Fire/Rescue

Accidents closed Lutz Road for several hours

Emergency crews were already stretched thin Friday morning last week after a six-vehicle collision on Lutz Road in White Pigeon Township. An unrelated crash scene not far from the Lutz Road incident added to the need for fire and rescue personnel. In an attempt to make Lutz Road safe for emergency personnel, it was closed at Stears Road in Constantine …

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Woman dies after vehicle struck by train

An Indiana woman died Friday after the vehicle she was driving was struck by a freight train in Pokagon Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said the woman, Barbara Schult, of Middlebury, was driving east at 3:44 p.m. on Pokagon Highway when she passed stationary vehicles that had stopped when the crossing signal activated. Schult drove through the crossing, despite visual and …

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Man faces six charges in Cass County

A Cass County man faces six charges following an incident earlier this week in Howard Township. Sheriff’s officials said 39-year-old Daniel Thornton was arraigned Wednesday on charges stemming from the Tuesday, March 1 incident that occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Huntley Road. Thornton was charged with arson in the second and third degrees, assault by strangulation, assault with a …

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Cass County crash sends man to hospital

A Niles man was injured after he lost control of his vehicle on snow-covered roads Tuesday in Cass County. Sheriff Joe Underwood said 59-year-old Robert Bradford was driving west on M-60 around 3:15 p.m. when he lost control of his vehicle near Calvin Center Road. His vehicle slid into the path of an oncoming semi driven by Richard Landrum, of …

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Conference approved for emergency management director

St. Joseph County’s emergency management director was given approval last week to attend a national conference this summer. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners passed a motion to allow T.J. Baker to attend the 2016 National School Safety Conference in Orlando in late July. According to a memo from Baker to commissioners, the conference will focus on all aspects …

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Lockport home suffers major fire damage

A residence in which nobody was home was heavily damaged by fire last week in Lockport Township. Three Rivers and Fabius-Park Township fire departments responded at 11:15 p.m. Friday to the 16000 block of Null Road after the blaze was reported by a passerby. First-arriving crews found the home engulfed in flames. Firefighters had the fire quickly under control and …

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Two men fall through ice in Cass County

Two men in separate incidents fell through ice on lakes in Cass County over the weekend. Cass County Sheriff Joe Underwood said the first incident was reported at 1:39 p.m. Saturday at Bogart Lake in Jones, where a man fell through the ice but managed to crawl out of the water and reach shore. He refused assistance and was taken …

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Several injured in Nottawa crash

Four people, including two children, suffered minor injuries after they were involved in a single-vehicle accident last weekend in Nottawa Township. According to a media release from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, 25-year-old Park Township resident Ashley Howay was driving south on Nottawa Road at 3 p.m. Sunday, when the vehicle she was driving hit a patch of ice …

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Area agencies conducted emergency preparedness drill

Representatives from Glen Oaks Community College and the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department conducted an emergency-preparedness drill Tuesday. School officials said the drill was staged to provide college employees, and local and state police agencies a chance to practice responding to an active shooter incident on campus. Participants from public-safety and medical-response agencies in the county also had a role …

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Two vehicle crash in Cass County

Driving too fast for conditions was determined to be a factor in a two-vehicle crash last week in Cass County’s Newburg Township. Sheriff Joe Underwood said deputies were called shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday to the intersection of Lewis Lake and Brownsville roads. Investigators concluded a car driven by 22-year-old Elkhart resident Christine Rossi was driving south on Lewis Lake …

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