Despite a two-month delay, Centreville Public Schools now has a full-time School Resource Officer in place. Superintendent Chad Brady said the district has been working since earlier this year with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department to fulfill a goal of having a full-time SRO. Starting today, Deputy Melody Rugg will fill the role. Brady said Rugg’s responsibility is to …

A Centreville man was arrested Tuesday after attempting to steal a vehicle from a residence in Florence Township. Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 62000 block of Wahl Road in response to a report of an attempted theft of vehicle. The suspect fled in the vehicle as deputies arrived, resulting in a short pursuit. The driver then abandoned the vehicle …

Seven area high school teams begin their quest for a state championship tonight, as Michigan High School Athletic Association’s playoffs begin. In 8-player Division 1, a battle of 8-1 teams will square off in Kalamazoo County, where Mendon takes on Climax-Scotts. In 8-player Division 2, a pair of teams with 7-2 records are on a collision course, as Burr Oak …

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has approved a resolution related to honoring veterans. During their special meeting Monday, commissioners endorsed a resolution in support of Operation Green Light. Commissioner Luis Rosado said the program encourages placement of green lights in windows of homes and businesses from Nov. 4 through Nov. 11, which is Veterans Day. He said the symbolic …

Following three months of construction-related delays, Popeye’s Louisiana Chicken finally opened its Sturgis eatery earlier this month. Located at 501 S. Centreville Road, the store opened Oct. 12. District manager Sarah Minhinnick said construction delays were unavoidable and kept pushing out the opening date. Nonetheless, customers came as word spread about the grand-opening date. Popeye’s was founded more than 50 …

St. Joseph County United Way continues to accept food and monetary donations for its 2024 “Thanksgiving for All” event. The annual event provides a Thanksgiving meal for up to 500 families who otherwise might not have a Thanksgiving dinner to enjoy. Non-perishable foods can be dropped off at the United Way’s Centreville-based headquarters. In addition, collection boxes have been set …

Van Buren/Cass District Health Department has been recognized with two awards during the Michigan Premier Public Health conference. Community Health Coordinator Holly Young said the agency’s medical director, Larry Wile, was honored with the Roy R. Manty Distinguished Service Award. The acknowledgment is the highest individual award given by the local public health community and bestowed to one citizen in …

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners made a number of appointments during its special meeting Monday. Appointed to the newly created Materials Management Planning Committee were: Michael O’Rourke, Carol Higgins, Eric Shafer, Terry Conklin and Karen Newman. Conklin will serve as the county board representative to the committee. Meanwhile, Ken Jones and Mark Honeysett were appointed to the Brownfield Redevelopment …

A Kalamazoo County woman was hospitalized following a one-vehicle crash over the weekend in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies responded at 1 p.m. Saturday to a personal-injury crash on Wood Lake Road, near Welburn Street. Investigators said a vehicle driven by Charlotte Barrow, 19, of Kalamazoo, was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on …

September’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by nearly a full percentage point from August. Figures from the monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget show St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate fell from 5.3 percent in August to 4.4 percent in September. In addition, Cass County also experienced a drop in its unemployment figures …