County Information

Three Rivers Fire Department Chief Dan Tomlinson said personnel responded to a carbon monoxide problem at a residence where furnace vents were blocked with snow. In light of the recent issue, Tomlinson suggested residents to be sure snow is cleared from around their gas meters, venting and fresh-air intakes are unobstructed, and steps to clear snow from roofs be taken, …

Sturgis municipal officials have has declared a city-wide, snow-removal emergency. A  forecast calling for heavy snow and strong winds prompted the declaration, city leaders said. By ordinance, parking is prohibited on all city streets during a snow-removal emergency. Any vehicle parked in violation is subject to being towed at the owner’s expense. The parking prohibition is effective until the snow …

The organizer of the White Pigeon snowman-building event said cold temperatures have forced the cancellation of Sunday’s gathering at Wade Park. Shireen Cline said despite an adequate amount of snowfall, temperatures too cold for snowman-making prompted her to call off Sunday’s gathering. With below-freezing temperatures forecasted in the coming week, Cline said the event is on hold indefinitely. When conditions …

A pair of three-star athletes – one a senior at Sturgis High School and the other a senior at Mendon – have been named St. Joseph County’s male and female prep athletes of the year for 2013. The honor, bestowed by the Sturgis Journal sports department, went to Chance Stewart and Brooke Howard. Stewart, whose high school career has seen …

Colon Community Schools has issued a notice of appreciation to Covenant Church of Colon, which made possible a frozen turkey giveaway last month. The church donated turkeys to every staff and board member, and families of children who attend Colon schools. Pastor Matt Jones said the turkeys were loaded onto school buses and given to children by a church volunteer …

Thirty-five people took advantage of a free ride home New Year’s Eve and early New Year’s Day in St. Joseph County. Thanks to the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority and a number of sponsors, the fifth New Year’s Eve Free Ride Home program saw a 13 percent increase in ridership from a year ago, when it attracted 31 participants. The …

The city of Sturgis has announced its ice rink is open for the season. Open-skating hours are noon to dusk Sunday through Thursday, and noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Open hockey is available 8 a.m. to noon seven days a week.

Three people were treated for injuries suffered in a one-vehicle accident earlier this week in Constantine Township. St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department officials said 30-year-old Kristina Steele told investigators she fell asleep Monday while driving north in the 10300 block of North River Road. The vehicle went off the roadway, injuring passengers Cory Hughey of Three Rivers and Bryan Cook …

A question of whether to remodel or build a new animal-control facility has been researched by county administrator Pat Yoder. Though Yoder has not yet reached a definitive answer, he said input from animal-control officer Tom Miller has helped him consider suggesting a remodel job. The issue was discussed during the county’s December committee-of-the-whole meeting. Yoder said there seems to …

The idea of St. Joseph County commissioners using iPads was a matter of discussion during the commission’s December committee-of-the-whole meeting. Commissioners agreed the proposal should be tabled until the full allocation of iPads approved for purchase in April. The nine iPads commissioners approved last spring were to be distributed to officials with the prosecutor’s office as well as members of …