Government

Officials from the Three Rivers Police Department have confirmed their investigation into a case of embezzlement from the Three Rivers Little League. The case centers on the former director of the 300-player league and an amount of money close to $20,000 that may have been improperly taken. Police became involved in the issue after a former board member and sponsor …

Two Sturgis men were arrested Tuesday and charged with methamphetamine-related offenses. Following up on a tip, members of the St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit made the arrests at an apartment unit at a residence at 207 N. Prospect St. Information regarding the ages and identities of the men arrested was not referenced in a sheriff’s department news release. Investigators …

Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood Jr. reports said deputies handled a double-fatal traffic crash on Chapel Hill Street, just east of Baldwin Prarie Road at 9:14 p.m. Tuesday in Porter Township. Ross Gambill, 19 from Osceola, Ind., said that he and two friends were traveling east on Chapel Hill Street at a high rate of speed when the driver lost …

A preliminary report on the Amtrak derailment in Niles from the National Transportation Safety Board blames a reversed switch for the accident on Sunday.  The NTSB found the switch aligned the tracks the Amtrak train was on with a rail yard instead of the main track, and the train stopped only 21 feet from the nearest freight train car in …

Two Vicksburg residents are the latest addition to the Michigan State Police detachment in White Pigeon. Scott Tuttle and Pete Melvin, who were two of 78 members of the recently graduated 123rd MSP trooper academy, began work at the White Pigeon site this week. They will spend the next four months with a field-training officer before patrolling on their own. …

James Baker, director of the Three Rivers Clean Water Plant, said Department of Public Services officials responded earlier this month to an incident of a backed-up sewer in the 200 block of Water Street. Baker stated in a media release the situation was handled in accordance to the city’s Sanitary Sewer Back-Up Policy, as detailed in Michigan Public Act 222. …

The City of Sturgis Department of Public Services is reminding its residents fall leaf pickup begins Monday. Crews will follow the same route as they do with brush pick up, starting north of Chicago Road and west of North Nottawa Street, working their way across the north side of town and then through the south side. Leaf pick up will …

Federal officials expect their investigation into a southwestern Michigan train derailment that injured about a dozen people to take six months to a year.  National Transportation Safety Board railroad investigator Michael Flanigon spoke Monday at a news conference in nearby South Bend.  There are measurements to take, interviews to conduct and electronic data that needs to be analyzed before a …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners last week renewed its snow-removal and plowing contract with Scott Adams, of Centreville-based Adams Excavating Inc. The contract calls for the service when a significant amount of snow falls and must be cleared before the start of the workday at the county courthouse, the county annex building, and the county sheriff’s department and adjoining …

Four county firefighters from three different agencies were recognized during a ceremony in Colon last week. The St. Joseph County Fireman’s Association honored Burr Oak firefighter Charles Ankney and Centreville firefighter Roger Rumsey and their 51 years of service. Recognized for 54 years of firefighter service for the Mendon Fire Department were Sharon “Bookie” Buchner and Loyd Hart. State Rep. …