Recent Posts

Woman charged in horse and buggy theft

A Sturgis woman was charged with larceny and larceny of livestock after she allegedly stole a horse and buggy over the weekend in Sturgis. Sturgis police responded at 5:30 p.m. Saturday to Walmart on South Centerville Road in response to a report of the theft. Authorities said a truck driver in the Walmart parking lot observed the 31-year-old suspect enter …

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United Way begins fundraising for family

St. Joseph County United Way is overseeing a fund to assist a Three Rivers family who suffered substantial loss in a recent fire. Agency officials said the Wanda Lewis Family Catastrophic Fund has been set up in response to the family’s need for basic items, including clothing. Their residence was destroyed by fire Thursday last week. The family of seven …

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Michigan grants helps law enforcement hire new trainees

St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department recently hired its first deputy trained through a government-paid incentive. Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards grant is in its second year and has a pool of more than $20 million to share with qualifying agencies. MCOLES provides qualifying agencies $24,000 to cover the estimated $15,000 it costs for a …

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Salvation Army seeks volunteers for after-school program

Oliver Knuth, volunteer coordinator with the Kalamazoo Salvation Army, said the agency’s after-school program is in desperate need of volunteers. Knuth said families have had to be turned away due to a shortage of help. He said volunteers for the Salvation Army’s after-school program have the opportunity to be a lifeline for Kalamazoo children. The After-School Program is available 3 …

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Apartment fire displaces residents

Fourteen people were displaced following an apartment fire over the weekend in Three Rivers. Chief Scott Boling said firefighters were called shortly before 6:30 p.m. Sunday to the 600 block of South Erie Avenue in response to a report of heavy smoke coming from a multi-residence structure. Personnel immediately started search-and-rescue efforts while simultaneously working on fire suppression. Two people …

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Winning scratch-off ticket sold in Constantine

A St. Joseph County man won the top prize from a Michigan State Lottery scratch-off ticket. Lottery officials said the 77-year-old man purchased the $5 ticket earlier this month at Jit Food and Gas on North Washington Street in Constantine. The scratch-off game, Winter Ice, yielded a prize of $500,000. The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, told lottery officials …

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Shooting incident in Marcellus

A dispute between two roommates led to a shooting incident over the weekend in the village of Marcellus. Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were notified around 7:30 p.m. Saturday of a situation involving a firearm at a residence in the 200 block of East North Street. Investigators said two roommates were involved in a verbal argument, when one …

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Man injured in Calhoun County crash

Speed is believed to be a factor in a single-vehicle crash over the weekend in Calhoun County’s Athens Township. Michigan State Police troopers were dispatched Saturday to the intersection of M-66 and O Drive South for a crash with injuries. According to witnesses, the driver of the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed in the northbound lane …

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A house fire in South Bend has killed 5 children and injured another

Fire tore through a house in South Bend, killing five children and leaving a sixth in treatment Monday for burns. People, including children, were trapped by flames on the second floor Sunday evening, the South Bend Fire Department said. Five children were pronounced dead. The sixth was taken to a hospital and later airlifted to one in Indianapolis. An adult …

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County commission approves parks and rec strategic plan

St. Joseph County officials last week approved a strategic plan for a high-profile department. During their monthly meeting Tuesday, commissioners approved Parks and Recreation Department’s five-year plan. The matter was first addressed during the commission’s executive committee meeting Jan. 9. Parks and Recreation Department director Jaymes MacDonald said completing the process took most of 2023 and included a resident survey, …

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