News

Sturgis Planning Commission members this week voted to not recommend urban chickens in town. Despite Monday’s vote, members of the Sturgis City Commission may proceed as they wish, as the planning commission is a recommending body to aid city commissioners in making an informed decision. If the city commission decides to move forward, the planning commission would support the measure …

A Sturgis man was injured last weekend after failing to stop at a stop sign in LaGrange County. Authorities said Jamie Espinal-Albor, 33, was driving north on LaGrange County Road 100 East on Saturday when he failed to stop at the intersection of State Road 120. Espinal-Albor’s vehicle pulled into the path of an eastbound sheriff’s department SUV. Its lights …

Glen Oaks Community College’s Alpha Alpha Alpha chapter is looking to induct a Glen Oaks graduate into its honor society. Tri-Alpha was founded in 2018 and the Glen Oaks Chapter was established in 2022. It is a national honor society for first-generation college students. A student is considered first generation if neither parents, step-parents or legal guardians ever obtained a …

A union leader representing several St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department employees questioned the county board about not sharing a portion of federal funds the county received last year. Greg Algier, representing Police Officers Association of Michigan and Command Officers Association of Michigan, told commissioners Tuesday he is hopeful consideration will still be given to financially rewarding the union employees. Algier …

The family of an elderly woman, missing since late May, is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said the sheriff’s office is continuing its search for 73-year-old Marilee Furlong, who was last seen May 29 in the area of Flatbush Road in Flowerfield Township. Bingaman said Furlong’s family is offering a $10,000 reward …

A plea agreement has been reached with a Branch County man related to his role in a fatal car crash last year. Prosecutor Zach Stempien said the agreement was made with Dylan Sadger. The 19-year-old Sadger in May 2022 was behind the wheel of a SUV traveling east on Sikorski Road in Bethel Township. Sadger failed to stop at the …

An Illinois man was injured in a single-vehicle crash last weekend in Cass County’s Howard Township. Sheriff’s deputies were called shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday to M-60, near Lake Shore Drive, in response to a car that had gone off the roadway. The driver, 23-year-old Jelani Clark, of Flossmoor, was driving on M-60 when he lost control of his vehicle. …

Michigan’s attorney general filed felony charges Tuesday against 16 Republicans who acted as fake electors for then-President Donald Trump in 2020, accusing them of submitting false certificates that confirmed they were legitimate electors despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state. Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, announced Tuesday that all 16 people would face eight criminal charges, including forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery. …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed a bipartisan package of bills into law to expand voter rights by allowing early voting and early tabulation of absentee ballots across Michigan. The legislation, which resulted from the voter-approved Proposal 2, establishes a website for voters to track when their ballots are received and counted, and requires at least nine days of early voting before …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is lifting the No Contact Health Advisory. Residents can again utilize the St. Joseph River for recreational activities. Officials of the Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant had notified the health department that approximately 500,000 gallons of untreated waste water was discharged into the St. Joseph River between Friday, July 7th at 9:30 p.m. until …