News

Colon’s village leaders said that effective immediately, the gate to Department of Public Works compost site will be locked after hours. The measure is being taken to thwart illegal dumping. In addition, the village will no longer be assigning extra keys. In a memo posted online, village officials extended an apology to Colon’s honest residents who take advantage of the …

Seven potential projects in St. Joseph County are included in Michigan Department of Transportation’s recently released draft of its five-year transportation program. Five of those seven proposed projects focus on bridges. If MDOT proceeds with its proposals, an overlay would be added to bridges on M-60 and M-66 over Nottawa Creek, M-60 and U.S. 131 Business Route over the Rocky …

Langley Covered Bridge will be closed possibly up to two weeks after a motorhome struck and damaged one of its height-limiters. St. Joseph County Road Commission Director of Operations Don Preston said the incident occurred late Monday morning at the north end of the iconic bridge. Preston said the driver of the 10-foot-tall motorhome apparently ignored numerous warning signs and …

A Constantine man was arrested last week after allegedly damaging personal property in Sturgis. According to Michigan State Police, a trooper on routine patrol noticed suspicious activity shortly after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the lot at Jim Stykemain Chevrolet GMC. The trooper noted a state police cruiser with a damaged windshield, side mirror and license plate. Authorities said the vehicle …

Glen Oaks Community College has partnered with Creative Dining Services to manage its on-campus food service, school officials said. Ottawa County-based Creative Dining Services traditionally works with colleges and universities in the Great Lakes region, offering dining solutions that focus on quality and customer satisfaction, college officials said. Glen Oaks President Bryan Newton said the company’s team supports the mission …

Vicksburg Community Schools appears poised to be in good shape when its doors open Aug. 25, as considerable construction-related progress has been made over the summer. Maintenance Director Dewey Waterman provided a construction update during the board’s July 14 meeting. Waterman said half of Sunset Lake Elementary’s flooring work was completed a year ago, while the balance was tackled this …

Two people were injured following a collision last week in Cass County’s Howard Township. Sheriff Clint Roach said deputies were called shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday to the area of Carberry Road and Yankee Street in response to a crash with injuries. Investigators said Karen Stanton, 57, of Osceola, Ind., was driving west on Yankee Street as 54-year-old Niles resident …

A popular eatery in Vicksburg is on its way to getting an upgrade. Vicksburg Village Council members during their July 21 meeting approved a zoning variance. The council’s blessing will allow Vickers’ Lakeside Tavern to proceed with a plan to enclose a portion of its deck. Village Manager Jim Mallery said the project calls for enclosing roughly one-third of the …

Sturgis municipal officials are debating whether to continue offering curbside recycling. During last week’s city commission meeting, city manager Andrew Kuk said the current contract with Elkhart-based Borden Waste Management Services expires at the end of the year. Kuk said the city is in a position to weigh three options: absorb an anticipated price increase and continue recycling service as …

Two members of the Burr Oak 4-H Club recently received state recognition. Taylor Johnson was named the winner of the 2025 Michigan 4-H award in Junior Companion Animal Science. Meanwhile, Taylor Trattles was chosen as the recipient of the 2025 Michigan 4-H award in Junior Swine Science. Michigan’s state awards program took place June 18 in East Lansing. The Michigan …