News

Sturgis Public Safety Director Ryan Banaszak and St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman staged a press conference Monday to detail the Saturday night shooting deaths of two Sturgis residents and the Sunday police shooting of suspect David Algarin Jr. The homicide victims were identified as Stacey Mae Ramsey, 38, and Jerry Longacre, 61. Banaszak said Sturgis officers responded to a …

One day after the health department advised people in Three Rivers to avoid drinking tap water, businesses are working on ways to keep their water clean and safe for customers. WOOD-TV said the advisory was put in place Thursday after tests by the city found lead levels that were higher than the state’s action level. The city said six homes …

Great Start Collaboration of St. Joseph County is announcing two programs starting this month. “Connecting With Teens,” a one-day, in-person class, is offered 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Sturgis ISD building on West Chicago Street. The new course is for parents of teens and is adapted from the concepts of Conscious Discipline to help support healthy …

The St. Joseph County Association of Realtors has named Benjamin Myers of Berkshire Hathaway Home services Michigan Centreville Office as its 2023 Realtor of the Year. The award is given in recognition of outstanding commitment and service to the community and the real-estate industry. Award winners are chosen by their peers and recognized both locally and at the state level …

A man suspected in two weekend homicides in southwestern Michigan was fatally shot after a police chase on a rural road ended in a wheat field, authorities said Monday. David Algarin Jr., age 30, led police on a chase that began Sunday in St. Joseph County and stretched nearby into Branch County, investigators said. “The pursuit ended in an officer-involved …

White Pigeon Township Board members urged their constituents to get more involved in local government if they’re unhappy with their current representatives. The five-member board held a special meeting last week to discuss claims against them and an attempted recall. Nearly a dozen audience members addressed the board before its members took their turn to express an opinion on the …

Morgan Olson has donated a community-support-response vehicle to the St. Joseph County United Way to celebrate the 20th year of operation at Morgan Olson’s step-van production facility in Sturgis. The vehicle was presented last week. Mike Ownbey, Morgan Olson president and CEO, said the company’s step vans help people in many ways and are essential in delivering life-saving supplies. He …

Sturgis Hospital has fully transitioned to a rural emergency hospital, though it continues to work toward finding a buyer. The 98-year-old hospital network designation as Michigan’s first rural emergency hospital was announced Thursday and is one of only a handful in the entire United States. The designation, recently granted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the …

Here’s an update on work being done on U.S. 131 in St. Joseph and Kalamazoo counties, according to Michigan Department of Transportation’s Christopher Jacobs. Recently completed work includes storm-sewer installation at Michigan Avenue. Meanwhile, all crossovers have been based with hot-mix asphalt. In addition, hot-mix asphalt wedging is complete in the northern section of the project. The two-week outlook includes …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is working in conjunction with the city of Three Rivers and state agencies to support the “Action Level Exceedance” notification. Health officer Rebecca Burns said in collaboration with the Department of Public Services, the agency will be a distribution point for residents who are on the city’s water system. Filter distribution will begin at …