News

In what could be a precedent-setting situation, Sturgis High School plans to hold a graduation ceremony for the class of 2020, but not until well into the summer. Principal Nicholas Herblet said a survey was given to the senior class and out of 138 responses, 83 percent voted to have a graduation ceremony July 19. Herblet said the ceremony will …

The Centreville school board last week denied a request from the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District for support in moving forward with a 2020 Wide Area Network project. The proposal would have allowed the district to purchase and own its own fiber-optic-cable network. Ben Daugherty, director of information services for the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District, presented the …

Unless Gov. Whitmer says otherwise, there’s going to be a holiday celebration in Colon this summer. Pam Gilbert, president of the Colon Area Chamber of Commerce, said planning for the village’s annual Fourth of July celebration is continuing. Gilbert explained it’s easier to keep planning and cancel if circumstances warrant than it is to not plan and decide last minute …

Various tools were stolen from a storage unit this week in Lockport Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the incident occurred overnight between Saturday and Sunday in the 57000 block of North Main Street. Access was gained through forced entry.

Two men, one from Three Rivers the other from Sturgis, were injured during a collision Monday in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called at 2 p.m. to the intersection of M-60 and Corey Lake Road. Investigators found that a car driven by 23-year-old Three Rivers resident Tyelar Nelson was heading south on Corey Lake Road …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency reports that the number of coronavirus-positive cases in the tri-county jurisdiction as of 3 p.m. Monday was 40 in St. Joseph County, 131 in Hillsdale County and 66 cases in Branch County. The figures represent two additional cases in St. Joseph County compared to the previous 24 hours and a difference of one fewer …

Michigan hospitals and physicians have “broad discretion” to decide whether to continue delaying procedures during the pandemic, the state said in new guidance issued in the face of pressure to let providers do more as the curve of coronavirus cases flattens. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and chief deputy health director, announced the memo Monday, a day after sending …

St. Joseph County government will begin the week with nearly 70 employees furloughed from their jobs. During a special meeting Friday, St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved letters of understanding with the various unions to which impacted employees belong. With projected 2020 revenue expected to fall way short of what was budgeted for the 12-month fiscal year, commissioners agreed …

Here’s the latest update from Michigan Department of Transportation regarding the reconstruction of U.S. 131 in Three Rivers. Stage 5 traffic pattern remains in place, meaning all traffic will use the southbound lane of U.S. 131. Meanwhile, some utility-relocation work will continue this week throughout the length of the construction zone. Also, traffic on Michigan Avenue is one-way for westbound …

The coronavirus has claimed another community festival: Centreville’s Covered Bridge Days. Members of the Covered Bridge Days Committee agreed Thursday to cancel the 2020 festival. Chair Vicki Allen said all pros and cons were weighed and in the end, committee members agreed they couldn’t take the risk of keeping the two-day festival on the calendar. Covered Bridge Days was to …