News

A federal grant in excess of $900,000 was awarded this week to support funding of a new health clinic for low-income and indigent St. Joseph County residents. Monte Bordner, chair of the Covered Bridge Healthcare of St. Joseph County board, said the $910,000 grant will allow the agency to continue services it offered under the name St. Joseph County Health …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough said a charge of concealing the death of an individual has been filed against two people in a case related to the death of a Three Rivers-area man last summer. Steven Stoner, 53, of Three Rivers, and 37-year-old Tracy Scott of Kalamazoo were charged after they allegedly broke into a Park Township residence where …

A month after John Schwartz retired as coach of Mendon High School’s football team, his successor was named Monday night. Members of the Mendon Community Schools Board of Education approved 2006 graduate Bobby Kretschman as the Hornets’ head football coach. Kretschman played on the 2005 team that beat Crystal Falls Forest Park to claim the Division 8 title game, and …

A Cass County man faces up to 15 years in prison after he was taken into custody for fleeing the scene of a fatal accident. Edwardsburg Police Chief Tim Kozal said Brett Gilpin, 25, whose prior community of residence included Edwardsburg, was arrested Thursday by the Michigan State Police Fugitive Team. He was taken to the Cass County Jail on …

Operators of southwestern Michigan’s Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant say one of its units is being shut down for routine refueling and maintenance. Plant spokesman Bill Schalk says power at the Unit 1 reactor was reduced to 50 percent Sunday night for equipment testing in advance of Wednesday’s start of the outage. The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph reports equipment replacement, …

The average price of gasoline has jumped by 17 cents over the past two weeks, to $2.02 a gallon for regular grade. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the hike is due to growing demand for gasoline across the nation and higher crude oil prices. Lundberg says the increase is part of a trend that has seen the price spike nearly …

A state wildlife biologist says a shorter winter could help deer in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. David Jentoft with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the winter “was shorter than it has been for a while.” He tells the Evening News of Sault Ste. Marie (http://bit.ly/1Zmbsn1 ) that longer winters are harder on the deer herd. Recent bitter winters had …

The January unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by six-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 3.7 percent January unemployment rate was higher than December’s 3.1 percent. January’s unemployment rate, however, was 1.7 percent less than the same month one …

A new Adult Protective Services Centralized Intake process was made official during a signing-in ceremony Friday in Centreville. Led by probate court judge David Tomlinson, the signing-in marks the culmination of a plan nearly six years in the making. The intake process ensures referrals are sent to the local office in a timely manner. Furthermore, updates to the 2016 St. …

State Rep. Aaron Miller has announced office hours for an informal gathering later this month in Cass County. Miller invites residents to join him 8 to 9 a.m. March 30 at the Broadway Café, 158 S.  Broadway St., in Cassopolis. Miller said connecting face-to-face with people in communities throughout the district is one of the most rewarding aspects of being …