A plan to finance the cost of major projects at three county parks was approved by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners this week. The resolution calls for a $1.4 million internal loan from the county’s Delinquent Tax Fund, with an annual interest rate of four-tenths of a percent. As a result, Covered Bridge Farm and Plumb Lake parks, …

A Sturgis teacher accused of have a sexual relationship with a student waived his preliminary hearing in court last week. Keith Lang remains free after posting $150,000 bond. St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough charged Lang with one count of distributing or promoting child sexually abusive activity, one count of using a computer to commit a crime, one count of …

Indiana Michigan Power said about 500 St. Joseph County customers were without power today as a result of high winds. Service should be restored by late tonight. In all, more than 10,600 Michigan-based customers were without power by mid-afternoon Wednesday. Customers can view the location and status of outages on I&M’s map on the website: IndianaMichiganPower.com/OutageMap. Nearly 500 I&M employees and …

A White Pigeon woman was injured in a single-vehicle accident earlier this week in White Pigeon Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department was called shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to U.S. 131 near Eagley Road, where a car driven by 26-year-old Gina Huser left the roadway, struck several tress and flipped onto its top. The car was heading north …

For the second time in two days, the Sturgis Fire Department responded Wednesday to Cobalt Holdings. Fire officials said crews reported 20-foot flames emitting from a trailer on the north end of the business, located at 1111 N. Centerville Road. The source of the fire appeared to be recycled tire material and metal within the trailer. Crews were on scene …

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners took their share of heat Tuesday for a plan to ban cell phones from the historic courthouse. The reaction comes on the heels of discussion at last week’s Executive Committee meeting, during which commissioners were advised that the ban on cell phones in the north building will be imposed once a …

A contender for the job of Centreville Public Schools’ superintendent has withdrawn her candidacy, opening the door for a new applicant. Rod Green, hired by the district through the Michigan Association of School Boards to lead the superintendent search, said he was informed Tuesday that Risa Herber withdrew from consideration. As a result, Kyle Corlett, principal at Park Elementary School …

The names of three men charged with attempted murder during an incident last weekend in Three Rivers have been released by authorities. Antonio Slater, 33, of Three Rivers, was arrested Sunday with 19-year-old Dondre Slater of Elkhart and 20-year-old Tremell Slater of Middlebury. Their arrests stem from a call to the 200 block of River Drive in Three Rivers, where …

The Sturgis Fire Department responded to a commercial structure fire late Tuesday at the north end of town. The incident occurred at Cobalt Holdings in the 1000 block of North Centreville Road. First-responding crews reported smoke from the north end of the building and determined that a piece of machinery was on fire. Upon entering the building, firefighters observed heavy …

Authorities say a multi-day search for a car that crashed into the Kalamazoo River in Battle Creek has come up empty. Dive teams, police officers and firefighters searched starting Saturday after the crash was reported shortly before 5 a.m. that day. The search continued Tuesday with officers, boats, a dive team and officials from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. …