Government

The White Pigeon Area Community Foundation – a geographic affiliate of the Sturgis Area Community Foundation – recently approved $6,500 in grant awards during its 2016 competitive grant program. The Adele M. Gray Fund awarded a $4,000 grant to the White Pigeon Caring Families for community and program support. The Gray Fund also provided grant support to Habitat for Humanity …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough announced Monday a charge of open murder is being filed against a Sturgis man who allegedly stabbed to death another Sturgis man over the weekend. Jonathan Fleming, 37, allegedly stabbed 39-year-old Christopher Calhoun Sunday morning at Fleming’s Jacob Street residence. Sturgis police were called to 208 Jacob St. just before 9 a.m. Sunday in …

A 25-year-old Mendon man was the victim of a felonious assault this week in Burr Oak Township. Sheriff’s investigators said the man received a ride from an unknown suspect at 1:45 a.m. Monday in the 29000 block of Kelly Road. While inside the vehicle, the Mendon man was stabbed by the driver, who was described as being bearded and in …

State police are investigating a breaking-and-entering incident that took place earlier this month in Fawn River Township. According to a department media release, a residence in the 69000 block of Carls Road was broken into between 6 and 10 p.m. Sept. 17. A semi-automatic rifle was stolen during the break-in. Details about how access was gained into the residence were …

Two Indiana children who were the subject of an Amber Alert have been found dead and their mother has been arrested on murder charges. Elkhart, Indiana, police say they believe the two children found dead on Monday afternoon were seven-year-old Liliana Hernandez and six-year-old Rene Pasztor. They had been the subject of an Amber Alert earlier in the day warning …

Police reports say a southwestern Michigan teen panicked when his gun went off and struck a friend in the chest, then the 17-year-old then fatally shot himself. The Kalamazoo Gazette, which obtained the reports through a records request, reported Monday a witness told police that Marsavious Frazier was showing Daquarion Hunter a gun and playing with it Sept. 5 when …

A three-car crash Friday claimed the life of a 63-year-old Sturgis man. Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said a semi driven by David Hartman, 52, of Indiana, was eastbound on M-86 near Farrand Road in Colon Township. Hartman’s truck had slowed to turn left into a parking lot of Palomino Trailer around 11:15 a.m. A van driven …

The August unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by 1 percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 3.7 percent August unemployment rate was less than July’s 4.7 percent. August’s unemployment rate was one-tenth of a percent less than the same month one year …

The Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Board of St. Joseph County is encouraging the public to attend its annual testimonial meeting Tuesday. Current and past clients are invited to share the positive impact they have realized from the services of the Centreville-based agency. The meeting portion of the event starts at 4:30 p.m., while the public hearing begins …

A boil-water notice for Lockport Township was put into effect at 3 p.m. Friday. According to Jennifer Ransbottom, director of utility management services for Jones Petrie Rafinski, a water sample taken from a Moorepark Road well detected the presence of coliform bacteria. Ransbottom said there was no sign of E. coli bacteria found in any of the samples. She said …