News

State police troopers are investigating a hit-and-run accident that involved a vehicle and a horse-drawn buggy in Branch County. The incident occurred at 10 p.m. Wednesday on Hamman Road near State Line Road in California Township. Investigators said a black passenger car traveling north on Hamman Road crossed the center line and struck a southbound buggy head on. The buggy …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation to forgive Michigan schools from rescheduling up to four snow days that occurred during an artic deep freeze in which she declared a state of emergency. The law will let schools not count the Jan. 29-Feb. 1 period toward a cap on snow days. State law forgives districts from making up six days that …

Investigation into the shooting death of a 51-year-old woman in Fawn River Township is continuing, though few details are available from authorities. Pauline Randol was the victim. Her 9-year-old adopted son was allegedly responsible for the shooting, killing her after he fired a rifle at her. Court records show the boy was charged with one count of open murder and …

A 37-year-old man is in the St. Joseph County jail after a high-speed pursuit earlier this week. Matthew Gear was arrested after crashing a vehicle into the front porch of a home at 314 S. Elkhart St. in White Pigeon around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Police from Goshen were responding to a call regarding a personal-protection violation. When they arrived, Gear …

A new employee will be joining the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. County commissioners agreed Tuesday to make an exception to their self-imposed hiring freeze and approve the request sought by Prosecutor John McDonough. In a memo to commissioners, McDonough indicated the need for an assistant prosecuting attorney is essential in order to perform day-to-day duties, which include handling criminal …

Two Sturgis-area residents were added to the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging board. By unanimous vote at Tuesday’s county commission meeting, the citizen-interest forms submitted by Lee Austermann and George Letts were approved.

Mendon Township voters will have a chance later this year to weigh in on an ordinance related to solar-panel developments. Township board members agreed Tuesday to put the issue on November’s ballot after they confirmed a citizen-led petition contesting the ordinance exceeded the minimum number of valid signatures. The petition was submitted last week and contained more than 300 signatures. …

A kayak was reported stolen from a location in White Pigeon Township. Michigan State Police troopers are investigating the theft of the Pelican kayak, taken on an undisclosed date from the 17000 block of Fawn River Road. The kayak is blue and white, and has a value of about $200.

Arrests have been made in connection to an armed robbery last month in Cass County’s Howard Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said the incident occurred at 9:30 p.m. April 23 at Sunrise Liquor store. The store employee told authorities three subjects with their faces covered entered the business and began physically assaulting him, forcing him to open the cash drawer. The …

Michigan voters are free to take a picture of their ballot before they leave a voting booth. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has settled a 2016 lawsuit that challenged a ban on so-called ballot selfies. The ban on displaying completed ballots has been around since 1891. Benson’s office and Joel Crookston, a voter in the Kalamazoo area, reached a deal …