News

An annual tradition to remember victims of domestic violence and honor survivors was held Tuesday in Centreville. Sponsored by the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services agency, the 2021 candlelight vigil took place outside the St. Joseph County Courthouse. The theme of this year’s gathering was “Remember My Name.” DASAS has organized the candlelight vigil for several years.

A road-improvement project in Sturgis is more than halfway complete. Work on rebuilding Vinewood Avenue and East Congress Street started almost a month ago and is on target to be completed Oct. 30. City officials said Vinewood has not been repaved since 1974 and improvement is necessary based on the street’s current condition, rated as 2 out of a possible 10. …

A Cassopolis High School student was arrested Monday and charged with terroristic threats after the district and Cass County Sheriff’s Department received tips over the weekend. Sheriff Richard Behnke said school officials and the sheriff’s department on Sunday separately received tips related to an individual making threats of violence at the school. School and law-enforcement personnel maintained a high presence …

New coronavirus cases leaped in Michigan in the week ending Sunday, rising 10.6 percent, as 29,611 cases were reported. The previous week had 26,768 new cases of COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported 215 cases and four deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 262 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 7,837 cases …

Five St. Joseph County veterans were selected for the latest Talons Out Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., which occurred over the weekend. Flying Saturday out of Kalamazoo were Jeffery Owen and John Raifsnider of Sturgis, and Garry Grevenstuk, Edward Ondrejka and Norm Stutesman of Three Rivers. Honor Flight offers complimentary day trips to the nation’s capital for veterans of World …

With a focus on suicide prevention, the next IBelong summit takes place this weekend. Glen Oaks Community College will host the event, which is sponsored by the St. Joseph County United Way. The community conference will feature keynote speaker Nathan Harmon. He is the founder of “Your Life Speaks” and a tireless advocate for suicide prevention. Harmon was involved in …

State Rep. Steve Carra has introduced legislation that he said will increase the quality and durability of Michigan roads. A member of the House Transportation Committee, Carra introduced a plan to require long-term contracts for road construction and maintenance. Carra said under his plan, contractors will have a vested interest in making and maintaining durable highways and roadways. Carra’s House …

A Georgia man was arrested after the victim of a motor vehicle theft followed the suspect and reported the incident to authorities. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were notified around 1 a.m. Thursday about a motor vehicle theft in progress. The suspect was in the process of stealing a car from a residence in the 61000 block of Klinger Lake …

Two Cass County men were injured after they were involved in a collision last week in Penn Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were alerted around 9:30 a.m. Friday to a two-vehicle collision in the area of Decatur Road and Fox Street. Investigators said a pick-up driven by Raymond Welburn, 70, of Jones, attempted to turn left onto Fox Street …

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 …