Government

Officers from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department are investigating a hit-and-run crash that resulted in a vehicle fire inside the Langley Covered Bridge. According to a department media release, deputies were called around 6 p.m. Monday to the Lockport Township landmark, where a motorcycle was found on fire closer to the north end of the bridge, Investigators determined the …

An attractive financial offer from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources prompted members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to allocate more than $200,000 for property acquisition. The county’s commitment of nearly $227,000 represents 31 percent of the almost-$732,000 needed to purchase a 126-acre property in Burr Oak Township. The land is to be managed and overseen …

Approval to fill two positions at the sheriff’s department and authorization to a change in employment status for three Juvenile Day Treatment Program monitors was issued by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. The action means the sheriff’s department can proceed with filling a full-time corrections officer spot and a full-time road patrol position. Also, the employment status …

A Three Rivers man faces seven counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct after he was bound over to circuit court last week. Cary Jones, 46, was charged following his alleged infractions at the Abracadabra Daycare facility in Three Rivers, where his girlfriend was the owner. Last week’s proceedings took place in St. Joseph County District Court, where five children between …

A former educator was sentenced Friday to 5- to 20 years in prison for the 2014 sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy who was also victimized five years earlier when the perpetrator was the boy’s fifth-grade teacher. Friday’s sentencing of David Wing, 60, of Three Rivers, caps allegations of inappropriate behavior with underage boys dating to 1997, when Wing was …

Janell Hart, a Three Rivers resident, has resigned her position as president of the St. Joseph County Health Center Board. Hart announced her resignation in a letter last week to health center officials and fellow board members. It was effective Wednesday. In her letter, Hart stated that during the process of building and rebuilding the board, the focus seemed to …

A downtown Sturgis redevelopment project on the city’s drawing board for nearly 18 months received unanimous final approval by the Sturgis City Commission last week after changes to the initial plan. Inquire Partners, developer for the planned Moso Village site bounded by Clay and John streets, recently modified the plan approved by the city in 2013, requiring both the city …

Police say a passenger in a vehicle who was shot to death by police following a chase in southwestern Michigan had been wanted on a warrant for trespassing. State police say 37-year-old Sean Michael Pelletier of Portage had a high-powered military-style rifle and was shot Thursday afternoon following a crash. Police say he was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police …

A Marcellus man, who police said was distracted by his cell phone while driving, was involved in an accident earlier this week that resulted in injuries to two people. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said deputies were called shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday to Volinia Township, where the incident occurred on Penn Road, just north of Dutch Settlement Road. Andrew …

State Rep. Aaron Miller this week joined his House Republican colleagues in announcing a long-term, sustainable solution to Michigan’s transportation system woes that depends on existing funds and re-prioritizing restricted money to make the state’s roads safer. Miller, who serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, said he’s pleased a solution to Michigan’s crumbling roads and bridges has been …