News

A Cass County jury on Tuesday returned an “as-charged” guilty verdict against Leon Watson for his ongoing molestation of his great-niece over a seven-year period at a rural Cass County farm. The victim was 7 years old when the sex crimes began and approximately 14 when they ended last year. Watson, a 67-year-old Vandalia resident, is expected to receive a …

There may be a reason why people have trouble seeing while driving at night, and it’s not their eyesight. A new rating of the headlights of more than 30 midsized car models gave only one model a grade of “good.” Of the rest, about a third were rated “acceptable,” a third “marginal” and a third “poor.” The difference between the …

Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has received a $20,000 grant to increase testing and reporting of HIV. Prevention director Kim Wilhelm said the funds will also allow the agency to increase testing and counseling for sexually transmitted infections at each of its clinics. Wilhelm said she expects the agency to designate one day a week to provide HIV and STI …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners recently approved the submission of three grant requests to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. In all, the requests amount to more than $150,000, not including more than $100,000 county-required matching dollars. County grant writer James Hissong said the first was an appeal to the DNR’s trust fund for development of two accessible …

St. Joseph County District Court Judge Rob Pattison has announced he will stage a “Court in the Schools” session next month in Three Rivers. Pattison on Monday said the session, will involve an actual sentencing from someone who pled guilty to a drug- or alcohol-related offense. The event will take place at 1 p.m. April 15 at Three Rivers High …

High school students interested in 2016-17 career and technical education are encouraged to apply soon. CTE director Tommy Cameron said the early application deadline is Thursday. Prospective participants can apply online at sjcisd.com. Classes include agri-science, automotive services, building trades, computer information technologies, CAD, graphics design, marketing, medical occupations and welding. Cameron said early deadline provides prospective participants the best …

Family members of a young mother who was wounded during Kalamazoo-area shootings that killed six say it could be six months to a year before she’s fully recovered. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports relatives of Tiana Carruthers and her spiritual adviser gathered Saturday at Haven Reformed Church to speak about her. Scott McCloughan, who oversees the mentoring ministry at Kalamazoo Youth …

Investigators from the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit worked in conjunction with parole agents from the Michigan Department of Corrections in performing compliance checks last week. Sheriff Brad Balk said investigators teamed with corrections agents to check on individuals on parole and probation in Three Rivers, Fabius Township, and Lockport Township. Seven different locations were targeted, resulting in five …

Dep. MaKenzie Kreiner of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office has been selected as the 2015 Child Passenger Safety Technician of the Year by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. The annual recognition program, now in its second year, honors those who serve as an example to other technicians by educating families about the proper installation and use of car …

The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down last week near Edwardsburg. The agency said the incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. Thursday a mile west of the community at the north end of Sundance Road, just south of U.S. 12. A video was taken that shows debris being lofted with notable rotation. The tornado tracked in an east-northeast direction. It heavily …