Government

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has agreed to support the formation of a program that will add personnel to the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit. The decision was made Tuesday at the request of Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite, who said the initiative will involve training and bringing on to the SCAN unit one officer from the Three Rivers …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved a three-year contract with three units from the sheriff’s department Tuesday. The five-person command unit, the road unit and its 15 members, and a roster of 17 employees in the corrections unit are under contract through the end of 2015. Terms of the contract include 2 percent pay increases in 2013 and …

A 42-year-old White Pigeon resident was airlifted to Bronson Methodist Hospital after sustaining injuries in a car-bicycle crash last week. State police investigators said John Hassinger was taken to the Kalamazoo medical facility after he was struck while riding his bike on U.S. 12 at Huff Road in White Pigeon Township. The incident occurred at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, when 30-year-old …

Vandalism and the theft of copper wire at a church in the 56000 block of Wilbur Road in Park Township was reported Sunday. Officials with Agape Family Church indicated the violations occurred to the exterior of the church, according to Michigan State Police investigators. A value of the stolen wire and cost to repair the vandalism were not stated in …

A 30-year-old Three Rivers resident was charged with a pair of offenses after he attempted to leave a local gas station without paying for fuel. The Three Rivers Police Department said the man pumped an unstated quantity of gasoline around 8:30 a.m. Friday and fled the Admiral gas station without paying. The store clerk was able to secure license plate …

Several items and collectables of significant value were taken from a residence during a daytime break-in Thursday last week in Florence Township. State police investigators said the incident took place in the 17000 block of Featherstone Road. In addition to Playstation and Xbox games and consoles, other items taken include a Remington rifle, chainsaw, Dell laptop computer, and jewelry and …

State Sen. Bruce Caswell plans to stage in-district office hours in St. Joseph County this week. Caswell will be at the Covered Bridge Diner from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in Centreville. Caswell said the opportunity is an informal gathering where the public is invited to raise issues relevant to his legislative duties. Meanwhile, State Rep. Matt Lori will host …

The Three Rivers Department of Public Services has announced it will be flushing hydrants starting Tuesday and the process should continue through the month. For now, the flushing is slated to take place weeknights starting at 11 o’clock and continuing to 5 a.m. DPS officials said some rusty water may be experienced during this time. Any city resident experiencing prolonged …

A Colon man was seriously injured Friday evening in a 1-car crash on Blossom Road in Leonidas Township. 40-year-old Steven McClish lost control of the vehicle he was driving, and it overturned, ejecting him. McClish was airlifted to Borgess Medical Center for treatment.

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority was recognized last week by the Michigan Department of Transportation for attaining 10 years of service. CTA executive director Steve Yorks said the state agency issued plaques to transportation agencies across the state observing milestone anniversaries this year. He said the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority was acknowledged for being in existence for 10 …