News

The Three Rivers Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire shortly after 12:30am Tuesday at Waterfront Apartments on Thomas Street. Firefighters arrived to find smoke showing, fire alarms activated, and some occupants evacuating out of the 12 units on the north half of a 24 unit building. During a door-to-door check, a total of four apartments required forcible entry …

A 24-year-old Mottville Township man was arrested Friday afternoon, following a standoff with police lasting more than three hours. Brandon Culbertson was sought by police after the St. Joseph County Narcotics Unit followed up on a tip regarding the production of methamphetamine. Police said Culbertson was spotted in a vehicle and he fled into a wooded area as officers attempted …

Organizers of the annual Centreville Covered Bridge Days said mild weather and large crowds helped make the 2012 event a success. The two-day event, which concluded Saturday, featured a well-attended fireworks display Friday, a classic car show Saturday that drew 167 vehicles, a large crowd to see Spike and the Bulldogs concert on Main Street and hundreds of people watching …

Louis Csokasy, manager of road commissions in St. Joseph and Cass counties, said he is taking a leave of absence from both jobs starting next month in order to serve as interim administrator of Cass County. Csokasy, 64, said he was asked by Cass County officials late last week to fill the post left vacant after Charles Cleaver resigned earlier …

A nitrogen fertilizer spill in Florence Township Wednesday afternoon resulted in the leakage of 90 gallons of fertilizer. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the incident occurred on Engle Road, just north of Featherstone Road. Officials said a tank was being pulled by a tractor when a weld broke. A level-gauge device snapped off when the tank dropped to …

The Sturgis Area Community Foundation raised more than $200,000 during its Match Day event Wednesday. The fundraiser took place in conjunction with the foundation’s 50-year anniversary in 2012. More than 700 individuals and businesses from throughout the county made donations during the one-day event, capped with a celebration at the Doyle Community Center in Sturgis. Mary Dresser, director of the …

Saturday’s second day of the annual Centreville Covered Bridge Days will have plenty to offer, including food, attractions and music. Activities get started Saturday with the classic car show beginning at 8 a.m., a cake walk, bounce house, dunk tank and plenty of food will also be a part of the festival Saturday. Spike and he Bulldogs will take the …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is appealing to the public for help regarding the theft of copper wire from an irrigation system. Shortly after noon on June 9, deputies were called to a field at Strawser and Dickenson Roads in White Pigeon Township regarding larceny of irrigation center-pivot-span cables. Investigators said two, 120-foot-span cables from the pivot were stolen.

A grass fire Wednesday in Sturgis Township burned more than five acres of a field along Stubey Road. Officials from the Tri-Township Fire Department said it appears embers from a burning barrel triggered the fire. There were no injuries reported. Fire chiefs across the county are asking for a ban on outdoor burning at least until a measurable rainfall hits …

The former Dawn Patrol fly-in event at Kirsch Municipal Airport in Sturgis is being replaced with the inaugural Lunch Patrol. The new event will run 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and pilots from all over Michigan are expected to be on hand. Sponsored by the Sturgis Kiwanis, the lunch is not limited exclusively to pilots. Airplane and helicopter rides …