County Information

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is issuing an appeal in support of its annual end-of-year membership drive. The agency has protected more than 720 acres of important natural areas in the past 12 months, including 457-acre LaGrange Valley Wetlands in Cass County and the 135-acre Good Fire Woods in Paw Paw River’s East Branch. Also, 134 acres and more than one …

Students at Mendon and Centreville high schools last week experienced realistic scenarios that reinforce risks associated with distracted driving and driving while impaired. A pair of simulators that included virtual-reality headsets were set up at each school’s gymnasium by International Save a Life Tour, through Grand Rapids-based Education Systems Support Inc. In Mendon on Wednesday and Centreville the following day, …

A $70,000 federal highway-safety grant has been awarded to the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Health Agency in an effort to reduce vehicle crashes with Amish buggies. The goal, according to terms of the grant, is to reduce crashes by 15 percent over the next 10 months. Grant coordinator Josh Englehart explained that since 2016, there have been 261 crashes statewide, with 78 …

Personnel from Central Cass Fire Department said a fire that started in a grain bin at Community Mills in Cassopolis earlier this month re-ignited last week Following the Nov. 3 event, insurance company Chubb Agribusiness was on the scene last week to address the issue. According to South Bend’s ABC 57 News, insurance officials on Friday morning drilled into the …

An area high school varsity football team in Michigan High School Athletic Association’s playoffs was defeated over the weekend in a semi-final contest. Schoolcraft High School saw its 10-game win streak snapped and its season conclude Saturday in a 38-7 loss to Monrose St. Mary Catholic Central. The Eagles finish their season with an 11-2 record. St. Mary, meanwhile, is …

St. Joseph County Road Commission Manager John Lindsey received a positive review and contract extension in the wake of his annual job-performance evaluation last week. Following a closed session at the conclusion of their twice-a-month meeting Wednesday, road commission board members said Lindsey was offered and accepted a two-year contract extension. It expires at the end of 2026 and will …

Cass County Sheriff’s deputies responded last week to a larceny complaint from a business owner in Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said investigators were summoned Nov. 12 to Pro Dock Inc., located on M-60, west of Jones. Following an investigation, authorities executed a search warrant Thursday in the 24000 block of North Shore Drive in Cass County’s Ontwa Township. A 45-year-old woman …

Two of three local high school varsity football teams bowed out of the state playoffs last weekend. The surviving team – Schoolcraft High School – will attempt Saturday to continue its march to Ford Field for a potential state title. In 8-man, Division 1 action last weekend, Mendon came up short in a 49-32 defeat at Deckerville High School. The …

St. Joseph County sheriff candidate Chad Spence picked up an early lead in voting totals Tuesday and hung on to top four opponents to claim the highest elected law-enforcement position in the county. Unofficial vote totals show the 50-year-old Spence collected more than 49 percent of all votes, besting runner-up Jason Bingaman. The current undersheriff, Bingaman received nearly 30 percent …

A challenger to incumbent St. Joseph County Prosecutor David Marvin prevailed during Tuesday’s primary election. Colon resident Deb Davis, who previously worked as an assistant prosecutor, earned more than 56 percent of all votes cast, while Marvin was endorsed by nearly 31 percent of the votes made in the three-person race. Davis will assume the four-year post Jan. 1 and …