News

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the case of a 14-year-old Colon-area girl who has been reported as a runaway. The agency said Jessika Mathis fled from the 59000 block of Pine Grove Road in Colon Township Monday. She has blonde hair, hazel eyes, is 5-foot-3 and weighs 105 pounds. Mathis is believed to be in the Sturgis …

Three people were arrested Wednesday in Flowerfield Township on methamphetamine-related charges. Investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed two search warrants on Floating Bridge Road, which culminated a several-week investigation. The search warrant was for the arrest of a wanted fugitive. The fugitive, a 19-year-old Indiana resident, was wanted in connection with an armed robbery in Sturgis …

Potential action on an ordinance regarding wood-burning furnaces in the village limits could be taken by White Pigeon municipal officials next month. The issue was discussed at length during Wednesday’s village council meeting, where President Dan Czajkowski said he is eager to see the matter put to rest, no matter what direction the seven-member panel takes. He said the council …

One person was arrested and another remains at large following a burglary Thursday morning in Cass County. Sheriff Joseph Underwood Jr. said deputies were called at 10:20 a.m. to a burglary in progress in the 60000 block of Born Street in Newberg Township. Upon arrival, deputies apprehended one of the suspects after he attempted to flee the scene on foot. …

Police in Kalamazoo say a 23-year-old man suspected in the shooting death of another man is an employee at the sports bar where the shooting occurred. The suspect is expected to be charged with open murder. His name was not released Thursday afternoon. Officers responded about 1:30 a.m. Thursday to Wayside West after reports of shots fired inside. Damian Tejada …

A western Michigan volunteer firefighter responding to a head-on crash in Kalamazoo County struck another vehicle, fatally injuring the driver. The accident occurred Thursday morning as the driver of the vehicle was making a U-turn to avoid a northbound traffic backup created by the initial wreck on Sprinkle Road in Comstock Township. County Sheriff Richard Fuller said the firefighter was …

A Three Rivers resident has announced his candidacy for the 59th District House of Representatives. Bob Sills, a former Michigan Senate employee, made the announcement this week. Sills is a past chairman of the St. Joseph County Republican Party and serves on its executive committee. He is the recipient of the 2011 Republican Mackinac Conference leadership award for his work …

Two noteworthy plans were reviewed and approved Tuesday by the Sturgis Planning Commission. Plans for a potential Meijer store, at 1170 S. Centerville Road, and a Culver’s restaurant on South Centerville Road between Magnolia Avenue and Elm Street, were approved by the panel. Meijer representatives presented their plan for a 195,000-square-foot store, outlining several entry points to the parking lot …

Four people were taken into custody on drug-related charges Tuesday after a warrant was executed at a residence in the village of Burr Oak. Investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant in the 700 block of West Front Street. Once inside the residence, officers located a marijuana-grow operation, methamphetamine, and 13 firearms. Officers will …

Lockport Township officials have announced the freeze alert previously set by the Lockport Township Water Board has been lifted. Its members also wish to note they will review the next quarterly billing for usage increases and apply credit as necessary in cases where residents followed the suggestion to leave a trickle of water running to prevent pipes from freezing.