“The Board of Directors represents the core values of this organization,” said Michigan Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Terrence L. Jungel. “Their leadership comes at an important time in the association’s and state’s history, when all of our budgets have been stretched to the breaking point. Their contributions will continue to have an impact for years to come.”

The oath of office for the board was administered by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Young at the MSA’s Fall Training Conference.

The Michigan Sheriffs’ Association is the oldest law enforcement organization in Michigan. It was established in 1877 to represent the state’s 83 elected Sheriffs.

Ithaca resident Donelda Sova, 80, was pronounced dead at the scene of a motor vehicle accident at 2:07 p.m. at the intersection of South Wise Road and East Blanchard Road in Coe Township.

Sova and her passenger, 84-year-old Alma resident Beverly Ann Harry, were in a 2004 Ford Taurus southbound on Wise Road when she stopped at the stop sign at the Blanchard Road intersection. Sova then proceeded to drive forward, failing to yield the right of way and resulting in the collision with a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado.

The Silverado, driven by 22-year-old Blanchard resident Jeffrey William Bluemer, was traveling westbound on Blanchard Road when Sova entered the intersection, resulting in both vehicles being run off the road onto the southwest corner field of the intersection.

Harry was taken by Mobile Medical Response to Gratiot Medical center, and was then immediately flown to Covenant Health Care Systems in Saginaw, where she remains in stable condition. Bluemer received a minor injury to his right leg, but did not need medical attention.

All three people involved in the accident were wearing seatbelts. Drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash.

The accident was investigated by the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department with the assistance of Shepherd Police Department, Shepherd Tri-Township Fire Department and Mobile Medical Response.

A joint investigation between the Mount Pleasant Police and Isabella County Sheriff’s departments led to the arrests of Micheal Justin Hyde, 18, Caleb Micheal Donley, 17, and Russell Lee Hutchinson, 31, earlier this week.

Hyde and Donley are charged with criminal enterprise, breaking and entering, and malicious destruction of a building charges. Hutchinson was charged with receiving and concealing stolen property and a 13-year-old juvenile also accused of involvement with the break-ins was petitioned to probate court, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

Burglaries occurred at seven churches, the Isabella Community Events Arena, 5165 E. Remus Road and the Midland Ice Arena.

Some stolen property has been recovered by authorities. Much of the items stolen were taken to Metro Detroit, Mioduszewski said.

Damage done within the arena included a hole in the drywall of a men’s bathroom and damage to windows, gaming machines and vending machines. Almost all of the glass from the inside windows was shattered, two fire extinguishers were emptied and an office computer was destroyed. The repair estimate for the damage is $80,000 to $90,000, said ICE Arena Director Rob Flynn.

Central Dispatch was notified of the incident via fire alarm at 3:12 a.m. Sunday.

Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said he believes the suspects involved with the incident at the arena could be related to the April 6 burglary at Mount Pleasant Community Church, 1400 W. Broomfield St.

“It may not turn out to be that way, but it (could) be the same players in both the church and the ICE Arena,” Mioduszewski said.

The church was broken into and more than $8,000 worth of camera equipment, computers and other items were stolen.

The sheriff’s department is working with the Mount Pleasant Police Department, which investigated the church burglary.

Undersheriff John Tellis said the damage was extensive.

“At this point, we don’t have any specific leads, although it is an active investigation,” Tellis said. “We are looking at some evidence from the scene.”

Tellis said they are treating each one as a separate incident, but are looking at the possibility of the suspect being involved in more than one crime.

“As far as whether or not there is a connection (to the church burglary), I can’t say there’s anything specific that connects these cases,” Tellis said. “We always look for those different kinds of connections, and at this point I can’t say that there’s any definitive evidence that says they are or are not connected.”

Flynn said he felt sick to his stomach when he first saw the vandalism Sunday morning.

“After the sheriff’s department got done with their investigation, I walked through and it was just — this place means a lot to me,” Flynn said. “It just really made me wonder what they were thinking.”

So far, ICE Arena employees have not noticed anything stolen from the golf pro shop or any of their offices, Flynn said.

The repairs to the ICE Arena are being handled by Hammer Restoration, 1733 Industrial Ave. Supervisor Candy Alfano said the company started repairs 8 a.m. Wednesday and would probably complete them by April 22.

“This is a large job, but we’re making a lot of progress,” Alfano said. “We already finished the drywall. There wasn’t any damage to the ice, except for traces of extinguished fire powder.”

Flynn said he has noticed how thorough Hammer Restoration has been during the repairs, and thinks it will finish earlier than originally planned.

“Once they finish, it will just be a matter of us ordering the vending machines,” Flynn said. “They did a great job (so far).”

No suspects have been identified in both the ICE Arena and Mount Pleasant Community Church incidents. Those with information on either incident may contact the MPPD at 779-5100 or the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department at 772-5911.

Matt Herrod fell from a second-floor apartment balcony at the Village at Bluegrass, 4300 Collegiate Way, and was left unconscious, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski. Deputies were already on the scene, Mioduszewski said, investigating loud parties.

“While they were there, there was an individual who was on the back side of the building, lying on the ground,” he said. “Deputies went around the building and found the individual unconscious and unresponsive lying there.”

Following the discovery of Herrod on the ground, Mioduszewski said an ambulance was called and transported him to Central Michigan Community Hospital.

Herrod was then airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Saginaw.

Herrod’s uncle, David Herrod, confirmed the accident but would not comment on his condition or give any additional information.

A Facebook group was created to update friends and family on Herrod’s condition. “Prayers for Matt Herrod” had more than 250 members as of Tuesday evening and numerous comments of support.

Herrod was previously employed by CM Life, where he covered the cross country team.

According to Herrod’s Twitter page, he had been studying broadcasting and journalism. He was working for News Central 34 and CMU Athletics prior to his accident.

Gary John Reen, 56 of Chippewa Township, was charged Saturday after turning himself over to police and telling them he shot his wife, Cheryl Kristine Reen. He remains jailed on $2 million bond.

Gary John Reen

Deputies found the body of the 51-year-old woman in a pole barn at a residence located at 7120 E. River Road, where Gary Reen told deputies he had shot her, said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

Investigators determined Cheryl Reen was shot at least two times with a handgun.

Cheryl Reen, whose name is listed in a past CMU directory, worked as an administrative secretary for the School of Health Sciences as recently as 2005.

It was not clear whether she was working for the university at the time of her death. CMU human resources officials did not provide any information regarding her current employment status as of Sunday evening.

Reen is also charged with felony firearm possession. He has asked for a court-appointed attorney to represent him.

A date for Reen’s next court appearance will likely be set sometime this week, Mioduszewski said.

The alleged homicide stemmed from a domestic dispute at the home, about a mile and a half north of the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd.

“They were having marital problems at the time,” Mioduszewski said.

Sheriff’s deputies and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police arrived at the scene 6:57 p.m Friday after Reen turned himself in. Investigators from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab arrived later from Bridgeport to process the scene and collect any evidence.

The Reen’s 15-year-old son was also staying at the residence prior to the incident. The teenager, who was inside the home at the time of the alleged shooting, has since been turned over to other family members.

“He didn’t know what was going on,” Mioduszewski said. “He was playing video games at the time.”

Beyond marital problems, a clearer motive behind the alleged homicide has not yet been determined. Reen is saying little to investigators, the sheriff said.

The incident is the third reported murder in the Mount Pleasant area in the past year.

On July 10, 25-year-old Iva Joy Fuller’s body was found in a field off of Remus Road near Nottawa Road on the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation. Her brother, Daniel Lawrence Fuller, has been indicted on federal murder charges.

Three days later, Kim “Kemp” Luchie, 25, was shot to death by Shepherd resident Justin Joel Luckhardt at The Cabin, 930 W. Broomfield St. Luckhardt later shot and killed himself after a high-speed police chase.

“Homicides in Isabella County are very rare,” Mioduszewski said.

Mount Pleasant has gotten larger in population size and the region has seen more criminal activity in recent years. Felony assault-type crimes, armed robberies and drug crimes have all increased.

“We’ve seen not only our case load increase quite dramatically from when I started,” Burdick said, “but the types of crimes are more serious and more complicated.”

But there’s more to the Central Michigan University alumnus.

He’s a part-time teacher and an organic apple farmer with an extensive history with Mount Pleasant and its residents.

Burdick was first elected as county prosecutor in 1988, and county residents have continued to re-elect him since.

“I’m gratified that I’ve been able to stay in this job as long as I have,” he said. “It’s a great job and I do the best I can for the citizens of the county.”

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stuart Black said working with Burdick was his first legal job coming out of law school. He has been there for four years.

He said Burdick took him under his wing, and he has always felt comfortable around Burdick and everybody else in the office.

“Larry pretty much knows the law inside and out,” Black said. “He’s real approachable. A­ny time I have a question I don’t feel nervous having to come to the boss. It’s been a really positive experience.”

The office staff Burdick works with on a daily basis has remained fairly consistent.

“People leave on occasion but interestingly, a lot of the times, (when) we have assistant prosecutors leave, they’re going on to prosecutor positions in other counties that are a step up, so to speak, in their profession,” Burdick said.

Becoming a local

After graduating from law school at Wayne State University, Burdick worked for the Detroit Law Department as a clerk. Once there he waited for the day he would be offered a position as an assistant corporate council.

As time wore on, he looked for other job opportunities. An assistant prosecutor position opened in Mount Pleasant and he decided to apply.

“I had never really thought about going into that area of the law but I certainly had fond memories of Mount Pleasant,” Burdick said, “so I applied for it.”

Burdick landed the job and worked his way up to the position he holds today.

The county prosecutor said he enjoys living and working in the city.

“I think it’s a perfectly-sized town in terms of being small enough to be a closer-knit community,” he said, “but being large enough to have a variety of things that you can do here.”

Burdick said he has experienced many personal and professional accomplishments during his time in Isabella County.

He and his wife, Theresa, raised four children in Mount Pleasant. His wife and three of his kids also graduated from CMU.

“I never thought I’d be doing this for a career and I can’t think of a better job as a lawyer,” he said. “I come in every day and there’s something new, there’s something that I’ve never experienced before and it keeps you interested.”

Burdick has also taught at Mid Michigan Community College for the last 25 years. He said he enjoys his second job because it keeps him connected with the younger crowd.

He is also a member of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan.

Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said he has worked with several county prosecutors, but Burdick has been the best.

The two have worked together for about four years.

“I have nothing but the utmost respect for him,” Mioduszewski said. “He has a lot of knowledge regarding the laws and always makes wise decisions. He’s going to do what’s in the best interest of the citizens in the county.”

Burdick said he plans to stay and continue to practice in Mount Pleasant while teaching classes on the side.

He said when he retires, he hopes to relocate to Traverse City with his wife and continue to harvest the organic apple orchard they purchased a few years ago.

The prosecutor said he has learned a lot from his time serving Isabella County.

“I’ve learned that there’s a lot I don’t know, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t hesitate to rethink things,” Burdick said, “and I guess I’ve learned that you have to try to look at people on an individual basis.”

According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, two fatalities and 23 injuries resulted from these crashes.

This year has been no exception. There have been approximately 108 deer-car crashes from Nov. 1 to Nov. 22 in Isabella County.

“It’s a little higher than normal, but we always see an increase during hunting season,” said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.

Mioduszewski said the number of accidents has gone up within the past couple of years.

“We’re concerned about the number in general,” said Michigan Deer Crash Coalition chairwoman Lori Conarton. “We’re also concerned about the cost, lives and injuries that result from these crashes.”

Pete Rogers, owner of Pete’s Auto Body, 617 W. Pickard St., said he is not too surprised by these numbers.

Rogers’ company has been in business for 32 years. But the owner said the number of deer-car crashes have really changed within the past 10 years.

“We typically see them all year-round,” Rogers said. “There are so many houses that there’s less places for the deer to live.”

Pete’s Auto Body had about 250 people come in for deer-crash repairs since Oct. 1, Rogers said.

The front ends, hoods, headlights, bumpers and airbags get the most damage. Rogers said the cost of repair ranges anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000.

Conarton said the cause of the high deer-crash numbers can’t be pinpointed to just one reason. Residential development, the number of cars on the road and the amount of people going back to work could all be factors.

“A majority of the crashes occur at dusk and dawn -— this is when the most people are on the road,” Conarton said.

Mating and hunting season happens this time of year as well. Conarton said deer get moved around and are likelier to end up in the roads.

According to the MDCC, drivers can do the following to avoid hitting deer on the road: Brake firmly, hold onto the steering wheel with both hands, come to a controlled stop and steer the vehicle well off the roadway.

Mioduszewski said the biggest thing to remember is “don’t swerve.” He said it is better to hit the deer instead of a driver risking their life in order to avoid collision.

Drivers should especially be alert on two-lane roads.

“Deer often travel as a group,” Conarton said. “If a person in the car ahead of you stops for one, slow down because there’s likely to be another.”

Mioduszewski said drivers should call police if they hit a deer. The police treat the collision like a normal accident report.

Mioduszewski said deer accidents will taper off after January when hunting and mating season is over.

But for now, drivers need to be cautious when on the road, Conarton said.

“Drivers need to be aware, alert and stay sober on the roadways,” she said.

What types of words roll from his semi-smirked lips?

Does his heart ever pump with emotions and beat with a conscious?

These are my questions I have as I stare at Daniel Danny Leonard’s mug shot, the man charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and other crimes.

The man who allegedly had evil intent in his heart.

The man who could have been my cousin — my friend.

But it doesn’t really matter right now who he could have been because, if convicted, he will always be remembered (at least at CMU) as the one who attempted to rape a young woman.

The young woman was probably scared out of her mind when this intrusion took place.

And thankfully, even though physical rape did not occur, what mental, emotional and spiritual traumas penetrated her thoughts?

What did this information do to the hundreds of other women’s psyche who found out?

Personally, I was a bit unnerved because I know that even though someone was apprehended and tucked away for now, there are still people out there who could commit sexual assault.

They are the types of people who would steal a few dollars, rape, kill and have a sandwich in the same hour.

How can another human being try to take something that is absolutely priceless — someone’s trust?

No one deserves that.

This despicable crime was one that could have and should have been avoided.

The young woman’s very belief and faith in others could have been altered, if not already.

If it is Leonard who committed the crime, he deserves to pay for it.

Because there are too many people who suffer from these types of violence — mothers of the victims and perpetrators, survivors, and many others.

I felt like a sliver of something was taken away from me, because I now walk home a bit faster and stick closer to my friends during the night.

The ripple effect of this crime is tremendous. And it is all because of one person’s sorry choice of being heartless and greedy.

Daniel Danny Leonard, 26, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree home invasion, criminal sexual conduct with intent to commit sexual penetration and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a news release.

Each of these counts is punishable by life or up to 20 years in prison.

Leonard allegedly sexually assaulted a victim in her apartment around 5:30 a.m. Friday morning after walking around various apartment complexes on Deerfield Road, looking for unlocked doors. Police declined comment on the victim’s current condition and it is unknown if any other injuries took place from other attempts to gain access to apartments. Central Michigan Life does not identify victims of sexual assaults.

Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said Friday there may have been “a small amount” of cash taken from one of the apartments. He advised students to keep their doors locked at all times, even while inside.

“Obviously, he’s pretty gutsy walking into apartments that he doesn’t know who’s there,” Mioduszewski said of the suspect, noting police did not believe he had any connection to residents in the apartments.

Numerous entries

Leonard was arrested Friday and is being held at the Isabella County Jail, with bond set at $2 million. Police would not say whether he was a Central Michigan University student, but Leonard is not listed in the CMU online directory.
Mioduszewski said the victim in the assault is “college-aged.” He would not say at which apartment complex the assault occurred.

“I can tell you that he entered numerous apartments,” he said.

Several Mount Pleasant residents living in complexes along Deerfield Road made calls to authorities beginning around 4:30 a.m., alerting them of a man attempting to walk in.

A campus-wide alert was sent by CMU Police at 1:13 p.m. Friday afternoon, almost eight hours after the incident. CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley said the information was sent 23 minutes after the department received it.

“It’s hard to send out an alert on something we don’t know about. It’s not our investigation,” he said. “I wanted to make sure the information was sent out, as it was close to campus.”

Residents react

Some residents of Lexington Ridge Apartments — one of several apartment complexes on Deerfield Road — were scared by news of the sexual assault.

“It freaked me out, but we always lock our door anyway,” said Alma sophomore Beth Turner. “We never leave and don’t lock it, so it wasn’t a worry.”

On-campus students such as Howell freshman Allyse Rammage are happy Leonard was apprehended as they return to campus.

“It makes me feel safer since they were able to catch him quickly and know they were right on top of things,” Rammage said.