Health and Wellness

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency’s Board of Health has released its “Certificates of Excellence” in food service for the year 2013. The 97 recipients in the three-county region represent food establishments that were able to meet stringent criteria during the year. The 32 St. Joseph County locations that received Certificates of Excellence included schools in Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon, …

A 20-year-old Centreville resident was cited for careless driving after his car struck a parked vehicle Thursday morning in downtown Centreville. Charles Parker was cited after he failed to clear ice from his vehicle’s windshield, according to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department. The distraction was a factor in a collision with a parked vehicle in which 74-year-old Roy Buel …

A 15-year-old Leonidas teen is spearheading a fundraiser this weekend to support the Great Lakes Burn Camp. Shyannah Stevens, with some help from members of the Leonidas Fire Department, is overseeing a pancake breakfast 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Leonidas Grange Hall. All donations will go toward the camp that hosts teenagers who are burn victims. The one-week …

Results of a needs-assessment questionnaire, distributed jointly by Sturgis Hospital and Three Rivers Health, have been released. The second of five fields focuses on Access to Health Care. The results show leading issues among 620 respondents relate to a lack of affordable health insurance coverage, the cost of medical care and the lack of access to services. Other data from …

Sturgis Hospital has announced a temporary, 5-percent salary reduction that took effect at the start of this week. Union representatives agreed to the action last Wednesday, according to hospital officials. It is effective for the next eight biweekly pay periods. The reduction applies to all 350 employees, including management. Hospital officials said a decline in patient volume beginning last fall …

The Cass County Sheriff’s Department responded last weekend to its second snowmobile accident within a five-day period. Deputies were called at 12:04 a.m. to Newberg Township, where a snowmobile overturned in an area near M-40 and Hoffman Street. Sheriff’s officials said a snowmobile driven by Daniel Castellanos, age not stated, overturned as he was riding up a hill on private …

Three Rivers City Manager Joe Bippus and his wife, Cheryl, were crowned the winners of the inaugural Dancing With the St. Joseph County Stars event Friday. Staged at Glen Oaks Community College’s Nora Hagen Theater, the fundraiser featured six teams. The couples and their respective coaches volunteered their time as part of the fundraiser to benefit the St. Joseph County …

A 44-year-old Edwardsburg man was treated for minor injuries Thursday after he was involved in a snowmobile accident in Penn Township. Cass County Sheriff Joseph Underwood Jr. said deputies were called around 4:15 p.m. to Dutch Settlement Street and Decatur Road. The victim, Robert Frick, told police he was traveling on a snowmobile trail when he lost control and his …

Results of a needs-assessment questionnaire, distributed jointly by Sturgis Hospital and Three Rivers Health, have been released. Following several months of compiling and analyzing data, the two health centers are spreading word of the survey results. According to the St. Joseph County 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment, issues associated with mental health were a concern for 53 percent of survey respondents. …

Two men and a woman were arrested Tuesday in Sturgis on methamphetamine-related charges. The St. Joseph County Area Narcotics unit executed a search warrant in the 400 block of Center Avenue following an investigation of suspected drug activity inside the residence. Once inside, investigators discovered evidence of the use and manufacture of meth, including hazardous materials, department officials said. A …