A woman charged with setting fire to a building in downtown St. Joseph last month has pleaded no contest to arson. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s office says 47-year-old Shannon Russell entered the plea Tuesday ahead of a preliminary hearing. As part of the plea deal, charges of second-degree child abuse and first degree arson were dropped. Russell now faces up to five years in prison for the fire on March 27 in a mixed-use building on Main Street. The fire started when a couch was ignited. Russell remains in the Berrien County Jail with sentencing set for May 15.
