, the Lions came right out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Racking up a casual 27 points in the first half, compared to the measly 3 points put up by the Packers. I thought that it would be a game rivaling the Denver and Miami murder that happened, but for some reason it looked like we never played football when the team came out to play for the second half.

The Lions’ secondary in the second half did pretty much the same thing that they did against the Seahawks and that was playing soft. I just wonder when we’ll be able to piece together a full football game of playing tough defense, and whether it’s going to happen this season. I will say this though, the Lions defense handed Jordan Love his first multiple sack game this season and Jerry Jacobs locked up two interceptions in the contest.

This win really couldn’t have been possible without the contributions of David Montgomery. 32 carries for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns, you really couldn’t ask for a better game from the guy, especially since he is just coming off of a thigh strain from the previous week. My only concern about this stellar performance is where this puts Jahmyr Gibbs. I’m not saying that we have to treat the rookie like he is entitled to minutes, but from what we’ve seen from the guy, he’s not someone that should be wasting his time on the bench.

Goff was able to notch a throwing TD thanks to a wide-open Amon-Ra St. Brown, but he spread the love around to Josh Reynolds and Sam LaPorta throughout getting both of those guys plus 50-yard games.

I don’t want to speak to soon, but I think we can notch a win for next week. It’s homecoming for the Lions against Carolina, and with the Panthers 0-4 on the season I just don’t think they’ll be able to come into a raucous Ford Field and come out on top. Their quarterback, Bryce Young, is no stranger with the SEC stadiums from his college days, but a wild stadium compounded with the fact that it’s NFL competition, I’m skeptical if he’ll rise to the occasion.

I also want to remind everyone that thanks to the new gambling policies that the NFL has put in place, Jameson Williams is free and ready to go this upcoming week. The lightning quick receiver is entering his sophomore season and can really open up the offensive scheme with a deep ball threat that St. Brown just hasn’t been able to give us.

I will be firmly sat on the couch this upcoming Sunday, ready for another Lions W. Get the chili going in the crockpot, grab a few cold ones, break out the blue kool-aid because it’s Detroit vs. Everybody.

Lions host the 0-4 Panthers Sunday at 1:00pm.

Listen on WBRN 1460am, 107.7fm, & 96.5fm.

Game brought to you by Michigan ADAS Calibrations & Glass.

When you need them, find them: Michigan ADAS Calibrations – Avanced Driver Assistance Systems

Fans paid for all they could handle Tuesday night, as Tri-County and Lakeview went toe-to-toe in a five set thriller in CSAA volleyball action.

After the Vikings took control winning the first two sets 25-23 and 25-17, the Wildcats fought back to win sets three and four 25-20 and 25-22 to force a penultimate fifth set. In the end, Tri-County were able to hold onto a home conference victory with a 15-8 final set win.

"It was a very exciting match going all 5 games," Lakeview head coach Kim Bunker said. "I was hoping the girls would have come out fighting right from the start, but they turned it around and didn't lay down and die. They fought hard and won those middle games when they were down, which is tough."

Baylor Syrjala paced the Wildcats offensively with 11 kills, followed by Ashlee Anderson with nine and Amy Anderson with eight. Ashlee Anderson led Lakeview defensivley with 38 digs, followed by Syrjala with 19, and Kaileigh Ripley with 17. Maddie Davidson added four aces and 16 assists.

"These girls have it in them," Bunker said. "We are trying to pull it out of them for sure."

Lakeview falls to 5-12 overall and will face Central Montcalm at home next Tuesday. First serve is set for 7:00 P.M.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation has awarded three grants to Corewell Health’s Betty Ford Breast Care Services to enhance services for underserved women, helping to overcome barriers to care.

“Corewell Health’s Betty Ford Breast Care Services is proud to partner with the National Breast Cancer Foundation,” said Anas Al-Janadi, M.D., vice president and department chief of hematology/oncology at the Corewell Health Cancer Center.  “This generous support will provide free breast cancer screenings and additional imaging resulting in simple and equitable care for women in the communities we serve.”

The Nurse Navigator program, which guides patients through each step of their diagnostic, treatment, and survivorship journey, received $42,443. The program provides critical education, emotional support, appointment coordination, patient advocacy, and referrals to specialists for further care and treatment. Nurse navigators also help manage patient care, speak with patients who receive an abnormal screening result and assist with biopsies and post-biopsy recovery. They also encourage patients to participate in screening and diagnostics, offered at no cost to uninsured or underinsured patients.

Corewell Health’s Betty Ford Breast Care Services was also awarded $11,667 to help remove gaps in services for patients who do not qualify for support under other aid programs. This funding will assist patients in 13 counties across West Michigan with high deductibles or inadequate insurance coverage who need screening and diagnostic mammograms, digital breast tomosynthesis and breast ultrasounds.

The foundation also received a $40,000 grant to relieve financial burdens for patients receiving treatment. These funds will be used to cover the cost of transportation and lodging for patients while they are undergoing treatment or for the relief of other financial difficulties due to treatment.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation’s mission is to provide help and inspire hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services. For additional information, visit nationalbreastcancer.org.

Monday, September 25

• Nothing reported.

Tuesday, September 26

• Traffic Stop – Officers received a traffic complaint. Officers located the vehicle committing a traffic violation and stopped the vehicle. Officers cited the driver for the offense and arrested the passenger on an outstanding warrant.

Wednesday, September 27

• Disorderly – Officers were dispatched for a disorderly subject at the school. The subject was identified and was removed from the property. 

Thursday, September 28

• Juvenile – Officers were dispatched for a check well being on a juvenile. The juvenile was located and transported to the hospital by a family member.
•  Juvenile – Officers were dispatched to check the well being of a minor. The minor did not require any service from law enforcement.
• Trespass – Officers were dispatched to a local business for a subject on the premises who had been trespassed from the property.  The subject left when the complainant called 911, and officers were unable to locate him. The complaint remains open pending contact with the subject.
• Disorderly –  Officers were dispatched to a subject causing a disturbance at a local business.  The subject left prior to officers arrival but the officer located the subject a few blocks away.  The subject was trespassed from the property.

Friday, September 29

• Traffic Stop – Officers stopped a vehicle for multiple traffic violations. The driver was found to have a revoked license. The driver was issued an appearance citation and the vehicle was towed.
• Traffic Stop – Officers stopped an ORV riding on Rails-to-Trails. The operator did not have a valid license. The driver was issued an appearance citation and a valid driver was allowed to drive the ORV from the scene.

Saturday, September 30

• Traffic Stop - Officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. It was determined the vehicle did not have any insurance. The operator was issued an appearance citation and the vehicle was towed. 
• Property Damage Accident – Officers were dispatched to investigate a two vehicle accident without injury. 
• Warrant Attempt – Officers received information regarding a subject with a warrant. After confirming the warrant, the subject was arrested and lodged.
• Traffic Stop – Officers received a traffic complaint. Officers located the vehicle committing a traffic violation and stopped the vehicle. The operator was determined to be operating under the influence of intoxicants. The operator was arrested and lodged.

Sunday, October 1

• Nothing reported.

The Ferris State University men's ice hockey squad will open the 2023-24 season on home ice this weekend as FSU hosts the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7-8, inside the Ewigleben Ice Arena.

The season opener on Saturday is slated for a 7:07 p.m. (ET) puck drop and fans are encouraged to wear black as part of a "Black Out" day that coincides with FSU's home football matchup versus Saginaw Valley State earlier in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, the series' finale is scheduled for Sunday beginning at 5:07 p.m. (ET). All current FSU students with a valid ID card will receive free admission for Sunday's game.

This year marks FSU's 46th season of NCAA Division I hockey action and 32nd campaign under longtime head coach Bob Daniels.

Fans can purchase digital tickets for this weekend's action and all Bulldog home hockey games in advance to guarantee a seat by visiting FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.

The FSU Athletic Ticket Office's normal business hours are Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) with extended hours on Wednesday until 7 p.m. (ET). A complete pricing structure, ticket office hours and additional information is available online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com and can be found by visiting the "tickets" tab. For additional ticket information, please call (231) 591-2888.

The Bulldog Sports Network and flagship radio station Sunny 97.3 FM will carry this week's action live with online coverage also available at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. Live video coverage will also be provided on a pay-per-view basis via CCHA TV on FloHockey.com.

Monday, September 25

• An officer investigated possible child abuse. The matter was unfounded.
• An officer responded to a call for a well-being check on two young children. The kids were okay.

Tuesday, September 26

• Officers were dispatched to a possible child abuse. The matter happened outside the city and was turned over to the Sheriff Department for investigation.

Wednesday, September 27

• An officer responded to a call, in regards of a possible assault, after investigation, the reports were unfounded.

Thursday, September 28

• An officer responded to a call of someone possessing possible hazard materials. After investigating, the reports were unfounded.
• An officer responded to a call regarding threats complaint. Following this investigation, charges have been sought, and the case has been sent to the prosecutor.
• An officer responded to an accident involving a deer. No injury reported and minor damage to the car.

Friday, September 29

• A found license plate was turned into the RCPD. The owner will be located and the plate returned.

• An officer took a report of a found bicycle. If you are missing a bicycle, please contact the RCPD to identify it.

Saturday, September 30

• An officer assisted a city resident to get his dog back after he ran away.

Sunday, October 1

• An officer was dispatched to a suspicious situation. The caller was concerned about a neighbor who had an unrecognized vehicle at their house with the hazard lights flashing. It was determined they had a friend visiting and the vehicle owners dog had pressed the hazard light button.

Wendy Patriquin is using her experience developing curriculum and working with accreditation organizations to head Ferris State’s program, preparing educators to lead community colleges.

A career instructor with higher education administration experience, Patriquin started her Doctorate in Community College Leadership leadership role in August 2023 as she joined the Extended and International Operations executive team.

Patriquin comes to Ferris from New River Community and Technical College in West Virginia, where she was dean for Transfer and Pre-Professional Programs with that multi-campus operation.

Patriquin said she is honored to lead a Ferris DCCL program held in high regard with proven positive results.

“It is a strong program with a history of success, as graduates serve this university or their schools with great ability and distinction,” Patriquin said. “I really embrace Ferris’ mission and tradition of practical application learning, supported by faculty with real-world experience, which is very appealing. This is such a beautiful campus, and I am looking forward to engaging with our DCCL cohorts.”

Extended and International Operations Associate Dean Jennifer Hegenauer said the program reaps benefits from Patriquin’s 25-plus years of faculty and administrative community college experience.

“We began this program to meet a significant need, as community college leaders regionally and nationally were coming to retirement age in great numbers,” Hegenauer said. “Wendy’s experiences with curriculum development, Higher Learning Commission accreditation processes, and as a presenter at many educational conventions will help us grow and improve DCCL for our cohorts.

Patriquin’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from Ohio University, master’s degrees in international affairs from The American University and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a doctorate in Management in Community College Policy and Administration from the University of Maryland.

Her dissertation focused on developing intercultural competence in community college career and technical programs.

“I feel my experiences in faculty development can be brought to bear to help DCCL faculty and administrators place their focus on student success and development, along with growth and accomplishment for our university,” Patriquin said.

The Doctorate in Community College Leadership began in June 2010 and welcomed its 14th cohort in Summer 2023. DCCL learning is also accessible at Harper College in Illinois and four cohorts are completed, continuing or beginning at Lone Star College in The Woodlands, Texas.

Friday, September 29

Calls for Service: 14

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

Saturday, September 30

• At 1751 hours, deputies made a traffic stop in Millbrook TWP. The traffic stop led to female driver being arrested on a warrant out of Gratiot County.

Calls for Service: 22

Traffic Accidents: 1

Car/Deer Accidents: 1

Sunday, October 1

• At 0219 hours, deputies made at traffic stop in Green TWP. The traffic stop resulted in male driver being arrested for OWI. He was lodged at the Mecosta County Jail.

• At 0927 hours, deputies made a warrant arrest at a residence in Mecosta TWP. A female subject was arrested on a warrant out of Osceola County. She was turned over to Osceola County.

Calls for Service: 14

Traffic Accidents: 2

Car/Deer Accidents: 2

It was a dominant day for Central State Athletic Association last Saturday, as local cross country teams and individuals blazed through the 5K course at Shepherd High School.

Amongst the notables was Gus Rohde, who finished first overall in the gold division race with a new Reed City school record of 15:40.3. The former school best was 15:56.1, set by Joe Oerhli in 2011.

"Gus Rohde excelled today against some top competition," Head coach Rich Saladin said. "What a day for him."

Anthony Kiaunis also finished fourth with a PR of 16:01 which gives him the third best time in school history. Ryan Allen (15th at 16:21.6), Isaac Clementshaw (79th at 17:54.3), and Paul Saladin (86th at 18:04.1) also ran personal bests rounding out the Coyote five that finished fifth overall in the 22-team standings. 

Right behind the Coyotes was Central Montcalm who placed sixth behind a strong performance from sophomore Gage Hoffman, who placed third overall with a 16:00.4. Graham Coston (16:24.6), Sylus Wilson (31st at 16:52.8), Kyler Fertig (72nd at 17:48.3), and Evan Rolston (93rd at 18:13.7) rounded out the Hornets' top five. Tyler Vining (103rd at 18:27.1) and John Nielson (128th at 19:26.3) also competed for Morley Stanwood in the gold race.

On the girls’ side, Morley's own Miranda McNeil broke her own school record individually for the Mohawks as the third overall finisher in the opening gold race with a time of 18:25.0. 

The Hornets led the CSAA with the highest team finish in third place, followed by Reed City in 11th. Central Montcalm was led by race winner Kyah Hoffman with a 17:56 finishing time, followed by Ashley Choponis in sixth (19:12.5), Grace Coston in 10th (19:31.8), Andrea Rolston in 29th (20:43.5), and Braelyn Bunting in 70th (22:25.2). Isabella Max competed individually in the race with a 12th overall finisher in 19:37.3 for the Eagles.

Coyote scores included Caelynn London (50th in 21:47.5), Clara Smoes (53rd in 21:53.5), Marlow Walcott (76th in 22:39.1), Hallee Hervey (79th in 22:44.0), and Carly Carlson (92nd in 23:01.1). 

"Our girls exceeded expectations again today," Saladin said. "They ran strong, competed, and are improving quickly. It's going to be fun over the next month."

In the Blue races on the boys’ side, Big Rapids led the way with a seventh overall team placing out of 16 teams. Pacing the Cardinals was Hayden Gould with a 17th place finish at 16:54.9, followed by Austin Dalman in 25th (17:17.8), Kyan Deam in 41st (17:47.3), Joel Hardesty in 50th (18:11.3), and Brayden VanOs in 57th (18:30.9).

On the ladies’ side, the Cardinals took home at 14th place finish led by senior Gwendalynn Rickard in 62nd at 22:18.9. She was followed by Summer Adams in 66th (22:33.8), Emma Bowman in 81st (23:36.2), Oliviah Malloy in 82nd (23:37.5), and Abagail Rickard in 97th (24:37.1).

In the Jays division, White Cloud finished with strong performances with a fourth place finish for the boys’ team and a 14th place finish for the girls. Leading the boys was Coleson Cruzan in eighth at 17:17.6 preceded by Carson Foodle in 17th (17:51.1), Kaleb Canning in 32nd (18:26.0), Angelo Hinson in 49th (19:15.2), and Wyatt Karnes in 65th (19:47.0). Lakeview also had three individual competitors in the race, with Cooper Tiffany (18:31.9), Kyler Behrenwald (19:20.3), and Jesse Peterson (21:50.8) finishing 35th, 54th, and 104th respectfully.

On the girls’ side for the Indians, Andrea Feldpausch led the pack with an 18th place finish (22:23.1), followed by Brooklyn Foodle in 51st (24:57.3), Alexandria Rodriguez in 102nd (32:12.0), Charlotte Karnes in 105th (36:20.8), and Anna Mohr in 108th (36:48.8). For the Lakeview Wildcats, Kamryn Salladay earned the race win individually with a 19:33.0 final time. Rounding out the Wildcat scorers included Hadley Tiffany (45th in 24:27.4), Molly Willison (77th in 27:08.1), Audrey Stevens (84th in 28:27.6), and Sydney Moore (85th in 28:31.8) for a 10th place finish.

All CSAA teams will return to racing on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at White Cloud High School for the second conference jamboree starting at 4:30 P.M.

On Sunday, October 8th from 9:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M., officers with the Big Rapids Police Department, the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ferris State Department of Public Safety are teaming up to help collect food for Manna Pantry and “Cram a Cruiser.”

Join local law enforcement and members of our community, as we make a difference by collecting non-perishable food items for distribution by Manna Pantry of Big Rapids. Officers will have their patrol cruisers parked outside of Aldi (21481 Perry Ave.), Meijer (15400 Waldron Way), and Walmart (21400 Perry Ave.) and will be accepting donations from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

Bring items with you or shop for non-perishable food items to donate upon exiting the stores. Suggested donations include canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, pasta, canned meats and fish, peanut butter, soup, side dishes, baby food, and gluten-free products.

This event is part of the National Faith & Blue Weekend (October 6 - 9, 2023), which is a collaborative effort to build bridges within communities across the country. Learn more at www.faithandblue.org.

The nation's top-ranked Ferris State University Bulldogs returned to the field on Saturday (Sept. 30) at Top Taggart Field and got off to a fast start while cruising to a decisive and record-setting 78-3 homecoming win over Northern Michigan before a large crowd in Big Rapids.

The Bulldogs tallied 27 first-quarter points and built a 55-3 halftime lead en route to the league-opening triumph.

FSU's 78 total points eclipsed the previous school record of 75 points in a single-game recording during a road win at McKendree back in 2014. In addition, FSU totaled 705 yards of total offense while rushing for 497 total yards in the homecoming win.

Ferris State started quickly as the offense scored on its initial drive following an early defensive stand with senior quarterback Mylik Mitchell finding the endzone on a 15-yard scamper. The lead grew to two scores on the second possession when Mitchell hooked up with senior wideout Xavier Wade on a 35-yard scoring throw to make it 13-0 less than four minutes into the contest.

The Bulldogs pushed the margin to 20-0 when sophomore quarterback Carson Gulker found paydirt midway thru the first fame and FSU added yet another first-period score on Mitchell's 38-yard scoring throw to Wade with 3:06 remaining in the first.

The lead didn't stop there as the Bulldogs scored four more times in the second period. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss reached the endzone twice, the first giving FSU a 34-0 lead on a 25-yard run only 1:27 into the second period.

In the second period, FSU's Emari O'Brien also reached the endzone on a 21-yard rush while Wade hauled in his third TD of the opening half o a five-yard completion from Gulker. After NMU scored its only points of the game on a 42-yard field goal late in the half, Chambliss capped the first-half scoring with an impressive 68-yard scoring run with only 18 seconds left in the stanza.

The Bulldogs kept the foot on the gas in the third quarter, taking the initial possession 54 yards in only seven plays to push the advantage to 62-3 on Gulker's four-yard scoring run. FSU later added points on an MU safety on the ensuing possession and led 71-3 after Zamir Knighten's six-yard carry to the endzone with less than a minute remaining in the third.

Finally, Ferris State's Trent Hill scored on a two-yard run with 2:17 left in the contest to account for the final margin.

Ferris State was led on the ground by Chambliss' career-high 125 yards on five carries. CJ Jefferson added four rushes for 78 yards while Knighten compiled 72 yards on eight carries. The Bulldogs' Tyrese Hunt-Thomson hauled in four catches for 44 yards while Wade made three grabs for 78 yards and three TD's.

Defensively, the Bulldogs held the Wildcats to only 98 yards of total offense, including only 14 yards rushing on 34 attempts. FSU also intercepted two passes and compiled three sacks in the win in addition to a blocked punt.

Ferris State went six-of-seven in the redzone while moving to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the GLIAC.

The Bulldogs will take on Saginaw Valley State next Saturday, Oct. 7, at Top Taggart Field with kickoff set for 1 p.m. (ET) in Big Rapids.

Ferris State University Doctor of Pharmacy alumnus Matt DeLong has joined fellow alums to support a new cancer diagnosis and treatment era with global interest and impact at the recently established BAMF (Bold Advanced Medical Future) Health on Grand Rapids’ “Medical Mile.”

DeLong is BAMF’s vice president of Radiopharmacy, and a Ferris State Class of 2009 graduate who joined the management team in summer 2020. That coincided with the early development of its treatment center in the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building, part of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine.

“I had 11 years of experience as a nuclear pharmacy manager with Cardinal Health in the Cincinnati, Ohio area,” DeLong said. “The opportunity to launch a radiopharmacy program in Grand Rapids, building this aspect of BAMF’s operation from the ground up, was very exciting to me.”

DeLong’s journey to this leadership role began as a high school student.

“I knew healthcare was the career path for me, with pharmacy being an appealing direction,” DeLong said. “I worked at an independent pharmacy and began my postsecondary education at a community college. Ferris’ stature as an institution and its history in pharmacy got my attention, and it has proven to be a great choice in shaping the direction and success I have enjoyed in my career.”

Guest lecturers offered insight to Ferris State Pharmacy students on potential career directions, and DeLong took a particular presentation to heart.

“A nuclear pharmacist came in to explain their profession, which interested me very much,” he said. “I decided to do a month-long rotation focused on radiopharmacy, which showed me that there was a great impact in providing patients with radioactive medication in targeted therapy. Their cases had not responded to conventional treatment. It proved to be an exciting and unique challenge to administer agents with short half-lives and provide patients improved outcomes and prospects for recovery.”

DeLong said he has built his knowledge base since earning his PharmD degree from Ferris State to follow best practices for handling and administering diagnostic and therapeutic compounds.

“The appropriate phrase for our practices at BAMF is theranostics. That’s where molecular imaging and targeted molecular radiation therapy are applied in diagnosis and treatment,” DeLong said. “This emerging medical field means you see what you treat and treat what you see. Damage to healthy tissues is minimized or avoided entirely. We opened in fall 2021, with our first treatment of patients beginning late summer of last year.”

DeLong noted great satisfaction and obligation in his leadership role with the BAMF team.

“Novartis, the Swiss global healthcare company, recently introduced Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) and Lutathera, with the same radioactive molecule, which is now part of BAMF’s treatment regime,” DeLong said.

“They attach to the cancer cell with an isotope. So, the therapy is systemic, causing cellular damage to the tumor without collateral damage to the patient. These treatments have energized the entire community. We are always watchful for the latest advances and treatments.”

BAMF is seeing patients from across the country. There are conversations now about adding a facility in Detroit, to be followed by locations in other states. DeLong said there is a significant contribution from Ferris State alums as staffing grows at the global headquarters in Grand Rapids, where they perfect a blueprint their management team hopes to replicate for improved care to save more lives.

“The building developer had a Ferris alumnus as a site superintendent. A Bulldogs imprint was established here early on,” DeLong said. “The alumni working with BAMF include scientific disciplines, like Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine. It is notable that the head of our Food and Drug Administration Quality system has a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science and a Master of Public Health from Ferris. We also see operational benefits from a Kendall College of Art and Design’s Interior Design program graduate. It is a diverse background of Bulldogs who significantly contribute to our success.”

DeLong said BAMF focuses on serving as a community asset, where offering access and opportunity to patient treatment and clinical trials is a top priority. DeLong is open to conversations on serving as an adviser or mentor if the center proposes internships.

“It has been good being back in the region these last few years,” DeLong said. “Ferris has a very important role in my learning and career success. I could be receptive to serving my college or helping to develop opportunities for current students when possible.”