News

The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down last week near Edwardsburg. The agency said the incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. Thursday a mile west of the community at the north end of Sundance Road, just south of U.S. 12. A video was taken that shows debris being lofted with notable rotation. The tornado tracked in an east-northeast direction. It heavily …

Authorities say they are investigating the death of a 4-year-old girl on her birthday. Kalamazoo police say officers responded to a home Saturday on a report that the girl wasn’t breathing. She was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the home. Police said more information will be released after an autopsy.  (AP)

St. Joseph County’s E-911 Central Dispatch fell short of a goal in 2015 but the objective remains a work in progress, according to agency director Dennis Brandenburg. Presenting his department’s annual report to county commissioners last week, Brandenburg said his No. 1 goal in 2015 was to staff central dispatch fully. Regarding accomplishments last year, Brandenburg said the agency received …

Members of the St. Joseph County’s Solid Waste Committee are asking residents to be mindful of an approaching date as they begin their spring cleaning in coming weeks. The agency’s twice-a-year collection of household hazardous waste, and recycling of electronics, tires paper and latex paint takes place April 23rd at the county fairgrounds. The event will take place 8 a.m. …

A quote for work related to the development of a septic system and restroom at Nottawa Park at Sand Lake was awarded last week by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. County administrator Pat Yoder said a $12,000 quote was received from Jones Petrie Rafinski of Elkhart for engineering services to complete the project and ready it for construction. …

Cass County’s E-911 Central Dispatch fielded a number of calls Thursday regarding structural damage caused by high winds. According to an agency media release, the dispatch center around 3:30 p.m. had received a number of calls from the village of Edwardsburg regarding several reports of downed trees. Many trees were uprooted, several homes received wind damage to shingles and siding, …

The Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee for State Police this week approved a $654 million budget that state Rep. Aaron Miller said improves public safety for all Michigan families. Miller, chair of the panel, said the budget includes funding for a state trooper school that will train 64 men and women to provide law enforcement across the state. The spending plan …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is reporting an uptick in flu-like illness and other viruses. Agency health officer Rebecca Burns said the tri-county health department during February saw an increase in respiratory illnesses and gastro-intestinal illnesses, as well as other communicable diseases. According to Kim Wilhelm, prevention services director, it is typical for flu to peak in February and …

Three Rivers Middle School teachers and administrators were on full alert Wednesday, the day after a threat of violence was posted on a social media site. Superintendent Jean Logan said middle school principal Nikki Nash was made aware Tuesday night of a social-media posting by a student who threatened to commit an act of violence Wednesday. Logan said police were …

Sturgis city commissioners on Monday approved a $1.6 million agreement for St. Joseph County’s commitment to help fund a proposed $2 million softball complex. The move came six days after the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved a motion to allocate the amount to the city toward development of the four-field complex on city-owned property on Lafayette Street, near …