Government

Deputies with the St. Joseph County Sheriff Department responded Sunday morning to a single-vehicle accident in the 6100 block of Constantine Road. A 37-year-old White Pigeon man told police he had left his truck and trailer parked along the St. Joseph River, with the trailer still in the water while he took his boat downriver to go fishing. The truck …

St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department Director John Pence said Meyer Broadway Park, located west of Three Rivers, has reopened to the public after a public-safety issue involving what was initially six stray dogs. St. Joseph County Animal Control and county park staff have seen no sign of three remaining dogs that have been at large since a confrontation …

Four people were arrested Saturday following complaints of a chemical odor emitting from a room at a hotel in the 1700 block of South Centerville Road. Upon further investigation, Sturgis Police officials were denied access to the room because it was not in the name of the lone occupant. A search warrant, however, was secured from prosecutor John McDonough. Police …

Sturgis city officials said Balkema Excavating will begin water main construction on West South Street starting today, meaning detours will be in place. Westbound traffic on South Street, starting at South Nottawa, will be detoured north to Magnolia Avenue, then south on Prairie and back to South Street. There will be one-way traffic eastbound only on South Street between Jefferson …

Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz announced that Jaren Wade was convicted of first-degree murder last week by a Cass County jury. The 12-member jury found that the 21-year-old Wade murdered Darius Nickens, 29, in April 2011 in Dowagiac. Trial testimony established that Nickens was shot once in the arm and twice in the back. The jury also convicted Wade of …

Authorities say a 64-year-old man has been killed in an early morning fire at his Kalamazoo home.  The Kalamazoo public safety department says in a news release that officers arrive at 1:30 a.m. Saturday and found the house engulfed in flames.  It was extinguished several hours later, and the man’s body was found.  No one else lived in the house. …

Fire officials from the Michigan State Police are continuing to investigate the cause of a fire Tuesday that destroyed the Trilium building, in the 26000 block of West U.S. 12. Located in unincorporated Sturgis Township, the building was fully engulfed in flames as personnel from the Tri-Township and city of Sturgis fire departments arrived shortly after 8 p.m. The fire …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded this week to a report of a breaking-and-entering incident in Burr Oak Township. Investigators said a vacant residence in the 64000 block of Sycamore Road was entered between March 17 and April 17. Copper wire was stripped from the residence, investigators said. The sheriff’s department is asking the public for any information known …

Concrete repairs will close a lane of southbound U.S. 131 in Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties next week. The Michigan Department of Transportation announced the work will begin around South Street in Schoolcraft and continue south to Flowerfield Road. The work is slated to start at 6 a.m. Monday and continue for two weeks, ending May 11.

The first of nine weekends for motorcycle-safety training takes place Friday at Sturgis High School. Offered through Glen Oaks Community College and overseen by state-certified trainer Robin Bordner, the program is partially funded by the Michigan Department of State. Cost per participant is $25 and classes are limited to 12 students per session. Though the program is offered nine different …