News

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 …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has approved a travel request made by animal control director Tom Miller. Miller has been offered a $500 travel allocation by the ASPCA to attend the Animal Care Expo May 20-23 in Florida. The grant will cover the cost of the conference registration and hotel room. Miller said he would pay out-of-pocket any …

State Rep. Matt Lori has commended the Michigan House of Representatives for approving a package of bills to remove the word “retarded” and various iterations from Michigan state law. The eight-bill package, including Lori’s House Bill 5345, puts Michigan in line with all but six other states that have removed the word from their law books. Lori, who serves on …

Local law-enforcement agencies are looking for a red, small-size pickup truck involved in a hit-and-run incident last week in Park Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said a 23-year-old Portage woman was driving south on U.S. 131 Thursday when the vehicle in front of her lost control and spun out south of Michigan Avenue. The vehicle driven by the …

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is reporting the third death in the tri-county area this season due to complications from influenza. This is the second death of a St. Joseph County resident, though the death of the elderly man occurred in an out-of-county facility. In each of the three cases, there were underlying conditions that may have been the …

A county parks system featuring larger parcels with greater, natural-resource-based recreational opportunities was identified as a major component of the St. Joseph County Parks and Recreation Department newly developed master plan. John Pence, director of the agency, presented a summary of the five-year plan to members of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. He said instead of operating …

A Constantine woman was treated for injuries she received Monday following a two-vehicle accident in Fabius Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said 33-year-old Maylynn Kitchen of Constantine was driving south on U.S. 131 when her vehicle was struck by a car eastbound on M-60. Investigators said Megan Belew, a 33-year-old Delton resident, failed to yield the right of …

The Animal Rescue Fund of St. Joseph County has announced the date of its annual Dinner Auction, the agency’s largest fundraiser of the year. The event will be March 22 at Belle Époque in downtown Three Rivers. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. with a live auction starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at Beam Sound and …

A Branch County man has been charged with felony animal abuse after sheriff’s deputies found a dead horse and nine others that were underfed on his farm in Ovid Township. The Branch County Sheriff’s Department said Geoffrey Eickmann, 33, was arrested Thursday after a warrant was issued. He remains at the county jail in Coldwater under a $25,000 bond after …