Government

The Three Rivers DDA/Main Street Design Committee recently awarded two grants for signage improvements. Pin-Up Salon and Northside Beverage received the grants, which were made possible through the DDA’s rebate program. The program awards rebates to property and business owners who improve signage, awnings and/or painting. The rebates cover up to 25 percent of costs, with maximum amounts of $200 …

St. Joseph County Sheriff Brad Balk said the department last month recognized a day designated for support of law enforcement nationwide. Jan. 9 was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, an occasion endorsed by the Michigan Sheriff’s Association. Balk said the event was staged in conjunction with the group Concerns of Police Survivors. According to Balk, the event was created in response …

Constantine Police Chief Mark Honeysett said an area near Constantine High School will see a greater presence in response to complaints about reckless driving by students at the end of the school day. Honeysett said complaints stem from the manner students operate their vehicles on Falcon Drive and Riverside Drive. Honeysett said he has sent a letter to parents of …

The Michigan Senate Tuesday on a 28-9 vote approved legislation designed to speed up the process for obtaining a concealed weapons permit in Michigan. Specifically, the bills eliminate county gun boards and transfers the permit procedure to county clerks, sheriffs and the Michigan State Police. An earlier version of the measure had been vetoed by Governor Rick Snyder, who said it also …

An Illinois man sustained serious injuries last weekend following an accident involving an all-terrain vehicle in Colon Township. State police said Nicholas Leth, 25, of Palos Heights, Ill., was driving the four-wheel ATV on the ice-covered Palmer Lake at 5:10 p.m. Saturday when he lost control and it flipped over, landing on top of him. Leth sustained injuries to his …

A standalone garage was destroyed by fire last week in Lockport Township. Fire officials said the blaze was reported shortly before noon Friday at a residence on Schweitzer Road. Cause of the blaze remains under investigation. No injuries were reported and no other building was damaged.

A warning has been issued to Western Michigan University students following an armed robbery at a campus residence hall. The Kalamazoo school says in a statement the male student was robbed at gunpoint about 4:40 p.m. Sunday in the third floor hallway of LeFevre Hall. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports police are seeking two suspects. The school says “extreme caution is …

The Cities of Three Rivers and Sturgis have declared a Snow Emergency.

Five vehicles were damaged last week after the driver of a car fell asleep and it collided into a line of cars stopped at a Schoolcraft railroad crossing. Schoolcraft police said the 25-year-old driver, a Kalamazoo resident, was heading north on U.S. 131 when his vehicle struck the rear of a car stopped at State Street due to a passing …

The mayor of the city of Elkhart wants to spend $349,000 to buy 80 body cameras for the city’s police force. Mayor Dick Moore was scheduled to ask Elkhart’s city council on Monday to approve the request that’s part of $3.75 million in proposed capital spending for 2015 for the city. The Elkhart Truth reports Moore said in a recent …