News

A Colon business owner is giving a priceless gift to her 10 employees: two weeks of paid vacation. Dawn Furney, owner of Dawn’s Café, said the paid time off was part of a deal she made with her staff. Furney said she adopted a four-days-on, three-days-off work schedule and an hourly pay raise. In exchange, Furney modified the restaurant’s hours …

A Jones man was injured in a single-vehicle crash earlier this week in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called shortly after 11:30 p.m. Monday to Bair Lake Street, near Wood Lake Road. Authorities said a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Adam Bistodeau, of Jones, left the roadway and struck a tree. Bistodeau was transported to Three …

Three Branch County men and a Sturgis resident were arrested for allegedly stealing property from tornado-damaged homes and vehicles in Kentucky. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and police in Caldwell County, Ky., announced the arrests Friday. Cameron said Sevon Gowen, 25, of Sturgis, was charged with possession of burglary tools, receiving stolen property, first-degree possession of a controlled substance and first-degree …

Michigan reported more than 46,000 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Dec. 19, down 7.3 percent from the previous week. Meanwhile, St. Joseph County reported 227 cases and 10 deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 327 cases and six deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 10,601 cases and 152 deaths. Cases fell in 61 Michigan counties, with the …

Southwest Enforcement Team officers executed a search warrant Friday at a home in the 69000 block of Union Road in Cass County’s Porter Township. Three adults at the residence were detained and questioned. The investigation stemmed from tips received regarding suspected drug sales from the home. A 47-year-old Union man, the occupant of the home, was arrested for possession of …

A Mishawaka man was injured after the vehicle he was driving was involved in a crash in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called around 10 p.m. Sunday to the intersection of Bair Lake Street and Wood Lake Road. Investigators said a car driven by 55-year-old Ryan McCourt was traveling east on Bair Lake Street when …

People who haven’t been vaccinated for COVID-19 are taking up too many beds at Michigan’s strained hospitals, as the state prepares for the rapid spread of omicron variant, the governor said Tuesday. The omicron variant is already the dominant strain in the U.S. and is expected to spread rapidly through Michigan in the near future, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at a news …

With the holiday season in full swing, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development encourages pet owners to celebrate responsibly by following six easy steps to help keep their pets healthy and safe. Happy Tummies: Avoid feeding pets people foods Unfortunately, pets cannot enjoy the same foods that humans do. Fatty foods (like turkey/turkey skin, meat fat, and gravy) can cause pancreatitis — even when consumed in small amounts. …

The mother of a 33-year-old Colon woman allegedly strangled to death back in October held a vigil for her daughter Saturday in Colon. Tammy Clipfell lost her only daughter, Chelsea Wallen, to an act of domestic violence Oct. 15 at Wallen’s Colon residence. Wallen was remembered by family, friends and even people who had never met her. Wallen, however, was …

Glen Oaks Community College recently staged an event called “Transformation x 2,” as the college launched the E & F Wing Capital Outlay Project, and also celebrated the grand re-opening of the Technology Wing. The E & F Wing project dates to 2017, when the board approved the concept of applying to the state for a capital outlay project to …