Saturday’s second annual Winter Adventure at Camp Fort Hill provided a break from the winter doldrums, as about 100 people participated in a variety of outdoor and back-to-nature activities. Expanding on the inaugural event in 2014, the list of attractions included a hay ride, snow shoeing and a cross-buck-sawing competition. Organizers hoped to offer cross-country skiing, but the activity wound …

Prosecutors are urging a judge not to reopen a case involving the 1990 slayings of two hunters in southwestern Michigan, saying an alternative theory of the fatal ambush wouldn’t have led to a different verdict against an aggressive property owner. Jeff Titus is serving a life sentence in the deaths of Doug Estes and Jim Bennett. The Innocence Clinic at …

A Battle Creek man is being credited for helping to save the life of a 10-year-old spotted at the bottom of a southwestern Michigan hotel pool. St. Joseph police responded Saturday night to Silver Beach Hotel following a report of a possible drowning. They say Melvin Jackson of Benton Harbor was visiting the hotel to celebrate a cousin’s birthday when …

Authorities say an attack by coyotes has killed a horse from the Lapeer County sheriff’s department mounted division. The Flint Journal reports the attack took place around 3 p.m. Sunday at a farm along the line between Lapeer and Oakland counties. Lt. Bruce Osmon, head of the mounted unit, says the horse was feeding around 20 feet from a barn …

The Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority/Main Street program plans to launch its inaugural “100 Friends of Downtown Three Rivers” campaign in February. The campaign is designed to hit on three of the four goals of the DDA/Main Street program: Building Relationships, Communication, and Education and Awareness, according to Brian Persky, Three Rivers DDA/Main Street executive director. All new members of …

Pat Yoder, who holds St. Joseph County’s highest, non-elected position, was given a $10,000 raise last week. Two weeks after commissioners agreed to renew Yoder’s contract for 2015, his salary for the 12-month period was set at $115,000. He is also given a vehicle allowance of $6,000 annually. The matter was addressed during last week’s county commission meeting. Yoder, who …

State Rep. Aaron Miller was joined Tuesday on the House floor by Cass County Prosecuting Attorney Victor Fitz for Gov. Rick Snyder’s State of the State address in Lansing. The governor outlined his plans for his second term during the speech. Lawmakers are allowed one floor guest during the annual speech. Fitz is also president of the Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys …

A few personnel matters were approved during last week’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. Erin Goff was hired as community corrections coordinator at more than $18 an hour, while Travis Balk was hired as a part-time corrections officer at a rate of more than $16 an hour. Also, a pay increase of 29 cents per hour was approved …

User fees are what keep Michigan state campgrounds running, and officials say the first rate increases in seven years are needed to cover the rising costs of maintaining and operating the facilities. The amount of the increase at a particular site depends on its popularity, said parks and recreation chief Ron Olson of the Department of Natural Resources. At those …

Richard David “Rick” Potts, age 38, of Sturgis, passed away Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, at his home. He was born June 5, 1976, in Sturgis, a son of David and Janice (Machan) Potts. Rick was a lifelong Sturgis area resident and a graduate of Sturgis High School with the class of 1995. He continued his education at Kalamazoo Valley Community …