News

The appointment of Paul Schoon as chief of the Three Rivers Fire Department was confirmed last week by members of the city commission. Schoon, a 17-year member of the department, will step into the post April 11, a day after incumbent Jeff Bloomfield’s last day on the job. He is leaving to take a position with Beacon Health Systems and …

A Kalamazoo man could serve up to 10 years in prison after he was sentenced last week for defrauding a Lockport Township homeowner in 2017. Nakia Davis, 47, was ordered to serve between one year and a decade in a sentencing made by Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman. Court officials said the victim’s home suffered storm damage and the owner …

A Kalamazoo police officer fatally shot a man Sunday when that man fired a handgun toward officers, authorities said. The shooting happened about 10:30 a.m. after officers were called to a neighborhood south of the city’s downtown area about what the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety called “suspected criminal activity.” After officers arrived, the 33-year-old man from Battle Creek, fired …

Sturgis Public Schools will consider a business-services agreement with Colon Community Schools when the board of education meets March 21. Board members learned of the potential arrangement at their study session Monday. Art Ebert, Sturgis superintendent, said Colon has gone through a number of transitions recently, including currently having an interim superintendent. A business-services contract for Colon with the St. …

Michigan reported fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending March 13, adding nearly 6,000 new cases. That’s down more than 24 percent from the previous week’s tally of almost 8,000 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported 24 cases and five deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 20 cases and three …

Details of an incident involving a vehicle driven into a section of Constantine High School remain unavailable. Neither Constantine Public Schools nor the Constantine Police Department are releasing information about the March 9 crash. The nighttime incident caused damage to the building and its band room. No one was injured in the crash, though some band instruments were damaged.

A highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, known as HPAI, was found this week in a non-commercial backyard flock in Kalamazoo County. State health officials have been working diligently to limit the spread of the virus and birds from the flock are assured not to enter the food system. No avian influenza virus has been detected anywhere in the United States. …

A veteran member of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election for another two-year term. Dan Czajkowski, who is in his sixth year on the county board, made the declaration during the commission’s monthly meeting Tuesday. Czajkowski, 65, represents Constantine, Mottville, White Pigeon and Sturgis townships. Starting in January and under his replacement, …

A White Pigeon Township resident has announced his intentions to run for county commission. Luis Rosado, 58, made his candidacy official moments after incumbent Dan Czajkowski announced Tuesday he would not seek re-election to a fourth, two-year term. Rosado is a salesman for Cobalt Holdings in Sturgis. A Chicago native, Rosado spent 18 of his 24 years in law-enforcement with …

St. Joseph County Commission chair Kathy Pangle had a pointed response to a constituent critical of the county’s potential use of its $11.8 million in funds issued through the American Rescue Plan Act. During the commission’s Tuesday meeting, Pangle took a few minutes to share her rebuttal to a constituent who texted her and said he felt the money should …