News

The St. Joseph County United Way is asking for donations to be included in the 2013 Silent Auction at September’s St. Joseph County Grange Fair. Kelly Hostetler, executive director of the local United Way, said with more space gained as the result of a move to inside a barn, plenty of room is available for items to be displayed during …

A prison term in excess of seven years was issued to a corporate official with South Haven-based Village Market Food Centers. Christopher Pratt, who was charged with embezzlement, was sentenced this week in a Kalamazoo federal court after the 42-year-old Pratt admitted a gambling addiction and an extensive car collection were financed through the $6 million he stole. Village Market …

Michigan health officials have identified the states first confirmed human case of West Nile Virus for 2013 in a man from St. Joseph County. Last year, the West Nile Virus was responsible for 202 illnesses and 17 fatalities reported in Michigan. Department of Community Health Chief Medical Executive Dr. Matthew Davis says there is clear evidence that West Nile Virus …

A Greyhound bus passenger is in critical condition after the bus he was riding in rear-ended a tractor-semitrailer Thursday morning on I-94 near Galesburg in Kalamazoo County. The Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office says 21 passengers were injured when the westbound bus collided with the semi-truck just after 10:15 a.m. Thursday. Eight passengers were taken from the scene to Borgess Medical …

Smoke emitting from inside a garbage bag led to drug-related charges against a Colon Township man Tuesday. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department earlier in the day acted on a citizen’s tip regarding a suspicious bag of what appeared to be trash alongside Decker Road in Colon Township. The St. Joseph County Area Narcotics squad was called to the scene …

Jamie Rydman was the winner of the gift bag from the “Sass in the City” promotion in downtown Three Rivers. Billed as a spectacular girls’ night out, the event was July 12. Contributors to the gift bag – which contained items with a value of more than $150 – were Love Your Mother, World Fare, Riviera Theatre, UniQ Jewelry, Parker …

The largest turnout for a St. Joseph County Conservation District river cleanup this summer helped collect about 400 pounds of debris from the Fawn River last weekend. Saturday’s effort along a 5.2-mile stretch between Sevison Road in Florence Township and Water Street Park in the village of Constantine drew 23 volunteers. Jen Miller, administrator for the Centreville-based conservation district, said …

An alumni football game between two former St. Joe Valley Conference powerhouses is set to take place this weekend. An alumni squad from Mendon will challenge an alumni squad from Schoolcraft at 7 p.m. Saturday in Schoolcraft. Proceeds from the event will benefit athletic departments at both schools.

The city of Sturgis has issued a reminder that its tobacco-use ordinance goes into effect Thursday. As a reminder, the use of tobacco products – including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and chew – will be prohibited on city property and its recreational areas. An allowable use of tobacco products on city property, however, is inside a …

Home prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared with a year earlier, the biggest annual gain since March 2006. The increase shows the housing recovery is strengthening. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released on Tuesday also surged 2.4 percent in May from April. The month-over-month gain nearly matched the 2.6 percent increase in April from March — …