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Jerry Dowell, a 40-year-old St. Joseph County resident, will serve at least six years in prison after pleading no contest to second-degree criminal sexual conduct as a second offender. St. Joseph County assistant prosecutor Deborah Davis said a girl and boy, now teens, lived with their mother and Dowell in various locations since 2007. Much of that time was in …

A Cassopolis man died over the weekend following a single-vehicle crash in Cass County’s Jefferson Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sunday to the area of Calvin Hill Street and Turpin Road in response to a personal-injury traffic crash. Investigators said 36-year-old William Jones was traveling south on Robinson Road and failed to negotiate …

A weeklong fundraising campaign for Camp Eberhart has reached its midway point today. The Fabius Township camp is attempting to raise $10,000 as part of its annual “Week of Giving” campaign. The event was previously a single-day drive, but this year was expanded to a full week. YMCA Camp Eberhart, which has been around 110 years, is attempting to purchase …

Rep. Fred Upton began airing his first 2022 campaign ad last week, spending more than $200,000 and signaling that the moderate Republican is more likely to seek reelection to a 19th term in Congress. He has not announced whether he will run in the new 4th District in western Michigan. The GOP primary for the Republican-leaning seat that was created …

One of the three vacant school superintendent positions in St. Joseph County could soon be filled. Three Rivers Community Schools plans to interview Nikki Nash next week for the post. She has served as interim superintendent since Ron Moag vacated the position last fall. Board members appear poised to bypass a search process and interview Nash next Monday as the …

The public health advisory on indoor masking, including use in schools, has been withdrawn. Recognizing the COVID-19 case rate is declining, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency changed its response to the “recovery post surge” status. Health Officer Rebecca Burns told her board last week she’s following state health guidelines for the ongoing virus cycle. The recovery phase is characterized …

Road commissions from Branch and St. Joseph counties will place seasonal weight restrictions on most county roads beginning Tuesday morning. The limits are for pothole prevention, officials said, noting heavy trucks cannot use restricted roads without a permit from the county road commission. In addition, effective Friday, weight restrictions will be imposed and enforced on all state trunkline highways from …

In light of Abbott Labs voluntarily recalling powder formulas – including Similac, Alimentum and EleCare – WIC recipients are encouraged to check the lot numbers found on the bottom of the can. The products included in the recall have a multi-digit number starting with the first two digits 22 through 37, contains K8, SH, or Z2 and have an expiration …

Fire heavily damaged a two-unit residence last week in the city of Sturgis. According to fire officials, crews were called around 7 a.m. Thursday to the 100 block of West Hatch Street. Upon arrival, fire crews found a two-unit residence with heavy smoke in the lower apartment and all occupants outside the home. Upon making entry to the structure, firefighters …

A Sturgis man was sentenced to up to five years in prison after using a hatchet to threaten his mother. Alexander Plummer, 21, will serve 18 months to five years for breaking into his mother’s Balk Road home threatening to set it on fire in June 2021. Defense attorney Tim George said, “meth took a stranglehold” on Plummer and he …