News

State Senate Republican Rick Jones is teaming up with State Police in an effort to increase the speed limit on Michigan’s freeways to 75 miles per hour or more based on scientific evidence. Gongwer News service reports Jones, who is sponsoring legislation to up the speed limit, says “There’s a law in Michigan that roads should be set, legally, by …

Charges of violating a permit related to a concealed pistol license could be imposed on a member of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Second District Commissioner Don Eaton could be charged with a misdemeanor related to an incident that originated July 29 at the Sturgis Applebee’s restaurant. Eaton, 53, said he retrieved from his vehicle a pistol as …

A Sturgis woman has died as the result of a motorcycle accident Wednesday night in Constantine Township. Carrie Gay, 30, died Thursday at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, where she was airlifted following the accident at Dickinson and Burke roads. She was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by 32-year-old Charles Barfell, of Sturgis. He remains in serious condition at …

Glen Oaks Community College is offering classes that will teach students how to develop applications for mobile phones. The newly created Mobile Phone Applications Development certificate program begins this fall at the Centreville-area school. Patricia Morgenstern, associate dean of extended learning and workforce development, said the program will teach students how to build, test and market their Android and iPhone …

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) State Veterinarian Dr. James Averill today confirmed the first case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a 12-year-old grade mare from Van Buren County for 2013. The only Michigan case of EEE last year was in an eight-week-old puppy from the same county. “This horse was never vaccinated against EEE and died …

Voters in the Constantine Public Schools district will have two ballot measures before them later this year. A request to renew 18 mills for general operations and a bond resolution for major improvements at Constantine Middle School will be decided in November, following action during the district’s board of education meeting this week. Superintendent Chuck Frisbie said he stressed to …

The Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education voted this week to endorse the district’s move to the Wolverine Conference. The decision means Sturgis High School will join Three Rivers and 10 other schools in the 12-member league starting in the 2014-15 academic year. With about 3,300 students, Sturgis Public Schools will be the largest in the all-Class-B conference.

Glen Oaks Community College officials have announced the school will expand its distance-learning offerings to include online programs as a result of approval received from the Higher Learning Commission. Patricia Morgenstern, associate dean of learning and workforce development, said the college has been offering distance learning classes for more than 15 years. The Higher Learning Commission’s approval, however, gives the …

Authorities say the body of a 58-year-old man has been found in a southwestern Michigan lake after a boat was reported empty on the water. The Cass County sheriff’s department says it was called Wednesday night to Indian Lake in Silver Creek Township. Witnesses told them a person was fishing from the boat and they later noticed the boat still …

County sheriff’s deputies investigated a 2-car crash Wednesday evening at the intersection of US-131 and M-60 on the southwest side of Three Rivers. Randal Anderson, 47, of South Bend, was eastbound on M-60, when he reportedly pulled away from the stop sign, and collided with a southbound vehicle. That car was driven by 41-year-old Brett Schiefelbein of Hinsdale, Illinois. Both …