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St. Joseph County’s grant writer, Lindsay Oswald, has announced details of a $200,000 Brownfield Assessment grant received through the Environmental Protection Agency. The funds will be used for countywide, petroleum assessment of brownfield properties. Oswald explained that a brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of …

Officers from the Sturgis Police Department are investigating a pair of weekend burglaries that appear to be connected. According to a department media release, a residence in the 400 block of East South Street was forcibly entered and multiple firearms were stolen. The incident occurred around 12:45 a.m. Saturday. The family was home at the time. About five hours later, …

Action by the state’s elected leaders and money are key solutions to improving the condition of roads in St. Joseph County and the rest of the state. The solution was detailed Thursday by Christopher Bolt, engineer-manager of the St. Joseph County Road Commission. The Centreville-based agency staged a first-of-its-kind “road summit” that drew more than 60 people to Centreville. Bolt …

A preliminary hearing for a former, part-time Constantine reserve officer was postponed and is expected to be rescheduled next week. Raymond McCann II, 46, was supposed to appear for a preliminary hearing Thursday in district court on a charge of perjury. McCann, a Three Rivers resident, is accused of giving false testimony under subpoena two years ago in a case …

Suspects in more than a dozen residential break-ins in a three-county region have been arrested, capping a seven-month investigation. St. Joseph County Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite said four people have been arrested and warrants for seven additional suspects are being sought. The cases stem from incidents in St. Joseph, Branch and Kalamazoo counties. Guns, money, jewelry and electronics are among the …

A 9-year-old Sturgis boy was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after he was struck by a car last weekend in Constantine Township. A helicopter trying to fly the youth to a Kalamazoo hospital, however, resulted in damage to the AirCare ambulance. Constantine fire officials said the incident occurred around 10 a.m. Sunday in the 25000 block of Riverside Drive. Investigators said …

A faulty extension cord is believed to have been responsible for starting a fire last weekend in Sturgis. Sturgis fire officials said the blaze was reported at 9:50 p.m. Saturday in the 300 block of South Monroe Street. Upon arrival, firefighters noticed smoke emitting from two second-floor bedrooms. The victims told firefighters they attempted to extinguish the fire on their …

Robert and Laurie Rastovski will get a new trial for their claim against North Pointe Insurance Company after their business, Welch’s Steak and Ribs in Sturgis, was leveled in a 2009 arson. The insurance company refused to pay on the policy after it claimed Robert Rastovski had hired an arsonist to burn the business on Fawn River Road. During the …

Unemployment in St. Joseph County was 1 percent lower in April compared to March. Figures from the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives show the county’s April unemployment figure was 5.5 percent, down from 6.5 percent in March. The 5.5 percent rate was also lower than the county’s 6.9 percent unemployment compared to the same month in 2013. …

White Pigeon village officials have agreed to spend about $2,600 to replace damaged and faded street signs. During Wednesday’s village council meeting, the seven-member panel heard president Dan Czajkowski explain that many of the village’s signs are difficult to read because of their age and years-long effects of the elements. He said it is a matter of safety that the …