CASS COUNTY

CASS COUNTY, MI – A person robbed two businesses with a gun Tuesday evening. The first robbery was at 5:43 p.m., Nov. 16 at the Shell gas station, 198 E. Main St. in Marcellus, Cass County Sheriff’s Office said.

CASS COUNTY, MI — Two people were injured after a head-on crash along M-51 in Cass County Wednesday evening. Cass County Sheriff deputies responded at about 7:42 p.m. Nov 10 to the crash at M-51 and Pokagon Highway in Pokagon Township, between Dowagiac and Niles, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Eric Blevins, 34, and his passenger, Raemarie Bailey, 33, both from Niles, were driving south on M-51 in a Dodge Durango. Alcohol use does not appear to be a factor in the crash, police said, and airbags did deploy in both vehicles. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the Pokagon Tribal Police Department, Pokagon Township Fire Department and SMCAS Ambulance, police said.

CASS COUNTY, MI – One person was killed and another injured Tuesday, Nov. 9, in a head-on crash on M-152 north of Dowagiac, sheriff’s deputies said. The crash happened around 5:45 p.m. on M-152 near Philips Road in Cass County’s Silver Creek Township. Police said that an eastbound vehicle crossed the center line and struck a westbound vehicle. The eastbound vehicle rolled over while both became engulfed in flames, sheriff’s deputies said. One of the drivers was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was treated at a hospital and released.

CASS COUNTY, MI - A 20-year-old Niles man was hospitalized after crashing his car late Friday evening in Howard Township, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. The office received a call concerning the crash at roughly 11:40 p.m. Friday, according to the release. The man had to be removed from the car by the Howard Township Fire Department. While the man was wearing a seatbelt, police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, according to the release. Read more:Man robbed, carjacked at gunpoint in Monroe County, police say25-year-old Monroe man in critical condition after crashKalamazoo head-on crash leaves two in critical condition

CASS COUNTY, MI – An 18-year-old Dowagiac man was killed when he lost control of his pickup and crashed into a tree on Thursday. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash on Dixon Street near Indian Lake Road around 5 p.m. on Oct. 21. Deputies found Maynor Hernandez was traveling east on Dixon Street when he lost control of his 2004 Chevy truck, went off the road, overturned and struck a tree, police said. Police said Hernandez was not wearing a seat belt, police said, adding it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash. The Pokagon Tribal Police Department, Sister Lakes Fire Department, Indian Lake Fire Department and Pride Care Ambulance assisted at the scene.

CASS COUNTY, MI — Police have arrested a suspect following an investigation into “threats of violence” at Cassopolis Public Schools. Cassopolis school officials and Cass County Sheriff’s deputies received two separate tips on Sunday, Oct. 10, about an individual who was reportedly making threats of violence at the school, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Police and school officials investigated the threat and identified a suspect, according to the release. He is currently being held at the Cass County Jail. Police ask anyone with additional information about this incident or any other crimes to call the Cass County Tip Line at 800-462-9328.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A man died in a crash after attempting to pass a car Thursday afternoon. Muse attempted to pass a car driven by a 73-year-old Elkhart man. Muse’s vehicle clipped the front of the Elkhart man’s vehicle as he reentered his lane, lost control and hit a tree, police said. A 17-year-old passenger in Muse’s car was taken to South Bend Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. More from MLive:Police searching for 31-year-old suspected of stabbing his father in PortageTwo new judges appointed to vacant posts in Kalamazoo County District CourtMan who fatally shot former Kalamazoo County candidate in front of their children convicted of manslaughter

MASON TWP, MI — A person has died in a Cass County traffic crash. About 11:32 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, sheriff’s deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash on Mason Street near the intersection with Gordon Road in Mason Township. The Ion’s driver, identified as 19-year-old Matthew R. White of South Bend, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Four passengers, all 18 or 19, were taken to South Bend Memorial Hospital for injuries they sustained in the crash. Assisting deputies on scene were Porter Fire EMS and Michigan State Police.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A 65-year-old Dowagiac man was killed Monday, Sept. 27, in a house fire, sheriff’s deputies said. The victim was identified as Robert Hilliard. The fire was reported around 11:15 a.m. in the 24000 block of Meade Street, east of Arnold Street, in Cass County’s Wayne Township. The incident remains under investigation by Cass County Sheriff’s Department. Read more:US 131 interchange in downtown Grand Rapids to receive $10 million for possible reconfiguration‘I pray you never forget,’ says aunt of student killed at Kalamazoo facility as nurse is sentenced for child abuseWalker police investigating 2 fatal crashes

LAWRENCE, MI – An 18-year-old Decatur High School senior died from COVID-19 this week, prompting health officials to renew a call for vaccinations. The Van Buren Cass District Health Department confirmed the COVID-19 associated death on Friday, Sept. 24, the first such reported during the region’s fourth surge of the virus. The death toll from the virus in Van Buren and Cass counties has now reached 234. Related: Most COVID-19 cases per-capita in Michigan are among people under 30In Van Buren and Cass counties, the health department has confirmed 192 COVID-19 cases among children under the age of 19 since the school year started. Nearly 53% of eligible Van Buren and Cass County residents have received their first dose of the vaccine, trailing behind the statewide average of 67%.

CASS COUNTY, MI - A crash taking place Saturday afternoon in Cass County resulted in injuries to three involved, all of whom are over the age of 60, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Just after 12:30 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff’s office was called to a crash at the intersection of M-60 and Yankee Street in Howard Township. A 72-year-old Niles resident was turning onto Yankee Street when she crashed into an oncoming vehicle driven by a 63-year-old Lawrence resident, according to the release. The 72-year-old and her passenger, an 82-year-old Niles resident, were both taken to St. Joe Medical Center. Police believe those involved wore seatbelts and were not intoxicated at the time of the crash, according to the release.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A motorcycle rider was seriously injured when he hit a brick mailbox Thursday night. A 62-year-old Niles man was riding his motorcycle at 8:28 p.m., Sept. 16, on Anderson Road when he lost control at a curve near M-60 in Howard Township, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said. The man left the road and hit a brick mailbox, police said. He was taken by ambulance to Howard Township Fire Department where a helicopter then took him to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, police said. Whitmer kidnap case out at FBI

CASS COUNTY, MI – Police are searching for the driver of a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run crash that left a motorcyclist hospitalized in critical condition Monday. The vehicle was last seen traveling west on M-62 from Dowagiac. Police said a 34-year-old motorcyclist from Dowagiac was traveling south on Spruce Street/M-51 approaching State Road/M-62. The suspect vehicle that changed lanes reportedly fled the scene west on M-62. The suspect vehicle was captured by surveillance video near the area of the crash.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A woman was killed when a driver crossed the center lane Friday morning. A 73-year-old driver going north crossed the center line and drove head-on into a southbound vehicle around 7 a.m. Sept. 10 on M-62, north of U.S. 12 in Ontwa Township, in Cass County, the Ontwa Township Edwardsburg Police Department said in a news release. Elkhart, Indiana resident Nashay Charleston, 23, was driving the southbound vehicle that was hit, police said. The 73-year-old Plymouth, Indiana driver was taken to Memorial Hospital in South Bend by ambulance, police said. M-62 between U.S. 12 and Hess Street was closed for about four hours, until 11:30 a.m., per the Michigan Department of Transportation.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A 3-year-old was airlifted to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo to be treated for injuries after he was involved in a dirt bike crash. The crash happened at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5, in the 500 block of Snyder Street in the Village of Marcellus in Cass County, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Police were called to Three Rivers Hospital on the report of a 3-year-old child who was injured in a dirt bike crash that had happened on private property. The driver of the dirt bike, a 49-year-old man, told police that the bike’s throttle cable broke while he and the child were riding the bike. The crash remains under investigation by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

CASS COUNTY, MI – One man died in a single-vehicle crash early Monday morning. Enrique Aguirre, 22, of Dowagiac died after a crash around 3:26 a.m. Monday, Aug. 23, near the intersection of M-62 and Sink Road in Silver Creek Township, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said. Aguirre was driving east when he left the road and his vehicle rolled over multiple times, police said. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from his vehicle. Police are still investigating the crash.

CASS COUNTY, MI - Five people were injured Saturday evening in a car crash in Jefferson Township, including three children, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. At roughly 7:20 p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a call about a crash at the intersection of Davis Lake Street and M-62. The two drivers, as well as the 34-year-old woman’s three children, were taken to South Bend Memorial Hospital for their injuries. Allen failed to stop at the stop sign and was struck by Evans. Ms. Evans, Ms. Allen and her three children (2 11 yrs old and 1 2yr old) were transported to South Bend Memorial Hospital for injuries sustained during the crash.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A chain-reaction crash killed an Indiana woman and injured two others near Dowagiac Monday. The incident occurred around 5:40 p.m. Aug. 9 at M-51 and M-152 in Silver Creek Township, according to a press release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. She was the only person involved in the crash who was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the press release. Other agencies responding to the scene were Pokagon Band Tribal Police, Dowagiac Police, Dowagiac City Fire Department, Keeler Township Fire Department, VBEMS Ambulance Service, Michigan Department of Transportation, True’s Towing, Wayne Township Fire Department and Sister Lakes Fire Department. Also on MLive3-year-old shot in Southwest Michigan recovering well after surgery, police say‘No administrative remedy’ for Kalamazoo vice mayor, city commission candidate to get names on November ballotToddler critically injured in ‘suspicious situation’ in Southwest Michigan

CASS COUNTY, MI – Visitors to the Cass County Fair can get a $50 gift card when they get a coronavirus vaccine. People who are 18 and older can get a $50 Visa gift card while children between 12 and 17 can get a $25 gift card, the release said. Between July 18 and 24, Cass County had 28 positive cases of COVID-19 and a 6.6% positivity rate, the health department said. Cass County has administered 31,402 vaccines as of July 27, per the state of Michigan. As the Delta variant spreads, it threatens to slow down progress made in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the health department said.

CASS COUNTY, MI - A two-car crash Saturday evening in Silver Creek Township sent three people to the hospital, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. The crash took place at roughly 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24 at the intersection of M-51 and M-152, according to the release. The Dowagiac woman and her 15-year-old son were taken to Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo for their injuries, according to the release. A 71-year-old Gobles woman who was a passenger in the pickup was taken to Ascension Borgess-Lee Hospital in Dowagiac. Police do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash and everyone involved was wearing seatbelts, according to the release.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A driver tried to ram a car with his vehicle and then hid in child’s tree fort to avoid police. The suspect saw the man’s vehicle and tried to ram it, police said. The suspect then tried to side-swipe the vehicle and then left. Police saw the suspect’s vehicle while responding to the scene and tried to pull the driver over. Police K-9 Faust tracked the suspect for half a mile through woods, where the person was found hiding inside a child’s tree fort, police said.

CASS COUNTY, MI - Four motorists were injured and hospitalized Saturday, July 10 after a pair of single-vehicle crashes in Cass County, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. At just after 2 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff’s office investigated a Pokagon Township motorcycle crash. The man was taken to Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph for his injuries. Two passengers, an 18-year-old Chicago woman and 15-year-old Three Rivers teen, were both taken to Elkhart General Hospital. Police believe those injured were not using seat belts and the driver may have been intoxicated, according to the release.

The death toll from car crashes on Michigan roadways this year has reached 540 fatalities. During the same week in 2020, there were 29 fatalities, according to Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. Ahead of the 2021 holiday weekend, AAA Michigan projected a 22% increase in travel now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. Nationwide, an estimated 38,680 people died in car crashes in 2020, which amounts to a 7.2% increase from the previous year. In Michigan, 1,083 people died in car crashes last year, an increase of 9.9% deaths compared to the previous year, according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

CASS COUNTY, MI — Police are searching for a 2008-2012 Chevrolet Malibu they believe may have been involved in a hit-and-run crash Monday morning that injured a cyclist. Watson was thrown from his bike upon impact and landed in a ditch, but the vehicle that hit him continued southbound, a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office states. Watson was transported to Elkhart General Hospital for treatment. Anyone with information related to the accident is asked to contact Cass County Dispatch at 269-445-2484. Also on MLive:South Bend woman, 43, dies in Cass County crashPedestrian, 73, struck and killed in early-morning crash in Southwest Michigan((((no one has been shot)))

CASS COUNTY, MI — A South Bend woman died following a head-on collision Sunday outside of Dowagiac. Denise Lamb, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene, Cass County Sheriff Richard J. Behnke said. Deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, south of Crystal Springs Road on M-51 in Pokagon Township, at around 4:26 p.m. Sunday, July 4. Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in this crash and seat belts were worn by all parties involved. Assisting the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on scene was personnel from the Pokagon Township Fire Department, PrideCare, SMCAS, the Pokagon Tribal Police Department and Trues Towing.

CASS COUNTY, MI -- A 30-year-old Three Rivers man fleeing police was injured when his vehicle crashed into a pole, police said. Cass County sheriff’s deputies said Chase Ryan Rohm was fleeing police on M-40 near Hoffman Road when he tried to avoid stop sticks. The vehicle crashed into an electric pole, overturned and stopped in a ditch. Rohm was taken to a hospital in Three Rivers for treatment of unspecified injuries. More from MLiveMan flees from stolen vehicle, tosses bag of cash in Kalamazoo CountyLast week’s rain put a dent in Michigan’s drought, see how it changed

In April 2021, Kylr Yust was found guilty of killing two former girlfriends who went missing roughly 10 years apart just outside Kansas City.

CASS COUNTY, MI - The pilot of a crop duster was hospitalized Sunday, June 20, after a crash in Southwest Michigan. The pilot, Ralph Edward Lutes, 68, of Shipshewana, Indiana, was injured. The crash was reported at 1:37 p.m. near Indigan Lane in Edwardsburg, Cass County sheriff’s deputies said. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, sheriff’s deputies said. Also responding to the scene were Michigan State Police, Edwardsburg police and firefighters and Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Services.

CASS COUNTY, MI — Police are investigating a one-vehicle crash in Cass County’s Howard Township. Cass County sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash site near the intersection of M-51 and Maple Street at about 10:58 p.m. Friday, June 18. They determined a 41-year-old male Dowagiac resident had been traveling north on M-51 when he left the road, hit an embankment, and rolled his vehicle. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt, police said, adding that alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

Cass County/GoFundMeA 14-year-old girl who was stabbed 25 times in a random attack while skateboarding to her mother’s house in Fargo, North Dakota, has died from her injuries, her family said.“We just got word from the Doctor today that Our baby girl is too far gone and there isn’t anything they can do,” Daisy “Jupiter” Paulsen’s father, Robert, wrote on a GoFundMe page set up in the aftermath of the brutal attack to help with medical bills. “Just to gather family and to say our goodbyes… This

A Kansas City man convicted of killing two women a decade apart was sentenced Monday to life in prison for one of the killings and 15 years behind bars for the other, with the terms to run consecutively. Kylr Yust, 32, was convicted in April of second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions, 21, of Raymore, and voluntary manslaughter in the death of Kara Kopetsky, 17, of Belton. The Cass County jury that convicted him recommended life in prison for Runions' death and 15 years in Kopetsky's death, and Cass County Circuit Judge William Collins followed those recommendations.

The jury recommended sentencing Kylr Yust to life in prison after he was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Jessica Runions.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A man was airlifted from the scene of a serious crash early Monday, June 7, in Southwest Michigan, sheriff’s deputies said. Michael DeWeerd, 31, of Vandalia, suffered severe injuries in the 1 a.m. crash on Day Lake Street near Paradise Cove in Cass County’s Calvin Township. He was driving north on Day Lake Street when his vehicle left the road and crashed into a large tree. He was airlifted by Memorial MedFlight helicopter to Memorial Hospital of South Bend. Read more:Man pinned in pickup truck after crashing into treeGrand Rapids police hiring fired Kalamazoo chief ‘makes no sense,’ say activistsJuneteenth events around Kalamazoo to celebrate Black history, freedom from slavery

CASS COUNTY, MI - Five children were hospitalized for treatment after a Saturday La Grange Township crash, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. An initial investigation suggested the first car failed to stop at an intersection, then hitting the other vehicle, according to the release. Neither the driver nor passenger of the second vehicle were injured, but five children in the Cassopolis woman’s car were taken to South Bend Memorial Hospital for treatment, according to the release. Police believe alcohol and narcotics were not involved, and all involved used seatbelts and car seats where appropriate, according to the release. Pokagon Tribal Police, Dowagiac City Police, Cass Central Fire and multiple ambulance services assisted the sheriff’s office at the scene.

CASS COUNTY, MI -- A 29-year-old man who was shot by his father during a drunken argument has died, police said. Cass County sheriff’s deputies identified the younger man as Cody Gonder. The son had been excessively drinking and had a gun in a side holster when a fight started with his father, police said. The father disarmed his son and threw the gun to the side, deputies said. The son came toward the father again to assault him, police said, when the father grabbed the gun and shot the younger man in the head.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – The man killed in a house fire Sunday morning was identified. Alfred Dale Cummings, 75, died in a fire in the 12000 block of Linden Avenue in Sawyer, in Berrien County, around 3:30 a.m. on May 23, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said. Related: Berrien County house fire leaves one deadThe home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighter arrived on scene. The Western Michigan University Department of Pathology confirmed Cummings’ identity, according to a Thursday news release from the sheriff’s office. More from MLive:Father shoots son in head during drunken fight in Cass County, police sayMichigan state trooper honored for actions during deadly home invasion near KalamazooPortage food and music event Friday at the Flats returns in June

CASS COUNTY, MI – A father shot his son in the head after a drunken argument Wednesday night, police say. The son had been excessively drinking and had a gun in a side holster when a fight started with his father, police said. The son came toward the father again to assault him, polie said, when the father grabbed the gun and shot the younger man in the head. Once the investigation is complete, it will be sent to the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office for a review of potential charges. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 269-445-1560.

CASS COUNTY, MI – Police released the name of a 15-year-old girl who was fatally shot Sunday. Jessica Heroy, 15, was killed in a shooting around 1:42 p.m. Sunday, May 16, on Maple Street in Cass County’s Ontwa Township, Ontwa Township-Edwardsburg Police Chief Douglas Westrick told MLive. A 12-year-old is believed to have pulled the trigger, thinking the gun was unloaded, after taking the gun out of a safe, police said. She was not related to the 12-year-old, but they were friends, Westrick said. Once the investigation is complete, findings will be forwarded to the Cass County prosecutor’s office to review for potential charges.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A 15-year-old girl was shot and killed by a 12-year-old who apparently believed the gun was unloaded, police said. The shooting was reported at 1:42 p.m. Sunday, May 16, on Maple Street in Cass County’s Ontwa Township, east of Niles. It was believed to be unloaded, Ontwa Township - Edwardsburg police reported. Once the investigation is complete, findings will be forwarded to Cass County prosecutors to review for potential charges. Cass County sheriff’s deputies, Edwardsburg firefighters and Edwardsburg Ambulance Service paramedics assisted at the scene.

CASS COUNTY, MI - A 20-year-old Dowagiac woman and her passenger were injured in a single-vehicle crash Friday evening in Wayne Township, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. At roughly 9:40 p.m. Friday, the sheriff’s office was called to investigate a crash on Rudy Road near Gage Street in Wayne Township, according to the release. The driver lost control of her car headed northbound on Rudy, heading off the road and overturning. The woman and her passenger, a 19-year-old resident of South Bend, Indiana, were able to leave the car and were taken to Elkhart General Hospital for their injuries. Police do not believe drugs and alcohol were a factor in the crash, and both were wearing seatbelts, according to the release.

CASS COUNTY, MI – A man towing a stolen golf cart early Monday, May 10, crashed his van into a mobile home during a police chase, Cass County sheriff’s deputies said. The golf cart crashed earlier in the pursuit. The incident began around 2:10 a.m. when Edwardsburg police spotted a vehicle towing a golf cart on M-62 near Oil Can Road in Cass County’s Jefferson Township. The golf cart crashed on Oil City Road but the van continued to flee police until it crashed into a mobile home at Eagle Lake Estates in Ontwa Township. A 36-year-old man who was riding in the golf cart was found hiding near the golf cart by the sheriff’s tracking dog, Faust.

LANSING, MICH. -- This week the 2021 Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation honored the preservation work behind five Michigan historical landmarks, ranging from a lighthouse in Northeast Michigan to Detroit’s Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, the birthplace of the Model T car. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to recognize the recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation,” said Gov. Read on for a list of this year’s honorees, and learn more about the Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation here. Photo used with permission from State Historic Preservation Office1. Photo used with permission from State Historic Preservation Office2.

CASS COUNTY, MI – One person was injured in a crash Thursday afternoon in Cass County’s Wayne Township. A 30-year-old Dowagiac man was slowing down to turn right off Dewey Lake Street onto Rudy Road around 2:20 p.m. on April 29 when his car was rear-ended, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said. A 34-year-old Dowagiac man failed to slow his pickup and hit the other man’s car, police said. After the pickup hit the car, the car left the road and hit a utility pole. The pickup driver was not injured.

CASS COUNTY, MI — An Indiana woman died in a crash in Cass County Monday morning. The two-car crash happened around 11:21 a.m. April 26 on U.S. 12, west of Beebe Road, in Milton Township, near the border with Indiana, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said. Related: Fatal crash closes U.S. 12 in Cass CountyPrinscella Outlaw, 48, of Elkhart, Indiana, was driving east when she collided with vehicle driven west by a 34-year-old Hillsdale man. The crash is still under investigation, police said. More from MLive:Kalamazoo man, 26, was motorcyclist killed in hit-and-run crashKalamazoo Farmers Market opens Saturday at Mayors’ Riverfront ParkGrand Rapids man sentenced to life for providing fatal dose of fentanyl to retired judge’s daughter

CASS COUNTY, MI – At least one person has died in a crash in Cass County. The crash happened before 1:35 p.m., April 26, on U.S. 12 near Beebe Road in Milton Township, near the border with Indiana, the Michigan State Police said. The road is closed at the intersection and drivers should find different routes. There is no additional information to be released at this time, police said. More from MLive:Walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic held by Kalamazoo County Health DepartmentMichigan coronavirus data for Monday, April 26: Downward trend continues, but long way to go18-year-old dies in Barry County crash

LAGRANGE TWP., MI - A Stevensville man is in the hospital after a rollover crash Sunday afternoon in Cass County, police said. Deputies responded to a crash at 12:44 p.m., Sunday, April 11, in the area of O’Keefe Road and Shurte Street in LaGrange Township, north of Cassopolis, said the Cass County Sheriff’s Office in a news release. An initial investigation by police has determined a 53-year-old man lost control of his car while headed north on O’Keefe Road. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office received assistance at the scene from the Cassopolis fire and police departments and Pride Care Ambulance. Read more from MLive:Driver flees after crashing vehicle into Saginaw convenience storeTwo shot and injured in Wyoming neighborhoodMother and son hospitalized after Cass County crashFennville woman dies after Ottawa County rear-end crashOne of four victims in Allendale shooting in critical conditionFour shot at Allendale apartment complex; police search for suspect

CASS COUNTY, MI - A mother and son were hospitalized after a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning, police said. Deputies responded around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, April 11, to a single-vehicle crash on M-51 near Crystal Springs Street in Pokagon Township, southwest of Dowagiac. The boy was thrown from the vehicle and the woman had to be removed from the vehicle by first responders. It is believed neither the boy or woman had on their seat belt at the time of the crash, police said. Pokagon Tribal Police Department, Dowagiac Police Department, Pokagon Volunteer Fire department, Dowagiac Fire Department, Pride Care Ambulance, SMACS Ambulance, and Med Flight assisted the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at the scene.

CASS COUNTY, MICH. -- Michigan’s newest international dark sky park is offering some special programming in the coming days to celebrate International Dark Sky Week, hosted each year by the International Dark-Sky Association to raise awareness about light pollution’s negative effects. Lawless International Dark Sky Park, located in southwestern Lower Michigan, will be open for Dark Sky Week stargazing each night from April 5-10. Lawless International Dark Sky Park debuted just last year, making it the second park in Michigan to be awarded the prestigious designation from the Arizona-based International Dark-Sky Association, or IDSA. The other park in Michigan to have received international dark-sky recognition so far is Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Emmet County. For up-to-date information from Lawless International Dark Sky Park, visit the park’s Facebook page.

HOWARD TWP., MI - A Berrien Springs man suffered injuries Sunday afternoon after losing control of his car and striking a tree in Cass County, police said. Deputies responded to a single-car crash report around 1:57 p.m., March 21 on the 2600 block of Terminal Street in Howard Township, said Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke in a news release. Police determined that 21-year-old Noah Heiermann was headed east on Terminal Street when he lost control of the vehicle, exited the roadway and collided with the tree. Firefighters extricated Heiermann from the car, and paramedics transported him to South Bend Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries, police said. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office received assistance at the scene from the Pokagon Tribal Police, Howard Township Fire Department and Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Services.

MILTON TWP., MI - An Indiana woman died in a highway crash in Cass County early Sunday, police said. Deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash around 2:08 a.m., March 21 to US-12 east of Anderson Road in Milton Township, said Cass County Sheriff Richard J. Behnke in a release. Police discovered Casey Butler, a 34-year-old woman from Elkhart, next to the freeway in an overturned car. It is not clear if drugs or alcohol are factors in the crash, police said. Read more from MLive:1 killed in rollover crash on I-94 in Detroit, police sayJackson woman killed in shooting Saturday nightFamily safe, cat missing after fire heavily damages Grand Blanc Township homeMan dies after rollover crash in Cass County1 dead, 1 critical after rollover crash on I-96 in DetroitPolice investigate shooting death in Van Buren County

NILES, Mich. – The Michigan State Police department is reminding residents to not text and drive after a distracted driver was involved in a multiple-vehicle collision Monday. The crash was captured by a MSP trooper’s dashcam near Niles, on Michigan’s southwest side. According to the National Highway Trafic Safety Administration, distracted driving killed nearly 3,000 people in 2018 -- 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians and 77 bicyclists -- and injured about 400,000 people. Click below link to learn more.https://t.co/nZ4evR3dOU pic.twitter.com/LOiMET1Iyo — MSPSouthwestMI (@MspSouthwestMI) November 23, 2020A Plymouth high school student is getting national attention for a project spotlighting the dangers of distracted driving. With the support of Students Against Destructive Decisions and Lear Corporation, students across the nation were invited to create videos and memes to drive the message home.

On Nov. 17, 2013, more than 70 tornadoes moved across part of the Midwest, impacting seven states including Michigan. Illinois and Indiana were hardest hit by what the National Weather Service (NWS) called a “major late-season severe weather outbreak." Here’s a look at where the tornadoes were recorded:Tornado Outbreak Nov. 17, 2013 (National Weather Service)Tornado Outbreak Nov. 17, 2013 (National Weather Service)Radar indicated circulation tracks shown from the Nov. 17, 2013 tornado outbreak in the Midwest. WASHINGTON, IL - NOVEMBER 17: The damage is surveyed along Elgin Avenue after a tornado struck on November 17, 2013 in Washington, Illinois. Tornado Outbreak Nov. 17, 2013 (National Weather Service)More: Weather History

CASSOPOLIS, Mich. – Police in southwestern Michigan said two brothers who were electrocuted when the mast of the sailboat they were moving hit a power line were in stable condition Sunday at an Indiana hospital. Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke said the brothers were transported to a hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The men, ages 31 and 19, were accidentally electrocuted Saturday afternoon in LaGrange Township while moving a sailboat. The mast struck a power line running to a house, according to authorities. They were transported by ambulance and helicopter to the hospital.

LAGRANGE TOWNSHIP, Mich. The state Attorney Generals Office has agreed to handle the prosecution of any crimes stemming from a large party on a southwestern Michigan lake in which hundreds of people ignored state orders to wear masks or socially distance. The Cass County Prosecutors Office asked the Attorney General's Office to appoint a special prosecutor after a viral video showed hundreds of people in swimsuits Saturday gathered at Diamond Lake, near Cassopolis in Cass County, WOOD-TV reported. The prosecutors office says it asked for the review because of a conflict of interest stemming from a longtime affiliation with one of the lake associations. Gretchen Whitmers office said it was incredibly disappointing to see so many people ignoring safe distance guidelines. The virus doesnt discriminate, said Danielle Persky of the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department.

LANSING, Mich. - Health officials have confirmed another human case of Eastern equine encephalitis in Michigan as aerial spraying in 14 counties concludes. Five additional cases of EEE have been confirmed in horses in Jackson, Kent and Tuscola counties, according to officials. The illness in the Cass County resident and the horses was contracted before aerial treatment began on Sept 30, health officials said. Aerial treatment covering more than 557,000 acres has been completed, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The confirmed cases were in Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.

LANSING, Mich. Health officials have confirmed another human case of Eastern equine encephalitis in Michigan as aerial spraying in 14 counties concludes. Five additional cases of EEE have been confirmed in horses in Jackson, Kent and Tuscola counties, according to officials. The illness in the Cass County resident and the horses was contracted before aerial treatment began on Sept 30, health officials said. Aerial treatment covering more than 557,000 acres has been completed, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The confirmed cases were in Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.