Chadwick Leon Damon arraigned

Chadwick Leon Damon, a lifelong Marshall resident, was arraigned Thursday afternoon on one count of first degree child abuse for causing injuries to 4-year-old MacKenzie VandenHeede of South Kalamazoo Avenue in Marshall. Bond was set at $250,000 cash. The prosecutor's office indicated during the arraignment that Damon is also a suspect in the investigation into the homicide "of this same child," said the assistant prosecutor. Magistrate David Barnes in the arraignment said the offense date was July 4 though police were not called to the residence until July 12 when first responder Bill Hankinson found the child unresponsive and suffering from apparent head injuries. She was transferred via helicopter from Marshall to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo where she died Tuesday, police said. For more details, see the Saturday, July 21 Marshall Chronicle.

Child dies at Bronson; man arrested, lodged

Marshall Public Safety Chief Mike Olson has confirmed that the 4-year-old girl we reported on in the July 14 Chronicle Public Safety beat who apparently suffered inflicted injuries died yesterday at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. The girl's mother's boyfriend has been arrested and is lodged in the Calhoun County Jail awaiting arraignment Thursday.
"I can't tell you the time of arraignment as I don't know myself," said Olson late Wednesday. "I am sure it won't be an early morning arraignment as we have to meet with the Prosecutor's Office. We are not releasing any names as we are waiting for notifications of the next of kin for the family of the child and we are not releasing the name of the suspect until after arraignment."
The Marshall Police Department received assistance from the Battle Creek Police Department Crime Lab, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department and the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division.

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Citizens ask council to amend minutes

Two men who addressed the council and one man who commented before the meeting complained that the Marshall City Council minutes do not contain all of their comments made at previous public meetings when the council met in regular session last night.
Council members agreed to amend the minutes to reflect a comment made July 2 by John LaPietra that the Marshall District Library had not received the July 2 city council packet prior to the meeting,
However, members noted that neither the law nor the council rules of procedures requires the city to keep written record of all comments, neither by council members nor the public.
Clerk/Treasurer Finance Director Tracy Hovarter, reading from the rules, reminded the council that the video recording of the meeting serves as the public record of all comments while the minutes need only reflect the actions of the body.
For more on what happened at the July 16 session, see the July 21 Chronicle.

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Missing girl spotted in Battle Creek

Missing former Marshall resident and current Coldwater resident Lauren Krea Dean, 16, is being sought by police and by her family. She is believed to have left with a Missouri man in his 20's, Daniel Knopp, (pictured) whom she met on MySpace.com. Anyone with information is asked to call the Marshall Police Department at 781-2596 or the Coldwater Police at 517-278-4525 or 911. Her mother said Monday, July 16 that the most recent tip places the pair in Battle Creek July 11 inquiring about a place to stay.



Log on to http://www.findlkd.com/ for further updates.

Lions receiver MIke Furrey tees off for charity

Detroit Lions wide receiver Mike Furrey teed off at the Medalist Golf course near Marshall Friday to help raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event was co-chaired by Ryan Traver of Marshall. See the July 14 Chronicle for sports writer John Hendler's interview with Furrey and how Cystic Fibrosis affects its victims.

Oaklawn buys Kempf property

Kempf Funeral home will move from its 103 East Mansion Street location of the past 29 years to five acres owner Craig K. Kempf expects to purchase from Family Bible Church on North Old US 27, he confirmed Thursday after the issue was discussed on public record at the Wednesday planning commission meeting. See page one of today's Chronicle for more on the plans by both the Kempf property buyer, Oaklawn Hospital, and Kempf.

Tenneco plans for potential plant expansion

Should the Tenneco corportation land a new contract currently pending, some 80 new jobs would be created along with two new additions to the Industrial Road exhaust system manufacturing facility to make way for the necessary production equipment, facilities engineer Mark Wallace told the Marshall City Planning Commission last week. See the rest of this story on page 1 of today's Marshall Chronicle.

Brownell guilty on all counts

The jury in the Timothy Brownell trial on two counts of open murder, fleeing and eluding police, home invasion and felony firearm returned a verdict of guilty on a total of eight counts stemming from the Oct. 21, 2006 slayings of his ex wife, Mary Brownell and her fiance, Larry Allen in their Ceresco home. Prosecutor John Hallacy said his thoughts were with the two Brownell children who not only lost their mother but now, their father is going to prison for the rest of his life.

Pratt bound over on CSC 3rd degree

Christopher Luke Pratt of Marshall was bound over to circuit court on one count of third degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly forcing sex on his live-in girlfriend in their home June 19. The woman tearfully testified at the Tuesday preliminary examination that she told him "no" three times that night in their bed. See this Saturday's Chronicle for more on what happened and how Judge Samuel Durham arrived at his bindover decision. Pratt remains in jail on $50,000 bond which was not reduced despite a motion to do so by Pratt's attorney, Thomas Shaeffer of Marshall.

Brownell trial on open murder completes first day

The first full day in the open murder trial of Timothy Brownell, 42, of Bellevue, concluded in Calhoun County 37th Circuit Court today. Brownell, charged with eight counts related to the Oct. 21, 2006 fatal shootings of his ex wife, Mary Brownell and her live-in boyfriend, Larry Allen, in the couple's Ceresco home, could face life in prison if convicted of first degree murder showing premeditation. Testifying Tuesday was Brownell's live-in girlfriend, Barbara Wells, his daughter, Amber, who was home when the shootings occurred, neighbor Jerry Nye who heard the shots, neighbor Stuart Denney, who helped Amber call 911, father Don Brownell, Connie and Ron Jackson (Brownell's biological mother and stepfather), Emmett Township Police Officer Pat Johnson, MSP Trooper Ann Poehlman, Marshall Police Officer Troy DeKryger and three Marshall Ambulance paramedics. Testimony reveals Brownell was upset over child custody issues and the feelings of his children toward him. Calhoun County Prosecutor John Hallacy is trying the case and Brownell is defended by Kennth Marks. See the Saturday, July 14 Chronicle for more on the details of the case revealed on the witness stand. Testimony continues Wednesday, July 11 in front of the three man, 11 woman jury.

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Pratt bond increased to $50,000; New criminal sexual conduct hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 10 at 2:30 p.m.

At a video arraignment before Magistrate Earl Brutche, bond for Chris Pratt was increased to $50,000 and a new preliminary hearing on the re-introduced criminal sexual conduct charge against Pratt is scheduled for Tuesday, July 10 at 2:30 p.m.

Prosecutor's re-issue criminal sexual conduct charge against Chris Pratt; arraignment scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Prosecutors re-issued third degree criminal sexual conduct charges against Chris Pratt after adding unlawful imprisonment to the three other counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, interfering with electronic communications and misdemeanor domestic violence. Pratt was bound over for trial on the charges Monday by Judge Samuel Durham at Pratt's preliminary examination stemming from his arrest last week after he allegedly got into a physical fight with his girlfriend. The girlfriend, visibly shaken, gave testimony of the events that led to Pratt's arrest. Pratt, the former boyfriend of Mary Lands had his bond reduced from $250,000 to $25,000 by Durham but a new ruling is expected to be made following Tuesday's arraignment.