Hastings
101-year-old’s plan helps catch suspected thief
HASTINGS, Mich. (AP) — A 101-year-old Michigan retirement community resident who suspected someone was stealing cash from her purse hatched a plan herself using money as bait to help figure out the thief’s identity.
Pauline Puttbrese lives at Woodlawn Meadows Retirement Village in Hastings, where she gets around-the-clock care. She told TV stations WOOD and WXMI that she first noticed money possibly missing from her purse a few weeks ago, but wasn’t certain.
Puttbrese said she noticed money missing again a few days later, so she came up with a plan: Leaving $17 in her purse “for bait.” She was able to figure out which employee might be involved due to the timing of the theft — and the retirement community’s administrator and police got involved.
“It just made me ill. Sick to my stomach, I couldn’t even eat,” Puttbrese said of the thefts.
Officers went to the retirement community about 30 miles southeast of Grand Rapids on June 9 to investigate Puttbrese’s case. Hastings Police Chief Jeff Pratt credited her with helping to catch the suspect, who confessed after speaking with police, The Grand Rapids Press reported.
The employee has been fired, WXMI said.
The case also is being sent to Barry County prosecutors for review of possible charges. In all, Puttbrese said she lost about $70 in cash. She said she isn’t concerned about getting it back, but has thoughts about a proper punishment for the thief.
“I just want to kick her in the rear end,” Puttbrese said.
Lansing
Health officials want to recognize obesity as disease
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Current and former top public health officials are calling on states and the federal government to recognize obesity as a disease.
Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson will be in Lansing on Wednesday to urge Congress to pass legislation requiring Medicare to cover obesity medicines for seniors. The ex-Wisconsin governor is expected to join Michigan Department of Community Health Director James Haveman at a news conference in the state Capitol building.
Haveman plans to outline progress made on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s health and wellness plan.
Eighteen percent of Michigan’s population was obese in 1995. The rate reached 32 percent by 2010, and officials are warning half of the state’s residents could be obese by 2030.
Ludington
Mother of office’s killer gets 18 months to 5 years
LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) — The mother of a man convicted of killing a Michigan state trooper has received a prison sentence of 18 months to five years for helping him flee.
Fifty-year-old Tammi L. Spofford pleaded no-contest May 5 to being an accessory after the fact. The plea isn’t an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing.
Mason County Circuit Judge Richard I. Cooper sentenced her Tuesday in Ludington.
Authorities say the Irons resident helped her son Eric Knysz and his wife Sarah after the fatal shooting of state Trooper Paul Butterfield last year.
Eric Knysz was convicted of murder in February and hanged himself in April at a detention center in Jackson. Sarah Knysz is serving 2-5 years in prison for being an accessory after the fact.
Escanaba
Ex-mayor accused of embezzling more than $100K
ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — The former mayor of Escanaba who resigned from the city council two months ago has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from the Eagles Club, a local group that raises money for community projects.
Leo Evans, 58, was arrested Monday and released on bond. Evans waived a hearing to determine whether there’s probable cause for the charge, and the case will move directly to Delta County Circuit Court.
Messages seeking comment were left for Evans and his attorney, Jayne Mackowiak.
“This came as a big shock to all of us,” Marc Tall, mayor of the Upper Peninsula city, said Tuesday. “Leo didn’t appear to be the kind of guy to get into this kind of trouble.”
Evans, who abruptly resigned in April from the city council, had served as mayor in the past. The mayor is the leader of the council. Day-to-day decisions in Escanaba are made by a city manager.
“When he resigned, he said it was for an upcoming problem,” Tall said.
Det. Sgt. Christopher Bracket of the state police said Evans has been cooperative during the investigation.
The Eagles Club is a fraternal organization that raises money for other groups and projects in Escanaba. A message seeking comment was left at the club.
Muskegon
Charter school district gets self-management plan
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — A charter school district in Muskegon Heights will operate under a self-management plan rather than be run by an outside management company, a change that’s designed to bring more local control to the western Michigan community’s schools, officials said.
The Muskegon Heights Public School Academy board on Monday night hired Alena Zachery-Ross as superintendent, approved an agreement to contract with the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District for financial management and picked an employment agency.
Mosaica Education Inc. has served as the management company since the public schools were turned into charter schools. Mosaica, which has said it was losing money on the effort, plans to cease operations in Muskegon Heights this month.
Zachery-Ross, who previously was superintendent under Mosaica, will be the only direct employee of the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy. She said she knows the community wants to return to a traditional public school district, but that’s not currently possible.
The charter school district was created in 2012 as a solution to debt that put Muskegon Heights Public Schools into financial emergency. The traditional public school district, Muskegon Heights Public Schools, still exists but only to pay off the debts it incurred.
The schools were turned into a charter district by a former state-appointed emergency manager, and the district still is overseen by an emergency manager appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder. That emergency manager, Greg Weatherspoon, was in the audience for Monday’s meeting.
Jackson
Man tried to toss drug-filled football over prison fence
JACKSON, Mich. (AP) — Michigan authorities say a man tried to throw a football loaded with drugs and cellphones into the yard of a state prison.
State Trooper Toby Baker says Sunday’s throw in Jackson fell short, with the football landing between two fences, not in the yard where prisoners exercise.
An officer at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility saw the man throw the football, and officers arrested the suspect.
The Detroit Free Press and the Jackson Citizen-Patriot say the ball contained heroin, marijuana, tobacco, three cellphones and chargers.
Twenty-two-year-old Christen D. Moore was arraigned Tuesday in Jackson District Court on contraband charges and ordered jailed on a $50,000 bond. His probable-cause hearing is June 30.
