News

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an operating unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for its first solar power plant in Michigan, on a 35-acre site just east of Watervliet. The Watervliet Solar Power Plant will have more than 50,000 solar panels and generate up to 4.6 megawatts of emission-free energy. The facility is expected to …

A 34-year-old Three Rivers woman reported missing since Sunday was found deceased Tuesday afternoon in Park Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the body of Kelli Anne Guthrie was found in the 19000 block of M-60, near the intersection of Mahnke Road. Preliminary findings indicate foul play is not suspected and there is no public-safety concern. She was …

Cass County officials responded last weekend to Marcellus Township regarding a single-vehicle accident involving a Marcellus man. Sheriff’s officials said a vehicle driven by Jacob White, 22, was heading west on M-216 when he lost control near Knight Road. His vehicle went off the roadway and struck an embankment. The incident occurred at 4:20 a.m. Saturday. White suffered minor injuries …

Officers from the Three Rivers Police Department were called Friday evening to a report of a fight in progress in the 600 block of South Erie Street. Upon arrival, officers found seven people actively engaged in a physical confrontation. Additional people joined in the melee before officers were able to disperse the participants. Officers responded again to a fight, this …

State police are investigating the theft of two firearms from a residence last week in Park Township. According to a department media release, a residence in the 54000 block of Hutchinson Road was entered and a rifle and pellet gun were taken. The incident occurred during daylight hours May 25.

Authorities say a rider on horseback is on life support after being thrown from his horse while on patrol during a Memorial Day parade in southern Michigan. The Branch County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday that 39-year-old sheriff’s posse member Deputy Mike Winter of Coldwater is on life support after his family decided to donate his organs. …

Michigan students in grades 7 to 12 would receive CPR training under a bill advancing in the Legislature. The Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday to require the state Education Department to ensure by the 2017-18 academic year that health education guidelines provide for instruction in CPR and automatic external defibrillators. A similar bill is pending on the House floor. The …

A bill that would affect auto parts at Michigan repair shops is getting different treatment in the House and Senate. The Senate version would force repair shops to use parts from original manufacturers. But the House scrapped that requirement when it approved the bill Tuesday, 86-23. An amendment by Republican Rep. Pete Pettalia of Presque Isle would allow vehicle owners …

The Michigan House narrowly approved a bill that would erase a state requirement ensuring every morel mushroom found in the wild is inspected by a mushroom expert. The House approved the bill Tuesday by a 57-52 vote. Republican Rep. Triston Cole sponsored the bill and says current law infringes “upon an individual’s livelihood” and gets in the way of wild …

Three Rivers-area resident Roxanne Grochoske was sentenced last week on a charge of animal cruelty. Grochoske, 43, was sentenced in St. Joseph County Circuit Court by Judge Paul Stutesman to 18 months of probation, a $100 fine and community service of 150 hours. She was also assigned to two days in jail but given credit for time served. Stutesman also …