News

A 28-year-old woman from Buchanan was injured in a one-vehicle crash last week in Cass County’s Wayne Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were alerted shortly after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday to a personal-injury crash on Marcellus Highway. Investigators said Ashley Smith was driving east on Marcellus Highway when she attempted to steer around a fallen tree in the roadway. Smith …

A six-week detour around Langley Covered Bridge ended this week, as the county icon – sporting a fresh coat of paint – opened to traffic Thursday morning. The closure, which went into effect April 16, was necessary for workers to complete the final portion of a $3.2 million overhaul that originally started Sept. 11. When the main component of the …

Two people connected to a labor-trafficking situation in Three Rivers waived preliminary examination and were bound over to stand trial in St. Joseph County District Court this week. According to a media release issued by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Ikbahl Machhal and Shila Devi, both of Three Rivers, appeared in court Monday. Machhal is the victim’s husband. Machhal, 40, …

Eastwood Elementary School in Sturgis has a new principal and will greet students at the start of the 2024-25 academic year. Board of education members agreed Monday to the employment of Christine Welc. She was chosen from a field of three finalists, who were involved in second-round interviews last week. Welc currently serves as an administrator and teacher at Paramount …

The Sturgis Kiwanis Club’s annual “Knowledge is Dynamite” program was held recently at the Sturges-Young Auditorium, and a group of eight Sturgis fourth-graders from Eastwood Elementary School were honored. The eight were recognized for outstanding achievement and growth during the 2023-24 school year. Each student was selected by their teacher and received a special certificate, T-shirt and pencil bundle from …

There were fewer traffic crashes and alcohol-related arrests in St. Joseph County last year compared to 2022. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman provided a wealth of data to St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners during their monthly meeting Tuesday. Bingaman was in attendance to give the sheriff’s department’s 2023 annual report. According to information provided by Bingaman, there were 611 crashes in …

A thorny subject related to an alleged conflict of interest was revisited by St. Joseph County commissioners during their executive committee meeting May 14. The issue started in April, when county commissioners voted 4-3 to remove Dennis Allen from the board’s law enforcement committee. Commissioners voting for removal agreed Allen is in a position of conflict as a candidate for …

Three Rivers Police officers arrested a man on drug-related charges after he was found to also be in possession of a stolen vehicle. According to deputy chief Sam Smallcombe, officers were alerted shortly after 9:30 p.m. Monday to a stolen vehicle that had passed by an Automated License Plate Reader. The vehicle, reported stolen out of Elkhart County, was subsequently …

Michigan Department of Transportation’s Chris Jacobs has provided an update on the U.S. 131 reconstruction project in southern Kalamazoo County. Work completed includes storm sewer and culvert installation south of the railroad tracks in Schoolcraft, crossovers added at four locations and resolution of watermain conflicts. The two-week outlook includes milling and hot-mix asphalt paving, storm sewer work on the southbound …

St. Joseph County Undersheriff Jason Bingaman has announced the newest member of the sheriff’s department – a facility dog named CJ. Bingaman said facility dogs are companion dogs trained to enhance stress-management techniques and be a calming presence. He said research shows the relationship between dogs and law-enforcement officers can have positive influence on the ability to prepare for and …