News

An animal shelter in southeast Michigan has been inundated with hundreds of parakeets. The Detroit Animal Welfare Group in Romeo said in a Facebook post that the small, colorful birds were dropped off Thursday night, The Detroit News reported. “We were in shock also but could not turn them away as they were all crammed in seven cages and smothering each …

A Three Rivers-area man was injured after the farm tractor he was driving overturned last week in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called shortly after 12:30 p.m. Friday to an area on Sodaman Road. Investigators said a tractor driven by Darrel Martin, 42, sped up while coming down a hill. Martin told authorities he was …

Glen Oaks Community College President David Devier recently led a presentation centering on work at the college and what remains to be completed. Devier shared a presentation called “A completion of the capital plan: A new dawn for GOCC.” It was the focus topic of a recent meeting of the Glen Oaks Community College Board of Trustees. According to Devier’s …

The city of Sturgis is implementing a program to fill emergency medical-service-provider staffing shortfalls and to provide more comprehensive EMS coverage in coming years. Ryan Banaszak, Sturgis director of public safety, said the area has experienced challenges firsthand as local EMS providers have seen a dramatic decrease in staffing and fewer people entering into the emergency medical field in the …

A local group called “100 Goodfellas” recently awarded Pregnancy Helpline with a check for $6,600. In addition, the group anticipates collecting approximately $3,000 more for the organization. Pregnancy Helpline director Carol Stuckey said she would like to thank 100 Goodfellas for selecting them as their charity of choice this quarter. A check presentation was made recently and included Andy Boyd, president of the board of directors for Pregnancy Helpline, and Tony Percival, representing 100 …

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that she still supports President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, clarifying comments she made earlier this month in which she expressed concerns about it. After a federal appeals court overruled a decision last week that paused a nationwide vaccine mandate for employers of 100 workers or more, 27 Republican-led state governments have come forward with their intent …

St. Joseph County Administrator Teresa Doehring announced Tuesday tentative contract agreements have been reached with the county’s 10 different labor unions. Doehring said with two exceptions, annual raises of 2 percent will be given in each of the next three years. Meanwhile, corrections officers will receive 3 percent raises annually over the next 36 months while the command group for …

During Tuesday’s county commission meeting, commissioner Jared Hoffmaster said the five-county Southwest Michigan Solid Waste Consortium has been dissolved. He said St. Joseph County, however, will continue to keep its own Solid Waste Committee. On an unrelated note, Hoffmaster said the St. Joseph County Transportation Board is in need of members. The board meets the third Tuesday of the month. …

Sturgis commissioners are reviewing a plan calling for development of a trail on leased Michigan Southern Railway right-of-way. The proposed route would extend from west of Big Hill Road west to North Jefferson Street, then south to Chicago Road. Initially, the scope of work consists of preliminary design layout, final design, preparation of contractor requests for bids, evaluation of bids, …

The St. Joseph County United Way has stepped in to assist the family of a Centreville man and his young son who both died in a car crash last weekend. Director Kelly Hostetler said the agency has established a fund to aid the family of Phillip Parker with funeral expenses and other financial demands. Parker, age 30, and his 5-year-old …