St Joseph County

The Secretary of State office in Sturgis will close later this month for remodeling, prompting staff members to encourage anyone with business to conduct at the site to do it soon. The office will close for the workweek July 28 and remain unavailable through Aug. 1. Staff members said the South Centerville Road office will be remodeled to include a …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners has agreed to fill a vacant position in the two departments. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners agreed to fill a clerk’s spot in the finance department. The post is being filled half-time by a member of the Register of Deeds office. Human resources director Elishia Arver said the position will stay filled in such a …

A plan to limit access into the St. Joseph County Courthouse to a single location is moving forward. The county’s board of commissioners Tuesday agreed to work with Grand Rapids-based Landmark Design for schematic drawings and cost estimates to create the single point of entry. If the full plan is authorized, access to either the original courthouse portion or the …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough said justice was served Monday, as jurors in the Andy Brown murder trial issued a verdict of guilty of second-degree murder. The 37-year-old Brown was also found guilty on a charge of felony use of a firearm. Monday’s decision capped the nine-day trial in which the nine-woman, three-man jury heard testimony related to the …

Here’s a reminder that crews from the Three Rivers Department of Public Services are conducting a brush pickup. DPS officials ask that residents place brush on the terrace, not in the street,. Crews will be making only one pass to collect brush. The pick-up is for the July 1 storm damage only. The DPS offers a compost drop-off area at …

White Pigeon Days concluded its three-day run Sunday, with a community church service and picnic at Wade Park. Event organizers said Saturday night’s fireworks show was viewed by thousands of people who parked as far away as Dickinson Road to watch the display. Earlier in the evening, Constantine High School’s alumni football squad topped a White Pigeon alumni team, 14-6. …

After nearly five hours of deliberations Thursday, jurors in the Andy Brown trial will continue the process beginning at 8 a.m. today. Jurors began deliberations at 12:15 p.m., after closing arguments were heard from prosecutor John McDonough and defense attorney Michael Hills. McDonough wrapped things up with a 30-minute rebuttal to Hills’ 92 minutes of closing arguments. Circuit court judge …

Citizen tips regarding marijuana-related activity resulted in the confiscation of nearly 22 marijuana plants Wednesday in Lockport Township. A sheriff’s department media release stated members of the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant in the 20000 block of M-86 regarding the manufacture of marijuana. A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of 22 marijuana …

A 20-year-old Three Rivers woman suffered minor injuries following a one-vehicle crash Tuesday in Nottawa Township. Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff Department were dispatched at 11:35 p.m. to Findley Road, west of Ironwood Drive, where a vehicle driven by Chelsea Gabbard had rolled over and came to rest against a tree. Gabbard told police she fell asleep at …

Raymond McCann, who was charged with perjury in connection with the Jodi Parrack murder case, has been ordered to stand trial. The development took place following a preliminary examination Wednesday in St. Joseph County District Court before Judge Robert Pattison. Pattison ruled that enough evidence exists for the 46-year-old McCann to stand trial. Assistant prosecutor Erin Harrington said a single …