County Information

A proposal to allow Michigan’s state lawmakers to cast legislative votes from their home districts instead of only at the Capitol building has been suggested. Mackinac Center for Public Policy President Joseph Lehman proposed the concept last week. The option, he said, would give lawmakers more flexibility to divide their time between the districts and Lansing. Removing the geographic voting …

The St. Joseph County Literacy Council has hired J.P. Yoder as its new executive director. Yoder’s first day on the job was Thursday. He replaces Rebecca Lilly, who retired earlier this year. Yoder spent nine years in the 1980s and ‘90s as administrator at Thurston Woods senior-living center in Sturgis. He has also served on executive boards of several non-profit …

A Burr Oak High School student graduated last month with perfect attendance throughout his K-thru-12 education. Brandon Hernandez said the only exception was excused absences during Fair Week. Hernandez said he values his work in 4-H but would have quit the organization if it meant losing his standing of perfect attendance. Hernandez said his mother is a kindergarten teacher in …

State Rep. Aaron Miller is hosting three community forums related to a bill that would close the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System to new school employees. Miller said House Bill 4647 would institute a defined contribution retirement plan that is identical to that of state employees and legislators. He said the meetings were called in light of numerous emails …

A 31-year-old Sturgis man was arrested on drug-related offenses following an investigation by the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit. According to a sheriff’s department media release, SCAN narcotics investigators executed a search warrant Thursday at a residence in the 66000 block of Myers Landing Road in Sherman Township. Investigators found marijuana, methamphetamine and items used to manufacture meth.

Cass County sheriff’s officials are looking for a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident earlier this week. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called around noon Wednesday to a location on U.S. 12 west of M-217 in Porter Township. Deputies found that a motorcycle driven by 19-year-old Colin Schieber of Elkhart had crashed into the rear of another vehicle. Schieber …

A fisherman from Benton Harbor was rescued Wednesday from Dewey Lake in Cass County’s Silver Creek Township. The county’s 911 central dispatch received a call shortly after 10:30 a.m. regarding a capsized boat. Deputies found that a lone fisherman was hanging onto the side of his boat and calling for help. A Silver Creek Township police officer arrived on the …

The court date for a former priest at parishes in Colon and Bronson has been moved to later this month. A pre-trial conference for Richard Fritz was originally slated to take place Tuesday but has been rescheduled to June 13. If a preliminary hearing is necessary, it would occur June 20, according to the St. Joseph County District Court. Fritz …

Speed was cited as a factor in a single-vehicle crash earlier this week in Cass County’s Porter Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were dispatched at 5 a.m. Tuesday to Union Road in an area south of U.S. 12. According to a department media release, a Dodge pickup driven by 27-year-old Shelly Wright failed to negotiate a curve and left …

The Sturgis Area Community Foundation marks its 55th anniversary this year and is hosting a “Match Day’ to multiply the gifts to endowed funds by donors on June 6. The foundation will match contributions to endowed funds on a dollar-to-dollar basis up to $5,000 per fund, and contributions to non-endowed funds at 50-cents on the dollar up to $2,500 per …