The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department wishes to make residents aware of a telephone scam related to threats of electric shut-off. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said the scam is done through a telephone call, in which the caller threatens to discontinue electric service unless an immediate payment is made. Bingaman said anyone receiving a call from someone claiming to be with …

An Indiana man died earlier this week in a fire at his Shipshewana residence. LaGrange County officials said 54-year-old Darin Smith was unable to escape the Monday morning blaze. Around 7 a.m. Monday, officers investigated the fire, which had started on the lower level toward the back of the house. Two males were inside the home at the time and …

Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education is looking to add a new member as Ben Karle has stepped down from the seven-member panel. Karle, who was elected to the board in November 2020, said he has accepted an offer from St. Joseph County Intermediate School District. Applications for the position are due by 3 p.m. Jan. 26. A special …

The Sturgis Emergency Extreme Weather Center was activated the same day it was approved for use. The Sturgis Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a special land use request from the extreme weather center board to open the meeting room at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 110 S. Clay St., to those seeking a comfortable place to congregate during extreme temperature events. …

A Union City man is one of four people who died in a hot-air balloon crash over the weekend in Arizona. Chayton Wiescholek, 28, was in the basket of the balloon with four other people when it crashed. One of the five, a 23-year-old Arizona woman – survived but is in critical condition, authorities said. An additional eight people – …

A Niles man was injured in a snowmobile crash earlier this week in Cass County’s Pokagon Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were dispatched at 7:45 p.m. Monday to the intersection of Indian Lake and Frost streets. Authorities said the 26-year-old driver, Chandler Plow, told officers he lost control of the snowmobile he was operating. It overturned and landed on …

White Pigeon municipal officials have lifted the boil-water advisory that had been in effect since the weekend. As a precautionary measure, village officials had issued the advisory Sunday after the community’s system lost water pressure due to frozen pipes. As a result, contamination could have potentially occurred. Water pressure was restored later Monday and samples were tested. They came back …

Michigan State Police tracking dogs will be easier to see thanks to the benevolence of a Kalamazoo businessman. Michael ‘Tonto’ Alexander, owner and president of Nite Beam Products, gave $1,800 for beacon lights for each dog at a Jan. 4 monthly training at the Mattawan Fire Department. With the LED lights attached to the dog’s harnesses, K9 teams will now …

Colon Village Council is looking for a member of the general public to join a committee formed to look into creating an ordinance regulating a marijuana facility in town. Council member Dillon Baker said the point of this committee is to draft documents to define everything to do with a such a facility. He said the village currently does not …

More than two dozen people assembled last week to witness the re-opening of the Langley Covered Bridge. A ceremonial ribbon cutting and speeches highlighted Friday’s event. Within minutes after participants cleared the area, St. Joseph County Commissioner Dennis Allen was the first to drive over the fully rehabilitated bridge. The $3.2 million project was overseen by Grand Haven-based Anlaan Corporation. …