News

The Michigan Supreme Court is taking a look at the risks facing shoppers, drivers and stores in big-box parking lots. Virginia Rawluszki suffered a brain injury when she was hit by a car as she left a Menards store in the Bay City area in 2011. She later died at age 72. Her family says Menards had a duty to …

Two public hearings and four matters of new business will be fielded by the Three Rivers City Commission this evening. An IFT application for a 10,000-square-foot expansion by Metal Technologies and a zoning amendment to a B-2 Zoning District for light industry will be staged during the public-hearing process. New business to be discussed by the commission features a boundary …

Organizers of Sunday’s Mendon Dust-Off said more than 300 cars were on display at the 53rd annual event. Heidi Alexander, president of the Three Rivers Car and Antiques Restorers Club, said considering the cold weather and steady drizzle, she was happy that so many people decided to be a part of the show anyway. She said the event, which took …

St. Joseph County officials are expected to approve a few amendments to their municipal loan fund process. County administrator Pat Yoder said the matter arose through discussions with various townships. One in particular is looking into the purchase of a fire truck, an expense projected to be about $500,000. The township, Yoder said, has saved $100,000 and it will likely …

A 36-year-old Sturgis man was arrested last week after he was discovered unauthorized inside an apartment unit. Sturgis police were called shortly after 1 a.m. Friday to the 200 block of North Clay Street in response to a break-in. Officers entered the unit and discovered the intruder. He was charged with second-degree home invasion, possession of methamphetamine and possession of …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency’s Board of Health released its annual “Certificates of Excellence” in food service for the year 2015. Award recipients represent food establishments that met stringent criteria to adhere to safe food-handling practices. Ninety-two tri-county food service establishments, including restaurants, bars, catering kitchens and schools, received this year’s award. In St. Joseph County, the 35 award-winners …

A 30-year-old White Pigeon man was injured in a single-vehicle accident last week in Cass County. Sheriff Joe Underwood said deputies were called at 7:45 p.m. Thursday to the intersection of U.S. 12 and Sunset Boulevard for a roll-over accident. Deputies said Thomas Defreese, was heading west on U.S. 12, when his vehicle drove off the right side of the …

Operators of southwestern Michigan’s Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant say one of its units is back online after being shut down for routine refueling and maintenance. Plant spokesman Bill Schalk says the Unit 1 reactor is connected to the transmission grid after a 36-day outage that began last month. The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph reports workers also completed several large …

Seventeen-year-olds can’t vote, drop out of school or buy cigarettes in Michigan. But they’re automatically prosecuted, sentenced and locked up as adults if they commit a crime. That could change after a bipartisan push to raise Michigan’s age for adult offenders from 17 to 18 received a major lift in the Legislature. The Republican-controlled House approved a 20-bill package this …

State Rep. Aaron Miller has praised bipartisan passage of the House budget for the coming fiscal year, noting every school in St. Joseph and Cass counties will receive the maximum per-pupil increase in state funding. Miller, who serves as chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State Police, said all schools in the 59th House District will receive a $120 …