Government

St. Joseph County officials appear ready to discontinue the format of virtual meetings. During their executive committee meeting last week, commissioners agreed to not renew the state of emergency that allows them to meet virtually only. The declaration is set to expire July 5. While commissioners have been using a hybrid format – in-person and via Zoom – for their …

About $5 million in cash and college scholarships will be given away in lottery-style drawings aimed at raising Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday. The incentive program features a $2 million jackpot, a $1 million prize and 30 daily drawings of $50,000 for residents ages 18 and older who have received at least one shot. Vaccinated residents …

President Joe Biden stayed mum on policy during a Saturday trip to Michigan, focusing instead on cherries — and cherry pie and cherry ice cream — and voters who were mask-free as coronavirus restrictions have eased. It had all the hallmarks of a campaign stop that he couldn’t make last year. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer greeted Biden when he arrived …

A fundraising effort is underway to purchase automated CPR machines for all EMS departments in St. Joseph County. Spearheaded by Jeff Brazo, a member of the Burr Oak Community Fire and Rescue Board, the fundraiser goal is $200,000 by Sept. 1. Brazo said automatic CPR machines can aid responders in performing consistent and effective CPR with fewer staff on site …

The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk is back for 2021, and the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) has updated a video explaining the options people have for participating in this beloved event. Based on the success of the 2018 and 2019 events, the MBA will again start the 2021 Annual Bridge Walk from both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, which eliminates the …

A 9-year-old boy died Thursday after being shot in Kalamazoo, authorities said. The child was pronounced dead at a Kalamazoo hospital on Thursday afternoon, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Vernon Coakley said. The child’s name and the circumstances leading to the shooting were not immediately released. Representatives from Pastors on Patrol, the Northside Ministerial Alliance and the NAACP were …

Republican lawmakers voted Thursday to stop a $300 weekly federal supplement that is added to unemployed workers’ benefits in Michigan, though the measure is expected to be vetoed when it reaches Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The GOP-controlled Senate passed the bill on party lines, 19-16, after making a change to the measure that cleared the House last week. It would …

State Senate Republicans who investigated Michigan’s 2020 presidential election for months concluded there was no widespread or systemic fraud and urged the state attorney general to consider probing people who have made baseless allegations about the results in Antrim County to raise money or publicity “for their own ends.” The GOP-led state Senate Oversight Committee said in a 55-page report released Wednesday …

Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett provided an update on a recent force-main break of a sewage pipeline from the village to the waste treatment plant in Three Rivers. Addressing village council members during their meeting Monday, Honeysett said he was made aware of the incident June 13 from Doug Humbert, engineer at the Three Rivers plant. Humbert had reported the …

Constantine Village Trustee Joe Faulkner submitted a letter of resignation from the council this week. During Monday’s village council meeting, Faulkner said state law prohibits anyone involved in marijuana services from serving on a municipal board. Faulkner is a co-owner of Rainbow Farms, a pro-marijuana campground in Vandalia. Faulkner has served six months of a two-year term. In addition, Jason …