News

Sweetie-licious Bakery Café features award-winning pies

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DEWITT – Got a sweet tooth or craving an award-winning pie? Sweetie-licious Bakery Café in Downtown DeWitt has you covered. Sweetie-licious was established in 2002 by Linda Hundt and has been thriving since. Winning national and regional contests as well as being featured on Food Network and the Today show. The bakery is known for their pies which has definitely been a popular item.

News

Craft coffee soon to hit downtown DeWitt

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On Feb. 13, downtown DeWitt will be home to a new craft coffee shop owned by 31-year-old Justin Hartig. “My goal is to kind of change the culture of coffee,” said Hartig, “to kind of put a little edge to the coffee shop scene.”

The Crafted Bean will have a modern atmosphere with a 50’s twist to it. Using vinyl records provided by East Lansing’s “The Record Lounge,” Hartig plans to cover the floor with them to add to the shop’s character. “I had notebooks full of different ideas,” said Hartig.

DeWitt

Changes implemented at DeWitt’s farmer’s market

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Newly-appointed manager Rebekah Faivor brought about many changes to the DeWitt’s farmer’s market this season, including a food assistance program aiming to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables to the county’s residents. 

“The program accepts four food assistance programs overall,” Faivor said. “Which include the Wic project, senior project fresh, double up food bucks and snap (the bridge card).”

All of the programs are funded by the state, except double up, which is funded by the fair food network. Rachel Tindall of Tindall’s Tavern has been selling her body care products at Dewitt’s farmers market for three seasons. 

Vendors at the market stress the importance of selling good and natural products at affordable prices. “I sell vegan soaps, body butter and bubble bars,” said Rachel Tindall, body care products vendor at the market for three seasons. “I started making my products because I like a more natural product on my body.”

First-time vendors like Diana Tennes of the Country Mill said their experience at the market has been positive. 

“I think it is a nice market, very relaxing,” Tennes said.

Bath-DeWitt

DeWitt is still not very diverse, but working on it

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By Zachary Manning
Bath-DeWitt Connection Staff Reporter

DEWITT — The City of DeWitt has a clear lack of diversity and residents, city officials, school officials, and police have mixed reviews on why. According to the 2010 census, about 95 percent of DeWitt’s population is white, 1.4 percent is black, 0.9 percent is Asian, and 0.4 percent is American Indian. DeWitt’s white population is above the national average of 72.4 percent. DeWitt’s black population is below the national average of 12.6 percent. The Asian population in DeWitt is below the national average of 4.8 percent.

Clinton County

Clinton County farms still vital to economy

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By Rachel Bidock
Clinton County Staff Reporter

The relationship between farmers and non-farmers in Clinton County has changed, but the importance of farmers in the county has not. Farms are a vital source of income for towns in Michigan, said Paul Thompson the Kellogg Chair in agricultural, food and community ethics at Michigan State University. “Farming really is the single, economically most important industry in most of these rural communities, particularly here in the southern half of the state,” Thompson said. According to Scott Swinton, a professor at MSU’s Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, because farmers earn money for their crops and then spend that money, they help out the communities. “When one person in a region earns money, as farmers do from selling their crops and livestock, they spend that money other places in the community, it’s what economists call a multiplier effect,” Swinton said.

Business & Economy

Two men arrested for retail crimes spree across mid-Michigan

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By Cydni Robinson
Clinton County Chatter Staff Reporter

DEWITT — Two men, ages 39 and 40 years old, who were arrested by Bay County Sheriff Department at the end of a recent alleged retail theft spree could face charges in Clinton County for part of that spree. The two men, who allegedly went from store to store in the mid-Michigan area, had their case forwarded to the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of charges of organized retail crime for a reported theft from the DeWitt Township Meijer store last month. Originally no one knew who they were until Bay County Sheriff Department was alerted by different Meijer stores that these guys had allegedly been doing crimes all across Michigan, says Chief of DeWitt Township Brian Russell. The police report says a Meijer asset protection officer has been working on a case that has affected nine Meijer stores in the Mid Michigan area. On March 29 their alleged target was the Meijer supermarket on 12821 Crossover Drive, DeWitt Township.

Bath-DeWitt

Dog park conversation heating up in DeWitt

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By Zachary Manning
Bath-DeWitt Connection Staff Reporter

DEWITT — DeWitt is in the process of looking into adding a dog park to the city and the township. The project is mostly citizen-run, but local officials are reviewing comments from the public and working on leasing agreements. “It is a community-driven project, so there is a group of citizens that have been working with the township and the city,” said Rodney Taylor, DeWitt Charter Township manager. The dog park would be located at the front end of the Southern Clinton County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCCMUA) building on Herbison Road. The land for the park is not being utilized right now.