Indiana Michigan Power will begin tree trimming near high-voltage transmission lines in southwest Michigan this week. The process will require the use of an aerial saw, company officials said. The work is routine maintenance to remove overhanging or encroaching branches that can interfere with reliable energy delivery. I & M is contracting with Aerial Solutions Inc. to perform the work …

Sturgis City Commission members last week approved a bid for road milling and resurfacing projects. The tasks are on schedule to occur over the summer. A bid in excess of $720,000 from Northern Construction Services Corporation was approved. Sturgis City Manager Andrew Kuk said work will be performed on three streets and will be done as part of the 2023 …

Organizers of the semiannual electronics recycling and collection of household hazardous waste had no idea what to expect Wednesday, as the event for the first time in its 17-year history was held on a weekday. Pat Kulikowski, secretary of the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee, said the turnout exceeded her expectations. The collection was forced to a weekday because …

A residential unit in Constantine was destroyed by fire earlier this week. Constantine Fire Chief Mike Haydon said crews were dispatched shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday to the 200 block of West Water Street. Meanwhile, Michigan State Police troopers arrived on scene and found that all residents were safely outside the residence. First-arriving fire units found the structure fully consumed …

Here’s a summary of bridge projects currently or soon to be active in the city of Three Rivers. Bridge rehabilitations in 2023 are comprised of 5th Avenue, West Hoffman Street and Broadway Street. Bridges will be closed based on the following schedule: 5th Avenue, through May 13. West Hoffman Street, also through May 13. Broadway Street, through June 16. Total …

I am orphan “Annie”.  I am a mixed breed, quiet girl.  The people here think I am about one and a half years old.  I am housetrained, I get along with other dogs and I love to give hugs and kisses.  I enjoy walks.  My docket number is 54878 at the St. Joseph County Animal Control; 652 E. Main (M86), …

A Three Rivers man was sentenced to as many as 15 years in prison for his 10th conviction of drunken driving. Jeremy Tomlinson, 41, was sentenced to a minimum of 37 months and a maximum of 15 years Monday during proceedings in Branch County Circuit Court. Tomlinson pleaded guilty to felony operating under the influence of alcohol as a fourth-habitual …

Two Cass County entities were recipients of grants issued through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. In all, 31 recipients shared grants from a pool of $2 million as part of the agency’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program. Funding is to be used to supplement innovative neighborhood-housing initiatives that make a positive impact in low-to-middle-income areas. Examples include exterior rehabilitation, housing enhancements, …

March’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by three-tenths of a percent from February. Figures from the monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget show St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate fell from 5.1 percent in February to 4.8 percent in March. St. Joseph County’s March 2022 unemployment rate was 3.8 percent. In addition, Cass …

Sturgis Hospital is taking the next step to converting to a rural emergency hospital model. Jeremy Gump, hospital board president, told the Sturgis City Commission last week that as of 7 a.m. today, the hospital will cease admitting inpatients. The announcement was made to hospital employees April 25, Gump said. Emergency services and lab services will continue, Gump said. In …