INSIDE
Volume 4, Issue 12 August 14, 2026
: Dreyer's arrival caps Maritime festivities
REFLECTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY
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Sheriff's office to discontinue Flock Safety camera trial
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In an August 11, 2026 memo to the Oceana County Board of Commissioners, Undersheriff Ryan Schiller gave the following statement on the future of the Flock Safety camera trial. "Our command staff recently met to discuss the next steps regarding Flock Safety’s 'Project Prove It.' Over the past week, we have also met with several local officials who have received a significant amount of public feedback regarding the project, including complaints, phone calls, letters, media inquiries and other expressions of concern. "We want to emphasize that we continue to see tremendous value in Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology. We believe ALPRs can be an extremely effective investigative tool, particularly for law enforcement agencies in rural communities. The technology can serve as a force multiplier by providing investigative leads that law enforcement may otherwise never have. "However, after carefully considering the feedback we have received and discussing the issue as a command staff, we have requested that Flock Safety stop any fur-
A Flock Safety camera can be seen above near a stop sign in downtown Ferry ther installation of equipment and halt further efforts related to 'Project Prove It' at this time. "This decision does not reflect a change in our belief in the value of ALPR technology. Rather, we believe it is important to recognize that our community may not be ready to embrace this technology at this time. We have attended several public meetings where, after receiving additional information and education about how ALPR technology works and how it can be used, some individuals have changed their position. At the same time, it is difficult to determine whether the concerns we are hearing represent the majority of our citizens or simply those who are the most vocal. "Ultimately, we believe that choosing not
to pursue the project at this time is the appropriate decision. Listening to the concerns and wishes of the communities we serve is an important responsibility. We also recognize that without the support of our townships and municipalities, it would be difficult to move forward with a project of this nature, particularly if future funding or participation is dependent upon local support. "We have not yet received confirmation from Flock Safety regarding when the equipment that has already been installed will be removed. It is possible that the existing equipment may remain in place until the current 90-day period expires. We will provide additional information as we receive it. "We hope this information is helpful as you continue to meet with the citizens and township officials you represent. We also want to sincerely thank you for your initial support of this project. As we said when this process began, we don’t know what we don’t know. As we have learned more, listened to our communities, and considered the concerns being raised, we believe stepping back at this time is the right decision."
Tamara Simon THANK Rodger READER: & Sally Forner Vicki Tenbrink Nancy Hasty Linda Dutcher YOU Michael & Cheryl Cook Tim & Tracy Korthase
to our most recent donors
Bob & Sue Keehne Malissa Vega Jodi Beckman
Paul & Cheri Inglis Michelle Nisbit Mary Rossiter
City of Hart celebrates community milestones
On Thursday, Aug. 6, the City of Hart celebrated the completion of both the Hart BioPure Headworks Expansion and the Hart Plaza Revitalization with back-to-back ribbon cuttings. Wadel Stabilization led construction for both city projects, with Prein & Newhoff serving as the engineering firm. West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC) secured funding opportunities for the BioPure project. At the top, from left, Matt Hulst of Prein & Newhoff, Brad Altland of Wadel Stabilization, Erin Kuhn of WMSRDC, Peter Brink and Barbara Marczak of Prein & Newhoff, Hart BioPure Superintendent Paul Cutter, Mayor Amanda Klotz listen as City Manager Nichole Kleiner speaks. Second from top, at left, Cutter and Klotz cut the tape, celebrating the culmination of an almost 3-year project to modernize the city's wastewater treatment facility. Improvements include water screening and grit removal equipment, lagoon repairs, a new aeration system and expansion of the facility's maximum capacity. Second from top, at right, Klotz addresses attendees at the ribbon-cutting. In her speech, she expressed the project's importance to the city: "A thriving downtown is the heart of any community...the improvement represents not only an investment in infrastructure, but an investment in people." Above left, engraved bricks line a new outdoor fireplace naming community donors. The fireplace was funded by $22,500 in donations from the Hart Rotary Club. Above right, Klotz and Altland cut the ribbon for Hart's new downtown plaza. Construction began in May to provide the community with a safe, accessible and modernized gathering space. For the project, the city received a $1 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. • Claire Marshall/Echo
Pentwater Public Schools to replace Lion electric buses By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent It may seem like a contradiction to call something that’s free too expensive. However, several school districts in Michigan encountered that very reality with Lion Electric Company buses. In 2022 the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) gave out several grants for electric buses, and Pentwater Public Schools received $790,000 for two new buses along with the charging stations necessary to power them. The buses arrived in 2023, amidst a lot of excitement and gratitude for the good fortune. “The only requirement was that we get rid of two of our old diesel engine buses," Pentwater Public Schools’ Facilities Manager Anthony Davis said. "I didn’t mind that at all because we had two very old buses near the end of their useful lives. They were 2004 and 2007 models that would not meet the current emission standards. Two
brand new buses sounded great!” Yet the school found out quickly that this was one gift they wish they could have returned. “It has been a nightmare,” Davis quipped. “I think they were made on Friday at 5 p.m. They are always breaking down. They were manufactured by a Canadian company that has since gone bankrupt, so the warranties are null and void. Repairs are challenging because parts are not available and there is no place in Michigan that can repair the vehicles.” One positive aspect of these electric buses is that, unlike diesel buses, they start easily in cold weather. “That was never a problem. And it was not a problem to heat the bus interiors either,” Davis reported. Another aspect of these electric
buses that students found surprising was how quiet they are. “There was no engine noise in the back of the bus,” he chuckled as he recalled. “The conversations of the kids in the rear of the bus carry forward far enough for the drivers to overhear them. They are occasionally surprised to hear the driver admonish them for something they have said.” With a fleet of three diesel buses and two unreliable electric buses, Davis had to make a decision. He contacted the West Shore ESD and the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation and they advised him to apply for State of Michigan grants for new electric buses. Skeptical he would be awarded anything and challenged by all the paperwork involved, he applied anyway and received helpful support from the school office. To his great surprise, Davis was awarded a grant of $817,704 for two new buses that required only a small adjustment in the charging stations to function at capacity. They are currently being man-
ufactured in the U.S. by Thomas Built Buses and should arrive early in 2027. The state requests that the district use the buses for five years. “Thomas has been building buses for a very long time. They have an 8-year warranty on the batteries and a 5-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the drivetrain. Service on them is available in Grand Rapids," Davis explained. "Our current electrical buses will be made available for parts to other schools still using the Lion buses.” Pentwater's fleet covers a North and a South route that transport 6070 students to school and home, plus a daily run to the West Shore Community College Technical Center and additional transportation for the athletic teams to sport meets. “The electric buses will cover 100 miles on a full charge. After the morning run, we’ll put them on the chargers, and they’ll go the rest of the day without needing further charging,” Davis stated. There are five drivers, and Davis has seniority with 16 years behind the wheel.