News

After a several-year hiatus, a weekly farmers market has returned to downtown Sturgis. The open-air market is open 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays on Pleasant Avenue through October. Sturgis Downtown Development Authority event coordinator Ryan Conrod said with recent work completed on Pleasant Avenue, it was an ideal location to host the market. The downtown farmers market complements an unrelated …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is completing its plan to provide COVID-19 vaccination with Pfizer and Moderna vaccine to children 6 months to 5 years of age. Health officer Rebecca Burns said the agency must complete required training and documentation for its clinical staff, and the administrative tasks required to begin the vaccination program for the age group. She …

Friends of two teens injured in a four-vehicle crash last week gathered at Sturgis High School for a prayer vigil. Friends of Jillian Romanyk and Fekile Lind organized Sunday’s event. The two are in critical condition at a Kalamazoo hospital after the Chevy Silverado they were in crossed the center line on U.S. 12 about 4 p.m. Friday in Burr …

Michigan reported fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding more than 15,000 new cases. That’s down 15.6 percent from the previous week’s tally of more than 18,000 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported 60 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 46 cases and zero …

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating the larceny of a catalytic converter last week from a location in Branch County’s Matteson Township. According to a department media release, the incident occurred between 5 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Friday in the 800 block of Horkey Road.

A number of bridges on heavily traveled roads in St. Joseph County could be closed for up to three years if a potential funding shortage isn’t resolved in the near future. Representatives from the St. Joseph County Road Commission addressed board of commissioners during their executive committee meeting last week. Road Commission Board chairman Eric Shafer said priority attention needs …

Severe weather has forced Abbott Nutrition to pause production of baby formula in Sturgis, where its plant had just restarted after being closed for several months, contributing to a national shortage. Production for Abbott’s EleCare specialty formula has been suspended, but there is enough supply to meet demand until production is restarted, the company said. Abbott had prioritized ramping up …

A White Pigeon resident attempting to recall village president Tyler Royce can proceed with circulating a petition. The three-member St. Joseph County Election Commission ruled Thursday that wording in the application for a petition being sought by Jerry Kash is clear enough to begin the process. Kash has 60 days to collect at least 108 signatures of registered voters from …

Centreville’s board of education this week hired two new teachers. Carly Miller is in the process of securing her teacher credentials and in the meantime will oversee high school science. Narissa Ross, meanwhile, will serve as K-12 special education teacher. She comes from Sturgis Public Schools, where she worked 11 years. Also Monday, the board approved a three-year contract for …

A proceeding to decide the fate of a recall effort against a White Pigeon village official takes place today. Language to recall White Pigeon Village President Tyler Royce has been submitted to the St. Joseph County Clerk’s office. As a result, a clarity/factuality public hearing happens at 3 p.m. in Courtroom B at the county courthouse in Centreville. Jerry Kash …