Government

Six people, including four juveniles, were injured in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in Sturgis Township. Sheriff’s officials said a 28-year-old Sturgis woman was southbound at a stop sign on Balk Road and attempted to turn east onto Fawn River Road, when she turned into the path of a westbound pickup driven by a 20-year-old Sturgis man; the pickup crashed into …

Supporters of a proposed multi-field sports complex in the Three Rivers area cleared a sizable obstacle Tuesday, when members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners allocated financial support toward the concept. With the exception of Robin Baker, commissioners agreed to provide $2.8 million of $4 million the sports complex steering committee originally sought to purchase additional land and …

St. Joseph County county’s parks system is about to add an unprecedentedly scenic property to its portfolio. Members of the county commission Tuesday agreed to the $330,000 purchase of a six-acre parcel that includes 1,000 feet of shoreline in Lockport Township. The parcel is north of the Langley Covered Bridge and on the east side of Covered Bridge Road. Parks …

St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman has denied a request for a new murder trial for Andy J. Brown. Brown, 38, was convicted in July 2014 for the October 2013 murder of Sturgis resident David Locey. Brown was eventually sentenced to between 37 1/2 and 75 years in prison. Brown’s defense counsel of Anastase Markou and John Minock …

Two people were charged with drug-related offenses and an unspecified number of children were taken from a Fabius Township residence raided by police earlier this week. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant after they were provided information by parole agents from the Michigan Department of Corrections …

A longtime county employee familiar to animal lovers in St. Joseph County has announced his retirement. Animal control director Tom Miller is retiring Oct. 20 following a 28-year career with the Centreville-based agency. Human resources director Teresa Doehring plans to seek approval from county commissioners to begin searching for a new director The 60-year-old Miller currently makes about $50,000 annually. …

Leaders of a steering committee behind the proposed development of a 17-field sports complex in the Three Rivers area have a little work to do if they wish to receive a financial allocation from St. Joseph County. The matter of funding for property acquisition was discussed by St. Joseph County commissioners during their executive committee meeting Thursday. County administrator Pat …

The St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit last week pulled 170 marijuana plants from a field in three different townships. Sheriff Brad Balk said SCAN officers participated in a Domestic Cannabis Eradication Operation in Park, Fabius and Mottville townships Friday. During the execution, officers seized the marijuana plants. Had the plants been cultivated, they would have yielded a street value …

State Rep. Aaron Miller was joined last week on the Capitol rotunda by Sturgis Chief of Public Safety Geoff Smith and Assistant Chief of Public Safety Ryan Banaszak prior to the House of Representatives’ Sept. 11 memorial service on the House floor. House members invited first responders and members of the military as their guests during the ceremony, which marked …

A White Pigeon man has been charged with the 2007 homicide of 11-year-old Jodi Parrack. St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough made the announcement during a press conference Thursday afternoon at the county courthouse. He said the August arrest of 65-year-old Daniel Furlong resulted in the collection of DNA that matched DNA found at the Parrack crime scene. Furlong following …