BENZIE COUNTY

Five Michigan men were arrested when officials broke up a drug deal and found fentanyl in one vehicle and cash in the other, according to authorities.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – A Michigan man has been charged in a car vs. pedestrian crash that killed a 77-year-old woman in 2021. David Michael Gouin, 31, of Benzonia has been charged with moving violation causing death and carrying a concealed weapon, a five-year felony. The charges stem from an incident that occurred at the Shop-N-Save located at 1747 Benzie Highway in Benzonia at approximately 12:07 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2021. Police say Gouin was driving a large pickup truck and had stopped to speak with someone in the parking lot. An arrest warrant was authorized on April 27, and he was lodged in the Benzie County Jail on June 9.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI -- A Benzie County man was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison and up to 50 years following a plea agreement where he pleaded no contest to a single charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. According to UpNorthLive, Shane Conley, 52, entered the plea in February in exchange for prosecutors dropping five additional charges of first-degree CSC and one charge of second-degree CSC. A month later, Conley was charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct, but an additional three charges were added to the case in February 2021 following further investigation. In a separate case, Conley was sentenced to up to four years in prison after he pleaded no contest to an assault with a deadly weapon charge. As part of that plea agreement, a charge of assault with intent to murder was dismissed..Conley is also facing charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Genesee County.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – Two Michigan men who saved a 5-year-old girl from Lake Michigan are set to receive the Carnegie Medal, North America’s highest honor for civilian heroism. Hadfield entered the lake with a child’s kayak and swam to Perry and the girl, whom they placed on the kayak. Holding to the kayak, the men then swam her to shore. The men were previously honored by the Benzie County Sheriff’s Office and National Park Service in August of 2020. According to Commission Chair Mark Laskow, each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant.

A 57-year-old man has been charged with homicide after a 72-year-old woman was found dead Friday inside of a home in Benzie County.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI -- A 57-year-old man was arraigned Sunday morning, Feb. 6 on one count of open murder in the death of a 72-year-old woman. An MSP K9 team was able to track to suspect to another nearby residence, where police established a perimeter and called in emergency support. A standoff ensued through roughly 8:30 p.m., ending when Stratton attempted to flee the residence and was quickly arrested, according to the release. Stratton suffered minor injuries and was medically evaluated before he was lodged in Benzie County Jail, where he is being held without bond. Read more on MLive:Police catch homicide suspect as he flees Northern Michigan homeSturgis woman hospitalized after Cass County snowmobile crashMackinac Bridge shines over icy Straits below

BENZIE COUNTY, MI -- Police arrested a homicide suspect as he tried to flee his Northern Michigan home during a standoff. Benzie County sheriff’s deputies responded to a house on Cinder Road, near Beulah, about 1:50 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4 for an in-progress home break-in. Deputies found a 72-year-old woman dead inside the house and they extinguished a small fire. The track led police to a nearby residence, also on Cinder Road. There, police surrounded the house and called for the suspect, a 57-year-old man, to surrender.

There’s a new high school soccer scoring record in Michigan. A senior playing for Benzie Central High School scored 16 goals in a game that was stopped at halftime with the score being 17-0 against Kingsley High School.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – State officials have temporarily closed a Northern Michigan shooting range due to public safety concerns. The Department of Natural Resources says the North Pioneer Road shooting area located on state forest land in Benzie County will be closed to all target shooting for at least 90 days. Additional complaints about projectiles leaving the target shooting area and unsafe conditions, including multiple calls about “bullet strikes in a neighboring home,” have been received both by the DNR and the Benzie County Sheriff’s Department. During the closure, department staff will evaluate next steps that would eliminate the possibility of visitors target shooting from anywhere other than specified areas. 1 concern and responsibility when it comes to outdoor recreation, especially with shooting sports,” said DNR Director Dan Eichinger.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two fishermen who were stranded on the Frankfort Pier in Lake Michigan overnight. UpNorthLive.com reports the two men went out on the pier to go fishing on Tuesday night, but strong wind gusts and high waves rolled in, making it too dangerous to leave the pier. They ended up staying overnight hoping conditions would calm down, but eventually called the Benzie County Sheriff’s Office for help. A helicopter was dispatched from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City which airlifted the men to safety between 9-10 a.m. on Wednesday. Both men were uninjured and appeared to be OK following their rescue, according to the TV station.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – A 77-year-old woman is dead after she was struck by a vehicle in a Northern Michigan parking lot. Police say the driver of a large pickup truck, a 30-year-old Benzonia man, had stopped to speak with someone in the parking lot. When he finished talking, he proceeded forward and struck Catherine Anne Kelder of Frankfort, who was walking in front of his previously stopped vehicle. Kelder was taken to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries a few days later, police said. The driver was interviewed at the scene and stated he did not see Kelder in front of his vehicle as he proceeded forward.

Police were called to the scene in the area of S. Schomberg Road near S. Pit Rd around 8:21 p.m. When deputies arrived they found the teen walking in the roadway, without pants on and yelling. Police were able to determine the teen had taken hits of acid or LSD, but did not say how they discovered that information. The teen was then taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment before being released to the custody of his parents. A juvenile request for action has been completed and sent to the Leelanau County Prosecutor’s Office and the Probate Court for consideration of charges.

View of a section of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park and fog-obscured Lake Michigan beyond, Michigan, November 2013. (Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images)HONOR, Mich. – A small insect that can kill hemlock trees by feeding on their sap has been detected at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northwestern Michigan. Michigan has been combating hemlock woolly adelgid since 2006 and has current infestations in Allegan, Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana and Mason counties. The insect was detected in October in Ludington State Park, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Cars, boats or recreational vehicles parked beneath infested trees may also be able to transport the insects to new locations.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – An intoxicated man was arrested after he hit a deer with his vehicle and claimed to be “fighting off zombies” with a machete in Northern Michigan. The caller said he parked some distance away because Cook was acting funny and carrying something in his right hand. The trooper then noticed Cook running towards him wielding a machete, however, once the trooper identified himself, he stood down. During a search of the vehicle the trooper recovered three unloaded long guns from the trunk. Cook was lodged in the Benzie County Jail.

Colfax Township, MI (WNEM) – A 22-year-old Lansing man was arrested after a bizarre incident in Benzie County involving a deer, a machete, and the suspected use of intoxicants. When the trooper arrived on scene, he spoke to a passerby who reported the crash. The trooper then noticed a man running towards him with a machete, police said, adding the trooper ordered the man to drop the machete and he complied. He spoke of things that were not there and stated he had been fighting off zombies,” MSP said. During a search of the vehicle, the trooper recovered three unloaded long guns from the trunk, police said.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – A man awaiting trial on felony charges has been hospitalized after he tried to hang himself in a Northern Michigan jail cell. Benzie County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the 22-year-old male in the in the department’s pod unit at 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Benzie County EMS arrived and transported the inmate to Munson Medical Center where he is currently in the intensive care unit. The man has not been identified but he is a Benzie County resident. An independent investigation will be conducted by the Michigan Sheriff’s Association Mission Team.

ELBERTA, Mich. – A third person has died and a fourth remains in critical condition following a shooting at a home in northern Michigan’s Benzie County, police said. Undersheriff Gregory Hubers said one of the four people shot Friday died at the Munson Medical Center, where the remaining shooting victim was in critical condition, WPBN/WGTU-TV reported. Hubers said Friday that a mother and her adult son had died in Friday's shooting, while the father and another son were rushed to a hospital. Hubers said investigators believe the motive for the shooting stemmed from problems within the household. The shooting occurred in Elberta, a village tucked between Lake Michigan and Betsie Lake.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI — Three people were killed and another is in critical condition after a shooting at a home in Northern Michigan, according to multiple reports. The sheriff’s office put out an alert on Central Dispatch’s Facebook page asking people to avoid the area Friday night. Two victims were taken to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, where one victim died later Friday night, UpNorthLive reports. The sheriff’s office does not believe a suspect is at large and they are unsure how many shooters there were. The Benzie County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the incident.

ELBERTA, Mich. – Two people were killed and two more were critically injured in a shooting Friday at a house in northern Michigan’s Benzie County, police said. A mother and her adult son died, while the father and another son were rushed to a hospital, Undersheriff Gregory Hubers said. The shooting occurred in Elberta, a village tucked between Lake Michigan and Betsie Lake. “We don’t believe there are any suspects at large. All of the gunshots occurred ... from people within the residence,” Hubers said.

BENZIE COUNTY, MI – A Benzie County Sheriff’s deputy was injured when another vehicle sideswiped his parked patrol car on Tuesday afternoon. The deputy was running radar while parked on the shoulder of US-31 in the Northern Michigan county the crash occurred, 9&10 News reports. The other vehicle sideswiped the patrol car and then rolled into the ditch. The deputy had minor injuries, the TV station reports. Michigan State Police are investigating the crash, the report said.

But in the fall, these chairlift rides offer a gorgeous way to see Northern Michigan’s fall colors. This October, Crystal Mountain will be running chairlift rides on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. These chairlift rides are just one part of the big list of fall activities Crystal Mountain is rolling out this season. Autumn can be a busy season at Crystal Mountain, as its Spa Days are in full swing through Nov. 29. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Chairlift Ride + Hike: Ride up the Loki chairlift and soak in the fall foliage.

FRANKFORT, MI – A dive team has recovered the body of a 12-year-old boy who was swept off a pier into Lake Michigan. 9&10 News reports Lane Frame of Manchester, Tennessee was found next to the Frankfort Pier in about 10 feet of water around 10 a.m. Wednesday. According to Shendel, two children age 11 and 12 ventured out on to the pier with their 50-year-old aunt. At one point a large wave swept all three into the inner waters of the pier. The pier is in Lake Michigan off of Frankfort Public Beach, a popular place for residents and visitors located near the downtown.

FRANKFORT, MI – The search for a 12-year-old boy who was swept off a pier into Lake Michigan is no longer an active rescue, but a recovery mission. But the conditions are just are not favorable for that right now,” Shendel told the TV station. A family from Tennessee was walking on the pier on Monday when three kids were swept off the pier. A family member was able to rescue two of the children, but a 12-year-old boy is still missing. The pier is located in Lake Michigan off of Frankfort Public Beach, a popular place for residents and visitors located near the downtown.

FRANKFORT, MI – Crews are searching for a 12-year-old boy after he was swept off a pier into Lake Michigan. 9&10 News reports a family visiting from Tennessee was walking on the Frankfort North Pier on Monday when three kids were swept off the pier. A family member was able to rescue two of the children, but a 12-year-old boy is still missing. The pier is located in Lake Michigan off of Frankfort Public Beach, a popular place for residents and visitors located near the downtown. Benzie County, where Frankfort is located, is one of several Northern Michigan counties under a hazardous weather warning for beach conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

BEULAH, Mich. A 67-year-old man suffered from second- and third-degree burns after his camper trailer exploded at the Veterans Memorial State Forest Campground on Friday morning. The man reportedly held up the roof so that his wife, 60, and dog could escape from the camper. A camper trailer exploded at a campground in Beulah, Michigan on July 31 after a man attempted to ignite the stove. A camper trailer exploded at a campground in Beulah, Michigan on July 31 after a man attempted to ignite the stove. (Michigan State Police)The Michigan State Police Fire Marshall was called to investigate the cause of the fire, officials said.

DETROIT A $5,000 reward is being offered for information to help find a Southfield woman who is missing in northern Michigan. Adrienne Quintal, of Southfield, was reported missing last week when she was visiting a family cabin in Benzie County. TV station WPBN reports that a search Tuesday focused on a half-mile radius of a cabin in Honor in Benzie County. State and local investigators used a drone to map the area and keep track of where they're searching. The 47-year-old Quintal called someone in the Detroit area for help about 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 17.