Recent Posts

Woman charged after inmate dies

A 24-year-old Wayne County woman has been charged with a number of offenses after an inmate at Lakeland Correctional Facility died of a drug overdose. State police said troopers on Oct. 29 were called to the Coldwater penitentiary in response to a 57-year-old man who died with no obvious cause. Department of Corrections officials began retracing the victim’s movements and …

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Allegan farm accused of dumping wastewater

The state is suing an Allegan County farm for allegedly dumping wastewater into a river that leads into Lake Michigan. According to WOOD-TV, attorney general Dana Nessel filed the lawsuit last week against the owner and operator of an alleged unpermitted, concentrated animal feeding operation, J&D Brenner Farms. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great …

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Branch County fire labeled arson

Investigators in Branch County have labeled a fire in the Bronson area last weekend as an act of arson. Bronson Fire Chief Scott Wilber said the agency was notified at 1:30 p.m. Saturday about a grass fire near the intersection of U.S. 12 and Wheeler Road. The blaze eventually charred five acres of land before it was extinguished. Wilber said …

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Drug addiction program returns

“Voices of Hope and Recovery,” an annual program featuring speakers who have overcome drug addition, returns later this month. The Substance Abuse Task Force of St. Joseph County and Riverside Church are teaming up again to present the 2024 event. Program organizers said Voices of Hope and Recovery showcases speakers who prove it is possible to recover from substance abuse, …

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Sturgis approves public safety purchases

Sturgis City Commission members last week approved two purchases for the municipality’s department of public safety. The department requested a new records-management system after its recent network suffered a series of critical failures. The commission approved $30,000 for Core Technology for 18 months of service of the Talon Incident Management System. Commission members also approved a $57,000 firearms purchase from …

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Teen injured in Cass County crash

A 16-year-old boy was injured in a one vehicle crash last week in Cass County’s Marcellus Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called to the intersection of Miller Road and Cranberry Street at 9:45 p.m. Feb. 26. Investigators found an unoccupied pick-up that had crashed into a grove of trees. Deputies said a teen from Marcellus was driving the …

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Immersive experience shows lives of low-income families

Firm Foundation Ministries in Centreville invites anyone wishing to learn more about an immersive poverty simulation to attend a free event next week. “The Cost of Poverty” experience is designed to offer a glimpse into the lives of low-income individuals and families living in St. Joseph County communities. An overview of the program starts at noon March 13 at the …

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Glen Oaks sees increase in enrollment

Winter 2024 enrollment at Glen Oaks Community College is up more than 10 percent compared to the same semester in 2023. School officials said winter semester enrollment is 11 percent more than a year ago. College officials said the current student count of 1,252 is part of the largest enrollment in more than a decade. Dual enrollment for high school …

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Cities receive distributions from Marijuana Regulation Fund

More than $87 million in funding through the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act is being distributed to counties and municipalities across the state. The cumulative amount distributed in St. Joseph County is more than $1 million, part of a payment setup from the Marijuana Regulation Fund given out to 99 cities, 30 villages, 69 townships and 71 counties. …

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Constantine welcomes two new businesses

Constantine village officials plan later this week to welcome two new businesses to town. At 9 a.m. Saturday, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting will take place at Hupomone Family Hair Care, 155 S. Washington St. Thirty minutes later, another ceremonial ribbon-cutting will welcome El Puente. It is located in the 100 block of South Washington Street. Event organizers encourage the public to …

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