Police

A 38-year-old St. Joseph County man was sentenced to serve up to 70 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct. Prosecutor John McDonough said charges against Mendon Township resident David Mathews involved two teenage girls, one of them a family member. Mathews was sentenced Friday in 45th Circuit Court in Centreville. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree …

A gaming system, DVD movies and other items were stolen from a residence during a break-in reported last week in Sturgis Township. State police investigators said no one was home at a residence in the 69000 block of South Nottawa Road when it was burglarized between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Details about how access was gained into …

Michigan State Police at the Coldwater post have arrested a total of seven registered sex offenders who failed to verify their addresses during the last quarterly verification period. Sex offenders are required to verify addresses in accordance with the Registration Act. They face being charged with a high-court misdemeanor for failure to do so during the 15-day registration period. The …

St. Joseph County Sheriff Brad Balk said narcotics investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant on a suspected methamphetamine-production site Tuesday in the 63000 block of McKale Road in Burr Oak Township. Investigators found evidence of methamphetamine and marijuana production inside the residence, investigators said. Two males and one female, whose names and ages …

A fundraiser to help the Constantine Fire Department purchase five Automated External Defibrillators is scheduled to take place later this month. A spaghetti dinner is set for 12:30 to 3 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Constantine American Legion, north of the village on U.S. 131. There is no charge but donations are being requested. Chief Mike Haydon said the department …

A 43-year-old Sturgis woman was charged with drunken driving and open intoxicant following a traffic stop last week in Sturgis. A Michigan State Police trooper noticed her vehicle being driven without its headlights illuminated on South Centerville Road. In addition, a 42-year-old passenger was charged with open intoxicants and a probation violation for possession and consumption of alcohol. They were …

A loud exhaust prompted a trooper from the Michigan State Police to stop a vehicle last Wednesday on U.S. 12 in Burr Oak Township. The driver, a 22-year-old Bronson resident, was driving on a suspended license and also was found to be wanted on a warrant for failure to appear on an unspecified charge, police said. He posted a cash …

Members of the Centreville Village Council are debating whether to purchase a police vehicle to replace the current car. The council is mulling the idea of a Chevy Tahoe. Council member Jeff Johnson said the vehicle – fitted with standard law-enforcement equipment – would cost about $ 35,000. St. Joseph County Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite has been involved in the process …

A 44-year-old Three Rivers woman was issued a moving violation after the vehicle she was driving rear-ended a school bus last week in Park Township. Investigators from the White Pigeon detachment of the Michigan State Police said the incident occurred at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the railroad crossing on Moorepark Road, just east of U.S. 131. Police said the Three …

The Cass County Drug Enforcement Team seized firearms, methamphetamine, marijuana, illegally-obtained prescription drugs and meth-lab components in a search of a Porter Township residence last week. According to Cass County officials, Blayne Wolf, 47, and Barbara Balentine, 52, were arrested following the 6:30 p.m. raid Thursday in the 13000 block of Carter Lake Street, near the community of Union. Wolf …