Mendon Community Schools’ request to renew 18 non-homestead operating mills was endorsed by more than two-thirds of the voters who participated in Tuesday’s election. The unofficial total shows 339 votes in support and 149 opposed. At stake was more than $900,000 in annual funding, a substantial portion of the district’s $5.3 million budget. Board of education president Regina Schinker said …

A 16-year-old Edwardsburg girl was killed in a two-vehicle collision Tuesday morning in Cass County. Sheriff Joe Underwood said deputies were called at 11:40 a.m. to the intersection of Pine Lake Street and Dailey Road in Jefferson Township. Witnesses told investigators a pick-up driven by Jeffrey Jackson, 25, of Niles, disregarded a stop sign as Jackson was traveling east on …

Teresa Doehring, St. Joseph County’s human resources director, was named assistant county administrator under Pat Yoder following a vote by county commissioners Tuesday. The 41-year-old Mendon resident was hired in January 2015 to replace Elishia Arver, who also served during a portion of her employment as assistant county administrator. The assignment does not come with a pay increase, Yoder said. …

Voters in Kalamazoo County have approved a five-year renewal of a millage that will fund public transit through 2021. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports unofficial results of Tuesday’s vote included 11,650 in favor of the tax and 8,417 against the measure. The Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority had sought approval of the property tax to fund public transit, including the Metro County …

A pipeline company says it expects $62 million in fines and penalties related to a Michigan oil spill. In a filing Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Enbridge says $55 million represents penalties under federal water law. The Alberta-based company says no final fine or penalty has been ordered yet as negotiations continue with the U.S. government. Enbridge says …

The Michigan Supreme Court is taking a look at the risks facing shoppers, drivers and stores in big-box parking lots. Virginia Rawluszki suffered a brain injury when she was hit by a car as she left a Menards store in the Bay City area in 2011. She later died at age 72. Her family says Menards had a duty to …

Mr. Richard Franklin Draime, age 73, passed away on Monday, May 2, 2016 at the Bronson Hospital following a long illness. He was born on August 4, 1942 in the Three Rivers, MI. the son of the late Harry and Mary (Boggio) Draime. Dick was a lifetime resident of Three Rivers. He proudly served his country in the Army National …

Shawn R. Blizzard, age 43, of Sturgis, went home to be with Jesus on Sunday, May 1, 2016, at his home. He was born Dec. 11, 1972, in Sturgis, a son of Larry R. and Sandra (Kidd) Blizzard. Shawn had resided in Sturgis, South Carolina, and Texas for a short time. He enjoyed playing guitar, powerlifting and his cat, Minx. …

I’m sure it was more than a couple of years ago that I mentioned the fact that Bowman Park, on North Main Street, doesn’t contain a single bench. Lafayette Park, which is also located on North Main Street, across from Hoppin School, has at least two benches. I mention this only because a reader asked me why this was the …

Two public hearings and four matters of new business will be fielded by the Three Rivers City Commission this evening. An IFT application for a 10,000-square-foot expansion by Metal Technologies and a zoning amendment to a B-2 Zoning District for light industry will be staged during the public-hearing process. New business to be discussed by the commission features a boundary …