News

Two people were injured following an incident Wednesday in Constantine Township. Details were limited but deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department were called to the 62000 block of Youngs Prairie Road in response to a report that two people received stab wounds. More information is expected to be released today.

Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education voted Monday to discontinue the lease at the former Fawn River School and prepare the property for sale. Ray Sterling, director of finance for the district, said it was recommended by the finance committee not to renew the lease at the property for the 2019-20 school year. That lease expires June 30, at which time the …

St. Joseph County’s government buildings will likely be undergoing an energy-savings process, following action taken Tuesday by the board of commissioners. The five-member panel approved a resolution in support of pursuing an agreement with New York-based ABM Building Solutions, which has guaranteed energy savings through analysis of county-owned buildings, including its historic courthouse, courts building, jail and annex buildings. County …

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced earlier this year that three men would receive compensation through the Michigan Wrongfully Imprisoned Compensation Act, totaling $2.3 million. One is Raymond McCann, a former Constantine reserve police officer who was charged with perjury in connection with the 2007 murder of Jodi Parrack. The compensation act, signed in 2016, allows those who are wrongfully convicted of crimes …

Four people were arrested last weekend following a report of disorderly conduct at a location in Sturgis. According to a department media release, Sturgis officers were called at 11:52 p.m. Sunday to the 500 block of East Hatch Street. Officers immediately observed a sport-utility vehicle leaving the scene and being driven in an erratic manner. Officers conducted a traffic stop …

Five area school districts will be providing breakfast and lunch over the summer as part of the “Meet Up and Eat Up” program. The program starts June 3 at Burr Oak Community Schools, June 10 at Colon Community Schools, June 7 at Constantine Public Schools, June 12 at Sturgis Public Schools and June 17 at Three Rivers Community Schools. Hours …

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department are investigating a suspicious vehicle fire in Colon Township. Authorities were called at 2 a.m. Friday to the intersection of Brandt and Farrand roads following a report of a possible vehicle crash. Deputies found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames. The vehicle, however, did not appear to have been in a crash …

A 66-year-old Three Rivers man was injured in a single-vehicle accident last week in Cass County’s Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said the incident occurred at 6:30 a.m. Friday on M-60, near Wood Lake Road. Emergency personnel found a vehicle had left the roadway and rolled over.  The driver of the vehicle, Calvin Brown Jr., was transported to Three Rivers …

State Rep. Aaron Miller last week introduced a resolution designating May 15, 2019, as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Global Awareness Day in Michigan. Tuberous Sclerosis Complex affects an estimated 1 in every 6,000 live births in America and is one of the leading known genetic causes of epilepsy. Despite this, many professionals in the medical and educational fields are still unaware …

A St. Joseph County jury deliberated for about two hours Friday morning before finding Zachary Patten guilty of murder. Jurors found Patten guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree home invasion and felony firearm. Patten was on trial for the July 2017 shooting death of Shane Richardson at Richardson’s home on Featherstone Road in Florence Township. As the verdicts …