County Information

State Rep. Aaron Miller, chair of the House Elections and Ethics Committee, said a plan approved by the committee last week would modernize Michigan’s voter-registration system by giving qualified voters the option to register online. Miller said requiring residents to fill out a paper form to register to vote is an antiquated process and is actually less secure than an …

The Michigan State Police “Citizens’ Academy,” an eight-week program that gives citizens the opportunity to become familiar with the mission and operation of Michigan State Police, is beginning a new session next month. The program will teach participants to understand the procedures troopers follow, increase their awareness of law enforcement’s role in the community and get to know personnel at …

The Michigan Public Service Commission has authorized Indiana Michigan Power to adjust rates as part of I&M’s “Michigan Building the Future” plan. This is the first increase in Michigan base rates since 2012 for I&M, an American Electric Power company. For a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of energy per month, the increase will be less than $20 per …

Colon’s interim village manager said plenty of work remains before he can comfortably say the municipality has been brought up to speed. Still, Tom Tenney said he is pecking away at several matters and making solid progress. Getting caught up on delinquent bills, he said, was a good place to start. Toward the conclusion of Colon’s March 13 meeting, its …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department was called to Camp Eberhart this week in response to a man with a firearm in the woods near the camp. Sheriff’s officials said deputies responded to the Fabius Township property shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. The man was described as an older white male, wearing a stocking cap, maroon Carhart jacket and blue …

Three Rivers Community Schools has interviewed two of the four candidates it has chosen as its prospective superintendent. Spencer Byrd and Jeff Rehlander met Tuesday with the board of education and fielded a number of questions. Byrd is currently superintendent of Meridian School District in Southern Illinois; Rehlander is superintendent of Gobles Public Schools. The other pair of candidates will …

A crash Monday in Fawn River Township led to a lengthy interruption of internet and other services in St. Joseph County. According to Michigan State Police, the crash occurred just before 6 p.m. on Fawn River Road near Big Hill Road. A tractor-trailer driven by John Smoll of Elida, Ohio, was hauling an excavator that was over the legally allowed …

Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education has reached a contract agreement with Art Ebert, incoming superintendent. During Monday’s board meeting, its members voted unanimously to approve Ebert’s contract. Board president Ann Bird said the sides agreed to a three-year contract, similar in total to the amount that was paid in the last contract for recently-retired Tom Langdon. His last 12-month …

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 …