News

St. Joseph County Career and Technical Education Building Trades members recently broke ground on their next project: a new house on West Street in Three Rivers. Once complete, the house will benefit a family chosen by St. Joseph County Habitat For Humanity. The Oct. 14 ceremonial groundbreaking marked the start of what will be the eighth house since 2015 built …

Due to construction at the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, entrance to the department’s lobby will be closed for almost 10 days starting next week. Sheriff’s department officials said the closure will start Nov. 2 and continue through Nov. 11. The department’s lobby will be closed to all business, including visitations, fingerprints and license-to-purchase permits. Anyone who finds a need …

Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education last week voted to take on the community’s Helping Hands program. Congress and Wenzel principal Vince LaPorte described the program as a service organization that provides food bags to Sturgis Public Schools students and their families. The bags contain non-perishable food items to ensure students have access to food over the weekends, he said. Midge …

MMAP is Michigan’s free, unbiased resource to help navigate Medicare and Medicaid. MMAP counselors help seniors identify insurance products that best meet their needs and lifestyle. These insurance programs include Medicare C plan, Medicare Gap Coverage plans, Part D prescription drug plans and Medicaid applications for those eligible. During Open Enrollment, now through Dec. 7 free counselors can be reached …

A 13-year-old Sturgis-area resident was struck by a car while waiting for a school bus early Monday in Fawn River Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were called shortly before 7 a.m. to the area of Fawn River Road and Big Hill Road in response to a vehicle vs. pedestrian personal-injury collision. The driver was identified as a 16-year-old Sturgis …

A 50-year-old Cassopolis man drowned last week at a lake in Cass County’s Penn Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called around 7:30 a.m. Friday to an area at Belas Lake, where a kayak was located adrift at the northwest corner of the lake. The kayak was unoccupied but hunting and fishing equipment was floating near it. Authorities investigated …

St. Joseph County Sheriff Mark Lillywhite recently acknowledged citizens from three separate incidents for their acts of bravery and heroism. During a ceremony last week at the sheriff’s department, Lillywhite commended Rod and Tammy Chupp for their role in a May 1 crash at the intersection of M-86 and Nottawa Road in Nottawa Township. The Chupps rendered aid that likely …

Michigan State Police troopers responded to a two-vehicle, fatal crash last week in Branch County’s Sherwood Township. Troopers were called shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday to M-60, near Blossom Road. Investigators said 45-year-old Genesee County resident Mollie Royce was heading east on M-60 when her vehicle crossed the center line. It collided head-on into a vehicle driven by 56-year-old Billy …

A Three Rivers woman died earlier this week in a two-vehicle crash in Constantine Township. State police troopers were called at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday to the area of U.S. 131 and Dickinson Road. Authorities said the 39-year-old woman was driving south on U.S. 131 and her vehicle collided head-on into a northbound pickup driven by a 59-year-old man from Owosso. …

Sheriff’s deputies are asking for the public’s help in locating the driver of a car involved in a hit-and-run incident Thursday in Mottville Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were alerted to a car-pedestrian situation at 5:35 a.m. in the area of U.S. 12 and Riverside Drive. A passerby told authorities there was an injured pedestrian in the roadway. Investigators …