News

A monument to mark the gravesite of Jodi Parrack was put into place last month, thanks to the efforts of Constantine Police Chief Jim Bedell. The headstone is a permanent tribute to the 11-year-old girl, whose murder remains unsolved more than four years after she was last seen riding her bicycle from a friend’s house. The monument is placed at …

St. Joseph County Clerk Pattie Bender is advising the public that petitions for candidates to area school boards of education, Glen Oaks Community College Board of Trustees and village councils are due by 4 p.m. Aug. 14. All positions will be elected in the Nov. 6 general election. Bender said candidates wishing to run for school board in Burr Oak, …

Organizers of the third annual 5K walk and run to support the Jonathan Edds  Memorial Fund have announced details of the 2012 event. Sponsored by the White Pigeon Parks and Recreation Department, the community activity begins at 9 a.m. Aug. 18, with a Fallen Soldiers Memorial dedication to follow at 1 p.m. at Wahbememe Park, at the northwest corner of …

The fourth annual Burr Oak Heritage Festival is set to kick off Friday. The three-day event in St. Joseph County’s smallest incorporated community has a number of entertaining events, including a vintage baseball game between the Burr Oak Bandits and Sturgis Biscuits Friday night, a parade Saturday morning, fireworks Saturday night, and a community church service and picnic Sunday. Patty …

A Sturgis woman was killed in a 1-car crash Friday morning on M-60 in Branch County’s Sherwood Township. The victim was identified as 21-year-old Natasha Richardson. She reportedly lost control of her car, rolling it over. The car caught fire, trapping her inside. Richardson’s sister, 23-year-old Catherine Richardson, was a passenger in the vehicle. She was able to escape from …

Members of the Three Rivers City Commission have authorized sanitary sewer repairs on West Street. During action on the matter earlier this month, Mayor Tom Lowry and commissioners agreed to a $10,500 allocation to Northern Construction Services Corporation for repairs to compromised sections of the sewer line. The work will occur as crews continue to replace a four-inch water main, …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has appointed Nottawa Township resident Larry Walton to serve as commissioner of District 2 for the balance of 2012. Following an interview with five candidates Tuesday, the 51-year-old Walton was selected to fill the seat left vacant by Gerald Loudenslager. Loudenslager resigned last month to take the position of Nottawa Township supervisor. Walton …

Village officials in Constantine took action against the owner of a house that was declared a public nuisance this week. During their Monday meeting, council members agreed to order the tenant at a residence in the 400 block of White Pigeon Street to evacuate the premises due to cockroach infestation and other concerns relevant to the health of the occupant. …

Officials with the Animal Rescue Fund of St. Joseph County have issued a media release regarding illicit donation requests for the agency. ARF spokesperson Shelly Starr said a group of people allegedly soliciting donations from intersections in White Pigeon and Constantine are not affiliated with Animal Rescue Fund. Agency officials said ARF never solicits money from intersections. Its fundraising events …

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority has added a second bus to its Circle Line route in Sturgis. CTA Director Steve Yorks said the additional bus, which began operating Monday, was necessary to accommodate steady ridership aboard the six-day-a-week Circle Line already in place in Sturgis. He said an average of 1,200 people patronize the Sturgis Circle Line monthly. The …