An annual allocation to a three-county agency was approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. With unanimous support, commissioners agreed to quarterly payments totaling $307,700 to finance a portion of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency. The county also agreed to commit its annual $1 contribution to fulfill terms related to its building lease agreement with the …

St. Joseph County officials on Tuesday approved a contract with county administrator Teresa Doehring. A lifelong Mendon-area resident, the 45-year-old Doehring is beginning her third year as county administrator. She also serves as county controller. Doehring will have five weeks of paid vacation time and be paid an annual salary of $101,000, retroactive to Dec. 1. Doehring served as the …

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a three-vehicle accident earlier this week in Burr Oak Township. According to a department media release, deputies were called shortly before 5 p.m. Monday to the intersection of Hackman and McKale roads. Deputies said a car driven by 74-year-old Sturgis resident George Jordan struck the rear of a tractor driven by Matthew Holden, 32, of Centreville. …

Pauline Mary Harris, age 95 of Nottawa, passed away on Monday, January 6, 2020 at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo surrounded by her family, after suffering a stroke.  Pauline was born in Kalamazoo on May 7, 1924, a daughter of Paul and Hilda (VanDeVoorde) Schelb.  She graduated from Richland High School in 1942. On August 1, 1954, she married Charles …

Two people were arrested on drug-related offenses following a traffic stop over the weekend in Three Rivers. According to a media release from the Three Rivers Police Department, a vehicle was stopped Saturday evening for an equipment violation at Broadway and Fifth streets. K9 Djengo was called to the scene and acted in a manner consistent with detecting an odor …

November’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was 1.3 percent lower than the previous month. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s 3.4 percent unemployment rate in November was down from October’s 4.7 percent. St. Joseph County was slightly above the state’s unemployment average, which was 3.2 percent in November. Employment …

A recent fundraiser to benefit teen suicide prevention raised more than $10,000. Bethan Hamilton, owner at Explicit CrossFit in Sturgis, said last month’s inaugural “Sweat-A-Thon” attracted 35 teams to the 12-hour event. Team members worked in one-hour shifts starting at 5 a.m. and took part in a variety of workout activities. Funds raised at the event will go through St. …

Sturgis American Legion, in a partnership with Salvation Army in Sturgis, helped to make Christmas brighter for 25 local families. Members of the Legion prepared, packaged and donated 25 meals consisting of smoked turkey with all the fixings, then delivered them to Salvation Army for distribution.

Michigan State Police troopers are investigating the theft of a pickup that occurred last week in Branch County’s Bethel Township. Investigators said the theft occurred between Dec. 24 and Wednesday in the 600 block of South Parham Road. The vehicle is described as 2008 Ford F-250, forest green in color with a black “Sno-way” snowplow attached to the front. The …

A Constantine resident recently announced her candidacy for state representative of Michigan’s 59th district. Amy East, a 1996 graduate of Constantine High School, is running as a Democrat. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2000 before earning a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. West has worked in the field of anthropology and archaeology for nearly 20 years, and …