Government

New legislation in Lansing would allow municipalities to bill people who’ve been rescued after taking unnecessary risks during a declared state of emergency.  Two lawmakers say their bills are a response to people recently taking risks like kayaking and using jet skis on flooding rivers in the Grand Rapids area.  One bill would let local governments seek reimbursement when those …

About 100 people gathered for a vigil at the site where a northern Indiana teenager was killed over the weekend in what police say was a drive-by shooting. Relatives and friends of 16-year-old Braxton Barhams of Elkhart said Sunday that his death has them more worried about violence in the city. Resident Shanea Salls tells WNDU-TV that it is sad …

A Sturgis couple was treated at Three Rivers Health after they were involved in a one-vehicle accident over the weekend in Fabius Township. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, William Rackley, 47, lost control of the vehicle he was driving on Dutch Settlement Road. His vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree near the intersection of Abbey …

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of 28-year-old Demetrius Banks, who is suspected of the armed robbery of an employee at the Centreville Shell gas station last week. Banks, whose last known addresses were in Centreville and Three Rivers, allegedly robbed the station of an unknown amount of cash around 4:30 a.m. last Wednesday. Investigators are speculating Banks …

Sturgis police last week arrested a bond absconder who has a history of serious offenses, including manslaughter and attempting to disarm an officer. According to a department media release, the man attempted to flee from a residence in the 200 block of McKee Street after police attempted to make contact with him around 10 p.m. Thursday. The 42-year-old man, whose …

The Three Rivers Election Commission will conduct a regular meeting on June 26, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. in the conference room at Three Rivers City Hall. Any interested person may attend and participate or submit written comments to the Melissa Bliss, City Clerk at 333 W. Michigan Ave., Three Rivers, MI 49093. Please call (269) 273-1075, extension 106 for any …

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will start construction Monday on the M-43 (West Main Street) bridge over US-131 in Oshtemo Township, Kalamazoo County. Work begins Monday on US-131 to accommodate lane closures and shifts when the M-43 bridge work begins, which is expected to start Sunday, July 7. During this first phase, there will be nighttime single-lane closures on …

Pergolas are now in place at the North Main Street and Railroad Drive entrances to the reconstructed ‘Mural Mall’ in downtown Three Rivers. The structures – components of the new design for the pedestrian walkway and gathering spot connecting the two streets – were installed Tuesday (June 18). “Meet Me at the Mall”, a grand re-opening celebration is set for …

Margaret Shultz has been elected as chairperson of the St. Joseph County Commission on Aging (COA) Board of Directors. Shultz, former Community Resources Coordinator for the Department of Human Services (DHS) in St. Joseph and Cass counties, retired from that position last July after 38 years with DHS. She is now serving in a part-time capacity as the Volunteer Services …

Several closings of the East City Parking Lot in Three Rivers are planned in the next few days to accommodate resurfacing of the facility. According to Christy Trammell, Executive Director of the Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the resurfacing project has been planned for several years “and it is finally going to be done.” Trammell said the resurfacing will …