Government

A 1945 law repeatedly used by Gov. Gretcher Whitmer to respond to the coronavirus pandemic was declared unconstitutional Friday by the Michigan Supreme Court, a striking decision that puts months of restrictions in jeopardy while COVID-19 continues to flare up around the state. The opinion is an extraordinary development in a monthslong conflict between Whitmer, a Democrat, and Republicans who …

A Kalamazoo pastor who has criticized police over their handling of protests has lost his seat on a community police review board. Members of the Citizens Public Safety Review and Appeal Board must be “impartial and perform their duties without bias,” City Manager Jim Ritsema said. The Rev. Nathan Dannison’s service won’t be extended when his term ends next week. …

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners plans to hold an in-person commission meeting next month. During their executive committee meeting earlier this week, county administrator Teresa Doehring and commissioners targeted Oct. 6 as their first in-person board meeting since Feb. 18. Doerhing said the spacious commissioners’ room would allow up to 35 people to attend while still safely observe social …

An auto-theft ring originating in LaGrange County was broken up by authorities and three St. Joseph County residents have been arrested. An investigation by LaGrange County, Shipshewana Police Department and Michigan State Police led to the arrest of Kyle Miller, 33, of White Pigeon; Joshua Webb, 31, of Constantine and 26-year-old Katie Ann Shephard of Three Rivers. They were arrested …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday that gyms can reopen after 5 1/2 months of closure and additional organized sports can resume if masks are worn — lifting some coronavirus restrictions that lasted longer in Michigan than in many states. The order, which takes effect next Wednesday, allows for the reopening of fitness centers and indoor pools in a swath of the …

Michigan on Friday crossed the threshold of 100,000 cases of the coronavirus confirmed since March. Deaths related to COVID-19 reached 6,446 after six more were recorded, the state health department said. Most people usually recover from the virus. It can cause mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some, …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday urged Michigan residents to get the flu vaccine to ease the load on the health system if there is a surge of coronavirus cases during the fall and winter influenza season, announcing the state wants at least 1 million more people vaccinated. She received a flu shot during a news conference to “show how easy …

A young woman who was declared dead at her suburban Detroit home opened her eyes at a funeral home as she was about to embalmed, a lawyer said Monday. “They would have begun draining her blood to be very, very frank about it,” Geoffrey Fieger told WXYZ-TV. The Southfield fire department acknowledged it was involved in a bizarre set of …

A Bronson man was airlifted from the scene of a two-vehicle accident over the weekend in Sherman Township, and died Monday at Bronson Methodist Hospital. Sheriff’s deputies were called around 11:30 Saturday morning to an area on North Centreville Road near Featherstone Road. Upon arrival, they found a 2005 GMC Canyon driven southbound by a 53-year-old Sturgis man had rear-ended …

Longtime Republican Rep. Fred Upton defeated a primary challenger in his district in southwestern Michigan. The 17-term lawmaker will take on Jon Hoadley in the general election. Upton beat real estate agent Elena Oelke in the 6th Congressional District’s GOP primary on Tuesday, by a margin of 63 to 37 percent. Hoadley, a state legislator, defeated Jen Richardson of Kalamazoo, …