St Joseph County

A line of shoppers formed outside the new Aldi grocery store in advance of its opening Thursday morning. Located at the southeast corner of U.S. 131 and Broadway Road in front of Home Depot, the new Aldi is the 61st in Michigan. Company officials said about 95 percent of the 1,400 items inside the 10,000-square-foot store are store-label brands. District …

Three Rivers Fire Chief Dan Tomlinson has issued a special warning for people who own buildings with flat roofs. The existing snow-load and the forecasted rainfall should be of immediate concern for residential, commercial and industrial buildings with flat roofs. The combined accumulation of these loads could exceed the structural stability of the roof system, and could result in a …

Heavy snow has taken its toll on a Cass County building. The roof at Bair Lake Bible Camp in Jones collapsed late Sunday due to the immense weight of snow that had accumulated. No one was injured, said Nanci Tissot, Bair Lake’s director of marketing. Tissot said the collapse of the roof over the dining hall came with no warning. …

A consultant hired to assess St. Joseph County’s animal-control facility suggested the current building could be gutted and reconfigured instead of constructing a new building. St. Joseph County Animal Control Advisory Board Chair Bev Levett and member Suzanne Lee told panel members Wednesday that engineer Scott Learned made the observation during his Feb. 6, half-day tour of the county-owned building. …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has approved a new position at the sheriff’s department, where a diversion program is expected to better meet the needs of people requiring mental-health service evaluations. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners approved the position of director of assessment. The specialist’s salary will come out of a $350,000 grant administered by the state to the …

A family of six was left homeless after their home was destroyed by fire over the weekend. Burr Oak firefighters were called to Spade Road, between Lafayette and Witt Lake roads, around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The home and its contents were a complete loss. The family has four children, three boys ages 4, 9 and 10, and a girl, 6. …

The Three Rivers City Commission on Tuesday took a step closer to establishing a sidewalk snow removal ordinance. After commenting on a draft prepared by city attorney Pat O’Malley, Mayor Tom Lowry and commissioners directed O’Malley to document a small number of revisions and present a potential final draft at the commission’s March 4 meeting. The issue resurfaced in January …

The Sturgis Department of Public Services is asking its residents to be conscious of freezing water lines. DPS officials said with the depth of frost, the department is receiving an abundance of calls regarding frozen water lines. To alleviate the problem, DPS officials suggest allowing a stream of water to run from a single faucet. Officials in Burr Oak, Centreville, …

St. Joseph County Sheriff deputies were dispatched Saturday to a call regarding an intoxicated man passed out behind Maria’s restaurant in Sturgis. When deputies arrived they were told by employees the man was picked up by family members and transported home. Later that night, however, deputies were contacted regarding a 31-year-old old male admitted to Lagrange County Hospital with severe …

More than 75 people participated last weekend in Camp Fort Hill’s inaugural Winter Adventure program. The three-hour event Saturday allowed participants to cross-country ski, snow shoe, enjoy a campfire, chili, soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches. Also, a birds of prey demonstration was out on by Lake Milton Raptor Education Center of Union. Dave Ludders, camp manager, said the inaugural event was …