A utility official says an unlikely set of factors led to an underground fire and a downtown South Bend power outage in May. Indiana Michigan Power CEO Paul Chodak III says a company investigation found a low-voltage cable overheated at one of the spots where most of the downtown grid’s largest cables feed into a transformer. Chodak says the utility …

A proposed infrastructure improvement at Cade Lake Park would allow it to have the benefit of a sewer system. Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners agreed Tuesday to a contract with Jones Petrie Rafinski for engineering services related to the proposal. County administrator Pat Yoder said the plan calls for expanding a sewer pipe from a Burr …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department was called to Burr Oak Township Wednesday in response to a residential break-in. Deputies said access was gained through a back door by forced entry sometime between July 9 and Wednesday. Items stolen include a .22-caliber rifle, a variety of tools, a camera and paperwork.

The Secretary of State office in Sturgis will close later this month for remodeling, prompting staff members to encourage anyone with business to conduct at the site to do it soon. The office will close for the workweek July 28 and remain unavailable through Aug. 1. Staff members said the South Centerville Road office will be remodeled to include a …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners has agreed to fill a vacant position in the two departments. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners agreed to fill a clerk’s spot in the finance department. The post is being filled half-time by a member of the Register of Deeds office. Human resources director Elishia Arver said the position will stay filled in such a …

The former owner of Deer Forest in Coloma is the target of a complaint filed against the animal park by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Spokeswoman Tanya Espinosa tells WSJM Radio the complaint was filed within the past several weeks in the federal court system and is based on several complaints that were filed …

Joyce Ann Hughes, age 71, of Leonidas, died Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at the Sturgis Hospital Emergency Room. She was born in Battle Creek, MI on March 20, 1943 the daughter of Samuel B. and Eddiess (Thomas) Hughes and has been a lifetime resident of Leonidas. She attended the Reserve Country School and worked on the family farm. Joyce loved …

Sherriel D. Coates, of Portage, passed away on Monday, July 14, 2014 at her residence. She was born May 3, 1936, in Three Rivers, the daughter of the late Robert L. and Neva L. (Wheeler) Garber and was a longtime Kalamazoo area resident. On Oct. 3, 1953, she was united in marriage to Herbert “Herb” Coates. For many years she …

A plan to limit access into the St. Joseph County Courthouse to a single location is moving forward. The county’s board of commissioners Tuesday agreed to work with Grand Rapids-based Landmark Design for schematic drawings and cost estimates to create the single point of entry. If the full plan is authorized, access to either the original courthouse portion or the …

A Schoolcraft resident was treated for minor injuries after she was involved in a two-vehicle accident this week in White Pigeon Township. State police said 32-year-old Victoria Clark was driving east on U.S. 12 around 10 o’clock Monday morning, when her vehicle collided into the back of a car driven by Thad Jones, 46, of Greenville. The incident occurred near …