ST. JOSEPH COUNTY

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A search warrant led to the arrest of 14 people on Sunday, Feb. 26 in St. Joseph County. Deputies with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant in the 18000 block of South River Road near Lambert Road in Lockport Township. Police arrested 14 people. One of the men arrested was wanted for a homicide in Kalamazoo County, police said, but didn’t clarify which homicide it was. More from MLive:Michigan sheriff arrested for drunk driving after crash sends vehicles off roadThe amazing faces and costumes of the Michigan Winter Beer Festival7% of Kalamazoo public safety officers live in the city limits

KALAMAZOO, MI -- St. Joseph County Sheriff Mark Lillywhite was arrested and lodged at the Kalamazoo County Jail this weekend on charges including operating while intoxicated after a crash, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office reports. Following standardized field sobriety tests, he was subsequently arrested and lodged in the Kalamazoo County jail on suspected OWI and other charges, police said. Lillywhite was booked at the Kalamazoo County Jail at 6:24 a.m. Sunday and released per protocol at 4:30 p.m. the same day, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office said. Troopers were assisted at the scene by Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department, Kalamazoo County Fire Authority and Pride EMS. Calls to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office and an email to Lillywhite seeking comment were not immediately returned Monday.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A man was shot and killed Thursday, Dec 29, in a Sturgis parking lot. He was in his early 30s, Sturgis Department of Public Safety said. Police asked anyone with information to call Sturgis police at 269-651-3231 or St. Joseph County Central Dispatch at 269-467-4195. State police and St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies assisted in the investigation. Read more:The best meteor showers to watch in 202330-page report details harassment complaints against Kalamazoo public safety chiefFired Kalamazoo school administrator ‘strongly disagrees’ with board’s decision

Four years ago, a 23-year-old woman’s vehicle was found off the road near Sturgis, Michigan, but she had vanished.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – The Nottawa Road bridge in St. Joseph County reopened to traffic this week after being closed since August for repairs. Nottawa Road was the final bridge to be completed under the Michigan Department of Transportation’s bridge bundling pilot project. This year Michigan aimed to repair 19 bridges in serious or critical condition that are owned by local agencies. Related: Local bridge repair projects across Michigan to start construction in MarchEach bridge had its superstructure replaced including the full replacement of the bridge deck and supporting beams. “This made it a success, and a repeatable process for future bundles.”Funding for the bridge bundling pilot came from the Federal Highway Improvement program.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A 6-month-old has died following a car crash Tuesday morning. According to St. Joseph County sheriff’s officials, the baby was in a car driven by his mother when it was struck by a vehicle. The 30-year-old woman was driving west on M-60 when she stopped to make a turn onto Angevine Road around 6:58 a.m. Nov. 1, the St, Joseph County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. As the woman waited for traffic to clear, a vehicle driven by a 24-year-old man failed to slow down or stop. Police said the man told them that he had been drinking and was crawling away from the crash to avoid police.

ST. JOSPEH COUNTY, MI – Police are searching for the driver of a hit-and-run crash with a pedestrian. A 33-year-old White Pigeon man was hit by a car that then left the scene around 5:35 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, on U.S. 12 near Riverside Drive in Mottville Township, the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office said. The man has life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said. It was likely a 2000-05 gray Cadillac Deville, with damage to the front of the car, police said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 269-467-9045 or St. Joseph County Central Dispatch at 269-467-4195.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A person was killed in a two-car crash Wednesday. The fatal two-car crash happened Oct. 19, on U.S. 131 near Dickenson Road, in St. Joseph County’s Constantine Township, Michigan State Police said. Traffic is backed up from U.S. 12 to Riverside Drive, just south of Constantine, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation map. Drivers area asked to find alternate routes, MSP said. More from MLive:10-year plan for Kalamazoo College to bring traffic changes and increased housing‘The Book of Mormon’ returns to Kalamazoo, tickets on sale FridayKalamazoo police watching for drivers illegally passing school busses

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI -- A Mendon man has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer for allegedly firing shots from a home as police were leaving the residence. St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies said Terrell Lamont Reese has been charged with three counts of attempted murder of a police officer and nine counts of felony firearm. St. Joseph County Sheriff Mark Lillywhite told the Three Rivers Commercial Record that deputies responded to a Mendon house about 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 on a report of a domestic assault. He said deputies entered the house to speak with a possible suspect but ended up leaving when they saw bullets on the floor and a man near a safe. A standoff then ensued and Reese was taken into custody after midnight, the sheriff told the paper.

The Michigan Department of Transportation will invest $787,000 to rebuild the approaches to the M-86 bridge over the Prairie River in St. Joseph County. Work includes asphalt and slab replacement, bridge approach work, and pavement markings, the agency said in a news release on Aug. 31. The work will begin Tuesday, Sept. 6, with a scheduled end date of Friday, Nov. 18, the agency said. Drivers should expect lane closures and a temporary traffic signal, MDOT said. This work will improve the driving surface of the road and bridge, and it will extend the life of the road, the news release states.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – An 11-year-old girl was killed Sunday, Aug. 7, in a two-vehicle crash in Constantine Township. The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. at Klett Road and Quaker Street, St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies said. A 49-year-old Bristol, Indiana, woman was driving a Hyundai sport-utility vehicle south on Klett Road when she drove through a stop sign. Two other children in the man’s vehicle suffered minor injuries. The driver of the Hyundai also suffered minor injuries.

Baby formula is being shipped in from London and Mexico to help moms across the nation feed their babies as there has been a shortage. But some women who are not mothers are getting free samples of infant formula when that is not needed.

The Abbott baby formula plant on the west side of Michigan has been forced to shut down just days after it finally reopened.

ST JOSEPH, MI -- The parents of an 8-year-old boy with autism have been charged with murder after the boy died last month. According to WNDU-16, Brian Morrow, 41 and Mia Morrow, 34, of St. Joseph were arraigned last week on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the May 2 death of their son. The charges stem from a St. Joseph County Department of Public Safety investigation into the boy’s death that began after 911 was called the day following his passing. UpNorthLive reports the boy’s grandmother was the one who called police, and the parents did not tell anyone about the death when it initially happened. When police arrived at the house, the boy was found dead on the couch and weighed 31 pounds.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A 20-year-old Dowagiac man was killed Thursday, June 2, in a single-vehicle crash in Constantine Township. The crash occurred around 4:30 a.m. on Youngs Prairie Road near Harder Road, St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies said. Police determined that the victim was driving a Dodge car south on Youngs Prairie when the vehicle went off the left side of the road in a curve near Harder. The vehicle then veered off the right side of the road and struck a telephone pole, police said. Letter from the Editor: We found strange sights and great stories on a trip to the UPBoy, 12, fires gun during robbery at Van Buren County gas station, police say

Police say two children have died in a house fire in southwestern Michigan.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – Two young children were killed an overnight house fire. The fire was reported at 12:24 a.m. in the 14000 block of Timm Road in St. Joseph County’s Constantine Township. The house was engulfed in flames when a state police trooper reached the scene. St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies, Constantine police and St. Joseph County Crisis Team assisted at the scene. Read more:Patrick Lyoya killing revives racial bias inquiry into Grand Rapids police, community leaders sayPen pal project connects elementary students with seniors at Grand Rapids retirement communityWhile other schools struggle, Hillsdale College enrollment has surged during COVID-19.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – Michigan State Police are investigating a report of stolen copper wiring from an agricultural pivot. Several feet of copper wiring was cut along pivot towers in the 17000 block of Hoshel Road in St. Joseph County’s Lockport Township, causing significant damage. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Michigan State Police Marshall Post at 269-558-0500. Read more on MLive:West Michigan driver arrested after crashing vehicle into multiple power polesHow safe is sex in your area? See STI case numbers by Michigan regionThunderstorms could pack hail, damaging winds, isolated tornado for Michigan

Police are investigating the theft of a 7-foot-tall (2.13 meter-tall) metal sasquatch lawn ornament from a home in southern Michigan.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A Sturgis man is in jail on 39 felony charges after a slew of counterfeit items were found during a Friday night traffic stop, St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office reported Monday, Feb. 28. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. Feb. 25, St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies performed a traffic stop in the 64000 block of Balk Road in Sherman Township. The stop was for an equipment violation. The 40-year-old man was operating the vehicle with no license, according to a news release. He is being held in the St. Joseph County Jail.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A motorist was killed Monday, Nov. 8, in a crash while passing a farm machine, sheriff’s deputies said. The crash happened around 2:15 p.m. on U.S. 131 between Heimbach Road and Moorepark Road in St. Joseph County’s Park Township. Witnesses told police that the driver, in a Chevrolet Tahoe, was going south at a high speed when he attempted to pass or avoid a combine. The Tahoe driver lost control of his vehicle before it left the road, rolled over and struck several trees, police said. Read more:New Kalamazoo commissioners sworn in as outgoing officials say farewellMichigan’s bottle deposit law: Will the 1970s bill ever change?

LANSING, MI — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency for three Michigan counties impacted by the severe thunder and wind storms of Aug. 11 and 12. Branch County declared a local state of emergency on Aug. 13 due to a severe thunderstorm that caused widespread or severe damage. Two days later, on Aug. 16, Hillsdale County declared a local state of emergency due to damage as a result of severe thunderstorms. All three counties requested the governor’s emergency declaration, Whitmer’s office stated. The state of emergency will end no later than Sept. 20, 2021 unless it is extended as provided by the Emergency Management Act.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A Three Rivers-area man was killed early Friday, July 16, when his vehicle crashed into a tree. It was reported just before 5 a.m. on Lutz Road near Roys Place in Constantine, St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies said. Police determined that the victim was driving south on Lutz when he lost control of his vehicle which left the right side of the road and struck a tree. Police said that speed appeared to be a factor in the crash. Read more:Michigan reports three-day total of 881 new coronavirus cases for July 14-16Former Grand Rapids West YMCA building would be demolished, replaced with apartment buildingKalamazoo-based cannabis cultivator renamed ‘Ahki’ to reflect co-owner’s Indigenous heritage

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI - A pair of crashes taking place over Memorial Day weekend in St. Joseph County led to multiple injuries, according to news releases from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department. The first driver pulled into the path of another driving a pickup truck, causing the truck to roll over after colliding. The first driver, a 23-year-old man from Naperville, Illinois, was cited for failing to yield to the second driver, according to the release. Police believe all involved were wearing seatbelts, and neither speed nor alcohol were factors in the crash, according to the release. Read more:Bay County police searching for man who went overboard in Saginaw Bay21-year-old Saginaw man dies after shooting incidentFire erupts at historic Brigadoon Cottage on Mackinac Island

STURGIS, MI – A former police chief this week pleaded guilty in a drunken driving case. Former Sturgis Police Chief Geoffrey Smith, 46, pleaded guilty Wednesday, May 12, to driving while impaired, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a news release. Related: ‘I made a mistake,’ says former Sturgis public safety chief accused of drunken drivingAs part of Smith’s sentence, he will have in-home alcohol monitoring for 90 days, the release said. Related: Sturgis police chief resigns after crash, drunken driving investigationThe city of Sturgis immediately placed Smith on leave and accepted his resignation 10 days later, on Aug. 26. The former chief had accumulated 24 years of service with Sturgis prior to resigning.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI -- A 16-year-old driver swerved to miss a vehicle, went off a St. Joseph County road and then struck a house, police said. The house, along Lutz Road in the Three Rivers area, had significant damage, police said. The driver, a 16-year-old Constantine girl, was not injured. Police said she was driving a Chevy Monte Carlo north on Lutz Road and needed to swerve to miss another northbound vehicle about 10:40 a.m. Friday, May 7. St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies did not provide other details about the crash.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – Police identified Randy Wayne Caruthers, 49, of Sturgis, as the victim of a fatal crash. The crash was reported just after 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 4, on Featherstone Road near Sevinson Road in St. Joseph County’s Florence Township. Sheriff’s deputies found the victim deceased in the vehicle. Deputies determined that Caruthers was driving a 2001 Ford F-150 east on Featherstone when he lost control of the pickup truck. Constantine firefighters and LifeCare paramedics assisted sheriff’s deputies at the scene.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A Kalamazoo man was arrested after high-speed chase Friday morning. The 28-year-old driver fled in a silver Ford car after a St. Joseph County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop him for speeding around 6:05 a.m. April 2 on Lutz Road near Fairchild Road, police said. The driver drove north on Lutz Road at high speed, police said, entering the city of Three Rivers with police chasing. The man then ran on foot, police said, and was found near Three Rivers Middle School, 1101 Jefferson St., with the help of Three Rivers police dog Django. The man was arrested on multiple charges and taken to St. Joseph County Jail, police said.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A COVID-19 variant was found in St. Joseph County. Two people have the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 and are in isolation, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency said in a Monday, March 22 news release. The United Kingdom identified the B.1.1.7 variant with a large number of mutations in the fall of 2020. Related: COVID-19 variant found in 2 more young people in Ottawa CountyCurrent tests and vaccines for COVID-19 also work against this new variant, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency release said. Michigan reported 616 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant as of March 12, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

STURGIS, Mich. – Video of an online court hearing in the town of Sturgis has gone viral because of one thing noticed by an eagle-eyed prosecutor. During the court hearing, the woman begins to hesitate when being questioned by Davis, who spoke up when she noticed the woman constantly was looking off screen. The woman’s video goes blank, and Harris’ camera eventually turns off too. “Your honor, we both don’t want the no-contact order,” Harris said. I’m sorry I lied to you.”Judge Middleton immediately shuts Harris down and adjourns the hearing.

STURGIS, MI — Police are seeking suspect information related to an attempted burglary at Dunham’s Sports. The incident occurred sometime between 8 and 8:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 21 at the Sturgis location, 69060 M-66 in St. Joseph County, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police. The suspect went in through the front door after closing time, but despite yanking on it, couldn’t get get through the gate that separated the entryway to the actual store, police said. Troopers have been unable to obtain a description of the suspect. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Marshall Post at 269-558-0500 and ask for MSP Trooper Anthony Adkins.