St. Joseph County officials finally tapped into the $11.8 million in funds they received last year through the American Rescue Plan Act. During their monthly board meeting Tuesday, county commissioners authorized funding for four requests that, collectively, total $235,000. The four items and others were discussed in great detail at last week’s executive committee meeting. Without any debate Tuesday, commissioners …

A Jones woman was injured in a single-vehicle crash this week in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were notified at 9:30 a.m. Monday regarding the incident on Bair Lake Street, east of Cory Lake Road. Lindsey Whitaker, 41, was driving east on Bair Lake Street when she lost control of her vehicle. It ran off the roadway …

Branch Hillsdale St. Joseph Community Health Agency has been notified by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that a Trumpeter Swan collected by Michigan Department of Natural Resources tested positive for HPAI H5. The swan was collected in Hillsdale County. There are no additional cases identified at this time, nor has there been identified transmission to backyard or …

Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the theft of irrigation wire last week from a location in Fawn River Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said agency officials were notified that the incident occurred the night of April 15 on Oak Tree Road, near Halsey Square Road in the southeast corner of the township.

A Burr Oak woman was arrested after she was involved in an assault-with-a-firearm incident last week in Burr Oak. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were called around 10 a.m. Friday to the 600 block of West Front Street in response to a felony assault with a firearm. With assistance from the St. Joseph County Special Response Team, deputies made contact …

A Marcellus woman, who has been charged with filing fraudulent accident claims, must pay back the benefits she received. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel made the announcement Thursday. Following an investigation by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Fraud Investigation Unit, Christine Presock was charged in St. Joseph County’s 3rd District Court with six counts of insurance-fraudulent acts, felonies …

The Glen Oaks Community College Foundation has announced that Susan Louis, professor of nursing, is the 2022 recipient of the E.J. Shaheen Award for Teaching Excellence. She will be recognized during this year’s commencement ceremony, which is May 6. Prior to joining the Glen Oaks faculty in August 2015, she worked nearly 30 years in medical-surgical nursing, developing expertise in …

Nottawa Community School superintendent Jerome Wolff has been rated ‘highly effective’ by the district’s board. Nottawa Community School Board last month held a closed session for its annual evaluation of Wolff for the 2022 school year. Following the closed session, Audrey Borkholder, board secretary, was directed to calculate and present the results publicly in the April 11 board of education …

Merissa Countryman, St. Joseph County Victim Rights coordinator, is helping orchestrate “Purses With a Purpose.” The event is overseen by Michigan State Police in Paw Paw and benefits women who are survivors of sexual assault. Anyone wishing to participate is asked to secure a bag or purse and include inside it comfort items such as toiletries, hand sanitizer, socks and …

Two Cassopolis men were involved in a fatal, head-on collision Thursday in Cass County’s Penn Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called shortly after 6:30 a.m. to an area on M-60, east of Gards Prairie Road. Investigators said 67-year-old Richard Affriseo and 19-year-old Ahsan Hart were involved in the crash. Hart was airlifted to South Bend Memorial, while Affriseo succumbed …