The contract of Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency Health Officer Rebecca Burns was renewed for another 12 months. In addition, Burns will receive a 10 percent pay raise. The action took place during Monday’s tri-county board meeting. Burns, whose salary is nearly $90,000, will remain in place through at least the end of 2022. The board also approved a $3,500 …

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting event Monday saw Centreville Public Schools officials observe its new bus garage and maintenance facility. The 5,000-square-foot building also serves as a storage facility, replacing a now-razed structure that sat north of Centreville Elementary. Superintendent Stephanie Lemmer said the original bus garage was built in the early 1950s, shortly after the end of WWII. Unlike its predecessor, …

October’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by seven-tenths of a percent from September. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget was released recently. It showed St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate fell from 4.9 percent in September to 4.2 percent in October. The rate was 5.4 percent 12 months earlier. Meanwhile, Cass County …

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating a residential burglary from a home in Sturgis Township. Investigators were called around noon Wednesday to a residence in the 70000 block of Stubey Road. Authorities said three or more suspects broke into a home, and stole jewelry and two pistols. The suspects were driving a silver sedan believed to be a Cadillac CTS.

Cass County sheriff’s deputies responded over the weekend to a single-vehicle crash in Newberg Township. Sheriff Richard Behnke said deputies were called at 2:45 p.m. Saturday to an area on M-60, west of Corey Lake Road. Behnke said a vehicle driven by Annamae Davis, 24, of Kalamazoo, went off the roadway. Davis told authorities she fell asleep while driving. The …

State Rep. Steve Carra last week introduced a plan to make it easier for schools to hire substitute teachers by removing the college-credit requirement for substitutes. Carra said the legislation would help public schools facing a shortage of substitute teachers. Even before COVID-19, schools were struggling to bring in enough substitute teachers, Carra said, noting his plan will eliminate a …

Threats of violence last week resulted in lockdowns at both Three Rivers and Colon schools. On Friday, Three Rivers Community Schools interim superintendent Nikki Nash reported a tip had resulted in a lockdown at Three Rivers Middle School. A tip also had been received at Three Rivers High School earlier in the week. Meanwhile, on Thursday, students and staff were reported …

Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett said he had a request to buy a lot at 1047 Canaris St. The parcel was given to the village several years ago for back taxes. Honeysett said the lot is located in a commercial district, so a home cannot be built there unless the zoning classification is changed. No one has occupied a dwelling …

Thursday’s meeting of the board of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph County Health Agency never started after a small group of audience members refused to comply with COVID-19 safety requirements for entering the building. Most were there to object to a new contract for Health Officer Rebecca Burns, who had instituted mask and quarantine orders for schools until the state legislature banned …

I am ready for Santa’s milk and cookies.  I have my bib on.  I am “Dixie”,  I am two years old and have been spayed.  I have been here awhile and I would be so happy to be in my new home by Christmas.  My docket number is 51375, at the St. Joseph County Animal Control Shelter located at 652 …