Police

Log splitter stolen from Nottawa business

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched Tuesday to a Nottawa Township business regarding a theft report. Upon arrival, deputies learned a log splitter was stolen from Nottawa Lumber. According to a department media release, the item in question was a blue, Iron and Oak brand log splitter. The splitter features a red, 13 horse power Honda …

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Guilty pleas for 2 in fairgrounds robbery

Two of four Ohio men linked to a September armed robbery at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds have pleaded guilty to the charge. During a court proceeding earlier this month, 35-year-old John Gregory and Robert Howe, 55, pled guilty and as part of a plea agreement that included dismissal of additional charges. Corderrius Cook, 27, pled no contest, while Samuel …

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Hotel robbed at gunpoint

A clerk at a motel outside of Schoolcraft was robbed at gunpoint earlier this week. Kalamazoo County officials said the incident took place at 4:30 a.m. Monday at the Plainsman Motel, on U.S. 131 in Schoolcraft Township. Investigators said a man with a bandana over his face and a woman with several piercings on her lip and face entered the …

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Sturgis man dies following head-on crash

A 47-year-old Sturgis man died following a two-vehicle accident Dec. 20 in LaGrange County. The LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department said Hugo Fernandez died at the scene after the car he was driving was struck head-on by a vehicle on State Road 9, just south of Howe. Sheriff’s investigators said 44-year-old Christopher Yoder of Sturgis was traveling south on State Road …

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Engine stolen from barn in Burr Oak Township

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office investigated a breaking-and-entering incident last week at a location in Burr Oak Township. Investigators were called at 2 p.m. Dec. 21 to the 66000 block of Halfway Road. It was reported that someone entered a barn and took an engine. The engine had aluminum valve covers with the word “Avenger” on it. …

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Brake failure causes crash

A 54-year-old Sturgis woman’s vehicle struck a house last week at 302 S. Lakeview Ave. in Sturgis. Authorities arrived to find the vehicle resting on the front porch of the home, as the driver said the vehicle’s brakes had failed. She told police that when she tried to stop, the brake pedal accelerated all the way to the floor. Police …

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No injuries in Burr Oak area crash

A 16-year-old Sturgis boy and five passengers were unharmed following a single-vehicle accident Saturday afternoon in Burr Oak Township. State police said the car was being driven around 4:15 p.m. on McKale Road when it went out of control south of Hackman Road, rolled over and landed upside down in a ditch of two to three feet of water. An …

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Motions hearing for perjury suspect took place

A motions hearing for perjury suspect Raymond McCann II took place Thursday before St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman. Prosecutors said McCann made five false statements during hours of sworn testimony related to the November 2007 night when 11-year-old Jodi Parrack was found dead in a Constantine Township cemetery. McCann’s attorney, James Mequio of Portage, argued that the …

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Nottawa boy dies in ATV accident

A Nottawa Township boy died Thursday after he was involved in an accident with an all-terrain vehicle Wednesday. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Dakota Yoder was driving the four-wheeler around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on private property in the 26000 block of Marvin Road in Nottawa Township. Investigators said the ATV flipped and landed on top of the boy. …

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Three arrested on drug charges

Three people were arrested on drug-related offenses Wednesday following a transaction involving a controlled substance in the city of Three Rivers. A short time after the undercover purchase by the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit, a search warrant was executed at a residence in the 600 block of North Lakeview Street in Sturgis, which lead to the discovery of …

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