News

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) will begin raising the water level upstream of the Elkhart Hydroelectric Generating Station on Monday, March 14. The reservoir was lowered two feet last December to preclude ice buildup at the County Road 17 Bridge during the winter. The reservoir will be raised slowly over a three- to four-day period. Residents who live along the St. Joseph …

The state says Michigan’s monthly unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point in nearly 15 years. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget said Wednesday the seasonally adjusted jobless rate for January was 4.9 percent. That’s down two-tenths of a percentage point from December and 1.1 percentage points below the January 2015 rate. The state’s January unemployment rate …

Officials from Three Rivers Community Schools will have plenty to discuss at their next meeting, as the district’s second failed millage request in 10 months went down Tuesday by a 3-to-2 margin. With all 24 precincts reporting, unofficial results show the 1.95-mill increase request was rejected, 2,240 to 1,501. The shortfall came despite a solid public-relations campaign to promote details …

Lockport Township will not adopt charter status, as its registered voters turned down the proposal Tuesday. Results weren’t available until past midnight, and by the time all ballots were counted, the measure fell by a margin of about two-thirds opposed to one-third in favor. Final votes were 696 people against the measure and 398 supporting the concept, according to unofficial …

St. Joseph County Friend of the Court Bill Thistlethwaite last week discussed a new program being funded and encouraged by the federal and state governments to address the low-income population. Thistlethwaite said a new service is being offered to the lower-income group through a pilot program. The program was put into place in 2015 to identify the people who fit …

The St. Joseph County Animal Shelter has received a $10,000 grant from a state funding source. The amount is the most given to 23 recipients in 2016 through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Animal Industry Division. The agency annually distributes thousands of donated dollars to animal shelters in Michigan through Animal Welfare Fund grants. This year, the …

Michigan voters validated once-unlikely presidential contenders Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, with the Vermont senator’s upset of Hillary Clinton a major reminder that he is still viable and the billionaire businessman reinforcing his front-runner status. Sanders’ victory Tuesday by 2 percentage points in a high-turnout election assured him at least 65 delegates, and former Secretary of State Clinton was guaranteed …

Constantine School’s board of education has offered the district’s superintendent post to Steve Wilson. District officials made their decision last week, as eight-year incumbent Chuck Frisbie, is retiring in June. The 40-year-old Wilson has been employed by the 1,400-student district for 10 years, and currently serves as the assistant superintendent and principal at Riverside Elementary School. The board hired Michigan …

Two people were arrested on drug-related offenses last week following an investigation by the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team. Detectives last Friday executed a search warrant in the 100 block of North O’Keefe Street in the village of Cassopolis. Once inside the residence, investigators found four, one-pot methamphetamine labs, an undisclosed quantity of meth, meth paraphernalia, multiple components used in …

State Rep. Aaron Miller last week told a House committee that the age requirements to run for state office should be lowered so people already considered legal adults can become involved in state government. Miller testified before the House Committee on Elections regarding a resolution he introduced last fall. The resolution proposes an amendment to the Michigan Constitution, changing the …