The River Country Tourism Council recently conducted elections and announced a new slate of officers for the two-year term of 2015 to 2017. Officers are: President Herb Howard of America’s Best Value Inn & Suites, Three Rivers; Vice President Beth Hubbard, Corey Lake Orchard, Three Rivers; Treasurer BK Patel, Holiday Inn Express, Three Rivers; and Secretary Victor Naik, The Hampton …

Remonumentation contract agreements with three different companies highlight the agenda for today’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. The contracts are likely to be signed with Mostrom and Associates, Car and Associates, and Keiser Land Surveying. Also on the agenda is the county’s annual equalization report. In addition, a Nottawa Park Campground attendant agreement with Denise Franklin, and an …

A White Pigeon man was arrested last month in LaGrange County, Ind., on several drug charges, including possession of cocaine. Jose Rubio, 21, was jailed along with Rafael L. Luna, 29, of LaGrange, following a traffic stop near Howe. County deputies said the vehicle in which Rubio and Luna were riding was stopped for an equipment violation A search of …

Shaggy the dog, who wandered the Grand Rapids area for months before his capture, is making strides at an animal rescue and rehab facility. The Grand Rapids Press reports Shaggy, an 18-month-old Newfoundland mix, is among 13 other undomesticated dogs being taught to trust people at The Devoted Barn about 30 miles south of Detroit. The facility’s owner, Melissa Borden, …

A federal appeals court has upheld a judge’s ruling that bars a central Michigan city from enforcing a bans on charity collection bins. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati on Monday upheld a Grand Rapids federal judge’s 2014 decision to issue a temporary restraining order against the city of St. Johns. The group Planet Aid sued the …

A new celebration of magic is coming to southwestern Michigan in an effort to boost business in a small community and attract more visitors. “31 Flavors of Magic” takes place Saturday in Colon, with shows at a dozen locations and magicians performing for kids and adults, the Battle Creek Enquirer reported. The event is hosted by International Brotherhood of Magicians …

Sometimes fate taps you on the shoulder and you’re forced to make a split-second decision. For Muskegon County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Burns, that moment came two weeks ago. “It was my turn and it was my time to take action,” Burns told The Muskegon Chronicle ( http://bit.ly/1F0OKVo ) talking about an incident involving a fellow law enforcement officer he’s credited …

Motorists passing through downtown Mendon have discovered work on a major infrastructure-improvement project has already started. The five-month, $4.1 million task began Monday last week. The Michigan Department of Transportation has routed traffic one-way through the village, resulting in a detour for westbound traffic on M-60. The 1.1-mile reconstruction, which runs the length of the village limits, has been on …

The February unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by seven-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 4.5 percent February unemployment rate was less than January’s 5.2 percent. February’s unemployment rate was 2.3 percent less than the same month a year …

A 20-year-old Constantine man escaped injury last week after the vehicle he was driving went off the roadway and struck a tree in Sherman Township. Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff Department were dispatched at 5 p.m. Wednesday to Balk Road, where they found Jason Gagliardo. He told police he was traveling north on Balk Road when he swerved …