News

The 2021 St. Joseph County Fair is in the books. The seven-day event concluded Saturday after a strong start Sept. 19. In between, the fair endured plenty of rain, prompting a few grandstand features to be cancelled. Officials said the fair ended on a high note, though, as the weather Friday and Saturday was cool and sunny, and free of …

Monthly rent at Rivers Enrichment Center and Residence in Three Rivers will increase by $50 per month, effective Nov. 1. The hike is due primarily to increases in the cost of utilities, including electric, water and sewer. Expenses for those services have risen substantially over the past 18 months, executive director Pam Riley said. COA board member Clayton Lyczynski said …

The St. Joseph County Transportation Agency said it expects its Circle Line routes in Sturgis and Three Rivers to resume service Tuesday. CTA director Allen Balog said the routes were temporary discontinued last week as agency officials shuffled staffing assignments. Meanwhile, Balog said all other services have been and are continuing as normal. He said curb-to-curb service, designated medical routes, …

A White Pigeon man, accused of hiding a woman’s body after she was struck by a vehicle he was driving, was arraigned Thursday. Authorities said 29-year-old Colby Martin was driving a car that struck Decatur-area resident Melody Rohrer, age 64, Monday in Van Buren County’s Hamilton Township. Martin is charged with manslaughter with a motor vehicle, failure to stop at …

A juvenile considered a runaway was tracked and found Wednesday in a wooded area near Centreville High School. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were notified around 3 p.m. about a runaway from Centreville High School. Deputies requested assistance from Three Rivers Police Department for a K-9 team. K-9 officer Jake aided in tracking the juvenile to a densely wooded area. …

Michigan has recorded more than 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, the health department said Wednesday. The state crossed that threshold by reporting 6,079 new cases over the last two days. There have been at least 20,781 deaths in Michigan linked to COVID-19. “After more than 18 months fighting this pandemic, it is sobering to reach …

The St. Joseph County United Way wishes to remind residents that its annual silent auction, tied in with the county fair, is also online. Agency director Kelly Hostetler said bidding is available daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to noon. A list of items and more information about the silent auction and in-person auction on …

St. Joseph County ended 2020 with a surplus featuring a combined fund-balance increase of more than $2.2 million compared to 2019. The good news was delivered during Tuesday’s commission meeting, when Joe Verlin of the Grand Rapids-based firm Gabridge & Co., provided a detailed analysis of the annual audit. Afterward, however, finance director Angie Steinman cautioned that the surplus was …

Organizers of the twice-a-year collection of household hazardous waste and recycling of electronics have announced the date of the fall collection. Pat Kulikowski, secretary of the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee, said the collection will be 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 2 at the county fairgrounds. As always, the event will provide an opportunity for residents to turn over …

Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a theft incident reported earlier this month from a location in Nottawa Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said the agency was notified that several hickory logs were stolen between Sept. 11 and 13 from a wooded area on Walterspaugh Road, near Butler Road. Authorities said the logs are 8 to 10 feet long, with a diameter of …