Police

A Three Rivers man suspected of committing criminal sexual acts with children at his girlfriend’s daycare center was arraigned Tuesday in St. Joseph County District Court. Cary Jones, 46, faces nine counts of child criminal sexual conduct. Jones is suspected of the alleged crimes that allegedly took place at the Abracadabra childcare center beginning in 2011 until last month. Jones …

Joseph “Jody” Hughes III of Colon and Marty Mullendore of Three Rivers have been named St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department “Employees of the Year.” The accolade was announced by Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite. The panel that makes the recommendations is comprised of four road patrol sergeants and four corrections unit sergeants. The nominees are chosen from the pool of employee-of-the-month recipients …

Investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit performed a series of compliance checks last week. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, the SCAN unit was aided by parole agents from the Michigan Department of Corrections to ensure individuals were in compliance with terms of their probation or parole. Nine addresses were visited during Thursday’s compliance checks. …

Authorities have identified two people killed when their car collided with an ambulance rushing a 74-year-old man to a nearby hospital. The patient also died. Police say 61-year-old Shirley Stokes apparently ran a stop sign and flashing red light late Monday when the ambulance and her car collided three blocks from Bronson Battle Creek Hospital. Shirley Stokes and 54-year-old passenger …

The Three Rivers Fire Department responded shortly after 10 a.m. Monday to a structure fire. Crews were dispatched to 509 Thomas Street, Apt. 4, where they found smoke coming from the lower level of the three-story apartment building. Crews had the fire under control in less than 10 minutes. Three occupants were displaced due to the fire, which was contained …

The man accused of setting the fire that destroyed a Kalamazoo adult store was arraigned Friday. 41-year-old Mitchell Hapner has been charged with one count of arson and one count of fleeing and eluding police. Hapner has told police he torched Hollywood Nights in an effort to eradicate  pornography from his neighborhood. Bond for Hapner was set at $250,000. Owners of the store …

Cass County Sheriff’s deputies responded this week to a collision between a passenger vehicle and a plow truck. The incident occurred at 12:12 a.m. Thursday on U.S. 12, just east of Cassopolis Road in Mason Township. Deputies said an eastbound car driven by 39-year-old Erek Szymanski, of Mishawaka, crossed the centerline after the driver fell asleep. His vehicle struck a …

University of Michigan officials say they’ll take action against six fraternities and sororities involved in the vandalism of two ski reports in Gaylord and Harbor Springs. Members of the campus community are condemning the events that took place Jan. 16 to 18 at Treetops and Boyne resorts, where students collectively caused nearly $125,000 in damage. They say the students’ poor …

A suspect is in custody after an adult bookstore was burned down in Kalamazoo. The Hollywood Nights store caught on fire late Wednesday afternoon and was largely destroyed. After the fire was deemed suspicious police began looking for leads and tracked a vehicle from the scene to Comstock  where a chase began at around 8:30 Wednesday night. The 41-year-old male suspect crashed …

Police say a 55-year-old southwestern Michigan woman who died after accidentally shooting herself in the head in January was adjusting a handgun in her bra holster at the time. The St. Joseph Public Safety Department is awaiting a full autopsy report in the death of Christina Bond, but Director Mark Clapp on Wednesday released details about the circumstances surrounding the …