Government

State Rep. Aaron Miller said Michigan will continue steady economic growth after the House and Senate Appropriations committees received the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference report, which is the first look at the upcoming economic forecast. The report was compiled by the House and Senate Fiscal agencies and the state budget director. It predicts that Michigan’s recovery from the so-called Lost …

Over the objections of prosecutors, a judge has sentenced a man to just five months in jail for cutting railroad safety wires in the Battle Creek area. Jeff Taylor is a former employee for Canadian National Railway who now runs an Upper Peninsula motel. His lawyer says Taylor had mental health problems and wasn’t targeting a specific train. Railroad crossing …

Fire destroyed a garage and two vehicles earlier this week in Burr Oak. Firefighters were called around 3 p.m. Tuesday to a home in the 500 block of Burrwood Drive and were able to keep fire from entering the home. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, though authorities said the blaze does not appear to be …

An Edwardsburg resident died in a crash shortly before 7:00 Monday evening. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, 40-year-old Jennifer Johnson was westbound on Calvin Hill Street, when she lost control of her vehicle and struck a tree, causing a fatal injury. A seat belt was worn. Road conditions were slick at the time of the accident.

Authorities say two people were found dead following a fire in northern Indiana. Crews responded early Sunday to a 911 call reporting a fire in Elkhart County, near Goshen. Crews from four departments worked to extinguish the blaze. The Concord Township Fire Department says one person from the home was safe after the fire. Names of the dead weren’t immediately …

A Sherman Township residence was forcibly entered and burglarized last week. Sheriff’s deputies were called around 9:30 p.m. Thursday to the 63000 block of East Fish Lake Road. A number of items were taken, though a full inventory was not indicated in a department media release. The manner through which access to the residence was gained was not mentioned, either.

One person suffered minor injuries earlier this week when his vehicle was struck by a train at Hoffman Street in Three Rivers. The crash occurred around 2 p.m. Tuesday, when the front of the westbound car was struck by the train. The driver was taken to Three Rivers Health for treatment. Additional information about the driver was not available from …

Meeting dates and time for the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will remain unchanged in 2018 from last year. As a matter of housekeeping at Tuesday’s first meeting of the year, commissioners agreed to keep their meeting schedule at 5 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Its executive committee schedule will also remain the same; commissioners …

Dennis Allen will serve as chairman of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners in 2018. Commissioners agreed Tuesday to appoint the 62-year-old Allen head of the five-member panel. He replaces, Allen Balog, who was named vice chairman. Allen, who is starting his second year on the board, said he appreciates the confidence of his elected peers. Allen, whose district …

Ten families were displaced after a New Year’s Eve fire about 8:45 p.m. at the Tower Motel, on North U.S. 131 in White Pigeon. First-arriving personnel found smoke coming from the eves of the building. The fire was confined to the attic area. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, as fire personnel were scheduled …