State Roundup

Jackson After vows, Mich. bride arrested on felony warrant JACKSON, Mich. (AP) -- A Michigan bride still wearing her wedding dress was arrested on a felony warrant and briefly jailed after exchanging vows at a Jackson-area church, police said. The 53-year-old woman, whose name wasn't immediately released, was wanted on a 3-year-old warrant for identity theft, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported. Police believed the woman had moved to Florida, and they got two tips that she would be back in town for Saturday's wedding. She was arrested at City of Zion Ministries just after the ceremony, Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety Officer Rick Gillespie said. "We can't ignore it when we have good information on where she's going to be," Gillespie said. "We had to do what we had to do." The woman was held for less than about 30 minutes before being booked, released on bond and picked up by her husband, Gillespie said. Officers gave her the chance to change clothes before she was taken to jail, but she declined, Gillespie said. Officers had discussed whether to arrest her on her wedding day, and decided to do that because they had no other information about her whereabouts, Gillespie said. They let her pose for last-minute photographs before taking her to jail, he said. "She was kind of shocked at first, because according to her, she had no idea what this was about," Gillespie said. Drummond Township Drummond Island development under state scrutiny DRUMMOND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan natural resources officials are working on plans for developing the recreation potential of Drummond Island, a 130-sq.-mile, mostly state-owned island in northern Lake Huron. Officials say they're trying to balance economic activity with protection of the wild environment on Michigan's largest island. Michigan owns 65 percent of the 83,000 acres on the island, which is about 45 miles southeast of Sault Ste. Marie. The island makes up Chippewa County's Drummond Township, with a population of about 990. This summer, the Department of Natural Resources is mapping out plans for its outdoor recreation use. The Detroit News reports a seven-decade-old purchase agreement limits potential uses for the land, despite increasing public calls for uses that include all-terrain vehicle and off-road vehicle trails. Another hearing is planned Monday. Michigan acquired its Drummond Island land in the 1940s with money from a federal excise tax on hunting equipment. That tax was established by the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 and is paid by hunters nationwide. The federal government redistributes the money to states to buy and maintain public hunting land. That means Michigan must use the land primarily for hunting. Drummond has about 3,000 whitetail deer. In more recent years, the variety of outdoor sporting interests has expanded and state officials say they want to manage the land in a way that serves them. "New forms of recreation have come into play, like off-road vehicles," said Terry Minzey, the DNR's Upper Peninsula wildlife manager. "What we're trying to do with our comprehensive resource management plan is find a way to accommodate the variety of interests out there without violating our (purchase) agreement." Any expansion of the island's recreation offerings is likely to bring more people, and current residents have mixed opinions on that. Resident Betty Bailey, 78, recalled a Lions Club meeting several years ago at which a member who had lived on Drummond Island for 15 years stood up and said it would be nice if no new people moved in. Bailey said the response from an even longer-tenured resident was: "That's what we said when you moved in here." Sherry Pieknik, her husband and two boys moved in from the Grand Blanc area 12 years ago, seeking a chance for the family to grow closer and escape the bustle of the city. "I like the smaller community, and my husband has always liked the woods," said Pietnik, 55, as she walked her property. "But it does get a little monotonous around holidays like the Fourth of July with all of the tourists. You can put up with it a select few times a year, but I wouldn't want it to get any more cramped here." Published: Tue, Jul 19, 2011