Recent Posts

Man who killed teacher expressed regret before suicide

Police have released the handwritten note and map that led investigators to the body of a missing teacher in October. Christopher Lockhart expressed regret for killing his wife, Theresa Lockhart, and wrote, “I pray that God forgives me.” He wrote the note on Oct. 23 before killing himself at their Portage home. Police the next day found his body and …

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Cass County man dies after falling through ice on Indiana river

Authorities say a 43-year-old Michigan man has died after he fell through the ice while fishing on an Indiana river. Indiana Conservation Officers responded to a 911 call Friday afternoon from someone at a park along the St. Joseph River in South Bend. The caller said they saw a man fall through the ice and disappear. St. Joseph County Police …

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Road commission considers Covered Bridge future

Members of the St. Joseph County Road Commission discussed the future of the Langley Covered Bridge during their monthly meeting Wednesday. Considering the bridge’s continued maintenance requirements and general repair needs, board members have discussed the possibility of turning it into a pedestrian bridge and putting another bridge alongside it. Three Rivers resident Anna Smith said a new bridge would …

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Constantine discusses medical marijuana ordinance

A proposed village medical marijuana ordinance was discussed briefly at Monday’s Constantine Village Council meeting. The discussion relates to the council’s special meeting Dec. 12, when council members considered whether to adopt the ordinance. Initially it passed, 5-2, but after further discussion was rescinded, also by a 5-2 vote. Council members decided it would be easier to start with a …

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Sturgis groups awarded grants

The Youth Advisory Council of the Sturgis Area Community Foundation awarded its 2017 Fall Cycle YAC grants aimed at funding youth-serving projects in the Sturgis area. This year’s YAC grant recipients include The Children’s Trauma Assessment Group, receiving $12,500 to continue providing support and resources for children who have experienced trauma. Other recipients were Student Help and Healing Center, receiving $ …

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Police shift focus of investigation into children’s bones

Montana authorities say a man interviewed in connection to children’s bones found in a shed in September was not arrested and is no longer a focus of the investigation. KECI-TV reported Wednesday that Missoula investigators are turning their attention toward other people who are tied to the property where the bones were found. Authorities say a box containing bones and …

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Northern Indiana couple charged in hit-and-run that killed three

A northern Indiana couple is facing criminal charges in an August hit-and-run that killed two children and an adult. Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker announced Tuesday that felony charges had been filed against 40-year-old Penelope A. Grosswiler and her 42-year-old husband, Leonard Grosswiler, in the Aug. 26 crash along a street in the city of Elkhart. Arrest warrants have been …

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Bronson teen killed by train

A Bronson High School student was killed Tuesday after the vehicle he was in was struck by a passenger train in Van Buren County. Tyler Wirtz, 17, was the victim in the crash that occurred around 7:30 p.m. on North Nursery Street in Lawton. Lawton Police Chief Jeffrey Mack said investigation revealed the truck was stuck on the west side …

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Police investigate Flowerfield break in

State police are investigating a breaking-and-entering incident in Flowerfield Township. According to a department media release, access to a house and nearby shed in the 53000 block of Bent Road was gained between Nov. 14 and Dec. 14. Authorities said multiple items were stolen from both structures.

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County commission approves 2018 budget

The 2018 fiscal-year budget approved Tuesday by St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners features more than $3 million less than the 2017 budget. With a dissenting vote by Commissioner Kathy Pangle, the board approved an $18.6 million general-fund budget for the fiscal year starting Jan. 1. The amended 2017 general-fund budget was nearly $21.9 million, about 17 percent more than …

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