Government

Identified – Man drowns in Three Rivers kayak accident

Three Rivers Police said the agency has released the name of a St. Joseph River drowning victim. Det. Sam Smallcombe said the body of Donovan Forsythe, 26, of Princeton, N.C., was pulled Saturday evening from the river after the kayak he was operating capsized shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday on the St. Joseph River in the area of River Drive …

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Three Rivers man killed in Kalamazoo crash

A Three Rivers man was killed in a traffic accident Friday morning, just prior to 7:00, in Kalamazoo. The victim was identified as 46-year-old Jerry Wahmhoff. He was reportedly traveling southbound on Sprinkle Road, riding his motorcycle, when he collided with a westbound semi-rig on the I-94 Business Loop. Wahmhoff, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the …

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Graber Industries destroyed by fire

A longtime business in Constantine Township was destroyed by fire last week. Graber Industries, an RV supply retailer in the 19000 block of Fairchild Road, caught fire around 10 a.m. Friday morning. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from as far away as Colon, Bronson and Middlebury. Multiple buildings were destroyed, though fire departments kept the blaze secured as much …

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Sturgis Hospital requests funding from City

Sturgis Hospital is facing mounting financial deficits, and officials from the medical facility have turned to the city for help. Hospital officials approached Sturgis City Commission last week to ask for a $645,000 loan to keep the facility open until a decision is made for $15 million in emergency funding. If approved by the state, that $15 million to fund …

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Fatal crash in Constantine Township

Sheriff Mark A. Lillywhite, reports that Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded to a fatal one vehicle crash on Youngs Prairie Road near Harder Road in Constantine Township. The crash occurred Thursday morning at about 4:30 A.M. It was determined that a 20-year-old male from Dowagiac was southbound on Youngs Prairie in a Dodge passenger car. The …

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Decrease in local unemployment rate

April’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by one-tenth of a percent from March. According to the monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate fell from 3.5 percent in March to 3.4 percent in April. The rate was 5.2 percent 12 months earlier. Meanwhile, Cass County also experienced a …

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Animal cruelty investigated in Cass County

Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies are investigating a case of animal cruelty at a location in Calvin Township. Behnke said deputies responded to the 6000 block of Kessington Road, where several horses and dogs were found shot to death. A number of separate incidents have occurred over the past six weeks, he said. The agency is being assisted …

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Court seeks more from Whitmer about abortion ban challenge

The Michigan Supreme Court said Friday it wants more information from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer about her request to erase a state abortion ban from decades ago. The court wants five points addressed, including whether it needs to immediately get involved, especially after a judge at the Court of Claims this week froze the dormant law with an injunction. “We direct the governor to …

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Legislature again OKs tax cuts; Whitmer floats $500 rebate

Both Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-led Michigan Legislature proposed new plans to cut taxes Thursday but remained at odds over the scope and immediacy of any relief. Whitmer called for a one-time $500 election-year rebate for “working families,” adding to her earlier proposals to gradually repeal a tax on retirement income and fully restore a credit for lower-wage …

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Postmaster general: Get used to ‘uncomfortable’ rate hikes

Americans should get used to “uncomfortable” postage rate increases in coming years as the U.S. Postal Service seeks to become self-sufficient, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Thursday. The Postal Service Board of Governors sets postage rates, but DeJoy said he’ll advocate for raising prices until “we have accomplished our objective of projecting a trajectory that shows us being self-sustaining.” “I …

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