Lockport Township has appointed an interim supervisor. Paul Bungart will serve in the capacity until the November election. He fills the void left by Ray Signorello, who decided last month to step down due to work-related commitments. Bungart had served on the township board as treasurer for more than 27 years before he gave up the post in 2014. Bungart …

Searchers have recovered the body of a man who drowned while trying to rescue his 15-year-old son in a lake northeast of Kalamazoo. Danyelle Phillips jumped into Gull Lake on Saturday. Another person grabbed his son and got the boy back to a boat, but the 39-year-old Phillips disappeared. The sheriff’s office says his body was recovered Sunday night. Relatives …

The April unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by four-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 3.4 percent April unemployment rate was less than March’s 3.8 percent. April’s unemployment rate was eight-tenths of a percent less than the same month …

The World Health Organization and its partners are marking World No-Tobacco Day Tuesday, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is joining WHO, and thousands of organizations and individuals around the globe in an effort to raise awareness about the health harms caused by …

A 32-year-old Union City man was arrested last week on alcohol-related charges in Branch County. State police said a trooper attempted to pull over a driver at 11 p.m. Thursday on Athens Road, near Mendon Road, in Sherwood Township for an equipment violation. The driver, a 32-year-old Union City man, continued driving north on Athens Road and a subsequent road …

Dental clinics to serve Medicaid and uninsured patients are expected to open in Sturgis and Coldwater by the end of September after approval of an inter-local contract Thursday. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency board has approved a recommended agreement with non-profit My Community Dental Centers. Health Officer Rebecca Burns said it will fill a much-needed service in both communities, …

Clara Ann Doan, age 74, died on Saturday, May 28, 2016. In accordance with family wishes, cremation will be conducted and private services will be held at a later date. Arrangements were handled by Hohner Funeral Home.

Mrs. Elva May Palmer, age 89, of Three Rivers, formerly of Battle Creek, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at her home with her family at her side.  She was born in Three Rivers, MI., on September 8, 1926 the daughter of the late Edmund and Nellie (Ash) Smallcombe. Elva attended Three Rivers Schools and graduated with the …

Donna J. Hendricks, 65, of Sturgis, passed away Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, following an extended illness. She was born July 1, 1950, in Three Rivers, a daughter of Harold G. and B. Juanita (Schultz) Wesse. She was a resident of Sturgis since 2009, coming from Centreville and White Pigeon, where she graduated high school. …

Jeffrey A. Schwartz, age 41, of Burr Oak, died unexpectedly on Thursday, May 26, 2016, at his home. Jeff was born in Kalamazoo, November 8, 1974 to Wayne Schwartz and Carolyn Allen. He graduated from Centreville High School in 1993. Jeff attended Glen Oaks Community College and later graduated from Ferris State University with a Nuclear Medicine Technician degree. He …