News

Matt Boerman has been named Officer of the Year for the Sturgis Police Department and Patrick Camburn received recognition with the Fire Department On-Call Award. Boerman began his Sturgis career in 2004, coming from the village of Hopkins. He has served as a crash investigator, driving instructor, bike patrol officer, and a member of the St. Joseph County Special Response …

Two people were arrested last week on drug-related charges in Three Rivers. Sheriff’s officials said a search warrant was secured Friday for a residence in the 400 block of 6th Avenue, where investigators had received information about a house near Three Rivers High School whose residents were allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine. Once inside the residence, investigators from the St. Joseph County …

Saturday’s Relay For Life event in Sturgis netted more than $23,000 for the American Cancer Society. Chrissy Dunlap, committee manager for the event, said the amount raised fell short of the $62,000 goal. She attributed the shortfall to a variety of conflicts, including Saturday’s high humidity. The 12-hour event started at 11 a.m. at the Sturgis High School track and …

A citizen tip and diligence by investigating law-enforcement officers led to the arrest of a South Bend man in a bank robbery last week in Cass County. Sheriff’s officials said a lone gunman entered Chemical Bank at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the 69000 block of M-62 in Edwardsburg. Quick response and a subsequent investigation by Ontwa Township, Edwardsburg Police, the …

Hohner Funeral Home in Three Rivers has announced a concert it is helping sponsor at the end of the week. The Kalamazoo Concert Band will perform at 3 p.m. Saturday behind the old hospital. The event is a part of the Three Rivers Water Festival, a three-day event that begins Thursday. The concert is free and prospective guests are invited to …

Two separate investigations concluded this week, both netting drug-related arrests. St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department officials said a 32-year-old man, whose name and community of residence were not included in a department media release, was arrested Thursday on charges of delivery of methamphetamine and possession of meth. He was arrested in the 1100 block of Nottawa Street in Sturgis after …

St. Joseph County has hired an additional community corrections staff member. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners OK’d the employment of Matthew Huff. He will work 30 hours a week to cover obligations related to Community Corrections in the absence of coordinator Erin Goff. Judge Jeff Middleton, chairman of the Community Corrections Advisory Board, said Goff is on medical leave. Middleton noted …

State Rep. Aaron Miller this week applauded passage of state budget plans by the Legislature, encouraged that the fiscal blueprint makes investments in areas important to Michiganders. Miller voted in favor of both the General Fund and School Aid Fund budgets. The bills now go to the governor for consideration. He said an important aspect of the School Aid Fund …

Officials from the St. Joseph County Conservation District are issuing a reminder that the first of six river cleanup events takes place next week on the St. Joseph River. The agency is looking for volunteers to lend a hand for a few hours June 18, as it will work to clear litter and debris from a 2 1/2-mile stretch of …

Authorities say they’re investigating the death of a woman whose body was found alongside a rural southwestern Michigan road as suspicious. The Kalamazoo County sheriff’s department says in a statement that the body of 32-year-old Gabrielle Irene Smith of Plainwell was found Tuesday afternoon in Texas Township. The cause and circumstances of her death are under investigation Thursday. Smith’s body …