News

Four personnel matters were approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Mark Harter was brought aboard as a full-time park ranger at $15.90 an hour. Meanwhile, Linda Wyckoff and Virginia Soule were hired as home-care aides with a pay of $10.70 an hour. Also, Melton Powell was hired as a chore worker for $9.50 an hour. The …

The recent cold is making the Great Lakes ice cover grow rapidly. An MLive meterologist reports that all of the Great Lakes have seen the amount of ice grow in the past week, but Lake Michigan’s ice cover has almost doubled in the last seven days. The amount of ice currently is still behind last winter at this time, but …

A Dowagiac man died Sunday after being pinned by a skid-steer loader he was using to plow snow. Police say they were called Sunday afternoon to Cass County’s Wayne Township after 53-year-old Paul Williamson become pinned by the loader while clearing snow. Officers say Williamson was reaching out of his skid steer when his foot hit the hydraulic pedal to lift the …

The federal government and local partners are pumping $13.6 million into an initiative to boost water quality in the St. Joseph River Watershed, which covers 210 miles in Michigan and Indiana. U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters of Michigan and Joe Donnelly of Indiana on Monday announced details of the project, which includes $6.8 million public investment that is …

A number of officials representing the Free and Accepted Masons gathered Friday to attend a rededication ceremony at the Three Rivers Post Office. Staged in honor of the 100-year anniversary since the building’s cornerstone was laid, representatives from the group conducted a review of the cornerstone to assess its compliance with the building standards set by the Masons. Utilizing a …

State Rep. Aaron Miller, chair of the House Appropriations State Police subcommittee, issued a statement after Gov. Rick Snyder last week presented his budget plan to the Legislature, which includes funding for the Michigan State Police. Miller said public safety must continue to be a priority and he will work closely with the governor’s office to see that the Michigan …

Teresa Horn, cardiac rehabilitation technician, has been named Sturgis Hospital’s Associate of the Year. Horn, who has worked at the hospital nearly 25 years, was nominated by co-workers Julie Stoll and Toni Clark. Stoll and Clark wrote about Horn’s dedication and accomplishments, saying she is a dedicated and hard-working employee for both cardiac rehab and the sleep center. Criteria for …

A man accused of setting a woman on fire in Kalamazoo is facing an assault with intent to murder charge. Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 2 o’clock Friday morning and learned the victim and the suspect live together and had been arguing. Investigators say the man doused the 44-year-old victim with rubbing alcohol and then set her on fire. She …

In a plea deal accepted Wednesday in St. Joseph County Circuit Court, prosecutors dropped four perjury charges against Constantine resident Raymond McCann II. In exchange, the 47-year-old McCann pleaded no contest to a single perjury count. Under a sentencing recommendation included in the agreement, he would be eligible for release after serving 12 to 20 months. McCann has been in …

The Centreville location of FirstMerit Bank is one of four Michigan branches the Ohio-based financial institution plans to close this spring. Meanwhile, Constantine will also be losing a bank this spring. Officials from Old National Bank plan to consolidate the South Washington Street branch with an Indiana-based location. Rob Townsend, media relations officer with FirstMerit, said the Centreville branch is …