Mendon Community Schools Superintendent Leasa Griffith said Mendon High School and the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Department are teaming up to offer first-dose vaccinations Tuesday at the high school. The focus will be Mendon High School students ages 16 years of age and older, Griffith said. Information was sent home to parents last week and is available online through the …

Officials from Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy announced last week they are able to resume Wednesday Warrior Workdays. Volunteers have been advised to incorporate precautions such as practicing social distancing, wearing masks, driving separately to workday locations and using contact tracing. According to agency official Miko Dargitz, the new safety protocol system has been running smoothly. In addition to Wednesday Warriors, …

A 28-year-old man charged with stalking and drug-related offenses was sentenced last week in Branch County. The sentence issued to Travis McCann stems from an incident last fall in Branch County’s Matteson Township. McCann was sentenced to nine months in jail after he entered a guilty plea in March to a charge of aggravated stalking and possession of less than …

Glen Oaks Community College, the new regional host site for the State Motorcycle Safety Training course, has announced details of its upcoming session. For bikers to receive a motorcycle endorsement in Michigan, they are required to complete a basic-skills course. The course has most recently been held at Sturgis Middle School. Paul Aivars, Glen Oaks director of business outreach, said …

Two men were injured earlier this week following a crash in Branch County’s California Township. Sheriff’s deputies said 32-year-old Evan Lindsley of Fort Wayne failed to obey a stop sign on Copeland Road at the intersection of Fremont Road. His vehicle crashed into a car driven by 69-year-old James Wagenknecht of Hamilton, Ind. He was traveling north on Fremont Road. …

Here I am, one of the three siblings at Animal Control.  My brother and sister, Fred and Ginger would love to see me get a new home.  I want to dance my way into your heart faster than my sister.  My name is Rita, my docket number is 50582 at the St. Joseph County Animal Control Shelter located at 652 …

A decision to hire a deputy clerk for the county court’s civil division was approved by a slim margin Tuesday. A 3-to-2 vote resulted in an exception to the county’s hiring freeze and granted the request made by district court administrator/magistrate Tabitha Wedge. The $60,000-a-year position was discussed at length during the commission’s executive committee meeting last week. As they …

Legislation supported by State Sen. Kim LaSata could land a significant grant to a St. Joseph County department. LaSata recently voted for Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund legislation, which would help support projects in Berrien and St. Joseph counties. If signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the legislation would provide St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department $50,000 to …

St. Joseph County commissioners approved appointing Sturgis-area residents Warren Atkins and Michael Wilson to the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority Board. Their terms are for a two-year period. The action took place during Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting. Also, commissioners granted undersheriff Jason Bingaman permission to hire a replacement for an administrative assistant. The position was vacated last week upon …

A gathering scheduled to take place this weekend to celebrate a new park in Three Rivers has been postponed one week. The 80-acre Armstrong Park, located between North Main Street and Buckhorn Road, will be the site of the ceremonial grand opening at 9 a.m. May 1. Park officials said the threat of inclement weather this weekend prompted the one-week …