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St. Joseph County Sheriff Brad Balk said car-deer collisions, drunken-driving arrests and the number of complaints investigated by the department in 2011 all increased from the year before. During his annual report to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last month, Balk said the department in 2011 experienced an 11-year high with 65 arrests for motorists operating under the …

St. Joseph County Commissioner Gerald Loudenslager resigned from his elected position Friday, ending his 20-year membership to the seven-member panel. Shortly after tendering his resignation, the 67-year-old Loudenslager was then sworn in as the new supervisor of Nottawa Township. The Nottawa Township post became available after his son, Kurt, stepped down as township supervisor for health-related reasons. Loudenslager had already …

The Sturgis Police Department is reminding city residents that the municipality’s general noise ordinance will be enforced for fireworks-related complaints received Tuesday through Thursday. Deputy Chief David Ives said jurisdictions with a noise ordinance in place before the state’s approval of commercial-grade fireworks for the general public can be enforced. Meanwhile, the Sturgis Fire Department reminds residents that extreme caution …

An Indiana man suffered minor injuries Wednesday after wiping out on his motorcycle to avoid hitting a deer in the roadway. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said 24-year-old Shane Richardson was slightly hurt as a result of the 11:45 a.m. incident in Florence Township. Deputies said Richardson was driving west on Featherstone Road when he managed to keep from …

Chambers of commerce in Three Rivers and Sturgis, along with Glen Oaks Community College, have announced a candidate forum set to take place next month. The two-night event will feature candidates for drain commissioner and probate judge on July 18, while a forum for circuit court judge and county commission candidates will be staged July 19. The events start at …

A 25-year-old Coopersville woman was injured after she was involved in an accident on U.S. 131 at Flowerfield Road in Park Township last week. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, Elizabeth Polk was driving south on U.S. 131 when she swerved to avoid a vehicle that stopped at the Flowerfield Road intersection but not within a safe clearance …

Organizers of the annual Centreville Covered Bridge Days said mild weather and large crowds helped make the 2012 event a success. The two-day event, which concluded Saturday, featured a well-attended fireworks display Friday, a classic car show Saturday that drew 167 vehicles, a large crowd to see Spike and the Bulldogs concert on Main Street and hundreds of people watching …

Louis Csokasy, manager of road commissions in St. Joseph and Cass counties, said he is taking a leave of absence from both jobs starting next month in order to serve as interim administrator of Cass County. Csokasy, 64, said he was asked by Cass County officials late last week to fill the post left vacant after Charles Cleaver resigned earlier …

The former Dawn Patrol fly-in event at Kirsch Municipal Airport in Sturgis is being replaced with the inaugural Lunch Patrol. The new event will run 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and pilots from all over Michigan are expected to be on hand. Sponsored by the Sturgis Kiwanis, the lunch is not limited exclusively to pilots. Airplane and helicopter rides …

A part-time deputy from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department will patrol Cade Lake Park over the course of five days next month. The decision comes after members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved Parks and Recreation Department Director John Pence to use money from the Cade Lake fund to cover expenses related to patrol. …