News

Michigan reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending June 26, adding about 10,700 new cases. That’s down 31.4 percent from the previous week’s tally of just over 15,500 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported 37 cases. A week earlier, it had reported 60 cases. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 14,092 cases …

Deputies responded earlier this week to a single-vehicle crash in Colon Township. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies were called shortly after 12:30 a.m. Monday to the area of Burr Oak Road and West Palmer Lake Road, where the victim was trapped inside the vehicle. Upon arrival, Deputies located a single-family home fully engulfed in flames. Deputies noted that the driver’s …

Sturgis officials have issued a reminder that fireworks within the city limits are allowed during specified times and dates. According to a city-issued media release, reasonable levels of noise associated with fireworks will be allowed until 11:45 p.m. today through Monday. The city’s noise ordinance will be in enforced for all complaints related to fireworks outside those days and after …

Registered nurses at Three Rivers Health-Beacon Health System have ratified a new contract that will help recruit and retain nurses and enable them to provide safe, quality care. According to a media release from Michigan Nurses Association, nurses had been working under a contract that expired March 31 and voted Friday to approve the tentative agreement reached between them and …

Three Rivers Police said the agency has released the name of a St. Joseph River drowning victim. Det. Sam Smallcombe said the body of Donovan Forsythe, 26, of Princeton, N.C., was pulled Saturday evening from the river after the kayak he was operating capsized shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday on the St. Joseph River in the area of River Drive …

A committee of Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Health Agency members discussed adding Juneteenth to its official holiday calendar, along with Veterans Day. The agency’s board policy committee discussed the matter last week. Agency officials said municipal governments worked Monday last week and almost all private businesses did, too. Some county offices were open and since Juneteenth was not on the calendar for …

May’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County increased by seven-tenths of a percent from April. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget was released last week and it showed St. Joseph County’s unemployment rate climbed from 3.4 percent in April to 4.1 percent in May. The rate was 6 percent 12 months earlier. Meanwhile, …

A Three Rivers man was killed in a traffic accident Friday morning, just prior to 7:00, in Kalamazoo. The victim was identified as 46-year-old Jerry Wahmhoff. He was reportedly traveling southbound on Sprinkle Road, riding his motorcycle, when he collided with a westbound semi-rig on the I-94 Business Loop. Wahmhoff, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the …

A longtime business in Constantine Township was destroyed by fire last week. Graber Industries, an RV supply retailer in the 19000 block of Fairchild Road, caught fire around 10 a.m. Friday morning. Smoke from the blaze could be seen from as far away as Colon, Bronson and Middlebury. Multiple buildings were destroyed, though fire departments kept the blaze secured as much …

Sturgis Hospital is facing mounting financial deficits, and officials from the medical facility have turned to the city for help. Hospital officials approached Sturgis City Commission last week to ask for a $645,000 loan to keep the facility open until a decision is made for $15 million in emergency funding. If approved by the state, that $15 million to fund …