Government

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has been notified that four dead birds submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Disease Laboratory have tested positive for West Nile Virus. The positive results mean residents of the three counties should be more vigilant in their personal-protective measures to prevent mosquito bites. While no human cases of West Nile Virus …

Two people suffered injuries following a two-car collision Tuesday on M-66 in Sherman Township. State police said 63-year-old John Parks of Sturgis was driving east on Wait Road at 4:45 p.m. when he failed to stop at the intersection of M-66. Parks’ vehicle struck a northbound car driven by Toni Swope, 57, also of Sturgis. Neither person suffered life-threatening injuries …

Sheriff’s deputies investigated a two-vehicle collision Tuesday afternoon in Colon Township. Deputies said Stanley Futymoski, age 76 of Colon, was stopped on M-86 at the north junction of M-66, when he pulled his vehicle into the path of a car being driven northbound on M-66 by Dolores Hochradel, 87, of Sturgis. Hochradel sustained injuries to her legs and back, and was …

A 31-year-old Kalamazoo woman was not injured in a single-vehicle accident over the weekend in Lockport Township. Sheriff’s officials said the incident occurred shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 131 at Wilbur Road, where the woman’s vehicle had rolled over. Alcohol was not a factor in the incident, authorities said. No other details were provided in a department media …

Cass County police and rescue personnel responded last week to a vehicle submerged in a body of water. Sheriff Joe Underwood said 20-year-old Dowagiac resident Caleb Jones was driving west on M-62 at 1 a.m. Saturday when he fell asleep at the wheel. Authorities said the car Jones was driving hit a guardrail, went down an embankment and became submerged …

A four-wheel, all-terrain vehicle was stolen from a Sherman Township residence last week. Sheriff’s deputies said a resident in the 66000 block of Grey Lake reported that the vehicle was taken from a trailer between the night of Sept. 16 and the morning of Sept. 17

The Michigan Department of Transportation has announced that single-lane closures will take place beginning today on the Business Route 131 bridge over the St. Joseph River in downtown Constantine. MDOT’s Nick Schirripa said the work, which will include beam repair and painting, is scheduled to continue through Nov. 1. Schirripa said the cost of the project is nearly $400,000.

The Constantine Area Community Foundation, a geographic affiliate of the Sturgis Area Community Foundation, is accepting grant proposals from qualifying entities: 501(c) 3 organizations, public schools and governmental units for its 2015 fall grant period. Areas of focus for the Constantine Area Community Foundation include improvement of living and working conditions for the citizens of Constantine; youth and recreation; public, …

Six people, including four juveniles, were injured in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in Sturgis Township. Sheriff’s officials said a 28-year-old Sturgis woman was southbound at a stop sign on Balk Road and attempted to turn east onto Fawn River Road, when she turned into the path of a westbound pickup driven by a 20-year-old Sturgis man; the pickup crashed into …

Supporters of a proposed multi-field sports complex in the Three Rivers area cleared a sizable obstacle Tuesday, when members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners allocated financial support toward the concept. With the exception of Robin Baker, commissioners agreed to provide $2.8 million of $4 million the sports complex steering committee originally sought to purchase additional land and …