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The gunman who barricaded himself inside an adult novelty store in southern Michigan after leading police on a high-speed chase across state lines is facing multiple charges. 39-year-old Joseph Leiffer of Carleton was arraigned on one count of felony fleeing and eluding, two counts of kidnapping and felony firearm possession in Branch County District Court Wednesday. Leiffer robbed a pharmacy …

Two Centreville-area residents were involved in a one-vehicle accident over the weekend in Nottawa Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said 24-year-old Sheery Hilyard was driving in an unknown direction on Truckenmiller Road at 11:26 p.m. Friday when she took her eyes off the roadway and wound up driving down an embankment and her vehicle struck a tree near …

An undisclosed amount of lumber was stolen from a construction site within the past week in Mottville Township. The incident occurred between 4 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Monday in the 69000 block of Vistula Road. Troopers indicated the incident may be related to the theft of a utility trailer from the same location a few days earlier.

A 59-year-old Three Rivers man who previously taught in Constantine and Three Rivers was reprimanded at least a half dozen times for inappropriate behavior, according to personnel records detailing the employment of David Wing. The documents, released by Constantine Public Schools in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, show the 59-year-old Wing agreed to surrender his teacher’s license in …

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. …