News

A woman says her 13-year-old son had red marks and bruises on his neck after being choked by a substitute teacher at a Kalamazoo school. Mona Thompson tells WWMT-TV her son was asked to leave the classroom Tuesday at Kalamazoo’s Milwood Magnet School after another student threw a tennis ball at the teacher. She says the teacher grabbed the 8th grader by …

A southwestern Michigan man who authorities say walked into a police department and confessed to killing his girlfriend has been convicted. Berrien County Trial Court says 52-year-old James Parker Huffman of Niles was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder. He faces a mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole at his sentencing, which is scheduled for April …

The field of six candidates for Sturgis Public Schools’ superintendent position has been whittled to a list of two names. Nicole Airgood, the district’s current assistant superintendent, and Arthur Ebert, deputy superintendent of West Bloomfield Schools, were chosen as finalists this week. Airgood has been with the district for nine years. She previously served in administrative and teacher positions at …

Sturgis and St. Joseph County parks and recreation departments are collaborating to construct a disc-golf course at Cade Lake County Park. The course, named Deadwood at Cade Lake, will be an 18-hole course through the wooded area at Cade Lake County Park in Fawn River Township. Fundraising efforts for the project are underway. To sponsor a tee or make a …

Authorities in a southwestern Michigan county are investigating cases from nearly 200 previously untested rape kits that eventually could lead to charges. Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting tells the Kalamazoo Gazette for a story Thursday that investigators are trying to prioritize cases approaching the end of time periods where legal action can be taken. Some of the kits are close to 30 …

A shakeup at Tuesday’s Colon Village Council meeting saw the resignation of its president and a council member, and the contract of its village manager not renewed. After 14 months as village president, Diane Downs announced her resignation from the seven-member panel. Nancy Percival, a longtime council member, also announced her resignation, also effective immediately. Later, the board voted to …

A vehicle stolen last month from Kalamazoo was recovered this week in Schoolcraft. Schoolcraft police chief Bryan Campbell said his department was advised at 3 a.m. Wednesday to be on the lookout for a vehicle involved in a retail-theft incident in Three Rivers. The vehicle was spotted parked in a driveway in the 300 block of Duncan Street. Campbell said …

Two vehicles at the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority were damaged while parked in the agency’s garage this week. Chief Bryan Campbell said police were called shortly after 11 p.m. to the corner of Grand and Eliza streets, where a 59-year-old Grand Rapids man had repeatedly run his vehicle into the bay doors of the fire station, damaging the doors …

Michigan has approved a 30-day grace period for displaying a license plate on vehicles. Gov. Rick Snyder signed the bill Wednesday, affording Michiganders 30 days from the time of vehicle registration or renewal to display a registration plate while driving. During the 30-day buffer, drivers are instead required to present paper or electronic verification through the Law Enforcement Information Network …

St. Joseph County is one of 17 counties in the state to be declared a disaster area as the result of flooding from heavy rain and melting snow. Gov. Rick Snyder’s office said Monday’s declarations make state resources available to those areas, including grants of up to $100,000 for reimbursement of local response costs to the flooding, which peaked over …