St Joseph County

TruTV, a cable television network that focuses on high-profile court cases, is airing the trial of Venus Stewart’s estranged husband, Doug Stewart, on its “In Session” program. Doug Stewart was sentenced in July to life in prison despite the fact the body of his estranged wife was never found. He was convicted in March of first-degree premeditated murder for his …

The third New Year’s Eve Free Ride Home attracted 36 passengers over the weekend, according to Steve Yorks, executive director of the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority. The complimentary service for New Year’s Eve revelers in St. Joseph County started at 10 p.m. Saturday and ended at 4 a.m. Sunday. Yorks said 20 of the passengers were picked up by …

The weekend’s snowstorm serves as a reminder that a snow emergency in the city of Sturgis goes into effect when accumulation reaches four inches or more. During a snow emergency, no vehicles may be parked on city streets. The measure is put into place to allow snow-removal trucks to clear the streets and treat icy patches without interference from vehicles …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded early Thursday last week to an alarm at Klinger Lake Trading Post, at the corner of U.S. 12 and Klinger Lake Road in White Pigeon Township. Officials said the alarm sounded at 3 a.m. Upon arrival, deputies noticed a break-in had occurred but it appears the suspects fled the scene when the store’s …

The Constantine Fire Department has surmised that an overloaded electrical outlet was the cause of a fire Dec. 23 at a residence in the 300 block of Canaris Street. Portions of the residence were damaged but the house was not deemed a total loss. There were no injuries as a result of the blaze.

American Axle and Manufacturing appears to be in store for a new product line that could generate at least 200 new jobs at the Three Rivers plant. Company officials said the local plant would benefit from American Axle’s $1.1 billion overall corporate expansion to create components for a passenger/crossover vehicle being developed and introduced by a yet-unnamed manufacturer. A public …

The St. Joseph County Road Commission building is in store for a renovation. The five-member road commission panel recently approved the agency’s budget and within the allowance they allocated $200,000 toward updating the building. Money to cover the work will come from non-road funds. Primarily, proceeds from the sale of old and obsolete equipment will cover the building improvements, road …

St. Joseph County’s Parks and Recreation Department is soliciting residents for ideas and input regarding an update of its five-year master plan. The new, five-year cycle begins in 2012. Department officials said citizen input is used to help develop goals and set a course of action based on the public’s suggestions. The department oversees eight parks that collectively cover 420 …

Constantine village officials this week approved a 12-year, 50 percent abatement of about $55 million in equipment and building improvements to a prospective new tenant at the former Rexam packaging plant. During Wednesday’s special meeting, the council agreed to support the tax exemption sought by Indiana-based Nature’s Fuel. The company converts scrap wood into marketable bio-fuels. The Rexam plant closed …

The city of Sturgis will have a fleet of five new vehicles, following action taken recently by members of the city commission. The new vehicles and departments to which they will be assigned are a Ford Focus for the electric department; two Dodge Charger vehicles for the police department; a pickup for the wastewater department and a mower to be …