News

Republican presidential contender Ted Cruz will campaign in Michigan next week. The Texas senator plans to speak at a morning rally at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo on Oct. 5. Cruz was recently in Michigan for a Republican gathering on Mackinac Island. Other candidates in the crowded GOP field who attended were former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former technology …

Felony charges against a 65-year-old man charged with criminal restraint of a White Pigeon girl was set for preliminary examination last week in St. Joseph County District Court. A judge will hear preliminary testimony Oct. 6 to determine if there is enough evidence to bind the case to circuit court for trial for Daniel Furlong on allegations that he attempted …

Members of the Constantine Village Council last week reviewed an ordinance amendment to not allow anyone other than the property owner to open a water/sewer account. The amendment includes a provision to allow tenants in rental property who already have an account to keep it, as long as they remain customers in good standing. The ordinance also clarifies whether unpaid …

Sturgis city commissioners have approved a resolution asking St. Joseph County for $1.6 million toward the construction of a proposed softball-recreation complex. The action last week by Sturgis officials comes on the heels of the county commission earlier this month approving $2.1 million to supporters of a new recreation complex in the Three Rivers area. The Sturgis proposal includes an …

Cass County Sheriff Joe M. Underwood said an inmate who walked away from a work detail Saturday evening at the Cass County Jail, has been apprehended in the city of Three Rivers. Jason Matthew Graham, 20, was taken into custody without incident in the vicinity of Third Street and Broadway Sunday evening. Underwood said Graham is considered a low-risk inmate …

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment after officially releasing its proposal to clean up Kalamazoo’s Allied Paper Superfund site. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports the proposal is similar to a compromise plan developed with city officials that was presented earlier this year. A 60-day comment period starts Sept. 30. A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. …

Authorities say more than 300 animals found living in unsanitary conditions with no food and little water were seized from a southern Michigan farm. Goats, sheep, alpacas, chickens, ducks, miniature horses, rabbits, potbelly pigs and guinea pigs were removed this month by Calhoun County authorities after a passing motorist reported seeing several apparently sick sheep at the Burlington-area farm. Animal …

At its September meeting,Three Rivers Health Board of Trustees reported net income of $80,944 for August and net income of $259,511 for the year, which is $94,898 above budget and $1,424,843 above prior year. “We are not only on firm ground financially but are in a season of growth, thanks to the support, service, excellence and leadership – from our employees, senior staff …

A plan to turn the old Three Rivers Hospital into a mixed-campus development was presented Wednesday in Three Rivers. Created by Birmingham-based Gibbs Planning Group, the concept includes a major residential component, restaurant and calls for expanding the property’s sled hill. The proposal received a warm reception from municipal and other community leaders assembled to hear and see the presentation by …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has been notified that four dead birds submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Disease Laboratory have tested positive for West Nile Virus. The positive results mean residents of the three counties should be more vigilant in their personal-protective measures to prevent mosquito bites. While no human cases of West Nile Virus …