County Information

U.S. 131 between U.S. 12 and Dickenson Road was closed for about an hour Thursday after a semi-trailer caught fire. Around 7:45 a.m., a semi-truck hauling eggs was northbound on U.S. 131 when fire started in the trailer. The driver was able to disconnect from the trailer and drive a safe distance away. It appears the blaze started in the …

Forest River Manufacturing, a recreational-vehicle company, will break ground this week at its future Michigan site. The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday, at 500 W. Chicago Road in White Pigeon. The Indiana-based company in January announced its intention to launch new products in White Pigeon in three newly constructed 100,000-square-foot facilities. Company officials estimate creation of close to 400 …

A Mendon Township woman is inviting participants to join her as she concludes a 60-mile walk through St. Joseph County Saturday. Carol Higgins, president of the St. Joseph County Conservation District Board, began the four-day walk Wednesday. Higgins said her twofold goal is to bring awareness to local conservation and to earn financial pledges that she will turn over to …

The Huss Project Garden is staging its second of three community gardening days this weekend. The public is invited to stop by between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday for a clean-up and planting event. Tools will be available but anyone more comfortable working with their own implements are welcome to bring them, event organizers said. The third session will …

The St. Joseph County Grange Fair is announcing today its headline music act for the 2015 fair. Fair manager Bill Johnson said the duo Dan + Shay will take the stage on opening day, Sept. 20. In an attempt to interest younger attendees, Johnson said the entertainment committee prioritized newer artists on the path to stardom. In all, the committee …

State Rep. Aaron Miller has announced his May in-district office hours. Miller invites residents to join him May 22, at the following locations: LA’s Coffee Café, 145 W. Michigan Ave., Three Rivers, from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; and Rachel’s Family Dining, 300 E. Chicago Road, White Pigeon, from 11 a.m. to noon. Miller said he encourages anyone with ideas or …

A restructuring of special-education services next fall will initially have an impact on about 54 St. Joseph County students, close a White Pigeon special needs classroom and begin changing the way the county looks at serving its adult students. Aubree Spencer, principal at the ISD’s special education school Pathfinder Center, said she predicts up to 30 percent of current students …

Sheriff’s department deputies were called earlier this week to a business in Park Township, where a lawn mower was reported stolen. The incident was reported Monday after the John Deere zero-turn mower with a 48-inch deck was stolen from a shipping crate earlier in the day. The theft occurred at Green Mark Equipment, at the corner of U.S. 131 and …

Officials with Indiana Michigan Power have announced the company will continue to perform helicopter aerial inspections and maintenance on its high-voltage transmission lines throughout the spring and summer. I&M’s contractor will conduct the work using helicopters that will hover over system infrastructure and make repairs as necessary. The work is essential in order to provide continued reliable electric service, according …

A 55-year-old Sturgis man appears to have suffered a medical condition while driving earlier this week, leading to a single-vehicle accident in Sherman Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the man was driving south on Shimmel Road around 5 p.m. Monday, when he drove his vehicle over the center line and off the roadway near Storms Road. The …