Pierson News

Eric Pierson said he does not recall an encounter on Dec. 30 in which he called a man at a Cedar Springs convenience store "dark chocolate." Pierson was charged with ethnic intimidation, assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon.

But the victim, legally allowed to carry a concealed pistol, turned the tables on the suspect and ended the encounter before anyone was hurt, Kent County sheriff's deputies said in court records.

Asian countries are buying raw material for fur garments from Michigan trappers, and muskrats - one of the most popular furs with foreign buyers - are among the most abundant fur-bearing animals in the state.

The Grand Rapids Press reports that trappers from the state are selling them as materials for fur clothing overseas.

Charges are pending against a driver who allegedly caused a three-vehicle crash Wednesday night in Nelson Township that injured two others, sheriff's deputies said.