News

Actions

Police: Partying students prompt Michigan beach shutdown

Posted at 10:03 AM, May 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-18 14:56:53-04

Police closed a beach in southwestern Michigan for a few hours after complaints about hundreds of college students partying.

South Haven police say complaints began around midday Wednesday when three busloads of college students showed up at South Beach along Lake Michigan. Chief Natalie Thompson says they brought alcohol and loud music, and there were fights.

Thompson says four arrests were made out of 300-400 people.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports Kalamazoo College students were at the beach for "Day of Gracious Living," a campus tradition since 1974.

Last summer, South Haven's North Beach was shut down during the Fourth of July weekend because of rowdy people and fights. The crowd for the "Light up the Lake" fireworks got violent and pelted police and spectators who had gathered beach with bottles.