News

A 102-year-old man who is Indiana’s oldest state employee is retiring after nearly six decades on the job, saying that “your body tells you when it’s time to go.” Bob Vollmer plans to report to work for the last time Feb. 6 as a surveyor for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. He joined the DNR in 1962. The World …

State police troopers are investigating the theft of a trailer in Branch County’s Sherwood Township. The trailer was stolen between 2 p.m. Jan. 7 and 2 a.m. last Friday from a location within the village of Sherwood. It was manufactured by RC, was 24 feet in length, and black and red in color. It was enclosed and had dual axles. …

Bill Johnson, former manager of St. Joseph County Grange Fair, was inducted into the Michigan Fair Managers Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place Friday at Amway Grand in Grand Rapids. The award honors Johnson’s 22 years of dedication and loyalty to the St. Joseph County Grange Fair under his leadership. Prior to becoming fair manager, he spent 25 years …

Michigan would lift its ban on stun guns under legislation advanced by lawmakers. The bill would allow the sale, possession and “reasonable use” of a stun device by those 18 and older. Michigan currently allows law enforcement and people with a concealed pistol license to use a Taser, which is a different type of self-defense device than a stun gun. …

A 41-year-old Kalamazoo man was taken to the St. Joseph County Jail after he was part of a pursuit involving Three Rivers Police. According to a department media release, the incident occurred at 4:45 p.m. Saturday at Edgewater Apartments, where a resident flagged down a patrol officer. The person told police about being threatened by a man with a handgun. …

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the first influenza-associated pediatric deaths of the 2019-20 flu season in Michigan. The reported deaths involve children infected with Influenza B. They were from Shiawassee and Wayne counties. Nationally, there have been 32 influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported during the current flu season. Rebecca Burns, health officer with the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph …

Cass County authorities have released identities of the people involved in a standoff last week in Milton Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said 41-year-old Adam Neiman and Clemie Brandy Jean Chapman, also 41 and both of Niles, were taken into custody following the incident that started Thursday afternoon and ended early Friday. They were arraigned Friday. Neiman is charged with kidnapping, …

The weight of a garbage truck broke through a long-unused cistern Friday in the alley behind Mamma Mia’s Pizza in downtown Burr Oak. Village council member Joe Bogucki, overseer of the streets department, said before the era of hydrants, the fire department with horse-drawn engines had various cisterns throughout the village to gather rain water for firefighting. Kevin Norton, former …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and safety advocates want to combat distracted driving by restricting the use of cellphones, though pending legislation does not go as far as what she proposed nearly a year ago. The bill would prohibit motorists under 18 from using a phone while operating a vehicle, except in emergencies. Adults, however, would be exempt from the ban that …

A St. Joseph County man is wanted by Branch County authorities after eluding state police troopers this week. According to a department media release from Branch County, Jeffery James Elliot fled from authorities Monday at a residence in Kinderhook Township. Elliot, who has warrants out of St. Joseph County, allegedly resisted and obstructed law-enforcement officers, and damaged private property when …