Recent Posts

McDonough made 2 phone calls to Central Dispatch following crash

The Associated Press has detailed the phone calls St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough made following the single-vehicle accident in which he was involved May 11. According to the news agency, McDonough said in the first of his two calls to St. Joseph County Central Dispatch that he experienced a coughing fit and, as a result, lost control of his …

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MDOT update on US 131 reconstruction

Here’s the weekly update from Michigan Department of Transportation regarding its redevelopment of U.S. 131 in Three Rivers. Agency officials said Stage 5 traffic pattern remains in effect, meaning two-way traffic in the southbound lane of U.S. 131 will continue throughout the length of the project. Also, work related to some utility relocation is possible this week. Westbound traffic on …

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White Pigeon names fire chief

Tyler Royce was recently promoted to White Pigeon fire chief. He succeeds Troy Andrews, who recently left the department to pursue another opportunity. Royce was assistant chief for 13 years and has spent 20 years in the fire service. A 2002 White Pigeon High School graduate, Royce is also village president, owns a business and operates the local food pantry. …

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Central Dispatch upgrade completed

A five-year, $3 million project undertaken by St. Joseph County Central Dispatch was completed last month. Director Dennis Brandenburg said the process led to the agency’s transition from Very High Frequency to Ultra-High Frequency, an 800 megahertz system. Brandenburg said including St. Joseph County, about three-quarters of the state’s 83 counties now operate on a system featuring the UHF signal. …

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Out and About – Week of May 18th

Just about everyone in my family loves onions. Onions go with just about everything from a juicy hamburger to a peanut butter sandwich, and nothing makes liver taste any better than if you smother it with grilled onions. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like fresh onion rings. There are different types of onions with different ways of using …

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Prosecutor arrested after crash: I had ‘coughing fit’

The St. Joseph County prosecutor, who is accused of drunken driving, told police that he crashed into a fence after a “coughing fit,” according to a 911 call. The incident involving county prosecutor John McDonough occurred Monday in Lockport Township, on the north side of Three Rivers. “Hey, this is John McDonough. I had a coughing fit and went off …

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Virus cases, deaths rise but at a slow pace, state reports

Coronavirus cases grew by a small percentage while deaths increased by 55, the Michigan health department said Saturday. The state noted that 19 of the deaths could have occurred days or weeks ago. Some information takes time to get recorded as records are reviewed and matched. The statewide number of confirmed virus cases reached at least 50,504, compared to 50,079 …

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Drive-in reopens near Coldwater despite virus rules

Burt Reynolds and Jackie Gleason were on the big screen as a drive-in movie theater in Branch County reopened, despite business shutdowns during the coronavirus. Capri Drive-In co-owner Susan Magocs said she needs to make money but still can keep visitors safe. The theater’s two screens opened Friday night near Coldwater. “We don’t want to cause trouble. We are just …

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Whitmer hopes schools can reopen, forms advisory council

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday it is her “hope” that K-12 schools can reopen for in-person instruction in the fall and created an advisory council to recommend ways to ensure a safe and equitable return. The governor, who closed schools in March to curb the coronavirus, stopped short of saying schools definitely will be allowed to reopen in late August …

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Michigan projects ‘staggering’ drop in tax revenues

Michigan will confront multibillion-dollar declines in tax revenue and record-high enrollment in government health insurance programs — a double whammy from the coronavirus pandemic that may lead to major cuts in services. Legislative experts and top officials in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration agreed to revised budget estimates Friday after hearing economic forecasts. The steep downward revision from revenue estimates issued just four …

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