County Information

State Rep. Matt Lori last week announced a grant to eliminate blight in downtown Dowagiac by funding rehabilitation of a historic building into a movie theater and residential units. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation approved the $171,005 Community Development Block Grant enabling a local firm to rehabilitate the building, located at 115 S. Front St. The building is currently in …

A broken water seal in the F Wing at Glen Oaks Community College resulted in a two-hour delayed start of classes Thursday. The early morning incident, at the north end of campus near the auto garage, triggered the overhead sprinkler system to activate, college officials said. Glen Oaks President Gary Wheeler said the incident occurred in an out-of-the-way area where …

More than 200 people gathered Thursday at Riverside Church to pay their final respects to longtime Three Rivers resident and community advocate Bruce Snook. Snook, 66, was a longtime employee at WLKM radio, the former director of the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce and most recently the editor and publisher of the River Country Journal website. Snook, who passed …

The August retirement of David Northrop as director of the Sturgis Department of Public Safety has resulted in a number of promotions, announced Thursday by the department. Geoff Smith was promoted from detective sergeant to chief; Ryan Banaszak from sergeant to detective sergeant; Damon Knapp from shift sergeant to school resource officer; Jeremy Marsh from sergeant to nighttime shift sergeant; …

Members of the Colon Community Schools Board of Education have selected Jay Newman as the district’s interim superintendent. The veteran educator and Colon resident was chosen Tuesday from a field of four candidates. Newman, 63, will fill in while the board looks for a successor to Lloyd Kirby, who decided over the summer to retire. Newman, who will be paid …

Two men, ages 23 and 17, were taken into custody by Sturgis police following a foot pursuit near Franks Park late Tuesday. According to the Sturgis Police Department, the two were seen walking in the park shortly before midnight. Police suspected the two were involved in a methamphetamine lab earlier in the day. As officers attempted to stop them, the …

An update on the formation of historic district guidelines, applicable to downtown Three Rivers businesses, was provided this week to the Three Rivers City Commission. The report was presented by Rob Vander Giessen-Reitsma, chairman of the city’s Historic District Commission. He provided Mayor Tom Lowry and commissioners detailed examples of conformity guidelines to which downtown building owners will be subject …

Five people were arrested Wednesday following the culmination of an investigation into the production of methamphetamine in Mendon Township. Investigators from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said three men and two women were taken into custody. They were arrested at a residence in the 24000 block of Pinhook Road by investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit. …

The St. Joseph County Conservation District has canceled its final river cleanup of the season Saturday. A 2.8-mile stretch of the Nottawa Creek in Leonidas Township was supposed to cap the agency’s seven cleanup events this summer. Jen Miller, Conservation District administrator, said the agency appreciates the support of numerous volunteers and businesses that supported the six cleanup efforts in …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has re-appointed two members to its Board of Election Canvassers. During Tuesday’s commission meeting, a ballot vote was cast by the four commissioners present; Jack Brooks and Carol Snow-Penn were unanimously chosen to serve four-year terms. Brooks will represent the Democratic party and Snow-Penn the Republican party. The Board of Election Canvassers is …