News

As reported last week, Beacon Food Relief Drive is offering a boost to struggling families and individuals through its annual assistance program. Organizers said drive-thru service offers frozen meals and bagged, non-perishable items. The opportunity is Sponsored by Beacon Health Systems. Anyone in need of food assistance is asked to pull up to the hospital’s front entrance and meals will …

September’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by 1 percent from August. Figures from the monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget show St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate fell from 5.4 percent in August to 4.4 percent in September. The county’s September rate from a year earlier was 4.8 percent. Meanwhile, Cass County also …

Members of the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department recently took part in an annual holiday event with local children. “Shop With a Cop,” which also involved personnel from Three Rivers Police Department, Sturgis Police Department and Michigan State Police, occurred Dec. 13. The Three Rivers event took place at Three Rivers Walmart. Nine Three Rivers children benefitted from the experience. …

Sturgis municipal officials recently OK’d a franchise agreement with a company to provide recycling services. During last week’s city commission meeting, a three-year pact was reached with Borden Waste-Away. According to terms of the contract, cost for the service is $6 per unit per month for the first year. Adjustment by 3.5 percent or the Consumer Price index – whichever …

Michigan motorists continue to express their pride and personality through a wide variety of license plate designs, with more than 11.7 million plates currently in circulation across the state, according to the latest data from the Michigan Department of State (MDOS). Over 70% of Michigan license plates have the white Pure Michigan design, first issued in 2013. There are 498,744 personalized Michigan license …

A Sturgis-area woman was sentenced last week in connection to the death of her 2-year-old daughter. Paige Bohne, 22, appeared Thursday before judge Paul Stutesman in St. Joseph County Circuit Court. Bohne was sentenced to at least 18 years in prison on one count of first-degree child abuse and at least four additional years on one count of assault with …

Representatives from Gracepoint Church in Sturgis said the facility has opened an overnight warming center. The option was made available Friday last week, as temperatures dropped to single digits. Church officials said Gracepoint’s Facebook page will include more information during future cold spells and whether it will be able to offer overnight shelter from the elements. The church is located …

Legislation to re-establish and certify the Michigan-Indiana border is headed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk after receiving final approval from both chambers of the state Legislature. A number of legal issues, property disputes, Great Lakes preservation responsibilities and even traffic enforcement have been complicated by the unclear state lines and jurisdictions, according to state leaders. Both states have worked to reestablish …

A man accused of throwing homemade pipe bombs at law-enforcement officials during a standoff in Van Buren County was already wanted on a felony arrest warrant in St. Joseph County. According to WWMT, Morgan Parish is on trial in Van Buren County on 18 felony charges, including terrorism-related offenses, stemming from a July 2025 armed standoff in which authorities allege …

St. Joseph County Intermediate School Board members have developed a time frame for their plan to replace Superintendent Teresa Belote, who plans to retire in June. ISD board members said their goal is to have a new superintendent identified by mid-April. The person selected would, ideally, start June 1 and work under Belote for a few weeks before Belote steps …