News

Authorities say a man has died after being thrown from a personal watercraft and hit by the vehicle at a lake in southwestern Michigan. The crash happened Tuesday at Magician Lake in Cass County. The sheriff’s department says 28-year-old Derek Jackson of Gobles hit a wave and was thrown from the watercraft. He was taken to a hospital in South …

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is starting a new effort to make Michigan’s Legislature part-time. The Detroit News reports Calley’s Clean Michigan Committee announced Monday it submitted a new petition with revised language to the Secretary of State. The new petition would generally require lawmakers to finish the regular legislative session by April 15 each year. The previous version sought to …

A Michigan man who tried to use fireworks to remove a bees’ nest from his garage ended up burning the building down instead. MLive reports crews responding to the home in Grand Blanc Township on Monday saw fireworks shooting into the sky from the burning garage. No one was injured. Grand Blanc Fire Chief Bob Burdette says the homeowner was …

A priest who oversaw parishes in Colon and Bronson has been ordered to stand trial on charges of embezzling more than $100,000 in church funds. Court officials said Richard Fritz’ case has been bound over to St. Joseph County Circuit Court. Fritz, a priest in the Diocese of Kalamazoo for 35 years, was arraigned in April. He resigned last year …

Members of the Centreville Village Council will study the feasibility and cost of hiring a village manager. Council members last week agreed to talk to other communities served by a village manager to gauge their feelings about the position. Colon earlier this year became the latest local community to employ the services of a village manager. Trustee Gary McClain said …

Work on a portion of roadway considered the worst road in St. Joseph County started last week. St. Joseph County Road Commission Manager Chris Minger said crews from Michigan Paving and Materials of Kalamazoo started the task of reconstructing Constantine Road from the White Pigeon village limits north to an area about half a mile north of Stears Road. The …

Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett said the turnout for the inaugural Chief Jim Bedell Memorial Golf Fundraiser was remarkable. The golf outing, which took place June 10 at St. Joe Valley Golf Club, drew 18 teams, Honeysett said. More than 60 individuals and businesses provided support, with 42 sponsoring golf holes, he added. The $5,000 it raised was used to …

The Salvation Army of Sturgis has announced that DeWayne Duskin is retiring from the organization’s ministry. Duskin and his wife, Pam, have been charged with heading Salvation Army services in St. Joseph and Branch counties for more than six years. The Duskins will retire in Lansing. Duskin said it is with a heavy heart he will leave Sturgis, where the …

St. Joseph County commissioners recently approved an employee handbook revision. The amendment centers on adding new language regarding the issuance of county ID cards and proper use of the cards. The cards will feature the employee’s name, photo and department of employment. Each card will be programmed with a corresponding security zone. Employees will be given access to the courthouse …

A 29- year- old Constantine man was in critical condition at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo following a crash over the weekend in Constantine Township. Sheriff ’s deputies said Dustin Cole was driving east on Featherstone Road near Constantine Road around 8:30 a.m. Saturday when he lost control of the car. Cole’s vehicle left the right side of road before the …