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1 week ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 4:01 pm Friday, April 11, 2025 DOWAGIAC – A Change.org petition has been created that calls for a nationwide search be conducted to find the next Southwestern Michigan College president and is opposed to hiring SMC Senior Vice President Brent Brewer as the new president. Current SMC President Dr. Joseph Odenwald announced his resignation earlier this year to take the presidency position at Alma College. He will leave SMC in early May and take over at Alma June 1.
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1 week ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 12:08 pm Friday, April 11, 2025 CASSOPOLIS — A homeless man involved in a January shooting incident was sentenced to a year in jail Friday in Cass County Circuit Court. Joseph Allen Ward, 21, pleaded guilty to felonious assault and tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 365 days in jail with credit for 97 days served. He must pay $2,176 in fines and costs. The incident occurred Jan. 5 against a woman at a residence on O’Keefe Road in LaGrange Township.
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2 weeks ago | 
heraldpalladium.com | Debra Haight
BERRIEN TOWNSHIP — Berrien Township ended the fiscal year in good financial shape. That was the update Tuesday from Treasurer Michael Jenks at the board’s monthly meeting. The township’s fiscal year ended March 31. kAmy6?<D D2:5 96 6IA64ED E96 E@H?D9:A E@ 92G6 2 Sd_[___ DFCA=FD 7@C E96 a_ac\ad 7:D42= J62C] w6 D2:5 E96 E@H?D9:A 6?565 E96 J62C H:E9 S`gb[efc :? ?6E :?4@>6[ H:E9 S`bb[___ @7 E92E 2>@F?E 6IA6?565 E@ 5@ C@25H@C< :?
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2 weeks ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 11:46 am Tuesday, April 8, 2025 NILES — Area residents were sentenced to jail and/or probation Monday in Berrien County Trial Court sentencings at the Niles courthouse. Travis Dontrail Guntle Jr., 27, of Dowagiac, pleaded guilty to fleeing and eluding police and was sentenced to 365 days in jail with credit for 139 days already served and $198 in fines and costs. The incident occurred June 17, 2024 in Niles.
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2 weeks ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 11:48 am Saturday, April 5, 2025 CASSOPOLIS — An employee of a Dowagiac organization that provides guardianship related services was sentenced to probation, jail and over $36,000 in restitution for stealing from the organization’s clients.
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2 weeks ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 1:00 pm Friday, April 4, 2025 CASSOPOLIS — A Dowagiac man is going to prison after being sentenced for sexually molesting an underage girl over several months in 2023. James Joseph Tovey, 26, of Dowagiac, pleaded no contest to second-degree criminal sexual conduct during the commission of a felony and was sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison. He has credit for 219 days served and must pay $1,048 in fines and costs. He must register as a sex offender.
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3 weeks ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 4:20 pm Thursday, April 3, 2025 ST. JOSEPH — Berrien County Commissioners have approved their night meeting schedule for the spring and summer. The county board will hold four night meetings in May through August. While the county board held one of their night meetings in Niles last year, this year’s night meeting schedule does not include a night meeting in either Niles or Buchanan.
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3 weeks ago | 
heraldpalladium.com | Debra Haight
ST. JOSEPH — A murder for hire case involving a Berrien Springs woman who hired a Benton Harbor resident to kill her ex-husband’s girlfriend in 2020 was back in Berrien County Trial Court for resentencing. Alana Gonzalez, now 63, formerly of Berrien Springs, received the same 10 years to 40 years prison sentence on Friday that she was given in January 2022. The ruling came because her case was remanded after a September 2024 ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court. kAmv@?K2=6K H2D 4@?G:4E65 :?
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3 weeks ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 2:39 pm Friday, March 28, 2025 CASSOPOLIS — An Edwardsburg woman whose husband is in prison in Indiana on drug and weapon charges was sentenced to probation Friday for drug charges. Karen Lynn Williams, 51, of Edwardsburg, pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug house and possession of methamphetamine and was sentenced to two years probation, credit for two days served and $3,896 in fines and costs.
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3 weeks ago | 
leaderpub.com | Debra Haight
Published 11:19 am Friday, March 28, 2025 ST. JOSEPH — County leaders are starting the discussion on how a 2024 settlement with American Electric Power on the valuation of the Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman will affect the county in coming years. Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette addressed the issue at Thursday’s County Board of Commissioners meeting after highlighting a news article this week concerning budget cuts being made by Bridgman schools.
