News

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 …

A Sturgis resident was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate to serve as a commissioner on the International Joint Commission for U.S. and Canada. Rob Sisson will be a part of the IJC, a bi-national agency that oversees management of waters between the U.S. and Canada. The countries work to protect Great Lakes waters for the benefit of both …

A 27-year-old Sturgis man was charged with assault and battery following an incident last week. Sturgis police said officers responded shortly after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to an area near the intersection of South Nottawa and Congress streets regarding an assault. Officers found that the suspect had been involved in an incident with a 65-year-old man. The victim sustained injuries that …

Here’s a weekly update from the Michigan Department of Transportation regarding the U.S. 131 project in Three Rivers. For northbound and southbound lanes, construction will continue on the existing median curb lane islands. They will be replaced with temporary paving this week. Meanwhile, crews will continue utility work on outside shoulders, while median work will also continue on median traffic …

Three Rivers Middle School was briefly in lockdown mode Thursday morning. District officials said the decision was made shortly after 9 a.m. following the report of a threat at the school building. Officers from the Three Rivers Police Department met with district administrators and after comparing notes, it was determined that the threat was not credible and classes resumed under …

A Centreville High School student was named the winner of this year’s Congressional Art Competition for Michigan’s Sixth Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton announced this week that Makala Carr, a junior, is the recipient of this year’s award. Carr’s art, featuring the use of a colored pencil, charcoal and ink pen, is titled “Opinion Orange” and will hang in …

Law-enforcement agencies locally and across the state will begin a program next week focusing on seatbelt use. Stepped up enforcement begins Monday and will involve local departments, county sheriff departments and state police. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign will conclude June 2. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning staged a media gathering Thursday to help promote the program. …

A jury was seated Tuesday in St. Joseph County Circuit Court for the murder trial of Zachary Patten. Two jury panels of more than 100 people were needed to seat the jury. The trial began Wednesday with opening statements by St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough and defense council Deb Davis. Patten is accused in the July 2017 murder of Shane …

Fire destroyed a home Tuesday in the 11000 block of Riverside Drive in Mottville Township. White Pigeon firefighters were called to the home around 1:30 p.m., and found heavy smoke and flames coming through the roof. Authorities said the cause of the fire was cooking-related. Fire quickly spread to the attic. The home is considered a loss, while contents sustained …

The County Closet has issued a public appeal in hopes of securing more volunteers to help at its Three Rivers store. Volunteer coordinators said this is an especially busy time with an influx of donations. The County Closet is open to the public 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. There is no pay, but volunteers are able to …