News

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners made a number of appointments and reappointments during Tuesday’s twice-a-month meeting. Commissioners appointed Kathy Humphreys as chief deputy treasurer. She replaces Vicky Anders, who is retiring next month. Eric Shafer was reappointed to another term on the St. Joseph County Road Commission. Shaffer’s new term starts Jan. 1 and concludes at the end …

There are more cases of the flu being reported to the state so far this year, compared to last year at this time. But it’s too early to tell just what this flu season will be like, according to officials. Officials with the Michigan Department of Community Health say there have been 47 confirmed flu cases statewide as of November …

Prosecutors have filed a murder charge against a man accused of beating another man with a baseball bat, then leaving him critically injured in a trash bin. Thirty-year-old Francico Veloz-Padilla died last week after being hospitalized November 5th, when he was found severely injured in a trash bin in Kalamazoo. MLive reports that Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting says 25-year-old …

At least 19 wolves have been killed during Michigan’s wolf hunt in the Upper Peninsula. The state Department of Natural Resources updated the results Wednesday morning. It says five wolves were killed in the far western U.P., 11 in central counties and three in the eastern U.P. The wolf season started on November 15th and runs through December, unless 43 …

St. Joseph County’s 2014 fiscal-year budget was approved by the five-member St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. More than $16.7 million was set aside for county operations in 2014, an increase of more than $1.6 million from the amended 2013 fiscal year budget of $15.1 million. Joni Smith, St. Joseph County’s director of finance, said in addition, the county …

A variety of Christmas-related celebrations are taking place over the next three days throughout St. Joseph County. In Constantine, the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony takes place at 6 o’clock tonight. The village is also staging its Fourth of July fireworks fundraiser dinner tonight at Meeks Mill. Dinner settings are at 5 o’clock, 6:30 and 7:30. Also in Constantine Saturday, downtown …

A riding lawnmower and several other items were reported stolen Tuesday from a container storage in Sturgis Township. State police said the lock on a container located in the 68000 block of White School Road was cut sometime between Oct. 28 and Nov. 29. In addition to the XMARK brand mower, four tires and a vehicle engine were stolen from …

St. Joseph County administrator Pat Yoder will shed his “interim” label at the start of the year. Yoder, a 65-year-old Sturgis resident, was given a one-year contract Tuesday to serve as the full-fledged county administrator. He has been serving in an interim basis since April, following the January retirement of Judy West-Wing. Yoder will receive a $105,000 base salary for …

The village of White Pigeon is seeking donations to help with the purchase of new Christmas decorations in 2014. The fundraising effort is being spearheaded by village council Trustee Shireen Cline. She said the village decided to end a three-year tradition and not hire a company that installed and took down rented decorations. The rental and service was about $1,300 …

Investigators with the Three Rivers Police Department are looking for a man who exposed himself to a woman in the downtown area Sunday. According to a department media release, the man was on Joshua Drive near the city’s East Parking Lot around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, when he asked a woman for directions. As the woman approached the man, he pulled …