County Information

Dowagiac resident Richard Behnke is announcing his intent to pursue the nomination for Cass County sheriff. A lifelong resident of Cass County, Behnke has been in law enforcement for 30 years, beginning in the village of Marcellus in 1986. He has served the past twenty-nine years at the Cass County Sheriff’s office. During his career, he served as a deputy …

Two men impersonating utility workers were able to gain access to a Sturgis Township residence last weekend. Michigan State Police said the suspects gained entry to the home around 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Fawn River Road, near South Centerville Road, by telling the victim they were there to make sure water and power were on after a weekend wind storm. …

Nearly eight full months after she was appointed St. Joseph County clerk, Lindsay Oswald filed paperwork Monday that makes official her candidacy for the August primary election. Her petition turned in Monday featured 159 signatures – 59 more than the required minimum. The move was considered no surprise, as Oswald indicated even before she was tapped to complete the 18 …

A 62-year-old Mendon woman will seek the District 2 St. Joseph County Commission seat in August. Kathy Pangle has declared her candidacy for the seat, which represents Burr Oak, Colon, Leonidas, Mendon and Park townships. Burr Oak Township resident Don Eaton is the incumbent. Pangle is serving her 14th year on the Mendon Village Council and the Mendon Township Fire …

Details related to the March 8 sinking-fund millage request being sought by the Three Rivers Board of Education were covered during a work session Monday. More than a dozen people attended the meeting, during which board vice president Susan Schmidtendorff led a PowerPoint presentation that covered the reasons for the request and potential uses of the money if the 1.95-mill …

Two men in separate incidents fell through ice on lakes in Cass County over the weekend. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said the first incident was reported at 1:39 p.m. Saturday at Bogart Lake in Jones, where a man fell through the ice but managed to crawl out of the water and reach shore. He refused assistance and was taken …

The Three Rivers Wastewater Treatment Plant reports there was a foam-over incident at 5:35 p.m. Thursday as a result of electrical maintenance. Plant supervisor Doug Humbert said a passerby noticed foam in an area along the 400 block of Wolf Road. The event was believed to be caused by routine electrical maintenance that required all blowers to operate during part …

Three adults were arrested on outstanding warrants last week following the execution of a search warrant in Park Township. Sheriff’s officials said investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed the search warrant Thursday in the 55000 block of Buckhorn Road. Investigators had received a tip about a residence involved in methamphetamine production. Investigators from SCAN, along with …

Members of the Lockport Township Board agreed during a special meeting Thursday to appeal a judge’s decision regarding a contested piece of land being sought by the city of Three Rivers. By unanimous vote, Lockport Township officials agreed to appeal St. Joseph County District Court Judge Jeff Middleton’s decision made Wednesday in favor of the city of Three Rivers. Middleton …

A 34-year-old Cass County man was arrested on drug-related charges following a traffic stop Wednesday. Members of the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team pulled over the suspect’s vehicle near Guyer Road and Union Road, as the driver was under investigation for suspected manufacturing of methamphetamine. A search was conducted on the vehicle and detectives located methamphetamine, marijuana and methamphetamine paraphernalia. …