St Joseph County

A number of St. Joseph County residents expressed concerns over a variety of subjects during Tuesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. The focus of most comments revolved around potential plans to build a senior center in Sturgis and a proposal to market St. Joseph County as a retirement destination to retirees in the Chicago market. Points were made …

Four new auxiliary officers were introduced to the Three Rivers City Commission Tuesday. Chief Tom Bringman said over the past 11 months, the five completed 120 hours of training, which included classroom, defensive tactics and firearms. The quartet is comprised of Three Rivers High School graduates Brian Kline and Travis Cain, Caledonia native Gary VanderMei and Kalamazoo resident Shawn Taylor. …

Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry said he plans to seek a second two-year term to the city’s highest elected post. Following Tuesday’s city commission meeting, Lowry said he took out a petition earlier in the day to begin the process of appearing on the November ballot. He will need to secure a minimum number of signatures from registered voters before …

Three Rivers Police Chief Tom Bringman will instruct officers to beef up enforcement of parking violations around Hoppin Elementary School when classes resume next week. Concern about the issue was raised Tuesday by Three Rivers City Commissioner Daryl Griffith, who said illegally parked cars pose a risk to children who walk home from school or to waiting cars parked legally …

Pat Yoder’s first St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday was a quick but uneventful experience. Yoder, who took over as county administrator Monday, sat in on his first county commission meeting in 20 years, as he previously held the position from 1990 to 1994. The 63-year-old Yoder was hired for the job after Judy West-Wing retired in January. …

A 47-year-old Sturgis man was arrested earlier this week on warrants related to criminal sexual conduct. Sturgis Police said Mario Delgado, who lives in the 600 block of South Orange Street, was arrested at noon Monday at his residence, where police executed a five-count warrant. All five counts stem from incidents of criminal sexual conduct involving victims between 6 and …

About 400 gallons of sanitary sewage was contained following an overflow incident shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday in Three Rivers. Officials from the Department of Public Services said the overflow occurred at U.S. 131 and Broadway Road. A blockage of the sewer line was cleared about 30 minutes after the incident was detected. Sewage pumped from the site was taken …

Police are continuing their investigation regarding a suspect involved in a home invasion early Thursday on South Jefferson Street in Sturgis. Sturgis Police said a resident at the home was confronted in his kitchen by a masked intruder and a struggle ensued. The family dog bit the intruder, causing him to flee, police said. Authorities said the intruder is about …

A late-night fire last week in Flowerfield Township destroyed a house, barns and other outbuildings. The blaze was reported at 9 p.m. Thursday in the 52000 block of Johnson Road. It appears the fire started in a barn and spread quickly to the residence and other buildings, investigators said. It took more than three hours to extinguish the fire. Two …

Spring brush and leaf pickup in Sturgis continues this week after beginning Monday. Department of Public Services crew members are starting the process at the north side of the city and working their way south. Weather conditions and varying amounts of brush make it difficult to adhere to a strict schedule, city officials said, so residents should have materials ready …