The Three Rivers Department of Public Services received a report of sewage overflowing from a manhole near the intersection of 5th Avenue and Water Street Monday night. DPS crews responded immediately and had the sewer line flowing normally by 10:15 p.m., about 25 minutes after being notified of the incident. It was estimated 200 gallons of sanitary sewage overflowed from …

An item used in the process of producing methamphetamine was discovered last week on a Burr Oak Township roadway. Michigan State Police said a call was received around 8 p.m. Friday regarding a so-called gas generator on Big Hill Road at Witt Lake Road. The device is described as a 1.5-liter plastic Pepsi bottle with a rubber hose attached to …

The first session of the Adopt-A-Highway cleanup of 2013 begins Saturday. Overseen by the Michigan Department of Transportation, Adopt-A-Highway involves volunteers picking up litter along state highways from April 13 to 21, the first of three scheduled pickups this year. In 2012, Adopt-A-Highway volunteer groups collected about 65,000 bags of trash, a cost benefit to the state of $5.6 million. …

Electronics and jewelry were among items taken during a daytime break-in at a residence in Park Township. State Police personnel are investigating the Tuesday incident, which occurred between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at a residence in the 55000 block of Wilbur Road. Access was gained to the residence by forced entry. MSP officials suggest checking to see doors and …

Carrol Sue Hipskind, 74, of Three Rivers, passed away at 1:30 a.m. Monday, April 7, 2013 at her residence. She was born on Aug. 6, 1938 in Logansport, Ind., to the late Adrian Graves and Goldie (Wakeman) Stowe. Carrol married Roger A. Hipskind on Dec. 23, 1955 in Elkhart, Ind. She leaves behind sons, Allen D. (Amy) Hipskind and Steven …

Michigan State Police said a felony murder warrant has been issued for a Kalamazoo man suspected of murdering a woman whose body was found in Three Rivers nearly 20 years ago. A warrant from the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office was issued Tuesday for Grady Shields Jr., 43. He is charged with the murder of Lois Cox, 59, who disappeared Oct. …

A deputy from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department was sentenced to probation for stealing prescription medicine from the jail while on duty. Stephen Morris, 39, was placed on probation for one year, as ordered Monday by Van Buren County Circuit Judge Kathleen Brickley. Morris, a Fulton resident, pleaded to two counts of larceny of more than $200 but less …

A vehicle driven by a 47-year-old Union woman was broadsided in a two-car crash at 9 p.m. Sunday in Park Township. State Police investigators said the incident occurred at Michigan Avenue and Parkville Road, where Scotts resident Daniel Shankleton, 17, failed to stop on Parkville Road at the Michigan Avenue intersection. His vehicle struck a car driven by Kristine Nichols. …

Remnants of a meth lab were found last week along a rural road in Flowerfield Township. Michigan State Police troopers were alerted to the debris around 8 p.m. Thursday in the 53000 block of Delong Road. A resident told investigators he noticed trash bags dumped into a nearby stream, but snagged by a fallen tree. The resident discovered the meth …

In April, 2006, this column appeared for the first time in this newspaper. This means that I’ve written this column for seven years. That amounts to around 364 columns. I’ve done my best to keep the column simple. I don’t write about politics or express my religious beliefs. I’ll leave that to those who spend eight hours a day on …