News

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said a 52-year-old Constantine man will be charged with drug-related offenses after sheriff’s officials discovered a full-scale marijuana-growing operation. Deputies were called late Sunday night to the 62000 block of Shaffer Road to speak to a subject about a felonious-assault incident. Deputies found a large growth of marijuana plants inside and outside the residence. …

A new community-based residential probation center is opening in Three Rivers Events to mark the opening of the center take place Tuesday. Twin County Community Probation Center Inc. received a $2.1 million loan guarantee from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Community Facilities program to renovate and repurpose a shuttered grocery store into the center. The USDA says the facility will …

A Sturgis woman was the winner of a kayak, offered by the St. Joseph County Conservation District during the recent county fair. Locye Wenzel’s name was drawn from several hundred entries collected during the weeklong Centreville-based fair. Carolyn Grace, conservation district director, said Wenzel indicated she will take advantage of her good fortune next summer by learning from her grandsons …

Two Detroit residents were arrested last week after allegedly trying to use unauthorized credit cards to purchase cigarettes in Three Rivers. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, authorities were called Wednesday to the Shell gas station on North Main Street in response to a report of suspicious activity involving a credit card. Upon arrival, officers questioned what turned …

A variety of items were stolen from a car during a larceny-from-a-motor-vehicle incident last week in Lockport Township. Troopers were called Sept. 25 to the 58000 block of Ash Road, where the window of a Ford Explorer was broken. The incident occurred between 1 and 7:30 a.m. Investigators said two cross bows, tools and an in-car portable TV with DVD …

The St. Joseph County United Way is making its last call for anyone interested in purchasing a ticket for its annual Mega Raffle fundraiser. Kelly Hostetler, executive director of the Centreville-based agency, said no more than 330 tickets are being sold at $100 each. The event will generate $17,500 in proceeds for the agency, while the balance will be returned …

The Michigan appeals court says the state’s child-abuse law doesn’t apply to unborn babies. The court threw out the conviction of a woman who used methamphetamine during her pregnancy. Melissa Jones’ son weighed less than 4 pounds despite being delivered at full term in Sturgis in St. Joseph County. In a 3-0 decision released Friday, the court says Michigan law …

A southwestern Michigan couple pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after authorities removed 108 dogs and several other animals from their rural home. Donald Smith and his wife Melissa Copen entered pleas Thursday in an agreement with prosecutors in Van Buren County. WWMT-TV reports they’re expected to serve probation and won’t be allowed to keep animals. Sheriff’s deputies and animal control …

Completion of one of two major road projects in St. Joseph County is going to be delayed by two weeks. The other, however, is on schedule and should be completed by the end of next week. St. Joseph County Road Commission Manager Chris Minger said the crew working on reshaping the two-thirds of a mile of Lovers Lane has run …

The city of Sturgis raised nearly $4,000 this month on the sale of 39,000 century-old bricks. City Manager Mike Hughes said the auction of 120 pallets of reclaimed street bricks garnered more money than officials expected. Proceeds will be dedicated to the city’s ongoing street projects. The bricks were recovered when the city reconstructed aging brick streets, primarily South Nottawa …