County Information

Colon municipal officials have started the process of hiring a village manager. Village president Diane Downs said a 90-day period has passed during which village residents had the opportunity to express comments relevant to the issue. Now, the position is being advertised through various channels, including the Michigan Municipal League. Downs said the village has allocated between $45,000 and $60,000 …

St. Joseph County’s two hospitals have welcomed their 2017 New Year’s babies. Three Rivers Health recorded its first birth of the year Tuesday morning. Parents Joshua Jones and Alysha Newman, a Constantine native, welcomed daughter Taylor Jones. She arrived two weeks before her due date. Meanwhile, Sturgis Hospital saw its first birth of 2017 just a few hours earlier, at …

A Lansing teenager died Wednesday in Cass County after a tree fell on the vehicle in which he was a passenger. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called at 6:35 a.m. to M-40 near Harvey Street in Newberg Township. Investigators were told a pickup driven by 52-year-old Michael Rinehart of Lansing was northbound on M-40 when a tree fell on …

An Indiana man was arrested on charges that include fleeing and eluding following a two-state pursuit that concluded early Wednesday in Cass County. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were advised around 2:20 a.m. Wednesday that a suspect was being pursued stemming from an incident in Elkhart. The chase continued into Cass County, where deputies spotted the vehicle near Calvin Center …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this week made appointments to the Board of Public Works and the Community Mental Health Board. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners renewed the appointment of David Miars to a three-year term on the Board of Public Works. His term will expire at the end of 2019. Meanwhile, three people were appointed to the CMH …

The new-look St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners was introduced Tuesday. Kathy Pangle, Dennis Allen and Dan Czajkowski, along with returning commissioners John Dobberteen and chairman Allen Balog, were sworn in by county clerk Lindsay Oswald in advance of the board’s first meeting of 2017. All five commissioners are beginning two-year terms. Balog was tapped to serve as board chairman …

State police recovered a stolen commercial truck Tuesday in Branch County. According to a department media release, troopers were called between 4 and 7 a.m. to an area on Southern Road in Kinderhook Township. Troopers found a box truck reported stolen from an undisclosed area and featuring improper plates taken from another vehicle. The truck was loaded with tires stolen …

A plan to upgrade West South Street in Sturgis prompted city commissioners to approve a new stop sign to replace a yield sign at the intersection with White Street. City engineer Barry Cox recommended the change to upgrade traffic safety when the West South/White street intersection is widened next year to accommodate semi-truck access onto White Street. According to Cox, …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will still meet the first and third Tuesdays of the month, but a change in the longstanding 5 p.m. start time was made this week. For a trial period of six months, commission meetings will be called to order at 6 p.m. The move by one hour was proposed Tuesday by commissioner Kathy …

A Sturgis man was arrested over the weekend on a number of charges, including a felony for possession of a stolen vehicle. According to Sturgis police, a traffic stop took place shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of West West Street for an equipment violation. Officers discovered the 38-year-old driver had a suspended license and was wanted …