News

Motor-vehicle offenses, including the number of drunken drivers, decreased in St. Joseph County last year compared to 2012. District Court Judge Jeff Middleton provided details during his annual report Tuesday before the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. His news, however, came with a caveat, as Middleton said he suspects the decrease was the result of fewer law-enforcement officials on …

State Rep. Matt Lori on Thursday commended House approval of a legislative package to fund repairs to Michigan’s transportation system. He called the action a good first step toward a sustainable solution. Lori voted in favor of the bills that will dedicate $450 million to help fix the state’s transportation system. The increased funding would go into effect in 2015. …

An audio and video system was stolen Wednesday from a vehicle in Park Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the truck was parked on private property in the 54000 block of Wilbur Road. Details regarding access into the vehicle were not indicated in a department media release.

St. Joseph County’s Access to Care task force has been recognized as a Home Town hero by the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency. The award is granted to individuals and groups who have worked above and beyond to improve the public’s health. Agency health officer Steve Todd and Three Rivers Health CEO Bill Russell received the award for the task …

A 58-year-old Three Rivers man was charged with operating while intoxicated following a traffic stop in Lockport Township. State police officials said a motorist called 911 to report seeing the man drinking beer while driving on U.S. 131 in the Three Rivers area. Troopers spotted the vehicle, a 2006 GMC Sierra, and pulled it over on Lovers Lane, near Enterprise …

St. Joseph County Register of Deeds Pattie Bender provided details this week related to the development of a program using a red-flag system to identify meth houses. During her annual report presented at Tuesday’s county commission meeting, Bender said she and a team of county officials met last year with Three Rivers attorney Pat O’Malley. The focus was to discuss …

Two people were arrested after state police responded to a report of shots being fired from a passing vehicle in Park Township. According to a department media release, a homeowner in the area of Mint and Brown roads alerted officials to the situation around 8:20 p.m. Saturday. Troopers located the car described to them by the witness and it was …

Irrigation wire was reported stolen last week from a location in Constantine Township. State police said the theft occurred between April 28 and last Friday from a pivot off Zerbe Road, east of U.S. 131.

In addition to providing an annual report as register of deeds, county clerk Pattie Bender presented county commissioners a summary of her department’s operations in 2013. Bender, who will mark her 44-year anniversary as a courthouse employee later this month, said her department’s revenue report showed collections in circuit and juvenile courts were down in 2013 compared to 2012. She …

Three people were hospitalized following a hit-and-run accident last weekend in Cass County’s Penn Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr. said 49-year-old Delbert Raeder of Elkhart was driving east on M-60 around 3 p.m. Sunday, when his vehicle was rear-ended by a newer-model pickup. The force of the contact pushed Raeder’s vehicle off the roadway and into the front deck of …