Government

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners will consider the purchase of a new laptop computer for the prosecutor’s office as one of its five items of new business this evening. Other items before the five-member panel include accepting the sheriff’s department annual report, an employee handbook revision related to ID cards and the purchase of property for …

Authorities say a 71-year-old man has died after falling from a sailboat while working on the vessel at a marina in southwestern Michigan. The Allegan County sheriff’s department says John Edward DeBoer of Kalamazoo was found in Kalamazoo Lake less than 15 minutes after falling Thursday. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where the sheriff’s department says he …

State Rep. Aaron Miller is hosting three community forums related to a bill that would close the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System to new school employees. Miller said House Bill 4647 would institute a defined contribution retirement plan that is identical to that of state employees and legislators. He said the meetings were called in light of numerous emails …

A 31-year-old Sturgis man was arrested on drug-related offenses following an investigation by the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit. According to a sheriff’s department media release, SCAN narcotics investigators executed a search warrant Thursday at a residence in the 66000 block of Myers Landing Road in Sherman Township. Investigators found marijuana, methamphetamine and items used to manufacture meth.

Cass County sheriff’s officials are looking for a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident earlier this week. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called around noon Wednesday to a location on U.S. 12 west of M-217 in Porter Township. Deputies found that a motorcycle driven by 19-year-old Colin Schieber of Elkhart had crashed into the rear of another vehicle. Schieber …

A fisherman from Benton Harbor was rescued Wednesday from Dewey Lake in Cass County’s Silver Creek Township. The county’s 911 central dispatch received a call shortly after 10:30 a.m. regarding a capsized boat. Deputies found that a lone fisherman was hanging onto the side of his boat and calling for help. A Silver Creek Township police officer arrived on the …

Speed was cited as a factor in a single-vehicle crash earlier this week in Cass County’s Porter Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were dispatched at 5 a.m. Tuesday to Union Road in an area south of U.S. 12. According to a department media release, a Dodge pickup driven by 27-year-old Shelly Wright failed to negotiate a curve and left …

Court documents say a 22-year-old man charged with murder in the slaying of a former northern Indiana city councilman told detectives he met the victim responding to an online advertisement for casual encounters. Documents say Cody Garman of Elkhart told detectives the victim, 66-year-old former Goshen Councilman David Swartley, drove to Garman’s home early on May 25 and the two …

An 82-year-old Mendon Township man was the victim of a home invasion and armed robbery over the weekend. State police said the incident occurred at 7 p.m. Sunday in the 23000 block of Michigan Avenue, where two men asked the victim if they could use his telephone. The man declined and closed the door. The suspects managed to force their …

Sheriff’s department deputies are investigating a breaking-and-entering incident at a Lockport Township business. According to a department media release, the offense occurred between Tuesday and Friday last week in the 16000 block of Lovers Lane. Access was gained through forced entry and once inside, the suspects rummaged through cabinets and desk drawers, according to authorities.