County Information

Members of the Mendon Community Schools Board of Education plan to hire Roger Rathburn on an interim basis for the 2015-16 academic year. The district during its 6 p.m. meeting Monday is expected to formalize the agreement that will bring aboard Rathburn to replace Rob Kuhlman. The Mendon board earlier this year voted 4-3 to not renew Kuhlman’s contract, a …

St. Joseph County officials agreed to move forward with the idea of potentially funding new ball fields in Three Rivers and Sturgis. During a board of commissioners work session Tuesday, board members debated the merits of funding tournament-caliber athletic fields in Three Rivers and Sturgis. A trio of Three Rivers officials – mayor Tom Lowry, city manager Joe Bippus and …

Funding for a Sturgis senior center – now being called the Commission on Aging Enrichment Center – continued to be a source of debate during a board of commissioners work session Tuesday. At the onset of discussion, county administrator Pat Yoder laid out a few scenarios regarding funding for the $2.6 million project. Concepts he offered were a one-time county …

A suspect in the May 1 armed robbery of the South Main Street Shell gas station in Three Rivers has turned himself in. Three Rivers police said Cory Joseph Dwyer, 23, turned himself in at the Three Rivers Police Department Tuesday morning. Dwyer was identified last week as a suspect in the armed robbery. Dwyer wore a panda mask as …

A Constantine man who was charged with a weapons-related offense over the weekend was arraigned Monday. Brandon Howard, 28, was arraigned in district court on four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of felony firearm and one count of fourth-degree child abuse. Troopers were called at 1:20 a.m. to the 11000 block of Millers Mill Road in …

The Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education has named a temporary, interim superintendent while Jean Logan recovers from a health-related issue. Board president Mike Bosma said Dennis Patzer, who retired a year ago after serving 12 years as chief of Otsego Public Schools, will serve in the capacity for at least a few weeks. Bosma said the duration could …

A representative from the group TR Cares turned in petition language for the recall of three members of the Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education. Sherrie Nowicki on Monday submitted to county clerk Pattie Bender the petition language regarding board president Mike Bosma, vice president Waneta Truckey and secretary Carl Barth. A fourth member, Dave Kutz, was to be …

Organizers of Saturday’s river cleanup event estimated about 200 pounds of debris was pulled from two stretches of the Rocky River. John Nelson, a member of the St. Joseph County Conservation District, said about three-quarters of the haul was found in the section between U.S. 131 and Liquid Therapy in downtown Three Rivers. A significantly less amount was gathered in …

A Three Rivers woman lost control of her vehicle on a freshly-graveled road and drove off the roadway last week in Lockport Township. Shelly Lehman, 47, told authorities she was driving east on South River Road and a fresh layer of pea gravel on the road surface caused her vehicle to swerve. Her vehicle left the roadway, went into a …

Two Sturgis residents remain in the St. Joseph County jail after their arrest last week. Christin Lynn Garza, 32, is charged with two counts of extortion and was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear. Her bond was set at $50,000. Joseph Wayne Wallace, 45, is charged with two counts of extortion, felonious assault, robbery and retail fraud. His …