Government

An effort to lock certain voting rights in the Michigan Constitution has taken a major step toward the fall ballot, eclipsing a rival campaign led by Republicans to limit absentee voting and add other restrictions. Promote The Vote, a coalition of 27 groups, submitted nearly 670,000 signatures Monday. While the signatures still must be validated by election officials, the petitions …

Abortion rights are poised to come before Michigan voters in November after an abortion rights campaign turned in a record-breaking number of signatures Monday for a ballot initiative to the secretary of state’s office. The effort will further increase attention on Michigan’s elections, where the battleground state’s Democratic governor and attorney general have made abortion rights a centerpiece of their reelection …

State police troopers are investigating the theft of several travel trailers from storage yards around White Pigeon. The new trailers were taken from three storage yards in White Pigeon Township. One was located in the 69000 block of Sevison Road, another in the 69000 block of U.S. 131 and the other in the 68000 block of Bellows Road. In all, …

A Burr Oak man was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison after being found guilty on 10 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Demetrius Ivory, 45, could serve up to 45 years after a St. Joseph County Circuit Court jury returned guilty verdicts on 10 counts related to three victims. The incidents occurred between September and November 2018 …

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating a breaking-and-entering incident that occurred last month in White Pigeon Township. Investigators responded to the 20000 block of Fawn River Road, where the incident took place between June 24 and 11 a.m. Saturday. Suspects appeared to use a crowbar to force entry into a side door of an unoccupied residence. They stole several articles …

Three Rivers Police said the agency has released the name of a St. Joseph River drowning victim. Det. Sam Smallcombe said the body of Donovan Forsythe, 26, of Princeton, N.C., was pulled Saturday evening from the river after the kayak he was operating capsized shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday on the St. Joseph River in the area of River Drive …

A Three Rivers man was killed in a traffic accident Friday morning, just prior to 7:00, in Kalamazoo. The victim was identified as 46-year-old Jerry Wahmhoff. He was reportedly traveling southbound on Sprinkle Road, riding his motorcycle, when he collided with a westbound semi-rig on the I-94 Business Loop. Wahmhoff, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the …

A longtime business in Constantine Township was destroyed by fire last week. Graber Industries, an RV supply retailer in the 19000 block of Fairchild Road, caught fire around 10 a.m. Friday morning. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from as far away as Colon, Bronson and Middlebury. Multiple buildings were destroyed, though fire departments kept the blaze secured as much …

Sturgis Hospital is facing mounting financial deficits, and officials from the medical facility have turned to the city for help. Hospital officials approached Sturgis City Commission last week to ask for a $645,000 loan to keep the facility open until a decision is made for $15 million in emergency funding. If approved by the state, that $15 million to fund …

Sheriff Mark A. Lillywhite, reports that Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded to a fatal one vehicle crash on Youngs Prairie Road near Harder Road in Constantine Township. The crash occurred Thursday morning at about 4:30 A.M. It was determined that a 20-year-old male from Dowagiac was southbound on Youngs Prairie in a Dodge passenger car. The …