A 19-year-old Homer man has been charged with offenses stemming from an incident in Branch County’s Batavia Township. Branch County officials said Zach Stempien faces two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Authorities said the alleged victim is a 16-year-old girl, who alleged she was assaulted by Stempien at a party last July. A probable-cause hearing is scheduled to take …

Officials from St. Joseph County Human Services Commission wish to remind anyone who took part in the Jan. 25 Point-In-Time homeless census to turn in their collection form. The paperwork should be left with officials from Keystone Place either in person, scanned and emailed to aharper.keystone @gmail.com, or by fax to the number 269-435-1119.

A local celebration of Hispanic culture and food was deemed a success by event organizers. The inaugural “Salsa Saturday” took place Jan. 28 in Sturgis. Sturgis Middle School hosted the afternoon festivities, where traditional dances were presented and those in attendance could sample and vote on the best salsa in Sturgis. Carneceria Michoacan, La Palma Taqueria, El Taco Loco Mexican …

A person was taken into custody last weekend in Sturgis after allegedly fleeing in a vehicle stolen from the Three Rivers area. Sturgis officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop at 2:45 a.m. Saturday after noticing it matched the description of a vehicle stolen within the previous 24 hours. The driver led police to a residence on North Centerville Road …

Centreville Public Schools this week made official its plan to seek a millage request this spring. Board of Education members during a special meeting Thursday approved a resolution that will put the ballot question before voters May 2. Superintendent Chad Brady said the board’s endorsement caps a 12-month process in which extensive research and community feedback were secured to determine …

Vicksburg Village Council members last month designated more than $500,000 of in-hand funds to support future needs. Village Manager Jim Mallery said the board’s designation of the funds means future councils will be able to use the money only for the purposes indicated through the resolution. This will keep village projects on track, make administrative and council changes more seamless, …

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said with the new Congress beginning, he stands ready to hit the ground running, build on what he has helped accomplish over the past two years and continue to work in a bipartisan way to deliver for Michigan residents. Peters stated in a media release he is excited to have been appointed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The …

The annual St. Joseph County Job Fair, traditionally held at Glen Oaks Community College, has been canceled for 2023. Event planners have contemplated the future of the event due to the decline in job-seeking participants. The job fair has long been co-hosted by Michigan Works, St. Joseph County Department of Health and Human Services, and Glen Oaks Community College. Glen …

A dog that has made an odds-defying recovery after being struck by a train was reunited with his sheriff’s department rescuers last week. Chester, now owned by Mendon residents George and Rita Phillip, was hit Oct. 7 while on a bridge over the Fawn River, just south of Featherstone Road in Constantine Township. By the time Sgt. Jeremiah Abnet and …

Converting Sturgis Hospital from a traditional facility to a rural emergency hospital is an ongoing process hoped to be achieved by spring. Sturgis Hospital board president Jeremy Gump updated Sturgis City Commission last week, going through the process of changing to the new rural emergency hospital model. The REH model took effect Jan. 1. Gump said that, while Sturgis Hospital …