Fire/Rescue

A motorcyclist was critically injured after a car pulled into its path last week in Cass County’s Pokagon Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said the incident occurred at 2:10 p.m. Friday at the intersection of M-51 and Peavine Street. Investigators said 34-year-old Troy Duis was driving his motorcycle south on M-51 when a vehicle driven by Alexis Chorba, 16, of Dowagiac, …

A Kendallville man accused of stabbing a Walmart employee last week in Sturgis remains in the St. Joseph County Jail. Randy Alan Decker, 48, is charged with one count of attempted murder, one count of armed robbery and two counts of resisting/obstructing a police officer. His bond was set at $1 million. The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. Friday. …

A 48-year-old Kendallville, Ind., man is in the St. Joseph County jail after a stabbing incident last week in Sturgis. According to police, the victim, a loss-prevention team member at Walmart on South Centerville Road, was attempting to stop the man for shoplifting. The worker suffered a stab wound to the neck and was treated at Sturgis Hospital. Officers were …

Dense fog, icy roads and drivers going too fast for conditions led to a six-car, chain-reaction crash late last week in White Pigeon Township. The crash occurred around 7 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Lutz and Dickenson roads. Michigan State Police said a semi driven by Raphel Milo, 51, was headed north on Lutz Road and slowing to make …

Emergency crews were already stretched thin Friday morning last week after a six-vehicle collision on Lutz Road in White Pigeon Township. An unrelated crash scene not far from the Lutz Road incident added to the need for fire and rescue personnel. In an attempt to make Lutz Road safe for emergency personnel, it was closed at Stears Road in Constantine …

An Indiana woman died Friday after the vehicle she was driving was struck by a freight train in Pokagon Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said the woman, Barbara Schult, of Middlebury, was driving east at 3:44 p.m. on Pokagon Highway when she passed stationary vehicles that had stopped when the crossing signal activated. Schult drove through the crossing, despite visual and …

A Cass County man faces six charges following an incident earlier this week in Howard Township. Sheriff’s officials said 39-year-old Daniel Thornton was arraigned Wednesday on charges stemming from the Tuesday, March 1 incident that occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Huntley Road. Thornton was charged with arson in the second and third degrees, assault by strangulation, assault with a …

A Niles man was injured after he lost control of his vehicle on snow-covered roads Tuesday in Cass County. Sheriff Joe Underwood said 59-year-old Robert Bradford was driving west on M-60 around 3:15 p.m. when he lost control of his vehicle near Calvin Center Road. His vehicle slid into the path of an oncoming semi driven by Richard Landrum, of …

St. Joseph County’s emergency management director was given approval last week to attend a national conference this summer. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners passed a motion to allow T.J. Baker to attend the 2016 National School Safety Conference in Orlando in late July. According to a memo from Baker to commissioners, the conference will focus on all aspects …

A residence in which nobody was home was heavily damaged by fire last week in Lockport Township. Three Rivers and Fabius-Park Township fire departments responded at 11:15 p.m. Friday to the 16000 block of Null Road after the blaze was reported by a passerby. First-arriving crews found the home engulfed in flames. Firefighters had the fire quickly under control and …