A woman who promoted herself in the Kalamazoo areas as “No. 1 Tax Lady” is in hot water with the Internal Revenue Service. Fontrise Charles is charged with filing false returns for others to ensure big refunds over a three-year period. The indictment also accuses her of filing her own false returns. The 39-year-old Charles appeared Monday in Grand Rapids …

A judge in southwestern Michigan has heard a tearful plea from a young man who killed his grandfather at age 14 but hopes he can get a new sentence that would give him a chance at parole. Nineteen-year-old Dakotah Eliason was in a Berrien County court Friday because the U.S. Supreme Court says teens can’t automatically be given no-parole sentences …

Two people have been arrested in southwestern Michigan on unrelated charges after authorities located a man accused of fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run accident. Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood Jr. says officers executed a search warrant Friday afternoon in Newburg Township after connecting the homeowner to a truck driven in the hit-and-run accident. Officers found two stolen vehicles, marijuana …

The moose population in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula appears to have dropped over the past two years — and a wildlife expert says there’s reason for concern about the species’ long-term future in the state. The Department of Natural Resources says Monday its latest biennial survey produced an estimate of 323 moose in their primary Michigan range, which includes Baraga, …

John Joseph Donnelly died on Friday, March 13, 2015 at Borgess Medical Center after a short illness caused by complications of heart disease. John was born March 21, 1925 in Ontonagon, Michigan, son of Joseph Michael Donnelly and Virginia Testman Donnelly. He attended public and parochial schools in Ontonagon, East Grand Rapids, Lansing, and graduated from Houghton High School in 1942. …

Diane Marie (Panure) Fosdick, age 71, of Sturgis, passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at her home. She was born on January 29, 1944 in Madison, WI to the late Harold and Martha (Volant) Panure. Diane graduated from West High School in Green Bay, WI and later went on to obtain her Associate’s Degree from Glen Oaks Community College. Diane worked …

Gerald “Jerry” Arden Butler passed away Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the age of 75. Jerry was the second of four children born to the late Glen and Isabelle (Bingaman) Butler. He is survived by his wife of nearly 52 years, Peggy (Hackenburg) Butler; his siblings, Carol Hines, Darlene (Ron) Fox, and Ron (Sharron) Butler. He is also survived by …

AAA Michigan reports statewide gas prices have decreased by about 2 cents a gallon within the past week. The auto club says the average price per gallon of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline was about $2.28 on Sunday. That’s about $1.47 less than it was a year ago. It marks the second consecutive week the statewide average has decreased. Dearborn-based AAA …

Audrey F. Doe, 78, of White Pigeon, died Friday, March 13, 2015, at Sturgis Hospital following an extended illness. Shewas born June 18, 1936, in Battle Creek, the daughter of Owen and Vivian (Kohn) Eager. She had an associate’s degree in accounting from Kellogg Community College and was employed by Clark Equipment in Battle Creek and Chicago for more than …

State Rep. Aaron Miller last week voted in favor of House Bill 4122, a measure to end the expenditure of taxpayer money to subsidize film and video production. Miller said the film incentives program is a failed experiment that has not paid off, and there are more worthwhile ways to spend the $50 million set aside for film subsidies in …