News

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 …

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 …