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St. Joseph County Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said speed-enforcement zones at various locations throughout the county will be in place over a three-month period starting Thursday. State funding has been made available to cover overtime costs related to the enhanced patrol, Lillywhite said, adding the enforcement will also be conducted by state police and local law-enforcement agencies. State authorities said there …

The Colon Community Schools Board of Education has an opening for a four-year term. Superintendent Rachel Kowalski said the position is available after no one ran in the Nov. 8 election. Joe Smolarz and Laura Alva’s terms are up and they opted not to run again. Becky Jackson ran for one position. No one petitioned for the second opening. Kowalski said …

Sturgis Township officials said an area of contaminated groundwater continues to improve. During its meeting earlier this month, the board gave a report on the Abbott Nutrition annual groundwater review for contamination sites in the township. The contamination was discovered nearly 20 years ago, when processing water being disposed of in nearby fields reacted with farm chemicals in the ground. …

Cass County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a personal-injury crash that took place in Penn Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies responded at 6 a.m. Tuesday to Donnell Lake Street, just west of Lewis Lake. Behnke said deputies made contact with the driver, 22-year-old Vandalia resident Janelle Gazi. She told authorities she swerved to avoid an animal in the roadway. Her …

A Three Rivers man who attempted to elude police last year has been found guilty of two charges related to the incident. St. Joseph County Prosecutor David Marvin said Mark Shelton, 62, could face up to 15 years in prison after being convicted on two counts of resisting/obstructing police as a fourth habitual offender. The incident happened during August 2021 …

Three people were injured in a two-car crash last week in Burr Oak Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were called shortly after 3 p.m. Friday to the intersection of Kelly and Carpenterson roads in response to a personal-injury crash. Investigators said an 18-year-old female and her 18-year-old passenger, both of Sturgis, were northbound on Carpenterson Road, where the driver …

A judge rejected a plea agreement Monday for a woman accused of helping her boyfriend set fire to several northern Indiana barns, citing her plea deal’s lack of prison time. Sherry Thomas, 33, of Nappanee had reached a plea agreement that includes an admission to one felony count of arson in the string of eight barn burnings. Thomas was charged …

A 32-year-old Sherman Township man will serve up to 70 years in prison for his role in child pornography. St. Joseph County Circuit Judge Paul Stutesman last week sentenced Clayton Warren, after Warren pleaded no contest to first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Investigators said Warren recorded himself sexually assaulting a 10-year-old child over a five-month period starting in November 2021. Warren …

Colon Community Schools Superintendent Rachel Kowalski issued a statement last week related to a student who became ill after participating in a social media challenge. Kowalski said a student at Colon Elementary ate a tortilla chip infused with Carolina Reaper, considered the hottest pepper in the world. The victim, whose grade level or age were not indicated, became violently ill …

A 19-year-old woman was injured in a single-vehicle crash earlier this week in Cass County’s Porter Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were dispatched around 11 p.m. Tuesday to the area of U.S. 12 and M-40 in response to a personal-injury crash. Investigators said Union resident Kylie Ross was traveling east on U.S. 12, where her vehicle crossed the centerline …