Government

The former president of a motorcycle club who was accused of stealing money from a fundraiser for a Kalamazoo police officer who was killed while on duty in 2011 has been sentenced to five months in jail. Fifty-five-year-old Joseph Weeks Sr. of Kalamazoo County’s Comstock Township earlier pleaded no contest to embezzlement from a nonprofit. A no contest plea isn’t …

A building was destroyed by fire last week in the city of Sturgis. According to Sturgis Public Safety Director Geoff Smith, the blaze was reported shortly before 8 a.m. Friday in the 1000 block of North Centerville Road at Lafayette Street. The building was a part of the John B. Simpson Electrical Co. business. Its fire was reported by the …

After years of planning, the $2.6 million Enrichment Center in Sturgis is ready for business following a ceremonial grand opening last week. Located adjacent to the Doyle Center on the east side of the city, the Enrichment Center was praised Friday by county and municipal dignitaries, Commission on Aging officials and dozens of other guests. COA executive director Lynn Coursey …

The vehicle of a 38-year-old Indiana woman was struck by a hit-and-run driver last week in Constantine Township. State police said the incident occurred at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of U.S. 131 and Youngs Prairie Road. The victim, from Middlebury, told authorities her vehicle was struck by a tan sport-utility vehicle. The driver of the SUV pleaded with …

A 32-inch, flat-screen television was reported stolen from a barn in Flowerfield Township last week. State police investigators responded around 5 p.m. Tuesday in the 15000 block of Flowerfield Road. The victim told police the incident likely occurred the last week of March.

A Kalamazoo County administrator from Iowa who resigned following allegations of mistreatment of women is getting a $65,000 severance payment. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports Terrence Neuzil will get a one-time payment of six-months’ salary and an extension of employee-sponsored health insurance benefits for himself and his family under terms of an agreement with Kalamazoo County. Neuzil vigorously denies the allegations. …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has approved moving forward on a location for the new Covered Bridge Healthcare. The matter was fielded Tuesday during the commission’s regular meeting. The Board of Directors of Covered Bridge Healthcare Center of St. Joseph County last month accepted a Health Resource Services Administration grant to allow the federally qualified health center to …

Members of the Constantine Village Council this week discussed an increase in salary for elected officials. The matter arose after the council last month adopted a one-year budget that took effect April 1. It included a salary increase of $3,500 to $4,000 annually for the village clerk and treasurer. The salary of the village president was raised from $75 to …

Authorities say a tanker truck driver is dead following a crash in southwestern Michigan that prompted an evacuation of the nearby area. The Cass County sheriff’s department says 60-year-old Charles Edwards of Berrien Springs was pronounced dead at the scene of the early Thursday crash in Howard Township. Authorities say the truck was hauling gasoline and ended up on its …

Opponents of the location for a proposed Three Rivers sports complex addressed members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. Despite the concerns, members of the commission approved a resolution to keep the multi-field sports complex development moving forward. Commission chair Allen Balog said much of the opposition brought up at the meeting was about location. Balog, however, said …