The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has announced the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 has been identified in a Branch County COVID-positive resident. The individual has been in isolation since initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Variant identification was learned after further testing of the initial specimen called “sequencing,” according to agency health officer Rebecca Burns. All three counties in the tri-county area have now …

The Farm Bureau Family of Companies has announced a $100,000 pledge to benefit Michigan State University’s Project RAISE (Raise for Agriculture Industries, Shows and Education), an initiative to expand the university’s Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. MSU has proposed a $4 million, 40,000-square-foot expansion through Project RAISE to increase capacity and meet the future needs of Michigan’s agricultural community. The expansion will provide a second indoor arena allowing concurrent events, increased animal housing, …

All people ages 16 and older in Michigan became eligible for COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, as the state passed the halfway point in its goal of inoculating 70% of that population by year’s end. More than 36% of roughly 8.1 million residents had received at least one shot as of Sunday, a share that has tripled in two months. Federal …

A Kalamazoo man was arrested last week after he led authorities on a pursuit that ended in the city of Three Rivers. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies became involved in the pursuit shortly after 6 a.m. Friday. The vehicle, a Ford passenger car, was observed speeding as it was traveling north on Lutz Road, near Fairchild Road. Deputies attempted to …

February’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County, and its neighboring counties, was lower than the rate in January. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which showed the county’s drop in unemployment, was released last week. St. Joseph County’s 5.2 percent unemployment rate for February was down from 5.8 percent the previous month. Meanwhile, …

Here’s the latest COVID-19 update from the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department. Agency officials said they are now administering Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson to all residents 18 years of age and older. Through last week, the department had administered in Cass County nearly 8,700 shots, which represents about one-fifth of the county’s population. Cumulative COVID-19 cases in Cass County …

“Happiness makes up in height, what it lacks in length.” ~ Robert Frost Welcome to April, 2021. Thanks to all you readers, I am now starting my sixteenth year writing this column. When I started the column, this newspaper was delivered to your home and was available at several newspaper stands six days a week. A lot has changed over …

Katie Ann Miller, age 89, of Centreville, passed away on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at her home.  Katie was born in Nappanee, Indiana on June 1, 1931, a daughter of Jacob and Lizzie (Borkholder) Borkholder.  She attended school at Locke Center and Locke Schools in Indiana. Katie previously worked for Wise Lunch in Sturgis.  On June 9, 1956, she married …

William A. Beppler III, age 73, of Sturgis, passed away on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at the Heartland Health Care Center in Three Rivers. He was born March 4, 1948 in Ann Arbor, a son to the late William A. and Eleanor (McDonald) Beppler Jr. William graduated from Constantine High School and also from Ferris State University with a degree …

Pfizer is expected to start building a new pharmaceutical production facility in Kalamazoo County. The drugmaker broke ground Wednesday on the multi-story, 420,000-square-foot building on Pfizer’s global manufacturing campus in Portage, MLive.com reported. It is expected to bring 450 new jobs to the area. The $465 million facility is expected to be in operation in 2025, according to Pfizer. The …