County Information

Here’s a reminder that a trio of community-visioning workshops are taking place in coming weeks to help determine the future of Three Rivers. Community visioning is a planning tool that enables residents, business owners and local institutions to have a voice in the decision-making process of their community. The workshops have been planned to gather information from residents about what …

A two-vehicle collision last week on U.S. 131 in Park Township sent an Indiana man to the hospital and closed the northbound lane for more than four hours. State police said a semi driven by Hector Fuentes, of Comstock Park, was heading west off Heimbach Road when he pulled into the path of a northbound U.S. 131 vehicle driven by …

State Rep. Aaron Miller was named by Speaker Kevin Cotter to serve on the House Appropriations Committee, where he will chair the House State Police Appropriations Subcommittee and serve on three additional subcommittees. In addition to the chairmanship of the State Police Subcommittee, Miller will serve as vice chair on the Department of Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee and will be …

A 30-year-old Howe, Ind., man was arrested last week on charges related to criminal sexual conduct. Keith Lewis Jr. has been charged with one count of first-degree CSC, two counts of second-degree CSC and one count of cruelty toward a child. Lewis is accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old child in 2013 at a St. Joseph County home. Additional details …

The Glen Oaks Community College Board of Trustees last week adopted a tuition-reimbursement policy for employees. The program is aimed to help eligible employees improve job skills and enhance opportunities for advancement. Full-time employees on the job at least a year as a regular-status employee are eligible. Courses must be from an accredited college, university or trade school and must …

No injuries were reported during a house fire earlier this week in the city of Three Rivers. The fire department responded to 424 Fourth Ave. at 9 p.m. Wednesday to find heavy smoke coming from the two-story structure. Crews had the fire under control in 20 minutes. Fifteen firefighters responded and were on the scene for approximately two-and-a-half hours. A …

The Branch and St. Joseph counties offices of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Department will sponsor free hearing and vision screening opportunities in February in honor of Low-Vision Month. Hearing and vision technicians will be available to screen homeschoolers or children who have missed their screening date and need to be screened. An in-house clinic takes place 9 a.m. to …

Sturgis city commissioners have approved a contract for construction of a handicapped- access ramp to the fishing pier at St. Joseph County’s Pahl Point Park, near Centreville. The $10,100 project was endorsed by the board during its Wednesday meeting this week. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission required Sturgis to make recreation improvements at its hydroelectric plant as a prerequisite for …

St. Joseph County has been awarded $3 million over the next three years for a new Early Head Start program that local educators say has the potential to change the landscape of preschool child care countywide. The competitive grant — one of only three awarded in Michigan — is expected to have impact on the kindergarten readiness of more than …

The St. Joseph County Water Trail Master Plan will be open for public comment starting Friday. The document will be available in hard copy at the county courthouse in Centreville and digitally on the county’s website. The public-comment session runs through Feb. 16. According to Suzanne Fromson, landscape architect with Edgewater Resources, the plan outlines a strategy to help the …