News

A Cassopolis resident has died from injuries following an incident which occurred on Friday. Drake Brewer, age 21, died at Borgess Medical Center. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said Brewer was a passenger in a car which was driven by 20-year-old Abigail Smith from Niles. The car was traveling on M-51 in Pokagon Township, when the two occupants of the car …

Vineyards in northwest Michigan are grappling with the possibility that they might lose their entire grape crop after severe storms blew through the area last weekend. On Sunday, three rounds of storms brought hail and strong winds of up to 100 mph. Apple, cherry and grape crops were hit hard in the Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula and the fruit …

A central Michigan man accused of abandoning livestock to die has pleaded no contest in a plea deal with prosecutors. The charges against Russell Bennett were changed to attempted animal abandonment and improper burial. He’ll be sentenced in a Mount Pleasant courtroom on Sept. 18. Authorities said they found many dead animals last winter in Isabella County’s Rolland Township, including …

A four-wheel, all-terrain vehicle was reported stolen last week from a residence in Park Township. State police said the theft of the Kawasaki Mojave took place between 9 p.m. July 30 and 9 p.m. July 31 from a secured spot in the owner’s front yard on Thompson Lane near North Fisher Lake Road.

An Indiana man was injured on his motorcycle Tuesday following an accident on U.S. 131 at Dickinson Road in Constantine Township. Sheriff’s deputies said the 48-year-old Bristol man was driving north on U.S. 131 around 5:30 p.m. Meanwhile, a 20-year-old Sturgis man was stopped at westbound Dickinson Road and attempting to turn south onto the highway. The 20-year-old told authorities …

A World War II veteran who commanded a B-24 bomber over Europe got the chance to ride in one of the planes as part of a vintage aircraft tour. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1SSVe5k ) 91-year-old Paul Smith flew on the plane this week. The restored B-24 Liberator is at the Air Zoo near Kalamazoo alongside two other World War …

A third free-ranging deer from Meridian Township near Lansing has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says Thursday that the 5-year-old doe was part of the same extended family group of the other two deer detected with the disease. A doe tested positive in May. A 2-year-old male with the disease was found in …

With just a few minor details left to tweak on a proposed pet cemetery, members of the White Pigeon Township Board agreed Tuesday to move forward with the concept. Supervisor Don Gloy said the proposal will likely become official with the board’s endorsement next month. Slated for the northwest corner of White Pigeon Township Cemetery on Vermont Street, the proposed …

Here’s a reminder that the St. Joseph County Conservation District has canceled its river cleanup that was to take place Saturday. Jeff Pant, who scouts the waterways ahead of the cleanups, said the stretch of the Pigeon River originally targeted for Saturday is moving at a rapid pace and could pose a threat to inexperienced paddlers. The event was to …

Several work vehicles in a storage yard were damaged at some point during a three-day span in Fabius Township. State police said the incident occurred July 31, or Aug. 1 or 2 in the 14800 block of M-60. Investigators said the suspects entered the private property and attempted to break into several vehicles, causing damage to the vehicles. The incident …