Business

A 32-year-old Three Rivers man was arrested last weekend after he was caught attempting to steal money from a company break room. According to a Three Rivers Police Department press release, the man was caught at 2:40 a.m. Saturday at Armstrong Machine Works. Company officials said they believe the man was responsible for three previous thefts of cash from the …

Indiana Michigan Power is advising the public it will begin trimming trees around transmission power lines in St. Joseph, Cass, Van Buren, Kalamazoo and Berrien counties starting today. The work is part of the company’s ongoing vegetation-management program aimed at improving the safety and reliability of electrical facilities, according to a company media release. The work will continue through the …

Mendon Community Schools has been named the recipient of a grant of almost $10,000, which will help the district purchase iPads for classroom use. The Monsanto Fund, which recently awarded Riverside Health Clinic with a $10,000 grant, will provide a ceremonial check in the amount of $9,975 to Mendon school officials today during a media event at Mendon Elementary School. …

The St. Joseph County United Way is asking for donations to be included in the 2013 Silent Auction at September’s St. Joseph County Grange Fair. Kelly Hostetler, executive director of the local United Way, said with more space gained as the result of a move to inside a barn, plenty of room is available for items to be displayed during …

A prison term in excess of seven years was issued to a corporate official with South Haven-based Village Market Food Centers. Christopher Pratt, who was charged with embezzlement, was sentenced this week in a Kalamazoo federal court after the 42-year-old Pratt admitted a gambling addiction and an extensive car collection were financed through the $6 million he stole. Village Market …

Jamie Rydman was the winner of the gift bag from the “Sass in the City” promotion in downtown Three Rivers. Billed as a spectacular girls’ night out, the event was July 12. Contributors to the gift bag – which contained items with a value of more than $150 – were Love Your Mother, World Fare, Riviera Theatre, UniQ Jewelry, Parker …

Home prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared with a year earlier, the biggest annual gain since March 2006. The increase shows the housing recovery is strengthening. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released on Tuesday also surged 2.4 percent in May from April. The month-over-month gain nearly matched the 2.6 percent increase in April from March — …

A hit-and-run, property-damage incident is under investigation by the Michigan State Police. According to a department media release, a vehicle being driven east on Fawn River Road was struck by a vehicle heading north on Nottawa Street in Sturgis Township. The incident at the four-way stop occurred at 4:10 p.m. Thursday. Investigators said the offending vehicle was an SUV that …

Centreville’s former department of public works director was sentenced to two years of probation after his involvement in the theft of gasoline from the village DPW garage. District court officials said 50-year-old Randy Baker, a Colon resident, was sentenced earlier this month after he earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of embezzlement of less than $200. The misdemeanor and subsequent …

An employee who almost ruined a small grocery chain in southwestern Michigan has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for embezzlement. Christopher Pratt admits he stole more than $6 million from Village Market Food Centers, based in South Haven, while handling the financial books. He was sentenced Monday in Kalamazoo federal court. The 42-year-old Portage man had …