News

Sturgis police last week arrested a suspect connected to a ring of fraudulent checks distributed in the area. According to authorities, the suspect was arrested Wednesday following a several-days investigation. Officers obtained a warrant Thursday to conduct a search in the 400 block of East Congress Street. Officers found that a large number of fraudulent checks had been cashed across several counties. …

First Lt. Barry Schrader took over last week as the new commander for the Michigan State Police post in Marshall. Schrader will command District 5, Region 4, after Lt. Jim Coleman transferred to command the Hart post in September following more than a decade in Coldwater, then Marshall. The Marshall post provides service to Branch, Calhoun and St. Joseph counties. …

Glen Oaks Community College administrators are reviewing the option of securing a low-interest USDA loan versus the idea of campus financial resources. Currently, the only college debt consists of two USDA loans: the residence hall, which pays for itself in student boarding fees; and the concourse renovation. The proposed South Campus work would potentially include renovation of the locker rooms …

In December 2021, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy signed the final purchase documents for the Armintrout-Milbocker Nature Preserve in Allegan, making SWMLC the official owner of the property. Ultimately, SWMLC was able to secure grant funding for the acquisition from several different sources, all of which combined with a generous bargain sale by the Armintrout and Milbocker Families, to make the …

A northern Indiana county is looking to spend some of its federal COVID-19 relief money to open a county morgue. The St. Joseph County coroner’s office is now using a cooler at a local cemetery to store six or seven bodies at a time since it doesn’t have its own facility, the South Bend Tribune reported. The County Council voted this …

Michigan’s attorney general is asking federal prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into 16 Republicans who submitted false certificates stating they were the state’s presidential electors despite Joe Biden’s 154,000-vote victory in 2020. Dana Nessel, a Democrat, disclosed Thursday that her office had been evaluating charges for nearly a year but decided to refer the matter to the U.S. attorney in western …

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are shutting down to marine traffic to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform critical maintenance. The locks on the St. Mary’s River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron are expected to be closed from Saturday (January 15) to March 25, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The complex consists …

Colon Downtown Development Authority officials have announced the DDA’s step forward in an effort to attract visitors to the community. The goal of a new website and branding done by Circa Design is to keep the village relevant and visible, parlaying its role as Magic Capital of the World. The website launched Dec. 29 and can be found at: visitcolonmi.us. DDA …

Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2021 “Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture” award winner, Loren King of Burr Oak, brought his insight and expertise in farm advocacy and technology to the national stage Saturday, taking home second place at AFBF’s annual convention in Atlanta. The Excellence in Agriculture Award is designed to recognize young farmers for their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability and …

Authorities have identified two southwest Michigan women who died last week when their car caught fire after apparently getting stuck in heavy snowfall. Electra May Sutfin, 27, of Galien, and Chloe Clink, 28, of Dowagiac died early on Jan. 7 south of Dowagiac, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. The women were identified by the Kalamazoo Medical Examiner’s Office …