Cass County

Fire act of arson

Five St. Joseph County-based departments played a critical role in helping extinguish a large-scale fire Friday morning in Vicksburg. A 4 a.m. blaze at a former paper mill required the services of 10 fire agencies to douse an intentionally-set blaze at the 435,000-square-foot building. The facility, which has been dormant and used only for storage, served for years as the …

Read More »

Olsen ordered to pay restitution

A 34-year-old Marcellus woman was sentenced to three years of probation for embezzling $17,000 from the Marcellus Fire Department. Cass County Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge also ordered Nicole Olsen to pay restitution in the amount she stole over the course of four months starting in September 2011. Olsen was a four-year employee with the department, serving as captain and …

Read More »

Power is restored

Midwest Energy Cooperative officials announced power has been fully restored to almost all of its 4,000 customers whose service was disrupted as the result of an early morning storm Tuesday. Company officials said transmission was lost to two substations, leaving most of the impacted customers in Cass and Van Buren counties without power. A small cluster of customers in the …

Read More »

Power restored by Sunday

Midwest Energy Co-Op reported that power has been restored to residents in Cass County and northwestern St. Joseph County following a Saturday evening thunderstorm. Strong winds knocked down power lines, affecting electrical service for about 500 people between the two counties. The company said power was back on to all customers by mid-morning Sunday.

Read More »

Three arrested for meth labs

Three Jones residents were arrested on drug-related offenses and a child placed into protective custody following an incident Tuesday afternoon. The Cass County Drug Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at a residence in the 61000 block of High Street. Upon entry into the residence, investigators found used meth labs and components to manufacture methamphetamine. A handgun, methamphetamine and marijuana …

Read More »

Woman guilty of embezzlement

An employee of the Marcellus Fire Department has pled guilty to embezzlement. Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said Nicole Olsen, 33, of Marcellus, pled guilty as charged to embezzlement over $1,000 on Monday. The victim in this matter is the Marcellus Fire Department, Fitz said. The plea requires Olsen to make restitution of more than $17,000 and includes a provision …

Read More »

Man drowned in lake

Cass County authorities recovered the body of a South Bend man who drowned Monday in Kirk Lake, northeast of Vandalia. The body of Eugene Carpenter, 69, was found Monday afternoon. Cass County authorities were called to the public access of Kirk Lake about 2 p.m. after a boat was found abandoned. Officials said it appears Carpenter was attempting to launch …

Read More »

Homicide in Cass County

Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood Jr. said his department is investigating a homicide that occurred around 1:30 p.m. Friday in the 19000 block of U.S. 12 in Mason Township. Deputies responded to a report of a person stabbed and found the victim, Martha Sexton, dead as a result of stab-related injuries. The suspect, 59-year-old Edward Hensley, is the victim’s brother. …

Read More »

Labrador saves boy

A black Labrador is credited with saving a 14-month-old boy from drowning Sunday in Marcellus. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, the young man slipped away from his mother as the two were headed to their garage and he wound up in the family pool. As soon as the mother realized her son was no longer with her, she …

Read More »

Csokasy taking leave of absence

Louis Csokasy, manager of road commissions in St. Joseph and Cass counties, said he is taking a leave of absence from both jobs starting next month in order to serve as interim administrator of Cass County. Csokasy, 64, said he was asked by Cass County officials late last week to fill the post left vacant after Charles Cleaver resigned earlier …

Read More »