News

An authority in Michigan’s cannabis laws addressed the Constantine Village Council this week. Sam Pernick, a representative of Green Michigan Partners, outlined Michigan’s current cannabis laws to the council and how the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act builds on prior marijuana law in Michigan. Michigan became the 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over …

Centreville Downtown Development Authority has appointed Pattie Bender as its program manager. During a recent Centreville Village Council meeting, its members accepted Bender’s resignation from the DDA board as well as her appointment as an alternate to the zoning board of appeals. The board also appointed Carol Snow-Penn and Vicki Allen as alternates to the zoning board of appeals. In …

Officers in western Michigan have fatally shot a man who threatened them during an attempted arrest. Michigan State Police say 37-year-old Thomas Verile Jr. of Scotts was shot Thursday morning at a home outside Kalamazoo after he threatened officers, saying he had a weapon. Police said in a news release that preliminary information indicated several officers fired shots at Verile, …

The leader of a group opposed to the location of a solar-panel development in Mendon Township is spearheading a campaign to have the proposal put before township voters. Kayleen Grand’s effort comes after Mendon Township Board members on Tuesday approved an ordinance that gives a green light to a solar-panel development. Minnesota-based Geronimo Energy is behind the White Pine Solar …

Nominations to three different boards were approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Michael Wilson and Cathy Knapp were named alternate appointments to the Workforce Development Board for Michigan Works Southwest. The terms end Sept. 30 next year. Seven people were re-appointed to the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority Board. They are: Allen Balog, Charles Thompson, Sarah …

Organizers of an annual community festival in Centreville were given some good news Tuesday. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved a request to use the courthouse property for the two-day Covered Bridge Days. The annual celebration of the village that serves as the county seat is July 12 and 13. The festival for many years has used the …

A Cass County resident and Westside Landfill employee has been recognized by Waste Management as “Heavy-Equipment Operator of the Year.” Harold Douglas Norton of Jones won the title for the 45,000-employee company. Norton began working for Meyer Brothers Construction the day after he graduated from high school. When the Meyers bought the landfill, he began working there, and stayed on …

As part of ongoing monitoring of substances commonly known as PFAS, the city of Sturgis, in coordination with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, conducted tests on groundwater at the landfill on Big Hill Road. Results showed quality standards for surface-water discharge are being met. Testing took place within the past several months after the city in October sampled water from the …

A missing-person report centering on a Sturgis-area woman earlier this week has been resolved. State police troopers were advised that 54-year-old Juanita Hunt had not been seen since she left her place of employment Thursday last week in Sturgis. She was reported missing over the weekend but an update by state police late Monday indicated she was found by family …

The chairman of a local economic-development corporation said the past six years of economic growth should continue for the foreseeable future. Ken Jones, chairman of St. Joseph County EDGE, said the diversity of St. Joseph County’s business community is strong, to the extent that it is significantly insulated from the economic bumps other jurisdictions experience. With the jobless rate in …