Government

A 35-year-old man has been killed and a 32-year-old man wounded during a shooting at a weekend concert that forced people to flee from a park in southwestern Michigan. The shooting occurred Saturday night as the concert in Kalamazoo’s Spring Valley Park was ending, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Marcus Tillman of Kalamazoo later was pronounced dead, …

A man who spent nearly 21 years in prison for the deaths of two Michigan hunters filed a lawsuit Friday seeking $1.02 million for wrongful convictions, just a day after a prosecutor dropped murder charges and ruled out a second trial. “Jeff Titus is 71 years old. He was robbed of 21 years of his prime,” attorney Wolf Mueller said. “Who knows …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor David Marvin said a plea agreement and sentence have been worked out regarding the suspect allegedly involved in the October 2021 death of a Colon woman. Michael Lafler, age 37, of Colon, will be sentenced in June to a maximum of 15 years in the strangulation death of 33-year-old Chelsea Wallen. Marvin said he and defense …

A Mendon woman faces drug-related charges following a traffic stop last week in Sturgis Township. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies stopped a vehicle shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday on South Centerville Road, near Fawn River Road. Deputies were suspicious of the driver and requested the services of the Sturgis Police K-9 unit. With the assistance of the K-9 unit, deputies …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation delivered some good news for the village of Constantine Tuesday. They announced that Michigan Strategic Fund approved a new dairy-processing facility that will reduce the carbon footprint of dairy byproduct and bring new jobs and infrastructure to the community. A total capital investment of $41.1 million is expected. MMPA and Dairy …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday announced recipients of two high-profile awards. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said Mark Mellinger was named Uniformed Services Deputy of the Year for 2022. Meanwhile, Gabriel Keely received Corrections Deputy of the Year for 2022. Bingaman said the county is a safer place because of Mellinger, while Keely is an employee who goes above …

Constantine municipal officials are looking into moving its Civil War cannon at South Washington Street Park to the township cemetery. Village resident and local historian Rebecca Shank last month asked the council if it would consider relocating the cannon to a place of honor. A cemetery, she said, would be more appropriate than a community park. Shank said the cannon …

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave final approval Monday afternoon to a red flag law that aims to keep firearms away from those at risk of harming themselves or others as the state grapples with ways to slow gun violence in the wake of its second mass school shooting. Michigan joined Minnesota as the second state in under a week to implement a red flag …

An armed intruder was shot by a would-be victim during an incident Friday evening in Constantine Township. State Police troopers responded around 10 p.m. Friday to the 60000 block of Maple Road, west of Constantine, in response to an attempted breaking-and-entering. Investigators said the homeowner told them he had shot a male intruder who was armed with a knife and …

A Michigan girl was able to escape an attempted kidnapping when her brother used a slingshot to strike the would-be attacker, authorities said this week. Mlive.com reports that the Michigan State Police arrested the accused assailant in the city of Alpena on Wednesday. The 17-year-old’s name has not been released though he has been charged as an adult with one count …