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State officials are reminding residents that permits to openly burn yard debris remain suspended across most of Michigan and that the dangers of fire are increasing as temperatures warm. Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources says recent fires, including a 21-acre blaze wildfire in Presque Isle County, have been caused by backyard debris burning. DNR firefighters also have stopped conducting prescribed …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decision Thursday to close Michigan’s public schools until fall was acknowledged by area superintendents as not a surprise but necessary. With COVID-19 still not under control, Whitmer said Michigan joins a growing list of states that hoped to resume classes in mid-April but will instead be shut down for the rest of the academic year. In Sturgis, …

Two local student-athletes were recognized with All- State accolades for their basketball seasons. White Pigeon’s Claycee West was named to the Associated Press Second Team for Division 3, while Centreville’s Joanna Larsen was tabbed to the honorable mention team for Division 3. West this season set the all-time scoring mark for White Pigeon, breaking head coach Brooke McClure’s record. West …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Michigan is probably a month away from reaching the apex of the coronavirus outbreak that already has infected at least 9,300 people and contributed to the deaths of 337 in the state. She said Thursday that everyone must act as though we could be carrying the virus and stay home because just one person with it …

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered that students in the state will not return to K-12 school buildings the rest of the academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead will learn remotely. All public and private schools are more than halfway through a four-week shutdown ordered by Whitmer to combat the outbreak. She said Thursday face-to-face instruction will …

Claims for unemployment benefits continue to skyrocket in Michigan during the coronavirus pandemic. A record 311,000 people filed initial applications last week. That is more than double from the previous week — shattering the previous high of 128,000 that was set the week before. The system has been deluged. The website went down Tuesday before being restored. The state Unemployment …

The number of Michigan residents infected with the coronavirus is moving closer to 10,000, one of the highest totals in the U.S. Michigan cases increased by 1,719 on Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 9,334. Coronavirus-related deaths rose by 78, for a total of 337. The state says hundreds of ventilators from the federal government will be quickly put into …

Members of the Constantine Village Council have approved the municipality’s 2020-21 budget. Village manager Mark Honeysett said the taxable value is estimated at $36.6 million, with tax revenue unchanged from last year. He added that one area of concern is the sewer fund. Honeysett said the village will not be able to close the gap between revenue and expense to …

Erin Goff, St. Joseph County’s emergency management services director, said the agency on Monday virtually activated its emergency operations center. Goff provided details to members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners, who staged their twice-a-month executive committee meeting Wednesday. It was conducted through Zoom teleconference. Goff said the activation stage means keeping an open line of communication between …

Two people were arrested following a home-invasion incident in Florence Township. State police troopers were called Monday afternoon to a residence on Lutz Road regarding a home invasion in progress. Authorities said the homeowners came home during the incident and one of the two suspects was in a car parked in the driveway. The person drove from the scene but …