News

An update regarding St. Joseph County’s plan to add a new courts building to the existing site was provided last week by county administrator Pat Yoder. During Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, Yoder said a review of the county’s finances is being conducted to determine a number of matters related to its plan to finance the project via the sale of …

A riding lawnmower was stolen last week from a residence in Branch County’s Matteson Township. State police said the John Deere mower had a 48-inch cutting deck and appears to have been pushed onto a trailer in the 200 block of North Matteson Lake Road. The theft occurred between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

A federal safety agency investigating a Michigan road crash that killed five bicyclists says it’s still determining the likely cause and other aspects of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board recently released a preliminary report on the June 7 crash in Kalamazoo County’s Cooper Township, in which a man struck nine cyclists on the road’s shoulder. Fifty-year-old Charles Pickett …

St. Joseph County commissioners plan to review all non-operational expenses and potentially make some adjustments in the county’s 2017 budget. The plan was discussed during a commissioners’ work session Wednesday. Commissioner John Dobberteen broached the subject by asking county administrator Pat Yoder for a list of the non-mandated services, adding it is time to re-prioritize. He said the scrutiny is …

State police troopers are investigating the theft of hay bales from a Fabius Township retreat. Troopers were called at 11 a.m. July 30 to Camp Eberhart after it was discovered between 50 and 60 bales of hay were stolen from the property, located off County Line Road. Camp officials said the hay bales were likely stolen overnight between July 26 …

The Paul H. Casault Senior Center Memorial Fund recently awarded its first grant: a skilled-trades scholarship for Glen Oaks Community College student Jasmine McClish. The Paul H. Casault Senior Center Memorial Fund was established with a gift from the sale proceeds of the Paul H. Casault Senior Center building. The purpose of the fund is to support the Manufacturing and …

Last weekend’s cleanup of a portion of the St. Joseph River yielded more than 400 pounds of debris, according to officials from the St. Joseph County Conservation District. The 2 1/2-mile route started at River Run Road and concluded at Angevine Road in Nottawa Township. John Nelson, a board member of the Centreville-based agency, said tires, burn barrels, bottles and …

A 55-year-old man has been arraigned in the slaying of a woman whose body was found in a wooded area in northeastern Michigan. The Alpena News reports that Brenton Lee Walker of Millersburg appeared Thursday in 89th District Court. Walker is charged with first-degree murder. The body of 42-year-old Heather Young was found Tuesday near Millersburg in Presque Isle County, …

Michigan State Police are investigating a report of a Breaking and Entering in the 12000 Block of N. River Road in Constantine Township.  Troopers believe that the break in occurred between 08/06/16 and 08/10/16. The victim reported numerous items missing including Stihl brand and Echo brand power yard tools.

A Three Rivers woman was charged with embezzlement, as authorities suspect she stole up to $15,000 from a trust fund she was managing. Three Rivers Police Chief Tom Bringman said Judy Smith-Lynes, 73, was arrested Monday following an investigation that started in January. Smith-Lynes was a successor trustee for the estate of a long-time friend who passed away two years …