News

Four area high schools remain in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s football playoffs. Three contests will be played tonight and the fourth Saturday afternoon. Tonight’s games begin at 7 o’clock and feature 7-and-1 Constantine at 8-and-0 Buchanan. Meanwhile, Marcellus is 5-and-2 and travels to Martin, which is 7-and-1 on the season. The showcase contest features No.1 state-ranked Reading at …

Hospital leaders warned Thursday that more than 3,000 people are hospitalized with the coronavirus in Michigan, a rate that is doubling every two weeks and is expected to top the spring peak of about 4,000 by late this month. “It’s an accelerating trend. It’s very serious,” said John Fox, president and CEO of Beaumont Health, the state’s largest system. Inpatients …

Michigan on Tuesday posted a record number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases, near 6,500, and reported 59 deaths within the previous 24 hours — its deadliest day in six months. COVID-19, which subsided over the summer after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer imposed sweeping stay-at-home and other restrictions, has rebounded this fall. Asked if she might again order people to stay home, …

St. Joseph County officials are mulling whether to raise a variety of fees associated with various county-provided services. During their executive committee meeting Tuesday, commissioners reviewed a four-page document produced by a company hired to study current and recommended user fees. It also analyzed the actual cost of each service. The county had previously authorized a $55,000 contract with Bay …

Mendon Community Schools Superintendent Leasa Griffith announced Wednesday that the district is now fully remote. Griffith said the district on Tuesday reported multiple students, staff and families were forced into quarantine due to contact tracing. Students in both Mendon Elementary and the middle/high school will be learning remotely, with a tentative return date of Nov. 30. Griffith said the decision …

A Marcellus man was injured after suffering a medical condition while driving Tuesday in Cass County’s Volinia Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called at 12:35 p.m. to an area of Marcellus Highway west of Decatur Road. Authorities said Robert Stratton, 61, suffered a medical situation, resulting in his vehicle leaving the roadway and striking a tree. Stratton was …

St. Joseph County is expected to hold a public hearing as part of a process related to redevelopment of a former bar property in Burr Oak Township. During their executive committee meeting Tuesday, St. Joseph County commissioners heard a report from Cathy Knapp, a partner with Southwest Michigan First. She explained details of a Brownfield project at the southwest corner …

Michigan has posted a record number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases, near 6,500. And also on Tuesday the state reported its deadliest day in 6 months, with 59 deaths in 24 hours. COVID-19, which subsided over the summer after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer imposed sweeping stay-at-home and other restrictions, has rebounded this fall. The latest average positivity rate in Michigan is …

A St. Joseph County school district announced Tuesday it is extending the duration of its virtual learning through Thanksgiving break. Centreville Superintendent Stephanie Lemmer said she consulted with health department officials and determined the smartest choice is to remain virtual learning until Nov. 30. The district previously was scheduled to conduct virtual learning through the end of next week. Centreville …

Michigan Department of Transportation officials said they expect to finish the two-year, $20 million U.S. 131 project in Three Rivers this week. Though the anticipated completion date has long been Nov. 15, MDOT’s Nick Schirripa said he expects the project to be officially completed any day this week. He said by and large, the project is done, though inspectors have …