St Joseph County

Three new members of the Three Rivers Fire Department were pinned during Tuesday’s city commission meeting. Marcellus High School alum Bradley Spears received his pin from his wife, Chelsey; Kyle Rice, an Army veteran, chose to receive his pin from his father-in-law, Gary Bragg; and Three Rivers High School graduate Karl Armstrong was pinned by his father, Chris Armstrong, a …

Sturgis Public Schools hired three teachers this week. District officials during their Monday board meeting approved the employment of Darcy Ford, Megan Wait and Lauren Howell. Ford will teach Great Start Readiness Program at Jerolene School, while Wait and Howell will be assigned separate third-grade classes at Eastwood School.

Larry Matson was appointed by Mayor Tom Lowry and commissioners to the Three Rivers City Commission Tuesday. Matson, 67, served on the board from May through October last year to fill a term left vacant by the resignation of Ken Baker. Matson was topped by Diane Haley-Clay in November’s election for a one-year term as District 3 representative. Matson, who …

A Constantine woman was cited for failure to yield after she caused a two-car accident Monday morning in White Pigeon Township. State police said Lindsey Stone, 24, was driving south on Lutz Road when she failed to stop at U.S. 12. Her vehicle struck a westbound car driven by 36-year-old Tara Smith of Sturgis. Stone did not seek medical attention; …

An audit report of its 2012 fiscal year was the primary matter of business Tuesday before the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Dave Fisher, representing Jackson-based Rehmann CPA, said based on his company’s review, the county remains on solid financial ground. He noted the county’s largest operating fund had revenue in excess of $13.6 million last fiscal year. Its …

A 22-year-old Three Rivers woman was treated for minor injuries after she was involved in a two-vehicle accident at 4:30 Monday afternoon in Fabius Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Arianna Swartzentruber was driving west on Millard Street when her vehicle was struck by a vehicle northbound on U.S. 131. The driver of the second vehicle, Michele Root, …

A 27-year-old Three Rivers man was arrested over the weekend after he was found driving a stolen car. Sturgis Police said a pizza-delivery vehicle was stolen shortly after 7 p.m. Friday from the 1100 block of South Centerville Road. A deputy from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department spotted the vehicle around 3 a.m. Saturday in White Pigeon, where the …

Three Rivers Police Chief Tom Bringman is advising residents to be aware of a scam that has resurfaced locally. Bringman said UPS or FedEx service is typically employed to deliver documents and a check or money order as the result of an alleged winning a lottery or cash prize. Under the premise of covering taxes, recipients are urged to cash …

Final numbers are still being calculated but a recent golf outing to help a local deputy has exceeded $35,000 in fundraising efforts. The latest figure is more than the $20,000-plus organizers had originally estimated for a fundraiser in support of T.J. Baker. A 36-year-old deputy with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, Baker recently opted to have his left arm …

An assessment report related to the courts building at the St. Joseph County Courthouse is expected to be issued this week. During Friday’s committee of the whole meeting, county administrator Patrick Yoder said officials from Benton Harbor-based Pearson Construction made a thorough inspection of the courts building last week. Yoder said the group spent more than two hours inspecting the …