Police

The parents of a 12-year-old boy who died following a southwestern Michigan crash where his 14-year-old friend was behind the wheel say the two had had sneaked out in the middle of the night for a joy ride. The Cass County sheriff’s department says the 14-year-old boy was speeding along a snow-slicked road about 2 a.m. Tuesday in Milton Township …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff Department investigated a breaking-and-entering incident earlier this month in Colon Township. According to a department media release, a residence and pole barn in the 29000 block of Spring Creek Road were burglarized. The break-in occurred between 7 p.m. Dec. 19 and 1 p.m. Dec. 20. The victim told police numerous power tools were taken.

Sturgis Police attempted to stop a black Jeep in the 400 block of North Lakeview late Sunday morning for a driver’s license violation. The driver of the Jeep refused to stop and police pursued the vehicle to the area of Glen Oaks Community College on Shimmel Road. There, the driver of the Jeep drove off of the roadway to the …

The village of Centreville is expected to have its own police department in place starting in mid-February. Village officials  have voted to not renew a contract with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department and will instead oversee its own law-enforcement agency. The county had been providing police coverage since the 1990s, but Centreville village officials agreed it would be cheaper …

The Coldwater Post of the Michigan State Police will soon have a new canine unit on staff. Trooper Jereme Miller and his German shepherd, Dakota, will begin their service after the new year. The Coldwater post services the White Pigeon detachment. Miller and Dakota are one of 49 canine teams with the state police. They recently completed a 14-week training …

The man responsible for burning a Sturgis restaurant more than four years ago will be sentenced in St. Joseph County Circuit Court Feb. 7. Nathan Lumbard, 31, will appear before Judge Paul Stutesman after his attorney indicated Monday Lumbard would not ask for a trial and instead keep his pleas of no-contest and guilty. Stutesman said the sentence will be …

A 52-year-old Indiana man was killed in a one-car crash Saturday morning in Cass County. According to Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr., David Wenger was driving west on Calvin Hill Street in Jefferson Township, when he failed to negotiate a curve near North Shore Drive. His vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree, Underwood said. The incident occurred at 8:30 …

Guns and other items were stolen during a breaking-and-entering incident at a residence in Mottville Township this week. State police said the incident occurred in the 6900 block of Mann Road. Details regarding the method of entry were not indicated in a department media release.

The Sturgis Fire Department was dispatched to an apartment complex fire shortly after 5:30 Sunday morning at Gateway Village. Upon arrival of police and fire personnel, they were advised that an infant was still in the apartment. The 11-month-old girl was rescued, and was later pronounced dead at Sturgis Hospital. The fire reportedly started in the parent’s bedroom who awoke …

A 27-year-old man, whose name and community of residence was not disclosed, was charged with assault and battery Monday. The man was arrested by Three Rivers police after its officers responded to a situation on West Street. Time of the incident was not included in a department media release.