News

Petition process bill advance to Senate

State Rep. Aaron Miller said a plan approved this week by the Michigan House will provide more transparency for voters and enhance the integrity of the state’s citizen petition initiative process. The bills – sponsored by members of both parties – make much-needed improvements to Michigan’s grassroots lawmaking process while boosting accountability and giving voters in rural areas and small …

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Hospital employees attend city commission meeting

Employees from Sturgis Hospital attended Wednesday’s Sturgis City Commissioners meeting to seek support in calling for transparency and accountability from the hospital’s top executives. The group of employees included nurses from the Michigan Nurses Association, and members of the Sturgis Hospital General Employees Association and Technical Employees Association. Recent cuts have eliminated the OB unit and approximately 60 hospital employees …

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Branch County crash injures two

Alcohol is potentially a factor in a single-vehicle accident that occurred earlier this week near Colon in Branch County. State police troopers responded shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday to the intersection of Olivarda and Arney roads in Sherwood Township. Investigators said the driver was traveling south on Oliverda Road when she lost control of the vehicle, which overturned and came …

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Man arrested after police chase

A Jones man is in Cass County jail on several charges after his arrest in St. Joseph County. Sheriff ’s deputies attempted to stop a vehicle and led police on a chase into Indiana, then back into Michigan, where the driver was able to elude authorities. Later in the day, however, authorities located the suspect hiding in a barn near …

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Service planned for Venus Stewart

Family members of Venus Stewart will finally have closure this weekend (December 15, 2018). According to Schipper Funeral Home in Colon, a graveside service will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday at Leonidas Cemetery. Stewart’s remains were found in October after her estranged husband, Doug Stewart, led authorities to the location in a wooded area south of Fulton. Venus was …

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Centreville approves security bid

Members of the Centreville Public Schools Board of Education have approved a bid of nearly $30,000 for access control and physical security at the school district. Unified Security Solutions’ bid came in $20,000 less than other bids; Superintendent Stephanie Lemmer said that technology personnel from the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District reviewed the bid and were very comfortable with it. …

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Northern Indiana couple sentenced in hit-and-run that killed 3

A northern Indiana couple has been sentenced in a hit-and-run crash that killed two children and a man. An Elkhart County judge sentenced 43-year-old Leonard Grosswiler on Wednesday to 15 years, with 10 years to be served in prison and the rest in community corrections and probation. The Elkhart man had pleaded guilty in October to leaving the scene of …

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CMH lawsuit sttled in mediation

Following the intervention of a mediator, a lawsuit filed against a county agency by its former director was settled before going to trial. The issue stems from a November 2017 lawsuit filed by Liz O’Dell, former executive director of Community Health and Substance Abuse Services of St. Joseph County. CMH board members in August last year terminated O’Dell based on …

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Police investigate bomb threat

Police and fire officials in Sturgis responded Tuesday to a bomb threat made at a business in town. According to a department media release, officials were notified at 10:10 a.m. that a bomb threat was placed to Morgan Olson on South Nottawa Street. Police and fire personnel conducted a thorough investigation of the premises and concluded the threat was not …

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TR Schools seeks more public input

Three Rivers Community Schools Superintendent Ron Moag is asking the public to consider weighing in on a survey that follows up on a questionnaire offered earlier in the fall. Moag, the district’s first-year superintendent, said results from the earlier survey indicate recurring themes center on safety and security, updates on technology and learning environments, and extending the life of the …

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