Government

Authorities say there’s no indication of foul play in a camper fire in southern Michigan that killed two young siblings and a dog and injured a third child. The Branch County sheriff’s office says the fire started around 10:30 a.m. Monday near Bronson. Chris Gump tells WWMT-TV he was outside the camper and saw smoke. He says he went inside …

Officials from the Three Rivers Police Department have provided an update regarding a situation that resulted in lockdown status at Hoppin Elementary School last week. The Three Rivers school was in lockdown mode twice Thursday following reports of a suspicious man possibly in possession of a gun. Shortly after noon, the department received a number of reports of a subject …

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested a man in connection with a breaking-and-entering incident last week at a residence in Sturgis Township. Deputies were called Thursday to the 25000 block of U.S. 12 in response to a home invasion that had been just discovered. Upon further investigation, deputies made contact with a suspect at another residence in the same …

Hoppin Elementary School was in lockdown mode twice Thursday following reports of a suspicious man possibly in possession of a gun. The first lockdown took place following a call from Central Dispatch, which reported the situation to Hoppin personnel at 10:45. The school went into lockdown for nearly a half hour until the Three Rivers Police Department confirmed the situation was …

A Sturgis woman was arrested earlier this week during a home invasion in Sherman Township. Sheriff’s deputies were called at 11 p.m. Wednesday to the 23000 block of Airline Road in response to a woman trespassing in a residence. The 52-year-old suspect was taken into custody and charged with home invasion, assaulting an officer of the law and other offenses.

State police are conducting an investigation into the death of a 38-year-old Coldwater man. Authorities were notified around 12:30 a.m. Sunday that a man in Branch County’s Ovid Township was unconscious following an assault involving a 40-year-old Coldwater man. CPR was administered by troopers but their efforts were not enough to revive the victim. Toxicology tests and an autopsy are …

Two Marcellus residents were injured after the motorcycle they were on was involved in an accident last week in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were advised at 5 p.m. Saturday that a motorcycle went off the roadway on Dutch Settlement Road near Skyhawk Drive. The driver, 37-year-old Ryan Hampton, told authorities he was heading west and …

Two people died earlier this week in an automobile accident in Cass County’s Pokagon Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said a PT Cruiser driven by 34-year-old Mishawaka resident Lee Ann Romita Sanez was heading south on M-51 Sunday when it crossed the center line and struck a northbound Chevy Impala. It was being driven by Phillip Seitenstich, 32, of Dowagiac. David …

A 15-year-old student who was arrested in March after threatening violence at his school and the discovery of guns, ammunition and pipe bomb materials at his southwestern Michigan home has been ordered to participate in a mental health treatment program. The boy learned his punishment Monday after earlier pleading guilty to explosives and firearms charges. Van Buren County prosecutors say …

Michigan voters will decide whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. A citizen-initiated measure wasn’t approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature before a 40-day deadline passed Tuesday. That means the ballot initiative will get a public vote in November. Michigan has allowed medical-marijuana use for nearly a decade. If the ballot measure is successful, Michigan would become the 10th state …