News

A five-person team spent Saturday morning clearing debris from the Nottawa Creek as part of the ongoing river cleanup effort by the St. Joseph County Conservation District. Ross and Alisha Truckey, Matt Davidson, John Nelson and Matt Dinnon cleared garbage out of Nottawa Creek from Rawson’s King Mill Park to the Olney Road bridge in Leonidas Township. Trash collected from …

A man wanted in Sturgis on attempted murder and malicious destruction of property charges has been arrested. Sturgis Police said Jorel Gefferard was arrested Saturday night at Gateway Village. Police believe Gefferard attacked another man with a hatchet at the Cato Lane apartments shortly before midnight Thursday.

A Colon motorcyclist was injured after the two-wheeler she was driving ran into the back of a vehicle over the weekend in Colon Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Lora Waffle, 43, was riding westbound on Colon Road when her motorcycle struck the rear of a vehicle driven by 80-year-old Leonard Burnham of Mendon. The incident occurred near …

The name of a man who drowned early Sunday in the St. Joseph River has been released by the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department. The body of Tommy McDonald, 65, was found around 6 p.m. Monday by a resident who lives about two miles from the location where McDonald fell into the river. Sheriff’s officials said McDonald was fishing with …

In the year following President Barack Obama’s re-election and the Sandy Hook School shooting massacre, applications and approvals for concealed weapons permits increased by more than 50 percent in Michigan. The annual report by the Michigan State Police shows that from July 2012 to June 30, 2013, there were nearly 130,000 applications for concealed weapons permits and more than 118,000 …

Michigan Southern Railroad is offering a $10,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the parties responsible for an assault and robbery of one of its employees. Around 8 p.m. Thursday, White Pigeon police were called to the railroad office at 501 Sol Morris Drive. A railroad employee told police he was confronted by someone and an altercation took place. …

Three Rivers police were called to the 200 block of Second Avenue last week in response to a stabbing incident. According to police, responding officers Wednesday discovered the victim and suspect had left the scene by the time they arrived. The victim, a 27-year-old Three Rives man, was later found and interviewed at the Three Rivers Health emergency room. As …

Sturgis police are looking for a man responsible for an assault that involved the use of a hatchet last week. Jorel Gefferand  is wanted in connection with the Thursday incident at Cato Lane Apartments. He faces charges of assault with intent to commit murder and malicious destruction of a building. Gefferand allegedly used a hatchet to assault a man who …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved a tuition-reimbursement policy for county employees. Spearheaded by Commissioner Don Eaton, the program allows county employees to receive reimbursement up to 100 percent of tuition cost per semester at an accredited college, university or trade school. The course must be for credit or extended-education purposes. County administrator Pat Yoder said the classes …

Two Anderson, Ind., men were plucked from the St. Joseph River near the Mottville Dam last week. Rescue personnel said the boat got caught in the current Wednesday morning and was pulled into the dam. Both men were rescued before the boat sank. Personnel from the White Pigeon Fire Department, St. Joseph County Dive Rescue and St. Joseph County Marine …