Government

For the second time in less than 10 days, a 75-year-old Constantine man was forcibly restrained while his residence was burglarized. Constantine Police Chief Jim Bedell said three men in the early morning hours of May 6 forced their way into a residence in the Whispering Pines neighborhood and tortured the man with second-degree burns on his legs and back. …

Two people were arrested over the weekend after they attempted to leave a Sturgis business without paying for more than $2,300 worth of merchandise. Sturgis police said the two suspects shortly before midnight Sunday tried to leave the Wal-Mart store on South Centerville Road through a side door with a cart full of electronics and other high-priced items, police said. …

About 100 people took part in Saturday’s Three Rivers Community Pride Day. City clerk Melissa Bliss, who spearheaded the event, said painting, litter pickup, community-wide gardening and cleanup of a pond at Scidmore Park were among the duties handled by the group of volunteers. Team Depot from the Three Rivers Home Depot, parishioners from Riverside Church, Norton Elementary Girls on …

An auction of confiscated and drug-forfeiture items by the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department grossed about $45,000 in sales Saturday. Staged Saturday morning at the St. Joseph County fairgrounds, the auction included the sale of a Camaro Z28 for $10,000 and a trio of Harley Davidson motorcycles that sold for $11,000 collectively. Nearly 300 people had bid cards and many …

The House Tourism Committee last week approved a bill allowing limited use of rifles for deer hunting in an area now limited to shotguns, muzzleloaders and pistols. Introduced by State Rep. Matt Lori, the bill would allow the use of a straight-walled pistol cartridge in rifles that can accommodate such ammunition. The pistol cartridges do not travel as far as …

The Michigan Department of Transportation has announced a six-week road project impacting traffic on U.S. 12 in Cass County. MDOT’s Nick Schirripa said the agency starting Wednesday will be resurfacing U.S. 12 from M-62 in Edwardsburg to Mason Street in Union, and M-217 from the state line to U.S. 12 in Union. There will be single-lane closures under flag control, …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department last week investigated a breaking-and-entering incident at a residence in Colon Township. Investigators said someone entered a seasonal residence in the 56000 block of Stowell Road between April 27 and May 10. A bed mattress, box spring and washing machine were stolen from the residence.

An 80-year-old Three Rivers man was not injured after the vehicle he was driving ended up in a creek Wednesday in Fabius Township The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Fred Soukup was driving west on Coon Hollow Road when he lost control of his vehicle around 5:30 p.m. and went off the roadway near Ferguson Road. Deputies said Soukup’s …

State Rep. Matt Lori played a role in a package of bills approved this week by the House Criminal Justice Committee. Three of the bills lower the blood-alcohol content level from the current 0.10 to 0.08 percent for operators of boats, off-road vehicles and snowmobiles. Lori’s portion of the bills is specific to watercraft. Meanwhile, Lori’s Crime Stoppers bill establishes …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency this week received reports of salmonella cases possibly linked to the handling of live baby chicks. The Coldwater-based agency said the situation should serve as a reminder that people who touch ducklings or chicks should wash your hands immediately afterward. Agency officials said live baby poultry may be put on display at stores where …