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Mark Siljander, a former Three Rivers resident and one-time U.S. congressman whose jurisdiction included Southwest Michigan, was sentenced Wednesday to a year in prison for two offenses. Siljander was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., after he previously pled guilty to obstruction of justice and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The former congressman, who now lives …

The overnight snow that hit St. Joseph and other counties in Southwest Michigan prompted the city of Sturgis to issue a reminder about snow emergencies. A snow emergency in the city of Sturgis goes into effect when accumulation reaches four inches or more. During a snow emergency, no vehicles may be parked on city streets. The measure is put into …

Investigators from the Michigan State Police at White Pigeon post said a 19-year-old man from Indiana was released Tuesday for lack of evidence after he attempted to meet two 14-year-old girls in Centreville. Police said the man was in a van and parked outside a vacant house on Birkhold Street. The man told police he was meeting two girls, ages …

The Fabius-Park Fire Department recently received an insurance check for nearly $89,000 after much of its equipment was deemed a loss from a Nov. 3 fire in Park Township. A chemical release at a site where barrels of highly corrosive chemicals were being stored resulted in contamination and the subsequent loss of nine air packs, nine sets of turnout gear, …

James Baker, director of the Three Rivers Clean Water Plant, said residents in the city’s Third District may experience strong, fowl odors emitting from the plant for the next two to seven days. Baker stated in a news release Tuesday that the start up of digesters at a reduced temperature will cause the spread of odors. The digesters have been …

Nottawa Township’s Planning Commission on Tuesday accepted a partnership agreement with the Branch County Conservation District. Commission members acted on the Prairie River Watershed Planning Project, which ensures stewardship of the Prairie River and its tributaries. Nottawa Township’s Board of Trustees already endorsed the plan, which became official Tuesday with the signature of planning commission chairman Jerry Loudenslager. Rachel Smith, …

Three people in a vehicle stopped Saturday in Florence Township were charged with various offenses by police. The stop took place near the intersection of Lutz and Featherstone roads, where a deputy from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department noticed a 1992 Oldsmobile had a defective brake light. The driver of the vehicle, a 44-year-old man from Three Rivers, was …

St. Joseph County’s November unemployment rate of 8.3 percent was its lowest in the first 11 months of 2011. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget Analysis report for November shows the county’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.9 percent in October. The analysis indicated retail sectors gearing up for seasonal end-of-the-year jobs played a significant role in the drop. …

Officers from the White Pigeon Police Department last week arrested a 20-year-old Detroit man who stole cell phones from separate residences while conducting door-to-door solicitations. Police said the man was among a group of three people Wednesday in White Pigeon attempting to peddle energy discounts through the company Just Energy. On two occasions when the man was allowed inside a …

The city of Sturgis has announced that recycling collection for homes on the north side of U.S. 12 will be today, one day later than usual. Due to the New Year’s holiday, Borden Waste-Away, the city’s recycling contractor, is off a day from its normal schedule. The regular schedule of Thursday pickup will resume starting next week, when curbside recycling …