News

Organizers of the Three Rivers Water Festival said it is accepting applications for any group or individual interested in being in the 2022 parade. Parade date is June 16, with a backup of June 17 in the event of rain. Prospective participants will have to indicate basic information, including number of cars in their entry, number of people walking and …

The St. Joseph County Road Commission Board recently voted to close a railroad crossing in Flowerfield Township. Managing director John Lindsey said the crossing is in the northwest corner of the township and is operated by Canadian National Railroad. The crossing, on County Line Road, is expected to be shut down in 2023, according to Lindsey. He said closing the …

Michigan Department of Treasury announced a total of 62 cities, 15 villages, 33 townships and 53 counties will receive shares from the state’s Marijuana Regulation Fund. Distribution totaled $42.2 million from 10 percent retail excise taxes in fiscal year 2021. More than $1.1 billion in adult-use marijuana sales took place during the fiscal year. Those sales do not include medical marijuana sales, …

Michigan is investing more than $4.7 billion to improve infrastructure, including drinking water upgrades, internet access and fixing roads, bridges and dams. The spending plan includes some of the biggest infrastructure investments in state history, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday before signing the bipartisan legislation in Grand Rapids. About $4 billion comes from federal funds, including COVID-19 recovery funds and the Infrastructure …

A couple accused of torching eight barns last year in a northern Indiana county now face charges alleging that they also set fire to an Amish school in an adjacent county. Joseph Hershberger, 41, and Sherry Thomas, 32, were charged in December in Elkhart County with eight counts of arson for the barn burnings, the first of which occurred in …

The 12th season of the St. Joseph County Conservation District’s river cleanup program has a slate of five events set for this summer. Carolyn Grace, agency executive director and administrator of the cleanups, said the first will take place in May, while the final is in August. The schedule is: *May 21, St. Joseph River, Liquid Therapy in Three Rivers …

An 18-year-old suspect was arrested early Tuesday in connection with a breaking-and-entering incident at a retail location in Centreville. Sheriff Mark Lillywhite said deputies responded at 1 a.m. Tuesday to an alarm at Dollar General. Upon arrival, deputies discovered the front glass door had been shattered. Deputies proceeded to clear the building, with the aid of a Michigan State Police …

Michigan reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending March 27, adding nearly 5,700 new cases. That’s down 15 percent from the previous week’s tally of 6,651 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. St. Joseph County reported six cases and no deaths in the latest week. Cases fell in 52 Michigan counties, with the steepest declines in …

Branch Hillsdale St. Joseph Community Health Agency has redesigned its scheduling process for COVID-19 vaccine appointments during the Recovery phase. The website location, however, remains the same. It is bhsj.org/scheduling. Starting Friday, residents will select the county in which they choose to be vaccinated and click on “Schedule an appointment.” Users will be taken to the screen for registration in …

More than half the dogs taken to St. Joseph County Animal Control last year were reunited with their owners. Loralee Knepper, volunteer coordinator for St. Joseph County Animal Control, provided that tidbit during the commission’s March 15 meeting. She said animal control in 2021 took in 535 dogs and 188 cats. Of those 535 dogs, 255 were returned to their …