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A Coldwater woman was arrested on drug-related offenses following a traffic stop in Branch County’s Bronson Township earlier this week. Sheriff Fred Blankenship said a vehicle driven by 39-year-old Tarium LeeAnn Smith was stopped shortly after midnight Wednesday on U.S. 12 near Bawden Road. As Smith was being interviewed, deputies established reasonable suspicion of narcotics, prompting aid from Coldwater Police …

Sturgis City Commission members last week opted to continue curbside recycling services for residents, albeit at a higher cost. The city began looking at options about a year ago, as its contract with Borden Waste-Away is set to expire Dec. 31. Residents are currently charged about $2 per month through taxes for curbside recycling. The city has absorbed rising costs, …

One person was injured in a residential fire earlier this week in Three Rivers. Three Rivers Fire Department personnel were dispatched at 4 p.m. Tuesday to the 500 block of Ninth Street. Upon arrival, firefighters reported seeing smoke emitting from the second floor of the house. A resident of the home was treated at Three Rivers Health after suffering burns. …

A Shipshewana holiday tradition, Lights of Joy, returns with its opening this weekend. With more lights than ever, Lights of Joy is the biggest drive-through light experiences in the region, according to its organizers. It features more than two million LED lights illuminating nearly two miles of magical scenes, traditional Christmas stories, lighted arches and animated displays. The drive-through event opens …

Sturgis Public Schools is considering a no-mill-increase bond proposal for the May 2026 ballot, aiming to fund millions of dollars in safety upgrades, classroom renovations and athletic facility improvements without raising the current tax rate. WSBT reports that the draft plan, the district would extend its existing 7-mill rate, with debt scheduled to be paid off in 2058. The district …

Federal Emergency Management Agency in September announced changes to flood maps for St. Joseph County. As a result, the agency encouraged residents to view the new maps before they are finalized to make sure they are accurate. According to WMUK Public Radio, the period where feedback is accepted – known as an appeal period – runs through Dec. 25. According …

For the first time in at least eight years, St. Joseph County in 2024 experienced fewer than 500 deaths. The 497 deaths recorded last year were the fewest since 507 registered in 2019, according to Patrick Hansma, from Western Michigan University’s School of Medicine. Hansma presented the medical examiner’s 2024 report to St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. For …

Five Star Pizza is once again providing an opportunity for someone to win free pizza for a year. The promotion is in support of the Adoption Fund, a program backed by St. Joseph County United Way. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20. The winner will receive a 16-inch pizza every month during 2026. Event organizers said the …

A rubber fire last week in Elkhart County was extinguished only after more than a million gallons of water applied to the blaze. According to WSBT, 14 departments responded Thursday to Entech Inc., near Middlebury. Fire officials said hot, newly molded landscape edging – formed from recycled tires – likely touched off the fire. Foam was used to help extinguish …

City officials in Bronson have announced receiving a $2 million federal grant to improve the municipality’s wastewater-treatment plant. The funding is included in a $2.6 million infrastructure-improvement project within a government budget package. City officials said the grant will be used for numerous upgrades, including improvements to the return-activated sludge and waste-activated sludge pumps, the ferric-chloride feed system, grit and …