George James

A Huron County jury found 77-year-old Russell Alexander Kopah of Pigeon guilty of fourth-degree child abuse for putting floor cleaner in a three-year-old’s mouth and on the face at the Bad Axe Walmart last July. The jury cleared him of threatening the eyewitness. Video and testimony showed the act in the store’s photo department, witnessed by a Walmart employee who called police. Kopah denied the abuse but admitted threatening the witness outside the store. He faces up to a year in jail, with sentencing set for late October. He remains free on bond.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

A St. Clair County man pleaded guilty last week to falsifying records at his marine training school.

Mel Stackpoole, 62, ran Great Lakes Charter Training, where he offered Coast Guard-approved courses. In ’20, he cut classroom hours nearly in half, instructed students to lie about their experience and health, gave out exam answers, and inflated test scores.
Stackpoole let unqualified mariners gain credentials, officials say. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at his December 18th sentencing.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet

Police across Michigan are stepping up patrols for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign now through Sept. 1st. The crackdown targets impaired drivers ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend, a period linked to higher crash and fatality rates. In recent years, nearly half of Michigan’s Labor Day driver deaths involved alcohol or drugs. State and local agencies urge residents to plan sober rides, warning that officers will arrest anyone they believe is impaired, regardless of blood alcohol level.

Reporting for WGRT – JP bZet