News

Legal updates were among topics at a meeting of the St. Joseph County School Board Association last week in Sturgis. Brad Banasik, legal counsel and director of labor relations for Michigan Association of School Boards, presented the updates. Among the topics were Public Act 87 of 2021, quarantining, Open Meetings Act issues, student discipline and off-campus student speech and school board censures. Public …

The village of Burr Oak came to the aid of another St. Joseph County community recently, selling its 2014 police car to the village of Constantine. The vehicle was purchased under a grant from the USDA. Constantine was in need of a car after they had one out of service. Being bought under the USDA grant, Burr Oak was able to sell the car at a …

Eight fresh-food distributions will take place through the end of the month in St. Joseph County. The next will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Centreville, followed by a distribution at 10 a.m. Oct. 16 at the Huss Project in Three Rivers. After that, there will be three events Oct. 21: 10:30 a.m. at Gateway Village …

Firm Foundation Ministries is celebrating a milestone this weekend, as the Centreville-based church on Sunday will acknowledge the 25th anniversary of its founding. Senior pastor Don Smith said fanfare will be minimal this weekend but a larger salute to its silver anniversary will take place at the end of the month. Smith said Wednesday was the anniversary date of the …

St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners is returning to seven members. The St. Joseph County Apportionment Commission met Wednesday for the third and final time, and before the hour-long meeting concluded, its members approved a map featuring seven county districts. The county has been represented by five commissioners since the previous apportionment commission created current boundaries following release of the …

St. Joseph County officials took another step toward potentially securing as much as $500,000 in emergency funds as a result of heavy storms Aug. 11 and 12. Erin Goff, county emergency services and Homeland Security director, attended Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting to detail the next steps necessary in a lengthy reimbursement process. She said Tuesday’s action was more of …

A White Pigeon man was charged with drug-related offense following a traffic stop earlier this week in Florence Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies stopped a vehicle shortly before 3 a.m. Monday on Constantine Road, near Stears Road. The driver was identified as a 40-year-old man and was the lone occupant in the vehicle. Authorities located 23 grams of methamphetamine …

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is offering a sneak peak to a future nature preserve in Allegan County. Agency officials said a tour will take place 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Armintrout-Milbocker Preserve. It is located at the east end of Thomas Street in Allegan. The 30-year-old Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is finalizing the purchase of the …

The Van Buren/Cass District Health Department is hosting six community flu-shot clinics through the end of the month. The schedule includes a clinic next week in Marcellus. According to health department officials, there will be clinics Thursday in Dowagiac, Tuesday in Lawrence and Oct. 14 in Marcellus. It will take place 2 to 5 p.m. at Marcellus High School’s gymnasium. …

New coronavirus cases leaped in Michigan during the week ending Sunday, rising 16.3 percent, as 26,768 cases were reported. Meanwhile, St. Joseph County reported 262 COVID-19 cases and one related death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 215 cases and four deaths. Throughout the pandemic, St. Joseph County has reported 7,622 cases and 111 deaths. Michigan ranked …