Government

Two injured in accident

Two people were taken to Three Rivers Health for injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident shortly after 3 o’clock Tuesday afternoon in Park Township. The St Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said a 21-year-old Vicksburg woman was driving west on Michigan Avenue when her vehicle was struck on the driver’s side as she attempted to turn left onto Parkville Road. The …

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Baker refuses request

Village officials in Centreville agreed this week to dismiss Department of Public Works director Randy Baker following an investigation related to gasoline allegedly taken from the pump designated for municipal vehicles. The vote was made after Baker refused to act on the village’s request last week that he step down from the post. Baker, a Colon resident, is suspected of …

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Man arraigned for killing animal

A 38-year-old White Pigeon-area resident is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in St. Joseph County District Court on a charge of killing an animal. Prosecutor John McDonough authorized the charge against Dallas Barnhart, who allegedly shot a dog belonging to a Constantine woman outside his Sevison Road residence last year. Members of the St. Joseph County Animal Rescue Fund have …

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MDOT announces plans

The Michigan Department of Transportation has announced its plans to invest more than $75 million in 2013 to improve 141 miles of roadways and repair 21 bridges in its Southwest Region. The region includes St. Joseph County. The Southwest Region 2013 program will provide approximately $48.4 million for pavement repair and roughly $27 million to upgrade bridges to good condition. …

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Alcohol factor in crash

A 54-year-old Elkhart man was treated for injuries he sustained in a one-car crash over the weekend in Constantine Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said Douglas Griffin was driving south on U.S. 131 at 2:20 a.m. Saturday when he lost control of his vehicle and drove it off the roadway. Griffin was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Three …

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Man arrested after vehicle pursuit

Sturgis police arrested a 20-year-old Sturgis man following a vehicle pursuit Friday evening. According to a department press release, officers attempted to stop a vehicle around 7 p.m. Friday near the intersection of North Nottawa and East Hatch streets for an equipment violation. The vehicle sped up and its driver disregarded a stop sign at North Prospect and East Main …

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Businesses destroyed by fire

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 …

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Children injured in accident

Three children were injured in a two-vehicle accident over the weekend in Florence Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said 43-year-old Melissa Sandker of Constantine was driving north on Lutz Road when her vehicle crossed over the center line and struck a southbound van driven by Jennifer Nusbaum-Suits, 41, of Constantine. The incident occurred shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday. …

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Flag lowered in honor of Bir

Sturgis officials announced the city flag will be lowered in honor of Sue Bir’s service to the community. Bir, 56, died Wednesday at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. She was elected Precinct 2 commissioner in November 1989, and also served as vice mayor in 1996. City officials believe she was the first woman to preside over a …

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Morris pleads guilty

A former St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer pled guilty Wednesday to two counts of larceny. Stephen Morris, a 39-year-old Fulton resident, pled guilty in Van Buren County Circuit Court. He was arrested following a Jan. 9 incident during which he stole prescription drugs, investigators said. A 12-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, Morris will be sentenced April 8.

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