State Rep. Kim LaSata announced Tuesday she has filed paperwork to be a candidate for the 21st State Senate district in the 2018 election. LaSata, a Republican from the Berrien County community of Bainbridge, hopes to replace Sen. John Proos, who cannot seek re-election due to term limits. The 21st Senate District encompasses St. Joseph, Cass and Berrien counties. LaSata …

State police investigators out of the Coldwater detachment are looking into an explosion earlier this week in Branch County’s Sherwood Township. The incident occurred at 9:50 p.m. Monday inside a dumpster in the 100 block of Oliverda Drive. Authorities said the explosion was heard up to half a mile away and scattered debris more than 60 feet out of the …

The Michigan Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway program will kick off its 2018 season across the state beginning this weekend, concluding April 22. Volunteers pick up litter three times a year. The next two pickups will be July 14 to 22 and Sept. 22 to 30. The AAH program began in Michigan in 1990. Today, more than 2,800 groups have adopted …

Authorities who have searched a southwestern Michigan river for a missing kayaker since February say they’ve found a body. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office says the body of a male was found Tuesday in Watervliet Township in the Paw Paw River. A statement says the body wasn’t immediately identified, but notes the search for the kayaker lasted more than 40 …

Douglas W. Miller, age 61, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday evening, March 24, 2018, at Fairview Nursing and Rehabilitation in Centreville. He was born Oct. 20, 1956, in Sturgis, a son of the late Roy and Violet (Hughes) Miller. Doug resided most of his life in the Sturgis area. He had been employed by the city of Sturgis in the …

Removal of a southwestern Michigan park fountain that some say celebrates white supremacy is expected in the coming weeks. Kalamazoo officials say the Fountain of the Pioneers in Bronson Park will be dismantled and stored until a decision is made on where to relocate it. Last month, the city commission ordered the monument removed. The fountain was completed in 1940 …

Joellene Ann Bates, age 78, of White Pigeon, passed into the final season of her life on Tuesday, April 3, 2018. She experienced the true love of life and a natural final journey while God called her home. Joellene was born Feb. 23, 1940, to Lawrence and Helen (Armstrong) Pettit in Elkhart. She was preceeded in death by a daughter, …

A southwestern Michigan man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a police pursuit crash that killed an Indiana motorist. The South Bend Tribune reports 39-year-old James Morrison of Niles, learned his punishment on Monday after earlier pleading guilty to five felony counts, including resisting law enforcement, in the February 2017 crash. Police say Morrison had heroin …

Every April we have a rendezvous with destiny. This rendezvous involves the taxman. Oops, I’m sorry, the “Tax Person”. Some have already filed returns for 2017, and some have even received money back, if they managed their finances properly. If you owe the IRS, you have until April 17, because the fifteenth falls on a Sunday. I wish you all …

The Kalamazoo Wings (34-31-4-3) season came to a grinding halt on Sunday afternoon as the Indy Fuel defeated the K-Wings 2-1. The two teams were fighting for the last playoff spot in the Central Division.  Heading into the final game of the season, the Fuel led the K-Wings by just one point.  A win would have guaranteed the K-Wings a …