State Rep. Aaron Miller this week voted in favor of the state budget, joining his colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee in approving the fiscal blueprint and sending it to the full House for consideration. Miller, who serves as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State Police, said local K-12 classrooms will see more money and local governments will see …

Members of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County have agreed to re-establish a finance committee. Board member John Dobberteen suggested the idea near the conclusion of Tuesday’s monthly board meeting. He suggested the reformed finance committee be made up of one or two CMH board members and also include finance directors from both …

Connor Bruce Smith, age 4, of Marcellus, passed away Thursday, April 26, 2017 at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. He was born September 17, 2012 in Kalamazoo, the son of Dustin B. and Kristen E. (Edwards) Smith who survive. Connor loved French fries and animals of any kind. He enjoyed being outside, going for walks and watching his brothers play. He …

John Clemens Starmann, age 74, of White Pigeon, died as the sun set over Lake Michigan on April 7, 2017, surrounded by his wife and children in Manistee, after a year-long illness. John was born April 8, 1942, in Saginaw, to the late Bernard H. Starmann M.D. and Lucy (Wadsworth) Starmann. He grew up in Cass City and graduated from …

A milestone event sponsored by the St. Joseph County Conservation District took place this week in Lockport Township. The agency on Tuesday and Wednesday staged its 50th annual “Conservation Tour Day” at Covered Bridge Park. Fourth-grade students from all nine school districts in the county, as well as from Lake Area and Factoryville Christian schools, took part in the day-long …

St. Joseph County officials dedicated the county’s first veterans transition home during a ceremony on Friday (4-28-17). The house is for veterans who recently finished their term in service and want to live in the county, said Stoney Summey, director of veterans affairs for St. Joseph County. The home, located in the 21000 block of Schweitzer Road in Lockport Township, …

A police pursuit occurred early Sunday in Dowagiac. Cass County Sheriff ’s Department deputies said the incident took place around 4:45 a.m., when a 27-year-old woman fled from police and crashed her vehicle. With the help of a police K-9, the woman was found in a wooded area near the crash location and was taken to Dowagiac Lee Memorial Hospital …

Kelly Jean Gottschalk, age 49, of Howe, Ind., passed away Monday, April 24, 2017, at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Ind. She was born Sept. 14, 1967, in Sturgis, a daughter of Darryl and Sharon (Schrock) Gottschalk. Kelly had resided in Howe since 1995, coming from Sturgis, where she was a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class or …

Hi! My name is Blue and I am a male, tricolor hound, about 4 years old. I’m a typical hound with my nose to the ground. I’m pretty vocal, but that’s normal for a hound, isn’t it? I do need some work on my housebreaking, but I’m sure I can learn. Please come in to see me and give me …

The makeup of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County is under scrutiny. To be in compliance with the state’s Mental Health Code related to such panels, it must include members who themselves or are related to someone who – past or present – has undergone some form of counseling. The debate centers on …