Over the next several issues, the staff at the Dowagiac Daily News will be looking back at the top 10 stories of 2014. We will feature several of our picks each edition, culminating with the top two on the Dec. 31

The list is based on a staff review of the most read, talked about and impactful stories of the year.

 

6: Former SMC exec charged with defrauding college

A former Southwestern Michigan College marketing executive learned firsthand this year the consequences of messing with Dowagiac’s institution of higher learning.

A federal grand jury charged Granger’s Gregory DeRue with nine counts of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering on July 24. The former head of marketing with the college was accused of embezzling nearly $200,000 from his employers during his tenure from January 2011 to May 2013.

According to the investigators, DeRue had brokered a contract for television, radio and billboard advertising between the school and a company known as DMG Media, a marketing firm based out of Mishawaka.

Unbeknownst to school officials at the time, DeRue was actually the owner and sole employee of the company, with others at the college only in contact with the firm via email with an agent named “Jack.”

DMG Media invoiced the college for $487,427 worth of services in the course of their agreement, though the firm only spent $279,145 for actual advertising work. DeRue was accused of using the remaining funds to help pay his home mortgage and for a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe.

The Granger man was eventually fired due to poor returns from advertisements. A subsequent investigation by the school’s business department into discrepancies with their deal with DMG Media led to them contacting the FBI to look into the possibility it was a fraud. Their probe led to DeRue’s arrest this year.

“We are treating this as theft from the public, which seems worse to me than stealing from a private company,” said SMC President David Mathews of the incident.

According to court documents, DeRue pleaded guilty to the charges against him in November. He faces sentencing in March.

 

5: WNIT releases Dowagiac documentary

In late summer, people from around the Michiana area received a special glimpse into the lives of the residents of The Grand Old City, right from the comfort of their living rooms.

PBS affiliate WNIT debuted the latest episode in their “Our Town” series of documentaries on Aug. 18, which focused on the history and people of Dowagiac. Unlike traditional TV documentaries, though, the video and voice-over content was created not by professional filmmakers or historians, but by the men and women who call the city home.

It was the first special of the 4-year-old program that focused on a community in Michigan. The producers of the program first set their sights on the city after receiving a phone call from someone who was passionate about Dowagiac, they said.

Eleven citizens contributed footage for 14 different segments for the hour-plus long TV special. Following a brief filmography lesson by WNIT videographers, the citizens used their own digital recording equipment to capture what they love about their hometown.

Contributors sent in footage that examined everything from the city’s series of public art to the history of its local playhouse, Beckwith Theatre.

 

4: Dowagiac Union Schools gain new leaders

It was a tumultuous year for the administration of Dowagiac Union Schools, with several new and familiar faces securing key leadership positions in the district.

In March, then-Superintendent Mark Daniel announced that he was stepping down from his position after serving four years as head of the local school system. Daniel had been selected earlier that month to become the superintendent of a district in McLean County, Illinois, where he took over on July 1.

“I resign with mixed emotions, as Dowagiac Union Schools and the board of education, in particular, have been a positive and direct influence me over for four years,” he wrote in his resignation letter. “The knowledge and experience I have gained from an outstanding group of administrators and staff will greatly benefit me in my administrative career at Unit 5.”

After a short search conducted by the Dowagiac Union Schools Board of Education, a familiar face to many students and parents was selected from the pool of candidates in May: former Dowagiac Union High School Principal Paul Hartsig.

A resident of the city, Hartsig was serving as high school principle in the Bridgman school district when he received word of the opening with his former employers. Having served as a principal in both Dowagiac and Bridgman for a decade, the educator decided to apply, embarking on the next step of his career.

“Things are going great in Dowagiac,” Hartsig said, shortly after coming onboard. “We have some outstanding teachers, some super talented kids and some great people in the system.”

The change in chief administrator wasn’t the only shock the district would receive this year, though. In November, the public voted in three new members to serve on the district’s school board, ousting the three incumbent officers up for reelection.

Starting in January, Ron Jones, W. Douglas Kolmodin and Phyllis Anne Sarabyn will begin their tenures with the board. Outgoing members Michelle Helmuth-Charles, the board president; Beth Davis, secretary and Julia Smith, treasurer, all served their last meeting earlier this month.

“On behalf of Julia, Beth and myself, I would like to take a moment to say thank you to our community and school district for allowing us to represent and work with all of you,” Charles said, reading off a letter she and the other outgoing members had prepared. “We have had the opportunity to be involved in many positive things happening within our district.”