St Joseph County

More than 142,000 people attended the St. Joseph County Grange Fair over the course of its seven-day run last week, officials from the fair board announced Monday. Despite rain Friday night and Saturday morning, a strong crowd to the Saturday evening Alan Jackson concert helped push the weekly attendance to a point that it surpassed 2011 attendance by 2 percent, …

A 47-year-old Sturgis man was arrested on drug-related charges after he attempted to flee on a bicycle from pursuing officers. According to the Sturgis Police Department, the man was known to have warrants for his arrest and was spotted around 8:30 p.m. Sunday on his bicycle near the intersection of North and West West streets. He fled from police after …

The 162nd St. Joseph County Grange Fair is in the books, and organizers of the event said weather – as it usually is – was a key factor in attendance. Though a final figure for the seven-day event won’t be available until sometime today, a sunny Saturday afternoon coupled with more than 5,000 people attending the event-ending Alan Jackson concert …

Members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners have agreed to increase the fee for a marriage waiver. During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners acted on Clerk Pattie Bender’s request to raise the fee from $5 to $25. In a memo to commissioners, Bender explained that when a couple applies for a marriage license, the law requires a three-day waiting period …

The St. Joseph County Marine Corps League has announced it will receive its detachment charter next month. Mendon resident Bill Stevens, chaplain of the detachment, said the ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 6 at Mendon Village Hall. The charter will be presented by the Michigan State Commandant as well as the National Commandant. Stevens said as is …

A group of owners of four residences in Fabius Township were recently named recipients of the inaugural Green Star Award. Presented by Vic Eichler, chair of the Fabius Township Environmental and Wetlands Protection Advisory Committee, the Green Star Award recognizes Fabius Township property owners who have developed exemplary, natural lakefront shorelines. Recipients at last week’s township board meeting were Kaiser …

The Centreville Downtown Development Authority has agreed to front more than $400,000 toward the Safe Routes to Schools program in Centreville. The opportunity to provide the up-front funding became available after it was announced a federal grant of $416,000 was conferred to the Centreville Safe Routes to Schools. In order to qualify for the grant, however, the money would be …

Members of the St. Joseph County Narcotics unit arrested two men Tuesday following an investigation into the production of methamphetamine. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, a 43-year-old Three Rivers resident and a 42-year-old man from Vicksburg were charged with a number of meth-related offenses. They were taken into custody after a search warrant was executed at a …

Brass and chrome plumbing fixtures were stolen Monday from a residence in Sturgis Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the incident took place in the 68000 block of Stubey Road, where the victim was working in the backyard. At some point over a 30-minute period, someone went inside the unlocked residence and stole a bucket in which the …

A Kalamazoo man will serve at least four years behind bars for stealing a car and escaping from custody while on a work crew at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds last year. Adryll Matthews, 24, was sentenced last week by Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman to between four and more than seven years in jail for stealing a fair employee’s …