By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS - Fifty-seven lavender and white balloons climbed into sodden skies Tuesday noon in front of the Law and Courts Building.
Each signified a victim who lost his or her life to Cass County crime since 1989.
One spotlight of this year's annual county Crime Victim's Rights Week shines on drunk driving.
Fitz acknowledged “the loss of one of our own in law enforcement” with the death of South Bend, Ind., Police Cpl. Scott Severns.
Severns, 36, was shot three times Friday night with a .38-caliber revolver on Clover Street, just north of the St. Joseph River.
The decorated eight-year veteran had been his department's 2004 Officer of the Year. Severns died Sunday morning.
Jim Garnett, a Sheriff's Office chaplain and pastor of Mason Baptist Church, led prayer.
As part of Crime Victim's Rights Week April 23-29, tonight at 6:30 at Beckwith Park in downtown Dowagiac there will be a “Take Back the Night” rally against sexual violence.
Thursday morning at 9:45 Union High School students will hear Joe Zielinski, father of Ryan Paul Zielinski, 7, who lost his life Aug. 20, 2005, at Donnell Lake.
Ryan was one of four children being towed on tubes behind a power boat when a personal watercraft piloted by a 33-year-old man from Mishawaka, Ind., crossed behind it and struck the children.
Theme for the national week is “Victims' Rights: Strength in Unity.”