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Welcome to 2020. I didn’t stay up long enough New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop in Times Square in New York City. It was rumored that Barbara Walters might host the event so that at the stroke of midnight, she could say, “I’m Barbara Walters and this is 20/20.” Whether this happened or not, I’m sure I’ll find …

A man who died after falling from a kayak into a southwestern Michigan river during a New Year’s Day excursion with friends has been identified as an Indiana man. Niles police say 40-year-old Jean Claude Mutabazi of South Bend was pronounced dead Wednesday after being pulled from the St. Joseph River. Police say Mutabazi was kayaking Wednesday morning with three …

About 300,000 hens have died in a barn fire at a southwestern Michigan poultry farm. WWMT-TV reports that the blaze started about 11 a.m. Friday at the Otsego Township farm. The barn was destroyed. Konos Inc. spokesman Brian Burch tells the television station that about 50 people work at the cage-free farm. About 250,000 hens in a second barn were …

An overhaul of Michigan’s auto insurance system topped the list of new laws in 2019. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and lawmakers also legalized sports betting and online gambling, and enacted a measure to stop automatically treating 17-year-old offenders as adults in the criminal justice system. The Democratic governor signed 178 bills in the first year of divided government since 2010. She …

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating the theft of a pickup that occurred last week in Branch County’s Bethel Township. Investigators said the theft occurred between Dec. 24 and Wednesday in the 600 block of South Parham Road. The vehicle is described as 2008 Ford F-250, forest green in color with a black “Sno-way” snowplow attached to the front. The …

A Constantine resident recently announced her candidacy for state representative of Michigan’s 59th district. Amy East, a 1996 graduate of Constantine High School, is running as a Democrat. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2000 before earning a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. West has worked in the field of anthropology and archaeology for nearly 20 years, and …

The Glen Oaks Community College Board of Trustees recently approved ballot language for a millage proposal it plans to put before voters March 10. The college is asking for approval of one-half a mill for a five-year period. If approved, the increase would be used for improvements related to safety and security; energy efficiency and technology infrastructure; renovation of instructional …

Authorities say a 16-year-old girl visiting Lake Michigan for the first time is missing and presumed drowned after apparently being swept into the water by a large wave. The Ottawa County sheriff’s office says Eliza Trainer and an 18-year-old friend were knocked into Lake Michigan off Holland State Park about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Trainer’s friend was able to get out …

Northern Indiana officials say a woman whose minivan plunged into a retention pond, killing two of her three children, missed a curve on an icy road just before that crash. The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s office said Thursday that 31-year-old Brooke Natalie Kleven and her 3-month-old daughter, Hendrix Kleven, both remained in critical condition following the New Year’s Eve crash. …

A suburban Detroit family has been reunited with their dog, days after the canine ran off following a car crash. The golden retriever, Red, ran into nearby woods after he was ejected from the family’s vehicle on Dec. 25 when it rolled several times along I-75 in Auburn Hills after hitting a slick spot. Wade Stevenson of Woodhaven pleaded online …