Business

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program is recognizing Sturgis-based Girton Farm as a verified farm in the Cropping System for implementing appropriate pollution prevention practices. The program assists farmers to comply with state and federal environmental regulations and with Right-to-Farm practices. Technical assistance was provided by the Branch Conservation District. MAEAP is a …

A guided tour of the City of Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) early Tuesday evening (June 11) provided an opportunity to view the current operation of the facility and learn about the items completed during a $4.1 million plant improvement project. Elected officials, community members, and local industrial customers were invited to attend the ‘project completion presentation and guided …

The Park Township Board has approved an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption Certificate sought by American Metal Fab for personal property in the amount of $768,175. The 12-year tax abatement for replacement equipment and new equipment will enable the company to retain its 58 employees and, hopefully, add to its workforce in the future. Action on the matter came during the …

Acting on the recommendation of the township’s Road Committee, the Fabius Township Board has approved improvements on four roads in the Latvian Subdivision off Day Road at an estimated cost of $33,488.36. Authorization to move forward with the road work came during the board’s June meeting Wednesday evening (June 12). The project will involve hand patching with hot mix asphalt …

Schmidt’s Family Amusements is back in town with many fun rides and games for the young and daring during this year’s Three Rivers Water Festival! The midway will open at 4 p.m. on Thursday (June 13) and will remain open until 10 p.m.; Friday’s hours are from noon until 11 p.m., and Saturday’s hours are from 11 a.m. until midnight. …

The Lockport Township Board is continuing to move toward signing a 15-year fire protection service agreement with the City of Three Rivers Fire Department (TRFD), beginning in 2014. In keeping with unanimous action during their May 13th meeting to accept a three-point proposal from Three Rivers, board members agreed Monday evening (June 10th) to move ahead with development of a …

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioner have OK’d an out-of-state travel request by a Circuit Court employee. By unanimous vote Tuesday, commissioners approved Judge Paul Stutesman’s recommendation that Kathryn Griffin attend the National Association for Court Management’s annual conference in San Antonio. The six-night conference begins July 13 and Griffin is attending as president of the Michigan …

About 100 people attended a benefit magic show Saturday at Colon High School. More than $1,000 was raised to help Dan and Kathy Earl and their son, Casey. The Earls owned Curly’s bar and restaurant, which was destroyed by a fire in early March. The three-act, 90-minute magic show featured Rick Fisher, B.J. Mallon and John Sterlini, and music from …

Nine fire departments, including six from St. Joseph County, responded to a commercial blaze Wednesday in Cass County’s Newberg Township. The manufacturing section of Southern Michigan Rubber Co., located on M-60 near the St. Joseph County line, was destroyed by the afternoon blaze. Company officials indicated the fire appeared to have started near the rear of the building in a …

A LaGrange County man suspected of setting fire to a Sturgis restaurant in 2009 was sentenced to prison Wednesday for unrelated felonies. Nathan Lumbard, 30, was ordered to serve a six-year sentence in Indiana after he completes a sentence he is currently serving in Kentucky, where he will be incarcerated until June 2014. Lumbard, who has yet to stand trial …