County Information

State Sen. Bruce Caswell will stage an early morning coffee hour with constituents from the 16th District this weekend. From 7 to 8 a.m. Saturday, Caswell will be at Dawn and Phil’s Café in Colon. Caswell has issued a standing invitation to anyone interested in meeting with him to discuss concerns and ideas. The restaurant is located at the northeast …

Constantine police chief Jim Bedell has been appointed acting village manager while full-time village manager Mark Honeysett recovers from a heart attack. Members of the village council last week agreed to the temporary measure, which means Bedell will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the village, as well as the law-enforcement side of the community. It was suggested a …

A longtime Centreville-area resident has committed to running for a seat to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Florence Township resident Barry Miller has filed paperwork to challenge Rick Shaffer in November for what will be the new-look Third District. Effective in 2013, the district will cover Lockport, Nottawa, Sherman and Florence townships. The 39-year-old Miller, who runs a …

Investigators from the Michigan State Police District headquarters in Paw Paw said a Sturgis man who escaped last week from a Thumb-area correctional facility was captured Thursday night. Officials said 31-year-old Darrell Stallard left a work crew Monday near the Tuscola County facility where he was incarcerated. Through previous arrangements, Stallard was given a ride to Sturgis from two accomplices. …

Saturday’s cleanup of a five-mile stretch of the Portage River drew a small but productive group of volunteers. The first of seven river and river bank cleanups scheduled this season by the St. Joseph County Conservation District drew seven participants. Collectively, the group recovered eight tires, an assortment of cans and bottles, and other forms of debris from the river …

St. Joseph County Animal Control Officer Tom Miller said the last of five threatening pit bulls, thought to have been abandoned late last month at Meyer Broadway Park, has been killed. Miller said the dog was found living in the area around Westside Landfill. It had avoided a number of traps and, as a result, was shot by a deputy …

A pair of St. Joseph County commissioners has asked Sturgis municipal officials to weigh in on the concept of a Commission on Aging facility in Sturgis. Commissioners John Dobberteen and Don Eaton approached city leaders this week and asked for input into the proposed concept. The COA has a fund balance of about $1.4 million and the county commissioners have …

Schoolcraft Police Chief Bryan Campbell issued a media release Thursday, detailing an incident involving a motorcyclist involved in a crash after traveling in excess of 100 miles an hour. Campbell said a 47-year-old Vicksburg man was taken to the Kalamazoo County Jail following Wednesday night’s pursuit involving area police agencies. The driver was stopped after 11 p.m. for erratic driving. During …

A crowd of about 175 people gathered Thursday night in Sturgis to hear Battle Creek resident Loreen Niewenhuis discuss the adventures of her 1,019-mile walk around Lake Michigan. Sponsored by the seven libraries in St. Joseph County, the hour-long presentation by Niewenhuis was the culmination of the 2012 “One Book, One County” program. Her presentation at the Sturges-Young Auditorium included …

Glen Oaks Community College has announced the appointment of two new professors. Michelle McNamara, who previously served as an instructor of oral communications, and Sheryl Smithson were hired as professors at the Centreville-area school. McNamara will continue to teach oral communications, while Smithson will serve as professor of microbiology. In addition, a trio of faculty members received tenure after completing …