ILSA MINOR
ESCANABA In what would have been a packed courtroom, Rebecca Sue Johnson of Maple Ridge Township voluntarily forfeited the animals she is accused of abusing and neglecting in an alleged puppy mill during a brief hearing Monday.
Two hundred people logged into the civil forfeiture hearing, which was held over Zoom early Monday morning, including Johnson and her attorney Derek Swajanen of Marquette. A handful of court staff and Delta County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lauren Wickman were present in the 94th District courtroom, wearing masks and separated by plexiglass dividers.
“I do understand that we have a number of people observing this proceeding … basically as spectators, as they would be entitled to do if the court was open for business and we could allow people in the courtroom,” said District Court Judge Steve Parks before warning spectators not to unmute themselves during the proceedings. While it has not been the court’s policy to publicly hold hearing
iminor@dailypress.net
ESCANABA Like the rest of the world, the coronavirus pandemic dominated the local news in 2020. As 2020 draws to a close, here’s a look at some of the major local news stories of the year.
January
1 Escanaba residents Georgios Sitaras and Jami Hentz welcomed OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group’s first baby of the new year at 7:32 a.m. Nicoletta Elizabeth Sitaras weighed 7 pounds, 1.9 ounces and was 19 inches long. She was the couple’s first baby together.
10 Delta County Sheriff’s Department now has two K-9 units after Deputy Chad Newton and K-9 Officer Sage completed training. Newton and Sage, a female Dutch shepherd, are a certified K-9 unit after weeks of being trained by K-9 Master Trainer Marty Munger of Superior K-9 Training, based in Marquette.