Government

The trial of Westly George, 30, of Three Rivers is now underway. George is charged with the 2015 shooting death of Eugene Jackson on the south side of Three Rivers. Jury selection and opening statements were made in County Circuit Court, there are seven men and seven women currently on the jury before two will be dropped. St. Joseph County …

A 47-year-old Bristol, Ind. man was arrested following a pursuit with Michigan State Police Saturday. Troopers attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle driven by Timothy Clair Barrett, which had a defective tail light, but the man refused to stop and fled. Eventually the chase ended on Lane 25, a private drive, where Barrett fled on foot into …

Two people were arrested in Flowerfield Township Monday on drug-related charges. The St. Joseph County sheriff’s department said a 38-year-old male and a 35-year-old female were arrested at the scene of a home in the 53000 block of Pulver Road after deputies followed up on a warrant tip. There, deputies found methamphetamine activity. Through some investigation, deputies were able to …

Authorities are continuing to investigate damage done to about 80 headstones at a southwestern Michigan cemetery. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that a $500 reward is being offered in the case. The vandalism at Riverside Cemetery in Kalamazoo was discovered Aug. 22. Some headstones were broken, while others were tipped, cracked or chipped. Some headstones that were knocked over weighed as …

A southern Michigan woman faces charges after her 12-year-old son says he was scalded with a hot liquid. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that the boy was treated at a hospital for burns to his chest. His 40-year-old mother was arrested Tuesday at work, but told police that she didn’t burn her son. She is charged with aggravated felonious assault. …

A southwestern Michigan man has been charged in the slaying of his 88-year-old neighbor. The 43-year-old suspect is expected to be charged Tuesday with open murder. Alfred Minka was found dead in August 2013 on the floor of his apartment in Kalamazoo, south of Grand Rapids. He had been beaten in the head. Police have said investigators had believed early …

Two people were arrested early Sunday morning in Sturgis in connection with a large fight. The incident happened after 3:00 a.m. where a 28-year-old female and 26- year-old male were in a verbal altercation. Sturgis police said the male pulled a knife on the female and slashed at her, but the female was able to stop the knife with her …

A 54-year-old Centreville man sustained several injuries as a result of a crash in his pickup truck Saturday night. The Michigan State Police said John Kay III was driving his truck on Covered Bridge Road near Leland Road when his vehicle left the roadway and struck a large stump, which caused the truck to vault into the air and land …

One person was arrested early Saturday morning after intentionally setting blaze to a home in Sherman Township. The incident happened in the 27000 block of Oak Drive located on Omena Lake. The 45-year-old man told police he intentionally set the home on fire after having a dispute with a fellow family member. The suspect was medically evaluated and then placed …

The July unemployment rate in St. Joseph County rose by eight-tenths of a 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 4.7 percent July unemployment rate was higher than June’s 3.9 percent. July’s unemployment rate, however, was 1.2 percent less than the same month a …