Government

The Colon Community Fire and Rescue Department has announced a new fire chief and rescue captain. Board members of the fire-and-rescue agency said Matt Overholt will serve as chief. He succeeds Tim Doenges, who resigned after a 13-year tenure due to family reasons. Overholt was selected last week from a field of three applicants. Meanwhile, Todd Wadsworth was named the …

A lightning strike was blamed for causing a fire at an apartment complex early Saturday evening at Westchase Apartments on Hill Street. Three Rivers fire fighters found the fire in the attic space of the east wing. One apartment unit sustained moderate damage when crews were forced to pull the ceiling down to locate the fire. Fire and smoke damage …

The City of Three Rivers Clean Water Plant is reporting a foam-over incident from one of its treated biosolids tanks. The process that caused the Wednesday morning discharge was shut down immediately and crews deployed drain blockers to prevent discharge into the storm sewers, plant officials said. About 50 of the 2,300 gallons that spilled to the ground around the …

A house in Sherman Township sustained heavy smoke damage as the result of a fire that occurred around 8 p.m. Wednesday. Personnel from the Centreville and Tri-Township fire departments were called to the 64000 block of Shimmel Road, where they found heavy smoke emitting from the roofline of the single-family residence. Firefighters entered the residence and found it was unoccupied. …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the larceny of scrap metal and several other items from outside a residence in the 200 block of east Market Street in Centreville. The incident occurred between July 1 and 9. Items were taken from next to a garage and included an air-conditioning unit, a basketball hoop frame and electrical wire. The …

Kalamazoo’s public safety department says its officers have helped recover the body of a woman that was found floating in the Kalamazoo River. The department says it got a report Thursday morning about a body in the water near Verberg Park. It says that the Kalamazoo County Marine Patrol and Comstock fire and rescue. The department says the woman’s identity …

Kalamazoo-area authorities say a 36-year-old man has been killed in a logging accident.  The Kalamazoo County sheriff’s reports that a co-worker discovered the body on Thursday morning in Climax Township. He’s identified as Brian Thomas of Woodland. The sheriff’s department says Thomas worked for Thomas Logging LLC and was cutting timber. The department says the death appears to be accidental and …

The St Joseph County Sheriff Department reports it is investigating larceny of irrigation wire from a field in the 52000 block of U.S. 131 in Park Township. The incident occurred sometime between June 30 and Wednesday morning. The victim told investigators two spools of irrigation wire were taken.

A 55-year-old Sturgis man was airlifted to Bronson Methodist Hospital early Wednesday morning for injuries he received in a fight between he and another subject at the Maple Towers Apartment complex. The victim sustained serious yet not life threatening injuries. A 37-year- old resident of the complex was arrested and lodged on charges of aggravated assault. The victim was also …

Five male subjects are being sought by Sturgis Police in connection with a vandalism incident that occurred in downtown Sturgis over the weekend. Police said five males, about 16 or 17 years old, were seen by witnesses in the downtown area around 2:30 a.m. Monday. Later in the day, it was discovered that gang-related graffiti was sprayed on a building …