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It’s easy to see that this is Water Festival Week. Looking out my office window, I see trucks and trailers from Schmidt Amusements getting the Midway ready for business. This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the downtown business district and Scidmore Park turn into a sea of activity during the 56th Annual Three Rivers Water Festival. AHOY, TR!! Excitement awaits you …

The Kalamazoo Wings, proud member of the ECHL, three-time defending North Division Champions and National Hockey League affiliate to the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils and the American Hockey League’s Albany Devils, announce the organization has signed director of hockey operations and head coach Nick Bootland to a new three-year contract through the 2014-15 season; per team policy, the …

Investigators looking into the cause of a weekend fire that destroyed Waterfront Apartments in Three Rivers have pinpointed the origin of the blaze. Three Rivers Fire Chief Dan Tomlinson said a third-floor balcony at the northwest end of the three-story structure was determined to be the starting point of the Saturday morning fire. What investigators have yet to figure is …

About 20 volunteers, including a group of local Boy Scouts, teamed up to clear a four-mile stretch of the Prairie River Saturday. Sponsored by the St. Joseph County Conservation District, the cleanup took place starting from the canoe park on North Clark Street in Centreville and concluding at Hoshel Canoe Park in Lockport Township. Jen Miller, conservation district administrator, said …

Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr. said a 48-year-old Three Rivers man died over the weekend in a one-vehicle accident in Marcellus Township. The incident occurred about 7 a.m. Saturday on Burlington Road, south of Marcellus Highway. Underwood said a Chevy Impala driven by John Eastes left the roadway, struck a tree and came to rest in a swampy area. …

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in a car accident that took place around 5 a.m. Saturday in Constantine. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Jeremy Zell, 31, of Elkhart, Ind., was arrested after he failed to stop at the three-way intersection of North Broad Street and North Washington Street. He was taken to Three Rivers Health and …

Six units of an apartment complex in Three Rivers were destroyed by fire Saturday morning. Three Rivers Fire Department officials said the blaze was reported before 10:30 a.m. at the Waterfront Apartments, in the 400 block of Thomas Street. Upon arrival, firefighters reported seeing flames coming from the upper level of the three-story apartment building. The incident remains under investigation, …

Here’s some road-construction information on two projects in St. Joseph County. The first matter comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation, which has announced a lane shift on M-86 at Industrial Drive in Centreville through 5 p.m. today. One lane will be open in each direction while crews make repairs to a water main. The other project involves the St. …

The inaugural Art on the Green art show Sunday at Klinger Lake Country Club was declared a success by event organizer Shireen Cline. The seven-hour show featured 29 artists from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. The artwork included high-end pieces that wound up attracting a number of buyers, Cline said. Staged on the tee-area at the course driving range, Art on …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners had a special guest in attendance at its meeting Tuesday. Tim McGuire, executive director of the Michigan Association of Counties, was on hand for a portion of the meeting. McGuire said he tries to visit as many county commissions as possible and his schedule allowed for him to be in Centreville this week. …