Government

John Dobberteen will head the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners for the second consecutive year. The unanimous decision was made Tuesday at the commission’s first assembly of 2014. The meeting had been postponed one week due to inclement weather Jan. 7. Dobberteen, whose jurisdiction covers the city of Sturgis and Fawn River Township, is starting his 16th year on …

A residence in the city of Sturgis was burglarized Sunday. According to Sturgis Police, the owner of a house in the 1100 block of Greenlawn Street reported the back door to the residence was forced open. The residence was ransacked, and two cameras, jewelry and a large sum of money were stolen. Police said they were told the incident likely …

Police in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana are looking for a man who is accused of setting a fire at the Walmart store in Niles and then stealing electronics. The suspect allegedly set the fire in the clothing department just before 5 a.m. on Sunday. After it was burning, he then smashed a display case in the electronics department and …

An undetermined amount of old coins was taken during the burglary of a business over the weekend in downtown Schoolcraft. Police Chief Bryan Campbell said officers responded to an alarm in the 200 block of North Grand Street at 3:47 am Saturday. Officers found that someone had gained entry into Norma’s Antiques. The suspect fled the building moments before police …

A 51-year-old Sturgis woman died in a house fire Friday night. Sturgis Police identified the victim as Lori Miller, who resided at 1107 Merryview Drive. Officials responded to the blaze around 9:30 p.m. Friday. Investigators said the house was fully engulfed in flames upon their arrival. Her husband and mother managed to escape the residence, but they told fire personnel …

A citizen’s tip led to the arrest of three people on drug-related charges Thursday in Three Rivers. The St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant for methamphetamine production in the 400 block of 4th Avenue. SCAN members discovered evidence of methamphetamine production and use. Arrested were a 63-year-old man, a 53-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman. They …

A dozen people attended a public forum Wednesday in Mendon to hear more about the school district’s millage-increase request. Superintendent Rob Kuhlman and Michael Galovan, project manager from engineer/architect firm TowerPinkster, went over a detailed explanation of what’s at stake in the $9.3 million request. They said nearly three-quarters of the request will go toward building renovations and technology upgrades. …

Two people were injured in a six-vehicle crash Monday afternoon in Cass County. Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr. said the accident occurred when 43-year-old Armando Bautista, of Dowagiac, was driving south on M-51 in Silver Creek Township. Bautista slowed for a snow plow and his vehicle was rear-ended by a truck driven by 36-year-old Jennifer Laporte, of Dowagiac. The collision forced …

Michigan State Police troopers responded to a report of graffiti sprayed at a residence in Sturgis Township last month. Troopers were called to the 68000 block of Vinewood Street, where the victim said graffiti was sprayed on a garage door. The incident occurred either Dec. 20 or 21.

Cass County Undersheriff Richard Behnke said the local state of emergency has been lifted. Behnke said the order that was declared at 1 a.m. Monday by county board chairman Robert Wagel. After a full day of snow-clearing by the county road commission Tuesday, Behnke said conditions warranted the lifting of the state of emergency. All non-essential travel within the county …