News

Charge dropped for woman jailed for not renewing dog license

A western Michigan woman says she’s no longer facing a misdemeanor charge after being arrested for failing to renew her dog’s license. Becky Rehr says she drove to the Kalamazoo County sheriff’s office June 23 to prove she recently renewed the license for the family’s 11-year-old dog, Dexter. The Kalamazoo Gazette says Rehr’s 14-year-old daughter waited in the car as …

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Boil water in White Pigeon

Residents in the village of White Pigeon are advised to boil their water before use until further notice. The village reports recent tests detected coliform bacteria in the village water supply. Area media will be notified when the boil-water advisory has been lifted.

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TR school board members file appeal

A trio of Three Rivers Board of Education members subject to a recall has filed an appeal to St. Joseph County Circuit Court regarding the result of a clarity/factual hearing last month. The three – Waneta Truckey, Carl Barth and board president Mike Bosma – filed the appeal around noon Monday, the final day of a 10-day window they had …

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Arson suspected as cause of TR house fire

A warrant is being sought for an Indiana man suspected of being involved in an arson incident Monday at a residence in Three Rivers. Fire crews were called to the 400 block of South Main Street around 2:30 a.m., where the front end of a residence was in flames upon firefighters’ arrival. The victim told investigators she was trying to …

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Fatal motorcycle accident

A 33-year-old Constantine man died in a motorcycle accident over the weekend in Constantine Township. Sheriff’s deputies said James Carlson was driving east on Featherstone Road at 3:05 a.m. Saturday when he failed to negotiate a curve a half mile west of Constantine Road. His 2014 Harley Davidson went off the roadway and crashed into two trees. Authorities said Carlson …

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Sturgis city property tax rates unchanged

The 2015 tax rates for Sturgis city property owners will remain unchanged from a year ago. The Sturgis City Commission recently set the general-operating tax rate at 10.0285 mills and continued a 3-mill levy approved by city voters in 2014 for street and sidewalk improvements. According to Ken Rhodes, city clerk/treasurer, the operating tax rate – about $10.03 for each …

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Promotions for two TRFD members

Two members of the Three Rivers Fire Department were recently promoted. Paul Schoon, an 11-year full-time employee, was named captain. Meanwhile, Chad Witt was promoted to lieutenant. He joined the agency in 2010. A pinning ceremony to formalize the occasion took place June 16 before the Three Rivers City Commission.

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Motorcycle program offered to US veterans

Hamilton Harley-Davidson in Sturgis is offering a special program to complement the parent company’s support of U.S. veterans. Co-owner Tom Hamilton said the Sturgis location will provide free motorcycle rental for a day to any veteran or current member of the Armed Forces. It’s the first program of its kind in the country, said Cathi Abbs, executive director of Sturgis …

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Court takes case about backyard visit by deputies

The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether deputies acted lawfully when they walked to the rear of a home without a warrant and learned there was marijuana growing inside. The case from St. Joseph County centers on the actions of two deputies in 2011. The outcome could have an impact on police tactics statewide. The deputies skipped the …

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Casino says computer system with personal info breached

Thousands of gamblers might have been dealt a bad hand at a southwestern Michigan casino. FireKeepers Casino Hotel says someone got access to the computer system, which held information from 85,000 credit and debit cards used for food, beverage and retail purchases, from September through April. Employees were also affected. In a statement Thursday, FireKeepers says it has no evidence …

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