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Officials from the Mendon School Foundation announced this week that a retired Mendon Middle School teacher who passed away last summer left the foundation $1.7 million. Math teacher Jan Hollenbeck, who spent 27 years with the district, left the money with the stipulation that it be used for scholarship funds to support Mendon High School graduates who go on to …

A press conference has been scheduled for 10 o’clock Monday morning by St. Joseph County Probate Court Judge Tom Shumaker regarding a new, proactive drug prevention and educational program centering on St. Joseph County’s teen population. The program is a collaboration between St. Joseph County police agencies, in partnership with the Prosecutor’s Office, Juvenile Court, Community Mental Health Substance Abuse …

Credits from a four-year university may soon be secured from a location in Sturgis, as Trine University is expected to start offering classes in the Commons Building of Sturgis Public Schools. The Angola, Ind.-based college is set to offer classes toward a bachelor’s degree in a number of fields, including business administration, emergency management, applied management, computer science and psychology, …

The St. Joseph County Transportation Authority is starting a new, weekly route with service to and from the Battle Creek VA Medical Center at Fort Custer. CTA executive director Steve Yorks said the inaugural trip takes place today and will continue every Wednesday. The round-trip cost is $20 and the Three Rivers-based agency needs 48 hours advance notice to coordinate …

The city of Sturgis has announced that railroad work beginning next week on West Chicago Road will close a section of the city’s most heavily traveled east-west roadway. The Michigan Department of Transportation will be conducting repairs on the railroad crossing starting Monday. The work will close U.S. 12 to thru traffic east of Jacob Street and west of Jefferson …

County sheriff’s deputies investigated the robbery of a Pizza Hut delivery person late Tuesday night. The incident occurred in the area of Wilbur and Null Roads in Lockport Township. The suspect vehicle was stopped a short time later on North Main Street in Three Rivers. Four suspects were taken into custody.

The City of Three Rivers is warning Scidmore Park supporters about a website donation scam. There are links from Facebook pages to a website not created nor authorized by the city. The illicit website encourages people to send funds to any of three prospective recipients: the City of Three Rivers, Friends of Scidmore Park, or the Three Rivers Area Community …

For the first time since the middle of 2011, St. Joseph County’s monthly unemployment rate saw an increase from the previous month. The county’s December unemployment rate was 9.2 percent, a nine-tenths of a percent increase from November’s 8.3 percent. Data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget Analysis shows the 9.2 percent figure was still a …

Village officials in Colon have indicated there will not be a Winter Festival this year. After an inaugural winter celebration took place in 2010, the one-day, end-of-January festival did not return for a follow-up in 2011 due to lack of volunteers, according to village president Tom Whitford. The idea of trying it again for 2012 was mulled last fall, but …

A lifelong Park Township resident has accepted an offer to serve as St. Joseph County treasurer. Judie Ratering will serve the rest of 2012 as treasurer following a consensus reached early Thursday by a three-member panel. The 52-year-old Ratering will succeed Phyllis Bainbridge, who is retiring next week due to health issues. Ratering currently serves as a mortgage lender at …