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Bear Sighting Prompts Indoor Lockdown at Hudsonville Schools

4/18/2026

Summary

Story summary

A bear sighting in Georgetown Township prompted Hudsonville Public Schools to keep students indoors Friday morning.
Joel Matzke captured video of the bear roaming near Bauer and Georgetown Elementary schools.
The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office confirmed the sighting via video timestamps from 6:30 a.m. to 7:10 a.m., with the bear not located.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources urged securing food sources to prevent encounters.
School operations continued normally.

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Story summary

A bear sighting in Georgetown Township prompted Hudsonville Public Schools to keep students indoors Friday morning.
Joel Matzke captured video of the bear roaming near Bauer and Georgetown Elementary schools.
The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office confirmed the sighting via video timestamps from 6:30 a.m. to 7:10 a.m., with the bear not located.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources urged securing food sources to prevent encounters.
School operations continued normally.