News

The city of Bronson is to receive nearly $2 million in federal funding to help offset the cost of upgrading its wastewater-treatment facility. Municipal officials said the investment will address infrastructure improvements at the facility, which has long been identified by the city council as a critical need. Mayor Bill Rinehart said the city would otherwise have been forced to …

Vicksburg Village Manager Jim Mallery has announced he intends to retire at the end of 2026. While some municipal leaders might have suspected this would be Mallery’s last year, his intentions were made official during an optimistic and emotional, seven-minute speech at the council’s Jan. 5 meeting. Reading from a prepared statement, Mallery touched on a number of key issues …

White Pigeon Community Schools leaders opted to close school Friday last week following a threat posted on the school’s website. Superintendent Shelly McBride said school administration collaborated with local law enforcement and state police to investigate the threat. She said the investigation was concluded by midday Friday. By coincidence, the district was closed Monday due to inclement weather.

A 20-year-old Constantine woman died in a weather-related crash last week in Fabius Township. The victim was identified at Brianne Anthony. According to a St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department media release, deputies were dispatched Wednesday evening to an area of Constantine Road at the St. Joseph River bridge in response to a two-vehicle crash. Investigators said the victim was driving …

Slippery roads and speed too fast for conditions may have been factors in a two-vehicle, fatal crash last week in Sherman Township. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday to an area of Featherstone Road, near Taylor Road, following a report of a two-car crash. Authorities said the victim, Angela Phillips, age …

November’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County remained unchanged from September. Figures from the monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget show St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in November, identical to its rate in September. Data for an October report was not collected due to the federal shutdown. St. Joseph County’s November …

Lockport Township Board of Trustees last week approved a repeal of its 2023 solar ordinance, which governed large-scale and small-scale solar energy systems in the township and included a solar overlay district. According to the Three Rivers Commercial-News, the repeal comes amid opposition over the ordinance from some township residents as well as ongoing pushback from residents statewide against large-scale …

Three Rivers Water Festival has announced details related to its theme and general information about the 2026 event. The county’s first community celebration of the summer is a three-day affair and will start June 18. The theme: TR Celebrates America’s 250th birthday. The festival typically draws more than 10,000 people between its parade, midway, live music and fireworks. More information …

There are new developments in a local issue related to a potential data center in Southwest Michigan. WWMT reports that the Cass County Board of Commissioners is responding to a bitcoin mining facility’s proposed expansion, and calling on city leaders to demand more accountability. Located in the vicinity of downtown Dowagiac, Hyperscale Data wants to increase its power capacity to …

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle over the weekend in Cass County’s Howard Township. Sheriff Clint Roach said deputies were called around 8 p.m. Sunday to an area on Huntly Drive near Reese Drive in response to a car-versus-pedestrian crash. Investigators said 36-year-old Berrien County resident Stephanie Clark was southbound on Huntly Drive when her vehicle struck a man …