News

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department deputies were called last week to a report of a home invasion in Constantine Township. According to a department media release, deputies were called Friday to the 11000 block of Riverside Drive, where a resident entered the house shortly after 4 p.m. and found a man inside a bedroom. The intruder fled the residence westbound …

Authorities have positively identified all five Kalamazoo teenagers killed when the speeding car they were in burst into flames after slamming into a tree. The Kalamazoo County sheriff’s office says that the victims were 15-year-old Marshawn Williams and Jaquarius Hegler, 16-year-old Elexus Hillsman and Cortavian Murphy, and 17-year-old Deztanee Cobb. Cobb and Williams were identified earlier. The teens were in …

The youngest survivor of an Uber driver’s alleged shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, is returning to school part time. The mother of 15-year-old Abigail Kopf tells WOOD-TV her daughter will attend Harper Creek High School in Battle Creek for two to three hours a day, possibly five days a week. Abigail was in seventh grade when Uber driver Jason Dalton allegedly …

A residence was destroyed by fire late Sunday afternoon in Constantine Township. Its occupants were not home at the time of the blaze, which was reported at 5:15 p.m. and took place in the 15300 block of Featherstone Road. Authorities were notified after family members of the home’s occupants, and who live by the house, saw smoke. The home is …

A 2-year-old Indiana girl died over the weekend after she was struck by a car at a relative’s house in Cass County’s Mason Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said the incident occurred at 7 p.m. Sunday in the 20000 block of Old 205. Witnesses told deputies that the family was having a birthday party at the residence. A family member was …

Last week’s annual Youth for Christ fundraising auction drew hundreds of bidders to at least a thousand items — all donated by local businesses and individuals. This year, the auction surpassed YFC’s goal coming in at more than $40,000 in proceeds. Ken Mills, executive director of YFC/Campus Life Southwest Michigan, said it was the second-highest auction in 20 years. The …

Authorities say around 25,000 people took part in the annual Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge during which all traffic was halted for the first time as a security precaution. The Mackinac Bridge Authority says the number of participants Monday was on the lower end. Its website says between 30,000 and 60,000 people typically take part. There were no …

If you’re a hunter who shoots deer or related animals in other states, be advised that there are new rules about bringing their parts into Michigan. The tougher regulations are intended to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease among Michigan’s deer, elk, and moose. The illness attacks the central nervous system of animals in the deer family and can eventually kill …

The Three Rivers Public Library Board has agreed to follow through on the purchase of the Southern Michigan Bank and Trust building. Board members said the building purchase price is $350,000. Additional funds will have to be allocated from its $1.2 million budget for first-floor renovations and improvements elsewhere in the building. The board has authorized Arkos Design of Mishawaka …

Members of the Centreville Village Council have accepted a bid for the sale of timber. Indiana Wood Products’ bid of nearly $52,000 was accepted for trees on village property behind the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds. The selective harvest will include mature trees, as well as trees that have been blown over, trees declining in health, poorly formed trees and low-value …