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Two vehicles parked in a field were damaged this week in Mendon Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the incident occurred Tuesday night in a field near the intersection of Taylor and Nottawa roads. The nature of the damage was not indicated in a department media release.

It’s a job killer and it needs to change. That’s the message from multiple Michigan retailers who say they’re frustrated with losing sales to big online stores. They’re taking that message to Washington D.C., asking lawmakers to force online retailers to charge sales tax. Michigan Retailers Association spokesman Tom Scott says if retailers inside the state of Michigan are required …

A former Sturgis Citizen of the Year and one-time city commission member has passed away. Jo Ellen Oster, 64, passed Tuesday following a bout with cancer. The 1998 Sturgis Citizen of the Year, Oster served at different times as a city commissioner, member of the Downtown Development Authority and the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce. Her late husband, John, is the …

Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates will have the option to attend 15 private colleges in the state with their tuition paid for through the Kalamazoo Promise next year. The scholarship program has guaranteed full tuition payment for all public universities and community colleges in Michigan for the past eight years. The Kalamazoo Promise is teaming up with the Michigan College Alliance …

Nearly 200-thousand Michigan residents will benefit from the recently expanded “Pay As You Earn” repayment plan for federal student loans, according to a report released by the White House. President Barack Obama signed an executive memorandum on Monday expanding eligibility for the program to borrowers with loans made prior to 2011. A report from the White House Council of Economic …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has announced the return of Project FRESH. The nutrition-education and supplemental-food program is offered through the agency in conjunction with Michigan State University Extension Services. Project FRESH puts fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables into the hands of young families who qualify for Women, Infants and Children assistance. Participants receive 10, $2 coupons that …

The six-member White Pigeon High School golf team claimed the Division 4 state championship. Staged in Bedford Valley, the Division 4 finals saw White Pigeon shoot a two-day score of 654. The Chiefs topped Charlevoix and Lincoln Alcona, which finished tied for second at 663. The championship team is comprised of Riley and Jordan Olsen, Cory Snook, Jack Tippman, Andrew …

Large crowds gathered over the weekend for the opening of a new business in downtown Constantine. The Constantine Brewing Company staged a soft opening Friday, with a public opening Saturday. Owner Matt Ryan said the 2,000-square-foot business was fully refurbished over the course of the past 13 months. Ryan said he brews his own product onsite and, according to terms …

Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said his office is investigating a hit-and-run accident that occurred Wednesday morning in Porter Township. The crash happened at 8:44 a.m. on M-40 at Shavehead Lake Street, according to a department media release. Deputies identified the driver and his passengers who had remained at the crash site as 30-year-old Robert Monfore, and Kristin Greer, 25, …

Sturgis Police made contact with a man in his late 30s Wednesday afternoon who had walked into the police department lobby, who was reportedly suffering from hallucinations and extreme paranoia. While speaking with the man, officers learned that he had purposefully caused a significant natural gas leak at his home before leaving. Police, along with the Sturgis Fire Department, responded …