News

DDA director resigns

Tricia Meyer, executive director of Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority, has announced she is resigning from the post to accept a job in Ottawa County. Meyer’s last day will be April 26. She said she has accepted a job working as an independent consultant in the city of Holland. Meyer said her work will center on event planning and grant …

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Supply-chain issues delay restaurant development

Supply-chain issues have delayed redevelopment of the former Burger King restaurant on South Centerville Road in Sturgis. Tria Restaurant Co. announced in December it had acquired and would renovate the property into an Arby’s. The former Burger King, built in 1978, closed in February 2020. After the site-plan review process was completed and approved in late 2021, developers encountered supply-chain …

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Coldwater Schools names new curriculum director

Former Colon Community Schools Superintendent Penny Brockway has returned to work where she had her first out-of-college teaching job. Brockway is back on staff at Coldwater Community Schools. Her first day as director of curriculum and instruction was March 1 – less than a month after her final day as Colon’s superintendent. Brockway first arrived in the district in 1992 …

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Lawn ornament stolen in Park Township

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating the larceny of a seven-foot-tall sasquatch lawn ornament from a residence in Park Township. The incident occurred on or after March 22 on West End Road, near Heimbach Road. Investigators said the lawn ornament is made of sheet metal material and is rusty-brown in color with various sharp edges to detail fur. It appears …

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Upton will not run for another term

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election to another two-year term. Upton’s interest in running again was subject to debate in the wake of an independent redistricting commission’s creation of new boundaries that put Upton and U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga of Holland in the same district. Upton and nine other Republicans voted to impeach for President …

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Toll road exit remains closed

An Indiana Toll Road exit that provides a link to U.S. 131 in Michigan remains closed indefinitely. The Middlebury Toll Road, exit 107, was forced to close Jan. 13 after a vehicle caught fire while at the plaza. Toll Road officials said the fire caused considerable structural damage, including the collection booths, equipment and the roof. Toll Road officials said …

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Sheriff warns of distracted driving causes

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Sheriff Mark Lillywhite has issued a media release with information about the problem. Lillywhite said according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 3,100 people were fatally injured in crashes due to distracted driving in 2020. Lillywhite described distracted driving as anything that causes a motorist take their hands off …

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Police investigate Branch County break-in

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating a breaking-and-entering report from a location in Branch County. Troopers were called to the 600 block of Lilly Road in Bronson Township. Investigators said a generator and chainsaw were stolen from the premises between March 17 and March 23. The generator is a Coleman Powermate, while the chainsaw was made by Stihl.

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GOP Rep. Upton, who voted to impeach Trump, won’t run again

Longtime Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton, who voted to impeach President Donald Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, announced Tuesday he will not run for a 19th term in Congress. Upton, 68, is the fourth of 10 Republicans who backed impeachment to not seek reelection, joining Reps. John Katko of New York, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Anthony Gonzalez of …

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Michigan coronavirus cases down

Michigan reported more than 5,400 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 4.1 percent from the previous week. The previous week had more than 5,600 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported 14 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported six cases and no deaths. …

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