Two dozen employees will be recognized during a special St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting later today. The annual employee service award event features 24 recipients whose years of service range from 10 years to four decades. Friend of the Court employee Andrea Guy is a 40-year employee who will be presented with a clock to commemorate her longevity. …

Seven area high school teams qualified for the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s playoffs. All games are slated to be played at 7 o’clock Friday night. In 8-player Division 1, a battle of 8-1 teams will square off in Kalamazoo County, where Mendon takes on Climax-Scotts. In 8-player Division 2, a pair of teams with 7-2 records are on a …

A Sturgis woman is hospitalized and in critical condition following a house fire. Sturgis Department of Public Safety personnel said firefighters were called shortly before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to a residential fire in the 400 block of Center Avenue. Authorities were advised a woman and child were trapped inside the structure. Emergency personnel tried to enter the second story of …

Three streets in Constantine will be rebuilt next year. Village council members earlier this week approved a bid of nearly $900,000 with contractor Rieth Riley for work on Industrial Drive, Meyers Street and Florence Road. Village officials said cost of the work is being supplemented by a $250,000 Transportation Economic Funds grant. Work is expected to begin in May.

Three Rivers Community Schools is poised to purchase two new electric school buses. District officials agreed Monday to pursue the purchase of the 71-passenger buses, using about $940,000 in federal and state funds. The new vehicles will double the number of electric buses the district has in its fleet; the other two were added in 2019. Grant funding was provided …

Michigan Department of Transportation officials announced one lane of northbound U.S. 131 in Schoolcraft is now open to traffic. Agency officials said the step was taken this week and marks the beginning of the end of the $51 million investment. Originally slated to be completed by the end of November, the second year of the two-year project is on track …

Christina Yunker will get a two-month tryout as a member of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. The unexpected, early membership to the seven-member board is the result of commissioner Dennis Allen announcing his resignation effective Oct. 31. News of Allen’s decision to not complete his two-year term – which expires Dec. 31 – was shared during Tuesday’s special …

Two items of significant value were stolen from a residence last week in Lockport Township. Michigan State Police troopers responded Thursday to a location in the 17000 block of South River Road in response to an incident of theft that occurred earlier in the day. Stolen items were a Bad Boy brand, zero-turn lawn mower, and a Whirlpool double-door stainless …

St. Joseph County in 2023 experienced its fewest deaths since 2019. The 508 deaths recorded last year were the lowest since 507 registered in 2019, according to Patrick Hansma, from Western Michigan University’s School of Medicine. Hansma presented the medical examiner’s 2023 report to the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners last week. For the sake of comparison, there were …

A years-long journey for Vicksburg officials was celebrated Monday, when a dedication and ceremonial ribbon cutting acknowledged the village’s new municipal building. The 25-minute program featured a number of dignitaries who commended village officials for using cash on hand to cover the $2.7 million it took to construct the 7,800-square-foot building. Village Manager Jim Mallery called the event “a historical …