Year in Review: The biggest stories of 2023 in Holland

HOLLAND — It's been an eventful year in Holland, defined largely by the political aftermath of COVID-19, a challenging labor market and brushes with Hollywood royalty.

In this article, we've compiled the stories we felt were the most far-reaching, the most impactful, the most interesting, and, inescapably, the most heartrending of 2023.

Ottawa Impact

It would be difficult to argue that anything was more impactful in 2023 than Ottawa Impact. The far-right fundamentalist group won the majority on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners in 2022 and took office Jan. 3.

In the same meeting, OI members made a series of controversial decisions — including firing and replacing the county's administrator and corporate counsel; eliminating the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department; and attempting to demote Health Officer Adeline Hambley.

Those decisions, plus a growing fixation on the operations of the county health department and a refusal to follow longstanding traditions of governance, led to the filing of at least four lawsuits against the board and its members, all of which are still ongoing.

LG Expansion

LG Energy Solution announced a $1.7 billion expansion in 2022. Much of the construction on that project was completed in 2023, followed by an announced $3 billion partnership with Toyota that will likely mean yet another building on LG's campus south of town.

But things haven't been altogether smooth sailing for LG this year, after pushing back a hiring target for about 1,000 new jobs and laying off 170 employees over the holidays. The company attributed the layoffs to the retooling of production lines and "automakers realigning the speed of the EV transition."

Most recently, the company made headlines for its purchase of the Old Wing Mission. The building at 5298 147th Ave. is the oldest surviving home in Holland, built in 1844. After an outcry of community concern, company representatives assured Holland City Council during a meeting Wednesday, Dec. 6, it has no intention of razing, demolishing or otherwise destroying the home.

Palisades

While Holtec International finished 2023 without knowing for sure whether Palisades will get the green light to restart operations in Van Buren County, it made plenty of progress this year. After a failed attempt at securing funding in 2022, the company relaunched its attempt in early 2023, filing for a loan from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Although no official decision has been made, the company has “a high degree of confidence” in its application, so much so it's made plans for nearly doubling the plant's generation capabilities, secured a power purchase agreement and earned an earmarked $150 million in Michigan's fiscal budget.

To officially move forward, the company will need an approved loan and a regulatory go-ahead from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, among jumping other, smaller hurdles. Holtec hopes to officially reopen Palisades in late 2025.

Palisades is located about 10 miles south of Allegan County. Because of its close proximity, the plant offers significant employment opportunity, and therefore economic impact, for the county and its residents.

'Holland, Michigan' Movie Filming

Last year, Hollanders learned Nicole Kidman would star in a film titled "Holland, Michigan," a thriller about a school teacher who suspects her husband may be a serial killer. News broke in January filmmakers were looking for West Michigan extras for a week-long April shoot, and thousands signed up.

But the plan quickly shifted to a single-day shoot at Windmill Island Gardens, discluding any actual Eighth Street shots. Instead, mock Tulip Time Parade scenes were shot in Clarksville, Tennessee. Actors, including 500 local extras dressed in 2000s-inspired and traditional Dutch clothing and clogs, walked down the town's Franklin Street.

Kidman stars alongside "Succession" actor Matthew Macfadyen and actor/producer Gael García Bernal, according to Deadline. Kidman is teaming up with Amazon Studios under Kidman’s Blossom Films, and will produce with Per Saari. The film is currently in post-production, according to IMDB.

Nelly

Locals were stoked when news broke in May that Nelly would headline the Allegan County Fair in September. But after months of anticipation and hours spent waiting in line and in the venue, ticketholders were informed Nelly's concert was canceled. The show — slated to start at 7 p.m. — wasn't called off until around 9:30 p.m.

Rumors abounded about why Nelly didn't take the stage, but Allegan County Fair Executive Director Saree Miller said the artist's plane was grounded by poor weather, adding the fair wasn't informed until "very late in the evening." It wasn't the first time Nelly's shows were cancelled in 2023.

But there's a mostly happy ending to this story. The Grammy-winning artist rescheduled the show and played the following week, though some ticketholders were still left feeling burned.

Triple Fatal Rollover Sentencing

A woman accused of crashing her car into a retention pond while driving under the influence, resulting in the death of three of her children, all under 5, was sentenced to prison in September in Ottawa County's 20th Circuit Court.

The crash took place on Feb. 7, 2022. Leticia Marie Gonzales was driving an SUV with her sons — Josiah, Jerome III and Jeremiah — when she hit the curb and flipped into the pond. Gonzales managed to escape the crash, but all three boys were trapped in the water for 10 to 17 minutes. Jerome and Jeremiah were pronounced dead at the scene. Josiah died several hours later at an area hospital.

Gonzales was initially charged with three counts of operating while intoxicated causing death. On the day of the crash, Gonzales took a prescribed dose of methadone, a drug sometimes prescribed to treat an opioid use disorder. Gonzales later took another, unprescribed dose of methadone a few hours before the crash.

After pleading no contest on two separate occasions, Gonzales was sentenced to a minimum of 24 months and a maximum of 60 months in prison for operating under the influence causing serious injury. She also received 365 days in jail for each charge of moving violation causing death.

Fireworks Explosion

A local man was charged with manslaughter after a Fourth of July explosion killed one and injured nine in Park Township. According to a release from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Anthony Jon Meyer, 37, brought a homemade “salute cannon” containing gunpowder to a gathering at 11:10 p.m. on Main Street.

The device was meant to create a loud “salute” or boom when ignited, but instead exploded after Meyer used a different powder than usual, admitting he hadn't researched the difference. Metal pieces of the cannon were projected into the crowd.

Jana Daniels, 41, died after shrapnel struck her in the chest. Nine other people were hurt, with injuries ranging from minor to critical. Several vehicles and homes were also damaged. The case is still working its way through the courts.

Bocks Re-Election

Nathan Bocks was re-elected mayor of the city of Holland in November, securing a third term in the seat. He comfortably defeated challenger Larry Shattuck, 4,924 votes to 2,370, according to unofficial tallies.

"Very excited for the future of Holland," Bocks told The Sentinel. "I think the people of Holland sent a resounding message that they like the direction the city is heading in. I'm excited to work with the new council and work on the great projects we have both underway right now and in the works for years to come."

Bocks, a local real estate attorney, won the mayorship against Nancy DeBoer in 2019. He was re-elected in 2021. During those four years, he said, his accomplishments included paying off the majority of the construction bonds on Holland Energy Park early, saving taxpayers $40 million in interest; re-writing the city’s zoning and planning code, the Unified Development Ordinance; and recalibrating the city’s carbon reduction goals.

His biggest opportunity, he said, rests in fulfilling the city's vision for the waterfront, and his biggest aspiration is "celebrating the value of everyone who calls Holland home."

Holland Township Community Center

For two decades, Holland Township officials have dreamed of building a community center. Plans for that dream finally came to fruition in 2023, as the municipality announced an agreement with The Shops at Westshore to lease the former Yonkers for just $100 per year.

The agreement includes an initial three-year term, with the opportunity to renew for six more three-year terms. Holland Township is responsible for renovations, with a price tag of $14,703,180.

According to plans provided by the township, the main level of the center will include 55,000 square feet of total program area, plus another 19,000 square feet on the mezzanine level.

Plans include a full-size basketball court, six pickleball courts, multipurpose rooms, a community multipurpose room, a kitchenette, an eighth-of-a-mile indoor track, open fitness spaces and more.

The township hopes to open in early 2025.

— Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at clybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @CassLybrink.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Year in Review: The biggest stories of 2023 in Holland