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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made clear Wednesday that she will extend her stay-at-home order beyond April 30 and that some form of it will be in effect for a “long time” in Michigan, hinting that people age 65 and older and those with chronic lung problems may face restrictions longer than others. The governor said she hopes to say more on …

Tuesday afternoon was filing deadline for candidates wishing to appear on the August primary ballot for various county posts. It was also the filing deadline for candidates seeking to replace term-limited Aaron Miller to the 59th District House seat. St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald, who will be running unopposed for her second four-year term, said filing information for the …

The former White Pigeon Paper Company is expected to close at the end of June. Employees were notified during a building-wide meeting called Tuesday by plant leaders. The closing date is June 30. A company employee who spoke on condition of anonymity said the White Pigeon facility has 88 floor workers and about a dozen office employees. In April 2019, …

Members of the Lockport Township Board of Trustees delayed until next month whether to approve a so-called PA 425 transfer agreement with the city of Three Rivers. During a special meeting Monday, the five-member board fielded a significant amount of input from citizens who joined the meeting through the remote-conferencing platform Zoom. The issue centers on a township property, the …

St. Joe County Resources is continuing to track by community the percentages of St. Joseph County households that have completed the 2020 U.S. Census. Agency officials would like to remind the public that every 100 people missed in the Census is $2 million dollars that does not come back to local communities in federal funding. From highest responses to fewest, …

Municipal officials in Schoolcraft announced last week the village is canceling its 2020 Fourth of July celebration. Village manager Cheri Lutz said cancellation of what would have been Schoolcraft’s 95th annual Independence Day celebration includes the parade, car show, fireworks and all other associated activities. Lutz said while nobody on the village council is happy to have to make such …

Two area health centers have received Michigan CARES supplemental funding awards. CARES, an acronym for Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities, is a federally funded source. Nearly $40 million in total was delegated to 39 health centers in Michigan. Locally, nearly $540,000 was bestowed to Covered Bridge Healthcare of St. Joseph County. Meanwhile, Lakeland Immediate Care Center in Cassopolis was …

Connie Pagels, a longtime 4-H leader who died in January, recently received an “Outstanding Community Service” award from Sturgis City Commission members. Daughters Diana Yeager and Pamela Keeslar accepted the award. Pagels became a 4- H leader in 1969 and in 1983 was asked to be the first superintendent for the dog care and training program, a role she held …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday said the state is working with major retailers to open more drive-thru sites to test as many as 1,000 people a day for the coronavirus, especially people who don’t have symptoms but still are required to work outside their home. “Robust testing is essential to have confidence about our strategies for safely reducing risk and …

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday compared the fight against the cornonavirus to the sacrifice needed during World War II, criticizing protesters who flocked to the Michigan Capitol last week to denounce her weeks long restrictions against work and gatherings. “President Trump called this a war and it is exactly that. So let’s act like it,” Whitmer, a Democrat, said. …