News

A Coldwater woman died last week after the bicycle she was riding was struck by a sport-utility vehicle in Branch County. Michigan State Police troopers continue to investigate the incident, which occurred April 12 in the area of South Angola Road and Nye Road in Ovid Township. Once on scene, troopers determined the 25-year-old woman was southbound on South Angola …

Four Sturgis men were recognized last week by a local civic group for an initiative they started in order to help local businesses. Dan Root, Tony Percival, Dave Northrop and Von Metzger, who led the Love Local $20$20 initiative a year ago, were given the Exchange Club’s “Book of Golden Deeds” award on Thursday. Root saw an idea posted on …

A long-time St. Joseph County employee retired last week, ending a career that exceeded more than 30 years. Pat Kulikowski has served three decades as administrative assistant. In that role, she has had the unique experience of working under each of the county’s three administrators – Pat Yoder, Judy West-Wing and Teresa Doehring – since the position was created in …

St. Joseph County is in the preliminary stages of ironing out a communications project with Cass County. The matter of constructing a new radio tower to be shared by central dispatch departments from both counties was fielded by commissioners during their executive committee meeting Wednesday. St. Joseph County Central Dispatch Director Dennis Brandenburg told commissioners that a coverage study following …

Indiana & Michigan Power has begun power-pole replacement and repair work on its 69-kilovolt line in Sturgis. The project started Monday and will continue through Friday next week. Municipal officials said the scope of work will necessitate some short-term closures on South Orange Street. Specifically, an impending closure will affect South Orange Street between West Congress Street and U.S. 12 …

The body of a southwestern Michigan man swept last month from a pier into Lake Michigan has been recovered. Members of the Michigan State Police dive team located the body of Dakota Yergeau, 27, Wednesday near the south pier at Silver Beach in St. Joseph. Yergeau and another man reportedly were on the pier in southwestern Michigan on March 28 …

A request to waive the county’s hiring freeze appears to have divided the St. Joseph County Board of Trustees. During their executive committee meeting Wednesday, county commissioners had contrasting opinions about whether to honor a request from district court administrator/magistrate Tabitha Wedge to hire a replacement deputy clerk for the court’s civil division. Following extensive debate on the $60,000-a-year position, …

A Constantine man was arrested Monday after he led authorities on a pursuit in Constantine Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies attempted to stop a vehicle at 5 p.m. on Stears Road near U.S. 131. Deputies said the suspect was known to have an outstanding felony warrant, prompting the attempt to stop his vehicle. The 58-year-old man fled in a …

The Branch Hillsdale St. Joseph Community Health Agency has experienced an increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases being reported and variant spread, similar to the rest of Michigan the past few weeks. According to an agency media release, it is following MDHHS guidance on reinstituting a standard, 14-day quarantine for close contacts of COVID-19 cases. This will remove …

The Branch Hillsdale St. Joseph Community Health Agency has announced it is pausing all use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA and CDC have recommended this pause, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the recommendation, as well. Health officer Rebecca Burns said the agency is immediately stopping all use of the Johnson …