Michigan State freshman Matt Costello 'very impressive' in summer pro-am

While starring at Bay City Western, Mr. Basketball Matt Costello proved that he has the tools to do big things on the basketball court. Now that he’s a Michigan State freshman, Costello is proving that he also has the drive. While Costello was regularly the best player on a high school basketball court, the PARADE All-American has seen a noticeable increase in talent during the Spartans’ summer league. But according to reports, he has proven up to the task at Pattengill Middle School which hosted the 9th annual Moneyball Pro-Am over the weekend featuring Michigan State and a host of other players.


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50th annual Bay City fireworks display goes out with a bang, wows crowd

A lot can change in 50 years. In the five decades since Bay City's inaugural Fourth of July fireworks display, a small show with a smattering of hand-lit fireworks transformed into a three day festival, complete with booze, food, music and family activities. With a focus on the fireworks that started it all, the festival has thrived with community support, raising funds each year to continue the tradition. Festival organizers and volunteers commemorated the show's long history in the best way it knew how — by shooting off a 50-minute fireworks display to a variety of movie themes and songs with 50,000 separate fireworks shells Saturday night.


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New coffee shop in downtown Bay City hopes to make a unique mark

Elizabeth Propp has a passion for coffee. After working in the business for about eight years, it made perfect sense to her to eventually break off and run a store of her own. With the help of her sister, Mary, and her husband Dan, the Saginaw resident is finally living out her dream of opening her own shop, ThunderBrew Coffee Company at 521 Washington in Bay City. "I've spent the last five years thinking about it, and it's been a dream to finally do it," she said. "I really enjoy the coffee shop atmosphere, but I'm really excited to have one that feels like it's my own."


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Bay City Post Office offers special cancellation to commemorate 50th fireworks festival

Want a collectible way to commemorate the 50th annual Bay City Fireworks Festival? The Bay City post office is stepping in with envelopes for the occasion that feature a Celebrate! "forever" stamp, three different local fireworks photos and a special cancellation. The mark is dated July 7 and comes from the Bay City Fireworks Festival Station.


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Bay County dog and cat adoptions up 53 percent in year since new policy enacted

It has been a year since Bay County Animal Control changed its adoption policy in an effort to see that more cats and dogs are spayed and neutered. Renee Morgan of Kawkawlin visted the shelter yesterday to browse available dogs. "I want a dog that I can take out on a leash and exercise with," Morgan, who went on a wait list for a black lab mix, said. "I want to give a dog a nice home and help them enjoy life." Since the adoption policy change, 53 percent more animals at the shelter, 800 Livingston St., have found homes. Currently, the shelter has around 18 dogs and more than 100 cats.


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Bay City teen police say armed self with knife and went looking for a fight pleads no contest to two felonies

A local teen police say armed himself with a butcher knife and went looking for a fight has the chance to keep some felonies off his record, so long as he proves he can stick to the straight and narrow. Joshua A. Aldrich, 17, on Monday appeared before Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer and pleaded no contest to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, a four-year felony. Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Jordan E. Case agreed to dismiss a charge of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and will recommend Aldrich be sentenced to probation under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act.


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3-year-old boy drowns in family pool in Bangor Township

A 3-year-old boy died Friday after apparently drowning in his family’s pool. Bay County Sheriff’s deputies, Mobile Medical Response and Bangor Township firefighters were dispatched to a house in the 3400 block of Old Kawkawlin Road at 7:07 p.m. in reference to a child submerged in a pool. Upon deputies’ arrival, Eric J. Zimmer II was being administered CPR and rescue personnel continued to try resuscitating him, said Lt. Troy Cunningham. The child was eventually transferred to McLaren Bay Region hospital, where he was declared dead. Eric was missing for about 20 minutes before his family found him at the bottom of an above-ground pool, Cunningham said. An autopsy was performed and it appears the death was caused by an accidental drowning, though the case remains open pending toxicology results.


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