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St. Joseph County Prosecutor David Marvin said a plea agreement and sentence have been worked out regarding the suspect allegedly involved in the October 2021 death of a Colon woman. Michael Lafler, age 37, of Colon, will be sentenced in June to a maximum of 15 years in the strangulation death of 33-year-old Chelsea Wallen. Marvin said he and defense …

A Mendon woman faces drug-related charges following a traffic stop last week in Sturgis Township. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said deputies stopped a vehicle shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday on South Centerville Road, near Fawn River Road. Deputies were suspicious of the driver and requested the services of the Sturgis Police K-9 unit. With the assistance of the K-9 unit, deputies …

Sturgis High School’s manufacturing class brought home eight first-place finishes during a recent state competition. The latest Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society, in fact, saw the Sturgis team bring home more award-winners than any other participating school. Led by instructor Jeff Wanamaker, the class bested Sturgis’ six state champions it claimed in 2019. The goal of the MITES competition is …

This week we celebrate Memorial Day. It’s more a day of remembrance than a day of celebration. On this day we remember those members of our Armed Forces who have passed, whether in an armed conflict or in peacetime. Memorial Day is also recognized as the first day of summer, even though summer doesn’t actually begin until next month. Beginning …

Plans to name a ballfield complex in honor of a noteworthy graduate were put on hold Monday by the Centreville Public Schools Board of Education. Class of 1995 member Matt Thornton went on to enjoy a 13-year Major League Baseball career as a pitcher with six different MLB teams. While Thornton, a former MLB All-Star, may have seemed a logical …

Further improvements at the county’s newest park top the list of work planned this summer by the St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department. Director Jaymes MacDonald said a considerable amount of time has been spent at Kettles Park over the past six months, with efforts centering on improving its trail network. Acquired in 2021 through state grants and a …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation delivered some good news for the village of Constantine Tuesday. They announced that Michigan Strategic Fund approved a new dairy-processing facility that will reduce the carbon footprint of dairy byproduct and bring new jobs and infrastructure to the community. A total capital investment of $41.1 million is expected. MMPA and Dairy …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday announced recipients of two high-profile awards. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said Mark Mellinger was named Uniformed Services Deputy of the Year for 2022. Meanwhile, Gabriel Keely received Corrections Deputy of the Year for 2022. Bingaman said the county is a safer place because of Mellinger, while Keely is an employee who goes above …

Constantine municipal officials are looking into moving its Civil War cannon at South Washington Street Park to the township cemetery. Village resident and local historian Rebecca Shank last month asked the council if it would consider relocating the cannon to a place of honor. A cemetery, she said, would be more appropriate than a community park. Shank said the cannon …

Michigan will ditch a system that gave A-through-F grades to public schools each year after state education officials called the system overly simplistic and a duplicate of federal requirements. The Michigan School Grades System, which was narrowly passed in 2018 by the Republican-led Legislature, assigned each public school in Michigan letter grades and rankings based on the school’s annual performance in …