Government

An option to self-fund improvements at three county parks received favorable response by the county commission’s executive committee last week. As a result, a proposed $1.4 million plan incorporating Covered Bridge Farm and Plumb Lake parks, and Cade Lake Park and Campground, will not be financed through the sale of bonds as previously considered. The question arose after parks and …

A Three Rivers man on probation was arrested last week after stealing a car. Three Rivers police were called Tuesday morning to River Trail Apartments in response to a vehicle stolen as it was unattended and left running. It was recovered later in the evening on the shoulder of U.S. 131 in Allegan County. The 18-year-old suspect was found near …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department handled three separate larceny incidents in the southwest quadrant of the county last week. Deputies were notified Thursday that a golf cart was stolen from a garage in the 11000 block of Riverside Drive in Mottville Township. Central dispatch fielded a call from a resident in the 69000 block of Kalamazoo Street in White …

Three people were killed and two others critically hurt after a motorist driving the wrong way on US-131 slammed head-on into another vehicle. The crash occurred about 5 p.m. on US-131 at the Stadium Drive interchange on the west side of Kalamazoo, and involved a car and a pickup truck. Investigators were not immediately sure which vehicle was driving in …

An 11-year-old girl has died and her mother and the woman’s boyfriend are in critical condition due to apparent carbon monoxide poisoning inside a southern Michigan building that was serving as a makeshift home. The Calhoun County sheriff’s department says the victims were found Thursday night in Springfield and that a generator powering a heater caused carbon monoxide to accumulate …

Five high school varsity basketball players in southwestern Michigan have been charged in connection with reported sexual assaults involving an underage female schoolmate. The boys — ages 18 and 17 — attend South Haven High School and are charged as adults. They were arraigned Tuesday on third-degree criminal sexual conduct and released on bond. A probable cause conference is scheduled …

State police are investigating a recent fraud incident at the Speedway gas station at the corner of U.S. 131 and U.S. 12 in Mottville Township. Troopers were informed an older man using the name Steven Hill had falsely returned more than $100 worth of items to the business. The suspect told the cashier he had already spoken to a manager …

Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett during last month’s village council meeting provided an update on a downtown development. Honeysett said Darius Jusaitis, who purchased six buildings on Water and South Washington streets in 2015, is moving forward with renovations on the properties. Jusaitis had received a MSHDA community-development block grant for more than $470,000. The project’s cost is estimated at …

A Sturgis business took a critical step last month toward seeking a break on its future property taxes for a proposed $1.9 million investment in building expansion and new equipment. Pete Stemen, owner of Michigan Tool Works, said the tool-and-die company plans to expand its 651 Wade St. facility, retaining 17 jobs and adding two new positions. According to a …

Colon village president Diane Downs said a search committee charged with hiring a village manager will assemble as soon as possible to begin the process of interviewing two finalists. Fourteen résumés were turned in by the late January deadline and Downs said she reviewed them all. Eventually, the list was narrowed to three. One of the three, however, subsequently accepted …