News

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 — …

A proposed trail from the Three Rivers Health campus to Meyer Broadway Park was in the spotlight during an hour-long ‘informational public hearing’ conducted by the River Country Recreational Authority (RCRA) Board Monday evening, July 15th, at the Fabius Township Hall. Plans for such a motorized pathway have taken shape over the last several years through work by the Pathway …

The Sturgis Department of Public Safety will be looking for a new director, as Dave Northrop is stepping down next month. The 47-year-old Northrop was named dean of students at Eastwood Elementary School. The Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education chose Northrop from a field of nine candidates for the newly created position, which replaces the job of assistant principal. …

A hit-and-run, property-damage incident is under investigation by the Michigan State Police. According to a department media release, a vehicle being driven east on Fawn River Road was struck by a vehicle heading north on Nottawa Street in Sturgis Township. The incident at the four-way stop occurred at 4:10 p.m. Thursday. Investigators said the offending vehicle was an SUV that …

Centreville’s former department of public works director was sentenced to two years of probation after his involvement in the theft of gasoline from the village DPW garage. District court officials said 50-year-old Randy Baker, a Colon resident, was sentenced earlier this month after he earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of embezzlement of less than $200. The misdemeanor and subsequent …

Two cheer-team squads from Three Rivers had a successful experience in a national competition last weekend in Virginia Beach, Va. Caroline Goodall, coach for the Three Rivers Young Champions Cheer team, said its 21-person Division 4 team took first place in the national championship round Saturday. Meanwhile, its 27-member Division 5 team took second place in the nation. The age …

A riding lawn mower was stolen between July 13 and 23 from a residence in Sturgis Township. Michigan State Police investigators said the mower was stolen from a barn on Fawn River Road, west of South Centerville Road. Tire tracks in the area indicate the mower was driven in an eastbound direction.

An employee who almost ruined a small grocery chain in southwestern Michigan has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for embezzlement. Christopher Pratt admits he stole more than $6 million from Village Market Food Centers, based in South Haven, while handling the financial books. He was sentenced Monday in Kalamazoo federal court. The 42-year-old Portage man had …

A Sturgis man died and another suffered serious injuries during a single-car crash in Sturgis Saturday morning. Sturgis police said Mark Edmisten, 28, died after the vehicle he was driving crashed into a tree at the intersection of Hatch and Jean streets. A passenger, 42-year-old Juan Ortiz, was airlifted to Bronson Methodist Hospital. Police said speed and alcohol appear to …

Three Rivers city officials celebrated the opening of the first business on the former Essex Wire site with a ceremonial ribbon cutting last week. Friday’s media event centered on a business called The Shop at Sheffield, owned by Central Manufacturing Services. The Shop includes maintenance and washing services, as well as an operations office for CMS. The 11,000-square-foot facility is …