News

Deputies in Branch County arrested a Kalamazoo man who stole a vehicle from a restaurant in Sturgis. Sturgis police said they were notified at 10:30 p.m. Sunday that a 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan was stolen from Culver’s, in the 800 block of South Centerville Road. A description of the vehicle and suspect was broadcast to agencies in surrounding counties. Sturgis …

State police are investigating a breaking-and-entering incident at a Mottville Township business. Troopers were called at 6 a.m. Monday to the Marathon gas station on U.S. 12, where the suspects broke the front-door glass in order to gain access. Once inside, the suspects removed the ATM and stole several cartons of cigarettes.

The Kinship Care Program of St. Joseph County recently made back-to-school a little easier for those raising children again. The program helped several families purchase supplies at Walmart in Sturgis last month. The Kinship Care Program is a support group for grandparents and other family members who are raising children again. It is supported by funds from the St. Joseph …

Audio equipment was stolen last week from a church in Branch County’s Bethel Township. State police said the incident occurred at Snow Prairie Bible Church between Aug. 26 and Saturday. The incident was reported shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday. Two amplifiers, a CD recorder and sound mixer, several audio cables and a laptop computer were taken from the church, located …

Tens of thousands of people participated in the traditional Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge. Organizers made changes to the 61st annual event and allowed to begin from either end of the bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. Participants could turn around after 2½ miles or make a full 10-mile lap between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Axel …

A fuel tanker caught fire on the U.S. 31/20 bypass in South Bend, sending flames high into the predawn sky and damaging the roadway’s pavement. Police say residents were evacuated from some nearby homes after the fire started about 4:30 a.m. Monday on the city’s far west side near South Bend International Airport. They were able to return a few …

A kayak ride on Lake Superior that ended in the deaths of four Wisconsin family members would have been difficult even for experienced paddlers, officials say. Bob Krumenaker, superintendent of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis for a story published Sunday that it was a sobering reminder of the vastness and danger of the largest of the …

St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough has authorized seven charges against Fernando Mendoza Cruz. The 37-year-old Sturgis man was charged Friday with three counts of kidnapping, and one count for each offense of fleeing and eluding, carrying a concealed weapon, felony firearm and domestic violence. He remains in the St. Joseph County Jail with a $250,000 cash/ surety bond. An …

The White Pigeon School Board last week had a discussion about requesting a one-mill, five-year renewal of its 2014 bond. The board has not yet voted on whether to put it on the ballot in 2019. The 2014 bond was used for buses, technology, technological infrastructure and equipment. Should this initiative move forward, money would most likely go toward these …

Troopers from Michigan State Police are investigating a felonious assault by a 42-year-old man who used a hunting knife as a weapon. Investigators were called at 11 p.m. Thursday to the 400 block of River Road in Branch County’s Batavia Township. The suspect threatened to kill his mother. He also kept her from leaving the residence for several hours. The …