911 board votes to consolidate dispatch

The Calhoun County E-911 committee voted today to pursue an effort to collect .60-cents for every telephone, cell phone and voice over internet to pay for a county-wide consolidated dispatch center, according to committee member Bill Hankinson. The matter will have to be approved by local jurisdictions and the Michigan Public Service Commission before implementation. The measure is allowed under current legislation that expires in one year. Watch for more information on this developing story.

Search turns up empty

More than 100 volunteers joined police, fire and other rescue personnel in the Saturday search for Courtney Cook, missing since Saturday, Jan. 19 from her Marshall home. Cook, 28, reportedly walked away without shoes or a coat and was last seen in the area of Love's Truck Stop near I-94. Anyone with information should call the Marshall Police Department at 781-2596.

Public safety chief absent, city officials not talking

Marshall city officials are mum about the absence of Marshall Public Safety Chief Mike Olson (who, according to sources, met with Marshall city council members in a closed meeting following Tuesday's regular council session. Olson allegedly was absent from the open meeting but appeared for the closed meeting with a labor attorney, though Marshall City Manager Chris Olson has declined comment. Mike Olson, who joined the department in late 2003, replaced Ron Ivey who resigned to take a job at Kellogg Community College. Deputy Public Safety Chief Brett Pehrson recently resigned to accept a job as Coldwater Public Safety Director and Olson had two weeks ago advertised for applications to fill that position. Mike Olson told the Chronicle Thursday, Jan. 17 that applications were being received by the human resources department but he had not yet reviewed any of the incoming resumes. Sources have said Mike Olson was to be placed on administrative leave Tuesday but he instead allegedly tendered his resignation though city officials would not confirm nor deny the information. Attempts to reach Mike Olson were unsuccessful. Mayor Bruce Smith said only that the matter is nothing to be alarmed about. Chris Olson has reportedly said there are people in leadership positions currently running the department.

Search underway for Courtney Cook

A citywide search for Courtney Cook, a 28-year-old Marshall woman missing since Jan. 19, was scheduled to begin this morning at the State Farm building starting at 9 a.m. The police and the public are invited to aid in the search for the missing woman who reportedly left without shoes or a coat.

fitness issue in next week's AdVisor

Watch for a series of stories and tips on how to keep fit in the January 30 issue of The Community AdVisor.

Police still seeking woman missing since Saturday

Marshall Police Department Sgt. Scott McDonald has said that 28-year-old Courtney Helen Cook was reported missing by her parents about 8:30 a.m. Saturday and that she had been last seen by her mother eight hours earlier about 12:30 a.m.

McDonald said the back door of the family home on Eagle Street about two blocks north of downtown was open and officers found footprints in the snow leaving the house and crossing a fence.

Cook, who reportedly needs medication, is believed to be wearing a long blue dress with a white lace top. She is not believed to be wearing shoes or a coat. She is 5-foot-7 and 256 pounds with hazel eyes and light brown short curly hair.

McDonald reportedly said the Southwest Michigan Search and Rescue Team joined the search Saturday and Sunday. A Michigan State Police helicopter also was used Sunday.

Anyone with information about the woman is asked to call 911 or the Marshall Police Department at 781-2596.

Mustangs buck Redhawks from unbeaten pinnacle, 62-54

In a disappointing upset, the Portage Central Mustangs have broken the Marshall Redhawk's 10 game winning streak with a final score of 62-54. Marshall's record now falls to 10-1 after tonight's game on the road. See more details in the Saturday, Jan. 19 Chronicle.

Girls' get blown out by Loy Norrix, 79-43, following injury to Danielle Hicks

The Marshall High School (MHS) girls' varsity basketball team may have lost more than just a basketball game Thursday night against Loy Norrix at MHS. In the first quarter, with Marshall ahead, 10-8, junior guard Danielle Hicks drove the baseline and after missing her layup attempt, she hit the ground hard underneath the basket. Officials stopped the game seconds later after Norrix tied it at 10 with just under two minutes to play in the quarter. Hicks was assisted off the court by coach Sal Konkle and trainer Chuck Middleton. Hicks would not return and spent the rest of the game with an icepack on her right knee and needed crutches to make her way to the locker room. Hicks' absence along with Norrix's tenacious defense were no match for the Redhawks as Marshall would manage only two field goals over the next 14 minutes of action as they saw their record fall to 8-3 with the 79-43 loss. The extent of Hicks' injury was not known late Thursday night.

Cagers last minute comeback beats Western, 61-59

The Marshall High School (MHS) boys' varsity basketball team, down 59-54 to Western with one minute to play, stormed back, scoring the game's final seven points to win, 61-59 at home Tuesday night and remain undefeated with a 10-0 record. After a Matt Roberts layup made it 59-56, Kory Hershock stole the ball on the baseline and passed to Jeff Lough, who hit the layup and was fouled. Lough hit the free throw to tie the game, 59-59 with about 30 seconds to play. Western missed a layup attempt with about 20 seconds to go and Roberts rebounded the ball and passed to Lough, who drove the lane and put up a shot that was hanging on the rim when knocked away by a Western player. Officials called goaltending and credited Lough with the basket to put Marshall ahead, 61-59. Western's three-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark as the Redhawk bench and fans stormed the court to celebrate.

Solid Waste committee to fund compost center

After about 1 1/2 hours of debate with each other and members of the crowd, the Calhoun County Solid Waste Planning Committee voted in favor, with Terris Todd absent and Arnold Arquette, Steve Essling and Lewis Cooper voting against, of funding $14,200 in matching funds with the City of Marshall the compost center on Division Road. The center, on county-owned property, is operated by the city of Marshall and when the committee voted last year to withhold the $14,200, the city reduced hours of operation to only eight per week. Essling and Cooper felt funding the center was giving the city a blank check because the city had allegedly been warned in 1999 that the committee's decreasing revenues required a phased pullout from the deal but committee member and City of Marshall employee Cheryl Vosburg felt approving the financing for this calendar year will give the city, county and townships more time to settle on alternative revenue streams that will be fair to all county residents. The audience applauded when the Vosburg's motion to fund the operation passed. See this weekend's Chronicle for more on what people had to say at this well attended meeting.

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Romney visits Marshall home

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was in Marshall at the home of Elizabeth Sachs for about 75 minutes Saturday afternoon to discuss Marshall's economy and the real estate market , three days before Michigan's presidential primary. Romney commented on the exodus from Marshall by Eaton and State Farm among others. "As a result, you've got alot of homes for sale," said Romney. "This home (Sachs) is for sale at a bargain price but very few people are moving to Marshall because the industries that have been populated in this area for years have left and as a result, people aren't moving in." Romney was also interviewed in Sach's home by CBS Early Show host Harry Smith.

Romney in Marshall today

Former Massachusettes governor Mitt Romney will visit the home of Elizabeth Sachs on North Kalamazoo Avenue in Marshall today after his campaign rally at W.K. Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek which is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. The Battle Creek visit is a public event while the Marshall visit is a private visit to which the media has been invited, Regional Campaign Chairman Steve Sachs of Marshall said Friday. Check back for more on this historic visit of one republican presidential hopeful.

Redhawks still undefeated after knocking off long time foe

The Marshall Redhawk boys devoured the Harper Creek Beavers, 75-46, their first win over their cross county rivals in five meetings, upping the Redhawk's winning streak to nine straight. Going into the game Marshall was already ranked number three in the state. See today's Chronicle for more on this exciting game. Coach Dan Coddens will be the featured speaker noon Monday at the Marshall Exchange Club at the Franke Center.

Redhawk six-second free throws save the game

Two swishers at the foul line by Hailey Dalzell made all the difference in the Tuesday night 44-42 win by the Marshall High School cage squad in the Portage Central Mustang arena, denying the Redhawk opponents a tie or even win with their mpressive three-point basket at the final buzzer. See more on this exciting game in Saturday's Chronicle.

Pratt gets four and a half to 15 years

Christopher Luke Pratt, convicted last month of unlawful imprisonment, interfering with a telephone communication, assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence was sentenced by Calhoun County Circuit Judge Stephen B. Miller this afternoon to serve four and a half to 15 years in prison.

Pratt tearfully apologized for calling the victim, his last, live-in girlfriend Norrene Parker names, and proclaimed that he still loves her and her children.

The sentencing occurred just before 5 p.m. after lengthy arguments from defense attorney J. Thomas Schaeffer of Marshall over the offense variable scoring for Pratt's potential sentencing guideline formula.

Schaeffer unsuccessfully tried to get his client a new trial in an early morning motion hearing arguing that prior acts should not have been allowed during the trial when Miller denied his motion.

The matter, said Miller, is a question for the Court of Appeals. See this Saturday's Chronicle for more on what Pratt and the victim had to say.

Pratt has been named a person of interest in the disappearance of his previous live-in girlfriend, Mary Denise Marshall Lands who remains missing after nearly four years.

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