Government

A sign proclaiming the identity of St. Joseph County’s most notable icon was destroyed following a pair of incidents the past two weeks. Located north of the Langley Covered Bridge, the sign and a horizontal PVC pipe in place to warn motorists about height restrictions were struck twice in a 10-day span, demolishing the PVC pipe and totaling the sign. …

Two Kalamazoo Public Safety officers have helped a motorist and her 2-month-old baby successfully get back on the road after being stranded in the heat. Carmen Higbee tells MLive that she was driving home from a local farmers market Saturday when she pulled into a gas station to fill up her near-empty tank. But the gas station was out of …

Two people were arrested last week after the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team found one-pot methamphetamine labs at a residence in Marcellus Township. Cass County deputies said a search warrant was executed Wednesday in the 10000 block of Wolfe Street, where deputies received a tip about the manufacture of methamphetamine on the premises. In addition to discovering five one-pot methamphetamine …

A breaking-and-entering incident last week in Flowerfield Township is being investigated by Michigan State Police. According to a department media release, troopers were called Wednesday to the 53000 block of Bent Road, where forced entry was used to gain access to a residence between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The resident, who arrived on the scene around 3:30 p.m., notified …

Members of the Sturgis Fire Department were dispatched last week to a house fire in the 200 block of North Fourth Street. The blaze was reported at 3:19 p.m. Friday. Firefighters arrived on the scene to discover smoke coming from a two-story residence. Neighbors reported no one was in the home. Fire crews deployed two hose lines and entered the …

An 84-year-old Indiana man is in critical condition after he fell into a Cass County Lake last week. Sheriff’s officials said Paul Schafer, of Bremen, Ind., was in a floating lawn chair shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday on the west side of Diamond Lake. Dispatchers in Cassopolis were asked for assistance in the 61000 block of Lake Street after witnesses …

Authorities say an inmate who killed two bailiffs during a July 11 escape attempt from a southwestern Michigan courthouse wrote a letter to his ex-wife explaining that he was “going on the run” or would “die trying.” Details of the letter by 44-year-old Larry Darnell Gordon, as well as video and audio from courthouse cameras were revealed Friday during a …

Four people were reappointed to the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging Board this week. Members of the county commission voted Tuesday to renew the two-year terms of Margaret Shultz, Jon Withers and Steve Boland. Meanwhile, at-large appointee Joseph “Al” Heivilin was also reappointed, but to a one-year term. Shultz currently serves as chair of the COA board. County commissioner …

Security at St. Joseph County’s historic courthouse and its courts building is in store for a significant enhancement following action this week by the county board of commissioners. The boost will cost more than $500,000 in personnel alone. Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite told commissioners Tuesday quotes regarding several other precautions – including external and internal security cameras, replacing glass and doors, …

A serial home invader who was confronted by an 11-year-old girl with a shotgun in Lapeer County has been sentenced to at least 25 years in prison. James Wasson was sentenced Tuesday for a series of robberies. He owes his victims more than $10,000. Prosecutor Tim Turkelson says Wasson finally was stopped as he tried to flee the county in …