County Information

  A former educator who worked in four area school districts waived preliminary examination Tuesday on three counts of alleged criminal sexual conduct involving young men. The case against Three Rivers resident David Wing, 59, was bound over to St. Joseph County Circuit Court for trial. No trial date has been set, pending a pretrial status conference. Wing is charged …

  A member of the Sturgis Fire Department was arrested Tuesday on multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said details of the matter originated from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a female that allegedly started when the suspect was teaching a class at Sturgis High School. The Sturgis Fire Department administration earlier this month …

  A Cassopolis resident was injured following a single-vehicle accident Tuesday morning in Jefferson Township. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said John Bright, 58, was traveling west on M-60 near Daily Road shortly after 6 a.m., when an oncoming vehicle crossed the centerline and entered his lane of travel. Bright was forced to take evasive action, and his vehicle left …

  An Illinois man hospitalized since a near-drowning incident in a Cass County lake last weekend has died. Cass County officials said Abdi Adan, 24, of Wheaton, died at 1:20 p.m. Monday at South Bend Memorial Hospital. His death was attributed to the near-drowning he suffered Saturday at Dewey Lake in Silver Creek Township. Deputies determined that Abdi was not wearing …

  The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has approved the change of fiscal-year end for four of six funds. During action at last week’s commission meeting, the board changed the fiscal-year end from September 30 to Dec. 31 for funds related to secondary road patrol, community corrections advisory, community corrections program and victim rights advocate. The change was made …

  City of Sturgis officials are reminding motorists about the detours in place as a result of the reconstruction of North Centerville Road. Detour signs were placed last week at West Chicago Road and Progress Street diverting traffic to Broadus Street. Construction will span from West Chicago Road to the railroad track just south of Progress Street. A complete rebuild …

  The Constantine Village Council has endorsed the concept of a proposed employee handbook for the community’s fire department. Fire Chief Mike Haydon said he learned its insurance company’s Risk Management Department required a handbook after several part-time employees were hired. Haydon said he would put an adopted date on the handbook once he got approval from the three municipalities …

  The July unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by eight-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 6.9 percent July unemployment rate was more than June’s 6.1 percent. Its July unemployment rate, however, was 2.8 percent less than the same …

  The Three Rivers Department of Public Services wishes to give advance notice about its upcoming hydrant-flushing process. Hydrants citywide will start being flushed Sept. 3. The activity is expected to continue through the end of the month, weeknights from 11 until 5 o’clock the following morning. The department asks residents to please be aware that some rusty water may …

  A crowd of more than 150 people attended Friday’s second annual Local Food Festival, hosted by the St. Joseph County Conservation District. Staged at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds, the event featured a four-course meal of food grown locally from 23 different sources. John Farrand, from the Sturgis Boundary Waters Café, and Janelle Baranic, food service director at the …