News

A Constantine Township man disrupted two men who were burglarizing his camper Monday in Constantine Township. State police said the victim stated he was gone from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m., and when he returned, he noticed an older-model, black pickup truck with dual rear tires leave the area in a hurry. The victim said two white males in their mid- …

Last week’s filing deadline for the August primary election shows uncontested races at the county level, but two of the county’s five commissioners will face a challenge in November. First District Commissioner Al Balog is running as a Republican and will be opposed by Democrat Del Martin. Meanwhile, incumbent Rick Shaffer will represent the Republican party and will be contested …

A 56-year-old Kalamazoo man died Tuesday following a six-vehicle accident on U.S. 131 in Schoolcraft. Richard Simmons died after the southbound car he was in was rear-ended at the north end of the village. The force of the collision pushed his vehicle into a power pole just south of West Lyons Street. The car was on fire as it crashed …

A large crowd was on hand last week at Belle Epoque to salute Three Rivers’ Citizen of the Year, Jerry Wright. Presented by the Three Rivers Lions Club, the Citizen of the Year was newly named this year in honor of Bruce C. Snook. Snook was a longtime Lion and community activist who passed away last August. The 70-year-old Wright …

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill authored by state Rep. Matt Lori to expand the number of medical schools in Michigan that may receive cadavers that have been donated to science. Currently only Michigan State University, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan can legally receive bodies donated for scientific purposes, Lori said. Under House Bill …

Two members of the Battle Creek police department have been fired after an investigation into a relationship between them and allegations of a hostile work environment. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports the firings of Deputy Police Chief Jim Saylor and Inspector Maria Alonso were announced Tuesday. They earlier were placed on paid administrative. In a statement, the city said more …

The March unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by three-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 6.5 percent March unemployment rate was less than February’s 6.8 percent. In addition, the March unemployment rate was 1.4 percent less than the same …

The Sturgis Fire Department responded to a fire at Cobalt Holdings early Monday. According to a department media release, at 6:22 a.m., a water-flow alarm was reported from the building, located in the 1100 block of North Centerville Road. Upon arrival, fire personnel noticed smoke emitting from the north side of the building. The fire is believed to have started …

Names of the three people involved in a two-vehicle accident have been released by Michigan State Police. The incident occurred around 12:15 p.m. Thursday at Riverside Drive and U.S. 131 in Constantine Township. Investigators said Patricia VanDyke, 74, of Elkhart, proceeded east on Riverside and into the path of a northbound semi driven by Timothy Miller, 61, of Kalamazoo. VanDyke …

About 40 people took part in Sunday’s 43rd annual CROP Hunger Walk in Sturgis. The amount raised has not yet been tallied. Cumulatively, however, the Sturgis-based event has brought in $425,000 for the needy internationally and locally over the past 42 years. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from the three-mile walk were earmarked to the local Salvation Army and Burr …