Battle Creek Enquirer from Battle Creek, Michigan • Page 1

.1 j- Annual Urban League awards presented. Page 3A TOPS LAKEVIEWm fc Prep basketball roundup in Sports. Page IB T7 Battle Creek SATURDAY FEB. 21, 2009 B1lk0rf.ekEnouirer.com MARSHALL TT1DI71D Miller guilty, could get life mi KelllSproule began her new Job as Calhoun County's new administrator on Tuesday. Sproule, who lives In Emmett Township, has experience as a chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Glen Oaks Community College and Mott Community College In Flint, respectively.

JOHN CRAP THE ENQUIRER LL3 Trace Christenson The Enquirer Carl Miller shook his head from side to side as a jury convicted him Friday of kidnapping his wife three months ago. Miller, 48, of Springfield now faces up to life in prison after the Calhoun County jury of eight women and lour men found him guilty of kidnapping and auto theft in the Nov. 17 incident that began in Battle Creek. Miller was convicted after jurors SPROULE TAKES COUNTY REINS Miller Barrett Newkirk The Enquirer The dates are set for special elections to fill the state Senate seat vacated by former Sen. Mark Schauer.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced Friday a primary election for Michigan Senate District 19 will take place Aug. 4 and a general election will follow on Nov. 3. The filing deadline for major party candidates as well as candidates without a party affiliation is 4 p.m.

May 12. The Senate seat for Michigan's 19th district, which encompasses all of Calhoun County and most of Jackson County, has been vacant since January when Schauer, a Democrat, resigned to take a new role in Washington, D.C., as the representative in the U.S. House for Michigan's 7th district. Under Michigan law, the governor has the authority to set dates for special elections to fill a vacancy in the Legislature. Possible dates, however, must generally coincide with other elections.

Local voters will head to the polls in May primarily to select school board members. That's when Mike Nofs, a possible candidate for Schauer's old seat, said he would have liked Please see ELECTION, 2A deliberated an hour Friday morning. His wife listened to the verdict from the back row of the courtroom and left after declining comment. Prosecutors alleged Miller forced his way into his wife's car outside a grocery store on Beckley Road and then drove her to Indiana. Judy Miller had obtained a personal protection order against her husband and said she was seeking a divorce attorney.

She testified earlier this week that he had a filet knife and a nylon leash that he placed around her neck. She testified she was able to pull off the leash and threw it out the car door before they left the parking lot and eventually was able to persuade her husband to throw the knife away. But Judy Miller said she was driven to Angola, where her husband wanted to stay in a motel. She convinced him to drive her back to Michigan, suggesting to him they could reconcile. At a THE SPROULE FILE Name: Kelli Sproule Position: Calhoun County administratorcontroller Age: 37 Residence: Beadle Lake in Emmett Township Experience: 1-12 years as Glen Oaks Community College chief operating officer, 12 years in the finance department at Mott Community College in Flint, four as chief financial officer.

Education: Bachelor's degree in accounting, and a master's degree in public administration, both from the University of Michigan-Flint. Family: Son, Frank, 9-12; Fiance Rick Scott, Kellogg Community College chief financial officer. Darby Prater The Enquirer MARSHALL Kelli Sproule has graduated from college administration to county government. The new Calhoun County administratorcontroller started in the office Tuesday. She spent much of this week taking tours of county facilities and meeting staff.

Sproule, 37, looks forward to working on the county budget, among other important duties to help keep the county afloat in difficult economic times. While she has no prior experience in county government, Sproule said there are many similarities between college and county administration. "The fiscal challenges are the same," she said. "We have to work to do more with less." Born in Battle Creek, Sproule has worked for a year and a half as chief operating officer at Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, where Please see SPROULE, 2A Please see MILLER, 2A Hettinger named to WMU board tinger's term will expire Dec. 31, 2016.

These appointments stand unless disapproved by the state Senate in 60 days. According to the news release from the state, the WMU board supervises university operations and controls all expenditures. Hettinger, who lives retired in Fennville, said he'll bring to the college expertise from his 30 years at the economic develop- Please see WESTERN, 2A chief executive officer in December. "The fact that the governor would appoint me to an eight-year term, for anything, that's one of those situations where the governor makes a lasting impact. "I'm honored she had that kind of confidence (in me), and I plan to do as good a job as I possibly can." Justin A.

Hinkley The Enquirer KALAMAZOO Gov. Jennifer Granholm has named former Battle Creek Unlimited executive Jim Hettinger to the Western Michigan University Board of Control. The governor's office announced Friday that Het- Hettinger HANNAH REELFOR THE ENQUIRER State Representative of the 62nd District Mike Nofs speaks during the Calhoun County Republicans annual Lincoln Tribute Dinner on Thursday night at the Holiday Inn on Harper Village Drive. "It's a great honor," said Hettinger, who stepped down as BCU president and Lotteries See news? Call the tip line at 269-966-0672. 2009, A GANNETT NEWSPAPER Call us Missing or damaged newspaper? Call Customer Service at 800-333-4139.

Call before 11 a.m. Index Classifieds 6B Daily digest EYOUR TOWN5 BREAK OUT THE SLEDS: You're likely waking up to a little wintry weather, and meteorologists say more is coming. LocalState 3A ENOUGH Possibly not for the state of Michigan, one expert suggests. LocalState 3A Local deaths Margaret W.Jordan Frances V. Prill Eleanore L.

Rothchild Jeffrey R.Rice FrancesJ.Ward Obituaries, 4A Setting It Straight All editorial corrections and clarifications will appear here. If you spot an error, call the editor at Online Poll battlecreekenquirer.com Weekend poll: Which movie should win the Best Picture Oscar? "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "FrostNixon," "Milk," "The Reader," or "Slumdog Millionaire?" Results from Friday's poll: Do you agree with Gov. Cranholm's "roads first" approach to using the stimulus? 60 I 40 YES I NO Total votes: 170 MegaMIIIIons: Friday's jackpot was estimated at $120 million. Check online for winning numbers. Classic Lotto 47: Today's jackpot is estimated at $1.2 million.

1 For more listings, visit www.michigan. govlottery 1 Midday dally game: 6-2-5 1 Midday Dally 4: 6-9-9-4 1 Dally 3: 6-1-8 1 Daily 1-1-9-4 1 Fantasy 5: 4-17- 26-29-36 32,36,38,39,42, 45,47,48,49,55, 57,60, 65,68,71, 73,75,79 Movies 4b Obituaries 4A Opinion 8A Sports IB Things to do 8B 5B 5B 6A 5A Comics Crossword Horoscope Money 0 II II 40 1 00344 1 H1 1 Co 'verea roots ana snow, 1 We. BachmanHcbblc Funeral Service Inc. 223 N. Bedford Rd.

Battle Creek 269.965.5145 -ecen 0 selected www.bachmanhebble.com O2009 4.