A Trufant man was arrested Monday after he confessed to the murder of another man.

According to the Michigan State Police, a 37-year-old man from Trufant walked into the lobby of the Lakeview MSP Post on Monday, November 29, at approximately 1:45 p.m. and said that he had killed someone.

Troopers then went to a residence in Pine Township, Trufant, and discovered a 68-year-old man, identified as Stephen Edward Harrington, dead at the scene. 

The 37-year-old man, identified as Zachary Benjamin Corcoran, was then taken into custody and lodged in the Montcalm County Jail on charges of Open Murder. 

According to the Greenville Daily News, Corcoran allegedly stabbed the older man to death with a knife and then tried to cut off his head with a pair of scissors.

Police believe the incident to be the result of a live-together domestic situation and the investigation continues.  

Troopers were assisted by the MSP Grand Rapids Post.

In 2018, there were 14 killed and 498 injured people in motor vehicle crashes on Montcalm County roads. If drivers and passengers are unresponsive upon the arrival of first responders, it can be difficult to identify the victims. To help parents protect their children and provide crucial information in emergency situations, Sheriff Mike Williams is implementing the W.H.A.L.E program in Montcalm County. 

W.H.A.L.E stands for “We Have A Little Emergency.” The program is an identification and information package for child car safety seats. An information label is attached to the rear of the car seat to provide information about the child in the seat, such as name, age, medical information, and who to contact in case of an emergency. 

In the event of a motor vehicle crash that incapacitates parents or other adult passengers, first responders can use the label as a source of information to identify the child or his/her special medical needs. Rescue efforts may proceed more smoothly and efficiently if first responders know the name of the frightened child they are treating. 

Kits are available free of charge at the Sheriff’s Office in Stanton. They will also be distributed at the Montcalm County Public Safety Celebration on Saturday, May 18. The celebration will be held at the Montcalm County Complex, 659 N. State St, Stanton, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Sheriff Mike Williams is happy to announce Andrew Doezema as the next Montcalm County Undersheriff. 

As Undersheriff, he will oversee the Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Administrative divisions of the Sheriff’s Office. He will also serve as interim Jail Administrator while that position is vacant. 

Having served as a deputy sheriff, road patrol sergeant, and detective sergeant, Andrew brings 18 years of experience to his new position. His experience includes administration, advanced investigation, supervision, training, and patrol. 

Doezema is a licensed attorney, former president of the Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office chapter of the Command Officer’s Association of Michigan, forensic interviewer, speed measurement instructor, and Field Training Officer. 

He holds a Juris Doctor degree magna cum laude from Western Michigan University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Calvin College. 

Away from the Sheriff’s Office, Doezema enjoys travelling with his family, running, water and snow sports, and tinkering in his shop.

He replaces former Undersheriff Brian Waber, who retired at the end of March after a 33-year career with the MCSO.

Donna Mae Goodsell

A woman employed as sexton for cemeteries in two Montcalm townships has been arrested for embezzlement.

According to the Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office, they conducted an ongoing investigation regarding embezzlement in Day and Evergreen Townships after a complaint was filed regarding financial record inconsistencies. They concluded that the embezzlement occurred between 2012 and 2017, and led to the arrest of a 60-year-old Fenwick woman.

The investigation revealed that Donna Mae Goodsell was employed by both townships to be the sexton of their cemeteries. Goodsell’s duties included the sale of plots, maintenance, opening and closing of graves sites, and contracting for the setting of headstone footings. Goodsell allegedly did not properly forward all of the funds she received from residents to the respective Townships.

On November 30, 2017, Goodsell turned herself in to the Sheriff’s Office and was arrested on two felony warrants. Goodsell is charged with one count of embezzlement from each of the townships and is currently out on bond. The maximum sentence for each charge is 5 years in prison.

“Thankfully, there is no evidence that individual citizens were overcharged. While the township governments did not receive the payments, no individuals appear to be victims,” said Sheriff Williams.

Goodsell’s next court date is Friday, December 8, 2017.

This is the second hunter-harvested CWD-positive deer in Montcalm County; three additional suspect positives awaiting confirmation

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced today that the 1.5-year-old buck, harvested last month in Sidney Township (Montcalm County), was confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. This is the 11th case of CWD to be confirmed in a free-ranging deer in Michigan.

Since the harvest of that deer, three additional suspect positive deer—all from Montcalm County, in Pine, Reynolds and Sidney townships—are awaiting confirmation.

“Thank you to these hunters for checking their deer, which is required for these areas. Hunter assistance is critical in the ongoing fight against the spread of CWD,” said Chad Stewart, DNR deer specialist. “The response from hunters so far shows a strong willingness to help, and it’s clear that more hunters are committed to getting their deer tested.”

There are three Core CWD Areas that have mandatory check. To determine if a hunting location is within a mandatory check area, or to find the nearest DNR deer check station, visit michigan.gov/cwd.

“In a short amount of time, without many deer tested from these areas, we are finding more CWD-positive deer,” Stewart said. “This is concerning. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for hunters from the surrounding areas that are outside of mandatory check locations to have their deer tested, too.”

To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals. 

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. It is caused by the transmission of infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other body fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids, from environments contaminated with these fluids or the carcass of a diseased animal. 

To learn more about chronic wasting disease, visit michigan.gov/cwd. 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced on Tuesday, October 24, that a second hunter-harvested deer in Montcalm County is suspected positive for chronic wasting disease. A sample has been sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for confirmation. If confirmed positive, the 1.5-year-old buck, harvested in Sidney Township, would be the 11th free-ranging deer in Michigan found to have CWD.

“The fact that we already have another positive deer within Montcalm County is of major concern,” said Dr. Kelly Straka, DNR state wildlife veterinarian. “We strongly recommend hunters who harvest deer in Montcalm County have their deer tested. Deer with CWD can look perfectly healthy even though they are infected.”

To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in humans. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals. 

Since May 2015 when the first CWD deer was found, the DNR has tested more than 15,000 deer. Thus far, 10 cases of CWD have been confirmed in free-ranging white-tailed deer from Clinton, Ingham and Montcalm counties.

As additional deer have tested positive for CWD within Michigan, the DNR has put specific regulations in place. This deer was harvested in the Montcalm-Kent Core CWD Area, which includes Maple Valley, Pine, Douglass, Montcalm, Sidney, Eureka, and Fairplain townships in Montcalm County; and Spencer and Oakfield townships in Kent County. Starting Nov. 15, this nine-township area will have mandatory deer check.

As announced previously, the DNR will hold a town hall meeting Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Ash Foundation Building, located within the Montcalm County Fairgrounds at 8784 Peck Road in Greenville, Michigan.

At the meeting, Dr. Straka and DNR deer specialist Chad Stewart will provide information on chronic wasting disease, its effects on deer and deer populations, and DNR actions to date in responding to the discovery of the disease. Dr. Cheryl Collins, veterinarian from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, will be present to provide information and answer questions related to farmed deer.

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. It is caused by the transmission of infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other body fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids, from environments contaminated with these fluids, or from the carcass of a diseased animal. 

Some CWD-infected animals will display abnormal behaviors, progressive weight loss and physical debilitation; however, deer can be infected for many years without showing internal or external symptoms. There is no cure; once a deer is infected with CWD, it will die. 

To learn more about CWD, visit mi.gov/cwd. 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will hold a town hall meeting on chronic wasting disease Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Ash Foundation Building, located within the Montcalm County Fairgrounds at 8784 Peck Road in Greenville, Michigan.

Earlier this month, the DNR announced that a free-ranging deer in Montcalm County’s Montcalm Township tested positive for chronic wasting disease. Michigan first discovered CWD within a free-ranging deer in May 2015. Since that time, the DNR has tested more than 15,000 free-ranging deer, and 10 have tested positive for the disease.

At the meeting, Dr. Kelly Straka, DNR wildlife veterinarian, and Chad Stewart, DNR deer specialist, will provide information on the disease, its effects on deer and deer populations, and how the DNR has responded to the discovery of the disease. There will be plenty of time for questions.

The DNR hopes many hunters and concerned citizens will attend, especially those who hunt or reside in Douglass, Eureka, Fairplain, Maple Valley, Montcalm, Pine and Sidney townships in Montcalm County, and Oakfield and Spencer townships in Kent County. Local DNR staff members will be available to answer questions related to hunting in the area, including topics like mandatory deer checks, deer processing and new regulations.

“We have been receiving many phone calls from hunters,” said DNR field operations manager John Niewoonder. “We hope this meeting will help to clear up any misinformation and help hunters know the new check station locations and, in general, how they can help.”

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. It is caused by the transmission of infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other body fluids of infected animals.

To date, there is no evidence that chronic wasting disease presents any risk to non-cervids, including humans, either through contact with an infected animal or from handling venison. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals. Within seven days of submitting a deer head for testing, hunters will be able to find out the test results for their deer.

Learn more about chronic wasting disease at michigan.gov/cwd. 

With archery deer hunting season underway, DNR urges all hunters to take harvested deer to area check stations

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is encouraging hunters not to feed and bait deer in Kent and Montcalm Counties after a deer taken by a youth in Montcalm Township tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. A nine-township core area is also being created within the two counties with special regulations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed Wednesday, October 4, that a 3-1/2-year-old female deer taken during Michigan’s youth deer hunting season in September has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease.

The animal, harvested in Montcalm Township in Montcalm County, is the 10th free-ranging deer in Michigan found to have chronic wasting disease. The youth hunter who harvested the deer opted to take the animal to a Department of Natural Resources deer check station and then submitted the animal for testing—steps the DNR strongly encourages hunters across the state to take during the 2017 deer hunting seasons.

“Because this family decided to bring their deer to a DNR deer check station, state wildlife managers were able to gain important information about chronic wasting disease in mid-Michigan,” said Dr. Kelly Straka, DNR state wildlife veterinarian. “As we move through the archery and firearm seasons, voluntary deer testing will be critical not only within the currently affected areas but also throughout the south-central Lower Peninsula and the entire state.”

With Wednesday’s confirmation of chronic wasting disease in the Montcalm County deer, DNR Director Keith Creagh has signed an interim order (effective Oct. 4, 2017, through March 29, 2018) outlining next steps as governed by Michigan’s CWD Response and Surveillance Plan. The order:

• Creates a nine-township Core Area that includes Douglass, Eureka, Fairplain, Maple Valley, Montcalm, Pine and Sidney townships in Montcalm County, and Oakfield and Spencer townships in Kent County. Within the Core Area specifically:
  • Institutes mandatory registration of deer at a check station within 5 miles of the new Core CWD Area, within 72 hours of harvest, starting Nov. 15. (Available stations currently are at Flat River State Game Area and Howard City.)
  • Removes antler point restrictions for the restricted tag of the combo deer license within the nine-township Core Area.
  • Allows antlerless deer to be tagged using the deer or deer combo license(s) during the firearm, muzzleloader and late antlerless seasons.
  • Institutes mandatory submission of the head for testing of a road-killed deer within 72 hours of pick-up.
  • Allows disease control permits, effective immediately, for landowners with five or more acres within the nine-township Core Area.
• Bans the feeding and baiting of deer in Kent and Montcalm counties, effective Jan. 2, 2018, and encourages hunters not to bait and feed in these areas immediately.

The DNR will work with the Michigan Natural Resources Commission to make the order permanent, adjusting as needed in response to the evolving situation.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. It is caused by the transmission of infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other body fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids, from environments contaminated with these fluids or the carcass of a diseased animal.

Some CWD-infected animals will display abnormal behaviors, progressive weight loss, and physical debilitation; however, deer can be infected for many years without showing internal or external symptoms. There is no cure; once a deer is infected with CWD, it will die.

To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents any known risk to non-cervids, including humans, either through contact with an infected animal or from handling venison. However, as a precaution, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend that infected animals not be consumed as food by either humans or domestic animals.

Since May 2015, the DNR has actively conducted surveillance for CWD. To date, more than 14,000 deer have been tested since the first positive case was found, with 10 cases of CWD confirmed in free-ranging white-tailed deer identified in Clinton, Ingham and (now) Montcalm counties.

As additional deer have tested positive for CWD within Michigan, the DNR has put specific regulations in place. Currently, there are two CWD Core Areas, which are deer management units (DMUs) 333 and 359. To review regulations related to those areas, visit michigan.gov/cwd.

John Andrew Londo

A man died in a single car-crash on US-131 in Montcalm County last weekend.

According to the Michigan State Police Lakeview Post, the crash occurred on Saturday, July 8, about 7:30 p.m. on US-131, in Reynolds Township. The driver, John Andrew Londo, 32, of Evart, Mich., was southbound on US-131 when he lost control of his vehicle near Cutler Rd. The vehicle left the freeway and rolled over, causing Londo, who was not wearing his seatbelt, to be ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in the vehicle was transported to Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids with serious injuries. The passenger was not identified.

Assisting at the scene was the Howard City Fire Department and Montcalm County EMS.

According to his obituary, John Londo worked as a truck driver and would give a hand to help anyone who needed it. He enjoyed country and campfires and being on the water. Among those surviving him is a daughter who lives here in Cedar Springs.

An 18-year-old Caledonia woman was killed Sunday evening, June 11, when she was struck by a pickup truck in Montcalm County.

According to the Michigan State Police Lakeview Post, the crash occurred on June 11, 2017 at 8:54 p.m. on East Holland Lake Road east of Staines Road, in Sheridan.

Police said the woman was struck by a 2005 Ford F-250 pickup truck on East Holland Lake Rd.  The vehicle was driven by a 45 year old Douglas Weaver of Sheridan. The pedestrian was airlifted to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids where she passed away due to her injuries. The name of the pedestrian is being withheld at the request of family members.

Alcohol, speed, and weather conditions are not believed to be a factor.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Sheridan Fire Department and Montcalm County EMS.

Monique Megchiani

A Greenville woman was arrested last week after she picked up someone’s credit card and used it to pay for phone calls from an ex-boyfriend who was in jail.

According to the Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office, the owner of the credit card had mistakenly left it at a restaurant in Greenville. The suspect, Monique Megchiani, 38, of Greenville, found the card. She had been receiving phone calls from her ex-boyfriend, who was in the Van Buren County jail. She was prompted to enter a credit card to pay for the calls, so she used the card to pay for the incoming calls.

Megchiani was arrested on Wednesday, November 23, and lodged in the Montcalm County Jail on felony possession of a financial transaction device and stealing/retaining a financial transaction device without consent. Her bond was set at $2,500.

A Gowen man was arrested Monday, November 21, after he stabbed a male victim several times with a knife.

Michigan State Police from the Lakeview Post responded to the call on Colby Road, Evergreen Township, Montcalm County, at approximately 2:20 a.m. They said that a 19-year old male suspect from Gowen confronted an 18-year-old male victim with a knife at the residence and stabbed him several times.

The suspect was subdued at the scene by the victim’s family members until police arrived on scene and took him into custody.  The victim was transported to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids for his injuries.

The suspect was lodged in the Montcalm County Jail pending arraignment on charges of Assault with Intent to Murder, Assault with Intent to do Great Bodily Harm Less Than Murder, and Home Invasion 1^st Degree.

The names are being withheld pending formal charges and arraignment.