News

The Internal Revenue Service says former “Little House on the Prairie” star Melissa Gilbert failed to pay more than $360,000 in federal income taxes. The Detroit News reports the IRS filed a tax lien against the actress in February and details emerged after she recently announced that her family was moving from a rented home near downtown Howell to another …

Centreville High School’s baseball team came up one win short of a state championship, as the Bulldogs were beaten Saturday in the state’s Division 4 title game, 10-to-8 by Muskegon Catholic Central. Nonetheless, Centreville finished with a 29-and-2 record, its best season in school history. The Bulldogs made it to the championship game by defeating Rudyard, 2-to-1, the day before …

A 20-year-old White Pigeon woman was arrested last week after she fled on foot from the scene of a single-car accident in Mottville Township. State police troopers were called to the intersection of Thomas and Blyly roads regarding a car a car that had driven into a pole and guardrail around 12:30 a.m. Friday. Several witnesses tried to help the …

An Illinois man caused a two-vehicle accident after he ran a stop sign last week in Cass County’s Volinia Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said Jose Balderas, 54, of Waukegan, Ill., was driving south on Decatur Road when he failed to stop at Marcellus Highway and struck a westbound vehicle driven by Bruce Johnson, 56, of Cassopolis. Johnson was treated at …

State Rep. Aaron Miller earlier this month applauded the House for approving the state budget for fiscal year 2015 to 2016. Miller said the budget will pay down debt liabilities, catch up on payments to the state teacher retirement fund, dedicate general fund dollars to fix Michigan roads, and restore Rainy Day Funds to peak levels that have not been …

The prospect of a new county animal shelter facility remains a possibility, as members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners revisited the issue during a work session Tuesday. Commissioner Rick Shaffer, a member of the animal control advisory board, said he favors a new building over refurbishing the current building. Meanwhile, Commissioner Don Eaton, who has visited facilities …

Speed is considered a factor in a single-vehicle accident last week in Cass County’s Marcellus Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr. said Norman Hand, 48, of Marcellus, was driving west on 96th Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m. June 3 when his vehicle left the road, hit an embankment and went airborne. It came to rest after striking a row of trees …

Members of the Mendon Community Schools Board of Education plan to hire Roger Rathburn on an interim basis for the 2015-16 academic year. The district during its 6 p.m. meeting Monday is expected to formalize the agreement that will bring aboard Rathburn to replace Rob Kuhlman. The Mendon board earlier this year voted 4-3 to not renew Kuhlman’s contract, a …

St. Joseph County officials agreed to move forward with the idea of potentially funding new ball fields in Three Rivers and Sturgis. During a board of commissioners work session Tuesday, board members debated the merits of funding tournament-caliber athletic fields in Three Rivers and Sturgis. A trio of Three Rivers officials – mayor Tom Lowry, city manager Joe Bippus and …

Funding for a Sturgis senior center – now being called the Commission on Aging Enrichment Center – continued to be a source of debate during a board of commissioners work session Tuesday. At the onset of discussion, county administrator Pat Yoder laid out a few scenarios regarding funding for the $2.6 million project. Concepts he offered were a one-time county …