News

Plans to name a ballfield complex in honor of a noteworthy graduate were put on hold Monday by the Centreville Public Schools Board of Education. Class of 1995 member Matt Thornton went on to enjoy a 13-year Major League Baseball career as a pitcher with six different MLB teams. While Thornton, a former MLB All-Star, may have seemed a logical …

Further improvements at the county’s newest park top the list of work planned this summer by the St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department. Director Jaymes MacDonald said a considerable amount of time has been spent at Kettles Park over the past six months, with efforts centering on improving its trail network. Acquired in 2021 through state grants and a …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation delivered some good news for the village of Constantine Tuesday. They announced that Michigan Strategic Fund approved a new dairy-processing facility that will reduce the carbon footprint of dairy byproduct and bring new jobs and infrastructure to the community. A total capital investment of $41.1 million is expected. MMPA and Dairy …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday announced recipients of two high-profile awards. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said Mark Mellinger was named Uniformed Services Deputy of the Year for 2022. Meanwhile, Gabriel Keely received Corrections Deputy of the Year for 2022. Bingaman said the county is a safer place because of Mellinger, while Keely is an employee who goes above …

Constantine municipal officials are looking into moving its Civil War cannon at South Washington Street Park to the township cemetery. Village resident and local historian Rebecca Shank last month asked the council if it would consider relocating the cannon to a place of honor. A cemetery, she said, would be more appropriate than a community park. Shank said the cannon …

Michigan will ditch a system that gave A-through-F grades to public schools each year after state education officials called the system overly simplistic and a duplicate of federal requirements. The Michigan School Grades System, which was narrowly passed in 2018 by the Republican-led Legislature, assigned each public school in Michigan letter grades and rankings based on the school’s annual performance in …

A team of wranglers — including one on horseback — chased down and captured a wayward steer named Lester across several lanes of a Detroit-area freeway. State police in-car video shows the tail-end of Sunday afternoon’s chase on northbound Interstate 75 in Holly, about 57 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. A rider on horseback and three people in two ATVs …

A Constantine man suffered life-threatening injuries in a single-car crash last weekend in Constantine Township. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies were called shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday to the area of Zerbe Road and U.S. 131 for what was reported as a crash with injuries. Upon arrival, deputies found that a 57-year-old Constantine man was driving east on Zerbe Road …

Sturgis Public Schools teacher Tyson Dilts has received the 2023 John E. Oster Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dilts accepted the award Friday at the Sturgis Area Community Foundation’s annual Impact Celebration at the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts. Dilts, a first-grade teacher at Wenzel Elementary, has taught with Sturgis Public Schools for six years. Superintendent Art Ebert said Dilts …

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a breaking-and-entering incident in Park Township. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies were called last week to a business in the 16000 block of Cotherman Lake Road. According to a department media release, a number of items were stolen. The incident is believed to have occurred between May 19 and May 22.