News

Sturgis Township officials said they are prepared to go to court if the owner of an unlicensed salvage yard on White School Road isn’t permanently closed and cleaned. During last month’s meeting, township clerk Mike Bobalik said Southwest Salvage operator Lester Butler’s state license to operate the facility expired in 2013 and was not renewed. According to Bobalik, the township …

The sale of the former Centreville Village Market property to a second entity has been completed, according to Carol Snow-Penn, Centreville Downtown Development Authority representative. The village’s DDA took over the property in January 2013. The former Village Market sold to Centreville Equities for about $85,000. According to Snow-Penn, the DDA has actively managed the property since its acquisition. The …

The mayor of the city of Elkhart wants to spend $349,000 to buy 80 body cameras for the city’s police force. Mayor Dick Moore was scheduled to ask Elkhart’s city council on Monday to approve the request that’s part of $3.75 million in proposed capital spending for 2015 for the city. The Elkhart Truth reports Moore said in a recent …

Consumer optimism rose in January to its highest level in the past decade. That’s according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers which monitor consumer attitudes and expectations. U-M economist Richard Curtin, who directs the surveys, says most of the gains were recorded since mid-2014. The surveys found the gains during the past six months were as large among households with …

Three Rivers officials are advising motorists to use caution around the intersection of South Main and Broadway streets, where a small sinkhole has been detected. Partial lane closures in the area will be in place until a repair has been completed and the area subject to repair is in a condition to handle traffic. Motorists who approach the area should …

The automotive-training program at Glen Oaks Community College has received accreditation by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, school officials announced this week. The program has been accredited in the areas of maintenance and light repair. Nationally accepted standards of excellence in areas such as instruction, facilities and equipment were used to achieve the recognition. Automotive Service Excellence is …

A piece of history has been returned to a historic schoolhouse now located in Burr Oak. The bell to Worden School, a former one-room schoolhouse, had been missing since it was stolen in 1974. Sturgis resident Sheldon Fieberkorn was instrumental in finding the bell and last month, it made its way back atop the school building. Fieberkorn said the family …

The Youth Advisory Council of the Sturgis Area Community Foundation recently awarded four grants. An amount of $12,500 went to the Children’s Trauma Assessment Group to provide immediate assessments for children in St. Joseph County who have been exposed to or experience trauma. Sturgis Youth and Family received $2,700 to support its 2015 Parenting Fair. Another $1,600 went to Campus …

After several weeks of gas prices under two-dollars per gallon in Michigan, they’re up above that level. An increase in wholesale gasoline prices is resulting in the price at the pump going as high as $2.19 a gallon in southwest Michigan and $2.39 in Detroit. GasBuddy’s Patrick DeHaan is not expecting prices to fall under the two-dollar mark anytime soon in the …

St. Joseph County is seeking applicants for the position of county clerk. Pattie Bender, current clerk, will retire June 30 and Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman will appoint her successor. Any interested applicant can submit a resume to Circuit Court, Box 189, Centreville, or electronically to: griffink@stjosephcountymi.org. The deadline for applications is Feb. 12. Following that deadline, interviews will be …