Government

Authorities say a fire that killed five children and their mother at a Michigan motel appears to have been an accident. The Berrien County sheriff’s office says experts found no evidence of an accelerant that would have started the deadly blaze early Saturday at the Cosmo Extended Stay Motel in Sodus Township. The precise cause still is under investigation. The …

Authorities say a body has been found that’s believed to be that of a man who was reported missing while canoeing in southwestern Michigan. The Berrien County sheriff’s office says 35-year-old Michael Scott of Kalamazoo was last seen canoeing Saturday on the St. Joseph River with friends. Crews searched the river for him with no immediate success. The sheriff’s office …

A Dowagiac woman suffered serious injuries in a single-vehicle accident early Thursday in Cass County’s Jefferson Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called at 3:35 a.m. to M-60, near Hospital Street, where a car driven by 21-year-old Alexandria Tackitt had left the roadway. Investigators said Tackitt was driving east on M-60 when the car she was driving went off …

A Sturgis man was arrested on a number of offenses after he was caught stealing a potted plant from a resident’s yard earlier this week. According to a department media release, a homeowner witnessed the theft at 2:20 a.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of South Fourth Street. The homeowner was able to get a good description of the suspect …

Five people were reappointed to the St. Joseph County Commission On Aging Board during Tuesday’s county commission meeting. Returning to serve two-year terms are: Jon Withers of Florence Township, Stephen Boland of Klinger Lake, Margaret Shultz of Lockport Township and Ed Stemen of Fawn River Township. In addition, Joe Heivilin was re-appointed to the 11-member board, but his term is …

An Indiana man power-washing the exterior of a southwestern Michigan church has died after coming into contact with an electrical line. The contracted employee was in a bucket lift Saturday afternoon outside St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Cassopolis when he was electrocuted. Police say the 65-year-old man was from Bremen, south of South Bend. His name has not been released.  …

A Kalamazoo County police dog is getting a protective vest in memory of a fallen police officer. The Officer Collin Rose Memorial Foundation and Massachusetts-based nonprofit Vested Interest Inc. are sponsoring the vest for Roseco. The German Shepard’s vest will include a note remembering Wayne State University Sgt. Collin Rose. The Kalamazoo native was killed in 2016 in Detroit. Friends …

Police say a 7-year-old girl was struck and killed as she tried to get help after her father drunkenly crashed into an abandoned vehicle on an interstate in suburban Detroit. State police spokesman Lt. Mike Shaw says the girl sent text messages to police about her father’s crash before she was struck on I-94 near Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus …

A Three Rivers man was injured Thursday afternoon when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a deer on Harvey Street near Robbins Lake Road in Porter Township. Cass County sheriff Richard Behnke identified the driver as 28-year-old T.J. Loyer. He was transported by ambulance to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. Police say a helmet was not worn.

Colon municipal officials are debating whether to raise the hourly rate for newly hired police officers. During Tuesday’s village council meeting, interim village manager Tom Tenney said a proposed starting rate of $15 an hour is being considered. The current starting hourly rate is $13. Sgt. Joel Herr said he and chief Mark Brinkert are hoping to get some help …