County Information

The Three Rivers Fire Department was called last week to a second-floor residence in the downtown district, where a passer-by called the 911 dispatch center to report seeing smoke inside the residence. Personnel were dispatched to 2 N. Main St. at 2:25 am Friday, as the caller also reported hearing smoke detectors going off. With assistance from the Three Rivers …

Michigan State Police at the Coldwater post have arrested a total of seven registered sex offenders who failed to verify their addresses during the last quarterly verification period. Sex offenders are required to verify addresses in accordance with the Registration Act. They face being charged with a high-court misdemeanor for failure to do so during the 15-day registration period. The …

Voters in the city of Sturgis will have an opportunity later this year to decide whether to support a financial request exclusively for road and sidewalk repairs. Members of the city council Wednesday voted to put a millage request proposal before city residents May 7. The question will give city officials an opportunity to dedicate a 3-mil, 10-year property tax …

The Michigan Works! of Kalamazoo-St. Joseph counties is hosting a job fair this weekend to fill more than 500 positions at American Axle in Three Rivers. The company announced earlier this month its plan for a $100 million investment in its Three Rivers plant. About 500 hourly positions and 40 salaried jobs will be available, company officials said. Saturday’s job …

Colon High School will be able to better support its Future Farmers of America students thanks to the generosity of local farmer, Ruby Miller, and America’s Farmers Grow Communities. Sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, Grow Communities provides farmers in eligible counties the chance to win a $2,500 donation for a local nonprofit organization of their choice. Because St. Joseph County’s …

Department of Public Works employees in Constantine spent two hours Wednesday repairing a water-main break. The faulty pipe was at the corner of Fifth and Washington streets. Village Manager Mark Honeysett said the pipe had leaked about 250,000 gallons per day over the past week and it was necessary to shut down the entire water system because the hole was …

St. Joseph County treasurer Judith Ratering has included the county in a state program designed to assist homeowners who have fallen behind on their property taxes. “Help for Hardest Hit; Step Forward, Michigan” is a state initiative to assist homeowners who have endured a financial hardship and are unable to catch up on their property taxes. Discussing the program last …

About 100 people attended the inaugural Three Rivers Harmony Fest chili cook-off and home-brew beer fundraiser Feb. 2. More than $800 was collected to help fund this year’s Harmony Fest, which marks its 20th anniversary Labor Day weekend. In the chili competition, Fred Pruitt from Three Rivers Health took top honors, with Pub 21 and Paisano’s Bar and Grill coming …

St. Joseph County Sheriff Brad Balk said narcotics investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant on a suspected methamphetamine-production site Tuesday in the 63000 block of McKale Road in Burr Oak Township. Investigators found evidence of methamphetamine and marijuana production inside the residence, investigators said. Two males and one female, whose names and ages …

A fundraiser to help the Constantine Fire Department purchase five Automated External Defibrillators is scheduled to take place later this month. A spaghetti dinner is set for 12:30 to 3 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Constantine American Legion, north of the village on U.S. 131. There is no charge but donations are being requested. Chief Mike Haydon said the department …