Investigators from Michigan State Police and local fire agencies remain at the scene of a Mottville Township business to determine what caused a devastating blaze Monday. Crews were summoned around 4 p.m. to Green Stream recycling, in the 69000 block of M-103. In all, more than a dozen different departments responded and attempted to put out the blaze that burned …

State Sen. John Proos and a small number of state officials witnessed firsthand Monday the success stories emerging from a program through St. Joseph County Circuit Court. Overseen by Judge Paul Stutesman, Monday’s “Drug Court” provided status updates on eight participants in the program. Funded in part through state and federal grants, Drug Court is a two-year program that aids …

The village of Colon has employed an unusual source to clear a park area overrun with poison ivy and undesirable weeds. A herd of 10 goats was hired by the Colon Parks Board to rid the west edge of Colon Community Park of the overgrowth. Park Board member Edith Doenges said the goal was to tidy up the area before …

Keith Lang has tendered his resignation at Sturgis Public Schools. Early this year, the former Sturgis High School teacher was charged with multiple counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and other offenses. At that time, a police investigation showed he allegedly had a sexual relationship with a minor student. He initially was charged with single counts of distributing or promoting …

Edith Arlene Harter, age 96, of Sturgis, passed away Saturday morning, June 24, 2017 at her home. She was born Dec. 28, 1920 in Sturgis, daughter of the late Raymond Dewey and Clara Adele (Reading) Robison. Edith was a lifelong Sturgis resident. On June 9, 1940 she married Lester F. Harter at the Sturgis Church of the Nazarene in Sturgis. …

Glen Oaks Community College has announced a new associate and certificate program in Agricultural Equipment Technology that will launch this fall. The two-year, daytime associate degree program will train students to diagnose, service, repair, maintain and overhaul farm equipment. Students will receive state-of-the-art technical training on the latest major brand equipment through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory activities …

I have reported in the recent past about some of the successes of Glen Oaks Community College in serving our region’s students and communities. Here I will provide greater detail concerning the breadth and depth of the good work being carried out. The previous reports outlined the significant numbers of dual enrollment and early middle students the college is serving.  …

Larry W. Merritt, 64, of Middlebury, passed away on Monday, June 26, 2017 at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Ft. Wayne. He was born in Dowagiac on February 19, 1953, a son of Ernie and Zelma (Jackson) Merritt. Larry graduated from Constantine High School in 1971, where he attended school with his wife Patti (Filbrandt). After reuniting in 2010 on …

Where are all the volunteers? Most fun events are made possible by using volunteers. The same can be said for assistance in a disaster. Without volunteers, a lot of things would never get done. A perfect example would be the recent Three Rivers Water Festival. Without the many volunteers, Water Festival would never have happened. Without volunteers, the local food …

A Burr Oak man was arrested after leading authorities on a pursuit last week. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were aware of two cars racing through Sturgis around 6 p.m. Friday. Central dispatch received a call around 7:30 p.m. concerning a suspicious vehicle in the vicinity of Burr Oak and Deer Park roads. The vehicle fit …