The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is warning area residents concerning an outbreak of a respiratory disease known as Human Enterovirus 68, as cases of the illness have been identified in Michigan. Symptoms begin consistent with the onset of a regular cold, but quickly escalate to more serious conditions. Children with colds that quickly develop wheezing, difficulty breathing, fever, a …

The 4-H cat show, staged as part of the St. Joseph County Grange Fair, will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday in the community tent at the fairgrounds, three days prior to the official start of the annual fair. Shelly Starr, a 4-H leader of 18 cats in this year’s show, wishes to invite the public to watch. Other pre-opening …

Crews from Grand Rapids-based Pitsch Companies this week started demolition of the Wood Motel in Sturgis. At $62,000, Pitsch was low bidder for the project authorized by the city commission. Workers estimate it will take about 10 semi-truck loads to haul away debris and that the job, which started Monday, will likely be done by the end of the day …

A couple of weeks ago, I had my final pool therapy session at Health TRAC, here in Three Rivers.I had nine sessions altogether, which is what my neurosurgeion had prescribed rather than cutting open my back and scraping away on my spine in order to relieve the pressure on my nerves. Anyway, the pool sessions were fantastic, but tiring, and …

The St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit concluded a several-month investigation regarding the distribution of methamphetamine. The suspect, Mark Allen Holst, 50, of White Pigeon, was arrested after he was found in possession of more than four ounces of crystal methamphetamine. Investigators said the quantity of drug would have had an approximate street value of $11,500. The SCAN unit then …

Troopers from the Michigan State Police are investigating a break-in earlier this week at Pine View Golf Course. Investigators said the Flowerfield Township business was broken into between 8:30 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. Monday. The course’s clubhouse and cart barn were entered but it is not known at this time if anything was stolen.

Organizers of Saturday’s 31st Sturgis Toy Run are calling the event a success, as more than 1,500 toys were collected. Not only were toys and money collected from the 390 riders who took part in the 75-mile procession, but people who attended the Toy Run after-party were required to make a toy and financial contribution. The Toy Run also drew …

A need for a central source of information was the recurring theme expressed during a public-input session Monday in Sturgis to help with the establishment of a river trail master plan. About a dozen people attended and told officials from Edgewater Resources that a website, blog, link through the county’s homepage or some easy-to-track source be established to keep paddlers …

Robert  L.  Mallo, age 78, of Constantine, passed away Sunday, September 7, 2014 at Three Rivers Health Hospital. He was born in Constantine on February 11, 1936, a son of Howard and Mildred (Eby) Mallo. Bob graduated from Constantine High School in 1954. On October 10, 1959 he married Julia Butler at Porter Baptist Church in Constantine. He served in the U.S. …

Charles “Chuck” Riggs, age 60, of Marcellus, MI, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, September 7, 2014 at Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, MI He was born June 17, 1954 in Dowagiac, MI, the son of Robert and Marlene (Stevens) Riggs. On June 30, 1973 in Buchanan, MI he married Carol Ann Lamb who survives. He has been employed with the Village of …