Government

The fields of judge candidates for Probate Court and District Court were narrowed to two after Tuesday’s primary election. After claiming the first and second-most votes from a field of five candidates, David Tomlinson of Colon and Christine Yancey of Mendon will square off for St. Joseph County Probate judge in November. Meanwhile, a roster of three candidates for District …

St. Joseph County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wenzel will continue to serve the elected post through 2016 after voters during Tuesday’s primary election re-elected the Lake Templene resident by almost a 2-to-1 margin. Wenzel, who is completing his first, four-year term as drain commissioner, defeated Fabius Township resident David Hassenger, who previously served as drain commissioner for eight years before he …

Five of six positions with St. Joseph County government will be uncontested in today’s primary election. The office of drain commissioner will be decided by voters, as incumbent Jeff Wenzel is being challenged by former drain commissioner David Hassenger. Wenzel, a Lake Templene resident, is completing his first, four-year term. Hassenger, who lives in Fabius Township, held the post for …

A 34-year-old Marcellus woman was sentenced to three years of probation for embezzling $17,000 from the Marcellus Fire Department. Cass County Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge also ordered Nicole Olsen to pay restitution in the amount she stole over the course of four months starting in September 2011. Olsen was a four-year employee with the department, serving as captain and …

The Three Rivers Police Department took a report of several subjects shoplifting at Meijer on Saturday. The driver of the vehicle failed to stop for police and continued north on US-131. The vehicle was disabled with Stop Sticks by assisting agencies, and stopped on Shaver Road in Portage. The suspects then fled on foot into a wooded area near Little …

County sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a vehicle in Three Rivers on Saturday for a minor traffic violation. The driver, a 39-year-old White Pigeon resident, led deputies on a pursuit through Three Rivers, and eventually fled on foot in Florence Township. He was captured after a short foot chase and lodged in the county jail.

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department Deputies are investigating a hit-and-run crasj that occurred last weekend in Florence Township. According to a department media release, the crash occurred Saturday evening in the 65000 block of Lutz Road, where a passenger car was making a right-hand turn into a driveway. Investigators said a 1980s model Chevrolet pickup struck the car. The …

St. Joseph County Emergency Services Coordinator Jim Barnes has passed along information relevant to agriculture-related businesses that have suffered financially from this summer’s drought. Barnes noted that the U.S. Small Business Administration is making available federal economic-disaster loans to small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and other agriculture-related businesses in Michigan. St. Joseph County is one of 10 drought-stricken counties in the …

The St Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a breaking-and-entering incident in the 63000 block of Youngs Prairie Road in Constantine Township. Sheriff’s officials said a pole barn was burglarized sometime between 9 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday. Tools and hunting equipment were reported stolen.

Personnel from fire departments in Sturgis and across the county are in mourning after learning Monday about the weekend passing of Ladd Carpenter, Sturgis assistant fire chief. A 45-person search for Carpenter’s body was staged Sunday morning after the 55-year-old Sturgis Fire Department veteran failed to show up for an early shift Sunday. Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite said searchers focused their …