News

Organizers of the 29th Sturgis Toy Run reported a well-attended event over the weekend. The 60-mile ride around St. Joseph County drew thousands of spectators roadside to greet the hundreds of participants, who made their way around the county in a clockwise direction. Bikers paid $20 per motorcycle and made a donation of a new toy in order to participate …

The 11th Constantine Harvest Fest took place Saturday and was declared a success by members of the organizing committee. Karen Gillett, chair of the organizing committee, said strong attendance and positive feedback from vendors were key factors in helping make St. Joseph County’s final 2012 community festival a success. A supply of nearly 400 ears of sweet corn donated by …

A 30-year-old Three Rivers resident was charged with a pair of offenses after he attempted to leave a local gas station without paying for fuel. The Three Rivers Police Department said the man pumped an unstated quantity of gasoline around 8:30 a.m. Friday, August 30th, and fled the Admiral gas station without paying. The store clerk was able to secure license …

Several items and collectables of significant value were taken from a residence during a daytime break-in Thursday, August 30th, in Florence Township. State police investigators said the incident took place in the 17000 block of Featherstone Road. In addition to Playstation and Xbox games and consoles, other items taken include a Remington rifle, chainsaw, Dell laptop computer, and jewelry and coins. Investigators …

The St. Joseph County Conservation District will stage its seventh river cleanup of the season Saturday on the White Pigeon River in Mottville Township. The 1.5-mile task will start at U.S. 131 and conclude at Blue School Road. It is slated to take about two hours. Prospective participants are asked to meet at Blue School Road bridge at 9:30 am …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is continuing its investigation into a hit-and-run incident involving a bicyclist earlier this week in Sturgis Township. Department officials said White Pigeon-area resident Delmer Gayheart, 42, was riding his bike east on Fawn River Road Tuesday, when he was hit by an eastbound vehicle around 2:30 p.m. The driver of a blue-gray Chevy or …

Officials from an Indiana-based company announced Wednesday it has secured funding of nearly $200 million to establish operations in Constantine. Nature’s Fuel, of Fort Wayne, will use the money to acquire and update the former Rexam plant in the village’s industrial park as well as purchase more than $60 million worth of equipment. Bill Sinish and Glenn Johnson, Nature’s Fuel …

Frankie’s By the Tracks restaurant was the main feature Wednesday evening at the Riviera Theatre. The Three Rivers eatery was showcased in the latest segment of “Restaurant: Impossible,” which airs on cable television’s Food Network TV. To show its support, the Riviera offered a viewing party, which drew a large and enthusiastic crowd, theater officials said. The program focuses on …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has agreed to support the formation of a program that will add personnel to the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit. The decision was made Tuesday at the request of Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite, who said the initiative will involve training and bringing on to the SCAN unit one officer from the Three Rivers …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved a three-year contract with three units from the sheriff’s department Tuesday. The five-person command unit, the road unit and its 15 members, and a roster of 17 employees in the corrections unit are under contract through the end of 2015. Terms of the contract include 2 percent pay increases in 2013 and …