Government

The July retirement of chief prosecuting attorney Chuck Herman has led to a series of promotions within the department. St. Joseph County commissioners Tuesday approved the promotion of Erin Harrington from assistant prosecuting attorney level II to chief assistant prosecuting attorney. The position pays an annual salary of about $68,500. Josh Robare was tapped to take Harrington’s previous position. Robare …

Two weeks after county commissioners voted to begin the process of removing three members from the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Authority Board of St. Joseph County, the matter came to a head during Tuesday’s meeting. Despite strongly worded opinions from attorney John Gretzinger, representing CMHSAS board members Gaylene Adams, Larry Walton and Barb Parker, county commissioners voted …

The city of Three Rivers staged a celebration Monday to recognize its standing as a quarterfinalist – one of 50 municipalities from an original field of 400 – in a competition called America’s Best Communities. The achievement was acknowledged during a gathering at Belle Époque, where a major sponsor of the contest, Frontier Communications, provided the meal and the city …

A Sturgis woman suffered minor injuries after she was involved in a one-vehicle accident in Mottville Township earlier this week. Sheriff’s officials said Ciarra Meese, 19, was driving east on U.S. 12 around 1:30 p.m. Monday when she quickly came upon a vehicle stopped to turn left onto Vistula Road. Meese told investigators she attempted to pass the car on …

Three members of the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department were granted permission to travel out of state for training. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners agreed Tuesday to allow TJ Baker, Mark Lillywhite and Kitty Buchner to attend for five days a conference in New Orleans. The trio will be gone in early November to participate in a conference …

Three Rivers police over the weekend arrested a man who displayed a firearm during a dispute. Officers were called at 8 p.m. Saturday to 120 Enterprise Drive in response to a verbal altercation. According to a department media release, the man displayed in a threatening manner a handgun to people involved in the incident. He was taken into custody after …

Police are trying to identify a skateboarder who damaged a parked police cruiser while taking selfies on the unoccupied vehicle. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety says he approached the car about 3:40 a.m. Sunday in downtown and took photos in front of the vehicle, kneeling on the hood and lying on the windshield. Police say he then climbed onto …

Officials say one person is dead and several others sickened by carbon monoxide aboard a boat in Lake Michigan. The Berrien County sheriff’s department says rescuers responded Sunday off of Jean Klock Park in the southwestern Michigan city of Benton Harbor for an unknown medical emergency on the boat. The department says three from the boat were taken to hospitals, …

Two men allegedly involved in a series of shooting incidents last week in Sturgis have been arraigned. Nicholas Carpenter, 32, and Joshua Shultz, 17, were arraigned Thursday, each on five counts of assault with intent to commit murder and six weapons-related charges. Two juveniles were also arrested, however their names and details about their cases are not being released. Bond …

Five people were arrested after members of the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant at a Three Rivers residence last week. Investigators received a tip about suspected drug-related activity at 412 E. Broadway St. Once inside, officers Thursday afternoon located cocaine, methamphetamine and other controlled substances. Four men, ages 23, 28, 39 and 47 years, and …