Soccer referee arraigned on assault charges

TRAVERSE CITY — A soccer referee was arraigned in 86th District Court Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of shoving a teenager at a soccer game.

Randall S. Smith, 64, pleaded not guilty to the assault-and-battery charge that alleges he pushed a 16-year-old teen over a bench at a soccer game Oct. 14. A pretrial conference in this case is set for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 4.