News

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department was called to Burr Oak Township Wednesday in response to a residential break-in. Deputies said access was gained through a back door by forced entry sometime between July 9 and Wednesday. Items stolen include a .22-caliber rifle, a variety of tools, a camera and paperwork.

The Secretary of State office in Sturgis will close later this month for remodeling, prompting staff members to encourage anyone with business to conduct at the site to do it soon. The office will close for the workweek July 28 and remain unavailable through Aug. 1. Staff members said the South Centerville Road office will be remodeled to include a …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners has agreed to fill a vacant position in the two departments. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners agreed to fill a clerk’s spot in the finance department. The post is being filled half-time by a member of the Register of Deeds office. Human resources director Elishia Arver said the position will stay filled in such a …

The former owner of Deer Forest in Coloma is the target of a complaint filed against the animal park by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Spokeswoman Tanya Espinosa tells WSJM Radio the complaint was filed within the past several weeks in the federal court system and is based on several complaints that were filed …

A plan to limit access into the St. Joseph County Courthouse to a single location is moving forward. The county’s board of commissioners Tuesday agreed to work with Grand Rapids-based Landmark Design for schematic drawings and cost estimates to create the single point of entry. If the full plan is authorized, access to either the original courthouse portion or the …

A Schoolcraft resident was treated for minor injuries after she was involved in a two-vehicle accident this week in White Pigeon Township. State police said 32-year-old Victoria Clark was driving east on U.S. 12 around 10 o’clock Monday morning, when her vehicle collided into the back of a car driven by Thad Jones, 46, of Greenville. The incident occurred near …

A Three Rivers man was seriously injured late Tuesday afternoon in a four wheeler crash on Michigan Avenue north of the city. 74-year-old Gerald Butler was riding the ATV when he attempted to cross the road and collided with a vehicle driven by Jordan Key, age 27, of Kalamazoo. Key swerved to avoid the collision, but a boat trailer he …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough said justice was served Monday, as jurors in the Andy Brown murder trial issued a verdict of guilty of second-degree murder. The 37-year-old Brown was also found guilty on a charge of felony use of a firearm. Monday’s decision capped the nine-day trial in which the nine-woman, three-man jury heard testimony related to the …

A former teacher in Constantine and Three Rivers has been charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct. David D. Wing, 59, of Three Rivers, also faces a charge of child sexually abusive activity. All charges are felony offenses. Wing was arraigned Monday afternoon by magistrate Ryan Smith following his arrest Saturday at his King Street residence. According to a …

Andy Brown has been found guilty of second-degree murder and felony firearm. After deliberating for three days, the 12-member jury returned its verdict this morning at 11:20. Brown, a 37-year-old Portage resident, has been in jail since the murder of Sturgis-area CPA David Locey. Locey was found shot three times in his Sherman Township office the morning of Oct. 2. …