News

A decision to hire a deputy clerk for the county court’s civil division was approved by a slim margin Tuesday. A 3-to-2 vote resulted in an exception to the county’s hiring freeze and granted the request made by district court administrator/magistrate Tabitha Wedge. The $60,000-a-year position was discussed at length during the commission’s executive committee meeting last week. As they …

Legislation supported by State Sen. Kim LaSata could land a significant grant to a St. Joseph County department. LaSata recently voted for Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund legislation, which would help support projects in Berrien and St. Joseph counties. If signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the legislation would provide St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department $50,000 to …

St. Joseph County commissioners approved appointing Sturgis-area residents Warren Atkins and Michael Wilson to the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority Board. Their terms are for a two-year period. The action took place during Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting. Also, commissioners granted undersheriff Jason Bingaman permission to hire a replacement for an administrative assistant. The position was vacated last week upon …

A gathering scheduled to take place this weekend to celebrate a new park in Three Rivers has been postponed one week. The 80-acre Armstrong Park, located between North Main Street and Buckhorn Road, will be the site of the ceremonial grand opening at 9 a.m. May 1. Park officials said the threat of inclement weather this weekend prompted the one-week …

A teenager struck by a car earlier this month in Branch County’s Sherwood Township passed away last weekend. Sheriff’s officials said 14-year-old Landen Risner died Sunday, nearly two weeks after he and two of his siblings were struck by a Chevy Equinox outside their residence on Ralston Road, just south of Arney Road. Its driver was traveling south on Ralston …

Two people, including a woman from Three Rivers, were arrested on drug-related offenses following a traffic stop over the weekend in St. Joseph County. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said the vehicle was stopped early Sunday in the 10000 block of Dutch Settlement Road. A search of the vehicle yielded more than 46 grams of suspected methamphetamine, as well as packaging materials, …

The St. Joseph County Conservation District is looking for volunteers interested in helping with a macroinvertebrate collection next month. Agency director Carolyn Grace said the event was originally scheduled for this weekend but has been bumped to an unknown date in May due to a delay at the state level. Grace said she does know it will likely begin with …

A newly created scholarship is now available to a Sturgis High School senior who intends to enter a trades program after high school. Thanks to the Sturgis Area Community Foundation, the Austin Stemen Scholarship for the Trades has been established. A 2018 Sturgis High School graduate, Stemen passed away in 2019 after a period of illness. Scholarship funds are available …

​Saturday’s collection of household hazardous waste, electronics and other difficult-to-discard items had a clear leader in terms of popularity at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds. ​Pat Kulikowski, secretary of event sponsor St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee, was unable to provide an explanation for the unprecedented number of tires turned in Saturday. In all, she said, about 1,700 were turned in …

​Two Burr Oak residents were arrested on drug-related offenses over the weekend. ​Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were called at 6 o’clock Saturday evening regarding potential drug activity. Deputies subsequently spoke with two women in the 100 block of North Second Street. During contact, deputies identified a 35-year-old female and a 53-year-old woman who reside at the residence. Lillywhite said deputies discovered the …