Officials from the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency continue to investigate incidents of pertussis in St. Joseph County. About 320 people have been treated with antibiotics in the past month, according to Val Newton, prevention services director. Occurrences began in June, then spread. Newton said treatment has been confined to the Amish community, with one exception. The Amish family volunteered …

A White Pigeon High School graduate last weekend claimed the crown of Mrs. America. The former Mekayla Diehl claimed the crown at the Westgate Resort and Casino from a field of 51 contestants Saturday. Mekayla Eppers, a Bristol resident, represented Indiana, as she did during the Miss USA competition in 2015. The 28-year-old Eppers qualified for the Mrs. America pageant …

Members of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Board of St. Joseph County terminated the agency’s executive director Tuesday. The board cited four points that its members said constitute cause for the termination of Liz O’Dell. The 68-year-old O’Dell has been with the agency more than 20 years, the past 10 as its director. Board member Kathy Pangle made …

Thirty Abbott employees and seven members of the St. Joseph County Conservation District took part in a special river cleanup Monday. The volunteers broke into three groups and cleared debris from the Portage River from the Portage Lake public access in Mendon Township to Carpenter Road in Lockport Township. Event organizer Carolyn Grace said the Abbott employees were given the …

Enrollment for the 2017-18 academic year is higher than expected at Centreville Public Schools, the district’s board of education learned Monday. First-year superintendent Stephanie Lemmer said the count is 810 students, 40 more than projected. Lemmer said as a result, she recommended hiring additional sixth-grade and kindergarten teachers, a junior/senior high reading interventionist, and fill part-time librarian, physical education and …

Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett last week presented village council members with documents related to medical marijuana facilities. The documents, he said, were delivered by attorney Travis Copenhaver of Cannabis Attorneys of Michigan. Copenhaver has made numerous municipal presentations on the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act, including a recent presentation in Three Rivers. Honeysett said he was not asking the …

A residence in Branch County’s Sherwood Township was broken in to earlier this month, according to state police. The incident occurred between 7 a.m. Aug. 15 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18 in the 1300 block of Haughey Drive. The victim told investigators an assortment of items was stolen.

Well, here I am at Animal Control. Oh how I love to talk. When anybody walks by my unit I start meowing. I am a beautiful Black and white, female kitten. I am five months old. I am sharing this unit with my brother. I am ready to find my new home. My docket number is BIO17-000267, at the St. …

Timothy Allen Gordon, age 58, of Sturgis, passed away Monday evening, Aug. 28, 2017, at the home of his daughter in Constantine. He was born Nov. 5, 1958, in Sturgis, a son of the late Donald Oris and Peggy Lou (Fennell) Gordon. Tim resided in the Sturgis, Burr Oak and Centreville area most of his life and was a graduate …

Donna J. White, age 85, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, July 16, 2017. She was born in 1931 in Flint, the daughter of Doris Brown and Lloyd Cook. She graduated from Grand Blanc High School and then Bronson Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Kalamazoo where she became a registered nurse. She married Albert White in 1952. Donna …