County Information

A Sturgis woman was the winner of a kayak, offered by the St. Joseph County Conservation District during the recent county fair. Locye Wenzel’s name was drawn from several hundred entries collected during the weeklong Centreville-based fair. Carolyn Grace, conservation district director, said Wenzel indicated she will take advantage of her good fortune next summer by learning from her grandsons …

Two Detroit residents were arrested last week after allegedly trying to use unauthorized credit cards to purchase cigarettes in Three Rivers. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, authorities were called Wednesday to the Shell gas station on North Main Street in response to a report of suspicious activity involving a credit card. Upon arrival, officers questioned what turned …

A variety of items were stolen from a car during a larceny-from-a-motor-vehicle incident last week in Lockport Township. Troopers were called Sept. 25 to the 58000 block of Ash Road, where the window of a Ford Explorer was broken. The incident occurred between 1 and 7:30 a.m. Investigators said two cross bows, tools and an in-car portable TV with DVD …

The St. Joseph County United Way is making its last call for anyone interested in purchasing a ticket for its annual Mega Raffle fundraiser. Kelly Hostetler, executive director of the Centreville-based agency, said no more than 330 tickets are being sold at $100 each. The event will generate $17,500 in proceeds for the agency, while the balance will be returned …

Completion of one of two major road projects in St. Joseph County is going to be delayed by two weeks. The other, however, is on schedule and should be completed by the end of next week. St. Joseph County Road Commission Manager Chris Minger said the crew working on reshaping the two-thirds of a mile of Lovers Lane has run …

The city of Sturgis raised nearly $4,000 this month on the sale of 39,000 century-old bricks. City Manager Mike Hughes said the auction of 120 pallets of reclaimed street bricks garnered more money than officials expected. Proceeds will be dedicated to the city’s ongoing street projects. The bricks were recovered when the city reconstructed aging brick streets, primarily South Nottawa …

Individuals from several area agencies gathered together this month and pledged to put an end to veteran homelessness in St. Joseph County. Nick Metzger, who chairs the St. Joseph County Housing Task Force, said those in attendance gathered to take action on a goal to end veteran homelessness. Stoney Summey, director of St. Joseph County Veterans Services, said he had …

Burr Oak Tool has united with Italy-based tube-processing-machine specialist Sistemi Meccanici Industriali to form an e-partnership aimed at providing better solutions and service to more customers worldwide. Tim Doot, vice president of Burr Oak Tool, explained the partnership in saying the collaboration yields more than 100 years of combined experience and unmatched expertise that is unprecedented in the heat-exchange equipment …

The Three Rivers City Commission lost six years of experience last week, as First District Commissioner Jared Hoffmaster announced his resignation from the seven-member board. Hoffmaster, 34, said he and his family are moving to Fabius Township, necessitating his resignation from the city commission. A lifelong Three Rivers resident, Hoffmaster said he will remain a member of the Three Rivers …

Michigan resident Mahtob Mahmoody, the daughter in the story, “Not Without My Daughter,” will speak at 7 o’clock tonight at Sturges-Young Auditorium as part of the “One Book, One County” program. Mahmoody will share the rest of the story beyond the dangerous escape her mother, Betty Mahmoody, made from their abusive and tyrannical Iranian husband and father, and life after …