A Colon man faces homicide charges in the death of 33-year-old Chelsea Wallen. Michael Lafler, 35, is charged with the capital offense stemming from an incident that claimed the life of the Colon woman. Colon police and rescue, along with LifeCare Ambulance, responded Oct. 15 to a residence regarding a report of an unresponsive female. First responders were not able to revive …

Michigan reported fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday compared to a week earlier, adding 27,308 new cases. That’s down 11 percent from the previous week’s tally of 30,685 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported 236 cases and four deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 231 cases and …

St. Joseph County United Way has begun its 2022 fundraising campaign It is hoping to raise $1.06 million to fund the numerous agencies it assists. Agency director Kelly Hostetler said the final donation tally for last year’s campaign was $1.1 million. The leading donor in 2021 was Morgan Olson, which raised and donated about $171,000. Jeff Bloomfield and Garrett Hall …

Centreville Public Schools plans to go virtual for three days starting Wednesday. During Monday’s board of education meeting, superintendent Stephanie Lemmer said rising COVID numbers impacting students and staff, coupled with the lack of substitute assistance, justified the recommendation. Lemmer said the district was informed late Sunday of additional student and staff cases. On Monday, efforts were made to contact …

A boil-water advisory in White Pigeon was lifted Friday afternoon. Village officials said the measure was discontinued at 12:45 p.m. after a series of samplings showed no bacteria detected. The village had been under a boil-water advisory since Thursday. A media release indicated the cautionary measure was put into place due to construction-related work.

A Three Rivers man was arrested after authorities found him attempting to hide in a wooded area in Fabius Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies located a suspicious vehicle parked around 3:30 a.m. Thursday in the 14000 block of M-60, just west of Three Rivers. Several larcenies had been reported in the area over the past several months. Deputies investigated …

The Southwest Michigan First Board of Directors has selected Jonas Peterson to serve as chief executive officer for the Southwest Michigan regional economic development organization. Peterson’s appointment follows a six-month national search that prioritized community input and inclusivity. Peterson embodies the skills, experience and attributes identified by the community as critical for success in this position, according to Southwest Michigan …

St. Joseph County Commissioner Kathy Pangle said she will not consider former county prosecutor John McDonough when the board next month approves a pool of court-appointed defense attorneys for 2022. During the “commissioner comments” portion of the county board’s meeting Tuesday, Pangle read what appears to be a letter she has written to McDonough in response to a correspondence she …

St. Joseph County Road Commission Managing Director John Lindsey said the agency has finished tabulating its expenses related to the August storms that hit the area on back-to-back days. Reporting to county commissioners Tuesday, Lindsey said the road commission’s total number of hours, equipment and overtime labor dedicated to storm-related cleanup was $196,000. Lindsey said the road commission plans to …

Three Rivers city officials said leaf pickup is continuing through early December. The collection started this week and is scheduled to conclude Dec. 6. Pickup is being done by district and DPS personnel ask that leaves be piled on the street by the curb. Also, leaves should not be mixed with any other items, including sticks, brush or grass clippings. …