Constantine

A $70,000 federal highway-safety grant has been awarded to the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Health Agency in an effort to reduce vehicle crashes with Amish buggies. The goal, according to terms of the grant, is to reduce crashes by 15 percent over the next 10 months. Grant coordinator Josh Englehart explained that since 2016, there have been 261 crashes statewide, with 78 …

Personnel from Central Cass Fire Department said a fire that started in a grain bin at Community Mills in Cassopolis earlier this month re-ignited last week Following the Nov. 3 event, insurance company Chubb Agribusiness was on the scene last week to address the issue. According to South Bend’s ABC 57 News, insurance officials on Friday morning drilled into the …

An area high school varsity football team in Michigan High School Athletic Association’s playoffs was defeated over the weekend in a semi-final contest. Schoolcraft High School saw its 10-game win streak snapped and its season conclude Saturday in a 38-7 loss to Monrose St. Mary Catholic Central. The Eagles finish their season with an 11-2 record. St. Mary, meanwhile, is …

St. Joseph County Road Commission Manager John Lindsey received a positive review and contract extension in the wake of his annual job-performance evaluation last week. Following a closed session at the conclusion of their twice-a-month meeting Wednesday, road commission board members said Lindsey was offered and accepted a two-year contract extension. It expires at the end of 2026 and will …

Cass County Sheriff’s deputies responded last week to a larceny complaint from a business owner in Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said investigators were summoned Nov. 12 to Pro Dock Inc., located on M-60, west of Jones. Following an investigation, authorities executed a search warrant Thursday in the 24000 block of North Shore Drive in Cass County’s Ontwa Township. A 45-year-old woman …

Two of three local high school varsity football teams bowed out of the state playoffs last weekend. The surviving team – Schoolcraft High School – will attempt Saturday to continue its march to Ford Field for a potential state title. In 8-man, Division 1 action last weekend, Mendon came up short in a 49-32 defeat at Deckerville High School. The …

Constantine school officials will have to put together a financial plan to replace roofs at the district’s high school and its middle school, as a ballot request was turned down by district voters Tuesday. Superintendent Joe Holloway said voter approval would have allowed the district to refinance bonds issued in the early 2000s. The result would have yielded $3.9 million …

Constantine Public Schools Superintendent Joe Holloway recently hosted an informational session regarding the district’s upcoming bond proposal. Holloway said if the May 2 request is approved, the district will incur no millage increase, as it would refinance its 2002 bond set to expire in 2029. If the measure is approved, the district would have $3.9 million to address leaking roofs …

Officials from Constantine Public Schools will have to return to the drawing board if they hope to pursue another millage-increase request. District voters Tuesday turned down a request for an additional two-tenths of a mill in order to complete a number of ambitious plans. Unofficial numbers from St. Joseph County show 266 voters OK’d the plan, while 356 opposed the …

Constantine Public Schools Board of Education recently approved the hiring of Michigan Leadership Institute to conduct a search for a new superintendent. MLI was one of two organizations to apply for the search job. John Jarpe currently serves as interim superintendent at Constantine schools following the resignation of Steve Wilson, who was hired as superintendent at Bronson Community Schools in …