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Thirty-one years ago on Memorial Day, Phil Rolffs decorated his father’s grave at Fort Custer National Cemetery and noticed the barren resting places of 26 German prisoners of war. “The (cemetery) was very festive looking, every grave had a flag, and many had floral arrangements,” Rolffs told the Kalamazoo Gazette. “Then we noticed the German graves, they were very forlorn …

Clarity was shed on a number of issues over which some members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners had reservations related to the Commission on Aging Enhancement Center. The Sturgis facility was at the core of discussions during last week’s executive committee meeting. All five county commissioners were present and were joined by Commission on Aging executive director …

Anticipating a loss of parking with a likely addition to the west side of its courts building, the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners is hoping to secure a new parking area at a nearby parcel. Members of the county board during a work session last week agreed to continue discussions with a property owner at 205 Dean St. in …

State police are investigating an attempted breaking-and-entering incident reported last week in Mottville Township. According to a state police media release, troopers were called to the 70000 block of Vistula Road, where a home-security alarm was activated around 1:30 p.m. The homeowner arrived on the scene and noticed a rear service door leading into a garage was forced open. Neighbors …

Authorities say a barn fire in southern Michigan has killed about 10,000 chickens. The Sturgis Journal reports smoke and heat killed the birds during the fire in Branch County’s Bronson Township. Bronson fire Chief Brent Wilber says sparks from a propane gas hookup caused a flash fire late Tuesday, June 9th. Employees put out the fire, but it apparently smoldered …

The Internal Revenue Service says former “Little House on the Prairie” star Melissa Gilbert failed to pay more than $360,000 in federal income taxes. The Detroit News reports the IRS filed a tax lien against the actress in February and details emerged after she recently announced that her family was moving from a rented home near downtown Howell to another …

Centreville High School’s baseball team came up one win short of a state championship, as the Bulldogs were beaten Saturday in the state’s Division 4 title game, 10-to-8 by Muskegon Catholic Central. Nonetheless, Centreville finished with a 29-and-2 record, its best season in school history. The Bulldogs made it to the championship game by defeating Rudyard, 2-to-1, the day before …

A 20-year-old White Pigeon woman was arrested last week after she fled on foot from the scene of a single-car accident in Mottville Township. State police troopers were called to the intersection of Thomas and Blyly roads regarding a car a car that had driven into a pole and guardrail around 12:30 a.m. Friday. Several witnesses tried to help the …

An Illinois man caused a two-vehicle accident after he ran a stop sign last week in Cass County’s Volinia Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said Jose Balderas, 54, of Waukegan, Ill., was driving south on Decatur Road when he failed to stop at Marcellus Highway and struck a westbound vehicle driven by Bruce Johnson, 56, of Cassopolis. Johnson was treated at …

State Rep. Aaron Miller earlier this month applauded the House for approving the state budget for fiscal year 2015 to 2016. Miller said the budget will pay down debt liabilities, catch up on payments to the state teacher retirement fund, dedicate general fund dollars to fix Michigan roads, and restore Rainy Day Funds to peak levels that have not been …