Allison Scarbrough

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — The criminal case against a 46-year-old Ferry Township woman accused of murdering her husband was bound over from Oceana County’s 79th District Court to 51st Circuit Court following a preliminary exam Tuesday, Dec. 2. Shale Nicole Campos is charged with open murder and felony firearm for the shooting death of her 46-year-old husband, Jason Campos, at their residence on East Buchanan Road in Ferry Township in the morning hours of Aug. 14, 2025. After approximately three hours of testimony from seven witnesses during a preliminary exam in district court, the case was bound over to circuit court by Judge John Middlebrook, said Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Bizon.  Forensic pathologist Dr. Edmund Donoghue testified that Jason Campos’ cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. Mark Burmeister, a paramedic with Life EMS, testified that he was one of the first emergency personnel to arrive on scene. “He checked for a pulse but the victim was decease

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — The criminal case against a 27-year-old mother and her 34-year-old boyfriend who are charged with multiple counts of child abuse in connection to the death of her son, 7-month-old Maverick Lyle Bouck, is being bound over to Oceana County’s 51st Circuit Court. Elizabeth LynnLanor Hogan and Devin Austin Brown-Fowler, who both have the same Hartford, Mich. address, are each charged with one count of second-degree child abuse, third-degree child abuse and fourth-degree child abuse. They both remain lodged in the Oceana County Jail. Brown-Fowler’s bond is set at $50,000 cash/surety, and Hogan’s is $25,000/cash/surety. 79th District Court Judge John Middlebrook determined that there is enough evidence to move the case forward to circuit court following a preliminary exam Tuesday, Jan. 27. Judge Middlebrook heard testimony from several witnesses, including: Sgt. Curtis Franks of the Fremont Police Department; Sgt. Jeff Soraruf, Deputy Jeremy Shafer, Det. Mark Hiddema

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — A 64-year-old Oceana County man was sentenced to three and a half to 15 years in prison Monday, April 13, by Judge Susan K. Sniegowski in Oceana County’s 51st Circuit Court for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old child in 2018. Ricky Lee Eschman pleaded guilty to three felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, March 2. “The abuse repeatedly occurred during the summer of 2018 while the victim was visiting and staying at a relative’s Oceana County home during summer vacation,” states a press release from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “The crimes were initially reported in 2018, and Eschman was charged by the Oceana County Prosecutor’s Office in early 2019. However, police were unable to locate Eschman, and the case remained open until he was arrested in Oceana County in August of 2025 as part of Operation Survivor Justice. The Operation is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Attorney General, local county prosecutors, and t

Pirate News is a presentation of Hart Public Schools in partnership with Oceana County Press.   By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — Not only did Hart High School senior Shelbie Choponis break the 41-year-old discus record set by 1985 HHS grad Shelley Kelley-Hartley, she had the opportunity to meet the previous record holder this week. Kelley-Hartley’s previous record was 120 feet and 9 inches, and Choponis’s record is 125 feet and 7 inches. “She blasted me out of the water by 5 feet,” said Kelley-Hartley. The track coaches invited Kelley-Hartley, who lives in Scottville, to the school Wednesday, April 29, for a ceremony with the boys and girls teams. Dressed in a Hart Pirate shirt, she gave an inspiring speech for the athletes and presented Choponis with a bouquet of flowers. “Basketball was my passion, but track was the most fun,” said the former Pirate athlete. She recalled that day back in 1985 when she set the record that ultimately went untouched for four decades. It was her last tr

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor GOLDEN TOWNSHIP — A 12-year-old boy fell 35 feet from a zip line platform at Grace Adventures Christian Camp Thursday, May 14, shortly before 10 a.m., according to Michigan State Police Sgt. Michael Cuevas of the Hart post. The boy was suffering from hip pain, but it did not appear he had life-threatening injuries, said Sgt. Cuevas. “According to the 911 caller, he fell from a platform and the safety equipment was not hooked up to him yet.” The boy was transported by Life EMS to Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital and then transported to Corewell Health Helen Devos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.  No other information was immediately available. _____________________________________ Please Support Local News and Sports Coverage Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.  The payment can be paid monthly through PayPal: Click this link. To s

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor PENTWATER TOWNSHIP — A walk along the Lake Michigan shoreline near the Oceana-Mason county line turned into a harrowing ordeal for a 40-year-old Richmond, Va. man when he was attacked by two German shepherds Monday evening, May 25. A sheriff’s deputy who arrived on scene was forced to shoot one of the dogs due to its aggression, said Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast. The man received several scratches and bite wounds and sought medical treatment at an area hospital after being evaluated by Life EMS at the scene. The dogs ripped his pants off his legs during the attack. “His pants were torn right from his body,” said Sheriff Mast. The other dog, which was a female, was returned to its owner. The owner, who is a 63-year-old Pentwater man, was cited by the deputies for allowing animals to run at large.  “Our deputies were dispatched to a report that a man was being attacked by two German shepherds,” said Sheriff Mast. “The caller reported that the dogs were bitin

Police ID body found near bike trail as missing Electric Forest Festival attendee

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — The Oceana County Prosecutor’s Office released the list of criminal offenses arising out of the Electric Forest Festival held at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, June 25-28. EF criminal offenses processed by the prosecutor’s office so far include:  Four traffic offenses; Two controlled substance delivery cases; One controlled substance possession case; Two domestic violence charges; Two assault and battery offenses; One operating while intoxicated case; Two trespassing charges; One larceny offense. “There are also seven pending cases from SSCENT (State Sheriffs’ Chiefs’ Enforcement of Narcotics Team) that are expected to be submitted when their investigations/processes are completed,” said Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Bizon.  The massive music festival attracts tens of thousands of people from across the US and beyond.  _____________________________ Please Support Local News and Sports Coverage Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings al

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor HART — The motorcyclist killed in a crash on Woodrow Road in Shelby Township Sunday night, July 5, has been identified as Austin Matthew Smith, 20, of Shelby, said Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast. The name of the other motorcyclist involved, who is a 23-year-old New Era man, has not yet been released.  “We’re waiting for blood results to come back from each of them,” said Sheriff Mast. “We’re quite confident what the young man who was arrested what his blood alcohol is going to come back, but just for a complete investigation, we need the blood alcohol of the victim as well.” The arrested motorcyclist, who is charged with operating while intoxicated, has since been released from jail, said the sheriff. It is possible he may face other criminal charges. The sheriff’s office released the following press release Monday, July 6: “At approximately 10:07 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026, Mason-Oceana 911 received a report of a motorcycle crash on Woodrow Road in Sh

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor ROTHBURY — As the investigation into the death of an infant found inside a porta-potty at the Electric Forest Festival June 28 continues, the prosecutor in the case urges community members to be cautious about believing some reports and social media posts. “I have read information released to various outlets and social media that have been inaccurate to the point of interfering with the proper conduct of this investigation,” said Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Bizon. “Much of the information lacks context, and people are drawing inaccurate and premature conclusions from information that has been released. Information that has come from the MSP (Michigan State Police) investigative team has been released to further the investigation. Public documents are what they are, but people do not always understand what they mean. Any other information that has been released has been released with someone else’s personal agenda and people should be cautious of what