News

U.S. Senator Gary Peters said he has introduced a bipartisan bill to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s oversight of infant formula. Peters said countless families in Michigan and across the country found themselves in a predicament in 2022, when they were faced with a nationwide infant-formula shortage. The shortage was triggered after Abbott Labs in Sturgis inadvertently shipped formula …

The preliminary exam for a man accused of sexually assaulting two minors will continue later this month. Miguel Hernandez-Ruiz appeared June 5 before St. Joseph County District Court Judge Rob Pattison. After hearing testimony in a closed courtroom from the victims – ages 7 and 6 years – Pattison ordered Hernandez-Ruiz continue to be held at the St. Joseph County …

St. Joseph County and other areas in the region are under a heat advisory at least through Friday. Here are a few options for anyone in need of finding a cooling center: Commission on Aging, 1200 W. Broadway St., Three Rivers. Sturgis Enrichment Center, 306 N. Franks Ave. Three Rivers First United Methodist Church, hosted by the group HOPE. It …

Sturgis Public Schools has received a state grant to improve literacy-instructional practices. The district received more than $410,000, which will be used to support kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers and classrooms throughout the school district in several categories. District officials said $103,500 has been reserved for items that will allow more robust K-5 classroom libraries to be built. Examples include book …

Sturgis residents and city commissioners concurred last week that careless driving in the city is problematic and police will be made aware of the concerns. Sturgis resident Greg Lomax during Wednesday’s city commission meeting asked that Sturgis police look into an apparent rise in speeders and vehicles altered to be loud. Lomax said he has begged police to give tickets …

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Michigan rose last week compared with the week prior, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. New jobless claims increased to 6,392 in the week ending June 8, up from 4,642 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment claims rose to 242,000 last week, up 13,000 claims from 229,000 the week prior …

St. Joseph County United Way is overseeing a catastrophic fund for the family of Melissa Hallack. A recently hired St. Joseph County assistant prosecutor, Hallack died following a head-on crash May 30 on Silver Street in Mendon Township. She was the mother of three young children. United Way officials said 100 percent of all donations will go to Hallack’s family …

A local high school softball team plays today for a chance to reach the state championship game. Mendon’s Lady Hornets has advanced to Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Division 4 “Final Four.” It plays Unionville-Sebewaing at 5:30 in East Lansing in a winner-take-all game. The victor will advance to face the survivor of Hillman versus Holton, who play at 3 …

The driver involved in a fatal crash that killed St. Joseph County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Hallack has died from injuries he suffered in the May 30 incident. The driver is identified as 24-year-old Logan Nicklas Faust from the Hillsdale County community of Reading. The crash occurred on Silver Street, north of Pinhook Road, in Mendon Township. Authorities said the vehicle …

Centreville Public Schools Superintendent Chad Brady received a near-perfect score during his annual evaluation Monday. Board of education president Rod Detweiler said Brady received a mark of 97 on a 100-point scale. The score put Brady at the “highly effective” level. Brady was evaluated on a variety of categories: student achievement, educational leadership, budgeting and finance, community relations, leadership and …