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The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last week approved the sheriff department’s request to submit a Marine Safety Program grant application. The request is for more than $65,000 through state and federal sources, and allows the department to continue to man its seasonal Marine Patrol division in 2014. If approved, the grant would fund the services of one full-time …

A job fair for people considering work in the manufacturing industry will take place Wednesday, January 29th in Three Rivers. Hosted by Michigan Works, the event features employers looking to fill positions in the fields of customer service, logistics, engineering, warehouse work and machinists. American Axle and Manufacturing Co. will be one of the employers on hand. Prospective participants must …

The village of Burr Oak has a new squad car for its police department. Spearheaded by Police Committee chairperson Brad Woodman and finance chairperson Alice Munoz, the process of a grant request yielded funds to help the village replace its 13-year-old squad patrol car with a 2014 Police Interceptor. The grant was provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. …

The village of Centreville is less than a month from starting up its own police department. After contracting law-enforcement service through the sheriff’s department for more than 20 years, the village has decided to run its own police force. Village president Jeff Johnson said interviews with chief candidates took place over the weekend. The village has allocated a $40,000 annual …

The city of Three Rivers is looking into whether it should establish an ordinance to regulate the growing number of collection boxes scattered throughout the city. Mayor Tom Lowry said he is concerned about the influx of containers, which seek donations ranging from books and shoes, to clothing. Lowry, who said he is in favor of an outright ban on …

The city of Three Rivers is making an appeal to the public for help in filling vacancies on a variety of commissions and boards. City officials said the Three Rivers planning commission, River Country Recreational Authority, local officers compensation commission, board of appeals, industrial development authority, brownfield redevelopment authority and board of review are all in need of one additional …

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed the catch of a new state record flathead catfish last week in Cass County. The catfish was caught Jan. 12 by Niles resident Dale Blakley on Barron Lake. It weighed 52 pounds and measured 46 inches. Blakley told DNR officials he was ice fishing for crappies when he landed the catch. The record …

Four manufacturing companies based in St. Joseph County are among the recipients of $235,000 in training grants. The Kalamazoo-St. Joseph Michigan Works announced this week that the Skilled Trades Training grants, funded by Michigan’s Workforce Development Agency, will assist with training for in-demand jobs. The St. Joseph County companies receiving grant money are Vaupell Midwest Molding and Tooling of Constantine; …

Applications for the 2014 Sturgis Area Community Foundation scholarship program are now being accepted. Seniors at Sturgis High School are eligible for consideration and may pick up an application at the guidance office. Scholarships opportunities are also available to seniors attending school in Centreville, Mendon, Colon, Constantine, White Pigeon and Burr Oak. Applications may be obtained online at sturgisfoundation.org. Applications …

A man fatally shot two women in a northern Indiana grocery store and was waving a gun at a kneeling store manager when police officers arrived and killed the gunman, authorities said Thursday. The manager and another employee at the Martin’s Super Market in Elkhart escaped unharmed despite confrontations with the gunman Wednesday night, Indiana State Police Sgt. Trent Smith …