Recent Posts

COA celebrated National Penguin Day

St. Joseph County Commission On Aging last week celebrated National Penguin Day. COA officials said they celebrated Friday by offering a presentation on penguins and Antarctica. The program was led by COA Executive Director Pam Riley, who traveled to Antarctica on a National Geographic tour in 2019 and shared her experiences with COA members. As part of her program, Riley …

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Out and About – Week of January 23rd

We’ve all had encounters with law enforcement at least once in our lives. These encounters are usually minor traffic stops because we failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, or we were caught driving over the speed limit. I personally don’t know of anyone who has had the police break down their front door looking for …

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Schoolcraft couple murder trial begins

The murder trial in which a Saginaw man is charged with the deaths of an elderly Schoolcraft couple started Thursday in Kalamazoo County. The defendant, Ezra Phillips, 28, is facing two counts of second-degree murder and operating while intoxicated causing death. He is accused of driving an SUV that hit a Chevrolet Impala mid-afternoon May 7, 2021, at the intersection …

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Deceased Van Buren County resident tests positive for animal sedative

The Van Buren/Cass Health Department reports it has documented a recent case in which a Van Buren County resident died and later tested positive for Xylazine. Xylazine is a potent sedative used commonly in veterinary clinics and is not approved for human use. Xylazine has appeared more frequently in Michigan, often mixed with fentanyl or other substances. Some drug users …

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TR graduate will make TV appearance

A Three Rivers native will be on a network television program next month. Corinne Gahan, a Three Rivers High School graduate, is expected to appear on the TV show Chicago Fire on Feb. 8, according to WWMT-TV. Gahan said she appears in only a brief portion of the program, and called her time on the set an amazing experience. Gahan …

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Moo Moo

My name is Moo Moo. I am a 1 year old intact female Beagle mix. I am housebroken, leash trained, crate trained. I am good with other dogs and kids. I’m not sure about cats, as I’ve never been around them. I’m a really sweet girl who is looking for my forever home. My docket number is 53921, at the …

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Bus driver shortage forced cancellation of school

Constantine Public Schools Superintendent Joe Holloway said the district was forced to cancel school earlier this week due to a shortage of bus drivers. Holloway said the decision affected classes Tuesday. He said the district has nearly a dozen routes. It has had to turn to drivers outside the district to aid Constantine under worst-case-scenario situations but even those options …

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Local schools awarded resource officer grants

Three St. Joseph County school districts and two in Cass County are included in a pool that will share nearly $25 million to support the hiring of 195 school resource officers for the next three years. According to officials, the program will improve safety and security for more than 334,000 students in the state. Officials say a panel consisting of …

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House fire caused by furnace

A malfunctioning furnace appears to be the cause of a house fire last weekend at a residence in Branch County’s Batavia Township. Bronson Fire chief Scott Wilber said the fire was discovered by a passerby, who noticed flames coming from a basement window shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of Butcher Road. No one was home at …

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Forensic pathologist can testify at murder trial

A circuit court judge ruled last week that a forensic pathologist can testify in the murder trial of Michael Lafler. Judge Paul Stutesman qualified forensic pathologist Amanda Fisher-Hubbard as an expert witness after the defense attempted to stop her from testifying. Lafler, 36, is charged with open murder in the 2021 death of his girlfriend, 33-year-old Chelsea Wallen. The judge …

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