News

  A Cassopolis resident was injured following a single-vehicle accident Tuesday morning in Jefferson Township. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said John Bright, 58, was traveling west on M-60 near Daily Road shortly after 6 a.m., when an oncoming vehicle crossed the centerline and entered his lane of travel. Bright was forced to take evasive action, and his vehicle left …

  An Illinois man hospitalized since a near-drowning incident in a Cass County lake last weekend has died. Cass County officials said Abdi Adan, 24, of Wheaton, died at 1:20 p.m. Monday at South Bend Memorial Hospital. His death was attributed to the near-drowning he suffered Saturday at Dewey Lake in Silver Creek Township. Deputies determined that Abdi was not wearing …

 Whether you’re doing it for the first time, or continuing a family tradition, the annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk is less than a week away. Gov. Rick Snyder will lead the expected 40,000 walkers across the 5-mile span beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, Sept. 1. Walkers can start across the bridge up until 11 a.m., and buses are available to bring walkers …

  City of Sturgis officials are reminding motorists about the detours in place as a result of the reconstruction of North Centerville Road. Detour signs were placed last week at West Chicago Road and Progress Street diverting traffic to Broadus Street. Construction will span from West Chicago Road to the railroad track just south of Progress Street. A complete rebuild …

  The Constantine Village Council has endorsed the concept of a proposed employee handbook for the community’s fire department. Fire Chief Mike Haydon said he learned its insurance company’s Risk Management Department required a handbook after several part-time employees were hired. Haydon said he would put an adopted date on the handbook once he got approval from the three municipalities …

  The July unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by eight-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 6.9 percent July unemployment rate was more than June’s 6.1 percent. Its July unemployment rate, however, was 2.8 percent less than the same …

  The Three Rivers Department of Public Services wishes to give advance notice about its upcoming hydrant-flushing process. Hydrants citywide will start being flushed Sept. 3. The activity is expected to continue through the end of the month, weeknights from 11 until 5 o’clock the following morning. The department asks residents to please be aware that some rusty water may …

  A crowd of more than 150 people attended Friday’s second annual Local Food Festival, hosted by the St. Joseph County Conservation District. Staged at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds, the event featured a four-course meal of food grown locally from 23 different sources. John Farrand, from the Sturgis Boundary Waters Café, and Janelle Baranic, food service director at the …

  The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last week gave approval to the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce for a special event to be staged next year. As a part of the chamber’s “Discover the Treasures of St. Joseph County” program, the courthouse will provide the setting for a murder-mystery dinner. In response to the request from chamber …

Michigan’s apple growers will harvest nearly 29 million bushels of apples this year, according to the official crop estimate announced Friday at the USApple Outlook meeting in Chicago. Officials say the 28.74 million bushels estimate is in line with the 2013 crop, which was a record size crop of 30 million bushels. Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, says …