St. Joseph County is expected to help financially with removing the final remnants of a dam from the Portage River in Park Township. The recommendation was made during last week’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners’ executive committee meeting. The dam in question is upstream from Parkville Road and is actually almost fully disassembled already. County administrator Pat Yoder said …

Have you come across Zubat, Gastly, Bellsprout, Rattata, Caterpie, Spearow, Squirtle or Pikachu in your neighborhood? No, they aren’t types of weeds in your yard or new types of insects. Have you seen any in a tree, possibly by your mailbox or relaxing on your patio? Maybe you are asking yourself, “what in the world is he talking about?” I …

The Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the rescheduled date of the “Discover the Treasures of St. Joseph County” event. Chamber CEO Christy Trammell said it will begin at 2 p.m. Sept. 18. Modeled after the CBS television program, “The Amazing Race,” this year’s Treasures of St. Joseph County will highlight four of the parks in the county, …

Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County is declaring the week of July 17 through 23 as “Habitat Week” in St. Joseph County. The week will be highlighted by the dedication of three Habitat homes, one each in Sturgis, White Pigeon and Three Rivers. As part of Habitat Week, personnel from almost every fire department in St. Joseph County will …

A motorcyclist not wearing a helmet was hospitalized after he was involved in a single-vehicle accident Thursday in Flowerfield Township. Sheriff’s deputies said 32-year-old Marcellus resident Michael Lay was driving west on Floating Bridge Road shortly before 8 p.m. when he lost control of his motorcycle while rounding a curve near Pulver Road. Lay was thrown from the motorcycle and …

Two juveniles and an adult are in custody after the Cass County Sheriff’s Department was called to a report of a breaking and entering, and vandalism last week. Sheriff Joe Underwood said the three gained access into Ross Beatty High School between 12:30 and 2 a.m. July 12. Once inside the Cassopolis-based school, the three allegedly damaged technology equipment, fiber-optic …

The Michigan appeals court says video may be a convenient way to conduct some court business but it’s not appropriate when ordering a sentence. The court says Hillsdale County Judge Michael Smith was wrong when he didn’t bring a man to court for sentencing in a methamphetamine case. Trenity Heller appeared by video from jail. His attorney didn’t object. The …

A defense lawyer says a man accused of killing five people by plowing his speeding pickup truck into a group of Michigan bicyclists hadn’t intended to harm them. The comment from lawyer Alan Koenig followed the release this week of police reports saying 50-year-old Charles Pickett Jr. had taken pain pills and muscle relaxers less than two hours before the …

Linda Jo (Maxwell) Jones, 63, of Three Rivers, passed away peacefully at Rose Arbor Hospice Facility in Kalamazoo on Thursday, July 7, 2016. She was born on Nov. 16, 1952, to the late Frank and Carolyn (Miller) Maxwell in Elkhart, Ind. Linda married Richard A. Jones at a ceremony in Elkhart on Sept. 4, 1971; he preceded her in death. …

The courthouse tragedy in Berrien County earlier this week drew the bulk of attention during Wednesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners’ executive committee meeting. The situation garnered more than a half hour of discussion, which concluded with Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite and Sheriff Brad Balk indicating their plan to seek additional funds from commissioners to better secure the county courthouse. …