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Tampons would be exempt from the state sales tax under legislation introduced in the Michigan House.  State Representative Sarah Roberts is sponsoring the measure and says feminine hygiene products are necessary items for women – and other necessary items such as prescriptions are exempt – so why not add tampons to the list. She says, on average, a woman will …

A gunman who seemed to choose his victims at random opened fire outside an apartment complex, a car dealership and a restaurant in Kalamazoo, killing at least six people during a rampage that lasted nearly seven hours, police said. Authorities identified the shooter as Jason Dalton, a 45-year-old Uber driver who police said had no criminal record. They could not …

Friends and relatives of six victims slain in a shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, are offering remembrances of them. Four of them were killed in two vehicles Saturday outside of a restaurant, while a father and son were shot at a car dealership. Below are some of their stories. — MARY JO NYE The 60-year-old retired English teacher served as “a …

The Latest on the shootings in the Kalamazoo: 4:10 p.m. A neighbor of Kalamazoo shooting suspect Jason Dalton says he knew the man had a pistol because the two of them “talked about it.” James Block tells The Associated Press that police carried boxes from the house next door Sunday morning. The 45-year-old Dalton of Kalamazoo Township was arrested early …

Volunteers are needed to help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources monitor frog and toad numbers. The annual survey is conducted along permanent survey routes that consist of wetland sites. Observers visit the sites three times in the spring when frogs and toads are actively breeding. They listen for calling frogs and toads at each site, identify the species then …

A police officer in southwestern Michigan has been sentenced to 60 days in jail for killing a pedestrian while rushing to a home at 30 mph above the speed limit. Berrien County Judge Dennis Wiley says Eugene Anderson failed to turn on his police lights and siren while responding to a domestic call last September. His car struck and killed …

Members of the Lockport Township Board agreed during a special meeting Thursday to appeal a judge’s decision regarding a contested piece of land being sought by the city of Three Rivers. By unanimous vote, Lockport Township officials agreed to appeal St. Joseph County District Court Judge Jeff Middleton’s decision made Wednesday in favor of the city of Three Rivers. Middleton …

A 34-year-old Cass County man was arrested on drug-related charges following a traffic stop Wednesday. Members of the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team pulled over the suspect’s vehicle near Guyer Road and Union Road, as the driver was under investigation for suspected manufacturing of methamphetamine. A search was conducted on the vehicle and detectives located methamphetamine, marijuana and methamphetamine paraphernalia. …

A Cassopolis man this week testified before the House Committee on Energy Policy in support of legislation authored by state Rep. Aaron Miller, urging Congress to allow spent nuclear waste to be recycled. Taras Lyssenko, general manager of A & T Recovery in Cassopolis, told the committee that the process to recycle and reuse spent nuclear fuel is available, and …

A passenger ship that once hauled rail cars across Lake Michigan has been designated as a national historic landmark. The U.S. Department of the Interior on Thursday announced the designation for the Ludington-based SS Badger, the last Great Lakes car ferry still in operation. Rail car ferries operated on the lakes for nearly a century. It was a particularly important …