Gwenda Lynn Hayes, 38, took the money from Fisher Transportation Inc., 900 S. Bradley St., between January 2008 and September 2010, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

Hayes was charged with embezzlement between $50,000 and $100,000, tampering with evidence and using the internet/computer for communicating with a person while committing a crime.

“She would take sometime thousands at a time,” Mioduszewski said. “This went on over the course of the two years.”

She was the head of accounting at Fisher, according to a press release from the sheriff’s department. Miouduszewski said she believed she was terminated in September for the offense and then a formal investigation was launched by his department.

The charges carry a maximum charge of 40 years, along with up to $55,000 in fines. She was charged with using a computer to commit a crime when she accessed bank accounts and other things online.

“Anytime you commit a crime using the internet, a computer, a computer network… it’s a crime in itself,” Mioduszewski said.

Hayes turned herself in, along with her attorney, straight to the magistrate to be arraigned. She immediately posted her bond, which was set at $40,000 or a 10 percent cash surety, and was never lodged at the Isabella County Jail.

A preliminary examination was scheduled for 8:15 a.m. on Dec. 9 in courtroom 3.

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and the Mount Pleasant Police Department investigated a lead Tuesday afternoon that the suspect was in the area surrounding The Cabin, 930 W. Broomfield St. Tribal police brought a K-9 unit and the MPPD was there to assist the investigation.

Tribal Spokesman Frank Cloutier said the suspect had not been caught as of 2:35 p.m. Tuesday, but the investigation is still ongoing and information could not be released.

“The individual fled the scene of a personal property destruction,” Cloutier said. “They’re openly working on it.”

The suspect’s intentions for fleeing the scene of the accident on South Mission Street are still unknown, but police have gathered some information about the suspect.

“We were asked to assist them looking for the same individual as yesterday,” said Jeff Browne, public information officer for the MPPD. “The young man is apparently a parole absconder.”

Browne said it was standard procedure for his department to assist the tribal police and the suspect was not apprehended during the investigation near The Cabin.

Police searched near the Comfort Inn, 2424 S. Mission St., and Walmart, 4730 Encore Blvd., Monday afternoon.

Watch cm-life.com for updates.

Staff Reporter Gabi Jaye contributed to this report.

He had been accused of sexually assaulting a 24-year-old victim in the early morning hours of Jan. 8, while trying to enter apartments in Union Township through unlocked doors.

His trial had been delayed three times before Monday, when the jury selection was scheduled to begin. He chose to plead guilty instead of go through the trial process.

“It’s not that unusual defendants delay and delay and delay, and the day of the trial they decide to plead,” said Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick.

Leonard, 27, of Weidman faces a minimum sentence of 30 to 35 years in prison for a first degree criminal sexual conduct charge alone. He also pleaded guilty to attempted criminal sexual conduct, assault with a dangerous weapon, first degree home invasion and being a habitual offender.

He faces an additional 45 years for the other charges, and the habitual offender charge could increase that maximum sentence. The agreement drops five other charges Leonard faced. Evidence showed Leonard had no connection to the victims of both attempts, which is rare, Burdick said.

Leonard’s sentencing had been scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Dec. 17 in court room 4.

“It’s a very good resolution,” Burdick said. “Mr. Leonard, who committed terrible crimes, is going to spend a significant part of his life in prison.”

Leonard served time in prison prior to the sexual assault. He was sentenced to 15 months to 10 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine in July 2005, and was released in 2007.

He was also sentenced to 18 months in November 2004 for attempted larceny, but was discharged in July 2005, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records.

The 26-year-old Mount Pleasant resident died after the Ford Taurus she was riding in was struck by a pickup truck at the intersection of East Blue Grass Road and Encore Boulevard.

“At this point, we’re dealing with a head-on left turn crash,” said State Trooper Don Dutcher.

The Taurus was traveling west on Blue Grass, and attempted to make a left turn into the Union Commons shopping center at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. It was struck by the pickup while attempting the turn.

Dutcher said there was some debate about whether the light was yellow or red, and the confusion may have caused the accident.

The driver of the pickup truck, a female, was not hospitalized. Dennis Corser was driving the Taurus and was transported to Central Michigan Community Hospital, said Sgt. David Kaiser. Corser was not listed as a patient at CMCH as of Wednesday morning.

Police blocked off portions of both roads for nearly an hour and a half with traffic cones and flares, as they cleared the wreckage and gathered evidence.

“Once the paperwork’s been completed, it’ll be sent over to the prosecutor for review,” Kaiser said.

Watch cm-life.com for more information.

Newell Thomas Dennis Jr., 54, crashed into the construction vehicle while driving north on South Isabella Road near East Valley Road. The road was closed and had multiple signs and barricades noting its closure.

The construction site began shortly after the signs and barricades.

Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said Dennis drove through a ditch next to the road to avoid the barricades. Upon returning to the road, he sped up and eventually struck the Caterpillar.

“He went about a quarter mile or so and ended up hitting the front loader,” Mioduszewski said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s department will send out an accident reconstruction team sometime this week to recreate the circumstances, including how fast Dennis was traveling at the time of the accident.

A press release from the sheriff’s department indicated alcohol played a role in the accident, although to what extent is unknown.

“They’re going to take his blood,” Mioduszewski said, “but there were some indications that alcohol played a factor.”

Dennis was the only person involved in the accident.

Heath, 53, of Shepherd, was acquitted of two counts of first-degree CSC, two counts of second-degree CSC and one count of intimidating a witness.

The trial ran from Monday to Wednesday, and was expected to continue Thursday. The jury convened to render a verdict Wednesday afternoon, deliberated for an hour and a half and ruled Heath not guilty.

The alleged victim, 13, said the incident took place Feb. 20. But discrepancies were found in the testimonies given to the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department and preliminary examinations.

“The jury saw the mother and daughter were very untruthful about what happened here,” said Elias Muawad, Heath’s Bloomfield Hills-based attorney. “The daughter admitted to lying during part of my questions. The mother suddenly had amnesia and could not remember the answers to my questions.”

Muawad pointed to an allegation where the victim said Heath made her view pornography before the alleged sexual encounter. They used Larry Dalman, an East Lansing-based computer forensics expert, to prove that point false, Muawad said.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Risa Scully did agree there were some discrepancies, but said it isn’t abnormal.

“You’re going to have pitfalls and holes in every single case,” Scully said. “I don’t agree to the extent the defense attorney did.”

Muawad said he found 10 complete discrepancies in the stories of the mother and the daughter.

Heath faced between a minimum sentence of 20 to 25 years if convicted, and Muawad said the sentence “would have been his life”, considering Heath’s age.

Scully said she was disappointed with the verdict and for the family involved.

“We believed her statements,” Scully said. “Evidently, the jury feels otherwise.”

Heath plans on expanding his restaurant Robin Hood’s Barbecue, 1010 W. Broadway St., Muawad said.

“Both myself and Mr. Heath are ecstatic that the jury system worked,” he said.

The prosecutor’s office does not plan on any follow-up cases, although Heath is due back in court on Nov. 29 for sentencing in an unrelated case.

She responded with some form of the phrase, “And I thought you were acting like a grown up today.”

Also, when I told my girlfriend that my Thursday afternoon plans included a large dose of “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” she scoffed at the idea.

While not surprising, I had hoped society had grown past these points.

Just because I had a Nintendo when I was five does not make gaming a childish activity. If anyone walked past Gamestop last Monday night, they would not have found a group of children waiting for “Call of Duty” — or at least I hope not.

Just because I play a video game for a couple of hours does not mean I am wasting my time. If I had chosen to watch a movie instead, I doubt anything would have been said about it.

I understand where both points are coming from. Video games took off in the ‘80s and ‘90s when kids started playing, and society still thinks of a “gamer” as someone who plays “World of Warcraft” for 14 hours a day.

But there’s a reason games like “Call of Duty,” “Halo” and “Grand Theft Auto” sell like hotcakes: Gamers are older now. They have moved past the simple gameplay mechanics and storylines of days gone by.

I know gamers who are 40 and I know gamers who are 12. I know people who play for hours a day, and some who only play an hour a week.

To me, it’s all entertainment. If someone chooses to watch a marathon of “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” or James Bond movies all day, I don’t see why I cannot put a few hours into “Fallout: New Vegas” without any grief.

Luckily, the Supreme Court seems to agree. After oral hearings, the Court’s initial leanings indicate games deserve equal protection as movies, books and the like.

I wish society would follow suit and deem games equal to other forms of entertainment. I have seen it in small glances, like my mom and girlfriend with Mario and Harry Potter games, respectively.

On my end, I am growing up and still enjoying video games like I did when I was 10. And I do not see that changing.

Lt. Cameron Wassman of CMU Police said two large windows were broken and a lightbulb was pulled out of a light fixture some time between Friday night and early Saturday morning. The department has not received an estimate for replacement from the construction company.

Wassman said police had already planned on increasing patrols around the center as its opening neared.

“That area has always been on our priorities and we will be taking an extra step to make sure it’s kept safe,” he said. “We’ll be stepping up security measures there, as far as extra patrols.”

Police found blood at the scene and are using it as the basis of their investigation.

“Since there was blood evidence,” Wassman said, “we actually have submitted that evidence to the State Police Crime Lab for evaluation.”

Police believe the suspect cut themselves while breaking the glass.

The process of DNA testing and blood typing can be lengthy, Wassman said.

“It’s just a matter of time before we might get those results back,” he said.

A suspect has yet to be identified from other evidence at the scene.

Officers are still looking for witnesses or any information regarding the incident.

The department is offering a $500 reward to anyone with information that leads to a conviction. Those with information are asked to call dispatch at 774-3081 or the tip line at 774-1874.

Timothy Paul Lancaster, 24, was charged with two counts of first-degree CSC and two counts of second-degree CSC after he allegedly assaulted his stepdaughter, who is a minor. The incidents took place on South Bradley Road in Union Township.

The Michigan State Police Mount Pleasant Post initially received the complaint on June 15 from the Department of Human Services, said Sgt. David Hampton. An interview with the victim and her mother indicated Lancaster had abused the victim.

Lancaster fled the area and eventually the state after a warrant was filed by the prosecutor’s office, but was found in South Carolina by the Third District Fugitive Team at the end of October.

“I think the suspect caught wind we were looking for him and he fled the state,” Hampton said.

Hampton said there were multiple incidents involving Lancaster and the victim, prompting the prosecutor’s office to press multiple charges.

Lancaster spent between three and four months in South Carolina, Hampton said.

The MSP had difficulties locating Lancaster because they did not have much information to work from.

“We tried to locate the suspect and were unable because he left the Mount Pleasant area and had no permanent home address,” Hampton said.

Hampton said efforts to find Lancaster were spearheaded by the fugitive team and he waived extradition upon his arrest.

He is due in Isabella County Trial Court Dec. 7 for a pre-trial hearing.

Sharon Welling, 52, died at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, according to a press release from the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department. She was struck by a forklift carrying a recycling bin driven by Clarence Andrew Rose of Alma.

Welling suffered leg and pevlic injuries and was airlifted from the recycling center, 4208 E. River Road, to Grand Rapids.

County Administrator Tim Dolehanty, who also oversees the recycling center, said he was not sure how to describe the accident.

“It was a normal process, undertaken to move materials,” said Dolehanty. “The investigators are here looking into it.”

The sheriff’s department is also investigating the accident and need to submit a report, but it’s unclear if any charges will be pressed against Rose.

“It’s up to the prosecutor,” said Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski. “We have some things to do because it was a fatal accident.”

Dolehanty said they will also wait for investigators before they make any decisions regarding disciplinary action against Rose.

The incident will lead to the center reviewing their policies, Dolehanty said.

“We’ll be reviewing all our safety measures, that’s for sure,” he said.