A man accused of diverting a national park river to ease boat access to Lake Michigan has been convicted of two misdemeanors. Andrew Howard of Frankfort was found guilty of tampering and vandalism Wednesday. In August 2022, a National Park Service ranger witnessed Howard digging with a shovel so the Platte River in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore would be diverted into Lake Michigan. The new channel grew to 200 feet, giving boaters easier access to the lake. Howard's attorney did not immediately comment after his client's conviction.
GRAND RAPIDS — A Frankfort man was convicted in federal court of misdemeanor tampering and vandalism after a judge found he illegally widened the mouth of a river in the