LOCKPORT TWP. — A Three Rivers woman died in a camper fire that occurred Saturday. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, the fire occurred in the 57000 block of Mitchell Road, located next to the Three Rivers Dr.…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director CENTREVILLE — A Sturgis man was formally arraigned and charged Monday for the alleged sexual abuse of his adopted daughter over nearly a decade. According to St. Joseph County Prosecutor Deborah Davis, 57-year-old Raymond Bontrager was…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director CENTREVILLE — A Sturgis man was arrested Sunday on criminal sexual conduct charges that prosecutors allege stem from nine years of purported sexual abuse of his adoptive daughter. According to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office,…

FABIUS TWP. — No injuries were reported following an early-morning fire in Fabius Township Saturday morning. According to the Fabius-Park Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched at 3 a.m. to a home in the 11000 block of Lakeshore Drive for a…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director CENTREVILLE — A prison sentence was handed down Friday to a former food service worker at Mendon Junior/Senior High School accused of sexually assaulting minors. Kaitlyn Sand was sentenced by Judge Paul Stutesman in St. Joseph…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director LOCKPORT TWP. — The sun set Monday on a solar ordinance in Lockport Township. By a unanimous 5-0 vote, the Lockport Township Board approved a repeal of their 2023 solar ordinance, which governed large-scale and small-scale…

Some details revealed of committee meeting between Johnston, township officials By Robert TomlinsonNews Director LOCKPORT TWP. — In a sight that would have been unfathomable just last year, a sitting Three Rivers mayor was greeted with applause by Lockport Township…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director UPDATED 12:39 p.m. Jan. 16, 2026 WHITE PIGEON — White Pigeon Community Schools are closed Friday, Jan. 16 due to what district officials called a “potential threat.” In a Facebook post Friday morning, the district stated…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director CONSTANTINE — As a student at Constantine High School in the mid-to-late 2000s, Casey Smagala and his family weren’t able to afford many extracurricular opportunities that would have enhanced his educational experience, in particular the school’s…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director MENDON — A slow start did not faze the Mendon boys’ basketball team, as they erupted for a 29-6 advantage in the second quarter en route to a 69-38 drubbing of Marcellus in the first round…

MENDON TWP. — A man in Mendon Township is in stable and good condition at a local hospital after accidentally shooting himself. According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, the man, who was not identified, was placing a loaded…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director CENTREVILLE — Paige Nichole Bohne of Sturgis was sentenced in St. Joseph County 45th Circuit Court Thursday in the death of her 2-year-old child. The 22-year-old was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman to 225…

New initiative gets groceries, toiletries into students’ hands for free By Robert TomlinsonNews Director CENTREVILLE — According to Centreville Public Schools, in its over-900 student population, 53 percent of those students get free or reduced-price lunch every day. With food…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director VICKSBURG — Dominant first-quarter defense and tenacity down the stretch led to the Three Rivers girls’ basketball team getting their first win of the 2025-26 season against Vicksburg Friday night, defeating the host Bulldogs 43-35. The…

Sentencing scheduled for Jan. 23 By Robert TomlinsonNews Director This article has been updated to reflect the actual age of Sand as 34. The Commercial-News apologizes for the error. CENTREVILLE — A former contracted food service employee at Mendon Junior/Senior…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director DETROIT — Schoolcraft’s first trip to the MHSAA Division 7 football state finals since 2001 Sunday ended in defeat, as the Eagles were stifled by a relentless Menominee team in a 34-6 loss at Ford Field.…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director THREE RIVERS — For decades, Make We Merry was a staple of the holiday season in the Three Rivers area. The annual holiday variety show, originally put on by the Three Rivers Community Players as their…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director BATTLE CREEK — Youth and experience have been two of the big keys to top-ranked Mendon volleyball’s run in the MHSAA Division 4 volleyball tournament. After Thursday’s sweep of third-ranked Ubly in the state semifinals at…

THREE RIVERS — One person was injured in a fire that occurred at a residence in Three Rivers Tuesday afternoon. According to the Three Rivers Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched at 4:01 p.m. to the 500 block of Ninth Street,…

By Robert TomlinsonNews Director THREE RIVERS — For the first time in over a decade, Tom Lowry will not be the mayor of Three Rivers. On Tuesday, voters in the City of Three Rivers elected Angel Johnston to be the…