Fire/Rescue

A home in the 66000 block of Klinger Lake Road in Florence Township was heavily damaged by fire Wednesday afternoon. Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff ’s Department arrived to find the kitchen area on fire. Firefighters were hampered when the blaze spread from the kitchen to an adjacent attic. The fire has been ruled accidental, officials said.

Child welfare workers can’t be sued in the death of a Centreville teen who perished in a fire, even if they knew she was routinely tied to her bed by her parents. According to the Associated Press, Michigan’s federal appeals court has affirmed a decision by a judge in Grand Rapids. The court says the 2008 death of Calista Springer …

Investigators have ruled a house fire last week in Constantine was started by accident. The April 11 blaze at 570 S. Washington St. in Constantine has been ruled accidental, as its source was found to be an 11-year-old occupant playing with a lighter. The fire began around 7 p.m. in a first-floor bedroom and quickly spread to an upper- level …

A house in Constantine sustained heavy damage in a fire Thursday evening. Fire fighters from Constantine, White Pigeon, and Fabius Park fought the blaze at 570 South Washington Street. It appears the fire started in an upstairs bedroom. There were no injuries. Traffic on US-131 was rerouted for several hours while fire fighters were on scene.

Two units in an eight-unit Constantine apartment building were damaged by a fire earlier this week. Constantine firefighters were called around 5 p.m. Tuesday to the 200 block of Peachtree Street, where the Custer Apartments were ablaze. Investigators said it appears the fire started in a lower unit and spread up and out from its origin. Though a half dozen …

Police are seeking criminal charges against the mother of three children who died after they were killed in a fire at an apartment complex in Kalamazoo last month. Kalamazoo County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Carrie Klein says the request for three counts of second-degree child abuse against 26-year old Jonetta Woods is being reviewed. The charge carries up to 10 years …

A 23-year-old Elkhart man was airlifted to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo after he was injured in a one-vehicle crash Sunday in Constantine Township. Investigators from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Bradley Owen was driving on North River Road when he drove off the roadway near Maple Road and his truck ran into a tree. Owen had to …

A half block of businesses in downtown Colon was destroyed by fire Friday morning. The blaze was reported around 9:30 a.m. by Curly’s owners Dan and Kathy Earl, who told firefighters it appears the fire started in the kitchen area. Despite the efforts from nearly a dozen departments, the blaze spread to the east and consumed Five Star Pizza and …

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department is once again selling 9-1-1 mailbox address signs. The signs are 6-by-17 1/2 inches and are green with reflective, 3-inch numbers on both sides. Numbers may be placed vertically or horizontally. Cost per sign is $15.50 and proceeds are used by the Explorer Scout Post for uniforms and educational training. Phone orders may be …

A court has removed a 4-year-old girl from the custody of a mother who left her home alone with three younger siblings who died when a fire swept through their low-income apartment in Kalamazoo. Police say that 3-year-old twins Tevin and Ty’nitha Williams and their 1-year-old sister Tyonna Henderson were killed in Monday’s fire. The Michigan Department of Human Services …